Take Your Pushcart Nom and Shove It
Posted by David Duhr in 
– This “Open Letter to Pushcart Nominated Folks” is my favorite thing on the Internet this week. And it’s oh so true. Seems as if every third submission I get at Fringe lists “Pushcart nominated” in the cover letter. If my editorial assistant were reading this, she would be smiling. In fact, I am going to email her the link now. Pardon me for a moment.
– This New York Times piece about Manny Ramirez is one of the finest bits of baseball journalism I’ve read in the past few years.
– VS Naipaul’s “Advice to Writers” includes “The beginner should avoid using adjectives, except those of colour, size and number.” I like that.
– Our pal Becky at The Review Review published this excellent piece, “What Editors Want,” written by Lynne Barrett, founder of Gulf Stream. If you have any questions about any part of the submission process, bookmark this article. Among my favorite passages is this: “Oh no, another story with the character waking up hung-over and getting a phone call.” I’ve griped about this before, and will continue to until this scourge ends. Which it never will.
Jellyfish Modifiers, Ass & Idiots
Dear WBN:
You say on your blog that “Starbucks coffee tastes like ass,” but then you’re always making fun of how bad your coffee is.
Debbie G.
Dallas, TX
DD: Debbie from Dallas? Come on. Seriously, how many jokes about porn did you hear growing up? (Or still hear?)
Writers & Editors to Follow on Twitter
To follow up on Dan’s post about the importance to writers of creating a Twitter account, I’d like to lay out just a few writers, editors, publishers and litmags to follow. This is in no way meant to be comprehensive–it’s just a quick list of people whose Tweets we enjoy, and/or find informative and helpful in navigating the creative writing world.
read more
Twitter is For Real
In 2009 I heard that during the State of the Union speech, several Senators were twittering to each other. I found that pretty astonishing – distinguished old guys tweeting. I took a look at Twitter, and initially found it the most time wasting thing I’d ever seen. I just didn’t see any point.
Then I looked more closely and began to study Twitter. I’ll admit freely, I learned a lot from a San Diego State student named Nate who had a social media website (no longer there). The first thing he emphasized was “social” – never forget that word in looking at Twitter. If you introduced yourself by trying to sell people something, they would quickly discount you. It was best to connect and network with people on a social level, and build relationships just like you would in other social settings.
How to Get More Out of Reading
Due to a new flaw in the Duhrputer (or WordPress, I can’t tell yet), there will be no Writer’s Habitat today. Do keep the submissions coming, though: a photo of yourself in your writing environment, with a few lines about why that spot makes the creative juices flow.
And since I hadn’t planned on having to write a post today, and since it’s 7:30 a.m. on a Monday and I have nothing to say besides “I want to get back in bed,” I’m going to post a new WBN video here for your viewing (dis)pleasure.
And Eat Your Vegetables
Some friendly reminders for your Saturday morning.
– The Texas Observer Short Story Contest ends Sunday, May 1st, so get your stories in this week. See guidelines and enter here. The short version: 2,500 words or less, no theme, genre, or residential restrictions (i.e., you don’t have to write about Texas or live in Texas), and our guest judge is Larry McMurtry (Lonesome Dove).
Your contribution of $25 goes to supporting the Observer. The winner receives $1,000 and publication in our Summer Books Issue and (if he’s so inclined) a brief writeup from Mr. McMurtry.
Email any/all questions to me.
– Also only one week left to take advantage of WriteByNight’s April discounts, which include $30 off any manuscript critique/consult. Also note that if you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, you can receive an extra $10 off any WBN service. And for those of you who already do that, make sure to mention this to us.
– April’s WriteByNighter of the Month wins a free trial membership, good for three months ($90 value). How do you win? Simply drop your name in the box every time you visit WBN HQ for Write Here or Meet Here.
Gatsby Stuff, HuffPo, & Sal Bass
– The “Gatsby house,” a mansion on Long Island which supposedly provided the inspiration for Daisy’s house in The Great Gatsby, has been torn down. That L. A. Times piece has some interesting photos, but do yourself a favor and look at all 48 pics (mostly of the interior of the house) on this slideshow. Just beautiful. And a little sad, huh? Somehow I find myself nostalgic about a place I never even visited.
