Andrew McDowell's Blog, page 9
November 15, 2021
Dusting Off Stories From History
Many thanks to historical novelist Anne Clare for this opportunity to discuss my feelings on using historical fiction to shed light on lesser known events in history!
Guest Post By Andrew McDowell: Dusting Off Stories From History
These are feelings I hope to follow when I venture into historical fiction someday!
October 19, 2021
Brain to Bookshelf Conference 2021
The Maryland Writers’ Association hosts a writers’ conference every year, except, of course, last year’s conference was cancelled due to the COVID shutdown. Normally held in March, they were able to host this one this past weekend. The main takeaway for me was being able to see a number of friends I hadn’t seen in so long, including authors A. L. Kaplan, Meg Eden, and Michele Chynoweth, and be in a familiar setting in person again, not unlike how it was when my critique group started to meet in person again a few months ago in our familiar haunt (no pun intended).
There were a number of interesting presentations from authors, including Jane Friedman, Mary Tilghman, Andrea Johnson, Edward McSweegan, Susan Moger, and Harrison Demchick, and I learned more about Balticon. I met a number of new people, and I was able to sell a few books! But there were some hard lessons I had to re-learn. When it comes to attending events such as this, pre-planning is vital. This was something I didn’t fully take into account that morning. I didn’t manage my time and drive well, and I made it there just in time to hear the first talk. What’s more, even though I signed up for both days, I didn’t realize until too late (shortly before the conference) that I had doubled-booked Sunday and couldn’t attend the second day. Still, I had a good time for the day I was there.
We’ll see what happens next year. I know now to remember to plan better in a number of ways. I guess I just had to get back into the rhythm of things. Maybe next time, if I can think of a new writing-related presentation, I can give it then. It is time to think up some new topics for presentation.
Speaking of presentations, I’ll discussing the importance of names for the third time next month on the 13th at 2pm Eastern Time. I hope to see you there! See my events page for the registration link.
September 2, 2021
Writing vs. Marketing—Balancing the Scales
It seems that there are two sides to the coin of being a writer. The first side is writing process and everything related to the it, such as conducting research, sharing drafts with beta readers and critique groups, and editing. The second side is marketing. Writers need to build a network and an online presence so that potential readers will know of the writer and their creative output.
When I started writing as a kid, I didn’t give much thought to marketing. Perhaps I thought the publishers would do all of that, or it would magically take off. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had to learn that without marketing, people outside of my family and friends would never hear of my work. If the general public isn’t aware of a book’s existence and if they don’t leave reviews, there will be no sales. Fortunately, I was able to get started on building a network once I joined the Maryland Writers’ Association and attended their conferences. I also began to build my digital platform.
I started to do a lot more online marketing as a result of the pandemic, especially by following certain hashtags on Twitter, eager to create as much exposure for my blog and books as possible. I’ve referred to WordPress, Facebook, and Twitter as the Big Three, with LinkedIn and Tumblr coming in next. Now, I am glad for the learning experience as well as for the genuine connections that I have made within my network, with people who’ve been kind and supportive. But at the same time, I feel as if I hit a roadblock—I’m not writing as much as I used to. Some writers I know had a massive creative output during the shutdown. I didn’t. Lately I’ve come to realize a simple truth: I’ve been spending too much time online, and not necessarily in a good way.
It’s easy to be tempted to check various social media accounts to the point where it becomes a habit, just like how I was creating exposure on Twitter but often scarcely interacting with other people. There’s that famous quote of how being a good writer is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the internet. That has never been clearer to me than now. In the past, long before I’d had all these social media accounts, I got distracted from writing by a number of things. I had schoolwork that took precedence, and once I entered the workforce, that too has taken up a lot of my time. Free time, it seems, has been taken up by the Internet and social media. In other words, the balance scales were tipped too far in one direction.
So how to find a balance? Well, I’ve started off by limiting how many times I login to each social media account to three or fewer a day, with each at different intervals (morning, afternoon, evening). It’s a start, to keep me from desiring to checking all the time but not checking enough. But I know I need to do more. I need to mind the time and online activity, and make it more meaningful. And I need to train my mind more to focus on writing when I do have time that isn’t devoted to work, social media, etc.
Now, I need to work on trying to have some output each day, whether in my journal (which I haven’t been diligent with) or editing or story work. I cannot just write when I’m in the mood, but at the same time I feel if I’m not enthusiastic, it won’t be good. Many successful writers became so from diligent, constant effort. I’m on a quest, you could say, to find that balance again and beat this writer’s block. Hopefully soon, the words will start flowing again.
August 4, 2021
Release Date for Into the Glen
In 10 days, the two-volume anthology Into the Glen premieres from Fae Corps Inc! The volumes are respectively named Into the Light and Under the Shade. The former will feature my short story The Harbor Master, inspired by real-life stories about monster-sized hammerhead sharks. Many thanks to Fae Corps for this opportunity! They did a great job with the cover and promotional photo:
Some pre-order links are already available on my short stories page, and more will come! Additionally, the 2021 July edition of Pen in Hand featuring my fencing essay is now available on Amazon and Goodreads! Links are on my creative nonfiction page.
