• howardshipleyauthor@gmail.com
  • Nature Coast, FL

Out With the Old

For those of you close to the inner circle, the prolonged downtime is of no surprise, as 2020 started our family on a journey that reached its zenith in the year 2022. I attempted to be as active on here and in the writing circles as possible but accomplished a sporadic presence at best. I can officially say now that […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Just a Quick Update …   There has been a long hiatus since any activity on the site. For those who follow me on social media, you are aware this is due to an extensive health issue. I will not go into detail here, but you can find the information you seek on social media if you need to know […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Marketing On this Monday morning, let’s talk marketing. Like many of you, I have been consumed with the writing, editing, publishing(querying, indie, whatever) phase. What about the next phase? Marketing. I had slipped into the false conception that it would be easy sailing once I had reached the published phase. I could drop that novel on cruise control and return […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Querying Over the years, I have finished my first novel, am a third of the way through my second, and work on multiple short stories. Up until this year, I was under the false impression that crafting those worlds and works was the most challenging part of the process. I have since revised that opinion. The query letter has taken […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Change We are on the precipice, ready to fall into a new year. Many minds turn toward resolution. I want to look at goals. What are your goals for 2022? Over the last month, I am 28,000 words into a new work. My goal is to have it on paper by the end of the first quarter. It is my […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Alpha How do you begin? I am curious was your system or method is for writing. Do you have a scheduled time to write? Are you up before anyone else in your household to draft words to paper or do you wait until everyone is down for the night to begin? Is caution thrown to the wind and you just […]

From the Writer’s Desk

The Switch A curiosity for this Thanksgiving week. What flips your switch? Does it flip? I am not talking about flipping your switch in relation to anger or other emotion. It is no secret that over the past several weeks I have been struggling to get back into routine and essentially get back to writing. Suddenly over the past few […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Assumptions Which side of this equation have you been on? A chance encounter occurs between total strangers. Neither have any idea about the other and until this very moment never knew the other existed. Whether from body language or the sound of the other’s voice, assumptions are instantly made about by each one. The remainder of the conversation takes a […]

From the Writer’s Desk

Goals Let’s begin this week with a series of questions. We are all individuals. As such we generally respond and react differently. So I am curious this week what works for you. How do you stay on task? What kind of goals do you set? Do you start a project and work to completion? This individual will have a primary […]

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