Author: Barbara A. Barnett

I'm an avid rejection letter collector--or, what is more popularly known as a writer.

More conversations with my brain

Oh, brain, must we have the same conversation with every first draft?ME: Ok, brain, let's get to work.BRAIN: No.ME: What's your problem this time?BRAIN: You can't do this.ME: Why not?BRAIN: Because you suck.ME: That attitude is helping no one.BRAIN: And the attitude that you don't suck isn't helping your solitaire score.ME: Way to focus on … Continue reading More conversations with my brain

My Writing Soundtrack Revisited

In a previous entry, I babbled about listening to music while writing and how I usually stick to two general playlists, cleverly named Writing Music 1 and Writing Music 2. "Demon Dreams" was one of the rare stories where I started writing to a very specific playlist--and subsequently found it difficult to work on the … Continue reading My Writing Soundtrack Revisited

Two Publication Updates & Some Writerly Silliness

1) My story "God's Gift to Women" is now up on Daily Science Fiction's website for your reading pleasure/critical dismemberment. It's flash length, so it's a quick read. In other words, if you haven't read it already, what's the holdup?2) Over the weekend I got a look at the TOC for Wilde Stories 2011: The … Continue reading Two Publication Updates & Some Writerly Silliness

Four Things Make an Undercaffeinated Post

1) After another once over and some fine-tuning on Saturday, I was able to declare "Demon Dreams" ready for other people to actually look at. It even slimmed down to a mere 6,500 words. 2) Next up on the short story writing front is a story inspired by this article: Why dying is forbidden in … Continue reading Four Things Make an Undercaffeinated Post

The Writerly Update: The Wee Beastie Edition

A month and a half after I started the damn thing, and the de-crapified second draft of my novel-prequel-ish short story (now titled Demon Dreams) is finally done. The wee beastie beefed up to 6,700 words in the second draft. That's what a hearty diet of more detail and description will do for one's fictional … Continue reading The Writerly Update: The Wee Beastie Edition

Upcoming Publication: “God’s Gift to Women”

My story "God's Gift to Women" will be coming out with Daily Science Fiction on March 7. Want to receive the story in your inbox that morning? Then get yourself subscribed to DSF. It's free, and you'll receive lots of other fun fiction on a daily basis to boot. Sure, you could wait a week until … Continue reading Upcoming Publication: “God’s Gift to Women”

The Writerly Update: In which I feel a draft

Turns out I was incorrect in stating that the first draft of my current short story was 6,800. There were about 400 words worth of notes I had forgotten to remove from the file, so it was actually 6,400--still about where I predicted it would be, though.  Getting rid of that pesky Procrastination Fairy didn't go … Continue reading The Writerly Update: In which I feel a draft

The Writerly Update: In which the Procrastination Fairy is sent to swim with the fishes

Urgh. I did so well cranking out the first draft of this short story, but then the Procrastination Fairy came along and waved her wand at me before I could get started on the second draft. I've taken a hit out on the stupid fairy so I can get some second draftage done this weekend. … Continue reading The Writerly Update: In which the Procrastination Fairy is sent to swim with the fishes

The Writerly Update: Diary of a Word Count Psychic

And as of last night, the crappy first draft of a new short story is done! Early on in the draft, I predicted this one was going to push past the 6K mark. And it did. Crappy first draft has clocked in at 6,800 words. I am so proud of my eerily accurate word count … Continue reading The Writerly Update: Diary of a Word Count Psychic