The Horror Library Blog-O-Rama

Faster, Smarter, Slightly More Literate

2009-01-27T13:51:00.003-05:00

I've been rebuilt. Of course first I had to get bruised, broken and beat down. And all this happened in the span of 72 short (yet at times very long) hours at the Borderlands Boot Camp.

It was an amazing experience where I had the opportunity to workshop stories with the likes of F. Paul Wilson, Douglas E. Winter, Mort Castle and Elizabeth Massie. It was an event in which I was allowed into the minds of Gary Braunbeck, Thomas Monteleone and editors from Ace Books (Ginjer Buchanon) and Grand Central Publishing (Jaime Levine).

My story had the bejeebus workshoppped out of it. At times I was told it was one giant plot hole, that I was failing to live up to my potential (which was prefaced that the instructor was well aware of said potential) and that I was good writer (but in this case had written a so-so story in need of serious revision). I learned a lot about writing, the industry and most importantly myself as a stringer of sentences..

I met people with whom my only interactions previously had been online, people I "knew" that I got to actually know (or at least meet): John Hornor Jacobs (who gives his own thoughts on the experience HERE), Tom Beck, Erik Williams and Kim Despins. On top of that I made some great new friends and writerly acquaintances: Kevin Lucia, Brittany Muscarella, Michael Smith, Susan Taylor, Selena Chambers, Jerry Enni, Nicole Ferweda and a slew of other faces (and talented wordsmiths).

It was three days of sensory overload coupled with sleep deprivation and the only thing I can think is -- I can't wait to go back.

See You in Twenty O'Nine

2008-12-23T14:28:00.005-05:00

And the Winners are... by Fran Friel

2008-12-18T10:31:00.008-05:00

Announcing the Winners
The HL V3 and DRP 10 Holiday Debut Contest was a big hit. We had tons of folks signing up to the last minute on four blogs for their chance at the latest goodies from Cutting Block Press and Dark Recesses Press. In our hope to get the prizes to the winners before the holidays ended, it was a quick contest, but a hefty one.

So without further yammerage, here are our winners:

First Prize - JAN
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 3
One Copy of Dark Recesses Press #10
$10 Gift Certificate to the Horror Mall

Second Prize - Bret Jordan
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 3
One Copy Dark Recesses Press #10

Third Prize - Horror.101
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 2

Fourth Prize - GrimGnome
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 1

Congratulations to the winners! And thank you, everyone, for your enthusiastic participation. For more info on the Horror Library Vol. 1 - 3 and Dark Recesses Press 10: CLICK HERE!

Happy Holidays, my friends!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - Winners will be contacted by email.

CONTEST - Horror Library Vol 3 and DRP 10 Holiday Debut by Fran Friel

2008-12-10T17:16:00.010-05:00

HL V3 and DRP #10 Debut Contest

The dark geniuses at Cutting Block Press and Dark Recesses Press have been busy gathering some fine reading for their fans. Just a few of the names you'll find in these two volumes of dark goodness: Bentley Little, Clive Barker, Gary Braunbeck, Jack Ketchum, Jeff Strand, Michael Arnzen, Kealan Patrick Burke, Cody Goodfellow and many more. Whether you are a new fan or an old one, you're going to love this contest!

How to Play: All you have to do is post a comment here on this blog and you'll automatically be entered into the contest.

For an extra entry: Just post a link to this contest on your blog and leave a comment here with the link to your blog. Here's the main contest link: http://horrorlibrary.blogspot.com/2008/12/horror-library-vol-3-and-drp-10-holiday.html

Yup, it's that easy. But what do you win?

First Prize
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 3
One Copy of Dark Recesses Press #10
$10 Gift Certificate to the Horror Mall

Second Prize
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 3
One Copy Dark Recesses Press #10

Third Prize
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 2

Fourth Prize
One Copy of Horror Library Vol. 1

Deadline for the contest: December 14th at Midnight, Eastern US Time

Winners will be announced the following weekend.

So there you have it, a great way to win some holiday gifts for your friends or for yourself. Good luck!

Wickedly Yours,
Cutting Block Press & Dark Recesses Press

Starting Them Young AJ Brown

2008-11-28T16:03:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving. What a blast. I love the food and the fun. It is, for the most part, a wonderful time each year. But, it is not necessarily Thanksgiving that I wish to talk to you all about today.

Today I would like to talk about the day before Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Eve. Yeah, it’s lame. I know. More specifically, I want to talk about something that happened this Thanksgiving Eve.

Before I go into that I would like to tell you about one of my daughter’s favorite things to do. She likes to walk through the house talking in an automated-type voice. She says, “I am a robot and I am here to disturb you.” Keep that in mind while you read. That statement, in and of itself, is disturbing.

Now, onto Thanksgiving Eve.

Upon arriving home on Wednesday my children went outside and I went in to the kitchen where my wife, Catherine, was preparing the turkey—her first. I’m sure she’ll remember her first time. Ba-dum-bum. Come on guys. Cut me some slack.

I looked out the kitchen window and what do I see? Guess. Okay, you’ll never guess, so I’ll tell you. I saw my seven-year-old daughter digging a hole with my shovel.

“What is she doing?” I asked my wife and then proceeded to head outside. I stopped near my daughter, mindful of how wide she was swinging the shovel as she tossed the dirt around the yard. “Chloe, can you put my shovel up?”

“I’m digging a hole, Daddy.”

“I know that, Sweetheart—I don’t want holes in the middle of the yard. So, let’s put the shovel away.”

She stopped digging long enough to look up at me and say, “Daddy, this is my grave yard and I’m digging graves for my animals.”

I stood silent for a minute as she went back to digging her hole—she actually did a really good job with it, too. Finally, I turned around and walked away, not sure what else to say at that moment. I went inside, no longer interested in the turkey but more preoccupied with staring out the window at my daughter and son.

“So, why is she digging holes?” Catherine asked.

“She’s not digging holes—they’re graves. And have you seen Pouncer?”

“Umm . . . no,” she said.

Pouncer, by the way, is our cat of eight years. I stood at the window as Chloe dug holes and my son, Logan, who is three, stood near her. After each hole was dug Chloe placed an animal shaped sand toy in each one. Logan then covered the animals and patted them down with the shovel while Chloe searched out bricks from a fire pit Catherine had made so we could roast marshmallows outside.

“Our back yard is turning into a toy graveyard,” I said as my wife seasoned the turkey.

Finally, Logan grew tired of planting toys in the ground and he said, “I’m done.” He came inside and my daughter finished the chore at hand. I walked outside and stood near the center of the yard. There were small mounds all over. Bricks sat either on or by the mounds. My daughter was placing her last brick in place.

“Hello, sir,” she said to me. “Would you like to take a tour of my pet cemetery?”

Just for the record, there is a difference between a regular every day tour and a grand tour. As my daughter has informed me, a tour is just where someone shows you things you can’t touch. A grand tour is where you can touch the items and do all sorts of fun things.

“Sure, I’ll take the tour of your pet cemetery.”

She takes me by the hand like a morbid mortician and leads me along a path of blocks and mounds. She told me which animals were in which graves.

“This one is a flamingo. That is a penguin. That is a seahorse. Over there is a lion and her baby. Poor baby.”

We came to the end of the tour and I looked down at my daughter in something that I guess was amazement. It may have been shock, but I am not sure. I do know one thing is certain, if she would have done her robot voice she would have succeeded in disturbing me.

“That is . . . very interesting . . . Sweetheart.” It was all I could think to say at the moment.

Chloe looked up at me with her eyes bright and her smile beaming from ear to ear. “Come back anytime, Sir—I’m always burying something.”

Honey, have you seen Pouncer?

Maximum Thankfulosity by Erik Smetana

2008-11-26T11:43:00.001-05:00

There are so many reasons to be thankful this year, here are a few...

My wife. Her support for my professional ambitions (writing et al) is mindblowing and much more than I ever expected (or probably deserve).

My family. For making life interesting (oh, so interesting).

My job. Even though I've been known to gripe about the rigors of "the day job" I'm glad to have it, especially during these crazy economic times.

My classmates and inner circle of writing amigos. Their feedback, encouragement and honesty make this whole writing thing A) fun B) worthwhile C) seem like a sane path (one that I can actually succeed in).

My new office. That's right, we've finally gotten around to redoing our home office and it is capital A, Awesome. Maybe I'll take some pictures.

Writers. Those that inspire me, entertain me and keep me chugging along in the hope that I can do the same for someone else.

Readers. The people who check out my blog, the +HL+ Blog-O-Rama, my stories and ask about the novel. Thank you and have a wonderful holiday!

The Patchwork Project, Get Involved

2008-11-21T08:16:00.002-05:00

We’ve all heard the stories. Young lady meets prince charming, marries him and it turns out he is really the frog in disguise. Or, maybe it’s more like the Beauty and the Beast but only the beast isn’t some sweet guy trapped by a curse. Or maybe it’s that man who you used to trust as a child who comes in the bedroom at night while everyone else is asleep.

What are they to do? Get out? Sometimes getting out isn’t as easy as it seems to you and I? Sometimes that love is really blind, especially when both eyes are swollen shut. And, it’s compounded if you are not an adult.

What am I talking about, here? Abuse. Simple as that. It’s a five-letter word and it means HELL. A living HELL.

In my life, which is still fairly young, I have seen the results of abuse—the long-term trauma that the victims go through. No, its not all short term, folks. There are scars left behind, some deeper than any physical wound.

Just recently a friend of mine turned me onto a website that is looking to address this abuse. They are trying to bring awareness to something that should never happen to anyone. It is noble beyond words and something everyone should check out. It is called Patchwork and it’s kind of unique in how they are attempting to bring awareness to abuse.

It’s like this. What they are doing . . . hold on a second. Why should I tell you what they are doing? Why don’t I let Douglas Burchill tell you about it instead? Please, grab a cup of coffee and sit back and come with me as I have a brief conversation with Mr. Burchill. And when you’re done sitting in with us, go check out Patchworkproject.com.

First off, Doug, thank you for your time.

Absolutely. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about Patchwork.

If you wouldn’t mind, tell us about the Patchwork Project and what you aim to achieve with it.

Patchwork is a domestic abuse awareness project comprised of writers, artists, publishers, and fans of the horror genre. At its core, it’s a website where people can get in touch with organizations that provide services and information for victims of domestic abuse. You can find out how you can help out, and there are websites and phone numbers for getting help if you need it. It’s also a creative space for writers and artists to use their talents to help promote awareness. If you’re a fan of horror, you can check out some good stories, and some good artwork in the near future, and hopefully think about getting involved.

As far as what we’re trying to do: We’re trying to get people to face domestic abuse and take a stand against it. Domestic abuse is really a monster under America’s bed. We know it’s there, sometimes we catch glimpses of it, but we’re scared to shine a flashlight on it and face it head on. I’m really happy with the number of hits we’ve had on the website’s “Get Involved” and “Get Help” pages. Honestly, if just one person gets out of an abusive relationship, or makes a contribution, then I think we’re on the right path.

Can I ask what led to the creation of the Patchwork Project??

A lot of things came together at the same time. It was odd. The Patchwork Project started as an activism project for my college health class, and I thought it wouldn’t be more than a couple of short stories I was planning to write to promote domestic abuse awareness. Then one of my co-workers at the day job was brutally murdered by her son. It was horrible—this great lady who we all loved was literally slaughtered in her own bed. And she had told us that her son was constantly harassing her for money, verbally abusing her. Thinking about the whole incident, I started to question what I could have done.

That’s when Patchwork really started to take shape. If I had known phone numbers, if I had known more about the patterns of domestic abuse, if, if, if. I decided to create a place where people could get more info, get help; get involved somehow. I just didn’t know how to promote it. Since I’m a horror writer, I thought I’d contact a few of the folks that had published some of my stories before. They got behind it in a way I didn’t expect.

David Byron, who runs New Voices in Fiction Magazine, really went above and beyond. He got behind this project from the word go, putting up flyers and posts and banners. Kevin Colligan from Well Told Tales, Jeff Cercone from Down in the Cellar, R. Scott McCoy from Necrotic Tissue. I owe all of these guys a big “thank you” for helping promote the site.

The response from writers, like yourself, has been great. People seemed to get it right away. The artists are on their way, it just takes a little longer to get the art formatted for the site.

What is, if any, the significance of the name of this project?

You mentioned earlier the long-term effect on survivors of domestic abuse; scars that take a long, long time to heal, if they ever do. It’s patchwork life, trying to keep all the pieces together. Then, there are the horror connotations like Frankenstein’s Monster, Leatherface, etc. I think I actually had a name for the project before I fully knew what it would be.

How can people help or get involved with the Patchwork Project?

There are lots of ways. If you’re a writer or artist, submit a work to the website then tell all your friends to check it out. Tell someone about the project, download a Patchwork flyer and print it, then put it up somewhere. Visit the sites of some of the organizations listed at Patchwork to find out what kind of help they need. It’s not all monetary donations; some of them need clothing, old cell phones, or volunteers.

In regard to stories, what are you looking for and what are you not looking for?

We’re looking for good horror stories. Nothing overtly pornographic or demeaning to victims, or anything that glorifies abusers. Other than that, it’s pretty wide open. Patchwork is a nonprofit project, so we can’t pay artists or writers. On the other hand, we’re not so concerned with market formulas or themes, so this is a chance for people to make a statement with works that might not be published elsewhere. I’m excited to see how Patchwork evolves based on the contributions we receive.

Douglas Burchill, I appreciate you taking the time to do this interview and I commend you for what you and your staff are doing here.

Thank you, AJ, for your interest and letting me talk about it.

And, for you, my faithful readers, if you know of someone who is going through abuse, please try and help them. If you are in an abusive relationship of any kind, get help—your life may very well depend on it.

I’m AJ and I’m out.

The Patchwork Project

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

The Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women

In Centre County, PA: The Centre County Women's Resource Center

Safe 4 All

Also check out some of The Patchwork Project's friends:

New Voices in Fiction Magazine

Well Told Tales

Down in the Cellar

Necrotic Tissue

For Your Consideration: The Ultimate Death Match by Erik Smetana

2008-11-19T06:39:00.001-05:00

In lieu of my usual nonsensical, writerly ramblings this week's +HL+ Blog-O-Rama post is being replaced by a very serious question...

Imagine a caged octagon.

Now picture some of the fiercest, most dangerous beasts to ever roam the Earth confined inside, ready to rumble until there can be only one a la The Highlander. The contestants are (in no particular order, although some are obviously more awesome than others):

1) a zombie
2) a unicorn
3) a ninja
4) a shark (whether it is a robot shark or not is left up to you)
5) a crusty pirate
6) a bear (something vicious, possibly with magic powers, not one of those caring kind)
7) your choice of any or all of the Universal Monsters.

The big question is who comes out on top? Sound off in the comments or drop me a note.

His, Theirs and Mine - News! by Fran Friel

2008-11-16T18:26:00.001-05:00

HIS
I'm always thrilled when my friends do great things, so I thought I'd share a little greatness with you today. My dear friend, Edmund Schubert, has written something wonderful for us--his novel, Dreaming Creek from LBF books. I just ordered it today and I can't wait to have a great read by one of my favorite writers. Ed not only writes up a storm, he's also a very busy editor for a number of publications, including the fabulous Intergalactic Medicine Show. It's always a fantastic read if you haven't yet had the pleasure.

So support a fine writer and an excellent editor and stop by for a copy of Ed's latest at LBF Books or Amazon.com.

THEIRS
Oh yes, there's more goodness. The masters of madness and the publishers of Horror Library Volume 1 and Volume 2 are at it again. Horror Library Volume 3 has just been unleashed...er, released! This book just gets better with each generation. The latest has stories by Bentley Little, Gary Braunbeck, Michael Arnzen, Jeff Strand to name a few of the biggies, as well as some great up-and-comers such as Kurt Dinan, Sunil Sadanand and C. Michael Cook. For a look at the complete Table of Contents that will wow you--Click Here.

The Horror Library anthologies are truly events not to be missed. Get a copy of your own at Cutting Block Press!

MINE
A couple of new folks have gotten their hands on Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales and have a few very nice things to say about it.

Carol Reid reviews the MB collection at The Short Review. This site is absolutely a must for the short story lover in you. Short story collections are their passion, so be sure to browse the list while you're there checking out Carol's thoughts on "Mama's Boy".

A few words from The Short Review:
Fran Friel is a generous, spellbinding storyteller. Her love of a well-told tale is clear, from the first words of the opening story, Beach of Dreams: "With dawn still hours away, the storm howled in the cavernous spaces between the carcasses on the beach."

Michele Lee reviews the MB collection at The Fix. I had the pleasure of meeting Michele at Context 21 in Columbus, Ohio this past September. It was a delight to meet her in person, and of course, I'm thrilled that she enjoyed the collection.

Here's an excerpt from Michele's review:
Don’t let the first story in Fran Friel’s collection, Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales, deceive you into thinking this is some sort of “Horror Lite” book. The first story, “Beach of Dreams,” is a surreal, exotic tale of a man visiting a native tribe who is one day privy to examining strange things that wash up on their shores...Full of visceral imagery and summed up with a sad-sweet ending, this tale might make readers think Friel doesn’t have the balls to do more than flirt with horror.Perhaps purposefully deceptive, or perhaps just showing her versatility, Friel shatters that perception with her next offering, “Gravy Pursuits.”

Now, if I haven't snoozed you too much just yet, The Short Review also requested a short interview. If you have a few more moments to indulge in my yammerage, you can find the The Short Review Interview Here.

Thanks so much for reading the news, gang. I hope you found it helpful. Oh, and by the way, DO NOT MISS the annual Apex Raffle going on right now. You can win some incredible goodies over there, plus there's a signed and personally doodled copy of Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales up for grabs, as well. The tickets start at just $1.00 or $25 for a chance to win EVERYTHING!

See you soon, my friends.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

A Matter of Curiosity by Erik Smetana

2008-11-13T13:27:00.002-05:00

I've mentioned before that I am in the home stretch of completing a MFA in writing, something I did more for my own selfish personal enjoyment. So last night sitting there in a room of writers the question came up (I'm going to paraphrase here), "Imagine you had never written a story before, what would you want/need to learn first?"

Some people shouted out plot, a few said setting, others characterization (this resulted in some comments that you can't just have aimless characters with nothing to do and nowhere to do it at), pacing, POV, voice (not sure if this is actually teachable, but okay) and on and on.

Flipping the question on it's ear for a moment, what as a reader is important to you in a story?

What makes one story better, in general, than another? I'll admit that I read Chuck Palahniuk because of the voice (and wit) which some critics have described as a college-educated Oregonian 30-something male, but I digress. I read Steve Berry because of the quick pace and the action, his books are the sort that I can sit down with on a rainy Sunday afternoon and zip through. I find myself mesmerized by the characters in John Green's books, so much so that my personal library has gone from zero Green titles to three (all of his books) in a matter of weeks. My point is, I read different writers for different reasons, but in the end I suppose it all comes down to one thing: a good story.

So, why do you read who you read? What is it in a given writer's ability to cobble together a story that makes it work? Are you drawn to particular keys over and over, across many writers? Or are you a bit like me and go for different books for various reasons?

And for the writers reading this, what do you consider your strongest area? Where do you need improvement? What resources would help you improve? Just some food for thought.

Note: Don't you just love PostSecret, especially the extra bizarre ones (see the pic above)?

The Day After by Erik Smetana

2008-11-05T09:33:00.004-05:00

WARNING: I'm going political for a moment.

A lot of things (in my opinion) went right yesterday, some things not so much and still there are a few major issues waiting around, hanging out by themselves in a dark corner of the gymnasium waiting for some sort of final decision. But more importantly, the talking heads, the winners and the losers have all been fairly unanimous in one thing since Brian Williams broke the good news (again, in my opinion) last night at 10 pm CST -- we, as a country, need to stay engaged in the political process and work together to take this country forward.

So here is some serious:

"Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation."

-Robert F. Kennedy

And here is some funny:

Happy Halloween Gaiman Style - FREE! by Fran Friel

2008-11-01T01:00:00.001-04:00

The Wonderful Mister Gaiman
Happy Halloween, my friends! Have I got an absolutely delicious treat for you, especially if you're a Gaiman fan.

As many of you know, I adore Neil Gaiman. He was "the straw that broke the camel's back inspiration" for me to start writing after many years of pining about it. Hence, I'll always be grateful to him. In addition to the writing, he's inspired me by the kind of person he is. By all accounts, he's a sweetheart of a guy and extraordinarily kind to his fans. His latest project proves that he posses a generosity of spirit--the kind that I love and aspire to.

On tour with his latest release, The Graveyard Book, he read a full chapter at each stop of his book tour. BUT if you missed it like I did (dang!), not only did he read a chapter at each stop, his readings were video taped. You'll find his video tour, in its entirety, at Mr. Bobo's Remarkable Mouse Circus website!

If you want a little background on the project, in his remarkable way, Neil talks about how The Graveyard Book came about:

The Treat
No tricks here, kids. Just a great Halloween feast, so go visit Neil (one of my favorite storytellers) at the Mouse Circus for a delicious treat of storytelling and wonder:

Click HERE for The Graveyard Book at Mr. Bobo's Remarkable Mouse Circus

Have a marvelous night full of sweets and shadows, my friends. Happy Halloween!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

My Goth City: Invaded by Zombies

2008-10-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

Ah, Louisville, KY, once again is Goth City Central and Chrispy was front and bloody center.

I even dragged my lovely bride along.

The crepuscular night was chilly as we pulled into the bewooded parking area of Iroquois Park about 7:30 PM. The twinkling stars were already out, and as we approached the Amphitheater (built by the W.P.A. in the 1930's).

We passed a crashed satellite (my wife said, I don't get it. she would) which glowed with reddish radiation. Then, on the steps of the amphithater ... we saw ... zombies.

Ia!

They were covered in blood and gore, ashen faced, and limping, shambling, and staggering toward us.

(Well, they were really apprentice actors, but go with me on this.)

Inside, we were entertained by a very groovy band playing 1060's light jazz, beatnik music. They really were fun, but nervous. As they said, they'd never played for an audience (of about 500 by then) that big!!

Then the play began!

The first scene is captured on the youtube video below - filmed in Louisville with Stage One actors.

The production was very well done, fast paced, filled with action, blood, gunshots, fight scenes, screaming, and lots of zombie action.

Mmm. Live Theater.

With the death of television nearly complete, why don't YOU support YOUR local theater soon. In the meantime: Watch the clip below and be prepared to be chilled.

A Miserable Lot of Complainers We Are AJ Brown

2008-10-23T20:29:00.002-04:00

Writers. We're a miserable lot.

It's true. We are. We moan and groan and complain and whine. It's what we do best. Well, other than write, that is.

We complain about the publishing world and form rejects. We complain about why people won't read our stories. We complain about markets going under. We complain about long waits and then complain when we finally hear back from a publication we have so impatiently waited on.

We complain about editing and rewrites. We complain when someone says you should workshop your stories. We complain when an editor actually takes the time to give out constructive criticism instead of sending that aforementioned form rejection. And, why? Because it wasn't what we wanted to hear.

Do you see a theme here?

Wait. It gets better.

We complain about a lack of originality but then don't do anything about it in our own writing. We complain about copycat writers but then turn around and copy them.

We complain about writer's block and them bemoan people when they tell us how they get out of that horrid gray area in most writers' lives.

We complain about guidelines. Double space or single space? Justified or ragged or tabbed? Do we have to use William Shunn's template for submitting stories? (No, but I recommend it—it truly has the professional appearance.) Bios or no bios? Contact information with the introductory letter or on the first page of the story? Headers? Funny—we complain about these things but then don't follow the guidelines, get rejected and then complain about why we got rejected.

Nag. Nag. Nag.

You see, writers are a truly miserable lot. And we love the company. So, let's go complain to all of our writer friends. Or anyone who will listen for that matter.

But, wait. There's more.

The biggest complaint I have heard recently is, believe it or not: How did that person get published? I write better than that person. I can't believe he/she got accepted and I didn't.

Oh, my head hurts.

What gives, people? Seriously. What gives?

Here's some advice from your Uncle AJ. Stop complaining. It doesn't get you anywhere and it makes people want to avoid you. Seriously. Stop complaining. To add to that, stop comparing yourselves to other writers. You are YOU—not King, Barker, Ketchum or Wilson. If you want to write like them, by all means, do so, but please, stop complaining when you can't capture their style. You HPL fans—he's hard to emulate, but it can be done. However, if it doesn't add up, don't whine about it. Try again. And KEEP trying, if that is what you wish to do or how you wish to write.

I like to view comparing ourselves to other writers in a similar way that Rick Warren views ministry. Bear with me here for a second and don't turn away.

