Category Archives: Writing
Blogging the BASS pt. 2
What better way to keep the nerves at bay while waiting for Game 7 of a Cubs World Series than to offer up unsolicited critiques of writers far more talented than I who have earned one of the highest honors … Continue reading
Blogging the BASS pt. 1
It’s no secret that I love the Best American Short Stories series. In the classic Simpsons episode, “You Only Move Twice,” Homer confesses his secret goal to his kids. It gets a predictable response: My secret goal as a writer … Continue reading
A Dubious Writing Milestone
A couple weeks ago, I got my 200th rejection letter. Thanks, Redivider! It’s an odd thing to celebrate, but almost every writer I mentioned that to responded in some kind of congratulatory manner. And for some strange reason, it felt like … Continue reading
Creature of Habit
I am very much a creature of habit, so the pressure around the New Year to set and achieve lofty goals always feels like walking north through a southbound crush of people. As an example, I’ve got three short stories in … Continue reading
New Story at Bartleby Snopes
This week, my story “Easy Street” is featured at the online lit mag Bartleby Snopes. I wrote this to be read at the Fictlicious Easy Show a couple months ago. This story is unique in that it got accepted at the … Continue reading
Where Does It All End?
One of the most surprising things to me about aspiring short story writers is how few of them actually read short stories on a regular basis. Outside of a subscription to the New Yorker, it’s not uncommon for people in … Continue reading
Panning for Gold
This weekend, I’m going to finish up a first draft of a story that I apparently started in January of 2014. I did abandon for a while as I took on other projects, but came back to it a few … Continue reading
Don’t Quit Your Day Job
Every now and then, someone asks me if I’d consider leaving my job and making a go at writing full time. Usually, my response to that is, “What was the last novel you bought?” The most popular answer I get is, “Do magazine … Continue reading
Always Demand the Galleys
I received the latest issue of Sycamore Review today and was quite upset to discover that my story (along with most of the others in the issue) had the last pages cut off. Many end abruptly in mid-sentence. It’s a clear … Continue reading
Spawn of Doctor Macabre – At Last!
I’ve blogged about this story quite a bit, but I’ve held off on posting an excerpt because I’ve been waiting for it to get published. It’s one of my favorite stories that I’ve written, and it’s finally about to see … Continue reading
