Author: Robert Evenhouse

Novelist. Blogger. Founding Member of the Weaklings Writers Group & JOT Writers Conference. Loves Encouraging Writers and Reading Books.

Why Novelists Should Write Short Stories

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized2 Comments

I recently listened to an interview with Stephen King (below). He discussed short stories and how they are an art form that novelists seem to forget. They are dear to him because that is how waded into the writing world. He releases collections of short stories every now and again because of his love for it, and because he does not want to lose that skill.

As I have written in past posts I contribute to a free flash fiction contest at Julia’s Place. They are a fun distraction from the rewrites and edits I am currently slogging through on my novel. I hope to branch out to other websites and one day publish some.

Recently I stumbled upon a website Flash Fiction World.com that takes flash fiction and occasionally pays for it. That is not the best part. The best part is that it gives tips to those seeking to refine the microcraft. HERE are details about a creating a mini story arc.

So, why dedicate a post flash fiction? Because refining the smaller crafts of the story world can enable the novelists to grow and become better at understanding stories. They do not require a lot of time, and can be building blocks to make you that much better at the craft.

Cheers,

Bob

 

Restoring Wonder

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized6 Comments

This past weekend my family and I attended Lights in the Night in Grand Rapids, MI. It was an entry in ArtPrize, the world’s largest art competition. People filled the city and art covered it. It is a spectacular time for businesses, artisans and everyone in the community.

I wanted to share this experience with you as best I could, but you just had to be there. Some say there were five thousand floating lanterns, others twenty thousand.

I don’t get the chance to stop often and “smell the roses”, but that night I did. I felt like a child again. I was filled with wonder.

Cheers,

Bob

No, For Now

On By Robert EvenhouseIn My Novel6 Comments

I’ve been remiss. I promised to fill my readers in after I got a response from the agent about my book proposal and I did not do so. Part of the reason was because I needed to take some time to digest her response. It was not a bad response by any means. But it was a response that indicated I have my work cut out for me if I desire representation someday.

First and foremost she said my stories have high potential. She also mentioned that I am a very creative person and that my stories will appeal to many readers. Needless to say I was thrilled. However, there is work that needs to be done, a lot of it. There are several mechanical flaws and my book is in need of a thorough shellacking. I will miss my darlings.

Now, some writers might wilt and collapse at the idea of more work after seven years of writing, but I don’t look at it like that. I am not super thrilled with going through it again but my hope is in the professional critique.

If she had said don’t ever write again I would have been crushed. But she didn’t say that. She said they have potential and that is where I will get my energy. The idea is great, the execution is off the map. It’s time to pick up the old draft and begin again. I don’t have to start from scratch as she told me what I need to improve and even asked for me to send it back to her after I get some readers to pick through it.

So, here’s to another few months of work. Here’s to writing and the grand adventure that it is. Thank you all for your encouragement through this first rejection.

Write today.

Cheers,

Bob

100 Word Challenge at Julia’s Place – The Mount Wilderness Discovery

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized6 Comments

Here is my post for this week’s challenge at Julia’s place. Enjoy.

I hate climbing, because of the chance of falling. However, when my friend Declan discovered a boulder of silver, atop Mount Wilderness, I was intrigued.

In what seemed like an instant of preparation and ascent; suddenly it was in my hand. I held it up to the sun and referenced Jem’s Guide to Gems. It matched the example in the book. I jumped, tripped then tumbled. That’s how I broke both arms and legs, four ribs.

The fall lead to a newspaper article revealing why we were up on the mountain in the first place. Which lead to the boulder being discovered by a sponsored climber.

Cheers,

Bob

Every Writer Needs A Vacation

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing Life2 Comments

As you are aware I did not blog last week. It was fiscal year end at work. My two daughters had birthdays and family and friends came into town to help celebrate. Also, my wife’s birthday is today. Needless to say it was a busy week. Through it all I barely wrote, and it was the best decision I could have ever made.

So, here are a few reasons why every writer needs a vacation.

Floating Lanterns Over Grand Rapids, MI

1. It’s refreshing – Writer’s write about life. But when it passes by at a thousand miles per hour they don’t have a chance to take it in and it becomes harder and harder to write. At some point the well of creativity dries up. Taking a step back can help revitalize your inner artist. You might even see something that restores child-like wonder.