"There are two reasons why you should never compare your shape, ministry or the results of your ministry with anyone else. First, you will always be able to find someone who seems to be doing a better job than you and you will become discouraged. Or you will always be able to find someone who doesn't seem as effective and you will get full of pride. Either attitude will take you out of service and rob you of your joy."
--Rick Warren
A Purpose Driven Life

Okay, now listen to me for a second. If you take the above quote and apply it to your writing then you may get more out of it than you think. For the longest time I wanted to write like—you guessed it—Stephen King. But, you know, I'm just not King. I am me. I write like me. It's that simple.

A couple of years ago I really sucked. I mean sucked big time. I had great ideas but when I put them to paper the stories were essentially ruined. Getting published was not even close to a reality.

After some long, thoughtful soul searching, I figured out that by trying to be like King I was actually hurting myself. Then I set out to discover if writing was something I wanted to pursue. There are so many great writers, both professional and amateur and I wondered if I even had a prayer in the market world. Again, I was comparing myself with others. No. No. No. No.

When I decided to be me and learn about the craft of writing I started to grow. I started to get that feeling that the stories don't suck half as bad as they used to. Now, the stories only suck about a third as bad as they used to. I'm happy about that.

There is always going to be writers out there that are better than me. Always. There are always going to be writers out there who are better than you. There's no need to get discouraged about that. There is this gentleman I know who is a much better writer than I am and every time I read one of his stories I think, 'Wow, this guy is good.' That gentleman is Ian Rogers. If you haven't heard of him, you are truly missing out. Look him up. But, I don't let that discourage me. In fact, I analyze a lot of his writing and look at the things at which he is very good at. Some of those things I apply to my own writing. It's a way of learning for me. Ian is just one example of someone who I KNOW is a better writer than I am. There are many, many, many more.

Ah . . . but there are those people I feel I write better than they do. But, I never say it or really think about it. Instead, I like to try and help them in the manner that I have been helped. Encouraging them, pointing out things that I have seen in my own writing that I see in theirs. It's amazing to see some of these people blossom right before my eyes. It's amazing to see them take to something and really work it until they get it right. They do NOT complain. As a matter of fact, one of these guys lets out a Yahoo or a Yippee every time he is rejected. His enthusiasm is contagious and his writing has improved ten fold in the less than a year I have known him. And that has nothing to do with me, and everything to do with him, his drive, determination, enthusiasm and willingness to constantly get better and better with each passing story.

Most of those folks are better writers than I am now!

What does it all boil down to? It's simple. Complaining isn't going to get you anywhere in the world of writing. Writing will get you where you want to go. Working on writing will get you where you want to go. An enthusiastic attitude will get you there. Not so much, however, complaining.

As I said before: Writer's are a miserable lot. We really are. But, if we stop complaining about the state of things in the writing community and start doing something about it, then maybe we wouldn't be so darn miserable.

For now, I'm AJ and I'm out.

My Goth City

2008-10-21T00:01:00.004-04:00

More toward proof that Louisville, KY is now goth city America. A local makes a gothic, horror splash.

Jennifer Carpenter was born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 7, 1979. She grew up in Louisville and went to Sacred Heart Academy.

Filmography:
Quarantine (2008)
“Dexter” …. Debra Morgan (2006-2008) - She’s been on 25 episodes of Dexter.
Battle in Seattle (2007)
The Dog Problem (2006)
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
In The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Jennifer Carpenter gives one of the most grueling physical performances in recent memory.
Lethal Eviction (2005)
Queen B (2005)
Last Days of America (2005)
White Chicks (2004) - Her character was “Lisa.”
D.E.B.S. (2004)
Ash Tuesday (2003)
People Are Dead (2002)

In green-shaded night vision, a woman suddenly slides down a wall at an alarming speed, screaming bloody murder. She's TV reporter Angela Vidal, played by Louisville-born actress Jennifer Carpenter, 28.

... a video interview ...
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/jennifer-carpenter-interview-deb-in-dexter/1374503853

_____

Part of an interview from our local Courier-Journal newspaper...

...You are very skilled at screaming.

Thank you. I've trained.

It must feel amazing that the third season premiere of "Dexter" was the highest-rated original program in Showtime's history.

The writers never get the credit they deserve. And we have the best. We hardly ever see them because they're always locked up in some room, working. I think people are going to be incredibly happy with the third season. We're shooting episodes 11 and 12 and wrapping up the third season right now. … The great thing about Seasons 1 and 2 is they kind of tied themselves up, so we're starting completely fresh. It takes us four and a half months to shoot (an entire season). It's the longest four and a half months of my life. But we have time to go do movies, like "Quarantine."

A Fighting Chance by Erik Smetana

2008-10-16T12:28:00.005-04:00

This week's post is going to be a brief one and a day late. It has been a long few days. There was a professional conference (sadly, nothing to do with writing), some other life events and more sadly a death in the family. Like I said, long few days.

The keynote speaker at the conference was a motivational guru, the sort of guy I would normally dismiss and be on my way, but in light of the other things happening in my life, his main point and my main point of this column was a simple question.

Are you giving yourself every opportunity to succeed?

This struck home in perspective of everything else on my mind. Life is short, fleeting even. Am I giving myself everything I can to reach the next level? I've thought quite a bit about this question in the days since and I would like to say I'm not sure. But that would be a lie. I know the answer and it is no.

I procrastinate, volunteer for side projects and find myself doing everything but the writing I ~~want~~
need to get done. Everything came full circle last night, around 1 am as I toiled away on a short story (my Borderlands Boot Camp story). A story I've stopped and started umpteen times since July. After all those tries, I had a measly 1000 salvageable words. Why? I think I might have been standing in my own way. There was fear, of failure, of success, of what next.

So, last night, I walk in the door a little after ten and know that the story is due. Literally. And I wasn't finished. So I started writing.

A few hours later and I had over 5,000 words down. I don't think if I've ever written more in a single session before. This morning I spent a few hours whittling it down, editing, revising and so on and sent it off. I know it's not perfect, but it's something that I am proud of, a story that has some meat and room to become something special. The sort of story I've been trying to write for a long time. It's titled "Based on Actual Events," and it isn't ready for prime time, but hopefully the other attendees and instructors at the writer's retreat can help me get it there.

What is important is that I got the story down, something that normally takes me weeks, sometimes months. I'm not sure how many stories I've started, stopped, even abandoned because the words didn't look right. But it wasn't that the words weren't right, the words were nothing more than letters on a page, it was the possibility of what those words could mean that got me spooked. The notion that a first draft, something worthwhile, might hold me accountable to revision. Put me in the position to send it out into the world and wait for word on it's fate. The idea that making the leap from short stories to novels might mean something, turn into what I want it to was terrifying.

But something has changed for me in the last several days. Things are more clear. My job is to get the words down, then worry about making them shine. I will not fear the first draft.

I will give myself every opportunity to succeed.

Will you?

Dracula 2008

2008-10-14T00:01:00.004-04:00

Live Theater. Art. It's what keeps our society energized, though too few take advantage of that energy. TV is cool, Movies are OK, but live theater with actors only a few feet from you - that's life.

In the case of a live performance of Dracula, it's death.

Once again, Chrispy and wife trekked to Louisville's Actor's Theater to brave blood gushing (ew), needle piercing, screaming, rat gnawing violence, gore, gun shots, screams,a nd explosions. And this is all in a 500 seat auditorium cram packed with actors running, jumping, yelling, and flying about beneath, beside, and above.

Thrilling.

Here's a fun series of images that show one of the transfomations and hint at the illusion.

A Controlling Idea? Huh? by Fran Friel

2008-10-12T12:05:00.002-04:00

So What's It Really About?
At first blush, this blog appears to be for writers, but to the dedicated readers and movie viewers out there, this blog is for you, too. It will enrich your experience of books and films and help you see at the most fundamental level why some stories work and some don't.

Most of us have heard the terms theme and premise, and some will argue their meaning, but for today let's just say they're interchangeable and we'll go with premise as our focus. For our purposes, when we say premise, we're talking about the "controlling idea" (per Robert McKee in Story) or what a story is really about when you strip away all the window dressing. I'm eternally grateful to my mentor, Douglas Clegg, for reintroducing me to this concept because it makes the process of writing so much cleaner and the process of reading and movie viewing a ton 'o fun.

Egri Calls It Premise
Doug suggested the book, The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri, to help me deepen my understanding of the subject of premise/theme. Egri refers to the subject as premise and he begins the book this way:

A man sits in his workshop, busy with an invention of wheels and springs. You ask him what the gadget is, what it is meant to do. He looks at you confidingly and whispers: "I really don't know."

Another man rushes down the street, panting for breath. You intercept him and ask where he is going. He gasps "How should I know where I'm going? I am on my way."

...Every sensible invention must have a purpose, every planned sprint a destination.

...Reams of paper of paper bear miles of writing--all of it without any point at all. There is much feverish activity, a great deal of get-up-and-go, but not one seems to know where he is going.

So again, what is the story really about? On the deepest level of your feeling self, what is the story saying to you? Premise is not to be confused with plot. It's not what happens to whom, it is what underlies all the action and interactions of a story--a statement of the human condition that everyone can feel or identify with, even if we don't agree with it. Egri offers the following examples:

Romeo and Juliet - Premise: "Great love defies even death."

King Lear - Premise: "Blind trust leads to destruction."

Macbeth - Premise: "Ruthless ambition leads to its own destruction."

Othello - Premise: "Jealousy destroys itself and the object of its love."

Driving Satisfaction
In exploring this subject, I have learned that in standard story telling you will find that every paragraph and every sentence drives toward the premise in a great story. Without this clear path, a story feels less satisfying even if you're not aware of why that's so. There's a sense of ungroundedness or something out of place, even if it's an interesting or entertaining story. The premise is the unifying force, the thing that holds all the elements together, and without it, a story doesn't feel solid.

Writers don't usually start out knowing what the premise of a story is, rather it emerges as they write, but the important thing is for them to notice it, and to then refine it to its simplest form. Ultimately, the story should be edited to clear away anything that doesn't support the premise and fill in the gaps to clarify and strengthen it where needed.

The Tease
As readers and movie watchers, if you're a geek like me, you can tease out this idea for yourself to see if a film or a book holds together. You'll start to notice that really powerful stories have very strong and clear premises. Sometimes they're hard to nail down at first, but if you keep paring down the themes within the story, you'll find one shiny idea that unifies the whole echilada. For a poorly written story, you may be entertained, but the theme, if you can pin it down at all, won't hold together from start to finish.

Teasing out the theme is harder than it sounds, but it's a very statisfying and instructive exercise, especially for writers and lovers of story. It really demonstrates how important this concept of a unifying idea is to every single aspect of a well wrought tale.

Reoccuring themes for writers will arise from this exercise, as well, since themes/premises ultimately come from their conscious and unconscous beliefs and passions. I suspect readers and movie viewers, if you look more closely, you'll find that you're drawn to the work of specific writers because your beliefs and passions are in alignment with the writer's (via the themes of their stories). Nothing like a little psycho-babble blogging, but I think you'll find this "premise" true.

I don't have the magic to fully convey what premise or theme is in one blog, in fact, I'm still learning myself, but I hope I sparked your curiosity on the subject AND its importance in the composition of a truly great story. Don't take my word for it, read Egri, McKee, Gotham Writers' and anyone who will enlighten you on the subject. Now, get out there and go hog freakin' wild with this idea (yeah, baby, I'm a party animal, eh?). I guarantee it will change your writing and your appreciation for a well told tale.

See you next weekend!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Fly Little Bird, Fly... by Erik Smetana

2008-10-08T06:24:00.002-04:00

Fly free.

Or don't. There are writers, probably more than I realize that are completely capable of writing a story, reviewing it on their own and revising without the assistance of any outside eyes. I am not one of those writers. I love the workshop environment, whether it be online or as part of something more formal like a MFA program. My writing requires the use of first readers.

Whether it be a short story or the novel I rely on the thoughts, critiques and scrutiny of others. Some are writers, some readers (as in they have no desire to write anything themselves), but they all share the commonality of having a keen sense of detail and plot. I hope that they aren't afraid to tell me when something works and when it doesn't.

I bring this all up because as I near the end of a graduate degree in writing, an experience filled with group workshopping, and work on my novel while having the amazing opportunity to act as a first reader for a handful of other writers, I realize the importance of the first reader (importance for me anyways).

So thanks to those that read my writing before it resembles anything close to a final product and an even larger debt of gratitude to those writers that have allowed me to look over their words in the early stages (from you I have learned so much). And a future thanks to those that I plan to tap/ask to look over MOAAG in a few short months.

I've made it clear how I feel about first readers (beta readers), for the other writers out there, what is your take on this?

Shocklines Film Series in New York! by Fran Friel

2008-10-05T10:13:00.009-04:00

Hurray for New York
Some very lucky New Yorkers are going to be treated to a new and wondrous series at the movies--The Shocklines Film Series! I might even take the train down to enjoy a few of these jewels. Here's the scoop from Matt Schwartz, the founder of the series:

For those in the NYC area, I'm organizing a monthly film series devoted to horror films that have never gotten real theatrical distribution (so people can see the films on the big screen), and with horror shorts preceding the films. Nothing major -- just a little side project. One of my friends who does event programming professionally was looking for someone to handle a horror film series, and I volunteered.

You can get info at: www.shocklinesfilms.com

The first one will be October 29th at 8PM, featuring Dog Soldiers (from Neil Marshall, the creator of The Descent) with the short film Peekers directed by Mark Steensland, written by Rick Hautala based on a Kealan Patrick Burke short story. Additionally, anyone who comes will get a little promotional chapbook of the short story PEEKERS only available at this screening.

Hope you can make it! Feel free to spread the word. I'll be announcing the other films for upcoming months shortly.

So there you have it, gang. What a treat for you New York film goers. All the details are at the website where you can even purchase your tickets. In case you're wondering about the location, it's at: 92Y Tribeca 200 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10013.

For you non-New Yorkers, anyone up for a road trip??

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Whatever It Takes by Erik Smetana

2008-10-01T05:35:00.002-04:00

As you may be aware, Blog-O-Rama wrangler, Fran Friel was deservingly selected by Douglas Clegg to be his first "protege" in what he/she/I/we/everyone hopes might turn into a regular thing not just for Doug but for other writers with a bit of success under their belts who are open to the idea of paying it forward. But as nice as all that is, and it is very nice, that isn't the point of this post. My purpose with this week's column (one that comes on the heels of two weeks of nothing from me) is to talk about one of Fran's assignments.

An internet ban.

Our dear, ever sociable, Ms. Friel wasn't allowed to use the interwebs during the course of the week (as in weekdays, M-F). This meant no message boards and no aimless surfing, the only caveat being that she could use e-mail (which is ever so important when you are waiting to hear back on a submission's fate). After a week of hermitude, Fran emerged well rested, chipper and accomplished -- as in she got a whole heck of a lot of work done. Then came the zinger.

Fran was going to keep at it, despite the fact that her assignment was only to last one week. But the amount of writing (and life) that got accomplished during those five days was enough to make her wonder if the weekday internet ban might be something worth exploring a bit further. And its something that as I examine my own work (the day job, grad school and my own writerly ambitions) that I have started to give serious consideration to. At least as an experiment in productivity.

So...

Starting this past Monday, I'm went cold turkey. No web (with the exception of e-mail and blog posts) during the week, a time in which I hope to get a bit of writing accomplished. Wish me luck, feel free to drop me a note at my name at yahoo and I'll be sure to let you know how this whole thing goes (so you keep checking in).

Liquid Imagination Debuts and a Fran Friel InterviewAJ Brown

2008-09-27T07:49:00.004-04:00

Hey. Remember me. I’ve been gone for a short while. I had to take a break—my head was hurting. And, besides, I had to dig up my muse and bring her back to life. I missed her nagging. Oh and what she has me writing these days even disturbs me.

But, that is for another day. Today I am here to bring you some great information about a new publication that hits the online waves on September 26th. Yeah, I know you guys are probably tired of all the new zines popping up here and there and then going bye-bye after a few issues. But, you know, I think this new rag just may have staying power.

What e-zine am I talking about? Liquid Imagination. Just say the name and think about it for a minute. Liquid Imagination. Now that has a great ring to it.

John Miller founded liquid Imagination and he has a staff of really nice folks who have worked hard at getting this debut issue out in a timely manner. I have been fortunate enough to watch this go from a simple conversation to a vision to a reality. I’m very happy for John and his staff of talented people. Let me introduce you to them:

Founder and Publisher: John "JAM" A. Miller
Editor: Kevin Wallis
Poetry Editor: Chrissy Davis
Art Director: Lisa Peaslee
Technical Advisor: Karl Rademacher
Workshopping: Sue Babcock

I’ve been watching these folks work at creating Liquid Imagination. Their ideas are great and the way they work together is refreshing to see.

But, wait, there’s more. I don’t just tell you this to promote Liquid Imagination. I tell you this to also promote a new interview with Fran Friel that debuts at Liquid Imagination. It is my second interview with the delightfully wonderful author of Mama's Boy. We discussed many things including her life since the Stokers, her new collection of short stories and going through a mentorship with Douglas Clegg. Not only that, but take a gander at my story “The Babes of Angels” while you are at it. It was written specifically for Liquid Imagination and it’s not like what I would normally write.

There are other stories and poetry in there as well by the likes of Chris Perrides, Lucas Pederson, Theresa Cecilia Garcia-Newbill, Erik Smetana, Sue Babcock, Tom Beck and several others. Heidi Heimler titles my personal favorite of the stories “The Hairdresser’s Nightmare”. Throw in an interview with Nene Thomas and some vivid artwork and you have a pretty cool debut issue.

Who knows what will happen with Liquid Imagination on down the road? They may go the way of many other zines, but they may end up having some strong staying power as well. The one thing I do know is that there has been a lot of enthusiasm and hard work put into this and I’m hoping they’re here for the long haul.

You know, there is only one way that can happen though: Go visit Liquid Imagination and tell them what you think. Check them out here:

Liquid Imagination

For now, I’m AJ and I’m out.

JRR Tolkein's Homage Lament Is Mankind's Lament

2008-09-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

I was researching some antiquarian items and saw this. To a horror writer it cried out in a humbling way. All are mortal.

_____

Fantasiae {Magazine}
The Monthly Newsletter of the Fantasy Association
Vol. 1
No. 6
September 1973

J.R.R.T.
(1892-1973)
Lament for the Makaris: Qwhen He Was Seik
William Dunbar
(late fifteenth century)

I that in heill was and gladness
Am trublit now with great sickness
And feblit with infirmitie:-
Timor Mortis conturbat me,

Our pleasance here is all vainglory
This fals world is bot transitory,
The flesh is bruckle, theFeynd is slee:-
Tiznor Mortia conturbat me.

The state of man dois change and vary,
Now sound, now sick, now blyth, now sary,
Now dansand mixry, now like to die:-
Timer Mortis conturbat me.

No state in Erd here startdis sickir;
As with the wind wavis the wicker,
So vavis this waridis vanitie:-
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

Unto the Death gois all Eatatia,
Princis, Prelattis, and Potestatia,
Baith rich and poor of all degree:-
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

He takie the knichtis into field
Enarmit under helm and shield;
Victor is he at all mellie:-
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

That strong unmerciful tyrand Takie,
on the motheris breast soukand,
The babe full of benignitie:-.
Timor Mortis conturbat me.

_____

Chris Perridas

+HL+'s own: Ron McGillvray's Movie!!

2008-09-16T22:37:00.004-04:00

That's right. Our own alumni, Ron McGillvray wrote this movie. Now YOU can watch it and admire his talents. He had a nice review from Random House (!) "Ron McGillvray has written a nifty little five-minute horror film ... more (click).

Get that popcorn, cuddle up with a loved one and get prepared to be s..c..a..r..e..d !!!

_____

Message from Ron ...

Hi everyone,

Here is a short horror film I wrote about three years ago. The Director just informed me that he'd posted it onto Youtube the other day. Watch it in a dark room for best results as it was shot in a very dark environment.

We had no budget and I had to come up with an idea that needed no special effects, a limited location and with a limited cast. All in all it was a fun experience.

Hope you like it,
Ron

_____
_____

Chris Perridas

Too Fast, Beach Yammering, Cleggage and Dynamic Art

2008-09-15T00:56:00.000-04:00

Going, Going, Gone?
This has been our first full summer here at the beach and the first time I can remember not wanting summer to end (at least as an adult). I love the Autumn and I've always looked forward to the end of the heat and humidity of Summer so I could get to the good stuff, but this year, I'm actually sad to see the leaves start to change. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to love the crisp air and Fall foliage, but I can't help but think of the snow and ice that soon follows (Yuck!) and missing these gorgeous sparkling sunny days.

Yammerings from the Beach
Anyway, I'll soon be birthing a new blog--a beach blog, to share snippets of the colorful people and the inspiration that time at the beach seems to generate with such ease. I've been taking pics and talking to some interesting beach characters, kind of getting ready to share the journey via the blog. Maybe no one be me will give a hoot about inspirations born of the beach, but they've been clamoring in my brain for expression. I'll keep you posted on the beach blog launch in case you want to see my alter-ego at work (that's the bike riding barefoot crazy lady with the camera who stalks the Bacci Ball court taking pictures of the old Italian guys with the chestnut sun burns who play the game like a religion).

Clegg Zone
Just a quick update of the mentoring progress for anyone who may enjoy a little sadistic glance into a good whoopin'. Doug's first major assignment was to work during the week Internet-free, except for email. It's been both fabulous and horrendous. Working without the distraction of the Internet gave me back an enormous amount of time and also showed me just how often I use the web as a distraction when the going gets tough with my work. It's been a revelation how often I turn to the Internet when I'm bored or tired, rather than do something I really want or need to do like ride my bike or take a nap. The unconscious auto-pilot aspect of it became very clear when it wasn't there as an easy escape.

Although the exercise was meant for only one week, it was such a success I've decided to make it my default way of working. I might add one evening a week, but not if I can help it. I got more done this week both workwise and lifewise, than I have in the last month. If you haven't tried a little net time out, I highly recommend it. It's very revealing and good for the soul.

I Love Weird Stuff
One last thing--I've been meaning to share this with you for a while now, but I really love kind of weird mind-binding sort of stuff. Following is a link to a Dynamic Art site that contains a demo of a moving piece of art. It's got a cool meditative vibe to it and a sense of spacially living images--neat music, too. Have a little look--CLICK HERE.

When that finishes, hit replay than come back here and let the music accompany the following piece, as well (the YouTube vid has no music, so it's more fun with the groovy vibe):

Have a great week. See you next weekend!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Tailoring Your Art by Erik Smetana

2008-09-10T16:06:00.009-04:00

I have a day job in the fine field of HR (human resources). This encompasses a lot of different things: employee relations, compensation, training, organizational development and recruitment. Some of these things I truly enjoy, others not so much.

Anyways, today I've been knee deep in a number of issues whilst trying to review hundreds of applications and resumes for a variety of different positions, one of which focuses on the arts. So for the last thirty minutes or so, I've been sifting through a virtual stack of electronic resumes, doing a cursory review before passing the qualified candidates onto the hiring department. But looking at all the fancified (i.e. created by graphic design types) resumes the applicants sent in got me to thinking.

I saw certain trends in the art used to make the various resumes stand out, lots of neo-modern and contemporary type things with bubbles, circles and bright colors. Some more traditional in the vein of the standard CV, others a mish-mash of this and that. All designed by people with an obvious talent. But only one of the bunch really caught my eye, it was simple, a bit more classic, and it sort of riffed on those Hilton commercials with the line sketches (one has Ben Folds singing).

Like I said above, I'm not making any final decisions on who gets hired, just reviewing what has come in and passing it along. I'm just a middleman. But, it makes me think about how our stories are perceived when we send them out into the abyss.

How one line editor/reader might hate a submission while another could conceivably love it. We write stories often just to get the words down on paper and out of our heads, other times we tailor it to the publication (and any "themes" they seem to care for), but what about those times when a story doesn't get through a gatekeeper whose job it is to shrink the slushpile?

What then? Do we rewrite stories based on rejections? Do we re-workshop them to establish if there are in fact glaring issues? How best can we approach (and deal) with the unknowable fancies of someone we may never meet?

I don't have any great big point this week, just offering up some food for thought. And your thoughts are?

Horror at Smokey Bones

2008-09-09T00:01:00.004-04:00

Even a horror writer gets hungry once in a while. On a recent Thursday after work, my wife and I drove over to a Smokey Bones Restaurant to get some appetizers and barbecue.

The front door greeter said. "I'm sorry, there's a twenty-five minute wait, Sir. Here's your pager."

I said to my wife, "I think I'm going to walk over to Borders and see what they have. I'll be back in a few minutes."

I started browsing the skimpy selection on the horror shelves to see if there was anything new , and what do I spy but Edward Lee's new book! There it was. A crisp shining Leisure Books' copy of Brides of the Impaler showing a shrouded figure and a bloody chalice.

