Tag: books

Writing a Novel vs. Writing a Short Story

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Creativity Sessions, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

For the first time in my authorly endeavors, I have two major works in progress… in progress.

I’m 60k words into The Warden of Everfeld: Legacy, a sequel-ish novel of 180-200k words that I know I’m not finishing this year.

Simultaneously, I’m 6k words into a duology/novella of about 60k words that I damn well better finish this year.

And after much deliberation and introspection, I can confirm: writing a short story is different from writing a novel. Continue reading “Writing a Novel vs. Writing a Short Story” →

2020 Marketing Goals: Short Story or Bust

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Publishing, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

Last week I reviewed my book marketing goals for 2019 and summarized how those went.

TLDR: meh.

But the past is gone and we must look forward! So here are my plans for 2020 on the book publishing, marketing, and selling fronts. Continue reading “2020 Marketing Goals: Short Story or Bust” →

#Review: THE BURNOUT GENERATION is Insightful but Short

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I just finished listening to Anne Helen Petersen’s “The Burnout Generation” on Audible yesterday, and I’m having so many feelings!!!

Okay, that’s overly dramatic, but this was definitely a thought-provoking listen. Continue reading “#Review: THE BURNOUT GENERATION is Insightful but Short” →

#Review: THE ENCIRCLING SEA Continues to Intrigue in Roman Britannia

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36350564. sy475 The Encircling Sea is the second book in Adrian Goldsworthy’s historical fiction epic about the Roman presence in Northern Britannia.

I listened to the first book in the series, Vindolanda, on Audible last month, and it was not a difficult decision for me to jump right into the second.

The Encircling Sea is an excellent sequel that establishes its own narrative while clearly connecting its characters and its plot lines to the first story. Continue reading “#Review: THE ENCIRCLING SEA Continues to Intrigue in Roman Britannia” →

Pre-2020 Goals and Ideas

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For whatever reason I’ve been thinking a bit about my writing and publishing goals for next year, including my goals for this site. That, of course, leads me into thinking about what I want to do with this site in general.

I’m not going to write my full book marketing goals post for 2020 yet, because it’s 11pm on a Monday, and it’s not quite 2020. However, I’d like to set the stage a bit for how I may approach the coming year, and get some thoughts onto virtual paper. Continue reading “Pre-2020 Goals and Ideas” →

#Review: VINDOLANDA Hit All the Hallmarks of Historical Fiction

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I love finding great things in unexpected places.

Vindolanda is the first in a series of historical fiction novels about the Roman Empire in Britain circa 98 CE.

I found this novel when searching for books about the Celtic goddess Brigantia. Not exactly related, but what I found was a compelling fictional story that had the detailed approach of a history book. Continue reading “#Review: VINDOLANDA Hit All the Hallmarks of Historical Fiction” →

2019 Marketing Goals: 3rd-Quarter Check-In

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We have entered the final quarter of the year, and since I actually have a few meaningful updates to share, I wanted to check in on my marketing goals for 2019 as we hit the final stretch.

A few months ago, in my mid-year check-in, I revised my book marketing goals based on the (lack of) progress I had made to that point. Continue reading “2019 Marketing Goals: 3rd-Quarter Check-In” →

#Review: THE ISLAND by S. Usher Evans – A Light Survival Adventure

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I used my time at the beach last week fairly well, if I do say so. I managed to read about 85% of a book in about six days, which is a much faster clip than I usually make.

The Island by S. Usher Evans is the first in her Madion War Trilogy, which I picked up at Awesome Con in April. After talking with the author for a few minutes, I decided to buy all three books at a discount.

After finishing book one, that seems like a pretty good decision. The Island is a solid adventure story that was easy to digest on a lazy vacation. Continue reading “#Review: THE ISLAND by S. Usher Evans – A Light Survival Adventure” →

Exploring the Story – World of Warcraft

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I’m not a huge gamer. The most recent systems in our house are a Gamecube, which I’ve had for over 15 years — maybe 20, which is scary — and a PS2, which we just took from my in-laws’ house because my brother-in-law didn’t want it anymore.

However, there are a few games that I will always love to play. The main one, if you hadn’t guessed, is World of Warcraft, an MMORPG that first came out in 2004. I started playing in 2005, and I played off and on until about 2014.

Once again, the drums of Warcraft are beating in my heart, and I’m probably about to start playing again. There are a thousand reasons why I love this game, but the primary one is my love of exploring this world.

Continue reading “Exploring the Story – World of Warcraft” →

September Write Day: Decisions, Decisions

On By Steven D'AdamoIn The Warden of Everfeld, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

August was yet another slow month on the writing front, but I feel like a lot happened this month. I was in Chicago for two days, which seems like several months ago, and we traveled basically every other weekend we had.

Still, I came to some interesting / pertinent decisions regarding my authorly life. Continue reading “September Write Day: Decisions, Decisions” →