I love it when my writing clicks. I’ll spend an hour forcing myself to press one key after another and then suddenly the whole story opens before me. These are the moments that make me love writing. Fortunately, this month was full of those. Short Stories Last month, I mentioned that I was working on … Continue reading When Everything Clicks (Writing Update)
The Infinite City
Evolving as a Writer (Update)
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)
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
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)
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
Maintaining Momentum (Writing Update)
I am notorious for starting projects and not finishing them. There are half a dozen unfinished novels on my computer and about 30 short stories that never survived past the first draft. But I feel my current WIP is different. I’m 3 months into it and I’m even more enthusiastic about it than when I … Continue reading Maintaining Momentum (Writing Update)
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)
Building a World
There is a certain god-like satisfaction in creating a world. With ink and paper, you can breathe life into a setting that would otherwise exist only in your mind. This past week I’ve been doing just that. Worldbuilding has been a favorite hobby of mine for as long as I can remember. I was around … Continue reading Building a World
Zé Burns | Blog 