Since this was on the August 28-th, and the book was supposed to be a September release, it was actually 'illegally' on the shelves days early.

I greedily snagged it!

After all, who could resist a delectable Edward Lee book?

As I checked out, I frugally whipped out my 30% off Border's coupon, and then I realized! Oh, no! The book was $7.99 and the coupon was only valid if I bought more than $10.00. Drat! I apologized profusely to the clerk, but the kind girl just smiled at me.

"Well, let's just see about that coupon. Let me scan it anyway ..." and I thought I head her say, in betwixt that sweet smile of hers, "... Honey."

I get that a lot.

I'm convinced it's the gray, gentle wisdom projected by my beard.

:)

Anyway, the clerk worked her magic, and lo, and behold! the coupon worked and I suddenly had Edward Lee at 30% off.

"Would you like a bag?"

Well, I thought, let's not clutter the environment with one more plastic bag, so I said, "No." Polar bears in the Arctic rejoiced! Somewhere in the Antarctic, penguins were getting less sunburned as the ozone hole closed an iota and blocked a smidgen less ultraviolet radiation.

I proudly paced across the parking area from the bookstore back to the restaurant. I entered, waved to my wife, and then smiled at the front door greeter.

Maybe I flashed a little bit of gray wisdom accidentally, but in any event the door greeter said, "What did you get at the book store?"

I showed her the book, and I said, "It's a horror book. Do you like horror?"

"Oh, yes-s-s." She said.

I think my wife then wandered off knowing not only that I'm very harmless, but also not wishing to hear yet another scholarly dissertation on the multifaceted delights of horror.

"Do you know Edward Lee?" I asked the girl.

"No."

"Well, he's very, um, intense. Sexually explicit. Lots of gore."

"Oh."

"He's written a number of books, and is quite popular ..." I saw her concern that Edward Lee might be a bit overwhelming. "... but maybe Brian Keene might be more to your taste. After all, like it says on his book covers, he IS the next Stephen King. His books are being made into movies soon - in the next few years. I've actually 'talked' to him on-line at forums, and he's really a nice man."

"Wow. I'll have to check his books out."

So there you have it. Chrispy, the Gray Beard: Proselytizer of horror. Missionary to those who have not yet heard. Preacher of malevolent texts.

As to Mr. Edward Lee's new book, it begins:

Romania. Thirty years ago.

_____
Chris Perridas

Surprise! No Net and Scooby Snacks by Fran Friel

2008-09-07T12:14:00.002-04:00

SURPRISE!
Okay, you know that cool announcement I shared with you in my last blog, the one about Douglas Clegg's extraordinary plan to give back to the writing community? Well, I'll admit, I was a little bit envious that some lucky duck was going to get the benefit of Doug's amazing guidance as his first writing mentoree in the program--a once in a lifetime opportunity for sure--but my benevolent side prevailed and I started to feel really excited about Doug's plan. Big ideas tend to create brilliant ripples that inspire others, and this sort of thing makes me strangely happy. Yes, I'm a little odd that way.

Anyway, it had been a pretty tough month at the old Friel homestead, but the dust was starting to clear and I was going along minding my own business when I get a call from Doug. Well, needless to say, I was clueless when he asked if I wanted to be his first mentoree. I was stunned...and I'm still stunned. Talk about the planets aligning, lucky stars, good karma and huge blessings all rolled into one. I'm thrilled. I'm amazed. And I'm enormously grateful, to say the least.

We've begun working together and already I've gained some very important insights into my work and into my thinking process. This week, at my mentor's request, begins a BIG change for me that will make an enormous difference in my working life--No Internet during the work week! Yup, it's a little scary and there will be withdrawal, but I know it's a very important step toward my success in the writing world (and life). I'll still be around on the weekends, but with the exception of email, starting Monday, I'm cut off! It's going to be fun...eventually.

Steve Berry and Maui Dreamin'
As some of you might have noticed in my bios, I often talk about my Maui dreaming. Well, best selling author, Steve Berry, has been living the dream at least during the Maui Writers Conference. I'm determined to find my way to this conference one of these days, but in the meantime, I'm happy to chomp on the little Scooby Snacks that are tossed my way by those who have attended. I'm a good sharer, so following is a little Scooby love for your chomping enjoyment.

In the latest Writer's Digest Newsletter (subscribe to the newsletter here--they always have excellent "snacks" for writers), Steve shares his 8 Rules of Writing:

At the 2008 Maui Writers Conference, bestselling thriller writer Steve Berry says there are eight key rules that all writers must know and follow:

1. There are no rules. You can do anything you want as long as it works.

2. Don't bore the reader. You can bore the reader in a sentence, in a paragraph, by misusing words, poorly choosing words, using the wrong length, etc.

3. Don't confuse the reader. Don't misuse point of view. Don't do too much at once.

4. Don't get caught writing. Don't let you, the author, enter the story. (E.g., "And he never would see Memphis again." How would anyone other than the author know that the character would never see Memphis again?)

5. Shorter is always better. Write tight. It makes you use the best words in the right way.

6. Don't lie to the reader. It's OK to mislead, but don't lie. If you say the character's motivation is A and it turns out to be B (and you haven't foreshadowed it at all), the reader will feel cheated.

7. Don't annoy the reader. Don't use names that are hard to pronounce or write choppy sentences throughout the entire book. It keeps people from getting close to your characters.

8. You must tell a good story. Bad writing can be forgiven with a good story. A bad story with the most beautiful writing cannot.

I hope you enjoyed the Scooby Snack. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the "8 rules." Agree? Disagree? Your own rules?

I'll look forward to seeing you all in Maui someday soon!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

The Evolution of Creation by Erik Smetana

2008-09-03T00:01:00.002-04:00

I've written quite a few short stories, completed a rough draft of a pseudo-novella and am a glutton for flash fiction. Even a few poems have managed to leak from my brain over the years. Some of these works have even managed to see the light of day outside my JumpDrive, getting picked up in anthologies, magazines, journals and online. The one thing I have never done in terms of my writing (only counting those things I want to do), and if I am honest with myself have never seriously attempted, is a novel.

That changed recently.

Over the last twelve months, I've been toying with an idea. In the last several of those months, I've put concerted effort into character development, plotting out scenes and making copious notes on what, when, where, why, how and who. There are drawings of places, things and people. I'm not sure how many hours have been spent sifting through books, web pages and other such materials in the name of research.

It is much more work than I had anticipated. A lot more.

But the crazy part is I love it. I can't get the story out of my head. An idea for some minute piece of the greater puzzle might pop into my head while driving or in the ether between wake and dreaming. I might be taking out the trash or weed eating at the back of our property when something related to the book will strike me.

My entire writing process has started to evolve as a result of the book and as I wrap up a few side projects, putting more time towards the novel, the changes I see happening are fascinating. I'm a self-admitted last second writer. Whether it be for a competition or class, I have a habit of pulling a story together--or at least trying to--at the 23rd hour.

With a novel, you can't do that. And as frustrating as that may be for me, it is also enlightening. I feel like this book, this growing thing that is evolving right along with the way I write is going to change me in more ways than I'm currently able to recognize.

And I think that is a good thing.

Zombies Attack Chrispy's Home Town

2008-09-02T00:01:00.004-04:00

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Here's a new report of Chrispy's Cracklin' Kernels. Recently Chrispy told you that Louisville was becoming a Goth town. Here's yet another example!

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The walking dead
It'll be a bloody good time at Friday's Louisville Zombie Attack

Being undead has its advantages.

"It's very cathartic to get outside of yourself a little bit, put on makeup and not be responsible for your actions," says musician and zombie-fan Peter Searcy. "It's absolutely great escapism." Searcy will indulge his inner flesh-eating freak at Friday's fourth annual Louisville Zombie Attack.

Starting at 8:29 p.m., zombies will lurch along Bardstown Road, begging for brains, harassing passersby and causing moaning mayhem on their way to nearby Bearno's Pizza, where the living dead will convene for a thriller night of zombie flicks, music and munchies.

The "Attack" is the brainchild of zombie-loving pals John King, 30, a glass artist; Lyndi Curtis, 25, a painter; and University of Louisville student Mike Welch, 27.

Last year, more than 200 zombies marched.

"It's the end of summer, and I think people are ready to do something fun," King says. ... People on the street who have no idea (what's happening) are mystified when suddenly someone's getting their arm ripped off in front of them."

...

"It's like having another Halloween," Searcy says. "It's a hoot, and it's fun to watch other people be big kids and kind of lose themselves in it."

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Louisville Zombie Attack
• Where: Zombies start the attack at the corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway and make their way to Bearno's Pizza, 1318 Bardstown Road, for a party featuring zombie movies, awards for the best costumes, and live music.
• When: Friday. Walk starts at 8:29 p.m. Bearno's party starts at 9.
Cost: free

BONUS ZOMBIE EVENT
On the day preceding the attack, enjoy a free double feature of "Diary of the Dead" and "Evil Dead."
• When: 8 p.m., Thursday.
• Where: The Space @ 6th and Oak.
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Well, there you have it. Louisville is fast becoming the dimensional portal of the horrific weird. It's a great place to be a horror writer!

-Chris Perridas

Hold the Disbelief - by Dan Naden

2008-08-31T22:30:00.001-04:00

You know what bugs me?

Well, everything bugs me. I'm cranky that way. But when it comes to enumerating the bug list, one at a time, I find that among my worst writing pet peeves is when an author does not stay within the framework of the story he/she is writing. In my Big Book o' Judgmental Bad Attitudes, there's little worse than an author who either keeps breaking into his story line to let the reader know that he is still there. Or to drop in a little editorial speech or some other form of self-aggrandizing pomposity that she feels the reader ought to know. Or to geek out on some cool feature, gadget, creature, or concept so much so that it doesn't make sense in the world that he's created.

I find myself saying it all the time, but writers need to keep their grubby paws out of the worlds they're creating. The whole point of writing is to spin up in the reader's mind a whole cloth of fabric that exists on its own, defined by the threads from which it's woven. When the author intervenes, the threads of the whole cloth of the story get woven around his finger or her nose. They wind uselessly around some central soapbox platform, forgotten for the sake of the author's vented spleen. The tracks of the threads follow impossibly illogical paths, some of them completely falling out of the cloth, some ending up becoming so strangely twisted that they don't hardly make sense to look at in the framework of the greater tapestry of the story.

I'm bringing all this up (again) because of an anecdote my wife told me the other day. She's a grade school librarian and in one of her first-grade classes, she was reading a cute story featuring a cute little hedgehog. In the course of the story, the hedgehog is attending a school taught by a cat and all of her friends were other cute little animals. An interesting (and did I mention, cute?), anthropomorphic stew.

What was funny, though, was the fact that this little hedgehog from the story had a pet dog. Most of the children in first grade class had no problem with it all, but one little girl raised her hand and asked my wife this question:

"How can a hedgehog have a dog?"

Up until then, my wife hadn't really given that story much thought. But the little girl had a point. All the characters in the book were walking, talking animals, except for the dog, which was the hedgehog's faithful pet. The dichotomy of seeing the cat as a wise teacher and the dog as a smaller-than-a-hedgehog companion animal just didn't work. It didn't fit the framework of the story and for the little girl, it broke her suspension of disbelief.

She touched on something very important...something that a lot of writers (and readers) miss. The suspension of disbelief should not be taken lightly. Even the smallest of breaks for the silliest of reasons can ruin your story for your readers.

Personally, I'm thinking that the little girl will probably end up like me some day, ranting about preserving the integrity of the story's world from meddling authors. But for now, I'll just store away this little anecdote for the next time I want to illustrate my favorite pet peeve.

Is It A Popularity Contest? AJ Brown

2008-08-29T15:19:00.001-04:00

Is it some popularity contest? You know, this writing thing? Is it a popularity contest? Do people get published because of their name or the fact that they put out something brilliant once or twice and now everyone wants what they have written, even if it is on a piece of toilet paper and tossed in the trash?

Some people think so.

Me, I'm not sure. Sometimes I read things by the well known authors and wonder how it ever got published. While other times I read things by obscure individuals and wonder how they are not published more often. So, it begs for me to asks: is it a popularity contest?

In some cases, I would say it is. If someone comes to you and asks you to write something for them, well, you must have done something write in order for them to do that. You must have written something that caught their attention and made you someone for them to consider. That is a good thing. But, it could also be a bad thing.

What? What? How could someone requesting you to write for them be a bad thing? It's simple really. Sometimes we writers get complacent and we don't scrutinize our stories as hard as we need to after we've had a medium amount of success. If you are a reputable author, you can get away with that. But, if you are the regular everyday Joe or Jane, then writing mediocre stories after a little bit of success is going to get you nowhere.

Did you understand that? I don't think writers who haven't made a name for themselves yet can get away with a so-so story. And that is a good thing. Because, as the market gets tougher and tougher (and it will) then the better the stories should be. If the young writer wants to make a name for his/herself then their writing has to get better as well. So, not getting away with a so-so story can only help the young writer.

On the flip side of that coin, if the established writers can get away with a so-so story, then I think it hinders them. Especially if they know their stories have become mediocre, at best. I've been reading a lot of stories and I've seen some of our better named authors pen stuff not near the caliber of a lot of their other works. Is that okay? It depends on who you are. But, you don't want one story to make up someone's mind who has never read anything by you, do you?

And, I guess that is my point. Once you get popular, or even semi-popular, you still have to continue to strive to reach that level of excellence time and time again. If you are a young writer then you have to work harder at it, that way if your name gets out there your stories can be chosen on their quality not on who wrote them.

Sadly, there are publications that choose people based on their names. It helps with sales. It drives me nuts, but mostly because I am a guppy in the lake with all the big fish and my name is not quite out there yet. People don't see my name and go, "Man, I've got to read his latest story." One day, maybe that will happen, but if it does, I want my stories to be published because they are good, not because of my name. If (and when) I start to get some notoriety, I want folks to like my stories, to come away with that, "Man, that was great," feeling. Yah know?

Now, to answer my own question: Is it a popularity contest? Yes and no. Sometimes the name will take you places. Other times, well, you better hope that story is good—you don't want to be one of those writers who do well for a while and then later on everyone is talking about how bad of a writer you have become. That's a step backward. And you never want to go backwards.

I'm not a popular writer and I'm fine with that. Someone has to play the role of underdog, right? I like that role.

I'm AJ and I'm out.

A Special Show

2008-08-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

I'm going to use my blog time this week to celebrate one of my favorite shows.

Yes! George Noory or Art Bell or Ian Pundett or a guest host hooks up with Richard Hoagland or Loren Coleman or Jim Maars and it's weird heaven - or hell as the case may be.

A horror writer's imagination goes stratospheric thinking of all those posibilities - fictional or factual that you hear on that show.

One night you tune in and hear Bill Shatner discussing Roger Corman, another night Billy Mumy talking about Sci-Fi and comics, or just a few days ago 88 year old Ray Bradbury on his birthday telling us he only felt 12!

It's the most amazing show.

One night when you're up worrying over ghosts, devils, or just that your muse has blown a fuse, turn on the radio at 2 AM and listen!

Click Here (if ... you ... dare!)

-Chris Perridas

The Unyielding March of Time - by Dan Naden

2008-08-24T22:44:00.001-04:00

I'm kind of an old guy.

Okay, I'm not really that old, but I have reached the interesting phase of life at which my wife and I get to watch our children escape the boundaries of childhood and take their first steps into the world of being their own, independent adults. We have four kids, my wife and I, and already two of them are in college. In the past few weeks, we've helped my oldest move into her first apartment (and, also, out of the house). Just this weekend, we helped my second daughter move to college and into her dorm room.

I have to say that I'm conflicted by all this. Part of me...the snarky, unfunny, self-styled comedian in me...wants to toss out jokes about how we've got half the kids gone: two down, two to go. That's the part that jokes about changing the locks and turning bedrooms into office space and extra storage rooms. It's also the part of me that's probably firing off jokes to hide the terrifying fact that it really is two down and two to go...our babies are leaving too quickly! Soon they'll be all gone.

I bring this up, not just because I find it cathartic to write about the traumas of my otherwise mundane life. I also realized that, yes, time is passing and I have a lot of writing goals that I have not yet attained. I've been trying like hell to get some traction on finishing a novel (to varying degrees of success) and in doing so, I've not written too many short stories. I find myself wondering whether or not I should take some time to get a new spate of stories out into the greater marketplace so as to keep my name out there, but I know that if I do, work on the novel will suffer.

Therein lies my quandary: there simply isn't enough time to do it all. But it's made worse...much worse...when I'm reminded so specifically about the unyielding march of time into the Augusts of my life. I have so much to write, but time won't wait for me.

Best Selling Author, Douglas Clegg Gives Back! by Fran Friel

2008-08-24T12:12:00.008-04:00

Inspiration
There are a lot of talented and successful writers, but one of my absolute favorites is Douglas Clegg. I met him in an online author chat a number of years ago and even in that brief meeting he impressed me. He was generous with invaluable advice and he was kind in his manner, with no airs one might expect from a Best Selling author.

Since then he has impressed me many times over with his fabulous writing, his amazing support and his elevation of the genre with class, style and excellence. But yesterday he outdid himself by posting his intentions to support other writers. This is what he posted in his newsletter:

Dear Reader

After realizing how fortunate I've been as a novelist over the past 20 years, I've decided it's time to give back -- but in a way that I hope will serve the writing and reading community, as well as others.

Generally, I feel writers do give back -- often -- by writing the best fiction they can write.

But at this point, my life has been enriched by being able to write for a living and be part of the world of books and readers.

As a result, I've decided that:

1. All profits I receive from all small press editions of my books will, herewith, go directly to specific non-profits that I believe are out to shepherd the world a bit.

Additionally, I'll use some of these funds specifically for the support of aspiring writers who seek to improve their craft through classes, conferences, etc. in the form of scholarships and gifts.

Bear in mind, this won't make me give free rights or licenses to small press publishers. Those advances and royalties will become even more important toward funding what I believe are useful endeavors and charities.

2. I will be launching some small press editions of various novellas and older novels of mine, specifically to bring contributions toward these endeavors.

When a reader buys any of the small press editions designated for this funding, they'll know from a note inside the book that any income I make from these books will go directly to specific non-profits or toward supporting writers who want to improve their craft.

3. First on this agenda is a yearly scholarship for one writer's tuition for those who are attending Borderlands Boot Camp.

More will be announced soon about this, but basically, I'll pay for one student a year to attend the Boot Camp. This won't include transportation or food, but will cover the exact fee for Boot Camp. Again, details are coming soon, since I'll award this for the upcoming January session.

More information on Borderlands Boot Camp for writers here:

http://www.borderlandspress.com/workshops.html

I'll be teaching here in January in the Short Story division.

4. A reasonable portion of my yearly income from writing for the NY publishers will go toward organizations that promote reading and the arts.

5. I'll pick one writer to mentor during each calendar year. What the mentoring will mean is that I'll be available in email, within specific parameters that will be set.

I'll pick the writer from among any applicants that I believe show promise. At any time that the mentoring is not working out, I'll release the mentoree and myself from this -- no point in making the year go bad for anyone.

This will be a form of light mentoring, but I hope I can bring some knowledge and insight into a new writer's life.

I mentored -- very lightly -- Derek Nikitas with the Killer Year group via the International Thriller Writers in 2007. It was enjoyable and personally rewarding to be part of such a talented writer's early success, even if in a small way. Derek's novel, Pyres, is excellent, by the way.

When I pick a mentoree for 2009, it'll be someone who has clearly demonstrated a professional pursuit of writing fiction, and has a clear talent for it.

My mentoring will not including reading the drafts of a book or teaching writing. It will be about discipline, focus, story development, developing business acumen for this, and, I hope, guiding the mentoree in some way to augment her or his own career direction.

Details on this to come -- if I can't find the right mentoree, it'll be delayed until I find the right one.

Someone once wrote me demanding that I mentor her. Then, she grew irrational and furious when I told her I didn't have the time to do it.

So, I have to assume that sometimes, people are just plain crazy when it comes to wanting this kind of thing. Those folks'll be ignored by me. If you're even slightly crazy, don't ask. And I won't tell.

6. I am going to launch a writing class weekend for writers next summer, with a focus on story, drama and premise. Very informal, and as small as it needs to be.

Students will be responsible for their transportation, hotel, etc., as well as a fee that will cover the guest speakers' fees and any incidentals. I will pull in a few other novelists who I think can provide guidance and insight as well.

Truly, I don't care if we only get three people coming -- I think it's important to keep storytelling and writing alive, and it's up to experienced writers to teach this art and craft. Details to come.

All this arose from my sense that after 20 years, there's something I can offer from all I've earned -- and learned -- in this life's work. I hope it all helps, in some small way, as a contribution to the future.

And that is my note for you, right now. Again, I'll have more details about the upcoming small press books as we move into fall.

Hope your end-of-summer is a good one -

Best,

Douglas Clegg

So as you can see, Doug has done something extraordinary. May we all be inspired by his generosity!

Be sure to visit Doug at DouglasClegg.com for his FREE Story of the Month. And for updates about his work and his Writer's Support mission, Click Here to Subscribe to his Newsletter.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Shiny Moving Pictures by Erik Smetana

2008-08-20T05:11:00.002-04:00

As of late I have used this forum to dispense my own bit of writerly wisdom (a very little bit given my shallow depth of knowledge), discuss the method behind our (the writers) madness, pose questions about works and what doesn't when it comes to the craft and challenge readers to tap their creativity with prompts. Today, we juice this column up with some multimedia goodness.

Say what?

Writer videos! Some reading their work, some espousing on how they write. So...point, click, watch.

First off, the King himself speaking to students at Yale.

Dave Eggers, the Pulitzer nominated founder of 826 Valencia, reading from his book What is the What.

Jonathan Safran Foer reading from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

The Blog-O-Rama's very own Fran Friel reading from her newly published collection, Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales during an interview over at the Metal Crypt.

Louisville: Goth City?

2008-08-19T00:01:00.011-04:00

Look, Lovecraft had his Arkham, but this horror writer never thought that his town would turn dark on him.
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Maybe it started with CBS' The Amazing Race's Kynt & Vyxsin? I just don't know.

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OK, so Louisville is the home of ghosts. Waverly Hills is secluded in south Louisville and my series on my adventures is in Dark Recesses magazine.

Bardstown's Old Jailer's Inn is not so far away and I've been part of a seance in Talbott Tavern. Old Louisville has a series of books on the spectral happenings. And, of course, my horror stories feature many of these arcane, eldritch haunts.
_____

Yes, I do enjoy the Actor's Theater performance of Dracula every year, it's so horrorerotic!

and the darkly delectable Wonderfest (see previous Chrispy posts) was held here recently. Louisville was the original home of the original Werewolf, Henry Hull, who knew Tod Browning (of Louisville) who worked for D W Griffith (of Louisville).

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Soon, a horror filmfest is due to rock the city.

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Why even our zoo has vampire bats!

_____

Now, I read in a recent news article that a stage play of Romero's Night of the Living Dead is planned for our own cozy amphitheater. For $50 you can even have zombie lessons (Zombie University at the Clifton Center, 2117 Payne St.).

_____

So, there you go. What's a horror writer to do? Sit back and relish that Louisville has went Goth!

-Chris Perridas

What-if - by Dan Naden

2008-08-17T23:02:00.001-04:00

I think I've mentioned before in this space how writers are quite good at the what-if game. By nature, we writers are an observant lot, taking in huge chunks of the world around us to mull and churn in our deviant little minds. Then, by the grace of whatever writing muses we've been assigned, we're able to pick out the odd little quirks that stand out to us as being significant in some way. The best stories ever written quite likely had their beginnings as a, "That's strange..." or a "Wouldn't be interesting..." or a "What if...".

It's a clarity of vision that's so inherent to us writers that we often can't understand why everyone doesn't do it but in reality, that ability to see clearly to the heart of the world around us; that talent for picking out what's unique or weird or fascinating from our everyday lives and for being able to relate it all in words so that everyone else can get the point; that ability to observe how the world works, is one of the key distinguishing characteristics that separate writers from the rest of the population.

Writers are good at seeing things that others don't. Sometimes these things are silly, sometimes they're terribly profound, and sometimes they're downright disturbing. So a writer can ask the question, "What if your pet canary suddenly developed a taste for blood?". Or a writer can muse over "What do you do when your spouse dies just short of your fifty year wedding anniversary?". Or a writer might challenge you with a scenario where prisoners are forced to murder and burn thousands of people...including friends, neighbors, family...knowing that the same fate will eventually await them. (That latest is the plot from the movie, The Grey Zone, which is one of the more gruesome, disturbing films I've seen in awhile).

If I recall correctly, I've talked about what-if's in this space before, but I've been noticing how much the mechanism behind the writer's vision can affect his/her everyday life. Most of the writers I know are writers, not because they like making up stories about bloodthirsty Tweetie-birds (...okay, not just because they like it), but because they don't really have a choice in the matter.

