Nothing annoys me more than listening to an author talk about his/her 'muse.' It always strikes me as being a tad pretentious; the notion that one's creativity and output comes from a demi-goddess from Greek mythology. I inwardly cringe whenever I hear the words...
Nothing drives me crazier than the mentality people have that because I work at home I have nothing but free time. "Oh Greg, I need you to do this favor for me" and so on and so forth because you know, when you make your living as a writer and work at home, everyone...
One of the biggest mistakes beginning writers make — within the context of either a short story or a novel — is point of view. I'm not sure why this is the case. In nine cases out of ten, the reason I reject a story or a manuscript is because of a point of view...
One of the most important things an author can do for self-promotion is to do public appearances whether this means doing a signing, a reading, or appearing at a writer's conference or literary festival on panels. Many readers enjoy meeting a writer whose work they...
In my career, I have edited about nine anthologies. Last night, I finished the paperwork for what will most likely be my last anthology of erotica. I simply don't have the time anymore to devote to them, and while I still have plenty of ideas for more anthologies, I...
I don't know how many times people have said the following to me, but if I was given a quarter each and every time, I'd be living on an island sipping a cocktail right now: "I would write if I only had the time." Ah, time. I personally am frequently amused by the...
Many years ago, I picked up a single author collection of erotic writings by a very respected name in the field. I'd read some of his work over the years and been favorably impressed by it, and was very happy to be able to read more of it in one sitting. One lazy...
There's nothing worse than experiencing rejection in any aspect of your life. That hottie you want to fuck won't even look at you. The promotion you've worked your ass for went to someone else. And your brilliant story, with its vivid characterizations, setting and...
Writing is ultimately about the use of language to tell a story. But there's nothing more annoying than someone who tries to smack you over the head with their thesaurus and their Oxford English Dictionary. Don't get me wrong — when I read a story, I like to get swept...
The notion that one doesn't have to create realistic characters in erotic fiction is, frankly, wrong-headed and the mark of a lazy writer. And as I have mentioned before, lazy writers generally do not get published. There's nothing worse, either as an editor reading...