Ben's blog

Anton Chekhov's Rules for Writing

Submitted by Ben on Sat, 10/17/2009 - 20:53

Anton Chekhov's Rules for Writing - On May 10, 1889, Anton Chekhov (already an influential literary figure in Russia) wrote a letter to his older brother, Alexander. His brother had taken up writing years before, too, but only with inconsistent success. In the letter, quoted by the translators in Anton Chekhov: Stories, the famous author laid down six principles that "make for a good story":

  1. Absence of lengthy verbiage of a political-social-economic nature;
  2. Total objectivity;
  3. Truthful descriptions of persons and objects;
  4. Extreme brevity;
  5. Audacity and originality (flee the stereotype);
  6. Compassion

Concrete Shark

Submitted by Ben on Thu, 10/15/2009 - 09:28

Today, writing - sort of - in the Mirth Café, I saw a plastic, toy shark on the concrete outside the bay window. Nearly in the street, actually, lying on its belly, swimming around the crosswalk. This is not a joke.

Now, three hours later, it has made its way onto the sidewalk behind me, still facing the same direction, still on its belly. Since the sun came up I can see it has blue skin and white spots. It is very tiny in scale. I'm afraid its watching me.

Do bizarre things like this happen to other people?

Calvin and Hobbes and Academia

Submitted by Ben on Thu, 10/08/2009 - 10:40

Dueling Typewriters

Submitted by Ben on Wed, 10/07/2009 - 15:48

Dueling Typewriters - Lawrence, KS - This November, in the midst of National Novel Writing Month, champions* of literacy in Kansas, the almost-but-not-quite-fabled Bathtub Writers' Collective, will stand up for their literacy initiatives... by sitting down at an antique typewriter.

The Dueling Typewriters 2009 Charity Write-Off will benefit Bathtub's programs for Lawrence and Kansas communities, especially our version of Writers in the Schools (WITS). The grueling competition will pit man and woman and machine against one another in what can only be described as a life-threatening and irresponsible spectacle.

Moon City Review is Released

Submitted by Ben on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 10:46

Moon City Review is Released - mcp-mcr.jpgYesterday I received my copy of The Moon City Review 2009. I have to say I'm impressed and I didn't know if I would be. I'm especially in love with the photography and the quality of the text from world famous authors: Julie Blackmon, Ted Kooser, Burton Raffel, Miller Williams, Michael Czyniejewski, John Dufresne, and Kevin Brockmeier. The journal is a slick re-entry into the world of publishing for the Missouri State English Department, which has struggled to compete with other literary journals on a national scale. The Ozarks has a rich history of art, writing, and culture. I'm glad someone  decided to showcase it.

You can order the anthology in my store by clicking here. My short story "The Lexicon of the Sword" appears on page 104.

If you're interested in submitting your work for the next MCR -- that's 2010 -- then click over to the official MCR page and check out the call for speculative fiction submissions.

[Ben Pfeiffer's Blog]

Preorder the MCR 2009

Submitted by Ben on Mon, 08/31/2009 - 21:03

Preorder the MCR 2009 - The Moon City Review is back. Reformatted as an anthology, this 2009 edition features the invited work of nationally renowned authors. It also publishes unknown authors; I am one of those writers. My short story "The Lexicon of the Sword" will appear in MCR this August. Click on the link above to preorder it today from my Amazon store.

MCR 2009 also includes poetry and fiction by Burton Raffel; poetry by Ted Kooser, Miller Williams, Marcus Cafagña, and Michael Burns; fiction (and an interview) by Kevin Brockmeier; short fiction by John Dufresne and Michael Cyzniejewski; and criticism by Billy Clem. A special section, "Archival Treasures," features original and unknown work by Rose O'Neill, arguably the Ozarks' most famous graphic artist. [Ben Pfeiffer's Blog]

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