Writing 2013

Hello folks,

I spent the bulk of this weekend sleeping. This is because I spent the bulk of last week not sleeping.

I’m back, and I’d like to take this Monday to reiterate just how amazing Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction program is.

As always, I learned a ton during residency. Topics ranged from world building to trends in fantasy to plotting a mystery novel to genre vs. literary fiction. One of the week’s highlights was the sensational speech given by Kevin Hearne, author of the New York best-selling Iron Druid Chronicles. His take on fantasy and the publishing industry restored my faith both in my urban fantasy project and epic fantasy thesis. Here’s to a productive year of publishing in 2013!

Now, I want to focus on the other side of the spectrum. It’s often said that writing is a solitary career. While this can be true, it does not need to be. As I said above, I didn’t sleep last week. I didn’t sleep because I was up till odd hours socializing with my friends, who are all writers. Introverted we may all be but when you bring us together, it’s a mess of fun. There were genre dinners, overall socials, and even an unintentional adventure caused by my friend’s GPS having some major issues.

The point is, it doesn’t need to be solitary. Even outside of a residency-type situation, there can be fun.

Before leaving for SHU, I made a short list of New Year’s resolutions that included publishing, writing a ton, and getting back onto friendly terms with my thesis. In addition (now that residency is over and I once again remember that writing is social) I propose that 2013 be a year of group writing. It’s a new year, and it’s a new time to engage writers and make friends and connections.

In closing (as always) I need to stress how awesome SHU is. If you are serious about pursuing a career as a writer of popular (genre) fiction, this program is for you. I learn something new every semester, and I leave residency a better writer for it.

Check it out here.

Thanks for listening.

Happy New Year!