(The article says that the estate will be divided into five lots for “custom homes.” Really? Because in this country, the smarter money would be on one or two custom homes, a 7-Eleven, a Duane Reade, an IHOP, and an access road to a Target, inside of which is one of those Taco Bell/Pizza Hut/KFC walk-ups where you always have the chance to hear someone say, with a straight face, “Yeah, gimme a bucket of wings, gimme a large Meat Lover’s, uh, gimme a six-pack of gorditas, and I want a extra-large Coke, but make sure it comes from the Taco Bell dispenser thingie, because y’all’s syrup is sweeter.”)
Several Invitations to Break Into Our Office
Last week’s first-ever “Dear WBN” was such a blistering success that this week can only disappoint.
So without further ado, here’s some disappointment.
Dear WBN:
Last five books you read/do you recommend them?
Bill C.
Palm City, FL
DD: 1) The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Poe. Not a great novel, but if you plan to read Mat Johnson’s Pym, like I’m doing now, it’s not a bad idea to knock this one out first. Being familiar with the Poe novel adds some hilarity to Johnson’s already very funny book.
Into the Web
Once upon a time there was a woman who loved to read, and she made friends that also loved to read, and those friends all loved to read a lot of different stuff. And thus Anomalous Press was born.
Well, it didn’t really happen like that, but it sort of did. Like many online journals, Anomalous is made possible on a budget of $0 & the volunteer time, energy, and skills of the people behind it. It is powered by devotion to the project and to literature. The collective of editors that created Anomalous live in different states (and countries), have different backgrounds, and hold different tastes in literature and art. But we have in common the sense that the literature we want to read is not given enough of a platform. And we have a common drive to make a space for the literary arts we love. And, most importantly, we have a common respect for literature that attempts to challenge the mainstream aesthetic. So even though my tastes run toward the political, and David’s towards the transcendental, and Sara’s towards the experimental, etc. etc. etc. we are most interested in the diversity of great contemporary literature. Let the floodgates open; there’s room in the pool for everyone.
Look At Those Sideburns
I’m loath to use this blog as a space to dump writing prompts. It’d be like me saying, “I don’t feel like writing something today–you go do it.” So instead of calling this a prompt, let’s just call it something to think about. A (non)prompt. (And also, I don’t feel like writing something today–so you go do it.”)
So my cousin was in town over the weekend, and on Sunday we gathered at my sister’s house and watched a DVD comprised of grainy old 8mm footage from some early-70s family events, recently unearthed after an uncle of my cousin’s (not mine) passed away. Each reel was only 3-4 minutes long, and there was no sound, but we saw lots of young faces that we could match with faces we’re familiar with today. My dad got a couple minutes of screen time, and my mom was on camera for less than a second before sprinting out of exiting the frame. I was unaware that my parents existed before my birth. (I still have my doubts.) read more
Shower Scene (Sorry, No Nudity)
Now that we’ve ended our Writings From a Past Life series with a bang, it’s time to launch right into our next one. No flies on WBN.
As writers with whole lots of other *^&%$ going on in our lives, we’re sometimes forced to get creative in places that don’t get the juices flowing. You’ve been there too, right? You’re up against a freelance deadline, or a character from a short story is burning a hole in your psyche and you must get some words down … but you’re stuck at the bus terminal. Or the dentist’s office, or the grocery store. Or you’re getting your teeth cleaned while on the bus en route to the grocery store. It can be hard to drum up inspiration in foreign spaces, and your mind drifts back to that comfy cozy couch at home, or your favorite corner table at the local cafe … or your shower.
