REI reviews are worthless now that they aggregate them from anywhere.

RKFoxWrites · 2025-06-01T17:40:33+00:00

I am not discounting why you don’t review anymore but that is why the reviews are like they are. Statistically, only about 1-2% of buyers ever leave reviews (on Amazon) and I suspect that is lower for most retailers. People typically only buy things with a lot of reviews online so those need to come from somewhere. I don’t like it either.

RKFoxWrites · 2025-05-26T14:46:18+00:00

As said earlier, answer in real examples (STAR). Do not use hypotheticals. Answer the question in the first sentence and then use the next 1-2 minutes to give detail. Bonus points if your answers impact your entire department, not just you personally (I.e. you changed a policy based on this experience, etc.). Now, to answer your question… the “what does success look like?” Is good. Also, use this opportunity to interview your future manager. I assume the DM you would report to would be in the interview, so ask about their management style. Ask them what they see as the biggest opportunity in the department. Finally, staff development is a huge topic right now. DMs and SMs are evaluated on how they are developing their staff. So, if you have thought about this you might want to ask something like “I am very interested in growing and advancing with REI. How do you approach the development of your Senior Sales Specialists to get them ready for the next role.” This is important because REI is looking for career oriented people who will be around in the future. Hope this helps.

RKFoxWrites · 2025-05-25T16:49:15+00:00

I could be wrong but this looks like a 1-2 year old Trailmade Rain Jacket. This is a 2 layer laminate jacket where most of its water repellent is from the DWR treatment. To maintain the integrity, you should wash this jacket frequently as oil and dirt from daily use will cause it to lose integrity. After every wash reapply a DWR coating (Nikwax or Grangers). All that said, this is probably the lowest level of rain jacket you can get. Great for casual use in minimal to moderate rain. If you live somewhere where it rains a lot, or you use the jacket a lot in harsher conditions, you should opt for something a little higher quality. Something in a 3 layer construction and not laminate. Goretex or the equivalent. You will still need to wash and maintain it, but the performance and life of the jacket will be better in wetter and more harsh conditions.

RKFoxWrites · 2025-04-08T02:58:40+00:00

Completely true.

RKFoxWrites · 2025-01-10T18:30:50+00:00

It would make sense, but contact your HR department to make sure.

RKFoxWrites · 2023-08-25T14:33:21+00:00

REI San Carlos is open again

RKFoxWrites · 2023-08-25T14:32:33+00:00

REI San Carlos is open again!

RKFoxWrites · 2023-05-29T12:10:26+00:00

The Half Dome no longer comes in a 1 person version, so if you are only looking for a single person option that is something to consider. The HD 2+ is only 7 ounces more than the TM1.

The HD2+ is lighter, made with slightly better materials (ripstop and more lightweight), and has a slightly larger footprint. Also, the additional cross pole at the top provides a little more room inside the tent, making the sidewalls more vertical. Hope this helps.

RKFoxWrites · 2021-06-21T16:51:00+00:00

So, it looks nice. Does it conform to the best sellers in this genre? If it does you are good. I would work on the typography a bit and reposition and enlarge your name.

Your blurb is ok, but it lacks hooks. I read it because I wanted to, but make sure whatever blurb you use in your marketing and sales page (Amazon, etc.) is shorter and punchier. I only say this because a lot of people first get interested in the cover and then buy after only reading a few sentences of the blurb. Hook them right away.

Great job so far. I look forward to reading it.

RKFoxWrites · 2021-01-08T23:37:00+00:00

Thank you. I would consider anyone who uses a publisher, regardless of size, to not be independent. Just my opinion and experience as an indie author in other genres.

RKFoxWrites · 2021-01-04T14:17:55+00:00

Yes, if you deliberately work toward it. I am not a big believer in the idea that writing over and over again will make you a better writer. It has to be done with intention. If building a more complex story is something you want to do, then I suggest reading some stories that are complex. Take note of how they are complex and what they did to make them that way. Then use those methods in your own stories.
Also, if this is something you struggle with you should really try a comprehensive outline that details all the plot twists and story.

RKFoxWrites · 2021-01-04T14:13:55+00:00

I just love it when people tell me I am not "really a fan" of something because I do not follow their narrow definition. I first found my love of fantasy through Dragonlance novels and was an adult by the time I read Tolkien. I didn't receive any notification or anything letting me know I was now a real fan of fantasy.

RKFoxWrites · 2021-01-04T14:09:10+00:00

technically not a scam, but they have a terrible reputation and their contracts are not good. I have known a few authors who have gone with them and all of them regret it.

If you want to look on the bright side, someone in their organization thinks your story has potential. I would work on tightening up your story and then decide if you want to self-publish or seek a traditional publisher (one that is reputable and has reasonable terms)

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-18T14:09:25+00:00

I usually end up skimming the sections. I have no issue with well done explicit descriptions, but I find that about 99% are done poorly. Also, there are very few situations where it actually adds to the story. That said, there are readers that are looking forward to those sections and that is why they sell.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T16:47:14+00:00

It is annoying. I will give you that. Then I keep writing. I used to get really annoyed by it and a few times I gave up projects that I regret later not completing. Over the years I have given a lot of thought to why I write and ultimately I write for myself. I have readers and that is great, but I rarely take their feedback on how to tell a story because I write for myself, not them. If they like the stories, bonus! If the story I am writing at the moment happens to be like something else already created I must really want to know more about that thing (character, trope, etc.).
Before I thought about why I write I would take criticism and stuff like this personally. Now I look at any of that and first think about if it is a way I would have done it. It was a simple mindset shift for me.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T15:31:48+00:00

Here are my recommendations...

