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Category Archives: Writing
Video: 5 Tips for Story Submissions
Posted in Writing
Tagged motivation, story submissions, tracking story submissions, video, writing
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Writers and Guilt
Writers are so good at beating themselves up for all sorts of reasons, some valid, some not so much. Here’s some encouragement for dealing with writerly quilt.
Pantsing, the Flow State, and Trusting Yourself as a Writer
Posted in Writing
Tagged flow state, pantsing, principles for pantsers, trusting yourself as a writer, writing
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Story Talk: Story Structure
I don’t believe that the standard form we get told all stories come from is the only one an author can use. In this video, I talk about some alternate plot structures and why I think an author should be … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
Tagged how to plot a story, moving from idea to draft, plot structure, story structure
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Why You Can’t Teach Writing
How do you learn to write? You learn by observing and doing, by reading good fiction and making attempts at your own. The truth is that writing is primarily self-taught, that the axiom that you must write a million words is on the mark, and that the first truth is this: To learn to write, you must be writing.
With my students who are writing and thinking about writing, I would have to actively give them bad advice like Play videogames rather than write. Don’t read anything. Only write when you’re in the mood. for them not to get better.
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Posted in Writing
Tagged on writing, speculative fiction workshops, writing, writing advice, writing classes
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Recent News and Changes from Chez Rambo
I’m very pleased to announce that Tor has acquired my recent space fantasy (maybe?), as part of a three book deal, and I’ll be working with Christopher Morgan there. While I’ve had a lot of short stories published traditionally, this is the first novel to go through that, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the process is like.
I’m so pleased by this. The book Tor took was written last October/November as part of a change in my writing routine, and if that routine pays off this well, you better believe I’m going to stick to it. So — up at 5:30 AM and off to the gym, then only writing through 11 AM. I love these characters, who are a lot of fun, and they’ve informed me they’ve got plenty of story to tell.
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Writing Contests and Fees
I recently tweeted this: “PSA/Pro tip: Do not submit to writing contests that charge entry fees. No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Many folks agreed; others wanted to argue a bit. Here’s some of the arguments and my opinion on them. Let us remember here that I am speaking as someone representative of professional writers, and that I have some experience with selling short stories as well as editing and publishing them.
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Posted in Writing
Tagged advice for new writers, writer beware, writing contests, yog's law
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Hopepunk Thoughts Plus A Reading List
Last year, I came up with a new class, “Punk U: The Whys and Wherefores of Writing -punk Fiction”, which attempted to explore some of the -punk subgenres, starting with cyberpunk and progressing through steampunk, dieselpunk, nanopunk, solarpunk, and a dozen others. Of all of them, the most fascinating to me — and the one that’s had the greatest influence on my recent fiction, is hopepunk.
What is hopepunk? The term was first coined by Alexandra Rowland as the antithesis of “grimdark,” a speculative genre featuring fatalistic nihilism and a tooth vs. claw environment.
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March Recent Efforts
So much is happening — or has already — in March! Including the release of anthology IF THIS GOES ON, teaching videos, and a feminist futures Storybundle in honor of Women’s History Month. Continue reading
