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Emerging Writers: Guest Post #19 – Why poetry, if you can’t stand reading it?
Adam Moursy was born in New York City in 1986. He’s lived in and around the city ever since, with much of his adult life influenced by street culture, heavy drinking, and overall debauchery. To no surprise, he writes what he knows — hard-hitting anecdotes from both the past and present, without many frills. He was first published at the age of twenty-four, and has appeared in several lit mags and poetry journals in the US and UK.
A witty and insightful look at the daily (and moreover nightly) carousals of its author, Slinking Under The Electric Bulb is the first collection of prose poetry by Adam Moursy. From chance encounters with loose women, to struggles with both money and the tameless characters of New York City’s underbelly, the writing remains fast-paced and blunt, in a sort of hit-and-run fashion.
Why Poetry?
I’ve asked myself that question more times than I can remember. I can’t stand reading it, can’t stand the stigma that comes along with it ‒ so why write it? Is it for the quick fix? A means of dealing with a terribly short attention span? Or for the simple appreciation of having a good bathroom book on hand?
The answer is D: All of the Above. But it’s so much more.
Poetry needs a new voice.
Whitman had it. Neruda carried the torch. Bukowski killed it. Now what?
Another change, of course. Poems for the modern day man ‒ void of rhyme and decorum, of senseless fluff. In an age where sex drives us all, where rebellion is openly tolerated (and even encouraged), it’s amazing that the poets of today, both young and old alike, still stick to the formulas of their more than century-old predecessors. We know that the trees are there, that love is a blade, and that the sun rises and sets for each and every one of us, but what about what really goes on? What about that hemorrhoid you’re sitting on, that blowjob you got last week, or hell, even that god-awful guy or girl you met through OkCupid? Here we are, living by the social network, by GPS and text messaging, by designer drugs and complex drinks and convenient everything. We don’t even have pubic hair. So, when will poetry finally catch up?
That’s where I come in. I’ve planted a seed, and it’s called Slinking Under The Electric Bulb. Take the title head-on: I drank and fucked and did so by today’s standards, like a rogue cat creeping down some dingy street of terror, and made sure to write about it while not holding anything back. Yes, it’s plenty vulgar. And, no, you probably won’t regard me as anything more than your dirty little secret. But you will relate, whoever you are, as there’s something in there for everyone ‒ from being held-up at gunpoint, to pop culture and literary references, to living in a broken-down dump in an otherwise flourishing Brooklyn neighborhood. If you’ve already forgotten that it’s a poetry book, you’re on the right track, since each piece reads more like a very, very short story set to free verse. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten thus far, you really can’t go wrong by giving it a whirl, and it’s one you’ll want to go back to again and again.
All in all, take note of what’s going on here, and know that poetry isn’t dead. Also, be on the lookout for me, as I already have a second title in the works and I’m not stopping there. I may not go down in history, but I will go down as the first person to start a piece with “ass-to-mouth.”
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Thanks Adam. I know about irresistible urges and I’m glad you are addressing the forbidden. I wish you well.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
And please support this site and the promotion of new names in fiction by buying: The Istanbul Puzzle & The Jerusalem Puzzle.
Emerging Writers: Guest Post #15 Non-fiction – The Art of the Visit & Making a book happen
Before launching her writing and speaking career, Kathy Bertone-Obieleski was the managing partner in a merger & acquisition firm located outside Washington, D.C., where, for over a decade, she was involved in selling privately-held businesses.
Kathy knows what it takes to help all of us have successful, stress-free, fabulous visits with the people we love the most, and who often give us the most joy and pain: our family and close friends.
At a young age Kathy began organizing, rearranging, and doing everything possible to obtain, and maintain, a well-run household, often to the dismay of her family. It lasted for the better part of two days, but a determined child, she would happily start the process again. THE ART OF THE VISIT was in the making.
Now called “Hostess Extraordinaire” Kathy loves to help people have great times whenever they get together, no matter for how long . . . or who is coming! She speaks on the subject and is working on her next book.
For more, Visit the Website
Take it away Kathy!
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Being Published: Don’t Say You Can’t Until You Try Laurence has many followers who are writers, so I am delighted to share with you a perhaps surprising story of publishing success. No, I haven’t sold a million books on Amazon, and no, I haven’t made the NYT’s Best-Seller list (yet), but I do have a literary agent and a traditionally published book that is beautiful inside and out, both in word and image.
