Storytellersunplugged

I've been reading a book by Peter Straub called SIDES and it made me think – as you who know me best will realize all things of importance do. This book caught my eye first because it was by Peter – who I consider a strong influence on my work, and whose novels I've loved for decades. When I read the description, though, I was a bit confused. SIDES is a non-fiction compilation. This is not really a rarity – ... Read More

I don't like to leave creativity to chance, especially when I have deadlines looming.  Rather than wait for the lightning of inspiration to strike, I prefer to hang around lone oak trees on hill tops during thunderstorms wearing my copper wire underpants.So here are few things I use to stoke the fiction engine and get it chugging along. Firstly, I feed my brain.  Not with fruit, water, brussel sprouts and other noxious items of ‘brain food'.  But with movies, books, TV series, comics, ... Read More

I really should fly more often, I guess. Here I am after another flight (this time to Wiscon in Madison, WI, one of the best cons on the circuit) - and another epiphany. We flew out of Seattle, and then east - across impressive mountains, razor-edged peaks clawing the sky, endless tumbled ranges of it, evergreen forests breaking up the snow like the mountains had raised thorny hackles on their backs, the occasional glint of sunlight on river or (often, startlingly at this ... Read More

by Wayne Allen Sallee Got laid off from my job last week. Just saying, is all. Three years back, I found myself writing all sorts of things I never did before, so watch out for big things this time. A Robert Mitchum superhero comic! A musical based on Abe Vigoda! MooTube! And whatever else I can think of before the meds wear off. I’m leading towards something here, just bear with me. Remember, I’m the guy ... Read More

There are lots of terrible things you can do with books, should you be so inclined. You can maltreat them. Spill coffee on them, bend the spines back, read ‘em in the bathtub and drop ‘em in the lavender-scented suds. Then you can try to fob them off on the local used bookstore, claiming they’re perfectly readable, and get all shirty when the clerk points out that the spine has a waveform like radio emissions off the poles of Jupiter. You can burn them. ... Read More

When people think about doing book promotions, they often think of an author going on a book tour. Doing a book signing or sitting at an author's table at a convention or book store means you get to talk to a lot of new people and (hopefully) get your books into the hands of new readers who've been impressed by your approachability and charm. This can be a lot of fun, especially if you're an extrovert who gets energized by ... Read More

My apologies.  My fabulously busy lifestyle and fast-paced day job have gotten in the way of my latest Storytellers Unplugged essay.  Instead of posting nothing, I thought I'd dredge up an old SU favorite of mine for those of you who may have missed it the first time around.  Brian Knight  -------------------------------------------  Greetings from Lewiston, Idaho, which, despite popular belief, is not the “Potato State,” but the “Gem State.”  Have you ever seen a Star Garnet?  Most likely not, because the only two places on ... Read More

For someone who tries to make his living selling lies, nightmares, and flights of fancy, I hate drawing attention to myself. I didn't like it when I was in kindergarten, I didn't like it when I was in grade school, I didn't like it any better once I hit high school, and now, as age 50 has become less of an abstract concept and more of a sentient being with recognizable features and questionable breath, I still cringe at the prospect ... Read More

When I start out a book, it never seems like I'll have a chance of finishing it. Although I've written several, it's like standing at the foot of a mountain and wondering how I'll ever top it. Doing it over and over again gives me a semblance of confidence, but since each book is its own challenge, it's like climbing a different mountain in the range each time. I know I should be able to make it to the top, but I ... Read More

There have always been those who would cheat if but given an opportunity to do so. No sooner had the bright light of writing been born as a means of communication, than forgery, which was especially profitable at a time of widespread public illiteracy, came along as its dark and unwanted sibling. The combination eventually led to the birth of forensic document examination. As the latter improved, so did the forgers' skills. Some forgers developed amazing skills. Many, however, were not as ... Read More