Gone ‘Fishin
Hi everyone. I’m abandoning the Slushpile.net stacks for a little while in an effort to get some sun, some fresh air, and some smells that don’t have anything to do with pages and ink. John’s going to try to check in here every once in a while and post when he can. That is if he…
continue readingLiterary Invulnerability
I constantly hear from writers frustrated with the state of contemporary literature. They point out all the garbage being published and rail against the fact that their stories get rejected. We all do that from time to time. I certainly indulge in howling at the publishing moon now and then. But I wonder if it truly…
continue readingWhat Happens to Gambling Writers
Last night’s episode of The Sopranos illustrated what happens when authors get in too deep with bookies. So keep your March Madness shenigans in check or else you’ll end up writing scripts about a Mafia zombie with a meat cleaver for a hand.
continue readingFree Copy of Stop Breakin Down Available
In the ongoing effort to clear out duplicate books from my shelves, and to spread literary cheer to our wonderful readers, here’s another free book offer. Stop Breakin Down: Stories by John McManus is a fantastic collection about people driven to the brink of endurance and survival. In the current issue of the Oxford American, some of the South’s best authors provide…
continue readingPracticing the Art of Imitation
In a post some months ago, I wrote about Nicholas Delbanco’s great ideas concerning imitation of the fiction masters. In his essay, Delbanco argues that copying the greats can be an incredibly educational experience. I recently came across the same concept, this time in Ursula K. Le Guin’s Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the…
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