Week In Review: July 29th, 2023

In Case You Missed it, here’s the round-up of all of my latest content, plus updates from old guests! Read on if you want to know more. If not? See you next week with more writing tips and writerly musings.

Coming up this week:

On Youtube/Twitch:

• Morgan’s Lazy Sunday Afternoon “Productivity” Stream: – 4:30pm EDT. Come, hang out, eat snacks, and maybe even get some productivity done yourself.

Content Around The Web:

On Youtube:

• Why Agents Stop Reading – At Imaginarium 2023. I had the privilege to read a stack of first pages aloud to publishers and agents and heard firsthand why they would put down that page.
• Shorts (also on TikTok)
  • Skill, Persistence, and Some GD Luck
  • How long is this story idea?
  • Space Fantasy Update: 7/24/23

On Season 7 of the Podcast “Writing Tips and Writerly Musings”:

• Novel, Novella, Short Story – The size of a story is often dictated by the scope of the idea that spawned it. While some experienced writers can tell from the shape of the concept how long their story will be, it’s often a case of trial and error and years.

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On The Blog (In Case You Missed It):

• Why Agents Stop Reading – At Imaginarium 2023. I had the privilege to read a stack of first pages aloud to publishers and agents and heard firsthand why they would put down that page.
• Author Spotlight Guest: Author Neil Herndon: a poet, journalist, and author who’s been working on his craft for most of his life. He’s sharing writing tips and writerly musings with us.

Upcoming Events:

Capclave 2023 – Sept 29 – October 1, 2023 – Rockville, Md

What I’ve Been Reading:

Lili Valente‘s

The McGuire Brothers (#1-3)

Last night, I met the funniest, sexiest single dad on the planet. I also managed to get into the kind of co-ed naked trouble with him that involved a nurse, a shotgun, a feral turkey, and a pair of pliers. But all’s well that ends well, and we already have plans to meet up again. It’s early days, but I’m already thinking Drew might be The One.

Then I show up to my new nanny gig and who steps out on the front porch, holding the cutest little redhead in the world? Yep, that’s right. Drew is Andrew McGuire, my new boss, and he’s not about to date the nanny. His daughter’s happiness and stability are his top priority.

Considering I just fell in love with this precious, motherless girl at first sight, I would be inclined to agree with him. If it weren’t for one thing—my heart already has a Drew-shaped hole in it. I’m pretty sure I would miss him, even if we’d never met. But how to convince this amazing man that his heart—and his family—are safe with me? And that he should be my boss with benefits? Forever.

And Laura Lee Guhrke‘s

Guilty Pleasures (#1-4)

One of Daphne Wade’s guilty pleasures is to watch the Duke of Tremore as he works, shirtless, on the excavation site of his ducal estate. Anthony Courtland is by far the most exciting and handsome man she has ever known, and she dreams of one day being able to speak with him without getting tongue tied.

Anthony, meanwhile, only sees Daphne as a hard worker on his excavation team. He considers her a plain young lady and says so in a careless remark to a friend, unaware that Daphne is outside the library door, her heart shattering to pieces. So Daphne decides she will not be so silly any longer. She begins to be tutored in the social graces, forcing Anthony to see the beauty who has been right in front of his eyes.

New Works By Previous Guests:

New from Peter Servidio

Mind Trap

Michael Dane had been wandering in the darkness of his own despair for what felt like an eternity. The night sky was filled with stars but all he could see was loneliness and emptiness. He had been running away from his past for as long as he could remember, but now he was completely lost and alone. He felt like he had been swallowed by an endless void and he was never going to find a way out.

But then one night, something changed. As he continued his long journey, he felt a strange power awaken inside of him that he never knew he had. He slowly realized he could manipulate the world around him and turn his darkness into a source of light for others. As he embraced this newfound power, he started to believe in himself and his ability to make a difference in the world. He slowly started to understand his purpose and how his power could help him redeem himself. He started to understand that he didn’t have to be lost in the darkness forever, he could be a beacon of hope for those in need.

Little did he know, this newfound power would lead him on an incredible journey, full of wondrous details and beautiful prose. He would discover secrets that have been hidden for centuries and face enemies that nobody ever thought existed. He would have to face his own losses and fears and find his own way back from the brink of despair. But ultimately, no matter what obstacles he faced, he would have to use the power of his own darkness to shine a light on the world. As he embarks on his journey, he’ll quickly learn that to be a true hero, he must find the courage to embrace his own darkness.

Personal Project Status Updates:

For accountability, (and so you can tell I haven’t just been editing the same manuscript for a decade), I’m going to talk about my projects I’ve been working on this year.

My Novel-length Works In Progress:

My Short-Story Length Works-In-Progress:

My Poetry:

Picture(s) of the Week:

This past weekend, I accompanied several friends to our local Steam Fair. Not Steampunk (although, I’ve done those in the past).