Hi Folks, A short post today for an exciting announcement. Over the next few months, I’ll be writing stories for a great new series of anthologies set in the fictional town of Cave Creek, Nevada. Asked how he would describe Cave Creek, the “mayor” of the town and editor of the anthologies, Dean Wesley Smith, said, “If Twilight Zone still existed, it’s home town would be Cave Creek.” The first anthology will be historical, set in … Read more
Hey Folks, Yesterday, after I filed my Journal, I was out in the Hovel messing around. Bought a new shop vac and carried it out there. After I set it where I wanted it, I thought I’d enjoy a cigar and a few games of Spider. So I sat down at my writing ‘puter, raised the lid and turned on the mouse. And the first sentence of a short story popped into my head. So I … Read more
Hey Folks, Very short post today. Knowing me, I’ll be back with longer stuff tomorrow. Today, and Writing Rolled out at 3. Dabbled in what people call “politics” for awhile, but that isn’t an intense enough word. 5:30, I set aside the impulse to chew wheels and spit nails and escaped to the story. Cycling, of course. Wrote for about a half-hour, then got busy around the yard, then a walk with my wife, then Walmart, … Read more
“The hearts of small children are delicate organs. A cruel beginning in this world can twist them into curious shapes.” Carson McCullers Harold Griswold picked up his lopping shears from the front yard. With the shears came a mutilated GI Joe action figure. The blade on one side was stuck a third of the way through the torso. He pried the figure off the blade and held it up. “How much did this damn thing cost? … Read more
When the shot went off and the red brick next to his head sang a whiny song of ricochet, Dexter Mancuso ran out of his sandals. At a dead run, he rounded the corner of a long, dark alley. Had his pursuer seen? Not quite halfway into the alley but certain the guy was about to come around the corner, he grabbed the rusted edge of a dumpster and vaulted himself into it. His left knee … Read more
Well. That was uncomfortable at best. All of them gathering around my bed to see me off. Uncomfortable and prolonged, like a slow-acting poison. For one thing, their being here forces me to look at them. Not that I don’t want to look at them. Some are the issue of my loins, after all. But their being here and my being forced to look at them also brings into my periphery that damned countdown machine with … Read more
Hey Folks, If you’re a human being with dreams and aspirations, this is a great time to be thinking about what you want to attain or achieve in 2016. If you’re a writer, that means thinking about goals. At the minimum I recommend setting a daily writing goal, one that automatically resets at the beginning of each time period. If your goal is to write 1000 words per day and you meet or exceed it, great. … Read more
Hi Folks, Still under the weather a bit today but definitely on the mend. It feels good knowing by this time tomorrow I ought’a be back to my normal level of unhealthinessicity. (grin) The Day Rolled out a little before 3 this morning. Sometime overnight my subconscious set up an alarm reminding me to get the “boxed set” of the Wes Crowley novels out for that one guy who might want it for Christmas. (grin) So … Read more
Hi Folks, Okay, I had a bit of a rough night last night, but the lag isn’t too bad. So my goal for today is to write two separate short stories. If I can do that, I should shoot straight past my daily publishable-words writing goal. This is my way of jumpstarting myself back into writing after finishing the novel. Helps me avoid the post-writeum depression. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t celebrate finishing a novel. … Read more
Howdy Folks, How many times has some pundit told you to “write what you know”? Uh, no. That is bad advice. Maybe the baddest advice ever, and I mean that in the old sense of “baddest,” before we started dumbing down the language. I mean “worst.” It’s bad advice because the connotation is that you should write ONLY what you know. So what? You’re supposed to write what you DON’T know? Yes. Of course. You should … Read more