I know that my ability to see stories in the world around me (or to be hit over the head with them) would not go away if I chose not to try to write about them. Just the opposite, when I've gone through times where I'm not writing, the story ideas simply pick up the pace. I'm not able to shut off the sifter in my mind that always seems catches the nuggets of interesting that I see. I couldn't stop it if I tried. The ideas keep coming because, of course, the world is a very interesting place.

The challenge for us writers is keeping up with all those ideas; keeping up with the writing; keeping up with the work. It is one of the world's great ironies that the gift of a writer's vision often comes so easily, so frequently, but the process of actually fulfilling that vision is so blasted hard to accomplish and be successful doing so. It would be truly frustrating if....well...if the world wasn't such an interesting place.

I Used To Lover Her...AJ Brown

2008-08-15T09:36:00.002-04:00

I have a problem. Really, I do. No, it's not your normal, mundane, run-of-the-mill problem that every average person has. It is only a problem that we writers have. Seriously, I have a problem.

I know not everyone cares much for the term 'muse' but mine has been nagging me a lot lately. She has been telling me to write a novel. (Yes, my muse is female and she has a way of yammering at me when I am not writing, telling me that I am wasting time and I will never be a good writer if I don't do it with every free moment I have.) Keep this in mind.

Over the last few months I have started, stopped and started a novel or six. The idea would be really good—even cool—but, for the life of me, putting it together has not been an easy process. I seem to have developed a mental block when it comes to the novel writing process. I have even scrapped ideas just because the concept would mean it would be a novel. When I say scrapped, I mean I wrote it in my Great BIG Book of Ideas and have pushed them as far out of my mind as possible.

This got to the point of utter frustration. I have several novels "in progress," but none of them are near complete. Why? Because I almost loathe the novel writing process. If you know me at all, then this is way out of character. I love to write. I write everyday. I breathe it, talk it, dream it. It's what I want to do when I grow up.

But, for now, I'm stuck. Or, I was stuck, but that would be getting ahead of myself here and I do that too much as it is, so I will try to stick with the idea at hand.

I sat at my desk a few weeks ago, my outline for a novel sitting beside me. I read over it, leaned back and tried to envision the story unfolding. That was the easy part. Then I sat down to write. The first 3000 words were a breeze and I started to get all excited. There was a hook right at the beginning. It felt good. It flowed from my mind to my fingers and onto the computer screen.

The next day I started again and got about 5000 words into it. Then it happened. I lost interest. No, I am not ADD—though if I were, it would make sense. I saved the document and went online to one of the many forums out there. There was a prompt for a contest. I read it, wrote the story, read over it and put it aside. The story was just over 3000 words. I felt good, like I had accomplished something that night.

The next day I sat down to write on the novel and my mind drew a blank. So, I closed it and searched that same forum for ideas. I came across one in a discussion thread about things we used to do as children. The comment I got my idea from was . . . oh wait, I can't tell the comment yet because I am in the middle of that story. Now, here is where it gets a little odd. I started a short story with the intent of it being between three and five thousand words. That story has morphed and is now sitting at just over 12K words and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. It may well end up as a short novella.

After the story reached the 6K word mark I sat back and read over it. It's actually decent. I made notes in a book by my computer on things to make sure and add or clarify or bring back into the story later. While I did that I noticed that the story wasn't going to be no less than about 15K words. Now, sitting at 12K, I don't think it will be less than 20K.

And you know what? I'm fine with that.

I took a break on that story to work back on my novel. I figured with the creative juices flowing, I would write on the novel, get a few thousand words out and make my 'muse' be quiet for a day or two. Ummm . . . no. The thoughts dried up, my hands couldn't seem to hit the right keys and my frustration mounted.

My muse was not happy with me when I shut the program down and got up from my desk. I needed to work on something else or at least go outside and get a breath of fresh air (if there is such a thing as fresh air anymore). I watered my garden and stood in the tranquility of elephant ears, four o'clocks, honeysuckles and wisteria. All the while, my muse complained that I was wasting time again.

"The plants must be watered," I calmly said and pushed her aside.

As I watered the plants it occurred to me just why I have a hard time writing novels. For me it's simple. I like the idea of completing projects. Most of my projects, including story ideas, have short term goals. I write between three and five thousand words a day, excluding weekends, so at a minimum of 15K words a week. I lean more to the maximum of 25K a week, but it's not the amount of words that count right now.

Well then, what is it? For me, it is the completion of the story that counts, that makes me press on and finish short stories so I can get on to the next one. That is my muse's fault—she got me doing flash stories and then working my way up to longer pieces, but she wouldn't let me stop writing for more than a day or two before she fussed at me again.

But, back to the thought at hand. Completing tasks is something that I try to do as quickly as possible. Writing is the same way for me. I start a story, I want to finish it. I can't say that always happens but I can say it happens over three quarters of the time. And what is easier to complete? A short story or a novel?

You guessed it: A short story.

I realized then that if I focus on the novel—the sheer size of it—then the task is daunting for me. It makes my muse happy, but the words are pure crap. However, if I approach it like it is a short story with a lot of information in it, it may work. Kind of like my novella about . . . oh, you almost got it out of me. Nice try. That novella was only going to be a short story, and look what happened. It is constantly growing. I love the character and what he went through and how he overcomes his adversity.

So, I thought I would try to write the novel without thinking about the big picture. I know where I want it to go and I know all of the main characters as well as the scenery and some of the middle story. I know the problem and the resolution. I know how to get there. Now, I just need to write the story. I started that this past Monday.

I took two other steps to try and get this novel process going and, hopefully, complete the book. The first of these things was to enlist some help. I have a few friends who I asked to stay on me about it, every day, excluding weekends. One of them has been totally faithful about it and the others have been on the ball as well. Each day I check in with them and tell them how far along I am. I have made myself become accountable for writing a novel by enlisting these Novel Buddies to nag me in the real world and not just in my mind.

I started the novel on Monday and now, here I am, four full days in and I have over 7000 words under the belt and I can feel the story living, becoming real in my head. I think I am going to be able to do this. I haven't written my minimum of 1000 words yet today but I will soon. I feel confident that I can finish this novel now and I can honestly say I haven't felt that way about writing a novel since I wrote Unbroken Crayons in 2006 for NaNoWriMo.

I'm AJ and I'm . . . what's that? I said I took two steps to get the novel process done and I only mentioned one of them? Well, I guess you are right. What was the other one? Oh. I killed my muse because she wouldn't stop nagging me. :)

I'm AJ and I'm out.

Now, out of good fun, I give you this video, in memory of my muse. May she rest in peace.

Inside Chizine and the Mind of Brett Savory by Fran Friel

2008-08-14T15:11:00.002-04:00

Big Shoes
Just a quick bit of what I hope you'll consider excellent info. If you've been wondering how to fit in the big shoes of authors who have been published in Chizine Magazine, then read on. If you've been curious about the dark corridors of Chizine Magazine and Brett Savory's mind, then read on, as well. If you've always wondered how Chizine is really pronounced, then that's right, read on, my friend.

The Snutch Writing Group (don't ask what Snutch is...I'll never tell) had an exclusive chat with Brett Savory, publisher of Chizine Magazine, just the other day and they left the evidence behind in a entertaining and invaluable chat transcript. Sounds like they had a blast AND man, did Brett give them the keys to the kingdom.

So, if you want to know what the Snutch group discovered, go to John Mantooth's blog for the juicy details. You'll be glad you did! And if you're feeling frisky, come back to the blog and share what you've learned, especially that crazy name--is it Chai-zeen or Chee-zeen? What's your guess?

CLICK HERE for John's Blog and the Brett Savory/Snutch Group Transcript!

Btw, if you ever see John Mantooth's writing in your travels, stop and read it. He's danged good!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Special Announcement about Chrispy

2008-08-12T00:01:00.003-04:00

Larry Robert of Horror Mall and Bloodletting Press fame:

I'm very pleased to announce that Chris Perridas will be joining the ARCANE WISDOM staff as an associate editor. Mr. Perridas will be very active in choosing, proofing and editing all AW's titles.

Chris and I are currently working on AW's first publication set for late 2008:

THE GREAT GOD PAN AND OTHER WEIRD STORIES
By Arthur Machen
Edited, with Introduction and Notes, by S. T. Joshi
_____

I'm so excited about working with a professional like Larry. While I've learned a lot about antiquarian horror in the last year or two, this is a whole new level of experience. I'm thrilled to take on this new adventure.

_____

Writer's Block - by Dan Naden

2008-08-10T23:09:00.002-04:00

---

Busy, Busy, Busy by Erik Smetana

2008-08-06T13:24:00.007-04:00

This week I have a whole lot to say, the only problem is that most all of it is story related. Things that are best said in words scribbled on paper as part of a greater whole -- story bits. Novel bits.

On top of my self imposed daily word count of 607 words for MOAAG, I am trying to cobble together my short story for Borderlands Boot Camp, tackle the workload that accompanies my quest towards completion of an MFA, catch up on the neglected technical editing that has been piling up for the upcoming third volume of The Horror Library anthology plus deal with all of my non-writing obligations and duties (a long list that more often than not take priority over everything else).

Thinking about everything I need to do and all the things I want to do, I started, to be honest, freak out a smidge. After this most minor of anxiety attacks passed and the sun decided to pull a vanishing act outside my office window, I took a deep breath and did something I do all so well, I made a list. And wouldn't you know it, the Wednesday blog was Numero Uno (okay, it was more like the 17th thing I needed to accomplish today, but still).

So rather than ramble about the growing pile in my inbox, I am bringing back an old favorite -- The Friday Photo Prompt, Wednesday style. Personally, when I look at the following photo, taken by German artist Ann-Kathrin Rehse, the first word that pops into my head is melancholy. What emotion does it evoke in your mind?

Now take that word, that emotion and write me a story. Feel free to post it here or horde it for yourself (and maybe even submit it somewhere).

Click the picture to enlarge.

More Wonders at Wonderfest

2008-08-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

Last week I told you about meeting King Kong. After that, I wandered over to the exhibit hall and saw some amazing pieces of fan art sculpture and models.

My wife thought I was lingering far too long at the amazonian statues, but as I told her, there were a couple of points of interest that caught my attention.

Besides, I thought I spent just as long at the myrmecological horror diorama.

Conan always gets my attention.

While Lovecraft seems to be the rainbow that colors the hues of most fantasy these days, his direct inspiration was no where to be seen. Frazetta and Boris, and Lucas, Spielberg and Tim Burton were more on tap. However, I did see this Mirror monster that might have made Lovecraft cock an eyebrow and chuckle.

I eventually had to leave, so I said bye to Dr. Who and moved out of the convention center and on to home.

Next Tuesday: Anecdotes and stories from the convention.

Ruminations About the Joker - by Dan Naden

2008-08-03T23:24:00.002-04:00

Hey there! I'm back.

Sorry to have missed a couple weeks there and to have been turning in subpar efforts in my blogs over the summer. I've been busy. Last weekend, our local community theatre finished up its performances of Meredith Willson's The Music Man. If you're interested, there are a few pictures up here. It's rumored that a few of the pictures might include yours truly, as well as several family members, but you'll have to figure out which ones are which.

But let's get down to business, here.

Have you see the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight? Good show. Surprisingly good...a lot better than I expected. I know I'm not covering particularly new ground in saying so, but Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker was about as solid a character performance as I've seen in years. Ledger reminded me somewhat of the transitions between Johnny Depp's roles as Matthew Barrie in Finding Neverland and Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. One show, Ledger is playing a sensitive, tortured gay cowboy, the next, an amoral, sociopathic agent of chaos. You could get whiplash, flipping between character shifts like those.

To me, the character of the Joker in The Dark Knight comes across as a true horror hero. He's effective, not because of the violence he inflicts on Gotham City, but because of the terror he brings to it. And he brings terror to Gotham City, not because of the fear he injects into the city's society, but because of the chaos he represents.

One of my favorite philosophical mumbo-jumbo sayings is that participation in society is a voluntary endeavor. Society functions (or fails to do so) based entirely on our willingness to follow the generally accepted rules of behavior. Even the worst of our criminals often follow its own strictures of what is or isn't considered "proper" behavior. Why do they call it "organized crime", after all?

Enter a bad guy like the Joker. He's not an ordinary criminal, driven by money, power, the lust for violence, or anything like it. The Joker simply wants to see things fall apart. He bears no particular love for law or morality or family or life. He enjoys society only to the extent that it can be pulled apart, piece by piece. He's truly frightening in an elemental way. The Joker is a guy who simply doesn't want to play society with the rest of us. Against such a guy, society has nothing it can use to convince or threaten or plead to persuade him to behave. He's a reminder of the very uncomfortable notion that society really doesn't have to work: it's a lot more fragile than we'd really rather think.

The Dark Knight makes a nice action movie...it makes a nice translation from the comics. But I like its effectiveness as a horror pic. I smiled all the way through the show at just how easily it illustrated horror we see lurking behind chaos. I didn't frown because I kept thinking...

Why so serious?

Horror World, Ron Kelly Goodness, Reviewy by Fran Friel

2008-08-03T16:36:00.009-04:00

Horror World
Forgive my shameless plug (yet another one), but I'm very excited and honored to be the featured author at Horror World for the month of August. You'll find my story, "Bessie Green's Thumb," available there until the end of the month--FREE! Horror World publisher, Nanci Kalanta said it had a Twilight Zone feel, so if that's your cup of weird tea, please stop by for a read.

Click Here for "Bessie Green's Thumb."

At Horror World you'll also find:

A Simon Wood interview with Steve Wedel

The always fabulous Horror World Book Reviews

The Lastest Pod of Horror - #46 with The Three Steves

Ron Kelly Goodness
It's a great day for horror fans because novelist, Ronald Kelly is back in business in a big way. After a decade away from the industry, he's back in the writing game full-time. I'm new to his work, but after reading Flesh Welder, I can't wait for what he's got in store for us. On his website he's announced a TEN book deal with Full Moon Press. Hop on over to Ron's site for the full line-up--it's a stunning bit of news for Kelly fans around the globe.

Reviewy
Another bit of nice (and shameless) news--over at Goodscares, C. Michael Cook offers a very thoughtful review of Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales. Have a read and let me know what you think. Btw, Michael always has something interesting to read, so be sure to go back for more!

Also, for those of you who have ordered the hard cover limited edition, I have them in my grubby little paws as we speak. They'll be signed, numbered and in the mail to the publisher for shipping to you by Monday afternoon. If you don't have a copy yet, but you'd still like an inscription, 1) buy your hard cover copy from APEX today (SUNDAY) and 2) send me an email with your proof of purchase and 3) inscription info (your name or whoever you want the book inscribed to and if there's anything special you'd like written in the inscription) and I'll be sure to add it to the shipment for tomorrow.

That's the scoop for now, gang. Have a great week!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Enthusiasm Can Only Carry You So Far AJ Brown

2008-08-01T09:29:00.001-04:00

If you are a writer you want as many venues to submit your stories to. Literary writers seem to have plenty of them. Genre writers, however . . . well our publications are folding by the handfuls.

Before anyone gets all angry with me for saying that, read on and understand my words. There seems to be a wealth of literary magazines out there, both in print and online. Sometimes I feel like there are more literary print magazines than there are total genre magazines both in print and online. That is probably just perception from a guy who likes to write horror stories.

And here is the thing with this perception: it could be accurate. I've noticed that for every literary magazine that pops up it seems a genre magazine shuts down. This is frustrating for me, a horror writer.

Over the last few months several genre publications have folded. I'm not mentioning names right now because I don't think it is fair to those publications. I've heard quite a few writers complaining about it and even bashing some of these publications. I'm not so sure that is fair.

Do you want to know my take on this? No? Tough. This is my blog and if you are reading it, well, you're going to get my take on it.

The way I see it is this: It doesn't take much to fail at something, but it takes a LOT of work to succeed.

Go ahead, read it again.

It doesn't take much to fail at something, but it takes a LOT of work to succeed.

For these publications the work that goes into it to make them successful is unbelievable—especially when you are talking about a print publication. For the moment let's stick with online pubs.

I have a friend that just recently formed an e-zine. His enthusiasm is unbelievable. He got together with a young woman who is pretty good with artistic things and they began hashing it out. The name came to him in a dream. Yeah, that's right. The name came to the founder in a dream. It's a cool name. He sought out an editor with the same enthusiasm as he has. Next came a poetry editor. Again, enthusiasm.

After he had most of his staff onboard they began working on big issues, and little ones, as well. They developed a website, sought out art and stories. They created a forum to discuss things over with other folks who may be able to help them in pursuing the dream of seeing the publication come to life.

Enthusiasm abounded.

Now, it's time for them to get to work, really start doing the hard stuff. They have a base idea, they have a website where they can post the stories and artwork, they are developing submissions guidelines, art guidelines, they have contacted people for advice on how often they should publish, print or online and all the other good stuff that goes with it.

They've done some marketing and research.

None of these folks live in the same area. They are spread out all over the place, so they rely on e-mails, phone conversations, and the forum they have to get things done. I don't know how many publications are done this way, but I venture a guess that many of them do.

But, wait, there's more. All of the people involved with this publication have full time jobs, children to look after, lives to live. Time is of the essence when putting together a publication of any sort. It becomes even more precious when LIFE gets in the way.

They are still very enthusiastic. I think enthusiasm is a huge key to being successful. If you aren't stoked about something, you aren't going to work to make it successful.

Now, say it is a print magazine instead of an online venue. For that you have to have money. Money to pay the printers, money to pay shipping costs, money to pay artist and writers (if you weren't doing that with the online magazine). Deadlines become stricter—you miss a deadline by even a day and it could set you back upwards to a month. The marketing takes on a different meaning. It becomes a necessary evil in order to get subscriptions which help with the costs of the publication. There are ads that must be sought out.

The print magazine is a beast, to say the least. Even when you are full of enthusiasm.

The work is a huge aspect of putting together a publication.

When you do things mostly online you are taking a huge risk, either with submissions being electronic or contact info being all through e-mails or even the magazine on a server that is very reliable. Things can go wrong at any point. Your server could crash. Your e-mail could go kaput. You could get a virus that wipes out your hard drive. Then you are out a LOT of work, your contacts and your submissions. This can be fatal if not addressed immediately. Even then, it can still kill a publication.

Enthusiasm can be drained quickly with such an event.

I don't know why good magazines go under or why other magazines fail to get off the ground. I do know, however, that there is a ton of work that goes into it. Coordinating a magazine of any kind is not easy work, and most of the time the people working on them are not getting paid. They do it because they want to, not because of the money.

If you don't want our markets to go under, support them, read them, pass the word that the publications are worth your time and money. Word of mouth can go along way in the survival of a magazine. With MySpace, Blogger, Linkedin, Facebook and who knows what else out there, we can all help these publications get off the ground and stay up and running.

But, AJ, what if they are not a paying market? I can't answer that question for you. I believe that is an individual decision on whether to support or submit to nonpaying venues. But, just remember what it was like when you were an unpublished writer and you wanted a publishing credit under your belt. Many of us sent stories to these nonpaying venues just so we could get published.

Those folks work just as hard at putting out a publication as the ones who pay you. They can't get anywhere if no one subs to them. Enthusiasm can only carry a publication and those working on it but so far. You never know, maybe one of those nonpaying places could get a Stoker nomination. We can all dream, right?

Now, I mentioned earlier that literary writers have a larger selection of places to submit to. I stand by that, though I have no research to back it up. However, I feel this way because you don't hear of a lot of literary magazines folding, especially before their first issue. Some of these literary magazines get 'token' stories from some of the more established writers in the field just to help them get off the ground. No rewards for the writer in that, except to know they helped someone out.

A lot of our genre magazines are folding, even as you read this right now. Many more will follow. But, please, for the respect of those who have put their love into the product, don't bash them, don't criticize them. If you think it doesn't bother them that they had to shut down or are pondering doing so, well, you're wrong. They are people after all, and a failed venture hurts regardless of what it is.

I'm AJ and I'm out.

Writing Rules! by Erik Smetana

2008-07-30T11:45:00.004-04:00

Yes, writing does rule. As does reading (which is also fundamental). But that's not really the point of today's post, the point is: Are writing rules important? Should they be followed (hard-and-fast or loosey-goosey, if at all)? What rules take precedence (what are the "real" rules)?

To complicate matters further, there are circles in the writing community that stand firmly by the belief that rules are important but are deep down made to be broken. Then there are writers that believe they "don't need no stinking rules" and that whatever they decide to throw down on paper should be welcomed by the masses (or at least their friend and family) as art.

Recently, author JA Konrath posted a list of beginner's rules (on how not to start a story) over on his blog in response to a mountain of slush he was reading through as a judge in a writing contest. All basic stuff: Don't start out a story with an alarm clock ringing, etc (like many of the rules contained in the picture above).

It was really a compilation of the basic "rules" floating around in various writing how-to books and in at least one introductory fiction writing class in most college MFA programs. They were the same list of rules that many an accomplished, informed writer has tossed aside and then proceeded to flount with a well-crafted new take on the cliched don'ts of writing. This is where things got a bit sticky (at least in my social circles).

Some writers started to attack Konrath, others the poster that shared this information, it literally turned into a flame war -- all over a far more successful writer sharing their opinion on the craft. An opinion, that until I land a multiple book deal of my own are ones that I want to hear, even if I don't always agree.

Rules are good, feel free to argue if you like, but they give writers a basic framework (every writer has them, even if they don't realize or want to admit to it). But writing rules, like so many things in life aren't simply black and white, they live in gray area. Maybe there should be a rule about writing rules, "Use what is applicable to your own writing."

Then that begs the question, how does one know what is applicable. A writer whose stories are award-nominated or lining the shelves at the local book nook may not see the same relevance in a particular rule as someone first taking pen to paper. But in some ways that is the point of writing rules, they are what you need them to be. For some they can be a rigid structure they never deviate from, others may fall back on them when the going gets rocky and there are some who may ignore them completely (and see great success while doing so).

Personally, I have 3 basic writing rules:

1) Writing starts with rewriting.
2) A story must strive to entertain (the definition of entertain is a broad one and could be the topic of an entire post of it's own).
3) If a story can be fully explained and synthesized in one or two sentences, then it might not be worth writing -- the only way to understand a good story is to read it.

My rules, my opinions, agree or disagree as you see fit. And in closing I have one question for the writers out there -- what are your rules for writing?

Wondrous Wonderfest

2008-07-29T00:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I attended my second ever convention. This one was on modeling - no not the Tyra Banks kind, but sculpting and gluing of fantasy icons. It was amazing, and I met some very nice people whoa re struggling to make their living writing, making art, and peddling movie and TV iconography. None of them will get rich. All of them love the fantasy genre.

I got to see a full scale Tingler (I was terrified when I saw that Price movie as a kid.) I learned a lot more about antiquarian horror and fantasy. I saw some great taped interviews by Bill Mumy (on working with Hitchcock) and movie make up artists. Rick Sternbach showed off his incredible talent and artistry from 14 years at Star Trek (and his fan-art before that). I saw R2D2, and watched Star Wars storm troopers eat pizza in breaks from photo-ops for Make-A-Wish foundation.

And I met King Kong.

No joke.

Bob Burns brought along the actual model. He said that through a series of weird situations, he was in a warehouse one day and saw it in a box in a defunct museum and they were trying to hide it ad abscond with it from the rightful owber. Bob knew the owner, and called him. There was a great deal of fluster, bluster, and threats, but Kong was rescued. As a reward for saving Kong, Bob got awarded life-time custody.

It still works. I saw it. I took a picture of it. I'm in awe. It's about 76 years old, and despite pitting where the latex decomposed from it's use in Son of Kong, it still looks new. The head was sand cast and the rest was made of lathed mechanical parts.

I'll tell you more about Wonderfest next Tuesday. :)

Font Conference and Free Braunbeck but Hurry by Fran Friel

2008-07-28T12:38:00.009-04:00

FREE Braunbeck
Five-time Bram Stoker Award winner author, Gary Braunbeck, has a treat for you--a FREE three part story posted at Horror World. The only thing is that it will disappear from the website August 1st! So pop on over to HorrorWorld.org and read Gary's story, "In Seeing: a story of Cedar Hill." Like Gary's latest novel, Coffin County, "In Seeing" is from his fabulous Cedar Hill series. Don't miss it!

Font Conference
Yes, let it be known, I'm a total geek, but I loved this vid. I thought you might like it, too...but you don't have to be a geek to enjoy it...I don't think. ;-)

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Have a great week!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Where Am I and How Did I Get Here? Todd Banks

2008-07-24T08:29:00.002-04:00

Hello folks. This week for the Third Thursday Guest Spot we have an up and coming writer, editor, screen writer. Psychopath . . . you get the idea. His name is—

What. Umm . . . you don't say? It's the fourth Thursday of the month. Hmmm . . .

