Recently, I've been putting in 5 to 7 hours of reading and writing a day. I’m in training. Like any athlete, I need to condition, to push myself, to master the skills of the game. This may seem excessive, but Stephen King recommends at least 4 to 6 hours daily and Dean Koontz is known … Continue reading Training for a Novel (Writing Update)
What I Read – June 2022
This was one of those wonderful months where every book I read was gold. No, I’m not King Midas. I just had luck when picking books off my shelf. As such, I would recommend all the books below—especially if you’re looking for well-written, exciting horror. I’m putting a moratorium on buying books until I attend … Continue reading What I Read – June 2022
From Plotter to Pantser (Writing Update)
If you had told me a couple years ago that I would forsake my meticulous outlines, I would have never believed you. Writing a story is analogous to an old sea voyage. You can start with the nautical charts ahead of time or you can set out on the seas and see where the wind … Continue reading From Plotter to Pantser (Writing Update)
What I Read – May 2022
Read widely. It’s on nearly every writing how-to article out there. But while it is always my intention to explore new genres and vary my reading, I end up sticking to the same type of books I always read. So, I invented a regimented system, specifying the exact order in which I would read different … Continue reading What I Read – May 2022
Inspiration & Snails (Update)
I’ve remembered why I love writing so much. This past month has been one of inspiration and productivity, my best of 2022. With my lowered medication, my brain is firing on many more cylinders. And what I accomplished below is evidence of that. I’ve noticed—and you may have as well—that my recent writing updates have … Continue reading Inspiration & Snails (Update)
My Top 25 Bizarro Books (As of Now)
Certain books stay with you for life. They worm their way into your thoughts when you least expect them to and you can revisit them in your mind whenever you need that escape. No genre does that more for me than bizarro fiction. In a recent post, I mentioned that Mykle Hansen’s The Cannibal’s Guide … Continue reading My Top 25 Bizarro Books (As of Now)
Working on a New Novelette (Update)
In my last blog post, I preached my new positive and productive outlook in the face of my cognitive troubles. My execution? Decent not great. I certainly accomplished far more than I would have if I had stuck with my doom-and-gloom philosophy. My New Project Image via Wikimedia Commons I needed a project. My current … Continue reading Working on a New Novelette (Update)
Thinking Positively and Productively
“You only fail if you stop writing.” – Ray Bradbury. I came across this quote shortly after posting last week’s grim update. In it, I had effectively given up writing until the fog of my medications cleared. And who knows how long that would be? Bradbury’s words pulled me back. Yes, I might create a … Continue reading Thinking Positively and Productively
Writing & Reading Update – March 2022
I don’t like to get too deep into my personal life on this blog, but this is a writing update and some personal issues have affected my productivity. This was a bad month at baseline, enough to hamper my work. To treat this, my doctor doubled my medication. This higher dose screwed with my brain … Continue reading Writing & Reading Update – March 2022
How I Write a Novel
Some of my novel/novella manuscripts I believe that there are very few rules to writing. No one way to do it. For instance, one of the most common designations of writers is plotter or pantser (i.e., outline or no outline). I am firmly (if not obsessively) in the former category, but for every author it’s … Continue reading How I Write a Novel
Zé Burns | Blog 