Spontaneous Combustion

New Website

2011-01-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

http://grantwamack.wordpress.com/

Check out the new site.

I might leave this one up as an old ghost town of sorts. A slowly decaying blog that people pass through as they wander through the world wide web.

2010:End of the Year Review

2010-12-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

The end of the year is near. So I haven't put out as many short stories as I would have like, but I put a few out. And the few stories that I did submit all of them were accepted.

I finished my novella,however,I'm still revising it. So hopefully that goes well.

Musically,I released Heavenly Fridges. http://gsmusik.bandcamp.com/

Besides that I have a lot on my plate for 2011. I still have to finish The Chilly Tape,various short stories,and post up some more book reviews.

GS Presents Heavenly Fridges

2010-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

You should check out my mixtape Heavenly Fridges. I go by the name of GS and this is my first project.The songs are short, odd, and all involve heavenly fridges. Please listen and tell me what you think.

Download it here
Heavenly Fridges

or here
Heavenly Fridges

Next musical project:The Chilly Tape

Jam of the Dayyyyyy

2010-11-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

MF Doom is the truth. One of my biggest hiphop influences. I just love the laidback,gritty off kilter flow. So different from the mainstream.

Sorry I Ruined Your Orgy(Book Review)

2010-11-28T14:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry I Ruined Your Orgy is a collection of short fiction,prose poems,flash fiction,and poetry from Bradley Sands.

I've read some of his longer works in the past which are good,but I definitely prefer his short work.

Each story is a delicacy, easy to eat and even easier to digest.

Be forewarned that Sands has no boundaries or limits. Be prepared to be pushed to the edge of hilarity and weird

A Serbian Film(movie review)

2010-11-20T14:07:00.000-08:00

So I love hardcore horror films, but honestly nothing really has affected me in awhile until I watched this.

This movie takes place in a gritty,off hue Serbia. The main character is a retired pornstar who is down on his luck and strapped for cash. So he gets approached to make a comeback in an art film.

The only catch is he isn't allowed to know what the story is about.

Weird stuff starts to happens the first few days he is on set.

Things become incredibly uncomfortable for both the protoganist and the viewer.

Then things all go down hill once, the main character doesn't want to do the film anymore. The director in this movie is insanse and willing to do anything in the pursuit of art.

The next half of the film is full of horrific acts, some a little outrageous yet still effective nonetheless. There's plenty of blood and sex and hot women.

However, I would say the ending is one of the most nihilistic/depressing things I have seen in my life. No lie.

If I had to describe this movie in one word I would say jaw-dropping.

The Trapstar Totem Pole Theory

2010-11-16T17:27:00.001-08:00

I love telling this story.

New New

2010-11-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a new track. Trying out some new things so hopefully the music will benefit from it.

I'm really trying to make musik that evokes a mood. Kinda like what Joe Budden did with his Mood Musik mixtapes. I've been listening to a lot of Ab-Soul,Kendrick Lamar, Ghostwridah, and Charles Hamiliton. All of them are really dope dudes-lyrical and thought provoking.

Might be able to drop my first official mixtape GS-Two Syllables before the year is up. If not it will be coming out early next year.

Fiction wise, I've written a shorts and submitted them into the great beyond so perhaps some new fiction will be coming out soon. My novella is slowly but surely being completed as well.

Also,you wouldn't believe what happened this last weekend. I went to a hot spring with a couple of my friend in the middle of the night. It was dark and raining like crazy. I thought absolutely no one would be there. But to my surprise there were a whole bunch of people there. There was an old guy, Benjamin Franklin who provided some soft musik and candles. Plus, there were a whole bunch of naked chicks and few dudes too.

They invited us to join in a massage circle. So this fine chick massaged my back with rocks and her hands. It felt surreal, like this was something that only happens in movies.

So Washington state isn't all that bad. You knowwwwwww.

Be Careful What You Wish For

2010-10-20T08:00:00.001-07:00

Ab-Soul is becoming one of my favorite underground rappers. Our thoughts run down the same stream.

More to come...

The Return

2010-09-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a fresh track with my boy Mr.Highman and Eyo.Check it out. The music front is quite busy right now. Be on the lookout for more.

If you're wondering what happened to my writing don't worry. I'm working hard on "A Lightbulb's Lament". It needs to be finished and I sort of fell off. I've only submitted two pieces this year and both have been accepted and published. Despite this, I still feel disappointed at my output this year. Over half the year is over and I don't have too much to show for it.