You noticed, huh? Yeah, my apologies for that. This has been one very busy month and the July fourth thing. Yah know? No? Not buying it. I didn't think so. Well, at any rate, the Third Thursday Guest Spot was pushed back a week this month thanks to my mental clock not going off and . . . well, you know.

Seriously, this week we have for you a young writer who is on the rise in the genre. He has worked as an editor at both Dark Discoveries and currently with Dark Recesses Press. He just recently took a spot as on Associate Editor with Lincoln Crisler's Our Shadows Speak anthology.

Though he is modest when it comes to his writing abilities, he has a knack for leaving readers satisfied at the end of his stories. Trust me, Todd Banks is on the rise. Now, enough of my yammering. Here's Todd:

Not too long ago—maybe a year or so ago—I stumbled upon a veritable utopia of gifted writers. No, I didn't wake up at Harper/Collins after a night of drunken debauchery. You see, I woke up one day and decided that I could write. I figured I could put pen to paper and be the next King or Barker. I wanted to make people's skin crawl with my evil creations. I wanted people to fear the dark again. In short, I wanted people to shutter at the mere mention of my name.

But what I didn't realize at the time was that I couldn't write a lick. My plotting was horrendous, to say the least, and let's not get started on my two-dimensional characters. I found myself curled up in the fetal position on my living room floor. I cried and snot flowed like a river from both nostrils. My four year old daughter stood above me looking down and said, "Get up Daddy, don't be such a wussy!" It was at that time I knew I had to prove to her that I wasn't such a wussy. So off I went on a cyber-journey of sorts, hunting down that elusive writer's group that would elevate me to the same level as Hemingway or Tolstoy.

"Did you ever find that group?" you ask.

Hell no. I found something even better.

In this day and age of cyberspace and all it has to offer in regards to writing and how to get 'r done, I felt I found my treasure trove of information. Granted, I still suck somewhat, but I am getting better with each piece I produce. Will I ever be a Stoker nominee like Fran Friel or Kurt Dinan? Maybe/Maybe not. Who knows where my writing path is going to take me. All I know is that it has led me to +The Horror Library+ and to a group of writers that, once unleashed upon the World, will take over in a very evil fashion.

I know this sounds like some sort of suck up blog entry, but I have to tell you that this comes from the heart. If wasn't for writers like AJ Brown, who kicks ass I might add, showing me where I go wrong with my writing, I wouldn't be writing this now. All the support and criticism that comes in from the whole gang is uplifting and they pull no punches. If it sucks, they will happily tell you so.

The list of people that have offered up their experience and advice, just to get me to be a better writer, is long and distinguished, and I can't thank them enough. When I first asked AJ about writing this for the Blog-O-Rama, I have to admit I got a little giddy when he told me that it would be a go. To be part of something like this is phenomenal, especially for a newbie like me. It's a dream come true. My writing has become so much more than I ever thought it could be. And that's due to all of you. And since finding this place, one major dream of mine is to be part of "The Terrible Twelve".

In my short time here, I have made great friends for life, and I hope that it's a long life. I have also found that editing a magazine can be just as fulfilling as writing the stories for that magazine. In closing, I guess I just wanted to say this:

Thanks to each and every member of the +HL+ for everything that you have done for me in the past, as well as, everything you have yet to do for me. I hope that someday I can repay all of you one-by-one with hugs and beer. I think of you as family, and that to me is everything.

Todd Banks is a writer of dark scribblings. When he isn't prowling the internet for cheap thrills, he spends his time with his family and writing. He likes long walks on the beach and mellow music with his dinner. He also likes writing screenplays, radio dramas and thanks to CJ Hurtt, comics as well. You can find him at:

Night Tremors

Dark Scribbles

Cracklin' Kernels From Chrispy: Podcasts

2008-07-22T00:01:00.003-04:00

Well, the information I got at Hypericon continues to sink in. I went to a seminar on podcasts, and it was eye opening.

A podcast is like a radio broadcast (it could be other things, too, but I'll stay simple). It can take several formats. It can be informational, it can be a talk show with guests, and most recently it's taken on a new life as game shows with contestants.

Software is usually needed, but the costs can be minimal. Some can be downloaded for as little as $60.

While I'm very familiar with slick podcasts that are basically downloaded radio shows like Coast to Coast AM, the only podcast I knew in horror was Mark Justice's excellent pod of horror.

The panel had a gamer, an advocate of Pagan rights, a Ghost Hunter Group, and a few others. Each felt that a podcast was mandatory to maintain their audience.

I asked (naively) if adding a podcast increased their viewership. They looked at me strangely, and so I rephrased it to say, "So did your audience go up like from 5,000 to 10,000 - or from 5,000 to 6,000." They all laughed heartily. One said, "We'd kill for those kinds of numbers." Many shook their heads affirmatively.

So podcasting is definitely for the small market, and if you're worried about YOUR numbers being small, don't sweat it. The market in micro-fractured, apparently.

They all advocated that editing was primary. You have to have a volunteer editor to take the time and patience to erase all the "What the F***", and "Holy S***" out of the broadcast to make it more P.G. and professional. Remove all the "Uh ... um ... well, like, y'know" stuff out. They cautioned that it is extremely time consming, and that the main director should not tie up time on it.

For game shows one issue was having enough audience to have participants. You have prizes, but if no one calls then there is no contest. In addition, everyone frowned on the use of phone lines. While I didn't get any names, there are information and voice vehicles that eliminate the graininess of talking over a phone line now.

Every organization there leaned on the team-oriented approach with lots of volunteers. Nothing works well without volunteers chosen with specific talents in mind. The team leader is essential to keep morale, a plan, and the theme of the organization moving forward. The staff needs to be loyal to the team leader and the cause promoted.

My biggest revelation is that each of the panelists had partnered with i-tunes to have their broadcast available for uploading. I was certainly a dinosaur when it came to this, because virtually all of the folks in the audience were already doing this. Many were "addicted" to specific i-tune podcasts and listened to them daily on the way to work and back. Many are free. There are apparently tens of thousands to choose from, and more uploaded daily.

_____
So, you might think a fan convention is for fun and party, but Hypericon certanly offered a lot of great information and panels. I regret that I didn't have more time to devote to the convention this year. But there's always next year!

Links of a Lazy Woman by Fran Friel

2008-07-20T11:34:00.007-04:00

Lazy Links
I missed my beloved NECON this weekend because I've been a tad under the weather here, but I'm overdue for a visit with you and since I miss you I thought I'd just drop by with a few fine links for your perusing pleasure. I hope you find them helpful or at least a bit entertaining.

For Writers and Other Masochists:

Book Proposals: A Recommended Read - by Douglas Clegg

Promotion, PROmotion, PROMOTION - by John B. Rosenman

More on Getting Your Books into Libraries - by Lucy Snyder

Mr. Manners: 10 Rules of Etiquette for Writers Conferences - by Douglas Clegg

Characters - The Heart of Any Story - by Joe Nassise

For Readers and Other Magnificent Creatures:

Apex Digest (now FREE and Online...and paying pro-rates to writers!) - Issue One

Clarkesworld Magazine - (FREE and Online - pays double pro-rate!) - Issue 22

Chizine - (FREE and Online - pays pro-plus rates to writers!) - Latest Issue

For the wondrous folks who aren't sick of hearing about the MB collection:

Shanna Wynne - On Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales

Kent Allard from Dead in the South - On the MB Collection

That should keep you busy for a couple of minutes. And be sure to go back again later to visit the folks listed above. There's always something funny, fascinating and fabulous within the pages of their blogs and websites.

Happy reading!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

A Question of Motivation AJ Brown

2008-07-18T08:24:00.001-04:00

An interesting topic came up in the Horror Library's main office recently. The question was asked, who in that particular setting, would be the next success story. Wow. That is a tough question and one I think some folks were hesitant to answer. Why? Well, if they didn't mention their friends then maybe someone would have some hurt feelings. But, you know, if you asks me, maybe NOT mentioning their friends could be a good thing.

What? I've lost my mind, you all say? No, no, I haven't. Hear me out, I say and if you still disagree with me then feel free to call me insane. It won't be the first time and most certainly won't be the last.

Yes, everyone wants high praise and a pat on the back, especially from their peers. Do you think it wouldn't do my ego good to have one of the name writers out in our genre say that I put out something decent? Of course it would. I would be elated if that happened. But, would that change things? Maybe, a little. I think hearing your work is good and that you have 'it' really stokes the confidence.

However, a question such as who, in your own opinion, will become a success from a group of people you know very well can be daunting to answer. You see enough of these folks and what they can do to kind of gauge them and their abilities, but overlooking someone, even though you do not mean to, could cause those hurt feelings that you don't wish to cause. If you're honest with yourself and with them, you will speak truthfully, but gently in some cases.

I sat back when I read the question and thought for a few minutes before typing up a reply. There are so many folks in there that I can see doing really well for themselves. There are also some folks I left off, simply because of participation—or the lack there of. But, as I sat back and thought about those I left off the list, I wondered what it could do to their psyche, their ego.

Well, let's see, it could have upset them that they were left off and then they would never talk to me again. Or they could shrug it off as it doesn't matter. Or it could make them try harder so someone would believe that they could be the next success story.

Hmmm . . . let's think about that last part for a minute. They could try harder so someone would believe that they could be the next success story.

Think.

Thinking.

Hmmm . . .

I've asked this next question when dealing with people I've trained in various jobs and I think it applies here: What is your motivation? What drives you?

Well?

True story: Not too long ago—maybe a year and a half or so—I was passed up for a position I really wanted. I knew I could do the job but I guess I was a little green under the gills. I didn't get the nod and I was bummed. No, wait, that's not right. I was BUMMED. Yeah, that's more like it.

I could have gotten discouraged, and to be honest, I did, for about ten minutes. Then, I told myself I wasn't quite where I needed to be for that position. I then set out to work harder and get better. About six weeks or so later, the person who had gotten the position I so coveted, abandoned it. Within a short time of his leaving, the position was offered to me. I was elated. Ecstatic. Excited and other E words I can't think of at the moment.

I've since moved on to other things, but I hold that feeling I had when I got bypassed that first time very close to me. It is not a good feeling, but I turned it into motivation. It made me want things more, made me want to work harder to improve myself.

Rejection has a way of doing that, but I'll save that for another time. In this case, being overlooked for something you feel you are capable of doing can be just as bad . . . or good, depending on how you look at it. I chose to use the feeling as a motivator to push myself a little harder. Did it work? Oh yeah, it did.

So, do you see what I am getting at? If you want to be on the list as the next big thing, you have to work at it. But, if you aren't on that list, don't get too discouraged. Instead, turn it around and use it as motivation. A lot of athletes do it. So do business people. And singers. Why not writers? Why not editors? Why not publishers?

Think about what discourages you when it comes to writing. Take that and let it motivate you. But, not just in writing. What discourages you in life? Use it for motivation.

I leave you all with this:

Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.
--Og Mandino

I'm AJ and I'm out.

Where I Write & Where I Might by Erik Smetana

2008-07-16T11:36:00.004-04:00

I have a room in my home dedicated as an office. It has a bookshelf that overflows with books, a second bookshelf with more books, CDs, various miscellany and a printer. There is a modem and a router. There is a window, providing natural light or a view of the stars. But, I can't seem to write there. I try and try and try.

In my head, I have managed to convince myself there is a reason for this. You see, for the last twenty-four months or so, I have been fixated on something. My poor wife has been dragged in and out of chain stores, boutiques and wholesalers. Hours have been spent scouring the web. All to no avail. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

All in the effort to find a piece of furniture. A new writing desk. The perfect writing desk.

I will be the first to admit I have some eccentricities when it comes to certain things (none of which I will divulge here other than,) I can be a bit odd when it comes to where I write. I can sit for hours on end in a cafe or library, spend late nights fixed at our kitchen table, lunch hours have been used up with storytelling efforts -- all in a push to create. But when I sit down in my home office, a room that serves no other purpose than to house a computer, books and me typing, I freeze up. I get aches in back and start to feel tense. My eyes go blurry and swear that despite what the thermostat might say, it is hot. All because, or at least I tell myself this, of the desk.

In my head there is a vision of the perfect writer's office. A space I can retreat to, surrounded by books written by authors I admire, enjoy and on occasion know. A room that gives no doubt as to it's purpose. A room that can't come to fruition until I find it's centerpiece. Something simple. But slightly ornate. Something with clean lines. But with some artistic flourish. Something BIG. But not an eyesore. Something to accommodate me, a laptop and an endless mess of paper.

So for two years I've looked and looked and looked. We've come close to buying two or three desks, but none have made it through our front door. In the meantime, I have a room with the same computer cart I bought out of necessity in college, an obnoxious laminated thing with a keyboard tray that serves no purpose (we own laptops). A room that I won't write in, can't write in, because it doesn't have a suitable desk. Instead I write in my living room, on planes and in hotel rooms. I write out on our deck. But never in the room designated for such pursuits.

Maybe it is better this way. Maybe I shouldn't have a designated writing spot a la Po Bronson. Maybe I tell myself this because I'm afraid of creating a writing space. Afraid of what it means. Afraid that a room created for the sole purpose of my sitting down and churning out page after page of story might mean I'd no longer have any excuses. Afraid what having a space dedicated to my pursuit of turning a hobby into a profession means.

Is it a fear of failure? Or one of success?

I don't know the answer to that (or at least don't want to admit it), but what I do know is that I am slowly creating something special in what looks to be the first novel I've written with any sort of merit. A workshop ready draft should be completed by the end of the year.

To top it off, I think we've finally found the right desk. A true writer's desk, spacious but not too big. Simple but elegant. Solid wood, no laminate (or wheels for that matter). To paraphrase Field of Dreams, "Write it and the desk will come."

Of course now there is the matter of finding the right chair...

Cracklin' Kernels From Chrispy: More From Hypericon

2008-07-15T00:01:00.000-04:00

Meeting other professional writers up close and personal is an awesome experience. The panel discussions were tremendous. Meeting great writers like Joe R. Lansdale, Steven Shrewsbury, Shane More, Fran Friel, and a dozen more writers and editors and podcasters was exhilarating. One thing separated the groups of writers I met. Confidence Vs. Insecurity.

I walked away from conversation with these wonderful people with a life's lesson that, perhaps, they didn't expect they would teach me.

I won't name names because some of the conversations were private, but over and over with many folks the topic of confidence arose. "Me? I'm now famous! Awesome. Uh, oh, wow. Oh my God!"

Once you give up your day job, it's sink or swim. Your product is not only selling and at the mercy of your fan base, but your publisher, printer, editor, and a host of other folks are dependent upon you to generate revenues. You're a business profit center.

That's very disconcerting. As one writer indicated, "I made a six digit income last year in my day job, now that I'm a full time writer I'm back to poverty level until my next book sells." Another was worried that the next book might be less well received. Another debated how to separate out from the "circle" he was currently identified with so that he could be seen as his own person; a writer in his own merits.

Still another writer was filled with trepidation, because the publisher had so much confidence in his skills, that he made him a key player in the organization. As such, and due to the rave success of his book series, world famous people were calling him and wanting to make deals with him.

For many people, writing begins as a second job. It's a new arena from previous established career paths, and when you step from an old path where you know the rules, have a mental paradigm of how far your talent extends, and you've moved on to the new path of writing, you feel like the ground is soft and squishy.

Talent is insecure, and the greater the talent the more insecure sometimes.

You're dealing with deadlines. You're dealing with critics. Most horrific, you're dealing with stalkers - a side of the business that is rarely discussed but is prevalent.

However, in those scary private moments when you're looking in the mirror and it's a very lonely moment filled with anxiety, you tell yourself that this nervousness can't be shown. Only confidence reinforces confidence, and that's what it takes to grab the next piece of electronic typing paper and once again start to stroke the keyboard to generate words.

At a convention, writers share with one another. They can be self-deprecating. That's to be expected when you let your hair down. It's human.

It doesn't work in the boardroom.

Professionalism demands confidence. Confidence exudes professionalism.

Walking in and saying things like, "Well, y'know that story probably could use a little work. Characters can be a little stronger, I suppose. It's only my second novel." That will kill trust. Editors know tweaks will be done. They know precisely where you are in your career, and how far they can trust you with a financial investment, so it's time to bring the superego with you and be professional and confident and have answers to their concerns.

I know those lessons. I use them in my primary career. I forget them when it comes to writing.
I know that I'm going to begin to act differently now. Not that at my age I have a problem with ego, heh. However, I did have a paradigm shift at Hypericon. I want to be start being more positive in my outlook, and more confident in my expressions about my own writing. When someone compliments me, I want to practice reinforcing that with a hearty "thank you", not an "aw shucks, it's just a little something I put together."

I'm not there yet, but it's a new day thanks to the friendly conversation of a great group of professional writers at Hypericon.

Chris Perridas

Slow vs. Fast: Zombie Politics - by Dan Naden

2008-07-13T22:14:00.001-04:00

Slow or fast? Dumb or smart? Paper or plastic?

Two of the above questions have become, in the past year or few, rather significant distinctions in the world of zombie fiction. One of them I just made up...but I won't tell you which. (we'll see if you're paying attention or if I've already put you to sleep).

For the most part, the original incarnation of zombies our tall tales, stories, and movies featured them as mindless, ploddingly slow beasties, whose only distinguishing characteristics (beyond being dead) were the insatiable appetite for human flesh (in particular, braaaaiiiinnssss), the never-say-die attitude toward acquiring said flesh, and the surety with which splattering the contents of the zombies' skulls with a handy shotgun blast would remove the never from said never-say-die attitude.

The formula worked, in part because it kinda made sense. If you think about corpses that have somehow become reanimated, you'd have to think that their motor skills would not really be all that whippy. I mean, you're not gonna see many zombies making it past Vegas on So You Think You Can Dance. American Idol, perhaps. But not Dance. They've got the passion and...um...execution (if you'll pardon the pun), but are lacking a bit on technique.

But recent movies...for instance, 28 Days Later...feature a different kind of zombie. Fast ones. We're talking scary fast here. Y'know: pit bulls on meth fast. And other movies, like the great George Romero's Land of the Dead feature zombies who are slowly beginning to recapture some of the intelligence left in their otherwise rotting brains. Just think...thinking zombies. There's one to keep you up nights.

It's not all that surprising that the zombie mythos would eventually have evolved to include derivations from the original form. Well-established concepts like those surrounding the zombie, invite creative stretches from the baseline standard, especially when they've reached a saturation point in stories and films made about them. Look at what happened to the vampire mythos. I could write for a couple days about brooding, homoerotic vampires compared to the original ravenous bloodsuckers, but that's for another day. Or two.

What is kinda surprising is the vehemence with which zombie-lovers (and here I'm speaking metaphorically...the other is also a topic for another day) have lined up over the slow and/or stupid zombie compared to the fast and/or intelligent zombie. Folks feel quite strongly about it.

On one hand, you've got the purists who think that zombies should come in their original forms, their original flavors. There's a certain level of integrity in maintaining the established standard and changing them makes the zombies become somewhat less zombie-like. On the other hand, you've got the fanboys who think, "why shouldn't zombies be quick and smart? They tell the purists that their zombies can run circles around the slow, stupid plodding ones. Why not make them speedy and...um...brainy? Just that much more of a challenge for the living humans in the story to overcome. Or die trying.

For myself, I can see both sides of the argument. I like most of the zombie changes I've seen in books and movies, agreeing that they do add a bit of flair that the genre had been missing. Then again, I can also see that if the trend in changing zombie attributes continues, we could end up with some right silly ideas.

What's next, zombies who can teleport? (It's MY idea! You read it here first!) How 'bout zombies who can sing and dance? Maybe the makers of Shaun of the Dead weren't all that far off after all. But if we go that far, I'm writing my own zombie character into So You Think You Can Dance, an ultimate winner because he kept eating his partners' brains. There might be something fun in this debate after all...

What is Success AJ Brown

2008-07-13T22:09:00.002-04:00

What is success? Is it making lots and lots of money? Is it name recognition? Is it being able to live comfortably or even have a lavish lifestyle? For us writers, is it getting a story published for the first time or the thousandth time? Is it a book deal that makes you a good bit of money? What is it?

Define success?

In some respects it is defined as the achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted (American Heritage Dictionary). But, is that really a good definition of the word?

I don’t know.

If you ask Stephen King or Gary Braunbeck or Brian Keene if they were successful, what do you think they would say? Well, I think they would say yes, they are. But, what if you asked that same question to someone who only has a handful of publishing credits under their belt? What do you think they would say? Most of them would say no or not yet or I’m getting there or something to that effect.

So, I ask you, what is your definition of success?

Do you want to know mine? First off, I would love to make a living writing. I would. I really, really would. But, if that doesn’t happen, would I consider myself a failure? Not even close. Have any of you seen my wife? She’s beautiful. How about my kids? They’re attractive and smart. My son is a pistol and my daughter is darn near brilliant sometimes. I’m successful already.

I know, I know, I’m stretching what this is all about, but it is important to understand what success really is. Sometimes success isn’t about the dollar sign or how many cars you drive or how big a house you have. Sometimes success isn’t measured by your name and how many people who know who you are. Honestly, right now, how about a show of hands from those who know who I am. Not a lot of you, I see.

I have a firm belief that if you believe that you can do something then you can do it. It may take you a little longer to learn how to do these things, but eventually, you will be able to do them.

For me there is a certain amount of satisfaction when I see improvement in my writing. It may not be something that leaps out at someone, but it is something I notice. And, when I notice the change, I feel like there is a touch of success in that—all the attempts at correcting a flaw or learning how to do something finally coming to fruition. To me, that is a type of success.

I measure success on how satisfied I am with the outcome. If I feel I have done everything to my ability and it still doesn’t work, well, it’s time for me to start over on that and try again. There is a measure of satisfaction in trying and trying again until you get it right. After that, it usually stays right.

I also gain a lot of pleasure from writing a story. Pleasure. Did you read that word? Read it again. Pleasure. I write a lot—sometimes too much, but I love doing it. It is my addiction and not one that I am willing to kick. When I write something that is good and I know it is good, then the pleasure is amplified and that leads to satisfaction of a job well done. Which, hopefully, will lead to getting paid for the stories on a regular basis.

But, if this life of writing never makes me successful money or name wise, then I will always have the pleasure of creating a story, enjoying the ability to do so and being successfully happy. That’s what it’s all about anyway, right? Being happy.

I’m AJ and I’m out.

Look Out For That...Oh, Nevermind by Erik Smetana

2008-07-09T09:27:00.006-04:00

I am accident prone.

Over the years I have been thrown off a golf cart (more than once), managed to separate my upper lip from the gums by way of a freak accident with a metal yardstick, my arms and legs are dotted with scars (mostly small ones) detailing years of haphazardness.

In any given week I can be counted on to bump into a bedpost, dresser, kitchen stool or wall. Yes, wall. I have fallen down stairs and up them. Kitchen knives have sliced into the same fingers that hammers have bashed in (once on the same day).

My most recent injury came as a result of a simple bit of landscaping. A couple hours of digging and sod cutting resulted in what my doctor called, "A raging bout of tendinitis."

If by raging he means painful, then I agree. My whole arm aches, well everything except for my right hand's (my writing hand) pinkie and ring finger -- those are numb from where the tendon is pressing down on the ulnar nerve. I can't feel those two fingers very well, so I'm not really certain if they hurt or not.

So what does this have to do with writing?

In the story of my life, I am but a character. And one of my most profound character traits is my ability to injure myself doing the most mundane things. If my life were but a creation of fiction, my character would be a bit less interesting if I were bit more graceful.

A story where dialogue amongst characters is flat and the writer fails to create a picture for the reader are ineffective. It is the difference between telling and showing. Being a storyteller doesn't mean that one can get off without creating a scene, a setting, a cast -- a movie for the mind. So the next time you read a story, think about what makes each character unique, what sets them apart from the other players in the tale. And the next time you sit down to write a story, strive to create real characters, the sort that the reader can see, the sort they might want to read about again.

As usual, I have some writing to do, but I also have a wrist that is in desperate need of an icepack.

Cracklin' Kernels From Chrispy: "The Writer's Rule?"

2008-07-08T00:01:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm still digesting everything from Hypericon: Nashhville 2008.

One thing surprised me. I was always under the impression that, in public, the unwritten rule was never to criticize another writer. For critics, that's their job. However, in panel discussions several writers criticized other professional writers for the quality of workmanship and expressed this with opinions, but few facts - and in most cases no facts.

On a forum board this week, I saw where the late Richard Layman's reconstructed first book was criticized. I saw other places where some Brian Keene books were belittled and excoriated. Well, of course, some stories are stronger than others, some emphasize one aspect of story telling or another, some appeal to one fan but not someone else, and usually first books are not as robust and entertaining as books written 20 years later. Just is it a wise thing to say, "Not good" with no substantiation, and to just flip off an opinion in the heat of the moment?

