Dev Jarrett's Blog, page 4
January 29, 2013
Keep doing that thing you do...that's how you get better.
I write. It's my thing. I do it because I like to, and I've kept going in spite of some tough breaks.
The first story I ever sent out, "Mrs. Pomeroy's Garden," won me First Place (and a t-shirt) in a contest. A couple of years later, some morally bankrupt and talent-free subhuman plagiarized the story and won a hundred bucks.
Soon after that, I sent a story out called "Window Dressing." It was published in an anthology called One Step Beyond, and the dickbag that published it STILL hasn't had the decency to pay me. I don't know how many copies of the book have sold since 2008, and I don't particularly care. The place has since gone under, and I'm cool with that. At least that way they won't fuck anyone else.
I read somewhere that if you devote x number of hours to doing something, you will become masterful at doing it. I forget the number, and who the hell keeps track of the time spent doing something you like to do, anyway? But the thing is, the writing's getting better. "Well of course it is," I hear every English teacher I've ever had saying. "Don't be a jackass...practice makes perfect."
Perfect? Not by a long shot. Better? Absolutely. Yesterday I went through a short story I wrote called "Ambrosia" with comprehensive line edits by a professional editor and it struck me that I haven't had to do that before. I've also got a novel in my inbox with the same type of professional editing, and an actual deadline to get it back to the editor. In the past, I've sent a story, the editor accepted, and I crossed my fingers that it wouldn't get too mangled, but now, it feels like I'm moving up to the big kids' table. It's a good feeeling, and I'm going to keep striving for more. I told someone recently that when I'm writing, I'm not competing against someone else. I'm only trying to do better than I did last time. So far, it's working out okay.
Upcoming--I hope to have cover art to share for the Morpheus Tales Special Apocalypse Issue, which will have my story "Songs of Goodbye," and final cover art for Horror Library, Volume 5, which will include my story "Ambrosia," mentioned above. I've got a couple more short stories out, and I hope to have news to share on them soon as well.
Until then...keep reading, and I'll keep writing.
--Dev
The first story I ever sent out, "Mrs. Pomeroy's Garden," won me First Place (and a t-shirt) in a contest. A couple of years later, some morally bankrupt and talent-free subhuman plagiarized the story and won a hundred bucks.
Soon after that, I sent a story out called "Window Dressing." It was published in an anthology called One Step Beyond, and the dickbag that published it STILL hasn't had the decency to pay me. I don't know how many copies of the book have sold since 2008, and I don't particularly care. The place has since gone under, and I'm cool with that. At least that way they won't fuck anyone else.
I read somewhere that if you devote x number of hours to doing something, you will become masterful at doing it. I forget the number, and who the hell keeps track of the time spent doing something you like to do, anyway? But the thing is, the writing's getting better. "Well of course it is," I hear every English teacher I've ever had saying. "Don't be a jackass...practice makes perfect."
Perfect? Not by a long shot. Better? Absolutely. Yesterday I went through a short story I wrote called "Ambrosia" with comprehensive line edits by a professional editor and it struck me that I haven't had to do that before. I've also got a novel in my inbox with the same type of professional editing, and an actual deadline to get it back to the editor. In the past, I've sent a story, the editor accepted, and I crossed my fingers that it wouldn't get too mangled, but now, it feels like I'm moving up to the big kids' table. It's a good feeeling, and I'm going to keep striving for more. I told someone recently that when I'm writing, I'm not competing against someone else. I'm only trying to do better than I did last time. So far, it's working out okay.
Upcoming--I hope to have cover art to share for the Morpheus Tales Special Apocalypse Issue, which will have my story "Songs of Goodbye," and final cover art for Horror Library, Volume 5, which will include my story "Ambrosia," mentioned above. I've got a couple more short stories out, and I hope to have news to share on them soon as well.
Until then...keep reading, and I'll keep writing.
--Dev
November 3, 2012
Brain matter transplants result in...bad things.
Welcome to November, folks! It's been awfully busy here. A couple of weeks ago I finally got all the hardware removed from my leg injury from last year (note to self: given the opportunity, inflict absurd amounts of pain on any insurgent dickbag you find). The pieces look like struts from a really stupidly-expensive racing bicycle. So I've been laid up, and my wife has been incredibly patient with my bitching and moaning.I've finally gotten off the couch, and can sleep in our actual bed upstairs! No more Sofa City for me. While I've been down, and dreaming those strange Oxycodone dreams, I've also tried to stay busy: I've been working on Casualties, and a couple of short stories have found their way to The End.
The newest issue of Hungur Magazine is now available from Sam's Dot Publishing (link to the left, or on "The Work" page), and it's got a story of mine, "The Gospel According to Olive Oyl," in it. I love the cover. Support small press publishing! Buy it!
In other news, the publications I've been looking forward to seeing really become available, the titles from Wicked East Press, seem to have hit a snag. I'm not sure if it's a time crunch issue, or a money issue, or something else, but hopefully it will work itself out soon. I'm not alone wondering what the deal is...other contributors have made increasingly stressful queries on the Wicked East forum pages, but most are met with either silence or a "We're working on it..." response. Getting that response once, maybe even twice, might seem okay...but I know it would never fly at my office.
