Category Archives: Writing Life

Professional Wednesday: Special Guest Joelle Presby

Posted on November 2, 2022 by dbjackson

I first met Joelle Presby several years back at a convention, and I was struck straight off by a number of things. 1) She’s just plain nice. That’s certainly not unheard of in the publishing world, but it’s also not … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: An Alternative to NaNoWriMo

Posted on October 26, 2022 by dbjackson

First off, many thanks to those who offered feedback on last week’s post, in which I asked for input regarding what I might work on next. I appreciate your thoughts. The general consensus appears to be that there is no … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: In Which I Ask You, What Should I Write Next?

Posted on October 19, 2022 by dbjackson

As I discussed at length in last week’s Professional Wednesday post, I have recently completed a first draft of the third book in my contemporary Celtic urban fantasy, The Chalice Wars. The novel needs to sit for a while before … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Finishing a Book Actually Means More Work

Posted on October 12, 2022 by dbjackson

As I mentioned last week, I have recently finished the third book in my new contemporary Celtic urban fantasy, The Chalice Wars. This book, The Chalice Wars: Sword, will be out sometime fairly early in 2023. Book I, The Chalice … Continue reading →

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Creative Friday: Celtic Urban Fantasy Teaser!!

Posted on October 7, 2022 by dbjackson

This week, I finished the first draft of the third and final book in my new project, a contemporary Celtic urban fantasy called The Chalice Wars. I have a lot to do with this newest manuscript still — I’ll discuss … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: “Hidden Brain,” Perception, and Fiction

Posted on October 5, 2022 by dbjackson

On a recent drive I began listening to the Hidden Brain podcast, with the brilliant Shankar Vedantam. I had listened to scattered episodes before, but never in a systematic way. But this was a long drive and I wound up … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: The Wisdom and Love of Friends and Family

Posted on October 3, 2022 by dbjackson

Many years ago — decades, in fact — in a rare moment of precocious insight, I wrote the following in my journal: “There is nothing like the wisdom and love of friends to remind us of who we are.” Even … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: Additional Thoughts On Writing and Teaching

Posted on September 26, 2022 by dbjackson

After a wonderful weekend at the Hampton Roads Writers Workshop (kudos to Lauran Strait and all those who helped her make the conference such a success), I am reminded again of why I love to teach writing, to talk about … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Hampton Roads Writers Conference, and the Hardest Writing Topic to Teach (For Me)

Posted on September 21, 2022 by dbjackson

This week I head to the Hampton Roads Writers Conference in Virginia Beach. I’ll be teaching several workshops over the three days I’m there — a two-hour master class on “Point of View and Voice,” a ninety-minute class on “Character … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Once More Unto The Breach — To Outline or Not, Redux

Posted on September 14, 2022 by dbjackson

After attending DragonCon and speaking on panels about various aspects of writing, I have found myself thinking—yet again—about the age-old debate between those who outline their books and those who don’t. Or, between planners and pantsers, in the parlance of … Continue reading →

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