Category: Uncategorized

My Life: A Game of Stitches

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized2 Comments

While I was young I spent a lot of time outdoors. This meant I got dirty, a lot. Not just your average run of the mill grass stains on the knee area of your jeans dirty. More like, hey look mom! I jumped into a pile of what we thought was dirt but was manure, dirty.

I and my two brothers, Chris and Bryan (we call him Moe) were always trying something  new which meant one of us would be hospitalized or injured for at least a day. We’d say things like ‘I bet we could jump over that!’ or ‘how about we sled off the roof!’ and ‘let’s cut some branches out of that tree so we can climb higher to jump down onto the trampoline’.

Other activities included ‘one pump’ bee-bee gun wars (without eye protection, yes what were we thinking!) and shooting bottle rockets at each other leaving black burns and small fires all over our yard and occasionally our pants.

Behind my parents house is a field that rotates corn and soybeans. Behind that is a pond. So, as our neighborhood was filled with boys, one winter we decided to play ice hockey.

Now, when a group of boys gets together things tend to get a little violent, especially if parents aren’t around.  So we didn’t just play hockey. We called it ‘full contact’ Ice hockey. What did this mean? Well after about six games four of us were in stitches, and one boy who begged his father to let him come (I think his dad was an English teacher and he was familiar with Lord of the Flies) was sent home with a long gash down his nose.

That was the end of full contact ice hockey. We still played roller hockey in the summer and we would go back and skate occasionally but that was the one of the few times the reality of life set in and we all realized that we could get hurt. That is, until the next boy said, ‘Hey I have my license. Why don’t we pull you on a skateboard behind my car!’

Cheers,

Bob

My About Page

On By Robert EvenhouseIn Uncategorized10 Comments

Recently I discovered I neglected something very important – the About Page on my blog. Anytime I whip up a funny little anecdote about my writing life or how I came to love books, I think Hey! This could be my about page. Then as time marches on and the responsibilities of life weigh on my mind, I forget.

So, I thought I would take a blog post and do this very thing. If you are a writer who has also been remiss about creating that all too important About Page, please take a moment and do so.

I stumbled upon the writing craft while very young. However, I did not start to write until roughly seven years ago. Since that time my love for writing has grown even through countless redrafts and a few rejections.

My love for the written word exploded in high school when I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I remember it was reading day (a Friday afternoon) and I could not find a book to read so I borrowed one from a friend. I thought, eh a large green monster, Igor and the like. I can stomach that until the period is over. When it opened aboard a ship, I was hooked. It was a pleasant and unforgettable surprise.

Just over a year ago I started this blog. I figured it was about time that I took some responsibility for my own writing and if there was any place that I could go to find encouragement and to be held accountable it is the web. Even if my writing friends moved, I could stay connected.

Thus, Part Time Novel was born (Writing between Living) targeting people who desired to write for a living but still had a day job, a family, and other joys of life. It is my desire to create a community of writers who are focused on encouraging one another on the treacherous road to publication.

If you are a writer who is honing the craft and need a bit of support please drop a line below. I would love to read your manuscript (for free) or do what I can to help you become a better writer and share what I have learned. Write well today and thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,

Bob

On By Robert EvenhouseIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

If you If you are a writer in the Western Michigan area and are interested in attending an excellent writer’s conference, please check out this reblog of the Breath Writer’s conference from Josh Mosey’s Blog. The theme is What’s your Story. The main speaker is W. Terry Whalin. He’s been a literary agent, published more than 60 books , and now an acquisitions editor.

joshmosey's avatarJosh Mosey

I know that I’ve written about the Breathe Conference before, but since it is happening this week, I wanted to toss another plug for it onto my blog.

The Breathe Conference is a writer’s conference unlike other writers’ conferences. That is to say, while it still has sessions with amazing speakers that talk about the many aspects of the writing life, it is a conference where writers feel welcomed, supported, and worthwhile. I’ve been to some conferences where you walk away from a session feeling lost and intimidated. The Breathe Conference isn’t that. Attendees come away encouraged and with the tools they need to make their writing dreams published realities.

The main speaker for this year’s Breathe Conference is Terry Whalin. When I heard that, I said, “Who is Terry Whalin?” A common response, I think. But when I read the biography from his website (posted below), I feel…

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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

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

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