Patrick Rutigliano's Blog, page 22
April 3, 2013
Interview Tag!
Greetings, gentle readers!
It’s been a busy, busy few months preparing Surviving the Crash for submission and working with beta readers on some new projects. However, when fellow writer, Doug Murano, requested my participation in a little online chain interview, how could I say no?
Oh, and you can find Doug here: http://muranofiction.blogspot.com/
What are you working on right now?
I just subbed out my first novel, Surviving the Crash.
How does it differ from other works in its genre?
Well, the time period is unique for one. The book is set in the aftermath of the stock market crash of 1929. The story is also different from the classic pulp tales I drew inspiration from as I relished twisting around a lot of the stereotypes present in those tales. And while an apocalypse has occurred, there are no zombies in sight.
What experiences have influenced you?
Reading H.P. Lovecraft’s stories in college made me interested in taking up writing. People can badmouth his prose style as much as they want, but few creators can match the scope of his vision. As to more practical matters, the blue-collar jobs I’ve held have been very informative in creating characters and writing dialogue.
Why do you write what you do?
I’ve loved horror since a tender age and that affection has only grown as I’ve gotten older. The genre is very therapeutic for the imagination. You can bend reality and do all the crazy things you can’t include in stories set in a normal world.
How does your writing process work?
Usually, an idea just slaps me upside the head. I start brooding over it, making a kind of mental outline. After that, I write a minimum number of words per day until the rough draft is finished. Then, the copious self-editing and beta reader work begins.
What is the hardest part about writing?
Probably the uncertainty that comes with it. It’s always tough pouring your heart into a story and having no idea if readers or publishers will connect with your work. I’ve also always found going through peer and professional edits a hair-pulling (but necessary) process.
What would you like to try as a writer that you haven't yet?
I think I’d like to try writing a screenplay at some point. I love movies and we are in dire need of some good ones right now, especially genre films.
Who are the authors you most admire?
Clive Barker (my favorite), Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Joe Hill, and Rod Serling. I’m also getting into Nate Kenyon and Rick Hautala.
Who are new authors to watch out for?
D.L. Snell, Richard Finney, and Dave Dunwoody are all relatively new and extremely talented.
What scares you?
Not much, but there are a few things. I think everyone finds the thought of eventually losing their loved ones extremely distressing. As to more unique issues, I hate extreme heights (flying is intensely nerve-wracking for me), and the prospect of being in a situation where I can’t move/care for myself.
Well, enough about me. Go check out these fellow writers a week from now and see what they have to say:
Kody Boye William Todd Rose
Ben Eads
January 16, 2013
Free at Last
Wow, a lot has happened in this writer's life since his last post. Surviving the Crash is waiting on its third round of edits, I'm finally submitting short stories to publishers again (and pro-pay ones at that), and my wife finally found employment. And the most important change? I quit my (day)job.
And it is awesome.
After five years, I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do for the better part of the last decade. I'm running my own life and doing the work I love. As always, the writing life is filled with hair-pulling frustration over details and constant rejection. But you know what? I wouldn't want it any other way.
If my life's going to be difficult, I want it to be so on my terms. If I fail now, it'll be on my head, and if I succeed, the victory is all mine. This is freedom. True freedom. And I intend to savor every minute of it.
And it is awesome.
After five years, I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do for the better part of the last decade. I'm running my own life and doing the work I love. As always, the writing life is filled with hair-pulling frustration over details and constant rejection. But you know what? I wouldn't want it any other way.
If my life's going to be difficult, I want it to be so on my terms. If I fail now, it'll be on my head, and if I succeed, the victory is all mine. This is freedom. True freedom. And I intend to savor every minute of it.
November 13, 2012
Screamin' Mad Squatchies
I've got book news for you all, and for once, it has nothing to do with my work: my talented wife, the awesome Hannah Rutigliano, has created and published her first comic book!
"Screamin' Mad Squatchies" is a parody of the first in Eric S. Brown's awesome "Bigfoot War" series, injected with a healthy dose of Hannah's wacky sense of humor and a fresh perspective on the plot.
Pick it up on Amazon for a mere ninety-nine cents if you want a quick and dirty introduction to "Bigfoot War" or just feel like a good, gory laugh.
GO GET IT HERE!
"Screamin' Mad Squatchies" is a parody of the first in Eric S. Brown's awesome "Bigfoot War" series, injected with a healthy dose of Hannah's wacky sense of humor and a fresh perspective on the plot.
Pick it up on Amazon for a mere ninety-nine cents if you want a quick and dirty introduction to "Bigfoot War" or just feel like a good, gory laugh.
GO GET IT HERE!
October 5, 2012
The Living Hell
Greetings!
And apologies for my unusually long absence. Busy as I was between writing and personal business, time flew by without me noticing much at all.
