Vagabondage Press Blog

Author Insides - Jonathan Slusher

2012-01-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Jonathan Slusher is a native of the Garden State, now living in the San Francisco Bay area. He has a MS in Environmental Science and has spent the past six years — two of those abroad in France — as a stay at home father. You can find recent work by Jonathan in Paper Darts Magazine, Toasted Cheese Literary Journal, and on his webpage at www.waterlanding.net.

Jonathan's short story "That Far to Deep River" appeared in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I realized that I wanted to be a writer gradually alongside with my reluctant acceptance of being a failure as a conversationalist.

Why do you write?

I’m not a quick thinker. Writing gives me a second chance to come up with all of the things that I wish I’d said in person. Also, whether writing them down or just imagining, creating stories is a great way to get someplace else, straightaway.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I am still only in the beginning stages of taking myself seriously as a writer. I want to continue to write purely for pleasure, but I do shamefully admit indulging in the occasional delusion of grandeur.

What do you think makes a good story?

This is hard to say, but I prefer good story telling that is enhanced, not overly enriched with straightforward, meaningful prose.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Literary fiction is my favorite genre, but I am also not ashamed to admit being a huge fan of Robert Parker, J.K. Rowling, and Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

If I have to choose one favorite author I’ll go with Paul Auster. He’s so bold. Not every book is one my favorites, but each is almost always a new invention in itself. I read The Book of Illusions years ago and it is still very fresh in my mind.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The short stories of T.C. Boyle make me want to search harder for my own secret formula.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Even during the times when everything I owned fit neatly into a few plastic clothing baskets I’ve always kept a perfectly worn out, hardcover copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. It isn’t even one of my all time favorites, but it was the book that made me crave stories with a purpose.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I have a lot of story ideas that I’d like to get out, but don’t always know how. Attempting to find the right words to bring these ideas to life can be inspiring, sometimes it can be frustrating, and the challenge can be good or bad depending on my state of mind.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Although it would probably be a good idea I don’t have much of a schedule. I do, however seem to make far better use of my free time when I don’t have very much of it.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Early morning at the kitchen table when everything is still and I have a strong cup of coffee within arm’s reach: that’s the most fruitful setup there is.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Editing is hard for me. The waiting aspect of publishing is extremely tough. I also still regret self publishing my first novel.

What are your current projects?

I’m just finishing The Room Above the Garage, which is a short story about a jealous husband –who is supposed to be out of town--lying in wait in the room above the garage to find out if his wife is cheating on him. He’s worried about getting caught and he can’t decide how many evenings will be enough to ease his suspicion. As usual, I have no idea if it will be worthy of publishing or doomed to join the collection of other duds lurking throughout the unorganized files on my hard drive.

What are you planning for future projects?

I’d like start working on a second novel. The first one took me almost two years and I gained fifteen extra pounds. I’m just now finally getting back in shape.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Try your best to write for your own enjoyment and avoid getting bogged down with worrying about how your writing will be received by others.

Where can we find your work?

You can find my work in Paper Darts Magazine and Toasted Cheese Literary Journal. I also have a personal website at waterlanding.net

Author Insides - April L. Ford

2012-01-22T07:00:00.002-05:00

April L. Ford lives in New York state, where she teaches French at SUNY College at Oneonta. She's working on a collection of fiction called The Poor Children, that includes "Isabelle's Haunting." When not writing or teaching, she travels to her native home of Montreal, Quebec in pursuit of authentic French coffee and pastries. Vive les croissants et le café au lait! You can find her online at http://www.cogentwords.com.

"Isabelle's Haunting" appeared in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, April?

Not until my early twenties—at least professionally. Before that, I had used writing as either a private hobby or a tool for good grades in college … perhaps I shouldn’t admit this, but I figured out early on that, in some cases, a grammatically sound paper could steer attention away from content and research deficits. I no longer engage in this practice, of course!

Why do you write?

I’m not designed to do anything else quite as effectively, I’m afraid.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I didn’t have a fixed idea about how it would be, probably because I came to the reality later than some. I feel a bolt of despair whenever I read about a successful author—dead or alive—who published his or her first novel at age twenty-one. What was I doing at that age? There are days when I fear I’ve “missed the boat” (whatever that really means); that is, I decide I should have been serious about writing from the moment I could use a crayon. But then I look at how I’m actually living now—as a writer—and I feel validated. It’s not a glorious existence, but it’s full of little luxuries and freedoms that suit me just fine!

What do you think makes a good story?

A good writer.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I love family drama / saga stories, and creative non-fiction about events in US history from about 1890 onward. I’m generally fascinated by the macabre, and my poor husband and friends have to hear about my obsession du jour until I talk it out of my system and write a something.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Let’s say the perfect baby would come from Iris Murdoch and Jeffrey Eugenides.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

As an adult: Faulkner and Nabokov have taught me about beauty in prose, and register; Anne Tyler, Kaye Gibbons, and Russell Banks have helped me figure how to tell stories about people—everyday, idiosyncratic people; and Joyce Carol Oates has given me a lesson or two on horror. As a teenager, before I ever imagined myself as a writer: V.C. Andrews—My Sweet Audrina, in particular.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Numerous from the abovementioned pool of writers.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Definitely not by force. Whenever I try to will a good story into existence, I generate mechanical, lifeless prose that can’t be rescued even by careful rewrites. This isn’t to say good ideas, characters, and stories float from the heavens right to my fingertips, but I’m at my best when my psyche is well fueled—a state of being over which I don’t have perfect control, so I’ve learned to manage what I do have control over: The fuel. I read whatever attracts me, I watch television and film for pleasure, and I converse incessantly about things that interest me. Perhaps hedonism is the engine for inspiration?

What does your family think of your writing?

We all have a different opinion of what it is, exactly, that I do. Fame and fortune, no doubt, would clarify things some.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I have spent the last decade organizing my life around my writing. Generally, I wake up at absurd morning hours and write until the other demands of the day (like teaching, and my vanity about personal fitness) begin.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I need the command of silence when I begin a new piece, but I prefer the background drum of coffee shops when I edit.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Starting and finishing.

What are your current projects?

A novel.

What are you planning for future projects?

Another novel. One more novel. HBO television series (everyone has a dream). More short stories.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

A break from writing can mean the weekend off, or it can mean a month off. It can also mean a much longer period, and it’s dangerous to think, “I’m not a writer if I haven’t written in the last year or three.”

Where else can we find your work?

http://www.cogentwords.com

Author Insides - Flower Conroy

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

Flower Conroy’s poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in: American Literary Review; Serving House Journal; Psychic Meatloaf; Ghost Ocean; Sweet: A Literary Confection; Labletter; Saw Palm; BlazeVox; Interrobang!? and other journals. She will be attending Fairleigh Dickinson University’s MFA program in January.

Her poetry has also appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Flower, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a child I began writing these “pieces.” They were exciting because of how they were structured. What I didn’t fully understand at the time was not that I was inventing a new way to write but that I was discovering poetry. Being a writer wasn’t something I wanted to be, it was something I just was. I was writing, therefore I was a writer. But it seems like in the last several years the idea of being a writer has really gripped my mind, and I am conscientiously working toward that goal.

Why do you write?

I am never bored writing. In fact it’s the opposite; I get great satisfaction out of writing. I get naturally high writing. It’s meditative; it’s cleansing; it’s wild and surprising. It’s play. It’s fun work; it’s puzzle making and solving. It’s seeing what one can get away with. Like looking though a kaleidoscope, the experience is never repeated, it’s always fresh.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Oh, it is much more glamorous than I ever imagined: will I ever get used to the paparazzi? Seriously, it is like anything worthwhile: you need to work, work, work, work, and work some more. (I think there are still romantic notions of what the writer’s life is like.) My life as a writer is ever-evolving. I’m pursuing my MFA. I’m getting poems published. I’m trying to do the best I can.

What do you think makes a good story?

The great stories have been told, archetypically speaking. (Think of the clichéd example of “West Side Story” being a retelling of “Romeo and Juliet.”) Something must be at stake and you must have interesting, nuanced characters or it’s a sunk ship.

I think there is a different type of story being told in poetry than in fiction.

What is your favorite genre to read?

As a poet, I read poetry. It is my passion, and I believe it is crucial for writers to read their genre de jour. That sounds so obvious, but…maybe it’s still worth saying. There is a certain level of discipline and patience needed when reading poetry; often I’m left feeling flabbergasted (sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a not so good way).

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Asking me my favorite poet is like asking a five year old what they want to be when they grow up. Today it’s Maggie Smith. Yesterday it was Amy Gerstler. Two months ago, Dean Young. Once it was Charles Simic. One cold weekend, Brenda Shaughnessy. Anne Sexton and I have been whittling away the evenings in bed for the last few months; I wouldn’t say a favorite but definitely important. Wislawa Szymborska, how I adore you. There was my love affair with Sharon Olds, Pablo Neruda, and Charles Bukowski. It can be dangerous to have a favorite poet; I prefer continually becoming obsessed verses focusing and fixating on only one poet. I have too much to learn. Without meaning to sound trite or religious, I would say the author of this conscious world is perhaps the greatest poet.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a writer?

When I was younger, I enjoyed the pick your own adventure stories and Snoopy comic books. I read the slender young reader encyclopedia set that we bought month by month from the grocery store. The Babysitter’s Club series. Anne Rice and Stephen King, my mother’s romance novels, mythology stories. I was reading a lot of fiction but writing poetry.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

I attended Episcopal Church in my youth and I loved the language and imagery of the stories and psalms. The stories my father would invent definitely influenced me.

Where/ how do you find the most inspiration?

How do you dig a big ditch? Start digging, and keep going. Ask the archeologist how she finds a dinosaur bone: by digging. I dig; I dig into my heart, my imagination, my fear; I dig into other writing: I read. I dig through pictures, books, words, experiences. I’m sifting, sorting, gathering, rearranging. You make inspiration like you make fire: start rubbing things together—something will ignite. Inspiration is a proactive occurrence. I scour magazines: Elle Décor is chock full of textures and visual stimuli and often the language is equally provocative. Old art books. Yahoo! News. I invent or revisit writing exercises—I still use Richard Weems’ fiction prompts for my poetry. Or actually exercise: a few jumping jacks gets the blood flowing. I am in no short supply of finding inspirational sparks because I want to find inspiration, I want to discover. Uncover. Pick apart. Reassemble. Dig in, dig in.

What does your family think of your writing?

My cousin Shane (who I consider my brother) is a wonderful champion of my work; for years he has accompanied me to The Cape May Poetry and Prose Getaway where I have subjected him to impromptu poetry readings. He recognizes when I revise poems, and agrees or disagrees with me.

My parents were always supportive of me writing whether or not they understood or enjoyed what I had written.

I think for the most part, my family is unfamiliar with my poetry; they love and support me because they love and support me: I think they want to understand and know what my poetry is about but I have been stingy in sharing it with them.

What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

I try to dedicate Mondays and Wednesdays to writing/revising. During the week in the mornings I research publications. At evenings and nights I am reading. I also always carry books with me so that if I have some down time at “work,” I can stick my nose between some pages but I’m usually too busy or the shop is too hectic so I might pick up a magazine instead (in which case, I always read with the intention of stealing some interesting tidbit from.) If I’m not reading, I wish to be writing; if I’m not writing, I wish to be revising; if I’m not revising, I wish to be reading.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I play “twinkle” music—new age, wordless music (I don’t like complete silence, and anything with words is too distracting). I like to burn incense but it isn’t necessary. If I’m writing by hand, I prefer Pilot Pens, #5 or 7 and the paper must be immaculate. Physically releasing tension before beginning to write is effective. I keep a little bottle of essential oil on my desk and I will anoint myself with aromatherapy.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I find the greatest challenge creating the heartleap—the moment when an internal leap occurs and you feel yourself slip into a wormhole but it is so instantaneous you almost wonder if it happened. When a door behind you opens but when you turn around there is no door. When your mind is jarred in or out of reality. Getting the memory down, the thought down as it feels in my mind. Recreating that emotive sliver in my audience. Making sense out of the—as Eminem would say—“Crazy insane or insane crazy.”

What are your current projects?

My current projects include: organizing my poems into chapbooks and book length collections; vetting my publication resume; and pursuing my MFA. For personal fun, I’m experimenting with Dadaistic poetry exercises.

What are you planning for future projects?

As I mentioned, I’m about to embark on my MFA journey; I imagine that will happily occupy most of my future projects. Down the road (this is more of a goal than an actual project) I would love to be invited on the panel of the Key West Literary Seminar the next time they showcase poetry, so I am purposefully trying to build a poetic foundation that will earn the credentials necessary to garnish an invite.

Do you have any advise for other writers?

Read, read, read and read. But if you only do one thing—read. A lot.

Where else can we find your work?

American Literary Review; Oberon; Serving House Journal; Psychic Meatloaf; The Moose & the Pussy; Ghost Ocean; Sweet: A Literary Confection; Lavender Review; Labletter; Saw Palm; BlazeVox; Interrobang?!; Cliterature

Brief Bio:

Flower Conroy’s poetry has appeared/is forthcoming in: American Literary Review; Serving House Journal; Psychic Meatloaf; Ghost Ocean; Sweet: A Literary Confection; Labletter; Saw Palm; BlazeVox; Interrobang!? and other journals. She will be attending Fairleigh Dickinson University’s MFA program in January.

How to Send a Query Letter - Publishing Basics

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

How to Send a Query Letter

Struggling to get noticed for your writing talents? Craft a professional calling card that will help you sell that first project to a literary agent or publisher.

Author Insides - Craig Steele

2012-01-08T07:00:00.020-05:00

Craig W. Steele is a writer and university biologist whose musings occur in the urban countryside of northwestern Pennsylvania where he lives with his wife, their two children and one rubbish cat. He writes poetry and stories for both children and adults, and teaches environmental biology at Edinboro University. His haiku and senryu have appeared recently or are forthcoming in Modern Haiku, a handful of stones, Asahi Haikuist Network, Three Line Poetry, Prune Juice, Magnapoets, Grey Sparrow Journal, Haiku Pix Review and elsewhere.

His haiku were also published in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase

Craig, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In my seventh-grade English class, when we had a short-story writing contest. We had to read our stories aloud and I found that sharing my imagination with others was a huge thrill.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t not write; the ideas and words gamboling around my mind have to get out or I’d go crazy.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Difficult to answer. I really had no firm expectations going in. I have found that, in today’s crowded, competitive market, it’s more difficult to break through to publication than I had thought it would be.

What do you think makes a good story?

Realistic, even if the story’s a fantasy.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Science fiction, especially military science fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Tough question, I like so many. Among authors, I’d say David Weber, Jim Butcher and J.D. Robb. For the “older generation” of poets, Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson; among contemporary poets, Jennifer Reeser and Kim Addonizio. And my favorite haikuists are Helen Buckingham and Bob Lucky.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Jennifer Reeser’s poetry books, Winterproof and An Alabaster Flask.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I find inspiration through my family, everyday experiences and nature. For the most part, my poetry deals with: the effects of the past on the present; the effects of the present on the perception of the past; our everyday interaction with nature; my family; and whatever peculiar, interesting, overlooked or neglected oddities I feel deserve notice.

What does your family think of your writing?

They’re supportive and are always pleased for me whenever I get an acceptance, however, none of them like haiku, or tanka (!!). My kids enjoy my children’s poetry, but are a bit too young for my non-children’s poetry (though my son does try and seems to like some of it). My wife is a visual artist and has little interest in “word art.”

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Highly variable. It depends on the demands of my day job, my family, and how cooperative my muse is being.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I’m not sure this is a quirk or a ritual, but I find I write best while relaxing in my lounge chair and writing in a spiral-bound notebook.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Revision!

What are your current projects?

My children’s poetry critique group is currently sending round a manuscript of bug poems. We had a group anthology of spooky poems published last year by Marshall Cavendish titled, An Eyeball in My Garden: And Other Spine-Tingling Poems, and hope to repeat that accomplishment.

What are you planning for future projects?

I’m working on poems for two chapbook ideas, one dealing with storms (both natural and human) and the other, poems about winter.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t ever give up. Enjoy the experience because writing for yourself really is more important than writing for publication.

Where can we find your work?

Most recently, my haiku have appeared in Modern Haiku and the Aurorean and online at Three Line Poetry, a handful of stones, and Asahi Haikuist Network. My “regular” (non-haiku) poetry has appeared recently in The Lyric, the Aurorean and online at The Earth Comes First! and Willows Wept Review.

Author Insides - KJ Hannah Greenberg

2012-01-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

KJ Hannah Greenberg gave up all manner of academic hoopla to chase imaginary hedgehogs and to raise children. After almost two decades of belly dancing, home birthing, herbal medicine making, and occasional basket weaving, she dusted off her keyboard and began to churn out smoothings, vegetable soup, and more creative work than might be considered proper for a middle-aged woman. To date, dozens of venues have accepted Hannah's poetry, and her short story, "Deferring to Family Custom" appeared in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

You mean I had a choice? When I was small, I majored in sandbox, crayons, and words.

Why do you write?
I can’t help myself. I’ve tried to curb my impulses, but I have better luck stymieing my reach toward chocolate and my passion for tweaking my hair than abating my reflex to craft stories about gelatinous monsters or than forestalling my spontaneous tendency to fashion poetry about the ills of social institutions.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
I began working as “a writer” by authoring newspaper columns for a city paper and for a community paper at age fifteen. By age eighteen, I was fortunate to see a musical of mine, Watercolors, produced. The University of Iowa took me on, as a graduate student, before I was twenty-one. Subsequently, I jumped tracks and became an academic.

For more than a decade, I was a serious scholar whose emphasis was rhetoric and whose specialty was the nexus of philosophy and language. I wrote for communications and semiotics journals, visited Princeton University, as a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar, and was, otherwise, sincere about my association with language.

Fortunately, my highbrow life was interrupted by my having babies. Babies are messy. Babies are unruly. Babies can bridge a person from a relatively synthetic career back to reality.

I homebirthed most of my sons and daughters and nursed all of them through toddlerhood. Additionally, I dug up my lawn, and, in the place of that sod, planted wildflowers, herbs and vegetables. What’s more, I learned belly dancing and basket weaving. Whereas I continued to teach communication and sociology courses, I had become somewhat feral in my thinking.

Fourteen years after I’d embrace untamed mentations, my family moved to “a foreign country.” Once here, I realized that my kids were: getting bigger, able to stick glue in each other’s hair without my guidance, able to stick peanuts up their noses without my aid, and able to breed dust bunnies under their beds without my help. Also there are few positions here for professors that lack a fluent command of the local lingo. So, given the means, the motive, and the opportunity, I returned to creative writing.

Oddly, folks liked my words. Being yet ever so impressionable, I internalized their praise and wrote a lot more. That playing around begot: writing awards, including two Pushcart Prize nomination, writing responsibilities at various publications, writing workshops, and even more writing. My actualizing me as a writer/poet took a circuitous, weird and wonderful route.

What do you think makes a good story?
Sticky fingers, be they attached to a lizard, to a small child, or to an alien. Actually, interesting characters rock, but they fail to roll if not housed in a tight plot and expressed with careful regard to word choice. My top advice to other writers is “rewrite!”

What's your favorite genre to read?
Well-written texts, of any sort, taste yummy.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
I have liked too many sources to list. As a nerdy kid, I read: the prose of existentialists, medical books, classical speculative fiction, and contemporary novels. As a graduate student, I mostly read texts about sociology, psychology and philosophy. As a mother of wee ones, I read brief works of various types (albeit mostly intercultural short stories, children’s books, and essays about governance, hegemonies, or religion). Given parenting’s pattern of interruptions, I read mostly brief bits or collections thereof.

These days, I still read across genres. If I find an author whose work sings to me, I try to read everything that person has published. I equally enjoy hard core science, literary fiction, poetry, blogs, folklore, and parental musings. I read the work of writers who are friends as readily as I read the work of writers I will never know.

Sometimes, I find new material to read by looking at the publications of writers with whom I share venues. Other times, I find new material to read when I research a topic for a piece of my own writing. I am as apt to read, to enjoy, and to be marked by a nonfiction chronicle of whaling on the Atlantic Ocean as I am by a revenge fantasy, by an rant about morality, or by a tell-all focused on street life.

What does your family think of your writing?
I am Blessed to parent two adolescent sons and two adolescent daughters. Just keeping up with those continuum-raised, critically thinking kids gives me lots of mental business. It’s also the case that because such offspring remain unimpressed by my imaginary hedgehogs, well publicized chimeras, and bizarre descriptions of “important” events on outer worlds, my writing has to flash chartreuse before those kids will laud my efforts. Both as a source for content and as practiced critics, my kids write me.

However, my family thinks my writing is no more a remarkable quality of mine than are my fingernails or eyeballs. When I announce sales to them, they respond with questions about whose turn it is to do the laundry or with complaints that I bought brown, not white, rice again.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Schedule? Midlife mamas are a crazed species. True to nature, I write six days a week, with breaks for family, for exercise, for meals and so forth. I’m too old to slow down and too young not to hurry. At least when I’m writing, I’m not obsessing about chocolate or about mismatched socks.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Absolutely! I usually process multiple texts simultaneously. I might have ten, twenty, or more windows open on my screen at a time. Synergy floats my boat.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Aging. My skills have improved, but not to the extant that I hope they will develop. Meanwhile, I haven’t figured out how to grow younger. I hope to live long enough to write lots and lots.

What are your current projects?
During the next span, I hope to tackle my backlog of collected nonfiction, of collected short stories, and of collected poetry. I’m making modest progress in housetraining those puppies, i.e. in organizing them into books and in sending those books to publishers. Although I have been fortunate, b’ayin tova, in finding homes for some of ones I have already parceled, despite my inclination to work on many projects concurrently, I can only polish one book at a time.

