Category: events
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Book Promo: our love\hate relationship
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Would you turn down a $175,000 prize to avoid having to do promotional activities? That’s exactly what US writer Helen DeWitt did in April. It made the news. I’ve been reading through her blog posts about this, and, without passing any judgement, she seems highly stressed by a series of…
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From Draft to Published
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“Writing the last page of the first draft is the most enjoyable moment in writing.” Nicholas Sparks It’s alive! It’s alive! Well, sort of. I feel like a proud mad scientist, having stitched together my creation, given it its first breath of life. But it’s not ready for the world…
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Novel Writing Month lives on
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Here I am, once more sitting with my laptop, a mug of one of my favourite teas, Milk Oolong, ready to hand, as I commit words of horror to ‘page’. Twenty-six years ago, a freelance writer named Chris Baty started NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) with just 21 participants. Originally…
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The world is getting stranger
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Writers and other artists are not happy with the advent of AI. Not because we’re seriously worried about losing our jobs, but because we feel that nothing can or should replace the inspiration and heart of a human touch. So you can imagine the reaction when the organizers of the…
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Strange writer research
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“You’re researching what?” “Well,” I said to hubby, “I have this idea stuck in my head about the librarians on the archive planet of Jebeha being lizard-like.” He shrugged. He’s used to the weird things that come out of my brain. Why lizards? I don’t know — I just go…
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A Convention to Remember
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What happens when you combine elements of popular culture across more than 200,000 square feet? Magic — as much for the vendors as for the visitors! The convention ran from Friday, May 30 to Sunday, June 1. Vendors were able to bring their stuff in and set up more-or-less all…
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Comic Con Pandemonium
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Every year, May 8th celebrates Make a Book Day. It challenges people to ‘channel their inner author’. Well, five years ago I did just that. I had no idea what would happen when I began setting down my idea for a genre-crossing, off-trend urban fantasy/sci-fi trilogy. But nothing is ever…
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It’s a matter of opinion
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The most intimidating thing about producing a piece of art, whether it’s a novel, a painting, a script, a movie or whatever, is putting it out there for people to look at. Even though that’s the end goal – to share your vision – the act of letting others see…
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Tea and Topics: Your genre or mine
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“When you are drinking tea, it is basically a private conversation between the tea and your individual soul.” – Lu Ann Pannunzio Introducing a new semi-regular feature for this blog: brief musings about writing over an aromatic mug of hot tea. I subscribe to a number of literary newsletters that…
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Falls frenzy over the decades
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My parents honeymooned at Niagara Falls. I have a photo of them leaning against the scrolled metal guardrail that covers large sections of the walkways along the falls and gorge, my dad in a dark suit, my mom in a matching skirt and jacket with a pretty blouse, smiling for…