The Velvet - Will Christopher Baer Craig Clevenger Stephen Graham Jones

Stephen Graham Jones - "Secret Maps"

Flash — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:20:05 GMT

Heavy editing while writing first draft.

Cuervo — Wed, 16 May 2012 04:21:17 GMT

I just want to see if I'm not alone with this; I know plenty of people write their first draft straight up, then go back and edit it, work around it, etc.

In my case I can spend five or six hours on my chair writing, and by the end of the day I probably only wrote ten paragraphs, if I am lucky, with so much red markings and corrections the page looks like a piece of white meat with bloody gashes.

I don't like writing straight up on the computer, and usually my first drafts are in fact drafts for the first draft, which is also hand written, so it is a very slow process and I've been thinking about how I could optimize it. I'm unemployed at the time and I really am not worried about finding a job, to be honest, so I have plenty of time on my hands (even though I haven't written much in the last three weeks, I usually go in and out of depression, feel unmotivated, the works)

I just wanted to know if some of you guys also heavy edit while first drafting and/or what tips could you spare a brother out?

Thanks, cheers.

John August's Blog: "Leaning into the weirdness"

Logan_Frost — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:16:45 GMT

I admire the way Happy Endings has morphed from another sorta-like-Friends show to its own weird beast. I wouldn't want to be friends with any of these narcissistic self-defeating chatterboxes, but I like them together.

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John August's Blog: "Let�s talk about dialogue"

Logan_Frost — Tue, 15 May 2012 17:10:30 GMT

Screenwriters can learn story and structure, but the ability to create real, tangible characters is more elusive -- and ultimately more important.

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Stephen Graham Jones' Blog: The Croning

StephenG.Jones — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:08:55 GMT

#leftcontainerBox {float:left;position: fixed;top: 10%;left: 70px;}#leftcontainerBox .buttons {float:left;clear:both;margin:4px 4px 4px 4px;padding-bottom:2px;}#bottomcontainerBox {height: 30px;width:50%;padding-top:1px;}#bottomcontainerBox .buttons {float:left;height: 30px;margin:4px 4px 4px 4px;}I’ve hit both Laird Barron’s collections, of course — if you’re going to play in the horror fields, his bloody square of grass goes for an acre or two — and, in the way of disclosure, he was kind enough to pen the intro for my first horror collection, and I know and respect him as a quality human besides, so of course I was going to hit The Croning, first chance I got. As for that first chance, though, it got lost in the void, evidently; not even a month before the book hit, one of my other publishers finally forwarded a longago request from Nightshade, to look at The Croning early. At which point it was already printed, ready to ship. So there was all that instant regret, the raging at the gods, I could have hit it then, wouldn’t have had to wait, but, still and all, that wait, it was so worth it. And, as a gauge: the book I read immediately before The Croning was the first in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Which, Charles McCarry’s Paul Christopher series aside — and maybe not aside — is looking to be my favorite series ever in the history of anything, also counting the future. Reading Martin, I don’t want to do anything else. Like eat, or move. Just Kindle me another, please, and it better get here in thirty seconds or less or I’m buying it again, and again. So, yeah, book 2 of that, it’s* . . .

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having trouble with large threads

egladeb4 — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:50:46 GMT

for some reason i can't get to 'what are you reading now'. i'm guessing it's because of size? whenever i click on the thread, or last post or anything, the screen goes white and doesn't seem to be trying to load anything. suggestions?

Guys, I need help. Advise on Contradictions.

poe300 — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:54:57 GMT

So I'm writing a story about a sort of generic bourgeois trust fund kid in Los Angeles, and I mean I'm also trying to make it unique which is the challenge about a story like that, but anyway someone wanted me to write a short about windmills and I did, I wrote it like a chapter from the story that I'm writing that may not ever fit in my story but it might in some parallel universe of it... If that makes any sense.

But anyway someone else read the short and it's only 4 pages long, but he said that he thought that the main character was contradicting himself by some of things that he was thinking, and that it was a flaw in my writing. This sentence is an example

'I kept the radio off, even though I could use a distraction from the perfectly controlled and measured chaos in my life.'

I mean I thought it made sense in a way, and it didn't even seem like it was necessarily a contradiction. I mean I still stand by it but I need some advice.

Stephen Graham Jones' Blog: Video Review of Growing Up Dead in Texas

StephenG.Jones — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:54:11 GMT

The Avengers

poe300 — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:30:13 GMT

I saw Avengers at the midnight showing in 3D when it came into theatres. I liked the Iron Man movies and I've loved Robert Downey Jr. since Shane Black's masterpiece 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang'. So I was basically going to see it for him before the reviews came in.

So then I saw on Rottentomatoes that it got like 90 some percent. So I saw it and even though I don't think it deserved a rating that high, it was way good.

I mean Tony Stark was kinda of the rock star of the film, but it was pretty solid. And I mean the last scene in the movie was even with Tony and Pepper.

