Mason's Book Picks: Ender’s Game

Next up in Mason’s Book Picks: Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
Another book I was only recently introduced to by my awesome wife (who has great taste in books)

This is the kind of sci-fi I want to read. It's thoughtful, emotionally piercing, and generally amazing for the sense of inexorable doom which hangs over the (incredibly sympathetic) protagonist.

Ender’s Game avoids so many pitfalls of sci-fi by being simply a great story.

You won't find all that sciency-science, nor is it weighted with cartoony characters (such as the dreaded "buxom-amazon-who-wears-revealing-clothes-while-kicking-butt-and-is-essentially-a-masculine-character-with-boobs-because-the-author-doesn't-understand-women") which sometimes rear their heads in sci-fi. (come on, we've all read our share of chauvinist novels.)

It is a masterfully written work. Go buy it peoples. Go buy it.

Mason's Book Picks: Something Wicked This Way Comes

Next up in Mason’s Book Picks: Something Wicked This WayComes – Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury is an unstoppable rebel force of writerly awesome. There is no past tense when referring to Ray Bradbury because he lives forever. (Kind of like Yoda.)

If you've never read Something Wicked This Way Comes, stop what you're doing and go buy this book.

This was one of the first books where I understood for a writer how deep the love of language could go.

I was lucky enough to read it when I was about 12 or 13 (the age of the protagonists in the story). But there's no time like right now to read it for the first time. Go buy it folks.

Short Story Up: The Flesh Trader

Hey peoples of the interwebz.

My award winning short story "The Flesh Trader" is in this week's Las Vegas Citylife Magazine.

(Page 13, wonderfully)

You can read the e-version here: http://lasvegascitylife.com/e-edition.php?i=2012/11/01#?page=13

Booya!

Mason’s Book Picks: The Postman

I read a compulsively.

Some of you know what I'm talking about.

 

At the breakfast table I read the cereal boxes, front back and sides.

When I’m sitting in the doctor’s office or waiting for an oil change I pick up any old magazine, regardless of whether I care about the contents. (Sports Illustrated and Redbook come to mind)

And because I share the house with three members of the female persuasion (four if you count the cat) I have read any number of chick lit and mommy memoirs (as well as marketing books and children’s picture books).

I also read a lot of books by choice. But it’s those rare few books that I will go out of my way to recommend to others.

These are the books that had a powerful impact in some way or another on my very inner being. Some are books from my formative years, some I only recently was introduced to. Either way, Mason’s Book Picks will be a running off-the-top-of-my-head list of those books which influenced me as a writer and as a person.

They are in no particular order, honestly. I’m shooting from the hip here.

First up: The Postman by David Brin

I only recently discovered this book in my wife’s collection. I remembered seeing the trailers for the movie back in the day but never saw it. I’m glad I didn’t, because cracking open this brilliant dystopic novel sight-unseen was an incredible experience.

The writing captivated me with it’s almost Philip K. Dick-esque noir terseness. And the battle of ideals and ideas was very enthralling.

Look out next week or so when I throw another Mason’s Book Pick at you.

Friday Funny: Nom Nom Babies

Somewhere in the surprising and astonishing universe is a space-time nexus where people of Walmart and Uruk-Hai and circus contortionists and smart cars and lobster babies and Sarah Palin meet.

This nexus is called Nom Nom Babies

Friday Funny: Reggie Watts

There is a freak of nature running around out there going by the name Reggie Watts.

This dude has more musical talent in his afro than the combined artists and bands you hear on the radio on any given day.
Also he wins the award for best use of “Jazz Hands” ever.

EVAR.

Super Duper Flash Writing Contest Winning Tips

I’m pretty stoked. Last month I entered 2 flash fiction contests and won both of them. In fact, I've won 3 out of the 5 flash fiction contests I've ever entered (the KillerCon Creative Fiction Contest in 2012, and the Vegas Valley Book Fest Flash Fiction Contest in 2010 and 2012).

