Aaron Polson's Blog, page 54

So Wrong, It's Right

WIP Wednesday: The Taint of Teenage Angst

I love writing.

There. I said it.

My posts may have been a bit mopey lately (thanks to some loyal readers for helping me see the trend), and I want to point the finger squarely at my MCs in Borrowed Saints. See, Phoebe's alienated herself from her only friend at a new school...and she's started cutting again. (It's the only to stop the voices, okay?) Tucker is being "taken over" and he doesn't know it, but boy does it make him a grumpy bastard. I had another 3K Tuesday, but felt down and depres...

I've Got This Devil on My Shoulder...and It's Talking About the Kindle

...or maybe I have too much Rain Man playing in my head. (Three of my classes watched the first half today...a little comparison/contrast thing I do with Of Mice and Men).

Today at JA Konrath's blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing , he interviews Karen McQuestion, a self-pubbed Kindle author with some serious sales numbers. Go ahead. Read the article. Be wowed.

I am. I tossed up The Bottom Feeders and Other Stories a few weeks ago, knowing short story collections are a hard sell in the rea...

Me = Social Networking Fail...or Not?

I topped 20K in Borrowed Saints this weekend--big news in my world because I'm aiming for 50-60K for the final book. With all luck, I'll crest halfway this week. My minimum word count/day has been over 1K . I saw 2K on a few occasions (3K on that glorious Tuesday). I know Brendan...word count race and all that.

But I mention the word counts simply because it's what I can do when I make writing the first focus. When I sit down in front of the monitor, I open the Borrowed Saints file and st...

#fridayflash Special Collections

First and foremost, Alan W. Davidson is the winner of The Devil's Food. Mr. Davidson, if you'd be so kind as to send your mail address to aaron_polson(at)hotmail(dot)com, I'll send the book your way. Enjoy.

For the Friday Flash today, I cheat. You'll have to head to Yellow Mama to read "Special Collections". As usual, I love the art Cindy Rosmus has chosen to go along with the story. Thanks Cindy, for taking on Mr. Harper's story.

Enjoy.

Money Ain't All That Dirty

Today is the last day to enter the contest for a free copy of The Devil's Food.

Looks like Robert Swartwood read my mind again with his latest post. The title alone should grab any writer by the throat: "I'm Not Looking for More Money/Readership".


Funny how (some) writers, being the self-flagellating lot we are, try to pretend we don't "deserve" any compensation for our craft.

I can't say I set out to look for those things, and they aren't the only reason I write, but I'll take them. Pay and rea...

WIP Wednesday: "Monster" Day

I wrote more than 3,000 words yesterday--the first 3K day I've had in nearly a year. I also managed to finalize formatting of Barry Napier's The Final Study of Cooper M. Reid . How did I do it?

Let's just say it didn't hurt 2/3 of my students were gone to math competition. ;)

From Borrowed Saints:

It thundered from the shadows on the other side of the bridge like a fountain of steam. Tucker's mouth hung open as he watched, his brain spinning in broken circles like the web of a drunken spider...

How I Found My Plot

I made a "breakthrough" this weekend in my latest YA novel effort. All the ideas were there, floating around in a cerebral stew, but I couldn't quite nail it. I couldn't quite get them all to cooperate and gel into something plot-like.

I'm a little ashamed to say I found my lost organization in this book:


Book in a Month has some major flaws--the most salient being it is set up like a screenwriting course. Is that what every modern author is supposed to aspire to be, a screenwriter? Almost e...

Dark Pages Volume 1, Other Updates

The right honorable Brenton Tomlinson has posted cover art for Dark Pages volume 1 from Blade Red Press. It's pretty and has my name on the back. Check it out at Mr. Tomlinson's blog.

The TOC:

"The Stain of the Psychopomp King" by Lucien E G Spelman
"Heart Of Ice" by Martin Livings
"Neptune's Garden" by Lisa A Koosis
"Dust" by Naomi Bell
"To Die For" by S D Matley
"The Franchise" by Joe L Murr
"Clip Notes" by Marty Young
"Blood on Green" by Victoria Anisman-Reiner
"Cargo" by Aaron Polson
"Nepenthe" by F...

Spider and I (part 6) and a Contest

You can win a copy of the short-produced The Devil's Food (see below).

I slipped through the window and scanned the floor. Dark gouts of fresh blood streaked the nearest pillar. My stomach sank under the weight of Spider's last meal. He slept in his corner, covered with the blanket. I took a few furtive steps toward the glistening, fresh blood. Behind the pillar, I found her shirt—the little pink one with a puppy on it—drunk with blood. Spider and I had scavenged around the building when we fi...