Today’s guest post is from John Joseph Adams–editor of Lightspeed Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, and more than a dozen anthologies–and one of his oft-published authors, Jake Kerr. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on between an author and an editor from a rewrite request to publication, you’re about to get a behind-the-scenes look that is invaluable [...]
Category > Editing
Writing What’s Real
Last year at a writer’s retreat a late-night talk with a friend turned to the the subject of authenticity, and the struggles inherent in creativity and learning our craft. She shared with me a lesson that I was only beginning to understand on my own, advice that she had been given by one of her [...]
What are you doing differently? Reigniting the creative fire
After a kind of crazy summer I found myself completely unmotivated to write–my drive had just disappeared. No ambition, no burning desire to create, no stories pecking at my head demanding my attention. I think it might be overstating things to call it depression, since it seemed to be restricted to my creative life, but [...]
Trying to make the jump
Today Robert Jackson Bennett returns to Inkpunks with another great post, this time about taking chances with your characters. Enjoy! Most of my writing decisions – or the big ones, at least – are more or less the equivalent of someone standing at the top of a tall gap, and saying, “I bet I can [...]
Guest Post: Outlining, by John Klima
John Klima previously worked at Asimov’s, Analog, and Tor Books before returning to school to earn his Master’s in Library and Information Science. He now works full time as a librarian. When he is not conquering the world of indexing, John edits and publishes the Hugo Award-winning genre zine Electric Velocipede. The magazine has is [...]
Guest post from Carol Penn-Romine: Sorbet for the Creative Palate
This week’s guest post comes from food writer and all-around rock star Carol Penn-Romine. Thanks so much for your contribution, Carol! Last Sunday was Freaky Friday at our house. My husband Andy, a.k.a. Ink Gorilla, entertainment industry professional and the resident writer of science fiction and fantasy, was in the kitchen cooking Moroccan food, baking [...]
Bifocals for Authorial Vision
I recently finished watching the movie Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women. (It’s a great movie about a fascinating woman in a fascinating family–I recommend it highly!) If you don’t know, Louisa May Alcott was the J.K. Rowling of her time, growing so successful from her children’s books that she became, in adjusted [...]
the taxman and the artist
So. A few weeks ago, I took my receipts, pay stubs, and pages and pages of handwritten notes to an accountant to see about filing taxes as a freelance illustrator. It was my first time doing this and I was nervous the accountant would take one look at my stack of tattered papers and tell [...]
Guest Post: 9 Ways to Piss Off an Editor, by James L. Sutter
By far the most useful thing I’ve ever done for my writing career is getting into editing. Being the Fiction Editor for Paizo Publishing has helped me make connections with amazing editors and authors, taught me the business side of publishing from contracts to distribution, and helped me recognize common writing mistakes and cliches before [...]
Guest post from Tracie Welser: On the First Sale, and Believing the Impossible
Today’s guest post comes from Tracie Welser, a graduate of Clarion West. Many thanks to Tracie for her contribution, and congratulations on the subject of her post! Scenario: a seemingly Impossible Thing occurs, and you freeze. Then your body ceases to behave normally, and your jaw works up and down but no sounds escape. The [...]