I could blame it on this new Navy lifestyle,but if I want to be honest it's really just me being lazy.

I should be going home on leave next month so I'm really excited about that. I'll be able to recharge my batteries before going into the fleet. In addition,I'm going to be stationed on the USS John C. Stennis-a big carrier in Bremerton,Washington. So hopefully,things turn out well.

Lost Souls

2010-09-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

New track featuring my protege F-Bomb. FYI I spit the second verse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ocELbDAnMQ

The Expendables(Movie Review)

2010-08-30T05:20:00.000-07:00

So recently I watched The Expendables. You know, the movie overflowing with action superstars such as Jason Statham,Sylvester Stallone,and wannabe action star Randy Couture. Yeah that one. It's directed and co-written by Stallone.

It's a solid movie about Stallone and his crew of mercenaries. They're hired by this private contractor to go overseas and overthrow a corrupt regime. The action is over-the-top and visceral. Great stuff. However, all the characters weren't really needed in all honesty. The movie could have been cut down to about an hour and a half instead of two.

Stallone is depicted as an aging mercenary who has lost his soul/heart along the way. By saving a corrupt general's daughter he saves his soul in the process. Sweet isn't it?

Anyway,my main point is if you like action movies and you have nothing better to do, go out and watch this movie. But don't expect gold or anything special.

Jam of the Day

2010-08-04T18:43:00.001-07:00

Quote of the Day

2010-07-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end being governed by your inferiors."-Plato

New Flesh

2010-06-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a new story published at New Flesh. Read it or be square.

http://newfleshmagazine.blogspot.com/search/label/Grant%20Wamack

Geese,Guns,and Love

2010-06-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hey I have new story published at Weirdyear. It's short and sweet and full of bacon. Read it.

http://www.weirdyear.com/2010/06/61110.html

Elevated

2010-06-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I watched a short film from the director of Cube, Vincenzo Natali. It's called Elevated and it's a fantastic sci-fi thriller. It's claustrophobic,tense, and horrific and it all takes place in an elevator. I'm posting it below in two parts.

Also: I have two short stories coming out this month. One in Weirdyear and the other in New Flesh.

Machete

2010-05-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to see this movie. Danny Trejo is one of my favorite bad asses and Robert Rodriguez is one of my fav. directors. Here's the illegal trailer to Machete. Be on the lookout for the movie Sept. 3, 2010.

New Music

2010-04-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hey this is a track I did last year. I just made the video the other day. It comes off my upcoming mixtape Heavenly Fridges.

Jam of the Day

2010-04-12T10:48:00.001-07:00

Back from Hiatus

2010-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

So I've been back for a while now, behind the scenes doing whatever it is I do.

Right now I'm at Fort Meade,MD in "A" school. It's basically where they teach me how to do my job in the navy which is Mass Communications Specialist. This consists of taking pictures,writing articles,broadcast,public affairs etc.

I've slowly been working my back into writing and drawing. I really want to buy some moleskin sketchbooks to draw in. The color of the paper is so cool.

Let me set down some goals here.

-I want to finish my novella "A Lightbulb's Lament"

-Draw more

-Write more

-Send more stories out

Golden

2009-11-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

Hey you!

Yes. You fine sir!

Why don't you go over there and peruse my new story "Life is Golden". http://www.weaponizer.co.uk/onearticle.php?category=flashfic&articleid=82

That's what I like to see.

In other news,I will be going off to the navy next month. So I'll be off the map for a little while.

Joyride

2009-09-30T06:07:00.000-07:00

New gritty story published at The Flash Fiction Offensive.

http://theflashfictionoffensive.blogspot.com/2009/09/joyride-by-grant-wamack.html

This is a little bit different from my usual stuff. More gritty and realistic,but still unusual.

I plan on writing more short fiction in this vein. And I have a short neo-noir novel that's been sitting in the back of my mind for a while.

Man on the Moon

2009-09-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

I'm slacking on my writing so I decided to run my mouth here instead.

So anyway I've listened to Kid Cudi's debut album. And I have to say I love it. I will admit the lyrics are kind of weak,but the overall sound is so damn cohesive it makes up for it. Cudi raps and kind of sort of sings over these tracks flawlessly. He's sort of emo/pop/hiphop/stonerish. So if any of these apply to you pick these album up quick.

And I love the cover art which posted above. Basically,the story follows the trials and tribulations of the man on the moon a.k.a. Kid Cudi.

