Phil Giunta's Blog, page 15
September 16, 2021
Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Recap
A busy week resulted in a delayed after-action report of my first experience with Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity (C3). While this annual writers conference in Columbia, MD is geared toward crime fiction, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction, all genres are welcome. This year’s keynote speakers were Hank Phillippi Ryan, NYT bestselling author and 37-time Emmy-award winning journalist and Sherrilyn Kenyon, NYT bestselling author of over 80 novels. Sherrilyn’s inspiring, poignant speech damn near brought many of us to tears.

Special guests included Kathleen Barber, whose novel Are You Sleeping was the basis for Apple TV’s Truth Be Told, and James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor, which was made into the classic 1975 Robert Redford film, Three Days of the Condor. I suspect the other three days were victims of Hollywood budget cuts, but I digress.

The conference delivered a fun and edifying variety of discussion panels and presentations on various aspects of writing and publishing, ranging from creating captivating characters and writing believable fight scenes to the value of deep listening and the elements of world building. I participated in the latter panel as well as another on writing in the paranormal and speculative fiction genres.
It was a joy to meet and chat with several amazing writers such as Lanny Larcinese, Ef Deal, Glenn Parris, Vaughn Jackson, F.J. Talley, Frank Hopkins, Sharon Buchbinder, and former MMA fighter, J.R. White. A special shout-out to Weldon Burge on the debut of his first novel, Harvester of Sorrow. Weldon is also the owner of Smart Rhino Publications and had published my ghost story, “Bottom of the Hour,” in his anthology A Plague of Shadows in 2018. He and I have stories in about four different anthologies, each from different presses.
Speaking of anthologies, C3 produces a limited edition anthology available only to attendees of the conference each year. Although the book is not available to the public, it was no less exciting to see my Sherlock Holmes and Johnny Watson tale, “The Five-Day Killer,” in print for the first time since I wrote it six years ago. Perhaps it’ll become a valuable collector’s item if I ever hit the big time.
I carpooled to the con with fellow speculative fiction writer, Chris Ochs, who also happens to be the president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. After the con ended on Sunday, Chris and I drove to the Common Kitchen in Clarksville where we met several local friends for lunch before heading home.
My deepest gratitude and admiration to redoubtable C3 organizers Austin Camacho, Denise Camacho, Cynthia Lauth, Susan Henry McBride, and Jodi Schwartz for their Herculean efforts to make the conference a success!

September 2, 2021
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, Ruth Harris offers sage advice on writing that ever daunting blurb. Over at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell carves out a middle ground for plotters and pantsers while PJ Parrish ponders what comes first, plot or character.
Speaking of characters, Donald Maass encourages us to create fully realized characters by first being real with ourselves. Rebecca D’Harlingue offers advice on dual-timeline plots, Steve Myers argues that our protagonist’s outer journey is fundamentally an inner journey, and Barnes and Noble’s restructuring might be the comeback story of the year.
All that and little more. Enjoy!
How to Improve Your Writing Skills: Take Your Writing from Good to Great by Nicole Dieker
How to Write the D*mn Blurb by Ruth Harris
Writing About the Pandemic—or Not? by Paula Munier
Plot or Character: What’s Your Starting Point? by PJ Parrish
Five Questions to Ask Before Starting a Dual Timeline Novel by Rebecca D’Harlingue
Plotting for Pantsers and Pantsing for Plotters by James Scott Bell
B&N Rides a Wave of Positive Trends by Jim Milliot
Have Print ARCs Become a Hot Commodity? by Weronika Strzyżyńska
The Inward Path of the Protagonist’s Journey by Scott Myers
Purple Prose and the Word Surgeon’s Scalpel by Tom Bentley
Creating Character Safety Zones by Donald Maass
August 28, 2021
Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity
I look forward to attending my first Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Con in Columbia, MD the weekend of September 10-12.
In addition to the book signings from 5-6PM on Friday, 9/10, and 4:30PM – 6PM on Saturday, 9/11, you can find me at these two discussion panels:
Saturday, 9/11 at 3:15PM: Speculative, Paranormal, Supernatural! With Sherrilyn McQueen, Carol Gyzander, Phil Giunta, and Glenn Parris (moderator)
Sunday, 9/12 at 9:15AM: World Building with Vaughn Jackson, F.J. Talley, Sherrilyn McQueen, Mike Mollman, and Phil Giunta (moderator).
The full conference schedule can be found here.
August 24, 2021
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, Shanee Edwards offers advice on creating a powerful antagonist while James Scott Bell teaches us practical thaumaturgy for conjuring short stories.
Brian Andrews explains the importance of self-editing and developmental editing, while mythcreant Chris Winkle delves into crafting effective descriptions.
Joslyn Chase steps us through ten ways to add foreshadowing, and Porter Anderson discusses the dangers of self-censorship.
