Still Recovering from Space Opera

Last week, I flew to Las Vegas to take a Space Opera class with Kristine Kathryn Rusch. She's an award-winning writer and editor who knows her shit.The class was super intense, like taking a master's class in four-days. It was so intense that I spent the long holiday weekend sleeping and writing.

Since the class was held at the WMG Publishing offices in downtown Vegas, I got a room at The Golden Nugget on Fremont Street. I've been to Vegas enough times I have frequent guest offers from the Nugget, so I got a decent price for the week. Since the hotel is only a few blocks from the offices, I got plenty of steps in during my stay.

The Nugget is what I call retro chic. The main part of the hotel looks very similar to what it did when it opened in 1946. The beds are comfortable, and the rooms are clean. Best of all the Carson Tower is totally nonsmoking rooms. Unfortunately, that has become a primary criteria while traveling thanks to my allergies.

The in-person class was totally awesome. my classmates are all working writers like me, who are looking to take their writing to the next level. Kris doesn't take newbies in her classes. I've been dabbling in science fiction, but I feel I'm not quite getting it right. Kris's lessons made me realize the uneasy feeling I've been having was Subconscious trying to kick Conscious out of the way because she knows how to write the story.

For those of you waiting for the next Justice novel, no, I'm not jumping tracks in 2025. This year's writing and publishing has already been planned out, though I haven't posted everything on the public Release Schedule yet. After falling off the proverbial writing wagon last year, I'm doing my damnedest to stay on it for this year.

So, that's why I've been silent the last ten days. Now to get back to my regularly scheduled work-in-progress...

Just Another Friday

I'm taking a couple of classes through WMG Publishing, and I made sure my homework was done and turned prior to today. I'm trying to finish up the personal and business accounting matters by today. That leaves the weekend for writing, doing some house cleaning, and *drum roll please* going to the theater!

The last movie I watched in a public venue was Bird of Prey way back at the beginning of February in 2020. DH and I are heading to the theater this weekend to see Jurassic World: Dominion.

Why now? We're vaxxed and boosted and dinosaurs need to be viewed on the big screen. We've spent the last two weeks re-watching the series. And lastly, I think I'm ready to return to the world again after two and a half years of pandemic crap.

I don't like that a lot of my behavior is being ruled by anxiety instead of sensible precautions. I hope these next baby steps will conquer the irrationality.

Or maybe I want to see Jeff Goldblum shirtless. :)

Classes and Life Rolls

Yes, I've been taking two writing classes this month because even with all my releases, there's always new things to learn. Both of them are through WMG Publishing (aka Dean Wesley Smith and Kris Rusch). Both of them involve adjusting my mindset when it comes to productivity.

Part of the initial coursework in both classes is taking a very real look at your output over the last three to five years.

My best year was 2020: 342,816.

2020 was also the first year out of the last five where I wasn't a full-time parent, plus I didn't have a major life roll until the end of the year. *eyeroll*

I'm keeping my fingers crossed 2022 doesn't have any looming disasters.

The more interesting class involves the old pulp writers of the beginning of the 20th century. Back when they were paid a penny a word (because a penny went much farther in those days), so they wrote. A lot.

And much of it survives and is read to this day. People like Erle Stanley Gardner and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Gardner's goal was writing 1.2 MILLION words a year. That's roughly four times what I write in an average year.

I know I can't do 1.2 million this year, but it's a quota to work towards over the next couple of year.

Another Workshop Sale!

WMG Publishing is having yet another "Don't Catch COVID" sale. Go check out Dean Wesley Smith's website for more details.

For the TL;DR version, WMG is having a half-price sale on every class, challenge, pop-up, etc. they offer on Teachable. Use the code IN-BETWEEN. Sale ends on Thursday, May 4th.

Yeah, everybody's using Star Wars Day to get attention, including Darling Husband's company. *sigh* 

WMG Publishing Half-Price Classes!

