Newsletter May 2024 - $*&! May Already?

In Case You Missed It

You didn't. May was super busy, and I neglected to publish any blogs.

Writing Progress

I've also not made a lot of progress on my story, but it's partially on purpose. My daughter really wants to be part of creating this novel, and she's helped with some of the character design and plot ideas. School has kept her busy, so I'm waiting for summer to dive into the detailed plot outline. It's also a great time for me to work with her to help improve her planning and outlining skills, which she needs for school now that she's at the point where a lot of the work is essay writing.

But I've not been doing nothing. I've revamped my podcast roster and added a few new writing podcasts. The industry has changed a lot since I last researched it, and the new advice seems to be that you don't need a fancy website with a lot of content. All you really need is something so agents and editors can check that you are legit, and maybe a monthly newsletter. Hearing that from a couple of different podcasts gave me permission to focus more on the monthly newsletter and not plan a weekly post. Honestly, I'm good with that. I'd rather focus on the novel.

I've also been talking about my story idea to anyone who will listen. That's helping me refine my elevator pitch and also to see what aspects of the story resonate with different people. So far I've only gotten one blank stare when I described my "techno thriller, but the tech is magic". Mostly, people are intrigued.

One writer who always inspired me is Tim Powers. His stories always focus on a regular person in the real world who stumbles into the hidden world of the paranormal and gets sucked into that intrigue. I love that genre. If you've never read his works, I suggest starting with Last Call. It's about poker (before poker was everywhere) and magic that happens through card playing.

I'll leave you with the writing podcasts I'm currently enjoying:
https://writingexcuses.com/
https://thriller101.com/
https://www.justkeepwriting.org/
https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Those recommendations should keep you out of trouble for the summer. Enjoy!

Best,

Todd