Point of View

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Point Of View: Getting Into My Writing Groove

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Write Like the Wind

Every author has things they do to help them write and be more creative. Some of these are superstitions – like not changing their socks or underwear until a project is finished (and yes, that is disgusting). Others are habits – things they do on a regular basis to ensure they have time to get their writing done, like setting a particular time of day. Or waking up like a vampire in the dead of night. Some prefer rewards for writing – a chocolate covered Oreo for completing a scene, perhaps, or a trip to Krispy Kreme for a baker’s … Read more

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Point of View: The Last Day of NaNoWriMo

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NaNo Scott

NaNoWriMo is almost over. It’s been 30 days of absolute writing madness, and I almost didn’t do it at all. I first heard about this epic writing event last year, and I knew absolutely nothing about what it was, or what it meant, other than the name. I thought you had to submit your work to a panel of judges somewhere who would chose the “winner”. I was nowhere near ready to face that kind of competition. Then I noticed that half of my writing friends were “winners”. And I finally figured out that “winning” NaNo was more about meeting … Read more

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Point of View: Juggling Three Writing Projects at Once

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Scott oranges juggle

I’ve recently found myself in the enviable (or perhaps not) position of having to work on three writing projects almost simultaneously. So I thought I’d share a little of my trademarked sage advice with you’ll on how to juggle multiple projects. 1) Keep Good Notes: This one is very important, because after a while, the story you’re writing about the winged man starts to shade into the one you’re working on about the gay chef in Sacramento, and the short you promised to your podcast friend about the twelve days of Christmas. Before you know it, you look up from … Read more

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Point of View: A Writer Responds to Paris

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Paris Flower

We all know about the terrible tragedy in Paris on Friday. It was more than a tragedy; it was an atrocity, because it was perpetrated intentionally by human hands. Jack McDevitt, one of my favorite sci fi authors, talks about how a man can come to do these things to another human being: These killers are equipped with brains, but obviously don’t use them. That’s not a trait that is limited to some branches of Islam. We’ve seen it in western culture, too. Not that it necessarily leads to homicide, but we have substantial numbers of people who have made … Read more

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Point of View: It’s Monday

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I’m having one of those days. One of those days where you know you need to write. Your NaNoWriMo chart is looking a bit anemic. And you need to get your ass in gear. And yet… Sometimes it seems like the world is against you. There are so many other things to do. Things that need to be washed. And sorted. And people who need to be called. And yeah, some of these things are just ways to put off writing. Writers are nothing if not stellar procrastinators. But sometimes the world really is against you when it comes to … Read more

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Point of View: Five Fitness Tips for NaNoWriMo

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Hey all, Now that NaNoWriMo has begin, I thought I’d share some tips for keeping your mind and body in shape for the marathon writing session you’re gonna have to do on November 30th to finish that damnable 50,000 word novel you committed to on November 1st. Follow these five tips carefully, and you should be in great shape once the last day of NaNo rolls around. 1) Eat Well: Stock up on brain foods that will help get you through long sessions of being chained to a desk while you berate yourself, shout at your inner critic to just … Read more

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Point of View: Scenes from a Con

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Alex Wifi Dance

So we’re about to hit the road (or the sky) for our trip home from Nijicon in Philadelphia. It was a good con – come next year, y’all! But we had a blast, and met some great folks. So I thought I’d share a few moments with you from our time at the con: 1) The Dancing Alex: Our buddy Alex Woolfson, of “The Young Protectors” fame, was at Niji with us. The Hall wifi kinda sucked, so every time he made a sale (which was fairly often). we’d look over to see Alex doing his wifi dance to try … Read more

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Point of View: Five Things You Have to Do Before a Con

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Scott swag

We’re getting ready to go to Nijicon next weekend in Philadelphia, so I thought this would be a great time to go over the steps we take to get ourselves ready for a writer con. 1) Shave. And Shower. Seriously. We all get wrapped up in our writing, sitting in our little writer caves, and many of us work a second (and sometimes third) job to pay the bills to allow us the ability to write. And it’s easy to forget to comb your hair, put on clothes, and wear deodorant like a regular person every morning when you get … Read more

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Point of View: Five Strategies for Winning NaNoWriMo

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NaNoWriMo is coming up next month, and authors all over the country will be sitting down at chaining themselves to their laptops, ipads, or notepads to scribble out a “winning” story – 50K words in 30 days (and don’t forget, Thanksgiving is in there too). So here are my tips for getting to 50k by November 30th. 1) Plan Out Your Story in Advance: This isn’t absolutely necessary – some of us are born pantsers, after all. And of course, if you are a plotter, you can plan out your story with varying levels of detail, from a note scribbled … Read more

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Point of View: Six Steps to Prepare for Your Adoring Public

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I’m about to meet one of my adoring fans. OK, so they’re also a great friend and writer, so it’s not the same as meeting a fan (or fans) cold. But it got me thinking – what are the things any writer should do before meeting their fans? So here’s my list – I hope you find it helpful: 1) Shave and shower. OK, so the shaving part may not apply to everyone. But it’s important to give a good impression to your fans. Sure, in their minds-eye, they see you in your writer cave. But they imagine it as … Read more