I'm not saying any of these opinions are correct, or not. In a few cases I certainly believed that the opinions of Hyperion panelists were incorrect. I've certainly written reviews that took the opposite point of view of opinions I've seen on forum boards. That's not the point.

Is it "professional" or even wise to make a point or grind an axe about this or that writer? In most cases, the names citicized were best selling writers with rather famous names. They'd sold copies in the millions. Maybe the fact that a writer is a millionaire, or has fallen out of grace in select circles makes a writer an easy target.

In my family, the addage of "If you have nothing good to say, don't say anything" was usually practiced. In my day job, we NEVER criticize the competition. Our sales policy is to show the differences, encourage the client to understand our point of view, and hopefully our goods and services are a good fit with their needs.

"I hated it so much after the first chapter, I just threw the book across the room."

"How could they waste paper on that?"

Recently, I read a book and part of my current writing situation is to publicly review books. I was frustrated with this particular writer. I thought the marketing concept was ill advised, and the content was overly sensational. The book was gratuitous on many fronts. Were I an S. T. Joshi with decades of credentials, I might publish that opinion in a journal for historians of horror literature to debate the merits. Instead, I sent out inquiries to my respected peers about this author which I had never yet read before that time.

"A great writer. I read everything he writes. Amazing storyteller."

Hmm.

So, was my quick-tempered first impression the correct one? Was this really an arrogant, sub-B-list writer with a marketing ploy to sell a few over-priced books? Or was I the wrong-headed one?

The writer had a highly respected publishing house publish the book. That means they spent real money on a book and writer they believed in. The writer has been successful with previous stoires. Copies of this book are now flying off the shelf. Fans love it. Other reviewers respect the effort of the writer, though they commented on some of the 'flaws' that I saw.

"Measure twice, cut once."

"You have two ears, and one mouth. Listen twice as much as you speak."

"Take the high road."

Proverbs that I've tried to live by. In the past, I've also been known to "open mouth, insert foot" but I hope that now that I'm older, definitely more bruised, I hope I'm yet wiser than in my youth.

I still think, unless there's a compelling reason, or unless one is writing a critical essay that will be refereed by scholars and editors, the best philosophy is "Do no wrong to one's fellow writers."

Chris Perridas

A Writer's Curse - by Dan Naden

2008-07-07T00:21:00.001-04:00

Hi. I'm Dan and I...um...have a problem. More like a curse, really. Y'see, I'm a writer and as a writer, I tend to think like a writer. Which, on its own, isn't really a bad thing...if you discount all the strange quirkiness that's usually associated with writers and the way they think.

No, my problem is that because I think like a writer, I tend to express myself like a writer as well. Which is to say that I express myself best when I'm writing.

Now even that isn't really a bad thing...unless you happen to be on the receiving end of my trying to express a deep and complicated issue...one that can't be explained by a simple sound byte or glib comment or two. We humans have, in fact, quite a few complicated issues out there but, in one of the more interesting facets of human behavior, we're almost entirely resistant to actually listening to each other discuss verbally the intricate details of them.

I'm serious. Try to explain to someone why it's important, in general, for computer programs to be treated like any other manufacturing process and you'll get yawns...not just because such an explanation is boring (which it is), but because the human attention span for long, verbose explanations weighs in somewhere close to three or four microseconds shorter than the half-life of a box of Krispie Kreme donuts in the Monday morning office breakroom. Which isn't long. Try to discuss something controversial, political, or emotional and the short, human attention span is accentuated by an vocal, contrary interruptions which completely derail any rational, reasonable debate.

At one time, I found this eminently irritating...up until I realized that it's just human nature. And until I realized that, in writing, I could circumvent the short listening attention span problems inherent to our race.

Now, when I want to explain something, I write it all down...and send it in an email.

It's evil, really. I get to say precisely what I want to say without being tuned out or outshouted. I get to make my entire case without someone jumping in and derailing my train of thought before it gets rolling along the tracks. Of course, people don't actually have to read what I've written, but that's the glory of sending it in an email. If I've sent it, the responsibility for reading and understanding it all passes from my hands into their clogged email inboxes. It's grenade logic, where I chuck my ideas into the nearest foxhole and wait for 'em to explode.

But it's also a curse, this writing disease that I have, because I've come to realize that some of my best and brightest ideas will only see the light of day if I actually have the time to write them all out. And if I can trick/guilt someone into reading them.

Case in point for today's blog. I have this really good idea, but...

Dang. Gotta go.

Seeya next week!

Join Me In Hell? by Fran Friel

2008-07-03T15:07:00.006-04:00

I'm Going to Hell
Yup, I'm going to hell for this one. Wanna join me? While I'm gathering my thoughts and photos from my super-duper trip to Hypericon in Nashville, I'd just like to leave you with a little gift from Michael Arnzen's Goreletter Vol. 5.03. After you stop by and read all of the latest Gorey Arnzen goodness, click on the following link that I "borrowed" from Mike:

The Kitten Cannon

At least I won't be in hell alone. Mike will be there to keep me company. *grins*

I'll be back soon with a report from my Nashville visit and the launch of Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales. In the meantime, ya'll get shootin' some kittens...cyber-kittens, that it. See ya' in hell!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS - My high score was somewhere around 1400 feet. No kidding. Now that's one tough kitten!

A Brief Public Service Announcement by Erik Smetana

2008-07-02T09:44:00.004-04:00

Reading is fundamental!

Reading does a body good. Reading is the other white meat. Reading – Apply directly to the forehead.

Reading, it is that thing you do with books, magazines or the web. It is the eyes scanning words, the brain processing those words and connecting them to some meaning. Reading is possibly the most important thing a writer can do to improve their craft.

A few weeks back, I did a post on the top nine or so books that have helped me as a writer. It was a mish-mash of how–to books and novels that played an integral role in my development as a person, not just as a writer. They were books that inspired me to put word down on paper for posterity’s sake.

Like many avocational (and most professional) writers, I read a lot. At least one novel a week, sometimes more. I read across genres – literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers, noir, YA, horror and on and on. And what I’ve found is that the more I read the better writer I become (but to get where I want to be, I have a bunch more reading to do).

I read books like The Raw Shark Texts and ones like The Last Cato. I dig deep into short story collections like Coronado and Twentieth Century Ghosts. I use sites like GoodReads to find out what others are reading. I re-read books and spend hours with new writers and more established ones equally. I finish books that I want to bury at that bottom of a box in my basement just so I can see how another writer handled themselves – I look for things that can help me to improve.

My taste in the written word is a bit eclectic, on my bookshelves Stephen King and Richard Matheson sit next to Marilynne Robinson and Jeffrey Eugenides. I devour books by Kelly Link as quickly as those written by Steve Berry (or Dan Brown for that matter). Cormac McCarthy hangs out by a long list of graphic novels. Titles by Faulkner rest atop a large stack of trade paperbacks. I am just as likely to read small and independent press titles (Apex, CBP, Akashic, etc.) as I am to check out the latest New York Times Bestseller. If someone has a good story to tell, I want to hear it. So the question I have for everyone out there in cyberland is, “Have you had your Reading today?”

If not, go find a book, maybe one you have already read. Maybe one by an author you have never heard of. Maybe a book you would never otherwise think about reading. And sit down with it. Crack it open and enjoy the ride.

We’ll keep it short this week because as usual I have some writing to do (and a long reading list to get to for that matter).

I met ... Fran Friel!

2008-07-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

After years of reading her stories, and even after working with her on this very blogarama, I'd never met Fran. This weekend I got to ... meet ... Fran ... at Hypericon in Nashville.

Whatever you heard about Fran - all that propaganda - that she's sweet, nice, folksy, gregarious, kind, easy to know - well, believe it. It's true.

I'm a bit old fashioned, I suspect. When you're in a writer's circle it's nice to email and phone call your colleagues, but I want to also meet the person. That's just me.

Look, I spent so much time talking with Fran that I felt a bit guilty - like eating too many oatmeal raisin cookies - and that I might be stealing way too much of Fran's time at the convention. After all she was in the midst of her WORLD PREMIER book publishing event. Instead, she was extremely generous with her old +T-12+ pal and we just talked and talked and talked.

So, what one thing can I say about Fran to make you get a glimpse? OK, how about the fact that she handcrafted a unique bookmarker for every fan who bought one of her books? Talk about collectible! Talk about that extra bit of care she has for her Mama's Boy fans! That's the "wow" factor she is.

Fran is also a great story teller - not that you couldn't have told that from reading her stories - but she has so many anecdotes about her writing and publishing career you just have to sit back and listen with deep attention when she has conversation with you. If you get a chance, check out her schedule and meet her and let her sign a book for you.

OK, there's so much more about my day* at Hypericon that I'll pend it over for the next blog post. (I met Joe R. Lansdale!) (I met, fellow Kentuckian, Jason Sizemore of Apex!)

Until then, use your extra time to read Mama's Boy!

___
* I was, unfortunately, only able to devote one day to Hypericon. Next year, I hope my schedule allows more time.

Writing and Scarcity - by Dan Naden

2008-06-30T00:08:00.002-04:00

Have you noticed that no one ever really gets enthusiastic about anything anymore? Does it seem like we've lost our true joy at being innocent or goofy? Does it seem like we are no longer able to be surprised or shocked or slack-jaw fascinated by anything?

Welcome to the 21st Century and the afterglow hangover from the all night party called The Information Age. Call it the unpredictable side-effect of living in our world today: in a world where we have instantaneous communication with anyone, anywhere; the fallout from the nuclear explosion of information at our fingertips via the Internet; the facile omnipresence of television's naked eye, connected to the rest of the planet through a phalanx of satellites. All of that overwhelming access to all of that overwhelming data has taken something away from us.

It's taken away our ability to not know stuff.

Now, I am an avowed information junkie. If I'm not learning about something, or at least thinking about learning something, it's because I'm dead. I'm pretty sure that hasn't happened yet, but I'm trying to learn how to pull it off without actually having to stay that way. But I would never have imagined that having all the information I could ever hope to find right at my tips of my fingers would end up having a downside. It does, though.

See, before the Information Age, the world was a much larger place. Even though we knew, or could find out, what was happening outside our own localities...our communities, counties, states, etc....such things were largely remote to us. In those days, it was a novelty to get to see, or imagine, things from parts of the world other than our own. A guy from New York stops in for a visit in Kansas and it's...well...pretty cool listening to his accent or hearing about life in the Big Apple. Watch on TV a NASA rocket launching a trio of astronauts for the moon and we're lost, in awe of the possibilities. Read in the paper about a war or some disaster overseas and we can't hardly even comprehend the scale and scope of the problem. The world was very large and in it, there was so much that was unknown or unknowable to us because so much of it existed outside our sphere of understanding.

It's not all that surprising, though. Pretty much all of our interactions...our economies in particular...are based on the concept of scarcity. I have a product or am able to do some service that is of value to someone else because they aren't able to acquire it for themselves. I'm able to sell my product/service precisely because of the scarcity of that product/service among others. So we trade those things...value for value. In our society. such a trade typically, that involves money, but barter systems go waaaaay back.

Scarcity still exists today, but not nearly so much when it pertains to information.

Not too long ago, our only source of news came through three network news stations on TV and from whatever news went out over the press wires to be published in our newspapers. We saw what they showed and we liked it. Mainly because we didn't know any better. Now, we can almost entirely ignore those news sources because the information is covered everywhich way from Sunday on the Internet, accessible not only from our computers, but even on our cell phones!

Used to be, we didn't know or really care to much about what happened on the other side of the globe unless it happened to directly affect us. Now, joined at the hip to our information superhighway, such events flood us. More information than we can hope to process and most of it still not directly affecting us. But we read it because it's there and as we do, we become not just familiar with the entire world, but connected to it. After awhile, the novelty of seeing what's happening everywhere else turns into an omnipresence. And with that omnipresence, we lose the allure of not knowing about some other part of the world. Even if we haven't taken the time to absorb that info into ourselves, there's sure to be a lot of people we know who actually have. Collectively, we have absorbed away the unknown so that knowledge...even when there is new knowledge...loses its ability to spark our imaginations. Bit by bit, we lose our "oh yeah" moments of revelation and somehow, our race is lesser for it.

How does all of this affect us as writers and lovers of fiction? I'm glad you asked. It affects fiction because the same process that has happened with global information has happened to fiction. Stories have lost their scarcity.

I mean, even when someone comes up with a strong, compelling idea for a story, there are dozens of copycats out there before the Microsoft Word window has finished shutting down. We see every concept or ideal or twist or quirk examined from so many different directions that it becomes hard, if not impossible, for writers to create stories that don't already seem familiar, at best, or overdone, at worst. How often do we flip through the RedBox movie listings telling ourselves, "seen it", "it's been done"...over and over again because nothing seems original anymore?

I tell ya, it's hard to be a writer these days.

What we're going through, however, is a period of transition. I firmly believe that. We humans are about as adaptable as you'd ever want as semi-sentient species to be, but it still takes us awhile to adjust to changes as pervasive and rapid as the advent of the Information Age. Eventually, we'll figure out how to refind our natural curiosity and when we do, we'll create our own intrigue about the world, finding our new, cool things in new, cool places.

But what do we do now to get ourselves to where we're going to eventually be going? As writers (as I always say), it's up to us to decide.

Storewide 20% OFF?? Yuppers! by Fran Friel

2008-06-25T12:03:00.004-04:00

Jason's Gone Mad
Okay, gang, just a quickie for you today. I'm doing the crazy last minute thing getting ready to go Hypericon in Nashville. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning. I'll be back on Monday (if I survive!).

In the meantime, I wanted to leave you with this excellent little tidbit. Apex publisher, Jason Sizemore, has had a temporary lapse in sanity and is offering a storewide 20% discount at Apex.

In his own words of madness:

We're having a store wide sale to celebrate four excellent events:

1) The release of Orgy of Souls by Wrath James White & Maurice Broaddus

2) The release of Beauty & Dynamite by Alethea Kontis

3) The release of Mama's Boy and Other Dark Tales by Fran Friel

4) THE COMPLETION OF OUR WEBHOST MIGRATION!

Just enter the code NEWHOST on checkout to receive your discount.
www.apexbookcompany.com

The sale ends June 30th!

Apparently Jason's madness will be short lived so don't wait. Rush on over and order some Apex goodies. Of course, I have a particular favorite I could recommend, but they're all good.

See you when I get back from Nashville. I'll be singin' all the way home.

Happy Apex shopping!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

When The Words Don't Come Easy by Erik Smetana

2008-06-25T05:44:00.001-04:00

Hey there. It has been a little while, two weeks or so.

The month of June has been an interesting one to say the least. My wife and I flew from our little Midwest hamlet to the East Coast to help a relative move – this included packing a twenty-six foot truck and driving one of their vehicles for two long days.

The spring quarter of my MFA program wrapped up, something I was very happy about. Primarily because I now move onto some fiction classes – so no complaints there. And speaking of writing and learning, I found out in June that I had been accepted to attend the Borderlands Boot Camp in short fiction (as hosted by last week’s guest blogger, Tom Monteleone).

June is the month my wife and I got married, so we did a bit of celebrating. There are days I am utterly shocked that she still puts up with me after eleven years.

So that is the hot and sweaty, the happy and sweet. Now for the sad.

Last week my grandfather passed away.

The man my brothers and I called Pa lived eighty-two long years, during which he did a lot of things. He assembled cars in Detroit. He had three children and eleven grandchildren. He picked cotton. He became a Baptist minister, taking the pulpit full-time for forty plus years. He played the guitar. He whittled. He saved old furniture from the junk heap. But most importantly, he was a writer.

Over the course of his lifetime, he wrote hundreds of poems. Many dealing with his faith or family, others were about the work-a-day world. I can remember as a child watching him cobble together homemade chapbooks to hand out to parishioners, pages of insights into this gospel or that coupled with his simple but striking poems.

This is the first thing I have really written since my grandfather passed away for a number of reasons. First, the time just has not been there, but more so because I have been at a loss for words. Moreover, while I have had the great pleasure to befriend many amazing writers over the last several years, I found myself at a loss for words when the first writer I ever knew passed on.

However, I know my grandfather and I know his love for the written word. I know that he would much rather I put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard as the case may be). So until next week because for the first time in several weeks, I have some writing to do.

Cracklin' Kernels From Chrispy: The Case of the Baroque Baby-Killer (1949)

2008-06-24T00:01:00.001-04:00

At the Horror Mall Antiquarian Thread and on my Antiquarian Weird Tales blog, I try to post my "research" discoveries on the olden days of horror, and weird tales. Everyone starts somewhere, and everything has a beginning. Here are some anecdotes about the venerable ray Bradbury before he was yet venerable.

***

The Case of the Baroque Baby-Killer

A teenage chum (Forest Ackerman) battles some skeletons in the closet of Ray Bradbury.

Then Raymond Douglas Bradbury was a little boy, an author in whose genre he was to follow was busy writing stories about babies. That was Dr. David H. Keller, of whom it was once said that he wrote about more babies per square story thatn any other fantasy author. A comparison of the works of Bradbury and Keller might now offer a challenge to that statement. I have a sneaking suspicion that for every baby born in a Keller tale, one of the brats has met a sticky end in a Bradburyarn!

And yet Ray Bradbury has a living brother, mother, father, is married, and momentarily expects to become a parent!

Bradbury is now close to 29. When he was 17, I gave him first publication in fandom. This was a "short scientale" of less than 500 words called "Hollerbochen's Dilemna", in the Jan. '38 (#4) issue of the mimeograft magazine, Imagination. I hang my head to confess that I had no idea at that time I was stenciling genius in the chrysalis. But in my defense I offer those first three paragraphs of the storiette:

Hollebochen faced a crisis. He could tell what would happen in the future. He could see when he would die -- and it was very distressing, as you may well imagine. Every branch of his life lay before him. He knew he would die the next day. He saw himself being blown to bits by a tremendous explosion.

Hollerbochen had another marvelous feature about his person: He had the unique power to be able to stand still in time for a few minutes. But only for a pitifully few minutes.

He faced death and was terribly afraid.

Do you blame me for my blindness? Incidentally, anyone wishing to find out how Hollerbochen solved his dilemna, I have a couple of copies of this collector's item available at $5 per copy. What's that? Sorry, I'll have to conceal the offer - - Bradbury has just offered me $10 to burn them.

What Ray Bradbury was like as a child I have no way of knowing except thru some of his revelations in an article about himself in the Winter 1949 of the Fanscient. But as a teenager he was well-nigh "impossible". I say this without malice, as one who loves him, and without reflection on him today, for many irresponsible youths become model men in their maturity. I find it only humorous, now, to look back on ray when he was a pesky kid and a raggamuffin selling newspapers on a street corner a mile from where I live, and see what a considerate, cultured individual he has blossomed into.

{Chris Perridas}

Short End - by Dan Naden

2008-06-23T00:47:00.002-04:00

I haven't been a very good Monday blogger the past few weeks and, to my shame, this week isn't going to be much better. Play practice for our local community theatre's production of The Music Man is eating a lot more of my free time than I could have imagined and I'm finding that even on the weekends, when we don't have rehearsals, I'm still catching up on other things.

So this is going to be another one of those skinny blogs. I was going to write about how our society, built on the concept of scarcity of goods, services, and ideals, is losing a lot of its gee-whiz factor for all things new and cool. I've got it all figured out...except for finding the time to actually tell y'all about it. Perhaps next week, with my apologies for not writing it this week and actually writing it next week.

Passion AJ Brown

2008-06-20T09:27:00.001-04:00

Have you ever met someone and within ten minutes or so of talking to them you knew what they enjoy doing the most? I have, several times. When you have the gift of gab sometimes you can bring stuff out of people and you don’t have to try very hard. These things that you find out about someone in that first ten minutes are their passions—or better put, it is what they are passionate about.

Take a moment and think about what you are passionate about. Okay, okay, other than sex. Think about something else for a moment here. What is it that you are drawn to the most? What is it that you have loved since you were a child and still love now? What is it that you find time to do no matter what is on your plate?

Do you have one thing in your mind, yet? Okay, that one thing is your passion. It is the one thing that you will do with your free time—or the one thing you will make free time for. What is it? Working on cars? Playing basketball? Drawing? Knitting? Photography? Writing?

Writing?

Hmmm . . . yeah, that is where my passion is. I love to write. I write more than I probably should in most people’s eyes and not enough in my own. For me, finding the time to write is not an issue. Is there a television show that my wife is watching after the kids go to bed on the nights she doesn’t work? Well, there’s an hour right there. How about on the nights she does work? There is anywhere from one to three hours, depending on when the children go to sleep.

I'm fortunate to have a job where I can write during the day on my down time. It is truly a blessing and is one of the things I really love about my job. There is usually no less than two hours or so for me to write. Then there's my lunch hour. So I have, potentially, six hours of a day to spend writing. Realistically, I don't spend six hours a day writing—I have other responsibilities that I must fulfill and these things take part of that time away, but they are things related to, you guessed it, writing.

Fran touched on finding the time to write, even when you work from home when time seems to be at an optimum for someone to write. Unlike a lot of writers, I have to have some sort of distraction throughout the process. This is not a joke—I am serious here. If I write for three hours, I stop and check my e-mail or go to online forums or get up and get a drink or something, but it is very important for me to move around a little or shut the brain off for a minute or two in order for me to complete a story. It's kind of a refreshing or recharging of the mental batteries.

Just in the last fifteen minutes I have goofed off on Youtube twice, looking up Video Killed the Radio Star and found this really cool version of the song by a group called The Wrong Trousers.

The other thing about my passion is this: It's not a job for me. Even when I have a deadline to meet or some sort of time crunch, it still doesn't feel like a job. I write because I want to, I desire to, I need to. Not because someone wants me to have them a story by tomorrow morning at eight a.m.

No, it's not a job. It's more like an addiction. I have to write. I have to get all of these words out of my head and onto paper or the computer. If I don't, I fear my head will explode. Well, not really, but I wrote a story once about that very thing. However, I do get cranky when I don't write. It is my drug of choice—words and putting them together.

So, back to this passion thing. It is described one way as an intense enthusiasm, a strong liking for a subject or activity. Yeah, that really sums up my feelings for writing. But, what about you? Where does your passion lie? What is the one thing you find yourself drawn to (other than sex—come on folks)? If it is writing, you will find the time to do it. After the kids go to bed or when the spouse is on the phone or outside working in the yard or whenever.

Passion equals time—if you're passionate enough for something you WILL find the time to do it. If you were to walk up to me right now and start talking, asking me about my life, you will come away knowing that writing is my passion.

For now, I'm AJ and I'm out.

Padrone the Time Lord and a Twisted Geminiby Fran Friel

2008-06-19T13:02:00.010-04:00

Padrone on Time Management
Tom Monteleone, the author and publisher known and loved by many as Padrone has a lot to say about being a successful writer. His book on writing, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing a Novel, is jammed packed with excellent advice on the subject. I've had the pleasure of studying with Tom and his brilliant gaggle of author/instructors at the writing workshop, Borderlands Press Boot Camp. He knows his stuff so when I saw that Cemetery Dance Magazine had a link online for an article by Tom, I popped on over for a look.

Have a look yourself--definitely worth your time (pardon the pun):

Time Keeps on Slippin' . . . .Into the Future
Or: How to find the time to write
by Thomas F. Monteleone

Rebellion and a Twisted Gemini
Time management has been vexing for me as a writer. I have more time than most writers, but it can slip away from me if I'm not diligent. I love to write and I'm a naturally hard worker, but I have a personality that rebels against a rigid schedule BUT if I don't have some semblance of schedule, I can dawdle time away like sand through my fingers.

I used to beat myself up for not adhering to the sacred writing rule of "you must write everyday." And while beating myself up, I was also creating a subconscious backlash against my joy for writing which ultimately caused me to rebel. A kind of negative feedback loop formed which made me war with myself about writing. Of course, most of this war was raging on the subconscious level, but it led me to find all kinds of excuses not to write even when I wanted to and needed to (oh, the joys of being a Gemini...always of two minds). And since I work at home, there are plenty of easy excuses at hand: laundry, dishes, bills, oil changes for the cars, cleaning, etc. And then of course there's the oh so enticing "networking" online, blogging and "researching." Oh yes, I'm a master of self-distraction and delusion.

Anyway, I finally had to admit to myself that I couldn't be a work-a-day writer with a time clock and a page limit. I had to rekindle my joy for writing and let that guide me to finding my own rhythm schedule-wise. To find that joy again, I had to force myself NOT to force myself to write (my dutiful German genes run strong, but my Bohemian rebellion side won't be silenced!), but rather, I had to learn how to love it again. Before going to war with myself, I'd actually found writing fun. I LOVED the process of uncovering a story and finding a way to tell it to others that made it fun and interesting to them.

