Random Musings

Tearing down your own work

May 8, 2009 2 Comments

Sometimes you have to take something you’ve created and stomp it to pieces in order to make it work. Earlier this week I began writing a novel I’ve dabbled with on and off for years. I’ve made a few aborted attempts to write it, but other things have always gotten in the way. It has remained incomplete, sort of taunting me from my files. I like the story and world of the novel. I’ve always intended to finish it. So now I’m doing exactly that. At the moment, I have eight chapters completed out of a projected 30 to 40. Thing is, those chapters are crap. Oh, the story they tell is a good story, but the writing? The writing is garbage. See, those chapters…
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Random Musings, Writing

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It’s odd to see your name…

April 20, 2009 0 Comments

I’m used to seeing my byline. Over the last 10 years it has appeared on thousands of news stories, photo credits, film reviews, and various other pieces of writing. At this point it’s really no big deal. Just part of the job. Still, it’s odd to see yourself listed at Goodreads.com. Hell, the book is even listed on Living Social, that Facebook app people have been using for top 5 lists. So that’s pretty neat. Two other quick side notes: 1) You can see four preview pages from a comic I’m doing with artist Rick Lundeen in this gallery. His work is great, isn’t it? 2) And I’m honored to have had a quote pulled from my review of 10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America…
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Random Musings, Uncategorized

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Rejection letters ain’t so bad

March 11, 2009 3 Comments

Rejection letters. If you’re a writer, aspiring writer, wannabe writer, whatever writer, you’re going to deal with them. I don’t care how good you think you are, you will. That’s just reality. But here’s the thing: They need not be painful. Not even a little. Rejection letters are many things, chief among them something no writer likes to get, but they are more than a necessary evil. They are a sign that you’re an active writer. Proof that you’re actually writing, not just talking about writing. I mean, let’s face it, how many so-called “writers” do you know who never actually write? For every person who puts pens to paper or fingers to keyboard, there are a dozen of these talkers, people who like the…
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Random Musings, Writing

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It’s Super Plugtastic Link Day!

February 2, 2009 0 Comments

Some semi-random link stuff for Monday. Joe Valdez over at This Distracted Globe quoted me in his write-up of Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes. Thanks, Joe. The quote comes from my review of the Criterion Collection DVD release, which you can read here. Purchase the (awesome) DVD here. Over on the Bibliophile Stalker blog, there is a review/overview of the issue of Weird Tales in which my “commendable piece,” Whispers of the Old Hag, appeared. Thanks, Charles. The issue also has a listing at Locus Online. Speaking of listings, Pictureshowman.com has listed A Year of Hitchcock with upcoming books on the History of Motion Pictures. Looks like we’re in some fine company. While we’re on A Year of Hitchcock, I found a good source for tracking…
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Random Musings, Uncategorized, Works by Eric

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My eye is bleeding

January 29, 2009 0 Comments

(Instead of reading this, you might want to look at pictures or listen to “music” instead.) My left eye is bleeding. Same spot, always. I’ve been dealing with this on and off for months. I think it’s eye strain. I spend too much time in front of a computer monitor. Thing is, how do I not spend time in front of a monitor? My job involves sitting in front of a monitor. Writing involves sitting in front of a monitor. These days, even creating music involves sitting in front of a monitor. Heck, a lot of my goofing off time involves sitting in front of a monitor! Maybe I need glasses. I was supposed to have them in high school, but decided not to get…
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Alfred Hitchcock, Random Musings

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