August has been a chaotic month--but in the best way. It started with KillerCon, followed by a brief respite, and then Worldcon. Still, I found time to work on the rewrite of my shared world collection Fall of the Infinite City. With this project, there have been ups and downs, exhilaration and exhaustion, even moments … Continue reading Reading, Rewriting, and Worldcon
fantasy
Resolutions 2025 + Top 10 Books
I recently came to the embarrassing realization that I’ve achieved none of my resolutions this year. My failure mostly stemmed from the fact that my interests and goals changed over the course of twelve months. That said, I accomplished a lot, learned so much, and evolved as a writer. I found a new home in … Continue reading Resolutions 2025 + Top 10 Books
A Spontaneous Novella
Many of my best stories started out as accidents. I would be messing around with words and ideas for no real purpose when out of nowhere a complete story would blossom in my mind—plot, characters, and all. In the case of M: The Plastic Prometheus, it turned out to be an entire novel. Earlier this … Continue reading A Spontaneous Novella
Building a Mythos
For years, I’ve wanted to tell stories that have different exteriors yet share a common thread. They could take place in the past, future, or present. Set on Earth or in a world far different than ours. They could span the spectrum of speculative fiction. Yet all these stories would be interconnected, taking place in … Continue reading Building a Mythos
A Detour into Fantasy
I’m entering the fifth month of my new obsession with science fiction and fantasy (SFF). Last month, I focused solely on sci-fi. The genre is somewhat new to me, and I wanted to build a foundation by reading the classics and penning some stories. April, however, has been all about fantasy. I read some great … Continue reading A Detour into Fantasy
The Next Chapter
With my novel finished, I’m ready for the next chapter of my writing journey. But what to do? I love this freedom, a thousand directions I could go in. After much thought, I’ve decided to get back into writing short stories before I start another long project, but not necessarily horror. Before I go any … Continue reading The Next Chapter
My Novel Graveyard
I have trouble finishing long writing projects, which is why it felt so great to complete the final edits of my latest novel last week. First drafts take me no more than a couple months to write. I’m in the zone, obsessed with the words I’m putting on the page. The problem comes later. I’ll … Continue reading My Novel Graveyard
Exploring New Genres (Writing Update)
I have long been a mono-tasker. In the past, I’ve stopped writing for months if I’m editing a long project only to return to the craft unpracticed. Like weightlifting, I need to keep at it, or my gains will go away. This month I managed to balance multiple projects at the same time and was … Continue reading Exploring New Genres (Writing Update)
Stephen King Month (What I Read – Aug 2023)
As an adult, there isn’t an author whose work I’ve enjoyed more than Stephen King. I decided to immerse myself in some of his lesser-known work. But the main reason why I chose these books was because of their spines. They form a rainbow, and you know how I obsess over cohesion. Unfortunately, I couldn’t … Continue reading Stephen King Month (What I Read – Aug 2023)
My Shelf Tour
One of my first posts on this blog was entitled Books as a Drug, in which I talked about bibliomania and my impulsive purchase of 81 Dragonlance novels. Well, four years later, I’ve doubled (or maybe even tripled) the number of books I own. For me, buying books is intoxicating, and once they’re on my … Continue reading My Shelf Tour
Zé Burns | Blog 