Also,I've listened to Blueprint 3 which is okay. Half the tracks are great and the other half suck. I'd say this is due to some lackluster production and sub-par lyrics on Jay Z's part. In addition,I can't stand any of Timbaland's lackluster production here. He admitted that he gave Jay some throwaway beat and kept the good ones for himself.

I don't know if I'm going to buy this,but don't bet on it. He can do so much better. Dmx said Jay Z has lost his heart. I feel the same;he's on cruise control at this point in his illustrious career.

Perhaps Jay-Z should have stayed retired after The Black Album. That would have been a great point to leave at. I hope his next album which is supposed to be a concept album change my mind.

On a side note:Raekwon's Built for Cuban Linx Part 2 is pretty dope. Cop that now.

Come in Alone

2009-09-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

So come in.

Have a seat.

Let get down to business.

You might be thinking why do you have me here?

Why is there that single flickering lightbulb hanging above us?

Don't worry about that. Just shut up and listen.

I love noir. Crime fiction. Neo noir. Whatever the hell you want to call it. Just know one thing I love it.

Boys like Charlie Huston,Keith Rawson,Quentin Tarantino,Victor Giscler,and Jim Thompson all give me the buzz I need to get through the day.

Fresh Air

2009-09-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Look over there! What's that you ask. Well that's a new zombie story of mine that just go published. Check it out.

http://www.talesofworldwarz.com/stories/2009/09/10/and-the-flies-will-follow-by-grant-wamack/

Oh! Who's that in the dark alleyway? Don't worry that's yet another story of mine. Have a conversation with each other while I slip away.

http://www.dailytourniquet.com/?p=519

And why exactly don't my links show up without having to copy and paste?

2009-09-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

"The artist sees something invisible to others, and by seeing and recording it on canvas,makes it visible to others. A meaning-sensitive observer creator who observes what a manifestation means...means to whom,or what? To the observer. He may find himself beset by larval beings,desperate to be observed and to exist by being observed."-William S. Burroughs

Lora 8 is one of my favorite artists. Check out here stuff here.

Nightly Quotable.

2009-09-07T21:26:00.001-07:00

"Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper."-Francis Bacon

Beauty Never Fades

2009-08-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

I present to you the lovely Barbara Bouchet. Star of many a giallo film.

Artistic Fizzle

2009-08-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

I love art and zombies. Here's a piece a drew a couple of weeks ago.I plan on posting more stuff here. In addition,I plan to post some of my favorite artistic pieces.

Down Under

2009-08-07T05:22:00.001-07:00

New story up at Everydayfiction.com.

http://www.everydayfiction.com/down-under-by-grant-wamack/

Naptime

2009-07-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

I just took a nap and had another dream.

I held a non-existent book written by Kevin L. Donihe in my hands. It was mostly black with strips of yellow and red design wrapped around the book. I tried to open it,but there was no place to open it. The book,suddenly,began to play the SEGA/Sonic the hedgehog theme song. The book fell out of my hands and the song stopped playing. An ominous voice then said,"Memories of prison..."

I woke up wishing I owned the book because Kevin is an amazing writer.Also I wished I could remember the title of the book.

Dream

2009-07-15T05:32:00.001-07:00

I had a short dream last night. It was raining,hard. I was outside putting the garbage cans out because it was garbage pickup day. For some reason a recycling guy came inside my garage and just picked up some boxes. He climbed back into his truck holding a bundle of soggy cardboard boxes. He saluted me and told me that I could volunteer and thanks for helping. I was confused since I didn't volunteer for anything and I didn't help at all.I wanted to voice my frustrations,but he drove off before I could.

Lovely

2009-07-04T20:02:00.000-07:00

Long time,no see.

Nothing new around here. I've recently started a new novella called "A Lightbulb's Lament". Hopefully this one goes well.

I have a few stories making rounds.Also, a few editors have asked for rewrites. That is done, so all I have to do is play the waiting game.

Life moves on...

Heat

2009-05-05T18:44:00.001-07:00

It is quite hot outside. Anyway,not much to report. I recieved my contributor copy of Anomalous Appetites. http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/anomalous-appetites/3236199. This is the first time I've had a poem of mine published and illustrated.Actually,the illustration were well done.

Also,I plan on cleaning up my novella and sending it to the New Author Imprint that Eraserhead Press is starting.The only problem is I have to do all of the promotion and provide cover art. See I'm speaking as if I've already had the book accepted. I really need to stop.

