Churning out that first draft

Shortly after posting yesterday about National Novel Writing Month, I came across an excellent blog post by literary agent Rachelle Gardner. This is great advice that I wanted to share with those taking part in NaNoWriMo -- or anyone working on a big writing project, really. Now is NOT the time to self-edit or worry about all those writing tips you've been taught. Just write. Let the words flow. If you've been studying the craft, you'll naturally be inclined to show more than tell, write snappy dialogue, and be aware of how much backstory you're allowing in. That's great. But…

National Novel Writing Month

Did you know it's National Novel Writing Month? National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, is a creative writing challenge now celebrating its 10th year. The premise is simple. The idea is to bang out an entire novel in the month of November. Why? Just because. Just to see if you're up to the challenge. The goal, according to the rules of the exercise, is to hit 50,000 words in a month (which is a but slim for today's marketplace, frankly, but the challenge isn't meant for you to churn out the next Great American Novel). You go to the website,…
Yet more photos by Eric

Yet more photos by Eric

Following up my first two photography posts (this one and this one), here are a few more photos I snapped during various misadventures. I don't fancy myself a photographer (though I have at times been paid to do it in the course of doing my day job), just another schmuck who likes taking pictures. I took this one at the Met in New York City. Obviously I can't take credit for the beautiful piece of art. I ended up using the photo on a record cover. This one was taken ... I don't remember, actually. I think at a Little…

The novel chugs along

Since vowing last Thursday that I would finish the first draft of my dystopian science fiction novel by the end of the year -- a ridiculous vow, considering all else I'm juggling on a daily basis -- I've averaged just at the maximum end of what I need to average to get it finished. In doing so, I've slammed out a couple of chapters, wrote my way through a three-chapter action set piece, and figured out a plot puzzle that had been vexing me. Wrote myself into a corner while I was at it, but I'm sure that will work…
Pitched Vol 1

My anthology is finally available!

PITCHED! IS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! I've done a lot of blogging about it already, so by now you know the drill. I got together with 10 artists and wrote nine stories. Collected them into an anthology. Possibly the first of several volumes. And now it is available for purchase through this handy link. So needless to say, I'm pretty happy about that. Time to start Volume 2 ...