Letters From the Labyrinth 202 - Brian Keene
Hi. I'm Brian Keene and this is the 202nd issue of Letters From the Labyrinth, a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. The previous issues are archived here.
Yes. Yes, I am still "on my Yacht Rock bullshit" (as one fan on Twitter so eloquently put it) that I was on in the previous issue of this newsletter. It's Saturday night as I write this, and Ambrosia's Biggest Part of Me just segued into Dobie Gray's Drift Away. Dobie is singing:
"Day after day I'm more confused
Yet I look for the light in the pouring rain
You know that's a game that I hate to lose
I'm feelin' the strain, ain't it a shame
Oh, give me the beat, boys, and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away..."
Laugh at me all you want, but tell me that's not an antidote for the continuous tire fire that is 2020.
Everyone has their own form of escape -- their own small islands of sanity and serenity in an increasingly unstable and scary world. Mine are my youngest son (who still delights and surprises me daily at age 12), pictures of Sarah Pinborough's dog (Teddy), and goddamned Yacht Rock.
(But i did, in fact, also listen to Pixies, Type O Negative, Morris Day & The Time, and YOB this week).
Find what brings you joy and then enjoy it. If other people laugh at you, kick them and say I gave you permission to do so.
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Been meaning to write up a review over on Goodreads for Erin Louis's Expose Yourself: How To take Risks, Question Everything, and Find Yourself, but just haven't had the chance to log in to Goodreads, so I'll post it here instead, with the disclaimer that Erin is a friend.
If you're looking for a titillating, blunt, and truthful memoir of working in the adult entertainment industry, then sure, there's some of that here (but you'd be much better served buying one of Erin's previous two books instead). That's because the lessons and advice offered in Expose Yourself are easily applicable and transferable to ALL vocations, including writing. Seriously. Regardless of whether you're working in the steel mill or as a waitress or a janitor or an investment banker or a writer -- Expose Yourself is a challenging and fully rewarding exercise in critical thinking, risk taking, defining goals, and achieving them. I highly recommend it. You can buy it here in paperback, audiobook or for Kindle.
Which brings me to our next topic. Quite often, people ask me for recommendations on books about writing. Here is a list of the ones I recommend the most:
1. Inkstained: On Creativity, Writing, and Art by John Urbancik -- If you need a kick to your creativity or a recharge for your muse, this is the one. Chapters are short, and it would work well as a daily inspirational for writers. Available in paperback and Kindle here.
2. Starve Better: Surviving the Endless Horror of the Writing Life by Nick Mamatas -- Conversely, this is the exact opposite of Urbancik's book. This is the absolute BEST book for those who want to make a full time career out of writing. This is the one that talks about all the important things that other How To Write books shy away from talking about. Available in paperback and for Kindle here.
3. A Writer's Tale by Richard Laymon -- This one straddles the line between Urbancik's book and Mamatas's book. Unfortunately, it is long out of print. Worth every penny you'll pay on the secondary market, but you will indeed pay a pretty penny for it.
4. The Successful Novelist: A Lifetime of Lessons About Writing and Publishing -- Every bit as excellent as Laymon's treatise, and widely available. This is the one I used to recommend to my students when I was teaching college. Available in paperback, audiobook and for Kindle here.
5. Welcome To Hell: A Working Guide For the Beginning Writer by Tom Piccirilli -- Exactly what it says. If you're a beginner, then this is the one you want to go with. Disclaimer: the book is dedicated to me. Available in paperback and for Kindle here.
6. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King -- One of the best by one of the best. Nuff said. Hardcover, paperback, audiobook, and for Kindle here.
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Cemetery Dance has announced the signed, limited edition hardcover of DISSONANT HARMONIES by myself and Bev Vincent. The book is at the printer. It is only available to members of the Cemetery Dance Collector’s Club, which you can join for a one-time fee by clicking here.
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VERMI CONQUISTATORI II — DILUVIO (the Italian-language edition of EARTHWORM GODS II: DELUGE) is on sale now in paperback and for Kindle. It is available for purchase regardless of where you live (though International Shipping may apply). Click here to order the physical book and here to download to your Kindle.
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Kit Power’s Exploring the Labyrinth is a regular column at Gingernuts of Horror in which Kit reads all of my books in order and then writing about them. This month, he turns his attention to KILL WHITEY. Click here to read it.
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Next Saturday, September 26, please join myself, Mary SanGiovanni, Matt Wildasin, Dave Thomas, Dungeonmaster 77.1 and Phoebe, along with host Stephen Kozeniewski and several surprise guests for The Horror Show with Brian Keene After Party. We’ll be streaming it live via my YouTube channel and answering all of your questions. There will also be an exclusive Horror Show with Brian Keene item that will only be available during this live broadcast. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss out!
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SUBURBAN GOTHIC was finished last week and is currently with the pre-readers. This past week was spent catching up on email and writing a few short stories I promised to various venues. next week, I'm back to giving the next Levi novel, INVISIBLE MONSTERS, my full attention -- as well as taking notes on Joe R. Lansdale's Mud Creek and the geography of Stephen King's Castle Rock and nearby towns like Salem's Lot, and a girl named Gwendy...
(Yeah, I just hinted at several things there, but I'm not allowed to tell you about them...yet).
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That's it for this week. As always, a few reminders:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, writing advice essays, three serialized ongoing novels, and behind-the-scenes stuff EVERY SINGLE DAY.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
YOUTUBE - Where I'm posting free stuff each week.
I'll see you back here next week!