(self aggrandizement alert!)

If you don’t know, flash fiction is a short short story, usually under 1000 words in length, sometimes under 500. They are stories that get in, do their story magic, and get out. They even have micro fiction which is roughly around tweet size.

 

(my own example):

 

She watched the dinner guests leave. They never asked where Greg was and she of course didn’t show them the blood and mess in the kitchen.

So naturally Flash Fiction Contests are when a group of caffeine-hazed writers are given a prompt and a short amount of time (20 minutes at KillerCon, 90 minutes at Vegas Valley Book Fest). When the buzzer goes off, you stop writing, just like a test, and then you are at the mercy of the judges.

But let’s get back to me winning. (I need to start that #arrogant twitter hashtag Mercedes[[[]]] and I joke about…)

I thought to myself, “Self,” I says, “You seem to be awesome at these things. Do you have any super-duper tips for winning?”

Well, nothing super-duper. In truth, I’d say 60% of winning at flash fiction is how far you can take your imagination and writing chops. And 20% is being able to perform under deadline. Perform coherently, I might add.

Almost all of that falls under the same writing advice you can find anywhere. (No really, most other people give way more useful writing advice than me, because I don’t really know how I do it…)

But that last little 10% leaves room for a few handy tips and tricks. Nothing fancy, mind you, but this is how I do it and maybe it will work for you. (Or at least free you up to just charge blindly ahead!)

Tip #1: Write the most compelling first line you can think of, right off the top of your head. Then come up with the story behind it.

Don’t construct an elaborate plot. Don’t try to focus on the theme, because by simply hearing it and stewing on it while waiting for someone to shout “Go” the theme is already part of your consciousness.

Make that first line sing. Don't worry about where the story will go. Just write something that can't be ignored.

Mine was "The hardest part was not killing the kids, but cutting them up to fit in the furnace."

Where it came from, I don't know, but it had to be answered. I had to find out what happened next, thus I had to write it.

Tip #2: Don’t cheat and show up at the contest with a full plot or story you already wrote in your head, or worse, already wrote which you will try to recreate.

Don't do this.

It not only smells like cheating but it can backfire on you. Particularly with themes and/or key words or phrases you must use in the story. The elaborate western romance you cooked up will get hosed when the key phrase they give you is "The spaceship docked on the dark side of the moon." Hosed!

(Unless you’re Joss Whedon, in which case, carry on.)

Speaking of key words and phrases, "How do you deal with any key words, or phrases they make you put into the story?" (you ask) “How do you place a word like ‘zither’ and ‘mongoose’ in a space-cowboy drama?” (you ask so many questions)

Tip #3: Love words.

 

Love words,  love how words sound, love language so deeply that you don’t just cram in obtrusive words like ‘chartreuse’ with a wink at the audience. Actually use them.

I read the dictionary for fun. I have this giant unabridged one that I like to turn to random pages (it also makes a great kid booster seat!) Words are your fundamental tools, even the awkward words.

What if you don’t know the meaning of the word? Ask. You might feel like a goober asking what a zither is, but you'll feel like a Hefty-bag of shame when you write it into your steamy romance mistakenly thinking it means a clothes fastening device.

Tip #4 Economy of words.

The opposite of this blog post.

 

I am very grateful to the estimable judges of the Vegas Valley Book Festival, and the KillerCon Creative Fiction Contest: Jack Ketchum and Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty, Don D'Auria from Samhain Publishing, and Roy Robbins from Bad Moon Books.

I won... booze?

Mercedes Yardley BEAUTIFUL SORROWS Blog Tour

Today I have the pleasure of interviewing (once again) my dear friend and member of my crazy writer's group: Mercedes M. Yardley.

Knives and other weapons not shown

First of all, let me say a hearty congratulations to you! Your first collection, Beautiful Sorrows, just came out from Shock Totem Publications and I have to say that the title describes the contents perfectly.

Which leads me to my first question...