One other thing I forgot to mention last time: my novel Mystical Greenwood won in the Science Fiction / Fantasy / Speculative category of the 2021 MWA Novel contest. That’s the first time I’ve won 1st in anything writing!
July 16, 2021
Some New Publications!
A couple minor publications are in the works! First, the July edition of the MWA‘s literary journal Pen in Hand features my essay about my experiences in the fencing club at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, which also began there as an assignment in a creative nonfiction class I took during my final semester there. The PDF is available! More links will follow when they arrive!
Here’s a picture of me from my college days in full fencing gear:
I also have a short story that will be appearing in an upcoming two-part anthology from Fae Corps Inc titled Into the Glen. The story is titled “The Harbor Master,” and it was inspired by real urban legends about monster-sized hammerhead sharks in Florida and Bimini.
Be sure to check both my creative nonfiction and short stories pages for links when they come!
And don’t forget to check out the other anthologies from Fae Corps that I’ve been in as well. Here’s some promotional material from last year’s marketing campaign for two of them, Fae Dreams and Nightmare Whispers, Volume II: Madness Echoes:
With the latter, it can be purchased as part of the whole Nightmare Whispers collection too, if you would prefer to get all three volumes at once rather than individually!
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Reviews and ratings are always appreciated!
June 17, 2021
More Praise for Mystical Greenwood
P.S. Mystical Greenwood is part of the Support Indie Summer Reading Challenge, along with books by other authors in the Maryland Writers’ Association, as well as the Society for Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. If you have kids in Grades K-12 and want to get them involved in summer reading, check it out!
P.P.S. Also check out this poem of mine featured by published poet Gabriela Marie Milton on MasticadoresUSA, and my appearance on the podcast of reporter and anchor Larry Matthews:
May 25, 2021
The Underground Library Society
Many thanks to author and blogger Charles F. French for this opportunity, inspired by the Underground Library Society in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, where I discuss one of my favorite classic stories—why it’s so special to me, and why I believe it’s worth preserving.
Let me say it was a tough decision, for there are many good books out there worth preserving. But when it came down to it—thinking of a classic story I’ve always come back to (in this case every December) and which is special to me—in the end I knew what my choice would be.
If anyone else might be interested in joining and posting about a book that you would choose to become in a world like the one Bradbury envisaged, please consider it!
April 23, 2021
Nosh with Chef Julie Interview
Many thanks to author and blogger Julie M. Tuttle for this wonderful opportunity! Check out my interview with her if you haven’t yet!
March 20, 2021
Yes, Networking is Crucial
Years ago, I talked about using social media for promoting one’s work and oneself as a writer, which has become even more important because of COVID. But promotion and marketing are but a part of something more important for life as a writer: networking. The more connections you make, the better your chances are at improving your odds. And something else I’ve learned is that networking consists of so much more than social media. While technology has been playing an increasing role in life even before COVID, face-to-face interaction is still a vital part of networking, and one I think all writers crave and have missed during this pandemic.
I still have vague memories of the first time I went to a meeting of the Maryland Writers’ Association years ago. I was nervous at first, but I quickly realized I needed to return. And I have had no regrets since then. I’ve become friends with many writers, and I realized I am not alone. It was at a meeting of the Annapolis Chapter of the MWA where I learned of Mockingbird Lane Press from another author, and that’s how I came to submit Mystical Greenwood to them and was subsequently offered a contract.
Events like meetings and writers’ conferences are great ways to meet new people, pitch your work, and if your work is already published, to promote and even sell copies. There are also critique groups too. One can join one or start a group, and have beta readers who can offer a fresh pair of eyes. I’ve always enjoyed those offered by the Maryland Writers’ Association, and hope to go back to them when it’s safe to do so again. While it is certainly possible do do all of these things online, it isn’t the same as actually meeting fellow writers and shaking their hands.
Returning to my point about technology vs. face-to-face, with the former, which has increased due to COVID, there is, I have learned in years past, the chance that words and messages can be misinterpreted, and one cannot be sure as to what a person’s tone is. As a result, through my own personal mistakes, connections, related to writing and not, have been broken. Promotion via social media has also at times backfired. But even then, face-to-face interactions can go wrong too. In all cases, one has to be careful, and take responsibility for one’s mistakes and actions.
But the thing I’ve had to learn the hard way, as stinging as it feels, is that if someone doesn’t want to connect with you, or wants to break it off, you have to let it go. No one can be forced to connect, or stay connected for that matter. That’s another lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way. One can only invite/ask people. They cannot be forced to do what they don’t want to do.
Another lesson I learned the hard way is the importance of having business cards. I didn’t have any when I sold copies of Mystical Greenwood at the 2018 Maryland Writers’ Conference, and I knew afterwards I had to have them. I’ve been glad of it ever since.
So, if you aren’t already I hope you’ll consider following me on this site, as well as on social media!
Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Tumblr | Goodreads
You can also follow my Amazon page!
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February 22, 2021
Perseverance and Faith
This is a guest sermon I gave at Nichols-Bethel United Methodist Church yesterday, discussing the importance of perseverance in writing and in other aspects of my life. Even if you’re not religious, I hope you’ll listen to this message and that it touches a base with and inspires you. Perseverance is vital to life, and for me, praying to God has helped me to keep persevering.
