Monthly Archives: April 2013

Not-so-brave new announcement

Posted on by under Short Story a Week

Well, I would’ve called it “brave new announcement” but it isn’t particularly brave, but it is at least new for me (we’ll get to that) and an announcement.

First, it certainly has been a day of things being frustrating.  This post would’ve happened sooner, but switching internet providers made getting the wireless network to cooperate top priority.  It still is, so that means that nonsense will be continuing into tomorrow at some point.

In the spirit of maintaining a regular writing schedule, and in light of “Joshua’s Nightmares” once again hanging out on the backburner, I’m going to start a rather large challenge for myself.  It’s been done before, in several different capacities, and so I’m pleased to introduce my Short Story a Week.  The strongest inspiration for giving this a try is, no doubt, Jonathan Coulton.  His version, “Thing a Week”, can be seen detailed here.

The Goal

To push myself to maintain a regular schedule of creating new content, for a year.  That means fifty-two unique short stories.  They may end up with related bits, they may not.  Ideally, I’ll just create.  This means one week there could be a dark comedy, the next a fantasy set in Medieval times, and a horror story the next.

The Process

Since this new beginning is starting on a Monday, and it’s going to be a weekly short story, the posting will occur on Sunday.  This gives me a full week to come up with an idea, draft the idea, and at least tweak it to some degree if nothing else.  The process may change and evolve as this goes on, but the plan is to keep this relatively simple while still accomplishing the overall goal.  However, keeping in mind how life generally likes taking plans and flipping them upside-down, I also acknowledge there’s a change the story may have to be posted early some weeks in favor of keeping it a Short Story a Week (no late stories ever, though; even if that means a little sleep deprivation now and then).

Here goes nothing.  One short story, every week for a year, starting now.

Mighty little Moleskines

Posted on by under General Writing-Related Posts

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Two of my increasing number of Moleskine notebooks.  The red one on the left, complete with Moleskine pen, contains all of my notes for Joshua’s Nightmares so far.

The purple one on the right?  That information will have to wait until Monday.  I’d like to say I picked a purple Moleskine because it seemed like a mysterious color, but it was actually just a whim decision.

Anyway, Monday’s big reveal.  Big news.  Good news.  Hopefully, and I mean very hopefully, it will result in good progress as well.

Beauties in the Deep – a novelette by Zachary T. Owen

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff, General Writing-Related Posts

My friend, former coworker, and all-around awesome guy Zach Owen just announced his first published novelette, “Beauties in the Deep”, is available for pre-order through the publishers web site.  The release date remains to be determined, it will be available on a number of sites (including Amazon), and though the site mentions it specifically as a book for the Kindle it also features instructions on how to purchase this story for a number of other devices.

I could go into my usual lecture about why it’s important to support people’s artistic endeavors, but I honestly feel the summary is a far more compelling argument in favor of buying at least one copy of this novelette for yourself, if not one for everyone you know.

Ivory was only supposed to go fishing with her father. She was never supposed to run off and get into trouble. But that’s what she’s done. And now the cries of a drowning boy beckon her into icy waters, into a madness which lurks deep inside the lake, waiting to paint her world black.  © Zachary T. Owen

As someone who has had the good fortune of reading some of Zach’s other work, I can say on good conscience I’ve no doubt this will be brilliant stuff.  You can place your pre-order here, though keep in mind you’ll have to use PayPal or Google Pay, and I’ll be announcing when it becomes available on Amazon and other sites for those of you who want to wait until then.

Changes, schemes, and so on

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff, General Writing-Related Posts

This is one of those big, crazy, confusing, and amazing times of tremendous change in my life, where I’m transitioning from one job–the very first job I’ve ever had–to a new job, and I’ve only got two days left there.  It’s bittersweet and all, but I’m more focused on how it’s a huge change in my life.  One of those “oh-shit-am-I-really-sure-I-know-what-I’m-doing?” changes.  So naturally, it’s pretty daunting and my creative thinking processes seem to have handled it in the most appropriate fashion possible by completely shutting down.  Those lazy, good-for-nothings.  (On a related note, however, I do have a short horror story idea that needs writing once I figure out just what the hell I’m going to do with it.)

As a teaser of sorts, I’d like to say this much (and only this much), and I’ll leave the rest for next Monday: I start my new job next week, and I feel like something new should accompany that.  Something new in terms of writing.  Ooh, mysterious.

