Matt Snee's Blog, page 97

Padding

"Novels include padding; I think padding might be an essential part of the novel, for all I know."

I've been reading Borges again, and his thoughts on poetry and epics, and I've been thinking about the line above. A lot, if not all, novels DO include padding, and maybe that's just how it is. I've spent years trimming the fat from my novels, and sometimes I worry there's not enough description, as I mostly focus on action and dialogue. But now that's I've read Borges' thoughts on it, I don't feel so bad. Borges frankly says that the novel might be getting exhausted, with all the experiments and whatnot of the past hundred years. I don't think it's exhausted, and I don't think it will be for a long time, but I do think that with the lack of time people have today, the sort of padding that is in novels, could be excised more, and maybe it IS time for epic, sparse verse to come back. I don't know. All I know is I'm going to continue writing in my economical, easy style, and continue to get rid of everything that isn't absolutely necessary. And that's just my style. My favorite writer, Melville - is completely the opposite. And that's ok too. 

First New Poetry I've Written in 8 years! New book coming soon!

ON THE ISLAND

 

The glistening dead do not shout.

Instead they preach:

"We are on the boat now. You are on the island."

 

When I was young

we used to pluck the cicada shells from the trees,

they were like ghosts

moats

from castles of dimly irascible futures.

 

That is,

if insects can be irascible,

can be anything,

in their regimented climb towards death.

 

We mastered useless sarcasm while the world peeled itself.

 

 Since then, I have found a sort of valiant repose,

shambling in my bed towards the psychotic weapon of dawn.

I do not shout, and I do not preach.

My cunning achievements

of poorly spent days and nights

walk beneath the soil of constant hours.

 

Infamous wretch,

known only as my eyes,

I find the space within space

and plummet towards cold plastic valleys

in the streets of science fiction cities.

 

The diamond of this body

is unconscionably worn around the neck of God.

 

He - or she - has fashioned archipelagos of jewelry

plucked from the fluid of time.

 

But me?

I am trapped on a clever atoll,

deceived,

and relieved. 

Update

Ug, so busy promoting and marketing.  Haven't had much time to write. Getting a little done here and there though. 

I have been thrilled lately with the reactions I'm getting from people about The Cardboard Spaceship. I always thought only me and Gregg would enjoy that book, but people are finding it fun and interesting.  I'm gonna lean on the fun part for the future books, and try to not be too serious.  The sequel, "The Oldest War", in its current rewrite, is a bit too serious, and I'm gonna change that, while still retaining the weird ideas I want to express.  

In other news, Clare is doing the final polish of "The Year I Slept".  I've been sending it out to agents. Might as well.  This book is special. 

 

Interview with Scriggler.com

here's a interview Scriggler.com did with me:

https://scriggler.com/DetailPost/Opinion/43128

 

Pretty cool.  :)

Current Reading

Expansions

Work on my novel "The Year I Slept" (my current project, in rewrites) is interesting because it started as a short story, and then I expanded it into a novella, and then into a novel, and then to a longer novel, which is where it is now. I'm trying to learn this technique for some other projects, namely "Astyanax", where I slowly expand a work, writing it over and lengthening it each time, but starting with it in complete forms -- from story, to novella, to novel, etc. As Clare goes through my short stories I'm reconsidering a lot of them in ways I haven't before, and it's really a revelation. I'm learning a lot about my own work, and where it can go....

Email List

Hey everybody, I started an email list and newsletter.  You can find it on the front page of the website, here:  http://www.matthewsnee.com

 

Miscellaneous Workings

I've been knee deep in the rewrite of "The Year I Slept", but that doesn't mean I haven't been spending a little time with other projects.  In fact, I'm closing in on the end of the first part of "Doc Masterson and the Prisoner of TIme".  My plan is to release this as a serialized novel. I have a lot of interest in serialized fiction, which is of course inspired by the current nature of TV these days.  I like the episodic format, honestly.  Some books don't fit that category, but Masterson definitely does.  

IN the meantime I've also submitted the unabridged print version of "Love in the Time of Dystopia" to my editor to clean it up a bit before I print it for real. I plan on doing another contest with this one, on Goodreads, and on Amazon.  I like doing that.  IT's fun.  

 

Dystopia

I can't understand the appetite for books about science fiction dystopias.  We're already living in one.  Why would you want to read about another?  

Batman Versus the Time Tyrants

Posting my latest Batman story on Wattpad.com  Check it out!

https://www.wattpad.com/story/72594721-batman-versus-the-time-tyrants