Matt Cowper's Blog, page 4
January 15, 2017
On Freedom
Here in America, we’re ostensibly overloaded with freedom. There are so many choices, so many things to see and do – so many things to be.
Of course, I said “ostensibly.” While in theory Americans are supposed to be able to engage in whatever legal activities they desire, or even reinvent themselves at will, in practice things are more complicated.
Why? Because many, perhaps most, people here only care about the path they’ve chosen. Any other paths people are trekking are viewed with suspicio...
January 3, 2017
Contest Winner Announced!
Congrats to Stephanie L. for winning my first-ever Rafflecopter giveaway.
She’s won a $20 Amazon Gift! Woot!
Thanks to all for participating! I may run contests and giveaways in the future, so stay tuned…
January 1, 2017
2017, I Welcome You: My Sort-Of Resolutions
The whole New Year’s resolution frenzy isn’t really my thing. How many gym memberships are bought in January, only to remain unused after the first few workouts? How many people swear they’ll learn to play an instrument, only to get bored with the learning process after a few weeks?
I’m more of a “slow and steady wins the race” guy. Making drastic changes in one’s life is a recipe for failure, since we’ll usually revert to our old state after the initial burst of determination and excitement....
December 22, 2016
Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!
It’s a Rafflecopter giveaway! Yay!
Want to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card? Sure ya do!
Click the above link to check out my Rafflecopter giveaway, do what it says, and then wait for Lady Luck to bless you.
There will be ONE winner, and that lucky person will receive ONE $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Contest ends January 2nd, and the winner will be announced shortly after.
Happy raffling!
December 19, 2016
Interview with Freelance Editor Danita Mayer
Today’s guest is freelance editor Danita Mayer. Danita beta read my debut novel, The Clerk (available now!), and her comments and suggestions greatly improved the manuscript. She noticed one particular logical gap that embarrasses me to this day.
You can find Danita at her website, Niche Editing, where she offers various editing and evaluation services. I recommend the affordable beta reading option myself, and we discuss beta reading in depth in this interview.
Q: What sort of background do...
December 13, 2016
A to Z Survey, Literature Edition
In my meanderings through the Internet, I found this made-for-social-media survey. It looked fun, so let’s dive right in, flotation device be damned.
Author you’ve read the most books from: Sinclair Lewis. Fantastic all-around writer: sizzling dialogue, “no sacred cows” satire, strong narration. Attacked middle-class values with gleeful precision. I also like the guy because he’s become an underdog, a symbol of how foolish the Literary Caretakers can be. After achieving immense success in the...
December 7, 2016
Guest Blog: Professor Engelbert J. Pumpernickel
Today’s guest blogger is Engelbert J. Pumpernickel, the T. Cholmondeley Frink Professor of Comparative Literature at Northwestern Piedmont (NC) University. I sent Professor Pumpernickel an advance review copy of my first novel, The Clerk (available now!), since I’ve heard him speak several times and have briefly chatted with him about literature after one of his lectures. To my surprise, Professor Pumpernickel loved the novel, and asked if he could write up a blog post examining The Clerk fro...
Confessions of a Noob Author
How did it feel writing my first novel?
Well, some days I felt like I was stumbling through a Siberian tundra, frostbitten and starving, with a hundred-pound weight on my back, and Russian oligarchs hunting me for sport. The words wouldn’t come, or if they did they were terrible, as if Satan had intercepted them and twisted them into evil gibberish when they were en route from my muse.
Other days I felt like I was whirling and chirping through the air like a carefree bird. I dropped paragraph...
