My family has gone and I am here alone. Even the cicadas have chosen to be silent. I can hear the sporadic tap-tapping of my keyboard and the sound of my own breathing. When is the last time that I listened to my breath? I’ll tell you: it was forever ago, when I wrote “Life”. Everybody was in bed and the … Read More
Solitude
My issue of Shock Totem just arrived, and it is absolutely stunning. Mine has a special addition of confused, foul-mouthed crows on the inside front cover (Thanks, Ken!), and everything is shiny and glossy. I put it out of the children’s reach, and I can’t wait to pour through and read the stories. That will be my reward for surviving … Read More
WIP Wednesday: Matt Betts Inches Ahead
Seriously, how could he not? I don’t think that I’ve written a single creative work this week. Some blog posts, a few emails. I paid bills and entertained old friends and my father came to visit. But My Demonic Demon Novel: A Novel About Those Darn Demonic Demons! (or, you know, whatever I’ll call it) is lying dead in the … Read More
On Being Unkind
I told you that I was struggling about how best to deal with Things of a Delicate Nature. While I was fighting this personal battle, I read this post by Aaron Polson and I thought, “Amen, brother!” Apparently I’m not the only one feeling the heat. It seems that ugliness is being spread far and wide. I don’t know Aaron’s situation, and … Read More
Things of a Delicate Nature
I went with a group of 15 to “The Secret Garden” at the Utah Shakespearean Festival on Friday. It was wonderful, and I felt homesick for the stage. I flirted with theatre in high school and college, enough to grow addicted to the pre-show jitters and the scent of Febreze. Then we stayed in the family cabin, and it was fun. … Read More
Shock Totem’s Debut Issue
The gorgeous cover art was designed by Robert Høyem (http://www.attheends.com). I want to hang it on my wall, it’s so amazing. Table of Contents * Editorial * The Music Box, by T.L. Morganfield * ‘Til Death Do Us Part, by Jennifer Pelland * One Foot in Darkness: An interview with John Skipp, by John Boden * Murder For Beginners, by … Read More
Oh, Purr.
I’ve been a little down lately, so I drank soda and watched Harper’s Island to cheer myself up. Writing got off to a rocky start this evening, but suddenly I hit my stride and it was smooth and free. My story is deviating from its loosely planned course, but that’s the way I like it. I love when my characters just pick up their … Read More
I Killed You, My Darling
I wrote like a mad woman. Sprite has been officially erased from that manuscript, and it made me strangely sad. Don’t worry, little buddy. You’ll most likely end up elsewhere…unless you don’t. Perhaps I have killed you for good, but I have no way of knowing. It’s funny how you become so attached to characters. I’ve cried while writing death … Read More
Chaos! Delightful, Delightful Chaos!
Last night’s writing date was very successful…for every participant but me. Why? Because I had written myself into a wall. The very same wall in the very same story that I wrote myself into last time! I was going along quite happily, when WHAM! Wall! So I ditched the story for six months, pulled it out, viciously ripped the last … Read More
So…whatcha doing tonight?
Today has been a relentlessly hard day. Actually, the last three weeks have been, and I screamed and cried and beat my heels against the ground a little bit. But tonight I have a date! A word warring date! I’m meeting my friend this evening in the #nanowrimo chat room (the official NaNoWriMo chat) around 9:00 Pacific, and we’re going to … Read More