I am now a published author with all the accoutrements, featured magazine and national newspaper articles to my credit, and even some television. All great press in a few short months and I am a fairly common person who just had a pretty cool idea and took the time to learn how to properly market my book and myself. I will say, however, that I am proactive and motivated, but you are, too, or you wouldn’t be reading this post.
It saddens me to hear that so many yet-to-be-published writers are convinced they cannot be traditionally published; how publishers are not interested in first-time authors, and how it is so much quicker and easier to self-publish. Hog wash. I saw a statistic that self-published books rarely sell more than one hundred copies and besides, you do all the work and then pay for the privilege. If you are published traditionally, the publisher pays for everything from editing (hugely important for any book) to publishing.
Here is a brief overview of my trip: A few years ago I had an idea. The idea doesn’t matter. The fact that I had it and wanted to do something with it did. So while working at another job I wrote when I could. In 2009 my “real” job went straight downhill at the same rate as the US economy so I took the downtime to work on my non-fiction book and to seriously research the book publishing industry, about which I had no experience or knowledge. While doing so I found a common thread: the absolute need for a literary agent. If a good, professional agent takes you on, your manuscript or book proposal goes higher in the stack on the publisher’s desk and the likelihood of winning a book contract (were two more magical words ever written?) increases exponentially.
So I went about learning how to find an agent and how to write a query letter to entice an agent. All you have to do is Google “how to write a query letter to a literary agent” or similar wording and there is all the information you need. Read several, but they all say pretty much the same thing. I won’t take up your time now with the details, but here is something perhaps not as generally known. There is a website http://www.literarymarketplace.com where agents, those precious and allusive beings, are listed and for $24.95 for a week (and one week is all you need if you are motivated) you have website and email addresses of agents who represent your genre. Yes, they do exist and they can be contacted! I sent email queries to many and after some time received the one email reply that made my heart stop: “Kathy, thank you for your query. I do have an interest and would like to speak further.”
My agent landed me a book contract not with one of the household name publishers but with Running Press Publishers, one of the most pleasant, talented, professional group of people on the planet. I then researched what a publisher and editor do and how to successfully work with one. The result was a mutually respectful and beneficial process which resulted in my first book, “The Art of the Visit”, published about 7 months ago.
So this first-time author asks you good writers who dream of being published not to presume defeat before even trying. If you are successful it leads to so many good things, often including, as our host can attest, a series or another title. So don’t, by default, take the short— and supposedly easier—route. If you are truly dedicated to your craft and want to be professional and be seen as a professional do what it hardest and try. The process is not easy and not everyone will succeed, but believe me there are agents and publishers who are looking for a new voice and fresh talent. If you don’t reach out to them they will never have the chance to know your work.
Do what I did because no one told me I couldn’t: learn the business and then go for it.
Cheers and happy writing.
Kathy Bertone
Author, The Art of the Visit: Being the Perfect Host; Becoming the Perfect Guest
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Thanks Kathy for being our fifteenth guest post writer. I am always interested in the journey to becoming published. I know very well that it requires dedication and hard work. I wish you well with The Art of the Visit and all your projects.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
And please support this site and the promotion of new writers by buying: The Istanbul Puzzle or The Jerusalem Puzzle.
Emerging Writers: Guest Post #9 The power of writing
Charmaine Gordon, our next guest blogger, is a US based author. She is gutsy and determined. Here is more from Charlaine, in her own words:
After years as wife of an Air Force pilot, Strategic Air Command, 301st Air Refueling Squad, part of a Bomb Wing, we became civilians eventually moving to NYC with many kids and dogs. I spread my wings when my daughter was in high school and pursued my own dream of working professionally as an actor.
Not too much to ask for, I thought and found I had a lot to learn. Classes in on-camera and commercials, I took them all determined, not to be a star, but to be a part of a larger pond. And I succeeded; joined three unions necessary to work, freelanced with agents and the girl from Chicago who stayed home to be a good daughter,wife, and mother, got work in the big city all on her own.
Charmaine’s novel, about a woman who fights back when her husband leaves is available here.
Here is Charmaine’s post:
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What is the best thing about writing?
As an actor, I cherished every word in the script with respect to the playwright never thinking one day I’d be a writer. A mother hears her child say, “Read me a story, Mommy.”
