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2023: my year in writing
I covered the highlights of my year in writing in my last post, but I’ll add more detail here, in my first post of 2024 for the Insecure Writers Support Group. My IWSG posts attract a different audience from my routine weekly posts, so I think it’s OK to repeat a little. If you read my last post, feel free to skip to the memes (I’m pretty sure half my readers skip to the memes anyway, but don’t tell me that–you’ll hurt my delicate writer fee-fees.) Before we proceed to my authorial navel-gazing: The first Wednesday of every month is Insecure Writers Support Group day, on which we insecure writers…
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The 2023 Highlight Reel: Writing, Travel, and More
I’m one of those weird people who enjoy reading everyone’s annual navel-gazing posts: what I accomplished this year, cool things I did/places I went this year, etc. So as I usually do this time of year, I set out to write mine. I’ll start with my first post of 2023, I said to myself. What were my intentions for the year? How did last year’s accomplishments stack up to this year’s? And now I need a stiff drink. And it’s only 7 AM. And I don’t even drink. When I wrote last year’s post, I complained that 2022 wasn’t one of my more productive years and selected persevere as my…
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Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!
No exciting news in this post, no travel pics, probably not much snark (but fear not–there will be memes). So if there are no announcements, no travel pics, and no snark (!!), what will be in this post besides memes? My sincerest wish that you and yours have the happiest of holidays. You, dear reader, are the reason I devote the better part of a weekend morning attempting to be amusing on Al Gore’s internet. Your time and your comments mean the world to me. So, from my house to yours: Those of you who know me through the Weekend Coffee Share (hosted by Natalie the Explorer) may have noticed…
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An interview with author C. Lee McKenzie
I’m excited to feature my first-ever author interview on this blog! Read on for an interview with C. Lee McKenzie, a multi-published author of young adult, middle grade, and adult fiction and a fellow member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. And speaking of the IWSG: 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 C. Lee McKenzie, JQ Rose, Jennifer Lane, and Jacqui Murray. Stop by their blogs and leave them some comment love! Each month, the IWSG provides an optional question for us to answer in our posts. This month’s optional question:…
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A post-Thanksgiving hike in Sabino Canyon
Instead of participating in the Hunger Games Black Friday shopping, Long-Suffering Husband and I hiked in Sabino Canyon, a gorgeous natural area at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. And you know what happens whenever I hike in the desert: Cactus pics! Also trail pics and rock pics and blue Arizona sky and… But before we get to all the Sonoran Desert wonderfulness: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. A fall hike in Sabino Canyon We’d planned to take the tram into Sabino Canyon, but apparently the rest of Tucson…
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Let’s talk books!
Before I started this post, I browsed a few other entries in the What’s on Your Bookshelf link party. Everyone is talking about cozy holiday reads with titles like Christmas by Candlelight and The Christmas Spirit and covers featuring festively-lit buildings nestled into blankets of snow. And what am I reading? Obsession, a book by former FBI profiler John Douglas on the psyches of killers, rapists, and stalkers. Oh, and the memoir of a former New York medical examiner. Ho, ho, homicide, baby. My reading list for the last month also suffers from a distinct absence of holiday cheer. But before we get to that: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee…
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An award-winning poem and a visit to Seattle
A more-exciting-than-usual week here at Camp WTF. Long-Suffering Husband and I just got back from Seattle. I was there for a work conference; he was there for the coffee. Then as soon as we got back, I got the news that one of my poems won an award in the Arizona Authors Association Annual Literary Contest. Yay! But before we get to all that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it. “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category My poem “Mourning Doves” won Best in Category in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary…
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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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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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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…
Suspense | Horror | Romance
