Posts Tagged ‘blog’
Bailing Boats and Books
No matter how much rain gets in it, and no matter how broken it is, I never let it sink.
Read MoreProblems with Word Count Quotas
While writing my first two books, I didn’t pay too much attention to my word count until after I finished the first draft. My first draft of Song of the Forest came close to 200,000 words and my first draft of Power Surge was around 130,000. When I revised, I went through a cycle of…
Read MoreRoom for Discovery in Planned Novels
When I was taking a creative writing workshop in college, my professor (Andre Dubus III) told me he never planned novels. He encouraged us to avoid outlines, claiming they would make our writing feel forced. He said if we outlined, our characters wouldn’t feel real, and they wouldn’t come to life on the page. Shortly…
Read More4 Down, 496 Left to Go / 7 Standards for Publishers
Last night I launched my first Publishizer campaign. I received four pre-orders ranging from $8 to $45. I thought that was good night, but my experience selling online is with jewelry, not books. When selling on Etsy, I was thrilled if I had four orders in one evening. While I’m happy with the orders I have…
Read MoreCats and Email Apps = Bad Combination
I’m pretty sure my cat just spammed my entire gmail contacts list — meaning everyone I’ve corresponded with on gmail. If you got an email from me you didn’t want today – I apologize. If your curious how Goose managed to spam my contacts, read on. Earlier in the year, I wrote a detailed…
Read MoreCamp NaNoWriMo Take Two
My first time genuinely attempting National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) was a success. I finished a short YA novel with a day to spare. My critique groups read it and gave me feedback, spurring three in-depth revisions. This summer, I read it out loud to my mother on the beach, and revised some more. I…
Read MoreThe Hiking Writer and Speculative Fiction
The Hiking Writer and Speculative Fiction By Sara Codair Even though a majority of my stories are speculative in some way, they are often inspired by reality. Sometimes it’s a question begging for an answer, sometimes it’s a piece of news too dark to keep inside me, and often, the seed for the story was…
Read MoreMicro Fiction: Mr. Meowsker’s Bright Idea
Here is a little story, inspired by a prompt from Cracked Flash, to start your week: Mr. Meowsker’s Bright Idea By Sara Codair “You’re my favorite monster,” said Annnaly, running her fingers over Gruffer’s fluffy face. Her black cat, Meowsker’s, was perched on here shoulder. He leaned forward licked the bridge of Gruffer’s nose. Gruffer made a…
Read MoreWhy Bullshitted Papers are Underrated
Why Bullshitted Papers are Underrated By Sara Codair It’s the last day of class before finals. While some students have their notebooks and netbooks open, ready to take notes, others are glancing at their phone, counting down the minutes until I give them permission to leave. They’re all exhausted. Most have been working all day,…
Read MoreA few words about Alternative Truths
I’ve been in my fair share of anthologies, but none of them compare to my experience in Alternative Truths. I’ve worked with good editors and great editors. I’ve been in the company of writers better than me. However, I have not previously had the pleasure of working with a group as engaged and enthusiastic as…
Read More