Aaron Polson's Blog, page 59
February 19, 2010
#fridayflash Luck
"There's a couple of things you're going to have to understand about this job."
Jerry nods.
"First of all," Franz speaks slowly, like he's explaining the why the sky's blue to a five-year-old, "the job has some drawbacks."
"Drawbacks. Check." A pen wiggles against a notebad in Jerry's hand.
"The temperature in here for one. Get yourself a nice coat. A jacket. Light and flexible but enough to keep the chill off."
"Jacket, check."
Franz grips a handle and walks the drawer out to full extension....
Jerry nods.
"First of all," Franz speaks slowly, like he's explaining the why the sky's blue to a five-year-old, "the job has some drawbacks."
"Drawbacks. Check." A pen wiggles against a notebad in Jerry's hand.
"The temperature in here for one. Get yourself a nice coat. A jacket. Light and flexible but enough to keep the chill off."
"Jacket, check."
Franz grips a handle and walks the drawer out to full extension....
February 18, 2010
My Most Humbling Experience to Date
The Table of Contents (TOC) for Blood Lite II: Overbite...
Death and Taxes—Heather Graham
Table for Two—Jeff Ryan
Treatment—J.A. Konrath
Dead Clown Séance—Christopher Welch
The Day the Devil Swallowed a Heapin' Helpin' of Pride at the Beaulahville Gospel Jubilee—Scott Nicholson
Piecemaker—Don d'Ammassa
Good Breeding—Lucien Soulban
Tails—John R. Little
Dog Tired (of the Drama!)—L.A. Banks
A Sweet Girl for Todd—Mark Onspaugh
Dark Carbuncle—Kevin J. Anderson & Janis Ian
Tastes Like Chicken—Jordan Summers
Pre...
Death and Taxes—Heather Graham
Table for Two—Jeff Ryan
Treatment—J.A. Konrath
Dead Clown Séance—Christopher Welch
The Day the Devil Swallowed a Heapin' Helpin' of Pride at the Beaulahville Gospel Jubilee—Scott Nicholson
Piecemaker—Don d'Ammassa
Good Breeding—Lucien Soulban
Tails—John R. Little
Dog Tired (of the Drama!)—L.A. Banks
A Sweet Girl for Todd—Mark Onspaugh
Dark Carbuncle—Kevin J. Anderson & Janis Ian
Tastes Like Chicken—Jordan Summers
Pre...
February 17, 2010
WIP Wednesday: Oscillation Edition
Over the weekend, I received a rejection for Rock Gods & Scary Monsters that kind of inspired me. I've been kicking around a new YA idea (well, vamping some of my old ideas into something new, anyway), and said rejecting agent suggested he/she might be interested in seeing my next "thing".
But my problem: plot development...namely development of subplots.
This, I believe, is where short story writing hurts. My longer work is too focused (at least too focused to be commercial, I guess). My WIP i...
But my problem: plot development...namely development of subplots.
This, I believe, is where short story writing hurts. My longer work is too focused (at least too focused to be commercial, I guess). My WIP i...
February 15, 2010
In the Mix
Welcome to the 21st Century:
Author, 17, Says It's 'Mixing,' Not Plagiarism (via NY Times)
Eureka! I've been waiting for something to replace postmodernism, and it looks like it's found me. Remember all that mish-mash about who owns a story? Evidently everybody does!
Whoot!
Huzzah!
Hurray!
We live in a looped, remixed, reality-altered world, don't we? Reality TV? Sure...ever notice how, even though a "character" on a reality show sounds like they are saying a sentence, the film is obviously cut and...
Author, 17, Says It's 'Mixing,' Not Plagiarism (via NY Times)
Eureka! I've been waiting for something to replace postmodernism, and it looks like it's found me. Remember all that mish-mash about who owns a story? Evidently everybody does!
Whoot!
Huzzah!
Hurray!
We live in a looped, remixed, reality-altered world, don't we? Reality TV? Sure...ever notice how, even though a "character" on a reality show sounds like they are saying a sentence, the film is obviously cut and...
February 12, 2010
#fridayflash Barrel 2
Today's podcast, "Barrel 2", is dedicated to Jarron, Ken, and Mike. Where the hell are you guys, anyway?
This one's "not quite horror" but received a handwritten note on the rejection from Cemetery Dance (that and $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks).
Listen to "Barrel 2" or download for later with a right click and "save as".
