M.D. Massey's Blog, page 6

Plagiarism and the Indie Author

Recently a fellow indie author reached out to discuss a manuscript he’d been working on with another author. Production had been going swimmingly, but unfortunately they’d run into a sticking point halfway through the second book in the series.

You see, their main character is (or was) a female druid named McCool.

This author is a very nice fellow, which I knew because we’d met previously at a fantasy con and briefly talked shop. He’d left me with a favorable impression and vice versa, so when h...

Wicked Cool Book Trailer for Druid Arcane

In case you haven’t seen it yet, here’s the book trailer for Druid Arcane…

If you want to learn more about the eleventh installment in the Colin McCool urban fantasy series, click here.

The post Wicked Cool Book Trailer for Druid Arcane first appeared on Author MD Massey.

Urban Fantasy Author Update for August 2020

Wow… the reviews for Druid Arcane have been phenomenal! You really seemed to enjoy this installment in Colin’s story, which makes me happier than a butcher’s dog on bacon day. Thanks to everyone who left a five-star review, because seeing all those stars has made my day, every day since the book dropped.

Also, Amazon mixed up the sales pages between Book 12 and Book 11. Not only were the reviews and data mixed up between the two books, customers were getting sent to Book 11 when they clicked lin...

Let’s Talk Character Arcs And Dynamic Worlds…

Earlier today I was checking out the most recent reviews for Druid Arcane, like I always do with new releases, and I noticed a 3-star review sticking out like a sore thumb amidst all the five star reviews on the page.

To be honest, a three-star review doesn’t really bother me. Of course, I don’t like getting them, because they bring your review rating average down, which can hurt book sales. But I don’t mind reading them because the comments are usually gold.

Thankfully, the reviews for Book 1...

How I Wrote A Novel During the Pandemic

Writing a novel is one of the most daunting tasks a writer can attempt. All those words, all those pages, not to mention handling plots and sub-plots, pacing and dialogue, character development and themes—it’s enough to make you lose your hair, and I’m somewhat of an expert on that topic. Yet, finishing a novel is an achievement I would list among the most satisfying I’ve experienced in my nearly five decades of existence.

Prior to the pandemic, I’d written and published twenty urban fantasy and...

July 2020 Author Update

Like most of you, my life has become rather monotonous during this pandemic. My daily routine lately has consisted of the following cycle:

Wake
Day Job Stuff
Write
Eat
Research/Read
Write
Train/Teach
Eat
Read/Watch Netflix
Sleep

No complaints though, it’s a good life. Other than that, here’s what I’m up to this month…

What I’m Writing

Yes, I’m still working on Book 11 in the Colin McCool series. After much deliberation, I decided to cut some scenes because the book was getting bloated. I’d rat...

Interview for Metro Atlanta Geeks

The following is an interview I recently did for the Metro Atlanta Geeks group on Facebook. It’s a closed group, thus I figured I’d share the interview Q&A here so you can enjoy even more of my self-involved blathering. ~MDM

Q: You have a fairly extensive bio on your website. What about writing drew you to the craft?

A: My mother had a degree in English, and she made sure I was bitten by the reading bug at an early age. I remember being about four years old and sitting on our front porch with a ...

June Author Update

Hey folks, it’s time for another update from The World Beneath…

What I’m Writing

I’m halfway through writing the first draft of Druid Arcane. Sadly, a few weeks ago we had a couple of deaths in our family that hit back-to-back, and I found it very hard to write during that time. But, I’ve had time to grieve and I’m back to my usual writing rhythm, so hopefully I’ll get this novel cranked out over the next few weeks.

Quite honestly, this one has been a hell of a lot of fun to write so far. I’m wo...

Why It’s Okay When People Hate Your Work

I don’t spend a lot of time reading my reviews, but I check them out now and again to see what readers are saying about my work. Many authors avoid reading their reviews, because they (like most humans) tend to focus only on the negative feedback and criticism, and ignore the positive things people say about their work.

Personally, I think authors miss out on opportunities to improve their work when they ignore their reviews. Certainly, it’s frustrating to read a negative review only to realize...

How To Create A Main Character Your Readers Will Love

Let’s Talk About MC’s…

The main character in my urban fantasy series, Colin McCool, a.k.a. the Junkyard Druid.

Nope, not Adam Yauch (RIP MCA), nor MC Lyte, and certainly not MC Hammer. Today, my friend, we’re talking about main characters—how to create one that appeals to readers, and also avoiding common pitfalls that plague first-time authors.

So how do you create a main character that readers will like? That’s a good question and one that authors have been asking for generations. Write an MC ...