It’s a simple fact that people are busy, and have shorter attention spans than ever. We have many things to thank for this: video games, television, and most of all, Twitter. Because books must compete with all of these other forms of entertainment, it’s no longer enough to write a novel that, overall, is good. […]
A Brief Guide to Twitter Pitching
In anticipation of tomorrow’s #AdPit contest on Twitter, I thought it might be useful to assemble some tips about Twitter pitching contests. In case you weren’t aware, the basic premise of such contests is this: Authors tweet a brief (140 characters or less) teaser “pitch” for their completed manuscripts, using a common hashtag Agents and […]
10 Favorite Fantasy Novels and Why I Admire Them
Like many fantasy authors, I wanted to write in this genre because I love reading in it. Discovering a great new fantasy novel — especially the first of a series — is simply thrilling. The downside of learning to write fiction is that one begins to read everything more critically. Always looking for plot holes […]
Writing Competition, Craft, and Cold Reality
As is true with many of the most desirable professions, success at writing requires a special confluence of talent, hard work, dedication, and sheer luck. As one of my favorite epic fantasy authors put it: If you want to write, then write. If you want to be a writer, go study accounting.” It’s not enough […]
Twitter Pitching Contests: Your Novel in 140 Characters or Less
Yesterday I participated in a lively Twitter event called #PitMad, in which aspiring authors pitch their completed manuscripts in 140 characters or less. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., participants would tweet their pitches using the #pitmad hashtag, a feed that could be monitored by agents, editors, and other interested parties. Since I’m a scientist, […]
