Benjamin--
Per your request, you can find BLONDES, BLONDES, BLONDES at:
http://thrillingdetective.com/fiction/06_12_02.html
Happy reading,
Jack

Benjamin,
Thanks for the friend invitation and best of luck with your first crime novel.
Chris

Thanks for the invite! Joyce

Hi Benjamin, thanks for befriending me:)

Debbie

I was hoping the horns were permanent, but I molted.

Hi Benjamin,

I see you've noted Hillerman as one of your faves...Is that because of what he writes or where, just curious?:)

Thanks Benjamin,

It is nice to receive such a great review from a fellow author, and in fact the book has received 3 five star reveiws in the space of 24 hours, so I'm highly delighted so far.

Best regards

Brian

Thank you for taking the time to read my simply written blog and "get it"! I hope you will read my book when I finally get it finished... I have a self-imposed deadline to finsh writing by the end of June. Wish me luck!

Thanks for your congrats Benjamin. I hope all is going well for you too.

Best regards

Brian

Many thanks for your vote. I really appreciate your support.

Best regards

Brian

Jeez, you're coming to me for advice? Man, you must be hard up...

I guess the main thing would be just to devour as many flash-fictions as possible. Go to Powder Burn Flash, The Flash Fiction Offensive, A Twist of Noir, Flash Pan Alley. Google "flash-fiction" and see what comes up. Get your mitts on a copy of Out of the Gutter.

Then, I dunno, just write some, I guess. Personally speaking, I think a good flash-fiction is like a joke: quick set-up, then punchline. Ba-da-beep, ba-da-boop. Most of the ones I've written have come to me more or less fully formed, although I did revise 'em a bit. And I'll tell ya, I don't think I've written one without at least one more kinda just popping into my head. These things are like Ruffles once you get on a roll. Even if they don't quite work, you should at least have a line or two--some dialogue, a pithy description--that you can use for something else.

I came to these stories as a writing exercise, something to loosen up with. So try it like that. The first ones I wrote were just me trying to see if I could write a full story in only 100 words. Most of 'em were crap, but they did meet that goal. And then I found some that in themselves were perfectly good stories.

Okay, enough blah blah blah out of me. Get to work.

Any old time, chief. And I'm glad you liked my goofy stuff. Should be more to come.

Great Space you have here, Benjamin. Good to see you 'round. Donna

You too, man. Good luck.

Hey, lemme tell you something in all seriousness: if I in any way really got you off your ass, you lazy bastard, and got you moving towards this, then I am well fucking proud. I am gonna dine out on this for months. Hell of a story, man, really. Just a hell of a story.

Hi Benjamin,
Thanks for befriending this mystery author!

Sorry it took me so long to reply to your question, Benjamin. I don't log in here very often. The horns are a permanent fixture, the unfortunate result of an incident involving a goat upon which I can't elaborate until the judge lifts the gag order. Suffice it to say that it's legal in three states, so what's the big deal?

Hey, thanks Benjamin! Yeah, I'm happy. They did a fine job. And I'm moving some books!

Hi Ben,

Sounds like you're doing amazing! When you're near the end of your book and your mind blanks for a fierce ending, what tricks do you employ?

After finally getting my hubby to sit down and listen to the ending I'd planned -- he's into non-fiction so It's a pain to harness him to his seat for fiction -- he told me the twists were getting way too confusing. As I listened to his description of what was flying past him, I came up with a much simpler ending. Yet the reader will still be left wondering how one phone call ties into the end. I can fix that, of course, but I'm not sure I want to. Am I nuts?

add me my requests full

Hey, man--congratulations on the book! Great news!

Ben--just got home from work and read your review for Ffolkes' Medicine. Whew! I was worried. I had hopes you'd like it--but I was worried you might think it was a clunker.

I take it you must'uv liked it. (grinning)

Hi Benjamin, thanks for adding me as a friend. Congratulations on your book!

Thanks! Good luck to you, too. And thanks for those trailer tips. It's heartening to see one that's good and done on a zero budget. (Seems like it's usually one or the other.)

I started assigning MPAA ratings when a few church book clubs contacted me. They mentioned that they rely on my recommendations, but they were a little nervous as they didn't want to read anything rated PG13 or above. So I started putting the ratings on their for them, but it ended up being quite popular

Good luck on the new book in November, Ben! I just got my fourth deal too! My book will be out some time next year. It's so early I don't know when yet but the ball's rolling fast. We're already getting things done and it's not close to next year, LOL!

You can read more about it at my website. If you visit, sign my guestbook!

Best Wishes!

http://www.stacy-deanne.net

Ah...I thought I read a post where you said you were a retired newspaper reporter ... something I rarely hear of. Most of my colleagues can't afford to retire. Even more sad, most of my colleagues (including me) are victims of newsroom downsizing.

BTW ... I'm jealous of that $42.71 401k you've got going there. I think mine has $22.50. On the up side, being much older than you means I don't need to make mine last as long. :-)

Now I see the problem. I can't read. But I never let that stop me from writing. Besides, in journalism, we all just looked at the photos. :-)

You wrote, "I asked a retired newspaper reporter (no, they don't all fall off the wagon before 40) how long articles should be. He answered, "Until it's done.""

"Until it's done" or "As many as it takes" used to be the word count for news stories. These days, what with short reader attention spans and the high cost of newsprint, short is in. Editors at the paper I used to work for generally liked a story to be between 8 and 14 inches ... unless it's a juicy one.

As far as books go, take a look at the links that I posted in your thread. I think those will be good guidelines for all of us. At least that's what this unpublished writer is shooting for. :-)

Remember Goofus's and Gallant?
Read all about Goofus's drift to the dark side in 'Always the bad example.'

Thanks for your mail. Will take a look at your website + stories later - have got the flu right now :(

Thanks for the invite.  BTW loved the cover and title for WHO WHACKED THE BLOGGER?  Good luck with the story!

Hi Ben,  Would love to submit to your blog (great blog by the way :).  Let me know which ones.  I have some others I'm working on about fingerprints too.   -Jen (contact: jchase2000@aol.com)

 

Thanks, Benjamin, for the link.  The book is doing amazingly well, publicity-wise. A lot of people willing to help.  You, too!  Thank you.