CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

This month I made a concerted effort to get back to reading blogs - especially those of writers with more experience and knowledge than I have. I need to learn and I need to try and maintain something of a decent perspective from this somewhat sheltered and blinkered corner of the world. Also, I write in isolation. I don't have a lot of in-depth contact with people, let alone other writers. Too shy, not enough time, strong feeling of being too different and not welcome, and not fond of people, pick your reason, but those sum it up for me. Anyway, here are the blogs I got caught up on this month. There are a lot, and if one author seems to be a focus, just remember that I'm working down a list and I'll be culling that list as I go. These are the folk I am learning from at the moment, my unwitting mentors who don't know me from a bar of soap, and to whom I am very grateful. These are their words. Publishing Industry http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-ye...

So, I did get a little blog reading done in December. Most of it was read on New Year's Eve as a break to writing in the New Year. These are the ones I read to the very end. Enjoy. Writing and Publishing http://kriswrites.com/2014/12/30/business-musings-things-i-learned-or-relearned-in-2014/#sthash.xP3yEpvN.dpbs http://kriswrites.com/2014/12/23/business-musings-things-indie-writers-learned-in-2014/#sthash.FopvjJpq.dpbs http://kriswrites.com/2014/12/17/business-musings-what-traditional-publishing-learned-in-2014/#sthash.lZdg3MPU.dpbs http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/new-world-of-publishing-control/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/new-world-of-publishing-failure-must-be-an-option/ http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2014/12/28/16-thoughts-for-authorspublishing-for-2015-aka-winners-dont-quit/ http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/more-writers-than-ever-are-earning-a-living-but-10-ways-to-keep-doing-it/ http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/2014/11/28/nanowrimo-remember...

So, after some directed reading and research, I just kinda browsed over a number of blogs and this is what I read all the way to the end. Writery bits Dean Wesley Smith http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-14/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-15/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-19/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-18/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/great-deal-on-books-from-anderson-sanderson-resnick-mccaffrey-and-rusch/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-17/ http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/writing-in-public-month-11-day-16/ Imogene Nix http://www.imogenenix.com/the-blog/50k30day-how-far-can-i-go Kristine Kathryn Rusch: http://kriswrites.com/2014/06/18/a-pleasant-surprise-i-hope/ http://kriswrites.com/2014/06/06/retrieval-artist-update-4/ http://kriswrites.com/2014/05/27/retrieval-artist-update-3/ Tymber...

Hey all So, last month was a bit of a downer for blogs being read - something to do with exams and assessments for uni taking precedence... who'da thought? And I had to prioritise writing over blogging. So, with the university break, I got to writing a few blogs, and catching up on the back-log of bloggery I wanted to read. My first foray was sparked by an article on the Amazon vs Hachette debate, and rambled into legalities and author earnings. The reading below took an hour and a half, which is probably enough time to spend in one day. So, if you're a writer, or a reader, or curious about any of the below topics, go click on the linkery and see what you can discover. Be aware that there are mixed views present and not all reflect my own opinion. I read to keep informed and then make up my own mind. I encourage you to do the same. Independent Publishing: Author Earnings: http://authorearnings.com/ http://authorearnings.com/the-tenured-vs-debut-author-report/ J.A. K...

Keeping tabs on the industry is very important. Watching trends and garnering opinion and advice with with to feed our own decisions is vital to making a living at this profession. As such, I made a specific effort to actually do some reading this month. Here are the blogs I found helpful or articles I found inspirational. Craft of Writing http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/guest-post-by-chris-eboch.html http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/middle-grade-plot-maps-by-lee-wardlaw.html http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/revision-technique-book-mapping-by.html http://mollyblaisdell.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/blooming-plot.html Publishing http://kriswrites.com/2014/04/16/the-business-rusch-generational-divide/ https://twitter.com/ChuckWendig/status/456809435353350144 http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/guest-post-by-dale-t-phillips-and-vlad-v.html http://jakonrath.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/no-one-knows.html http://jakonr...

