M. Robert Randolph followed Michael Killey
Michael Killey
Books have always defined me and I want to contribute to the written world and tell the stories that...
Follow
M. Robert Randolph liked an update for The Pirates of Montana

Team Pirates!!

Hope your week is going well! Quick update: I’m now incorporating edits from Beta Reader Tom, so things are right on track!

I came across this list while surfing during my kid’s afternoon nap break.  Neil Gaiman is one of my favorite writers, and I thought this was very interesting and helpful. Inspiring, even. 

I hope it gives you all the feels:

8 Rules of Writing from Neil Gaiman 

1. Write. 

2. Put one word after another. Find the right word, put it down. 

3. Finish what you’re writing. Whatever you have to do to finish it, finish it. 

4. Put it aside. Read it pretending you’ve never read it before. Show it to friends whose opinion you respect and who like the kind of thing that this is. 

5. Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong. 

6. Fix it. Remember that, sooner or later, before it ever reaches perfection, you will have to let it go and move on and start to write the next thing. Perfection is like chasing the horizon. Keep moving. 

7. Laugh at your own jokes. 

8. The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it ­honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.

And now for some hard science:

 

-Erin

like · liked by Timothy and 16 others

People who have liked this reader update

    Jesse Wolfe followed M. Robert Randolph
    M. Robert Randolph
    Writer. Reader. Thinker. Frequents Washington D.C. museums. Author of "The Dark Mountain," an experi...
    Follow
    M. Robert Randolph followed Jesse Wolfe
    Jesse Wolfe
    JW Storytelling - creator of worlds and fantastic stories. Check out my website: http://www.jwstoryt...
    Follow
    M. Robert Randolph followed Artie Sievers
    Artie Sievers
    An avid wearer of bowties and vests, I’ve also been known to swing a pocketwatch or two in my day.
    Follow
    M. Robert Randolph followed Jim Tramontana
    James R. Tramontana
    Creator of ACE TUCKER SPACE TRUCKER, #1 serial sci-fi comedy podcast made by James R Tramontana. On ...
    Follow
    M. Robert Randolph liked an update for The Catcher’s Trap

    Hello Friends

    Until today I divided my life into 3 chapters:

    The days of love and pain:

    My childhood is filled with sweet memories of a big and loving family, but also terrifying episodes of bullying. I grew up knowing I was different, and other children noticed it and tortured me because of it.

    The days of daze and confusion: 

    In the 90’s I found my tribe and with them came excesses and poor decisions. Those were days of amazing successes and epic failures. Those were the days when I met the first guy I ever loved and the days when I lost him too.

    The days of death and rebirth: 

    In 2001 I came to the U.S. with one suitcase, broken English and delusional dreams. In the next fifteen years, the party boy in me died; killed by poverty and maturity. 

    While I started re-imagining myself, I also met the most amazing man, and I convinced him to marry me.

    Today a new chapter starts: 

    The days of creating and sharing:

    This morning Too Many Controllers hit its Quill funding goal, which means that, independent of the results of the Nerdist contest, the anthology I’m part of will be published.

    I have a book coming out his year and one in 2017.

    When something as unexpected and special like this happens you need to take a moment to thank for the life you have and for those who make it possible. 

    So thank you to all of you for launching a new and exciting chapter in my life. 

    Have a fantastic day!
    like · liked by Evan and 19 others

    People who have liked this reader update

      M. Robert Randolph liked an update for Disintegration

      Hey, everybody. Surely you’ve heard, by now, that Disintegration will be published. Some of you have asked me directly: when?

      That’s the question.

      In making this update, I’m taking a break from writing but, once I send it, I’ll go right back to it, with Mastodon’s "The Hunter" as my musical motivation. There is still work to do. The story is complete but, as I’ve mentioned, I don’t want to deliver anything less than the best possible version of the manuscript. That doesn’t mean I’m going to procrastinate interminably; I understand that, every time I read the book, I could find something to change. I’m trying to avoid that trap and focus only on changing things that are errors in continuity, that bog down the narrative, that detract from the tale I mean to tell.

      In other news, I finished reading Trekonomics last night. If you haven’t ordered a copy of it, do it now. Manu Saadia did a great job, and the book provides examples of how we’re not far from the utopia depicted in Star Trek. Disintegration may be dystopic, but I’m all for a future that never looks like the one I’m depicting. Read Trekonomics and start thinking seriously about how we can make a bright future for all of humanity our reality.
      like · liked by Thomas and 9 others

      People who have liked this reader update

        G. David followed M. Robert Randolph
        M. Robert Randolph
        Writer. Reader. Thinker. Frequents Washington D.C. museums. Author of "The Dark Mountain," an experi...
        Follow
        M. Robert Randolph followed G. A. Finocchiaro
        G. A. Finocchiaro
        An aspiring author living in Philadelphia, PA, G.A. was born to be a storyteller. Writing through th...
        Follow
        More items