IWSG: Blogging History

T.S. Eliot may have thought April the cruelest month, but I've always been fond of it. (I'm biased, since my birthday is at the end of the month.) In addition to bringing better weather, April brings us another blog post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Here's their website and Facebook page. 

Our hosts this month are Janet Alcorn, T. Powell Coltrin, Natalie Aguirre, and Pat Garcia.

This month, we've been asked to discuss blogging. Specifically, "How long have you been blogging? What do you like about it and how has it changed?"

I started this blog back in 2005, soon after getting married. At first, it was a way to keep in touch with some of my college friends who were also bloggers. Gradually, it morphed into a writing blog, though I do still post personal news on here occasionally. I enjoyed blogging the most when I was using it to connect with other writers. I'm still Facebook friends with some of the writers that I met through blog chains or the Blog Ring of Power. I've participated in the Blogging from A-Z Challenge several times. At my peak, I was blogging Monday-Friday regularly; now, I'm down to monthly posts. Life's gotten busier since 2005, since I'm now a parent. What writing time I do have I prefer to devote to my stories, especially the ones that have taken over my brain. Perhaps there will come a day when I drop this blog completely and focus on other social media sites. If that happens, I'll be sure to make sure people can still find me online.

What's your blogging history? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: AI Stole This Blog

It's hard to believe October is here when it's so warm where I live. The calendar still changes even if the seasons seem to be at a standstill, which means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page if you're not already familiar with them. 

Our hosts this month are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass. 

Our question for October is a controversial one: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I'm not a fan of AI. Please refer to the photo below:

If you look at the third line, you'll see this blog was harvested for Google's database for training AI. This was done without my knowledge or consent. There's a copyright notice at the very bottom of this page, so harvesting my words this way should be a copyright violation. Even if this blog is a minute part of the AI database, Google will profit from my free labor, and I'll receive neither recognition or compensation. I know other writers whose entire books were harvested for other AI engines. (So far, I've found no proof my books were affected.) 

Artificial intelligence may be a tool, in theory neutral until used. However, in a world of late-stage capitalism, this tool comes equipped with original sin. The creators of AI steal other people's work in an attempt to replace human writers and artists for profit. AI work has flooded KPD and magazine portals, making it even more difficult for humans to gain recognition. If you consider creativity the peak human endeavor, then leave it for humans. We don't need AI to give us ideas when there so many ideas out there, waiting for the right mind to notice them. And while it might not always be easy to put those ideas into words, it's the struggle that makes writing a calling. We all need to demand tech companies stop embedding AI into everything while making it nearly impossible to escape. We need to demand better regulation of this industry. If we don't, we will lose ourselves.

What are your thoughts on using AI? Whether or not you agree with me, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Insecure Writer's Support Group: Blogging Buddies

 

Welcome to another month with the Insecure Writer's Support Group, where we share our writing struggles and triumphs. Learn more about the IWSG on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

Our "hosts with the posts" this month are Louise-Fundy Blue, Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins, and Nancy Gideon.

Our question this month relates to blogging: Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It's often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?

I started blogging to stay in touch with my college friends, but it's helped me make more friends. I've been fortunate to be part of at least three blogging groups besides the IWSG. They include a "blog chain" of writers who would take turns discussing a subject and link to other bloggers in the chain; a "blog ring of power" (BRoP) that interviewed writers (with each blogger posting a different part of the interview); and a group of independent writers who put out a magazine on Amazon called Indie Writers Monthly. I don't think I've met any of these bloggers in person, but I still connect with some of them through Facebook. (Ironically, I just realized I haven't checked any of their blogs in ages, but I spend much less time blogging than I used to myself.) I might also attend a virtual birthday party for one of my blogging buddies from the Blog Ring of Power this week. The Atlantic posted an article this week about the importance of casual friends in our lives. Hopefully we will remember that long after the pandemic is over. (And yes, I should make more of an effort to visit other IWSG members' blogs, but between being all day in the office at work and spending time playing board games with my husband in the evenings, I tend not to have a lot of free time on Wednesday. I should still make it a goal to read more blogs, though.)

How much do you interact with other bloggers? Are you friends with any of them? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

 

ReCONvene 2020

 

 I originally hadn't planned to attend any more virtual conventions this year, but when one of my blogging buddies, Terri Bruce, posted about ReCONvene 2020 (the virtual version of Boskone), I was intrigued by a couple of the panels. (Terri published a short story collection called Souls last month. The cover is pictures, and You can check it out on Amazon at the link.) Since it was only ten bucks to attend the convention, I decided to register. Below is a list of the panels I watched. 