February was a very busy month - a month of change, even. I didn't get a lot of blogs read in February. I'll try to do better in March. In the meantime, these were the posts that caught my attention: http://gillpolack.livejournal.com/1252852.html http://authorearnings.com/the-report/ http://www.cracked.com/article_19719_6-terrifying-new-creatures-science-just-discovered.html http://www.cracked.com/article_19719_6-terrifying-new-creatures-science-just-discovered_p2.html Enjoy!

Yes, I know it’s technically only got one day of February in it, but the rule of thumb is that, if the Saturday is a day of that month, then that week belongs to that month—even if it’s only one day. So, now that’s clear, here’s the progress made this week: Overview New words produced: 5,859 Old words revised: 0 Works completed: 13 (12 for inclusion in longer work) Works revised: 0 Covers created: 1 (5 variations) Works published: 0 (2-3 release platforms) Works submitted: 0 Competitions Entered: 0 Tier 1 Tasks Anthology13: Added 547 words Anthology14: Added 2,396 words Tier 2 Tasks RomanceNovel14A— Country Rush : Added 424 words; Tier 3 Tasks Novella2B: Added 2,492 words.       Publishing Tasks Created 12 blog posts for this blog; Updated LinkedIn, Pinterest and Facebook; Activated An Anthology of Blades on OmniLit, Amazon Kindle and CreateSpace; Activated The Reptiles’ Blade on CreateSpace; Created...

These are the blogs that made me stop and read all the way to the end, in December 2013. Enjoy! Writery Bits Here are some sites likely to interest writers: http://conflux.org.au/conflux-writers-day-2/ : About a writers' day in Canberra, ACT, Australia; http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amie-kaufman/why-everyone-should-read-_b_4414521.html?utm_hp_ref=tw : About why reading science fiction is important; http://www.indierecon.org/2013/09/mark-your-calendars-indierecon-2014.html : an on-line writers' event; http://jwmanus.wordpress.com/2013/12/19/calibre-word-and-mobi-a-tale-of-three-programs/ : advice on converting to different publishing formats; http://www.writersofthefuture.com/node/773 : Winners of the Writers of the Future 4th quarter; http://kriswrites.com/2013/12/04/the-business-rusch-the-fierce-urgency-of-now-discoverability-part-3/ : Advice on the business of writing; http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/?p=11059 : exploding writing myths about misunderstood aspects o...

With the demise of Google Reader, these are a lot fewer and further between. I don't have a lot of net-cruising time so I rely on my Facebook feed, some of the Yahoo groups I subscribe to, and chance. This month, these are the blog posts that made me stop and read all the way to the bottom: http://stornart.com/2013/09/action/ : Artwork and talk from fantasy artist Storn Cook. http://kriswrites.com/2013/09/11/the-business-rusch-story-demands/ : Kristine Kathryn Rusch on publishing constraints and freedoms in storytelling http://kriswrites.com/2013/09/04/the-business-rusch-we-dont-know-what-we-dont-know/ : more on publishing by Kristine Kathryn Rusch http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/09/10/25-steps-to-edit-the-unmerciful-suck-out-of-your-story/ : an irreverent, but very useful look at editing by Chuck Wendig over at terribleminds http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/09/09/why-i-like-the-term-author-publisher/ : on terminology http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/09/06/got-...

Scalzi-Hines Aicardi Pose-Off http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/25/pose-off-with-jim-c-hines-round-two/ Vale Gerry Anderson http://www.thegalaxyexpress.net/2012/12/rest-in-peace-gerry-anderson.html Author News: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/26/here-comes-the-blizzard/ http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/26/boxing-day-blizzard-update/ http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/26/more-boxing-day-blizzard-photos/ http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/27/editing-a-book-today/ http://whatever.scalzi.com/2012/12/27/book-editing-update/ Book Reviews: http://darkfaerietales.com/day-christmas-true-love-gave-3.html Christmas Greetings and Traditions: http://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/2012/12/25/merry-christmas/ http://grubbstreet.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/merry-christmas.html http://historicalhearts.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/christmas-food-and-fun.html http://paizo.com/paizo/blog/v5748dyo5leav?Goblins-Burn-Goblins-Fight-Goblins-Wish-You Craft: http://crimeficti...