Still doing an absolute ton of world-building for “Joshua’s Nightmares”, and I think I’ve reached the point where if I were to lose my red Moleskine notebook I would also actually lose my mind.

Lastly, given the way last week went, I hope anyone who reads this, their families, friends, and so on, are all safe, happy, and healthy.  There’s enough bad shit in the world as it is, so do remember to take care.

Manufacturing landscapes

Posted on by under General Writing-Related Posts, Joshua's Nightmare Updates

Let me start by saying this much: this is my second to last week at my first-ever job, and it has been quite busy.  I finished my second of three 3p.m. to 10p.m. shifts in a row, which is a lot more tiring than I’d expected, and so writing’s been minimal at best.  Really minimal at best.  There’s an idea, drifting about in my brain, for a short horror story.

That much out of the way?  Good.  Thank god.  I hate whiny, personal-blog-stuff me.

I built a very large chunk of the world in “Joshua’s Nightmares” tonight at work (in my trusty red Moleskine notebook, actually).  It’s evolving into this big, amazing, surreal thing that I’m slowly falling in love with, which is dangerous for a writer because there’s always the risk it’s actually not nearly as good as I think it is.  However, I do have the good fortune of getting universally positive feedback so far.

Building worlds, when my brain permits such activities, is one of my favorite bits of writing (the top favorite being writing villains, which may very well get an entire series of posts dedicated to it and by may very well I mean it actually just will).  Sometimes the environment takes a backseat, like with Death at Teatime.  The location was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, so there were just little glimpses of it with the bigger focus on the characters.

There’s just a tremendous joy in building something massive out of what could’ve started as a tiny detail, one little point in a vast landscape, and just going from there.

The Sleep State of “Joshua’s Nightmares” is turning into this massive, and hopefully highly-varied, mix of different locations that I hope will encompass the vast, bizarre realm of dreaming quite well.  A taste, just to tease readers of my blog with: there’s an entire landscape that exists in the sky of this world, linked to dreams about flying and such.

At any rate, I hope to get some writing done should I survive the remainder of the week.  And by the remainder of the week I mean the insane sale that’s going on tomorrow and Friday.

Here is the First Song From My Forthcoming Album!

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff

I am hesitant to use the Reblog feature on WordPress because it makes it feel like Tumblr, and Tumblr is where I go to post my fanatic obsessions with TV shows…Er, disregard that.

ANYWAY! Far more important, you should check out the musical stylings of ericjohnbaker (that other crazy writer-guy whose blog, www.ericjohnbaker.wordpress.com, you should visit; go do that now). Then go show support for him, and Full Blown Cranium, by picking up their song on iTunes or Amazon.

Why?  Aside from it being an excellent song, must I once again stress the importance of supporting artists in all their endeavors because it’s art that makes life tolerable?  Yes?  Well, you go ahead and sit in the corner, thinking about how difficult you’re being, reader-I-just-made-up.

Anyway, check out the song, buy a dozen copies for you, your friends, your family, and your dog or cat, and if you’re a graphic designer, or know a graphic designer, you should probably shoot Eric an e-mail.

Some dreary day shameless shilling

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff

The quick and easy version: today’s been lousy, and no writing is to happen on such a day.  Yuck.

On the plus side of things, because there invariably is a plus side (even if I have to take the day, look at it in its big, negative eyes, and club it violently with Medieval weapons until the good falls out), I got to enjoy a truly amazing thunderstorm.

Ah, right.  And there’s a Kickstarter to fund a graphic novel based off of some of Jonathan Coulton’s music, which can be checked out (and supported) here.  If you’ve not ever gotten the chance to check out the amazing, brilliant music Jonathan Coulton has produced in the past, there’s no time like the present.  It’s actually a bit difficult to describe JoCo’s music.  He’s got a talent for the quirky and humorous, but he’s also got amazing music that will really tug on the heartstrings.  Really, all I can say is to not listen to even a little of his music would be to miss out terribly, and I’m not about to let that be the case for anyone I know (or who makes the mistake of regularly checking my blog).

I also very strongly encourage supporting this endeavor because it’s always a good idea to help out a fellow creative-type, because you never know when you’ll need to ask for similar help.  Right?