Glimpsing Climate Recovery

The Distant Future in Science Fiction

The AI Amongst Us

Modernizing Fairy Tales and Myths

Exploring the Literary Sandbox of Speculative Fiction

Worldblending in Speculative Fiction

Unfortunately, the con chose not to record the panels, and I didn't take notes. (One good thing about virtual panels is that it's easier to do things like clean, cook, and crochet while you're listening.) I was particularly interested in the Modernizing Fairy Tales and Myths panel, but it didn't go into the details of adapting old tales to new settings as much as I hoped it would. It occurred to me after the panel was over that I could have asked for writing tips in the Q&A, but by then it was too late. 

The panelists (at least, the ones I'd heard of) were mostly traditionally published authors, and all of the panels were well moderated. A couple of the panelists missed panels for technical or other reasons, but on the whole the panels were well run. Obviously a virtual convention lacks many of the charms of an in-person convention, but since this I've never been able to go to Boskone, a virtual convention is better than no convention at all.

Blogging Schedule Update

After thinking about this for a while, I've decided I need to cut back on blogging for several reasons:

1. It seems like my posts aren't getting as many views as they used to. (I'm basing this on what Blogger reports.) Something may have changed in an online algorithm somewhere. There might be a decline in blogging in general (I see this mentioned in other places, though usually without sources). It might be more effective for me to put more marketing effort into other social media outlets or my newsletter. Reason #3 may be a factor too.

2. With all the other daily responsibilities and projects I constantly juggle, I feel really time-pressed for writing. Cutting back on my posts, at least temporarily, should help.

3. I'll be honest--lately, I've been having difficulty coming up with topics. I started this blog over a decade ago (I think it was shortly after I got married), so that's a lot of posts! I've written over 2,200 of them, and sometimes I wonder if I'm repeating topics. Maybe slowing things down for a while will give me a fresh perspective.

I'm not planning to give up blogging completely. For now, I think I might cut back to once a week on Wednesdays, so I can continue to participate in the monthly Insecure Writer's Support Group posts. This means that unfortunately I'll be giving up on the Science of the Week posts on Fridays. I enjoy researching those posts, but they do take up most of my blogging time. I have to read the science news articles daily (or read a lot at once) and decide which ones to link. If I have news, I might create an extra post for it.

Since it's late October, I'll try this schedule for the rest of the year and see how it works, both for me and for you, my readers. After that, I'll decide if I want to change my frequency. I hope no one's too disappointed by this announcement, but maybe I'll be able to engage more with comments. Feel free to leave one below.

Signal Boost: Writers of the Future "Firewall"

One of the most famous contests for science fiction writers is the Writers of the Future contest. It was started by L. Ron Hubbard, who also founded the Church of Scientology. The church continues to run this contest, though there is supposed to be a "firewall" between the two. However, as Writers of the Future winner J.W. Alden discusses on his blog, contest winners may find themselves in for more than they bargained for. The link to this blog entry was posted in a public Facebook group, so I'm boosting the signal here. I think I did apply to this contest a couple of times when I was starting out, but I'm glad now that I didn't advance. You're welcome to comment either here on on Alden's original post.

Strong Women in Fiction Giveaway Hop

My blogger buddy Terri Bruce is co-hosting a giveaway hop next month. It's called Strong Women in Fiction, and it's intended to show all the many ways in which women can be strong. It's open to bloggers and authors of all genders, but the prize or prizes for the giveaway should relate to the theme. For more information about how it'll work, check out this post. You can sign up until October 29 and have to have your post up November 1st. (Looks like I'll be double-posting that day for IWSG.) Contact Terri if you have further questions.

The Alien Mind by V.L Jennings

One of my former blogging buddies had her YA science fiction book re-released recently. Here's some information about it:

When a group of aliens called the Aruk abduct Young Rivinaig and several other children, they are thrown into the adventure of a lifetime. 

The Aunantet, a benevolent race of aliens, rescue the children and adopt them into their culture and raised them as if they belong. The children's new families teach them how to harness the full capacity of their minds, enabling them to defy the laws of physics and develop special mental abilities. 

