The Saturday Evening Post has “revamped” and is looking for new fiction. With the dwindling newspaper and magazine market, this is a bold effort by the Post. Hopefully, readers will be rewarded by good, fresh writing. Click here for the Post’s submission guidelines. My thanks to fellow blogger, Georganna Hancock of A Writer’s Edge, for tweeting this truly news-worthy info. This is great news for someone who has fond memories of reading the Post when she was much much younger than she is today 
An American Tradition Is A New Literary Market July 12, 2009
The Horror of Women Writers October 26, 2008
Sunday’s NY Times Book Review section has a great essay by Terrence Rafferty called Shelley’s Daughters. Rafferty remarks on the irony that the “mother” of the horror novel gave birth to more sons than daughters, e.g., Poe, King, Lovecraft. And the few daughters she may claim did not always write prolifically in the genre of horror (Rafferty mentions Shirley Jackson and Charlotte Perkins Gilman to support this observation). The best part of his essay, of course, is the brief reviews he gives of contemporary women writers of horror. Don’t, however, expect to find reviews of the popular vampire novels by Laurell K. Hamilton and Stephenie Meyer: Rafferty notes that their novels “don’t appear to be concerned, as true horror, should be, with actually frightening the reader.” Rather, he comments on novels by Sara Gran, Alexandra Sokoloff, Sarah Langan, and Elizabeth Hand; writers new to me, but whose work I look forward to reading (especially, Langan whose novel The Keeper I just ordered).
Frankly, I would love to write ** good ** horror. I tried my hand at it in last year’s National Novel Writing Month and, most recently, in a short story that has been revised multiple times. But writing horror is much more difficult than I thought it would be. Anyone can write gory scenes of zombies eating humans or ghosts wielding axes and chopping off body parts; but to instill cold prickly fear in the reader requires skill and precision. I grew up addicted to horror films, mostly from Great Britain but pre-Hammer Film Productions, and the ones that always scared me the most were those that were heavy on suspense: What’s behind the door? Is the monster there? Should our hero open it? What’s behind the door?
Writing horror down is not for the feint of heart.
The Autobiography of a Half-Baked Indian October 5, 2008
So, how many of you have read The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga? Mr. Adiga’s novel is a headspinner for those who have always thought of India as a sacred, spiritual mecca, blessedly innocent of the worst of human kind. For the White Tiger (aka Balram, the main character), there are two Indias: one of light, and one of darkness, and the Mother Ganga flows through the India of darkness. The novel is the story of Balram’s journey from the poor abused son of a rickshaw puller to a wealthy man of tomorrow, an entrepreneur in Bangalore. The political corruption and mafia-style business dealings that Balram observes along the way are nothing new to any American who stays abreast of US news, except that this is all taking place in India, the land of Ghandi. And the corruption is so blatant, so “business as usual,” that one cannot be too surprised at the lengths to which Balram goes to secure his freedom.
Balram tells his story through letters to a Chinese dignitary, who he heard is planning to visit Bangalore. A novel of letters is not a new technique, but it takes considerable skill to pull off well. And Adiga does pull it off. He has created a story so riveting that I could barely stop reading long enough to sleep or to drive myself to work. And he created a character in Balram that I couldn’t help but want only the best for, even while he was commiting the worst of crimes. He is undereducated but astute enough to take the insult of being called “half-baked” and turn into a lofty title, thus his “autobiography of a half-baked Indian,” thus his story.
I hope Adiga wins the Booker Prize. The White Tiger is one of the most exciting stories I’ve read in a long, long time.
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What does “MFA” stand for? July 20, 2008
Fellow blogger Chicklit provides this link to a great story by Margo Rabb, published in All-Story. Rabb provides a funny and insightful perspective on MFA programs. I’ve always had mixed feelings about MFA programs: sometimes I want to enroll in the one at my local university, and take advantage of the “connections” I might be able to make; other times I want to just hole up with my laptop and write what I want to write, damn the critics.
My opinion is colored by my own experience in a creative writing program (what my local university had before they developed an MFA program). I was ostensibly a literature major but took writing workshops because I wanted to develop my writing. So much of what I observed during the two years in that program are captured in Rabb’s story: the favoritism, the unskilled (and thus worthless) workshop critiques, the sexual games among the students, the competition.