This summer should give me time to start and finish another novella about lightbulbs. And that's about it. Good things on the horizon.

Editing

2009-04-14T17:04:00.000-07:00

So I decided to start my own webzine Wamack:A Journal of the Arts. It's co-founded by Bradley Sands who happens to have the first published story there.

http://wamack.blogspot.com/

Basically,it's a new venue for weird fiction.

Send the goods my way...or else I'll have to pull out the squid.

Awakening

2009-03-20T04:35:00.000-07:00

So I had a new story published yesterday at Everyday Weirdness.I was a little mad because the editor never e-mailed me about the story. Anyway check it out if you have the time.

http://everydayweirdness.com/e/20090319/

Live

2009-03-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Yes,I'm writing this live.

Anyway,I had a couple of acceptances lately.One from Furniture Fangs and my school's magazine(Niu),Towers Literary Magazine.Honestly,I thought my story for Towers would be rejected because it's a cross genre neo-noir/sci-fi story packed with violence and swearing left and right.I'm happy nonetheless.

I also have some stories I need to write.I have no idea what I'm going to do with prompt of augmented whales/dolphins.My mind is a standstill on that one.

Also,I watched Watchmen the other day. Overall,I enjoyed it.And yes I have read the graphic novel.The only thing that bothered me was the ending which I knew was changed and how subplots were left out.It looks like I have to wait until the director's cut comes out.

Revelations

2009-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

So today the authors behind Nemonymous 8:Cone Zero were revealed. I wrote Cone Zero(pg.129). Here's the rest of the authors.http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cone_zero_denemonizations.htm

Also,the most recent review had some good things to say about my story.

"In his dreams, he visits a place that exists on no maps. Perhaps it lies in the hinterlands, the slums of the dreamland where only a few choose to go. For him, the dream world and waking life subtly overlap, so that on a visit to Greece he seems to awaken in a temple like the one where he fell asleep. But it’s subtly different, and there is someone there who is not of the waking world.

This is a love story which reminded me a little of some of the earlier stories by Lovecraft, written when that writer was under the influence of Dunsany. It has that slightly frail, fairytale quality.

The story could have done with a little more proofreading, and there’s an occasional line that suggests English might not be the author’s first language. On the whole though, the writing is elegant, and it’s a lightly-told story which adds a necessary balance to this anthology."-Calenture

The City of Desires

2009-02-10T05:47:00.000-08:00

New story up at Oarystis, The City of Desires .
Check it out here. http://surrealistcity.blogspot.com/

Also finished the first draft of my novella.Hopefully,I'll be able to get published.I'm thinking about Eraserhead Press or Crossing Chaos or The Magazine of Bizarro Fiction.

Sweet Nothings

2009-02-01T06:42:00.000-08:00

New story published in the second issue of Micro 100. Read it here. http://www.micro100.blogspot.com/

Zombie Outbreak!!!

2009-01-29T17:24:00.001-08:00

Read about it here.

http://news.aol.com/article/zombies-road-signs-attack-austin-texas/322482

AMP

2009-01-27T17:43:00.001-08:00

New story up at this link. It's part of this anthology entitled Assassins Mashup Project(AMP). Every story was inspired by a poem by Ash Lomen. Might as well check it out right?

http://www.orbitfiles.com/users/junkdnafiction

I also have to whip up a cyperpunk story for the next project with these guys:Machine Decode. Sadly, I'm very underead in this genre. This will give me an excuse to check out William Gibson and John Shirley.

Sidenote:Charles Dickens is that ish. I'm usually weary of so called great authors and literary classics, but so far Great Expectations seems to be worthy of that title.

Cheesy

2009-01-22T17:55:00.001-08:00

First and foremost,I have a new story published here. http://flashesinthedark.com/2009/01/11/hand-in-hand-by-grant-wamack/

This year I've seen nothing but garbage at the movies with the exception of Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood gives his usual I'm mean and vicious role to great use and pretty much makes the movie.

I've also come across a couple of episodes of Fear Itself on Fearnet. They also can be viewed online as well. Anyway I've seen a few episodes on t.v. when the series was still on(What is the status of this show?New season?). Over the last two nights I've seen two episodes. One was very well done, the other? Not so much.

