I have a post up today at the blog of my good friend Stuart Jaffe. Stuart was with the Magical Words blog site for some time, has published a good number of terrific short stories, and is now turning his talents to novel-length projects. He has been writing about the various things that influence our work as writers, and he asked me to contribute ( Read more... )

( Read more... )

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, A.J. Hartley, Stuart Jaffe, and Edmund Schubert, among others. The post is called “On Writing: Interveiw wth L. Jagi Lamplighter.” Jagi talks about Shakespeare, her new ( Read more... )

Is there ever a time when things aren't rushed, when a thousand different tasks, commitments, projects, and such aren't clamoring for our attention?  I mean, yeah, okay -- vacation.  But I'm not sure that counts.  This isn't even a particularly crazed time, but it feels like I've got too many things to do and not enough hours in the day ( Read more... )

Today’s post can be found at http://magicalwords.net, the group blog on the business and craft of writing fantasy that I maintain with fellow authors Faith Hunter, Misty Massey, and C. E. Murphy. The post is called “The Power of Reunions” and it’s about getting to know our characters a bit better. I hope you enjoy it.

Oh, and by the way, that ( Read more... )

So last night I let some friends (if you can call them that!) talk me into joining Twitter and I can already tell that this was a serious mistake.  We're talking major procrastination enabler here.  The guilty parties were Alethea Kontis, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Stephen Gould -- I offer their names so that my agent and editor will know exactly ( Read more... )

My agent, the wonderful Lucienne Diver -- varkat  -- got back to me today with comments on the first 100 pages of my new work in progress.  Her comments were pointed, candid, and unbelievably helpful.  I've spent much of the day reworking the first six chapters of the book and though I'm not done yet, I'm already convinced that her criticisms and the ( Read more... )

Back home after two days of long drives.  We have a party to go to tonight.  We'll be welcoming back into town some friends who have been living in New Mexico for the past year and a half.  It'll be great to see them and to ring in the New Year (and ring out this old one) with good friends.

Wishing all of you a wonderful 2009.

Best,

David

So, been a few days.  Had to focus on the rest of life for a little while there,  Every year Nancy and I throw a big party -- an Australian Christmas Party.  What makes it Australian? you ask.  Well, in Australia, Christmas is a summer holiday.  It's hot and sunny, and the year we were there we spent Christmas at the beach eating shrimp and fresh ( Read more... )

It's late (at least it is for me; I'm getting old...) and I had hoped to post much earlier today.  We had friends over for dinner tonight.  New friends, actually.  They've just moved here and they've coming to our town so that he can take over as headmaster at the school my older daughter attends.  We wanted to welcome them and give them a break ( Read more... )