Most immediately, a full-length collection of my poetry, A Bank Robber’s Bad Luck with His Ex-Girlfriend, was launched by Unbound CONTENT, in December. Copies can be ordered at Amazon.com or through UnboundCONTENT.

To quote the publisher;
In this new collection of poetry, KJ Hannah Greenberg takes on the topic of love with full poetic abandon. Tangling with fairy tales, disillusionment, regret, break-ups, hardships, and longevity, Greenberg doesn't shy away from the sticky side of sweet. Her poetry, didactic at times, representational at others, employs devices of style and unconventional usage to delve deeper meaning in narrative. A collection for those who know the course of love is as often fraught with adversity as it is suffused with light.

As well, Bards & Sages Publishing will be producing an assemblage of my short fiction, Don’t Pet the Sweaty Things, in March, and The Camel Saloon’s Books on Block will shout out a chapbook of mine, Supernal Factors in August. As well, I am in talks with another publisher, i.e. am precontract, about an anthology, which I hope to edit, of writings by young adults.

Interestingly, I turned down a contract for a novel and said “no thank-you” to someone who wanted to run with a collection of essays during the last calendar year. I might not (yet) be a big publishing house wunderkind, nonetheless, I have no reason to sign away rights for the amount of breathable oxygen on Jupiter.

What are you planning for future projects?
In February, I hope to be teaching an online science fiction writing course. As well, I plan to continue to make my weekly contribution to an international newspaper and my biweekly contribution to a parenting magazine. Electronic communication is not the wave of the future; electronic communication is the modis operatus of the present.

I’d like, also, to submit more of my novels and of my collected works to publishers, to find a intrepid agent, and to see this year’s books gain a respectable audience share (a girl can dream). Meanwhile, I want to continue to help emerging writers with their craft and to be befriended by wordies who are paces ahead of me.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Rewrite. Also, rewrite. Thereafter, rewrite.

Where else can we find your work?
My brief, my freestanding, i.e. individual, short works can be found in several dozen online and print literary journals.

In addition, I’ve serial blogs or columns for various venues, worldwide, including: Kindred (Australia), Natural Jewish Parenting, Tangent Online, The Jerusalem Post (Israel), The Mother Magazine (The UK), and Type-A Parent.

Check out KJ's poetry collection at UNBOUNDContent and Amazon

What is a Publishing Company - Publishing Basics

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

What is a Publishing Company? with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Will Writing Make Me Rich and Famous - Publishing Basics

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

Will writing make me rich and famous? with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

How Long Does it Take to Get Published - Publishing Basics

2011-12-16T07:00:00.004-05:00

How Long Does it Take to Get Published, with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Author Insides - Dylan Gilbert

2011-12-11T07:00:00.003-05:00

Dylan Gilbert spent many years in New York City working as an actor in everything from performance art to Shakespeare. He now lives with his wife and teenage son in New York’s Hudson Valley. His fiction has recently appeared or is forthcoming in The Westchester Review, Pearl, Slow Trains, Red Fez, and others. His website is http://dylansstories.weebly.com/.

His humorous short story, "Writer's Workshop," appeared in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Dylan, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I got into writing when I was about eleven or twelve. I started writing these humorous stories influenced by Mad magazine and my teacher had me read them to the class. I've been writing on and off ever since, but only got serious about three years ago.

Why do you write?

I've always had a need to express myself creatively, whether through drawing, sculpture, acting, or writing. It's just something inside me that kind of has to be released.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

I'm not sure how much I imagined it. I just kind of dove in. I did know, however, that there would be a lot of rejection. I was an actor in my early 20's and I understand that any field related to the arts is fiercely competitive.

What do you think makes a good story?

I think one part is it has to tell some truth that is universal, that people can relate to and maybe even help them see the world and themselves more clearly.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I guess I would say literary fiction, especially work that weaves in social commentary, like Tom Wolf's A Man in Full and T.C. Boyle's Tortilla Flat. I've really enjoyed some non-fiction lately, too, like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and The Warmth of Other Suns. A lot of nonfiction reads more like narrative now. I also enjoy African American literature and magic realism.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

It's a tie between Dostoevsky and Shakespeare. I also love T.C. Boyle, Isabelle Allende, Richard Wright, Murakami, Marquez, and many others.

What books or stories have influenced you the most as a writer?

Some novels where the writing is big and bold and brave and the stories quirky and intense have influenced me, like Drop City, East is East, and Budding Prospects by T.C. Boyle and Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem.

Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried has influenced me too. There's this scene where the guys have lost a comrade in battle and no one shares any grief or anything, but one guy just starts slowly blasting away a baby water buffalo. The scene is gruesome and makes you want to put the book down, but brilliant too because this character is expressing his horror and rage through action, not the narrator telling you how he feels. That scene and the whole book helped me better understand how to show where characters are at emotionally through action—and not always the action one might expect.

David Sederis's work has influenced me as a writer too. He's so skilled at finding the absurdity and humor in everyday situations.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The Autobiography of Malcolm X is one of many books that has influenced me as a person because it shows the possibility of growth and change and transformation.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

When I leave town, leave the "to do" lists, and the mundane routines, inspiration usually comes to me. A lot of my inspiration comes from places. When I visit somewhere, the area and the people there often spark a story in my mind. For example, I was in Ashland, Oregon a while back and saw this old guy on a farm and it got me thinking what his life must be like. Ashland is this groovy, new-age, hippie town—I love it. But I wondered what it's like to be an old-timer, someone who was there when there were mills and farms, no food co-ops or crystal shops. So I came up with a story about this lonely old guy who is kind of forced to develop a relationship with his hippie neighbors.

What does your family think of your writing?

My wife and son are very supportive. My three sisters are writers themselves, as is my mom. Everyone in my family digs it, but sometimes I burn them out, especially my wife, constantly asking them to read over my work.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I teach in the day and write in the afternoon and/or evening. Sometimes on the weekends and during the summer I'll shift my writing time to the morning.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I write best when there's things going on around me. Cafes, subways, and park benches are places where I like to write because of the sounds and movements in the environment. It feels like the action moves my ideas along.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Finishing. It's almost impossible for me to consider a piece done. I'm too much of a perfectionist and don't trust myself enough to feel like a story is really where it needs to be. I have dozens of short stories and even novellas that are 98% finished. Some have been hanging around for years.

What are your current projects?

I'm in the thick of about half a dozen short stories: "Ashland Man" (mentioned above), "The Dumpster," an experimental piece about a guy who finds relief by throwing away the junk accumulated in his house, "Jimi Talks to Me," a long short story about a guy who is obsessed with Jimi Hendrix, and others.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have a rough draft of a slipstream crime novella titled "The Vision" that I plan to revise and hope to get published. Also, I've begun collaborating with an independent filmmaker adapting one of my short stories, "Rules of the Game," into a screenplay.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

My advice is don't get too bogged down with one piece. When I was in college I wrote a one-act play that I thought could be produced and I got a meeting with a successful playwright to discuss my play. We sat over breakfast at a diner and he shared some things he thought worked well in the writing. When I asked him what I should do with it, he said put it aside and write another one. I was deflated by his response—I thought he would tell me what changes to make or how to get it produced—but now I realize he was right. I had gone as far as I could with that play and it was time to move on.

I've had to learn this lesson many times. I can get so caught up in editing one story or trying to get one particular piece published, that I stop writing new work for long periods of time. I think it's better to keep moving forward and writing new material, and not get stuck trying to perfect one piece.

Where else can we find your work?

I have links to most of my published work on my website: http://dylansstories.weebly.com/.

What Makes a Good Writer - Publishing Basics

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

What Makes a Good Writer, with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Author Insides - Natalie McNabb

2011-12-04T07:00:00.008-05:00

Natalie McNabb lives and writes in Washington State where her dog, Skookum, and cat, Mo, can usually be found beneath the trees of her Eden with a squirrel tail, an exhumed mole, or an up-flung mouse. She loves red — red dragonflies resting on bamboo stakes, red wine in her glass, red flip-flops on her red-toe-nailed feet — and words that caress, tickle, irritate or beat against her soul. Natalie was a Top 10 for The Micro Award 2011 and Top 25 for the Fish Short Story Prize.

Her story "Nineteen Degrees" appears in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Natalie, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I don’t have a specific “A-HA!” moment that triggered I-must-be-a-writer syndrome, but if there had to be a triggering moment, it happened when I was about ten. I had a friend who rode his bike with a pet rat perched on his shoulder. He let me try it too, and we had a great summer biking, losing the rat under the patio and coaxing it back out with some peanut butter, and getting into trouble for nailing our plywood fort to the side of his apartment. We were at that age when the world is still perfect, before puberty sets in and children mock one another for playing with rats or having the opposite sex as ‘just a friend.’ I shared stories from my green cloth-covered notebook with my friend, and he shared them with his dad. His dad read them and told me that if I continued writing I would be very good when I was his age. Though my writing had been nurtured by others, it felt as if he was the first adult who really took my writing seriously. Then, I did too.

Why do you write?

I have to write; it’s part of who I am and, if I don’t, I get moody. My husband doesn’t like me moody.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Writing is better than I imagined it could be: it’s therapeutic and you get to ‘live’ in others’ skin. I didn’t have the easiest childhood and teenage years and have probably saved a ridiculous amount on therapy because I write. It’s very freeing—I can floor it the wrong way on the freeway, say good riddance to people I’d like to, or cut a finger off, and it’s all harmless. As well, though, I have found compassion for others I might not have understood if I hadn’t examined a character as deeply as you must to be able to slip into their skin.

What do you think makes a good story?

A ‘good story’ is subjective, very personal, but I know what I like when I see it. A recent favorite is “Dinosaur” by Bruce Holland Rogers, which I received in a mailing from The Sun. I put the story—all 303 words of it—on my refrigerator at home and bulletin board at the day-job. Another recent favorite is Robert Swartwood’s 927-word“Chameleon Kid,” which I first read on PANK. Lately, I have been leaning toward shorter pieces, because I can read a complete story on the bus or a break at work and still have time to write my own stuff. I think shorter pieces ‘speak’ to our too-busy, ADHD generation for this reason, whether you like them or not.

What's your favorite genre to read?

What I read depends on mood, but I always come back to literary novels.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I love Shel Silverstein, Jane Hirshfield, Barbara Kingsolver (her fiction—especially The Poisonwood Bible—and poetry), John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Stewart O’Nan and so many others. It’s not fair to make me pick just one!

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The books and stories that have most influenced me as a writer are—all of them. I learn what I don’t like and shouldn’t do from the ones I deem ‘bad’ and what I do like and should do from the ‘good’ ones. I get something from each.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The Grapes of Wrath, “Dinosaur” by Bruce Holland Rogers, and The Thorn Birds. Why? Not completely sure, but they’re the first that came to mind. Perhaps it’s: the dialogue and reality of the first; with the second, the full-circle, completed feeling you get from a mere 303-word story, proving it can be done in such a short space; and, in the third, it’s the symbolism of that poor little bird singing its heart out as it beats itself to death upon a thorn. Now that I think about it, that’s what writers do, don’t we?

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

My inspiration comes from the people—with their oddities and beauties—around me and from watching them interact with this great big world around us all.

What does your family think of your writing?

Almost no one in my husband’s (very large) family writes, and so I think they’re a bit dumbfounded by someone who puts as much into their writing as I do. There is a thread of the arts running through my family though, and some of them probably understand.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I work full-time, like so many writers have to. So, my writing schedule consists mostly of mornings, weekends and lunch breaks. I am always reading or writing though in whatever free time I find.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Nothing odd or special. I don’t write in the nude or anything like that—don’t want to scare the family and pets. Wait. There is one thing. When writing, I ‘go away’ somewhere. My husband can walk in, have a full conversation with me while I’m writing, leave, and—later—I’ll know that he was there, but won’t have a clue what we talked about. This could be used to my teenage son’s advantage, though he hasn’t discovered it yet—that I know of. After an intense writing session it takes me awhile to come around to reality, too. My hope is that I never just stay wherever it is I go off to.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The most challenging part about writing is finding the time.

What are your current projects?

For the past year, my primary project has been to focus on plot and story, since I noticed I have a tendency to write ‘slice of life’ pieces, basically snapshots that relayed more emotion than story. Once I ramped up the plot and story in pieces I already had going, my publishing versus submission ratio increased. Current writing projects are a novella that began as an exercise in plot and story and flash fiction and poetry as the mood strikes.

What are you planning for future projects?

I plan to continue writing flash and poetry, but have a novel-length work I started last year. I put it on hold until I got plot and story down, and once the novella I am working on is finished I will go back to the novel.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

So many others say it, but WRITE. JUST WRITE. If you can’t find the time, find something else that satisfies you instead. If though, like me, nothing else satisfies you, you’ll find the time.

Where else can we find your work?

www.nataliemcnabb.com Links to my fiction, poetry and other miscellaneous writings are all here.

What is a Book Deal - Publishing Basics

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

What is a Book Deal, with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Author Insides - Larry O. Dean

2011-11-27T07:00:00.008-05:00

Larry O. Dean was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He attended the University of Michigan, where he won three Hopwood Awards, and Murray State University. His most recent chapbooks are About the Author and abbrev. Selected magazine publications include The Berkeley Poetry Review, Passages North, Big Bridge, Keyhole, and OCHO. Also a critically-acclaimed songwriter, Dean has numerous CD releases to his credit, including Fables in Slang (2001) with Post Office, Gentrification Is Theft (2002) with The Me Decade, and Fun with a Purpose (2009) with The Injured Parties.

His microfiction appears in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer, Larry?

I started reading from a very young age, and developed a love of language and narrative early on which came out in short stories and 'novels' I wrote. I was also a precociously talented drawer who read comic books voraciously and wrote and illustrated my own cartoons. I enjoyed listening to popular music on the radio and also started playing the guitar. By high school I was focused more on lyrics and songwriting, and it was around that time that I felt that rather than declaring allegiance to one discipline, calling myself a 'writer' seemed to encompass them all.

Why do you write?

Number one reason is, I write to please something in myself but I realize that such pleasure is hard to pin down and comes only after much agonizing. Let me add, however, that I'm not someone who revises endlessly but rather feels that it's good to get done with something and move on to the next. Nonetheless when I'm in the groove with something it obsesses me until I reach that indescribable moment when I feel it's finished. I also write for an audience but not with a particular one in mind. I like performing my work and part of knowing when something's done is based on audience reaction; sometimes it's laughter, but more so it's ineffable, more of a feeling I get in my gut or from the room itself.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I never thought in concrete terms of what it meant to be this thing, a writer. I'm sure when I was younger I saw the great range of personalities and outward modes of dressing or acting and probably romanticized some aspects of the writing life, but after awhile it became apparent that what a writer is has much to do with individual personalities and less with so-called trademarks of ways of behaving.

What do you think makes a good story?

There are many factors, but I can't boil it down to just plot or characters, because no two stories are alike. If it achieves what it sets out to do – whatever that means – then it's good.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I really enjoy well-written hardboiled fiction and satire. (There is some crossover there, I think.) By the former I mean writers such as Jim Thompson, David Goodis, James M. Cain, and Charles Willeford; I should also tangentially add the deeply psychological work of Patricia Highsmith. The descriptive bluntness and existential qualities of this genre has always appealed to me, and while it may not be reflected in my own poetry it is a constant reminder of what I define as great fiction. By the latter, such writers as Terry Southern, Charles Portis, John Fante, and Celine spring immediately to mind; I suppose you could also call it black comedy, but satire is much harder to do well than 'comic' or 'funny' fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I'll give you one apiece: Albert Camus and David Ignatow. Both were very influential to me at important times in my writing development, and both continue to amaze and inspire me.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Offhand, The Cry of the Owl, The Plague, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Winesburg Ohio, Masters of Atlantis, A Hell of a Woman, The Glass Key, Babbitt, South Wind, My Search for Warren Harding, Memoirs of Hecate County. The Great Gatsby, Ask the Dust, The Mind Parasites... Individual stories – that could take a while!

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

You could say any/all of the books, above, but Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet might be more applicable here, as well as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I love urban environments. Not necessarily the well-established pluses of being immersed in or having access to art and culture, but the volatile nature of people in close quarters who have to get along. Others can keep the leafy serenity of the country, or the homogeneity of the suburbs to themselves; they might even find that those environments stimulate or inspire them, and I would likely enjoy reading all about it. But I prefer cities and their unpredictability. This sparks my writing and my ideas.

What does your family think of your writing?

I am an only child. My father died when I was still in high school, but he never tried to dissuade me from anything I wanted to do. My mother was always a supporter as well of everything I chose to do. I was very lucky to have encouraging and nurturing parents, and my longtime girlfriend – not a writer herself, I should add – has always been incredibly supportive and patient.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I don't have a regimen. I used to do most of my writing late at night, because I worked nine-to-five jobs for many years and after getting home and taking care of whatever it was I needed to do, suddenly the day was done. Now that I teach, my schedule is more flexible (or erratic), and as such I have shifting periods where I'm busier for a few months, and then it lightens. My internal clock seems to be calibrated to moments of availability, but I do write as well (though perhaps not as much output-wise) through more frenetic times too.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Not really. I'm able to write in pretty much any environment – I don't need absolute silence, or a manual typewriter, or to eat an apple and two avocados in order to write. I know everyone has their own routines and I find other writers' habits fascinating, but sometimes I think those habits or quirks can become crutches and impede rather then feed the process. Better, I think, to try to be open to inspiration under any circumstances, even if one has to re-train themselves in order to reach that beatitudinous state.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

If you mean critically challenging to readers, perhaps my sense of humor, which is very particular. If you mean challenging as a writer trying to achieve something, perhaps finding and expanding upon an audience.

What are your current projects?

I've just 'finished' a full-length manuscript of poems, called Activities of Daily Living and I'm shopping it around. I single-quoted finished because as I said before, I think it's important to wrap up projects in order to move on to something else, but that doesn't mean I won't tinker with certain aspects if I happen to feel inspired to do so. I'm also working on my third solo album with producer Chris Stamey of The dB's, and embarking on the digitization of music I recorded when I lived in California that has never really gotten a proper release.

What are you planning for future projects?

More digitization and possible remastering of music, as above. I'd also like to explore more possibilities for shorter thematic works. I have come to enjoy the chapbook format as a means of focusing on a group of poems on a given theme. My earliest book-length publications were chapbooks, but they were chaps by necessity, not by design.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find what works for you, whether it's a routine or an approach. It will take trial and error, but when it's right you'll know (and feel) it. Writing for an audience is important, I think, but not catering your work to that audience so much as putting it out there to be absorbed. Anyone who says “I only write for myself” is lying because if that truly was the case, we wouldn't be reading their work. Write to please yourself, to live up to your own standards, and the readers will follow. Everyone isn't likely to appreciate you but that's perfectly fine!

Where can we find your work?

Recent chapbooks have been published by Mindmade Books and Beard of Bees; Amazon has a few older items that are still available, but a lot of my previous books are out-of-print. I have work forthcoming in online and print journals; Google me and see what transpires!

What is a Copy Editor - Publishing Basics

2011-11-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

What is a Copy Editor - with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Query Mistakes

2011-11-21T09:44:00.003-05:00

Orignally posted August 3, 2010:

Here's a great list of mistakes that could land your queries or submissions in File 13. Some good advice here:

http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/query-letter-mistakes.aspx

Some agents and publishers are fuss-budgets, so it never hurts to make your query slick and professional.

It may seem tedious to have to write and rewrite a query letter, but it's time worth investing. The whole point is to make the agent/publisher want to read your manuscript. If they're distracted by misspelled names, irrelevant information, bad grammar, etc., they're not going to want to invest the time it would take to read your work. The same way too much backstory, bad grammar, inconsistent characterizations, etc., will make readers put down your book unfinished.

What is an Editor - Publishing Basics

2011-11-18T07:00:00.002-05:00

What is an Editor - with Alexandra Pringle, Editor in Chief, Bloomsbury Publishing.

Excerpt - EXPERIENCED:

2011-11-16T07:00:00.002-05:00

Experienced ~ Rock Music Tales of Fact and Fiction
Edited Roland Goity and John Ottey; illustrations by Kimy Martinez
Buy / Amazon / B&N
Tour Diary (Excerpts)
By Sean Ennis

Day 15

Show’s off, and I’m trying to sleep under the Rattlesnakes’ dining room table. Their lead singer fingers through the Kama Sutra with his girlfriend. Their bass player left his kid’s car seat in the parking lot to make room for more beer. Someone calls for a mirror, and it’s for their eye make-up.

Southern California has been all cold rain and pigeons. No beach, no bikinis, no flamingos; I’m told that’s Florida — the only place we’re not going. Got bronchitis somewhere between DC and Santa Cruz and had no air on stage through Raleigh, Austin, Tempe. My lungs want to go on tour, too, find a better body. They’re sick of the smoke and damp and the party in the living room. Last night, I chipped a tooth on the mic trying to make it work, Clip blew a fuse, Warren’s cords got lost and Milk has broken every drumstick. Our van smells like a zoo, like the dark alley behind a zoo.

“Record sales are down,” Roger, tour manager, says, betting our band’s money away on gin rummy. But my boys are still cheery — the Mexican stuff being cheap here — and look, from under this table, to be walking on the walls.

Late night, the balloon deflates; then it’s just snores and NASA static from the stereo. A cat paws across all our backs, little claws. Clip changes his strings by flashlight, looking like a battlefield medic, eyes insomnia-wide, wire cutters in his mouth, playing the E and the A back and forth, listening close, as if for a heartbeat.

***

Author Insides - April Sopkin

2011-11-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

April Sopkin lives in New York, but not for much longer. Her fiction has also appeared in issue #4 of Makeout Creek. Her short story, "James Goes Out" appeared in the Autumn 2011 The Battered Suitcase

April, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Not entirely sure. As a little kid, I sat at the dining room table with a notebook for hours. I was too young for self-awareness. I was just doing it.

