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Thu, Oct 30, 2025

2:34am EDT

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Writing Blog Number 2

by S🤦‍♂️

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #2311764

This is a continuation of my blogging here at WdC

This will be a blog for my writing, maybe with (too much) personal thrown in. I am hoping it will be a little more interactive, with me answering questions, helping out and whatnot. If it falls this year (2024), then I may stop the whole blogging thing, but that's all a "wait and see" scenario.

An index of topics can be found here: "Writing Blog No.2 Index"

Feel free to comment and interact.

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Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Kåre เลียม Enga

Oct 22, 2025 at 4:00am
In response to "20251022 Pay For Play"

The problem... for us old geezers... is that the ground beneath us has shifted and feels a bit like quicksand.

1 Like

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Oct 22, 2025 at 1:17am
In response to "20251022 Pay For Play"

Ugh, I have a story waiting at AHMM. It's been sitting since May. I was surprised at their "open door" policy and wondered about the firehose of junk they must be getting. By the time they inform me, they might be charging for submissions! If so, I won't submit anything else. Thanks for the heads-up.

1 Like

Scary_Soldier_Mike

Oct 16, 2025 at 8:15pm
In response to "20251010 Human Limits"

Doing a little research to avoid issues like this is one of the things that slows me down, even for the shortest of short stories. Better slow than "Mark dodged quickly left and right, weaving his way between the fusillade of bullets coming from the Gatling Gun twenty feet away."

Right.

Schnujo's now Cujo -- Run!

Oct 13, 2025 at 2:55pm
In response to "20251013 Ways To Support Other Authors"

And, finally, rounding out all my ideas (for now lol)...

10. #6 on the original list above is SUPER important! We all think our work is great when we get to the point of self-publishing (or submitting to traditional publishing), but the reality is, it's isn't always. Someone needs to gently tell us where we need work or at least how to find someone who can do that. I've seen (and before my brain injury, read) some AMAZING books with some HORRIBLE editing. I've seen books with great stories, but horrid covers. I've seen books with ridiculous looking selfies as author photos. I mean, like did you really think that's a good pic? Not saying you look bad, just that the picture, itself, is bad -- poor composition, bad lighting, clutter in the background, something hanging over your head, etc. Not that you need a professional headshot, but you need someone to look at that selfie and say, "No, my friend, you can't use that one. Yes, you look fine, but the rest of the picture is terrible. Here are things to fix in the next one." Or maybe just suggest they crop it SUPER tight. lol We all have blind spots. This is where our friends come in and can be a vital part of our success -- pumping us up when we are low, but also, speaking truth in love when it's needed.

11. Finally, #7 on the original list, buy the book -- sure, but think about it as a gift for others, too. Who would love this book? You can suggest it to them. Then maybe a couple of weeks before their birthday or Christmas (or whatever December holiday they celebrate), ask if they ever got it. If not, get it for them as a gift. How many people do we know that would love a book we love? If we spread the purchases throughout the year for birthdays or just random "thinking of you," it's not much to spend.

Thanks for this post, Steven! Nice list of ideas!

Schnujo's now Cujo -- Run!

Oct 13, 2025 at 2:53pm
In response to "20251013 Ways To Support Other Authors"

Continued from above because I "talk" too much. lol

8. I didn't know it helps putting it in your Amazon cart, even if you don't buy it. Does that boost it in the algorithm? Interesting. Sneaky. I like it. lol Anyway, that's in #4 on the list above. It talks about leaving reviews and upvoting the book on sites, etc. I would add to make mention of this in your social media posts, too. Some people will not think of this, but they would be perfectly happy to do it after reading and loving the book. They just needed that idea. Along with leaving reviews, if you are comfortable, include a short video review. You can type out whatever you want to say and your video can be faceless, even voiceless, if you want, but Amazon loves video reviews. Just show the cover and show yourself flipping through a few pages (assuming you got the physical copy -- try finding it at the library, if you didn't, then mention in your written review that you got it on Kindle, but went to the library to show it on video). Or you can fully talk about how much you love it, dance around with the book in your review, whatever. lol