The good one is entitled Skin and Bones directed by Larry Fessenden(The Last Winter,Habit,Wendigo). The only other film of his I've seen is The Last Winter which was great. This episode is basically about this guy who gets lost in the mountains and comes back changed for the worse. If you've seen some Fessenden's work you can probably guess why he's changed for the worse. Anyway, the desolate locations and constant stream of natural imagery is great. Acting also of good note.

Now, New Year's Day, the bad episode,involves a zombie outbreak which is a cover for a broken relationship at the core of the story. With Steve Niles(30 Days of Nite)writing and Darren Lynn Bousman(Saw,Dead Silence) directing, you would think this has to be great. I don't know what happened, maybe it was the weak script or weak acting. Either way I didn't care about the characters. The only redeemable quality the episode possesses is the ending. It's a nice twist, but when is Bousman going to stop relying on these twist endings?

Also, don't see The Spirit. Good looking movie,but crappy all over. Frank Miller disappointed me.

Oh yeah,my novella is almost done. At least the 1st draft is anyway.

Also, if you're bored watch this series entitled Dumbland. It is directed and animated by David Lynch(Blue Velvet,Eraserhead). You can view it on youtube. Here's the first episode.

The Beginning

2009-01-14T15:03:00.000-08:00

The new year is off. Lots of rejections as usual and a couple of acceptances. Some stuff should be coming out later this year.

New story published at Flashes in the Dark. Check it out here.
http://flashesinthedark.com/2009/01/11/hand-in-hand-by-grant-wamack/

Happy New Year!!!!

2008-12-31T17:52:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T05:12:00.000-08:00

Zombies and Chainsaws

2008-12-20T08:34:00.000-08:00

If you like zombies then you need to watch this.One of the best films I've seen this year,sad, but true.

Bugs

2008-12-18T16:46:00.000-08:00

So I watched Sick Girl this morning. Lucky Mcgee's film is a compact,engaging film. The characters are the most interesting aspect because they feel real.So if you have nothing to do you might as well watch this.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T06:53:00.001-08:00

So Bad It's Good

2008-11-17T17:08:00.001-08:00

Let's see,I watched Machine Girl the other day. And guess what? It was great but also very disappointing. I expected a great film instead I saw a film full of bad acting,terrible dialogue, and gore a plenty. However, I enjoy gore. The terrible aspects became hilarious overitme. The only downside was the excessive amount of gore left me feeling a little jaded towards the end.

Writing news? Not much. A few rejections here and there. I'm sure a few more are bound to come. I also have the sneaking suspicion that a few submission somehow were lost in the matrix. Oh well.

The novella is still barely over the halfway point. Life has intervened, so there's been little time for writing fiction at least. Hopefully, this semester will come to a nice close and I can finish it before next year.

And I think that's a wrap.

Signs of the Times

2008-10-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I attended a book signing. John Everson was the signer. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. Truthfully, I have never read any of his work before. However, I have read some his fiction online which was intriguing. For those of you who don't know about him he's basically a horror author. I direct you here.

http://www.johneverson.com/index.html

Anyway we talked about this and that.Overall he was a nice guy and I was glad to buy a copy of his short story collection Needles and Sin.

In other news, I watched Max Payne the other night with some friends. I had a feeling it was going to be terrible.I've never played the game and video game movies have a bad reputation for sucking. And guess what I was right. It was terrible,a payne to watch. Like the play on words? Anyway, the story didn't make sense and after a while I just stopped caring.So please do not watch this movie unless you're in love with Mark Walberg of you love sucky movies.

Oldies

2008-10-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

So I had a couple of oldies published at microhorror.com.

Here's the link.

http://www.microhorror.com/microhorror/category/author/grant-wamack/

In other news,I have some poetry coming out next year. I'll give you more details once they're available. I never thought I was much of a poet but I do write it from time to time just to do something different.

There are some other stories making their rounds,hopefully some of them will find a loving home.

October Pains

2008-10-05T16:48:00.001-07:00

Is it october already?Halloween is coming.That means candy and costumes and etc.

I'm still chugging away on my novella. I'm about 40% done according to my calculations. I might die of awe once I reach the halfway point. I will let you know when I'm resurrected.

I also watched The Brood directed by David Cronenberg. It is an intense psychological film. Your psyche might never be the same after one sitting. I recommend multiple sittings of anything by Cronenberg.

