Point of View

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Point of View: Writing Beauty in a Time of Chaos

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Scott

Hey all, It’s been almost a month since my world was turned upside down. Many things I thought were true about my own country and fellow Americans were shown to be either blatantly false, or at best rosy exaggerations. My place in this society, which a month ago seemed newly safe and secure, has once again been thrown into question. In my little bubble here in Sacramento, nothing seems to have changed. Outside, it’s a beautiful (if cold) day. The mail still gets delivered into our box every day around noon. The paper still arrives on my doorstep on time … Read more

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Point of View: Writing Interesting Characters

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characters

Every writer has a weakness. Or two. One of mine is characterization. I came to this whole writing thing via reading lots and lots of sci fi and fantasy – really really long, epic fantasy – and so my great love has always been worldbuilding. I adore strange new worlds – Pern with its dragons and thread, Dune with sandworms and funny sand walking, and Asimov’s overarching Foundation and Psychohistory. So when I write my stories, I start out thinking high level themes, weird and wonderful planets, and devices of great power. Then I have to fill those stories with … Read more

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Point of View: When it Rains…

by
Scott

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks here in Scott-Land. I’m rushing to finish a novel and a novella, both due to the publisher by the end of December. And at the same time, I’ve been hit by edits for my first novel, “Skythane”, edits for “Wonderland”, a novella appearing in the upcoming “This Wish Tonight” anthology from Mischief Corner Books”, my weekly “River City” chapters, and chapter requests for my other serial project with MCB, “Marionettes in the Mist.” It seems like I just get one thing off my desk and pivot back to the novel when another one … Read more

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Point of View: Responding

by
Scott

Hey all, I won’t lie. Last week was a horrible, terrible, very bad week for Mark and I, and for most everyone we know. And it’s not just because a Republican won the white house. That’s happened before. Not my team, not my party, but it’s how America works. This was something deeper. Darker. The man who won did so on a platform of lies, fear, and hatred. He won by denying things he’d said before that we have on tape with a straight face. He won with the help of the Russian government, and of our own FBI. And … Read more

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Point of View: Keeping My Sanity

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banana-split

OK, it’s finally over after tomorrow. Far and away the worst and most personally damaging election of my lifetime is oozing ever so slowly toward its conclusion. That it was such a terrible, mentally and emotionally exhausting election for me this year can be laid squarely at the feet of one of the two candidates, who decided facts don’t matter and insults do. Suffice it to say I have voted for the other one, the one who will protect the interests of myself, my husband, our community at large, and the country. But this post is not about the election, … Read more

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Point of View: Ten Things You Didn’t Know About Me

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Scott and Lana

Hey all, I thought it would be fun to do something a little different this week. I’m a strange and mysterious member of the human race, and there are a number of things you probably don’t know about me. Pictured: Me and my mom, circa 1982-83. So here it goes: 1) My First Book: My first fiction publication was the story “The Bear at the Bar”, published in 2014 by Dreamspinner in the “A Taste of Honey” anthology. But I was actually published originally in 1986 in the book “Raising Each Other,” a non-fiction title for teens and parents. 2) In … Read more

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Point of View: After the Con

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Scott Predictions

OK, so GRL 2016 (Kansas City) is officially over. Time to look back over my pre-con predictions: 1) The Dancing Bear: There was no dancing bear (though there was a dancing Cowardly Lion – who knew Steve Zimmerman was so furry?). There were also dancing flying monkeys, fancing witches, and a handsome dancing tin man. Prediction Rating: 2 out of 5. 2) The Smores Bar: There was no smores bar, though there was a fairly good buffet on the last night, and the Grease movie night featured a fair selection of candy and some great pop corn, including Hershey bars, … Read more

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Point of View: Ten Things I’m Looking Forward to at GRL

by
Scott

OK, so I’m a GRL virgin (and judging from the photo, it’s amazing I’m not an RL virgin too!). I’d always heard that it was next to impossible to get into GRL as an author. But it was actually easy. I just had to pre-register my information, jump onto the site at the exact second the registration opened, and type faster than I’d ever typed in my life. It was a snap. But although I have never been to GRL, I’ve heard some rumors about the amazing things that go on there. So here are my top ten things I … Read more

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Point of View: Scraping Together a Living in Publishing

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Bigfoot Hunters in Love cover

If you’re not Steven King or JK Rowling, you probably don’t make a huge income on writing alone. Most of the authors I know write as a second job, or have a spouse who works and can help support them. My husband Mark has been fully supportive of my writing career. But that doesn’t mean I can abandon our own business, and so there’s always a tension between the two in terms of deadlines and my time. This is my third year earning money as a writer, and the trend line is definitely going in the right direction. But I’ve … Read more

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Point of View: 8 Tips to Prepare for a Successful Con

by
Scott GRL prep

OK, so GRL is officially just two weeks and a couple days away, and I am TOTALLY FREAKING OUT. There’s too much to do! I’ve done cons before, but there’s always a bit of last minute preparation, and this one is no different. So I thought I’d share with you a bit of what I do, have done and will do to prepare for a con like this. 1. Book Your Hotel Early: Most of these cons offer a discounted hotel rate, but these often have limited availability. Book early to have the best shot at these low rates – otherwise … Read more