fiction

#Writing the second draft of the first scene

This post is about editing a first draft. Anyway, about the way I do it. You can compare the product of the first edit (this post) with the unedited first draft (last post). Note: as with any of my other posts in this section of my blog, it may contain spoilers to my writing. So proceed at your own risk. In my last post I discussed my routine of reading

Interviewed in #MidnightEcho

Hi all, just a quick one. I was interviewed in Midnight Echo along with a bunch of other #horror authors and artists. It’s really only just one question about my inspiration, but I tried to make the most of it. The interview can be found here: Midnight Echo 14 inspiration interviews – part 2 It’s nice to have a little bit of success. I’ve had a few rejections for some of

Review: Vampires of the Scarlet Order by David Lee Summers

Disclaimer: David (the author of the novel) and I interact in a friendly manner online. This said, my review is entirely objective. Key take-aways It reads like a Louis L’Amour novel crossed with Anne Rice novel (with some X-Files thrown in) Initially feels like a series of connected short stories but transforms into a fast-paced action story I enjoyed reading it Blurb on Amazon Vampires of the Scarlet Order is

My writing goals for this week

On Monday I listed my writing goals as: finish reviewing and editing my short story “Restored” Identify possible buyers for my short story Identify next most viable short story idea I have now finished reviewing “Restored”. My wife, upon reading it, felt that I needed to give some clear indications of what transpired in the story. This is because my chief character changes bodies three times within the story without

Finished first draft of "Night Terrors" renamed "Restored"

One of the tasks that I set myself for this week was finishing the first draft of my short story called “Night Terrors”. The good news is that I succeeded, but not as I quite expected. Okay, let me explain, and note that there will be spoilers should you ever choose to read this tale. My initial notion for this tale was a horror story where a woman wakes during

Submitted a new short story to Lamplight Magazine  @lamplightmagazine

Possessed of a writing frenzy, my second short story in as many weeks has been sent off. I have sent it to Lamplight Magazine. As with last week’s short story, it’s now just a matter of waiting to see whether they accept it. My biggest concern about my story is that it is not speculative fiction, but rather a dark reflection of current society. Here is their call for submissions

Book review: "The Abominable" by Dan Simmons

I first stumbled across Dan Simmons’ writing around 1990. The book was a science fiction delight called “Hyperion”. It was a science fiction epic, a Canterbury Tales for space and time travel. Since then I have frequently indulged myself in his novels. As an author he leans towards the fantastic, whether it be in science fiction or horror.