R.I.P. Thomas Wiloch

2008-09-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

So I heard Thomas Wiloch died. He wrote some pretty amazing prose poems.I've also admired his work for a long. Many times I've attempted to achieve the same effect his work does but I've only come close a few times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Wiloch

Intense

2008-08-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

So my blog is pretty boring,no,very boring. It needs some spice some pizazz.I'm an intense guy but my blog isn't that instense. That's a problem that needs solving.Maybe I'll post some movie trailers or something or maybe post more.

Writing wise,I'm working on a new novella titled "Notes from the Guts of a Hippo."It's a bizarro novella.If you don't know what bizarro is I direct you here.
http://www.bizarrocentral.com/

I could tell you about the plot but I won't because I like to leave you with a cliffhanger.Hopefully,you don't fall and die.

I'm also awaiting some rejections and or acceptances.I'll report on those when they come.

I'm out.

Hiatus

2008-08-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

So once again,I have neglected my blog,my baby,my one and only.Well,I'm back for now. Nothing to really report in regards to writing.Rejections coming in as usual.The spray and pray method I use feels good but it gets mixed results.I'm hoping to get into a couple of anthos, specifically Nothern Haunts and The World is Dead.I received a rejection from Northern Haunts but they encouraged me to send something else along.In a burst of inspiration I did. I still need to finish the first draft for my zombie story and find a nice title for it too.Hopefully,I will be blogging about an acceptance in the near future.Back to the drawing board.

P.S. Heath Ledger as the Joker=amazing.Let me show you a magic trick=classic.

Let it Be Known

2008-06-24T19:17:00.001-07:00

It is june. I am still here writing stories,the rejections are stacking.

I will build a tower of rejections which the editors will try to stop from toppling by giving me acceptances. But will it be too late?

International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Day

2008-04-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

My favorite day of the year has arrived. Here's the mandatory story.One of my faves.

"The Hum of the World"
by:Grant Wamack

I ventured out into the yard. To watch the children play, feeding my inner delight for days long gone. My legs are tired and weak or maybe my legs have grown tired of me. All I have left are memories, vessels into the past.

When I’m not reminiscing, I’m teaching. I love to see their bright faces light up after learning something new, that certain click in the mind. Sometimes, I sit and watch them play-giggling, laughing. But there is one boy that sits alone-not one of my students-he goes by the name of Johnny. I always wanted to talk to him but I could not bring myself to do it. Today, I will talk to him, I must.

Johnny sat with his ear to the ground, listening. Listening, attentively for something. Striding over to where he sat, I cleared my throat. His small eyes glanced at me, then back to the ground. “Johnny, may I ask what you are listening to?” He lifted his head,
“The hum.”

“The hum of what?”

“The hum of the world.”

I put my ear to the ground, listening. At first there was nothing but then a sound came to my ears, unlike any I have ever heard before. I imagined a great beast clawing dirt, groping in the darkness. Shuddering, I could not rid myself of the image. “Johnny what happens when the hum stops?”

“The end.”

Published on Thomas Ligotti Online

Nemonymous News

2008-04-15T12:56:00.000-07:00

So I guess I should mention that I recently recieved the news that one of my stories will be published in the upcoming Nemonymous 8:Cone Zero. I can't tell you what the title of my story is or else I will have to kill you. I have no idea who else is in the antho yet but I'm estatic to be in it.

If you don't know what Nemonymous is it wouldn't hurt to check over here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemonymous

Bizarro

2008-04-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

So I just wanted to make sure everyone out there is aware of this genre bizarro because I like to dip in and out of it both as a reader and writer.It's weird,surreal stuff.

So check out this place. http://www.bizarrocentral.com/

And while you are at it you should pick up the Bizarro Starter Kit both blue and orange editions. Well worth your money and time.

Some of my faves in the genre are Cameron Pierce,Carlton Mellick,D. Harlan Wilson, and the rest.You should really check out the Dream People.Nice little magazine. Maybe I'll be in it one day. It has a new piece by Pierce on there. It should be somewhere over here. http://www.dreampeople.org/

A Light has Faded

2008-03-18T19:19:00.001-07:00

R.I.P. Arthur C. Clarke

Speculation

2008-03-16T18:32:00.000-07:00

I just finished Nemonymous #2 today. I enjoyed it immensely. One story had me thinking though, not about the contents but the author. "The Vanishing Life and Films of Emmanuel Escobada", by anonymous.

