And now back to writing...

Due to the release of Wicked Witches, an anthology in which my short story “The Witch’s Apprentice” appeared, October and the first part of November were fun, but busy, months.

I combined my appearance at the New England Horror Writers' booth in Salem with some visits to friends and familiar businesses. Of course, Salem is extremely busy in the last days before Halloween, so there was just enough time to say hello and "I'll come back after things wind down."

Yesterday was a fun reading at Pandemonium Books & Games in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a great little independent shop. The audience was great, the readers were great, and the shop personnel we great. It was a good cap to the Halloween season.

But now it's time to write again. I didn't manage to come up with an idea for a book for NaNoWriMo this year because I was too busy with the promotion for the new anthology. Next year I'll have to make sure I have something in mind before the end of August because things just get too busy once September rolls around. Do you find that, too? It seems that everything quickens. Families have to get children ready for school. College students are preparing for the next year. And for some reason, businesses pick up the pace. Maybe it's because now that vacation season is over, it's time to start new projects and finish old ones.

Even without NaNoWriMo, I have some short stories and non-fiction articles to keep me busy over the winter.

Have a safe holiday season, keep a cool head, and light a candle for world peace. We need it now.

Morven

Book Review: Rejection Proof

Rejection Proof: 100 Days of Rejection, or How to Ask Anything of Anyone at Anytime by Jia Jiang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a writer (or job-seeker), you face numerous chances of rejection. I saw the title of this book and thought it might have some useful information and decided to give it a try.

Though it's probably more useful to job-seekers, salespeople, or those seeking funding, it does have some aha moments for the rest of us. I found the following statement very useful for writers, job seekers, and probably actors and other creatives: "The rejection is more about the rejector than the rejectee."

Think about that for a minute. They're not rejecting you, they're rejecting your work, and most likely because it just doesn't appeal to *them*. It doesn't mean it's bad, but that it just doesn't appeal to them. Would/should a parsnip be offended if someone said, "No, thanks" at Thanksgiving dinner? No. It's personal taste (literally, in this example).

If you're having trouble dealing with rejection, this might help. I didn't particularly care for the narration style, but, hey, that's me. I listened to a sample on Audible and decided to go with it anyway. You might find a hardcopy or ebook better.

View all my reviews

Author Event in Cambridge, MA, Saturday 11/19/16

Come join the New England Horror Writers at the Boston area's premier SF book and game store to celebrate the release of the Wicked Witches Anthology. I'll be one of the authors who will be reading from their pieces in the anthology. "The Witch's Apprentice" is a humorous, yet chilling, tale of what happens when an impatient neophyte decides to kick it up a notch.

Other authors reading their work are
James A. Moore
John M. McIlveen - Unable to attend
Errick Danger Nunnally
Remy Flagg
Doug Rinaldi
Trisha Wooldridge
Izzy Lee
Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert

Saturday, November 19, 2016
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Pandemonium Books
4 Pleasant Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
www.pandemoniumbooks.com