Read any good recent story collections or anthos?

I haven't been doing as much anthology or story collection reading as I usually do. Here's a couple I've looked at:

A farmer perishing under a fallen tractor makes a last stab at philosophizing: “There was nothing dead that was ever beautiful.” It is a sentiment belied not only by the strange beauty in his story but also in the rough lives and deaths, small and large, that fill these haunting tales. Pulp-fiction grim and gritty but with the rhythm and resonance of classic folklore, these stories take place in a world of shadowy figures and childhood fears, in a countryside peopled by witches and skinflints, by men and women mercilessly unforgiving of one another’s trespasses, and in nights prowled by wolves and scrutinized by an “agonized and lamenting” moon. Ervin D. Krause’s characters pontificate in saloons, condemning the morals of others as they slowly get sloshed; they have affairs in old cars on winter nights; they traffic in gossip, terrorize their neighbors, steal, hunt, and spy.

This collection includes award-winning stories like “The Snake” and “The Quick and the Dead” as well as the previously unpublished “Anniversary,” which stirred a national controversy when it was censored by the University of Nebraska and barred from appearing in Prairie Schooner. Krause’s portrayal of the matter-of-fact cruelty and hopeful fragility of humanity is a critical addition to the canon of twentieth-century American literature.

 

A giant ape... A heartless priest... A descent into depravity under London... An immortal hound... A baby thrown up by the sea... A Voodoo prayer... A legend made flesh in the eyes of a terrified child... Monsters come in all shapes and sizes... From human individuals with an evil streak or deeply aberrant nature, to those who are simply physically wrong. From beasts of the imagination to modern myths from the big screen... In these 15 stories representing the very best recent fiction by the writer of TV's GHOSTWATCH and AFTERLIFE and the acclaimed novella WHITSTABLE, you will meet all the things that made our childhoods terrifying - and bearable... "Others had Bobby Moore or Elvis. We had Christopher Lee and Quatermass. We had monsters in our hearts forever..." ... Containing two never-before-published stories.

THE DOWNRIVER HORSESHOE draws its stories from the landscapes and people of the industrial, south side of Metro Detroit called Downriver. It is Americana with a gritty, blue-collar twist—filled with quirky, rough-hewn characters like Duke Peterson, a retired cookie-truck driver who, at the behest of his nasty, invalid wife, has to hock his grandfather’s old shotguns to make rent; there is George Rimbaud, a morally confused mailman who continually crosses the line and intertwines his life (and sex life) with people along his route; and also Simon Touhy, a young man who falls in love with a prosthetic leg found at his worksite on Mt. Trashmore, a landfill converted to public ski slope. With the luck and pride of Downriver at their side, these men march on, making the best decisions they can in an area that can be bleak and beautiful and dangerous on the same block.

How about you, read any good collections or anthologies recently?

Writing with Kids (Or Other Obligations!)

By Kristi Belcamino

Until I had kids, I had no idea that even the smallest maternal bone existed in my body. To my surprise, when I held that baby in my hands, it felt natural and I knew what to do. And it was the greatest thing ever. At the same time, it didn’t take me long to figure out that all my passion (obsession?) for my job as a newspaper crime reporter had been shifted to the little sweet bundle in my arms.

I couldn’t do both.

So I quit newspaper and became a stay-at-home mom.

One day along the line, another baby later, I finally had enough energy to think about something besides diaper changes and picking up the endless stream of toys and realized I missed writing.

Not just journalism but writing.

So on the day my youngest started kindergarten I began to write. A book. A real book. Something I didn’t have confidence to do until I was in my 40s.

And then it sold. Suddenly, I’m an author with book contracts and deadlines and also, still—my most important job—a mama. 

During the school year, these two worlds mesh seamlessly.

As long as I get my “butt in chair” and write as soon as the kids get on the bus for school, then I can juggle both worlds.

I believe in the Brad Parks philosophy: The Church of One Thousand Words.

If you write 1,000 words a day you will have a rough draft of a novel in three months.  It’s true. It’s real. It works. I’ve proven this in the four novels I’ve written so far

Butt in chair. One thousand words a day.

I can get my thousand words a day done in usually two hours.

