Checking in Archives -

My Secret Life as a Screenwriter

by J.S. Morin | Oct 27, 2022 | Checking in | 0 Comments

You never grow as a writer without trying new things. I started out writing epic fantasy before I found my groove with snarky sci-fantasy...

Writers don’t get summer vacations

by J.S. Morin | Sep 22, 2022 | Checking in | 0 Comments

I seem to remember, a long time ago, that school started in the first week of September, shortly after Labor Day. It feels like it’s gotten earlier,...

Meet Black Ocean: TNG

by J.S. Morin | Aug 18, 2022 | Checking in | 0 Comments

Welcome to my first formal author update where I'll talk about what I'm working on, plus any general news (if relevant). This new topic will replace...

Year 9 of my 5-10 Year Plan for Overnight Success

by J.S. Morin | May 25, 2022 | Checking in | 0 Comments

Well, 2021 was a year. Frankly, it was not the year I (or anyone else, safe to say) was expecting, and if I’d bought 2021 at a store, I’d be looking...

Year 8 of my 5-10 Year Plan for Overnight Success

by J.S. Morin | Jan 31, 2021 | Checking in | 1 Comment

My expectation going into 2020 was that it would be a year dominated by an exhausting number of hindsight jokes. In hindsight, I wish it had been....

Year 7 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan

by J.S. Morin | Jan 31, 2020 | Checking in | 9 Comments

Welcome back, everyone, to my now-annual tradition of updating my blog. For those of you who don’t know, Jan 31, 2020 marks the 7th bookiversary of...

Meet my cat, Soria…

by J.S. Morin | May 9, 2019 | Checking in | 0 Comments

The life of a writer can be lonely and isolating at times. When I first started writing full-time, my wife was still working a day job. That left me...

Year 6 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan

by J.S. Morin | Jan 26, 2019 | Checking in | 8 Comments

Well, here I am, yet again. It’s time for Firehurler’s 6th birthday, marking the end of Year 6 of my 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan. I’ve made a...

Year 5 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan

by J.S. Morin | Jun 1, 2018 | Checking in | 11 Comments

Well, one of the hallmarks of my annual plan update seems to be posting it later and later every year. This year I’ve somehow made it to June with a...

Year 4 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan

by J.S. Morin | Jan 31, 2017 | Checking in | 5 Comments

So… January 31st marks the 4th bookiversary of Firehurler. I’ll have been a self-published author for four full years. At this point, I have vague...

Year 3 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan

by J.S. Morin | Jan 25, 2016 | Checking in | 0 Comments

So... January 31st marks the 3rd bookiversary of Firehurler. I'll have been a self-published author for three full years. I'd like to say the time...

Miracle on 34th Street Fan Theory

by J.S. Morin | Dec 22, 2015 | Checking in | 2 Comments

'Tis the season and I've been popping in all the Christmas classics this season. But as I was watching Miracle on 34th Street (in the original 1947...

What If More Video Games Were Text-Based

by J.S. Morin | Dec 8, 2015 | Checking in | 1 Comment

I am old enough to remember Zork—the original text-based versions before they came out with graphics-enabled editions. It was an entirely different...

Level Up Your Writing: Words Are Experience Points

by J.S. Morin | Nov 3, 2015 | Checking in | 1 Comment

Are you a good writer? Want to get better? Well, you'd better get out there and earn more XP. Whatever innate talent and ability you think you have,...

Rebranding: Cover and Title Upgrades for Black Ocean

by J.S. Morin | Jul 21, 2015 | Behind the Pages, Checking in | 3 Comments

Sometimes you reach a point where writing another book isn't going to sell more of the earlier ones. One more promotion, one more guest blog,...

So You Want to Be a Writer

by J.S. Morin | Jun 30, 2015 | Checking in | 1 Comment

With the ever-increasing ease of self-publishing, more and more people are becoming writers. Most are doing it on the side of some other occupation,...

Readers Are Rectangles; Writers Are Squares

by J.S. Morin | Jun 2, 2015 | Checking in | 1 Comment

All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Take that axiom from grade-school math class and replace "squares" with...

This is Why We Have Editors

by J.S. Morin | Apr 7, 2015 | Checking in, Prose and Cons | 2 Comments

I use commas the way the B29 dropped bombs: let them loose to fall where they may, and hope they land where you want them. I can't spell names I...

Black Ocean Series Trailer

by J.S. Morin | Mar 24, 2015 | Checking in, Video | 1 Comment

I put together a trailer for the Black Ocean series. Let me know in the comments what you think.

Mark Lawrence’s Great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off!

by J.S. Morin | Mar 17, 2015 | Checking in | 0 Comments

Back at the beginning of March, fantasy author Mark Lawrence put out a call on his website for self-published fantasy authors looking for exposure....