LWN

Reflections from the Well

2012-02-27T16:02:00.004-06:00

On Writing Craft, Creativity & Inspiration

by Alexander Slagg

Living the Dream

Many of us harbor fantasies of living the lives of our artistic inspirations. Living lives of quiet, modest struggle, dedicated to our craft, until one day the world discovers our work and we rise into the sky a blazing comet of significance. It’s a story that’s inspired many people. But how long do you hold out for the moment of liftoff? Is that archetypal journey even realistic? Maybe it’s better to chart your own course, wherever it may lead. You may be pleasantly surprised where you end up.

I was a writer before I became an editor. I spent many open-ended afternoons and late nights sequestered in my dingy off-campus rental room, typing and picking away on stories, poetry, songs. After I graduated from college, I did much of the same. The afternoon fog would roll in and break across the city while I worked and occasionally put together a publishing query. Soon enough it was time to make myself presentable and hop on the Fulton #5 bus to my evening job at the restaurant.

At some point along the way I recognized I was adrift. I began to question where this free-form approach to establishing a writing career was getting me. I had a few published pieces occupying a small space on my bookshelf – meager results compared to dozens of rejection letters stuffed into my deluxe edition of Writer’s Market on the shelf below. I needed to rethink this whole thing.

I applied to writing programs, but was rejected. And really, I saw little to gain by digging myself into a pit of debt only to receive a degree whose primary value was to qualify me to be a writing instructor of some sort. I didn’t want to teach others to write; I simply wanted to write.

But I felt the need to bring some form of practicality to this pursuit, a plan. I also needed to make a living, get some health insurance, maybe put money away for the distant future. I hit upon the idea of becoming an editor.

As an editor, I’d be working in an area of interest, involved in something that I was passionate about. And I could get inside the machine, the world of book publishing, and learn how it works from the inside. The idea of mailing off a poor defenseless manuscript into its black maw would seem less frightening. Maybe some day my insider knowledge would be there to smoothly guide me through a foreign rights contract or some other authorial rough patch.

So I started taking community college courses, anything I could find that related to editing or proofreading or writing. And soon enough I was hired as an editorial assistant for a small publisher. I worked on New York Times bestsellers and complete flops. I learned the business. I supported a growing family, and I continued to write. It felt like the best of all worlds.

Sooner or later, many of us reach what feels like a fork in the road: Do I pursue my dream or give it up. Only it’s not really a fork. It’s one more decision on a bigger journey that encompasses your dream and so much more. There’s room for that dream and whatever else you need in your life. The question is, do you have a broad enough imagination that can envision this wider world? If you’re reading this column, you probably do.

Share your comments with Alex for possible inclusion on the LWN blog or in his next reflection at aslagg@literarywritersnetwork.org.

Advertise in 10,000 Tons of Black Ink!

2012-02-15T16:37:00.002-06:00

“Best of” print edition
Print specs and advertisement pricing

The “Best Of" 10,000 Tons of Black Ink will be between 50-100 pages and feature the best stories published online at www.10ktobi.org since the release of our last print edition. Five hundred copies will be printed in the initial run, which will be sold at various bookstores in Chicago and the suburbs. A second run of 500+ will be printed should demand be enough to require it.

In addition to appearing in the current 10,000 Tons of Black Ink “Best Of” edition, advertisers will receive acknowledgment to more than 3,500+ followers on Twitter and 4,800+ friends on Facebook. Plus your logo will appear on our publication website (www.10ktobi.org) for approximately a year, or until we begin planning for our next “Best Of” print edition. All advertisers will receive a copy of the magazine for their records.

Ad pricing is as follows for camera-ready art:

Full Page (4.5” x 7”) - $125*
Half Page (4.5” x 3.5”) - $75*
Third Page (4.5” x 2.3”) - $50*

*There is an additional cost for advertisers who need an ad created. Please contact us by February 20, 2012. Camera-ready art is due by noon, Friday, February 24, 2012.

For more information, please contact Chad Peterson at cleversobriquet@hotmail.com, or by phone: 206-890-5175.

SAVE THE DATE!

2012-02-15T16:12:00.005-06:00

Please Join Us For Our
“Best Of” 10,000 Tons of Black Ink Volume II Release Party

Friday, March 23, 2012
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

The Book Cellar
4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago

10,000 Tons of Black Ink will release its next “Best Of” print edition featuring the strongest pieces published online since the last print edition. The evening will feature readings from the publication, work from local Chicago writers, and a silent auction offering many great prizes.

Be sure to come a few minutes early to visit The Book Cellar’s wine bar, with a variety of coffee drinks, beverages, salads, and sandwiches available for purchase.

Receive a copy of the magazine with your $5 donation. To learn more, please visit www.10ktobi.org.

