Category Archives: Writing Life

Professional Wednesday (On Thursday): About Deadlines

Posted on February 2, 2023 by dbjackson

Yes, this is a Professional Wednesday post, going up on a Thursday morning. And it’s about dealing with deadlines and professional obligations, which should give you some hint as to where this essay is going . . . . I … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: The Twisted, Tortured Story of THE CHALICE WAR

Posted on January 25, 2023 by dbjackson

My “What matters?” series of posts will conclude next Monday, after a Monday Musings post this week that straddled the personal and professional a bit more than usual. In the meantime, I am using today’s Professional Wednesday post to begin … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: What Matters, Part IV — Money

Posted on January 23, 2023 by dbjackson

Say you don’t need no diamond rings, And I’ll be satisfied; Tell me that you want the kind of things, That money just can’t buy. — John Lennon and Paul McCartney We were bound to get to money eventually, right? … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: What Matters Professionally? Part III — Appearances

Posted on January 18, 2023 by dbjackson

Continuing my series of posts about “what matters” in the realm of professional publishing, I thought I would focus today on what matters during our public appearances. Attending conventions and writers’ conferences and workshops is an important part of being … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: What Matters? Part III — People and Relationships

Posted on January 16, 2023 by dbjackson

We lost my older brother a bit over five years ago, and, as you might expect, in the aftermath of his death, my emotions were roiled and at times conflicted. Among other things, I was angry with him. Deeply, almost … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: What Matters Professionally, part II

Posted on January 11, 2023 by dbjackson

If you follow my blog at all, you know that in this month’s posts I have been asking the question “What matters?” in a number of personal and professional contexts. Last week, in my first Professional Wednesday post of the … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: What Matters? Part II — Time

Posted on January 9, 2023 by dbjackson

Last week, I began a series of posts addressing the question “What matters?” My point in doing so was to focus on the simple fact that we have finite amounts of time, of energy (physical and emotional), and of the … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: What Matters In Your Work? Part I

Posted on January 4, 2023 by dbjackson

On Monday, I began what will be a series of posts on the things that matter to us, and the ways in which we can make them central to our lives. Not surprisingly, I think about this a great deal … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings: What Matters? Part I

Posted on January 2, 2023 by dbjackson

When I was a kid, I always had an Etch A Sketch. Honestly, I’m not sure why. I sucked at it. I didn’t have the patience or the dexterity to create anything of quality on that silver-gray screen. I tried … Continue reading →

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Professional Wednesday: Three Ways To Help Your Short Fiction Submission, and Three Ways To Doom It

Posted on December 21, 2022 by dbjackson

The deadline for submissions to Artifice and Craft, the anthology I’m co-editing with Edmund Schubert for Zombies Need Brains, is ten days away. December 31. As of this writing, we are closing in on 400 submissions. The anthology will have … Continue reading →

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