The past returns to haunt them as the Aruk plot revenge and regain control of their former captives. The fate of the entire galaxy depends on whether the children can maintain their freedom.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36130453-the-alien-mind

Buy Links:

E-book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0755Q6D2V
Will be priced at .99 on Amazon till January 1! Normal retail price is 2.99

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1974669661
Large Print: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1975813944
Hard Cover: http://www.lulu.com/content/hardcover-book/the-alien-mind/21245642

Audio Book: (coming soon)

When V.L. Jennings isn't traveling to other worlds through her imagination, she calls Dillon, South Carolina her home. She is the author of science fiction novels "The Alien Mind" (recipient of the Readers Favorite Five Star Review Award), and "Visionary From The Stars".

But what motivates Virginia to create, to illustrate, to prognosticate? Virginia is a speculator, the kind of person who always debates the "what if?" of where stories both true and fantastical are leading themselves to, which explains her love of post-apocalyptic fare such as "The Walking Dead." Through her writing, she enjoys trying to figure out what our human potential is, and where our innate desire for a better world could lead us.

Overall, Virginia is just about as real as a person can get. Yes, even authors love to sing along with their favorite local radio station while driving, and Virginia is no exception to this rule. She enjoys watching Doctor Who or Star Trek with her family over dinner, and also watching the latest sci-fi and action movies with her husband. On the weekends, you may even find Virginia and her family at the local comic book store, hunting down more comics to add to their collections.

V.L. Jennings spends her free time writing flash fiction on her blog and working towards her degree in Electronics Engineering. You can find out more about V.L. Jennings as well as join her newsletter at:

www.virginialorijennings.com

Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off 2017

The Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off is an annual contest for self-published fantasy novels. (There's also an additional requirement that they be standalones or the first in a series.) Although this is its third year, I haven't heard of it until recently. Nearly three hundred books will be reviewed by ten bloggers. Each blogger picks a favorite from the thirty or so books he or she was assigned, then of the bloggers decide on an overall favorite. The prize for winning? Glory--and a selfie stick. In addition to the main contest, there's also a side cover contest.

I've entered Seasons' Beginnings into this contest, and it's been assigned to The Qwillery. There are a lot of books competing, including some I've already read. Odds are low for any individual book making it to the top ten, but this contest is still good for exposure. If you want to follow along, there's a Facebook group set up for the contest. If you'd like to help spread the word about it, Laura M. Hughes has prepared several banners for the contest, including the one I'm using.

Thanks to the organizers and bloggers for doing this, and best of luck to all!

Blog or Story Block: Which is Worse?

I had some trouble deciding on a topic for today's posts. Although I did come up with several subjects, I rejected each of them for different reasons. Finally, I realized I was suffering from a blog block, so I decided to write about that.

For me, blog block and story block are caused by two separate issues. Blog block often happens when I don't have a subject for a post. Once I come up with one, I can generally outline the main points in my head before I write. The block/slow writing I'm going through for Summon the Seasons is different in that I know where I'm going with the story, but I don't always have the specifics of how I want to get there. It may be hard picking the right words for a specific line, or my idea for the immediate scene may change to something other that what I had originally intended. Little time and lack of sleep don't help either. I need more energy or brainpower to write fiction than I do for nonfiction.

If you blog, do you ever suffer from blog block? How do you think it compares to story block? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

Are You Part of Your Marketing Audience?

I stumbled across this blog post by Patty Jansen on Tuesday, and it got me thinking. It's titled "Why you are the biggest impediment to selling your books," and I recommend you read it. The gist is that authors may settle for poor marketing advice from their friends, or even follow their own tastes, without realizing that they're not part of their target audience and so aren't reaching them. Sometimes authors may be unwilling to experiment with their marketing techniques or be aggressive enough with their marketing. The point Patty ends up making is that you should pay attention to how successful people market their books, not how you want to be marketed to. I guess this is a new version of the Golden Rule: Don't market unto others as you want done to you.

Patty also concludes with the point that "You are not in your target group." I admit I find this line baffling. Aren't you supposed to write the books that you care about? Wouldn't that make you part of your own target audience? Or does she mean that you have to reach people with a certain set of behaviors you are unlikely to share? I imagine these are the people who not only like your book but are well-connected and are good at providing the word-of-mouth recommendations writers need. I'm still not sure what's the best way to target such people, though.

Are there certain marketing techniques you refuse to use? If so, what are they? Did you try them out before dismissing them?

SF Women A-Z Now Live!

