So, I don’t talk a lot about the craft or business of writing here. The way I figure it, aspiring writers generally have plenty of places on the web to learn about such things.

I figure anyone coming here to read what I have to say is more interested in my take on fiction, gaming, and the various topics related to the stuff that I write.

But this time, what I write converges with the craft and business of writing. And if you’re someone who comes here for my take on orcs, or real-world practices of religion and magic – and other such things – you might just know an aspiring writer. Or even a working writer.

In fact, there are two things involved that, in my opinion, apply even to people who don’t want to write fiction.

I’ll cover them in just a second.

First, the basics. It’s a Storybundle. Nine books and a class.

The class first. It’s called Dealing with Toxic People, and normally it costs $150 dollars all on its own.

Now, it’s geared, of course, towards writers. But no matter what it is that you want to do in life, you’re going to face toxic people.

I’m not just talking about the assholes, you understand. Not just the people who constantly tear you down, or the like. They’re easy enough to deal with. Tell them to fuck off and move on.

No, the dangerous toxic people are the helpful ones. The ones who mean well, but their good intentions will pave a road to hell for you, personally, if you let them.

And the masterminds behind that class are Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. And let me tell you, over the course of their … thirty-plus year writing careers, they’d had to deal with more than their share of toxic people.

And frankly, a class that can help you recognize and cope with such people, well, that – to me — is well worth taking. Especially when it’s part of a bundle that costs only $15.

You can handle toxic people, you say? You want to know what that second thing is, that could be applicable to non-writers?

Well, if you work in an industry that has conferences – and let’s be honest here, which industry doesn’t – your career might just benefit from giving presentations at those conferences.

The book about this one is called Writing a Conference Proposal, by Johanna Rothman, who’s even better known for her nonfiction and longstanding business career than she is for her fiction.

All right. Now let’s talk about what’s in this for the writers.

On the craft side, two good books.

The first is How to Write a Novel in Half a Month, by Dean Wesley Smith. And let me tell you, when Dean writes a book like that, he’s doing it as he writes about it.

Might be a bit more advanced than the other craft book, though. Not because of the title, but because Dean usually writes for an audience that’s already writing books, and wants to get better at it.

The other craft book is my own – The Thirty Day Novel and Beyond: a Training Program for Aspiring Novelists. It’s based on the program I developed for myself back in 2007, to help me prove to myself that I could and should be writing novels.

But more than that, I help the reader understand the mistakes I made – oh, I don’t shy away from them – and how to avoid them. And most of all, what to do after you’ve written that novel in thirty days.

On we go to the business portion.

From author-podcaster superstar Joanna Penn we have Your Author Business Plan. Because let me tell you, when you write a story, you’re a writer. When you publish a story, you’re a businessperson. And Joanna can help you plan for success, because she’s done it.

Okay. I’m not sure that came out right, so let me make something clear. Every single author in this storybundle is offering a book on a topic they have a lot of experience with. They’re telling you how to do it because they’ve done it successfully, and they want to give back.

These people all impress the hell out of me. And the books in this bundle that I haven’t read yet, I will be reading. Because these people have a lot to teach me.

Now then. Next up, Cash Flow for Creators by Michael W. Lucas. Michael writes incisively, and with humor. A topic that many people might make dry, he makes entertaining as well as educational.

A Writer’s Guide to Social Media Marketing by Tonya D. Price, MBA. That’s right, she’s an MBA and a fiction writer and she’s social media savvy.

An Author’s Guide to Working With Libraries and Bookstores by Mark Leslie Lefebvre. I’ve gotten to talk with Mark in the past about libraries and bookstores, and even his offhand comments in such conversations are useful. Personally, I can’t wait to see what all he covers here.

Crowdfunding Your Fiction by Loren L. Coleman. I know something about the process Loren went through in studying crowdfunding for his own purposes as well as to help other writers. And let me tell you, that man is as thorough as he is creative, which is saying something.

And finally, Tips About the Film/TV Industry for Novelists by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I’ve gotten to listen to Kris talk about that industry before, and let me tell you, rooms go so quiet you can’t always be sure the people around you are breathing. Anything that woman writes about film and television should be mandatory reading for writers.

Nine books, folks, and a class. All for $15. Miss this one, and it’s on you. But act fast, because it goes away sometime tomorrow.