Why do you write?

Again, not entirely sure. As I get older and write more and finish more pieces, I discover more about the process and have a certain faith in it. I’d say that keeps me going.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

Of course not.

What do you think makes a good story?

Voice.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Right now, short stories in the speculative vein.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I’m sure I’ll regret saying this, but I don’t have a favorite. I’ve never read one particular writer exclusively for any period of time.

What books or stories have influenced you the most as a writer?

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. White Teeth by Zadie Smith.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Stop-Time by Frank Conroy. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Reading a lot and in a wide variety. Watching and listening to others, asking questions of their behavior. Hindsight.

What does your family think of your writing?

Proud and easily excitable. But they probably wonder where it’s all leading and when it’ll finally get there.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It varies every couple months. Any routine held too long will eventually lead to some boredom and eventual procrastination. Sometimes I’m at the desk at 6am. Sometimes I’m in a coffee shop phase.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

If I’m struggling with a story, I’ll switch to longhand for a while. And I wear headphones but don’t listen to music.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The first sentence. And deciding between first and third when I have a preconceived idea for a story.

What are your current projects?

Short stories.

What are you planning for future projects?

I set aside this year to specifically work on building an inventory of short stories – finishing them and submitting them. To help me do this, I applied to eight artist residencies and was accepted into four. My last one will be a month spent at the Jentel cattle ranch this winter. That’s as far into the future as I have planned.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you ride public transportation every day, write during your commute. Or write on your lunch break. Or get up an hour earlier and write then. Find the time that already exists in your life and start from there.

Where can we find your work?

I have a short piece published in issue #4 of Makeout Creek, which can be purchased at www.makeoutcreek.com.

Excerpt - Birch Hills at World's End

2011-11-09T07:00:00.004-05:00

Birch Hills at World’s End
Geoff Hyatt
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I’d never thought Kenzie was a psychopath. An accident waiting to happen, sure, but not a time bomb. Now, watching him and a French drug dealer drag a tarp-wrapped body out of a pickup, I wondered how I could have been so wrong.

“This little man,” René said with a laugh, “he is somewhat heavy.”

“Dead weight,” Kenzie grunted as he struggled to keep his end of the load up. “We need to go to the door around the other side, before the little high schoolers see this. They’ll freak—whoa!” Kenzie burst into jackal-like laughter and said, “His arm, dude!”

I could see it, hanging out from under the tarp, its stiff fingers dragging in the snow. I swallowed the scream quaking in my throat. I had no idea what these guys would do if they discovered me but was positive I didn’t want to find out.

“This is—errrmmmmm—morbid,” René grumbled. “I am not needing this.”

Snowflakes flitted in the moonlit air, like glitter on glass. Kenzie and René, rendered in a palate of grey and blue, lugged their dark cargo around the corner of the pole barn. The door creaked open then slammed shut, loud as a shotgun in the winter stillness. The December wind sliced through me.

I’d fled a dead dog only to encounter a dead man. I only came to this awful party because of Lindsay, who Erik was probably fingering in a coat closet by now. A sour taste washed into my mouth. Hyperventilating and dizzy, I staggered out of the bushes.

“Josh, don’t worry. He’s not dead,” said a girl-voice behind me.

“What?” I shouted as I spun around.

Lindsay stood there in her cloak, smoking a black cigarette from a long, brass holder. She looked like a thrift-store version of a thirties crime dame, afflicted with vampirism. A big army-surplus ammunition bag hung on her hip, on which she’d stenciled the words “KILL YOURSELF, NOW.” I appreciated her use of a comma. She wore one of those furry hats, the kind that usually make people look like puppy dogs, but it worked on her. The smoke she exhaled smelled like my mom’s Easter ham.

“The dog that Jason hit with the beer can,” she said. “He got up and ran off. I think he was just knocked out for a bit. No big deal.”

“It’s still mean,” I said, shuffling in place. I made a tiny white wall between my feet.

Lindsay laughed, lovely and quiet. “Everybody’s mean,” she said. “C’mon. I got to get inside or Amanda’s going to get drunk and take off her shirt or something.”

“Yeah.” I took another deep breath. “Yeah, okay.”

As we began to walk, I considered telling her about the crime I’d just witnessed but thought it might be a bad idea. After all, maybe it was just a passed-out friend they were playing a prank on. Maybe.

***

Author Insides - Sara Elizabeth Grossman

2011-11-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Sara Elizabeth Grossman has an MFA from The New School and works as a freelance copywriter and social media manager. She has work published in or forthcoming from The New York Press, Untreed Reads Publishing, The Nashville Review, and Narrative Magazine. Her story “11 Stops” was also chosen as a top 25 finalist for Glimmer Train’s New Writers Award and was published in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Sara, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

In ninth grade, I began to write really awful poetry. At that point, I thought I was a writer. Now I know better.

Why do you write?

The reason has evolved over the years. I remember saying “revenge” when I was 19 or 20. Now I write because I absolutely need to get the words out. I love telling stories.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

It’s not as romantic or glamorous. And people are always asking me what I do with an MFA in creative writing, as if the answer isn’t obvious? I tell them I’m going to be a unicorn trainer one day.

What do you think makes a good story?

A compelling voice and an interesting plot are most important to me.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Not sure of a genre. I like anything that keeps me interested. I’m more of a comedy than a tragedy type of gal.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I really like Jodi Picoult, even though she stole my thunder and produced a commercially sold book about lesbians. I also really enjoy Lorrie Moore, Mary Gaitskill, Susan Shapiro, Lydia Davis, David Levithan, Jennifer Weiner, and Chuck Klosterman.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The Giving Tree. Since I was young, that book has made me cry every time I read it. I want to be able to do that to people.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Probably all the books I read as a child, honestly. It’s so important for parents to make sure kids read.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I write nonfiction, so real life.

What does your family think of your writing?

It’s a mixed bag because of the topics. I think at the end of the day, they’re very proud of my accomplishments.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I don’t have a schedule. I know a lot of people do, but I can’t do that. When it comes to me, I sit down and bang out a bunch of pages at a time. Sometimes, though, I go months without writing a thing. It’s difficult because I write for a living – I do social media and copywriting for a few different companies. It’s tiring trying to write my own stuff at the end of the day.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

No, but I wish I did.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Doing it, period. Also, making sure characters are whole. Since the people I write about are people I actually know, it is tricky to convey them to other people sometimes.

What are your current projects?

I’m actually trying to write a children’s book right now.

What are you planning for future projects?

Well I’m planning on moving out of New York. That in of itself is a project. As far as writing goes, I’d like to expand the memoir I wrote for my thesis into a full-length thing.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep on submitting. I’ve submitted to over 100 places and have gotten 6 acceptances. You have to take the rejections with a big grain of salt and move on.

Where else can we find your work?

I have two short stories published through Untreed Reads. You can get them anywhere ebooks are sold. I also have two personal essays in the New York Press. I am part of the world’s largest exquisite corpse in The Nashville Review. And a chapter from my memoir is in Narrative Magazine as of July.

Excerpt - An Animal's Guide to Earthly Salvation

2011-11-02T10:15:00.000-04:00

An Animal’s Guide to Earthly Salvation
Jack R. Johnson

Chapter One

B uy / Amazon / B&N

On the evening before I heard the news, I was worrying about the number of dead dogs in my cages. They were accumulating. If rigor mortis set in, we had to break their legs to get them out.

When I first tried to break one, it was dreadful. I sort of leaned against the leg, hoping by sheer force to make it snap. When Vicki, the other vet assistant, caught me at it, she laughed. Vicki’s a waif, small and studious with a thin, pale, college-student face, burdened with large, pink-rimmed glasses, pale blue eyes and even paler blonde hair.

“Jeff, what are you doing?” She had that concerned look librarians get when they feel a desperate need to intercede in your aimless wanderings through the stacks.

“I can’t get him out. See? His legs are too stiff.” I pinched the toe of the dead Doberman and wiggled his leg to demonstrate. “See?”

“Don’t be stupid. Use something heavy.”

She picked up a fire extinguisher, and with her thin arms, slammed it into the dog’s leg. There was a shocking snap, and the leg caved in on itself.

I thought I was going to be sick.

She pushed up her pink-rimmed glasses thoughtfully. “That’s the way you have to do it.”

***

Author Insides - Jessica Young

2011-10-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

Jessica Young teaches at the University of Michigan, where she held a Zell Fellowship for poetry and completed her MFA. Her undergraduate work was at MIT. Her Pushcart-nominated poetry has appeared most recently in Bellingham Review, Copper Nickel, and Versal.

Her poetry appears in the Autumn 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Jessica, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I don’t believe I had a moment when I thought, “This is it… this is what I want to do.” I’ve just always written, always enjoyed it, and always found writing to be a world well worth exploring. With that said, I’ll admit that even now, as an active and published writer, I’m not entirely convinced. Meaning, I’m not sure I want to be a writer! I struggle with writing’s impracticality. At the same time, my life is better and fuller because of literature, so perhaps contributing to that is a life well spent.

Why do you write?

I write poetry, specifically, because I have to. Because an image or idea strikes me as so beautiful/fascinating/potent, that I feel a non-ignorable urgency to record it. Probably an urgency to connect—to find someone else who is taken so wonderful aback by the light coming through the trees. I get the feeling that poems derived some other way—a non-urgent way—are less likely to be successful.

Is being a poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Yes! It is living life with open eyes. Eyes that investigate and appreciate. It’s a lot of sitting and thinking, reading and thinking, practicing and thinking. Good exercise for the brain.

What do you think makes a good story?

I like to feel connected to a work, and invested in it. I mean, who doesn’t? But I want to live in the novels and poetry collections that I read… and I want those worlds to be different enough from mine that I’m tricked into thinking that I’m momentarily escaping my life… but of course close enough to mine that I’m just reflecting on my own experience, and expanding my understanding of what it means to be human.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Probably magic realism. Aimee Bender is my hero.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

As if there’s just one! For poetry, these days, I so believe in Campbell McGrath, Matthea Harvey, Ken Chen, Tung-Hui Hu, and Theodore Roethke.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

I’ve read Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” maybe a dozen times. I love how simple and accessible the text is on the surface, but how complicated it is deep down. This has served as a model for me, for my own writing—that my poem’s language should welcome the reader in, and provide no barriers… and that the ideas underneath that easy, inviting language… those should be woven and heavy. I find that style of writing to be very haunting.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Reading Alan Lightman (“Einstein’s Dreams,” specifically, but then I read everything he ever wrote) opened doors for me, just because he crossed the bridge from science to writing. I discovered him just as I was doing the same, myself. To see his success at it—to see how deftly he wove physics into poetic writing—inspired me to do the same.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I require outside stimuli, which can come from anywhere, at any time.

What does your family think of your writing?

They’re incredibly supportive. My parents read everything I publish, my extended family asks how my work is going and reads the occasional piece. They let me know that I always have readers at home.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’ve never been able to keep a writing schedule. These people who wake up every morning at 6am, eat one cup of cottage cheese with peaces, and write 7 chapters—I can’t do that. Some days I write for hours, some weeks I don’t write at all. When it happens, it happens, and I’m seemingly not in control of that. This has always worked for me (I’ve always been able to “produce” when I need to, for example in my MFA program), so I haven’t pushed myself to spend every waking hour trying to write more. There is so much else I want to be doing, anyway—teaching, cooking, trying to nail the crow position in yoga (I still think it’s impossible!), etc.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I read everything—everything!—aloud. If I send a one-sentence email to a student, a one-page email to a friend, a 30-page story… it all gets read out loud, word by word, to make sure it sounds smooth. I’ve even read these interview answers out loud.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Brevity.

What are your current projects?

A book of astronomy-poems, and trying to figure out my next project (because I sense that the astronomy poems might not be a full book, at least not at this point in my life).

What are you planning for future projects?

Nothing concrete, just whatever brings me joy.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write if it makes you happy, and write whatever makes you happy. The publishing world is absolutely insane (just as every industry is, once you’re inside it, I imagine). So in some sense you should only enter it if you “have” to… if it feels urgent. But in another sense, if you like writing, then write. There are readers out there for you. There are people who love your style more than anything else, and are happier, fuller people because your work exists. The trick is to find them. And that’s a lifelong trick.

Where can we find your work?

Bateau Press published my chapbook, Only as a Body, and did a truly beautiful job with it. I also have poems in handfuls of journals, as noted on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/jessicayoungpoetry/

Thank you for being a reader!

Author Spotlight - CS DeWildt

2011-10-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

CS DeWildt lives in Tucson Arizona with his wife and sons. His short stories can be found online at Bartleby Snopes, Word Riot, The Bicycle Review, Foundling Review, and the unfortunately defunct Writers Bloc. He is currently working on a new novel and a collection of short stories.

His novella Candy and Cigarettes was published by Vagabondage Press in July 2011 to great reviews. You can read an excerpt at our website.

Chris, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was in second grade. Our class published our own short books as part of a regional “young authors” program and I was selected to represent my class for my story, The Traveling Seed. I remember the sheer joy I felt while writing my story and I guess it just stuck. Today, writing takes me through an array of emotions and on the best days I feel just like I did at seven years old.

Why do you write?

I write because of an innate urge, a nagging muse that compels me to put words on paper, to tell stories. I write because I want people to read my work. I’m an entertainer and I think writing is the freest form of expression an artist can have. The words make music, paint pictures, dance. They do all the things I wish I could.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

Is anything they way we imagined it would be? I guess the biggest reality check for me is that I used to think that there was this dichotomy among writers, which is either you’re on the bestsellers list or you’re struggling. And while reality might be a little closer to the latter I’ve discovered that there is room for those of us who just want to write and make an honest living at it. That’s my dream, not to be hugely successful (though that would be nice), but to pay the bills with my words.

What do you think makes a good story?

A compelling character goes a long way. If you’re interesting I’ll follow your lead longer than I will a total bore.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I like anything with a dark edge, from something as prosy as Cormac McCarthy, to Big Jim Thomson, to Stephen King. Literary fiction is often presented as a genre all its own, but I think of it more as a subgenre present within all other genres, think a typical Danielle Steele romance versus Lolita. Talk of genre often pigeon-holes a stories unnecessarily. They’re just stories, a character wants/wants to avoid something and is met with conflict while trying to get/avoid it. Some work for you as a reader, some don’t. Genre conventions are just set dressing in my opinion.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

The answer to this question would depend on the day you ask so I’ll list a few I consider masters of both story and language: Paul Theroux, Cormac McCarthy, Vladimir Nabokov, Irvine Welsh, Sylvia Plath. Again, ask me tomorrow and I’ll give you a new list.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The Mosquito Coast, beyond being a compelling read, has great take-away lessons in character development, use of symbols, themes, and structure. It’s your classic man vs. man vs. society vs. nature vs. machine vs. self. And repellent or not, Allie Fox is my favorite literary character hands down.

The Old man and the Sea would be another. Regarding critical analysis, Hemingway said of it, and I’ m paraphrasing: “The old man is a man, the fish is a fish.” I think any writer or critic knows that was a damn lie, whether it was an honest lie, only Ernie knows. Regardless, considering the state of his career when he wrote it and how the story so closely parallels facets of his writing life, even the unpredictable post-publication response to it, it just shows how important honesty is when writing a truly magnificent story. To me, the work was a vivisection of the author. And ideally, that’s what a good story is.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

I wish I could say that reading Hemingway toughened me up, the hero code thing, but I’m still pretty soft. However, his lessons in stoicism keep me from crying myself to sleep post rejection slip.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

It hits when it hits and I just try to maintain within a piece until it hits again. Usually, a story will come from a random event that just strikes me the right way, be it a comment, a conversation, or an observation. Some of these things will explode in my consciousness like a cherry bomb, and I think, that might be an interesting story. Another piece of inspiration is definitely my own memory, I’ll let my thoughts drift and then in a similar explosion I’ll recognize something that I feel is worth developing.

What does your family think of your writing?

My wife is my biggest supporter. She believes when I doubt and that’s a pretty special secret weapon to have.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’ve always been an early riser so most of my writing gets done in the dark wee hours while everyone else is asleep. I try to do this every day, and I mean every day. I’ll sit down other times too, if I have the opportunity, but until I can quit my day job, the writing has to be worked out around the man’s schedule.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Not really. I used to smoke cigarettes constantly while I wrote. I’ve since traded them in for nicotine patches. So I guess, sure, I always make sure I have my nicotine. Caffeine too.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

If I slow down, or get pulled away from a piece I tend to lose interest. Sometimes the challenge is just believing that what I’m writing will work itself out in the end. I don’t do a lot of plotting, a couple sign posts in my mind and then I take the scenic route.

What are your current projects?

I have three incomplete novels I’m letting stew until they’re ready to finish. I’m working on another story I hope to develop into a novella, that’s what I’m working on right now. For fun I like to write a flash piece or two a week, just to keep things interesting and to help my other projects from feeling stale.

What are you planning for future projects?

I’ve got several things in mind, but you’ll have to read them to find out.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep at it. Deal with rejection and move on.

You can’t be a writer without writing. A lot of people talk about writing something, but don’t put the time in. Put in the time.

Don’t be above taking criticism, but don’t bow to it either.
If it isn’t giving you pleasure, you shouldn’t be doing it

Where else can we find your work?

Online at Bartleby Snopes, a great journal by the wonderful writer Nate Tower, also on Word Riot, The Foundling Review, The Bicycle Review, and the now unfortunately defunct Writer’s Bloc

Author Insides - Meg Johnson

2011-10-23T07:00:00.003-04:00

Meg Johnson's poems have appeared in Slipstream Magazine, Word Riot, WTF PWM, Blood Lotus, Camroc Press Review, and others. Her poem "Free Samples" was nominated for Best of the Net. She is currently a poetry student in the NEOMFA Program, a teaching assistant at the University of Akron, and the poetry editor for Rubbertop Review. Prior to this, Meg worked for many years as a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, and actress. She blogs at: http://megjohnsonmegjohnson.blogspot.com

Meg's poetry appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

My mom told me recently that she was looking at something I wrote in first grade about how I wanted to be a dance teacher and a writer when I grew up. I wrote poetry every year for my high school literary magazine and would secretly write in my early twenties, but I didn’t have any serious awareness about wanting to write until I was twenty-five.

Why do you write?

I feel like I have to write. I fought against that feeling for awhile, but at a certain point I couldn’t anymore.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Yes and no. Before I ever submitted any writing to publications, I had worked as a dancer, choreographer, dance teacher, actress, and model. I had dealt with people who thought I could do no wrong and people who thought I couldn’t do anything right. Both extremes are, of course, crazy. So acceptance and rejection were not new concepts to me. I try to keep my experiences in the performing arts in mind to help understand possible highs and lows as a writer.

I started submitting poems to publications about a year and a half ago and I was surprised when I started getting some acceptances shortly after starting to send out submissions. I really appreciate the time editors have taken to read and consider my work whether they have accepted or rejected it. I’ve been really surprised by editors who were able to respond to submissions within one or two days. I had a poem published by Word Riot this year and I have poems forthcoming in Camroc Press Review and it was exciting to get those acceptances within 24 to 48 hours after submitting those poems.

I appreciate how publications promote their writers in unexpected ways. I was definitely surprised when the editors of Blood Lotus nominated my poem “Free Samples” for Best of the Net this fall. It’s really cool how The Battered Suitcase makes an effort to get to know their authors through these interviews. I organized a poetry and fiction reading this fall and Zozie Beatrice and I were two of the five readers. We had both published poetry in WTF PWM and the WTF PWM editors were generous enough to share information about the reading on their site.

What do you think makes a good story?

When it’s a piece that feels honest, regardless of whether or not it’s true.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I love reading poetry and non-fiction. I enjoy reading fiction but I don’t read it quite as much.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Some poets that have really influenced me include Chelsey Minnis, Frank O’Hara, Anne Sexton, Denise Duhamel, Matthew Guenette, and Robbie Q. Telfer. Of course there are many more, but those are a few that I automatically think of.

What books or stories have influenced you the most as a writer?

I started reading books by Augusten Burroughs when I was twenty-one and his writing really influenced me, especially the books Magical Thinking and Possible Side Effects.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

My mom read to me every day when I was a kid and I’ve been thinking about how those books, like A Little Princess, have stayed with me and how they creep into my thoughts as an adult.

There are books I read in my early twenties that I had strong emotional reactions to like The Age of Innocence and Debra Marquart’s The Horizontal World: Growing Up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere. I remember being twenty-three and being obsessed with both of those books. I’m twenty-seven and a half now so I guess that wasn’t that long ago, but it feels that way.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Some of it I find in my own life. Some of it I find from my imagination. I try to feed off the energy I feel when I read writers I really love.

What does your family think of your writing?

My dad and my brother Alec probably read whatever my mom points out to them. My mom has read about half of the work I’ve published and is very supportive. I’ve published some poems with some very adult subject matter and I’ve been relieved when she has seemed unfazed by them. She reads a lot and is supportive of the arts, but when it’s your mom you still worry.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It’s always changing.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Yes. I wish I could be one of those people who can write in public places like coffee shops. I do jot down lines in public sometimes, but when it comes to writing a poem I need to be in a room by myself where no one can stare at me. It’s much easier for me to write behind a closed door. Sometimes I pace around. Sometimes I eat candy and drink Diet Mountain Dew.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

It depends on the particular piece I’m working on.

What are your current projects?

I don’t know what city or town I’ll be living in or what I’ll be doing next year (fall 2011), so figuring that out is obviously something I’m focused on.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have some forthcoming poems. I’m working on some new poems. I know that for at least the rest of the year I’ll be teaching dance classes. I might organize another reading this spring or summer.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I’m not sure I’ve been a writer long enough to be giving advice.

Where else can we find your work?

