Phil Giunta's Blog, page 13

Pass a Microsoft Exam, Buy a Car…

I’m excited and relieved to report that on Tuesday, May 31, I passed the second of three Microsoft exams toward my Enterprise Administrator Expert certification.  After taking the next week off to remind myself how it feels to have a life, I’ll begin studying for the third and final exam. If all goes well, I’ll schedule that for the end of July.

Later that same Tuesday, after months of research into various midsize SUVs, I traded in my 16-year-old Hyundai Santa Fe for a 2019 Hyundai Tucson. I’m still learning all of its “bells and whistles” and while it’s only a four-cylinder engine (where the Santa Fe was six), the Tucson is a smooth ride with excellent handling.

Pass a Microsoft exam, buy a car!

So what’s new on the writing front? Unfortunately, not much since the time I had previously dedicated to writing is now consumed by taking Microsoft courses and studying for exams.

However, I managed to complete a new ghost story in April called “Where the Skeletons are Buried” involving Miranda Lorensen, my psychic-medium character who was last seen in my 2018 novella, Like Mother, Like Daughters and her ghost hunting team introduced in my 2013 novel, By Your Side. Work with these characters again was like reuniting with old friends. “Where the Skeletons are Buried” is being shopped around.

I’m also re-outlining the next full length novel involving Miranda and her team. One of the original plot threads, while compelling, gave me pause in light of our current sociopolitical climate. The more I developed that part of the story, the greater was my discomfort. So, I scrapped it and am moving in a different direction.

Lastly, I’m waiting on responses about two different short stories from two different editors and a publisher that accepted a detective story from me last year for publication this year has completed their move from Delaware to California and should be ramping up their operations again in July.

Stay tuned for more updates on these projects.

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, screenwriter Taika Waititi weighs in with morsels of screenwriting (and storytelling) wisdom. Leigh Shulman explains the value of sensitivity readers while Allison Williams provides guidance on the effective use of social media. Speaking of which, Philip Athans ponders how much writers need to reveal about themselves online.

Over at Career Authors, Erin Flanagan offers guilt-free advice for those burned out on writing and Paula Munier reviews the rules on POV and how to break them with authority.

All that and a lot more. Enjoy!

Craft a Killer Fantasy Premise Using Good versus Evil by Amy Wilson

What Do Our Readers Need to Know About Us? by Philip Athans

Sweet Emotion by James Scott Bell

10 Pieces of Screenwriting Wisdom from Taika Waititi by Ken Miyamoto

Hiding Your Villain in Plain Sight by Sarah Penner

Being the Boss of Your Author Business by Karen A. Chase

The Daring Writer’s Guide to Point of View by Paula Munier

Burnt Out on Writing? 5 Tips for a Productive Break by Erin Flanagan

Nine Ways to Describe Your Viewpoint Character by Chris Winkle

Writers, Stop Using Social Media (Like That) by Allison Williams via Jane Friedman

Don’t Self-Publish a Book Before Answering These Crucial Questions by J.J. Hebert

Ten Years of Self-Publishing (2012-2022) by Alliance of Independent Authors

What to Expect When Hiring a Sensitivity Reader by Leigh Shulman

 

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kathryn Craft offers guidance on adding foreshadowing to your manuscript while Anne R. Allen strongly advises writers to appoint a social media executor.

At the Write Practice, Michelle Renee Miller offers a few time management methods for writing on a busy schedule and Joe Bunting lists ten book writing strategies that, in his opinion, are doomed to fail. I don’t agree with all of them, but his arguments are persuasive.

Kristen Lamb speaks out against the latest trend of reading ebooks in their  entirety and returning them for a refund. She also takes to task writers for purple prose, crutch phrases, and other forms of filler.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Foreshadowing: A Revision Skill to Love by Kathryn Craft

Exploit Your Hero’s Flaws by Jim Dempsey

10 Book Writing Strategies that End in Failure by Joe Bunting

3 Foolproof Ways to Write With a Busy Schedule by Michelle Renee Miller

What is Rhythmic Writing? by Sue Coletta

Tolkien on the Importance of Fantasy and Science Fiction by Jonny Thomson

Literary Larceny & Why People Should Be Ashamed by Kristen Lamb

Fiction Filler: Bloated Writing Makes Readers Sick by Kristen Lamb

Why Every Writer Needs a Social Media Executor by Anne R. Allen

The Indie Writer Book Launch Guide Part I and Part II by Scott Semegran

Yet Another Technology Certification

My writing schedule has been, and will continue to be, curtailed while I study for another technology certification. In this case, Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator, which requires that I pass three exams. The first of which was completed yesterday, earning me the nifty badge below.

Afterwards, I treated myself to a few hours away from my studies to add over 900 words to chapter five of my novel-in-progress and begin editing a short story I finished last week. After a minor home improvement project, I’ll jump back on the certification trail again.

Stay tuned for more writing updates as two of my short stories that were accepted last year will be published in the coming months and I’m waiting for a response on another story I submitted at the end of February.