I’m incredibly, extremely blessed to have a supportive husband who is okay with me staying home and writing, so I often can write for four hours instead of two.

Now that I’m a published author, I divide my day in half. In the mornings, I write from 9 to 12. After lunch, I work on promotional/marketing and other household, more domestic tasks until 3:30.

Then until bedtime, I’m Italian mama and wife, enjoying time with my family

Then it starts all over again.

I’m incredibly, incredibly blessed to live this life. I know it. I don’t ever take it for granted. My good friend, Meg, said this today: “Filled with absolute gratitude and excitement today. My life is a marvel to me.” And I’m going to steal it.

Word for word.

Filled with absolute gratitude and excitement today. My life is a marvel to me.

So, I should back up. The life I just described takes place September through June.

June through September is a whole different story.

During these months, I am full-time Italian Mama and try to snatch moments here and there to write and do book marketing stuff in between piano lessons, swim lessons, soccer practice and play rehearsals.

I have sat in the darkened theater while my daughter rehearses and tapped on my laptop. I get up early and try to write before the kids wake. I lug my laptop anywhere and everywhere. Because you see, I learned from the hardest working writer I know—Joelle Charbonneau—who turned over this blog spot to me. That woman has learned to write whenever and wherever she can and she has been a role model to me for years.

So, this summer, I haven’t got much done writing wise—at least not nearly as much as I wanted to. I try when I can, and I have upmost respect for writers who have a full-time 9-5 job and then come home and write. Especially those who also have families to care for on top of it. Or some friends of mine who write while suffering from chronic diseases that can lay them out flat for weeks. Or writers who are struggling with difficult issues in their life and are weary from life. There are so many scenarios and yet, we all write, don’t’ we? We have to write. Good grief, when I think about that I realize I could never, ever complain about my situation.

So, I won’t complain, but will ask how other writers fit writing into their schedules? I know what works for me and am very grateful to have figured it out, but would love to have others share what works for them.

Unorthodox Writing

by
Scott D. Parker

Not a lot to talk about this week. I’m further adjusting to the new job and finding new times to write.

I’ve changed my sleep schedule to get up at 5am to write. It’s one of those things where, on that first morning, I was like “Do I really wanna do this?” That question was trumped by another question: “Does you being tired right now more important than you having already written when you get to work (and later when you have more time with your family)?” Easy answer: no. So, I’m back to writing at 5am.

Moreover, I’m finding new ways to either brainstorm the new book (started today) or write actual fiction during my 5-minute breaks throughout my work day. Yes, it’s not hugely conducive to long-form writing, but knocking out 150 words in five minutes on my iPod Touch is actually positive and moving the story forward. I use PlainText since it’s letters are pretty big and the keyboard is large enough for me.

I’m also working with a dictation app on my Touch. I can speak faster than I can type on the tiny screen, so I will make notes using the software and then get my speech recognition software (just downloaded Dragon 13 this on Thursday) to transcribe my ramblings. I don’t usually bother with punctuation other than periods because I just wanna get thought down on pixels.

It’s nice to know that I can write almost anywhere and in almost any circumstance. How about y’all? Do y’all have some unorthodox writing methods?

Movie of the Week: Guardians of the Galaxy

Okay, so I didn’t know this comic when it was announced and I’ve not read too many of them since last year. But as soon as I saw the first trailer, I was in. The music was key, I’ll admit, but so was the talking raccoon and walking tree.

This film is more than the sum of its parts. It’s got action, charm, humor, and more heart and emotional moments than you’d expect. The opening is not unlike the opening to “UP” in its emotional punch.

I’ll say it again: there needs to be an Academy Award section ofr CGI characters. Gollum in the Lord of the Rings was fantastic, but so were Rocket Raccoon and Groot from Guardians. The emotion they display was unexpected and surprisingly deep. Groot’s expressions throughout the film really drove home the depths of his feelings. Rocket’s arc is also nice to see. And Drax the Destroyer, played by Dave Batista, was another nice surprise. He brought a lot to the role and I’d like to see him in future films.

Oh, yeah, and there were space battles, prison escapes, and fights galore so it ain’t all weepy weepy. But that emotional heart really helps this film a lot.

Just go see it. You’ll have a ton of fun!