Mercedes, you’ve really perfected the art of beautiful sorrow, or as you once put it to me “whimsical horror”. How did you develop your unique “ethereal, yet horrific” voice?

It was a lot of trial and error. You’ve read some of my old pieces, and you can see tiny slivers of this voice emerging, but it really wasn’t until I wrote the novel my agent is currently shopping that I felt it come out in full force.  My writing was always a touch dark, but also fairly pretty.  That’s how I’d explain it.  Prettily horrific.

And you’ve always written?
Always.

When did you first have the inkling that other people might want to read your work?
I wrote a lot as a kid, and my third grade teacher asked me to read some of my stories aloud to the class.  It was scary, but cool, and it just seemed like the thing to do, you know?  Write something and share it. Then I was in a couple of great magazines and anthologies, and I figured that people were buying them because of the other authors in there. I was just along for the ride, and loving every minute of it.  But now that Beautiful Sorrows has come out, I’m just floored that people are buying it. I mean, it’s my book, a book of just me, and people are still choosing to spend their money on it.  It’s extremely humbling, but so delightful! I’m so excited.

What was the tipping point for you to stop just “dabbling” as a writer and start submitting things for publication?

I was quite literally going mad. We had just moved to Las Vegas, my husband was gone all of the time with a new job, and I had a baby boy at home.  It was too hot to go outside and we were trapped inside of the apartment. I thought, “This isn’t the life that I want for myself!”  I was so lonely and so desperate for a creative outlet.  I joined up with the local NaNoWriMo group, wrote my first novel, and loved it. It was daunting to start submitting short stories and poems to magazines, but that was my next step.  I always wanted to be a writer, but I lacked the motivation and confidence.  I was intimidated.  But I grit my teeth and started forward.

You’re in a writers’ group with me. Admit it.

The Illiterati. We are a very serious writers group.

No comment, lest I incriminate myself.

Our writer’s group is pretty hardcore, but I can’t tell you how much I’ve grown as a writer because of being in a group with you, Mercedes. I think we’re awesome! Have all of your writers’ group experiences been as awesome?

The Illiterati is unique because we like each other, in and outside of the group as well.  We’re all creative, we have a great work ethic, and especially in the case of you and I, we spur each other on with friendly but gritty competition.

That reminds me. Congratulations on beating my measly 4th place in the Las Vegas Valley Flash Fiction contest! I owe you a video extolling your virtues.

That’s right, I won 1st place! I’m looking forward to that video. Bwahaha! And thank you for spurring me to write with excellence. I ascribe my win to our Illiterati power. But what works for us might not work for everyone. Would you recommend finding a writers’ group to others, and do you have any tips for finding the right one?

I think everybody needs some type of group. Even if it’s a loose collection of betas who only read your stuff once.  In our case, we’re an uber-intensive, three hours a week writer’s group where we tear each other’s work to shreds. But that’s because we respect each other and we’ve earned that respect.

I’d say that if you don’t jive with a person, you’re not going to respect what they have to say about your work. And if you don’t value their opinion, they shouldn’t be looking at your work anyway.  It’s just a waste of everybody’s time.  And time is such a precious commodity.

Ok, random question: I hear you had something to do with the sinking of the Titanic.

Let’s just say that [James Cameron’s TITANIC] movie portrayal of [First Officer] William McMaster Murdoch as a money-grubbing murderer has been contested by friends and family.  Apparently somebody involved with the movie ending up paying the family for defamation of character, or whatnot.

Let me also add that Murdock Luck is a real thing.  You definitely don’t want to stand next to me in a lightning storm.

What energizes you as a writer?

Goals.  Making strides. The success of another writer that I enjoy. Illiterati meetings.  I love the rush of moving forward, even when it’s difficult. But then, it seems that it’s always difficult.  One or another of us is always slogging through the literary mud.  It helps to hold hands and run together.

What would you like to see more or less of in fiction?

I’m done with zombies. Totally done. I’d like to see more ghost stories, but that’s because I love them so much.  Ooh, and more voodoo stories!  You can’t have enough ghost and voodoo stories.

Thank you Mercedes for stopping by my little corner of the universe. Any parting shots?

You may have won this contest round, but I’ll get you next time, Gadget! Can’t wait to see you on Tuesday to shoot the literary breeze.  I’m sure we’ll go head to head on something, as usual.

Sounds like a challenge! Accepted. :)

Make sure you pick up a copy of BEAUTIFUL SORROWS from Shock Totem or Amazon.com

Science Fiction Overload

I enjoy science fiction.

Mostly.

The parts I don't like is when the fiction is merely a thin veneer for overblown science.

I like science alright. I mean, blowing up chunks of sodium in Mr. Bigelow's class was pretty awesome. But if I want to get all science-robot-technical I can just wander around Wikipedia's quantum vacuum page for a few hours.

So for the past few weeks you can imagine my misery as I edit and re-edit and chop and rewrite and cut into the sci-fi horror novella I've promised to an editor.

Hey look! A Feynman diagram, don't put this in your book.

I put too much science in, and now I gotta cut it out. Or else the story isn't as cool. (Not cool enough for me to send to the editor... not yet)

I mean, I don't really need to convince the reader that quantum foam conditions theoretically could really honestly create wormholes... I can just tell you that the character magically did it with some new particle accelerator, wow suspend your disbelief!

Le sigh.

What about you? Have you ever found that your epic worldbuilding sometimes leaks a bit too much onto the page?

Friday Funny: Darth Vader in Love

I think these guys need to do a full-length.

Epic costumes, epic sets, epic casting.

This is 10,000x better than the prequels.

Watch and be amazed: Darth Vader in Love...

Friday Funny: Guy on a Buffalo

There are a few things in this world which you would be a lesser person for having never seen.

I desire to bring these gems of majesty to you. The internet is a vast place of great waste-itude, all the awesome doesn't just fall into your lap. That is, unless you subscribe to this blog.

So, without any further ado, watch Guy on a Buffalo. (this goes out to Mercedes M. Yardley)

 

KillerCon 2012 Debriefed

So this year I got to be the official Volunteer Wrangler at KillerCon 4 (2012) writer's convention held here in Las Vegas, NV.

First, the good stuff: I won the 2012 KillerCon Creative Fiction Contest. Yowzah. I was up against some stiff competition, and the judges were all world class authors and editors (including Mr. Jack Ketchum and Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty).

And it was very great to hang out with so many talented and incredibly delightful writers, many of whom I’ve met several times over the past few years of convention going as a professional writer. Seriously, everyone thinks that horror writers must be maladroit and grim all the time, but I find them to be the most wonderfully-odd-in-the-right-way sorts. We’re all a little weird around here. But delightfully so.

Speaking of weird, it was really awesome to meet the whole crew of Shock Totem. Those cats get A++ in raditude.

My writers' group, the Illiterati, and our baby

And certainly not the least of the awesome of KillerCon weekend was the release of my dear friend Mercedes M. Yardley’s first book, BEAUTIFUL SORROWS. You need to buy it now, because the first run already sold out. Yes it’s that good. Possibly one of my favorite stories ever is in it (“Luna e Volk”).

Now for some of the bad: That darn Stratosphere really made life difficult. The hospitality suite was as far from the convention across the hotel as humanly possible. And you’d think they’d populate the rooms surrounding the “party room” with KillerCon attendees, right? No, they booked them with normal guests who actually wanted to sleep at 2am in Las Vegas. The audacity.

And then there was the outright odd. I had no room. That would not normally be a problem because my house is about 15 minutes away. But I kept forgetting I didn’t have the car. So I couch surfed the whole time. No, I am only telling half the truth. I had to share a bed with my new friend (very close friends now, thank you very much) Matt C. He was a gentleman and didn’t inadvertently snuggle me. I don’t think.

But, what I am thinking would make next year’s KillerCon level up is 1) a better venue. 2) Having more interesting panels and running them two at a time with one Keynote panel in a large room towards end of day. Oh, and 3) having a designated "dinner break" hour. People are sheep, we like being told "go eat now, you have an hour".

Those are my suggestions. Oh, and 4) showgirls.

Yes, I'm big beardin it. Take a closer look, go on... touch it, I dare you.

 

Take the I out of 1st person

Ok, firstly, there is nothing wrong with novels or stories written in 1^st person.

But recently I read a book in 1^st person that made me feel the whole time as if the action was in slow-motion as I waited for the main character to narrate what was happening.

The cool premise of the book was killed by removing me from the immediacy of the action through an effect I oh-so-recently called “telescoping”*. (I’m sure some literary professor type knows the real word for it, but I stick to “telescoping”)

* In fact we had a rescue from Hollan, who is said literary professor type, who corrected my totally subjective term "telescoping". The correct term is FILTERING folks, filtering. This post has been edited to remove my egregious misuse of astronomical terminology.

Action should be IN YOUR FACE!

Filtering is when the action happening RIGHT NOW is filtered through the narrator needlessly distancing me, the reader, from the action. (Author intrusion also can fall into the realm of filtering)

Sure sometimes you may deliberately want distance in 1^st person. It can lend a certain cold detachment to certain scenes, or even allow the character to show their bias or coloration of events.

But regardless whether it’s 1^st person, 3^rd person close, or even 3^rd person omniscient, I personally want to feel like the events are happing right here, right now. Not over there to some guy who keeps getting in the way of the narrative. (There’s nothing worse than a narrator who gets in the way of the actual narration!)

Here is my totally heavy-handed and off the top of my head example of filtering.

Filtered 1st person	Immediate 1st person
As I ran down Ventura Boulevard, I could tell that things had gone from bad to worse. I noticed that my stitches had come undone and felt the blood run down my back. I could hear guns roaring all around me and when I looked back I saw the zombies at the far end of the street still coming. Why’d the world have to end in zombies? I thought to myself. I kept running.	As I ran down Ventura Boulevard, things went from bad to worse. My stitches came undone and the blood ran down my back. Guns were roaring all around me yet the zombies far down at the east end of the street kept coming. Why’d the world have to end in zombies? I kept running.

When an author is filtering in 1^st person, the narrator creates distance by “feeling, or noticing, or perceiving that the action is happening” instead of the action just happening.

Am I right here, or am I crazy-cakes?

Review of THE WEIRD

Hey kids, you want the inside scoop? Head on over to Innsmouth Free Press to read my review of THE WEIRD, an awesome anthology edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer:

( http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com/blog/?p=18465 )













I'll be back when I'm less busy changing diapers and leveling up my Demon Hunter on Diablo III.

Go See Prometheus (and Stay In School)

You know those nerdlings who line up at the movie theater hours and hours in advance to see the latest bit of sci-fi or fantasy cinema geekery?

I was one of those people this past thursday night for the opening night of Ridley Scott's new flick, PROMETHEUS. (Me and therest of my writers group The Illiterati!)

My verdict: If you like either of the first two Alien movies, or want to see space ships blow up and people get torched by flamethrowers and creepy oozing things causing general havoc... then go see this movie.

If you are more interested in having pretentious discontent because it isn't a clone of Alien (or because you just feel that pretentious discontent is the socially required response for anything that has any sort of hype surrounding it) then go back to your caves with noses in the air.

That being said, one thing that has threatened to eclipse the epicness that is PROMETHEUS was this bit of sic signage made by a theater employee.

Stay in school, kids.

THE WEIRD

Folks, it's been a wonderfully busy month. I've been writing, I've been preparing for Bundling #3, I've been helping build a recording studio, I've been playing Diablo II because I can't afford Diablo III.

Like I said, a busy month.

But let me tell you just a little about a book I'll be reviewing for Innsmouth Free Press.

THE WEIRD, A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories, edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer is everything I ever dreamed it would be.

I can't tell all of the super sekrit details yet, but here's a picture of me working hard on my review. And, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand weird words.

Reading "The Dissection" by Georg Heym
in THE WEIRD ed. Ann & Jeff VanderMeer

New Story: None of Which Was In the Report

I want you to read something. No, not this blog. Well, actually yes this blog. But after you read this blog I have something for you to read.

Allow me to inform you, my intrepid reader(s) that you can read my brand new story "None of Which Was In the Report" online, right now, with your eyes, on the digital device you are staring at this minute.

You might think that amazing technology allows me to share this story with you. But you'd be wrong. The majesty of my beard (see below) grants me this power, in league with the machinations of the ever wily Misty Dahl. (Fraternity of Flash)

See, majestic ain't it?

So what are you waiting for, go read "None of Which Was In the Report" ya lazy bum.

For my Academy speech I intend to thank Sam Raimi and Terry Pratchett, which I think you will find apropos upon reading my quirky little story.

Contest: Win a Flippin' Kindle, Dude

No it's not my contest. I don't have the money to buy you a Kindle. But if you are a writer of sci-fi/fantasy/horror/awesome, Ken Kiser over at theKreggorian.com is giving away a Kindle 'cause he's crazy like that.

It's first-come-first-serve and caps out at 100 entries, so get off your duff and sign up!

7 Easy Steps to a Fulfilled Life:

This is probably what you'd get
if I were running the contest

1)    go here: http://thekreggorian.com/writer-workshop

2)    Read rules (they are short but manage to be slightly confusing anyways, whee!)
3)    Go to http://thekreggorian.com/fwforum/ and create a login for the forum.
4)    Post a “hi my name is _____” in the WELCOME forum section. Say hi to a few people, make friends.
5)    Post the first 300 words of one of your novels/novellas/written voodoo spells in CONTESTS! > The Great Openings Contest
6)    Tell other writers!
7)    Wait to see if you win the Kindle.

Fraternity of Flash

Fellow human beings and other life-forms (or undead forms) who read this blog: allow me to direct you to the grand opening of the Fraternity of Flash hosted by the irrepressible Misty Dahl.

As I mentioned before, the Fraternity of Flash is Misty's crazy idea to throw a bunch of writers together (award-winning, published pros and up-and-comers and fresh-from-the-bakery writers) with a little writer's challenge: Write a flash fiction story that has to include certain key phrases and/or words.

Sound fun? Sound interesting? Sound wild? Yes. Yes, to all.

I'm lucky enough to not only be a contributor, but am the official Editator... not that these stories need much editing, still us writers let slip a typo now and then no matter how careful. Each of the writers have come up with wildly divergent stories which will be featured over on Misty's blog (which you should follow) in the coming weeks.

I'll be attempting to give some brief reviews as they go up on her blog, so stay tuned.

I encourage you to leave comments on any story you read, as all us writers secretly fear that "no one cares" about the words we pull kicking and screaming from within the well of our hearts and souls.

And through all the noise and chaos of the electric world around us, maybe in the static words we write there will be found something that matters, something that is true. How many of us can remember a time when we were CHANGED by something we read?

Music for the Zombie Apocalypse

You know when the zombie apocalypse happens and you’re forced to transition from a slacker (whose main stress in life is a login error on facebook) to a lean-mean-zombie-fighting machine living off berries and shoe leather in the shattered husk of a skyscraper?

Well you need a soundtrack, and you’d better start thinking about it now because the power grid will eventually go dark. Best to plan ahead and play along.

Ok, so here’s the meme.

Put your music on Shuffle.

The first song is the theme for the Apocalypse.

The second song plays during your first zombie kill.

The third song plays while you’re chased by a Horde.

The fourth song plays while you’re forced to kill your loved one.

The fifth song plays when you find your new love interest.

The sixth song plays when you make your final stand.

The seventh song plays when you (think you) survive.

The eighth song plays when you discove a bite mark on you.


Got it? Have you started yet?

Well, here’s what my soundtrack looks like

     1. (apocalypse theme) Cat Power - The Greatest (this slow and sultry indicates to me that the invasion happens when no one is looking and takes us all by surprise.)

     2. (first kill) Jimmy Eat World - Just Tonight (Oh we just kicked it into high gear! Fight!)

     3. (chased by a horde) James Brown - Super Bad (the juxtaposition of being chased by zombies to a James Brown song needs to be in a movie… NOW)

     4. (kill loved one) Deerhoof – TheGreatCarTomb (if the music is any indication, this will be one surreal scene)

     5. (new love interest) South - Straight Lines to Bad Lands (as if to warn us this isn't going to be a happy ending folks... it's called foreshadowing and it’s not exactly a cutemeet.)

     6. (final stand) Arcade Fire - Black Wave / Bad Vibrations (first lines: “If we can reach the sea, they won’t follow me… we’ll make it if we run.” A natural pick if you ask me.)

     7. (victory!) Postal Service - Be Still My Heart (I imagine standing on the pile of zombie bodies while this triumphant little song of bleeps and computer glitches plays. Plus there’s some foreshadowing if you look for it. FTW!)

     8. (discover bite mark) Voodoo Child - Jimmy Hendrix (PERFECT! brrraaaaiiiiinnnnssssss)

Thanks to Mercedes M. Yardley for passing on this fun meme, go see what plays during her apocalypse.

But first, tell me what yours were!!!!

March Madness (in a non-sports way)

It’s almost April and the last time I posted was a month ago when my story “The Collector, or, Google It” went up at Wily Writers.

This is due to March Madness.

This is not a sports reference. In no way do I follow sports, nor do I endorse the following of sports. In fact, it was only after I typed March Madness that I recalled its use in the world of sports. I’m not sure which sport, or sports… but those sport people use the term for something. (Did I mention I don’t follow sports… at all?)

It was just the month of March. It was certifiably insane.

But lots of good stuff was crammed into that insanity. I hope I’ll get to share soon.

One thing I can and will talk about is the Fraternity ofFlash being put on by Grand Poobah Misty Dahl. In a nutshell, she’s crazy like a fox and decided to host her own, invite-only, flash fiction fest.

And that makes me happy. Not just because I’ll be rubbing digital elbows with some really fine writers (such as Mercedes M. Yardley, BradC. Hodson, Lisa Morton, John Palisano, Robert Devereaux, Jeff Mariotte, Jason Reinhardt, and many more) but because I love when people just take the bull by the horns and instigate something wild like this.

Why is she doing it? She had an idea and didn’t sit around wondering whether it would garner some huge pay-off or whether it was super-strategic-according-to-the-latest-marketing-strategy.

She loves writing and she loves writers. And she acted.

Inspired! Hence actually posting something on my jilted blog.

New Short Story Up: "The Collector (or, Google It)"

Hello all you interwebz peoples.  I'm pleased to announce that my most recent story "The Collector (or, Google It)" is now up on Wily Writers. (hooray)

They’re mentioning my name in the same breath as H.P. Lovecraft again... :)

I had a lot of fun writing this story, so I'm happy that it's been published for you kids to enjoy.

Let this encourage all of you who are slogging it out on the submission marathon: just keep submitting and keep writing!

Wily Writers is a doubly cool site because you can not only read the story online, you can listen to the audiobook version read by the delightfully expressive Nathan Crowder. (Download the .mp3 and slap that file on your iPod to show everyone how cool you are...)

This story also features a few inside Illiterati jokes, such as Ryan Bridger's "Psycho-to-Hot Ratio" and a few others.

After you read it, please leave a shoutout on the Wily Writers website (or here, or both).

Read it here: http://www.wilywriters.com/blog/?p=2792