Category Archives: Thoughts about Writing

Not a Guild War, Just a Guild Spat

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Marion

Ninety percent of what I know about guilds comes from the Wikipedia article I read a few minutes ago. Keep that in mind as I write about a Twitter kerfluffle from this week and what I think about it. Or … Continue reading →

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To Go or Not To Go

Posted on January 11, 2018 by Marion

I haven’t decided if I want to go to WorldCon 76. This is kind of silly. Last year I took an airplane halfway around the globe to attend. This year, it’s driving distance (San Jose), and I’m hesitating. The truth … Continue reading →

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Eligibility List: To my surprise, I have one.

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Marion

Is it just self-indulgent ego-stroking? Am I writing it as practice for future years when I will have (I hope) a more realistic reason to post this, or am I just doing it because all the cool kids are? Whatever … Continue reading →

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My Locus Byline

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Marion

I had a short article appear in Locus, the trade magazine for science fiction and fantasy. Locus provides market reports, market updates,  convention reports, interviews and reviews. The article was a recap of HawaiiCon 2017. It ran just shy of … Continue reading →

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Rejection, Part One: Some Thoughts

Posted on October 14, 2017 by Marion

I’ve gotten plenty of rejections, so I think I can speak with some authority on this subject, and I plan to. This post was inspired by yet another story about a writer who confronted an editor. I’m going to call … Continue reading →

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The Infamous “Brief Description”

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Marion

“Please include no more than 10 pages of your work, pt 12 font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and a separate cover page with a brief description of your work.” Those are words than make emerging writers shudder.  Not the manuscript … Continue reading →

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Writing is Rewriting; Revision

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Marion

If I have a strength as a writer, it’s as a rewriter. Revision is often where the “real” writing is, for me; where I’m able to see the opportunities to deepen the characters, to make the world around them more … Continue reading →

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In Which I Get Grammar-Snobby and Reality Immediately Smacks Me

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Marion

I’m not an expert on English grammar but that doesn’t stop me from being a grammar snob. I cluck and tsk and roll my eyes as I  observe punctuation errors and other grammar errors, not just in the comments section … Continue reading →

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Author Interviews

Posted on May 29, 2017 by Marion

At the start of the Memorial Day weekend, my writing friend Kate (you can see a story of hers here) sent me a link to an author profile. The piece, published at the Writers Collective, compared the careers of interviewer … Continue reading →

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Jenny Who Fan Fiction Part One

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Marion

I recently finished the final version of Draft One of a work in progress. (To my mind, there are multiple drafts and there can be more than one version of each draft. I’m complicated.) I also finished up a short … Continue reading →

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