This month marks four years since I released the omnibus edition of my Syzygy novella series. Although a book’s birthday makes me smile like a nostalgic parent, this particular milestone is bittersweet, because I haven’t published anything since. What kind of indie author goes that long without a new title on the market?! One with... Continue Reading →
From “Drought Town” to “Blue Karma”: 25 Years of Cli-Fi
Last month, book blogger Alex at ScribblesAndStories posted a delightful retrospective of her childhood writing projects. Her unflinching but affectionate review hits all the classic points in a writer’s early evolution, from those first forays into fiction starring ourselves and our friends, to the imitative works inspired by a favorite story, to the more deliberate... Continue Reading →
The Accidental Mirror: What Flawed Characters Reveal About Ourselves
Running solves most of my problems. Bad day at work? Fight with the family? Mad at the world in general? After half a dozen sweaty miles, I reach a place where I’m better equipped to deal. It’s especially helpful for working through story issues. My feet go on autopilot, carrying me not through neighborhoods and... Continue Reading →
The Beautiful Scientist Problem, Pt III: Three Traps to Avoid When Writing Female Characters
Even when writers describe and develop female characters well, they still must navigate a minefield of stale and unhealthy cliches. Tumbling into one of these pernicious pits can ruin a great heroine, and sometimes the entire story along with her. In this final post of my series on writing female characters, I’ll identify three common... Continue Reading →
Polishing the Bones: What Home Remodeling Taught Me About Story Revision
After months of paint, plywood, and plaster dust, we've almost finished the renovations on our first house! Home wasn’t the only thing I’ve been remodeling: while sawdust swirled, I also revised Syzygy IV: Escape Velocity, which publishes on June 27. Rearranging words on a page may be less visibly messy than installing cabinets and putting... Continue Reading →
World Water Day Book Giveaway: Mission Accomplished!
Thanks to everyone who promoted or participated in my World Water Day book giveaway yesterday. I surpassed my goal of 100 copies, so I'm thrilled to honor my promise of donating $100 to water.org! To all who downloaded Blue Karma, happy reading! If you enjoy the book, I hope you'll consider posting a review on Amazon,... Continue Reading →