Mary Robinette Kowal

Hey! Want a chance for a free copy of my new short story collection? Prime Books is hosting a giveaway on Goodreads. Check it out! Goodreads Book Giveaway Word Puppets by Mary Robinette Kowal Giveaway ends November 24, 2015. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

Last year, I stopped writing. Previously, I’ve always looked at Writers Block as a way of diagnosing that something has gone wrong with my story. I found that I could examine my reactions to sitting down and that they broke down into a couple of specific areas. Drowsy — Two sentences in and I’m totally falling

I went to three conventions in the past month and a half. I’ve realized a thing, which is going to require me telling this out of sequence. At the last convention, GenreCon (which was amazing), in Brisbane Australia, I initially thought the hotel was sharing space with a medical convention, because I saw a higher

Look! Look at the beautiful cover that Tor has created for my new book! Now… Let’s talk about how we got there, eh? Because this is always the fun part. Ghost Talkers has been turned in since April. On July 1, Liz Gorinsky, my editor at Tor, asked for details for the art department. Here’s the

Yesterday morning, my mom had brain surgery. This is the second time she’s had it this summer and now that we’re nearly done with the process, she’s okay with me talking about it. A little. Mom has been having a Deep Brain Stimulation implant — well, two, actually — installed to help with her Parkinson’s

Today is my dad’s birthday. We used to joke that we were clones. I get my sense of time from him, my curiosity, and desire to poke at things to figure out how they work. The “what happens if” gene is strong, I’m just saying. Dad is the world’s most curious man. And he loves

What would you give to see how I wrote two of my novels? Of Noble Family and Valour and Vanity. I’m offering the Scrivener files to both books to all subscribers who sign up during Uncanny Magazine’s kickstarter. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Scrivener, it’s a writing software specifically created for novelists. So basically, for

After three and a half months in the hospital, Nora is finally home. For those of you arriving late, my dear friend Nora, and her husband Bob, were in a horrific car accident. They barely survived. Bob was able to go home a couple of weeks ago, but Nora’s injuries were more severe. She is, in

I’ve seen conversations about how the Hugos are “just a rocketship” and that people shouldn’t be so invested in getting an award. And while that might be true on an individual basis, the Hugo awards themselves are a reflection of our society. I’m not just talking about science-fiction and fantasy fandom, but our larger society.  Now, since the Hugos are

This is a good writing exercise, so I’m going to recommend it to you. Heartily. Buy a magazine that you wouldn’t normally buy. Not something that you’ll hate but something that represents a different worldview from your own. Like Chickens, or OFFGRID, or Girls and Corpses. Read it cover to cover, including all the ads, the letters

Look where I am!