THE WRITINGS OF STEPHEN JOHN MORAN
  • A Writer's Diary
  • ELLA'S JOURNAL
  • THE MARKETPLACE
  • MORAN PRESS

Connecticut Is Increasing Minimum Wage to $10.10 an Hour #raisethewage 

3/27/2014

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In a small victory for poor working folk, Connecticut will be raising the minimum wage in a series of steps. Read the entire article here at The New York Times. 


I find it amazing to watch the difficulty raising the minimum wage across the country considering the large majority of voters approve of the policy. If 72% of voters are in favor of raising the wage, why do we not see increases? 


One of the biggest problems in America today are elected representatives not enacting the will of the people. I see issues where there is a clear majority if not mandate of public support and yet no action is taken by congress.


Issues like- the minimum wage, background checks for all firearms purchases, a simpler tax code--- all issues with majority support from Americans that get NO action from the Federal government. 


What ideas and policies can we enact to push government to act FOR the people instead of big business? Can anything be done? 


Let me know your thoughts. 


Is America too big of an economy for any set of laws to overcome the influence the rich wield over Washington?
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This is a Trent Reznor Song

3/26/2014

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In the music oddity selection of the night, I present a YouTube Parody of Trent Reznor.
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The Announcement-- Moran Publishing @moranpublishing

3/26/2014

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I filed the renewal for my business and it was processed--- Moran Publishing is live and ready to engage in new business. 


I'm now officially a small business owner of a boutique publishing house. It's been a long journey as I conceived a version of this business nearly fifteen years ago and have been waiting to be ready as a writer. 


Not entirely sure I'm 'ready', but I am as prepared as I can be and excited for this new stage in my life. 


What does this mean for you, readers? 


There will be books. Coming soon. More news to follow!


Again-- 


Welcome to Moran Publishing, the house with a new way to publish- The Collective. 


Follow on Twitter @moranpublishing 
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House of Thrones (Game of Thrones meets House of Cards Parody)

3/25/2014

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I recently started watching House of Cards and my love for Game of Thrones is no secret. Enjoy!
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Indie Spotlight- Pick your content

3/25/2014

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The Indie Spotlight has featured three artists to date, with two musicians and one writer making an appearance. 


My question is - what types of content do you want? Music and fiction posts have been a big hit. I'll continue to add musicians and authors to the list of contributors. 


What about other forms of art?


Do we want to see original art? Photography? Films? 


I plan to accept anything that will lend itself to being posted online. If any of the readers have suggestions about desired content, please comment or contact me. 


Music fans-- what type of music do you wish to hear? Take this one question poll!
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The Collective - a new way to publish

3/25/2014

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The main idea of what I see for this website can be summed up in a word: collective.


I've watched for the last couple of years as writer friends made the leap to publish and made notes on their successes and failures. Patterns emerge from the data and I can glean a few major points of musts/must avoids in this new world of publishing. 


The biggest concern I've seen is the about the volume of published titles. Whether it's self-publishing phenomenon Russell Blake or an established name like Stephen King, a constant release of new material is a must. An author publishing/releasing new material keeps the brand in the spotlight and hence, increases sales of all titles.


The big problem is-- how many individual writers can produce enough titles to achieve this 'rising tide lifts all boats' volume number?


Can you produce/release 10-12 titles a year? I can't. Not even close. Even without a 'real' job, I couldn't produce more than 3-4 titles in a given year. 


This brings me to the general observation about why most indies fail--- going at it alone. The bottom line seems to be this: the economy of scale dictates that a group will have more strength than the individual. 


I believe the solution is for like-minded artists to link their art, to produce, promote and release as a 'collective', a combined tapestry of art. The purpose is two-fold-- to lessen the costs for each artist. As the numbers grow, the cost of production will fall. And second, and most important-


Artists linking together in a collective will be able to achieve a much greater 'scale' of awareness for their own individual art than if they had promoted/marketed it as a solo operation.


The key is to find artists producing content that works together. The highest goal is for the produced art to achieve a 'complete picture' if one reader were to experience it all. 


What are your thoughts on this proposed 'collective'? Do you believe like-minded artists grouping together can overcome some of the disadvantages of self-publishing vs the more complete services offered by traditional publishers? Let me know your opinions.



From Las Vegas


Stephen John Moran
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revising Ella 

3/24/2014

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It's been a long journey since I posted AT THE BAR on my blogger site two years and a few months ago, which began the story of Ella. I started in the middle, skipped to the end and wrote the beginning last. 


I've edited in a similar fashion, jumping around like a fool without a plan, from the greatest area of need to the next, dragged and prodded by inspiration, frustration and sometimes just plain being lost writing a female lead. 


Well, the journey reaches the final draft. From here, an editor will put right my horrid grammar and fix errors I can't see and soon we'll be ready to launch. 


Within a short time I will have a manuscript ready to publish. The excitement is building, but I try not to look forward. One day at a time.


I must see to getting the cover finalized and the book formatted. So much to do and I hope you enjoy the journey. 


The countdown grows shorter until I can present the book to the website. 


Until then, be well.


From Vegas


Stephen John Moran
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NEW- *Indie Music Spotlight* VIRGIN- by Las Vegas Hip Hop Artist A.Ryder -

3/24/2014

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Shout out to a local hip hop artist. Enjoy the track.
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Looking for indie writers #MondayBlogs

3/24/2014

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Looking for writers to submit works of short fiction to the website to be shared with my readers. If you are a new writer and want feedback on your selection, I can do that for your piece.


I want to create a community of indie writers posting work and interacting with new readers. 


My website focuses on fiction with strong, female leads. If this fits your fiction and you are looking for a place to engage with new readers, contact me about submitting.
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A review of The Simple Creative Writing Book by Imran Siddiq @flickimp

3/23/2014

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I posted a blog for this book a few days ago and now it's time for the review. 


The book read quickly and the first impression it leaves-- ease of understanding. Imran's style is conversational and his examples to each point are clear and relevant. I found the book to be very engaging. 


Beyond general points, let's get to the main point of this book-- how does it function as writing instruction?


My answer is it depends. This book is geared towards and will be mainly useful for beginners. If you are thinking of writing a novel or perhaps you've attempted one in the past without much success, this book is for you.


Imran covers almost every conceivable angle of the process of writing, editing and publishing a novel. The book delves into the basics techniques needed to finish a book as well as a section describing publishing options once you finish and edit your manuscript. Each section leaves you with the basic knowledge for the major areas of being a writer-- the nuts and bolts of 'how to be an author'.


The major question I have to ask you is this--- Do you want to learn how to be a novelist? Have you always dreamed of writing books but had no idea where to start or are perhaps intimidated by the other instruction you have seen? If so, this is the book to choose. The simplicity of Imran's breakdown of the writing process will make it quite easy for the beginner to translate into actionable progress towards creating fiction. 


In closing, I recommend this book to aspiring writers. Don't keep putting off the dream of creating your own fictional world. Buy this book and get started. This book will help you begin the journey to becoming a writer.


Find this book at Amazon.
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    REVIEWS OF THE TERRORIST OF PROVIDENCE STREET
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    SERVER

    EXCERPT FROM SERVER
    ​DAY ADVENTURE WITH MONKEY

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    EXCERPT FROM SERVER
    KARL MARX: A REFUTATION

    EXCERPT FROM ELLA
    ROUTINE

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    EXCERPT FROM ELLA
    ​THE INTERROGATION

    REVIEW OF ELLA

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    Stephen Moran lives in Las Vegas with his beautiful wife, baby Kiana, and two dogs. 

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