One of the dozens of maps I made for my first novel, circa 2005 I was going through the dozens of notebooks in my closet—some twenty years old—when I came across notes from my very first novel, a fantasy “epic” entitled Thalamus the Great. The nostalgia overwhelmed me and I started rooting through my old … Continue reading My First Novel
writing
Writing Update – April 2021
You can find March’s update here. The first half of April was a productive time for my writing. It started with a week off from Babou 691—Spring Break, if you will. I dove into the outlining process. My goal was to turn my premise into a plot by the end of the week. Unfortunately, even … Continue reading Writing Update – April 2021
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
Author Interview: Danger Slater
I received the wonderful opportunity to interview Wonderland Award-winning author Danger Slater. He did not disappoint, answering as only Danger can. You can find my review of his novel Impossible James here And my review of his novella He Digs a Hole here Enjoy! -- ZÉ BURNS: When did you start writing? DANGER SLATER: The … Continue reading Author Interview: Danger Slater
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)
How I Discovered Bizarro Fiction
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
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
Zé Burns | Blog 