In my early writing days I believed that it was just me and the words. No one else would ever be involved. I was totally alone.

I’ve since learned that writing doesn’t need to be so solitary. True, there are times when it should be just you and the keyboard, but there are many times when you should be around and involve other people. For example.

• critiquing and feedback of your work – I have heard the opinion that a writer must write a million words before they have anything worth sending out. I would argue that a million words without any outside scrutiny doesn’t improve one’s writing much at all. The feedback around what works and what needs work is more valuable than the actual wordcount itself.
• marketing and self-promotion – you might be surprised at how useful talking to editors, publishers, agents and other writers can be. A publisher who has a chance to get to know you might ask you to send your work to them because they like you and think you would be a good person to do business with (btw, if you didn’t know that writing is a business, it is). The same holds true for agents, editors and so on. It can also be useful to know other people doing similar things to you because then you can setup cross-promotion activities. The more ways people have to find you (unless you are trying to avoid notice), the better.
• collaboration opportunities – not every book or story should be written by one person. Some projects are simply too big for one person to tackle. Case in point, my first anthology (being worked on with Jeffrey Hite). I’ve never done it before and I don’t think I personally have enough time to do (or even think of) everything that needs doing. Jeffrey is a great partner and has skills I don’t have that will make this project even better. Another reason for a collaboration is to bring in additional point-of-view. My example for this: the YA Steampunk JRMurdock and I are writing. We each bring a unique perspective to the story that has made it a lot of fun for both of us to write and I think to read.
• shoulder to lean on – let’s face it, only writers really understand writers. Our fears and anxieties, our hopes. They tend to resonate with other writers. When we stumble, it’s nice to have someone there to help us back up. When we reach a  new height, it’s fantastic to share the news with people who can truly appreciate it.

There are other reasons, but trust me when I say, I owe much of my success to others. Yes, I’ve kept working at my writing but there have been times when I’ve needed that little kick in the butt to keep going. To not give up. Some of my best ideas have come from conversations with other writers and friends that I couldn’t have gotten on my own.

You owe it to yourself to get out there and talk to people. It will help you to make the key contacts that will push you to the next level.

Tags: anthology, business, collaboration, critique, critiquing, feedback, marketing, million words, networking, opportunity, promotion, reading, self-promotion, steampunk, success, writing, YA, young adult

I have had the good fortune to read and enjoy the work of Tee Morris and Philippa Ballantine for several years. I like the writing styles of both but they are very different. When I heard that they were collaborating on a book, and a steampunk one at that, I was cautiously optimistic. Not because I didn’t think they could pull it off, but because I had no idea what the meshing of their two voices would be like.

In other words, would the result be a symphony or a cacophony?

I am delighted to say that the book, “Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel” is a symphony of the highest order. The characters are rich and the plot twists in a most satisfactory manner. And the pace of the story? Well, let’s just say I had to put the novel down periodically to catch my breath.

Tee and Pip (or Pip and Tee, if you would prefer) show what good research can do to improve a story. The use of language and the description of the everyday world ensured that I felt as if I were experiencing an alternate, steam-powered version of Victorian England.

Of course, steampunk is famous for its gadgets, gears, and cogs; writers must tread a fine line to ensure that these things do not overwhelm or undermine the story. That is not a problem here in the least.

The technology was in no way frivolous or ill conceived; the melding of our world and the steampunk realm was done cleanly and to great effect. It made me wish our technology was steam-powered now.

The relationships between the characters were ever evolving and interesting and the characters themselves surprised and delighted me with their layers upon layers of complexity. By the time I was done reading, they were living, breathing people, some whom I liked and others I reviled.

It may sound cliché but the only complaint I have with this book is that I am finished reading it and there isn’t another one ready to go. Believe me when I say, there are enough loose threads that I hope to be enjoying the series for a long time to come.

For now, I may have to reread it again just to pick up nuances I’m sure I’ve missed.

All in all, an extremely good book that I whole-heartedly endorse.

Tags: Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, philippa ballantine, Phoenix Rising, review, steampunk, Tee Morris