You know those times when you read something fantastic and afterwards you are in a bit of a daze? That just happened to me, as I finished George Saunders short story collection, Tenth of December. It was named one of the best books of the year by a few places you may recognize: People • … Continue reading 11 Quotes on Fiction and Writing | George Saunders
"Sometimes the environment shapes the story. I know it's that way with me. This part of East Texas is thick with trees, damp with water, humid with sweat and the smell of rain-wet low lands. It's got snakes and gators and stickers and flies, mosquitoes and ticks, chiggers and lice. It's got the moon through … Continue reading Joe Lansdale on Where His Stories Come From
Recently, some dust was thrown up regarding why women-only prizes should be a thing. While I think it unfair that the need for a separate women's prize in literature exists, I think the prize itself is a good thing. Also, the more literary prizes, the better, right? I don't choose books based on the gender of a … Continue reading 5 Magical Books by Women
In recent months I've interviewed a few writers. There's a certain question I try remember to ask them all, since it is something I wonder a lot about when it comes to choosing which books I read in an attempt to become a better writer. Here is the magical question: Authors Dan Simmons and Stephen … Continue reading Should Writers Read Classics or Trash? Four Writers Answer
Yesterday I started reading Charles Dicken's Hard Times. I'm at chapter 6 now and I have already read more great writing in it than in the last six books I've read combined. This may be a matter of taste (I am of the opinion that Dickens is a genius) so I think I'll put it … Continue reading Really Really Ridiculously Good Writing
Sorry about the "Ya'll", but I'm very excited. Start Here Volume 2 is out! From the announcement over on Bookriot: There are so many fantastic authors and great books out there that sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. Start Here, Volume 2 solves that problem; it tells you how to read your way into 25 … Continue reading I’m in a Book, Ya’ll!
“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
Reddit is the small dark corner of the internet. Every now and then, authors will answer any question the dirty undeserving proletariat Reddit community (people like me and you) want to ask them, events called "AMA," for Ask Me Anything. Questions range from serious to downright silly, a common one being "Would you rather fight a horse-sized … Continue reading Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, and Margaret Atwood’s Clever Reddit AMA Answers
I read Skull Session by Daniel Hecht WAY back in nineteen-ninety-something, and to this day I'm convinced that I am the only person who has done so. I had not heard of Hecht before I read the book, and I have never encountered any reference to him since. For a while I thought the man … Continue reading From Writer Daniel Hecht, Sensible Writing Advice
Barry Napier is an amazing writer who gets far less attention than he deserves. Barry has had more than 40 short stories and poems featured in print and online publications. He is the winner of a "Write a Dead Man novel" contest, and the resulting book, Streets of Blood is out today with Amazon.com's 47North … Continue reading Author Interview | Barry Napier
