The title of this post would imply that I’m able to balance both short story writing and novel writing at the same time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case. New short story ideas are so bright and shiny, I must write them RIGHT NOW! Of course, that puts my novel on hold and […]
The Short Story-Novel Balance Read More »
I have a new short story up at Niteblade today. It’s called “Maribelle Remembers Ice.” Here’s an excerpt: Maribelle’s eyes open. This time will be different, she thinks and looks to her right. Sea urchins stick out of the ice cave’s walls, purple spines swaying whenever the wind disturbs them and bumblebees freeze in the air, on
“Maribelle Remembers Ice” Published at Niteblade Read More »
I don’t usually write posts about the publishing industry because I have next to no knowledge of it. I’m a writer, yes, but my publishing credits are few. I have not dealt with the politics of publishing firsthand. But when I heard the news today that Weird Tales was purchased and the entire staff will
Weird Tales and the Fiction of the Future Read More »
I haven’t done a W1S1 (Write 1, Sub 1 for the uninitiated) in a while, so I thought what better time than the present? I had to drop back to W1S1 Monthly due to a combination of factors. The day job has become more demanding in the last month. Likewise, I’m working on a novel
A Mid-August W1S1 Update Read More »
It’s a graphic truth, but I just ripped apart my novel. Not that little pruning one does when trying to save that golden prose or avoid the hard truth about scenes that don’t work. No, I’m talking about cutting off its arms and legs, slitting its belly and letting the guts drop out. The draft
I Dismembered My Novel Read More »
Writing is funny. Okay, maybe not funny ha-ha, but the process can be amusing. Mostly, because it’s unpredictable. I’ll give you an example. If I’m not working on a long project, I’ll sit down to write and have nothing in mind. Then all of a sudden, a few words or phrases come out. Soon, a
Ephemera in Fiction Read More »
I’ve noticed something lately. When I sit down to work on my novel, I approach it in a straightforward manner. Plot a scene, write it, make notes. The story is linear and falls within a rather traditional science fiction vein. Then there’s my short stories, which are free-flowing and often resemble prose poetry. They deal
A Novel Disparity: Setting Myself Up for Failure? Read More »
I hope you all had a lovely holiday weekend. Mine was spent hanging out with family, eating copious amounts of food, and watching people get drunk. It’s hilarious until it’s awkward. I’m finally getting back into my novel WIP and it’s starting to fly. I’ve hit the middle–or what I wanted to be the middle–at
A Novel Break and Hitting the Halfway Point Read More »
This is really the first month I’ve been doing this Write 1, Sub 1 thing and it’s been pretty great so far. The whole point is writing consistently and consistently sending out your work on a regular basis. I’ll post my sub stats as the end of this post, but I can tell you right
W1S1 Update 02 – June Wrap Up Read More »
So this prompt comes from Terrible Minds. The task was to smash together two sub-genres (I picked steampunk and noir) and write a flash story of 1,000 words or less. What follows is the result. It’s silly and filled with clichés but maybe that’s part of the fun… — Mr. Polisher is Dead by Brenda
Flash Fiction Challenge: Mr. Polisher is Dead Read More »
