Week ending Sunday, March 29, 2015

Today I finalized 617 words of a so-far three-page poem that I think could be something special. 

I've always liked writing poems and I've been paid for a couple, but I've only sent out those two.  But as I've been researching markets for my stuff--which is what I've been doing most of the week, besides working at home at my job that pays The Man--I've seen a ton of places to send out my many poems.  I won't send them all out, maybe, but...

Well, not much this week, so I'm sure I'll get my butt kicked again.  Very, very frustrating week.

1,000 words earlier this week + 617 words of this poem + about 350 words, just a couple of pages of the next chapter of my almost-finished book.  ::sigh::

So let's just call it an even 2,000 words again this week.  I thought there'd be more.

Next week there will be.

"The Zombie's Lament" Purchased by Big Pulp Magazine

 Photo: from Big Pulp's Facebook page

Mr. Bill Olver and all of the other good folks at Big Pulp have purchased the rights to my short story "The Zombie's Lament" for its anthology series.  Volume One of this anthology will hit the stores, online and physical, in June 2014.  Volume Two will be published in April 2015.  That one will have my story.

So if you like zombies--and who doesn't?!?--save your pennies and buy Volume One from Big Pulp in June.  And, it goes without saying, but if you know me, you know I'll say it anyway: Mark April 2015 on your calendar to buy the volume with my story in it.  No, seriously, go mark it right now.  Please?


What is Big Pulp?  Well, here it is, straight from the editor, Bill Olver, from Big Pulp's website:

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On March 3, 2008, we debuted with Simon Petrie's "Dragonsick", the opening story in our first quarterly online journal. At the time, I had no idea what kind of response we'd get from writers or readers. I worried that no one would submit to an unknown market and that readers wouldn't find us on the web. I also didn't know much about putting together a website, designing a publication, working with writers and artists, writing contracts, or selling anything. 

In retrospect, there was a lot I didn't know. 

But I did know good stories when I read them. I knew what I liked and I knew I wanted to create something I didn't see on the newsstand - a venue that mixed and crossed genres, was open to new writers, and pushed against the envelope of what's considered genre fiction. 

Did we succeed? Some days more than others, but over the past six years, we've refined and redefined our offerings, with each iteration getting closer to the vision I set out to achieve. We've published hundreds of stories and poems, which in combination have created a brand alongside of genre - the Big Pulp story.

At best, a Big Pulp story is smart, literate, and thought-provoking. It's got attitude, rarely takes itself too seriously, and isn't afraid to poke where it doesn't belong. It defies expectations and tropes. It hits you where you live and sometimes in the nuts. A Big Pulp story is sci-fi, it's fantasy, it might be a mystery or horror or romance, but it's rarely what you expect. 

In December 2010, Big Pulp moved into print. In 2013, we branched out into themed anthologies with Clones, Fairies & Monsters in the Closet  [...] and The Kennedy Curse. And now in 2014, we're launching a new line of publications that will continue to mix and match conventions and stretch the boundaries of what genre can do. 

Six years! I can't believe how quickly the time has passed or how far we've come as a small press. I'm proud of what we've accomplished and the writers we've published. 

Happy anniversary to us, our writers and artists, and all our readers! We couldn't have done it without you, and we hope you'll stick with us for our seventh year and beyond! 

Bill Olver

Editor

______ 

So there you have it.  It's good stuff, so check it out, and look for mine in 15 months.  Yeah, I know, but that's publishing. 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Okay, now that the shoveling is done and I'm trying to get everything back to normal, here we go.  I've missed being away, and don't think that I've been idle.  I haven't been writing as much, or as often, as I'd like, but I haven't been standing still, either.

Six handwritten pages, about 1,000 or so words, of another novel.  Straight out of the blue, tying up some loose ends and paving all of the disparate things over.

Felt wonderful and exhilarating.

I'm back.  ::crosses fingers::

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Well, again, it's been a little while.  Tough time of the year to write consistently.  Still not feeling great, and job situation now hopefully resolved.

Am I expecting the impossible, or shouldn't I be able to write consistently every day?  I feel very guilty and almost ashamed when I don't.  Which doesn't help when I try to sit down and write next time...

When I finally sit down and get going, there's rarely a problem.

2,412 words. 

9 pages. 

Chapter 23 is done.

Saturday, November 30, 2013

Head still stuffed and woozy from cold / sinus infection.  Holiday entertaining over.

It's good to be back in the saddle again.  Not my fault, but it's been too long.

1,310 words of the novel.  Six pages.  Broke down a very long chapter of the previous draft.

(And 1,192 more words if you count the entries for three blogs I wrote today, for a total of 2,502 words.  Should those count?)

May we all write well, and often.

Resistance is the writer's real enemy.  (That's kind of a Catching Fire homage, there.  And a nod to Steven Pressfield.)

Sunday November 24, 2013

Chapter 21 of the current novel-in-progress.

Two pages.  (My chapters lately are short.)

454 words.  (Not bad as I fight through this head cold.)

Not too many words the last few days, but I'm writing each day.

Even just two completed pages per day gets a 300-page manuscript done in 150 days--or five months.

I'll take that.

May we all write well, and often.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Struggling through an obviously-oncoming cold:

Chapter 20 of novel.

670 words.

Three finished pages.  Short chapter.

Not much, but not bad, through congesting sinuses and sinus pressure, especially behind my cheeks, my eyes and my forehead.  Hopefully I'm all right by Thanksgiving.

Feel free to leave your word count or page count below.

May we all write well, and often.