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EP 407 - An Evening With A Drink And A Friend With Kevin J. Anderson

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 03/20/2025

EP 430 - Rambling Reflections From A Lemons To Lemonade Road Trip

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This episode features a rambling reflection that Mark recorded on part of an unexpected and unplanned four-day road trip from Calgary, Alberta to Waterloo, Ontario. When Mark was in Calgary, Alberta for the When Words Collide conference, Air Canada went on strike and all flights were canceled. Finding himself unable to get home (without having to pay for 4 nights in a hotel plus a flight on an alternate airline that would have cost him $1500), Mark decided to rent a car and drive back home nearly 3,500 kilometers (2174 miles) during the week of Monday August 18th through Friday August 22nd....

EP 429 - A Post-Mortem on Co-Hosting the 2025 Aurora Awards with Liz May Anderson

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This episode features a campfire chat with Mark's partner Liz Anderson about co-hosting the 2025 Aurora Awards livestream on Sunday August 10, 2025. In the interview, Mark and Liz talk about: The background of co-hosting the Aurora Awards over the years Working on a pandemic parody music video on a whim within about 24 hours as a bit of an escape The trepidation and challenge of working on something that one is not as familiar about The level of commitment and interest within the speculative fiction community How much time and creative energy people have poured themselves into the creative...

EP 428 - The "Author Versus AI" Project with Alison McBain

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Canadian author Alison McBain about her "Author Versus AI" project, her life in writing, and more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Alison talk about: The various roles that Alison has played in the creative arts Wanting to be a writer since she was young and her first written story created when she was 4 years old Thinking that one day...

EP 427 - A Tale of Two Mountains: An Uphill Climb, Rain, Exhaustion, And Rainbows

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark talks about the experience of hiking two different mountainscapes in the Canadian west. The first, Grouse Mountain in Vancouver, British Columbia. And the other, the foothills of Fairview Mountain at Lake Louise, Alberta. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) ...

EP 426 - Getting YOUR Book Into Bookstores and Libraries

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark shares clips and highlights from a talk he'll be giving at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) Summer Virtual Conference 2025. Ready to take your children’s book career to the next level? Wherever you are in your publishing journey, the Virtual Summer Conference provides an opportunity for growth, creativity, and connection. Dive into every aspect of the children’s book world, from writing and illustrating to translating, marketing, and self-publishing. Put your art in front of industry pros in the career-launching Portfolio Showcase. And...

EP 425 - Escaping the Self-Publishing Rapid Release Rat Race with Johnny B. Truant

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark speaks to author Johnny B. Truant about THE ARTISAN AUTHOR. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Johnny talk about: Johnny's return to this podcast (with neither of them being able to remember how many episodes he'd been on previously). Technically, this is his fourth time. Two previous episodes were...

EP 424 - Passion From Between and Beyond The Pages with Jessica Rampersad

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Jessica Rampersad AKA JessBeyondThePages, an expert experienced in social media management, content creation, and editing who helps authors and brands elevate their online presence. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Jessica talk about: Jessica being a reader her entire life and how she has fallen in and out...

EP 423 - Dear Writer: The World Needs Your Writing Now More Than Ever

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark expresses his frustration, anger, and anxiety over what's happening in the world right now, and reminds himself, and listeners, about the power of writing and why the world NEEDS you and your writing now more than ever before. Link to video of Mark's Keynote for The BookFest Spring 2025. "Writer, the World Needs You: Why Your Writing Is More Important Than Ever." Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin...

EP 422 - Writing, Humor, and Teaching with Patrick MacPhee

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Patrick MacPhee, teacher and Writers of the Future award-winning author about his love of reading, writing, and helping to inspire students. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Patrick talk about: Patrick's experience reading Fellowship of the Rings when he was rather young and how it impacted him in a profound...

EP 421 - Some Publishing Pitfalls

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this solo episode Mark shares some audio excerpts from his book PUBLISHING PITFALLS FOR AUTHORS. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: (Mark's affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By

More Episodes

Mark has a virtual beer with Kevin J. Anderson while they talk through various aspects about writing and publishing. This episode is from a live chat that was hosted on the evening of Sunday March 16, 2025.

This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO and where Mark will be a guest speaker.

Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration.

In their chat Mark and Kevin talk about:

The loss of author and poet Danny Peart, Neil Peart's brother and how the first story Kevin and Neil wrote together named the main character after Neil's brother
Mark and Kevin's Rush and beer connection
Kevin's "music starter kit" to his grand-kids
The significance of the Rush album Grace Under Pressure to both Kevin and Mark
How the Columbia Music Record Club is what led to Kevin discovering Rush (because he was looking for sci-fi style album covers and Rush's 2112 jumped out at him)
The back-story to Kevin's Terra Incognita novels
Writing a novel that was a tie-in to a Rush album
How Kevin has been able to leverage Kickstarter to produce products that no New York publisher would likely ever get behind
The way a tribute song "No Words" about Neil Peart led to a new friendship and collaboration with Kevin
The music behind the Terra Incognita trilogy
Kevin's Kickstarter for Terra Incognita funding in 14 minutes, but the ultimate goal of earning back the high investment he has already put into it
The number of novels that Kevin has written
Benefits of being able to order books directly from the author versus going through the multiple layers of traditional publishing
Superstars Writing Seminars, the conference that Kevin, his wife Rebecca, Dave Farland, Eric Flint, and Brandon Sanderson started more than 15 years ago
The Masters of Creative Writing with a focus on Publishing that Kevin teaches at Western Colorado University
The annual anthology that this program publishes thanks to sponsorship from Draft2Digital
The latest musical collaboration Kevin recently announced
Kevin coming to Toronto's Massey Hall for RushFest on August 1, 2025
What books Kevin and Mark are currently working on
Favorite advice for running a Kickstarter and the real costs of shipping and handling
Kevin's love of hiking and dictating when he writes
And more . . .

Links of Interest:

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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