AI tools to create cool illustrations
How to use free and low-cost AI tools to create cool images for websites and social media.
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The best free* books to help you battle procrastination
Here are seven books on Amazon with over a 100 positive reviews that will help you finish your writing project — are free to read with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
28 ways to beat procrastination for writers
Have you ever stared at your screen or typewriter or notebook and couldn’t force yourself to write? I have, and here’s what I do to fix it.
Where to find low-cost, pre-made covers for spec fic books
Pre-made book cover sites offer low-cost, professional-looking covers for independent authors.
Body language master list for writers
“Show, don’t tell” is the first lesson of Fiction Writing 101, and one of the easiest and quickest fixes is to replace the emotional adverbs and adjectives with some body language. For example, instead of “He said, sadly,” you could write, “He said with tears welling in his eyes.” Or, for a deep point of …
Resources for writers
Our master list of best resources for writers of fantasy, horror and sci-fi. Writing advice sites Writer’s Knowledge Base: Huge database of more than 40,000 articles about writing. Always my favorite place to start to research any writing problem (other than Google, of course). These are the best articles, from the top writing blogs. I …
MetaStellar site soft launch
We’ve just started doing the initial design of the website for MetaStellar, our new magazine of speculative fiction. The magazine will officially launch on September 1. It will pay authors of new, previously unpublished short fiction 8 cents per word for fantasy, horror, and science fiction. We will only require first-time publication permissions. Authors will …
14 Reasons to Use Google Docs to Write
I use Google Docs. Most writers use Microsoft Word, Scrivener, or Google Docs to write their novels, with a few other, lesser-known platforms thrown in. I also use other platforms, including Word and Filemaker — but I like Google Docs for writing groups because of its great collaboration features. Plus, it’s free. Here are my …
Writing Advice Sites
Our list of great sites for beginning speculative fiction writers. Writer’s Knowledge Base Huge database of more than 40,000 articles about writing. Always my favorite place to start to research any writing problem (other than Google, of course). These are the best articles, from the top writing blogs. I also subscribe to Elizabeth Spann Craig’s …
Do I quote vendors in articles?
This question has been coming up a lot lately, and there’s a whole speech I give about this, so I thought I’d write it down and just refer people to this post. It’s a topic right now because in the last few months all of the enterprise IT publications I write for have decided to …
Online Filemaker alternatives: Coda, Zoho, AppSheet, AppGyver, and more
UPDATE FEB. 2021: Lately, I’ve been testing out a new online collaboration tool called Notion. The basic plan, which includes sharing with up to five collaborators, is free. It allows for embedded related tables. It supports PDF exports for things like invoices and contracts. It even has Kanban boards. It’s got functions. Upgrading to unlimited …
Online Filemaker alternatives: Coda, Zoho, AppSheet, AppGyver, and more Read More »
My writing groups meet on Zoom
New update, June 18: I’ve started a new virtual Zoom-based MeetUp group for speculative fiction writers. If you write science fiction, fantasy or horror, check us out. Update: Since this post was first published, several people have contacted me from all around the country wanting to drop into our meetings, and a couple have! We’re …
Otter.AI just announced a great free deal on its transcription
Another tool useful for writers that I’ve talked about this one in writers’ meetings before is Otter.AI. It transcribes your dictation. You just talk, and it converts it into text, with any smartphone. And it’s free. I use it in the car while driving. I just talk to myself, and it takes notes. Unlike other …
Otter.AI just announced a great free deal on its transcription Read More »