If you missed any of my posts during the A-Z Blogathon, now's your chance to catch up. I've compiled and reorganized my posts, added more authors, and formatted and re-formatted everything in triplicate. I had to do three separate versions--an eBook with a full set of links (including Amazon), an eBook without the Amazon links, and a paper copy without links. Trying to keep the text consistent among all of those versions was a big pain, and iBooks kept rejecting my book no matter how many links I removed. But all three versions are now live! Here are the links:

Amazon (US)

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Scribd

Inktera

Createspace

I just published it to Google last night, so I'll update when I have the link for that too.

I had to set the eBook price to $0.99 on Amazon, but everywhere else it's free. Please feel free to report the lower price. I figure the book will gain more visibility that way. Also, please keep your fingers crossed that I get the paper copies in time for WisCon next week. They should arrive the day before I leave.

Increasing Visibilty of Women Authors

Well, it's a bit soon to discuss the 2015 A-Z Blogging Challenge, but I've decided to join it this year. I've been thinking more about visibility of authors, particularly women authors and indie authors. For example, this post, which was shared on the Broad Universe Facebook page, discusses the struggles of a traditionally published female SF/fantasy writer and how more difficult it is to gain attention and sales as a woman writer. That said, I don't think the solution is to adopt a male pseudonym. I am who I am, and I write about what moves me. It may not resonate with every single person in the world--not that that's possible--but I write to reach the people, however few or many, who can grok what I have to say. That can't happen if I hide a fundamental part of my identity. And why should women hide who we are? While I don't track author gender, I probably read more women authors than men, and there are some highly skilled women authors out there. Women create great aliens and worlds, come up with witty dialogue, rock their science and action scenes, and evoke emotion.  Some women writers are more well-known than others, but they all deserve an audience.

Accordingly, I will dedicate my blogging during the month of April 2015 to featuring women authors of science fiction and fantasy. I already have my schedule and list of names drawn up, and there's so much awesomeness out there I couldn't limit myself to twenty-six authors. As of now, I have nearly sixty authors on my schedule, though this may change between now and April. I just have to decide on the format for each author before I start preparing my posts.

In an ideal world, writers would be judged on their merits, not their identities. If this world will not come about from the top down, we must build it from the bottom up, author by author, book by book, reader by reader. Let's build it together.

Science of the Week--4/5/13

Here are some of the most interesting science articles I read this week:

Can bioglass help mend broken bones?

Cooling molecules may be a stepping stone to quantum computing

Nanowires can lift liquids as effectively as tubes

Personalized brain mapping technique preserves function following surgery

Nighttime OK contact lens can reshape eye, restore near vision

Time changes a fossil bird's colors

Cthulhu come to life: tiny octopus-like creature found in termite belly

Metals in flowers may play role in bumblebee decline

The great fall: world population to stop growing in 2050

High-tech camera takes precise 3D images from a distance

Enjoy your weekend! If you're online Sunday, please stop by the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion (NSFW). I'll be one of the guest bloggers throughout the day, though I don't know yet I'll have scheduled times or be part of a free-for-all. There may even be a Rafflecopter giveaway.

Indie Life: The Second Time Around

The Indelibles recently started a monthly feature called Indie Life, running the second Wednesday of every month. Even though I'm already part of a blog ring, a blog chain, and a group blog, I couldn't resist adding this feature too. After all, "being indie doesn't have to mean going it alone."

If you've been following this blog for a while, then you may know that I self-published my first novella, Lyon's Legacy, back in October 2011. Since then, I've also self-published four short stories while I revised Twinned Universes, the sequel to Lyon's Legacy.  I'm currently in the final stages of preparing Twinned Universes for release next month. Here are some things I'm doing differently the second time around:

Announcing a release date in advance. Last time, I didn't know how long it would take me to format the story and publish it, so I didn't pick a date in advance. Now that I (in theory) know what I'm doing, I decided to pick a date. Since my main character is pure Irish, as is the man he's cloned from, I decided to go with Saint Patrick's Day, March 17, and see if I can get a little "luck of the Irish." Turns out that's a Sunday, but I since may need to do some last-minute adjustments before hitting the "Publish" buttons, that should work out for me. At this point, I don't know if I'll be rushing to make that deadline or waiting impatiently for the date.

