Week in Review: October 2 - October 9, 2022

A day late...

Another week in the books. Lots of reading, lots of learning, words on the page, family time and a series of essays and articles in the works for this newsletter. I’ve been deep in thought with the future of “The Pulp Fictioneer”, my path to becoming a pulp writer, and balancing family obligations. It is certainly not easy; balancing this many plates never is and Lord knows I've dropped a few in the process. But I've learned a lot about myself during this time and I'm fortune to still be learning.

My creative process is still being fine tuned almost daily. Working late nights takes its toll for sure but any day I'm given to work at the craft or discover new masters of said craft and read their work is a bonus given by the good Lord. I believe I'm lucky to do all this.

Writing

Since I fell off the challenge in September after getting Covid, I'm happy to say I've finished a new story and set to start a new one. I have a fun, personal challenge I've set for myself this November that I'm gearing up for. Forgive me for not sharing it right this minute. There is a reason for that! After December 1st 2022, I will share the results of the challenge whether I succeed or fail. Stay tuned.

Reading

Diving into poetry, short fiction, craft books, and novels have also been part of my focus. A mix of Ray Bradbury’s challenge (a poem, a shot story, an essay a night) with Stephen King’s quote for writers.

“If you don't have the time to read, you don't have the tools to write.”

I must admit that I don’t always prioritize reading an essay daily. Realistically it’s an essay a week. My plan goes something like this daily:

• A poem

• A short story (or two!)

• Thirty-forty pages of a novel

• Occasional craft book to supplement learning

A general rule of them for me: Read for pleasure first! If I enjoy the story or poem - yay! If not, oh well. If I’m gripped by the piece and blown away by it then I will go over it again and study it deeply. Last week I was able to enjoy the following:

Poetry:

• To Howard Phillips Lovecraft - Clark Ashton Smith

• The Tears of Lilith - Clark Ashton Smith

• If Winter Remain - Clark Ashton Smith

• The Old Water-Wheel - Clark Ashton Smith

• The Tide - Robert E. Howard

Short Story:

• Dagon - H.P. Lovecraft

Craft Book:

• On Writing (And Reading) Short - Ron Collins.

  I received this book after supporting Mr. Collins’ Kickstarter campaign. He is a terrific writer and has been featured in top magazines such as Analog , Asimov’s, and several others. The book gives a deeper look into the career of a short story writer and offers valuable tips for beginners.

Novel:

• Casino Royale - Ian Fleming (60% read)

Overall a good mix of reading was accomplished.

Just one more thing regarding reading. Last week I read each poem and short story out loud to myself. I find the reading experience fun and intimate this way. I’ve also picked up on the rhythm and cadence of the structure. Then a light bulb turned on in my head and I looked up the benefits of reading out loud. While I found plenty of literature on why kids¹ should read out loud in school, I was surprised to see studies supporting adults to do the same. ² I'll be doing this daily.

Misc.

I watched an intriguing documentary called Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown. As the title suggests it’s a look at the life and writings of H.P. Lovecraft, the father of cosmic horror. It’s inspired a piece I’m working on for the newsletter that will dive into the world of the horror pulps and history of Weird Tales magazine. This should be fun for the spooky month of October.

Another week begins and I am ready to start fresh once again. There’s lots of exciting stuff in the works for the coming weeks and months. As always I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read this little newsletter of mine. If you find these reads enjoyable and wish to show support, consider donating some coin my way to help keep the coffee mug flowing or support the “Frank Theodat Paperback Rescue Fund”³ where I take it upon myself to seek out old, often out of print paperbacks and “rescue” them from thrift stores and bookshops. Tis difficult work but it is my cross to bear.

That’s all for now. ‘Till next time

1. https://www.scilearn.com/little-known-truths-about-reading-aloud/

2. https://teach.its.uiowa.edu/sites/teach.its.uiowa.edu/files/docs/docs/What_are_the_Benefits_of_Reading_Aloud_ed.pdf

3. *Not a real fund*. Just a cheap, desperate ploy to trick you into sending me your hard earned cash to finance my book shopping addiction. Eh, a man can dream, no?