Read becomes“Tell me a story, Mom.” And here I am with a publisher, Kimberlee Williams-Vanilla Heart Publishing who calls and says, “Write another new story.”
The best is using the powerful gift of imagination. An idea wakes me from sleep. In the morning I write. Think of what the writer can do with a story. You create a situation, two people meet, maybe fall in love, a misunderstanding, obstacles you throw in their path to prevent an easy solution and at last, love wins. OR an evil presence, a parallel story to collide, illness, death, destruction, misunderstanding and love wins OR. . .Possibilities are endless.
The author is in command OR is she? The characters take over as they often do. The author loses herself, cries, laughs, and writes until The End. You weep some more because your baby has grown up and you want to show her to the world. Then the real work begins. Promotion, marketing. Oh my. All you want to do is write.
Charmaine’s novel, about a woman who fights back when her husband leaves her is available here.
Blurb: Beth Malone wakes up one morning to find a note from her husband of forty years. “Dear Liz, it’s not you, it’s me.” Abandoned by her husband, Beth decides to re-establish herself as the winner she once was. When Frank Malone returns, he’s in for a big surprise!
To read more about Charmaine and download a sampler go here.
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Thanks Charmaine for being our ninth guest post writer. I admire your determination and your willingness to write about what makes us all tick, the power of love.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
Emerging Writers: Guest Post #7 On selling out and tucked away gems
Daniella Latham is a senior writer for a global corporation and has spent her career in the advertising industry.
She holds a B.S. in Journalism and English Literature from the University of Miami’s School of Communication and is currently working on her first novel.
Take it away Daniella.
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Selling-Out, v3
1/21/13
Who Cares About Selling-Out?
If you’re reading this now, perhaps you’re sitting in your office or taking a glance during the 11pm news – but the chances are it’s a way to get your mind off of the day. Maybe there’s an undiscovered voice that shines through and piques some type of interest. As it naturally unfolds with readers, we explore the narratives that appeal to us, and they may be a bit more delicious when the general public hasn’t honed in yet.
Suppose your favorite indie author “hit it big”, signed with one of the major houses and sold millions…would that change your opinion of their talent? And if they stayed with the non-traditional publishing route, would you place a higher value on their work?
But the question is: what’s really considered “selling-out”, since talent is talent, right? What I’ve uncovered from a completely non-scientific poll of my fellow book enthusiasts is that it doesn’t make a difference as to whether it’s an independently published novel that’s only heralded by the most cynical of literary critics –or a traditional blockbuster that made the author undeniably, filthy rich, but a pariah in “those” circles.
It only depends upon how the words made you feel – something, anything. To love or hate is the ultimate compliment. At least it evoked emotion. When we’ve become enveloped in the thoughts of the character or the story, the author isn’t selling-out. They’re making us believe in something other than what we know, than what we’re used to; it may be unconventional or uncomfortable, but it‘s real.
Sure, the mass-produced books from mainstream authors will always exist and nothing can be done about it. Entertainment for the majority, the “beach reads”, no matter what you call them, they’re not disappearing anytime soon. On the flipside, those tucked-away gems that keep you wanting more and guessing – they’re out there too, waiting for your unveiling and analysis.
It’s really a win from either angle. And if reading this during a spare moment made you briefly forget about the high mortgage, the stressful job and what the future will bring, these random words just may have done their job.
I’m currently crafting a novel and work as a senior writer for a global organization.
Latest article at indieauthor.com
Author twitter feed: @CopyByDee
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Thanks Daniella for being our seventh guest post writer. Selling out is a tricky subject! Deciding what we write about is part convention, part desire to be published and part personal voice. Each of us makes our own choices about the balance we want to strike.
My question for readers here is this, what are the hidden gems you would like others to read? Please note them in the comments below.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
Emerging Writers: Guest Post #6 Valley of Thracians – Using Location as a Character in a Novel
Valley of Thracians is a suspense novel that can also be described as a “fiction travel book”.
Ellis Shuman was born in the United States, but has lived in Israel since the age of fifteen. He served in the Israeli army, was a founding member of a kibbutz, and now lives near Jerusalem.
He works in Internet marketing and writes in his spare time. He has just published a collection of short stories, The Virtual Kibbutz, which deals with the changes in this Israeli society.
