A reader asked me, “How about how you differentiate between an exciting new idea and something that’s just plain weird? Have you ever written anything that you loved, but others didn’t quite get?” First I’d like to quote from my favorite rejection letter: “The majority of our editorial readers thought this story was just too odd for their tastes; it … Read More
By request: Fan Fiction
Recently I was asked, “What are your thoughts on fan fiction? If someone wrote fan fiction [based] on your works, would you be pleased or horrified?” Before I wade into this, let me define my terms. “Fan fiction” is fiction that makes unauthorized use of characters and concepts that belong to someone else. The actual quality of the writing, in … Read More
Giants of West Tennessee: Jesse Hill Ford, part 1
NOTE: This is an occasional series about notable figures from my home region. These are personal reminiscences and opinions; where available, I’ll include links so interested readers can find out more. As I’ve mentioned before, I grew up in a tiny West Tennessee town that has no school, no library, no newspaper, three churches, is a notorious speed trap and … Read More
Interview: Mary Jo Pehl of MST3K and Cinematic Titanic
When The Sword-Edged Blonde was released in hardcover in 2007 (it’ll be out later this month in paperback; see sidebar for more info), its high-concept idea–sword-and-sorcery fantasy written as hard-boiled detective fiction–led a lot of people to think it was a parody of its two genres, using one (detective) to mock the other (fantasy). This was never my intent. Although … Read More
Belatedly, WisCon 33
WisCon 33, held over Memorial Day weekend in Madison, WI, was a somewhat skewed experience for me since I was simultaneously moving (as in U-Hauls and second-hand boxes) from one Madison suburb to another. This meant I wasn’t around for much of the social scene. But I did attend several panels, both as panelist and audience. I missed opening ceremonies … Read More
Interview: Kim Newman, author of The Man from the Diogenes Club
Like my novel Blood Groove, Kim Newman’s hysterically funny, thrilling and affecting short story collection, The Man from the Diogenes Club, is set in the Seventies. In Newman’s case it’s England in the early part of the decade, where the titular club (originated by Arthur Conan Doyle) is now the headquarters of an organization that battles supernatural and out-of-the-ordinary crimes. … Read More
Are You William Faulkner? Check Yes or No
An article in the current issue of The New Shetlander made me recall a writing teacher in college who, when asked about composing in the vernacular, gave this response. “You should ask yourself one question: Am I William Faulkner? If the answer is ‘no,’ then you should never write in the vernacular.” I’m not sure where the contempt for writing … Read More
The white crow: Tim Hall’s Half Empty
The rules say that a “self-published” book equals…well, crap. These are the books that, for whatever reason, couldn’t make it past the “gatekeepers” of publishing (agents, editors, etc.). Sure, there are books that began as self-published works and went on to be best-sellers (The Celestine Prophecy, for example, or Eragon), but the conventional wisdom is that if you have to … Read More
Winter Passing: between the reaching and the touching
Movies about writers tend to be pretty dull, because unless you’re sitting inside our skulls, what writers do is pretty dull. We stare at blank paper or screens, mutter to ourselves a lot, pace mindlessly and drink way too much (coffee and otherwise). Even writers with exciting lives don’t always make exciting films. For example, the atrocious In Love and … Read More