The music I listen to as I write

As is my wont, I’ve been been listening to music as I work on my current novel, and I’ve begun building a playlist of songs that are either keeping me in the mood of my book or else directly inspiring passages or even whole chapters of my novel. So I thought I’d share some ofContinue reading “The music I listen to as I write”

Helping friends affected by the fires and building collapses in NY

Gang, we’re all family here, yeah? Maybe you’re a friend of mine, or maybe you’re a fan of my work, or maybe you just stopped by out of curiosity. But if you’re here, chances are good that you like writing or writers or reading or listening to art. And that makes us family. And ourContinue reading “Helping friends affected by the fires and building collapses in NY”

The Jersey Devil likes all the best music, even at our age

This month’s issue of Jersey Devil Press is all kinds of milestone-ish. Not only is it the first issue of 2014, it’s also the 50th issue. Fifty! It’s rare enough that any literary magazine makes it that far, but for a weird little online magazine that loves dick jokes and aliens that live on humanContinue reading “The Jersey Devil likes all the best music, even at our age”

Best Texas Music (literary edition)

  Today, the Dallas Observer is running a piece on “The Best Texas Songs of All Time,” counting down from 100. I found out about this from Denton band Slobberbone’s Facebook page, where they celebrated hitting #63 on the list with their track “Barrel Chested.” “The huge riff is lifted straight off an AC/DC albumContinue reading “Best Texas Music (literary edition)”

Yet another novel playlist

I’ve written so many times now on how music affects my writing that everyone must be getting sick of it. And I’m not the only one doing this — practically every writer with a blog has commented on his or her writing playlist at some point. I think it’s because we all wish we couldContinue reading “Yet another novel playlist”

A Writer’s Notebook: story opening from an old notebook (Retro #3)

It’s been busy this week, what with the website relaunch and all. So I’m back to old notebooks (ridiculous misspellings and all). When Samson — for he only went by his stage name now — heard from the hospital staff that all the vomiting and bloody diariah was from a rupture ulcer, that his pallor and frailtyContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: story opening from an old notebook (Retro #3)”

The sounds of my NaNoWriMo

Long-time readers know I love having music while I write. Sometimes it’s just background noise, but often it’s a specific set of songs, and in the case of whole books (like my story collection or two of my novel projects), it’s full-blown soundtracks, with each song selected and organized to reflect what’s going on inContinue reading “The sounds of my NaNoWriMo”

A Writer’s Notebook: Work details

There’s this story I’ve been aching to finish for a long, long time now, but the details just aren’t coming. Or, weren’t until this week. But thanks to Tom Franklin, things seem to be rolling again. More on that in a minute. First, some writing: Val dropped the ramps and unchained the big yellow WalkerContinue reading “A Writer’s Notebook: Work details”