I've also submitted a savage little piece to Zippered Flesh 2. It concerns a brain matter augmentation, and its horrid results. Yucky. Hopefully, I'll get good news from the editor on that one in the next week or two. It looks like a fantastic anthology, coming soon from Smart Rhino Publications.
More to come, on everything. I know it's late, but Happy Halloween! I hope you all had some great scares!
October 6, 2012
Ready-Made Meme
My son and I went to the bookstore, just killing time browsing while the girls were doing the real shopping (something we, thankfully, were able to escape this time), and laughing at all the strange self-help manuals. It seems if you want a new smart phone and use it to its fullest capabilities, you also have to purchase these massive grimoires that tell you precisely how to cast the proper spells--err, apps-- with it. Some of these things are such esoteric gadgets that they can hardly be called "phones" anymore. The telephone function seems almost a footnote to the other capabilities.
We were about to leave that particular aisle when he pointed something out to me. Among these massive Idiot's Guides to everything, there was a tiny book pushed deep into the shelf. We could barely even see it. "Dad! It's like a ready-made meme!" He was right...so naturally I had to take a picture of it.
We were about to leave that particular aisle when he pointed something out to me. Among these massive Idiot's Guides to everything, there was a tiny book pushed deep into the shelf. We could barely even see it. "Dad! It's like a ready-made meme!" He was right...so naturally I had to take a picture of it.
September 26, 2012
"Death means nothing, there is no end..." --Slayer
So stoked! I came into work tonight (yes, currently my "day job" is having an identity crisis) and I see that Blood Bound Books posted a welcome to me, with a teaser for my book. Hell or High Water comes out next summer...the first of many many novels to come.
Even though I've got one novella already published, the novel experience is a whole different ball of wax. The Blood Bound Books guys are great--they're cool, they're communicative, and they are making me--the relatively inexperienced guy who just makes up stuff--feel right at home.
So Marc, David, the whole gang over at Blood Bound...Thanks! (And yes, I quoted Slayer just for you!)
Even though I've got one novella already published, the novel experience is a whole different ball of wax. The Blood Bound Books guys are great--they're cool, they're communicative, and they are making me--the relatively inexperienced guy who just makes up stuff--feel right at home.
So Marc, David, the whole gang over at Blood Bound...Thanks! (And yes, I quoted Slayer just for you!)
September 11, 2012
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” ― Groucho Marx
I'm noticing a huge upswing in politically-charged postings on Facebook recently. Yeah, I understand that it's an election year, and for some, emotions will run high. I'm not sure what posting your views will actually accomplish, though. I don't give a damn who anyone is voting for. I won't be changing my vote simply to vote like someone I know. That would be stupid. It's no one else's opinion I'm giving inside the booth. That's what the secret ballot is all about, right? My vote, my business.
It's everyone's right, of course, to speak their minds, no matter what anyone else thinks. So, yeah, make whatever wildass claims you want, whether they're liberal or conservative. No one will stop you. I, for one, will let self-proclaimed experts say whatever the fuck they want, then vote the way I see fit.
Make good decisions, though. Don't base your opinions on what someone else says on Facebook. Remember, it's the same unmoderated forum that falsely reports deaths and virus alerts, misquotes everyone from Bill Nye to Stephen Colbert, and lures us down a million different rabbit holes every day.
Like Mark Twain said: "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."
Take care of each other. Everything else will work itself out
It's everyone's right, of course, to speak their minds, no matter what anyone else thinks. So, yeah, make whatever wildass claims you want, whether they're liberal or conservative. No one will stop you. I, for one, will let self-proclaimed experts say whatever the fuck they want, then vote the way I see fit.
Make good decisions, though. Don't base your opinions on what someone else says on Facebook. Remember, it's the same unmoderated forum that falsely reports deaths and virus alerts, misquotes everyone from Bill Nye to Stephen Colbert, and lures us down a million different rabbit holes every day.
Like Mark Twain said: "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please."
Take care of each other. Everything else will work itself out
August 29, 2012
"Wanna see something really scary?"
Today I got word that the Morpheus Tales Special Biopunk issue is called Ripped Genes. I like it. It's got a nice sound to it. It comes out sometime in September, but the preview is available now. To give you a gander at the authors in the issue, the preview is here:
http://issuu.com/morpheustales/docs/rippedgenes
As soon as I have purchase information, or a link, I'll attach it to the cover image over on the "Works" page. When it comes out, you have three things to do:
1. Get it.
2. Read it.
3. Sleep with the lights on. While it's not strictly horror, I'm sure much of the biopunk themes touch on the horrific.
Take it easy. More on the way.
As soon as I have purchase information, or a link, I'll attach it to the cover image over on the "Works" page. When it comes out, you have three things to do:
1. Get it.
2. Read it.
3. Sleep with the lights on. While it's not strictly horror, I'm sure much of the biopunk themes touch on the horrific.
Take it easy. More on the way.
