I've been away from this blog, finding something productive I might do. My Pazuzu Trilogy hasn't made it to bookstores or evolved into movies and it's been four years and twelve revisions since I self-published the epic. I've stopped promoting the books, and apparently my other books, too. I scold myself and live with the consequences of my cessation to…

Here is yet another Wister Town story wherein evil comes home with news from a whistle blower. Larger evil takes the form of an expensive, modern-day cult grown outside the borders of this small Midwestern hellhole...

The phone rings and rings until I cross the…

Iread a lot, and I set 99% of books right back down again. The problem with most fiction is it throws off my rhythm. See, my writing pursues a flow. And popular fiction lulls me into complacency. If I read too much, it's like I spend all my time driving thirty miles an hour. Then when I'm on freeways, I'm uncertain of traveling over fifty five. And in that situation, my passengers would rather get out and walk. That's what happened to me, so I write my own terrors and…

I'm just going to say this. I'm sick of critics who have nothing more to say than "I'm glad this was free." My terse reply are rhetorical questions. I ask "Is this going anywhere, ma'am or sir? Are we going anywhere together? Because if you're not giving me directions, get off my fraking bus!" And I don't want to hear people screaming "But we're heading straight for a cliff!" Shut up, because that's where I'm driving. I intend to take every soul to…

Once she started making $90,000, my ex-fiancee got the idea she was too good for me. That was a strain on our relationship. She said she didn't want to be with a man who made less money than her. Then she met a millionaire. I gave up. The woman became a whore, and a wretched one. Have you seen her? I put my dick into that so I wouldn't go to Dante's second plane of Hell for masturbation. Yeah, my definition of self-pleasure is merely technical but that is how Christians…

Concerning writing, I admit I've gotten a late start. I don't have the education or the natural-born talent. All I've got are stories and a mentally unhealthy compulsion to tell them. Equally obsessed, I've worked hard to clean-up the spills I've made. The start of Summer 2012, I dedicated myself to producing professional-level stories told in a mainstream Active Voice. And I'm nearly done with every scrap I've written to date. I'm not lying, check out my revised work…

As most writers know, there isn’t much money in being an author; the money, if you can get a successful freelance writing business going, is in freelance writing work and ghostwriting.

There are so many different freelance writing and ghostwriting jobs you can do. But, to keep your target market focused and to strengthen your area of expertise, you should choose one or two specific types of writing. Offering too many varying services weakens your platform and your…

My story The Midwestern Days of Noah is complete. I've sent my unsolicited query off to a publisher who promised on its webpage that I'll likely know within six months. That reminds me a couple other of my submissions I made to publishers have expired and I still haven't heard anything. One publisher has a database I can log into and check the status of my submissions.

I have, and well, my book hasn't budged since I submitted the story in December. It's not…

As the newsboys used to holler out, "Get it here! Get it here! Late breaking news!"

But there is no late-breaking news. Only an edition of my interactive newsletter filled with tips for promoting, editing, and the craft of writing. No articles. Just tips.  The first was so popular I brought it back, as they say, "by popular demand."  It only comes out once or twice a year. So, I guess it is still news. (-: 

It's a perfect time to subscribe to get these letters…

I'm writing a new horror story - and it's my best yet. I call it "Our Lord Weathercock" but I'm thinking of changing it to "The Midwestern Days of Noah." Of course, the horrid tale is set in Wister Town, Wisconsin and I continue exploiting and expanding the mythology documented in depth with my…

Last year, Debbie Menon had hoped she'd make an appearance in 2012. She's the tough and eager Real Estate Agent in the unpublished story Debbie's Hellmouth. The story is still not published and the house is yet for sale. Curious buyers can read about the property online free…

It’s a New Year, so start if off by honing your writing or marketing skills.

As an author or writer it’s no doubt you know how important it is to stay on top of your writing and marketing game, that’s where knowledge comes into play. The more you learn, the more you can apply that knowledge to your craft. And, a new year is the perfect time to start.

Whether it’s writing or marketing, there is an e-book for you. Get help writing your children’s book with…

First, the title is only misleading because your hopes and exceptions are projected on the words. It's not a trick, writing is an Art and I'll steer a reader's emotions and expectations the best I can - although my driving can get sloppy. Anyway, I hope you'll read and appreciate my work for those very facts. As an artist, I use the material I have to…

When was your last conversation with your mirror?

 

In almost any pursuit,…

Probably one of the most difficult aspects of writing is providing content that your reader can turn into pictures or imagery. You may know exactly what you’re trying to convey, the image you want your reader to see, but does your content translate into effective imagery for your reader?

Stephen King discusses this topic in an informative article in the August 2010 Writer magazine. Obviously, any advice from this author is valuable, but I especially like his views on imagery.…

It’s amazing how the road to ‘making money’ for writers has opened. Maybe you’ve been thinking about it, or maybe you’ve even tried your hand at writing to earn an income or simply to supplement your income, but just haven’t seen the light at the end of the tunnel.

Well, step back moment, look around, and take a new stab at it, because now’s the time to write for money.

You might be wondering what it means to ‘write for money.’ The answer to that is simple:…

I often look for resources for our authors so they may spread the word about their books. One online source is Freelance writing jobs at freelancewriting.com.



There are plenty of articles to guide the new or even the seasoned writer. If you are an author, you need to get additional exposure and online writing is a great way to do…

"There are writers and there are authors. Writers seek to write, and they seek to write better and better with every book. Authors seek only to be published, and they seek advances to match their egos."



--…

The Muse Online Writers Conference is just about here: October 3rd through October 9th, and Magdalena Ball and Karen Cioffi will be presenting a week-long workshop for the conference.

Here are the details:

Workshop Title: Creating and Building Your Author/Writer Online Presence:

From Website Creation to Beyond Book Sales

Presenters: Karen Cioffi and Maggie Ball

Date: October 3 -9

Register today at:…