Revisiting a Finished Story
In general, obsessively returning to fiddle with a story isn’t a great idea. No story is ever perfect, but there comes a time when the best thing is to say that it’s good enough. When the amount of time you’re spending on it outweighs the improvements. When you’re not...
This Thing Just Keeps Growing
I have an octalogy of novels to write, only one of which is actually finished. I have a list of “stories with beginnings” that stretches to five pages. It’s obvious I’m not going to take on another major project. Except that, of course, I did. That Was a Start...
Writing Goals for 2026 — Same as 2025, Really
About this time a year ago, I was setting my goals for 2025, and I was pretty sure what I was going to achieve in the following twelve months. After finally finishing the first draft of The Empire of Nandesh, the second novel of my octology, in the dying...
My Writing Goals for 2024
New Year is a terrible time for resolutions. We make them because we feel under pressure to do so, not because we really want to. We “ought” to go on that diet or join the gym, and the commitment quickly runs out because it comes from outside. Far better...