Pitched Vol 1

Comic anthology Vol. 2 is underway

Posted inComics & Graphic Novels, Works by Eric, Writing
So you might remember that I wrote a comic anthology, which I self-published last year and which you can buy here (hint, hint). Well, I'm pleased to say that work is progressing on a second anthology of comic stories, some with new artists and some with folks you saw in the first volume. The stories will be all-new (save for one that will include some familiar faces), and will once again span multiple genres. We'll have Buck Rogers-influenced space opera, Gothic horror in the spirit of classic EC Comics, a Lovecraftian morality play, and a crime story, among others. I…

Second Draft: Can’t wait to get started!

Posted inWorks by Eric, Writing
For six weeks I've been sitting on the finished first draft of a dystopian science fiction novel. I had a goal of finishing it by last New Year's Eve, met the goal, and then set it aside. The idea was to take a break so that when I returned to it for rewrites, I'd be doing so with fresh eyes and renewed energy for the project. And right now, I'm chomping at the bit for a return. I'm not sure why, exactly. I have a lot of work to do on the second draft. A LOT of work. I'm talking…

In defense of the semi-colon

Posted inWriting
The semicolon is a tiny slice of unbridled awesome. Columnist Moira Redmond agrees, as outlined in this fun Slate column I stumbled across. As my departed-much-too-soon friend Frank Lauro once said, "You can have my semicolon when you tear it from my cold, dead hands."

Writing Collaborations

Posted inComics & Graphic Novels, Writing
Collaborating with another person is a funny, sometimes touchy thing. It can be a minefield. It can be enjoyable and easy. It can be a great experience. It can be a chore. It can make you a better writer and it can make you wish you never agreed to the project in the first place. I've worked with many people over the years, most recently on A Year of Hitchcock and Pitched!, and every experience differs wildly from the last. Writer Alan Moore said of collaborations: Collaborations all have a different nature, they all work in different ways, because any…

Writing-related New Year’s resolutions

Posted inRandom Musings, Writing
I'm not much for New Year's resolutions. They're either a laughable waste of time, a recipe for disappointment, or both. But I do believe in setting goals, especially when it comes to what I want to accomplish with my writing. I'm way too scatter-brained and easily distracted to stay focused without a clearly defined set of goals in front of me. So with this in mind, last December I outlined a set of goals to accomplish in 2009. They were as follows: 1) Finish refining my middle grade fantasy novel and BEGIN SEARCHING FOR AGENTS. The book needs at least…