Editor's Notes: Can we please stop it!! Every piece of fiction looks like a bad vaudeville joke

Why do we need to tokenize our fiction? Why do editors, mostly in the United States, insist on the ethnicity of characters rather than on the creativity or the intelligence of the prose?

Why?

Because society has become a check list where creativity is dashed in favor of the dreaded political correctness. If someone has problems 'identifying' with a character they are reading about I doubt very much that person has the intellectual ability to understand the story.

I am not a whale, although you may disagree because of my girth, but I understand the whale in Moby Dick.

Imagination used to be lauded. Now it is subordinated to first chapters that read like cheap jokes. Think about it; a white man, a Jewish woman, A Japanese man, an African American woman and a bisexual Swedish transsexual go into a haunted house.

Yeah, that is where we are headed.

Can we please get over the narcissistic identity politics and dial up creativity.....

Editors sure don't know everything

Especially writing.

Look I hate rejections and thank the Lord I am getting less and less every year. But when an editor turns down a piece not on its merits but solely on how warm and cuddly the feel is, is derelict in the duty required for the project.

It is ridiculous. And if that same editor won't expand intellect beyond the shallow and literal then that person should stick to hateful tweets.

As an editor myself I may personally hate something but see the artistry and creative voice within enough to accept the piece. I have opened dialogues with writers to be sure I am reading the piece correctly as opposed to simply berating the author with my own ignorance.

There is a big difference in all of our talents. Some of us write and some of us type.

Why do I have to do this?

All these longwinded writing genius creators spew and spew that you HAVE to write at least 1,000 words a day to be a great writer.

Enough.

There is a large difference between writing and typing. Writing is crafting and two hundred well crafted words are better than the stream of conscious turd in a punchbowl collection many of these self described authors could ever regurgitate.

Write comfortably. Write meaningfully. Write well.

Write and don't listen to these people.  

Editor's Notes: So You Think You Are A Writer

For the third time in a month I came across an illiterate masquerading as an intellectual. This phenomenon is also known as a story about young writers and their puffing.

One discussion on Goodreads demonstrated the hate for other genres when twenty something horror groupies condemned Hemingway, Faulkner and Steinbeck for their lack of horror on their resume.

I had a discussion with a bizarro devotee who told me that his genre was the only one that matters. Twain, Poe, Lovecraft he continued were hacks --- literature has to be modern to be relevant.

And the third, well I think this parade of idiocy has shown enough floats.

You can't be a writer without a literary love and a literary background. It is that simple. It shows in your writing or I should I say typing...

Before you can judge the best read the best. Trends are simply that -- trends and popularity fades when those people die. We should be writing for the ages and not the shallow pseudo intellectual who puffs his or her literary resume especially when they don't have books on their own shelves.

Editor's Notes: As I Return To Writing....

Amidst the Hell that is my life right now, I have found that Twitter is coming in quite useful as a tool. The brevity of space is forcing me to get the rhythm back, to get the flow open.

The riffs are word plays, some serious, some comedic, but all fun.

I am going through a bad time now. Illness in the family, my marriage and world gone. With my life in ruins many have decided to tee off on me, but Twitter is allowing me to find something that makes me happy.

It's a great tool to practice on.

Editor's Notes: Creative Writing, we don't need no stinking creative writing

My class has been suspended because of lack of interest. Okay no problem, but a gentleman recently contacted me stating that he decided against my class in favor of self-publishing. This concerned me.

We all know I have nothing against self-publishing but please people let's not rely on self-assessment solely to determine our voice.

Sounds ridiculous right? But let's be fair, the vast majority of anything is generally bad. And rejection is a great teacher. Do we want to be better or prolific?

I want to be both and I want to be pushed and critiqued.

I want to know my work exists because others like it rather than knowing I can afford $50.00 for a cookie cutter cover.

Dare to dream. Dare to fail.  

Editor's notes: Simplicity

I am always  amazed at the simplicity of the human mind. Or should I say the simple minded. Why do we need labels to determine what is good or bad or best?

A recent writers' group discussion that sucked me in had to do specifically with this issue. The vast majority of writers took the stance that if a story or author appeared in a 'best of' anthology well they are considered the best and damn the rest.

We all know that many best of anthologies are a poor man's award and awards are the arbiter of talent.

Just ask Cary Grant and Jerry Lee Lewis. And look at all those book awards that Lovecraft won.

We all like to win awards. They are nice. But arbitrary and certainly not the only measure. After all Kanye West has 21 Grammys and Pink Floyd 1. Does that mean Kanye is a more influential and greater music talent than the Floyd?

Ah, the new math.....

Editor's Notes: The Muse

A romantic concept that many of us embrace and try to pigeon hole on a loved one. But understand as you study the history of literature that love is not what creates the best works, it is loneliness and despair.

True love is fleeting and life is fragile. Relationships are volatile and most of our choices are mistakes.

The only muse is within. It is the voice in your head and heart that drives you. It is not a woman or your dream lover--it is the spark within.

Never fool yourself or perhaps try it so that in the loneliness and despair that will follow when she walks out the door for that younger and sleeker model you'll find that great work deep down in your gut.

Editor's Notes: It's Amazing To Me...

How many writers are more concerned about how many words they have written in the course of a day, month or year rather than what they have sold or published. True, creating the product is important, but a story in a drawer or a manuscript on a shelf means little unless it is out there for consumption.

Many writing instructors stress the churning of verbage each day, as if we would forget how to type or hold a pencil, or howmto take the top off a pen if we skip a day.

Quality over quantity. Revise. Cut. Prune. And get it published.

