For me, there is no greater feeling than seeing my name in print. I received that honor a few days ago when my copy of It Calls From Below arrived in the mail, containing my story “The Installation”. I’m eager to see what my fellow contributors wrote. Now that I have three stories published, I've … Continue reading Evolving as a Writer (Update)
personal
The Fickle Finger of Fiction
Creativity is fickle, coming and going without rhyme or reason. This month, try as I might, I had a deficit of inspiration, as if my muse took a vacation without telling me. Still, I found ways around this. Short Stories Between now and September, I hope to submit at least one story a month. I’ve … Continue reading The Fickle Finger of Fiction
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
Finding My Rhythm (Writing Update)
This was one of those months that reminded me why I’m a writer. I’ve found the right rhythms, balanced multiple projects, and felt part of the community. At the moment, I’m hurrying to get a story finished that has a deadline in a few days (more about that below), but I thought I'd take a … Continue reading Finding My Rhythm (Writing Update)
I Finished My Rough Draft! (Kinda)
The title says it all. After 2 months of planning and 3 months of writing, my linked collection, Stories From the Infinite City, is finally complete—half a month later than I had originally planned. It is made up of a novella and 12 short stories, coming to a total of 48,000 words. This past month … Continue reading I Finished My Rough Draft! (Kinda)
Productivity & Deadlines (Writing Update)
This month started as a jog and ended as a sprint. I was hoping to announce that I had finished the rough draft of my collection Stories From the Infinite City. I had timed it perfectly—or so I thought. This week, I received a laundry list of edits for my recently accepted story “The Installation.” … Continue reading Productivity & Deadlines (Writing Update)
Resolutions 2023 + Top 10 Books
Why do I keep making resolutions? I never complete them all. For me, they provide structure. While I know I may not accomplish everything I’ve set out to do, I realize that doing something is better than doing nothing. I kept that in mind when I wrote this year’s resolutions. Via Wikimedia Commons Last Year’s … Continue reading Resolutions 2023 + Top 10 Books
My Short Story Method + Writing Update
After much trial and error, I think I’ve finally found the writing method that works the best for me. At least, for short stories. It blends elements of both pantsing and plotting, providing structure and freedom at the same time. It's not wholly original, but rather an amalgam of different advice I've been given over … Continue reading My Short Story Method + Writing Update
An Elegy for Twitter?
I avoid talking about current events and divisive topics on this blog, but there are some things I want to share about the state of Twitter and what the site means/meant to me. For the unfamiliar: Elon Musk’s recent acquisition of Twitter is causing a ruckus. His big plans for the micro-blogging site are not … Continue reading An Elegy for Twitter?
Living to Write (Update)
Create. Submit. Create. Submit. This process was daunting for the longest time. Now it has become something I live for. For the first time in my life, I feel like a real writer. I found my rhythm this month. I checked off all the boxes of what I wanted to accomplish and had some pleasant … Continue reading Living to Write (Update)
Zé Burns | Blog 