Screaming Writer

Haunted by a Horror-novel idea

2006-07-25T03:28:00.000-04:00

I have had this idea for a horror novel kicking around in my head for a while, and my thoughts at work (day job, not writing) are often interrupted by a new idea for the story. I have been grossly inattentive in writing these ideas down and fear that I will lose them. However, I have been so bogged down in freelance editing work that I cannot seem to find the time. Next week, I plan on starting the novel and polishing the six stories I have so that I may send them to publishers. In the meantime, I will just have to content myself with writing accompanying text to Charles Darwin quotes I find that I think are relevant to today's events.

Starting a Journal . . . Again

2006-07-22T02:52:00.000-04:00

I don't know how many times I have read some sort of book or advice column on writing that says that a writer should keep a journal. I have tried this innumerable times and have always failed. Part of the problem is that I wait to write the journal entry until the very end of the night when I am drooling from fatigue. Another problem is that I inevitably write something personal and then dread the idea of having so much of me down on paper. My forays into journal writing usually end with me tearing the entries out and ripping them up. Despite this, I will open up my graph-paper composition book (don't ask me why; I just like them) and try again.

Blogging but Longing for Fiction

2006-07-21T02:31:00.000-04:00

I started another blog in addition to this one and the Charles Darwin Blog. This new one is called Socket Wrench, and it describes all the blood, sweat, and tears (oh so many tears) that go into fixing and maintaining my and my wife's first house.

Though I am happy I am doing the blogs, I want to get back to fiction. I am trying to figure out how to fit it in and still be able to do freelance editing to pay down my bills. Suddenly, the final scene is Fight Club is looking pretty appealing. Not the part where Ed Norton shoots himself in the head, but rather the part where all the major credit-card company buildings implode.

Back From a Long Hiatus

2006-07-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

Well, I have completed my MFA in creative writing and now have six stories sitting on my hard drive. I cannot get to them to finish because I am doing freelance editing to make ends meet. I also have a gig writing for the Charles Darwin Blog. It is fun, but I am itching to give my stories a final line-by-line edit and get them out to some publishers. I also have a number of novel ideas kicking around in my head and I wonder, with the freelance and the day job, when I am ever going to find the time. I think I have the solution: no sleep!

I plan on posting here at least once a day. Check back for some good posts and lots of rants.

on hiatus

2004-11-18T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hello folks. I will be away on business for the next few days, so no new posts until Monday, Nov. 22. Stay sober; stay creative!

Check out my blog at http://screamingwriter.blogspot.com

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Extended Metaphor

2004-11-12T01:22:00.000-05:00

Below is an extended metaphor that I did as an excerise for class. The professor wanted us to take a metaphor and stretch it out over a page or two. Enjoy!

After a somber journey up an old-fashioned elevator, the kind with a gate that squeaks as one heaves it aside, I arrived at the floor of Johnny’s party. Before I even reached the door, I knew this affair would be a conflagration. A stifling mixture of debate, shouts, and laughter met me as soon as I emerged onto the floor. As I approached, a soft glow came not only from under the door, but seemed to seep from the cracks and the hinges. Yes, this fire and been stoked for a good few hours before I got there. Stoked with booze and stoked with coke. I’m sure Johnny had made sure to invite all the “right” people—love triangles, conservatives, liberals, advocates, nihilists, vegans, and butchers—all kindling for the flame.

The door shot open before I could knock, and Johnny, wearing a leopard skin grinned at me.

“I didn’t know this was a costume party,” I said, peering over his shoulder.

“It’s not,” He handed me a giant fish bowl of drink.

The heat of his apartment overtook me and I quickly stripped off my jacket. Despite the chill air outside, I saw that most of the other partygoers were wearing shorts or short-sleeves or sleeveless gowns all made of thinnest fabrics. Clearly they had all been to Johnny’s before. I looked down over my black turtleneck at my thick corduroys.

“Sorry, Cyrus, I should have told you. I like my people nice and sweaty. I’m doing this thing where I crank up the party bit by bit—the heat, the stereo, the food—every hour on the hour it all goes up by another degree,” Then he was gone into a cluster of people. Lit by both a dull red light and a strobe, they were all dancing the rhythmic dance of flame, undulating their bodies in Ss and lifting their hands up to lick the bottoms of orange streamers that fell from the ceiling.

Every so often the writhing clutch of men and women would spit out a few its members, sparks from a fireplace. Some landed on the deck, where they bummed cigarettes and caught their breath. Others landed in the bathroom, where they did lines and made out on the sink top. Still others landed in the kitchen where they raided Johnny’s fridge. They were all embers that would soon flare, hot spots that would soon threaten to gut out the whole place.

Until then, I decided to take off my turtleneck and warm myself by the hearth.

MIA

2004-11-10T14:55:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I have had a pretty nasty head cold that had me sleeping a lot the past couple days. Look for a new post tonight or tomorrow.

Go With the Flow

2004-11-04T02:11:00.000-05:00

I words 1,300 words on a new short story tonight. I was going to force myself to work on my novel, but I kept getting bits of text for the new story in my head. I was going to do the new story for my December 9 workshop, but decided to go with the inspiration. I should finish the first draft by the end of the weekend!

Scary Stories

2004-10-31T16:33:00.000-05:00

As Halloween approaches, I would be interested to know what everyone's favorite scary story or novel is. I think mine is still Salem's Lot by Stephen King. Who would have thought that he could take the 100-year-old and somewhat-mundane topic of vampires and make it interesting, let alone a novel that would keep this veteran horror fan up at night. But, he did it. Almost equally as creepy is his short story "Jerusalem's Lot." (I believe that's the title.)

So, let me know your thoughts.

Finding Structure

2004-10-27T21:49:00.000-04:00

A couple of posts back, I mentioned that Caryl Phillips remarked that he found his structure in time and music. I have found another way--geography. I have wondered how story's setting can influence style. How can a desert influence style? Will the sentences be sparse? What about a flooded area? Will the text be slightly overwritten, indicating a flood of language? Should text describing a meadow of flowers be, well, flowery? Just an idea . . .

Talk to Another Writer

2004-10-26T11:40:00.000-04:00

I cannot tell you how inspiring it is to take the time to talk to another writer, especially a more established writer. You find that they share the same pains that you do. I guess the artistic struggle is quite universal.

I had a conversation with one of my professors yesterday, and I came out of it with an extreme urge to write. It was frustrating that I was still stuck in the city and even more so that, upon coming home, I summarily fell asleep while doing my reading. I knew I should have written first. However, the evening the did not quell the fire that was sparked in me and tonight I plan to rattle the keyboard like an AK-47.

An Important Digression

2004-10-25T08:59:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, my girlfriend's 20-year-old cousin, Louis, shipped out to Iraq. Louis joined the NJ National Guard to pay for school. He was also the drummer in a band and has to leave his girlfriend to go overseas.

I ask that all of you hold him and the rest of our troops in your thoughts, meditations, and prayers. I also ask that you vote for John Kerry on Tuesday. The current administration is not taking care of our troops. They do not have the proper manpower or equipment. John Kerry will change that so that we can get the job done quicker with minimal loss or life and therefore get our troops home sooner. Thank you.

Caryl Phillips Speaks

2004-10-21T01:38:00.000-04:00

I saw Caryl Phillips speak tonight. He is one of the best speakers I have seen so far. Here are some snippits of what he said in his conversation with Jeffrey Renard Allen and the audience:

He has not read a review in 17 years.

His first big influence was Native Son by Richard Wright. He was also influenced by James Baldwin and Langston Hughes. He also befriended Baldwin.