I’ve published writing in various print and online magazines. I post updates about where you can read my work on my blog. http://megjohnsonmegjohnson.blogspot.com/

Author Insides - David Seavor

2011-10-20T07:00:00.002-04:00

David Seavor's work appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve been writing on and off since I was in primary school. I recently came back to writing in a big way, and it was then that I decided to start trying to get work published.

Why do you write?
I started writing again because I found it cathartic – at the time, I was suffering from depression, and couldn’t get motivated to do very much. Writing, it turned out, was one of the only things I could bring myself to do, so I wrote as much as I could.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
It’s not something I do as a full time career, so it’s difficult to say, but trying to find places to publish my short stories has been infinitely more difficult and stressful than I thought it would be. That said, there’s very little that’s as rewarding as having a piece accepted, or even just appreciated.

What do you think makes a good story?
– Anything can make a good story, as long as it’s well written. That’s the joy of literature, I find.

What's your favorite genre to read?
I like transgressive fiction particularly, but I read a variety of different things. I’m starting to get into the beat generation at the moment.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
I have a few: Irvine Welsh, Chuck Palahniuk, Italo Calvino, Milan Kundera and Cormac McCarthy all come to mind.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
American Psycho, Fight Club, Trainspotting, No Country for Old Men, The Road and Naked Lunch.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
L’Etranger, Lord of the Flies and The Eternal Lightness of Being.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Just day to day, to be completely honest. I tend to like reading things that are true to life, so my writing reflects that.

What does your family think of your writing?
They don’t know I write.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I normally write at 2 or 3 in the morning; that’s when I feel most creative and switched on, as it were.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I tend to finish each piece in one go, then go back and edit afterwards – I let things out in a kind of stream of consciousness.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Sometimes, finding the perfect word is almost impossible.

What are your current projects?
I’m writing a series of short stories currently – they don’t follow on chronologically or in terms of plot, but they’re definitely linked.

What are you planning for future projects?
I’d like to write and self-publish a novella. I’ve got some ideas, but not enough to sit down and get started yet.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
It’s a cliché, but developing your own style is fairly essential.

Where can we find your work?
Online, on pathetic.org, and in the Little Episodes “Brainstorms” anthology.

New Release: Coming of Age Novel from Geoff Hyatt

2011-10-18T13:00:00.007-04:00

Birch Hills at World's End

Geoff Hyatt

Birch Hills at World’s End begins between Detroit and nowhere, in 1999, when high school senior Josh Reilly senses an apocalypse approaching. Josh's unease increases as his privileged but disturbed friend Erik schemes in a journal he calls "The Doomsday Book," where he plots revenge against the suburbia he's learned to despise. When Lindsay, a sixteen-year-old famed for dramatic self-mutilation and questionable poetry, becomes Josh's girlfriend, Erik finds companionship in a circle of bikers and small-time meth traffickers. Josh, suspecting his friend Erik has become a competitor for Lindsay's affections, peeks into the Doomsday Book and is shocked by what he learns. A web of domestic strife, romantic rivalry, and millennial anxiety challenges two boys to stand together as their youth comes apart.

Columbine... Y2K... can friendships survive the end of the world?

Read an excerpt here.

Author Insides - Andrea Judy

2011-10-09T07:00:00.001-04:00

Andrea Judy's work appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase. You can read it online here.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
In the third grade. We were going over colors and my teacher talked about ‘Storms as dark as ebony.’ It was like an entire new world of creation was created inside of me as soon she uttered that word. From that day forward I was fascinated with words, and how they fit together and naturally fell into writing.

Why do you write?
I write because people and what we do to each other and ourselves fascinate me. I write because words need to be strung together and hung out for the world to see. These fascinating images and ideas pop into my head and they have to escape by any means necessary. Honestly, I don’t know if I can put a rational reason behind it. It’s just like breathing for me, even if I’m not writing actively I’m still thinking of ideas and things to write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
It’s nothing like I imagined! I always imagined that it would involve going out with exciting people, being paid ridiculous amounts of money for my ideas and that it would always be easy to write. It’s hard work! No muse magically floats to my shoulder and whispers all the right words. I sometimes have to pin the muse down and pull the words out one by one. Sometimes, nothing comes at all and I stare at a blank screen on my laptop. One of my favorite quotes about writing is from Gene Fowler, "Writing is easy. All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead." That describes the writing process perfectly for me! Every so often an idea will spring out, fully formed and ready to go but those are rare and even those ‘fully-formed ideas’ need editing and work. It takes dedication, it’s just like being dedicated to going to gym and putting in an hour of hard work everyday. You have to do it to get any results.

What do you think makes a good story?
For me it’s all about the characters, the words and the images. If I can recall a sentence or a character from a story years later it’s a great story to me. It has to give me something I know in a way that I’ve never seen before. I want to read something that will make me think and want more.

What's your favorite genre to read?
I don’t read as much as I should, but I do enjoy a wide variety of genres. I really like speculative fiction and works of magical realism but I also love fantasy, sci-fi, horror, ‘literary’, non-fiction and poetry. I read a little bit of a lot and have a bookshelf filled with interesting books of indiscriminate genres.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Oh, I hate this question. it’s so hard to pick one favorite out of the millions of writers out there. Neil Gaiman is among my favorites but I also love Matt Bell, Claudia Rankine (her collection of poetry Don’t Let me Be Lonely is probably the most invigorating collection of work I have ever read and I highly recommend it), Margaret Atwood and Christina Rossetti. Oh dear, that’s more than one, isn’t it?

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Matt Bell’s chapbook, The Collectors, has been one of the most influential books on my writing ever. It’s absolutely breath-taking and gorgeous in its tragedy. If you haven’t read it you should go to Cake Train right now and view it online for free. It’s short and a super quick read—you won’t want to put it down. The variety of narrative voices and the tragedy of the character’s lives leave a lasting impression, I probably go to re-read it at least once a month, or whenever I am feeling low on inspiration just a few chapters and am reignited with a desire to write.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
As a person, Peter Singer’s The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty. It’s an incredibly interesting discussion of what can be done across the globe to help out and nowhere near as dull as it sounds. It’s inspired me to start donating part of my income to a charity every month and to try to actively volunteer and be aware of what I really need. It isn’t at all my usual type of book, and I was forced to read it for a class but it really changed my perception of the world and what I can do.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
I find the most inspiration by listening to what is going on around me and taking constant notes. I find inspiration everywhere, TV shows, video games, movies, news articles, other writer’s work, e-mails, phone calls, a stranger walking by or even a dream. I have notebooks filled with inspiration and ideas just waiting for me to write. Always write it down when an idea strikes you because you don’t know if you’ll remember it in another few hours.

What does your family think of your writing?
My family supported me while I got my BA in Creative Writing so I would have to say they’re very supportive. However, I don’t actually share a lot of my writing with my family or friends too much. I have a small group of people I trust to help me workshop and I go to occasional writing conferences but otherwise I am a solitary creature.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
That’s a challenge right now. I just graduated from college where my ‘job’ was to be a student by reading and writing. Now I have a full-time job that keeps me very busy and I come home exhausted. I’m even more impressed by all the writers out there working 9-5 jobs and still coming home to write. I recently purchased a copy of ‘The Nighttime Novelist’ and it is helping keep me focused on my writing. I’m trying to devote an hour to writing everyday but I’ll be honest, that doesn’t always happen!

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I keep a pocket-sized notebook with me at all times and jot down words, ideas, things that strike me. I think every writer should have a notebook on them at all times. I have to have music of some kind playing (most of my characters, or poems, have a ‘theme song’ that I will listen to over and over while writing) and I try to just lock myself in my room from the moment I get home from work to when I have dinner. I usually warm up by posting on a blog, or twitter or something just to get my writing muscles twitching. Another fun thing to combat the ‘dreaded white page’ stare is to actually make the background of my document something funky. Writing a dark poem? Why not a blood-spatter background to set the mood?

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I always struggle with knowing when, where and how to end a piece—whether it’s a poem or a short story. The ending is always something I have a really hard time with and I will go through dozens of endings before I will just leave it alone. I will rewrite endings countless times and never really know when I’m done or where the story should stop. It’s something I have continuously struggled with and that I usually only resolve through workshops.

What are your current projects?
My notebook right now has: Thanos, pregnant by murky waters, and obsidian written in it at the moment, as well as a link to an article about a man who beheaded his wife. I’m working on a novel at the moment (though I think every writer is working on a novel at all times) but I enjoy delving into short stories and poetry still. I do participate in National Novel Writing Month every November so that’s something that is always on my mind. I think every writer should give it a shot. It’s a great way to test yourself as a writer by writing 50,000 words in 30 days.

What are you planning for future projects?
I would love to get a chapbook of poetry together in the near future for publication. I’m really interested in poetry inspired by current events, and horrors that are happening everyday. I also am working on a few fairy tale re-tellings that I hope to get into an upcoming anthology.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
One of my dear friends gave me the best advice I’ve ever received and I’ll share it. “You can’t be a writer, if you don’t write.” I think that is sometimes the hardest part, is to get it all written down and worked out. Don’t give up when, if you get your rejection letters, take them with a grain of salt and move on. If you are writing solely to get published and get famous, there are easier ways to find fame.

Where can we find your work?
I work on a blog: http://judyblackcloud.blogspot.com/ where I talk about my writing. And at the moment I have a portfolio available at: http://www.behance.net/ajudy13 where I post my published work. And you can always follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/judyblackcloud

Author Insides - Nick Padron

2011-10-06T07:00:00.002-04:00

Composer and writer Nick Padron lives in Madrid and Miami. To date, he has published more than one hundred musical compositions, including a rock opera based on Carlos Castaneda's Don Juan series (diablero.com). His short stories have appeared in numerous publications and collections in the United States, Canada, Spain and Japan. His novella, It Tolls For Thee, rated number one at Zoetrope All-Story, October 2002. His first novel, Gabriel Hemingway's The Cuban Scar, is available on Amazon. His second novel, The Good Terrorist, is an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award finalist. You can find his work online at http://www.gabrielhemingway.webs.com/ and http://www.diablero.com/

Nick's short story, "Ghost Raft," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Nick, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It was not a realization as much as part of an unexplainable desire to make up stories based on personal experiences, be them direct or indirect, and of creating artistic works similar to the ones that inspired me.

Why do you write?
Out of love of artistic creation, the work that goes into overcoming all the resistance one encounters in its completion, an act of loving rebellion.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
Yes and no. I’ve never imagined becoming a writer or a composer. I just did it.

What do you think makes a good story?
It’s got to have heart. The kind of heart that comes from the mysteries of the human experience.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Literary

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
All the works of Garcia Marquez, Ernest Hemingway, Don De Lillo, Oscar Hijuelos, Carlos Castaneda, Vargas LLosa

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
One Hundred Years of Solitude, For Whom The Bells Toll, War and Peace

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Out of personal experience

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Unpredictable

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I must be alone in a room

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Getting it published

What are your current projects?
A try at a science fiction story and a novel with explicit eroticism.

What are you planning for future projects?
If possible, to come up with a novel that would be acceptable to today’s publishers.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing. Luck in the book world, as with the Muses, comes while you’re hard at work.

Where can we find your work?
My first novel, Gabriel Hemingway’s THE CUBAN SCAR is available at www.amazon.com and elsewhere in the Internet

Author Insides - Mihaela Tudor

2011-10-02T07:00:00.012-04:00

Mihaela Tudor is an English Lecturer at the University of Hail, Saudi Arabia, teaching a course on technical report writing. Her goal is to motivate students use their skills in the scientific area, helping them to develop the taste for research. She has also been interested in exploring cross-cultural environments through direct interaction within the educational area, experimenting new ways of life and trying to identify what can bring union in terms of ideas, beliefs, customs and traditions between different cultures.

Mihaela Tudor's piece appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It happened when I arrived in Saudi Arabia. Experiencing a sudden cultural change, but not in a negative or aggressive way, I realized this was the right time and the right place to put in writing all my ideas and the reflection on daily events upon my inner feelings. Although I was writing to enjoy the fact of being part of a new culture, gradually everything turned into a project- I knew I wanted to write. The short stories though are of a recent date, as a result, maybe, of a deep spiritual change I m undergoing.

Why do you write?
I write to connect with others, to open my world in front of them, hoping they can use my writing to find themselves deep down in their hearts. I write to revive hopes and dreams, to bring confidence, to remove boundaries that many times keep us so far for reaching what we want. My writing is always other-oriented.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
When I started to write I never dared to think of myself as a writer, but more as a messenger between my world and those around me. But yes, being a writer is exactly what I imagined! Nothing compares to the joy of reading a comment of someone who reads you, saying that you have managed to touch his heart. This has always given me the power to continue and develop my writing.

What do you think makes a good story?
Anything you believe in!

What's your favorite genre to read?
Fiction, fantasy, ancient writings, anything dealing with life experience.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Khalil Jibran is my favorite author together with Sadeq Hedayat and Rumi, but so many other writers are on my preferences list.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
I cannot say that there is one particular source that has contributed to my way of writing.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
The Prophet by Khalil Jibran, The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, Rumi with his Mathnawi and Love Poems. My personality resounds best though when reading Persian literature.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
In my joys, sorrows, in a dream, a flower, on the mountain behind my house that I climb every day in my thoughts or in somebody s presence. Inspiration can be anything!

What does your family think of your writing?
When I read in translation my stories to my family they find the writings peaceful and creating images right in front of their eyes, maybe because when I write I first see the inside world of a story.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I don’t usually follow a schedule; an idea occurs and I start writing. If I manage to visualize everything right from the beginning, the words just flow. I don’t plan in advance my plots, or the symbols to be used. It also depends on the artistic mood and the way the inspiration reveals itself.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Not really, but I do prefer writing at night.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The symbolic interpretation.

What are your current projects?
To keep writing, mostly short-stories, trying to create more fantasy-like stories.

What are you planning for future projects?
I m planning to finish a book about my experience in a culturally different country and this is going to take a while.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write if everything you want to say comes from within.

Where can we find your work?
I usually post short stories on my Facebook page.

Author Insides - Matthew James Babcock

2011-09-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

Matthew James Babcock lives in Rexburg, Idaho with his wife and five children. He holds a PhD in Literature and Criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, he received the Dorothy Sargent Rosenburg Poetry Award. His book Private Fire: The Ecopoetry and Prose of Robert Francis is available from the University of Delaware Press. His poems, stories and essays have appeared in various print and online journals, including Spoon River Poetry Review, Bateau, Alehouse and The Rejected Quarterly.

Matthew's short story, "We Value Your Feedback," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

Matt, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Second grade. Mrs. Miller’s class at Jefferson Elementary. For creative writing, we used to write on these monstrous folio-sized sheets of newspaper-grade paper, the kind in which your pencil eraser would bore holes if you pushed too hard. It was something about the paper, I think. So sprawling, so grand. The way the Spinnaker-sized sheets would spill over the sides of your desk, the dotted highways running east and west to channel your slapdash upper-case and lower-case cursive. The endeavor of writing seemed so epic, so all-encompassing. I was hooked.

Why do you write?
I can’t help it. But I also teach writing, so I feel I should do it to validate my license. I’d still write if I didn’t teach, though, somehow. Technically, I’m an academic, but I think I’ve just grown curious over the years, having studied literature for so long. A few years back I read Toni Morrison’s “Playing in the Dark,” and I found that I identified with her autobiographical passages about becoming a “writer reading.”

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
No. Harder. More discouraging. More difficult. Far less romantic. But far more satisfying. It’s tough when you realize how many other writers are competing with you, especially when you read their books and see they’re light years beyond you and half your age. But nothing else I’ve done provides a greater sense of holistic completeness than having something printed in even the most obscure journal. Somehow, the role of the obscure writers suits me.

What do you think makes a good story?
Details. A vivid dreamscape. Complicated situations that don’t turn out the way you think they will. I have to laugh and cry multiple times in the same story, or else it falls flat with me. If I do only one or the other, I put it down. Pacing, too. It’s got to clip along. Also, the language can’t be ordinary.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Anything and everything. I like a good book of contemporary poetry. I like a good novel, a collection of short stories. I read children’s books to my kids all the time. I’ve read young adult novels with my kids, too. I like to read plays, non-fiction. This is mostly due to my eclectic appetite and academic profession, which are always spilling over into my personal writing.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Anthony Doerr! Followed by Karl Iagnemma and Bret Anthony Johnston. Tony Hoagland is the great American poet.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Hard to say. I’m sure they all have. I went on an extended, breathless John Cheever binge in college. I still think Cheever is the great American short story writer. Not sure what everyone’s fascination with Updike is. Then, there was Tim O’Brien. “Going After Cacciato” (also in college) left me amazed, unmoored, changed forever. Virginia Woolf, too. “To the Lighthouse” rocked my cradle. I think it was in college that I saw how high the bar had been raised, and sometimes how far it had been moved right or left, sometimes removed completely. I’m still seeing that with some of my current favorites.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Going back, Taro Yashima’s “Crow Boy.” It still tough for me to read. Also, Katherine Paterson: “Bridge to Terabithia” and “The Great Gilly Hopkins.” I think I actually cried at school after reading these books, and everyone kept asking me what was wrong. Later, Thomas Rockwell’s “The Portmanteau Book” saved my life in 7th grade. Steinbeck saved 9th grade. After that, it was like standing in a huge wind tunnel of geniuses, trying to hold on.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Reading. Invariably, I’ll read something, and it will trigger an idea, title, paragraph, line.

What does your family think of your writing?
Don’t know. I don’t think they’ve ever said anything about it. My wife has laughed at a few essays and poems of mine. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. To my knowledge, she’s never fallen asleep while reading something I’ve written . . . My kids think my children’s books are funny—they just don’t like the fact that I’m not an artist and therefore can’t provide pictures to go with the funny stories.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
No schedule. I cram it in when I can.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Carry my bag. Always, everywhere I go. Inside: something to read, something to write. That way, whenever I find a fifteen-minute lull in a trip to the grocery store or a diaper-changing melee, I can sneak in a line or two.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Time. It doesn’t exist.

What are your current projects?
A screenplay. A series of children’s books. Five unfinished novellas. One unpublished novel, and another just started. Poems, essays, articles. A big morass of scraps and language heaped on my office floor. My hope is that something will grow from it.

What are you planning for future projects?
Same as “current.”

Do you have any advice for other writers?
I have a hard enough time following my own. I think it’s a fabulous thing to do, though, in the age of information. More so now than ever, in my opinion, writers are trying to save a generation of humans being savaged by a vampire network of mindless culture and media.

Where can we find your work?
In my office, in a big heap on the floor. Um, just search online, I guess. Wild Child published some of my fiction. Press 53 (North Carolina) chose my novella as a winner and put it in their latest anthology. Mostly online and print journals. Still chippin’ away . . .

Author Insides - Dan Lundin

2011-09-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Dan Lundin's work appeared in the Spring 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Signing yearbooks in junior high school. Seriously. Kids I had never really talked to before were handing me their books and asking me to sign them because they had seen what I had written in someone else’s yearbook and thought it was funny/different. Up until that moment, I had never thought of myself as creative in that way. I suppose I assumed everyone could write like I did.

Why do you write?
I like to make things: art, furniture, bread. Writing feeds that desire and well. It challenges me as much as anything else in my creative life.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
Too early to tell.

What do you think makes a good story?
One that trusts its audience.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I am open to anything that tries hard yet reads as effortless.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Martin Amis

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Quite a few. Along with many of the works of Amis, I’ll note three: Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Nabokov’s Lolita and Greene’s The End of the Affair

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha, Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, Solzhenitsyn’s One Day… and, most recently, Franzen’s Freedom

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Three steps out the door or three inches into my own flesh; out the door is most times easier.

What does your family think of your writing?
They are tirelessly enthusiastic.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
No schedule. I will write at anytime, anyplace, on anything, and by anything I mean physically anything I can get my mitts on: receipt, gum wrapper, paper airplane. I’ll even send myself texts if I’m in a bind.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Finding a quiet place and reading my work out loud.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Editing. It can be hard to throw things out.

What are your current projects?
More short stories.

What are you planning for future projects?
One long novel.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write it down. Find the theme. Exploit it.

Where can we find your work?
You can follow me on my blog: http://www.gonelumberjacking.blogspot.com/

Author Insides - N. God Savage

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-04:00

N. God Savage was born in Northern Ireland and still hasn't managed to escape. He has written fiction for over ten years, but only recently entertained the idea that other people might want to read it. His writing has appeared in print and online at places like The Catalonian Review and Word Riot. He currently lives in Belfast with his wife and spends his days writing up his PhD dissertation in philosophy.

His short story "The Ghost of The Holy Lands" appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It happened gradually. I have dabbled since I was at school, but I would say I seriously committed to writing fiction in my early twenties.

Why do you write?
Now, I write because I have been at it for so long that I couldn't not write. It is built into my life. It's an essential part of the way I understand the world around me.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
At the start, yes, because I wasn't doing it properly – I worked haphazardly and was more focused on the act of writing than the end result. Now I take a more methodical approach, and I'm constantly surprised by how much hard work is actually involved.

What do you think makes a good story?
I think it is about the balance of form and content. It must be well-crafted, of course, but there must be some passion or excitement to give meat to the bones of the craft.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Anything that is as much about the language as it is about the other stuff – plot, characters, ideas and so on. I suppose that is "literary fiction."

Who is your favorite author or poet?
It is forever changing. At the moment I am very much into John Banville and Nabokov.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a writer?
I suppose it is the writers I read during the time I most developed as a writer: Haruki Murakami, Bret Easton Ellis and Kurt Vonnegut. That's not to say I write like them, or even that I enjoy them as much as I used to. But they are the background to my writing, I think. Specific books that stand out in my mind: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (Murakami) The Rules of Attraction (Ellis). I have studied philosophy for the past eight years, and it also strongly influences my work.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
The Proud Highway, which is the first volume of Hunter S. Thompson's collected letters. It is a lesson in determination and defiance.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
I am often inspired by ideas. Recently, a lot of my writing is a reaction to what philosophers call physicalism – the claim that everything, including the mind, can be completely explained in terms of physical things.

