Phil Giunta's Blog, page 89

Local Authors Night at Barnes & Noble in Bethlehem, PA

Just received the official email. I will be one of fifty writers participating in Local Authors Night at Barnes & Noble in Bethlehem, PA on Wednesday, September 25 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Please share and spread the word about this event. Special thanks to B&N Community Relations Manager Karen Rose for organizing this event.

Saying Farewell...

Over the Labor Day weekend, we lost legendary SF writer, Frederik Pohl.   To me, Pohl was one of those geniuses from the decades-spanning golden age of SF and speculative fiction alongside the likes of Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Ellison, Heinlein, Sturgeon and so many others luminaries.  Now, few remain from that time and with their passing goes an era of foresight, innovation and imagination that has been unparalleled since.

I never met Frederik Pohl, but I did meet Ann Crispin, veteran SF and media tie-in writer .   Ann has been a guest for decades at such  SF conventions as Shore Leave and Farpoint in Maryland where she runs a writing seminar each year.  Ann began her career with such Star Trek novels as Yesterday's Son, Time for Yesterday and later, Sarek.  She penned the Han Solo trilogy and of course, created her own universes with the Starbridge series.

When my first novel was published in 2010 and I was invited to the cons as a writer guest, I had the honor of sharing a few discussion panels with Ann.  Not only was she entertaining, informative and enthusiastic, but she solved a 12-year-old mystery as to why Harlan Ellison cussed at me about a book called DOOMSMAN at I-CON in 1998 (that's a story for another time, but one that I will treasure forever).

Sadly, Ann recently announced that she is losing her battle with cancer after being diagnosed over a year ago.

Along with Victoria Strauss, Ann founded Writer Beware in 1998, a site dedicated to helping new and experienced writers alike avoid publishing scams (and there are plenty of them).  Veteran author Richard White later joined.

Ann will be sorely missed.


Below: Ann with fellow veteran SF & media tie-in writer, Michael Jan Friedman at Shore Leave 35 in August 2013.




Below: Frederick Pohl





 

Chapter Three of By Your Side is Out on Audio!

Strange Happenings
Miranda receives a disturbing distress call from Tammy followed by a warning from her late father.   At dinner with police detective Denny Teelko, retired newspaper reporter Frank Knedlhans conveys his suspicions about Elias Gray.

Click here to listen for FREE!

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, we say good-bye to SF giant Frederik Pohl and veteran SF/F fantasy writer, Ann Crispin.   In the numbers, Rachelle Gardner lists 11 things that happy authors don't do while Huffington Post gives us 13 reasons to buy used books.   Journalist-turned-novelist Brad Parks reveals his fiction writing secret.

Kristen Lamb offers several tips to make us stronger while Jami Gold summarizes a few methods for starting your story.  Helen Hemphill reminds us of the old adage, "show, don't tell" while James Scott Bell warns us not to turn our characters into idiots just to bring an end to our tales.

And what does the Robert Galbraith/J.K. Rowling revelation say about the chances of newly published writers?

Enjoy!



RIP Frederik Pohl, the Man Who Transformed Science Fiction by Annalee Newitz of IO9

RIP Ann Crispin, Who Fought for Writers by Charlie Jane Anders of IO9

11 Things Happy Authors Don't Do by Rachelle Gardner

Long Odds for Authors Newly Published by James B. Stewart

My Filthy Secret by Brad Parks

How to Find the Start of Our Story by Jami Gold

Tips to Make Us Stronger Authors Part I and Part II by Kristen Lamb

Don't Let Your Characters Act Like Idiots by James Scott Bell

Writing Scenes & Showing by Helen Hemphill via Cynthia Leitich Smith

13 Reasons You Should Always Buy Used Books by The Huffington Post

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, Writer Beware warns of the return of the unsavory Albee Agency under a new name.  With Kristen Lamb, Jane Friedman, Beth Bacon, and Joanna Penn, we focus quite a bit on building platform (in advance of publication) and marketing (once your book is on its way to the readers).  David Gaughran compares popular ebook distributor Smashwords to the new Draft2Digital.  In the craft department, Jami Gold wants to get your story moving again while Lorin Oberweger discusses pacing.  All that and a bit more... Enjoy!


Turning Whine into Gold: Managing Your Emotions by Kathryn Craft

Sandpiper Publicity: The Albee Agency Returns by Victoria Strauss via Ann Crispin and Writer Beware!