The rough draft of my new short story collection, "The Living Hell," is now completed at a little over 60,000 words. While a bit shorter than "Black Corners," this sucker comes packed with over twenty short stories and a new novella for you to dig your teeth into. There's ONE more story I may end up including should I finally get the sucker working right...
In addition, the fine folks in "Surviving the Crash" are on a business trip overseas. They've received a cheerful reception so far, and I can only hope that they continue to be successful in establishing business relations for me as my ambassadors. I'll provide more details on their successes or failures as they develop. Meanwhile, there's one long work I've been itching to form into a short novel or novella. It's hard to say if I'll get to work on that next or start (finally) slogging through some self-edits on the work I already have done.
We'll see.
And apologies for my unusually long absence. Busy as I was between writing and personal business, time flew by without me noticing much at all.
The rough draft of my new short story collection, "The Living Hell," is now completed at a little over 60,000 words. While a bit shorter than "Black Corners," this sucker comes packed with over twenty short stories and a new novella for you to dig your teeth into. There's ONE more story I may end up including should I finally get the sucker working right...
In addition, the fine folks in "Surviving the Crash" are on a business trip overseas. They've received a cheerful reception so far, and I can only hope that they continue to be successful in establishing business relations for me as my ambassadors. I'll provide more details on their successes or failures as they develop. Meanwhile, there's one long work I've been itching to form into a short novel or novella. It's hard to say if I'll get to work on that next or start (finally) slogging through some self-edits on the work I already have done.
We'll see.
June 24, 2012
Back to my Roots
After a fair bit of struggle, the second draft of "Surviving the Crash" has been sent to my editor. I always have a rough time coping with edits on anything, let alone something as long as a novel, so I'm enjoying a bit of a rest.
Sort of.
While I'm waiting for the next round of edits, it seems a good time to get to work on some of those short stories I've been putting off. Today's was the first one I've written in the better part of a year. Bloody well reminded me of why I used to enjoy them so much too. It's refreshing to rough out a piece in a day or two rather than one to six months. There's still quite a backlog of ideas to work through too...
Sort of.
While I'm waiting for the next round of edits, it seems a good time to get to work on some of those short stories I've been putting off. Today's was the first one I've written in the better part of a year. Bloody well reminded me of why I used to enjoy them so much too. It's refreshing to rough out a piece in a day or two rather than one to six months. There's still quite a backlog of ideas to work through too...
May 31, 2012
A Short Calm Before the Storm
It's been a busy month, but the rough draft of my new novella, "The Carrion Call" is now complete at 18,300 words. I think I'll enjoy a short break over the weekend before hitting the first full round of edits on "Surviving the Crash" next week. Hopefully, I'll manage to have the sucker ready for you all to enjoy before the end of the year. I'm not sure if much new work is going to get done in the meantime, but I'll see what I can manage.
Stay tuned.
Stay tuned.
April 14, 2012
Welcome!
I’m working to fix this place up as my new homepage. Bear with me.
April 8, 2012
And the Madness Continues
I just wrapped up the rough draft of my latest novella a few days ago. Shortly afterwards, it occurred to me that I have now completed five stand-alone books. That's a lot of long manuscripts (rough drafts or not) for a guy who only wrote short stories up to a couple of years ago. I've still got one (maybe two) big stories I'm itching to get to, but right now, the shorter tales are infecting my brain. Quite against my will, a second collection seems to be outlining itself, and there is going to be some weird, WEIRD stuff in there.
March 6, 2012
Blood Memories
After putting in some serious hours this weekend, "Blood Memories" is now completed at 30,000 words.
It's a nasty little novella, full of mental deterioration, murder, and contains one of the nastiest villains I've ever written. Like "Off the Grid," it's still a rough draft, but I hope to get to work on both in earnest after the novel is edited and published.
Speaking of which, I better hurry up and get back to my editrix!
It's a nasty little novella, full of mental deterioration, murder, and contains one of the nastiest villains I've ever written. Like "Off the Grid," it's still a rough draft, but I hope to get to work on both in earnest after the novel is edited and published.
Speaking of which, I better hurry up and get back to my editrix!
January 29, 2012
Blurbage
Just a quick update for you all. After sending a few queries, four excellent authors were kind enough to offer Surviving the Crash blurbs. I don't have any news on the edits yet, but I am nervously waiting for round one to start.
Meanwhile, I've started work on yet another novel. I'm a little over 4,000 words in at the moment. I should get far more done on it later this week. It feels good to escape the monotony of editing my own work into the ground for awhile.
Meanwhile, I've started work on yet another novel. I'm a little over 4,000 words in at the moment. I should get far more done on it later this week. It feels good to escape the monotony of editing my own work into the ground for awhile.
