A Year Later: The Chilling Effect of Supreme Court’s Mahmoud v. Taylor Decision
www.slj.com/story/The-Ch...
Recovering from StokerCon
I made some assumptions when I went to the Horror Writers Association's StokerCon last week. One was that the drive to Pittsburgh wouldn't take an entire day. Another was that Pennsylvania rest areas are just like New Jersey and New York rest areas and have restaurants…
Where and How Book Censorship Is Impacting Children’s Publishing Right Now.
Publishing imprints for young readers are shuttering thanks to a softening school and library market. That's a result of book censorship, and it impacts you wherever you live.
bookriot.com/book-bans-an...
While the Mahmoud v. Taylor ruling may have seemed narrow, the impact has been broad.
I made some assumptions when I went to the Horror Writers Association's StokerCon last week. One was that the drive to Pittsburgh wouldn't take an entire day. Another was that Pennsylvania rest areas are just like New Jersey and New York rest areas and have restaurants available, instead of making you leave the highway to find food. A third was that I would have the time and energy during the conference to work on my novel.
I got this acceptance on New Year's Eve, which was a cool way to end the year. Happy* reading!
*Note: This might not be the right word.
Still debating
Here's what it means to be a minority religion/culture within a majority society: Every time something is scheduled on one of your holidays, you have to decide whether it's worth the pushback. Purim began on Monday night (all Jewish holidays start at sundown, as does Shabbos). I…
New story announcement
Write what you know. It's good advice but so easy to misinterpret. Taken to the illogical extreme, writers wouldn't be allowed to write anything beyond their own lived experiences, and that would kill a lot of good writing. You can create whole worlds with a decent amount of…
kelly jensen
My latest article for @slj.com:
www.slj.com/story/LGBTQI...
I had such fun writing my Mary Morstan/Irene Adler adventure story and am so happy it found a home in this anthology:
www.amazon.com/Steel-Blade-...
Here's what it means to be a minority religion/culture within a majority society: Every time something is scheduled on one of your holidays, you have to decide whether it's worth the pushback. Purim began on Monday night (all Jewish holidays start at sundown, as does Shabbos). I also had a meeting on Monday night. I serve on the board of this group, and I already knew the meeting date couldn't be moved.
marlainacockcroft.com
Write what you know. It's good advice but so easy to misinterpret. Taken to the illogical extreme, writers wouldn't be allowed to write anything beyond their own lived experiences, and that would kill a lot of good writing. You can create whole worlds with a decent amount of research, imagination, and empathy, so why wouldn't you? I think the point is to write what you know…
Authors and agents say manuscripts by and about the LGBTQIA+ community are being rejected at an alarming rate as publishers seem to be trying to avoid controversy and complaints.
www.slj.com
Why scary is good
Reading or watching a horror story is like riding a roller coaster. No, hear me out. It's scary. There are unexpected twists and turns. There's a horrific drop and your stomach leaps into your throat. You close your eyes, you don't want to look. You think this…
An announcement, and a message
I had the call for submissions up on my screen when my 16-year-old walked in and said excitedly, "Is that an Odyssey anthology?" Like any standard fantasy nerd, my 16-year-old is having a Greek mythology phase. Mine started in grade school (Clash of the Titans!). My…
Reading or watching a horror story is like riding a roller coaster. No, hear me out. It's scary. There are unexpected twists and turns. There's a horrific drop and your stomach leaps into your throat. You close your eyes, you don't want to look. You think this goosebump/shivering/screeching moment will never end. And then it does, and you're okay. You breathe a sigh of relief and you might even be proud of yourself for surviving so well.
I had the call for submissions up on my screen when my 16-year-old walked in and said excitedly, "Is that an Odyssey anthology?" Like any standard fantasy nerd, my 16-year-old is having a Greek mythology phase. Mine started in grade school (Clash of the Titans!). My kiddo's is based around Percy Jackson and Epic: The Musical, and this is a shout-out to the other parents who…
Good morning! In today's Editor Pick: At a suburban block party, one woman discovers just how much cruelty can hide behind perfect smiles. It's Marlaina Cockcroft's Block Party. Enjoy!