Valley of Thracians is available for Kindle here.
Ellis’s blog is here.
Take it away Ellis.
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When asked what my new book, Valley of Thracians, is about, I immediately reply that it’s a suspense novel. Sure, it has a missing Peace Corps volunteer, buried treasure, a desperate journey while being chased by mysterious men dressed in black, and a showdown in an ancient tomb. But the book is a bit more than that.
I classify the novel as “travel fiction”. According to Condé Nast Traveler, a fiction travel book is “a book in which a place is as important a character as the protagonist; … it’s a book that has shaped the way we see a certain place; it’s a book whose events and characters could be set nowhere else.” While the characters in Valley of Thracians have been described by an early reviewer as “memorable”, the setting plays a major role in the narrative.
Bulgaria is a scenic country, full of picturesque mountains and quaint villages. The country and its citizens have a burning desire to quickly emerge from an eastern European mentality and catch up with the rest of the world. In my book I highlight some of Bulgaria’s rich history, fascinating culture and customs, and even Bulgarian cuisine.
This is not a travel guide to Bulgaria, yet the story could take place nowhere else. As it does for the main protagonist, who arrives in Sofia on a mission to find his missing grandson, Bulgaria comes alive in the story. Yet descriptions of this off-the-beaten-track destination don’t interfere with the fast-paced nature of the suspense.
As background, my job in Internet marketing was relocated from Tel Aviv to Sofia for two years, 2009-2010. During that time my wife and I traveled extensively around the country, seeing the sights, and learning about Bulgaria’s colorful past. We made many friends and even learned a bit of Bulgarian. Okay, a very small bit of Bulgarian.
Since returning to our permanent home and jobs in Israel, I have devoted my free time to writing about Bulgaria, but in the format of a novel.
I hope readers will not only enjoy reading Valley of Thracians but will take interest in Bulgaria. Visit Bulgaria now, before there are too many tourists!
Valley of Thracians is available for Kindle here.
Ellis’s blog is located here.
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Thanks Ellis for being our sixth guest post writer. I love fiction with a travel and historical background. I would love to visit Bulgaria. I would say that, of course, as it has just been announced that The Istanbul Puzzle will be translated into Bulgarian!
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
Emerging Writers: Guest Post #5 A Slow Cold Death – A mystery with scientific fraud & academic violence!
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Thanks Susy for being our fifth guest post writer. I love fiction with a science setting.
This guest post is part of a series in 2013 where I will be showcasing emerging writers on this blog.
You can help by clicking through to their sites, buying their books, sharing this post on Twitter and Facebook and coming back for the next post. You can also follow this site (click the button above right), to be notified by email on who is next in a few days time.
And if you are a writer and want to be featured send me an email lob@yourasms.com and I will send you the submission guidelines.
A short guest post: Ken Atchity – master story merchant
I met Ken Atchity on a visit to a writer’s conference in San Francisco. Ken was one of the speakers. He is both a master storyteller and a great producer. Below you will find a brief biography of Ken, and below that his answer to this question, what is your number one piece of advice for storytellers, Ken?
Kenneth John Atchity or “Ken Atchity” is an American producer and author, who has worked in the world of letters as a literary manager, editor, speaker, writing and career coach, book reviewer, brand consultant, and professor of comparative literature.
Ken’s films include the Jim Carrey movie, Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Amityville 4 among others.
He and his companies, The Story Merchant, Atchity Entertainment International, Inc. The Writers Lifeline, Inc, and The Louisiana Wave Studio, LLC, produce films and develop books for publication; and books, screenplays, and films for television and cinema. They also consult with writers about their career strategies and tactics.
So, Ken, what is your number one piece of advice for storytellers?
My advice to storytellers is to recognize that your stories can change the world, and that you can make that happen best by retaining control over your own career and getting your stories onto the Internet and into print without losing your publishing or other rights!
You are born under the lucky star of the Worldwide Web and it would be a crime for you not to take advantage of that piece of good fortune.
Ken is supremely positive about the impact of the web and about the opportunity it provides for writers. We are on the cusp of a new age. Thanks Ken.
Ken’s latest novel is The Messiah Matrix, available on Amazon here. It is a rousing twenty-first century adventure story that moves from the wrecks littering the floor of the Mediterranean to the corridors of the Vatican.
