Author: Jim McGowan

I’m in the midst of re-writing a scene depicting a horrific chasm in the ground filled with grey, undulating cavities and filled with what will end up being either monstrous worm things, monstrous spider things, or a whole mess of monstrous bugs of all varieties.  In fact, having just written that sentence, it’s gotta be the latter.  If you’re creating anything, don’t be afraid to go with the icky things if the content demands it.  The line between truth and gratuity is fine indeed, but one that storytellers must tread.  Well, at least this storyteller must tread it.

I’ll be leading a discussion in the Nebraska Writers Workshop on Speculative Fiction world building in a few weeks.  Maps and timelines shall be made.  I anticipate there to be a great fluidity in the creation.  Made by committee yes, but still a fun exercise in revealing a hidden world that our world has yet to see.  Either way, I’m sure I’ll get marker ink on my fingers from the dry erase board.

Johnny wrote something naughty.  The rage swells anew.  Why won’t pancakes fly?

Hey, all.  Still working on the new revision of The Bloody Empress.  And continuing to throw queries out for Repenter.  Hope all is well in your corner of the space of cyber.

Howdy, all.

I’m still in the midst of finishing up The Bloody Empress.  I’m also knocking around the idea of writing a story involving a Jimmy Olsen/ Rick Jones type of character who realizes that he’s lived through decades of the same events as part of repeated continuity reboots.  More as that develops.

In the meantime, hope everyone is staying warm and happy this holiday season.

-Jim

Sometimes new ingredients make a great recipe better.  I tried a bit of Scotch and barbeque sauce in my usual chili recipe.  It provided everyone at our gathering a sampler of it.  The consensus was that we need to throw it in as an option with the original recipe next time.  So I shall.

Adding something new works for revisions as well.  I’m adding a twist in a revised scene where the main characters all get on the same page regarding the true enemy, Corsis.  In fact, what am I doing talking about it here?  Time to get a-writin’.

-Jim

The world needs Beavis and Butthead now more than ever.  I’m okay with the Jersey Shore existing now.  They need something to watch after all.

Fox Literary gave me a rejection, but with a positive vibe of continue submitting to other agencies.  So I shall.  Next up is Curtis Brown Ltd. So I’m a movin’ right on.

My wife and I saw an inventive block of short plays at a local play house, the Shelterbelt, entitled Shelter Skelter.  I enjoyed many of them, especially one called, “Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Murder”.  Never again will I implicitly trust someone wearing purple while wearing orange.  Strangulation will inevitably ensue.  The colors are mortal enemies, don’tcha know?

Jim

Still waiting to hear from Fox Literary on the Query letter, so I’ll likely call it a loss this week and proceed on with other agencies.  One must keep the flow going.

I’ve recently attended a writers retreat where I wrote a short story titled “Famish” with the log line:  “A starving man in a glass prison struggles to escape and to recall why he was incarcerated.  I submitted it to the annual Writers Digest short story contest.  I’ll hope to hear something from them in a few months.

My wife and I attended the Zombie Walk in Benson this weekend.  Very creative and demented people in that.  Strangely, I saw more “Where’s Waldo?” zombies than pregnant zombies, who are usually to Zombie Walks what Stormtroopers are to Comicons.  I also finally got around to watching the first two episodes of Walking Dead.  Well-acted and gory stuff.  Especially the fate of Rick Grimes’s commandeered horse.  Blech!  But still most compelling.  Between that and Breaking Bad’s finale with Gus and Walt’s “Face Off”, AMC is getting to be my favorite place for dramas.

Back to the Bloody Empress now.  I’m about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way through this draft.  I’m liking the character interactions as I go.  Also enjoying setting up the doomed city of Lan Porthica.

More to come in later entries.

-Jim

I had a great time at the Fall Fiction Festival at the Ralston Library this afternoon.  Reading one’s work out loud is a great way to find holes in a scene.  I practiced reading it a few times with my wife, and found some places in need of tweaking.

We really have a talented group of people in the Nebraska Writers Workshop.  In addition to Repenter, we heard tales of biblical sadists, inept donut-store robbers, sympathetic western women of ill repute, fifteen-year old saviors, Hawaiian shirt-wearing vampires, and more.

Good exposure for the group as a whole, and each of us as writers.