So, I’m still working on my third novella and I was thinking about passion. Not the passion of love making or sex, but the passion of writing all by itself. Lately I’ve been in a sort of writing funk and it finally dawned on me that somewhere along the line my passion had ebbed. That’s what I thought at first. It took me some weeks of thinking about that and a conversation with a friend to realize my passion hadn’t gone anywhere. It’s just as much with me as its always been. I blame my funk on the heat of summer and just a writing slump. Now, onto the conversation that thumped me in the head with a big ‘HELLO, SNAP OUT OF IT!’

A friend of mine asked me about my first two works. Dark Robe Heart (from Space Escapes) and Dark Robe Edges. (from The Edge of Desperation, both published by MLR Press) Ah, my friend, you’ve awakened the sleeping passion in me. So, over the next hour or so, I filled him him on the books. I gave him a pretty good synopsis and then I told him about book 3. (yet to be written), and that’s when my passion came pouring from the depths of my soul and back into my mind and my fingers. I sat here, in this chair, telling my friend everything that would happen in book 3, with a little bit of ambiguity, of course, since it’s all still in my mind. Subject to change of course, I told him.

So, in closing today, I’d like to say. Write about what makes your passion burn so hot that there’s absolutely nothing that can bring you down. Love, love, love what you’re writing and don’t sway from it. At least not too far.

Thanks for reading!

Jason

Because, as the Kentucky Derby showed on Saturday, sometimes the little guys can score one against big guys with deeper pockets. And the cool thing is, when that happens, it’s probably an even bigger win, because it revitalizes interest in the sport (or in the publishing industry).

For those who don’t follow horse racing (and shame on you), a $9500 gelding (from Canada) named Mine that Bird came from way behind to stun the field. I suspect, in reality, that there were probably traffic jams, which created the perfect opportunity. But that’s okay. Because things like that happen in both industries. And it’s a good thing when it does.

Why? Because it inspires hope. Read the rest of this entry »