He believes history is important because one needs to know where he came from to know where he is, and one needs to know where she is before she can know where she is going. He said that writers help keep the history of the people, not the powers that be, alive and that is why writers are so dangerous.

He bases the structure of his novels on time and music. He says that when things happen beyond characters' control, they no longer trust time. The narrative structure needs to reflect this distrust of time. Writing with a musical structure helps the writer tell a story in his or her own time (own way).

Phillips does not believe that any one character should have supreme authority over the narrative. As for character, the author needs to empathize with the character because "we can't understand who we are unless we understand those around us."

Exploring the African Diaspora

2004-10-20T02:16:00.000-04:00

I finished a great novel today called Crossing the River by Caryl Phillips. The book consists of four stories, all relating to the African diaspora. In the first story we see a slave owner traveling to Liberia to locate a former slave whom he has fallen out of contact with. In the second, an ex-slave travels great distances to somehow find the daughter she was separated from years ago. The third section consists of a slave trader's ship's log. Finally the fourth section explores an African-American soldier in World War II and the British woman who loved him.

Phillips does a great job of connecting the four stories. He does this with very subtle connections in each story as well as an introduction and conclusion that frame the other stories. The power of this novel lies not in what is stated boldly, but what is mentioned matter-of-factly, or sometimes not at all.

Next Exercise

2004-10-18T11:53:00.000-04:00

Stay tuned for my next exercise which I will post in the coming weeks. I will be writing an extended metaphor.

I workshopped part of my novel for a second time and it was once again pretty grueling. I plan on diving back in again this week. I don't feel like doing it. I feel like writing a short story or something. But I am going to try to stick with the novel and see if it comes easier. If not, I will set it aside until wants to play again.

Horror Writers Association - Reading List

2004-10-15T03:01:00.000-04:00

Horror Writers Association - Reading List

I was disappointed that Salem's Lot was not on this list. I don't know if any of you out there like scary stories, but this list looks like a good starting point for the uninitiated.

Exercise 1

2004-10-13T01:53:00.000-04:00

For my literature class, we were given an interesting, yet frustrating exercise. We were asked to describe an action without using any adverbs or adjectives and with little to no internal thought or dialogue. This was a prickly situation. Below is my attempt. I took my professor's instruction to mean only no adverbs or adjective, but I left in adverbial or adjectival prepositional phrases. I guess I will find out tomorrow night if I goofed. Enjoy!

Dagwood stared into the refrigerator, its glow reflecting on the dome of his head. The stripes of his pajamas shined, an ocean at night. The linoleum chilled his heels and toes. He eyed the meats. Their origin was the deli. They were stacked; each was suffocated by paper and plastic. Dagwood grabbed the stack and balanced a loaf of pumpernickel and a loaf of rye on his head. He then stuck a bag of lettuce and another holding tomatoes in between his teeth. He picked up the mustard, mayonnaise, and olives in the other arm and tiptoed to the table in the dining room.

He had set a plate that could accommodate a turkey and placed his cargo around it like the numbers of a clock. Dagwood sliced the tomato with a cleaver. He took out slices of each kind of bread and shuffled them. He slathered the mustard and mayonnaise on each piece. He grabbed pastrami, cappicola, salami, and prosciutto and nudged them in between the pumpernickel and rye. He positioned the lettuce and tomato.
His widened, and he stopped twisting the lid of the jar of olives. He relinquished the jar and padded to the refrigerator. He swung the door open to reveal slices, wheels, and hunks of cheese that he had forgotten. He procured an armload and returned to his work-in-progress. He stowed the varieties of cheeses in different crannies of the sandwich. From his pocket, Dagwood produced two toothpicks. He cleaved his creation in half and skewered each portion with a toothpick, taking care to include olives in the act. The olives were heads on staffs. Each eyed him with a pimento.

Dagwood wrapped his hands around the inches of sandwich and unlocked his jaw like a python. His teeth trembled and his tongued lolled. Moisture trickled from between the meat as his fingers squeezed the monstrosity. His lips were able to claim the poles of rye and pumpernickel. He crunched through layers of lettuce with only the cheese to break his fall.

Crumbs littered the table. He belched. The moon cast a glow on his belly. He stretched and yawned and rose. His weight carried him to the stairs. They creaked as he ascended them. He flopped into bed. It was 4 A.M, and breakfast waited.

Of Moon and Metaphor

2004-10-12T02:14:00.000-04:00

I must register a complaint to all writers, including myself. Why do we insist on exhausting every possible moon metaphor and simile? So many writers are guilty of grasping for that one piece of figurative language that will describe the moon is some jaw-dropping way. Why are we writing about the moon? Why must it be described in every night scene? What is the lure? Robin Williams lampooned it best when he said, "The moon hangs low, like a testicle, in the sky." In reality, it is sometimes that ridiculous. And to what end?

Your homework assignment is to find a moon metaphor or simile and post it as a comment here. It will not be hard to do. I promise.

Hiatus

2004-10-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

FYI: I will not be posting until October 10. See you then!

. . .

2004-10-06T16:01:00.000-04:00

I continue to hammer out my rewrite. I decided to add a whole new eight-page scene at the beginning of the novel to give more insight into the main character. This will be the new chapter one, and I have written it from an inconsequential character's point of view to give the outsider's take on the main character (Jake). (I think I will have this character cross paths with Jake at the end to show the change in Jake's character.

So tonight, I finish making changes, print the thing out, and make more changes. I may have to touch it up even more tomorrow night before I send it to the other members of my workshop.

Novel and Advocacy

2004-10-05T16:07:00.000-04:00

I figured I would briefly check in with everyone. The revision of part of my novel for my next workshop is coming down to the wire. However, things are going well and I plan on finishing it tonight and then revising it (revising the revision) over the next couple days.

Also, I have started a new advocacy blog. Check it out at http://cleanmind.blogspot.com.

Broke the Thousand Mark

2004-10-04T01:46:00.000-04:00

I continued to rewrite the first 20 pages of my novel tonight. In doing so, I added about 1,100 more words! Things are really flowing now, which is good because I have a hard couple days ahead of me.

Check out my blog at http://screamingwriter.blogspot.com

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555

2004-10-01T01:58:00.000-04:00

I started the rewrite of the first 20 pages of my novel. It will be a pretty extensive rewrite and I started by writing 555 words of new material tonight. So, goodnight!

Can't Sit Still

2004-09-30T16:06:00.000-04:00

I have been very antsy to write today. My mind keeps drifting and I have to stop myself from starting to continue writing my novel in my head. It kills me to stop myself from doing this. Occasionally, I jot don't some notes, but I miss sitting at my computer at home, engaging the keyboard in a fingertip assault. After work, I have my commute into the city, then I need to finish some homework, then meet with my professor, then class. I will not be able to tap away until close to midnight.

Perfect Weather

2004-09-30T13:57:00.000-04:00

It's raining today in New Jersey, perfect weather for writing. I must admit that I often yearn for weather that drives me inside. It is there, with the shades drawn, that I do my best work. I know others must feel differently, wanting to find a bright Caribbean beach on which to scrawl away. But all I want to do on a beach is let the UV and vitamin D lull me to sleep.

No.

Give me rain.

Give me cold.

Give me snow.

And I will show you

what I know.

Infusion

2004-09-29T16:33:00.000-04:00

I was re-reading "The Fenton Child" by Mavis Gallant at lunch. With fifteen minutes left until I had to return to work, I decided to take a nap in my car. When I do this, I usually take off my wristwatch and fall asleep holding it in my hand. When the watch begins to slip out of my hand, I wake for a second and check the time. This ensures that I do not oversleep.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I began to dream of "The Fenton Child." I did not make up new situations, but rather just floated through images of what I had read. This is the first time this has happened to me. I have never had what I was reading become infused with my dreams. It was pretty exhilarating and made the fiction seem all that more real, more than my waking imagination ever could.

Johnny Ramone

2004-09-28T14:06:00.000-04:00

This is long past due, but I just wanted to remember guitarist Johnny Ramone, who died a week or so ago of prostate cancer. Since this is a writing blog, here are a few Ramones lyrics. Each group of lines is from a different song

I met her at the Burger King
Fell in love by the soda machine

Sittin' here with nothing to do
Sittin' here thinkin' only of you.

They got done surfin'
and their goin' to the discotheque a go-go
But she just stood and stared
she had to break away
Oh, New York City really has it all
Oh yeah-eh, oh yeah

Hey daddy-o
I don't want to go
down to the basement

I don't wanna walk around with you
so why do you wanna walk around with me?

I don't want to be buried
in a pet cemetery
I don't want to live my life again

Rest in peace, Johnny.

Glorious Criticism!

2004-09-27T10:09:00.000-04:00

I urge all of you aspiring writers out there to have your work critiqued by at least two assertive poeple whose opinions you trust. I cannot begin to tell you how helpful it was to have my work critqued in a workshop last week. At first, it was painful. However, after thinking through everyone's verbal and written comments, I was able map out how I wanted to rewrite my first chapter. In fact, I was able to decide on the overall structure of the novel and map out the first six chapters. Other people's opinions were more inspirational than a whole listening library of classical music. So do not be shy and have someone read your work.

My Fascination With Chess

2004-09-24T13:23:00.000-04:00

Since I was very young, I have been fascinated with chess. This is not to say that I have mastered the game, know all the offenses and defenses, or even read books on it. My fascination has to do more with the fact that I always have this underlying yearning to play the game, to know the game, to rule the game. However, I never take the initiative toeducate myself or even play too often. In fact, I am a pretty bad chess player. I have no patience to think three or four moves ahead, as one is supposed to do. I have started to play correspondence chess with a friend in North Carolina. We have given ourselves a one-week time limit per move. Only this way can I hope to succeed at chess.

I guess I mention all this because I think my impatience with chess carries over into my writing (and perhaps in other facets of my life). I rarely have the patience to sit down and revise. I really have to work at it. I have unbelievable revelations in my head during the day. I have taken to writing these down and thank God because when I sit down at my keyboard thoughts I have had tend to fall out of my head and get lost. I think with my writing I do think 3 or 4 moves ahead, however. I definitely have a master plan. It is just the execution that I have to fine tune. I need to be able to sit there and think over my next move before I make it.

Cue Beethoven's 5th

2004-09-24T01:22:00.000-04:00

I had my first writing workshop today. The whole day leading up to it, my extreme anxiety manifested itself physically. The actual process was agonizing to me in the moment. By the time I got home and read everyone's written comments I was in better shape. It is odd how most of the criticisms came out in the classroom, but the written comments exuded positivity. It was actually very helpful in terms of my novel. I'm sorry. I'm tired. I'm rambling in spits and sputters. Tomorrow: More on chess!

Crash and Burn

2004-09-23T11:27:00.000-04:00

I had a literature class last night where we discussed Chekhov stories, and I am not comforted by the fact that it is hard for me to read critically. I am still reading for entertainment and get lost in the story. I am not reading as a writer and I need to break out of that.

Tonight, the first twenty pages of my novel are going to be critiqued by the class. For some reason, my stomach is not churning as much as it was yesterday, so that's good. I have much more confidence in my writing that my critical reading, and I already know exactly what I am willing to change and what comments I will secretly thumb my nose at. But, I don't know, maybe I should have more of an open mind . . .

A Gallant Gesture

2004-09-22T09:46:00.000-04:00

I did not do much writing yesterday. I only scribbled down some scraps of random scenes and dialogue that came into my head. These were not meant for my novel, but can hopefully be incorporated into other projects one day. I am not taking any chances; I am writing down every idea that comes into my head to matter how miniscule, inane, or insane.

The bulk of my time yesterday was taken up by reading. I finished Three Years by Chekhov. In the story, he captures the essence of life's one true struggle: wanting to be "there" instead of "here" and if you have the will and get "there," then wanting to be somewhere else. It is so true that no matter where we are in life, no matter how well we have it, there is always so struggle, strife, or at least an mild aching dissatisfaction.

I then began reading some stories by Canadian author Mavis Gallant. They come from her collection Varieties of Exile. She is a very concise writer. Not a word is wasted, and she tells great stories. More much later tonight, at the stroke of midnight or thereafter . . .

Getting Technical

2004-09-21T13:08:00.000-04:00

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I changed the commenting system so that a comment requires less clicks. Also, one can add his or her e-mail and URL if desired. Further, if one clicks on the little question mark in the comment box, he or she can add an emoticon or bold or italic text to his or her comment.

The bad news is that in changing the commenting system, I inadvertently deleted everyone's comments to date . I am very sorry about this. I promise to do less tinkering and more writing in the future.

Sleep is for Losers

2004-09-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

I fell asleep early last night and did not get any writing done. This is probably due to me getting less than five hours the night before. It is infuriating to me that the human body needs sleep. When I lay my head on the pillow, it upsets me that I am about to crap away five to nine hours that could be put to better use. Further, I have fantasize that one day science will find a way for us to avoid sleep altogether, or maybe just reduce the need to twenty minutes of sleep per day. I could give up twenty minutes. I am very satisfied after a nap, but after a full night's sleep I have this overwhelming feeling of waste.

Back on the Horse, but Found It's a Donkey

2004-09-20T02:24:00.000-04:00

I wrote 569 words tonight. Despite not meeting my goal of 1,000-infinity per night, I am glad that I have started to write consistently again.

Once again, I must give props to classical music. I was listening to one piece on 96.3 in New York. It was kind of a combined regal and foreboding piece with lots of climatic flashes of brass. If I had to describe it in somewhat modern terms, I would say that it is the type of music one would hear as Godzilla rises out of the water and starts to destroy Tokyo. Anyway, as I was listening to this piece, I began to think of a chess game, specifically the power struggle involved. I imagined the king pieces commanding all the others and this led to a story idea. (For the uninitiated, I rarely reveal my actual story ideas, due to a vague paranoia that they will be stolen or more likely a morphed version of them unintentionally usurped.)

Once again, classical music saves the day. I was lucky enough to remember the idea when I got home and write it down. However, I think from know on I will keep a cassette recorder in my car, to record these ideas as they come, then write them in my journal when I get home.

Which leads me to my next topic: journaling. My writing professor, James Lasdun, reminded me and the rest of my class of the importance of keeping a journal. Thus, I have started to keep one once again. I at first intended it to just be a repository of story ideas, but I have found myself writing any weird philosophical thoughts that spring forth from a wrinkle in my brain. I am also trying to write down the details of my dreams because I think they are a great source for story ideas.

I will leave you all with a topic that my girlfriend and I were discussing yesterday. We had gone to visit Duke Gardens in Hillsborough. J.B. Duke a tobacco king and hydroelectric tycoon, among other things, purchased 2,700 acres of farmland and built it into his own natural Xanadu. He had over 100 species of trees imported, along with lichen-covered boulders. He had hillsides and lakes created and his favorite European statues reproduced. He basically reshaped and repopulated the whole tract of land. My girlfriend and I were kind of jabbing at ol' J.B., saying that he most have had quite an inferiority complex to go to such lengths to mold his creation and to control every facet of it. He designed a whole world. I then commented that myself and other writers do the same thing in our writing. So now I am stuck with the looming question: Do I have an inferiority complex? Am I a control freak to J.B. levels? Hmmm . . . it might explain the whole chess idea.

Joyce Carol Oates

2004-09-17T13:32:00.000-04:00

I saw Joyce Carol Oates speak at the New School the other day. She read the first three (very short) chapters of her most recent work: The Falls. All three were written in third-person limited, each from a different character's perspective. Oates's writing is very vivid and staunchly follows the cardinal "appeal to all five senses" rule.

She also described how she basically writes in her head on her daily run, then goes home and pounds it out on her keyboard. She was a very inspiring speaker and I encourage anyone to go see her if you can, or pick up one of her dozens and dozens of books. I must confess that I have not read a single one, but I heard that Blonde, a fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe's life, is very good. Zombie also caught my interest. I believe it is about a serial killer. Oates also teaches at Princeton University, so you could even pick up a class with her if you are in the area.

I'm not dead

2004-09-10T13:20:00.000-04:00

Greetings, Screamers. No, I'm not dead. Just busy. I have plenty to talk about later tonight, though. I started school and am going to a Joyce Carol Oates reading next week. I'll make a detailed post late tonight. So, look for it tonight if you keep vampire hours, or tomorrow, if you are "normal."

So it begins

2004-09-07T16:13:00.000-04:00

Class starts tomorrow and, of course, I feel unprepared. I have no idea what to expect. I feel as if I'm in a tiny cabin at the bottom of the Matterhorn, just waiting for the avalanche. More later.

Registration Day

2004-09-01T23:46:00.000-04:00

Today was registration for school. I was put temporarily in a rage when I thought that I did not get any of my top-choice professors, but I found out later that the real designations will be given out later this week.

After registration, I had a chance to explore the New School area. What a writer's Mecca! There are all sorts of stationery stores, pen stores, book stores. Of course, the biggest stand-out is the Strand bookstore. Its ads boast 18 miles of books. I stepped inside and was overwhelmed. Books were piled twenty feet in the air. There are al types of categories: Art books, occult books, chess books (yes, there's a small section only on chess!). Everything is so damn cheap there. I still think it is cheaper to buy used books online, but the Strand is so well laid out, so chock full of books that it demands your patronage. I did not even make it to the rare books section today. I'm going there for Christmas.

Orientation was not too informative. I know I should not have been, but I was actually surprised when the director has us each rise and (gag) say something about ourselves. My heart was pounding ten people before me. When I stood, I tried to mutter a joke about me being tired of editing nonfiction and looking for an escape, but I started to sit down halfway throughout it, and it got no laughs.

Afterward, there was a meet-and-greet. I talked to the assistant director about the idiosyncrasies of Berkeley Heights, NJ. He told me that there is a little artists' community there that share a pool. I spoke to Helen Schulman, author of P.S.: A Novel. She explained to me the nuances of having one's book made into a movie.

I was quite shy today. Everyone else was downing Brooklyn lager and siphoning bottles of wine and I was wallflowering it, trying not to seem like I was eavesdropping on anyone's conversation. Ultimately, I did meet some interesting fellow students.

One guy worked researching furniture for the Times magazine. A activist woman had just yesterday harassed Elizabeth Dole as she was being interviewed my reporters with down syndrome (a blatant photo op by the GOP). Alex and Darryl were singing the praises of Shelley Jackson, a professor there that they had workshopped with in undergraduate school. Another guy wanted to write essays assailing the fact that many intellectuals scoff at sports. There were a lot of interesting views today. Bring on tomorrow.

Palladio

2004-08-31T01:35:00.000-04:00

I am reading Palladio by Jonathan Dee. Here's the description from Amazon.com:

In her small upstate New York town, Molly Howe is admired for her beauty, poise, and character, until one day a secret is exposed and she is cruelly ostracized. She escapes to Berkeley, where she finds solace in a young art student named John Wheelwright. They embark on an intense, all-consuming affair, until the day Molly disappears–again. A decade later, John is lured by the eccentric advertising visionary Mal Osbourne into a risky venture that threatens to eviscerate every concept, slogan, and gimmick exported by Madison Avenue. And much to John’s amazement, one of the many swept into Osbourne’s creative vortex is the woman who left him devastated so many years before.

The Birthday Boy

2004-08-29T23:24:00.000-04:00

Today was my birthday, and I was glad to get some literary gifts. My girlfriend got me Sieze the Day by Saul Bellow and Revising Fiction by David Madden. Seize the Day is taught in Columbia University's writing program. Revising Fiction looks promising, too. It gives 185 techniques for improving fiction. My mother bought me five or six books of stamps to pay for postage when I submit stories and novels.

Registration for classes is on Wednesday, as is orientation. Classes start on September 7 and I am reading recommended titles and works by my professors at top speed. I wrote about 500 words a couple days ago and thought of a great idea for a series of YA books. Off to write!

African-American Voices

2004-08-25T12:43:00.000-04:00

I just started reading Was Huck Black?: Mark Twain and African-American Voices by Shelley Fisher Fishkin, and I am already hooked. Fishkin argues that Huck's voice was influenced my two African Americans that Twain met in his lifetime. The author offers a wealth of research and glimpses of entertaining and enlightening articles that have been largely ignored for years. The few pages I have read so far today have made me want to go back and read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn again. Maybe in two years, when graduate school is over. I talk about its finish when, in reality, it has not even begun.

Note: I will add links to this post this evening.

Day-Job Doldrums

2004-08-24T00:19:00.000-04:00

I did not write tonight because I was preparing for my yearly review at my day job. Confounded need for income! Like most writers, I dream of a day when I can sit in my underwear in front of my computer for eight hours and hammer away. I hope for a time where I can roll out of bed and into my office. Sometimes, I get a little tired of going full speed at my day job and my dream job at night. And then I am further crushed by the many writing experts who send out gleeful warnings detailing the facts that most professional writers still struggle once they are published. I say: keep your negative energy. I will comfortably sustain myself with writing because that is just what is going to happen. I have no choice as far as I am concerned, if not just to be one more success story to knock those nay-sayers on their asses!

Writing and alcoholism

2004-08-23T19:03:00.000-04:00

I was perusing the biography section at my local Barnes and Noble yesterday, and I was surprised to find five or six memoirs by writers who have battled alcoholism. As a recovering alcoholic myself, it made me wonder about the connection between addiction and the writing life. Why do so many writers, and other creative people for that matter, battle alcohol and drugs? Are they above the norm, or are their exploits just more publicized. If I probed say the tailoring profession, would I find just as many addicts, problem drinkers, and junkies? If anyone knows more on this subject, I would love to hear your comments. Tonight or tomorrow, I will post the titles of some of the memoirs I found.

Great Blog!

2004-08-23T01:02:00.000-04:00

Hey, check out the blog of Joe Clifford Faust: The Word Foundry. There is a lot of in-depth writing analysis on this site.

Sideline

2004-08-23T00:49:00.000-04:00

I did not work on my novel tonight, but chose to work on a few side projects instead. While listinging to a live Sam Cooke album, I thought of a great historical novel idea. That's all for tonight. I am, once again, tired.

Classical Music Breeds Creativity

2004-08-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

Along with my daily dose of NPR, I have been listening to a lot of classical music in my car lately. I have been doing this for the sole purpose of further fanning the flames of my creativity, and it definitely works. My wallet is growing thick with story ideas. So much so, that it is reaching Costanza proportions and is giving me back problems! If you are in the NYC metro area, pop on 96.3. When I hear the sweet, dark sounds of a Tchaikovsky nocturne, I no longer feel the stale heat of the asphalt labyrinth I am forced to drive through every day. Or maybe it's just the air conditioning . . .

Caught in the Momemt

2004-08-19T00:07:00.000-04:00

I did 635 words tonight. It is not perfect, but it ends my dry spell. I was writing away tonight and was amusing myself by creating a colorful new character when I realized that it was the second BLIND character I had created. I dutifully gave the second character her sight back and went on. However, it is interesting how a writer can get caught in the moment, in the present I should say, and have no consideration for the past or future of his or her story. I once heard that Stpehen King killed the little boy in Cujo without meaning to. I have never read that story so I do not know if he left it that way and that is how the book ends or whether he went back and rewrote it to give the book a happy ending. The point is, he got so wrapped up in his story that he killed a character without meaning to. Scary.

Sleep is the Key

2004-08-18T10:21:00.000-04:00

I am now convinced that getting a good night's sleep is the key to an active writing life. I have been getting horrible sleep the past few nights and have been writing horribly small amounts of text. Last night, I typed two sentences, then read everything I had written over the past few weeks, then formatted it. Talk about procrastinating. It gets worse. Then, I chose to watch a Simpson's rerun (an episode which I have on DVD and could watch any time) and fell asleep about 10 minutes in. I got 2 1/2 hours of restless sleep on a cramped loveseat before finally dragging myself upstairs and allowing myself the comforts of a proper bed. But, I guess today is another day.

I'm Fixing a Hole

2004-08-17T01:01:00.000-04:00

I'm in a rut. I'm time starved. I'm discombobulated. I'm hungry. I'm tired. I'm cold. I'm staring at a blank page. I'm even too tired to read. Still reading the First Five Pages. Also, started Speak, Memory by Nabokov. My head hurts.

National Novel Writing Month

2004-08-17T00:54:00.000-04:00

November is National Novel Writing Month. Participants are challenged to write the first draft of a novel in a month. This, of course, will be a first draft, with no chance for revision along the way. Registration begins on October 1, but check out the site now to see what they are all about. You will be able to get the support of other writers as you write your own fast first draft.

Great Resource

2004-08-14T00:25:00.000-04:00

I don't think any witing is getting done tonight, folks. I am going to devote my last two hours of the evening to reading. I am studying a great book on writing called The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Lukeman is a former editor and agent, and he discusses all the things he looks for in a manuscript . . . to reject it! His point is that editors and agents get so many manuscripts, they need to get through all of them somehow. So, there were certain key things he looked for to tell him whether a manuscipt was subpar or not.

Oh yes!

2004-08-11T23:15:00.000-04:00

Things went much better tonight. I did over a thousand words! Two new characters entered the mix. I have been blissfully ignoring my book map and have not been happier. Nope, I am just not a prewriting guy! I am psyched about this progress. Off to read!

A Writer Writes, Always?

2004-08-11T00:42:00.000-04:00

I am getting to the point I am ashamed to write a post. No, I did not work on my novel today. I am tired and am going to bed. I think part of the problem is that I am not getting enough sleep. My mind is sluggish. Ideas are not popping into my head as often. And when they do, I have neglected to bring my pad and paper. The positive today? Let's see . . . I got some books out for school--recommended reading for a class I hope to get. I think I shall read one of those for inspiration as I lay down to sleep. My recommendation to myself and all writers: kick the coffee and instead get at least 7 hours sleep. If necessary take cat naps about 20-30 minutes. No more than 40 minutes, because then you have reached too deep a sleep, too many dream tigers.

Perhaps I should explain. As a child I took out an audio tape from the library on controlling one's dreams. The tape was of poor quality, so the female psychologist's voice was rendered even creepier by the wavering in audio quality. Anyway, she was speaking about becoming aware that one is in a dream, then taking control. She said this one statement that has stuck in my head for over 15 years. It refers to someone dreaming about a tiger: "I am in a dream state and you are a dream tiger, so instead of you chasing me, let's sit down and have a chat." So, too many dream tigers and you are in too deep a sleep. If you snooze past 40 minutes and wake up without a full night's sleep, you're likely to be groggier than when you laid your head on the pillow, which is what I plan to do right now.

Oops!

2004-08-10T17:02:00.000-04:00

My girlfriend was kind enough to point out that I included some personal contact information on yesterday's post. This was a mistake. Unless you are friend or family, please be so kind as to only contact me via the screaming writer e-mail on the right. I have since deleted the information and no one has called me, so thank you for respecting my privacy.

P.S. New post tonight!

Reading Scripts

2004-08-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

I am going to see M. Night Shamalan's The Village tonight. Since most movies come from books, they can be quite literary. From what I hear, reading scripts can be quite interesting. In fact, I have had some friends that prefer reading the scripts than going to the movies! Scripts can be found online or, to a more limited degree, in the bookstore. There are also some good books on writing screenplays.

Here's an interesting bit of information. Like stage plays, most screenplays, and therefore most movies, are divided into three acts. Between the first and second acts and the second and third acts is something called a plot point. The first plot point occurs about 30-45 minutes in and the second about 60-75 minutes in. These two plot points offer a change in the plot or a twist if you will--a new development that offers conflict to the characters. For example, in the Blues Brothers, Elwood gets Jake out of jail, they catch up on old times everything's just like it was then BAM! first plot point: the nun at their old orphanage needs money. So off they go to find the band members, make some cash, find a venue for the big payoff, start the show, then BAM! the cops discover their getaway, now they have to find a way to get the money in the proper hands. Hence, the best car chase in film history Of course there are always little conflicts along the way, but watch out for those two big plot points. At the second one, you'll know that you only have about a half hour left until you can stretch your legs and run to the restroom after drinking that 64 oz soda!

Online texts

2004-08-09T00:06:00.000-04:00

Project Gutenberg has slew of online texts of books now in the public domain. Check it out!

The Unfinished Octopus

2004-08-08T12:04:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer, I started reading The Octopus by Frank Norris. Great book, except that I did not get to finish it. I started reading books by my future professors, and now I am going to start studying the recommended reading for one of my classes. It looks like The Octopus squirted a cloud of ink and scuttled off to the Atlantic Ridge. I'll get you Octopus! Call me Ismael. No! Call me Ahab! I'll catch up to you Octopus one day, and by then my boat will be bigger, my sails wider, and my harpoon swifter and sharpened on the steps of the New School.

Another Blog

2004-08-07T23:20:00.000-04:00

Check out another writer's blog at the Writing Space.

Off They Go!

2004-08-07T23:10:00.000-04:00

I wrote the cover letters and packed everything up. It's ready to go into the mail on Monday! Now I'm going to reward myself by reading. Right now I'm reading P.S.: A Novel by Helen Schulman. Stay tuned for a review . . .

Revising the Revision

2004-08-07T00:24:00.000-04:00

Finally done with the nose-hair story. Done. Done. Done. Dead tired. I need to write the three cover letters & buy envelopes. Tomorrow says the Sandman. It's goodnight time in Bloggerland.

Into the Abyss

2004-08-06T12:51:00.000-04:00

The above subject line is where I sometimes think the few pieces I have submitted go. It is odd. I spend all this time writing and revising to send something out. And once I send it, fwoosh! Black hole. One thing I am doing to keep myself reminded that I actually am pursuing my dream is using the Submission Tracker on Writersmarket.com. Of course, one has to pay for a subscription to use it, but a person can add all of the market's information as well as information about the manuscript and what one would like to track (query letter, manuscript). It is a nifty tool that keeps me reminded that my work has not gone into some Orwellian incinerator and that any day now I'm going to be manacled and shuttled off for being a "thought criminal."

Picking My "Nose"

2004-08-06T01:44:00.000-04:00

I finished editing the hard copy of "The Fine Art of Nose-Hair Removal." Tomorrow, I just need to make the changes to file and submit it. I intend to submit it to the The Paris Review, Tin House, and Zoetrope: All-Story. Ambitious, I know, but I figured I'd go for the gold the first time around. Thank God for simultaneous submissions!

Blog Alert

2004-08-06T01:37:00.000-04:00

Check out this blog I came across. There's lots of varying information on Fides, Cogitatio, Actio. From Christian prayers to ultrasonic squirrels, this site has a lot of interesting information.

Time to Pick Classes

2004-08-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

I just got the listing of classes for the New School. So much to choose from! I have to pick one literature seminar and one writer's workshop. Plus, there is a Writer's Life Colloquium where I need to attend eight readings/seminars of my choosing throughout the semester (Joyce Carol Oates and Art Spiegelman are among the speakers. Also, The finalists from the National Book Awards will be doing a reading.) But as for the writer's workshop and lit seminar, I need to choose one professor for each. For the past month I have been trying to read one book from each prospective professor, but I have not quite finished yet. However, I am leaning toward taking James Lasdun for my writer's workshop and Jeffery Renard Allen for my literature seminar. The subject for Professor Allen's seminar is "Shadow Narration." I also like the reading list of books for the class, mainly because I have not read any of them and he recommends a number of additional books on writing itself. Can you tell that I am excited?

Blissfully Sidelined

2004-08-05T00:12:00.000-04:00

I am taking a two-day break from my novel to revise a short story I wrote for my graduate-school application. I plan on submitting it somewhere tomorrow. It is called "The Fine Art of Nose-Hair Removal" and here's a taste:

“It seems to me that this article should only be one line: ‘Use a rotary nose-hair trimmer,’” Lloyd Dunkirk slumped in the plush chair in his editor’s office.

Wally Reincastle looked at Lloyd over the top of his glasses, perched on the tip of his nose. “Our research indicated that not too many of our readers use those things, Lloyd. They have been around for a long time and still haven’t gained acceptance. I mean, Christ, you can still get them from the same catalogs as whoopee cushions.”

“Research?”

“And besides, the article is ‘The Fine Art of Nose-Hair Removal.’ If one used an electric trimmer, it wouldn’t exactly be a ‘fine art’ now would it, Lloyd?”

Lloyd stared at Reincastle’s bloated face. “Well, can you give it to someone else? What about Smith or Mulaney? They’re still young pups. I was hoping to work on my ‘Low-Fat Egg Alternatives’ idea.”

Reincastle had closed his eyes and was slowly massaging the lids. “Lloyd, you’ve been doing food articles for over five years now. It’s time to diversify. Do some fitness. Do some hygiene. I’m trying to help you out here. You’re forty years old. You’re never going to move up at Fly Guy Fitness if you don’t diversify.”

“But . . .”

“And besides, I need you on this one. You’re the only one that can pull it off. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to talk to Reynolds. She thinks eyebrow waxing is a relevant topic. Imagine, eyebrow waxing.” He stuck a pen in his mouth and picked up the phone.

Comedy, Music, Photography

2004-08-05T00:07:00.000-04:00

That's right, my cousin-in-law, Molly Beck Ferguson, is accomplished in comedy, music and photography. In fact she was just accepted to the Second City Conservatory due to her comedic talents. Check out her photography Web site. Between her and my cousin, James Ferguson, they are quite a power couple!

Minneapolis is Most Literate City

2004-08-03T23:26:00.000-04:00

I am not moving to Minneapolis any time soon, but check this out. It is pretty interesting. (Of course they read a lot. There's a lot of sitting by the fire on those cold Minneapolis nights!)

Yahoo! News - Minneapolis ranks highest of the literates, study finds

Writing and Substance Abuse

2004-08-03T20:18:00.000-04:00

I once thought that part of being a writer was living a hard life: smoking Parliments, drinking tequila, and passing out with a pad and paper in my hand. Or I thought writing was smoking marijuana and igniting not only a joint, but also my slumbering creativity as if it would pour forth somewhere between me maniacally laughing at a monkey on TV and me buying $15 of Taco Bell just before its midnight closing, but to quote a good Web site on creativity: "People on drugs think they are creative. To everyone else, they seem like people on drugs. "

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my first day of sobriety. In all my years of drinking , not once did I finish a story. All I succeeded at doing was musing about how "someday" I would be a great writer. You may be saying "What about Bukowski, Kesey, Huxley, Burroughs, Poe, Hemingway, Fitzgerald? Weren't they great writers?" Yes, they were. But they could have been better.

There are healthy ways to boost creativity if one just remains open and searches for alternatives. Here are some good articles I dug up:

10 Steps for Boosting Creativity
Chemical-Creativity Link May Be Folklore
Just for Today: Creativity No Excuse for Chemical Dependency

Meditation

2004-08-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

I think it is important to meditate on whatever project one is currently working on. You will be surprised what comes to you. This does not have to be palms-up, lotus-position meditation. Cooking, walking, running, and driving, are all very meditative in that they give one plenty of time to think. I was going over what I have written so far as I was driving to lunch today, and the ending to my novel came to me! Just like that! Don't get me wrong; I already had an ending, but this one was better. It tied up all the loose ends and it only took about 2 minutes of focus on my novel's details for me to envision this new resolution.

Slow Start

2004-08-02T23:48:00.000-04:00

It was a slow start this week after a weekend of inactivity. I did a mere 200 words today, however, I am comforted by the fact that the words came quickly and easily and my imagination continues to surprise me. I am creating characters without intent and the story is starting to become an organism of its own free will.

I should mention that I am a writer who does not do a whole lot of pre-writing. I have a book map of about 20 words that takes me about a third of the way into the book, but I am starting to blissfully stray away from that structure. I tried doing character sketches for a short story once, but it just did not take. I prefer to keep them in my head where they can be constantly molded and shaped. I am sure some writing teachers are cringing reading this, but my words are more Godspell than Gospel and I do not intend anyone to take them too seriously. To each her own.

The Horned Man

2004-08-02T23:22:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading The Horned Man by James Lasdun, who will be teaching at the New School when I attend this fall. I would describe the novel as a comedic mystery of sorts. It centers on a lonely college professor, Lawrence Miller, that thinks that a former professor is sneaking into his office. The rest of the of novel involves Miller's absurd journey to seek out this intruder, who seems to have a grudge against Lawrence. Very humorous, very odd, very puzzling. A well-written book that I reckon I will have to read again someday to fully understand. If anyone has read this, let me know what you think. Side note: I hear Mr. Lasdun is a very good poet as well.

Obsession With Cooking

2004-08-02T11:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, I am aware that I went overboard Saturday night and cooked a lot more than I needed to. We could feed Noah, his family, and the animals for forty days and forty nights and still have enough food left over for the post-flood party. Much of the food I cooked was a creation of my own anxiety and was the fault of no one else. My girlfriend had encouraged me to keep things light, but instead I kept the light on in the kitchen into the wee hours of the night while I prepared dish after dish. The time spent could have been used for writing. Tonight should provide for more hours of writing . . . we're eating leftovers!

Reading Only Recipes, Writing only on Cakes

2004-07-31T22:55:00.000-04:00

Aaaaargh! We are entertaining family tomorrow and I am cooking instead of writing! The upside is that cooking is meditative, so maybe I will dream up some new ideas. Off to write . . . I mean, cook!

