Blog
ChatGPT and AI Writing is Stupid and You Shouldn’t Use It
As a writer who has worked for many years to become good at what I do, I have to admit to a visceral, knee-jerk response whenever anyone mentions AI writing. The proliferation of news articles and think pieces about ChatGPT, in particular, would have you believe that the robots have already taken over. Why,... »
Ode to the Cast-Elimination Film
One of the most enjoyable and interesting things about writing is finding the common themes, methods, and mechanisms employed by writers across a culture or category. In screenwriting, for example, there are only so many tropes that can be employed, only so many plot devices that can be invoked. Emphasizing the finite nature of... »
Getting Paid as a Working Writer
If you are a working writer, you must be getting paid. Working “on spec,” or on speculation, means you’re working with the hope that you’ll be able to make some money. A working writer should almost never work on spec if he or she has other options. That’s because every minute you’re not writing... »
The History of Fidget Toys
It all started with torqbars. Or maybe it was tops. It was definitely furthered with fidget cubes and spinners. And now everybody sells them, even your local grocery store. I’m talking about fidget toys. Let me start by explaining that “Torqbar” is a patent-pending , registered trademark product from MD Engineering, LLC (formerly SCAM... »
The Etiquette of E-Begging
I saw something recently that turned my stomach. A self-published author who has a considerable following took out an ad on social media to promote his latest work. When one of the targeted audience members complained about being spammed, the author became vulgar and insulting. This is a lot like trying to hand someone an... »
Mean Street Graphix: Dye Sublimation Printing That’s Anything But Mean
“Send me your logo,” Keith Miller of Mean Street Graphix told me. That was it; I didn’t give him any instructions. I simply sent him a high-res version of my Internet Gunslinger logo (which was custom designed for me by John “Johnny Atomic” Jackson). The items you see here were the result. The mug... »
Dealing with Post-Holiday Blues
There are any number of reasons some people feel depressed or stressed leading up to and during the holidays. Feeling lonely because they lack family or romantic connections, feeling overwhelmed, feeling financial pressure, or simply feeling left out as the rest of the world seems to be having a wonderful time with friends and... »
What If My Client Sues Me?
As a working writer, sooner or later, somebody is going to threaten to sue you. This isn’t because you’re a bad person. It isn’t even because you did something wrong. You can do everything right and still end up with an unhappy client. This doesn’t just apply to writers, either. It can affect any... »
Is This Deal Getting Worse All The Time?
A lot of working writers write without contracts. They write based on the strength of their client relationships. Provided there is never a problem, this is fine. Most of the time, when you meet a writer who prides himself on working without contracts, he’s also never had a client try to sue him, nor... »
Do You Hate Your Readers Like I Hate Writing about Writing?
You are an author with a small but perceptible reader base. One of your readers posts a political opinion with which you disagree. Do you A) ignore it; B) post your opposing opinion; or C) tell the reader you hope his children are raped to death by wild dogs? If you said C, congratulations: You’re... »