9. Technically, for #5, encouraging the author to be on blogs, vlogs, etc, while a great idea, if you don't have any of those connections, you could actually set up a short interview and post it on your own social media, if you are both comfortable being on camera. Record it on Zoom. A free Zoom account allows you to have a 40 min. meeting. I assume you can record it, but if not, there is screen capture software out there. I also know people use Loom, though IDK what all it can do. Can it only record your screen? That's all I ever see it used for, so maybe combine it with Zoom? IDK, but I'm sure there's a way. If one or both of you don't want to do that, you can do a podcast-style interview, though maybe make it shorter since your author buddy is likely not famous so your friends might not listen to a 40 minute recording of some random author they've never met. But if you record a 10-15 minute interview and it's well-received, you could always do another. Maybe it's the beginning of your podcast career! lol

Oops -- forgot to enlarge the other one. Well, I spent a LOT of time cutting it down, so it's just as well. I had hoped to keep this to 2 posts, but it's still going to be 3. Sorry. lol

Schnujo's now Cujo -- Run!

Oct 13, 2025 at 2:51pm
In response to "20251013 Ways To Support Other Authors"

Other ideas:

1. Get it into your book club and encourage them to leave reviews for it -- positive reviews sell books.

2. If the author is up for it and/or nearby, see if a local bookstore (and the author) want to do a book signing.

3. Same as #2, but with your local library and a book reading.

4. Additions from the original list above, for #1 about posting on social media, don't just post once (though don't spam your feed), but post every few days as you are reading. Post favorite quotes, things you love about your favorite characters, record a quick 3-10 second video of you flipping through the book, hugging it, lying on your bed (made) as you approach, or otherwise showing it being read, used, loved. And when you are done with the book post that you just left a great review for it (after you have) and encourage others to. Videos and even pics of you (faceless is okay) with the book, including closeups, maybe your hands in a heart around the title or whatever you want, are more interesting to your friends scrolling than you just posting lines on your newsfeed about how much you enjoyed the book. Be sure to always include the title and author so folks can easily find it! If you are doing a text only comment, include a link to the Kindle page on Amazon since the author gets paid per page read.

5. Again, back to #1 on the original list, when you're done with the book, if you are thinking about the book when it's finished, because you genuinely enjoyed it, feel free to post maybe a quick video of you holding it up and saying something about how you finished the book X long ago, but the storyline has really stuck with you and you encourage folks to give it a try because it's such a great book. You can, again, also post a reminder about your wonderful review, if you are looking for other ideas of what to post. Again, not all together, but maybe a few days or even a week or several apart -- assuming it's true and you really did love your friend's / family member's book. This will also help people remember to read the book if they bought it on Amazon Kindle and haven't started reading it because authors get paid per page read. FYI, if you read your friend's book again, as I understand it, they get paid more.

6. For #2, if your author friend / family member lives nearby and you're a social butterfly, see if they're having a release party on the day their book is released. Depending on how emotionally close you are, they may not have invited you, so this could be awkward -- be prepared for that. Sometimes it's like a wedding -- a small, intimate affair. But if they aren't having one, offer to throw one and not only allow them to invite anyone they want, but also offer to invite all your friends. Also, consider inviting the local paper, local librarians, local book clubs, local book reviewers, and anyone else you can think of. Some of us are great party-throwers. Your friend may be thrilled at the idea. Or, they may not. Either way, respect their wishes. Perhaps they would accept a smaller event with just a celebration of the book's release with dinner and mutual friends, more a show of emotional support than a huge affair to bring in book sales. It's their book, after all.

7. For #3 in the original list, if they aren't on board with the idea of getting a hold of a copy, I've found that making a donation to the library to cover the costs will usually get them to buy whatever book I want. If you can afford it, consider this.

