So I’ve been trying to figure out how to write this post for blithering ages, because it needs to be said. No, before you worry, this isn’t me shutting this silly thing down. Rather, it’s an explanation for why I’ve been a bit wandery these past few months. Unfocused. Here and there. Don’t make that… Continue reading News that Impacts the Blog But Is Not About the Blog
. It’s a word with connotations, all of them bad. “I can’t stand your attitude” is the prelude to a barrage of personal failings that start and end with nothing good. This seems strange, because at first glance, “attitude” seems like a neutral word. But let’s examine the definitions that Merriam-Webster posts for it. Aha.… Continue reading The Pep-Squad Police and YOUR Attitude
Writers, put down those red pens, because I have bad news for you. We’ve all seen the lists of words to weed from your prose, phrases editors hate, little pet peeves that get on other writers’ nerves, and even those of a few readers. If you are a dutiful and Good™ writer, you went through… Continue reading Writing Is the Least Important Part of Your Book
It’s time for my annual Christmas gift suggestion post! Last year’s post “5 Christmas Gifts You Definitely Never Thought Of” was incredibly popular; more than one person commented that as a result they would be purchasing a nail gun for their significant other. Success! With that in mind, I have racked my brain for brilliant… Continue reading 5 MORE Christmas Gifts You Definitely Never Thought Of
I’m one of those authors who likes to write to music. Every book I write has a theme song, and beyond that, each character has their own special songs. More may be employed for writing certain scenes or locations, but those two things always exist above all. The overarching song for What Boys Are Made… Continue reading Music in Writing Part 1: What Boys Are Made Of
The name of this blog is “Under-Paid, Over-Enthused.” That started out as its tag-line, but really, that’s what this blog is an expression of. Me, bouncing off the walls with energy, talking about everything under the sun, for no other reason than to do it. Well over a year later, I’m still under-paid, but the… Continue reading The Writing I Haven’t Been Doing
In high school history class my senior year, we spent an intensive quarter learning about how the political system works. For the test at the end of it we had to compose a short essay on what steps we needed to take to win a gubernatorial race. In hindsight, I think we were just supposed to regurgitate… Continue reading So you don’t understand the US now? Well, I do.
Regarding #TheContinent. The Twitterverse has once again erupted in controversy over a problematic book. Let me sum it up in the vaguest way possible, so I can keep re-using this same summary when the exact same situation inevitably happens again next month. Person wrote book. They loved this book. They found it to be diverse… Continue reading It isn’t about Authors, It’s About Gatekeepers
Want to learn how to drive me up the wall? Insist that every time two characters make out, that the novel has a romance. Argh. Here in publishing, romance is a very specific genre that basically means the plot revolves around the characters being or falling in love with each other. There must be an… Continue reading Actually, People Can Screw Without Romance
I’ve gotten into the terrible habit of reading the reviews my books get. This is an awful idea for many reasons. First of all, while reviews on my books tend to be positive, they aren’t all. This means that if I read a bad one, my day is sent into a spiral of ever more… Continue reading Reading My Own Reviews Is Basically the Worst Idea Ever
Under-Paid, Over-Enthused 