Collaboration

Imagine my surprise, when I found out today that a story I’d written last fall, around Halloween in fact, was published today at Danse Macabre, selected for their story du jour! Then, after I alerted my friends that it was published, I logged onto yahoo to see this vacant mansion in this accompanying photograph. So, when you read this story, imagine these two boys and this house…Danse Macabre du Jour. Thanks to editor James Kindley! There have been more than just a couple writing collaborations that I have been working on. Two of them are in the finishing stages. First, my great pal, Meg Tuite runs a column called Exquisite Quartet at Used Furniture Review. Here is last month’s story: Exquisite Quartet « Used Furniture Review. David Cotrone is the editor at UFR and he does an excellent job with content there. He accepted one of my short stories, “In it to Win It” which is forthcoming. For the Quartet, Meg asks three writers to contribute to an ongoing story that she starts. I was originally asked to be the last one, 4th, and my heart sank. Endings are not my forte, at least not in my mind. Meg assured me, like a good captain; still, when it worked out that I was to be third, I was psyched. Our story is tentatively called “The One-Step Program” and will publish at UFR on Saturday. This was so much fun, and thanks for asking me, Meg. Then, I had a micro-flash, “Recollection” published at New Wave Vomit, thanks editor Ana Carrete. 229 Her site is super-cool, fly, fast and furious! When I re-posted the story to my Facebook page, Gay Degani who is another supportive writer and friend, commented: ‘that’s no micro! There’s so much more to this.’ She asked me if I would be interested to write about how I came up with this piece for a collaborative site called Flash Fiction Chronicles. Flash Fiction Chronicles Of course, I was nervous. I am a fiction writer, after all. I don’t write essays or memoir, let alone try to write about my own creative process. But here is my new mantra: anything that increases my heart rate thinking about it is probably something I want to write about. I did, and Gay was thrilled. She will publish it on May 9th at the website I listed above. The other collaborations: Nicole Monaghan (another writer friend) is creating a book that has to do with “authorial gender in flash fiction and all the implications of how a writer’s gender manifests itself, or doesn’t…” I was so jazzed when she asked me to submit because gender is one aspect of my writing which is fun to experiment with. I write equally from a male protagonist point-of-view as female. And so, I’ll see which pieces might be a good fit. Maybe some new material? And, last but not least, there is a new project brewing called Eleven. My dear friend Helen Vitoria, a fabulous poet and writer, provided a link. I wrote to Holly Edwards, the originator of the project. Lots of talented writers have signed on: Jesse Bradley, Robert Kloss, Mel Bosworth and many more. I’ll let you know if I made the cut. Here is more information: eleven: a free digital literary magazine by hollye — Kickstarter And, there are more stories that I have had published since I last blogged: “Loneliness” by Robert Vaughan → Fictionaut (originally at 52/250) “Watching Them” by Robert Vaughan → Fictionaut (originally at 52/250) Also, Thunderclap Press is hosting a poem a day for April being National Poetry month! So, here is my contribution, Dementia: Poem a Day/ April 9th, 2011 – Robert Vaughan « Thanks editor, Amanda Deo! Lots of other great poets have contributed also: Howie Good, Parker Tettleton, Eryk Wenziak and many more. And, Wilderness House Literary Review has published their twenty first issue (Volume 6, no 1) and I have two flash fiction pieces in this magazine: Betrayal http://www.whlreview.com/no-6.1/fiction/RobertVaughan.pdf and Planes, Trains and Automobiles: http://www.whlreview.com/no-6.1/fiction/RobertVaughan2.pdf Thanks heartily, editor and good buddy, Susan Tepper! Thunderclap Press also published our Spring 2011 issue which has amazing writers, great fiction and poetry abounds! Here is the link to purchase, or e-book, or PDF free download. Thunderclap! Magazine Issue Five by thunderclappress in Poetry We’ll be taping our April Flash Fiction Friday segment for WUWM’s Lake Effect this week. Thanks for your submissions, and please, keep them coming. Here is the submission manager: WUWM: Flash Fiction Friday. I am a voracious reader, as many of you already know. And it is rare for me to read a book, especially memoir, that just stopped my heart. Made me cry more than once or twice. Left me devastated in only the best ways. The writing is superb! I am talking about The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch. OMG, if you don’t run out and buy it immediately there is something wrong with you! How’s this for a hint: she’s in Chuck Palahniuk’s writing group. GO! Amazon.com: The Chronology of Water: A Memoir (9780979018831): Lidia Yuknavitch, Chelsea Cain: Books Yesterday it was 80 degrees out. Unheard of for this time of year. Any complaints? Not this boy! Windows were wide open, the house jumped 15 degrees. Birds are chirping, the first flowers are poking through in their fierce determination. What are you noticing around you? Any collaboration going on in your lives? How is it affecting you? Thanks for reading and I’ll be actively writing and posting in the meantime.]]>