Author: jack
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Heaven’s Edge for Camp NaNoWriMo
It is the last day of March. That means that tomorrow in the beginning of Camp NaNoWriMo. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, Camp NaNo is a lot like the annual NaNoWriMo, but in April. The other major differences are that you are encouraged to set your own goal, rather than the…
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All Manner of Dark Things Available for Pre-Order and Release Details
All Manner of Dark Things is available for pre-order on Kindle, right now. It contains almost thirty pieces written over the entirety of my writing career. I like to think of it as my senior thesis as a short story writer. Over the last ten years, I’ve experimented with several forms of dark fiction. Horror is…
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Midnight and the Boogieman at The Confabulator Cafe; A Simple Device in Rejected
In my latest Confabulator Cafe story, “Midnight and the Boogieman,” paranormal blogger and Truman Capote disciple Boogieman Beau is confronted by a man who leaps from body to body every night at the stroke of midnight. You can read it for free at The Confabulator Cafe. My short story “A Simple Device” is out in Rejected,…
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That MFA Article and Your Writing Life
This is yet another blog about the MFA article that has caused great debate in the writing community. It popped up all over Facebook with people both for and against it. Chuck Wendig posted an entertaining and somewhat scathing critique on his own blog. People were all over the place, raging or praising. I thought…
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I’m Not Romeo at The Confabulator Cafe and News Updates
The Confabulator Cafe is back with a short story focus. This month, all the contributors wrote short stories inspired by Valentine’s Day. My story, “I’m Not Romeo” is now available. It’s the story of a guy who takes credit for secret admirer gifts that he didn’t leave. You can read it at The Confabulator Cafe. In…
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Storks Eat Babies: Taking the Myth out of Submission
I read a lot of writing blogs. I can find some useful nuggets of information in any blog, whether it is a new technique, a new idea, or just some good, old-fashioned inspiration. Writing websites tend to lean toward the romantic. It makes sense. We are writers. Writing is an art, and arts are often thought…
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Brainstorming Like a Psychopath
People often ask where writers get ideas. Beginning writers seem to have an overarching concern that their ideas will run dry. First off, I don’t think this can actually happen. I have never sat down to write without some sort of idea forming. Beyond that, I think that your truly original ideas begin to develop after…
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What Is in a Name? Jack Campbell, Jack Campbell, Jr. and John Campbell, Jr.
When I started seeking publication of my short stories, I had to make a decision. Did I write under my own name or under a pseudonym? I have nothing particularly against pseudonyms. After all, some very famous, very successful writers have used them. However, I like my name, and I wanted to have my writing…
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Literary Archaeology
I’ve been working on putting together a collection of short stories. The book, which is tentatively titled All Manner of Dark Things, will be a sort of retrospective of everything I have written over the last ten years. It won’t have everything in it, but will be representative of my development as a writer. Reading through…
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The Evolution of Gentleman Jack
Recently, I sold my short story “Take It Home” to eFiction Magazine. It was a monumental occasion for me. It’s not the first story I’ve sold, not by a long shot, and it isn’t even the best story I’ve written. “Take It Home” was originally titled “Gentleman Jack,” and I wrote it in the first…