What does your family think of your writing?
My wife is incredibly supportive and constantly – yet constructively – critical. The rest of my family are not really interested, nor am I interested in their interest. I think they just don't get it, which is fine.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
At the moment I'm writing up my PhD, so I spend half the day on that and the other half writing fiction. Fiction usually takes up the morning, and I try to start as early as I can. The sad part of the day comes when I have to set the fiction aside.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Not really. I just sit down, without fuss, and get on with it.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The single greatest challenge is that of constant rejection. It's not that I would ever give up – it's just a very long slog.

What are your current projects?
I have almost completed a novel. I've been working on it on and off for years now, and am pushing hard to get it finished. When I'm happy with it I'll send it off to agents, and brace myself for another round of rejections.

What are you planning for future projects?
An idea for another novel is simmering, but I'm trying to keep it off the boil until I finish the first one.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don't be afraid to write badly. You can always delete it later.

Where can we find your work?
At my blog, ( http://www.ngodsavage.com/ ) where there are also drawings and ramblings and other miscellany.

Author Insides - Robin Merrill

2011-09-04T07:00:00.001-04:00

Robin Merrill is a freelance writer, performance poet and editor hailing from Maine. Her work has appeared in hundreds of publications in print and online and has been featured on The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor. She has an MFA from Stonecoast and a bachelor's of science degree from Maine Maritime Academy. Her piece, "Happy Twenty-Ten," appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was in the third grade, I handwrote a thirty-something page story about meeting Amy Grant. Drove my teacher nuts.

Why do you write?
I stole this from Lucille Clifton, but it’s true: I can’t not write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
I think so. Or maybe I don’t remember what I imagined it would be like. Or maybe I’m still imagining.

What do you think makes a good story?
Characters I can fall in love with. And I like to laugh. And I like to cry too.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Memoir. But I really love to read everything.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
My favorite author is probably Richard Adams. My favorite poet is probably Robert Cording. But I also love love love Tim O’Brien, Brian Turner, Garrison Keillor, Mark Doty, David Sedaris, Barbara Kingsolver, Toni Morrison, Lucille Clifton, Betsy Sholl, C.S. Lewis, Neil Gaiman, Stephen King when he’s not being too disgusting, and Garret Keizer.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, poetry by Ann Sexton, poetry by Emily Dickenson.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
“Love (3)” by George Herbert. I know it’s almost cliché to say, but I am certainly influenced by the Bible.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
It’s been a long time since I’ve felt inspired. Usually I’m trying to fall asleep and can’t and I’ll think of something I should write down. I am always inspired by nature, but I also always fail to write about it well, so no one ever sees the products of those inspirations.

What does your family think of your writing?
Oh wow, you’re going to publish this on the World Wide Web, right? Then I should probably just plead The Fifth. Let’s just say they’re not thrilled.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I write all the time. Constantly. In between dodging flying sippy cups and cleaning up puppy pee. I am most productive at night, and Saturdays are all mine baby!

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I don’t think so. I like to eat m&m’s. Oh wait, I have one better than that. Yes, I like to smell lemongrass essential oil while I write. I have no idea why. It makes me smarter, I think.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Yes. Getting published. Also, I am horrifically honest in my writing. I am a flawed and tragic person, and that comes through in my writing and I am often told (particularly in memoir) that my protagonist isn’t likable. I’m like, “of course not, she’s human.” So I guess I find it difficult to make my characters real people and also make them likable.

What are your current projects?
I am working on a novel, and I write lots and lots of articles and blogs for other people. I write a lot about hotels in Marquette, Michigan. I’m also a regular contributor to everydog Magazine. I’m also an editor for Nations Magazine.

What are you planning for future projects?
I don’t really have a plan.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
I am not qualified to give advice to anyone. But if I could advise myself ten years ago, I would tell her to stop trying to impress everyone, because everyone is too busy trying to impress everyone else to worry about whether or not they are impressed by her.

Where can we find your work?
Well I am an Internet junkie, so I would love it if people would visit me on Facebook, Twitter, and at my website http://www.robinmerrill.com/. I also have a mommy blog. I also love Tumblr.

End of Summer Sale at Vagabondage Press!

2011-09-02T11:44:00.000-04:00

Stock up now with our Labor Day eBook sale starting Sep 2 through Sep 5. Get ready for fall and cozy up with one of our quirky, fun and funny digitals. Just in time for early nights indoors.

All eBooks on sale for .99!

Buy at sale price right now from our website: http://www.vagabondagepress.com/bookstore.html

Also on sale at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

(sale price may not be available immediately)

Print Copies will also be on sale over the weekend. Check back for details.

New for Jack The Ripper Week! from Jon Hartless

2011-08-30T07:00:00.009-04:00

Jack The Theorist
by Jon Hartless

Only one man dares to confront the meaning behind the crimes. Only one man sees through the tangled skein to the truth. Only one man knows the answers.

Or, at least, only one man thinks he knows the answers... Follow Professor Wolf, the world’s first Ripperologist, on his delusional journey into the world of the Ripper. Follow his long-suffering friend, Sir Arthur Smythe, who suspects that it will all end in tears.

Gasp at the revelations. Tremble at the truth. Wonder at the sanity of a mind that leaps from conspiracy to conspiracy without ever touching reality.

Check out the fabulous new tongue-in-cheek murder mystery from Jon Hartless. Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Omnilit and the Vagabondage Press Bookstore.

READ AN EXCERPT

Author Insides - Natalie Jacobs

2011-08-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

Natalie Jacobs was a serious writer all her life. In 2008 she died suddenly at age 35. She left a body of unpublished work, including a fictional biograpy of Franz Schubert entitled When Your Song Breaks the Silence. “An die Freude” is a chapter of the novel. It describes the famous premiere performance in Vienna of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, here seen through eyes of an admiring Schubert. "An die Freude" was featured in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

“An die Freude”- The Story Behind the Story

by Judith Jacobs

“An die Freude” is a novel excerpt that appears in the Winter 2010 issue. It is a chapter from a fictional biography of Franz Schubert. This is Natalie Jacobs’s first published work and it is appearing posthumously: Natalie died suddenly of viral myocarditis in January, 2008. At 35, she was only four years older than Schubert himself was when he died.

My daughter Natalie Jacobs was a writer as early in her life as I can remember. She once explained that she used writing as solace for her unhappiness growing up, that it was absolutely vital for her. She wrote on many topics over the years and once told me that she somehow felt an affinity to Schubert. When she was eleven, she wrote a story about the composer as a young child trying myopically to interact with his family and surroundings.

When Natalie passed away, we gave her computer to her longtime friend in Portland, OR where Natalie had moved. Soon after Natalie’s death, her friend told us of a large body of writing she had discovered on its hard disk. To the great surprise of all of us, Natalie had left not only several short stories but a novella about the adventures of a feckless young man from Devon, England, and a novel-length fictional biography of Schubert (later to be entitled “When Your Song Breaks the Silence,” a line from one of Schubert’s lieder).

In her other work, Natalie usually wrote about what she knew: she had spent her junior year abroad in England and taken a subsequent trip there, and she drew from these experiences to write about Andy Godwin in the novella, “Andy’s Story.” Later, when she moved to Portland she became deeply involved in alt-country and other music, both performing, composing, and attending concerts and this informed her most recent story, about Jim Shaughnessy, a young Portland musician. But the creation of “When Your Song Breaks the Silence” is a mystery. Natalie was not especially interested in classical music. She had never been to Vienna. But anyone reading her Schubert fiction would have trouble believing this; Natalie seems to get inside the composer’s head as he lives and works. She had a strong scholarly bent, so it is not quite as surprising how thoroughly she researched the history and the music scene of Schubert’s time. Years ago, she had sent us two or three stories about Schubert which seemed part of a longer narrative. Little did we know there was a finished novel, nor did we know when she completed it.

It may have been a combination of unsureness and a lack of persistence that prevented Natalie from sending her work out for publication. She did not consider herself a writer first and foremost; at the time she died she was completing several years of training in midwifery and intended eventually to practice it. It remains now for us her family to bring her work to the audience she never found herself. We are grateful to Battered Suitcase for helping us begin to put together Natalie’s literary memorial.

Author Insides - Jaime Heidel

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

6Jaime A. Heidel is a Connecticut native who just recently relocated to North Carolina. She’s been writing since childhood and her recent publishing credits include her short story “Phobia” in a print anthology called Night Falls on Everyone and a short story, “The House Sitter,” published online by Spine Tingler’s.

Her short story, "Astray," appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I wrote my first short story when I was 7 years old but I think I knew I wanted to do it as a career around 12 years of age. I tried to teach myself to type on an old typewriter but I couldn’t figure it out so I took typing classes in high school and was so glad when I no longer had to write my stories out by hand.

Why do you write?
I write because it’s in my blood. Writing is like an old friend and an exciting new lover all rolled into one. Even though I’m the composer, it sometimes feels as though the characters are speaking through me. It’s a new adventure every time.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
In most ways, yes. I’m also a non-fiction writer and that took some getting used to but I was pleasantly surprised to find I like writing non-fiction as well. I wasn’t expecting that.

What do you think makes a good story?
A good story has characters you can really invest in. Somebody or something you can understand, empathize with, even despise. A good story gets the reader involved. For me, a good marriage of emotion and suspense is everything.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Horror and thriller fiction is my favorite. It combines the above-mentioned elements perfectly.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Dean Koontz. I love his writing style. The way he draws you into the characters and the plot and weaves twists and turns you can get lost in but still find your way around.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
I’d have to say stories by Dean Koontz, James Patterson and Stephen King inspire me the most. However, classics like Dracula and Frankenstein are incredibly visual in a way modern fiction no longer seems to be. Since the invention of the television, I think that kind of living, breathing story is hard to come by these days. Don’t get me wrong, modern writers are great but something seems to have been lost along the way.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
This is where I get away from my favorite genre and talk about books like, “The Celestine Prophecy” series, “Conversations with God” and “The Secret”. Those are the type of spiritual books that nourish my soul.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Inspiration seems to find me. Often when I’m in the shower or driving when I can’t possibly write anything down. Lol! Isn’t that always the way?

What does your family think of your writing?
I was always a very imaginative child so they’re not surprised. They’re very proud.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
When it comes to non-fiction, I get up and get at it until it’s done. I like to be ahead of deadlines. When it comes to fiction, I wait for the muse to strike, get on the computer and write like a woman possessed.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Writing is probably the only place where I don’t have quirks or rituals. Lol! I do, however, like to listen to New Age radio on Pandora while I write. It’s calming and there’s no lyrics so I don’t get distracted.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Editing can be a pain in the butt or when I know exactly how a story is going to end but have no beginning or middle. Then, it just sort of stalls and I move on to the next thing until those parts come to me.

What are your current projects?
I currently own and operate a natural health website: www.itoldyouiwassick.com, I’m a ghostwriter for another major natural health website and I’m writing fiction on the side when the muse strikes.

What are you planning for future projects?
I have a story kicking around in my head right now about somebody who plays a trick on somebody they NEVER should have messed with. I haven’t had time to sit and write it yet but it’s germinating. *smiles*

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write and keep writing. Pick up and read a copy of Stephen King’s book, “On Writing”, it will save you a lot of grief and keep submitting. Don’t take rejections personally and learn from your mistakes. Also, join a writers critique group such as www.fanstory.com. I’ve learned so much from the suggestions other writers make on this website and it has improved my writing ten-fold. Also, read. Take the time to read and absorb new information and return to old favorites. You’ll be amazed at how it can spark inspiration.

Where else can we find your work?

Anthology: Night Falls on Everyone, Online at http://www.jaimeaheidel.com/

New From Vagabondage Press: Jam Don't Shake

2011-08-22T10:02:00.000-04:00

Jam Don't Shake by Nicholas J. Carter

They seem so innocent: jars of jellies and jams. But the inhabitants of the town of Goodman know better.

An additive in Auntie Goodtimes Jams and Jellies turns good people into rioting murderers when their supply is cut off, the factory burned to the ground, and the National Guard closing in.

Doug is trying to survive in this post-Goodtimes world, sating his addiction with a carefully dosed tablespoon a day of jelly. And, when supplies get low, Doug, like others, finds that cravings can be quelled with the blood of fellow addicts.

Is it really murder when it’s a matter of survival?

Genre: Dark Literary Fiction/Dystopian

Format: Digital (ePub/Mobi/PDF)

Length: 19K / Rating: 18+

ISBN: 978-1-4524-3647-0

READ AN EXCERPT

Author Insides - Justin Carmickle

2011-08-21T07:00:00.015-04:00

Justin Carmickle lives in Bloomington, IN. His work has been published in various journals, including Breadcrumb Scabs, Canvas, Bastards & Whores, Unlikely 2.0, and Leaf Garden. His first chapbook is forthcoming from CrackCrack press.

His poetry appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I first began writing film scripts as a teen. Then, once I began studying English and Creative Writing at Indiana University-Bloomington, I realized my true passion to be fiction (I also enjoy poetry).

Why do you write?
Writing, for me, has become habit. Even with essays, homework, and exams to contend with, I still find myself drawn to the computer where I'll work on a piece. I find it liberating not only to write, but also to edit my own work, as well as the work of others.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
At 21, it may be too soon to answer this question. Ask me again in 5 years?

What do you think makes a good story?
Though many will disagree, for me the main element that leads to a good story is sentence level writing. A good sentence keeps the reader in the story no matter the plot.

What's your favorite genre to read?
For the most part I tend to read realism. I go from reading novels to short stories.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
My favorite fiction writers are Andre Dubus (the father) and Flannery O'Connor. I enjoy the poems of Elizabeth Bishop.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Definitely Flannery O'Connor's complete stories. Also, the collections of Andre Dubus, such as Separate Flights, Adultery & Other Choices, and The Times Are Never So Bad.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Again, I have to go with the Dubus collections. Their pages hold not only some wonderfully complicated characters, but some of the most powerful sentences any writer/reader can hope to encounter. He really is a marvelous writer.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
I find my most inspiration through single images. A piece I recently published was inspired by a family member who was telling me a story about how one harvests honey.

What does your family think of your writing?
My family supports my writing. However, only my grandmother reads literary fiction, and she is always excited when I've finished a new piece.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
Mostly I write for 2-3 hour blocks. I tend to think of my fiction while walking to and from class. My process is very slow.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I listen to music when writing. Conor Oberst, The Kinks, Miles Davis.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Mainly, I tend to involve too much conflict in my pieces. I need to stop trying to jam multiple stories into one.

What are your current projects?
At the moment I am working on a short story and revising two others to submit for publication.

What are you planning for future projects?
I plan to continue writing fiction and dabbling in poetry for...life? Next year I’m applying to MFA programs to continue studying fiction.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read and revise. Through revision comes real writing.

Where can we find your work?
I have a short story forthcoming in Louisiana Literature. I'm very excited about this publication. This is a wonderful journal that has published Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Olen Butler, so I'm blessed to be included in the journal's pages.

Get Your Free MFA Right Here!

2011-08-18T11:05:00.001-04:00

If you're not following GalleyCat - and you probably should be - check out this blog entry from Tuesday:

The eBook version of the New York Writers Workshop’s Portable MFA in Creative Writing is currently free on Amazon.

The Blurb brags. Get the core knowledge of a prestigious MFA education without the tuition. Have you always wanted to get an MFA, but couldn't because of the cost, time commitment, or admission requirements? Well now you can fulfill that dream...

For Free!

New Release - Jack the Theorist by John Hartless

2011-08-16T11:07:00.001-04:00

Jack The Theorist

John Hartless

Only one man dares to confront the meaning behind the crimes. Only one man sees through the tangled skein to the truth. Only one man knows the answers.

Or, at least, only one man thinks he knows the answers... Follow Professor Wolf, the world’s first Ripperologist, on his delusional journey into the world of the Ripper. Follow his long-suffering friend, Sir Arthur Smythe, who suspects that it will all end in tears.

Gasp at the revelations. Tremble at the truth. Wonder at the sanity of a mind that leaps from conspiracy to conspiracy without ever touching reality.

READ AN EXCERPT

Happy Release Day!

2011-07-26T10:12:00.000-04:00

New Release from Vagabondage Press:

EXPERIENCED: Rock Music Tales of Fact & Fiction

EXPERIENCED is an anthology of compelling narratives giving new insight into the drama of the rock music world from every literary angle, and exploring rock’s profound effect on our culture and its divine influence over the devoted faithful.

Cutting to the core truths of rock music culture, Experienced is among the first rock anthologies to explore rock music and culture from the inside-out. Featuring works by some of the premier performers, writers and chroniclers of rock music: James, Greer, Jim DeRogatis, David Menconi, Brad Kava, Fred de Vries and others. You’ll read about touring musicians and touring fans. Label signings gone awry. A late-night DJ and a serial killer. The evolution of life as a roadie. These are stories unique to each writer; yet, you’ll discover within them an experience that is universal. Some are fiction and some non-fiction, but they’re all true.

Edited by Roland Goity and John Ottey

Buy at our Website in in ePub, Mobi & PDF and trade paperback EXPERIENCED

Also at Amazon, B&N, Omnit, GoogleBooks, or order from an independant bookseller near you.

The Importance of Spelling?

2011-07-21T09:00:00.001-04:00

The Importance of Spelling

This is a great essay from the NYT blogs on typos and spelling, and I have to recommend it heartily.

"Some readers like to see portraits of authors they admire, study their personal histories or hear them read aloud. I like to know whether an author can spell. Nabokov spelled beautifully. Fitzgerald was crummy at spelling, bedeviled by entry-level traps like “definate.” Bad spellers, of course, can be sublime writers and good spellers punctilious duds. But it’s still intriguing that Fitzgerald, for all his gifts, didn’t perceive the word “finite” in definite, the way good spellers automatically do. Did this oversight color his impression of infinity? Infinaty?"

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/the-price-of-typos/

Lots of great comments and debate happening, and well worth reading.

Best comment ever: GO BUY A COMMA! Amen.

I'm on the fence about this, because I do see the English language as a fluid, evolving thing. On the other hand, I know that even the tiniest typo can niggle at the mind and distract a reader from a great story.

Your thoughts? Do you feel that the digital age and the expansion of platforms that use limited characters (twitter, texts, etc.) are a natural evolution of the language or a sign of the End Times.

Cover Letters and the Slush Pile of Doom

2011-07-20T11:30:00.001-04:00

Cover Letters and the Slush Pile of Doom

Just a little reminder to our author friends: when submitting a work to an agent, editor or publisher, it is customary to introduce the manuscript with a covering letter. Most agents, editors and publishers will remind you to include this small courtesy in their submissions guidelines.

A cover letter is a standard for seeking publication for commercial/genre fiction. In fact, it’s safe to say that it’s a standard requirement for any submittal in any and all cases for any type of writing. It’s basically a short letter describing the book, introducing yourself to the agent/publisher and then offering the manuscript for representation or publication.

With the rising use of electronic submissions, many agents and publishers have decided to pass on the query process, and accept a full manuscript up front; electrons are endless, and time is saved. You still need to provide a cover letter.

Cover letters are really just like query letters. In the latter case, you’re asking the agent/publisher if they would like to see more of the manuscript. In a cover letter, you are attaching and providing the actual manuscript. When you are providing the manuscript, whether it’s the first communication or in response to a request for a partial or full, you need to provide a cover letter, and that cover letter must include a short and intriguing blurb about the book. It’s the single most important thing you need to include on a query or cover letter.

Spending some time crafting your book blurb and cover letter is in your best interest – it will get your submission read. I don’t know anyone willing to pick up and read a 90k word novel without checking the back blurb, do you? Reading is a great pleasure, but it’s also an investment of time and emotion, and the same back blurb that sells books on shelves and online helps sell your submission to the agent or editor. Without it, your submission can be a quick delete, a fast pass. Even if the editor chooses to begin reading the manuscript, if it doesn’t draw them in the first scene, and they don’t have a good blurb or synopsis to reference to let them know what the conflict or theme of the story is to give them something to look forward to, you may not get more than that first scene read.

Without using that book blurb/synopsis, any other material you provide on your cover letter is pointless. An elevator pitch (1-2 sentences) is fine, but when faced with a 300 page read, most editors/agents would prefer to know what to expect going in. I recommend using both: first the pitch, then the blurb. Give them something to get them reading, then something to look forward to reading.

After you’ve mastered those elements, then you can tell the story of how you discovered you wanted to be a writer. Once you’ve pitched your story, then you can list the stories you've already had published.
Expecting an editor or agent to dive right into a full manuscript without a proper cover letter is a bit like expecting them to go all the way on a first date.

Oh, they may, but you gotta get ‘em drunk on the pitch, first.

New Release: Candy and Cigarettes by CS DeWildt

2011-07-19T09:44:00.001-04:00

Candy and Cigarettes by CS DeWildt

In the face of revenge, innocence is meaningless.

Death is omnipresent to small-town loner Lloyd Bizbang. Today proves no exception. After being attacked yet again by a pair of sociopaths who have targeted him since childhood, Lloyd stumbles upon a sight he wishes he could unsee in the town junkyard. Now as he just tries to live through another day, the bodies are stacking up in the town of Horton, and Lloyd finds himself connected to each of them via the drug-and-drink-addled, unhinging police chief, yet another person who has an old score to settle with Lloyd. A game of revenge and survival is underway, but will there be a winner at the day’s end?