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Oct 13, 2025 at 5:51am
In response to "20251010 Human Limits"

This is great to remember... Writers seem to have a tendency to exaggerate the details. Glad your studies are relevant!

Thanks for sharing

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Oct 8, 2025 at 7:31am
In response to "20251006 Alternate Psychological Concepts"

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing. I'll keep these in mind for the future.

S🤦‍♂️

Oct 6, 2025 at 12:08am
In response to "20251006 Alternate Psychological Concepts"

GrueSum1 - Of course you can save it and use it

. That is the whole purpose of this blog - for people to use as they see fit.

GrueSum1

Oct 6, 2025 at 12:02am
In response to "20251006 Alternate Psychological Concepts"

I'd love to write a story that had a character suffering from Scopophobia, only to then suffer from Déjà vu, as they seemingly live that same day/time over and over again, which only raises their sense of Sopophobia. I don't know about introducing multiple phobias in a story though. I think if it's written well enough, it could work. Obviously some research on my part will be needed. May I copy this list and save it on my PC for easy reference?

#364. 20251022 Pay For Play
ID #1099837 entered on October 22, 2025 at 12:53am

#363. 20241020 Margin Of Success
ID #1099675 entered on October 20, 2025 at 12:12am

#362. 20251017 10 Tips For Handling Bad Reviews
ID #1099458 entered on October 17, 2025 at 12:43am

#361. 20251015 Novel #25
ID #1099335 entered on October 15, 2025 at 12:04am

#360. 20251013 Ways To Support Other Authors
ID #1099201 entered on October 13, 2025 at 12:55am

#359. 20251010 Human Limits
ID #1099013 entered on October 10, 2025 at 12:22am

#358. 20241008 Five Things to Know About Being Published
ID #1098878 entered on October 8, 2025 at 12:18am

#357. 20251006 Novel #24
ID #1098735 entered on October 6, 2025 at 12:04am

#356. 20251006 Alternate Psychological Concepts
ID #1098730 entered on October 5, 2025 at 11:12pm

#355. 20251003 Monster Dictionary Update
ID #1098515 entered on October 3, 2025 at 12:57am

#354. 20251001 External Writerings Sep'25
ID #1098378 entered on October 2, 2025 at 7:17am

#353. 20250930 Novel #23
ID #1098309 entered on September 30, 2025 at 1:32am

#352. 20250929 Lesser Known Cryptids That Could Be Utilised
ID #1098231 entered on September 29, 2025 at 12:14am

#351. 20250926 Top 10 Mythical Creatures That Deserve Books
ID #1098068 entered on September 26, 2025 at 12:08am

#350. 20250924 Believable Use Of Dialogue
ID #1097958 entered on September 24, 2025 at 5:00am

#349. 20250922 Novel #22
ID #1097836 entered on September 22, 2025 at 12:15am

#348. 20250919 Our Advice
ID #1097649 entered on September 19, 2025 at 12:48am

#347. 20250917 Column Writing
ID #1097512 entered on September 17, 2025 at 1:34am

#346. 20250915 Collaborative Writing
ID #1097401 entered on September 15, 2025 at 1:05am

#345. 20250912 Novel #21
ID #1097190 entered on September 12, 2025 at 12:12am

#344. 20250910 Writing Scandals 5: Jumi Bello
ID #1097043 entered on September 10, 2025 at 12:13am

#343. 20250908 External Writerings August 2025
ID #1096914 entered on September 8, 2025 at 12:02am

#342. 20250905 Publisher Expectations Of Authors
ID #1096673 entered on September 5, 2025 at 12:48am

#341. 20250903 Novel #20
ID #1096445 entered on September 3, 2025 at 12:14am

#340. 20250901 Kenning
ID #1096266 entered on September 1, 2025 at 12:11am

#339. 20250829 Chapters
ID #1096097 entered on August 29, 2025 at 12:37am

#338. 20250827 Types Of Conflict
ID #1095988 entered on August 27, 2025 at 12:04am

