Darius Jones's Blog: A Writer Begins, page 15

Ending (the Year) Where I Began

Just a short post today. Feeling good. Not about the world so much, as my place in it. For what that’s worth…I was going to post about my resolutions for next year, but that’s going to have to wait. Here’s what I’m doing today, not tomorrow.

Prepping a story for publishing
Good news: my flash fiction (less than 1,000 words) story “So You Found Me” will be published over at Between Worlds magazine. I loved this little piece from when I first sat down and wrote it, so it’s nice having it see th...

A Look Back at My Year in Writing—2016

2016 was a pretty good year for my fiction writing. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. This post follows an annual tradition: it’s the one time in the year where I look back at what I said I wanted to do way back at the start of the year and see how I did. It will also look at other things I accomplished. So, here we go.

1. I didn’t go to any Cons.
This was bit of a fumble. I wanted to go to two Cons (you know, those assemblages where fans and creatives get together and talk), but I didn’t...

Back to the Writing

…And I’m back. Just wanted to do a little something before the old blog gets too rickety. Well, I’ve had some good cider, completed a massive road trip from the East coast out to New Mexico (with a pit stop in Memphis!) and now I’m back.

….And I’m feeling a bit like Barton Fink in this scene. A bit worn and stretched thin. After all, we’re entering one of the busiest times of the year.

But here’s the good thing: I’m off this weekend to write. I’ll be working on the 3rd draft of my new story...

The Craft: How to Find Your Writing Routine

[This is part of a continuing series on the art of writing fiction.]

You’ve got to do what works for you. No less true in writing, than in life. And to do something well, you must do it consistently. And that’s where routine comes in.

I’m a big believer in routine, especially when it comes to writing fiction. For me, each writing day is the same: I get up, hit the gym, grab lunch. Then, it’s time for a late coffee and some light reading. Right about then, I’m ready to dive into the writing. I...

Forging Ahead with New Fiction

Well another writing week, and more fiction got done.

As I write this, I’m about to take off in the truck for a long weekend of cidering around rural Virginia. We’re going to take part in that old (and new again) American tradition of sampling hard cider. It’s good, because I’ve been busy and I need a little reward. Fermented apple juice is a great way to do that.

In fact, I’m just wrapped up the dreaded second draft of a new novelette (it’s about 14,000 words). The story is called The Numbe...

Rare B Sides: “The Search for Henri Le Fevre”

[This post is part of a series on literary works deserving of a wider audience.]

What is writing? What is literature? There’s a lot of people asking that question lately, especially after that little prize for Bob Dylan last week. I won’t delve into whether Dylan’s songs are great literature (I’ll save that for another time.) But one thing’s for sure: good writing has never been just about words on a page. It comes in many forms. Great writing can be found in a song or a movie script or a vid...

Yusuf Is Back

Yusuf ibn Yaqzan is back.

I have just completed a long story/short novella I’m calling “The Number Thief.” It features the protagonist of my earlier story “The Ghul of Yazd.” But this time, I’ve placed him further west, in what would become present-day Algeria. The story is over 14,000 words, so we’re talking about double the length of a long short story. I felt Yusuf was a strong, compelling character when he first showed up in the Ghul story and I think he had another great outing this tim...

Yusuf Is Back—Another Short Store Done

Yusuf ibn Yaqzan is back.

I have just completed a long story/short novella I’m calling “The Number Thief.” It features the protagonist of my earlier story “The Ghul of Yazd.” But this time, I’ve placed him further west, in what will become present-day Algeria. The story is just over 14,000 words, so for non-writers, we’re talking about double the length of a long short story. I felt Yusuf was a strong, compelling character when he first showed up in the Ghul story and I think he had another...

Today, I Write

Well today I was going to write a nice, fat blog post. It ain’t gonna happen.

I have a story burning a hole through me. And I have one chapter left. So, with only x hours to write today, I’m gonna spend that x the best way I know how: by writing fiction. So today, I write.

I will see you guys in a couple of weeks with a bigger post.

And if you’re a writer, I hope you’ll join me in writing today. Always remember: what separates writers from the rest is that writers write.

Until Next Time,

...

Off for Some Vacation

Hey Everybody, time to hang up the fiction and blog writing for a bit and head out for some very late summer vacation.

It’s true. I’m off to the North Woods again for some R&R, so I’ll see you next time here on the blog. I plan to be back Sept. 23 with a new post and some more news on how the writing is going.

Until then…

Keep Reading, Keep Writing,

Darius

PS…And take some vacation yourself, you deserve it!