Marathon Author: A creative career is a marathon, not a sprint

It's all about starting over. We had a rough couple weeks here at the house, which made writing tougher than usual. This episode is about not beating yourself up about it, and finding how your personal workflow, er, works. It's only taken me a year to get close to understanding my own workflow. I've also been looking into some other income streams, and thinking about how getting out of the house might benefit my writing. Maybe I'm not an introvert after all. Check out Write Track as a...

After last week's discussion about motivation and finding my personal path forward, I decided to talk with an author coach. It was a great conversation and I'm going to give it a shot for six months. This show is about how I made that decision. Thanks for listening!

I've been struggling a bit with feeling motivated. Sprints have been helping a lot. Zoom meetings with a group of authors to keep each other motivated on the hour has been a huge help. But as I think through this, I'm wondering why I'm feeling this way, and if I'm actually internally or externally motivated. (Well, I know the answer.) Once you figure out where you look for your motivation, what methods can you use to keep yourself on track?

This episode is slightly all over the place as I get back into the swing of podcasting. Feeling scattered is something I talk about a bit, and how I'm working to use process to get my mind back in order and produce consistent work. I also took part in a new virtual Science Fiction and Fantasy Conference this weekend called SFFCon. Seth Godin interview with Tim Ferriss and his new book, The Practice. J. Thorn's new project: Revolution FI SFFCon: The Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention

Speculative Work is transitioning to Marathon Author! Why? Because "speculative" is hard to say when you're tired and tongue-tied. Topics in this episode include consistency and using Healthcare.gov. Check out the Healthcare enrollment episode of the Afford Anything Podcast for a really great breakdown of health insurance options on the ACA marketplace: https://affordanything.com/psa-thursday-the-affordable-care-act-with-tanja-hester/

Admitting to major screw ups makes them less major, right? Digital hoarding is still hoarding. I think I actually do want to delete most of my email from 2004. Thanks for listening! James jamesaaron.net/books

My Google Drive plan expired this week, and OneDrive is cheaper... so I've been doing a lot of thinking about how I'm backing up my data, how I organize my files, and if I really need to hang onto email from 2006. Other things mentioned this episode: Goliath by Matt Stollar How Long 'Til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin Thanks for listening! James

Jumping between series is hard! I feel like a toddler being forced to eat broccoli. In order to get the engine running again, I have to find ways to keep pulling the cord, hoping it's going to start. I discuss some strategies I've been using to get my head back into a series after a long break. Journaling might be getting in the way of my fiction. RPG for Authors: 4theWords.com (Apparently if you use this referral code, I get magic crystals or something: WESBB70639) Secret Powers of...

This is one of those apology episodes after a long hiatus. This one is a little free form. I talk about where I've been and how my life has changed since the last episode. (Things are good.) I talk about my new podcast project at ClassicScienceFiction.com I share a few of the lessons I've learned from working at home and what I needed to do to make that happen, then share my goals for the week. Thanks for listening!

You may have heard authors talking about co-writing... what is it? Is it right for you? How do you even find co-writing opportunities? In this episode I talk about what I've learned from three years of co-writing with Mal Cooper in Aeon 14. Spoiler alert: it's been a great experience that has taught me a lot during this phase of my writing career. However, there are pros and cons, like any business relationship. If there's anything I didn't cover, shoot me an email at...

In this episode I talk about dinners with fans. Spoiler alert, they're great. They can help you build engagement, make your series' world more real, and create priceless experiences for your fans. If you're like me and your mind goes blank while talking, you might want to take some flash cards so you don't forget the name of your latest book. I also struggled with a bout of "comparisonitus" this week, where I found myself comparing my career in the last three years with other authors I...

What do you do when the baby eats your work space? You prop your laptop on the dresser and record anyway. I'm back with a quick update, some notes on the current book, and some more big changes in my life that should mean positive things for my writing. I also talk a bit about writing on deadline and how I refine my outlining process as I write to make sure I'm always heading in the right direction and not wasting words. Thanks for listening!

In this episode I talk about the resolution of my old business debt problem, a close reading of From Russia with Love by Ian Fleming and plotting my next book, The Spreading Fire. Episode 20! Thanks for listening and all your support.

In this episode I talk about a major setback I experienced recently, how it affected my writing, and how I am trying to continue to work through it. I also talk about lessons learned from reading the slush pile for an SF/F publisher. Thanks for listening!

This is a bit of personal episode but it touches on finding your true audience by expressing your authentic self. Once you find those true fans, and you're honest and open with them and serve them up the entertainment they love, I think you've got them for life. We recently went through a major transition in Aeon 14, and me with my writing partner. I was ready for fans to revolt but they've supported us in amazing ways. I can't express how much gratitude I've felt in the last month, and...

I've been working on Eve of Destruction (kickass cover, right?) for six months now, which is like GRRM time in indie publishing. In the midst of grinding through edits, I've been working on several other hobby projects as well. While Steven Pressfield might call this resistance, it got me thinking about the benefits of allowing your mind to wander, absorb and learn from your hobbies, and how you can fold those skills into your writing. I'm a DIY nerd, so my hobbies are building things, but...

In this episode I talk about some changes in the SF short fiction market, new opportunities for short fiction in Kindle Unlimited anthologies, and how to push yourself to grow as an author by saying yes... but also having a plan so you don't get overwhelmed. Mentioned in this podcast: Tim Ferris Interviews Neal Gaiman Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Josh Hayes jumps in for the first Speculative Work Interview. This wide-ranging conversation covers Josh's transition from a career in law enforcement to writing full-time, his philosophy about building teams like Keystroke Medium, and what he hopes to accomplish in this next exciting phase of his author career. Bio: Josh Hayes is the author of three novels: Terra Nova, Bloodlines and Wings of Redemption, co-written with Richard Fox, with publication in many anthologies,...

Today I share the current list of podcasts I'm listening to and why they're worth your time. Mentioned in today's episode: American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North AmericaDemon-Haunted WorldCalypsoJeremy Fielding on YouTubeAeon 14 PodcastSentence to ParagraphCreative Penn PodcastScience Fiction and Fantasy Marketing PodcastKeystroke MediumWriter's JourneySci-Fi ShenanigansHow do you WriteCreate If WritingSell More Books ShowThe Career Author...

Whoa now, what happens when you have a terrible couple of weeks where you don't meet your goals? Well, I try to figure that out. But I did sell a short story! Books discussed this episode: The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard