A little bit of an update. I haven't been blogging or Facebook noting or Myspacing or Tweeting for some time, but that's good, in a way. I've been doing a lot of writing, and a TON of reading - good stuff, too: Bradbury, Hemingway, Keats, Yeats; King, Lovecraft, Gaiman, and all the new stuff, too (Thank you Leisure and Bloody Books). That, and writing like a maniac, and editing a poetry anthology. But, a few things have come down the pike, so I thought a short note was in order.
First, I'm the "Spotlight Scribe" at
The Choate Road this whole month. Check it out now, because I believe it'll only be up until August 10th. They've reprinted my story "A Willing Donor", from the Snuff Books anthology
RAW: Brutality As Art, however I've rewritten and polished it, because so much time has passed on my "learning curve" since it was originally published and now. It's a nice little story. A bit different for me, but when I read Ray Bradbury's collection "The October Country", I was pleasantly surprised how disturbing some of the stories were, while still retaining his poetic style. I liked the original of mine, I like the rewrite even better.
Second, in August - right before
Context 22, I'll be a guest on
The Funky Werepig. Past guests: Tim Deal of Shroud,
Maurice Broaddus and
Fran Friel. Host Gregory Hall is certifiably insane. Hilarity will ensue. Possibly brain-bleeding as well. More details on time and date later.
Third, I received two shortlist notice on stories recently, and my tap-dance all over the genre map continues. One was for a quality horror mag, (crossing fingers), the other for another inspirational collection, (this would be my third;
go here, for the other two), this time published by Guideposts. Yes, I said Guideposts. Why? Because I can, that's why. The editor I've worked with for those collections has also solicited a fourth for an unspecified, future collection, too.
Fourth, I've received my second three-chapter & synopsis request from a publisher in the last three years. The difference this time? I actually sorta know what I'm doing, now. Sorta. That, and just like with
Hiram Grange & The Chosen One, (get your awesome preview of all the books in the series
here), I've been able to plot the entire thing out, all the way to the end.
That doesn't mean it WILL end the way I plotted it, but the FOCUS is the most important thing. What's it about? Hmmm. Here's some hints: Lovecraft, Nyarlathotep, Shub-Niggurath, evil trees, Betelgeuse (not the movie), and some good old human drama and even some mystery there, too. Tentatively titled "The Manor". Those of you "in the know from back in the day" (hint, Cooperstown, New York), yes, the time has come - I'm writing the novel I promised I would, someday. It means I have to leave off my MA thesis for now, a cool little experiment I've been calling "Jabberwocky", but that's okay.
Up ahead -
Camp Necon this week,
Context 22 in August,
Horrorfind in September, and back to
Borderlands' Bootcamp forWriters, this time in the novel category.
Now - to the library with my daughter, and then the playground.
