We’ve all had those life-changing discoveries, those moments where we find things we could never imagine living without. Mine came with an obscure, underground small-press genre called bizarro fiction. In the summer of ’06, I visited Prague with my mother. My reading and writing at the time revolved around fantasy with bits of literary fiction … Continue reading How I Discovered Bizarro Fiction
writing
A Guide to Neurotic Editing
All last month and into this one, I’ve been editing like mad. Eraserhead Press (the largest bizarro publisher out there) is starting one of their yearly open submissions, putting the pinch on what is otherwise a leisurely task. Meanwhile, I’m struggling to rewrite a novel I wrote years ago that just won’t cooperate. This week … Continue reading A Guide to Neurotic Editing
10 Things I Learned: BizarroCon
BizarroCon was very educational. I learned not only many things about writing, but also about life and my fellow human beings. Without hyperbole, I can say the experience changed my life. Below are some of the many valuable tidbits I picked up. 1) Everyone is just as nervous as you are. Some are just better … Continue reading 10 Things I Learned: BizarroCon
BizarroCon 11
It’s the only time I’ve seen someone drinking a beer before 11 a.m. The only time I’ve witnessed such a deluge of imagination. The only time I’ve met such a friendly, cohesive group of people. BizarroCon is a four-day, alcohol-fueled whirlwind of creativity and bacchanalian insanity. I went for the first time this year. Day … Continue reading BizarroCon 11
A Snapshot of SNAP
A Look at My Latest Novel My least favorite question in the world: “What is your novel about?” I realize people are being friendly and interested and I should feel flattered, but God does it annoy me. Compacting 70,000 words into a few sentences is helpful when courting a publisher, but my succinct, rehearsed answer … Continue reading A Snapshot of SNAP
Who is Zé Burns?
To write a blog you have to have something to say or at least think you do. I probably belong to the latter category; nonetheless, here I am. I think the best way to start off is to let you know who I am and what I plan to do here. On this corner of … Continue reading Who is Zé Burns?