All that and little more. Enjoy!
5 Tips for Negotiating Your Author Agreements by Joseph Perry via Anne R. Allen
Writing Rising Action by Linda S. Clare
A Love of Mystery is Woven into Our Biology, and Edgar Allan Poe was the First to Find the Formula for a Very Specific Dopamine Hit by Jonah Lehrer
7 Tips for Writing Bad Ass Antagonists by Shanee Edwards
The 3 Pass Rough Draft—Embracing Editing (Part I) by Brian Andrews
Developmental Editing —Embracing Editing (Part II) by Brian Andrews
Dialog and POV by Philip Athans
Creating and Resolving Conflict in Your Novel by Clare Langley-Hawthorne
The Alchemy and the Craft by James Scott Bell
What Do Writers Need to Describe? by Chris Winkle
Flights of Self-Censorship by Porter Anderson
Foreshadowing: 10 Clever Methods to Write an Engaging Plot Twist by Joslyn Chase
August 15, 2021
Halloween Party 2021
Thrilled to share the official press release from Gravelight Press announcing the September release of their latest horror anthology, Halloween Party 2021. The book includes my South Korean ghost story, “Before She’s Gone Forever.” Click on the image below to enlarge.
August 14, 2021
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, James Scott Bell offers practical advice on crafting stronger scenes. At Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass examines what it means to write authentic characters while Kathryn Craft urges us to elevate our descriptions from the prosaic to the extraordinary.
Lincoln Michel sheds light on nearly every facet of being a professional writer, Janice Hardy discusses character agency, and over at TIME, Megan McCluskey exposes the career-damaging extortion and fraudulent book reviews running rampant on Goodreads.
All that and a lot more. Enjoy!
Everything I’ve Learned About Being a “Professional” Writer in One Post by Lincoln Michel
How Extortion Scams and Review Bombing Trolls Turned Goodreads Into Many Authors’ Worst Nightmare by Megan McCluskey
Three Easy Ways to Strengthen a Scene by James Scott Bell
4 Ways to Develop Character Agency by Janice Hardy
Aim for the Extra in the Ordinary by Kathryn Craft
6 Twisty Ways to Trick Your Reader by Dana Isaacson
How to Avoid Repeating ‘I’ in First Person Writing by Louise Harnby
How to Bring History Alive in Your Fiction by Dana Cameron
The Walking Stick by Donald Maass
From Mary Shelley to Carmen Maria Machado, Women Have Profoundly Shaped Horror by Danielle Binks
August 12, 2021
Book Review: The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
I began reading The Writer’s Journey in April 2019, then put it aside for a few years when I became busy with several short story projects, a new novel, and a few harrowing life changes. When I picked up The Writer’s Journey again in late May 2021, I started from page one again and found Vogler’s interpretation and application of Joseph Campbell’s analysis of mythology useful. I approached it in much the same way I approach outlining my novels and short stories. It is a roadmap, not a strict rule book and even Vogler admits this. When developing any story, there are many avenues a writer can take and crafting the story is an organic process. Often while writing, I will have an epiphany that takes the story in an even better direction than what I had originally outlined.
Vogler’s guide is no different. I know other reviewers accuse Vogler of diluting or cheapening Campbell’s work. I’ve heard other writers at conventions and conferences deride The Hero’s Journey as an obsolete model that no longer has a place in modern storytelling. To each their own. I enjoyed The Writer’s Journey and found Vogler’s voice and style easy to follow. Even after three novels and over 20 short stories in my young writing career, I never stop learning and will keep this book close at hand as I work through the latest revision of my next novel.
August 1, 2021
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, Ken Miyamoto encourages us to define our characters via their actions using Mad Max, Wall-E, and There Will be Blood as examples.
Dianne Pearce covers various ways to promote our books and help others do the same while Penny Sansevieri offers marketing strategies for a book series. Sarah Stewart Taylor delves into the emotional roller coaster of the writing life and Rob Eagar reviews recent changes on Amazon that affect authors.
All that and a little more. Enjoy!
Getting Away With Murder: A 5-Point Plan On How To Kill A Character by Christopher Luke Dean
Defining a Character Through Action: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior by Ken Miyamoto
Defining a Character Through Action: Wall-E by Ken Miyamoto
Defining a Character Through Action: There Will Be Blood by Ken Miyamoto
10 Amazon Changes Authors Need to Know About by Rob Eagar
What is Kindle Vella? An In-Depth Explanation by Chris Fried
How to Sell Your Book – Part I by Dianne Pearce
How to Sell Your Book – Part II: Finish Your Damn Novel and What About Flash Fiction? by Dianne Pearce
How to Sell Your Book – Part III: Pay It Forward by Dianne Pearce
How to Make the Most of a Writing Hour by Ramona DeFelice Long
3 Quick Fixes for Your Dialogue by Jessica Strawser
5 Simple Marketing Strategies for Your Book Series by Penny Sansevieri
The Parts They Don’t Tell You by Sarah Stewart Taylor
How to Juggle More Than One Manuscript by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb
July 21, 2021
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, Anne R. Allen urges us to promote our books regionally while Jodie Renner provides a rundown on loglines, taglines, and back cover copy.