2. Family is important – I write because I love it. But I love my family more. Spending time with my daughters on their birthdays was grand. We ate cake, opened presents, rode a carousel while my daughter June grinned ear to ear. It was magical and it was as if time stopped. I will never forget that.

3. It is healthy – As a writer, and husband, and father, and worker, and friend, and Christian, I have many roles that demand attention and require tons of energy if I want to do them well. I don’t want to be a Jack of all trades because that just means I’m average at everything. I want to be great. When I focus on one thing, like being a good father, I have more confidence to take a step back from being a parent to write. If I was a terrible husband or absent father it would be difficult, psychologically, to write. I bet I would be consumed by guilt which would certainly stifle my ability to write.

4. It helps you get perspective – Perhaps you are struggling with a concept. Maybe you’ve written yourself into a dead end and cannot see how to bridge a section of your novel with where you want it to go. There are many times when I am not focused on my novel when suddenly I am struck with an idea that will help me continue my work. It’s like the plotting part of my brain works best when I am not writing at all.

These are just a few reasons writers need a break. Have you taken a break from writing for a period? If so why? Did you find your inner artist refreshed?

Find some time to write today.

Cheers,

Bob

Guest Post: Write What You “No” – by Paul Douglas

On By Robert EvenhouseIn The Writing Life3 Comments

Today’s post comes from Paul Douglas of Words & Pictures.  In the post below he takes the common writing phrase – Write What You Know – and gives it a good thrashing. Enjoy!

WRITE WHAT YOU NO!

No, that’s not a typo. All my life (OK, maybe not all, but a good percentage of my life) I have heard that a writer should write what they know. Well, think about that for a moment. If we all subscribed to that line of thinking there would be no Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea or Frankenstein (or Dracula) or even Harry Potter. One of my favorite writers, Raymond Chandler, was born in Chicago IL but was raised and schooled in England. At age forty-four, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first novel, The Big Sleep, was published in 1939. And thus was born Philip Marlowe. Alongside Sam Spade, the character of Philip Marlowe is foremost within the genre of hardboiled detective fiction! What did Raymond Chandler know about hard drinking, tough talking detectives? Probably as much as I do. Did he let that stop him? What do you think?

“The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.” ~~ Benjamin Disraeli

I know very little about Disraeli save that he was a British Prime Minister in, I believe, the late 1800’s. That has absolutely nothing to do with what I- or he- is saying here. This quote is a direct corollary to what I stated above. Why write only what you know about? That can be so confining. Let your imagination run wild. Isn’t that what writing is all about? Whatever you need to know you can research, especially nowadays where anything can be found in the matter of a few minutes on the internet. The novel I am currently working on is (of course) a detective novel. Do I know anything about detecting? What do you think? Do I let that stop me? What do you think?

“Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards.” ~~ Robert A. Heinlein

Don’t let anything or anybody deter you from writing if that’s what you want to do. I remember writing my first novel by longhand. When it came time to get it into shape I asked someone (who will go unnamed) to type it for me. When they completed it, they handed it to me amidst gales of laughter. That was their critique of my writing. Did I let that stop me? What do you think? (P. S. the unnamed person was my own mother!)

“Why do writers write? Because it isn’t there.” ~~ Thomas Berger

Well I don’t agree at all with this quote. Sorry, Tom. It is there. Every single word, every single plot, every single theme. I’ve heard that every story that will ever be told, has already been told. All we can now do is to vary it in the retelling. How about the Holocaust? Done to death? Then try reading The Book Thief by Australian author Marcus Zusak (and what does an Australian- not an Austrian, but an Australian- know about the Holocaust? This man was born in 1975. What does he know about an event that took place 30 some odd years before he was born?) The narrator of this book is Death himself: a benign and sympathetic Death, who has a tendency to define moments by their color. Try it, After the first few pages you will not be able to put it down.

“A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” ~~ Thomas Mann

Besides childbirth, writing is the single, most difficult activity I have ever experienced. Well, OK, I haven’t actually experienced childbirth. But I was there when my first son was born. (Well, come to think of it, neither my wife nor I were there when our first child was born as he was adopted. And when our second child was born they wouldn’t let me in the room, but that’s another story.) But I can imagine how painful giving birth can be. And I know how painful writing is. So why would anyone want to be a writer? Why does anyone want to be a mother? Maybe it has something to do with leaving something behind, a part of yourself. In a way, we achieve immortality by having a child, writing a book. So maybe that’s the answer.