10,000 Tons of Black Ink is a Literary Writers Network (LWN) publication. LWN is an organization dedicated to literary excellence through the advancement and promotion of emerging fiction and creative non-fiction writers. 10,000 Tons of Black Ink is an independent literary publication of quality literary or experimental fiction and creative non-fiction. It relies on the kindness and generosity of those who support the arts.

Reflections from the Well

2012-01-30T09:55:00.005-06:00

On Writing Craft, Creativity & Inspiration

By Alexander Slagg

Don’t Fear the Future

I recently read about the publication of Modernist Cuisine, a 2,438-page, five-volume book on cooking history, theory, chemistry and microbiology. Its primary author is Nathan Myhrvold, a chef at the vanguard of modernist cooking (or what some call molecular gastronomy). The main thrust of a ‘modernist’ approach to cooking is deconstructing ingredients to their essential qualities and then reassembling them into food dishes that have never been seen before. Imagine Liquid Pea Ravioli—pea soup presented as a stand-alone sphere on your plate.

Does that sound appetizing? Not to me. I recently started learning to cook, mostly standard comfort foods: mac and cheese, meatloaf, ‘plain old’ split pea soup, stuffed peppers. My tastes run toward traditional dishes.

I was turned off by the whole concept behind Modernist Cuisine as I read. Cooking is fine without all the test tubes and centrifuges in the kitchen, thank you. But I caught myself. I began to wonder, what if I took the same attitude toward my own craft?

What if I approached storytelling this way? What if I only appreciated canonical writers like Herman Melville or other dead white guys? What if I firmly believed that a book was meant to be read, not listened to in the car, not viewed on an e-reader? Well, I’d consider myself to be a literary snob who was missing out on all sorts of interesting writing and innovations going on around me.

It’s important to appreciate traditions and study how things were done in the past. But I think it’s even more important to be open to new ways of doing things. Progress marches on whether we want it to or not. This is especially true in the world we live in, where technology develops at dizzying speeds and affects every aspect of our lives, including how we write and tell stories. And this has always been the case when you think about it, only it’s happening at a more rapid pace now.

Storytelling began around fires, cave dudes and prehistoric chicas finding entertaining ways to pass the time between hunting and gathering outings, pantomiming the day’s kill or painting on the cave wall. Mesopotamians took to writing on clay tablets. The Greeks moved storytelling to a theatre stage, adding a chorus and music. Medieval Europeans told their stories on the tapestries that hung in their castles to cover drafts. Gutenberg dreamed up the printing press and revolutionized how stories were shared. Then books on tape.

Today, we have e-books, another revolution. We can weave audio and video clips into a story, or guide the reader to a universe of relevant information through embedded URLs. Storytelling has gone through many transformations, and we stand at the threshold of another.

While I love traditional books, as an artist, I’d be limiting the scope of my own creative possibilities if I didn’t start exploring what I can do with writing and storytelling now in the e-book era. It’s a little scary and I’m likely to produce some poor art along the way as I incorporate this new toolset into my craft. That’s where I want to be as an artist – willing to leap into the unknown and see where it takes me. But I’m still not going to try the Liquid Pea Ravioli.

Share your comments with Alex for possible inclusion on the LWN blog or in his next reflection at aslagg@literarywritersnetwork.org.

Reflections from the Well

2011-12-26T17:21:00.003-06:00

On Writing Craft, Creativity & Inspiration

By Alexander Slagg

Writing Schedules

It’s difficult for me to find time to write. I have a day job that drains my energy. I have children that need to be cared for and shopped for. I have a flat that needs occasional sweeping, a sink full of dishes that needs occasional emptying. I have a physical body that needs exercise and maintenance. I have relationships that need cultivation and pruning like garden flowers. And somewhere amid all of these basic routines and tasks, I need to work at my craft.

I’ve tried many approaches to scheduling writing time over the years, including mapping out a schedule in smudgy red ink on the refrigerator calendar. I’ve written first thing in the morning before the daily responsibilities hijack my thoughts. I’ve done it late at night, my bedroom lit by the blue glow of my computer screen. I’ve done it on the job, my story document hidden behind several open screens on my computer. I’ve written every day for months on end. I’ve written nothing for months and allowed my imagination to grow fallow.

What’s the best approach to a writing schedule? Whatever works best for you.

When I started taking my writing seriously, I worked as a bartender in the evenings and I spent my days reading and writing, or sitting on the backstairs watching the day go by. Day to day, I got a lot done. These days, I write when I can. I have more responsibilities today that take precedence over writing. That means I typically sit down to write 2-3 times a week, usually for only a few hours. In the future, that schedule will change again.

What I’ve learned not to do is become too rigid in my routines. I try to be like bamboo, flexible but firm. I’ve gone through deaths in the family, births, job loss, divorce—all sorts of life-altering experiences. And I felt compelled to focus my time and energy on those events and put aside the pen for a while. But slowly, and most definitely surely, I returned to the craft. Writing has often been my therapist, helping me process the bumps in the road of life. It’s what I turn to to make sense of it all. And it’s always there, whether it’s underlined three times on the calendar or not.

