This is one of two short stories I submitted to the Richard Hugo House winter new works contest. The other is currently on the Stories page. Morning in America I’m a real American, the kind who was born here. Fought for my country in ‘Nam. Came back to rejection and scorn. Hit the bottle. Hit … Continue reading Morning in America
writing
Grace and faith
It's a new year, and time to get back to working on The Book. I've posted a new excerpt (read it on The Book page), one that seems especially appropriate for the spirit of renewal that takes over (we hope) this time of year. It's about grace. Grace can find us at the oddest times, … Continue reading Grace and faith
Happy xmas!
Dateline: 25 December 2010 Reuters news service reported early today that Time was stolen late last year. The shocking theft was uncovered in a Central Intelligence Agency memo posted on the infamous Wikileaks web site. The memo went on to document the U.S. government’s involvement in the cover up of the theft of Time. The … Continue reading Happy xmas!
A bell in a dream
Here's a piece I wrote at Sierra Nelson's workshop at the December Write-O-Rama at Hugo House, Seattle: Where can you find a bell that will ring in your dreams? - Pablo Neruda See, that’s funny, because it happened to me just the other night. I was dreaming about winter, snow and cold and trying to … Continue reading A bell in a dream
You Jane: The NaNoWriMo Story
Ending posted! It's complete...as in complete mess! Happy reading, and happy December!! You can click here to read You Jane, the NaNoWriMo novel-in-a-month. Here's a synopsis: Jane and Charlie have been best friends since college. Charlie’s stuck in a less than happy marriage, and Jane’s at the bar again, drinking to try to stop the … Continue reading You Jane: The NaNoWriMo Story
Let the 50,000 word insanity begin – NaNoWriMo!
I've done something completely crazy, I'm afraid. I signed up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an online event where participants agree to write 50,000 words in one month, November 1-30. The result doesn't have to be any good, thank dog. It just has to be 50,000 words. That's not the crazy part. The first … Continue reading Let the 50,000 word insanity begin – NaNoWriMo!
Fables Are Fiction
I'm working on writing a longer fable about vulnerable sheep, greedy wolves, a trickster goat, and a greek chorus of cats. Meanwhile here is a short fable inspired by the last two weeks. And remember, fables are fiction. Once upon a time there was a dog who lived among wolves. He protected his flock of … Continue reading Fables Are Fiction
A beautiful book
So the same day I finished reading the rough draft (nearly complete) of my book, an experience I can only describe as ridiculously, tear-inducingly satisfying, I picked up a new book to read. It's a beautiful book called The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, published in 2006. The very first sentence took my breath away. … Continue reading A beautiful book
New excerpt on The Book page
There's a new excerpt from the book up - click here or go to The Book page link in the top right corner to read it. It introduces Gil, who plays an important role in the battle to save or destroy the world. Here's the beginning of it. In his natural form, Gil would remind … Continue reading New excerpt on The Book page
How to get your novel published in seven easy steps
With considerable expertise derived from my vast experience (three and a half days at the Pacific Northwest Writers' Association conference), I will now describe how the fiction book publishing process works. Step one: Write the book you love, and make it perfect. Step two: Pitch it to a literary agent, or actually, to hundreds of … Continue reading How to get your novel published in seven easy steps
Elizabeth Fountain, Author 