E.S. Raye's Blog

Hello all! I’m keeping it short this week and trying something I’ve never done on this blog before: putting out a call for your book recommendations! I’m currently working on the outline for my third novel–this one a cosmic horror set in NorCal (in a fictionalized version of the town I grew up in) in […]

Wow. Yeah. That’s a mouthful. But as I look over the projects I’ve had published, as well as those I’m currently working on, this is undeniably true. I really love writing genre mashups that have a certain (if varying) historical element. Here’s what I mean by that. Cibus City, and the World of Clayton Hart […]

We’re more than halfway through 2026, so it feels like a good time to share a run-down or roundup or whatever you prefer to call it of my writing so far this year! Let’s start with what’s been published! Short Stories While I have ramped up my novel writing, short stories have fallen to the […]

Today, we’re going to talk about a subject every writer faces from time to time: Writer’s Block. Everybody deals with it, and everybody’s got their own two cents to add to the discussion on how to overcome it. Here’s mine! I want to start by making a distinction. When I say “writer’s block” I’m not […]

Today is one of those rare occasions where one of my short stories has been published where it can be read for free, and on the same day that I write my weekly blog! Am I using it as an excuse to not write a blog? Maybe. But I also love sharing my work as […]

I’ve seen this question come up several times among writers: do you think of characters or plots first? I can’t speak for every writer, but for me, it’s both–and sometimes neither. Character First The story idea that inspired me to become a writer (and is still rattling around in my head waiting for me to […]

I’m a little late with this, but I was completely wiped out with a migraine all last week. But now I’m better, so I’m pleased to announce that I have finally finished the first draft of my World War 1 set sci-fi novel Shallow Trenches/Open Skies. I had originally thought I would finish in December […]

You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t want to get too deep into anything today. The fact is, this is a sad home right now, and it’s been difficult to focus on work. We lost another fuzzy, four-legged member of our family last week, the old man of the house and our resident quintessential […]

With a title like that I should probably start off by saying this isn’t a big, full-blown cosplay, and I am not a big-time cosplayer. I have dabbled a bit for specific events (many, many years ago I went to Burning Man and made a few things for that, and I made a Nostromo uniform […]

I’m hip deep in re-outlining my epic, seven book series I’m temporarily calling The Cobalt Fist. I’m having so much fun it’s actually eating into the time I should be spending on finishing my current WIP, Shallow Trenches/Open Skies. But, alas, The Cobalt Fist is my favorite sandbox to play in, so I’m okay with […]