Writing and the World at Large

07.12.10

A few months back, we were talking about time: where to find it, how to use it, where it goes.

Time is certainly one of the most precious commodities in a writer’s life, and apparently one of the scarcest.

I’ve recently returned from my summer residency at Seton Hill University, and, although it pulled me away from some writing projects, I must admit I had a terrific time.

One of the highlights of the residency was a reading forum organized by the students. The point of the event wasn’t so much to share work (since the graduate writing program offers plenty of formal activities for doing that), but rather to give students experience reading work aloud at public venues. To that end, each reader was given five minutes to read, with the timekeeper starting the clock after the work was introduced and calling time with stopwatch precision when the five-minutes were up. The time limits gave everyone a chance to read and still get to bed at a decent hour (classes resumed early the following morning).

One of the highpoints of the evening was a reading by WPF faculty member Scott A. Johnson, who read “The Night Before Christmas,” a flash pastiche from his Dreadtime Stories podcast series. It was a terrific performance from a seasoned writer who, not coincidentally, would be giving a three-hour module titled “Reading Your Own Work” later in the residency.

The students were also kind enough to give me a couple of reading slots. Like Scott, I read selections that fit easily into the five-minute time limit: “Step on a Crack” (Vision) and “Shooting Evil” (This Way to Egress). You can hear studio recordings of the stories by clicking on the titles.

If you’ve been following this blog, you already know my views on the art of live presentation, and I’m glad I got the chance to sit in on the student-sponsored reading . Yes, it took me away from some projects I was anxious about completing, but sometimes the best writing-related activities take place in the world at large with people you really enjoy being with.

Tomorrow I’d like to talk about the elephant in my room, the biggest thing going on in my life right now, and the main reason why I wasn’t sure I had time to take part in this summer’s SHU residency. The project is called Vipers. It’s a followup to my previous novel Veins, and I’ve just finished what I trust will be my final batch of edits and revisions. The book comes out September 7 from the good people at Fantasist Enterprises, who are planning a big preview at GenCon in Indianapolis in early August.

I’m really excited about this one, and I’d like to give you a little preview. So check back soon, big things are happening, and I want to make sure you hear about them first.

Until then, share the vision . . . and watch out for flying snakes!

Kickstarting

07.07.10

We believe in supporting the good guys, right?

I’d like to tell you about one of them.

A little over a decade ago, W. H. Horner launched Fantasist Enterprises with a plan to publish quality paperback anthologies that were as well designed as the stories they showcased.

Over the years Horner has succeeded with a line of beautifully illustrated, carefully edited, and wonderfully readable books, the flagship of which is the Fantastical Visions series.

From the beginning, Horner established Fantastical Visions as a place where new writers could get feedback from professional editors and, if their work was strong enough, have their words appear alongside those of established professionals. But Fantastical Visions isn’t only about writers. Most of all, it’s about the reading experience. As Horner puts it:

We are dedicated to reawakening the sense of wonder that our modern society can so easily suppress and disregard. We want our readers to recapture the wide-eyed glee they had as children, thinking that old trees contained spirits and clouds hid floating castles. We want them to study the shadows, trying to catch that strange movement they thought they saw, and experience visions that linger on the edges of their waking minds.

The hardworking people at FE are currently assembling Fantastical Visions V, an anthology that looks to be their strongest collection ever. The book will feature 16 tales, each accompanied by one or more full-page illustrations commissioned specifically for the work.

To help underwrite production, FE has teamed with Kickstarter.com to help cover some of the printing and payment to contributors. (FE has always endeavored to pay competitive rates for art and fiction.) Through Kickstarter, people who wish to support FE can pledge support in exchange for gift incentives that in most cases match or even exceed the value of the pledge. In other words, every one wins.

If you enjoy reading fantasy anthologies that are as expertly crafted and edited as the stories they contain, or if you are a writer or artist interested in supporting a series of books that continues to serve as a showcase for new work, consider making a Kickstarter pledge. More information about the campaign can be found here.

For more about FE’s titles, please visit their website.

You can also drop by a special display at my own website, which I plan to update as I follow the progress of FE’s campaign.

Take a look, make a pledge, and share the vision!