No matter what genre of fiction you write, be it horror, mystery, YA, erotica, or more literary fare, there’s one very basic thing all fiction writers have in common—we LOVE coming up with perfect place and character names. I know some writers who seem to pull names of people, towns, rivers, roads, and ranches out of thin air, as if these fictional locales have always existed in the recesses of their minds. I can’t always do that, and maybe you can’t either, so here are some ways I go about gathering names for the characters and places in my own books and stories.
Read moreThe Mathematics of Revision
I enjoy re-reading Stephen King’s On Writing every few years. Not only is his personal, humorous, accessible prose in the book a pleasure to read, but as I grow older and more experienced in the writing world, I find so much of his advice to be spot on. But there’s one particular tip in his book that seems to have struck a chord in my writing life. In the long run, the piece of advice he offers is very true…but it took me a few drafts of one of my novels to see the light, and to develop my own equation for coming up with a book that, at least to me, is complete and satisfying.
That piece of advice? Put on your mathematician's hat and get out your pencil, because this is one equation you’ll want to write down and remember, and then revise and make your own.
Read moreThree New Poems in Kleft Jaw #5
My poems "Assurance," "Last Appointment of the Day," and "Three Bookmarks" now appear in Kleft Jaw #5, and I'd like to thank the staff over there for including my work for the third time. They're a real wild rumpus of a publication, and as they put it, "There is a magna-force of possibility teeming inside all of us, and that’s why we exist - to invoke the transcendental realist spirit in contemporary writing - to establish a new aesthetic, to make words dangerous again." I'm proud as hell to be a part of it.
Poem of the Week - The Bicycle Review
My poem "Seasick on 46th" now appears as the 'Poem of the Week' at The Bicycle Review. It's a huge honor as they've featured quite a lot of poets I admire and read. The poem also appears in my section of Lantern Lit, Vol. 1, a split-author chapbook of poetry that also features Mat Gould and John Dorsey from Dog On A Chain Press. Copies are still available at the publishers website (he even has copies that all three authors have signed!), and I think "Seasick on 46th" offers a great sample of what you can find inside. Take a look at "Seasick…" if you get the chance. I hope you enjoy, and thanks for all of your support!
Lantern Lit, Vol. 1 Now Available at Powell's Books
Lantern Lit, Vol. 1, which features my mini-chapbook "The Darkest Bomb," as well as the poetry of John Dorsey and Mat Gould, is now available at Powell's Books in Portland, OR. If you're in PDX, stop in and ask for it. If not, you can order it via their website. The book is also available in Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago, IL and Kulcher: Text, Art, and News in Cleveland, OH. And it's always available via the publisher, Dog On A Chain Press. Thanks for all of your support!!
** Update: It seems the book already sold out at Powell's. Granted there weren't a ton of copies, but still, that's great. The Publisher is planning to send more, but in the meanwhile you can still order the book from the publisher (link above) or try the other stores listed. Thanks! **
The Hustle Continues: Updates on Life & Writing
So far this new blog is mostly writing advice and a couple of new book announcements. In the hopes of appearing more like an actual human doing actual human things and not a PR spam-bot posing as a writer, here are some real, true, honest "life-things" for your optical intake receptors. Engage!
The new novel (the one fictionalizing a real missing persons case from 1945) was in a major slump over the last week, like a ‘Dostoevsky freezing at the train station I’ll never be able to write again’ slump. Then I finally broke through in the last 48 hours. Mostly because I told myself, “forget about description and action right now, the next 3-4 pages is all dialogue, so just do that and come back later and pick up a Crayola and jazz the scene up.” And that worked. Just stop worrying, thinking, planning, outlining, tinkering, and just write dialogue and revise later. So, like the Kool-Aid Man — KABOOM — breakthrough.
Read moreThe Five W's (and One H) of Soliciting Feedback for Your Novels, Short Stories, Poetry, and More
My newest advice column at Writer's Digest's blog is now live. It examines the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of soliciting feedback for your novels, stories, poems, etc.
On a related note, I also recently wrote about how writers can become publishers by creating DIY literary anthologies in my interview with author/publisher Bud Smith.
For all of my articles at the "There Are No Rules" blog, click HERE. Thanks!
My Roundtable Interview in Writer's Digest
The newest issue of Writer's Digest magazine (March/April 2014) contains my roundtable interview with some of the top literary magazine editors who are making great things happen out there in the writing community, including Dave Housley (Barrelhouse), David Lynn (The Kenyon Review), Emily Nemens (The Southern Review), Todd Simmons (Wolverine Farm Publishing/Matter Journal), and Rob Spillman (Tin House). We discuss what editors are looking for, what will make them reject a submission, common misconceptions about literary magazines, and a lot more. It was fun to write, they're all amazingly dedicated and passionate people, and I can't wait for you to read it!