Write a Letter

2004-07-31T11:39:00.000-04:00

Despite being in my twenties, I am one of those old-fashioned types who feels that we have lost the power of written communication via e-mail. I am enlisting all of you to write a letter at least once a month, and I pledge to do the same. Do not e-mail it. Sit down with a quality pen that does not smudge and some nice stationery, and write a letter to a friend, family member, or significant other. Mail it with your favorite stamp or slip it under your lover's pillow. I think sending a letter snail mail helps one focus and really think about what is going on in his or her life. It is a good way for one on reach out to someone else. Try it, once a month. Before your know it, you mailbox will be filled with something besides junk mail!

Review My Blog on Blogarama

2004-07-30T23:25:00.000-04:00

Please take a couple minutes to review my blog on Blogarama.com. Just go to the Web site, enter "Screaming Writer" in the "Search Blogs" box and my site will come up. Then click "Reviews" and then "Submit a review for this site." Then, go nuts! I would greatly appreciate it. I will also keep the link to Blogarama.com on the right column of my blog. It is a great site to search for other Web logs of all types. Thanks, all!

On Dialogue . . .

2004-07-30T23:17:00.000-04:00

I have attached a piece of dialogue from my novel below. The two characters are Jake and Lois Barnaby. Jake is a city slicker turned drifter who just breeze into this tiny Midwestern town. Lois Barnaby is an aging middle-aged overweight school bus driver that gave Jake a lift to the bar that they now occupy at 9 in the morning. Let me know what you think: Questions, criticisms, accolades, and observations. All are welcome.

"See that guy over there" she pointed with an empty can. The man was the only other patron in the bar.

"Uh-huh."

"That's Razzle." She let out a garlic-laden burp the hung in the air like fireworks smoke.

Jake jerked away from the smell, then followed her calloused finger to the end of the bar. An old thin, muscular man sat with some brown liquid in front of him. He stared at himself in the mirror behind the army of half-empty bottles.

"Razzle-dazzle." Jake's dirty martini was starting to warm him up, "Who's Razzle?"

"That guy over there."

"No, what's his story?"

"He used to be mayor. Then his wife died."

"Wow." Jake said it with no emotion, breaking a stale pretzel in two.

"Then the day after there was a train wreck in town. Forty-six people died. Razzle called a town meeting to plead for calm. Then, he shat himself while giving the speech"

"Really?"

"Yeah. He never was the same after that. Most said he had a breakdown."

"Well, the irony's not lost on me."

"You lose something?"

Jake sighed into his glass, "Never mind."

My Cousin the Writer and Producer

2004-07-29T23:48:00.000-04:00

My cousin, James C. Ferguson is out in California writing and producing. He has worked on a lot of great comedic material, and his projects have been praised by critics and have won awards. You can check out his Web site at http://www.scalepluspoints.com/

Along with his work in the movies, James has also had a novel published called Context Clues. It is the story of an alcoholic British detective that has to piece together a mystery from the few things he remembers amid his drunken haze.

So, pick up the book and visit James's Web site to see what he's up to. You will be hearing bigger and bigger things from him every year. I will add his site to my links list for ease of access in the future.

Battling Through the Fatigue

2004-07-29T23:34:00.000-04:00

Despite a heaviness in my head, I did 641 words tonight. Not quite my goal, but I am happy with the results. I introduced two colorful new characters to my novel. I wish I could tell you all more but I am paranoid with this public venue of people stealing my ideas (I am not talking about those of you near and dear to me, of course. However, what I am going to do is share a snippet of my work every week. This week it was "The Stolen Grave."

I still working on developing a regimen that works for me. I am readying myself for school, so it will not seem like such a shock when it hits. I have no idea what to expect out of graduate school. It is actually pretty exhilarating.

Oh, I also thought of some great ideas while driving today. Of course, I had a pad and pen with me and I was able to scribble it with shaky hand while bracing the pad against my steering wheel. It is funny how things just come to me while I'm driving. I guess it is a pretty meditative activity. Well . . . whatever works!

Historical Fiction

2004-07-29T14:01:00.000-04:00

Lately, a lot of the ideas I have been getting have been in the realm of historical fiction. This is obviously has to do with my profession, where I work on history and social studies books all day. Every event I come across holds promise of being fictionalized, every person the promise of a great character. I am astounded that a lot of world history has not been fictionalized yet, especially the ancient era. The Aztecs alone hold promise of murder, intrigue, high society, and clash of cultures. More later . . .

Sooo Tired

2004-07-28T23:40:00.000-04:00

No work done on my novel today. I am trying this new thing called actually getting a decent night's sleep. My hope is that is will make me more productive and less likely to drag throughout the day. If not, it's back to vampire time. "Wolves, children of the night; what beautiful music they make."

Bad Writing

2004-07-28T22:38:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share with you once of the worst pieces of writing I have come across in a long time. It comes from Masters of the Vortex by E.E. "Doc" Smith, a science-fiction novel from 1960. I would like to clarify: I DID NOT WRITE THIS:

SAFETY DEVICES that do not protect.

"Unsinkable" ships that, before the days of Bergenholm and of atomic and cosmic energy, sank into the waters of the Earth.

More particularly, safety devices which, while protecting against one agent of destruction, attract magnet-like another or worse. Such as the armored cable within the walls of a wooden house. It protects the electrical conductors within it against accidental external shorts . . .

Bored yet? This was the beginning of the novel. Not exactly "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." How could Doc even think that a discussion of safety devices would hook the reader into the book? I never thought I would actually find something that literally reads like stereo instructions, but I think I did. In all fairness to Doc, he was a Hugo Award nominee and I heard this was one of his worst books. The rest of the book might be good, but I could not get past the opening.

The Awesome Power of Stationery

2004-07-28T10:16:00.000-04:00

What an improvement just carrying around a pad and pen has made in my writing life. I use a 5 x 3 inch memo pad that fits easily and comfortably in any pocket. Today, at work, I got a great idea for a screenplay and wrote it down. I probably won't start this for at least a year and may never follow through on it. However, capturing the idea in the moment ensured that I would not forget it. I wrote down every detail. On a weekend when I feel particularly ambitious, I intend to take all these scraps of paper and put them into an Excel spreadsheet, so I have a readily available bank of ideas.

RFCs

2004-07-28T01:50:00.000-04:00

When I was stuck in a computer consulting job, the environment was rife with acronyms. One of the most blatant, I felt, was RFC, which stood for "request for comments." However, at the risk of being ironic, I would like to issue my own request for comments. I encourage all my visitors to voice their views on each and every post. Further, if you have general comments on how the site could be improved, please respond to this post. Thank you!

Professor Kim and Other Links

2004-07-28T01:44:00.000-04:00

Part of writing is reading and have I got a great read for all of you. An ex-professor of mine has this great blog called Professor Kim's News Notes that has "Reporting and commentary on race, class, religion, gender and sexuality in the news." it is a great place for nonfiction writers to get info and perspectives. And fiction writers, you never know where a story idea may linger. Please check this site out. You will not be disappointed. I will be adding this and other links to the right sidebar of this page. Links will be added and updated daily, so keep visiting!

Great Night!

2004-07-28T00:29:00.000-04:00

Tonight I actually met and surpassed my writing goal. Perhaps I should inform you all of what my writing goal is. Until the end of July, I want to do at least 1,000 words a day and starting on August 1, I want to do 2,000 words a day. It may sound ambitious, but it only took me 30-40 minutes to do 1,000 words tonight. It really flowed ,and I thought the writing itself was very good.