But Joss Whedon has kind of been a role lately I have to admit. Good stuff.

Need help trying to get some editing work

egladeb4 — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:45:39 GMT

i have recently realized that i missed my calling as an editor and i'd like to do something about it. a couple years ago a friend of mine asked me to read his book and i had a great time editing it. a few months ago, he wrote another one (which was fucking awesome by the way, i hope he can get it published) and asked me for help again. i had such an incredible experience working with him on the book as i felt like i was adding value and i realized i have to find a way to not only do it more, but get paid for it. also a year or so ago a friend of mine asked me to do a favor for her screenwriting partner and help him edit his 650 page manuscript down to half the size. it was quite a favor. but i believe i was successful. i think i'm good at and i want to do it for money.

so i guess ultimately the knowledge i seek is a) how much can one charge for this, if i were to say offer my services to writing groups like the velvet or workshops and such? is it by the hour? the project? should i just post here, that i'll edit your work for x dollars? and b)what are the possible opportunities to work on a more consistent basis for an agency/publisher? i'm no spring chicken. it's not like i'm a college student looking for an internship. but i know i'm really good at this.

all feedback appreciated.

Stephen Graham Jones' Blog: Couple cool things

StephenG.Jones — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:41:07 GMT

#leftcontainerBox {float:left;position: fixed;top: 10%;left: 70px;}#leftcontainerBox .buttons {float:left;clear:both;margin:4px 4px 4px 4px;padding-bottom:2px;}#bottomcontainerBox {height: 30px;width:50%;padding-top:1px;}#bottomcontainerBox .buttons {float:left;height: 30px;margin:4px 4px 4px 4px;}New story up at DIN, “Secret Maps” (they’re the best kind). More stories soon, too, in excellentcool places. June will be all linky. “The Ones Who Got Away” made it on/to EWN’s Short Story Month. My weird flowhcart at Weird Fiction Review is all BoingBoing‘d up, thanks to Cory Doctorow. Growing Up Dead in Texas is e-vailable, at least on Amazon. Paper copies June 12th (plural on copies because you’ll want a clutch of them of course, and then some more just to wing at birds). Tour schedule’s stacking up for it, too. California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Kansas, Massachusetts maybe, New York. I think the schedule’s going to be posted at MP. Or maybe it already is. And, launch party: 12 June, 7:30pm Stories BooksandCafe 1716 Sunset Blvd,*Los Angeles, CA 90026 RSVP at the Facebook event, if you want. Or just show up in a bathrobe with your hair going every which way, a martini glass in-hand, your eyes focused on some distance the rest of don’t have access to. And, I put the Growing Up Dead in Texas blurbs up on its page, here. Joe R. Lansdale, Lidia Yuknavitch, and Craig Clevenger. Kind of a dream team, or at least who I want on my side should the zombies come knocking and moaning. Also, many book contracts in the works right now. More on that later. Also also: the only thing I want to do with my life anymore is read The Song of Ice and Fire. And I hope they never end. Too,* . . .

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John August's Blog: "Scriptnotes, Ep. 36: Writer�s block and other romantic myths � T

Logan_Frost — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:51 GMT

The original post for this episode can be found here. John August: Hello and welcome. My name is John August. Craig Mazin: My name is Craig Mazin. John: And this is Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters. How are you, Craig? Craig: Doing all right today. I finished up [...]

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE VELVET!

egladeb4 — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:51:01 GMT

hey all. i know i am super fucking late to the party. but holy shit on warmed and bound! i think it's been maybe 2 and a half fucking years since i've posted, and yet this group has never been far from my mind. last night i was pushing ledfeather onto my book club of tribeca moms who, unfortunately, while being quite intelligent, just don't always want to work so hard. but i was pushing. so today i went to amazon just to revisit the reviews and remind myself of the lovely details of the book. i saw such a spot on review that i clicked on the reviewer (something i never do) and saw that one of his recs was WARMED AND BOUND and i literally shouted out. i am so thrilled for you guys i can't even tell you. i feel so proud and privileged to have once been a part of this group. in fact for awhile i was tearing thru the posted stories like wildfire and just loving it. i ordered the last copy and will buy it for my kindle as well. cannot wait to read it. have to finish feast of crows and then read oryx and crake before my next book club, but then i will dig in.

sigh. i miss this group. i really miss posting my what i'm reading now and coming across new comments and questions to the authors' old stuff. i have turned so many people on to all three of these guys and i've always thought, oh maybe i'll go on and just list the books i've read, and now i have to catch up with a list of about 50. i just had so much more time on my hands before i had kids. anyway, enough rambling. again, congrats to all. i will try to post that list soon.

e-Growing Up Dead in Texas

StephenG.Jones — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:49:56 GMT

is live at Amazon.

Stephen Graham Jones' Blog: Growing Up Dead in Texas playlist

StephenG.Jones — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:49:10 GMT