Yes, this wasn't what I had "scheduled".
Patience.
Have a great weekend.
This one's "not quite horror" but received a handwritten note on the rejection from Cemetery Dance (that and $5 will get you a coffee at Starbucks).
Listen to "Barrel 2" or download for later with a right click and "save as".
Yes, this wasn't what I had "scheduled".
Patience.
Have a great weekend.
February 11, 2010
Vook: You're Kidding Me, Right?
First of all, thanks for the positive vibes yesterday. I'm suffering a worse-than-usual case of the Februaries. Spring is around the corner, and it has promised me some sunshine.
If you haven't heard about the "Vook", here's a sales pitch:
My response: lame .
If you can't view it, try this link. Or this one.
At first, I thought maybe for non-fiction...the cookbooks or exercise manuals where you really want to see how to do a certain technique. Then I realized YouTube already offers the same for f...
If you haven't heard about the "Vook", here's a sales pitch:
My response: lame .
If you can't view it, try this link. Or this one.
At first, I thought maybe for non-fiction...the cookbooks or exercise manuals where you really want to see how to do a certain technique. Then I realized YouTube already offers the same for f...
February 10, 2010
WIP Wednesday: The Black Hole of Suck
That's where I'm at right now.
My ideas suck. My writing sucks. The weather, while sunny, is cold as a well-digger's ass (or as my brother used to say: "a witches *** in an iron bra"--couldn't bring myself to type that three letter word for some reason).
My kids have been sick. I've been sick. My wife has been sick.
I've had a deluge of short-listed "no thanks" rejections this week. Ouch. Ouch! OUCH, already!
One would think I could channel this suck into a good story, right? My brain it seems, h...
My ideas suck. My writing sucks. The weather, while sunny, is cold as a well-digger's ass (or as my brother used to say: "a witches *** in an iron bra"--couldn't bring myself to type that three letter word for some reason).
My kids have been sick. I've been sick. My wife has been sick.
I've had a deluge of short-listed "no thanks" rejections this week. Ouch. Ouch! OUCH, already!
One would think I could channel this suck into a good story, right? My brain it seems, h...
February 9, 2010
Edit This
Does anyone edit anymore? By anyone I mean editors, and by editors, I mean those ladies and gents at the big houses.
I'm reading lost boy, lost girl by Peter Straub, and bammo, right in the middle of the book, he slips out of the 3rd person omniscient narration for a paragraph of 1st person confessional. I read and reread the section: did I miss a piece of dialogue? Was I confused? No?
It seems this slip of perspective was purely accidental. Ouch. I haven't mentioned the unnecessary insertions ...
I'm reading lost boy, lost girl by Peter Straub, and bammo, right in the middle of the book, he slips out of the 3rd person omniscient narration for a paragraph of 1st person confessional. I read and reread the section: did I miss a piece of dialogue? Was I confused? No?
It seems this slip of perspective was purely accidental. Ouch. I haven't mentioned the unnecessary insertions ...
February 8, 2010
The Act of Creation is an Expression of Madness
Les vielles (The Old Ladies)Francisco de Goya I'm crazy. Bonafide. If writing is a business, I failed a long time ago. Think of the simple cost/benefits analysis: how much time have I spent writing, revising, reading...only to produce a few stories which truly work. And the money? (Go ahead, point and laugh) Art is not business. Oh yes, it can be, but it isn't just by its nature alone. You can buy a print (technically a poster if you're in the "know") of Goya's painting. Someone...
February 5, 2010
#fridayflash Poe's Basement
"Damn, Jack. I told you we should have rolled him up in the carpet first."
"We still can. You have no imagination."
I stepped away from the spreading pool of blood. "No, dumbass. If you wrap him first and shoot through the rug, it doesn't splatter so much. Easier clean up."
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh. Right. Sorry."
"Look, we gotta do something with this mess." I waved the gun toward the kitchen. "What's in there?"
"Oh, I get it. Stairway to the basement." Jack nodded. "Like t...
"We still can. You have no imagination."
I stepped away from the spreading pool of blood. "No, dumbass. If you wrap him first and shoot through the rug, it doesn't splatter so much. Easier clean up."
Jack pinched the bridge of his nose. "Oh. Right. Sorry."
"Look, we gotta do something with this mess." I waved the gun toward the kitchen. "What's in there?"
"Oh, I get it. Stairway to the basement." Jack nodded. "Like t...
