writer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: If I’m Not Writing, Am I Still a Writer?

by
writer staring out window - deposit photos

I’ve been given an extraordinary pair of opportunities – running the Sacramento Book Festival, and also stepping in to help run the 2026 Nebula Convention for the SFWA nebula awards. But with great power comes… great lack of writing time? I found myself extremely limited at a moment when I’m trying to move forward on the number of projects, and I’ve had to drop at least one of them, due to simple lack of time. Which brings up the question, if I’m not writing, am I still a writer? I know, I know. In the grand scheme of things, the … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Am I Doing Enough?

by
man shrugging - deposit photos

I’m not doing it right. I mean, that must be what it is. I’ve been at this writing thing in a serious way for almost ten years. Along the way, I’ve had some successes – a few Rainbow Awards, some high-flying (of short-lived) rankings on Amazon, and I have a couple bookshelves full of copies of my published works. So why does it feel like I’m starting over at square one, every single day? Once a month, the Independent Book Publishers’ Association magazine arrives with new tips: I need to be launching a TikTok video channel. I should be courting … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

POINT OF VIEW: Diving Deeper

by
Diving Deeper - Deposit Photos

I’ve always said when you stop growing as a writer, your writing dies. We’re like sharks, swimming and swimming to keep that oxygen pumping through our blood. A few years ago, when I first started writing seriously and sold my first story, I was on top of the world. I felt like I had finally arrived, and knew how to do this shit. People were actually taking me seriously as a writer. That didn’t last long. I got a rejection, and another, and another. I sold a few more stories too, but then my reviews started coming in, and I … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

POINT OF VIEW: I Have a Plan (Sort-Of)

by
plan - pixabay

It’s been about four months since I sat down consistently to write every day There are reasons: I finished my novel Dropnauts and started to put some energy into using it to level up We ramped up for a new website launch for our main business, and it took a lot of time and energy My leveling up plans kinda fell apart, and I’ve been a bit adrift The holidays So I’ve been at loose ends with my writing these last few months. I’ve also been unsure as to what I want to write next. I’ve kicked around the idea … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT/GIVEAWAY: Kaylena Radcliff

by
Kaylena Radcliff

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Kaylena Radcliff – Kaylena Radcliff is a magazine editor, pastor’s wife, mother, and indefatigable world builder. As such, she subsists almost entirely on coffee and prayer. GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post below for a chance to win an eBook copy of “Mouse.” Thanks so much, Kaylena, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: When did you know you wanted to write, and when did you discover that you were good at it? Kaylena … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

POINT OF VIEW: Taking a Break

by
garden - pixabay

Hey all, Welcome to the Holidaze. I just sent off “The Shoreless Sea for beta reading, and it’s not due back until the end of the month. Once I get it off to the publisher in mid December, I won’t start on the next project until the start of the new year. So I have that rarest thing in a writer’s life, a little brain downtime. Not that my regular job isn’t handily filling those extra hours. But it is nice to have a bit for the creative part of my brain to reboot and refresh before the next thing. … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Point of View: Going From Writer to Author

by
seal scott author

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. I wrote a sci fi story in fourth grade – ok, so it wasn’t much of a story, more of a Jetsons rip-off. But the creative urges were there in elementary school. In my late teens and early twenties, I wrote my first novel, which was then soundly rejected by a number of publishers and which I allowed to kill my nascent writing career at the time. Now I am actually published – with twelve stories that have appeared in journals, anthologies, and even as stand-alone novellas from respectable … Read more

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Author Spotlight: Gus Li

by
Gus Li

Welcome to my weekly Author Spotlight. I’ve asked a bunch of my author friends to answer a set of interview questions, and to share their latest work. Today, Gus Li – Gus is AMAZING. He wasn’t one of the crew at Rainbow Con, unfortunately, but I finally met him at Nijicon in Philadelphia. But I’ve been working with Gus for over a year on a forthcoming anthology project. Gus is a beautifully lyrical writer and a cover designer, and so much more. Thanks so much, Gus, for joining me! J. Scott Coatsworth: How would you describe your writing style/genre? Gus … Read more