Author. Writer. Editor. Fool.
Alfred Hitchcock could not possibly do a better job of speaking for me in this video. This is exactly how I feel, down to the last word. And needless to say, Hitchcock knows a little something about being creative.
Creation is an act of defiance against fear. Whether writer, musician, artist, or other variation on the theme of Creative Person, all of us at one point or another struggle between our insatiable need to create and a nagging demon whispering to us, “You can’t do it. You will never be great.” So when we sit down and put words on the page or send musical notes to the ears of our listeners, we are rebelling against that fear. Where others are intimidated by failure, by the sometimes insurmountable challenge of turning their creative vision into reality, we fight on. Sometimes. Because at other times, that fear can grind us to a halt. We realize that what we’re trying to do borders on insane. Wouldn’t…
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Writers want to be read. That is why you write. You write to express yourself or to earn a living, yes — for me writing is as much a job as it is a joy — but it begins with a desire to say, “Look at this. These are my words.” That’s why it’s very easy for aspiring writers to get suckered into doing free work they should be getting paid for, or worse yet, for established writers to get tricked into doing the same. In the world of freelance writing especially, there are plenty of people out there ready and willing to prey on your eagerness, naivety, or desperation to get some writing work. Here’s one trick I see a lot when prowling freelance…
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It goes without saying that I have an interest in the New Jersey lore and history. You don’t tackle a book like Lakehurst: Barrens, Blimps & Barons without a strong interest in what goes on off the beaten path here in the Garden State. I especially like the odd, offbeat stuff you’ll find in legendary local magazines like Weird NJ or in regional classics like The Jersey Devil (a book I’ve probably read four times). Folks outside the state only seem to know the stretch between New York and Newark airport, but those of us in the state know New Jersey has a healthy dose of weirdness. Which brings me to Bigfoot in the New Jersey ‘Burbs, a new book by William Taylor that delves…
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Here’s a super easy way to win a signed copy of Geek Wisdom: The Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture (Quirk Books 2011), a book the Florida Times Union said had a premise that was “nothing short of brilliant.” This book has been a huge hit among fans of all things science-fiction, comic book, fantasy, and just plain cool. So obviously you want to win one. And it’s easy. Do nothing more than surf over to Your Awesome Editor on Facebook and click “like” in the upper right to like the page. That’s it. It’s that easy. If you are not on Facebook and don’t want to be, instead share this link on Twitter and post a link in the comments of this post (and let…
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