Formats: Digital; ePub, Mobi, PDF
ISBN: 978-1-4524-6478-7
Genre: Dark Literary
Rating: 18+
Length: 21K words

To Purchase all formats, visit Vagabondage Press
About the Author:

CS DeWildt lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona. He is currently working on a novel and a collection of shorts. His work has been showcased on sites like Bartleby Snopes, Word Riot, The Bicycle Review, Writer’s Bloc and Mobius Magazine.

New Release: Lyrotica ~ An Anthology of Erotic Poetry and Prose

2011-07-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

Now in Print:

Lyrotica ~ An Anthology of Erotic Poetry and Prose

With special guest editor, Rebecca Ammon, syndicated sex and relationships blogger/columnist.

Twenty poets and eighteen authors come together under the editorial dominion of syndicated sex and lifestyle blogger and columnist Rebecca Ammon to bring you a divine taste of debauchery. With work from established erotica writers to literary storytellers, Lyrotica is a masterful mosaic of lyrical and sensual short stories and poems.

Inspired by the classic masters of literary erotica, Lyrotica is brings you captivating depictions of love, lust, and pleasure that will keep you enthralled. More than just a collection of titillating stories, Lyrotica is thought-provoking literature about the transformational power of human sexuality. Within these pages, you'll find tales of empowerment and revelation told through the ancient language of lust and desire.

From the Editor's Foreword:

"Through the words of this expressive manuscript, expect to find yourself swept away momentarily to a place not far from your dreams and quite possibly far, far away from your real life. Similarly to my own manuscript of life, the pages before you express an anthology of poetry and prose so sexually arousing, you won’t be able to put it down." ~ Rebecca Ammon

Read an Excerpt HERE

Contributors include Lyn Lifshin, Richard Godwin, Maxine Marsh, Laura LeHew, Heller Levinson, Ran Walker and more...

Author Insides ~ Corinne Wasilewski

2011-07-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

Corinne Wasilewski's short story, "Walking on Water," appears in the Spring 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Corinne was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada and presently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and teen-aged son. Writing has been her compulsion for several years now. She might not tell everyone this, but, she finds fiction more real than life. Her short stories have appeared in Front&Centre and The Windsor Review. She has a story forthcoming in The Nashwaak Review.

Corinne, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I have diary that proves I wanted to be a writer as early as ten, but, I think the desire was there as early as seven or eight. I was always a reader – would read a Nancy Drew book in a single sitting in grade three – so it was my love of reading that was the impetus for writing.

Why do you write?
In the beginning I wrote because I thought I had something important to say. Now I write to amuse myself and because I enjoy spending time with the characters.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?
No. I didn’t realize how little control the writer has in the whole process – how it’s more a matter of letting the characters take control. I also didn’t realize what little financial compensation there is for writers.

What do you think makes a good story?
To me, a good story is all about the characters. I want to be able to get into a character’s head and understand what makes them tick. I want to see them grow and develop.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Literary fiction -- short stories and gargantuan novels.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
I don’t have a favourite author, just favourite books.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis, Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer, The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, A Recipe for Bees by Gail Anderson-Dargatz, and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. These books gave me permission to be as quirky and unorthodox in my writing as I want.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Mercy Among the Children by David Adams Richards, The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton, The Romantic by Barbara Gowdy, Norman Bray in the Performance of His Life by Trevor Cole and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte because they give you the insight that allows you to have compassion for the most unlikely characters and compassion is something I’m short on sometimes.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
I tend to shut out the emotional side of life so any situation that causes me emotional turmoil is good fodder for a story.

What does your family think of your writing?
They tolerate it, but, I think they feel neglected at times.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I write every day – even at Christmas. I don’t see it as work. It’s just something I like to do. I have a full-time job that is totally removed from writing, so, I’m doing good if I get in an hour of writing a day.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
I write best in the morning. I like to roll out of bed, make a cup of coffee and head straight to the computer.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Endings! I hate writing endings.

What are your current projects?
I’ve been working on a novel for several years now – I’m probably three quarters done at this point.

What are you planning for future projects?
No specific plans, but, I’ll be writing something.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read and write. Write every day. Write even when you don’t feel like it.

Where can we find your work?
In my hard drive at home. No, seriously, in 2010 I had short stories appear in two Canadian publications: “Front&Center” and “The Windsor Review” and I have another pending in “The Nashwaak Review” in 2011.

Op-Ed: Rose-Colored Fiction Handicaps Teens

2011-07-08T07:00:00.004-04:00

My Rebuttal To Darkness Too Visible

As the managing editor of a small press that occasionally publishes fiction for young adults, I was unable to simply ignore the position taken by Meghan Cox Gurdon in her WSJ op-ed piece “Darkness Too Visible.” But as a parent of 19 years, many of which were spent with intelligent and highly literate teenagers, I was also a bit dismayed by the continued endorsement of committee-sanitized fiction for teenagers in the 21st century. It’s a noble intention, I guess, but it doesn’t serve the purposes of fiction, nor does it serve the purposes of education. As a parent, I have to call bullshit on this one.

Art is the ultimate equalizer. Art reflects life and compels thoughtful consideration about that life. And art that contains universal elements that engage a wide audience succeeds. If edgier, even uglier, fiction succeeds, then I have to suggest that perhaps it isn’t because the pathologies are being normalized, but because they are being recognized.

Refusing to acknowledge these back alleys of life alienates real live human beings. Hiding it for ‘decency’s sake’ just to make a few gatekeepers sleep easier and justify their jobs — well, that makes these dark events not-really-real, doesn’t it? And the next thing you know, the people who lived through these events, they become not-really-people.

It is the publishing industry’s job to sell books and it does that by providing a product that their customers can engage with and relate to. It is a parent’s job to raise children—more specifically, it’s their job to raise those children to become adults. As a parent, I’m personally not convinced that adolescents can become adults without some exposure to adult fears, concerns and even pleasures.

Ms. Gurdon is correct. Many older teenagers don’t read young adult books at all. I suspect that may be because, until the current trend in edgy YA fiction, many of the books typically labeled for young adults are, in fact, written for children. I know it’s part of our national obsession to keep young people as naïve, ignorant and disenfranchised for as long as legally possible—far past the point when biology and instinct demand that they become functioning adults. I’m not completely in disagreement with that policy; physical maturity aside, even older teens can make some distressingly bad choices for life in modern, civilized society. But teenagers aren't children, and the poor decision to lump books for 17-year0olds in with books for 12-year-olds just to reach a bigger market may be part of the problem. Twelve year olds are children. Seventeen year olds are not.

But I think we owe teens more credit than that. They need—and deserve—art for themselves, that reflects their lives and compels thoughtful consideration of that life. This is the age when people will face their first choice between desire and duty. This is the time they make those first value judgments about issues like abuse and rape and hate crime. This is the time when they will decide exactly how they will change the world. Refusing them art that explores these issues handicaps them by stripping away knowledge of the very ugliness, ignorance and violence that they will need to battle for the rest of their lives. Just when they need to learn about it.

And don’t sell them short by dumbing down or sanitizing their art.

I'd love to hear your opinions. Do you think that the currently slate of young adult literature is too graphic or too dark? Too violent? Or do you think publishers of 'children's' fiction are finally getting onboard with reality? Or do you think books for older teens should be relabeled and reshelved into a 'New Adult' category?

Author Insides - GK Wuori

2011-07-07T07:00:00.001-04:00

G. K. Wuori, a Pushcart Prize winner and Illinois Arts Council Fellow, has published more than a hundred stories in such journals as The Gettysburg Review, Prairie Schooner, The Missouri Review, The Kenyon Review, and Shenandoah. His novel, An American Outrage, was a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, and his story collection, Nude In Tub, a Quality Paperback Book Club New Voices Award Nominee, continues to grow its cult-classic following. He is associate editor of the literary journal Kippis, and currently lives in Sycamore, Illinois, where he writes a monthly column called Cold Iron at GKWuori.com.

Jerry - when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It probably happened in college after I placed a few pieces in the literary magazine. Not only did writing seem like a cool thing to do, but it seemed like I was able to do it really, really well. Plus, I didn’t have the faintest idea of what I wanted to do with my life.

Why do you write?

I write because I think someone has to be an official, recording witness to the wild and phantasmagorical array of convoluted, contradictory, interesting, and amusing stuff that is life as we know it in our time. Fortunately, I’m not the only one because that’s an awful lot to write about.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

I’ve never been terribly sure of what life itself is supposed to be like, although I revel in its surprises and occasionally despair over its insanities. I could probably say pretty much the same thing about being a writer.

What do you think makes a good story?

Interesting people doing interesting things – usually by getting themselves into trouble and then getting out of it.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Newspapers.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Kurt Vonnegut (fiction) and Charles Bukowski (poet)

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

I think Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics are among the greatest influences in my writing and my life. They’re like two pillars holding me in place as my characters struggle to find an ideal world in which to live and to answer the basic question of what it means to be a decent human being.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

I read Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 once a year. It nourishes me and tells me a) that what I’m doing is worthwhile and b) that there are bastards out there who would really like that I not do it.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

By planting myself at my keyboard every day and hoping that something pops into my head. It usually does.

What does your family think of your writing?

Since I’ve published a couple of books and over a hundred stories and they still include me in family/holiday gatherings I like to assume they approve. I also think it’s unfair ever to put any family member on the spot by asking what they think of your work.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

There’s not really any “when” to it. I simply write every day, sometimes for just a few hours, sometimes all day. Depends on the work at hand.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I have a nice window near my writing table. I stare a lot.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Poetry. I love writing poems. I’ve written probably sixty-four zillion of them and published about a dozen. So I’ve concluded I’m not really much of a poet but I keep trying.

What are your current projects?

I’m writing plays.

What are you planning for future projects?

More plays.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just read and stay away from writing programs.

Where can we find your work?

The best place would be to start at my website, http://www.gkwuori.com/.

GK's novella, Now That I'm Ready To Tell You Everything is now available from Vagabondage Press.

It can be purchased at Amazon.com for Kindle, in Print and at B&N for Nook

Writer's Resources ~ July Edition: Book Contests

2011-07-06T07:00:00.000-04:00

We all love driving ourselves mindlessly insane by entering writing contests, right? After all, who needs the sleep? Pacing the floorboards, sucking caffeine and trying to slide that double cheeseburger in with all those flutterbys can mean a quick 5 pound drop just in time for the beach.

Here's some writing contests with July 2011 deadlines.

THE STORY: WRITERS ON THE INFLUENCE OF CINEMA will be an e-anthology of essays by authors exploring the relationship between movies and their work. Edited by Cynthia Hawkins. Forthcoming from Calavera Books. Deadline July 22, $5 Entry Fee
http://writersontheinfluenceofcinema.submishmash.com/Submit

ACCENTS PUBLISHING 2011 International Poetry Book Contest: Two winners will be selected – one by an independent judge, Lisa Williams, and one by the Senior Editor and founder of Accents Publishing, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer. Each winner will have his/her submission published and will receive a $500 cash prize. Additionally, the winners will be invited for a featured reading at a book premiere celebration event. All contest entries will be considered for regular publication with Accents Publishing, as well. 60-120 pages of poetry. Deadline July 31, $20 Entry Fee
http://www.accents-publishing.com/contest.html

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY Mississippi Valley Poetry Chapbook Contest: Submit between 16 to 24 pages of poetry; manuscripts should be paginated and secured with a binder clip (no staples). No names or identifying information should appear on the poems. Deadline July 31, $15 Entry Fee.
http://midwestwritingcenter.org/WhatWeDo/Mississippi_Chapbook_Contest.htm

WHITE PINE PRESS: Marie Alexander poetry series. Deadline is July 31, No Reading Fee
http://www.whitepine.org/malexander.php

New Release Tuesday! The He and She of It by Barry Spacks

2011-07-05T13:57:00.001-04:00

The He and She of It by Barry Spacks

A ’50s tale, seen from today, of two male poets in love with a demanding muse, both willing to do whatever her Dionysian heart desires ~ three gleeful and wounded hearts at play, sympathetic, ambiguous, engagingly human.

For some, the decade of the ’50s played out as an erotically turbulent era.

So it was, for noted poet Elton Gold, who looks back on a life-forming affair in the with intense, queenly Gloria Zissic, a generative figure to him and to his British fellow-poet Andrew Norton as well.

These three gradually find themselves experimenting with combinations and cohabitations that their conservative university can't allow, as they grow in strength, affection, and wit by insisting on being who they are: a literary-savvy folie-a-trois.

Digital Novella
Praise for The He and She of It

“I loved this novella from start to finish. It has tremendous zest and lift, the embedded poems enriching the story, le mot juste at every turn, the voice never flagging in its convincing recreation of the ’50s, seen both as happening in real time and in retrospect from the present day. This is inspired work.”
— Bob Brill, author of Hibiscus Sex and Old Man on a Tricycle

"A daring confession of relations between two young poets and a sexually liberated 1950s-era feminist provocateur, this story takes us on quite a trip through a labyrinth of youthful Eros and bravado. Marked by taut and shimmering prose, The He and She of It is wise, witty and wondrous."
— Tai Carmen Warner, author of the prize-winning poetry collection Pollen

New Release: Now That I'm Ready To Tell You Everything by GK Wuori

2011-06-15T13:08:00.001-04:00

New Release from Vagabondage Press:

Now That I'm Ready To Tell You Everything
by GK Wuori

On a beautiful spring morning, Serena Callaway wanted nothing more than a quiet, meditative walk along the streets of her small town. Then she found a toe, a woman’s big toe, recently pedicured, lying in the street, and began to realize that normal, along with quiet and certainly meditative, just might not be where things were headed that day.

Now That I’m Ready To Tell You Everything is a quirky romp through a single morning, as a group of quite ordinary people try desperately to turn average moments into nutty adventures.

G. K. Wuori, a Pushcart Prize winner and Illinois Arts Council Fellow, has published more than a hundred stories in such journals as The Gettysburg Review, Prairie Schooner, The Missouri Review, The Kenyon Review, and Shenandoah. His novel, An American Outrage, was a Foreword Magazine Book of the Year, and his story collection, Nude In Tub, a Quality Paperback Book Club New Voices Award Nominee, continues to grow its cult-classic following. He is associate editor of the literary journal Kippis, and currently lives in Sycamore, Illinois, where he writes a monthly column called Cold Iron at GKWuori.com

Praise for NIR:"Serena, an ordinary wife who has turned to stripping for extra cash in the perilously bad economy of her small town, goes for a walk one morning and finds a severed toe lying on the ground out side a sex shop. Her day--and this constantly surprising, small gem of a novel--gets progressively weirder and more provocative from there. G.K. Wuori is truly a master of the everyday Absurd, and in Now That I'm Ready to Tell You Everything, he is at his ominous, poignant and comic best."Gina Frangello, author of Slut Lullabies and My Sister's Continent

Now That I'm Ready To Tell You Everything is available for Kindle at Amazon and for Nook at B&N. Digital downloads in ePub, Mobi and PDF are available at http://www.vagabondagepress.com/
The paperback edition will be released on June 21st and will be available on Amazon.com and VagabondagePress.com

Author Insides - Tammy Salyer

2011-05-29T07:30:00.000-04:00

TAMMY SALYER

Tammy Salyer's humorous short story, "A Brigand's Lament," appears in the Spring 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Tammy is an ex-paratrooper who replaced the thrill of jumping with the thrill of writing about things that are even crazier than she is. She has a lot less bruises now and gets to have fun now, no matter what the weather is.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Somehow, I’ve always known I wanted to write. It’s in my blood. I remember creating a life goals list when I was about eleven. It contained several goals I’ve already achieved, i.e., buy a motorcycle and get a tattoo. It also included meeting Stephen King (haven’t done that one yet), and of course, write. I left that one open-ended — I didn’t yet know that there was a vast territory of different types and styles of writing. So far, I’ve done quite a few of them, and just never get tired of seeing the magic of written words and how they create new realities.

Why do you write?
Writing feeds my soul in a way that nothing short of a near-death experience has. Is there anything more theory-based and creative than the inventions of the mind? Anything you wish for, you can make be if you put the time and energy into writing about it. Writing is truly more nourishing and satisfying to that metaphysical part of me than anything else could ever be.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
Being a writer seems to mean so many different things to different people, and even to myself on a given day. For me, some days being a writer means beating my head against my desk until the words shake out. Other days, it’s more glamorous; it’s more about the zen of creativity. But ultimately, when people call me a “writer”, that’s when I start to feel like I’ve achieved what I imagined writing would be. More of an identity than an occupation. Just like the phrase “being a writer” means many different things to people, the word “success” means different things. To me, in a more public sense, they are about the same thing. I know I will have achieved what I imagined being a writer would be when I achieve success.

What do you think makes a good story?
A good story is a combination of so many factors; it’s a perfect storm of a cadre of juicy characters, exciting plot, interesting setting, and the well-woven layers of all of the above. For me to really enjoy a book, there has to be both interesting (though not necessarily likable) characters and a story that intrigues me. Stories like Jonathan Safran Foer’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” or Neal Stephenson’s “Snowcrash.”

What's your favorite genre to read?
None, all. I haven’t read in a genre that doesn’t contain gold. It’s not the genre that makes a good book, it’s the skill of the author.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
The list could go on forever. I find that most authors have something in their style that resonates with me, even if it’s just a turn of phrase or an amazing character. There is a nugget of brilliance in every book written. A couple of authors that I return to over and over are Neal Stephenson and Neil Gaiman. Also Jonathan Safran Foer and Stephen King. I’m eclectic in my tastes.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Ooh, what a magical question. It just makes me want to pull out all of my inspirations and reread them. I’ll start with Stephen King’s “The Stand” and “It.” Those two stories were masterful in the way they wove together so many marvelous characters as well as how they could jump around in time and place. I also loved his book “On Writing” which validated every hope I have in me to expose my writing out to the world. Then there is the Lord of the Rings trilogy which is the best example I’ve found of pure creation, both the physical and metaphysical. Tolkien’s brilliance was having had the imagination to create an entire world and its history and the talent to make them accessible in all their elegance to readers.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Inspiration for new stories strikes out of the blue. I can be mixing cream in my coffee or having a conversation with friends and some random thought or comment will trigger the idea for a new story. Most of the time, they’re really out there and I just get excited to explore the idea further with no idea where it will take me. In that way, writing is very much like being the word nerd equivalent of Indiana Jones. You’re always chasing some new imaginative artifact that could change the world (or at least, the imaginary world) and there are often obstacles in the way (like your real job). Writing is inspiring in and of itself just because it’s such an adventure.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
To get into writing zen mode, or the flow, I often seek out interviews with some of my favorite writers and read them first. This seems to placate my internal editor who thinks it’s all just a big waste of time. To hear / read about people I admire struggling and feeling doubt at times helps me realize I don’t have to be perfect and loosens the mental cogs enough to let me start just writing without self-judgment. That will come back in when I allow the internal editor back on the scene.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I often write science fiction and find the need to do research a challenge. I’d rather make up what I don’t know than hunt down the facts, but I’ve come to terms with the reality that readers expect certain rules to be followed. I think it helps people to know they can rely on a stable foundation of physical truth in order to suspend disbelief and accept some of the greater imaginative elements of a good scifi story.

What are your current projects?
I’m currently writing my first paranormal fiction novel. It’s set in Canada and Greenland and is based on an ancient blood feud between Inuits and Vikings. And I’m editing the second book in an action adventure series I started a few years ago.

What are you planning for future projects?
I’ll write the third and final installment of the action adventure series.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Believe in yourself. Join a critique group with like-minded souls. And don’t do it if you don’t love doing it.

Where can we find your work?
I have two other shorts published in Ghostlight Magazine and The Living Dead Press’s anthology “Emails of the Dead.” I also have a blog where I offer personal ramblings on everything from movie reviews to publishing at http://soiwrotethisbook.blogspot.com/

Author Insides - Bruce Bromley

2011-05-26T06:30:00.000-04:00

BRUCE BROMLEY

Author Bruce Bromley's short story "Saying It' appears in the Sprint 2011 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Bruce has performed his poetry and music at the John Drew Theatre (East Hampton), the Berklee Performance Center (Boston), Shakespeare and Company (Paris), The Village Voice (Paris), and at the 1986 Edinburgh Theatre Festival, where the Oxford Theatre Troupe performed his play, Sound for Three Voices. His work has appeared in Word Riot Magazine, Fogged Clarity, Pif Magazine, Gargoyle Magazine, Fringe Magazine, the Journal of Speculative Philosophy, and Women and Performance, among other journals. He is senior lecturer in expository writing at NYU, where he won the 2006 Golden Dozen Award for teaching excellence.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Even as a child of five or six, I always wrote—about long walks to the sea, to the river when we lived near New York City, and about my sense of the shape of each day. The words seemed to underscore that shaping experience was possible.

Why do you write?
I write stories, academic-exploratory essays, plays, poems, all for akin reasons: to manifest thinking on the page, thinking about human matters pertinent, I hope, to all of us, since we are each striving to be a part of the world, which will always exceed what we say of it (indeed, that is one of the world’s virtues, I think).

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?
It is both harder and more wonderful than, as a child, I’d ever hoped.

What do you think makes a good story?
A powerful, singing voice or voices, building up a verbal shape worthy of being shared.

What's your favorite genre to read?
I’d have to identify two: the novel and poetry.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Virginia Woolf, for the novel, and Rainer Maria Rilke for poetry.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Woolf’s The Waves and, recently, Deborah Eisenberg’s collected stories.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
For this, I’d have to say: the poetry of Rilke’s Duino Elegies.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
In music, always: in a world where the shutting down of feeling is so often all around us, music wakes me up, attuning what requires attunement. I play, for example, John Adams’s El Niño; anything by Arvo Pärt; the viol music of Jordi Savall; the songs of Joni Mitchell, on a daily basis, in order to remember what emotion, proportioned, can make.

