alzie
New Member
I'm old(ish). I'll be 69 in February, but, thank God, I feel 60(ish). A bit old to be writing my first novel. Why am I writing a novel? I have a bit of a story to tell. If you're in a haste, howdy. Glad to meet you. If you want to know about me, then for all sakes, please read on. I'll try to make it somewhat entertaining. This is my writing adventure...
Been writing since high school. I had an idea for a novel. Even started a few pages, but I wasn't ready for that...yet. When I was twenty six, I wrote a short story. I thought it was brilliant, so I typed up copies of the story and sent them to the magazines that Stephen King had been published in. He had quite a run back then...Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, Dead Zone. The story was sent to magazines like Gallery. If I could get my story published by the same magazine that publishes Steven King...
I spoke to him once. Stephen King. It was 1985. I heard he was going to be on our local talk radio. Skeleton Crew had just come out, and in it, the short story Survival Type. I had called into the radio station and suddenly, the announcer came through the rotary phone's earpiece. It's Alan from Warren. What would you like to ask the 'King' of horror? I had practiced the question over and over in my head since my call was accepted...In Survivor's Type...then I proceeded to talk about censors in the arts. He started his answer with it's Survivor Type, not Survivor's Type. I don't remember the rest of the answer, but being corrected on air, by Stephen King, is something I've never forgotten.
A few of the magazines sent rejection letters. One asked me to try again, they had just published something similar. That one was Twilight Zone magazine. I was 25 and should have taken that encouragement to heart and written a new story. Instead, I rejectingly stuffed the story in a manila envelope, The Axe written in black magic marker. I stuck it in my sock drawer.
Life went on. Got married. Built a house. Had a son. Had another son. Had a daughter. Worked in manufacturing. CAD/CAM. Life went on.
My eldest. The first son. He's brilliant. I think he'd be a good writer. Maybe a great one. Right now, his life is going on, so who knows? When he was 25 (ironically the same age I was when I wrote 'The Axe") was looking for a pair of socks, found the envelope, and read the story. This was 2012. He said there was something to the story. Said it was good, but needed a rewrite.
If you're still reading at this point, I commend you.
Now, I wasn't a father when I first wrote the story, but now I was, with all of the love and hopes and dreams. I rewrote it and sent it out into the world. It was bought by the first magazine I sent it to. My name is in print. Now I had the bug. I wanted to write again, but I wanted something bigger. A novel. A horror novel at that.
So that's what I'm doing. Writing a novel. Started in 2019. Joined the Horror Writer's Association. Found out Stoker Con (think Academy Awards for horror writers) was going to be in Grand Rapids. I had just started writing it, but I had the plot firmly planted in my head. I'm not going to get into that weekend, but it included having a drink in the hotel bar with a quite prominent horror writer. She was patient and kind enough to hear my story's pitch. She looked at me, mouth agape, and after a few moments, grinned and said That has Netflix all over it. It also included an elevator ride with Robert R. McCammon. One of the greatest weekends I've ever had, yet I quite the Horror Writer's Association...but that's another story.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
If you've already read Boy's Life by McCammon, congratulations on a tale well read. If you haven't, for God's sake, put that on your 'to be read' list. It is a life changer.
So, I'm about done. I've finally decided to give this endeavor of mine a decent shake. Spoke with my beloved, and decided that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at a minimum...she will read or play Zelda while I write. The story is getting to something monumental, but I've been writing in circles. I'm a 'pantser'. Thought if King could do it, why couldn't I? It's time I take it more seriously than weekends only, Maker's Mark Manhattan and sometimes a joint. Save that for the occasional Saturday night writing.
I'm going to retire in about 18 months. I plan on this story being in a submittable format before then. I would love to spend my retirement with my wife, traveling around the country. Promoting my book. It's that good. The story, I mean. I've been told by many, including my son Michael, my trusted Alpha reader. But it won't happen if I don't make it happen.
If you read this far, thank you.
I think if I'm going to stick around here for a while and if this community helps me cope with this fricken monster I'm writing, I think it's important that you get an idea of who I am through this overly.long.post!
