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”
Tag Archives: amwriting
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”
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!”
Following Tropes
Hello and welcome back to the blog! I spent time querying both last week and this week. I have now sent thirty-five query letters to literary agents regarding From Darkness Comes… and have received twenty-nine noes without a single full manuscript request to bolster my outlook. Look, I try to keep positive about my writing—andContinue reading “Following Tropes”
First vs. third Person Point of View
Hello and Welcome back to the blog! This is the first blog post written from my new home office, which is actually a corner of our master bedroom. My old office, located in the basement, is in the process of being transformed into a bedroom so our eight-year-old can have her own room, escaping herContinue reading “First vs. third Person Point of View”
The Ramblings of a Writer Part 4
Hello and welcome back to the blog! There isn’t much news on my front this week. I’m still writing a short story involving vampires, thanks to some interruptions over the past week. Querying continues as well. I had a few varying thoughts on my mind, so this week we’ll skip the topical blog post inContinue reading “The Ramblings of a Writer Part 4”
Plotter vs. Pantser
Hello and welcome back to the blog! Envie Magazine has named this blog the Blog of the Month for August. Check out the latest issue for an interview with yours truly at envie magazine dot com. The first draft of Breaking Character: A Grave Awakening is marinating for the next month or so, before IContinue reading “Plotter vs. Pantser”
Writer Pitfalls
Hello and welcome back to the blog! I finished the final draft of my work in progress earlier this week, which is the second book in the unpublished Breaking Character Series. Query number thirty for From Darkness Comes… hit the electronic mailbox moments before I started writing this post. When I started querying the goalContinue reading “Writer Pitfalls”
The First Word
Hello and welcome back to the blog! I know it has been a while since my last post, and for that I must apologize. My intention had been to take a couple of weeks off as I wrapped up the first draft of a novel. A health scare with my wife extended that break aContinue reading “The First Word”
Stephen Michael Roth 