What does your family think of your writing?
They tell me they are happy that it exists in the world.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I write, usually, three hours a day, always looking out at the old, many-branched tree outside my window.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Yes: I begin by playing a piece of music which affords me the courage to believe in words and their expressive powers.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The interconnections among different strands of time in lived experience: I find it challenging and exciting to work at this sort of interweaving.

What are your current projects?
Writing more stories; teaching an advanced course at NYU on the essay and some of our culture’s foundational texts, working with students who attempt to rethink the human issues at stake in those texts.

What are you planning for future projects?
I’d like to try to organize my work into book form, though I know that book publication is its own fraught process.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
Believe that our commitment to what words can do is worth all that it requires of us.

New Releases from Vagabondage Press

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

An Animal's Guide to Earthly Salvation by Jack R. Johnson

"Where do animal souls go when they die? Do animals even have souls? Kierkegaard suggests not," Jeffrey Rawlings notes. "Something to bear in mind while kissing your hound."

An assistant at an urban veterinary clinic, Jeffrey Rawlings has decided to take a break from graduate studies and instead pulls nightshift at the animal hospital while studying the modern philosophers - "from Kierkegaard to Marx" - to no avail: wounded animals hound his existence. Jeffrey’s hypochondriac mother may be dying of ovarian cancer, his money-hungry sister needs bucks for her 40-year-old husband’s braces, and a heroin-hooked runaway is set on his seduction. Meanwhile, the neighborhood transvestite swears he is Billie Holiday raised from the dead. But the worst comes when his perpetually indiscrete Uncle Raymond winds up getting shot. Soon enough, Jeffrey learns, it’s not just the animals that need a cure.

Available in Digital and Print HERE
Also on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Omnilit

FRESH OUT TODAY:

The Tradesman’s Entrance by Cameron Vale

Virginal Stephen Patterson is suffering from writers block on his latest money-spinning bodice-ripper, and his mood can only get worse when Dave the plumber shows up two hours late, mocks him, and plunders his pantry.

But first impressions can be deceptive; Dave is a highly unusual tradesman with an odd line in biscuit-based philosophy, an open-minded approach to sex, and a cast-iron certificate in unblocking all sorts of pipes.

When Dave decides that it’s long past time for Stephen to unclog years of fear and insecurity, Stephen may finally discover who he really is.

Download Digital for Kindle, Nook, Stanza
Soon on Amazon, B&N and AllRomance

New Release! Children by Maggie Clark

2011-05-16T06:50:00.000-04:00

New Digital Short Release

New technology, old grievances, ageless crimes: Chris’s world as a news editor runs the gamut when a missing person’s case collides with a mysterious website in her old haunt, the arts beat. Chris should be thrilled, but a thick slice of office politicking stifles her quest for understanding at every turn. Chris can’t shake the feeling of futility dogging her every move. In a world of increasing uncertainty, what passes now for inner strength?

CHILDREN is a deftly woven tapestry of beautiful language, haunting imagery and tension, a moving and thought-provoking work.

Maggie Clark was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and attended the University of Waterloo, where she completed a joint honours in Political Science and English Literature, spending two years as full-time Editor-in-Chief of the student newspaper. Maggie has since seen her first play read at the 2010 Magnetic North Theatre Festival, as well as having on-going writing opportunities emerge in film.

Read an excerpt here

On Sale at Amazon, B&N and Vagabondage Press

Author Insides - Matthew Hamilton

2011-03-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

Matthew Hamilton is a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. After graduating from Belmont Abbey College in 1999, Matthew was clothed as a Benedictine Monk. After living a life of prayer, solitude, and study for four years, Matthew decided to leave the monastery. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but raised in four other states, Matthew has a yearning for travel. When he is not teaching, Matthew reads, writes, and researches his next country to visit or his next story to write. After service, he plans on pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing.

Matthew's short story, "Death Watch," appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It happened just after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I was a Benedictine monk at the time. After the initial shock, I entered my study and wrote a poem about it. But I didn’t try to publish it. However, I continued to write, mostly nonfiction. And then in 2002 I won an essay contest for junior monks. The essay was eventually published in The American Benedictine Review (see below for details).

Why do you write?
Because it’s how I express my feelings and opinions. Also, I like sharing a good story.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
Yes, most definitely. Before I took up the pen, I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work and require a lot of patience.

What do you think makes a good story?
If the author can write something that the reader can relate to. I try to make my stories as real as possible, genuine. If a story has realistic characters, is full of emotion, if it forces the reader to think, then the author has done their job.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Historical Fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Favorite poet: Walt Whitman. For the fiction writer it’s a tossup between Ernest Hemingway and O. Henry.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
For stories, I’d have to say “The Killers” by Ernest Hemingway and “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. There are others, of course, but I favor these two the most.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Hands down, “No Man is an Island” and New Seeds of Contemplation,” both books by the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Through real stories. I often pull ideas out of newspapers and history books.

What does your family think of your writing?
They enjoy it very much. They are anxiously awaiting for me to write a novel of collection of poems or short stories.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I prefer writing in the mornings, but because of my work schedule I often cannot write at this time, so I set a time in the evening after dinner and write for maybe two or three hours. If I’m full of inspiration my writing time is extended until I collapse from exhaustion.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Coming up with an original idea is always tough. I also have trouble with coming up with satisfying endings.

What are your current projects?
I’m working on a book of poems about the time I was a US Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Armenia (2006-2008). I’m also working on a novel about the Armenian Genocide that occurred during World War I.

What are you planning for future projects?

Anne Rice wrote to fans that a Christian vampire story cannot be done. I think a Christian vampire novel is possible. I hope to write it one day.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
If you want to improve your writing, you must read and write daily.

Where else can we find your work?
My work can be found all over the web and at http://mahamiltonwrites.blogspot.com

Author Insides - Brandon Wallace

2011-03-27T07:00:00.014-04:00

Brandon Wallace is 29 year-old life-long writer and poet. A 2005 graduate of Purdue University with a Master’s Degree in American Studies, his work has appeared in the anthologies, "In Our Own Words: A Generation Defining Itself, Vol. 8" and "Carried Over". He counts among his influences Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Howard Zinn, President Obama and Barbra Streisand. He maintains a blog, JuliusSpeaks, at http://www.juliusspeaks.blogspot.com/
Brandon's poetry appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of TBS

Brandon, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I began telling stories when I was about a year old. I wrote my first story when I was about three. I eeked out a novel when I was twelve. The title of it was “Cries in the Rain.”

Why do you write?

I write because that’s what I do. I just write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Not yet. I'm not rich and famous yet.

What do you think makes a good story?

A compelling story captures your attention and keeps you fully engaged.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I read everything, but if I had to say something was my favorite I guess it would be the novel.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

My favorite author is Alice Walker. My favorite book by her is Possessing the Secret of Joy. Among poets, I love Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde, Dorothy Parker, and Amiri Baraka.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Alice Walker’s Possessing the Secret of Joy, Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides and John Irving’s The World According to Garp.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The same three as above. That’s fiction. Among nonfiction, I would say W.E.B. DuBois, J.A. Rogers, Lady Antonia Fraser, and Corrie Ten Boom.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I think just breathing. When I write, I write. When I don’t I don’t.

What does your family think of your writing?

They think it’s a nice hobby.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I let the spirit move me.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Not yet.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m still honing my craft.

What are your current projects?

Revising two novels. I haven’t started a new story yet, though one is formulating.

What are you planning for future projects?

A gay novel.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Simply to keep writing.

Where else can we find your work?

http://www.juliusspeaks.blogspot.com/

Author Insides - Aunia Kahn

2011-03-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

Aunia Kahn's art work has been compared to movie-like stills, which hide away long stories within their visuals. Often times she explores taboo and controversial subject matter to challenge the viewers, their understanding and preconceived notions, yet she connects through honest feeling and emotions. Using a hybrid art form, she combines many disciplines, melding photography, painting and collage. She is also a graphic and web designer and the creator of the Silver Era Tarot and Lowbrow Tarot Project. http://www.auniakahn.com/ and http://auniakahn.bigcartel.com/

Aunia's art work and poetry have both appeared in The Battered Suitcase. She was our feature/cover artist for the Autumn 2009 issue, and her poetry appeared in the Winter 2010 issue.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Writing has always been an escape to me, as art and music. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to write a book, and in my early teens I took hundreds of my writings and created a makeshift book, which has now been turned into an actual published book called “Obvious Remote Chaos”.

Why do you write?

Well, my muse makes me.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Yes, it’s everything I could ever want it to be, even if I had never been published. I could not live without it.

What do you think makes a good story?

When it’s not the same old story told different ways, by different people. Give me something new, and fresh.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I love all books, I could not select a favorite genre.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I love Rumi as a poet, and as an author it changes since I read such diverse books most recently I feel in love with Wendy Moore.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

As a writer I am more influenced by music and art, and life. I love to read, but I don’t find books influence my writing accept motivating me to want to keep writing, but each book I read makes me want to do that.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The Shack, By: William P. Young
The Knife Man: The Extraordinary Life and Times of John Hunter, Father of Modern Surgery, By: Wendy Moore
The Celestine Prophecy, By: James Redfield

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

From the world around me, things I love, things I loathe and trying to figure out what makes me tick.

What does your family think of your writing?

They seem to be very supportive.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I seem to go in spurts. I will sit down and have days that I just can’t get enough of writing, and then I have to stop and do something else like focus on art. I am compulsive with all creations, when I do them I really get into them until burn out, and then move to the next medium.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I always screw up though, and through while typing.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Trying to keep more of a balanced schedule, and not being so neurotic.

What are your current projects?

Currently I am working on my second poetry book, a tabletop art book that will have writing about each one of my art pieces, and working on the book for the Lowbrow Tarot Project.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have so many that I have a notebook full of them; too many to list and lots of them are secrets.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep going. No matter if you think you are any good at what you do, keep doing it because it does not matter f anyone else likes it, if you enjoy the process, just do it!

Where else can we find your work?

http://www.auniakahn.com/ and http://www.silvereratarot.com/

Author Insides - Amy Schreibman Walter

2011-03-20T07:00:00.001-04:00

Amy Schreibman Walter was born in 1976 in sultry South Florida, to parents from the edge of Brooklyn. She currently lives in London, England, where she enjoys teaching 8-year-olds how to write good poetry, among other things. Presently studying at the Faber Poetry Academy in London, Amy teaches by day and writes by night.

Amy's poem "December 25, Chinatown," appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

Amy, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing on napkins since before I could spell. I remember being at family dinners in restaurants at the age of 5, taking a napkin and a pen and creating an ‘office’ under the table, surrounded by the feet of grown-ups. I wish I’d kept more of my younger writing, as I wonder now what was really on those napkins.

Why do you write?

I write because I have to. It’s not always the most fun process, but when something does work, it’s satisfying.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I always had a sense that writing would never be a full time gig for me; that somehow I wouldn’t be able to survive from writing stories and poems. I never imagined how incredibly hard it is to write well.

What do you think makes a good story?

That varies wildly, but anything in life is writable.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Is it a cliché if I say poetry? Sometimes I need to break out of reading poetry though, it becomes a bit telescopic for me and I need to read something else.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I have a penchant for Plath. Also, I think Nick Cave’s lyrics are unbelievable. My poetess friend Laura Maher is pretty wonderful, too.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The sources of my inspiration change all the time. I think I’m most influenced by being immersed in contemporary poetry, both that of published poets and that of my friends and peers in my poetry classes.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Can I say that places and people have influenced me more than books?

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I get ideas from memories. My poems are often like polaroids –a snapshot of a moment in time. I’ve been told that my poetry has a lot of concrete imagery and colors within it. I like to recreate a scene in my writing. The themes in my writing right now seem to be: my Florida childhood, New York City and my relationships.

What does your family think of your writing?

There’s a strong tradition of poetry in my family. My mom is a poet, and she’s a great editor. My grandfather, too: he suggests a change and it’s the perfect alteration, changing the shape of a poem in just the way it needed to be changed. I think my family is glad I’ve picked up the poetry baton. I guess it was just a matter of time.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I write mostly at night, because I have a full time job. I go through periods where I write all evening, where it’s what I need to do when I get home. Other times, it’s more of an effort after a full workday, and I write better on weekends. Friday night, late, seems to be an optimal time for my creativity, for some reason. Perhaps I write my best poems on Friday at midnight.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Perhaps it is quirky that I write less with a pen and more and more straight on the laptop these days, I don’t know. Maybe I need to bring the napkins back, though they do surface sometimes.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Getting the ideas is easy, but making the writing good is always challenging.

What are your current projects?

I’m writing towards a first pamphlet of poems at the moment. I want to put the pamphlet out into the world by September 2011.

What are you planning for future projects?

I’m studying at the Faber and Faber Poetry Institute in London right now, which is helping to keep me on track for writing many new poems. I want to publish a first book of poems within the next two years.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

It’s so hard to write well, but I think you just have to throw yourself into it and persist in the work of it, just keep going.

Where else can we find your work?

I’m working on a website to share the links from my online and in print poems – watch this space.

Author Insides - Tom Sterner

2011-03-17T07:00:00.017-04:00

Tom {WordWulf} Sterner, lives in Redding, California and Arvada, Colorado. He has been published in magazines and on the internet, include Howling Dog Press/Omega, Skyline Literary Review, The Storyteller, and Flashquake. He is the winner of the Marija Cerjak Award for Avant-Garde/Experimental Writing and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2006 and 2008. He edited the English translation of Hameed Al-Qaed's 'Noise of Whisper', edited and wrote the foreword for the Arabic to English translation of the poets of Bahrain, 'Pearl, Dreams of Shell' published in 2007. Published work includes two novels, Madman Chronicles: The Warrior and Momma's Rain. He is online at http://wordwulf.weebly.com

A collection of Tom's haiku appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of TBS.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was eight-years-old a teacher told me that unstoppable was not a word when I used it in a story. Unstoppable was and is a word. I refused to take it out, had my A knocked down to a C for my stubborn and insubordinate attitude. I learned that I was a writer and could use whatever words I chose, even if I decided to make them up. I made a choice and learned to rely on my feelings when it comes to writing. Authority figures have always been a pain in my ass.

Why do you write?

Writing is partly a method of catharsis for me, a natural and necessary part of what/who I am (like breathing).

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I have always been a writer. Working to survive and feed my family was much more difficult than I ever imagined while keeping my writing-self alive.

What do you think makes a good story?

The twists and turns of life sprinkled with a generous mixture of imagination.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I have always read most anything I can get my hands on. I like historical fiction (John Jakes) and philosophy, Nietzsche, Hesse, Abraham Lincoln. Classics are always a good bet too.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

James Douglas Morrison and Abraham Lincoln.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Selected Writings of Abraham Lincoln, The Lords and the New Creatures, The Philosophy of Nietzsche.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Big Red, Old Yeller, Call of the Wild, Poe, as a boy. Everything from George Carlin to Tolstoy as a man (and don’t forget Elvis).

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

When I was a child the voices began speaking in my head, telling me there was a path outside the violence, madness, and hunger of my life. I began to escape by listening to them and have never been able to persuade them to stop wailing.

What does your family think of your writing?

My mother liked my singing but made me promise to never publish stories of our lives until she was gone. Like many poor folks, she was ashamed and proud, chose to bear her suffering in silence. She is gone now. My five wonderful adult children adore me and my writing. My wife supports me and is patient with me while weathering my demons.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It is all I do unless I am warming soup or drugging myself into restless semblances of sleep.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I am a quirk, a ritual, I am.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Fighting and begging, querying and submitting (how I loathe that word), finally getting published, novels, songs, poetry and art, then pounding the internet in an attempt to market my work.

What are your current projects?

Two novels, Momma’s Fire, and The War Years, finishing a fifteen year project, Ten Thousand Whisper (10,000 haiku). I’m also working with my oldest son recording a couple of hundred songs written in my rock ‘n roll singer days and working on video clips with my youngest son. These boys are dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

What are you planning for future projects?

All the above and a forever project, Primeval Dreams, conceived with my good friend, Michael Annis, senior editor and founder of Howling Dog Press. We are the Owl Men whose vision is audio-video realizations of the dynamics of performance whose construction is the bone bolts and blood nuts of literary experience within manifest existence, interpreted through the Danse Primeval, the See of Dreams…

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you’re a writer or a singer, you know you cannot stop. Keep everything you write, keep it forever. When I was 19-years old I was angered by a group at a university because they wanted to change one work in a song I wrote. I became so frustrated I went home and burned everything I had written from the time I was eight years old. Don’t do that. Date all your work, most times it’s the only date you can get (and a pretty good one at that). Submit, submit, submit; send out three pieces for every rejection you receive. Change a word or two if you must, learn to accept criticism. You can always go home and shoot your television if you need to vent.

Where else can we find your work?

http://wordwulf.weebly.com/

Contact Information:
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner
email: wordwulf@gmail.com
website: http://wordwulf.weebly.com/

Author Insides - Mitchell Waldman

2011-03-13T07:00:00.016-04:00

Mitchell Waldman’s fiction and poetry has appeared in numerous publications, such as Wind Magazine, Moronic Ox Literary Journal, Five Fishes Journal, The HazMat Review, Innisfree, Poetpourri, The Advocate, Mobius, The Parnassus Literary Journal, Desperate Act, Poetry Motel, Poetic Hours, Bold Print, Woven Worlds, Long Story Short, Rochester Shorts, and in the anthologies, "Beyond Lament: Poets of the World Bearing Witness to the Holocaust", and "Messages from the Universe". He is also the author of the novel, "A Face in the Moon", and co-edited with his partner, Diana, the anthology "Wounds of War: Poets for Peace". http://mitchwaldman.homestead.com/

Mitchell's short story, "The Ring," appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of TBS

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I've pretty much always known since I was a kid that I wanted to be a "writer." I idolized certain writers growing up and would spend hours locked up in my room reading anything I could get my hands on. Although my first writing triumph was winning a contest in the third grade for a science fiction story I wrote (and having to read the mimeographed story on stage in front of my entire grade school, my hands shaking the page as I read) it wasn't until I was in college and took a couple fiction writing classes that my actual "writing," rather than the dreaming of "being a writer" became a habit (good or bad).

Why do you write?

A lot of people say, “I write because I must.” I cringe every time I hear a writer say this. It’s almost cliche. But it is the expression of one’s soul that comes across on the page, the imprinting of one’s persona that makes writing (good writing, anyway) so powerful. Everyone does, in fact, have their own story to tell. And there is that “I must write” thing going on with me to some extent. It’s one activity where I feel fully satisfied and lost when I engage in it. To create something new, to create new worlds, and something to share with others, that others can relate to, learn from (hopefully) – that is the reason that I write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I had a lot of fantasies as a child of what it was to be a writer. The glam writer, jetsetting around the world, giving readings and signings and showing up in the news and papers. The actual writing life is nothing like that (as I have not to date achieved rock star status). Writing, although it definitely has its adrenaline rushes, satisfactions, and challenges is, in reality, really a lot of hard work.

What do you think makes a good story?

I like stories about people, real people. What they go through on a day to day basis. The middle class regular Joes who are trying to make it in this world. Stories that readers can relate to. And, sometimes stories that talk about injustices in the world around us (without bashing you over the head with “message.”

What's your favorite genre to read?

I’m pretty much a literary/mainstream fiction reader.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I’d be hard pressed to name a (one) “favorite” author. I love to discover writers that I haven’t read (although a lot of them I should have before). Some of my most recent favorites are Alan Lightman (“The Diagnosis”), Andrew Sean Greer (“The Path of the Minor Planet”), Perry Glasser (“Dangerous Places”), Benjamin Percy {“The Language of the Elk”). And there are my old standbys—Philip Roth, John Irving, Nick Hornby, Hemingway, Herbert Gold, Richard Ford, Richard Russo, Jill McCorkle, Michael Chabon, Ellen Gilchrist, Joyce Carol Oates, Tim O’Brien, Martin Amis, Lorrie Moore, Bret Ellis, Frederick Barthelme, Andre Dubus, Jim Harrison. …and so many more. There are so many great writers to read and so many more to discover…so many great books to read…and so little time!

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

That’s a tough one. I guess I was most influenced by books in the 80’s when I began to take writing seriously and was looking for a style, a voice of my own. . Early books by Larry McMurtry – “All My Friends Will be Strangers,” “The Last Picture Show,” Bret Ellis’ book, “Less Than Zero,” some early Roth books – “Goodbye, Columbus,” and “My Life as a Man.” “The World According to Garp,” by Irving is a great book. Books about young men, trying to make their ways in the world, growing up, becoming men.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Books that have influenced my beliefs the most have to do, to a great extent, with looking at the world in a different way. Books about war, for instance, like “Going After Cacciato,” by Tim O’Brien, “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Catch-22.” Then there was “Time’s Arrow,” by Martin Amis, about the Holocaust. And, of course, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, “Painted Bird,” by Elie Wiesel, and, more recently, “The Plot Against America,” by Philip Roth. Coming from a Jewish background, these books deeply affected me because of what happened and what could have or might happen in the future. We are never totally safe from prejudice, hatred, and ignorance. And there are books questioning authority, the status quo, and the systems and broken institutions we live with on a daily basis that have deeply affected me, like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” by Ken Kesey, and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee..

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Inspiration for me comes from many places. An injustice in the world, in the papers, personal experiences in my daily life, and from questioning the surfaces of life in our world and relationships—what lies beneath them.

What does your family think of your writing?

My partner, Diana, is also a writer and accomplished poet (A Woman’s Song is her first poetry collection) and, is very supportive. We are each other’s biggest fans.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

These days I do not have a strict, disciplined schedule, although I would like to get back to that. I write when I am able and inspired (although if you wait for inspiration, you may be waiting a long time to get to work!).

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Nothing, really quirky. I do have a habit of jotting things on paper after coming out of the shower, for some reason. Some of my best ideas come during my morning shower. Good lines or ideas that I may want to use later.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Dealing with anything that requires a different time period or a lot of independent research about a subject I’m not that familiar with. I’m not too excited about that part of a writing project.