WMG Publishing is have another COVID-19 stay home and learn half-price sale! All the details are on Dean Wesley Smith's website. The code for getting various classes and prescriptions at half-price is

AGAIN

There's a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines are being distributed as fast as they are being produced. The masks and social distancing has made a dent in both patients and deaths.

So, stay in just a bit longer, and use the time to study craft and/or business. You'll be glad you did.

Half-Price Classes!

WMG Publishing is having another class sale! Yep, you can get any or all of their classes, including the lifetime subscriptions, for half-price. The code for checkout is

HolidaySale

 

 

The code is good for as many classes as you want. For more information, go to Dean Wesley Smith's blog. The sale ends tonight at midnight PST.

The sale has been extended through 5PM PST on November 10th!

Coronavirus Pandemic Day 117 - Staying Safe While Learning

Most writing conferences and classes have gone virtual during the current pandemic if they haven't been cancelled outright. If you're having a hard time working on your wip, maybe now's the time to join with some fellow writers or take a class in order to get your mind off the news.

1) Camp NaNoWriMo

July is the second camp of the year from the people who bring you National Novel Writing Month. If you don't know anybody to join up with, my old RWA chapter Northwest Houston is holding a virtual write-in in relations to Camp NaNo. The cost is $10 for non-members, but they are a sweet, encouraging group of people, especially if you're a newbie.

2) RWA Conference

Whereas, most of the individual RWA chapters are pretty awesome and inclusive, the national organization is still trying to get its shit together. It may a good thing this year's conference is on Zoom. I mention it because I got some good advice and information from its panels back in the day, and it's one of the few national writing organizations that allows non-members to attend for a higher fee than members.

3) NINC Conference

The Novelists, Inc., Conference is a popular one among published authors of all genres. As of this writing, it is still scheduled to start September 23, 2020, in St. Pete Beach, Florida. However, the NINC will be issuing a statement next week on whether the conference will continue given the current COVID-19 spike in the state. It may be cancelled or have fewer speakers due to the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Europe.

4) WMG Publishing

With the record spikes of COVID-19 across the south, Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch are offering half-price classes, lectures, and subscriptions for the third time this year. The sale ends tomorrow night, Tuesday, July 7th. I've taken a few over the last couple years and found them valuable. Just a warning: most of them come with homework that makes you exercise your writing muscles!


At the rate things are going, those of us in the U.S. may find ourselves stuck at home for the rest of the year for safety's sake regardless of what our government says.

Hang in there! Write, study, watch Hamilton for the umpteenth time. Do whatever you have to in order to stay sane during this pandemic.

We really are in this together.

Take Advantage of Learning Opportunities

With everyone's restricted movement during the lock-downs, now's the time to pick up some learning tools.

Currently, WMG Publishing (i.e. Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch) are running a half-price sale for all their courses, including the big lifetime courses!

Just a little tip, their website doesn't have a shopping cart so you need to buy the courses one at a time if you want all of them.

When you hit purchase, make sure you enter the code, SummerLearning2020, at the top of the page in order to get the discount!

This sale expires on Friday, May 8th.  The sale has been extended until Sunday, May 10th!

Back to School

Nope, not GK. Me.

It's been a while since I've taken any formal classes regarding writing craft. As in years, which is a little sloppy of me since I really do believe in continuing education no matter what your career is.

Anyway, Dean Wesley Smith suggested I take his Depth in Writing online class before attending the Anthology Workshop in February. Not only has it been a while since I've taken a class, it's been even longer since I had homework.

So of course, the old performance anxiety reared its head because the class starts today. Last night's sleep was riddled with the nightmares where it's finals week and I haven't even cracked open the book. Or I forgot to drop a class and it's too late, so now I'm going to get an "F" because I haven't attended the class all semester.

Sometimes, my Subconscious can be a total bitch!

Writing Workshop

For those of you in the vicinity of Findlay, Ohio, I will be at the Findlay-Hancock County Library on Thursday, October 11th, to teach a workshop called The Write Stuff: Creating a Business Plan for Your Writing. The workshop runs from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.