Language, language, language …

Thinking about my other post on using the word “Literally” to mean “Figuratively” – actually sometimes I think “literally” can work well: when something really does happen, but it’s surprising. “The cat, stuffed with explosives, literally exploded.” Actually, that’s a lame example, but I made it up just now. I’m sure there are better examples. But “literally” can work for emphasis if used with care, I guess.

Something that’s bothering me lately is trying to use words that work. I read something recently – “… suddenly the telephone rang …” Goodness me, how else do phones ring? Gradually? Limpidly? Gotta say I’m just as guilty too, was scanning something I’d written a while back (in my thesis, where I should have been at the top of my game) where my character was staring ” … utterly transfixed …”. Good grief, Sean, surely if you’re transfixed, the utterly is implied? Perhaps the alternative could be something like “vaguely transfixed” or “inattentively transfixed”. Yes, I like that last one better :-/

Alternate Reality/Time Travel anthology

Preliminary cover art for the anthology

My story “Berg” has been accepted for The Next Time – Lame Goat Press’s anthology of alternate reality/time travel stories. This looks like coming out some time during early-mid 2010.

Also from Lame Goat Press – the Horror Through The Ages anthology (with my story “Stone Goddess”) is now available directly from Amazon.

Literally … figuratively

Pedantic hat on, I guess, but I seem to notice that often when people use the word “literally” they mean “figuratively”. It’s just lazy writing (or speaking).

“The car literally took off like a rocket!” No, it figuratively took off like a rocket. Even the word “like” is a clue there – that means it’s a simile.

“The opening band literally blew the main act off the stage.” What? You mean after they were done with their set they came back with some of those big Hollywood fans and made a little windstorm? I guess it’s really a metaphor – the opening act was so good that the main act struggled to hold the audiences attention. It’s an okay metaphor, but don’t tell me that it’s literal. If you need to emphasise it, use a better metaphor.

Horror Through the Ages anthology out now

The first anthology from Lame Goat Press, Horror Through the Ages is available now. This has a great list of contributors – Jodi MacArthur, Robert C Eccles, Kevin Wallis and so on – 27 contributors in all. Edited by Christopher Jacobsmeyer. The collection includes my story “The Stone Goddess”. It’s available now from CreateSpace for $15.95 (US) plus shipping. It’ll be on Amazon soon, so you can bundle it up with other Christmas gifts.

MicroHorror Contest Results

The MicroHorror Halloween Contest results are in:

Chris Allinotte for Make ’Em Cheer
Kevin G. Bufton for A Letter From the Trenches
Oonah V Joslin for Smolensk–The Second Time
Brian Laing for The King’s Grave
Caroline Robinson for Samhain
Chris Yodice for First Train to Deadman

Nathan has done a cool video with Conrad Brooks to announce the winners. Congratulations to all the winners. Oh, what do we have to do to beat Oonah? Try again next year, I guess.

Torn asunder … well tutoring just about over

Well today is the deadline for getting my creative writing tutoring back to the university. It’s done, bar one student who had an extension, and once that’s done the summer is mine to write and create. Current plans involve a new project of stories and inter-linked stories and a new blog to separate the writing out from the music.

Meantime, check out this cool new flash story from Joshua Scribner – Closer to pure – on Flashes in the Dark. Very creepy twist on the vampire idea.

Coincidence

Okay, I know that that some of you who have read both stories from the last couple of posts – “Vampire Gustave …” and “Puncture Wound” – have noticed they have something in common. Yet the stories were written months apart, submitted months apart, and accepted months apart. That they came out within a couple of days is just coincidence. Kind of a cool coincidence though, I think.

… Vampire Gustav …

My flash story “The Vampire Gustave at the End of the Universe” has been published today in issue 359 of Bewildering Stories. This is an unusual one for me, more conceptual than anything. Read it here.

Puncture Wound – new story out now

My story Puncture Wound is out now in the November issue of Antipodean Science Fiction. This is an inter-linked story, a prequel if such a thing is possible, to my story How Things Fall, which was on the same site last year.

Jodi MacArthur – writer

Keep an eye out for Jodi’s fiction – she’s had some killer stories in The New Flesh, Flashes in the Dark, etc., with loads more coming out. She’ll be in the Horror Through The Ages anthology too with her story “Skin”, right after my story “The Stone Goddess” – I’m honoured to be rubbing shoulders with her. Check out Jodi’s blog here.