You know that nagging sense: You should have started serious writing sooner. You should be published by now, famous by now. Earning real...

The weekend of May 18th I’m helping out with my favorite local writing conference. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you really...

Okay, I’ve heard enough. You’re discouraged. Is it all worth it? Is the writing life what it’s chalked up to be? Have you missed the...

It being Friday the 13th, here is my take on writers’ superstitions. You know, those odd little ideas that help us make sense of the...

It’s time for introverted writers to get their booster shot. You know, that little shot of self-esteem that is so needed in our...

Stuff is changing. The world, politics, social media, entertainment, society . . . and publishing. Is this a good thing? Should I be...

Sooner or later you’re going to find yourself face to face with an agent. It’s an important meeting, but an odd one. You have only a...

This year, we’re finally going to do it. We’re going to buckle down and write more. If you haven’t started your dream project, you’re...

I’ll be at World Fantasy in San Diego this week (see my schedule at bottom), and will be looking to do some business. But mostly, I’m...

This is a tale of luck. It’s also a typical story of how a short story gets published. I’m relating this tale to assure those of you who...

This is part of my series “An Introvert’s Guide to Writing.” For more tips on going to conventions see post #5 in the Introvert series....

Writers often harbor seemingly reasonable beliefs that are actually rather deranged. We see conspiracies, cling to unrealistic...

This past weekend Chelsea Cain gave a little gem of a talk at Write on the River. Hers was an inspirational review of her climb to fame....

Sometimes small really is beautiful. Take conferences. Ever feel overwhelmed and lost at those big rallies? Me too. Often a small...

Is writing an art or a business? Maybe you have an immediate reaction to this question.  If forced to choose . . . oh, but we’re not,...

What is your writing dream? Is to finally break into publishing, to see your novel on the bookstore shelf and to enter into the elite...

We don’t like to think of categories for our writing. We write from the heart, giving our perspective of the world and the human heart....

Dear Sumo Cat, Your housekeeper has been doing well and growing in the school of fiction. She is a delight to work with and most of her...

Here’s the thing about feedback on your writing. Lots of what you get from others is wolf stuff in sheep’s clothing. It can be bogus,...

This is an update to my post “Things I Wish I’d Known” from December 2008 (Live Journal). Every now and then my perspective changes on...