I'm not certain who first coined the phrase that writers must "kill their darlings" but I find myself staring down the barrel of my proverbial gun today. With my shelter book finally completed - yes, that only took me all of COVID and then some to finish - I am on to the next project! … Continue reading Killing Darlings
From Achilles to Captain America, Perseus to Luke Skywalker, our stories have been saturated with soldier heroes. We play them in our video games, we read them in science fiction; super soldiers who have the strength to fight when others fall behind. AVAILABLE September 8, 2020 We love them because they fill us with hope. … Continue reading Embracing the Super-Soldier Cliche
Daphnis was discovered back in 2005 by the Cassini mission team. Before that, scientists had suggested that there was a moon there based on the ripples they could see in the Keeler Gap, but hadn’t any solid proof it was there since… you know… the planet is so far away from us. What the mission … Continue reading Daphnis Up Close – For Science Fiction
https://www.iau.org/public/themes/pluto/ When I first started the Tapped series, I made the conscious decision that I didn't want to set my science fiction in "a galaxy far, far away" with planets we only just now are discovering. While doing that may have afforded me a little more freedom in writing those planets, imagining what they might … Continue reading Researching the Galaxy
As of this week I have finished the second season of Star Trek Discovery and, while I know I will read some blog post bemoaning over-used tropes and character complaints, I maintain my love of this series. Michael Burnham's character continues to engage me, and the resolution with her brother Spock was satisfying to the … Continue reading Geek Log – Star Date 4.25.2019
As of this evening my novelette "Torven" has a completed rough draft. Given its very small length (16006 words) I have been toying around with the idea of giving it away for free or really, really cheap (after it's gone through a rigorous editing) which has led me to the normal marketing spiel/debate. I've been … Continue reading Writing and Business and the In-Between
Dear Diary, As expected I made every mistake there is to make while self-publishing a novel. After its "Hydra leak" on the 1st of January I went through the Kindle version and found no less than 25 translation, formatting, or just-plain-dunce errors that had to be fixed. The Orange Beast is still laughing at me … Continue reading Self-Publishing Journal Entry #6
I'm starting off the New Year with a bang! Or ... well ... a mistaken "bang" on the 1st because in my NyQuil induced haze I accidentally "leaked" the novel online but we're moving past that now. This is my first self-published novel and I'm equal parts terrified and pleased by it. Tapped is a … Continue reading Official Release – Tapped
Dear Diary, I spent New Years Eve sick on my couch. I did not have the joy of watching the infamous "potato drop" in my home town. I could not smell the glorious turkey breast as it was cooking in my crockpot (Thank you to my Grandmother and to my Aunt Debbie for passing along … Continue reading Self-Publishing Journal Entry #4 (I think?) — AKA, “DANGIT, HYDRA!”
After much deliberation, research, waffling, and picking the brains of several writers I know I have decided to try this self-publishing thing. This is not meant in any way to snub or look poorly upon the small presses who have so graciously published me over the last few years. Wings ePress and Double Dragon Publishing … Continue reading Self-Publishing
AJMaguire 