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The most unethical practice in publishing
What is the most unethical practice in publishing? There are plenty to choose from, from scammy, predatory publishers (not all publishers! just scammy, predatory ones) to the zillions of businesses popping up like dandelions to profit off authors without adding any value, to publishers that want to profit off authors and readers without adding much actual value–e.g., minimal editing, minimal marketing, no willingness to invest in an author’s career. (Again, I’m not talking about all publishers here.) But the most unethical practice in the publishing industry puts these to shame. But before I do the big reveal: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop.…
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Interview with Karen McCoy, author of The Etiquette of Voles
Today I’m going to introduce you to Karen McCoy, author of The Etiquette of Voles, a middle grade Victorian mystery, and a good friend from my Flagstaff days. And since we’ll be talking about middle grade fiction, I’ll share a little about the books that impacted me when I was a kid. But first: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are PJ Colando, Pat Garcia, Kim Lajevardi, Melisa Maygrove, and Jean Davis. Each month our fearless leader (Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh) gives us an optional question…
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My greatest fear as a writer–and a middle grade Victorian mystery
OK, today let’s talk about a topic that plagues just about every writer I’ve ever talked with: fear. In the spirit of honesty and commiseration, I’ll share my greatest fear as a writer, and if you also write (or create or are just a fraidy cat like me), you can share yours in the comments. And I’ll tell you about my friend Karen’s shiny new middle grade mystery, The Etiquette of Voles. But first: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Feather…
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What literary character would you like to hang out with?
The best fiction is character-driven. Plot matters, of course, but if I don’t care about the characters, the best plot in the world won’t make me enjoy a book (see: Gone Girl. Amazing plotting/storytelling, but the characters? Not so much.) So let’s talk about characters–specifically, a literary character you’d like to hang out with. But before I get to that: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Jennifer Lane, L Diane Wolfe, Jenni Enzor, and Natalie Aguirre. Stop by and leave them some comment love. Each…
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Short story “Proof Text” published in Kings River Life
My short story, “Proof Text,” was just published in Kings River Life! “Proof Text” is a short suspense piece about an exhausted farm wife who must finish one essential chore. I thought up the idea when I was doing farm chores on a windy fall day in Flagstaff. Read “Proof Text” free on the Kings River Life site. I wrote “Proof Text” in 2019, when I was still very new to fiction writing. In fact, it’s the first short story I ever wrote as an adult. With much fear and trembling, I shared it with my newly-formed critique group, expecting them to think it average at best. They loved it!…
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3 ways I’m finding my way back from a writing slump
I mentioned in my 2024 highlight reel post that I accomplished very little on the fiction writing front last year. I got pretty discouraged about that, even though there were some good reasons why I didn’t write much. This month I seem to be finding my footing again. I have a 24-day writing streak in Online Writing Log, and I’m finding easier every morning to sit down and start writing. So how am I finding my way back from a writing slump? Let me count the (spoiler alert: 3) ways. But first: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of…
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My 2024 annual highlight reel
Every year I take a look back to see what I did, and because I’m a blogger, I post my annual highlight reel for the world to see. Because my self-talk isn’t negative enough, I reviewed the goals I set in last year’s post. Yeah, that was humbling. But also–I did some big things in 2024 that were not on my annual goals list, so there’s that. Anyway, if you want to join me in my annual navel gazing, pull up a seat, ignore the lint, and let’s go. 2024 highlights: the big stuff I could make a long list of things I didn’t do in 2024–achieve my writing goals,…
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Cliffhanger endings: 3 reasons why they make readers mad
Mickey Spillane once said, “The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.” Unfortunately, some authors interpret that truth as meaning they should end a book with a cliffhanger. There are (at least) 3 reasons why cliffhanger endings will make readers mad–and angry readers are less likely to read your next book. But before we get to that: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every month, we IWSG-ers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Ronel, Deniz, Pat Garcia, Olga Godim, and Cathrina Constantine. Stop by and leave them some comment love. Each…
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What creative activities do I do besides writing?
One of the things I love most about hanging out with writers and librarians (I am both), is that we’re a creative bunch. Writing is an inherently creative activity, yet writers will often have other creative hobbies as well. Ditto for librarians. As I’ve taken on leadership positions at work, I have less and less time for any creative work (including writing, sadly), but I still build creativity into my life where I can. So, what creative activities do I do besides writing? I’ll answer that in a minute, but first: This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG) blog hop. On the first Wednesday of every…
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Ghost and other horror stories (with gratuitous Halloween pics)
It’s finally October! ‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice, hoodies and cozy blankets1, chilly mornings2, horror stories, and scaring the crap out of neighborhood children before giving them free candy. This year we’re busy unpacking, but by the time next Halloween3 rolls around, kids in this neighborhood are going to wet their pants even thinking about coming to our door. Don’t believe me? This is what we did to our yard the last time we lived in a neighborhood that contained children: At night we added an orange flickering light to the wood under the fake leg for that realistic roasting-human-flesh look. I’m pretty sure the 6-year-old across the street–who’s…
Janet Alcorn
Suspense | Horror | Romance
