Sasha Distan

I stuck my hands into my pockets and scuffed at the ground with my new hiking boots. My brother had basically ordered me to break them in after he’d taken me to buy them yesterday, after my favourite pair of all-stars had disintegrated. So now here I was on the other side of the Athabasca river from my ‘new home’ in the wilderness, scuffing my new boots as I broke them in. So, a bit about me. I am Hoyt Ford, I’m nineteen and I used to live the centre of Toronto. My parents died three months ago

Hoyt Ford likes clean cut skinny boys with good hair. so when his senses tell him he's falling for a big butch lumberjack he tries to run from the feeling, and straight into the furry arms of Mato, an actual bear he meets in the woods.

So, book covers. so those of us looking for images to represent our work it's a big deal. even more so if you're looking to self-publish and do the whole deal yourself. We all know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover (or a pub by it's signs) but I have this sneaking suspicion that we all do. I know i do. I bought Drawn Together almost solely on the awesome cover. i still haven't bought Code of Conduct for the exact same reason. i do not like that cover one bit. Fess up, do we judge? Also, for those of you looking for covers, what do you do? I went to art skill so i have a *small* set of skills with which to create and a starving illustrator friend who will do anything for rent money. I've gone to artists on Etsy for covers and done them myself. getting photos off the web is a no go, and most sites like stockphoto are only good if you're not using the image on a product you are going to re-sell. so no good for us. and as my little aside: fonts. some fonts should never be seen on or in books, hands up for the haters of comic-bloody-sans? *paw in air*

I see you have nanowrimo'd then. writing long after the love has one it hard... i stopped a novella at 44000 words because there were just so many options that i couldn't chose. i feel for you. my hard drive is home to many unfinished stories due to languish forever.

I so agree with you. there are no rules of writing, just go and be creative and try and love whatever turns up. works for many things. also, i tend to keep this in mind when people tell me HOW i should write: Well, can you write? No? off you trot then

I think you have to get a great mix of the two. there is no point about writing only what you know. there must be "Adventure!" well, not necessarily but you get the idea. on the other hand all my best stories have been closely linked to the things i like best. being outside with dogs and horses, books, music, all that good stuff. Hell, half my teenage character go to the college i spent two years at. some of them went there while we were there which made exams interesting... I like the article though, thanks for the share.

But you are missing the key element of dumb robot. this is why the Matt le Blanc version of Lost in space did so badly. kid, doggish/pet/alien thing and stupid looking robot. total flop. despite the best sci-fi helmet design seen a loooong time.

The back rooms of the South Bank library were a great place to get lost. Jahke had been tucked away in his bay window seat for hours, nose in a book, bake feet tucked up under his discarded sweater, pushing tendrils of hair from his eyes. If no one saw you climb the wrought iron spiral stair then you could be safe from being bothered all day. The light was fading from the sky now, and the orange fizz of the gas lamps in the street illuminated the side of Jahke’s angular features. So engrossed in

Jahke is sitting "reading" in the library when two demons show up looking for fresh meat. And one of them takes a certain liking to their new human friend. It becomes minor horned demon Sitka's job to take care of his new charge and introduce him to all the pleasures of demon life.

I'm new here, but not new anywhere else. Me, i'm just trying to get my writing out there so i get on the ladder for Real Books, isn't that exciting?