Week in Review: Sunday Special
What I've Written, What I'm Reading, What's Next
The response to last week’s breakdown of my goal to become a pulp writer have been overwhelmingly positive. Many thanks to the dear readers who’ve given me wonderful words of encouragement, asked thoughtful questions, and even bought me coffees. I didn’t expect so much support but I’m truly humbled by the impact this newsletter seems to be making. Again, thank you.
What I’ve Written
This is a brief “Sunday Special” to recap my week of grinding out fiction. In a week’s time I’ve produced one short story, sitting roughly around 3,600 words - my first attempt at a mystery story.
My overall thoughts? It’s an okay attempt. The story has a few weak points, especially the ending but more importantly I have finished a story. That’s an accomplishment all by itself. I have no idea what next week’s story will be but that’s the fun of it.
The one obstacle I’ve encountered so far in this experiment - editing. My drafts need a bit of polishing after they’re done and it’s cutting into my daily production. The goal this week is to edit as I go and write a clean first draft with minimal edits.
Can it be done? We shall see.
What I’m Reading
I stumbled upon a fantastic memoir written by a fantastic pulp writer I’ve never heard of. Len Levinson details the ups and downs of his pulp career in 1970s New York City, penning 86 novels of action, adventure, crime, thriller, war, and much more. After leaving his career of Public Relations, he dove in head first to become a novelist; writing book after book while trying to survive life in the Big Apple. I’m 100 pages in and I cannot put it down! Levinson is a fine storyteller with a wealth of life experience that makes for its own pulp adventure series.
Many of his novels are still in print, including Shark Fighter, the story of a man who is offered two million dollars to kill two sharks on live television.
If you are the least bit interested in the world of pulp fictioneers, you will not be disappointed in picking up a copy of this memoir. Too many gems and stories to highlight just one.
What’s Next?
It’s back to the fiction factory to pump out more stories. Contrary to what many writers may think, the blank page is not to be feared but embraced. The Pulp Work Ethic has no time for self doubt or fear of failure. You must take the blank page by the throat and produce your work. Who cares if the story isn’t perfect? I’ve been told writers are often the worst judges of their own work anyway. An artist must make art.
And a writer must write!
Till next time!
If you wish to support this madness, you can buy me a coffee below to keep the fiction factory running.