Short Story: That's the Finest I've Ever Known

A new short story!

Short Story: That's the Finest I've Ever Known

An Eudora Welty Haiku

I was reading the short story, A Still Moment, by Eudora Welty in which she described an encounter with a snowy heron.

"He watched without moving. The bird was defenseless in the world except for the intensity of its life."

This feels like the stuff of haiku to me, hence:

The bird, defenseless.
The intensity of life
clinging to this world.

An Eudora Welty Haiku

Haiku of the Discouraged Writer

Haiku of the Discouraged Writer

Zero Confidence Fairy Tales

I have an idea for an anthology series to which I would like to lay claim: Zero Confidence Fairy Tales. Each collection would feature stories by famous writers imagining ways to overcome the challenge of losing one's confidence.

The first book in the series would offer the following challenge to our intrepid writers:

Imagine a curse has been laid upon you; it drains every last bit of your confidence as a writer. Each time you confront the blank page, the horror of having Zero Confidence overwhelms. Write the story of how you regained your confidence (Note: This is, of course, a bit of a paradox, but what the heck!).

Remember,you are writing a fairy tale. For purposes of this anthology, let's borrow/modify a few ideas from Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories. Your tale should include these elements:

Escapism:  By this we mean escape from an accursed condition. Each writer should consider the specific nature of the curse that robbed him of his confidence. What elements of the curse is specific to your condition/circumstances as a writer? Why did this curse befall you?

Recovery: In this case, recovery means a return to, and a greater appreciation, of your normal (i.e., mundane) condition as a writer. What is that you (re)discover upon regaining your confidence?

Eucatastrophe:  This was Tolkien's term for the sudden, unexpected turn of events that leads to a happy ending. This may be the most challenging aspect of your story, coming up with a turn of events that absolutely makes sense given the context of your writing career.

I don't know about you, but I'd love to see the likes of Neil Gaiman, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Haruki Murakami and others take a shot at this. Heck, I wouldn't mind if a publisher contacted me about making this book a reality.

Zero Confidence Fairy Tales

Short Story: Dorothy Gale's Second Chance

A short story about Dorothy Gale of Wizard of Oz fame and her encounter with Frank Baum.

Short Story: Dorothy Gale's Second Chance

The Little Engine That Could Not

'nuff said!

The Little Engine That Could Not

Story is NOT the by-product of magic! Part two.

In an earlier post, I railed against Michael Chabon's statement, "take everything back to zero as long as magic and its by-product, story..." My contention was, and remains, that story is not magic's by-product.

I was reminded of this last night after reading the following in Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

 "This fellow Balzac is a wizard...He touched the head of this mountain girl with an invisible finger, and she was transformed, carried away in a dream. It took her a while to come down to earth."

Thus was the reaction of a young Chinese woman, living in a remote village, after reading a passage from Ursule Mirouët by Balzac. I offer this as further proof that story is not magic's by-product.

Story is NOT the by-product of magic! Part two.

Finished my second novel!

Well, I did it. I have finished the manuscript for my second novel entitled, Nanashi and the Sword of the Fallen Star. Set in ancient Japan, the story weaves together several themes from Japanese mythology and is aimed at readers 9-12 (though discerning adults will enjoy it as wel)l. Here's a draft version of the query letter:

When Nanashi was five, she was the prettiest girl in her village – then came the night the Golden Dragon caught the falling star. As she watched the spectacle in the night sky, a glowing flake broke loose from the meteorite. It burnt the young girl’s cheek, leaving a horrid scar, tough and red like the skin of the Japanese ogre known as the Oni. 

Ten years later, the girl who grew up enduring taunts of “Oni Face” sets out to find the Dragon, hers to torture and execute. Then she encounters Okami, the Great Gray Wolf. He brings news of a startling augury linking her to the Sword of the Fallen Star, the very sword forged from the meteorite that burned her face. In Nanashi, the aged and careworn wolf sees a soul consumed by wrath and self-loathing; he offers his friendship, as well as way to find the sword, hoping to sway her from the path of vengeance.

Meanwhile, there is another tortured soul who wishes to inflict suffering upon the vainglorious Dragon. It is the embittered Man Crow. In his possession is the Dark Blade, a merciless weapon forged with but one purpose: to challenge the Sword of the Fallen Star in a contest to determine which is the better sword.

As for the Golden Dragon, ten years have passed since he inexplicably went missing. Soon he will return with, of all things, a cure for the girl’s scar. His intentions, however, are hardly noble and the gift he brings – that of beauty reclaimed – might be one the Girl with the Oni Face will forever regret.

Finished my second novel!

The Ultimate Haiku

From Facebook

'nuff said!

The Ultimate Haiku

Two Novels in One Image

From: Ads of the World.

Two Novels in One Image

Agents Vs. Zombies

Here's an exciting new game, available on both iPhone and Android.

A deadly new virus is turning writers into the worst kind of zombie imaginable; the kind that writes query letters! It's up to you, the intrepid literary agent, to overcome this assault! You`ll need to think fast and stay calm as you deliver your rejections, one bolt at a time, with your trusty crossbow. Remember, aim for the head, not the writing hand!

Agents Vs. Zombies

Why not try a book?

From DOGHOUSEDIARIES!

Why not try a book?