Blair MacGregor's Blog, page 9
September 22, 2015
My End to the “Strong Female Character” Roundabout
I made the mistake of reading yet another pair of articles examiningwhat it means to write a “REAL”Strong Female Character.
I should know better, truly. Thousands upon thousands of words expended on the issue! Countless examples and counter-examples in an attempt to make it very clear! Comment after comment debating those words and examples!
And in the end, it’s about as helpful as debating what color the walls ought to be painted while the roof is leaking like a sieve.
I’m a busy woman, so I...
September 21, 2015
Once More Into the Winter…
Around January of this year, I discussed my attempts to preventatively address the depression dips I’d faced over past winters.
It was usually in retrospect that I realized I felt so terrible because depression, and that, for me, that depression clawed into me around January/February. Y’know, that Seasonal Affective Disorder thing. It happens to many writers. Others face far worse SAD than I do, so I don’t want to make too big of a deal out of it, but neither do I want to discount the somewha...
September 11, 2015
Five Things To Avoid When You Want To Learn Self-Defense
Martial arts is crammed with egos.
If you don’t believe me, see how many practitioners will try to disprove that statement by claiming superior humility.
I don’t claim to be exempt from that, either. Heck, at a recent gathering, after a woman asked for my opinion on a self-defense situation, another person interrupted with advice of her own and I felt my muscles coil. It wasn’t just that the unsolicited advice was totally inappropriate for the woman speaking with me (and, my darlings, it was...
September 5, 2015
On The Importance of Being Found
Or, “Why Your Contact Information Matters.”
This week, I have a professional opportunity to put in front of a group of writers. Finding contact information turned out to be much harder than it should have been.
I’m looking… I’m looking… 10% had a professional email address I could easily find. And by “easily,” I mean it was on their writing-related website page marked CONTACT or ABOUT.
10% had a professional email address I found after clicking through to a Blogger Profile link at the bottom...
August 21, 2015
On the Move…
On this big con weekend, I will be transporting my son, my dogs, myself, and all our belongings from Indiana to Colorado. It’s been a rough couple weeks of packing, prepping, and saying a great many goodbyes. My dojo and students have been successfully introduced to new instructors. Other business obligations have been concluded.
I am incredibly excited to move forward in a new place and to build new relationships. And I’m doubly thrilled I’ll again have the time to get back to SheyKhala so y...
August 7, 2015
Revisiting the Wherefore
About three years ago, my first novel came out.
No, wait. That’s not right. Let’s try…
About three years ago, I released my first novel.
Each sentence is nine words long. The end result — readers can buy my story — is the same. But the implied process was very different.
Back then, I told a writerly friend I expected it’d take five or so years for the trade-versus-indie bluster to fade. If one knows the industry solely from popular online discussions, that estimate sounds wildly optimistic....
July 18, 2015
The Latest On Breath of Stone
We are closing in on a draft worth showing to other people. This is good news.
And yet, as you know, I’m readying to move overa thousand miles west of my current location. I’m wrapping up my karate commitments—working with upcoming instructors on their teaching methods, adding more private lessons—investing additional time with the remaining wellness clients I’ve had even though I no longer run a practice, and trying to at least tip my hat to eighteen years’ worth of relationships. My son and...
July 3, 2015
Dichotomy Is Easy, and Easily Dismissed
Or, “What I Learned About Indie Publishing At 4th Street.”
Last weekend was for 4th Street Fantasy, and not even the thief who stole my driver’s license and debit card on Saturday could dull my overall enjoyment. In addition to attending great panels and having fantastic writerly conversations, I took the opportunity to discover what writers—published and about-to-publish,new(er) and up-and-coming—want to know about indie publishing.
Y’see, SFWA’s new VP Maggie Hogarth recently talked me into...
June 16, 2015
What’s “Real” About the Cost of Self-Publishing
Another day, another piece of writing on self-publishing that makes me want to *headdesk.* So I’m going to put this post here and, in the future, simply point to it when yet another one of those articles pops up.
Truth: There is no “real cost” to self-publishing, just as there is no “real cost” to trade publishing. Anyone who tells you there is intends to sell you something,validate their own choices, or is simply unaware a range of options exist.
What is the “real cost” of feeding a family o...
June 6, 2015
And Then I Stared In Shock
As most of you know, I’ve spent the last year or so dealing with the fallout of deteriorating hip dysplasia. For the most part, daily life isn’t deeply affected–evening stiffness, a bit of a limp when I’m tired, and an occasional wince-worthy pinch if I step wrong. It’s my martial arts training that took the biggest hit. Multi-hour sessions of intense training are a thing of the past, as are sharp sparring matches, most kicks above the knee, and anything that requires lots of torque or pressu...