Choosing the Right Distributor: Smashwords vs. Draft2Digital by David Gaughran

3 Pillars of Selling More Books Online by Beth Bacon

Genre Mash-Ups by John Abramowitz

5 Tips for Getting Unstuck in our Story by Jami Gold

Top Two Pieces of Writing Advice by Jody Hedlund

When Is It Time to Start Building an Author Platform? by Kristen Lamb

Career Writers by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The Best Way to Market Your Books by Joanna Penn via James Scott Bell

A Key Book Marketing Principle That Authors Must Learn (or Not Forget) by Jane Friedman

The Slippery Minx That Is Pacing-and How to Gain Traction by Lorin Oberweger

Chapter Two of By Your Side out on Audio

The Boy and the House    
           
Pediatric oncologist Tammy Schell becomes unsettled when a terminally ill patient begins predicting suicides and seeing ghosts.  Meanwhile, art dealer Elias Gray settles into his new home…and strange things begin to happen.

Click here to listen for free!

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, timeless writing advice from the late great Elmore Leonard. Keri English and Bill Ferris discuss the use of pen names while Mary Cummings offers tips on using Google+ for book promotion. Kristen Lamb provides sound advice about self-editing your manuscript before sending it to a pro. Jami Gold and James Scott Bell touch on your story's subtext and theme, respectively. Natalia Sylvester addresses the personal dangers of social media and how to avoid them.   All that and a bit more. Enjoy!


Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle by Elmore Leonard

How to Use Google+ in Book Promotion by Mary Cummings


Do You Know Your Story's Subtext? by Jami Gold

Action and Reaction: The Building Blocks of Story Structure by Katie Weiland via Jody Hedlund

Six Easy Tips for Self-Editing Your Fiction by Kristen Lamb

Cardboard Men and the Women Who Love Them by P.J. Parrish

Do You Know What You Want to Say?  by James Scott Bell

Twisting the Inevitable by Dave King


Too Social for Comfort: How to Build an Online Presence and Stay Safe by Natalia Sylvester

Listen to the Sound of My Voice - By Your Side is out on Audio!

Recorded by yours truly, the FREE audio version of my paranormal mystery, By Your Side , has started it's podcast run on my publisher's audio site, Prometheus Radio Theatre.

Chapter One is available now by clicking here.

Miranda Lorensen is a psychic-medium and paranormal investigator.  In the opening chapter, while investigating the possible haunting of a zoo, she senses that her deceased brother may be trying to get a message to her.

Check back each week for a new chapter at Prometheus Radio Theatre !

Monster Mania's 10th Anniversary Convention

Spent the early part of my Saturday at Monster Mania convention in Cherry Hill, NJ.  Guests included Christopher Lloyd, Carrie Fisher, Danny Glover, Malcolm McDowell, George Romero, Bruce Davison, the cast of Being Human (American version) and several others. 

Having seen Fisher, Glover, McDowell and several others before, my singular goal was Christopher Lloyd (being the avid Back to the Future, TAXI and Star Trek fan that I am).  Two years ago, a friend was able to snag a Star Trek III autograph from Mr. Lloyd for me at a convention I was unable to attend. So this time, I just focused on TAXI and Back to the Future.

Unfortunately, no posed photos with fans were permitted so I was not able to have my picture taken with Mr. Lloyd.  Disappointing, but I was able to take a few pictures of him at his table.  He was very nice, but a bit aloof.  He shook hands with all of the fans, but only chatted when someone else initiated the conversation, which is perfectly fine.  Mr. Lloyd has a reputation for being reserved. 

I then decided to stop over to Bruce Davison's table. for an autograph and photo with him.   Mr. Davison is a very outgoing and friendly guy. 

Probably the fastest one-day convention ever.  I was done within two hours.  Went to lunch after and was home in time to cut the lawn.

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, we start off with two older, but informative, articles on self-publishing, then counter that with an argument in favor of the traditional route.   Woody Allen imparts what he's learned about life and creativity both before and during his legendary career.  A double-shot from Jami Gold addresses platform building and the value of genre writing.   Jody Hedlund touches on the adage of "show, don't tell" while Jael McHenry warns of the pitfalls of chasing fads in writing.    From the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell delves into two popular formats for delivering your stories to readers and Jordan Dane talks metaphors and analogies.

And congratulations to Michael Jan Friedman on the re-release of his fantasy trilogy, the Vidar Saga, starting with book one, The Hammer and the Horn .


Publishing is Broken, We're Drowning in Indie Books and That's a Good Thing by David Vinjamuri

Thinking of Self-Publishing Your Book in 2013?  Here's What You Need to Know by Nick Morgan

5 Reasons to Turn to Traditional Publishing Rather than Self-Publishing by Meg Waite Clayton

What I've Learned by Woody Allen

The Perks of Being Audible by Loren Kleinman

When Should We Start Building Our Platform and Are Genre Stories More Stupid? by Jami Gold

When To Show Character Emotions and When To Tell by Jody Hedlund

Two More Ways for Writers to Milk the Cash Cow by James Scott Bell

Key Ways to Add Layers to Your Writer's Voice by Jordan Dane

Drive, Don't Chase by Jael McHenry