Dina James's blog

Happy Birthday Skyla!

We interrupt our regularly scheduled mayhem to announce that our lovely Bitchstress Dreamkiller, Skyla Dawn Cameron, is 30 today!

Skyla is the co-founder here at the Evil League of Evil Writers and is made of WIN and AWESOME. She does so much for so many people and deserves ALL THE PRESENTS and chocolate and cupcakes. She wins in the Crazy Cat Lady department with SIX cats and a dog, and sometimes puppy-sits for her mother. All this while writing kick-ass books and being a hippy.

She also likes vodka!

Basically Skyla is amazing and so very, very evil. She watches movies about zombie sheep being blown up by their own farts. Seriously. WIN, people. She's MADE OF WIN.

Show her some love here and wish her a happy birthday!

Wants and Needs

I talked the other week about wanting it bad enough to write and how there are only so many hours in a day for everything you need to do versus everything you want to do. Today I want to talk about time management.

If you're like me, taking time for yourself isn't high on your priority list. You've got stuff to do, and that doesn't leave a whole lot of time for taking care of yourself, mentally, physically or emotionally.Read more

Take The Advice

Here on this blog we talk a lot about being a professional writer. We talk a lot about taking criticism well, how to deal with rejection and so on. I've written before about the advice your editor gives you on your manuscript, but today I want to talk about taking that advice.

You heard me.

See, there's a huge difference between an opinion and advice. When someone gives you their opinion, they're telling you what they think. When someone gives you advice, they're telling you what they think YOU SHOULD DO.Read more

How Badly Do You Want It?

This weekend I did something I never thought I'd end up doing again on purpose.

That's right.

I used a sewing machine.

For the record, I haven't touched a sewing machine except to help a friend thread hers since Home Ec class in 7th grade. I made a pair of purple culottes as my project (Look, don't ask, okay? It was the 7th grade in the 80s. Don't judge.) and was utterly relieved when the sewing portion of the class was over. I'm just NOT cut out for sewing (Ha ha "cut out!" See what I did there? Yeah, I'll stop….).

Then why was I sewing, you may ask.

Well, I wanted something.Read more

Sanctimoniousness

Normally when you use the word "sanctimonious" to describe someone, you use it because they're hypocritical in their pious devotion to whatever it is they're snoflaking out about. For instance, a professional author (and for those playing along at home, I'm referring to those writers who get paid to write) who knows perfectly well that self-publishing means they'll have to pay for publication themselves could be considered sanctimonious, because they're being a hypocrite.

Let's get serious – a "professional self-publisher" is an oxymoron, right? Maybe not. Sensitive viewers should turn away now. I'm going to get nasty here.Read more

Unfair Comparisons

Today I want to talk about unfair comparisons.

Come on. You know what I'm talking about. What? Like you've never compared yourself to someone else? Someone completely out of your league?

Here, I'll give you an example (we all know how much I love examples):

"I'll never be as thin as * insert celebrity here *! S/he is so gorgeous and I'll never look like that!"

You know what? You're right. You won't. You won't EVER look like that. You know why?Read more

Time Is Money, Friend

The other day a friend asked me what I was currently working on. I told them I was under deadline for the second contracted novel in my young adult series.

"How many books does this make for you now?" they asked.

"This will be my third novel," I replied.

"You've got others though, right? You've been writing a long time. I know you have more than three!"

"You mean my anthologies? I have four short stories published, so I guess if you're counting physical books, the one I'm writing right now will be number seven."

"Wow! You must be making a lot!"

I couldn't help it. I laughed.Read more

Whoring Yourself

Subtitle: Self-promo, Spam and Sockpuppetry.

Let's talk a little about promotion, shall we?

There's a huge difference between self-promotion, the hard sell, and spam.
Here, have some examples. I love examples. I'm borrowing part of a piece I wrote on Skyla's blog about Twitter douchebaggery here:Read more

Dina Drinks Because You Suck

I drink because you suck.

Well, not really. I mean, I drink…uh…never mind. We're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you.

Well, maybe not you. Maybe someone you know. Maybe someone we both know. Maybe someone you have yet to meet. If that's the case, you're fortunate.Read more

Have It Your Way

All right, first things first! The announcement of the winner of our anniversary giveaway!

Melody Siracusa! You are the lucky winner, as chosen by Random.org! I will be contacting you shortly.

Now, onto today's post. This is a Dina!Rant, just so you're prepared.Read more