What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on putting together a collection of short stories, as well as serving as a co-editor with Diana on an anthology called Hip Poetry for worldwide hippies (http://worldwidehippies.com), which collects various writings from many well known poets and writers. In addition, I continue to work on short stories and a novel-in-progress, with Diana, and have been writing occasional essays for the worldwide hippies site.

What are you planning for future projects?

Some of the current and future projects seem to be ongoing, like the novel-in-progress. IN addition, Diana and I have started a new online literary journal called Blue Lake Review (http://bluelakereview.weebly.com). We’re very excited about some of the writers and work we’ve gotten so far. Our first issue should be out soon.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read what you want to read, what interests and inspires you, not what others think you should read. Don’t imitate or try to write like you think a writer should write. Find your own voice. This is a lot easier said than done and you may find that you’ve done quite a lot of imitation of writers you admire without even knowing it. But, once you realize that, you can deal with it and make your writing you own.

Where else can we find your work?

Some of my work and references to my writings can be found a my website: http://mitchwaldman.homestead.com/

Author Insides - Francesca Borrelli

2011-03-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

Francesca Borelli is a contemporary poet and artist. She was born in Milton Keynes to an Irish mother and Italian father and read English language and Media at the University of Brighton. Having also studied fine art, she has an extensive portfolio of paintings and one day hopes to own a gallery on the southern coast of England. Her poetry is modern in style and is mostly autobiographical, influenced by her diverse background and interests. She has been published in Monkey Kettle, a UK based literary magazine, and is aiming to have all her anthologies published in their entirety.

Francesca's poem, "Collecting Rob," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

Francesca, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Several years ago I enrolled on a creative writing course. It was a great feeling to be part of a group, all with the same aspiration but such different styles. You realize how powerful written language is and if you have the ability to use it well, you should pursue it.

Why do you write?

We experience so much from day to day, scenarios, people and places that could so easily be forgotten. For me, if I pass someone on the street that interests or intrigues me, I can write a poem about them. They’ll never know it exists, but when I read it back I can picture that person and how I felt at the time-photographs don’t always achieve that.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I knew it would be difficult. I can go two or three weeks without producing anything, but then write five poems in one afternoon. If you expect to write something every day, it won’t always be the best quality.

What do you think makes a good story?

The structure always determines a stories success, leading the reader at the right pace is a true talent. Showing the reader rather than telling them is also a key factor, some writers over describe but it’s good to let the reader do a lot of the work, that’s what reading is for.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I enjoy poetry obviously and also thrillers. Mary Higgins Clark captures my attention. I also love light-hearted books- Marian Keyes gets me through my holidays.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

My favourite poet is Wendy Cope. Satirical writing is extremely hard to pull off but she does it effortlessly. Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘After you’d gone’ is an amazing book; I love her description and the layers she creates.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

‘Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis’ by Wendy Cope opened my mind up to poetry. She proves it doesn’t have to follow the stereotypes of nature and love. Poetry can be about anything, it’s a very versatile form.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

‘Tully’ by Paulina Simons is an unbelievable book. It is so intense and emotionally draining but I could read it over and over again; an amazing plot.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I tend to write a lot on train journeys- moving at such a fast pace must kick my brain into gear! The streets of Brighton always spark ideas; everywhere you turn there are different colours, textures and smells (plus the sea air is always beneficial).

What does your family think of your writing?

They must find it unusual when they read my work as I’m not a very open person and writing is a very personal process. They aren’t my most frequent readers, maybe because a lot of my poems feature them!

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’m not a full time writer, so in between work I write as much as possible. I write about things that happen in my life so if all I did was write I’d have no content!

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

In my last house I had a huge bay window that my desk sat in. That’s where I would do all my editing. Now that I’ve moved I’m yet to find a more suitable place. Other than that I don’t have many quirks, apart from a good pen, my usual note pad and lots of tea.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Trying not to repeat myself. It’s important to keep things fresh for both yourself and your readers.

What are your current projects?

I’ve almost finished my second book entitled ‘Beyond September’. It’s slightly darker than my first but still includes a lot of autobiographical poetry. I’ve been working on it for over a year now but it’s nearly there.

What are you planning for future projects?

I would love to write a short collection about a relationship. Whether fictional or non-fictional-I haven’t decided yet.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read what you write. It’s amazing how reading other peoples work can determine your own style because you identify the aspects you like and dislike which ultimately shapes what you do when writing yourself. Also remember that editors are just people. If they don’t like a piece, it’s just one opinion out of billions-believe in what you write.

Where else can we find your work?

I’ve been published in ‘Monkey Kettle’, a UK based literary magazine and am waiting to hear back from several other publications.

Author Insides - LM Asta

2011-03-06T11:15:00.027-05:00

L.M. Asta has published fiction in Philadelphia Stories, Inkwell, Schuylkill, and Lemniscate, and her essays have appeared in Hippocrates and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Current projects include a novel set in a 1950s motel and a collection of stories about physicians who come to the attention of their state medical board and are variously reprimanded, put on probation, have their licenses suspended, and sometimes revoked. You can find her online at http://www.lmasta.com/

Lisa's short story, "The Bulb," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of TBS.

Lisas, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was writing stories in my third grade composition book. By sixth, my teacher wanted to see what else I was writing.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t not write.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

There’s the writing and then there’s the editing. It always takes more time to work something up than I think it’s going to.

What do you think makes a good story?

Character, plot and language must gel. Stories that twist the common or uncommon experiences of writer and reader.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I’ll try anything from the high concept literary fiction that my brother-in-law the English professor recommends to what I unearth to poetry.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Richard Russo’s early novels, Paul Scott, Vikram Seth; short story writers Donald Ray Pollack, Ron Carlson, Chris Adrian; poets G. C. Waldrep, Donald Hall.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Mohawk, Richard Russo’s 1994 novel, populates a town with characters forced to cope with things that aren’t there anymore.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Juxtapositions. The book Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden prompted me to wonder who might want a garden dark of leaf and blossom. What would it look like? Smell like?

What does your family think of your writing?

In high school my grandfather wrote me, “Your mother mentioned something about you wanting to be a writer, fine and dandy, but only as a hobby; don’t try to make a living out of it.” He was a great reader and a realist. When I was a kid he bought me hardback classics and also supported my lesser reading habits.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

The painter Hugo Anderson insists that you give your creative work your best hours, not the little scraps of time at the end of the day when you’re exhausted. I’m at something everyday.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Blue-black fountain pen ink and my submissions talisman.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Finding more time to write.

What are your current projects?

My first novel, Motel 301, follows the Wilms’s family motel and the Gerlicke farm in the decades following the passage of the 1956 Interstate Highway Act.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have a group of stories about the 007’s—physicians who come to the attention of their state medical board.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read. Write. Repeat.

Where else can we find your work?

I’ve also published fiction in Philadelphia Stories, Inkwell, Schuylkill, and Lemniscate, and my essays have appeared in Hippocrates and the Journal of the American Medical Association. There are links at http://www.lmasta.com/

Battered Suitcase Alumn - Toy Horses

2011-03-05T10:28:00.002-05:00

The lyrics of Toy Horses appeared originally in the July 2008 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Toy Horses are Adam Franklin-Williams and Moist Bamboo. Indie, acoustic, pop, and rock, Toy Horses melodic, lyrical style is infectious. You can find out more about them online here: http://toyhorses.myshopify.com/

Their debut album is now available. Check out the video for their debut single:

Author Insides - Scott Lininger

2011-03-03T07:03:00.000-05:00

Scott Lininger is a dad, entrepreneur, and mystery enthusiast who lives in Boulder, Colorado. His short fiction has appeared in Flash Fiction Online, Everyday Weirdness, Powderburn, and Short-Story.me. He is currently working on his first novel. http://www.scottlininger.com/

Scott's humorous short story, "Undressing Bullie," appeared in last summer's TBS

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was invited to a creative writer's group by a friend of mine a few years ago, and that kicked it all off. Though I had dabbled with fiction in college, it was something I never thought I'd become passionate about. Boy was I wrong. Happily, it has been my main creative outlet ever since.

Why do you write?

To tell stories. To enhance my understanding of the craft. To hang out with interesting characters. To accomplish something that is really hard and that I've never done before.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

It's a lot easier, actually. When I first started I imagined that every word would be a painful slog that leaves you wanting. As I've become more comfortable and less concerned that I'm going to just get bored, it's grown more natural and less stressful.

What do you think makes a good story?

Characters that you love, or love to hate.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Mystery and crime fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Right now my favorites are Susan Hill and Laurie King.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Anything in the vein of Joss Whedon or Thomas Perry, meaning interesting characters with totally unique voices... dialog that both entertains and communicates character. Those stories blow me away and make me want to write. They also make me laugh, and that's become a barometer of mine. When somebody laughs out loud at one of your stories (in a good way ;), you know instantly that you got the reaction you wanted, no filters or over-evaluation.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The little internal stories that I carry in my head about my parents and the place I grew up (small town, Colorado.)

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I absolutely love wandering around the library or bookstore and just imagining what lies beneath those covers. Makes me want to go home RIGHT NOW and write.

What does your family think of your writing?

My wife is very supportive and patient with my sometimes-obsessive writing schedule. My larger family is used to me and my wanderings. I've had a lot of creative interests over the years... I imagine they're placing bets on how long I'll stay interested in writing.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I generally write from 9pm to midnight, after my daughter has gone to sleep.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I sometimes visit pandora.com and plug in an artist that puts me in a given mood. Devotchka and Dead Can Dance are great for atmosphere.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

On my novel-length projects, it has been tough sticking to a holistic arc yet not letting that overwhelm the individual scenes. Letting the characters do whatever they want while ensuring they do interesting things is hard for me. Still figuring that out.

What are your current projects?

I'm in the editing stages of first mystery novel, Guesswork, which features the World's Greatest Carnival Guesser and reluctant murder solver, Joe Odin. I'm also neck-deep in a middle-grade science fiction novel called Xenopaths.

What are you planning for future projects?

I'd like to do sequels to both of my current novels, but we'll see. After Xenopaths I might go back and devote more time to short fiction.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write! As much as you possibly can. When you get a rejection from a publisher, send that story out to somebody else, and do it the same day--no exceptions.

Where can we find your work?

You can see my portfolio at http://www.scottlininger.com/, including links to my published stories.

New Release - The Battered Suitcase Spring 2011

2011-03-01T09:37:00.001-05:00

The Battered Suitcase, Volume 3, Issue 4, Spring 2011:

A quarterly journal of intelligent and imaginative prose, poetry and art. If you love literary fiction, humorous fiction, flash, short stories, outsider prose and poetry and fresh work from emerging artists, check out The Battered Suitcase, free to read online since June 2008. Available in PDF download and in print, and soon to be released for Kindle, Nook and other eReaders.

The Spring quarter issue features fiction by: Cooper Sy, Mihaela Tudor, Nathan Pensky, David Seavor, Susan Tepper, Bruce Bromley, Douglas Sullivan, Tammy Salyer, Adam Russ, Aubrey Bemis, Nathanial Kressen, Kate Lu, Corinne Wasilewski, Sara Basrai, Steven Gulvezan, Charles Heinemann, Matthew Dulany, Dan Lundin, Laura Bogart, Robert Doyle, Sandra Hunter, Nathan Tavares, Emily Capettini, and Sahar Delijani.

Narrative Non Fiction by Kevin Ritter, Nath Jones, Tom Panarese, Alana DiGiacomo, and Libby Cudmore.

Poetry from Joanna Weston, Kate Armstrong, Jacob Kaiser, M.P. Powers, Shannon Cavanaugh, Rebecca Schumejda, Kristine Ong Muslim, Robert Scotellaro, Jennifer Styperk, Miranda Merklein, Karen Garrison, Shelly Reed, Betsy Brown, George Bishop, Madelaine Caritas Longman, Jospeh Kerschbaum, Andrea Judy, Ana J., Ian Smith, and David Snyder.

Artwork by Jaap van der Wel, Steffen Flauger, Roger Regner, and C.R. Ventura.

Visit our website at http://www.vagabondagepress.com/ to download, purchase print copies or read online for free.

60-Second Syntax: Entitled vs. Titled

2011-03-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

60-Second Syntax is a quick look at some common mistakes in writing. Please note: Different editors may follow different styles and rules.

Entitled and titled are two words that are often used interchangeably these days when it comes to naming a piece of work. However, it is grammatically incorrect to say “The book is entitled Huh.”

By definition:

Titled means named.
Example: The book is titled “Huh.”

Entitled means the right or claim to something, to bestow a title on.
Examples: Americans are entitled to a fair trial.
The Queen entitled him Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Although entitled does mean to give a title to something, it does not mean the title itself.

Here’s a little sentence to help keep the preferred uses clear in the future:

As the author, Sam felt he was entitled to title his book Huh.

60-Second Syntax: Parallelism

2011-02-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

60-Second Syntax is a quick look at some common mistakes in writing. Please note: Different editors may follow different styles and rules.

Parallelism comes into play when you have words, phrases or dependent clauses in a series. All the words, phrases and dependent clauses in a series should be parallel, meaning they are grammatically equal.

Basically if you are listing items, they should all be the same, whether it be nouns, adjectives, verbs, phrases, gerunds etc. Make sure you verb tenses match.

For example: She studied English, literature and linguistics. (all words in the series are nouns)

She attended Harvard, worked for the Newsweek, and retired from The New York Times. ( a series of past-tense verbs)

First, she had to finish the rough draft; second, she had to get it proofread; and lastly, she had to return it to her professor by Friday ( a series of independent clauses that follow the same structure of introductory phrase, subject, verb; note the verb tense is identical in all sentences.)

Author Insides - Salvatore Gugliotta

2011-02-27T07:00:00.001-05:00

Salvatore Gugliotta received a B.A. in English from Coastal Carolina University in 2008. From there he moved to South Korea to teach English for a year. After strolling around Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand he returned to the United States in 2009 to attend graduate school for English education. He currently lives in Southern New Jersey where he writes, teaches, and ekes out a happy living. He has just completed his second unpublished novel that he hopes doesn't get as dusty as the first.

Sal's short story, "Three Magic Words" appeared in the Autum 2010 issue of TBS

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I guess I was 19 years old and I started life-guarding on the beach. I burnt my arm pretty badly in an accident one night and had to sit on this beach where I didn't have to do a thing all day long. I brought my journal with me and one thing led to another.

Why do you write?

I write because, I don't have a choice. It's coming out one way or the other.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I did have dreams of not having to work a 9-5...

What's your favorite genre to read?
I've always been attracted to something that still has the laws of reality attached to it.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

This is the boring answer, but I don't think I read anything that hasn't in some way affected me. The novels I picked up and couldn't read a page of reminded me of the things I didn't want to be. The novels I picked up and couldn't put down made me jealous enough to go and get what I wanted to be.

What does your family think of your writing?

Convincing them they aren't a character is difficult, even when they are.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I'm up at 6 and write until noon. Then I go to work at an academy in South Korea to teach literature. Then I'm home at 9 and writing until 12.

What are your current projects?

Currently I'm working on a novel called Acid Washed Wild Divide. It's about a guy who loses a girl, drinks rat poison ten years later, and realizes that it was a really stupid decision. Both of those things.

60-Second Syntax: about vs. approximately

2011-02-21T06:53:00.000-05:00

60-Second Syntax is a quick look at some common mistakes in writing. Please note: Different editors may follow different styles and rules.

Though often wrongly used interchangeably, there are a proper times when you should use about or approximately.

About is used when discussing a generalization or an estimation. It is also an adverb. The majority of the time, about is the word you will want to use.

Approximately is used in relation to scientific data. It means almost exact or nearly correct.

Example: She expected the bill for her home improvements to be about $5,000.
The accident happened at approximately 5:50 p.m.

Suitcase Alumn - Adam Ficek

2011-02-19T07:00:00.001-05:00

From our mate, Adam Ficek and Roses Kings Castles, from his new album, Suburban Time Bombs:

"One Born Every Minute"

Author Insides - Dave Migman

2011-02-17T07:00:00.019-05:00

Dave Migman's narrative non-fiction piece, "Wayward on the Rock" appears in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Dave Migman leads a nomadic lifestyle, burning leaves trail in his wake. His first novel, The Wolf Stepped Out, is available from Dog Horn Publishing.

Dave, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a teenager. I had this physics project, which was supposed to be a factual essay on the planets. I wrote this sci-fi saga in which most of the solar system imploded. The teacher read it out to the class. I was horrified, thrilled and embarrassed all at the same time.

Why do you write?

I always felt I had these stories that needed extricated from my system. I guess over the years it has become a compulsion. I get nervous if I can’t find the space to get stuff down.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Well, I think we create our own personal (subjective) narratives. All those romantic notions we entertain can manifest themselves as reality. There’s a lot of shit to plough through though. Every writer wants to be read, every artist wants to be seen and there’s a lot more of us nowadays.

What do you think makes a good story?

Rhythm, timing and an author needs to develop their own voice. There’s a lot of writing by numbers out there. The mainstream is inundated with badly written and vacuous novels. I like honesty in writing. I like it when the author offers us his soul on a plate and is unrepentant.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I read anything, from sci-fi to poetry. I think in each ‘genre’ there are books that stand out. But I would limit myself to a favorite.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Once again, no favorites. If I have to quote some names it’d be some of Celine’s work, some Henry Miller, Huxley, Bukowski, Hemmingway, Selby Jnr, Burroughs, Steinbeck and I enjoy Philip K Dick, Vonnegurt, Yukio Mishima. Recently though I’ve been reading a lot of non-fiction and philosophy.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Oh, that’s be Tropic Of Cancer by Henry Miller and Journey To The End Of The Night, by Celine. I don’t know if their inspiration was a good or bad thing, but they were definitely catalysts in how I approached a text. They made me realize you don’t necessarily need standard plot formats to write great work.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Definitely Kerouac’s On The Road enthused me with a romantic and naïve yearning to write and travel when I was a young man. I used to love his books when I was in my early twenties. I can’t read him nowadays though.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I get a lot of inspiration from real life, from historical texts and mythology. The thing that I learned over time is to hone in on one idea, focus on that from inception to end. Jumping from idea to idea can really confuse you. Liken it to a shotgun, scattered all over the place, or a rifle bullet, direct to the heart.

What does your family think of your writing?

They don’t.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’m a morning person. 6 am I’m up and writing. It pours out. Then I take a few hours to get air. Usually though, when I’m writing I need space, need to be able to live in the mindset. I’ll do this mainly in the winter as I’m a self employed craftsman and during the spring and summer months I have to make the cash that allows me the time to create in the winter.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I like to sacrifice a cat to satisfy baby Jesus before I begin any project.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

When I’m writing fiction getting in a character’s mind and trying to leave my soap box out of it. That’s a real challenge.

What are your current projects?

A work of fiction about Hell. And some poetry.

What are you planning for future projects?

A graphic novel called ZERO.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be honest, don’t hesitate, just get it down, refine your technique and style, but live too. It can be a lonely existence. And take the criticism of others with a pinch of salt.

Where else can we find your work?

My first novel The Wolf Stepped Out is out on Dog Horn Publishing, (http://www.doghornpublishing.com/) there is a review at Nthposition (http://www.nthposition.com/thewolfstepped.php ). Shorts and artwork appear in Dog Horn’s Polluto Magazine (http://www.polluto.com/ )

I’ve quite a lot of poetry and shorts out there too. Weird Year, Identity Theory, Neon to name a few. My blog is http://crackedslab.blogspot.com/ and I link to most of my published work there.

"In the Storm" debuts today

2011-02-15T07:00:00.006-05:00

"In the Storm" by Karen Metcalf; February 2011; published by Vagabondage Press; $2.99.

Vagabondage Press is proud to present "In the Storm" by debut novelist Karen Metcalf.

I first came upon "In the Storm" in the Vagabondage Press slush pile. The story drew me in with its brilliant imaging and the is-it-real-or-is-she-losing-her-mind dilemma of the heroine.

"In the Storm" is the story of a teenage girl trying to protect her brother and herself from their abusive stepfather, when she discovers her life choices may not be her own to make.

Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world.

This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.

No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?

One of Karen's strengths is the imagery she creates in her writing. Here's an example of some of the beautiful description she uses in "In the Storm":

The sky is quickly darkening as the sun retreats behind the trees across the field. The night sky sweeps forward to erase the day, like waves washing away footprints, leaving only clean, black sand. A star peeks out with one eye and signals to the rest that the coast is clear. They creep out of hiding one by one and join it, twinkling with excited conversation. The moon is only a sliver tonight, like a hammock, inviting the stars to play.

"In the Storm" is a must-read for all fans of young adult literature. It is a story that will stay with you long after the last word is read.

See a teaser for it here. Be sure to watch it full-size with your volume turned up.

"In the Storm" is available in digital formats from Vagabondage Press, Amazon, iBookstore, Smashwords, Issuu and more.

About Karen Metcalf

There’s a phrase in the South, “telling stories,” which means telling lies. Growing up, Karen Metcalf told a lot of stories, which wasn’t always a good thing.

She was raised on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where she spent most of her time reading science fiction and horror. She continues to explore those worlds through her writing, today.

Karen is 23 years old and lives in Tucson, Arizona.

You can follower her on Twitter or visit her on Facebook and Selfari. Also be sure to check out her blog tour schedule.

60-Second Syntax: affect vs. effect

2011-02-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

60-Second Syntax is a quick look at some common mistakes in writing. Please note: Different editors may follow different styles and rules.

Generally speaking, affect is a verb and effect is a noun.

Affect means to influence.

Effect means outcome or result.

Effect can also be a verb meaning to make happen.

Example: His speech on gun control may affect the voters’ choice.

Cancer can be an effect of smoking.

The law effected a change in public policy.