Donald Maass and Joslyn Chase pick up the pace while Kathryn Craft helps our scenes become better oriented by asking the three (or five!) W’s. Kelsey Allagood and Mckenzie Cassidy offer tips on self-care for creatives.
Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenanzi shows us how to identify troubled throughlines while Chris Winkle helps us polish our prose.
All that and a little more. Enjoy!
The Inherent Nature of Story Structure by Jim Dempsey
Want to Be a Bigger Fish? Try a Smaller Pond. Regional Fiction Sells! by Anne R. Allen
You Are Doing it Completely Wrong and You Are Doomed to Fail! by Philip Athans
How to *Easily* Publish on Apple Books by Gary Rodgers
Hook Your Readers with a Compelling Storyline, Tagline, and Back Cover Copy by Jodie Renner
The Three W’s of Scene Orientation by Kathryn Craft
On Pacing: Faster Than the Speed of Thought by Donald Maass
Story Pacing: 4 Techniques That Help Manage Your Plot’s Timeline by Joslyn Chase
Writing While Languishing: How to Be Creative When You’re Feeling ‘Blah’ by Kelsey Allagood
Six Signs of a Weak Throughline by Oren Ashkenazi
Five Simple Ways to Make Your Prose Easier to Read by Chris Winkle
Preserving Your Creativity with Self-Care by Mckenzie Cassidy
July 16, 2021
What I’ve Done and What’s in the Works…
It’s been too long since I wrote a blog post that wasn’t merely a catalog of interesting articles about writing and publishing.
We’re over the midway point of 2021 and while this year has been nowhere near as miserable as its predecessor, the past six and a half months have served up generous portions of stress and change. I lost two dear friends, turned 50, started a new full-time job, and finished a few home renovations and landscaping projects.
Just to recap events on the writing front, the first quarter was marvelous. In January, my story, “Where It’s Needed Most,” was published in the Mindful Writers anthology, Love on the Edge, by Year of the Book Press. For some unexplained reason, the anthology briefly went missing from Amazon in June but was quickly re-released using Ingram Spark. Proceeds from the anthology benefit Allegheny Children’s Initiative-Partners For Quality, Inc. As a sample, you can read my story for free on Wattpad.
In that same month, my South Korean ghost story, “Before She’s Gone Forever,” was accepted by Gravelight Press for the next volume of their Halloween Party anthology series to be published in September. More details on that soon.
Another of my ghost stories, “Bottom of the Hour,” reached the quaterfinals in the Screencraft Cinematic Short Story Competition and to this day remains in the top 35% of discoverable works on Coverfly. “Bottom of the Hour” was originally published in A Plague of Shadows (Smart Rhino Publications, October 2018).
March saw the publication of Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity, the final book in the Middle of Eternity anthology series that I created and edited for Firebringer Press. It’s available in all formats except for Kindle, which has been delayed but should be out eventually. In keeping with tradition, three of my stories were included. You can read two of them for free here on my website: “Take a Cue from the Canine” and “So Hungry…” The third is a Finnish fantasy tale called “The Forest for the Trees.”
Also in March, the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group released their latest biennial anthology, Writes of Passage. First in that book is “Help Me Rise,” my tale of a female rock star and recovering alcoholic who struggles to resurrect her career following the death of her husband. It’s the first of two general, or “mainstream,” fiction stories I wrote this year.
The second was “Where Do I Begin?” in which a middle-aged man moves to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to start a new life only to be tormented by voices from his past. This story was submitted to the annual Rehoboth Beach Reads short story contest, sponsored by Cat & Mouse Press and Browseabout Books. The theme this year is Beach Secrets and the winners will be revealed during the first week of August. Stay tuned!
Speaking of (writing of?) Rehoboth Beach, on July 1, I submitted a detective story, set in that town, to Hawkshaw Press for their 2022 anthology, Hardboiled and Loaded with Sin. They accepted the story within two days! If you’re a writer of detective noir tales and 40 years of age or older, check them out. The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2021.
Of course, no writer’s life would be complete without rejections and I received about a half dozen of them this year. There’s an old adage in this business—if you’re not getting rejections, you’re not submitting enough. I’m shopping around two SF adventure stories and a dark horror tale while working on draft three of a science fiction novel.
That about sums it up for the first half of 2021. I’m immensely grateful for the successes and hopeful about the future. Later this year, I plan to submit several short stories, and one of my novels, to various contests. I’ll post details in the months to come.
Enjoy the rest of summer and stay safe.