Phil Giunta's Blog, page 97

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, a recent Digital Book World survey reveals that a sizable portion of published authors would self-pub their next title.  John Cavnar-Johnson sees the publishing world as four segments including web, apps, eBook, and print.  Kristen Lamb suggests that writers burn their ships and commit fully to the writing life.  From the Kill Zone, Joe Hartlaub looks to the news for story ideas and P.J. Parrish advises on eBook covers.   Writer Unboxed offers tips on outlining, hoarding and where writers can find the magic!   Writer's Digest offers tips on starting your novel and James Scott Bell encourages us not to worry about our writing.  Enjoy!

Third of Published Authors Interested in Self-Publishing Next Book by Jeremy Greenfield

There is No Publishing Industry by John Cavnar-Johnson

Want to Be a Successful Author? Burn Your Ships by Kristem Lamb

Why The Well Never Runs Dry by Joe Hartlaub

You CAN Tell an eBook by Its Cover by P.J. Parrish

Plot vs. Story by Anna Elliott (with some help from Martin Scorsese)

Writing an Outline by Sophie Masson

Writers Who Hoard by Dave King

Where to Go for Magic by Jenny Milchman

How to Start a Novel Right: 5 Great Tips by Jessica Strawser

Don't Let Worry Drag You Down by James Scott Bell

The NEXT GENERATION of HOBBIES

In an economy that continues to deracinate small businesses, I applaud those who strive to support locally-owned shops.   If you love toys, model railroad, model kit building or any kind of hobby craft, Next Generation Hobbies in The Art and Craft Village of Sugar Loaf, NY is a place I urge you to visit.

Nestled in a quaint, relaxed country setting, Next Generation Hobbies offers a wide variety of model kits, paints, and other supplies.  I've enjoyed building science-fiction model kits for decades and Next Generation carries a plethora of kits in the genre as well as auto and military models.  Everything from Battlestar Galactica to Star Trek to classic movie monsters to superheroes can be found on the shelves at reasonable prices.   If you're a hobbyist, Next Generation Hobbies is for you!  Won't you please consider supporting a small business with friendly and knowledgeable service?

You can also join up with Next Generation Hobbies on Facebook !   Don't just take my word for it, check out the images below!

So Close, Yet So Farpoint!

Farpoint , the annual SF media con in Timonium, MD is a mere six weeks away and what a show it is shaping up to be!   We have about 27 writer guests in addition to six actor guests.  The weekend will be packed with programming ranging from costume contest, book fair, Saturday night dance party, discussion panels about everything podcasting to self-publishing and from writing anthologies to word-building, from Big Bang Theory to Doctor Who to Sherlock.  Science presentations about NASA, astronomy, computer forensics and more. 

I hope you'll join us for our 20th Anniversary!!!

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, Dean Wesley Smith proves that indie publishing is a viable route into traditional and also suggests methods for tallying your year-end book sales.  Kristine Kathryn Rusch advises us to take an inventory of all our manuscripts for estate planning. Jami Gold defines the "New Adult" genre while Dan Blank offers tips for a better book launch.  Smashwords founder Mark Coker makes predictions for the coming year in publishing.  Jael McHenry explains three ways to put the finishing touches on your story and Guy Kawasaki defines criteria for deciding whether that self-pubbed book is worth a read.

And more...enjoy!


Crossover Deals from Self-Publishing to Traditional and Counting Numbers by Dean Wesley Smith

Fearless Inventories by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

The "New Adult" Genre: Why Does it Exist? by Jami Gold

Don't Make Your Book Lauch Like a Trip to the Dentist   by Dan Blank

The Finishing Touches   by Jael McHenry

How Many Books Does it Take to Get to the Top of the Best-Seller List? by Kristen Lamb

Mark Coker's 2013 Book Publishing Industry Predictions: Indie eBook Authors Take Charge  (thanks to Steven H. Wilson for forwarding this along)

Rapturous Research by Sean Pidgeon (thanks to Howard Weinsten for sending this one in)

My Self Doesn't Want Any Self-Help by D.T. Krippene

How to Decide Whether to Read a Self-Published Book by Guy Kawasaki

Book Review: Stalking the Nightmare by Harlan Ellison

With an introduction by Stephen King and an amalgam of short stories and essays, Stalking the Nightmare is an entertaining read.  As with any collection of tales from a single writer, some stand out more than others.  In this case, the most memorable ones include:

"Grail" - in which a man spends his life searching for true love only to learn that it's an artifact that has been traded around the world.

"The Outpost Undiscovered by Tourists" - A parody of the three wise men in modern times after searching 2000 years for Christ.  They now drive a Rolls Royce and sleep on air mattresses while fighting the "forces of chaos".  Eventually, they find the savior in The Manger, a hotel by Hyatt, and surrounded by various folks including accountants, pet-store owners, and hairdressers.

"Night of Black Glass" - this one interested me mostly as it was written in 5 hours in a B. Dalton bookstore window after news anchor Tom Brokaw challenged Harlan to write a story based on one line: "August afternoon a person walking along a rocky beach in Maine picks up a pair of broken sunglasses.” 

