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
personal
Short Story Fever
I did the whole writing thing backwards. I started out writing novels, all through my teens and into my late 20s. It wasn’t until 2018 that I became serious about short stories. My enthusiasm for the short form has only grown since. And lately, I’ve decided that I want to focus on it exclusively—at least … Continue reading Short Story Fever
Outliner’s Disease
Authors of speculative fiction often joke of “Worldbuilder’s Disease.” One spends so much time working on their setting that they neglect the project they’re creating it for. About six months ago, I experienced a similar affliction but with plotting. I try to accomplish three things before I start writing a first draft. I begin with … Continue reading Outliner’s Disease
Living by Heinlein’s Rules
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to improve my work ethic. I envy authors like Robert Silverberg and Brian Keene who put out quality work consistently and prolifically while balancing multiple other projects. While I’m nowhere close to them, I’ve found a set of rules that I think will help me achieve my resolution. … Continue reading Living by Heinlein’s Rules
1st Draft Finished
Earlier this week, I typed the two most satisfying words: THE END. Considering that this is the first long project I’ve drafted in three years, the satisfaction was double. It’s called Beyond the Dark Shore, a cosmic horror novella. And I almost didn’t finish it. The idea came to me in 2020. Its first iteration … Continue reading 1st Draft Finished
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
Writing with Passion
For me, a writing project needs passion to succeed. These last six months, I’ve been writing stories that, while they interested me intellectually, I wasn’t passionate about. And ultimately, they failed. There was no heart in them, and I didn’t particularly bond with the characters. My latest project, however, has reinvigorated me and reminded me … Continue reading Writing with Passion
Science Fiction Fever
I’ve learned more about writing in the last six months than I have in twenty years as a writer. I accomplished this with the help of two invaluable books and a plethora of informative YouTube videos. Unfortunately, this new knowledge has made me want to rewrite everything I’ve ever written. September marks the seventh month … Continue reading Science Fiction Fever
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
Zé Burns | Blog 