Check this out.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1486366537/champions-of-aetaltis-a-heroic-fantasy-anthology

Marc Tassin put this fiction anthology together. It features a bunch of really good authors with all new stories.

I first met Marc at GenCon, where he is one of the organizers of the writing track. He told me about his RPG project, and the world he’d created for it. He wanted to know if I’d write a story for it. I get a lot of writing requests and have to turn most of them down, but after I read through the world guide, I had to do it. They’ve created something unique and fun here.

In the world of Aetaltis there is an order of mystical warrior monks called the Kinjatsi. There is also a stoic, tough race called the Drothmal, who worship the god of suffering. Once I got done reading the world guide, I contacted Marc and asked if anybody had claimed Kinjatsi. No? Score. 🙂

My story is already done and turned in, and I think it came out pretty darned good if I do say so myself.  So please, check it out.

The eBook for my first novel, Monster Hunter International, is available for free right now. We just added MHI to the Baen Free Library.

My publisher follows the same basic marketing philosophy as crack dealers. The first hit is free! If you like it, there is a whole lot more where that came from.

I don’t know if this is the final or not, but it is pretty freaking awesome. 🙂  (yes, this is the book that I am working on with Mike Kupari right now)  We’ve been calling it Project Blue for years, but that won’t be the name of the book.

At the link you can see the evolution of drafts. It is pretty interesting stuff. http://www.kmistudio.com/blog/index.php/gallery/image_full/322/

I met Mason Hall years ago at my first ever science fiction convention (the last MountainCon), where he was volunteering to help. Mason is a good dude who has been through some really hard times, and has faced some severe medical challenges.  A few months ago he had his leg amputated and is struggling with the medical costs.

His sister started this link for donations: http://www.gofundme.com/f7i0jc

I was sent an email about this months ago, asking if I would signal boost, but I get so many messages that it got lost in the shuffle. So please, check it out now. Mason is still going through procedures and physical therapy.

Last night I taught my first creative writing class. I think it went pretty good. I talked for two hours straight, only taking breaks when people asked questions, and every single topic was something we could have talked about more. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

There are 84 people enrolled. We filled the biggest classroom they had at this location, and they still had to turn people away. Right now we’re doing it in the same building as the police academy (I requested that because it was closest to the freeway, so I thought it would be the easiest for people coming from Salt Lake City) but if I end up doing this again we’ll have to move it to the Ogden campus where they’ve got bigger classrooms available.

With this class I’m trying to focus on the professional, making a living aspect, rather than the artsy literati side of creative writing. I’m trying to keep it nuts and bolts, practical, pragmatic, get it done and get paid.

This is from the handout. It is more of a checklist of things I want to talk about, than an official schedule. Like last night we spent the first hour on how to write better, and the second half on how to sell your stuff.  I think I touched briefly on everything in the business section, but only scratched the surface on a few things. Now I’ve got a list of comments and questions from the online streaming students to incorporate into next week’s lesson.

Creative Writing Class Outline

The two steps to becoming a successful professional author.

1. Get good enough people will give you money for your stuff.
2. Find the people who will give you money for your stuff.

Part 1: Getting good enough.

On the “rules” of writing.

1. Does your audience like it? Leave it in.
2. Does your audience hate it? Take it out.

The spark and where ideas come from/contagious enthusiasm

Outlining vs. Discovery Writing

Plotting

1^st vs. 3^rd Person

Creating characters

Pacing and intensity

Dialog, and why it is different than talking

The pros and cons of “writing what you know”

Accuracy and research

Time management for writers and the evil myth of Writer’s Block

Message/the author works for the reader, not the other way around

Editing, if it sucks, fix it

Alpha Readers, or your mom might not be your target audience

Pros and cons of Writing Groups

Finished? Now write the next one.

Part 2: Getting Paid

Ugly Fact Time: Author pay scale and failure rate

How traditional publishing works

• Small press vs. Large press
• What are literary agents and do you need one?

How self-publishing works

Novels vs. short fiction markets

Contracts and what to watch out for

Advances and earning out

Structuring your business and paying taxes

Other rights (foreign translations, audiobook, movie options)

Networking, marketing, and finding your target audience

When to quit your day job