I'll contribute in both comments and replies. Hope I can help.
I go by alzie. Lower case. Don't know why.
...pleezetomeetchu
Been writing since high school. I had an idea for a novel. Even started a few pages, but I wasn't ready for that...yet. When I was twenty six, I wrote a short story. I thought it was brilliant, so I typed up copies of the story and sent them to the magazines that Stephen King had been published in. He had quite a run back then...Carrie, Salem's Lot, The Shining, The Stand, Dead Zone. The story was sent to magazines like Gallery. If I could get my story published by the same magazine that publishes Steven King...
I spoke to him once. Stephen King. It was 1985. I heard he was going to be on our local talk radio. Skeleton Crew had just come out, and in it, the short story Survival Type. I had called into the radio station and suddenly, the announcer came through the rotary phone's earpiece. It's Alan from Warren. What would you like to ask the 'King' of horror? I had practiced the question over and over in my head since my call was accepted...In Survivor's Type...then I proceeded to talk about censors in the arts. He started his answer with it's Survivor Type, not Survivor's Type. I don't remember the rest of the answer, but being corrected on air, by Stephen King, is something I've never forgotten.
A few of the magazines sent rejection letters. One asked me to try again, they had just published something similar. That one was Twilight Zone magazine. I was 25 and should have taken that encouragement to heart and written a new story. Instead, I rejectingly stuffed the story in a manila envelope, The Axe written in black magic marker. I stuck it in my sock drawer.
Life went on. Got married. Built a house. Had a son. Had another son. Had a daughter. Worked in manufacturing. CAD/CAM. Life went on.
My eldest. The first son. He's brilliant. I think he'd be a good writer. Maybe a great one. Right now, his life is going on, so who knows? When he was 25 (ironically the same age I was when I wrote 'The Axe") was looking for a pair of socks, found the envelope, and read the story. This was 2012. He said there was something to the story. Said it was good, but needed a rewrite.
If you're still reading at this point, I commend you.
Now, I wasn't a father when I first wrote the story, but now I was, with all of the love and hopes and dreams. I rewrote it and sent it out into the world. It was bought by the first magazine I sent it to. My name is in print. Now I had the bug. I wanted to write again, but I wanted something bigger. A novel. A horror novel at that.
So that's what I'm doing. Writing a novel. Started in 2019. Joined the Horror Writer's Association. Found out Stoker Con (think Academy Awards for horror writers) was going to be in Grand Rapids. I had just started writing it, but I had the plot firmly planted in my head. I'm not going to get into that weekend, but it included having a drink in the hotel bar with a quite prominent horror writer. She was patient and kind enough to hear my story's pitch. She looked at me, mouth agape, and after a few moments, grinned and said That has Netflix all over it. It also included an elevator ride with Robert R. McCammon. One of the greatest weekends I've ever had, yet I quite the Horror Writer's Association...but that's another story.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
If you've already read Boy's Life by McCammon, congratulations on a tale well read. If you haven't, for God's sake, put that on your 'to be read' list. It is a life changer.
So, I'm about done. I've finally decided to give this endeavor of mine a decent shake. Spoke with my beloved, and decided that Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at a minimum...she will read or play Zelda while I write. The story is getting to something monumental, but I've been writing in circles. I'm a 'pantser'. Thought if King could do it, why couldn't I? It's time I take it more seriously than weekends only, Maker's Mark Manhattan and sometimes a joint. Save that for the occasional Saturday night writing.
I'm going to retire in about 18 months. I plan on this story being in a submittable format before then. I would love to spend my retirement with my wife, traveling around the country. Promoting my book. It's that good. The story, I mean. I've been told by many, including my son Michael, my trusted Alpha reader. But it won't happen if I don't make it happen.
If you read this far, thank you.
I think if I'm going to stick around here for a while and if this community helps me cope with this fricken monster I'm writing, I think it's important that you get an idea of who I am through this overly.long.post!
I'll contribute in both comments and replies. Hope I can help.
I go by alzie. Lower case. Don't know why.
...pleezetomeetchu
