10/20/15

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)



For my 50th birthday I bought myself three books (as ebooks). One was Felicia Day's new memoir, You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Felicia has an interesting story to tell. She was homeschooled in possibly the oddest way possible. She entered college as a young teenager. She struggled as an actress, got addicted to online gaming, then used those troubles to create the web series The Guild. I first saw Felicia in the last season of Buffy, became interested in her work just as the Guild was picking up, and have enjoyed her creative efforts ever since.

All that would make for an interesting read, but what resonated with me what her description of her struggles with self-esteem and anxiety. Any creative work can put you in a bad headspace from time to time. The creative life is one of lots of rejection and precious few bouts of acceptance, from yourself or from others. It's reassuring to learn when other artists have difficulties that are similar to yours in some way. It's helpful to hear how they cope so that you'll have some idea how to when the voices of discouragement start sounding in your brain once again.

Felicia is also an example of how good it can be for an artist to take charge of their art. She just didn't star in The Guild; she wrote it and got it made. I hope reading her story kicks me in the butt every now and again.

I can't recommend Felicia's book highly enough. If you haven't got it, and you're any kind of artist and a geeky person, buy it!

10/12/15

Willow Hill


I'm taking my first foray into Steampunk with my new novel, Willow Hill. Here's what it's about: 

Andrew Manson has traveled to Pensacola, Florida, to see his college friend Richard Abbott get married to a local lady, Samantha Grimes. The Civil War ended over a year ago, and all seems bright for the couple.

But a rumor threatens to spoil the happy occasion. Samantha’s uncle is believed by some to have secreted away a fortune on the eve of the War. Those that believe the tale think the fortune is buried on the plantation he owned, Willow Hill.

Ghost sightings, contradictory stories, and murder complicate the efforts of Andrew Manson to find out the truth of the tale. Can the promises of airships and inventions help or hinder Andrew as he tries to uncover the secrets of Willow Hill?

The novel is available in print and ebook editions. Check my books page for links to your preferred online store.

10/5/15

Writing Stats for September 2015

Here's the tenth post of the year, reporting on how much I wrote.

I felt pretty productive the first half of the month. The second half was take over by two cons, a backing up research clippings to the cloud, and edits on my next novel. That means I wrote 79 pages in September. That's less than half of what I could have done if I'd written every day. Still, half a month of productivity is better than none.

I may lose a few days in October, but I should be able to get back to writing. I'll need to be productive, as I have two more cons in November that will take me away from writing.

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