There’s this great scene in J. R. R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit where Bilbo is exchanging riddles with Gollum.  It’s Gollum’s turn, and once again, he has delivered a long, rich, poetic monologue–and Bilbo is stumped.  Gollum comes to eat him, as is their bargain, and Bilbo starts asking for more time.  He is so frightened [...]

AGENTS IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING By Laurie McLean, Larsen Pomada Literary Agents To steal a line from my colleague Michael Larsen’s playbook, now is the absolute best time ever to be a writer. This is something I truly believe. The opportunities for writers to get their work published are more varied and numerous [...]

In a recent Twitter chat at #scifichat, I was asked about how my former career as a costumer and puppet maker affects my writing.  I realized that making and wearing costumes can actually be a great psychological tool for authors.  In fact, I think many of us do it subconsciously already. Think about the opening [...]

I’m excited about the release of my third novel, The Bastard Queen, this weekend!  I’ll be celebrating at the Arisia Convention in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a special “three party”.  But you can help me get the word out:  I have not committed trilogy! Elaine Isaak’s The Bastard Queen Fantasy fiction has acquired the scurrilous reputation of [...]