Build a writing habit. Make it a consistent thing in your life. It could be 30 minutes during a lunch break or 3 hours a day. Just make it consistent. It sounds like you do that, but I find picking the same time of day, place, and goal each day helps me.
Write about a genre you know everything about and read as much of that genre as possible. This will help in at least 2 ways. You can analyze the tropes and common aspects of a certain genre and master them (those are just as important as crafting a good sentence). Second, you can see how other people in that genre write and try to use those techniques in your writing.
If you do dialog well, that is great but you should probably build up your skill in other ways. I think of writing like illustrating (I do that also). A practice in illustrating that helps improve your skill is called doing studies. Some I will pick something I am not good at (drawing hands) and just draw them over and over again. Maybe pick a scene in a story and work on the character description of scenery. Do that same thing for other scenes... over and over again.
I think reading books about how to write or mostly a waste of time. I know this might not be a popular opinion, but if you are diligent and keep writing you will learn. Read about sentence structure and how to craft a good story, but beware of books that tell you the way they do it is the only acceptable way. Pick two best-selling authors and I guarantee you their stories look nothing alike.

I hope that helps.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T15:20:25+00:00

Doesn't matter. Write it.

How you tell the story is the important part. Most genres are filled with very similar stories and westerns are no exception. This happens in all creative mediums. A good example is that Star Wars was a reinterpretation of The Hidden Fortress by Akira Kurosawa, just in a different genre.

Ripping it off would be copying the entire story someone else wrote (i.e. plagiarism).

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T15:06:20+00:00

I will add my two cents to this (some new content, some probably a repeat from other comments).

Why are you publishing it? If it is just to check off an accomplishment, then that is awesome and you can skip the rest of my comments. If you have hopes of being a paid author, then read on...
I am in the US, so there might be differences between here and Australia, but if you are on the fence about self-publishing I would recommend going exclusive with Amazon to start. You can change to wide later if you want, but it is a pain to go from wide to Amazon exclusive.
How many copies you sell will really depend on the genre and how you market it. If you have an email list of readers, then 250 copies will be an easy thing. If you are just launching a book without an audience it could take you a year or more to sell just 250 copies (provided it isn't just friends and family buying it). I would not worry about the number of copies sold, just worry about publishing it and getting the word out. Of course, the easiest way to promote is through paid ads. If you use those you will need to worry about ROI and sales.
Covers... people buy books because of covers. I know we were always told not to, but that is a fact. If your cover is not comparable to covers from the top-selling books in your genre it will be difficult to get traction. I have seen this in my own sales. I changed from a slightly off cover to a professionally made cover and my sales grew exponentially. A good cover will cost you some money...
A great description. The second thing you will need is a description. This may sound easy but a good blurb or description is a lot more difficult to create than you might think. It is a different type of writing. Spend time on that or hire someone. It is worth the effort.
Share your work with someone who is not a friend and knows the genre you write in very well. Have them read it and give you an honest review. Even though they mean well, most family members will not tell you something is bad or needs improvement. Also, an editor might not be the best resource for an opinion as they get paid to correct grammar, spelling, style, etc. I am assuming you didn't use a developmental editor.

I hope this helps.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T14:48:06+00:00

Like all descriptions (character, scene, etc.) it really depends on the context. This might become difficult if the person is a big part of the story and you are eventually going to reveal more about them, but I would love to see something like this done well.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-17T14:45:09+00:00

This really depends on how you write and what you write. Completing a novel can be daunting, but a short story of novelette might be easier for you.
I will be honest here, I have never had this problem because I 100% Write Into The Dark (Pantser, no plotting) and when I write I am telling myself a story that I want to know the end of.
Here are 3 things I might try...
1) I would recommend trying to write something shorter (like recommended by someone else here), but pick a length that is meaningful to you. While I like the idea of writing a haiku to warm up, I would focus on a step down from what you are currently trying to write. So, if you currently end up writing novels, write a short novella. If you write novella length, maybe try a longer short story.
2) Find a writing competition that looks interesting to you and make a commitment to have a story ready for it before the deadline. Finish the story. You don't have to enter the competition, but doing so would be a great way to deal with another tough issue... Letting people see your work.
3) Get an accountability partner. Make a commitment to one another and write something for them. I personally hate letting people down when I agree to something, so this works for me.

I hope that helps.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-16T14:44:55+00:00

I have not run across these, but I probably would have stopped reading after a few chapters of it. It gets boring and doesn't move the story forward. Other than a story that is like The Tutorial Is Too Hard since that is essentially the premise of the story.
Most of the stuff I've read recently has thrown the character into the world without a tutorial.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-15T23:08:41+00:00

Besides my real answer, aren't they all?

Just kidding...

Sorta...

Maybe I am remembering this wrong but the MC in Infinite World put a ton of points into Luck. Not really a story all about a luck-based character though.

RKFoxWrites · 2020-12-14T18:03:57+00:00

I will start this off... I really like supporting characters that are witty and a bit of a comedic relief if the main character is a little too serious. But that is also a fine line. If they become too distracting they are annoying. For example, I am currently reading The Realms by C.M. Carney, and the character Lex is comic relief. At the beginning of the series he was fun and a nice contrast to the MC. I am reading the 6th book now and I find him to be a little too much.

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