I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like to for the past few months. I notice talented authors like Theodora Goss contributing to their blogs almost-daily and sort of scratch my head. I honestly don’t know how they do it and attend to everything else they have going on.
I’m continuing to get the word out about my Eraserhead Press book, How To Eat Fried Furries (a very strange, transgressive, darkly satirical collection of linked short stories set in a world where farmers raise furries — you know, people in animal costumes — as livestock). So if this seems at all like it might be your sort of bag please, please, please order a copy from Amazon. I’m donating all royatlies I earn from May sales to the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, so this is a particularly helpful month in which to buy it.
(Note to self: “please, please, please order a copy?” — what’s this marketing stuff started to do to me — was I just begging readers to buy my book? I fear my idol, Thomas Ligotti (or at least his protagonist Frank Dominio) would classify such behavior as swinish.)
At the same time as I’m pushing the Bizarro, I’m also indulging a massive non-Bizarro (as in, regular old speculative fiction) project — a dark SF novel tentatively titled The Sober Assassin (elevator pitch is as follows *clears throat* “It’s Blade Runner meets The West Wing meets A&E’s Intervention“).
(Note to self: why is it a semi-convention to pitch books by describing them as hybrids of different movies or TV shows? Alas, even more swinishness, I’m surprised I’m not growing a piggy-snout right now!)
I’m particularly excited by The Sober Assassin. I’ve made previous cracks at writing a novel, but I’ve never approached it with much in the way of self-discipline. Last year I started to write a Bizarro novella that I thought might become a novel, but ultimately it didn’t. I can say with some confidence that I think that this novel is at least going to find its way to completion (and with the first draft estimated to weigh in at around 110,000 words — what a completion).
I’m about 2/3 of the way through the first draft now. My goal is to finish it out by June 26th (a day very special to me, as those closest to me can attest).
My plan all along was to write about 5,000 words of the novel each week, and –with only one or two exceptions — I’ve managed to do exactly that. There’s no guarantee the novel’s going to sell, of course (though I think it’s salable — after all, I wouldn’t be devoting all this time to it if I didn’t). Even if it doesn’t sell, though, I think the whole thing has been worthwhile.
One unexpected benefit of writing the novel has been that I sense that my overall level of craft has gone up a notch. There’s something about living day-in, day-out with one, long, story that seems to be changing my brain’s focus. During the course of writing the novel, I’ve written two short stories that just sort of gushed out of me all at just one or two sittings — something that’s never happened to me before. I also think I’m more observant about what works and what doesn’t. I’m trying some new approaches, and feel (subjectively) like I’m growing as an author.
In short, I’m learning. Which isn’t really saying much. I mean, that’s what we’re supposed to do all of our lives, right?
Right.
After I finish the novel’s first draft, I’m planning to let it sit for a spell and then move on to working on some non-fiction work (writing a scholarly piece on Phillip K. Dick and H.P. Lovecraft), and then go through the likely-grueling process of editing.
Oh, I should add that I’m reading through stories for the How To Eat Fried Furries short story contest, too. And reading lots of other fiction, too. Just finished Vonnegut’s Sirens of Titan and now moving on to China Mieville’s The City & The City.
And I’ll be going to a few conventions this summer. InConJunction in Indianapolis and ReaderCon are definites. I’m tentatively planning on going up to GenCon just for one day, and I’m kicking around the idea of pulling a similar stunt in respect to ConText (I’d love to stay longer — but hotel, etc. jacks up the price).
So that’s what’s going on with me, fellow-weirdos. What’s happening in your neck of the woods?
