This is a riot

I'm pretty sure I'm not jealous. One of my students made the top 20 cut for Robert Swartwood's Hint fiction contest. Actually, I'm thrilled.

news and goodies

It's my ol' man's birthday, but I'm the one who got the prezzies. I know I'm the last person to order Light Boxes, and I received it today (interestingly, the day Shane returned to the life) along with a lagniappe: Rupert Wondolowski's The Origin of Paranoia as a Heated Mole Suit. Plus, a hand scrawled note, from Adam I presume, with just enough personality to bug the birthday boy. Next time, do a heart instead of a smiley face.

Also, I picked up the Spring 2009 issue of Mystery Scene which features two delightful articles by my pal and fellow db enthusiast, Art Taylor. One of the articles (about romantic crime films) is the 'centerfold' feature, so it's on shny slick paper. If you're gonna go print, slick and shiny is aces.

Just finished Ken Bruen's Cross, and I gotta say that was a dark, dark finish. I may need counseling.

pathological

heh. have the ending of the novel m.a.p.p.e.d. o.u.t., but I'm only slogging along and have written two back to back scenes of characters having conversations in the dark. That's not fiction, that's radio.

lotta smoke up my skirt lately, that could be the prob. but also, knowing.

I'm only posting for the superstition.

Gravity Dancers close to becoming real

The Paycock Press anthology, Gravity Dancers: Even More fiction by Washington Area Women, edited by Richard Peabody is on the verge. I just got the galleys for my contribution, a story called "Moon Walk" that comes from the WV novel.

The launch party is scheduled for Sunday July 19th at Politics & Prose at 5pm.

Molly's thanksgiving

I wish someone would say what happened with Shane Jones. I guess it's a game? There's so much I am the last to learn, like Twitter Walken isn't real. Shane's last FB status was "Oh no" and on Goodreads the date of his death is listed as May 9, 2009. That's spooky. I know, I'm a sucker.

Mean time, Molly Gaudry ain't going to stand for that. No one else goes without permission. Not even Molly, as she fails in her own attempt at an internet vacay. She made it what? 0 days? Thanks Molly, really.

NEVER pass up an opportunity to be clever

Robert Swartwood's 'hint fiction' lark has turned into something very real--he now has a deal to produce a Norton anthology of H-fics which will include the top twenty from his blog contest where he asked for submissions of fiction less than or equal to 25 words. The prizes, when the contest was posted ranged from amazon gift certificates to indie books. Now the prize for participation may well be eternal freaking fame.

Here's the fun part for me: I told my students in my junior level fiction writing class they'd get extra credit for entering the contest. I think 4 did.

Everyday Genius

And as if my day weren't awesome enough, Adam Robinson has given my "Temple Dog" a home in his new online thing: Everyday Genius.

Dedicated to Michelle(there's 2 Ls in that) Reale, in a gesture of sisterhood and typecasting.

So honored to make Wigleaf's Top 50

That's right, the list is UP, and I'm blown away to have made it with "Render, or to transmit to another" from December's elimae. The whole list, including the long shortlist, is stunning, and Scott Garson and Darlin' Neal should receive significant CASH PRIZES and other honors for the work they do in the advancement of short fiction. I'm dead serious about that.

dark side of pinball

Pinball is bad for you.

madness, 3rd book project?

so after my brush with near-success, which was more like a 5 week scrape on a gravel road, the logical thing is to return to the Louisiana book and finish the draft asap. But I keep thinking about putting together a short collection of 'pocket guides' like the one I have up at Hobart online, and when I floated the notion by Dean (he's supposed to say no), he shocked the hell out of me by saying yeah, do the collection, take a break from the novels. Thinking about it is fun, that's for sure.

Novella and Pinball, naturally

Matthew Simmons' novella, A Jello Horse, is about to be released by Publishing Genius Press, and while this news is exciting on its own merits, there is a contest to win a hardback copy of the book. Simmons' call is simple: "SEND ME IMAGES OF YOURSELF PLAYING PINBALL. Or someone playing pinball. A pinball image of some sort. Just one of your own."

Finally, a pinball contest I have a shot at winning!

I own a Williams Earthshaker!, and I will submit a pic of that, but in the meantime this is a pic of a weirdie from the White Rose show a couple of years ago.

no whining

so the detour with my West Virginia novel did not pan out--the interested party is no longer interested. I'm disappointed and not feeling motivated to continue with the proposed revision right now, even though I think the plan is a good one.

I really want to find the end of the Louisiana book, which has a stronger concept and voice. It's certainly funnier.

But it has only been 12 hours since the rejection. This time tomorrow, I could take up karaoke. the karaoke people are happy people.

Free online writing course

Dialogue Tutorial #2

"Pastor?"

"Yeah."

"I need a new monkey."

Too Fun: Hint Fiction Contest

Robert Swartwood makes Garson look extravagant. Write a story of 25 words or less and post it here

Free online writing course

Dialogue Tutorial # 1

"Why don't you shut the fuck up already?"
"Why don't you shut the fuck up already?"

a week of not existing

I've been down with a head cold since the conference last week, unable to think, read, write, etc. Plus I broke my glasses. It's feast or famine (yo Dave Bragg, where ever you are!).

Got a flash accepted for the June issue of decomP, which is totally unexpected. I send to decomP for the swift and human rejection--my way of checking in with the universe. Now what?

Read Art Taylor in Fiction Weekly. Read Erin Fitzgerald in Wigleaf and elimae. Read the whole damned issue of FRiGG, but then you're already doing so, right?

Conversations and Connections Part 3

I paneled at the flash session, and I think that went well. Room was packed and we kept people laughing. Erin Fitzgerald and I then went to the Digital Literary Landscape session, which was genuinely introductory, pitched for the trad lit crowd and not for us filthy flash hippies.Highlight: snide comments about Dana Gioia. Also went to the agent session, which was very well run and loaded with good information for beginners. Highlight: Folio lit agent comparing the current publishing moment, as dire as it seems, to the advent of Gutenberg--change is cool. One thing we noticed was that the agents seemed really weird: as if they'd been trans-beamed to the session without notice.

Conversations and Connections Part 2

Can you name these indie lit giants?

Conversations & Connections Part 1

The Board at the Flash panel
(marker work by Joseph Young).
Room was PACKED, people sitting on floor.

Sold out! Conversations and Connections

So while I am doing my darndest to try to sell out by turning my west virginia novel into a potboiler, I find myself one day away from paneling at a writer's conference that has sold out. Conversations and Connections sold out last year as well. It's a one day, to the freaking point, affordable event. Wow, what a concept. I'll take pics if I can.

I'm the least flashy writer on a flash panel moderated by Molly Gaudry, so I'm pretty sure my job is to reiterate my "theme" of the last 8+ months: flash is the flagship form of indie/online publishing, and as a result short fiction is evolving again.