The true measure of a writer is not some arbitrary counting of words, it is how those words are strung and what impact they have on a reader.

Editor's Notes: Life Experience And Writing

With almost everyone claiming the tags 'author' or 'writer' as their surname a lot of clarification needs to enter the equation as to who is truly authentic and who is a mere characterture.

I think this is necessary because the mere glut of words churned out each day and the 'writers' who pride themselves on writing so many words, so many things, most of which don't even see the light of day have choked us.

Our culture is largely based on garbage. Our art and entertainment are the equivalent of fast food with very little lasting value other than bloat.

As most of you are awere I write largely fiction. I look at what I wrote at age eighteen and in my twenties and hold it up against what I write about today and there is no comparison. The richness  of how I tell a story is shaped not only from my experience at writing but my experience at experience. My imagination has been shaped by my life experience and situations I have found myself in and people I have met all along this journey. When I teach writing I urge my students to draw upon their wells of people, places, and occurrences in their lives to drive their vision. You are what you write. Your signature is there in every piece and your personality and history is the life's blood to what you create.

Before you can conquer the world I think you need to see it.

Lasting literature only happens when their depth not self-serving and fanboy fanaticism over shallow and tired tropes. We all need to strive for more both in our lives and in our writing.

Editor's Notes: We've Been Away

But I doubt anyone missed me. Personal circumstance have kept us away but hey welcome to life.

In the last couple of days I have been approached by writers whose relationships with their illustrators have gone south. In the process their intellectual property and pride have suffered.

Personal relationships are flawed because people are flawed. Your chances of having a good relationship with another on any level is against the odds.

Working relationships are marriages and we all know the divorce rate.

I hate to this but here are my rules for collaboration:

1. No one is your friend. This involves intellectual property---keep a distance;
2. Your work is your work and make sure the world knows who created the characters; wrote the script and who drew the pictures;
3. No one is your friend. This involves money---keep a distance;
4. Document everything in writing by text or email;
5. Keep copies of this documentation with your work product;
6. People are flawed, most but not are out to hurt you;
7. Protect yourself.

I was burned very early on when I was in my late teens. This is why I do not collaborate.

Now keep in mind there are a number of publishers I respect and love to work with. But I work with them and we work in our roles; them for their book/magazine and I for my story/poem.

This is a different situation. This is not, 'hey let's get together and put together a book'. Together can be combustible and heart breaking. And this week it has been for a couple of friends--yes friends.

Trust your gut.

Lovecraft

Made you look.

As with any marketing there are certain buzz words or branding that work better than others. Because of the lack of readership overall and because the shelf life of any book is less than the blink of an eye meaningful titles, clever titles; titles literarily tied to the content are no longer needed unless of course you are big name author and your name in print overwhelms the book title.

Exactly when literature became breakfast cereal is a date I cannot pinpoint. However, like our
grand experiment in freedom, sometime in the 1990s our standards really began to slip.

Like the great concept albums of rock and roll and inspirational political speeches in general, literature suffers from the sound bite and quick hit. Fads make money for some publishers but leaves writers in the cold usually tied up for months working for less than French fry cook.

Writers need not look to the constant stream of being prolific of having something to post on Facebook daily or even hourly. Writers need to spend time with their craft and listen to their gut and muse. Remember time itself is not a sprint but a marathon and the true test of the writer comes down the road not here at the corner.


 

Editor's Notes: Never Claim You Are Something When You Are Not OR Don't Use Writer Of Fictional Novels Or Some Other Idiot Title Next To Your Name

Long title but a short statement. I am amazed by writers who adopt 'special titles' next to their names wearing them like a graduate degree in order to impress. Please young writers don't do this as it makes you look foolish.

I was attacked today for making a statement on LinkedIn on a strand where people on the left and right were attacking each other on political grounds. I stated this is not the place for this discussion since we are in a writers' community. Most agree save for one idiot because he thought I was on the left.

Regardless, this was a writers' discussion group about the pitfalls in writing and publishing. LinkedIn is a bigger jerk for not deleting these posts as many requested.

As for the great author: First, 'novels' ARE predominantly fictional so I don't understand what you doing with the title. But then, second, I looked you up and you self published one book. Shouldn't your title read 'novel' rather than novels. Third, the radar goes up 'that doth protest too much' when you advertise yourself in this way. Ego is nice when you can back it up with credits otherwise you look foolish.

It looks amateurish.

Real writers use their names, real and pen, and do not need to advertise their specialty. Real writers can spread their wings and write in many forums thus being a 'writer'.

Did you hear that 'Mr. I am starting a new magazine and need columnists or is it short stories or is it whatever?'

But one self-published novel and hundreds of LinkedIn posts don't warrant the ego.

Be professional at all times as you never know who you are dissing. It could very well be someone that may be reviewing or editing your work some day.

Editor's Notes: Who Loves You Baby?

I know one editor who doesn't, but he seems to write enjoy excoriating everything from my subject matter, style and my over all knowledge of what a novel or short story is.

This is so enjoyable to me I just send stuff just to get the reaction. I have sent pieces that have been already published; I have sent pieces that have already been accepted and the response is always the same: a restrained destruction of one's credibility as a writer.

Why? You have to ask him, but for some reason as with all walks of life certain people just don't get along.

My point is merely this; yes, sometimes it is personal and as a writer, as an artist, as an adult rise above it. Leave those who find it necessary to label you as pedestrian or ignorant of what the essentials of writing are to their own devices and follow your gut and your bibliography.

And when the novelty is over; when you have collected enough to laugh over with friends and colleagues or use as a teaching tool or publish in a book go on your merry way and drop the BS altogether.