There’s also the added benefit of very awesome incentives for making this happen.

Getting a bit zen

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff

With an alternate title of “I wanted to at least do a little writing tonight, and I actually have no drive to do anything beyond blogging (so deal with it)”, but titles like that are irresponsibly wordy.

I made my very first origami crane today, and I’m probably far more proud of it than I should be.  I say this in the sense I’m proud I managed to complete it on my first try, without tearing it in half or lighting it on fire, but it looks like its head went a few rounds with a brick wall.

Pictured: my sad little crane, sitting on my fancy, blue laptop.

Pictured: my sad little crane, sitting on my fancy, blue laptop.

What I learned from this creative endeavor includes, but may not be limited to, the following:

  • YouTube really is a great place to go to learn how to kill time in new, creative ways
  • I have the hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills of an ex-boxer who had taken too many blows to the head, while drunk and wearing boxing gloves
  • When I set my mind to it, I can accomplish most anything.
  • Most anything is really emphasized here, because I’ve set my mind to making boatloads of money materialize out of nowhere and I am still none the richer.
  • Origami, while not necessarily something I’m naturally talented at, necessarily (Would you look at the head on that poor, paper bird?  Seriously, look at it.  It’s a tiny paper tragedy.), but it’s still something I’ll keep trying at.  It was a lovely distraction.

Eventually, I hope, I’ll be able to share some less battered paper cranes.  Or, should my skill only get worse with practice, an extremely detailed paper rock or two.

 

On getting better

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff, General Writing-Related Posts, SRS BSNS BLAHGING

A while ago, a good friend of mine (who I’ll refer to for the sake of this post, as I refer to him in general, as Doc Martin) posted the video I’ve attached (shared? stuck to my blog so you’ve got to at least notice it if you read this post?) below to Facebook, and it really resonated with something inside me.  Probably because I was still at a point where paying back student loans seemed like figuring out some long-dead, alien language never meant to be grasped by humans, looking for jobs was still a terrifying prospect, and I was fairly certain I would never figure my life out.

Much of the above remains true, and the song still resonates with me.

Continue reading →

An excellent night for thunderstorms and adventure

Posted on by under General Bloggity Stuff, General Writing-Related Posts

Those in the know are aware I am still a fledgling driver, having only earned my license back in December of this past year (for the record: I’m twenty-five, and I’m still not ashamed I’d not gotten my license until that point).  After a terribly slow day at work, I’d made up my mind to go on an adventure to Barnes & Noble.  I call it an adventure because it’s a fair distance from my house, and I’d never actually driven there alone before (or at all, for that matter).

The adventure was a tremendous success, which can be accounted for by my spending about two hours meandering around Barnes & Noble, and I considered my adventure officially concluded with a slice of red velvet cheesecake to the sounds of this year’s first official thunderstorm.  I’d like to play up how I really searched for the just-right book to make this outing special, but, in reality, I spent an unreasonably long amount of time denying myself another Moleskine notebook.  Those of you in the know are presently, or should presently be, smirking at this dilemma, because I have a love affair with Moleskine notebooks that borders onto obsessive.  Incidentally, if any of the wonderful people at Moleskine happen to stumble upon this and think, “Hey, I’d like to further encourage Phil’s writing antics in the form of providing him with more of these amazing products*,” I wouldn’t protest at all.  Not even a little.

On a writerly note, I’ve decided to table “Joshua’s Nightmares” for a few days because I can’t look at it without feeling frustrated.  In its place, I’m busying myself with my latest addiction (as of, say, February or so): the Your Story Competition on the Writer’s Digest web site.  It’s a bimonthly competition, and they’re certainly worth the effort as it provides a chance to have your work featured on their site, and/or their magazine, both of which are seen by loads upon loads of people.

I’ve loved Writer’s Digest since my early days in Edinboro, when I would obtain copies from the English Department lounge (sorry, guys, that was me stealing those; I’m not actually sorry, though), so a natural extension is getting more into their contests and so on.  What I’d really love is to win one of those contests.  Or, you know, become an author featured among their prestigious pages.

One step at a time, I suppose.  For the sake of adventure!

* Moleskine notebooks ARE amazing.  Some day I may even think of something worthy of writing in my The Hobbit edition one.  The point is I just really love their notebooks.