by @RamonaRichards I took my first job in the publishing industry in 1981. Yes, I’m old. I worked as an editorial secretary in the children’s book division of Abingdon Press. Unbelievably green, I found myself startled by the long lead time of books, the intricacy of the processes of art…

By James Hannibal @jamesrhannibal Aaron banked his F-35 hard, dodging orange streaks of anti-aircraft fire. A ZSU-23-4. Where had that come from? “Vega Zero One, this is Two. Sparkle the threat—half a klick north of the burning tank. I’m clear to the west, angels three thousand.” “Vega One copies. Contact…

By Larry Leech @LarryJLeechII Sun. Sand. If not sand, maybe a pool instead. Or maybe a nice, quiet cabin in the woods. Whatever your pleasure, a good book, or books, is necessary. With summertime right around the corner, compiling a summer reading list might be near the top of your…

By James Hannibal @jamesrhannibal The Search Engine Swamp. The Wikipedia Wastelands. The Data Doldrums. Look out! It’s the Research Bog. Stay on the path.  But wait. What should you do if you lose the path and get lost in the muck? [tweet_box design="default" float="none" inject="#Writing #research"]Research: Escaping the Research Bog…

By James Hannibal @jamesrhannibal The Search Engine Swamp. The Wikipedia Wastelands. The Data Doldrums. At the center of the author’s pirate map to story treasures, we find a dense bog where the blotted scrawls of the cartographer’s quill read, “Here be time-eating monsters!” It’s the Research Bog. Stay on the…

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson The other day I was talking to a friend of mine and this person confided that she was afraid she didn’t have what it takes to be a writer. “I’m just not good enough to get a book published, and I don’t know if I ever will be.”…