Aaron Polson's Blog, page 44

Monday, Monday

The good K.Hinny has tagged me, and it being Monday, I can't refuse.

1. If you could have any superpower, what would you have? Why?

Healing. Wouldn't that be nice? Of course, no matter your superpower, the rest of the world will find out, and then you'll never have privacy, soooooo maybe what I really, really want is invisibility. And healing.

2. Who is your style icon?

Huh? Style? Are we talking clothing...if we are, I have no style. Okay, maybe that's not entirely true. I tend to dress like my Drawing II instructor in undergrad (t-shirts and jeans) when given the choice. I really have no style. That's why I write: it can be done in a solitary place and nobody cares what I wear.

As for writing...hurm. I don't know. I think I've gotten to a place where I'm starting to feel out my own style. There are writers I admire, but I'm not them anymore. At least I don't think I am.

3. What is your favorite quote?

"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."

- from Hamlet, Act I, scene V

4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?

First, when my wife said she would marry me. In writing, I've been compared to some pretty illustrious writers. I think the comparisons fall down upon closer inspection, so I won't embarrass myself here, but it's still nice to hear.

5. What playlist/CD is in your CD player/iPod right now?

It's October, so the somewhat cheeky goth boys of Midnight Syndicate are in heavy rotation.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

A morning person. But so much so I may as well be a night owl. Sometimes I wake at 4 AM and write, write, write.

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

If it's the right cat, I'll take it. Dogs are great if you have the space. Poor Owen is allergic to both, so we are a bunny family right now.

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

Well it's my name, isn't it? As for the lies part, I had a student (four years ago now...how time flies) tell me all fiction was lies. I quote: "Why would anyone want to read a bunch of lies?"

As for who to tag...it is October, so I'm thinking with my October brain:

Mary Shelley

H.P. Lovecraft

Edgar Allan Poe

Bram Stoker

E.F. Benson

and Algernon Blackwood

Heh.

Blood Lite II on the Shelves

Hey look, they shelved it under "Armstrong" because her name is first on the cover. Gotta love bookstores, eh?

Owen was at the store with me and asked about the "red stuff" on the cover...I'm glad he didn't pay much attention to the other Kelly Armstrong books (I'm not ready for that talk with my seven-year-old).

Stephen King, My Miniview, and a Thank You

Thanks to Cate Gardner for leading me to The Wasteline Counter. Yes, I tried it out on my own writing, but even more effectively, used it with my writing students. Wow, did those "heart attacks" open some eyes...

You can take a peek inside my dusty cranium at Red Penny Papers. C'mon, it's only three questions.

I've sent out my first story for #10bythen today. 30 more days to send out 9 stories...maybe I can do it.

Finally, some words from the master (Stephen King) about my favorite form in fiction (the short story).

WIP Wednesday: Seeking Advice

So...October looms.

I love the month, of course. I love being an English teacher during October. I love the camp, the cobwebs, the creepiness of it all. For one month, overwrought horror tropes are okay: spiders and skulls and moldering tombs...

I've rearranged my teaching schedule to squeeze in a little more of the macabre this year. We always read a little Poe, a bit of H.P. Lovecraft ("In the Vault" is pretty accessible to high school students), and the occasional monkey's paw, but I need a few more stories, nothing which might find me out of a job, but something the kids might like to read.

So...suggestions? Anyone have a great ghost story we should tackle? Something delightfully dark yet more camp than vamp? Maybe I could throw in a little M.R. James or E.F. Benson. Public domain works tend to be a little less risky (because of their age, not the copyright status). Of course, I'm always open to something a little more contemporary...what are your favorite short works of terror and the supernatural?

WIP Wednesday: Seeking Advice

So...October looms.

I love the month, of course. I love being an English teacher during October. I love the camp, the cobwebs, the creepiness of it all. For one month, overwrought horror tropes are okay: spiders and skulls and moldering tombs...

I've rearranged my teaching schedule to squeeze in a little more of the macabre this year. We always read a little Poe, a bit of H.P. Lovecraft ("In the Vault" is pretty accessible to high school students), and the occasional monkey's paw, but I need a few more stories, nothing which might find me out of a job, but something the kids might like to read.

So...suggestions? Anyone have a great ghost story we should tackle? Something delightfully dark yet more camp than vamp? Maybe I could throw in a little M.R. James or E.F. Benson. Public domain works tend to be a little less risky (because of their age, not the copyright status). Of course, I'm always open to something a little more contemporary...what are your favorite short works of terror and the supernatural?

A Little Nostalgia

I received a rejection in the mail yesterday. The "snail" mail. The good old-fashioned paper mail. Take a look at the picture--do you see the wrinkles and coffee stains on the right side of my SASE? Inside: two note cards with hand-scribbled comments about what worked, and what didn't, in my story.

Ah...nostalgia.

At the end of Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters, John Lagan includes story notes with a little discussion about sending/receiving actual paper correspondence with editors. I couldn't help but feel something has been lost in the era of quick-click email submissions. Granted, everything happens so much faster now, but, especially as a child, I loved the feeling of waiting for the mail. My wife laughs because I sometimes I still have that childlike enthusiasm.

How many of us would keep writing if each story (and rejection) was sent in the regular post?

A Little Nostalgia

I received a rejection in the mail yesterday. The "snail" mail. The good old-fashioned paper mail. Take a look at the picture--do you see the wrinkles and coffee stains on the right side of my SASE? Inside: two note cards with hand-scribbled comments about what worked, and what didn't, in my story.

Ah...nostalgia.

At the end of Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters, John Lagan includes story notes with a little discussion about sending/receiving actual paper correspondence with editors. I couldn't help but feel something has been lost in the era of quick-click email submissions. Granted, everything happens so much faster now, but, especially as a child, I loved the feeling of waiting for the mail. My wife laughs because I sometimes I still have that childlike enthusiasm.

How many of us would keep writing if each story (and rejection) was sent in the regular post?

On the Way to the Cooking Section...

My wife and I went to Borders over the weekend to buy a vegetarian cookbook for her sister's birthday. I thought I'd swing through the horror section, just for giggles, and what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a fat stack of Blood Lite II. I thought the street date was this Tuesday (as listed at Amazon and others), but surprise, surprise.

My father-in-law (we were visiting for the weekend) insisted on going out and grabbing a copy. He even made me sign it. I'm also quite embarrassed to say, he asked the clerk for the "Aaron Polson" book. I tried to explain I was just a nobody in book loaded with familiar names...of course the store computer offered a blank, item not found screen.

Let's not even talk about the extended family questioning me about being a horror writer...

On the Way to the Cooking Section...

My wife and I went to Borders over the weekend to buy a vegetarian cookbook for her sister's birthday. I thought I'd swing through the horror section, just for giggles, and what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a fat stack of Blood Lite II. I thought the street date was this Tuesday (as listed at Amazon and others), but surprise, surprise.

My father-in-law (we were visiting for the weekend) insisted on going out and grabbing a copy. He even made me sign it. I'm also quite embarrasse...

So Long, Thanks for all the __________

I'm out of town for the weekend, but leave you, dear readers, with the following debris:

Another installment of The Borrowed Saints and the rip-roaring conclusion of "Black Medicine Thunder and the Sons of Chaos".

Enjoy your weekend.