Formatting for CreateSpace first.  I first published Lyon's Legacy in eBook format; I didn't know about CreateSpace at the time and didn't get a paper version of my book out until 2012. Now I'm formatting the paper book before I work on the eBook version. Both versions should be available by the release date.  I figure if I want to tweak wording to avoid widows and orphans in the paper version, then I should do that first and base the eBook on the paper book. I wish I could say formatting for CreateSpace was easier this time, but it still took me over a week to get an "issue-less" PDF. Alternating headers are so much simpler to manage without page numbers, which work better in the footer. I'll do the eBooks after I review the paper proof. What's your biggest issue with formatting, either for eBook or paper?

Adding the book to Goodreads in advance. I knew indie authors could add books when they're out, and I knew publishers could schedule book that aren't out yet, but I didn't know indie author could add unpublished books too. Once I had an IBSN for the paper version of Twinned Universes, I used that to add the book to Goodreads. I'll add other things, like the cover and eBook editions, when they're available. In the meantime, people can already add the book to their shelves.

Organizing a blog tour in advance. With my first book, I waited until it was out before asking people to interview me or review it. This time, I've already contacted a blog tour organizer, and soon I'll e-mail some bloggers who already said they would be willing to host me.



For other bloggers discussing the Indie Life, check out the linky:

Making the Scene in 2013

I'm posting much more than I usually do this week, but that's because I have a lot to blog about. One of the most exciting topics is this: I've been invited to join a group blog called Scene 13. We're a group of about 25 authors with books coming out this year. Here's the list:

Michelle McLean
Lisa Amowitz
Ellen Booraem
 Lindsay Eland
Toni Kerr
 Kristal Shaff
Jeannie Ruesch
 Kelly Hashway
Jennifer Allis Provost
Kimberly Ann Miller
Lisa Gail Green
PJ Hoover
Rhys A. Jones
Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
Christine Johnson
Rachel Harris
Christine Fonseca
Sherry Ficklin
 Hilari Bell
Ednah Walters
Ali Cross
 Tyler Jolley
Heidi Ayarbe
Lena Goldfinch
Cole Gibsen
Leigh Hershkovich


I'll be posting there once a month, on the 15th. For this month's topic, you'll get to read about characters' New Year's resolutions, including Paul Harrison, the protagonist of Twinned Universes.

In addition to following the group blog, you can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. Please check us out and meet some other great authors!

What Would You Like to See on This Blog?

Every now and then, I like to ask my blog readers the above question, and I felt it was time to ask it again. I have several author interviews coming up in the next few months, so I don't intend to give those up (and I don't want to). I know there are also some readers out there who like the weekly science roundup. What other topics interest you? Here are a few ideas:

1. Geek/science humor
2. More discussion of the books I'm reading
3. More about the projects I'm writing/my writing style
4. More about my personal life (what there is of it)
5. More blogfests
6. My favorite pins on Pinterest
7. More about self-publishing/the writing business

I'd love it if you'd leave a comment and tell me what you'd like to see here. If you have some other reasonable suggestions for topics, feel free to post them too.

Enjoy the summer solstice, everyone!

Check Out "Oh, a Girl Dragon" Blog--and Interview

I normally don't post on Tuesdays anymore, even though it was fun doing Ten-Word Tuesdays. However, I did want to recommend that you check out a new blog written by a friend of mine. It's called "Oh, A Girl Dragon," and it's "Geeky Stuff for Humans with +2 to X Chromosomes." It looks like it'll be an interesting blog to follow.

Today I have the honor of being the first self-published SF author to be interviewed on the site. Sabrina wants to make the author interviews a regular feature, so if you or someone you know fits the bill, please contact her.

Science of the Week, 3/9/12

Hi, everyone. I have a couple of announcements before I get into the science links for the week.

First, in order to free up more time for writing, I plan to drop down to three posts a week. Monday will be devoted to author interviews, Wednesday will be open topic, and Friday will be the science links as usual. I'll be dropping Ten-Word Tuesday, but those were random posts anyway.

Second, if you haven't stopped by Smashwords yet for their sale, you should before it ends tomorrow night. My short story "The Book of Beasts" is free with code RE100, and Lyon's Legacy is now 75% off with code REW75.

Now, time for science!

Building invisibility cloaks starts small

Neutrino insight could help explain missing anti-matter

Scientists revolutionize electron microscope

Nanotrees harvest the sun, make hydrogen fuel

Europeans boast of meat supplement breakthrough

New hope for natural-feeling neuroprosthetics


That's all for this week. Enjoy your weekend, and see you Monday!

Ten-Word Tuesday: Blogging Schedule

Would anyone mind if I dropped to three posts weekly?