Writing Advice From Misty Massey, Bobby Nash, John Hartness, and Trevor Curtis
Behold: Four pieces of advice, bite-sized!
“Start writing now. And get new friends.
“When I was in college, I wanted to write for a living. But the friends around me assured me that it was a stupid, impossible hope, and that I should aspire to an office job for security instead. As a result, I spent years in miserable jobs, hanging out with people who didn’t value me, and I didn’t start writing with an eye toward publication until I was thirty. I know I shouldn’t look backward, but I often wonder how much farther along I’d be if I had believed in myself sooner.”
Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel, a rollicking adventure of magic on the high seas, Kestrel’s Voyages, a collection of short stories featuring those rambunctious pirates, and the upcoming Kestrel’s Dance. She is a co-editor of The Weird Wild West and Lawless Lands: Tales of the Weird Frontier, Her short fiction has appeared in many anthologies, including Dragon’s Lure, Temporally Deactivated, and Submerged, and she’s working on a series of Shadow Council novellas for Falstaff Press featuring the famous gunslinger Doc Holliday.
“Focus. I lost focus of my goals and plans for a time and it really knocked my career trajectory off course. Focus would definitely be a lesson I would teach my younger self. I would also tell him to go to the gym earlier in life.”
Bobby Nash is an award-winning author. He writes novels (Snow, Evil Ways, Deadly Games!, Nightveil: Crisis at the Crossroads of Infinity), comic books (Edgar Rice Burroughs’ At The Earth’s Core, Domino Lady, Operation: Silver Moon), short fiction (Mama Tried, Domino Lady, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, The Avenger), and the odd short screenplay (Starship Farragut “Conspiracy of Innocence, Hospital Ship Marie Curie “Under Fire”). Bobby is a member of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers and International Thriller Writers. He occasionally appears in movies and TV shows, usually standing behind your favorite actor and sometimes they let him act. Recently, he was seen in Creepshow, Joe Stryker, Doom Patrol, The Outsider, Ozark, Lodge 49, Slutty Teenage Bounty Hunters, and more. He also draws from time to time.
“I’d tell him to get into computing big time, and invest early. Also, don’t meet girls in bars, it never ends well for you. Dump your best friend, can’t trust him.Get your drivers license before 30, and never stop believing in your self.”
Trevor Curtis has had more jobs than NC has had hurricanes.He’s written for newspapers, small press, and the maniacs at Falstaff Books. He’s a former resident of Chicago, but has lived in NC for a decade. He’d rumored to have won NC’s award for weirdest carpetbagger.
“I know you think it’s a good idea to spend the next year (2009) learning about publishing and agents and all that, but if you publish your first book right now you won’t miss out on the single largest explosion of self-published ebook sales ever. The book is solid and better than 90% of the market. Publish it.“
John Hartness is the founder and publisher of Falstaff Books, author of multiple fantasy and comedy series, cast member of Authors & Dragons, YouTuber, podcaster, and human-in-waiting to a condescending cat.
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