What Does a Form Rejection Mean When Querying A Novel?

I’ve queried before. I’ve queried this story before. Thirty-six rejections in, this story has been decently queried, but has not … More

The Day After The End Of Winter

For the holiday, here is a re-imagining of the origin of Santa Claus. This is an early draft, but be warned, it is not a feel-good piece. The fae drive hard bargains.

Querying and Agents: Now I’m Confused

I thought I had learned almost all there was to querying fiction. Maybe not perfected it, but knew enough.

And then I ran into this complaint…

In Space, No One Can See You Hide The Evidence: Crimes In Space

Welcome to Part 12, my final WorldCon, CoNZealand panel write up. The panelists for the titular panel were as follows: … More

Counting My Blessings

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday in the States, I’m taking a break before my final WorldCon CoNZealand write-up to … More

Writing For Young Adults

What makes a novel YA?

Why is all the best literature YA and what makes it so great?

How gritty can you go?

Plus, 8 writing mistakes to be wary of.

What Fanfiction Can Teach Genre Writers

Talking about why people like fanfic, what it can teach writers, and exploring the fraught relationship between writers and their own fanfic communities.

Writing SFF From The Margins

Welcome to Part 9 of my WorldCon, CoNZealand panel write ups. The panelists for the titular panel were: E.J. Beaton (as … More

Constructed Languages

When we read a book or watch a show with a created language, it’s easy to wonder — did they invent a word or the whole language?

And when I write, do I need to create a whole language?

Here are the layers of a language, and the levels of language construction you can choose. Plus, a few more tips and tricks for getting your conlang just right.