We want to know where you feel at home as a writer. Better yet, we want to see where you feel at home as a writer, and to read a couple paragraphs about why. read more
Banned Books, First Amendment, and a Little Bit of Baseball
Before we get to the links (he wrote casually, as if it hadn’t been months since he’s done a Friday Links post), a brief report on the frightening Austin/San Marcos reign of George Saunders. For anyone going to see him tonight in Kyle who doesn’t want to know what’s coming, skip ahead to the next paragraph. (This means you, Questad.) Saunders began by saying he was going to read a funny story, but that if the crowd didn’t laugh he’d read instead a three-hour-long essay on legumes. He then launched into “Victory Lap,”one of his many New Yorker stories. I was working at a law office when that piece came out, and printed the story out (against the rules) and then read it while the boss was at lunch (way, way against the rules). Saunders’ reading was excellent–voices, orchestrated pauses, gestures. I usually have trouble following a narrative when being read to aloud, but Saunders had me the whole time.
Actually, I’m aborting this Saunders report. His Q&A was especially interesting, and there’s no way I can just slide it into the introduction to a links post. I’ll bring a full report tomorrow morning. “So why don’t you just delete all this and start over, Duhr?” Because that’s not how we roll on the WriteByNight blog. We write off-the-cuff, raw and uncensored, for your reading (dis)pleasure.
–Let’s start today off with the most challenged (read: “banned”) titles of 2010, books which have offended the sensitivities of America’s most challenging and backward-facing citizens. Sherman Alexie checks in at #2, with a book that is labeled or said to contain “Offensive language, Racism, Sex Education, Sexually Explicit, Unsuited to Age Group, Violence.”
Movies, Query Letters & Lunchtime
After a lot of loose talk and promises, we’re finally getting our “Dear WBN” *$#^# together. Dear WBN is your chance to ask us questions (writing-related, hopefully) that we’ll answer off the clock (Ooh, what samaritans!). Sometimes I’ll answer, sometimes Justine will, and for the lucky few, we both will. Email all questions to me, and write “Dear WBN” in the subject line. We’ll do our best to answer ‘em all, and we’ll probably put the most interesting ones in our newsletter. Unless you request otherwise, we’ll just publish your first name and location, so make sure to mention them in your email.
Can I get a drum roll? Anyone?
No one?
Fine. Let’s get started. Like Samuel L. said in Jurassic Park, “Hold onto your butts.”
Austin: The New Literary Wonderland
***Spoiled Alert***
This is a post about the numerous excellent literary events happening in and around Austin, Texas over the next few days. Those of you for whom this has no relevance are more than welcome to stick around and read it. Those of you who live here are encouraged to attend as many of these as you can, and to say hello if you see us wandering around.
Earlier this month, WBN was lucky enough to have a small hand in organizing the Texas Observer Writers’ Festival and subsequent afterparty. It’s always interesting to get a peek behind the curtain and see everything that goes into planning such events; and for a week or two afterwards I find myself in awe of people who can pull these things off without a hitch, until my self-centeredness takes hold and it becomes all about me again.
Overreading
Those of you who follow us on Twitter have seen me do a lot of bitching lately about the sudden amount of required reading in my life. I know–”Oh, poor schmuck has to spend his time reading.” But it is a lot. Entries for two contests, submissions for a literary magazine, books assigned for review. I’ve been putting in over eight hours a day of it this month; each morning begins with the thought of unread manuscripts, each day ends with the thought of still-unread manuscripts, and at night I dream about them. And not in a fun nocturnal-emissiony kind of way.
I knew full-well that with a May 1st deadline, the Texas Observer short story contest (judged by Larry McMurtry, $1,000 and publication to the winner, not that I’m here to plug my own stuff or anything except I am so deal with it no you deal with it Duhr you d-bag) would really pick up this month, but that didn’t keep me from making the ill-advised decision to accept another gig reading manuscripts for a different contest, this one for long fiction and with an April 30th read/respond deadline. Meanwhile, as always, I’m working through a(n excellent) novel for review, and have two more in the queue. read more
Request a Free Consultation
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Email Marketing by iContactSubscribe to Our Blog
Latest Tweets
- Man, I'd love to. Got a meeting 'til 8:00, but if hour becomes hours I'm down. @ryan_burkhart @KongScreenPrint @sarahburkhart @MattTorno
- Check out the LA Times' write-up of the @TexasObserver short story contest:
http://t.co/M77I8BeS - RT @charitykountz: #WW #Writing resources: @Write_By_Night @WritersDigest #mywana - All are must haves for writers! #amwriting
