How's the Novel Coming Turns One!

Today marks the one year anniversary of this not-so-humble little website!  It's hard to believe how much has changed in such a short time.

I started this site mostly as a way of compiling notes. In my editing career, I've found myself giving the same advice over and over, so at some point I started copying most of it into documents I could just send to people. Last year I was asked to lead a plotting workshop for my local NaNoWriMo chapter, and I wanted to make all my notes available for attendees, so I figured I'd throw them all in a blog.

It was pretty messy at first. I didn't know a single HTML tag, and I had never even heard of CSS. I started out using Blogger's default template, and I was afraid to click on the "Advanced" section, let alone edit the site's HTML.

I've come a long way since those tender days, and so has the site. There's a lot more content, and when it comes to design, I'd put my sassy little blog up against any of the most trafficked writing advice sites out there! I'm not exactly pulling down record-setting traffic, but I think I've created something useful; something that earns the bits and bytes it takes up on some distant Google server.

I want next year to be even better. Some of you may have noticed I added a Patreon Badge in the last couple months. For those of you who don't know, Patreon is the future of how creative people make a living. Through the site, you can pledge a monthly OR per-creation amount to me or any of your favorite content creators. I and others take that money and use it to improve our craft, thus turning it into superior content for you! Everybody wins!

I would sincerely appreciate your support, as I hope to make some behind-the-scenes improvements here, and put some money into editing and graphic design for my fiction. If you haven't read any of my stories, take a gander at petertmcqueeny.com and see if anything strikes your fancy. If you like what you see, consider supporting me on Patreon, or making a donation through PayPal.

More importantly, I want next year to be filled with lively discussion. I'm a man of strong opinions, and no matter who you are I've probably rubbed you wrong once or twice on this here blog. Well, I'm all grownz up now, and I'm saying "Come at me, bro!" I'm always up for some lively (but respectful) debate, so start dropping those comments!

Thanks for all your support and readership over the past year, and a pre-emptive thanks for your continued support moving forward. I'll do my damnedest to make it worth your while!

What you should take away from this post:

1. Give me money.
2. Let me argue with you.

Is that too much to ask?!?!

New Story Available!

My newest short story Enemy of Existence is now available in the anthology Coming Around Again, on sale now! The book was put together by the Central Arkansas Speculative Fiction Writers Group, to celebrate the group's 7th anniversary. It's the second anthology they've put out, and I'm proud to be included this time around!

The book showcases writing from CASFWG members, as well as writers from around the country. The theme of the book is anniversaries and cyclical events. There are a ton of amazing stories included, it's great read!

Pick up your copy now, and don't forget to leave us a review when you're done reading it!

About Enemy of Existence

A new world. A reluctant band of colonists. A violent secret.

They came to find refuge from the war that destroyed their home. Instead they found an enemy more savage and relentless than any they had faced before.

With no link to the world he left behind, one man must fight a losing battle for humanity's existence, and it will change everything he knows.

Total Redesign!

Wow! I can't believe how different this blog looks, can you? If you're reading this on your phone, you're probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about. Scroll on down to the bottom and click the little link that says "View Web Version", and you'll see.

For a while I've been looking at that sidebar of mine and thinking I wanted it to feel more separated from the main body of the blog. I started tinkering, and wouldn't ya know it, I wound up completely demolishing the place and rebuilding brick-by-brick.

One thing you may notice is that I've integrated ads into the site. I know, I know, I'm a sellout. But the truth is, I've been planning to integrate limited ads since the beginning. Any blog with a decent amount of traffic would be foolish not to allow ads--it's pretty much free money. Maybe not a lot, but I'm a writer--I'm poor by definition.

In any case, you have my solemn word that I will never allow the ads on this site to become intrusive or annoying. I may bug you with my pop-ups, but that's just because I love you and want your support! I'll never let an ad come between us. If you ever feel that my ads have become annoying, contact me, and I'll fix it! I'd rather nix them all than have even one annoy my readers.

Aside from that, the changes I've made are purely cosmetic, and I'm feeling pretty good about them. The sidebar feels more separate, alright. And yet everything else feels more integrated. The logo is a lot cleaner and more modern. I've corrected some spacing and formatting inconsistencies that became apparent once I applied my new template, and the whole thing is brighter and easier to read.

At least, that's my opinion. What do you think?  I'm eager to get some feedback from my loyal readers. Drop me a comment below!

Subscribe to the How's the Novel Coming Mailing List!

Every week, I try to build a little more professionalism into this blog, and this week I've taken a big step: a brand-new, shiny mailing list.

It took a couple tries, and I had to learn a few new things, but the list is all set up and ready to go! Subscribe to get an email every time I post a new article. I might even have a special offer for my subscribers every now and then! I promise never to spam you, and I only update this site one or two times a week, so I won't flood your inbox either. It's just a simple way to keep in touch with what's going on here.

You'll see the signup form over on the right sidebar, assuming you're viewing this on a computer. If you're looking at the site on your phone, click on the drop down menu up top, and head over to the "Other Stuff" page. You'll find the signup form there as well. All you have to do is put in your email address and you're good to go!

I really appreciate your support, and I hope you enjoy the list and the site!