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work… I want to achieve it through not dying.” ~~ Woody Allen.

Yes, well, I have it on pretty good authority that we’re all going to die sooner or later so you’d better have plan ‘B’ ready for that eventuality. Immortality is not really why I write, though. I don’t really think it’s why any of us write. We do it because we can’t help it.

“We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to.” ~~ W. Somerset Maugham

See you next week. Thanks Paul!
Cheers,
Bob

Write Flash Fiction at Julia’s Place

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized4 Comments

For the past few months I have participated in a short story contest of sorts. There is no prize besides being a better writer. The flash fiction contest I am talking about is the 100 word challenge at Julia’s Place.

She gives you three to four words which you then build a story around using only 100 total words. If you have heard of William Faulkner’s saying (or whomever coined it) kill your darlings, this is a great exercise to do just that. When writing a story of 100 words there is no way to have excess. You must trim the fat.

I have found that working in small bursts like this has helped me in other areas of writing. Whether working on my novel or writing a short story, I am more concise and clear. I wish I would have found Julia’s place much earlier in my career.

If you wanted to participate just go to Julia’s Place and look for the 100 word challenges on her site. Here are the instructions. They are usually open for a week and you can also view other stories to help you get the idea.

Keep writing, keep refining.

Cheers,

Bob

100 Word Challenge for Julia’s Place – Goodbye Jimmy

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Here is my entry for this weeks 100 word challenge from Julia’s place. Enjoy:

“I’m hungry!” cried Jimmy.

“You can’t go out in that rain!”

“Mom, it’s been raining for days! Ouch! My stomach is growling.”

“Jimmy, remember what happen to your father. Don’t be a fool. Nobody survives in rain like this.”

Jimmy ignored her. She tried to block his path but he slid over her and out the door amidst a tirade of scolding.

The branch was slippery but he could see It. He stretched from the branch to the apple. A gale of wind brushed the branch, detaching the fruit.

As the apple fell into oblivion, Jimmy took an enormous bite.

Cheers,

Bob

Guest Posts Wanted

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized8 Comments
Happy Early Birthday Girls!

There are times in life when you need a vacation. It could be a vacation from work or from writing. Next week I will be taking a short holiday from my blog. In seven days my family will celebrate three birthdays. Clara will be one! June will be three! And my wife will be more beautiful, even if one year older.

So I need to step it up as a husband and a dad. Daddy daughter dates are on the agenda and a long relaxing date with my wife Cindy. This means that my blog will have to take the back seat. I plan to take some time off from writing as well to recharge.

This is where you come in. If you would consider writing a post to bridge the gap of September 24-28th I would appreciate it. It may be previously published anywhere. I am looking for posts that encourage writers, share insight, or any helpful tip for the new writer. All you need to do is comment below and I will be in touch.

Cheers,

Bob

Where To Submit Your Short Stories

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized4 Comments

There are many ways to get a writing career off the ground. Some authors start by landing that big lucrative book contract. But let’s face it, that happens to .000000000000001% of authors. Most writers still have day jobs and squeeze in writing each day. If you are a part timer, it is good to ensure you have an excellent routine.

I have decided to dedicate some of my writing time to short stories. I was inspired by a Youtube clip about Ray Bradbury. When he started writing (and maybe every year since) he wrote a short story a week and sent that in to be published. Nothing happened at first because he needed to refine his skill. For many of authors the only way to do that is to keep writing and trying new things until we get the bad out.

I have found two places to submit short stories and I am going to try to write one every other week. I am close to finishing my first one. I should complete it over the week and begin refining another.

Why short stories? As I write them more and more I realize they make you limit your word count which causes me to remove adverbs, qualifiers, and other unneeded jargon almost automatically. I hope I can transition this to the large world of writing a novel.

Here are two places I plan on using to submit them. An account is free both places and it helps you save time instead of slogging through the internet. You can sort by genre and read about each publication to decide if it is right for you.

https://duotrope.com/

http://heypublisher.com/

Thank to Andrew for introducing me to Heypublisher

Cheers,
Bob