Last post I talked about finding joy in writing. I didn't talk about why it was so important to find joy - it seems pretty obvious to me that the publishing industry is constructed to intentionally grind down writers in the modern era, much as many industries are. But I did mention social media, and... Continue Reading →
Finding joy in writing
You start knowing nothing but that you love the medium, usually when you are younger, and as you grow older you become more and more concerned about the "right" way to do it.
Forks and contemporary fantasy
A few weeks ago we took an impromptu trip to the Olympic National Park, and in the process we stopped by Port Angeles and Forks. I really wanted to make this trip specifically because Twilight has been such a popular book series and I knew it was set in a small town in Washington State.... Continue Reading →
The Art of Maps
I make maps for a living at the dayjob. Well, that's not fair. That's not the only thing I do. But it is one of the things I do. Specifically, I use existing mapping data, collect new mapping data, and then analyze stuff with that data by making different maps that do different things. For... Continue Reading →
Invisible Work
Hello, folks! It's time to talk about a subject I've pontificated on before on this blog. That is, specifically, the invisible work that goes into writing. I will have been in Seattle for three weeks as of this Sunday, and I've gotten a lot of stuff done. You haven't necessarily been able to see that,... Continue Reading →
Creative Careers: Advice for persistence
Recently, someone asked for advice for creatives pursuing their artform as a career. I realized I hadn't done a writing advice post for a while, so I've decided to share my tips on how to keep going. When pursuing writing or any other creative career, the number one best piece of advice I've gotten is... Continue Reading →
Kate Daniels re-read
Back in 2020 I re-read the entire Kate Daniels series from start to finish in anticipation of the release of Blood Heir in January 2021 (reviewed in January's Reading Round-up). I also wanted to figure out what it is about Ilona Andrews' work that is so much fun to read, in the hopes of being... Continue Reading →
The Face Doesn’t Match the Butt, aka Why Revisions
First, a moment of celebration, for a few weeks ago I finished the first very rough draft of the WIP! The working title for this project was "White Wedding" and it has been a trainwreck from start to finish. But most of it is on paper now and I'm going to ignore it for a... Continue Reading →
Believing and the glass ceiling
Alright, this is a weird post for me. I've been feeling a little demoralized of late with writing stuff, for a variety of reasons, some logical, some the result of me comparing myself to others who are just in a very different place in their careers -- which, by the way, makes no sense. Cannot... Continue Reading →
Promoting oneself in times of upheaval
Hello friends. Unless you've had your head in the sand somehow for at least the last three months, you might know that we live in interesting times. And I do mean the "old Chinese curse" interesting, scare quotes because I honestly don't know if that really was an old Chinese curse or just a bit... Continue Reading →
Amanda J. McGee, Author 
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