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Threads and BlueSky: New Social Media Options for Writers
Writers are told we need to “build platform”–have websites, grow our email lists, and build community on social media. Many of us have invested many hours over several years to grow a following on the Site Formerly Known as Twitter, only to watch one egomaniacal billionaire destroy that site piece by poorly-redesigned piece. I’m still on there (for now; follow me @ja_alcorn), but I’m engaging less and less as the most interesting people leave the platform and the bigots and haters take over. Instead, I’m trying out Threads and BlueSky, two new social media options for writers. I’ll share my experiences with both platforms in a minute, but first: The…
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Books to Help You Write Better: A Writer’s Reading List
Want to learn to write fiction? Want to learn to write better fiction? You’re in the right place. The Writer’s Reading List: Books to Help You Write Better will point you to the very best books about the craft of writing (well, the best in my not-so-humble opinion). The books on this list focus on practical skills so you can make the most of your limited learning time. And speaking of learning: Writing is a talent, yes, but also a craft, and crafts can be learned (I wrote a whole blog post about that once). You wouldn’t expect to build a perfect cabinet the first time you picked up a…
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Interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast + trip to Las Vegas – the October recap
I had two big events in October: I was interviewed for the Mysterious Goings On podcast about using short stories to launch a writing career, and Long-Suffering Husband and I drove to Vegas to meet up with a friend (*waves at Laurel*). But before I get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and What’s Been on Your Calendar hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Talking writing and short stories on the Mysterious Goings On podcast I’m excited to announce that I was interviewed for Alex Greenwood’s Mysterious Goings On podcast! In the episode, which will post on November 29, I talk about launching a writing career later in…
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Pics of the Las Vegas Sphere – and books
I bailed on blogging again last week, and it wasn’t even for a boring reason like work or a writing deadline. I went to Vegas! And you know what that means: I’m so broke I have to sell my plasma to survive. I have new photos to fill space on my blog! This week we’ll visit Sphere, the newest Las Vegas attraction and my latest obsession. But first: it’s the 3rd Friday of the month, which means it’s time for the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. I’ve been getting back into a regular reading groove and finished a nice mix of books since my last book post…
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Successful pitch session and more writing news
I’m happy to report I survived my pitch session at the WriteNow conference! As a result of that session, I disappeared from the face of the earth–and this blog–for about 3 weeks. Details below. But first: welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get this party started. Writing News How my pitch session went In my last post, I mentioned I’d signed up for the WriteNow conference, including submitting the first 30 pages of my suspense novel in progress, Delta Dawn, for professional editing and pitching my time travel romance, Vanishing, Inc., to an agent. I should get…
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Sunset on the Santa Catalinas
A short post this week, just a few pretty pictures of the Santa Catalina Mountains at sunset, a bit of personal and writing news, and (of course) a fresh batch of meme-y silliness. But before we get to all that: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. Personal and Writing News The big excitement here at Camp WTF is this: Thursday was Long-Suffering Husband’s and my 32nd anniversary! Yeah, he’s been putting up with me for 32 years (actually 37 years, because we had a long engagement). If you’d like to send him a sympathy…
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A visit to Tucson Comic-Con
Long-Suffering Husband and I went to Tucson Comic-Con last weekend. I can’t believe I’ve been a nerd since at least 1977 and had never been to a comic-con till a few days ago. I do have excuses–I’m not fond of crowds, I’m not super into the comic-con types of nerd-dom (except for Star Wars), blah, blah, blah… but really, I’m apparently an epic failure as a nerd. Anyway, this poor excuse for a nerd had a great time. Tucson Comic-Con is small compared to the ones in major cities, so the only celebrities we saw were a couple of retired wrestlers and a character from The Walking Dead, but the…
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Celebrating 4 years in the IWSG
Today the IWSG celebrates its 12th birthday, and Monday was the 4th anniversary of my first-ever IWSG post. How cool is that? Anniversaries give us a reason to look back, to see how we’ve grown and changed over the years and to celebrate the person–or in this case, people–who have accompanied us on that journey. But first: In case you’re new here, the first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Our awesome co-hosts this month are Sonia Dogra, J Lenni Dorner, Pat Garcia, Sarah – The Faux Fountain Pen, and Meka James. Stop by and give them some comment love. We…
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The August wrap-up: Steel Panther and gastroenterology fun
August is over! That sound you hear is 7 million Arizonans sighing in relief. We’re still sweating, but Weather Bragging Season is in sight. And we’re below 100F and supposed to stay that way till Wednesday. Woo hoo! I can garden without melting. Also, it’s time for a quick look back at August here at Camp WTF. But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and What’s Been on Your Calendar hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Have a seat, grab a box of Extra Toasty Cheez-Its, and let’s get this party started. My poem is a finalist! First up: writing news. My poem, “Mourning…
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Hot rocks and cool coatis: a visit to Chiricahua National Monument
This week I’ll take you on a visit Chiricahua National Monument, billed by the National Park Service as, “A Wonderland of Rocks.” So strap in and get ready for lots of pictures of… Rocks. Big rocks. Tall rocks. Round rocks. Skinny rocks. OK, I’ll stop channeling Dr. Seuss. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah: Rocks. Also coatimundi, a/k/a coatis, possibly the cutest animals I’ve ever seen in a national park. Also memes. But first: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get this party started. Weekly Weather Whining For the last week+, we’ve enjoyed…
Janet Alcorn
Suspense | Horror | Romance
