What Flavor Of Publishing Will You Choose?
Should you be your own publisher, or should you find someone to publish for you? That’s a question that pops up in my inbox often enough it might as well be a coked-up gopher — so, instead of hitting each twitchy gopher with a tiny hammer, I figure I’ll write this one big-ass motherfucker of a blog post to serve as the Mjolnir that will eradicate all the pesky gophers into a fine splurch of bloody mist. I’m going to answer the question now, up-front, with a somewhat controversial answer.... Read The Rest →
How Chuck Wendig Edits A Novel
Recently, I wrote a post called, “How Chuck Wendig Writes A Novel.” Just after writing that, I threw myself into the churning gears of editing and rewriting not one novel, but three — I spoke a little on Twitter about said editing/rewriting, and I got a lot of folks tweeting at me or emailing me questions about my editing process. Seems now is a good time to sift through the sand of my process, see what baubles turn up. Now, two quick things: First, this is my process. You are not me.... Read The Rest →
25 Writer Resolutions For 2013 (And Beyond)
‘ Tis that time of the year when the year’s just born — pushed from its temporal womb, squalling and wriggling. That means it’s also time to put forward a list of upgraded attitudes and mission statements for the year ahead. Some of these are for me. Maybe some of them are for you. I don’t buy that we should rely on a single day to cleave to shame and fix mistakes — but I think the first of the year is a nice temporal marker to push ourselves to re-examine,... Read The Rest →
25 Things I’d Like To Say To My 18-Year-Old Self
I often describe this website as me yelling at myself from 18 years ago. It’s as true as it is not, I suppose — certainly the blog is also me yelling at me from last week, or from two weeks hence. I like to yell at Past, Present and Future Me and, by proxy, yell at you, too. So, seemed a good time to write a more direct version of that, which is this list. It’s in part about writing but also about a lot of other things. And the secret is,... Read The Rest →
How Chuck Wendig Writes A Novel
This year, I’ve written — *checks psychic spreadsheet* — four novels. Bait Dog, Gods & Monsters: Unclean Spirits, Dinocalypse Now, and (finishing up this week), The Blue Blazes. I also wrote a novella, Bad Blood, which includes the next appearance of everybody’s favorite vampire-in-Zombieland, Coburn. By this year I also have — *consults little man who lives in my mind* — five novels out in the world. Blackbirds, Mockingbird, Double Dead, Dinocalypse Now, and Bait Dog. (I apparently like ‘b’ and ‘d’ words. Eventually I’ll write one giant magnum opus... Read The Rest →
Why Stories Should Never Begin At The Beginning
I was in a car accident. Relax — I wasn’t really. I mean, I’ve had car accidents in my life. None recently. None dramatic. But, let’s just pretend: I was in a car accident. Let’s pretend I’m telling you that, right now. This is me telling you the story. We’re sitting across from each other at a cafe or strip club or on a bench watching squirrels humping. And I say, “I was in a car accident.” And you say — after that look on your face falls away —... Read The Rest →