I was lucky in that most of the students in the program treated me kindly. I had so little confidence in my writing that I obviously wasn’t a threat to any of them. I also was happily married at that time (and still am … to the same guy even) and avoided the after-class bar and bed hops. What disappointed me about the experience–and why I would loathed to attend writing workshops again–was the fact that I came out of it with no more confidence in my skill as a writer than I did going in.
Yes, I did receive praise for a couple of my stories from one of the more highly regarded workshop professors, and I even won a graduate student writing award (although that was for a literary essay, not a short story). But what has unfortunately stayed with me was the high ridicule expressed over one of my stories during one workshop, a story that had an autobiographical basis. I didn’t know how to deal with the humiliation, nor why I had to be humiliated, no matter how bad my story was. Like the narrator of Rabb’s story, I wept bitterly.
The fallibility of the workshop professor was also a disappointment. His overt favoritism toward some students sparked ill-will within the group, and his was always the “last word” in the workshops. One time I strongly argued on behalf of another student regarding a technique she had used in her story. I said it worked; he said it didn’t. His opinion squashed mine, which could have been OK if only I had been allowed to make my argument in full.
So I guess I still have some grudges–15+ years and counting. But since then (and most recently), I’ve engaged a paid writing mentor who provided criticism and support, and found myself writing more in these past three years than I had in the previous ten. I’ve also shared my stories with friends, again getting needed criticism but also much needed support. I think my former professor would consider me delusional to rely solely on the feedback of friends and paid mentors. But so what? I am writing, and I am being read, even if (at this time) by a very small group. It’s enough to sustain me and encourage me to, as one friend commands, “keep writing”!
The Authentic Voice: Using slang and accent in your writing June 9, 2008
Happy Monday morning and welcome to another blurb on the guest bloggers for the Writer’s Resource. Today’s guest blogger–Todd Eastman–provides some great advice for using slang and accent in fiction. Here’s a taste:
“Many writers find dialogue to be one of the most difficult aspects of writing fiction. Trying to include regional accents and speech patterns and doing it incorrectly can ruin your story. On the other hand, doing it correctly can make the story seem even more authentic. There are several things you need to be careful of when using this technique in your dialogue.”
Visit Todd’s post and learn more about using slang and accent in your writing.
For your listening pleasure May 31, 2008
Here are some of my favorite podcasts–they are all free and available through iTunes.
The Classic Tales: B.J. Harrison has a wonderful reading voice, and so far I’ve enjoyed listening to his renditions of Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness and H.P. Lovecraft’s The Lurking Fear. Subscribe through iTunes to get timely (and free) installments, but also check out his website (www.theclassictales.com) for other features such as Poetry Corner and Short Story Spotlight.
New Yorker fiction: Subscribe to the feed service through iTunes (or click here) and enjoy a monthly reading and conversation with New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman. Authors reading authors is a unique feature of this podcast. One of my favorites is Paul Theroux reading Luis Borges’s short story “The Gospel According to Mark”: both Theroux’s reading and his commentary made listening to the podcast a real treat.
PRI’s Selected Shorts Podcast: You can hear these short stories on your local NPR affiliate or make sure you never miss a podcast by subscribing through iTunes. (Go to NPR’s directory to find sundry other podcasts). Similar to the New Yorker fiction podcast, most of these short stories are read by other well-known authors. All are read before a live audience which gives the readings a wonderful sense of immediacy.
LibriVox: LibriVox is truly a labor of love. It is supported by volunteers who read novels, short stories, and poems that are in the public domain. Check out their website for volunteer opportunities, and to view their rather lengthy catalog of available downloads. Again, you can subscribe to their feed through iTunes. One word of caution, however. With some longer works (such as Austen’s Northanger Abbey), chapters may be read by more than one volunteer, which can make the listening experience a bit uneven. Also, these are volunteers, not professional readers, so the quality of the readings can be disappointing. Still, Librivox is a treasure trove, and the efforts of its volunteers are admirable. The uneven quality of the readings can even be a bit fun. Just imagine listening to a group of your friends as they take turns reading chapters from your favorite novel!
Now, do you have a favorite podcast? Please share!
