Matthew Woodring Stover's Blog, page 6

Club Caine Announcement

Matt,

I wanted to let you know that the next meeting of Club Caine is this Friday at 6:45, again at the Panera Bread in Schaumburg. If you wanted to let your blog followers know that'd be great. We'll be finishing up Heroes Die. Thanks!

Joshua

You're welcome.

Hard-Boiled Essentials

To understand where hard-boiled crime fiction came from, you need to start with Dashiell Hammett. If you don't know Hammett, you won"t understand the guys who followed his trail.

Hammett was an actual hardguy who was, before he started selling books, a real-life Pinkerton operative. His experiences as a Pinkerton man are the basis of his flat-out best work, which are the Continental Op stories. There are shorts and novelettes, and all of them are worth reading.  What you must read are these...

Why I Worship Raymond Chandler

There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.

–Raymond Chandler

"Red Wind"

A knock-off. A twenty-thousand-worder for Black Mask...

Stover's Rules of Writing

Hey. A lightning visit because I have recently made contact with one of the several writers who ruined my life by teaching me how to do this shit.

While I was in college, I did about twelve credit-hours of independent study in Writing the Novel (which was actually the earliest and most embarrassing attempt at what eventually became Heroes Die).

His name is Perry Glasser, and his website is

here.

I bring this up because he does sometimes take on Intertubes hopefuls and helps them (for money, you u...

Sorry I haven't been around . . . all better now. Mostly.

Now that I'm back, a question for the class:

If you were casting remakes of For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, who would you hire to play the Man With No Name?

Matt Might Be Going to School

So I've been feeling better, keeping up with my workouts, whatever, except for the weights 'cuz, y'know, they bore the crap out of me. The only sports that have ever interested me are combat sports, and I've been sorely missing my old club from my days in Chicago.

So I'm driving into town last Sunday, and I see one of the strip malls along the highway, right next to Honada Sushi, is a brand new Gracie Barra studio. I thought, Huh. When did that get there?

Last night, I stop by to check the...

And One More Thing: My Dog is an Awesome Dog

Though I really try to avoid Pet Posts, a word must be spoken here in honor of Aias, the Alaskan Malamute who's pictured (four years old) at the right. He is now nine (geriatric for his breed, my vet informs me), a little overweight, cranky and willful and having some joint issues due to being a Giant Fucking Wolfdog entering old age.

He still doesn't take orders well–especially in front of other dogs, because he's got his share of pride and a bit extra–but he understands English well enough t...

And While I'm Here . . . a Fat Guy Update

I've discovered that my training plan–gradual though it is–might be just a bit optimistic for a pushing-50 guy who started letting shit slide about five years ago. I've been struggling with muscle fatigue and over-training aches'n'pains, and as such I've dialed back my mileage to last month's level, with a mental caveat that if I'm feeling particularly chipper, I can add a mile or two to my Wednesday and Sunday routes.

I've also been mostly skipping my resistance training, largely because...

GOD OF WAR 'n' such

A couple of the gang 'round these parts have already posted God of War reviews at Amazon.com, both of which were thoughtful, and very much on point. Thanks to both of you . . . and to any of you other folk who might swing by there as time goes by. Please don't be shy; trust that honesty will not offend (and shameless flattery is always welcome).

Ignorance and hypocrisy will still be ruthlessly mocked, of course . . . but the simple fact you're reading this site implies you need not worry.

Thank...

Memorial Day

Heya.

I'm not a veteran.

Both of my parents (and three of my father's brothers) served in the Big One. My best friend served in the Persian Gulf. A lot of the people who come around here are veterans, and some are still on active duty.

We remember.

Thank you. All of you.