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Write Stuff Conference Recap

I enjoyed presenting three sessions over Zoom at the Write Stuff Writers Conference yesterday. I wasn’t feeling one-hundred percent thanks to a lingering sinus infection (and a new bout of depression and anxiety that sank its claws into me a few weeks ago), but I gave it one hundred percent as always and all three seemed to be well-received. My first session of the morning, “Anatomy of a Compelling Short Story” was brand new. It covered a lot of ground and I had to rush at the end despite practice. I realized afterwards that it lacked one topic, which I added this morning for the next opportunity. Might trim out one of the other slides. We’ll see.  “Time Management and Self Care for Writers” was, to me, my best session of the day. It received an overhaul in the five years or so since I last presented it and now has more substance in the Time Management section. The brief self-care portion was added after COVID. My final talk on self-editing was one that I’d given three times before, but for some reason (possibly due to my propensity for speaking quickly), it ended about ten minutes earlier than any previous occasion, even with the addition of three slides. That allowed more time for audience engagement, which was wonderful and inspired me to add two more brief topics to the slide deck. Between and after my sessions, I attended Sarah Karnish’s wonderful presentation on “Putting Research to Work in Your Writing” and all three of Lawrence Knorr’s classes on self-publishing and ebook creation, which were helpful given my future goals.  Overall, a fine day with my tribe. I look forward to next year when we’ll be able to gather again in person at the conference hotel and I’ll be off the hook as a presenter. Many thanks to conference chair Charles B. Kiernan for inviting me to speak!‌

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen explains the need for sensitivity readers and the consequences of disregarding them. Also on Anne’s blog, Stefan Edmunds presents The Adversity Cycle as a method for storytelling.

On the Screencraft blog, Ken Miyamoto offers advice on how to secure a manager and agent for your screenplay and David Young shows us effective ways to describe our characters beyond mere physical appearance.

At Career Authors, Brian Andrews delves into methods for managing backstory while Erica Ferencik provides valuable guidance on navigating the writing life. Kathryn Craft and Barbara Linn Probst discuss ways to breathe life into our secondary characters.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

Screenwriting Basics: How to Sign with a Manager (and Agent) by Ken Miyamoto

7 Unusual Ways to Describe Characters in Your Screenplay by David Young

The Difference Between Jeff Bezos and Me by Bradley Graham

The Adversity Cycle by Stefan Edmunds via Anne R. Allen

Writers, Do You Need a Sensitivity Reader for Your Book? by Anne R. Allen

3 Successful Strategies to Write a Short Story by Sarah Gribble

4 Tips for Writing Backstory by Brian Andrews

11 Hard-Earned Lessons from Three Decades of Writing by Erica Ferencik

Are You Drowning Your Story in Your Imagery? by Dave King

Secondary Characters Deserve a Life of Their Own by Kathryn Craft

Secondary Characters with Purpose and Pzazz by Barbara Linn Probst

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Anne R. Allen warns us against critiques that do more harm than good while Amanda Bennett takes a graphical approach to story structure.

C.S. Lakin encourages us to be the Foley artists of our fiction, Sarah Gribbles delves into the elements of compelling short stories, and Matt Knight reviews basics of copyright law.

Jaime Herndon and Adam Gabbatt address the alarming rise in book burning and book banning, respectively.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

10 Dangerous Critiques: Beware Bad Writing Advice by Anne R. Allen

Copyright Basics for Writers by Matt Knight

How I Came Up with My Story Structure Mash-Up by Amanda Bennet

US Conservatives Linked to Rich Donors Wage Campaign to Ban Books from Schools by Adam Gabbatt

Draft2Digital Acquires Smashwords by Kevin Tumlinson

Rereading Fahrenheit 451 in an Age of Mass Censorship by Jaime Herndon

Grab the Popcorn and Improve Your Novel by Wendall Thomas

How to Use Framing Devices in Fiction by Heather Webb

How to Effectively Bring Sounds into Your Fiction by C.S. Lakin

What is a Satire and How Do I Write One? by Susanne Bennett

Elements of a Short Story by Sarah Gribble

About This Writing Stuff…

This week, Kristen Overman shows us what active dialogue is all about while Anne Hawley analyzes how our brains process exposition.

Over at BookBub, Diana Urban offers ideas for unusual book marketing, promoting sequels, and using social media effectively while avoiding burnout. At Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass has seen the gods, monsters, and murderbots and they are us!

Clayton Noblit and Lauren McLean prognosticate on what’s ahead in publishing this year and Michael Ventrella provides an astonishing example of how NOT to handle a story rejection.

All that and a little more. Enjoy!

How to Write Active Dialogue by Kristen Overman

Gods, Monsters, and Murderbots by Donald Maass

Too Much Information: Exposition and the Reading Brain by Anne Hawley

FBI Arrests Man Who Allegedly Stole Book Manuscripts and Defrauded Hundreds by Deepra Shivaram

Authors on Social Media: Choosing Platforms & Avoiding Burnout by Diana Urban

6 Out of the Box Marketing Ideas You HAVE to See by Diana Urban

12 Clever Ideas for Promoting Sequels or Later-Series Books by Diana Urban

The Top Eight Publishing Trends for 2022 by Clayton Noblit

2022 Publishing Predictions from Literary Agent Laurie McLean via Anne R. Allen

How Not to Accept a Rejection by Michael A. Ventrella

List of 234 Interesting Character Quirks presented by YourDictionary

Onward to the New Year, Whatever It Might Bring

All too happy to leave 2021 behind, but if nothing else, it was a successful writing year.‌Finished the second draft of a SF novel, started the first draft of paranormal mystery novel #4, had eight short stories published across six anthologies (plus one story in a convention anthology), and three stories accepted (so far) for 2022.‌One of my ghost stories (“Bottom of the Hour”) made it to the quarterfinals in the Screencraft Cinematic Short Story contest and another ghost story (“Before She’s Gone Forever”) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Not too shabby!‌I wish everyone the best in the new year.  Onward to 2022, whatever it might bring.‌  

A Christmas of Galactic Proportions

For fellow readers of vintage science fiction, I happened upon this wonderful blog post showcasing the Christmas covers of Galaxy SF Magazine from 1951-1960.

Here are a few examples from 1956 (L) and 1960 (R):

   

And two from the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction from January 1962 (L) and January 1969 (R).