Last month, I turned 38 years old. I submitted my first story for publication at 19; it was rejected. With nearly twenty years of trying (and mostly failing) in the books, I thought others could learn from my experience. It’s said that we learn more from our failures than our successes. It feels true inContinue reading “Lessons Learned”
Author Archives: stephenmroth
Talking to Non-writers
I’m back! For those of you that aren’t familiar with this blog, it’s been some time since my last post. My absence can be explained by several factors. You only have to go back and read my previous post to learn that I have a baby in the house. Those late-night writing sessions disappeared forContinue reading “Talking to Non-writers”
A Grand Entrance
Today, I’d like to take a detour from our usual writing related topic in favor of a story that is near and dear to my heart. It’s a story I’ve told a number of times in the three weeks since its occurrence. Why is that? Well, it’s a doozy of a story, if I canContinue reading “A Grand Entrance”
The Long & Short Game
Yesterday, I finished reading the first draft of my horror novel, tentatively titled Reel Ghost (not a typo but an intentional play on words). At 136K words, it’s far longer than any story I’ve tackled in my many years writing about fictional people doing fictional things. No doubt it will go on a diet duringContinue reading “The Long & Short Game”
A Horrifying Mind
I am in possession of a horrifying mind. It’s both a blessing and a curse to have thoughts that instantly turn to the dark and macabre side of life. While on vacation a few weeks ago, my 13-year-old daughter and niece of the same age played in the ocean jumping waves and drifting ever soContinue reading “A Horrifying Mind”
When Plans Change
As I write this I’m sitting propped up in bed, listening to midnight waves crash on the beach while my wife sleeps soundly beside me (I didn’t use the word snore, but thought it). Even on a family vacation the need to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard is a strong one. WhenContinue reading “When Plans Change”
Staying Focused
At the end of this past summer my middle child moved out of the upstairs bedroom she shared with her younger sister and into what had been my downstairs office. With the room taken over by an eight-year-old, my office moved into a corner of our master bedroom. I did get a new desk outContinue reading “Staying Focused”
The Pros & Cons of Genre Hopping
The act of genre hopping is a hotly debated topic when brought up on social media. Some are strongly for a writer’s creative freedom, while others feel writers should stick to a single genre. First, I would like to differentiate genre hopping from the simple act of switching genres, as the latter is a singularContinue reading “The Pros & Cons of Genre Hopping”
It’s a Story, Not a Procedural!
Hello and welcome back to the blog! There’s nothing new to report that I won’t be covering at some point in the post. In my last post, I had an absurdly long introduction. Today, it’s short and sweet. I’d like to talk about an aspect of the story that I recently realized was missing fromContinue reading “It’s a Story, Not a Procedural!”
Where Do Ideas Come From?
Hello and welcome back to the blog! Yes, I’m back after taking a break from the blog for a month or so. Why the break? Honestly, I’ve been thinking a lot about making a change in my writing. This blog is approaching its one-year anniversary and hasn’t had the reception I had hoped. Yes, growthContinue reading “Where Do Ideas Come From?”
Stephen Michael Roth 