I have an idea about who the author is. I might be completely wrong or I might be right no one will ever know. Rhy Hughes
Yes that is what I said. Rhy Hughes.
Why?
Take a seat and listen. Rhys Hughes has been published in Nemonymous multiple times. In the first issue he loved the concepty of anonymity. Hughes is also largely influenced by Jorge Luis Borges. Borges wrote A Universal History of Inequity. Later Hughes wrote A New Universal History of Infamy. Both books are full of stories written like biographies of fictional characters. Now, the story were discussing is one of those types. The person who is best equipped to write this story is no other than Rhys Hughes.
Case Closed.

Note to Self

2008-03-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Update more than once a month. Seriously.

More transmissions to follow....

News from the Guts of an Elephant

2008-02-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

My story "Scenes of Creation" was accepted recently by Polluto. So that will be two pieces that will be published in the journal. I have another idea percolating in the vats of my mind. I might cook up the first draft soon.

When I first submitted the piece above the editor asked me if I could rewrite a couple of scenes. I was a little apprehensive but I decided to do it. And guess what the story turned out ten times better.

Rewriting is something I dread and love about the writing process. I always try to fix parts that feel weak just on instinct. The thing is the new stuff might not be as good as the old stuff and vice versa but the story turns out to be much stronger. Just a few thoughts.

Polluting the Atmosphere

2008-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

"You must keep sending work out; you must never let a manuscript do nothing but eat its head off in a drawer. You send that work out again and again, while you're working on another one. If you have talent, you will receive some measure of success - but only if you persist."
Isaac Asimov
US science fiction novelist & scholar (1920 - 1992)

So today, I sent out some stories. Isaac Asimov always there when you need him even after death. I usually have a couple of stories making their rounds but I've decided to up the ante.

I also had a story accepted a few days ago,very quick response, for Polluto:An Anti-Pop Culture Journal. So I'm going to try to write a few more shorts to send over there and while I do that you check out the site. http://www.polluto.com/about.html

Back To Business

2008-01-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

So it's been a long time since you and I have talked. Why? Well, lets just say life got in the way.
Anyway I have two short pieces coming out in an anthology later this year. This will be my first publication,so I'm pretty excited. There are also some big Bizarro authors who are being published alongside me. Check it out,you know you want to. http://www.myspace.com/the_twisted_twins

A few stories are making their rounds. The Tides of Wind is going at a snail's pace, but maybe that will change. The other story I'm working on is a ghost story I plan on submitting to All Hallows Magazine. So we will see what happens.

Summer has Ended

2007-09-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

"The summer is over,the harvest is in,and we are not saved..."-Jeremiah,8:20

This quote sums up the current feel of things. Slow down,have a seat and let me explain.

I first came across the quote while reading The Events at Poroth Farm by T.E.D. Klein. Now I know every other horror fan has read this story and I have just gotten to it. In my opinion Klein is an amazing writer. He has that old school flavor mixed in with mainstream sensibilities.

Now the quote above ends The Events at Poroth Farm. The same quote shows up in the beginning of Dead Sea by Brian Keene. Another thing in this series of coincidences is summer really is over.And fall has just begun.

Writing news to come.

Wamack Room

2007-08-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the Wamack Room!

Which movie was this quote from?

http://thesurrealist.co.uk/movie.php" method="get">Get your own quotes:

Back from Outer Space

2007-08-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from the land of Toronto,Canada. Nice trip. Car ride was a bit harrowing-11 hours. I did manage to get some writing done while I was up there. I started a small piece of dark science fiction. Inspired by Warren Ellis. Check this out, http://mistersleepless.livejournal.com/45924.html its called Scream Talking, 50 pieces of short fiction by Warren Ellis. And for those of you who don't know, Warren Ellis is a comic book god. So bow down and pray, pray he doesn't blow your mind.

Leaving

2007-08-10T18:28:00.000-07:00

So I'm leaving. Yes leaving but only momentarily. It turns out I'm going to Toronto,Canada for vacation. I've been to Canada once visiting Niagra Falls. Toronto is different. Maybe I'll come up with some nice story ideas while I'm there.

My short story is just about done. I whipped out a few new tricks I learned. Feels good to get better. My novella is going nowhere. It's a big mess. Well not really, it just sits. I have the beginning done and the end. Part of the body is done but the rest of the organs are hard to find. I know what's to come. And I have some ideas that could develop into important muscles. The ride to Canada will be about 9 or 10 hours in a cramped car so I'll try to think this story through. Maybe I should attempt to plot out the rest of the chapters.

That's it,time to eat some bacon.