It took me a while to step away from the rigid scheduling idea and break the negative pattern I'd set up, but I'm finally there. I'm still doing a little dance with myself and learning how best to keep the fun fresh and be productive at the same time, but it's much easier now because I'm kinder and gentler with myself. One thing I did this year was wrap up my big projects just before Spring sprung here in New England. I was determined to have time to go to the beach and be outdoors in the beautiful weather while it lasted. Spring is short here before the heat and humidity set in and I didn't want to miss it sitting in my office staring longingly out the window when I live across the road from the sea. Ack...no way! I figure I'm halfway through my life - how many Springs do I have left? As the saying goes, "life's too short"and I might add, all work and no play makes Fran a dull writer.

Of course, sometimes you just have to hunker down and get the work done, but for someone with my personality, too much hunkering is poison to the process but just enough keeps the literary lifeblood flowing. So I say, find your own rhythm. Writing everyday is a great way to succeed and the best way, I think, but some of us need a bit of flexibility in that rule to stay the course for the long haul especially if you want to keep loving what you do. Viva la difference!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Cracklin' Kernels From Chrispy: Tales From the Dark Side of Produce

2008-06-17T01:00:00.003-04:00

The Horrors of the Haunted House of Vegetables

Deep in the recesses of the old Victorian house, something wicked shambled in the shadows.

"Did you hear something?" Sarah Lentil asked.

"I sure smell something, and it's a bad smell," said Charlie Lentil.

"I'm scared," said Little Billy Lentil.

The dust was thick, and the weight of the years were upon the old house. Suddenly, a gust of night wind whistled through the broken windows of the old place. The ancient dust in the old house puffed about in clouds that made it look like ghosts dancing a jig in front of the Lentil's flashlights. Then ... more unholy noises - soft, wet, squishy sounds - came from the shadows. Sarah Lentil swung her light in their direction, but the flashlights only caught glimpses of odd, dark shapes before they ducked behind some cloth covered furniture.

Without warning, lightning flashed accompanied by legume-jarring thunder. Immediately, rain exploded out of the sky and within moments, the roof began to drip, then a few moments more and it sprang leaks, until torrents of water began to soak the Lentils.

"The roof is leaking like a sieve," Sarah exclaimed.

"I've never seen it rain so hard," said Charlie.

"I don't like being wet. It makes me swell, and it hurts my skin," whimpered Little Billy.

The three Lentils ran for cover, but there was none to be found. Everything was wet, and the soaking torrent from above was getting worse. They found no rescue in the parlor, nor the antique bedrooms. The upper stairwell was ruined, but it must have been even more wet up there. Then they came upon a door that led to the basement stairs. Their flashlights shone into the darkness below.

"It's looks dry down there," said Sarah.

"But it's so dark down there," said Charlie.

"I don't like the dark," said Little Billy, "but I hate the wet more."

They went down the stairs. Before they could think, they realized there was something moving about in the basement. Something that squished in the bleak darkness, something like spongy spectres.

The lightning flashed though a musty old opening in the basement where a coal chute once was, and Sarah Lintil screamed. There, in the brief illumination, were round, phallic-hooded, faceless things.

Sarah grabbed tight her little Lentil, Billy. She yelled, "Charlie!", but too late. The mushrooms surged forward and seized the Lentils.

When the mushrooms were done, they left unspeakable foulness on Sarah, and Little Billy was covered in spores. Sarah was in a mind-numbed swoon, besmeared with mushroom stink, and had no fight left as the 'shrooms carried her and Little Billy up the stairs - to the kitchen.

In the kitchen was horrible graffiti writ in large smears of phosphorescence. The symbols showed decapitated carrots, split peas, and worse. Before Sarah could even contemplate what horrid cult that had seized her, the 'shrooms somehow engaged a light that gave off a ghastly greenish glow. Sarah saw before her a pot, steam boiling out of it. As she was thrust closer to the sight by a filthy handed mushroom, she gasped, "Oh, no! Poor Charlie."

In the pot, was Charlie's sodden and swollen body. His corpse's skin had already burst asunder. Boiled alive!

Sarah looked at the phallic-hooded shapes but only saw faceless, white fungus things with no expression, no emotion. The only sound was wheezing as their flutes and gills expanded and breathed and occasiionally a crinkling sound in anticipation of yet more horror to come. The white things shoved Sarah and Little Billy closer to the stove, and the last thing Sarah Lentil heard was the cry of Little Billy saying, "There's two more pots!"

Chris Perridas

Like, Go Organic, Man! - by Dan Naden

2008-06-15T23:51:00.002-04:00

At this year's World Horror Convention I was fortunate to, not only attend, but actually sit on a panel discussion with Simon Clark, Gary Braunbeck, and Dennis Etchison. Little ol' me! Go figure.

The topic for this particular panel was Delivering On Your Story's Promise and in it, we discussed how to keep the momentum going as you write your story. It was a good panel. Actually, it was a great panel. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and found that the three bigtime authors with whom I shared the table were informative, gracious and accepting of my opinions, even though I probably was out of my element there.

What I found interesting...and what became the overall focus of the panel discussion...was the concept of writing organically. If you've never heard of the term, "organic writing", it's a style of writing where the author basically allows his/her story concept to trot along on its own volition, with the author just hanging on for the ride, trying to record it all before it slips his/her mind.

It's kind of an odd state of consciousness, this organic thing...like someone else is sitting there, writing a story that you, as the author, don't really know about. Personally, I've found myself surprised by a sudden development in a story I was writing: one that I wasn't planning on and, in fact, which hadn't occurred to me right up until the moment I finished typing it onto the screen. Some of my best, most thought-provoking, or (better still) most disturbing concepts have come from disconnecting the part of my brain that thinks it knows what its doing and letting my subconscious mind take the neurons for a spin.

Of course, organic writing isn't for everyone. Some folks aren't really the biggest fans. And some authors simply don't write that way. Some writers need structure and organization to properly tell their stories. Nothing wrong with 'em: there's no single right way to do anything...especially writing (and don't let anyone tell you any different).

But I kinda like the idea that my story has enough of its own life that it can almost become semi-sentient. Hard to get used to at first, but eventually...well...it grows on you.

Happy Father's Day...and a little Cleggage by Fran Friel

2008-06-15T16:13:00.008-04:00

Happy Father's Day from All the Kits!

I hope you dads have a wickedly wonderful day!

Now when you're finished trying on the new ties and watching a bit of sports on the tube, then you might want to have a peek at a bit of Cleggage...

Fine Cleggage or Writing Wisdom from a Pro
I recently read a couple of excellent blogs by the fabulous author, Douglas Clegg. Doug's blog is an excellent resource for any serious writer. Little jewels of wisdom often drop from his fingertips right onto the blog page.

Here are a couple for you to explore (click 'em):

A Level Writing Field - You're as good as your next project...

Naysayers - Forget 'em...

The Old "Diary Trick - If your writing is feeling stuck...

When you visit the great and powerful Clegg, tell 'em that Friel woman sent ya'.

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

Old School and Competition, What A Combo AJ Brown

2008-06-13T10:51:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago I wrote about the old school writers, about how their writings were so much more elegant than that of today's stories. The evolution of writing has created our McDonald's Mentality to the point to where we have to devour a quick story so we can get back to the tasks of our lives. I complained about not seeing more stories written with the scenery and mood of the story being set like back in the 'good ole days.'

Part of me will digress a little here. Not all of me, and no, I'm not saying I want the quicker stories. What I want is the stories that go from beginning to middle to end and where it is not just useless nonsensical drivel in between 'Once upon a time' and 'The end.' I want stories that are going to teach me something. Again, I go back to the classics for this one.

Just recently I read Phillip K. Dick's The Father Thing. I found it entertaining, short and every word had a purpose. The setting was complete but not overly done—just enough words to get his point across. The story was straight forward and had that Invasion of the Body Snatchers feel to it. Which is even more interesting—I could be wrong here, but I think The Father Thing was written before Body Snatchers.

At any rate, the story was short, yet complete with few wasted words and extremely enjoyable. Just the way our McDonald's population likes it.

Ah, but wait, there's more. I then turned around and read a couple of H.P. Lovecraft stories. The one that sticks out was The Nameless City, which was also the basis of a prompt for a writing challenge I've been involved in recently. I had never read this story before and even with Lovecraft's love of words which I have know idea what they mean, I found the story very engaging and I couldn't put it down. The setting was there, the mood was there, the slow descent of the main character losing his mind was there. I could picture what was going on, even if I had to look up a couple of the words for good measure. It was another complete story—a classic in every way, shape and form.

Wait, still more to come.

I had never read I Am Legend by Richard Matheson until a couple of months ago. I also read the other short stories in the collection that I had borrowed from a friend of mine. I found most of them delightful to read and I Am Legend left me breathless and maybe even speechless for several moments. Those of you who know me personally know that I am NEVER speechless and sometimes you probably wish I would just close my mouth. The detail given in I Am Legend was vital to the story, to the main character and how he managed to survive through everything that had happened.

What I found most revealing about the story was when Robert Neville's old friend turned vampire, Cortman, is killed near the end. (I hear in the movie it is not like this) Cortman was really Neville's last link to the previous world, to the way things had been and the heart felt sadness he goes through when seeing Cortman die gave the story so much more impact in my eyes.

So, having read several of the classics, I still find myself longing for more of this, even a little Lovecraftian style wouldn't hurt so much.

Speaking of Lovecraft, I think it is interesting that so many writers try to emulate his style, which, to me, is hard to do, but not emulate the styles of other great writers who today would be considered wordy.

Now, this week, as per the challenge I am involved in with several friends of mine, our prompt was, as I mentioned above, an H.P. Lovecraft prompt. It was an homage to The Nameless City. So, what did I do? I had to come up with a story in order to stay in the competition. I plotted and planned and wracked my brain for several hours before almost giving up. Then, a song by System of a Down and a thought I had had a couple of weeks earlier kind of merged at the same time.

The idea began formulating and I took out several sheets of paper and started jotting notes down. By the time I was done, I had a two page outline of a short story titled Where Angels Fear to Tread.

Then came the daunting task: write the story in the vein of Lovecraft. Oh, this is not going to be easy—I'm not all that smart and I don't know a lot of really big words. Well, I have to say I steered clear of a lot of the big words, but I did use a couple and had to look up quite a bit of them.

I sat at my desk and began writing. The first line flowed into the second and then the third. I thought the story out as if I was talking to someone about it and before I knew it, I had pounded out 2200 words. The next day I typed on it again and typed out another 3500 words putting me near 6000. I finally finished the story up at just under 7300 words. When I was done, I was exhausted but elated—I had written a story somewhat in the vein of Lovecraft but probably more so in the vein of other old school writers.

Two friends of mine helped me with translating a sentence into Latin and another friend gave me points on Lovecraft's style and how he wrote at which stages of his life—things that I found vital in writing the story. A little research can go a long way in good story telling.

Now that my story is submitted and I can look back at it, I see a few flaws in it that need to be fixed and a couple of other places where I left things out on purpose to try and not overburden the judges with such a long story. But, even with its flaws, I look at the story as a triumph for me.

Why?

Well, I admit that I am not a great scholar of the classics, but by reading them over the last six or so months, I have found that they are such wonderful works of art that everyone should try and read at some point in their lives. I've also found that by trying to emulate the old school styles I am becoming a better writer. And that's what it's all about, right?

Now, I think I am going to go back over The Yellow Wallpaper—I have a story I started a couple of months ago using Charlotte Perkins Gilman's style and never finished it. I think it will be a good one when I am done. I will write and await the judges to either vote me off the island or let me into the final round of competition. But, for now, I'm AJ and I'm out.

Worlds of Horror by Michael A. Arnzen, Guest Blogger

2008-06-10T09:41:00.014-04:00

In life Tuesdays can be pretty dull, but here at the HLBOR we have a cure for dull Tuesdays, especially today. It's Second Tuesday Guest Blogger day and we have a poetry slammin', horror writin', professor extraordinaire in our midst today. Michael A. Arnzen is going to knock your horror lovin' socks off today.

I equate being around Mike to having an encounter with a bolt of lightning. His kind and easy manner and his playful grin can't hide the powerful intensity of his intellect and passion for his work. I've had the pleasure of attending Mike's poetry workshop and it was one of the best writing classes I've experienced. So sit back and enjoy the wisdom of this FOUR time Bram Stoker Award winning author and writing professor from Seton Hill University. And when you're done reading his blog, slip on over to www.gorelets.com and be dazzled by his website and his award winning newsletter, The Goreletter.
~Fran Friel

WORLDS OF HORROR

by Michael A. Arnzen

Horror readers and writers: I want to challenge you -- right this very moment -- to think about where these twisted, morbid and sick-as-hell stories you enjoy so much come from. I don't mean that in a philosophical way ("They come from deep inside...where the evil festers!")... No, I mean the question in the simplest of ways: what place, what locale, what country of origin? Where does the horror come from?

I'm going to guess that 99% of the stories you read are from the US, Canada or UK. Maybe a few from Australia. Browse your bookshelves and your video racks. What percentage of these titles are all published and produced in the same country in which you live? How many of them are in the same language you speak? How many are created by people who are just like you?

Nothing wrong with that. It doesn't make you a racist or a bad person. But you may be guilty of "literary isolationism" -- and maybe it's time for you to break out of your protective, predictable shell.

How aware are you about the horror coming out of countries foreign to you? Are you aware how freaking WEIRD that stuff is? How bizarre and scary? Horror is ALL ABOUT the foreign, alien, and altogether OTHER, and I bet that if you haven't read a lot of "multicultural" horror, you haven't really seen just how weird and different tales from foreign lands can be.

Almost every year, I attend the World Horror Convention. Last year it was held in Canada -- the first time the conference was held outside of the USA ever. A minority of people in attendance come from overseas, and there is always a drive to make horror more international. But I think it's safe to say that there is still not enough "world" in World Horror.

You know, that's kind of sad. I'm not being critical of the WHC conference; it's a great one,one of my favorites. But most Americans I know don't think of horror as a global genre, despite the fact that horror is a universal emotion. Every country and culture that has ever existed has had its share of scary stories, from local ghost legends to tribal songs to more modern forms of cautionary tales like pop fiction and underground film. Wherever you find a brain, you find terror, fear, anxiety and dread. The problem is, we rarely hear about these things from the American mass media, which is always trying to tap into the latest predictable trends (i.e., "safe investments") when it isn't schlepping "new" products that are really just more of the same old same old, dressed up in a different outfit.

Just as it is with finding all the great horror fiction that's being published in the independent and small press, you have to do your own research if you want to find World Horror. And you should want to find it, because fear comes in so many delightfully crazy packages.

Eurasian vampire stories. Hong Kong ghost films. Urdu apocalypse stories. South American jungle monsters. They're all out there, waiting for you to discover them. Name the country, they've already cooked up something new to add to your nightmares...possibly something ancient and old.

A lot of us already turn to these stories because we tire of the routine, the predictable, the common. One of the things that attracts us to horror in the first place is the whole thrill of being surprised right out of our eye sockets. If you read too much work created within the same boundary lines, over and over again, you start to get itchy and want to reach across those boundaries, looking for something authentically unique.

At least, I hope you do. We all have our favorite authors -- those writers who we feel speak to us directly and deliver every time. But it's so easy to fall into a rut, and read, say, only Anne Rice novels your whole life. That would be a terrible, terrible shame.

Most genre fans I know don't fall into such ruts. Take horror movie fans. You can tell the die-hard horror film fans from the casual ones. Die-hards know their Italian gore-meisters -- especially Dario Argento and Mario Bava. Or perhaps they've seen The Ring and many other J-Horror films in their original Asian versions, eschewing the anglicized remakes. They know how to spell "Miike Takashi" correctly. They've endured subtitles and poor production quality in order to witness some very crafty images of gore and some amazing narrative strategies for representing fear from directors worldwide. They've already begun looking "outside the box."

If you count yourself among that crowd, give yourself some points. You're open-minded and appreciate the aesthetics of this genre. You "get it." You are fan enough to know what other fans treasure and value. You're networked. You're one of us.

If you're not one of us yet, simply peruse the foreign section in Netflix or your own local video store. You can catch up fairly quickly. Look for labels like "Tartan Asia Extreme" that deliver the goods almost every time. But I recommend that if you REALLY want to know World Horror cinema, seek a tour guide. A book like "Fear Without Frontiers" by Stephen Jay Schneider will take you around the world of horror cinema. Then you can pick your favorite countries to explore further on your own.

But wait -- not so fast, film buffs! If you already gave yourself some points for knowing your overseas horror films, I want you to deduct half of those points if you've never _read_ a horror story in translation from another country, beyond those that were foisted on you by teachers. What's wrong with you? Why did you stop with the movies? I know that pictures don't need translation and that splat is a universal language, but you might find yourself as blown away by the images that a writer conjures in your mind as you are by all these great foreign films.

Let me help you out, so you can make up the points.

Sadly, there is no authoritative "World Horror" anthology yet. So I recommend you start with the historical classics. The Gothic novel as we think of it today probably did originate in the attics and closets of Victorian England, but the short horror story is a global phenomena that's been around virtually as long as people have gathered together around campfires. There are MANY places you could begin, but to ease you into this unfamiliar territory, I recommend you start your global journey into World Horror with an anthology called "Fantastic Tales: Visionary and Everyday," edited by Italian science fiction author, Italo Calvino (Random House, 1998). This book is focused primarily on horror stories of the 19th century, and it has a lot of familiar names in it that you should have read by now if you haven't already: HG Wells, Ambrose Bierce, Robert Louis Stephenson, etc. But for every UK or US author, there is also a writer from another (mostly Western European) country. Chances are very good you will fall in love with one of these author's approaches.

It might be the absurd humor behind "The Nose," written by Russia's Gogol, that gets you. Or maybe the freaky obsession with a doll in the German ETA Hoffmann's story, "The Sandmann," which will chill you in an unforgettable way. Or, perhaps, if you're as sick as I am, you'll go gaga over the twisted erotic occult fiction of french writer Jean Lorrain -- and if "The Holes in the Mask" doesn't get your blood boiling, I don't know what will.

Read your way through the whole book. You might not "get" all of the stories; some may seem needlessly pensive; others, hasty, misdirected, or not very scary at all. The language may seem clumsy. You can't possibly understand the reasoning behind every piece, or the syntactic tricks and hidden allusions, because each author was writing for a different audience in time and space. Every culture can take for granted certain things that outsiders will never understand. Many readers from the country of origin would likely know the folklore that the writer is playing off of. But don't let your own ignorance of a culture prevent you from enjoying the horror that is there. You're learning by reading. Every culture fears different things in different ways, and the way that writers reveal these culturally-specific fears can be a joy to experience -- and if you are a writer yourself, you will get a LOT of ideas from stories from alternate cultures.

Once you've read a book like Calvino's Fantastic Tales, your mission is simple: find out all you can about the best writers you've read, and see what the other horror writers working in their countries or during their time period are up to.

You often won't have the "horror" label to guide you, since this word really is a relatively recent publishing category (or "index"). Instead you might need think more broadly. Much of what people would call "horror" in America is labeled as fantasy or gothic or magical realism or something else. Sometimes writers belong to artistic movements you might not know much about -- like my own favorite, the Decadents. One way to find out about these movements is to follow up on a favorite author with just a tiny bit of research. Reading "The Holes in the Mask" might send you to Wikipedia or Amazon.com, where you will no doubt stumble upon not only other titles by the same writer, but also anthologies and collections that will broaden your international horror horizons. (If you like the Decadents, look for just about anything published by Dedalus Books -- perhaps starting with my own pet book, "The Dedalus Book of French Horror" by Terry Hale. If you dare read this one, head right to "The Prisoner of His Own Masterpiece" by Edmund Haraucourt, which is about a man who poisons the lover who jilts him by kissing her with a vial secreted in his mouth. He accidentally swallows some of the poison, and falls on top of her, spending most of the story paralyzed while on top of her dead body, musing over her decaying corpse as he goes progressively mad. WOW!

Perhaps when you start reading World Horror, you might stumble on a stock icon of the genre -- say, a vampire -- which is treated in an original way. That's another thrill of reading beyond the borders of your own country and letting go of your reliance on the mother tongue: you'll encounter not only unique twists on familiar creatures, but new folklore and strange mythology altogether. Did you know that in Bulgaria, vampires only have one nostril? Or that some cultures have their vampires slurp blood through their nostrils out of the ears of their victims?!

I love stuff like this. As a writer, it stirs my creative pot.

Other sources you can turn to might include looking for any anthology in "World Literature" -- or be picking up any book that represents a country's best stories. Chances are very good you'll find some horror in its pages. You might go for something in a sister genre, like science fiction, by picking up "The SFWA European Hall of Fame," edited by James and Kathryn Morrow. Or you might just dig up a book intended for a college world literature classroom, like the awesome book, "Modern Literatures of the Non-Western World: Where the Waters Are Born," edited by Jayana Clerk and Ruth Siegel. Books like these may surprise you by revealing just how wide and rich and strange the world of stories are out there.

After reading a few "ghazals" for a poetry exercise once, on a whim, I started researching the form on the internet and found myself buying collections of stories and poems by Pakistani, Indian, and other Urdu writers I'd never heard of before (beyond Salman Rushdie). I wasn't seeking horror, but I was enthralled: I had stumbled upon some profoundly dark and disturbing fiction! It turns out that many of these writers are "processing" their fears through their art -- especially anxieties regarding nuclear holocaust and terrorism in ways that Americans haven't ever tried. Americans, it turns out, are very much REALISTS, but horror -- if you weren't aware of this -- is not a realist genre! Beyond the grit and grue of serial killer fiction, horror stories are fantasies, or, as I prefer to think of them, as anti-realist fictions. Thus, stories from people like Pakistanis are rife with dark fantasy and building on their own literary traditions, they more readily twist stories into surreal allegories, sometimes because their audience thinks that this is natural for a storyteller to do, sometimes because they want to bury their political views in order to avoid punishment.

See if you can find "The Wagon" by Khalida Asghar, to get a taste of what I'm talking about.

Obviously, I've only scratched the surface in my recommendations, but if I've sparked your interest in reading something outside of the boundary lines of your usual horror territories, I've accomplished what I've set out to do. Don't feel guilty if you haven't read much from other countries -- it is not your fault, really. While it's true that there is an entire world history to draw from, sadly, publishing is very isolationist. Getting stories from foreign countries depends on the economy of translation, and outside of the rare comparative lit PhD who seeks to salvage lost voices from across national lines, it can be hard to come by. Americans, especially, export more literature than they import. Visit a foreign bookstore and you'll be surprised that Stephen King takes up just as much shelf space there as he does here. Perhaps reader demand can change things, but it all comes down to one person -- a traveler -- stepping foot outside the borderlands and returning to share what they find with other readers.

So if you have recommendations, stamp this virtual passport by posting them here in a comment.

***
Michael A. Arnzen is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of 100 Jolts and Proverbs for Monsters. His story, "Guarded," will appear in Horror Library III. Mike's writing has been translated so far into German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Polish -- and he is married to a German national. Arnzen teaches writing in the Writing Popular Fiction graduate program at Seton Hill University. Visit him online at www.gorelets.com.

A Voice in Their Heads - by Dan Naden

2008-06-09T00:33:00.001-04:00

I'm a something of a voracious reader. I have a basement shelf that's full of boxes which, in turn, are full of books that I've read over the years. One of these days, when the kids have all moved out and I have a few extra rooms in the house, I'm going to build a library for all (or some) of those books but for now, they stay in storage.

I'm also a picky reader, as I think I've mentioned in this space a time or two. With all the demands that my busy life puts on me, I absolutely despise buying and reading a book that does not have at least the thinnest of intrinsic value to it. In that, I tend to be reluctant to try reading work from new, untested (by me) authors. If I find an author I like, I'm inclined to read everything of his/hers that I can get my hands on, devouring it all, plague of locust style.

Part of my snooty, nitpicky attitude has its roots in my being a writer. It's sometimes hard to stomach the idea that an author can get writing I consider amateurish drivel published and for sale into the bookstores. I'm petty like that.

So it's cool when I find a new (to me) author who writes a good tale exhibiting impressive writing skills. The latest is fantasy author, Karen Miller, who wrote the Kingmaker, Kingbreaker series of books (The Innocent Mage and The Awakened Mage), as well as her new, Godspeaker series that starts with Empress. I'm waiting for the next two books in the series to hit the bookstore shelves, one later this year and the other, next year.

Now, I'm not going to go as far as to say that these books (to me) are flawless. If I was writing a full review of them, I'd say that the action has a tendency to get bogged down a bit. What I did enjoy, and what I'm writing about today, is Karen Miller's impressive talents in writing with voice and perspective. Not only does she shift neatly between the viewpoints of each of her characters as she works her way through her stories, she has a deft touch with being able to represent dialect and quirkiness without making it sound forced or hokey.

