Some of the myriad notebooks crammed into my study There are very few things I love more than the crisp, white pages of a new notebook. The massive stack on my shelves (as well as in storage) attests to that. Ever since I became semi-literate, I’ve recorded anything and everything. As a child, it was … Continue reading Too Many Notebooks
personal
Resolutions 2022 + Favorite Books
This year has been both too fast and too slow. Honestly, I was so caught up in surviving it that I neglected the resolutions I made. Certain things cropped up, which interfered with my success. Still, looking back at them, I did all right. Last Year’s Resolutions Here’s what I resolved to do in 2021: … Continue reading Resolutions 2022 + Favorite Books
Back to Bizarro
These past six months I’ve dedicated myself to horror—reading it, writing it, watching it. As a newcomer, there was so much to learn, so much to consume. These have been some of the most fun and most terrifying (in a good way) months of my writing journey. I even had a story accepted in a … Continue reading Back to Bizarro
The Best Cat a Boy Could Have
Queenie at age 19, still looking like a kitten A week ago, I lost one of my dearest friends. My cat Queenie, my constant companion of these past 19 years, passed away. She left this existence peacefully, but still it has hit me hard. I’ve found some solace reflecting on the 19 years of memories … Continue reading The Best Cat a Boy Could Have
Bizarre Books That Made Me a Writer
How did I become the writer I am today? Books, of course. Anyone who tells you that reading isn’t important for writing is a stinking liar. I can trace my evolution of thought and style precisely by examining the books that made the greatest impact on me. The Cloven Viscount & the Nonexistent Knight by … Continue reading Bizarre Books That Made Me a Writer
Work in Progress: GENERICA
I thought I’d take a break from my usual content to share with you the novella I’ve been working on. Fantasy was my first love. Much of my teens took place with my nose in a doorstopper by Terry Goodkind or Terry Brooks. Indeed my first foray into writing long fiction was a clichéd high … Continue reading Work in Progress: GENERICA
Writing Update (Winter 2020)
I will be turning 30 tomorrow, entering a decade of my life that I still can’t comprehend. Ten years ago, I resolved that I would be published by my thirtieth birthday. Technically, this is true. A few years back, I published a piece of flash fiction on Bizarro Central, but when I made this promise … Continue reading Writing Update (Winter 2020)
Writing Update (Fall ’19) + Hiatus
Writing Update A lot has happened since my last writing update. If you recall, I had begun my first foray into horror, a novel-inside-a-novel entitled The Autobiography of M. Well, I finished the first draft. It was not all I wanted it to be, but still had promise that several more drafts could bring out. … Continue reading Writing Update (Fall ’19) + Hiatus
Why I Put a Book Down
When to put a book down and why is a contentious topic with almost as many opinions as readers. My father, for instance, never puts down a book. He will read it until the end no matter how much he dislikes it. I’ve seen a rule floating around that if you’re under fifty, you should … Continue reading Why I Put a Book Down
Writing Update (Summer 2019)
As I recover from a nasty cold, I thought I would take a break from my usual content to give my readers an update on my own writing—the question I'm asked most these days. I took several months off from long fiction to write short stories, a relatively unexplored medium for me. (Though novels take … Continue reading Writing Update (Summer 2019)
Zé Burns | Blog 