Whew. Keeping up a blog is not easy while in a full-time Masters program. I plan to write here more regularly once I've graduated. For now, I'm just dropping in to post about the absolutely spectacular cover for Writers of the Future Volume 34! Featuring me! And also other fabulous people! I'm particularly thrilled by …
Continue reading Writers of the Future Volume 34: Cover Reveal!
I've made my second professional rate sale! My short story "The Game of Games," a fantasy ghost story loosely inspired by Pascal's Wager and the Deck of Many Things from D&D, will be appearing in the anthology "Pirates & Ghosts" from Flame Tree Press. Here is a link to the announcement over at Flame Tree's …
Continue reading Story Sale Announcement: The Game of Games!
I'm going to talk about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood for a bit. Fullmetal Alchemist (specifically the manga and the Brotherhood adaption) is not only one of the greatest anime ever made (fight me) but also one of the most well constructed fantasy stories I've ever encountered. It has everything; likeable yet deeply conflicted protagonists, a really …
Continue reading Weaving Theme from the Beginning of Your Story: Fullmetal Alchemist as a Case Study
What is it about secondary world fantasy and science fiction that draws readers in? Why do readers seek out stories that take place in worlds not our own? There are many reasons (possibly as many reasons as there are readers) but one such reason, and the reason I most identify with, is the powerful thematic …
As my last post was about finishing up a project, it seems appropriate to write one about my process for starting a new one, especially considering that I am right in the middle of that process. Also, I am in the (for me) unique position of not already having a plan for what I want …
For the last seven months I've been working on the first draft of a novel. Because I fall further on the discovery writer side of the discovery/outline spectrum, I start long projects like this with goals but no clear plan in mind for the ending. As I write and the story develops I usually know …
Last week I started a masters degree in teaching. It's a one-year accelerated program meant for people who already have a degree in something other than education and want to get a teaching certificate as quickly as possible. I have enjoyed my experiences teaching in the past, and I feel a weird sort of responsibility …
A couple of weeks ago my wife Hannah and I attended an "art salon" organized by a good friend from college and hosted by a local writing professor. Inspired by the Cubist salons of the early 20th century, the idea behind this gathering was for writers and artists to gather to discuss their aesthetics, and artistic …
Earlier today I was reading through a reddit thread in which comparisons were being drawn between the Mystery/Thriller genres and the Fantasy/Science Fiction genres. The discussion mostly revolved around an unusual paradox, this being that while the apparent readership and sales figures of the Mystery/Thriller genres are much higher, Fantasy and Science Fiction titles show …
Recently I was talking with some friends, also writers, about the submission process. Specifically we were discussing the impact of rejection letters on our psychology and productivity. Rejection is something that writers, especially young writers desperate to get their foot in the door of the publishing industry, often talk about sardonically. We joke about piles …
Continue reading On Submission, Self-Esteem, and Persistence
J.T. Greathouse 