Face lift and added functionality among other things May 14, 2008
I decided I needed a little more color in my life so I changed “themes” yesterday. I hope to add some “texture” eventually as I learn how to edit CSS so I can add background images. Although I really liked my previous theme, this one feels more cheery yet appropriately subdued for the introvert that I am. I’ve also added some RSS widgets (scroll down the sidebar) for my most favorite websites & blogs, a few of which I’ve discussed in earlier posts. So now you’ll have three ways to connect with the sites that I talk about: link directly through my posts, links saved on my sidebar, or the RSS widgets through my sidebar.
Did you know that you can get a feed to The New Yorker’s fiction and poetry? Now with my aircard and laptap, I never have to worry about missing an issue! See for yourself–click here.
One Story May 7, 2008
I’ve been smitten with a wonderful source of short fiction: One Story. A non-profit literary magazine, One Story publishes one story at a time in a print format small enough to fit into a small bag or purse. The stories are between 3,000 and 8,000 words long, and so most can be read in one sitting. I’ve been a subscriber for only a short time, but already I’ve enjoyed stories ranging from the hilarious yet strangely poignant “Bar Joke, Arizona” by Sam Allingham to the deceptively simple “Familial Kindness” by Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum. One Story is dedicated to publishing new writers as well as those with long lists of publications such as Ron Carlson.
Subscription and submission information can be found at the One Story website as well as other great features including interviews with writers, news of reading events, and reader discussions. Enjoy!
National Novel Editing Month Begins Tomorrow! February 29, 2008
I finally read my first draft of The House — all 175 double-spaced pages. I think it has a bit of the page-turner quality to it, but, yep, it needs so much work! What I would like to do is periodically post parts of my novel on my blog and let you all have an opportunity to judge whether I have a viable novel or not. For a taste, let me start with the prologue and a brief summary.
PROLOGUE
This is a story about a house. Not just any kind of house, of course, but one that was built with so much love and so much happiness that it virtually took on a life of its own. Strange as it sounds, it is the only explanation for the wonderful and, later, horrific things that happened at that house until its final day of judgment. It is a sad tale, yes, but one that should be heard, for it warns of the excesses of jealousy, pride, and even love.
SUMMARY
The novel roughly covers the time period from the early 1800s to the present and takes place predominantly in the Town of Constance, located somewhere in the northeast. The Town of Constance is a tightly woven community that has managed to seclude itself from the outside world.
The house was built in the early 1800s by the Kindfellows and inhabited by them for almost 16 years. The house has something of a symbiotic relationship with the Kindfellows and protects them to the extent that they care for it. All this ends when the Kindfellows are brutally murdered by Mr. Kindfellow’s best and dearest friend.
The house, distraught over the loss of the family and the happiness it once knew, in turn murders the best and dearest friend. Decades later, as the house has grown increasingly bitter and become an object of curiosity among the town’s young people, it frightens anyone who makes sport of it and eventually kills again.
The house finds salvation in Jonas Buckthorn, a community member who volunteers to renovate the house and find a family to buy it. All this after a young man is found murdered in the house, and the young man’s mother has pleaded to have the house destroyed. Buckthorn prevails but not without learning about the evil spirit inhabiting the house. In order to protect the community, he acquiesces to the house’s demands and eventually chooses to live in the house himself. He and his bride are descendants of the Kindfellows and bare such a resemblance to the original Mr. & Mrs. Kindfellow, that the house comes to believe it can relieve those long-ago halcyon days.
However, the Buckthorns’ happiness is threatened by a jealous and disturbed young girl, who is eventually “dispatched” by the house on the Buckthorn’s wedding day. They take in the young girl’s sister for her convalescence after the young girl’s body is found months later. While both of the Buckthorns have become increasingly uneasy living in the house–Jonas because he suspects the house is guilty of killing the young girl and Mariah because she senses Jonah’s unease– they are resolved to live there until the young girl’s sister has such a terrifying experience that she refuses to sleep alone or stay in the house another day.
Separately, without any discussion, both Jonas and Mariah determine that they should vacate the house. Of course, the house will not let them leave.
National Novel Editing Month February 17, 2008
March is National Novel Editing Month and I’ve signed up to spend at
least 50 hours editing my NaNoWriMo novel–The House. And I’m going
to somehow do that while working 50+ hours a week at two jobs and
without giving up my exercise routine. I gained a few pounds during
NaNoWriMo and they are only now starting to come off!
I haven’t even printed the tome yet and I’m not even sure how well my
printer will handle it. I guess I’ll just print a chapter at a time
and maybe buy some stock in HP ink cartridges.
This should be interesting …