The one thing that has worried me over the past days is that this story is pretty dialogue-heavy. I have always had a hard time doing descriptions. I suppose it is an aversion to those long-winded 19th century novels I studied in Brit Lit as a teenager, where they take four pages to describe a woman standing on a wheat-covered hill thinking of her dead husband. I keep having to go back and add description. Sometimes, I find that I leave out a key detail that I wanted to include. Like in the story I am writing, I wanted the main character to pick up a child's bible off the seat of the bus. The bible is to be an instrumental clue for a revelation later in the book and I almost left out this little, important detail.

At any rate, I am content in the fact that I met my writing goal tonight and will sleep well with the 5 hours I have left to do so. (4 hours after I finish all this blogging! Stay tuned for the next entry!)

Recommending Reading

2004-07-27T20:55:00.000-04:00

Someone asked me what books I recommend for someone who is interested in writing. Though I am not as well read as most writers, here are the volumes I can offer:

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., and E.B. White -- That's right, the author of Charlotte's Web wrote a book on writing. This should be the first book you read. More than just a book on grammar, it is a slim volume packed with short tips and stellar examples designed to make your writing concise. In the words of William Strunk, Jr., "Vigorous writing is concise." Read and reread this.
On Writing by Stephen King - I was actually surprised at how good this book was. Don't get me wrong; I love most of Stephen King's horror novels and stories, but I was a little unsure when I heard he wrote a book on writing. Unfortunately, I guess I was biased against genre writers, a bias I have since fallen victim to myself. This book was one of the best books on writing I have ever read. Lively and entertaining, it takes the reader through all facets of the writing experience, from grammar to (Ahem!) motivation to publication. This book applies to all writers, not just horror writers.
Writing in General and the Short Story in Particular by Rust Hills --A classic college textbook, this helped me a lot in undergraduate school. As a result, my professor praised my story about the ritual killing of a milk cow. Who knew! This gives one all the basics one needs to write fiction.
One Continuous Mistake: Four Noble Truths for Writers by Gail Sher--I have not read this one, yet; but my girlfriend swears by it. I have been into Buddhism for the past couple years so it's on my reading list.
The Writers Market or the Writersmarket.com--This book lists thousands of markets to submit your finished work to: book publishers, contests, consumer and trade magazines, literary journals, greeting card publishers. It also has a lot of other helpful information and articles written by the industry's "big guns." The pay Web site offers even more up-to-date listings, as well as "Favorites" folders for market search results and a "Submission Tracker" for the manuscripts you have sent. I recommend waiting until this Fall to buy the 2005 Writer's Market Online. You will get the book with all of its great articles, as well as access to the Web site for one year.

I hope these are helpful. I'm off to write!

The Planning Stage

2004-07-27T04:43:00.000-04:00

The bad news is: I only wrote 250 words tonight. The good news is a started a book map for my lastest project. I haven't mapped out the whole plot line yet but I have enough to get me to the first turning point. Now if I just wasn't so tired . . .

Reading at Stoplights

2004-07-27T04:32:00.000-04:00

Trying to get that in that extra read. Much to the chagrin of the other New Jersey drivers, I've started reading at stop lights. I'm little less quick on the gas pedal when I get that green, but the worst I get is a curt honk and I'm reading a lot more. I even find myself slowing down at yellow lights. This from a guy who used to treat all Stop signs like Yield signs.

Excerpt from "The Stolen Grave"

2004-07-26T04:13:00.000-04:00

Now for some shamless promotion. Below is an excerpt from an unpublished horror story of mine entitled "The Stolen Grave." BEWARE: This except is kind of gory. Let me know what you think and thanks for letting me SCREAM!

Fred's room looked normal. His lava lamp was silently bubbling away in the corner, casting its dull red light over his heap of dirty laundry. Joe could smell the dirt, sweat, and ass coming from what he assumed was the laundry pile. Fred was still in bed with the covers pulled up over his head. He must have been having bad dreams too. Under his comforter, Fred looked even bigger than usual. He seemed to fill the whole bed. Joe broke the silence as he walked over to the bed, "C'mon Fred, I know what you fuckers have been up to." Nothing. Joe flung back the covers.

He could not decide which was whiter, Fred's hair or his pale skin. Both looked as if they had been dipped in bleach. In fact the only color was coming from the lamplight's red glow cast on the white around Fred's glassy gray eyes. His mouth was stretched and locked open in a frightful girn. His face was gaunt and caved in on one side, as if someone had stuck a straw in his ear and sucked everything out.

With the exception of his collapsed head, Fred's body was covered with a mound of earth. Joe pulled back the rest of the covers and saw that even his feet were covered. A heavy soil smell unfolded in the air. It reminded Joe of his clothes after a fishing trip. Worms squirmed out from the top of the mound. Not earthworms, but ungodly types of worms: the type that one finds in old boxes of oatmeal and on dead raccoons in the road and curled up inside the mouths of mummies. Hundreds of worms were coming to the surface all wriggling their bodies to the same sinister rhythm.

On a Lack of Motivation

2004-07-26T04:07:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have been very unmotivated, and I am trying to find out why. I have been playing the always-dangerous blame game: "I can't write because of the housework," "I can't write because I had to bring day-job work home," "I can't write because I need to publish a blog." :) The blame game is not fun. There is no Chuck Woolery or Wink Martindale to flash a plastic smile and give me a parting gift. Usually the blame game only ends in me hurting someone else and feeding into my lack of motivation, which is the real reason I don't get to writing every day.

My lack of motivation can be pretty astounding. If I may digress with one of the more striking examples . . . One night at 10 p.m., I found myself with 4 hours of writing time before me (Bedtime is 2 a.m). So, I go into the kitchen to get a glass of water. On the counter are two coconuts. I bought them, 2 for a dollar, at the local produce market; but had not found a use for them. So, instead of writing, I decided that I would find a use for at least one of these coconuts. I found a recipe that required coconut milk and looked up how to make it. This was quite a long process which involved me on my hands and knees trying to quietly crack open a coconut without waking my girlfriend upstairs. This was a clandestine operation that ended with me baking the fruit in the oven for a 1/2 hour. Needless to say the coconut milk I made was disgusting and I ended up buying some the next day to finish the recipe.

This coconut-milk-making process lasted about 3 hours. So, there went a night of writing. But, why did it happen? I love writing. I certainly love the finished product. I have dozens of ideas daily. But, why don't I write? It can't be fear of success, but that is a reoccurring waking dream of mine. My girlfriend thinks it is lack of exercise and sleep, and I think she has a point. But, I can't seem to get motivated to exercise, and how can I sleep when there is so much procrastinating to be done? :)

Thanks for letting me SCREAM!

Welcome to My World

2004-07-26T03:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is what I aim to do: To draw you into my brain's microcosm of one, so that you may see what hell it is to have a flood of ideas, but have a lack of motivation drive you upstream like spawning salmon, fighting against the current. I know I should instead just relax and ride the wave, but alas I do not.

Let me dispense with the drama, and welcome you all to my blog. On these pages, you will find my views on writing, and I promise not to be as negative as I am today.

I will follow through with that promise right now, by focusing on telling you a little of the positive about me. I live in New Jersey with my wonderful, supportive girlfriend. I am an editor at a children's nonfiction book publisher and will be attending the New School University's M.F.A. program in creative writing this fall. I am currently trying to write daily and failing miserably . . . whoops, there's the negativity. Ah, a broken promise--the American way . . . I can say that I have submitted a short horror story and a picture book and am waiting on the edge of my office chair for a response. I used to write only horror, but since I quit alcohol and have gotten to a better place with the support of my girlfriend and my family and friends, I am no longer pigeon-holed into a specific genre, but bask in the full spectrum of crazy story ideas.

Well that is all for my first post. I look forward to any responses. Thanks for letting me SCREAM!