One Day

2007-08-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a few interviews by comicbook writers that I've admired. Lately I've noticed a lot of writers say writing is easy for them now. So I was wondering if those same words and thoughts will come in the future. Will I sit at the computer and the words will spill out? Or maybe that point won't be reached til I'm about 50, which is a long time away.

Well,anyway if you like Grant Morrison check this out.
http://www.popimage.com/content/grant2004.html

The Big Ten

2007-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

I finally reached it,the big ten. My tenth rejection. I opened my e-mail up and found a plump reject from Whispers of Wickedness. This is a landmark but it still sucks. I've been thinking about my writing a lot and why I get rejected. Sometimes they tell me why sometimes they don't. I do believe some stuff was only okay and others were pretty good for me at least. I think I need to just take more time tweaking the pieces.

A little bit of progress on my novella. After I post this I'm going to do a little writing.

Word Count:5,788

Rejection

2007-07-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

So I open up my e-mail this morning and I find an e-mail from Hardboiled Horror. Butterflies make their presence known and I open it up. Rejection,plain and simple. Well,that isn't said but basically a rejection is a rejection. The editor did invite me to submit something else if I had it, so I must not be all that bad. Innsmouth Noir will probably go through another draft and sent to Cross-Genre Cthulhu. I do have a nice little idea for Hardboiled Horror. Actually it was originally going to be sent there but I wrote Innsmouth Noir first.

For those of you wondering, my novella is at a standstill. I'm busy writing a paper for school so there we go.

Finish Line

2007-07-25T16:27:00.000-07:00

Well, my novella has not reached point that I wanted it to. I only wrote a few more sentences. That doesn't mean it isn't going anywhere because it is. Even the days I don't write the story itself is simmering in the hot boiling waters of my brain. And in the hot water things get absorbed. When I look inside I find their are new things happening. A new ending for instance. So I guess the point I'm trying to make is, just because your writing is going slow doesn't mean it won't reach the finish line.

Word Count:5,485 words

Slipping Behind

2007-07-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

Well, the writing has kind of slipped by me just like the days. Maybe it's just me but ever since school is over (high school) the days just slip by without notice. Summer is nice and all but it always feels mucho over rated. I planned on having 10,000 words done by monday but that's just a pipe dream. If I stop typing this and looking at crap online I might be able to catch up. Hopefully, I'll have about 8,000 done by monday.
yum yum,
type type,
on my bum, bum
the words are just about ripe, ripe

Word Count:5,443

I'm Back,from Outer Space

2007-07-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back once again. Keeping up a blog is a lot harder than I thought. I've been writing a lot more than usual. Last night I finished the first draft of Innsmouth Noir. I'll probably work on it today. Tommorrow I'll polish it up. Maybe I'll sit then come back to it with fresh eyes. Then it will be submitted to the anthology Hardboiled Horror.
My other story is going at a snail's pace. The Tides of Wind is being developed into a novella which means I have a lot of writing to do. Now the thing is, I have challenge for myself. By the end of the month I want to have the first draft done,somewhere around 17,000 words. Right now I have about 2,500. That basically means I have to force myself to write about a 1,ooo words a day. Hopefully I will write a little bit more some days.
Right now I'm reading Dirty Prayers by Gary McMahon which is some top of the line horror. Raw emotion. I think I'm learning something from this guy. Pick it up from Gary Friar Press,now.

Dry Skies

2007-07-05T17:00:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from nowhere. I finished reading One Rainy Night a novel by Richard Laymon. It was a fast read, took me a couple of days. Well worth $8 bucks. It's better than some movies I've seen lately. Blood,sex,red shorts-the usual for Laymon.

Writing wise, I'm going to develop my short story The Tides of Wind into a novella. It's gonna be hard as hell but I think it will be well worth the work. I have had some encouraging comments and a well of inspiritation. I have to tap it for all its worth before it drys up.

Another day,another dollar,
Grant

Jinx

2007-07-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I finished reading the graphic novel Jinx, written and drawn by Brian Michael Bendis. It left me with a feeling of satisfaction after I finished. The graphic novel is pretty thick and I got it for a good price. I bought it for about $17 bucks when it's priced for $25. Pretty sweet discount. And get this, it's signed by the baldman him self. I recommend it to everyone out there.

First time

2007-06-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

So this is a new blog. Made by me. Grant Wamack. I will be making posts about my writing efforts and maybe some movie reviews.