"Djinn, No Chaser" - a young couple walks into a mysterious antique shop that materializes from thin air.  They purchase a cheap lamp before the owner kicks them out just as the shop vanishes once more.  Later, the couple finds that the lamp contains a sadistic genie who turns their lives into a living hell, sending the husband into an asylum. Later, his wife discovers a way to turn their situation completely around...

"Invasion Footnote" - another farce about a megalomaniacal robot hell-bent on world domination, until his own kind turn on him.  Predictable but funny.

"The Hour That Stretches" - Harlan fills in for Jerry Pournelle as a guest on a radio show and decides to allow callers to phone in one-line prompts to which Harlan will conjure up a story premise on the spot. After awhile, it becomes an exhausting exercise for Harlan, until the final caller...

"The Day I Died" - not so much a story, but a series of possible ways in which Harlan will die, with exact descriptions and dates ranging from 1973 to 2010.

In my opinion, the first three essays are actually more interesting than the stories.  

"The 3 Most Important Things in Life" offers moments from Harlan's life that deal with sex, violence, and labor relations. The latter of which is an incident that occurred when he was hired to write for Disney...and fired within hours of arrival.

"Saturn, November 11th" details Harlan's visit to JPL as a guest of Jerry Pournelle when the Voyager satellite begins sending pictures back of Saturn and its moons.

"Somehow, I Don't Think We're In Kansas, Toto" is a recount of Harlan's ludicrous experiences with Hollywood when The Starlost TV series went into production based on his story, “Phoenix Without Ashes". 

All told, Stalking the Nightmare is an enjoyable read and further evidence of Harlan's vivid imagination and reputation for fearless, and even experimental, storytelling.

About This Writing Stuff...

Back to reality!  I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.  This week, Donald Maass argues that our stories and characters are all-important....and not.   Bob Greenberger looks back on a successful year in writing while also reaching out on behalf of friend and NYT bestseller Peter David who recently suffered a stroke.  Jane Dystel tells Digital Book World that agents must adapt to the changing world of publishing.  Kristen Lamb theorizes on what's to come for publishing in 2013 and offers tips on providing detail in your fiction.  Jami Gold provides methods for dealing with burnout while Donna Gambale finds room for a wee bit of arrogance.  Susan Shapiro advises you to reveal your pain and humiliation in your memoir.  Kerry Gans warns against the internal saboteur,  Bernard Starr gets litigious about self-publishing and Lylah Alphonse offers an inspiring tale of one writer determined to complete her memoir in her final days.


The Paradox by Donald Maass

2012: A Look Back and Let's Help Peter David and Family by Bob Greenberger

Agents Unwilling to Adapt Won't Last by Jane Dystel

What's Ahead in 2013: Predictions for the Future of Publishing and Authors of the Digital Age by Kristen Lamb

Writing Tip #1: How Much Detail Should Writers Use?   by Kristen Lamb

12 Tips for Recovering from Writer Burnout by Jami Gold

The Importance of Being (Slightly) Arrogant as a Writer by Donna Gambale via Chuck Sambuchino

The Internal Saboteur by Kerry Gans

Legal Issues in Self-Publishing: What Authors Need to Know   by Bernard Starr

Paralyzed by ALS, Susan Spencer-Wendel Writes Memoir About the Beauty of Living by Lylah M. Alphonse

Make Me Worry You're Not O.K. by Susan Shapiro

(Let's Hope for a) Happy New Year!

All my hopes for a new year that brings peace, happiness, good health and wonderful achievements to everyone!

An Update on Peter David

Peter's wife, Kathleen, has been posting daily updates on his condition on her blog, No Strings Attached .  Thankfully, his recovery is progressing well.

Prayers and Well Wishes for Peter David

Prolific veteran fiction writer Peter David suffered a stroke a few days ago while vacationing with his family in Florida.   Word has it that he is in excellent care.  I've enjoyed every single one of Peter's novels and comics that I've read.  He's been a permanent fixture at Shore Leave and Farpoint conventions for decades as well as many comic cons.  More recently, Peter, along with Michael Jan Friedman and Bob Greenberger, were brought on-board to write media tie-in comics and books for Will Smith's AfterEarth movie coming next year.

All of my hopes and prayers for Peter's full recovery.

Some pics I'd taken with Peter over the years!  1995 (top) and then 2011 (bottom) along with Michael Jan Friedman.  

Conventions and Conferences 2012

I will be a guest at these events in the coming months.  Hope to see you there!

BaltiCon - May 25-28, 2012 - Marriott at Hunt Valley, MD. One of the longest running SF and Fantasy conventions in the Northeastern US.   Writer guest of honor: Jody Lynn Nye.  Artist guest of honor: Jim Odbert.  Four days of programming centered around writing, art, publishing, podcasting, audiobooks, and more. 

Shore Leave 34 - August 3-5, 2012 - Marriott at Hunt Valley, MD.  Celebrity guests include Kate Mulgrew, LeVar Burton, Ryan Robbins, Musetta Vander, Jane Wiedlin.  Over twenty writer guests and nearly a dozen scientists.  A family oriented convention with three days of fun programming for all!

Sci-Fi Day at Olde Towne Books & Brew - September 22, 2012 - Mechanicsburg, PA.  Hosted by the USS Susquehannock chapter of Starfleet (the International Star Trek fan club).