#337. 20250825 Novel #19
ID #1095892 entered on August 27, 2025 at 12:01am

#336. 20250822 Public Domain
ID #1095730 entered on August 22, 2025 at 12:08am

#335. 20250820 Writing Advice From George R.R. Martin
ID #1095606 entered on August 20, 2025 at 12:08am

#334. 20250818 10 Mistakes Made By Fantasy Writers
ID #1095481 entered on August 18, 2025 at 1:02am

#333. 20250815 Novel #18
ID #1095321 entered on August 15, 2025 at 12:15am

#332. 20250813 Bodily Functions In Writing
ID #1095204 entered on August 13, 2025 at 1:12am

#331. 20250811 Personal Editing Of Our Work
ID #1095068 entered on August 11, 2025 at 1:07am

#330. 20250808 External Writerings July 2025
ID #1094907 entered on August 8, 2025 at 12:24am

#329. 20250806 Novel #17
ID #1094793 entered on August 6, 2025 at 1:10am

#328. 20250804 Writing For Screen
ID #1094648 entered on August 4, 2025 at 4:37am

#327. 20250801 Writing Scandals 4: Filippo Bernardino
ID #1094489 entered on August 1, 2025 at 12:09am

#326. 20250730 Writing Scandals 3: Helen Demidenko/Darville
ID #1094353 entered on July 30, 2025 at 12:06am

#325. 20250728 Novel #16
ID #1094239 entered on July 28, 2025 at 12:43am

#324. 20250725 Writing Scandals 2: George Eliot and the Brontës
ID #1094053 entered on July 26, 2025 at 6:16am

#323. 20250723 Writing Scandals 1: Ern Malley & Angry Penguins
ID #1093938 entered on July 23, 2025 at 12:08am

#322. 20250721 Finding The Scary
ID #1093804 entered on July 21, 2025 at 12:10am

#321. 20250718 Novel #15
ID #1093626 entered on July 18, 2025 at 12:12am

#320. 20250716 Novel #14
ID #1093526 entered on July 16, 2025 at 4:35am

#319. 20250714 Fact-checking
ID #1093380 entered on July 14, 2025 at 12:08am

#318. 20250711 External Writerings June 2025
ID #1093211 entered on July 11, 2025 at 12:13am

#317. 20250709 Novel #13
ID #1093084 entered on July 9, 2025 at 1:13am

#316. 20250707 ARCs
ID #1092967 entered on July 7, 2025 at 12:29am

#315. 20250704 Types Of Editing
ID #1092761 entered on July 6, 2025 at 12:50am

#314. 20250702 Answering Questions
ID #1092646 entered on July 2, 2025 at 12:17am

#313. 20250630 Letting ”The Idea Tap” Flow
ID #1092526 entered on June 30, 2025 at 12:03am

#312. 20250627 Novel #12
ID #1092330 entered on June 27, 2025 at 12:17am

#311. 20250625 Blog Entries
ID #1092192 entered on June 25, 2025 at 1:59am

#310. 20250623 Novel #11
ID #1092060 entered on June 23, 2025 at 12:39am

#309. 20250620 Writing Westerns
ID #1091844 entered on June 20, 2025 at 12:14am

#308. 20250618 I vs Me
ID #1091726 entered on June 18, 2025 at 12:56am

#307. 20250616 Graphic Novels
ID #1091580 entered on June 16, 2025 at 12:27am

#306. 20250613 Novel #10
ID #1091369 entered on June 13, 2025 at 12:31am

#305. 20250611 Types Of Writer
ID #1091221 entered on June 11, 2025 at 12:54am

#304. 20250609 The Fallen Hero
ID #1091084 entered on June 9, 2025 at 12:47am

#303. 20250606 Jargon
ID #1090850 entered on June 6, 2025 at 12:10am

#302. 20250604 Novel #9
ID #1090639 entered on June 4, 2025 at 1:16am

#301. 20250603 External Writerings May 2025
ID #1090556 entered on June 3, 2025 at 1:01am

