Monday Masterful Mentions

First off, why not go listen to the newest episode of The Book Cave, wherein many nice things are said about me, in regards to last year's Jim Anthony, Super-Detective: The Mark of Terror. You should go grab a copy of that, either in print or electronic format.

Back? Good. Two other things today: first, Nicola Vincent-Abnett on Writer's Block, and Sarah Cawkwell on Reviews.

I have never had writer's block. I have had 'this story isn't working'. I have had 'I'm going to have to re-write this'. I have even had 'this isn't worth finishing'. But I have never had writer's block. I have never come to a point in a story where a full cessation of the writing process occurs. When my work on a given project hits a stumbling block, I immediately switch gears. I work on a different project. I play Medieval II: Total War. I listen to music while making notes on a pad. And then, a few hours later, I get back to work on the original project. Because I've got deadlines and I already cashed the check.

And as to reviews, there is a saying my people (hacks) have...'Ink sells books'. Reviews are ink; they are words, written by others, about the book you are trying to sell. Good, bad or indifferent, reviews of all stripes help to sell your book. Anything that gets people talking, that gets your byline beneath their gaze, is, to some extent, useful in eventually getting the physical product into their hands. This ain't to say that I, like every writer ever, don't prefer a good review. But I know better than to expect them them all to be good, or to worry that they'll all be bad.

In the end, as long as the books are being read, it doesn't matter much to me.