If you've never tried writing a chunk of a story featuring a character with a strong accent or dialect, let me tell ya: it ain't easy. Doing so requires not only a meticulous consistency...somehow avoiding the bad habit of letting your own voice slip into the narrative...but also an honest ear for how the character really would sound. The latter of these skills allows Miller's characters to appear much more realistic because it allows the readers to get a much more personal perspective of them. It's as if we're sitting in their heads, hearing them think.

As an author, it's a cool lesson to learn, being able to see your characters clearly enough that you can immerse your readers deeply into them. A cooler lesson, still, to have reinforced the importance of how much a writer like me can learn from the reading I do.

Comedians and Writers Alike AJ Brown

2008-06-06T21:31:00.000-04:00

I had a nice little article written up about Common Courtesy and how we should practice using it. It's a lost art form, you know?

Instead of posting it, I decided on something not as long and maybe that could hit home with a lot of folks. Writing, whether it is a hobby or a profession, is a personal endeavor. Much like being a stand up comedian, it can be sink or swim.

Here's the thing: You can be a good comedian and never get out of your home state. You can be the next George Carlin, but nobody other than the locals know your name. You can have the energy and imagination of Robin Williams and the delivery of Bill Cosby, but that guarantees you nothing.

Word of mouth can take you somewhere. But, more often than not, the right person at the right time has to be there when you are bringing the house down and people are doubled over in stitches from laughter. It's the Big Break Theory.

You could toil in the bars and the local theaters for years before someone of merit stumbles upon you. It's happened liked this many times for comedians (and musicians as well). It just takes that one moment in time when all the planets seem to be lined up and the stars are their brightest and the pretty blond in the first row REALLY is making eyes at you.

Just like that, you can become an overnight sensation.

But, what about all the work you've put into it; what about the many nights of sleeping in a hotel where the roaches may as well be paying guests; what about those nights of sitting up, writing jokes, hoping one day one of them will be your calling card, your 'Get er done'? Is the time spent honing your ability to write and tell jokes worth it? Is the time spent learning new ways to deliver the punch lines worth the wait?

I'm sure they are.

But, wait, I'm not done. What about those times when no one laughed at your jokes and your ten or twenty minute set feels like it takes a year? What about when you hear someone heckle you because they don't think you are funny? Is it worth it? Is it worth those near crushing blows to keep doing it, one gig after another?

Many successful comedians will tell you it is well worth it, even when no one thought they were any good. Pay your dues—that's what they'll say.

Writers, well that's different, right?

Nah, I don't think so. There are so many similarities to writers and comedians.

Comedians tell jokes, writers write and somewhere along the way, someone told them they could be good at it, that they should try to make it in the business, that they should do amateur night or submit a story to a small e-zine.

So, they did. Maybe someone thought they were funny enough to ask him or her back for another appearance. Just maybe someone thought that story you wrote was worthy enough to be placed in his or her magazine, even if it is a For the Love market, where you didn't get paid.

See the comparisons?

Let me take it a little further. Maybe you spent many nights staying up, writing that story in hopes that it will be the next big thing only to be rejected time and time again. It's like playing the clubs and not getting into the big auditoriums. It's kind of frustrating and disheartening. Yet, the people who came to the shows or read your stories liked it. But, how much can fanfare take you if the big time backers weren't willing to take a chance on them or you?

How many years and rejections are spent following the dream of being a well-known writer, if not well paid? How many frustrations and thoughts of quitting cycled through your mind after yet another 'no' on the resume?

But, then it happened. Someone somewhere read your story at just the right time and it was what he or she was looking for. Much like the comedian on stage caught the eye of someone a little more prominent in the business, some editor or publisher saw something in your story, in you, to give you a shot.

The next thing you know, you're a published writer and folks begin to ask you for stories. You may have even made some money at it.

Now, was it worth it? Was it worth the brain racking, the rejections (after rejections, after rejections), the editing, the re-writing, the staying up until four in the morning working on something because you don’t want to lose the groove you were in? Was it worth the folks saying you might want to give it up and try something else? Was it worth it all?

I can’t answer those questions for you, but if you want to find out, then put the pen to paper or put your fingers on those ASDFJKL; keys and get to typing. But, no matter what happens, promise yourself one thing for me. If someone says you can’t do it, don’t give up. If someone says that your story is utter crap, don’t give up. If someone says they wish they had two copies of your story so they could do some rather unholy things to the paper it was printed on, just smile and let it go.

Learn from your mistakes and move on, but never give up. Do you think Robin Williams gave up? What about Larry The Cable Guy? Eddie Murphy?

How about folks more to our liking? Do you think Stephen King gave up? Gary Braunbeck? Jack Ketchum?

I think you get the picture. It’s hard work and sometimes you need to laugh about it to keep from crying about it. But, if you persevere, you just may get somewhere.

I’m AJ and I’m out.

The Da Vinci Code, Some Guy Named Strunk & A Blue Figurine by Erik Smetana

2008-06-04T05:30:00.003-04:00

Books. I read them, occassionally contribute a story to one, I assist in the editing of them and currently find myself struggling (in a good way) to write one (a novel). Last week, I proposed a list of songs, musicians and albums that I either listen to while writing or that have helped me in some way as I try to turn my avocation into an occupation. This week, here are a list of books that at least for me have been indespensible as I have wandered down the path of becoming a writer.

9) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Yes, I know that "real" writers are full of comments on the plot, poor research, the template style of the prose and on and on. First, I enjoyed this book for what it was intended to be -- entertainment. Second and more importantly, this was the book that after reading it I said to myself, "If this guy can write a novel, so can you."

8) The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. What can I say about this tiny little book other than it holds a permanent resting place on my desk. Simple straight talk on what cuts it and what doesn't when you go about putting words on paper, a must have for any would be writer (plus it is cheap -- less than ten bucks).

7) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The first real "adult" piece of literature I ever read. Little did I know it but this started me down the path to where I am today, entrenched in the creation of dark fiction.

6) Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Before reading this book during elementary school, I had heard of the master of the macabre and had been frightened on more than one occassion by television commercials urging boob-tubers to join his book club, but this was my first foray into King's world. A world that despite its ups and downs serves as an example of what one writer can achieve over a lifetime.

5) John Bellairs. Yes, I know this is a writer and not a book. But if we learned anything from last week's post, when it comes to list making I am much more of a do as I say, not as I do sort of person. But I digress. Bellairs with his spooky tales of blue figurines, witches, mummies and secret chambers all written with the child reader in mind kept me company many a night when I was supposed to be asleep. Without these stories, it is hard to say if I would have moved on to the likes of Shelley, Stoker, King, Matheson et al.

4) Webster's Dictionary. Family legend goes that as a small child (first grade or so) I was discovered one summer afternoon reading through this massive text of spellings, pronounciations and definitions -- continuing to do so for several days until I had managed to read from it cover to cover. Of course, I don't remember any of this, but I am a pretty darn good speller.

3) On Writing by Stephen King. Part autobiography, part how-to, possibly the most accessible book on the topic of writing I have ever had the opportunity to read (and re-read every so often as the case may be).

2) The cabinet of old comic books at my great-grandparent's house. Tucked in the back corner of Louis and Violet's den was a short wooden cabinet with drape hiding it's contents. Behind that drape, much like The Wizard hid behind the curtain, was an exciting secret. Comic books. Golden Age, Silver Age, pre-Comic Code. Dozens upon dozens of illustrated stories ranging from The Hulk to The Phantom to Tales of Suspense and much more. Those pulpy pages showed me that a good story is a good story regardless of medium, a lesson I don't ever want to forget.

1) The stories just now being written. I am fortunate to know many amazing writers (who in turn know even more great scribes) and thankful to be able to access so many wonderful stories. Books like Generation Dead by Dan Waters, Mama's Boy by Fran Friel, work from the likes of TC Boyle, Aimee Bender and Stephen Graham Jones sit side side with graphic novels as well as anthologies (and novels) from the likes of Cutting Block Press, Scotopia Press, Dark Recesses Press and Apex Publications -- all these and more grace my bookshelf. While some may shout from shadowed corners that books are a dying art and that genre fiction is on its way to extinction, I would have to strongly disagree. From the small press to the major publishing houses, from North America to the UK (see The Raw Shark Texts) there does not seem to be any signs of a stop in wonderful ideas and writerly imagination that I can see.

So, there is my list. By no means is it comprehensive or complete, but it gives an idea of what I value as a writer and hope to achieve. So as a writer (or reader for that matter), what books inspire you? Which ones played an important role in your life? What stories shaped your story?

A Little Hair Pulling Help and Banner Beggin' by Fran Friel

2008-06-01T10:28:00.016-04:00

Hair Pulling Help
As most writers soon discover, there's far more to writing than just crafting an entertaining story. You have to prepare your manuscript for submission, and in the case of novels, you have to write a compelling query letter and then you have to market yourself as if you know what you're doing. It's enough to send a writer into a bit of a hair pulling frenzy.

Well, today I've got a couple of links to help save at least a hair or two. This is old news for some of you, but hopefully it will help a few folks that still have their hair.

Make It Pretty
Unless you've taken a class on the subject or have a writer in the family, one of the things that you simply don't know as a new writer is how to format a manuscript for submission to an editor. And believe me, in my brief couple of years as an editor of a small mag there are lots of writers who don't know how to do this. A clean well-formatted manuscript makes an important strong first impression showing a commitment to being a professional. It can be a tedious job, but formatting is very important so don't skimp on the details. Hence, the following link is a good guideline for formatting a manuscript for submission (but remember to always read the specific guidelines of the editor you're submitting to--some have special requirements...sometimes silly ones...they have their reasons or they're sadist, but do it anyway):

William Shunn: Manuscript Formatting - Click Here!

Query Madness
Another important tool in the writer's tool kit is the skill of writing an compelling query to a publisher or an agent. Like a handshake at a meeting, the query letter is the first impression you give a potential agent or publisher of your work. Since they receive tons of queries everyday, a busy publisher or agent wants your query short, concise and clean. This sounds simple, but there's a real art to a great query letter. Here's a place to peruse for some very good advice on this mystical maddening writer's necessity:

Query Shark - Click Here!

Work It Baby
There are those lucky folks that are in the right place at the right moment and it all falls into place for them, but most of us have to do the hard work of getting our writing noticed by publishers and readers alike. Volumes have been written on the need to market in the writing business and amongst writers there are heated debates on this subject, but coming from a sales background and also running a private therapy practice for many years, I've learned that you have to do a little legwork or you wither on the vine waiting.

I guess my biggest lesson came from the Condo King. As a Realtor years ago, I worked with a marketing firm and they taught me the concept of "making it so." They introduced me to the Condo King, a guy struggling like all new Realtors to get a steady list of clients, that is until he bought a billboard and crowned himself the Condo King. Was he the Condo King? Debatable, but he indeed made it so with that billboard that turned him into the local go-to guy for condos. He talked the talk, but ultimately he walked the walk and delivered on his promise as the Condo King.

As writers our name and our work are our brand. I can hear the cringing of many writers as I say that, but it's a simple truth. What do you think when you hear about a new Stephen King, JK Rowling or Dean Koontz book? Most fans of their work think, "Oooo, gotta get that!" It's just like the album of your favorite band or the latest Prada purse dangling on a celeb's arm or a new Lamborghini model ripping up asphalt around the world --brands, baby.

But for the lowly writer without an army of marketers we've got to work with what we have at hand. First and foremost, good product and a good reputation. 1) Learn to write well and seek out teachers and colleagues who will offer you honest criticism. Let the sting of imperfection fade and learn from their comments. 2) Be professional and kind (or at least polite) in your public dealings. Blasting folks on message boards can be the kiss of death to your reputation. 3) Join message boards, writers groups, professional writers organizations and go to conventions. Get to know folks and build a good reputation that will help when your submission comes up for consideration. 4) Help others succeed. It feels really good to be helpful and people will remember your kindness. 5) Blog regularly, write articles, offer to interview your colleagues, volunteer to be a first reader or to do some editing for a mag or anthology--get your name out there so that when your submission comes before the editors and their choice is you or an equally talented writer whose name is completely unfamiliar, you'll have that slight and oh so important advantage.

I recently found a couple of free or inexpensive advertising resources to help spread the word. You might want to give them a try:

Horrorfind Banner Exchange

GenreBanners.com - Permuted Press Banner Exchange

Project Wonderful - Work like Ebay, bidding for banner ad space on sites of your choice

Well, this little blog has turned into a bit of a monster, but I hope you may have a least found something of interest here. Now I'm off to get some work done!

Wickedly Yours,
Fran Friel

PS: Speaking of banners, if you have a little space for a snazzy Apex/MB banner I'd be honored if you'd post it for us. Please let me know if you do! Here's the banner and the link:

Link to: http://www.apexbookcompany.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=24

Embed direct code - copy and paste into website or About me Myspace code (be sure change red brackets [ ] to same facing arrows < >):

[a target="_blank" href="http://www.apexbookcompany.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=24"][img border="0" src="http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/franfriel/APEX_Mamas_banner.gif" /][/a]

Why Do You Write? AJ Brown

2008-05-30T10:14:00.001-04:00

Good morning everyone. Put your books aside and your pencils down. I have a question for you. For all of you, even Jimmy, whose head is down in the back of the class right now. I'm sure he is not dreaming of visions of sugar plumbs but probably about the cute blonde down the hall in How to Write Horror 101.

Someone shake Jimmy so he'll wake up. Not working? Perhaps he has passed on and is not dreaming at all. Who knows?

Back to my question. It is simple but don't rush to answer. I don't want to see hands shoot up into the air before you've had a chance to think about it. Are you ready? Listen carefully and think before you respond.

Here it is:

Why do you write?

Simple enough? Think for a minute before answering. I'll wait.

Do-do-do-do-do-do-doooo. Do-do-do-do-doo-da-doo-doo-dooo . . .

So, why do you write? Is it for fame and glory and money? Is it to see your name in print? Is it because you have an English Lit class and you have to? Is it because you enjoy it? Is it a release of pressure and stress?

Let me tell you why I write and then I would love to hear from you—even Jimmy, who looks to be stirring back there. I'm selfish when I write. I admit it. I write for me, because I enjoy it, because I love to. I write for that feeling of accomplishment, that I started something and finished it. I write things that I like to write—not what everyone else wants, but what I desire to put down on paper or on the computer screen.

Do I want to see my stories published? Certainly. Do I want to get paid for it one day? You bet. Do I want to win an award because of something I have written? Icing on the cake—you better believe it. But, when I sit down to write, which I do every single day, I write for me, with me in mind and no one else. It is purely for my enjoyment.

Do I want people to like my stories? Of course I do. I would be lying if I said I didn't. It is human nature to care if someone likes you or what you are doing. It is human nature to want to be accepted and have your work do well. And, I like most people, want readers to like my stories, to come back for more, to beg for more. But, I write for myself, the average Joe. I don't write for the publishers or the editors, but for myself. If the publishers and editors like the stories, then that is awesome. More often than not, they don't like the stories, but I'm a big boy and I can deal with that.

I've written far more stories than I have published and will probably always be several hundred stories written ahead of stories published. But, that is part of the joy of writing for me. It's not a job, but a love affair. A dedication to getting it right. My motivation for writing is because I love to do it and I want to learn how to get better at it. Each day I gain a little more knowledge than the day before and that makes me desire to write even more.

So, as you can see, I'm a selfish writer, with my satisfaction always in mind. What about you? Why do you write? Come on, don't be afraid to answer. Nobody will laugh at you.

Look, Jimmy is not dead after all and is awake. Tell us, Jimmy, why do you write? And, when he is done, who else will step up and spill their desire out for us to see? Will it be you?

Words + Melody = Music by Erik Smetana

2008-05-28T05:27:00.003-04:00

Music.

An escape. Entertainment. A release. An art. A co-conspirator.

For many writers, attempting to put down words that lead to sentences and eventually build paragraphs (and stories when we are lucky) is a daunting task. And that same vague many certainly have little tricks they use to stay on focus, find inspiration or simply drowned out the rest of the world. For some, that is music.

While I tend to be more a white noise writer myself, filling a room with the whir of a desk fan, I find that when I look back over my stories, especially the ones I am most proud of (including a ~~little~~
big something I am working on currently), music played a big part in the generation of the story concept.

So, here is a list of songs (and their kin), call it a top ten (only there are nine things listed and they are in no particular order) if you will, of songs I actually enjoy while struggling with words, pen, paper and plot continuity.

9) "Radio Nowhere," Bruce Springsteen: If I need to write ANYTHING about zombies, this is my go to song. While I am pretty sure The Boss didn't have shuffling undead brain eaters in mind when he wrote it, it is one of the best zombie/post-apocalyptic idea starters available for the iPod.

8) "One Man Wrecking Machine," Guster: A great song by a great band, but the best thing about this song is the title. Read it, think about it. You have a story idea now, don't you?

7) Rockin' The Suburbs (Album), Ben Folds: An amazing album jam packed with songs that create a picture of the pleasure and pain that the average Joe is lucky enough to experience in their eight or so decades on this planet. Standouts include The Luckiest,"Zak and Sara,"Fred Jones, Pt. 2," "The Ascent of Stan" and the title track.

6) Shangri-La (Album), Mark Knopfler: Anything I say won't do this record justice. Take a minute and listen to "Boom, Like That." Now consider that it is a song about McDonald's. Knopfler is an outstanding storyteller whose songs have the occassional ability to make me a better one.

5) 89.1 The Wood. Okay, this is a radio station, a bit of a cop out I suppose. But the thing is they consistently play one of the best eclectic mixes of music available (sorry, no they don't broadcast online). From classic rock to alt rock to adult alternative to the occasional sprinkling of folk, bluegrass and neo-hippie, The Wood (in all it's commercial free glory) is number one on my radio dial.

4) Songs from an American Movie, Vol. 1: Learning How to Smile, Everclear: This is the album I pull up when I need to reminisce. Released near the end of my undergraduate college experience, this album like no other can bring back of flood of memories (good and bad) with a simple push of the play button.

3) "Black Feet," Sea Wolf: Dark, deep and odd with a nice pace. Exactly how I hope my stories turn out.

2) Most anything by Sufjan Stevens. Melancholy never sounded so good.

1) They Might Be Giants (album), TMBG: Really any album by this group could be included on this list, but this album, their first studio cut is nothing less than full-on absurdist art. See "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head" if you don't understand what I am talking about. Other notable (and recommended) TMBG songs, not necessarily on this album include: "Don't Let's Start," "Birdhouse In Your Soul," "Particle Man" and "Why Does The Sun Shine?" amongst others.

So there is my top nine songs (give or take) to write by, what are yours? In the mean time, while you are thinking about it, I've got some writing to do.

It's All About Commitment AJ Brown

2008-05-23T10:54:00.001-04:00

It's all about commitment.

Bear with me today folks. I have a couple of stories to tell but I will get to those in a moment, but did you catch that first sentence? It is important that you do.

It's all about commitment.

Stick with me. You began reading this for some reason, right? You committed to reading it, just like I've committed myself to writing it. So, read on until the end. I hope you get something from it.

Last year I went through a spell where I didn't feel too well. It was right about the same time of the year as it is now and me and my body were not getting along. I was tired—extremely tired—a lot and getting home from work and resting was my only goal during that several month period. I slowed down on writing and stepped away from a few things I had made a commitment to. Then, one day I sat down with my wife and talked to her about . . . giving up on writing. Not that I was throwing my hands in the air and saying 'I'll never make it' type of thing, but more of a 'I'm tired and I'm thinking about quitting' type of thing.

I pondered it, prayed about it (yes, I am a praying man, though sometimes I don't pray as much as I should :( ), talked about it with my lovely wife, Catherine. Finally, she told me that I was starting to get somewhere and asked me if I would be happy without writing. Ummm, no, I would not be happy without it. We talked several times about it until I finally told myself I had made a commitment to a couple of projects and I aimed to keep those commitments.

I committed myself to writing and trying to take it seriously in 2004. Yes, I know, I wrote stuff long before then, but in 2004 I started really trying to get my work out there. One thing led to another and here I am, etching out a little name for myself (hopefully a good one). I made a commitment, much like a marriage, to my writing and the community I became part of.

Now that I am done with story number one, I will go to story number two and since I mentioned marriage in there, let's get to a bigger commitment.

I married my wife nearly eleven years ago. When I proposed to her I was willing to make a commitment to her. She said yes, so she was willing to do the same. We got married and, like most couples, we've had our ups and downs and our level playing fields. We committed to having a family when we had our daughter and then committed to a bigger family when we had our son.

I've never met anyone quite like my wife. She IS commitment. She puts her mind to something and she follows through on it. Often times I am amazed by her dedication to her job, to her hobbies, to her children, to me.

Often times it is her commitment that drives me. I probably don't tell her that as often as I should. Now, remember when I was tired and not doing so well, she encouraged me to keep going, to not give up and keep pursuing my dream. She's also committed to being a writer's wife. How lucky am I? :)

Over half of the marriages that take place this year will end in divorce. That's not an exact number but a fairly accurate one. A good chunk of them will split because they are really not committed to one another.

Like I said in the beginning, it is all about commitment.

What's marriage have to do with any of this? Several things.

1) As writers we commit ourselves to our readers. We tell them, hey here is this story, read it and I promise I will get you to a satisfying ending. We give them characters to hold onto, plots to devour, words to marry. It is our commitment to the reader to make sure they don't feel like they've wasted their time reading our words. It's our 'I do.'

2) As writers, when we start networking and becoming friends with other writers, we take on a different type of commitment. I've often said that our little niche in writing, our genre, is like one big family. When you meet someone they become like a brother, sister, mother, father, cousins, or maybe the uncle you don't want anyone to know about. A couple of examples for you: Fran Friel is definitely like the Big Sister I never had. We call each other brother and sister and it fits. I look up to her like I would a smarter, wiser sibling. Bailey Hunter and Boyd Harris are like the cousins you only get to see in summer time or on holidays but you always look forward to talking with them. Erik Smetana is like the adventurous brother who creates the diversions so you can get in and steal the apples off of Mr. Grover's farm. Chris Perridas is the wise uncle who can point you in the right direction when you are heading down the wrong path. Estaban Silvani, well he's that uncle, but it's okay if people know him and his sister, Hazel McHarlot. There are others, but you get the point.

Being a part of the writing community is like being part of a family. You are committed to each other even if you don't get along from time to time. Most things are reparable within a family—it is our jobs as writers within that family to fix things between each other. Again, it is a lot like a marriage. Talking things out and working together will carry you a lot further than going at it alone.

3) As publishers and editors you are committed to putting out the best work possible for the readers (remember you are committed to them, as well) who take the time to browse your publications. Our editors and publishers are much like our parents. They tell you when you do good (good stories) and when you do bad (not so good stories). They are committed to both the readers and the writers.

Yes, the writers. You see, if an editor or publisher is kind with their rejections there is a good chance they will get more submissions from writers who remember how they were informed that their story would not be accepted. Now I'm not talking about giving full out critiques of why a story wasn't accepted but more of an honest feedback of what wasn't liked about a story. Not a lot of detail but nothing too vague either. The problem with that is it takes a lot of time to do this sort of thing. And, we all know that sometimes parents don't have that type of time. But, it is a commitment.

One more story and I'll leave for the day. Lately, I've mentioned my story, The Woodshed, a lot. Part of that is because of the experience I had with dealing with the editor in chief of Dark Distortions, Molly Feese (who wrote a wonderful article on Rhetoric just yesterday). After submitting the story and receiving their acceptance, she and I worked diligently on it, whipping it into proper shape until we both were happy with the outcome. We had a commitment to each other and we both worked hard on it. I don't know about everybody else's experience but mine was wonderful.

When Dark Distortions came out and I received my contributor's copy I was surprised to see a card in the package with the book. It was a thank you note. A thank you note. Let me say that again: a thank you note. Through the entire process of creating Dark Distortions, going through the submissions, dwindling it down to the acceptances, getting it ready for print, printing it, shipping it out and the whole nine yards, Molly also made thank you notes that went to the authors. Now, that's commitment. And that is certainly not something I will forget anytime soon.

Here lately I've noticed a decrease in the efforts and output of a lot of my friends in my writing circles. Things have stepped in the way of writing, editing, publishing or what have you. People have grown tired in some respects. Other folks have become frustrated. Still, others have had life step in the way. That brings me to my final point and I promise I will wrap it up.

Life is a commitment. Whether at your job or with your children or your spouse, life is a commitment. It is a 24/7 commitment. There are planes to catch and bills to pay as Harry Chapin put it. The song is kind of sad, but the commitment for Harry in this song was not to his kid and before he knew it, the kid was grown and just like him. My final point is, yes life is a commitment, but don't forget to take the time out of your busy schedule to enjoy part of life, enjoy your family, make a commitment to enjoying life as well.

For us writers juggling writing and work and family can be difficult but if the commitment is there then it is possible. It's all about commitment.

For now, I'm AJ and I'm out.