#300. 20250602 Using Real Places
ID #1090474 entered on June 2, 2025 at 12:29am

#299. 20250530 Dreams
ID #1090247 entered on May 30, 2025 at 1:36am

#298. 20250528 Recurring Characters
ID #1090130 entered on May 28, 2025 at 12:07am

#297. 20250526 Novel #8
ID #1090020 entered on May 26, 2025 at 12:13am

#296. 20250523 Frame Story
ID #1089845 entered on May 23, 2025 at 3:01am

#295. 20250521 In Media Res
ID #1089717 entered on May 21, 2025 at 2:32am

#294. 20250519 Sympathy For The Monster
ID #1089606 entered on May 19, 2025 at 12:08am

#293. 20250516 Novel #7
ID #1089421 entered on May 16, 2025 at 2:42am

#292. 20250514 Technical Terms
ID #1089278 entered on May 14, 2025 at 12:56am

#291. 20250512 Autofiction
ID #1089155 entered on May 12, 2025 at 7:22am

#290. 20250509 Using Real People In Fiction Pt 2
ID #1088975 entered on May 9, 2025 at 12:07am

#289. 2025050 Novel #6
ID #1088847 entered on May 7, 2025 at 12:24am

#288. 20250505 World-building - Towns
ID #1088741 entered on May 5, 2025 at 1:09am

#287. 20250502 World-building - Rivers
ID #1088491 entered on May 2, 2025 at 12:10am

#286. 20250501 External Writerings April 2025
ID #1088446 entered on May 1, 2025 at 12:15am

#285. 20250430 World-building - Mountains
ID #1088376 entered on April 30, 2025 at 12:32am

#284. 20250428 Songs That Tell A Story
ID #1088253 entered on April 28, 2025 at 12:27am

#283. 20250425 Novel #5
ID #1087958 entered on April 25, 2025 at 1:22am

#282. 20250423 Two Songs, One Meaning (Using Similar Story Ideas)
ID #1087837 entered on April 23, 2025 at 12:13am

#281. 20250421 Reposting Another Old Blog - Negative Reviews
ID #1087690 entered on April 21, 2025 at 12:35am

#280. 20240418 An Old Blog (Story Matters!)
ID #1087458 entered on April 18, 2025 at 12:44am

#279. 20250416 Quick Look At Small Press Publications
ID #1087346 entered on April 16, 2025 at 6:36am

#278. 20250414 Novel #4
ID #1087214 entered on April 14, 2025 at 12:05am

#277. 20250411 Australian Publishing 2
ID #1087011 entered on April 11, 2025 at 7:34am

#276. 20250409 Australian Publishing 1
ID #1086875 entered on April 9, 2025 at 12:37am

#275. 20250407 Book Review – How Not To Write A Novel
ID #1086732 entered on April 7, 2025 at 3:02am

#274. 20250404 The Music Of Writing
ID #1086536 entered on April 4, 2025 at 12:12am

#273. 20250402 Clearing The Mind To Write
ID #1086407 entered on April 2, 2025 at 12:43am

#272. 20250401 External Writerings March 2025
ID #1086316 entered on April 1, 2025 at 12:30am

#271. 20250331 Novel #3
ID #1086248 entered on March 31, 2025 at 12:26am

#270. 20250328 Writing Advice From Lucy Clark
ID #1086106 entered on March 28, 2025 at 12:03am

#269. 20250326 Reading And Watching
ID #1086006 entered on March 26, 2025 at 7:18am

#268. 20250324 One Situation, Many Writers
ID #1085916 entered on March 24, 2025 at 12:35am

#267. 20250321 Novels #1 & #2
ID #1085769 entered on March 21, 2025 at 12:25am

#266. 20250319 Profanity
ID #1085665 entered on March 19, 2025 at 12:11am

#265. 20250317 Offending The Reader
ID #1085544 entered on March 17, 2025 at 6:05am

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