I’m also a believer in the idea that you need to be showing up to write whether the muse flies in through the window or not. You have to push yourself: No one is out there waiting for your first novel. The more often you’re sitting down to fire up your imaginative powers, the easier it gets and the stronger your creativity grows. It’s a muscle that needs to be exercised regularly. The more regularly the better.

And having said that, I also believe it’s a good idea to take a break and not do anything every once in a while. Allow that creative well to refill with life experiences and thoughts. If you believe in it, it’ll always be there beneath the surface, ready to quench that thirst. So which is it: Sit down and write regularly or take breaks from writing? It’s both. Do both firmly and with purpose.

Share your comments with Alex for possible inclusion on the LWN blog or in his next reflection at aslagg@literarywritersnetwork.org.

Reflections from the Well

2011-11-28T12:51:00.006-06:00

On Writing Craft, Creativity & Inspiration

By Alexander Slagg

Write What You Don’t Know

It’s one of writing’s ten commandments: Write what you know. And like so many chiseled-in-stone maxims, there’s a certain amount of broad wisdom in it. Effective writing comes from being on intimate terms with the subject matter. Knowing what you’re talking or writing about. Readers instill their trust and maybe even $24.95 for a hardcover version of this expertise. But I think it’s equally important to write what you don’t know. So does Russell Banks, author of several critically acclaimed (and also really good) books including Cloudsplitter, The Sweet Hereafter, and Rule of the Bone.

I was in the audience at a reading Banks gave recently at a local library. He was on the road doing publicity for his new novel, Lost Memory of Skin. I quietly slinked into an open seat in the last row of chairs, as I was running late and Banks had already started reading from his book. He then opened the floor for questions from the audience of suburban literary aficionados.

For me, this is always the most interesting portion of any author reading. You never know what kind of questions you’ll hear from the audience, or how well the author will live up to the skewed expectations that many bring to the experience of meeting someone they admire. On both accounts, the audience and the author were ideal. The audience focused their questions on Banks’ new novel, and he gave thoughtful, detailed answers.

One question posed by a middle-age woman was directed toward Banks’ research for his new novel, which delves into the world of a young convicted sex offender. As part of his answer, Banks championed the notion of “writing what you don’t know,” explaining that he typically came to his creative ideas by way of a question, of being curious about something. This curiosity then led to research and learning and writing about a previously unfamiliar topic.

It’s hard to imagine a literary world based solely on the notion of “write what you know.” In the whole scope of human experience, each of us individually is rather limited in what we know, in direct, experiential knowledge. I don’t know the first thing about carving totem poles, or future developments in sex doll technology, or the birth of the electric guitar, but I’ve become fascinated by and researched each of these topics and written about them.

Whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, writing is an imaginative endeavor. And the imagination is boundless. Why limit yourself to only “what you know?” What Russell Banks was getting at is that by writing what you don’t know about, you’re guided by your own enthusiasm to learn something new. You’re guided by your imagination. This is the horse you want to hitch your chariot to.

You may not know exactly where the journey will take you, but it’s going to be exciting. And that excitement will carry over into your writing. Inspired writing ultimately makes for good writing, and your readers will have an engaged reading experience as a result. And at the end of the day, most readers will value a story that engrosses and pulls them along over a story that merely divulges the writer’s “expertise.”

Share your comments with Alex for possible inclusion on the LWN blog or in his next reflection at aslagg@literarywritersnetwork.org.

New Column on Writing Starts This Month

2011-11-23T10:16:00.006-06:00

We are pleased to announce that beginning this month we will publish a column by longtime LWN member Alexander Slagg. He will write about craft, creativity and inspiration in his new column titled Reflections from the Well.

The monthly column, which will appear on the last Monday of every month, will give readers a glimpse into his thoughts and experiences from “both sides of the pen,” as a writer and editor.

Touching on various aspects of the writing process, Reflections from the Well will be more than a rote column, but a literary lounge where writers and other creators will be invited to share their own experiences with Alex. We will post reader comments monthly, or as warranted, with Alex’s reflection.

“Communities form when people step up and share. Writing is a solitary pursuit, and it’s not an activity that lends itself to lots of sharing,” said Slagg. “But I love to learn how others create and what their process is. It’s fascinating to me. So that’s what I’m hoping Reflections from the Well will do: provide a space for artists to share. I’ll simply be the host.”

Alexander Slagg has been writing and editing for various publications for more than 10 years. He’s been an LWN member since 2007 and serves as an editorial assistant for its literary publication 10,000 Tons of Black Ink. His short fiction and nonfiction work has been published in a number of magazines, most recently in the Q4 2011 issue of EdTech. Currently, he’s looking for a home for his debut novel Sunburst over Mayan Skies.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2011-11-21T18:20:00.001-06:00

Before an accepted story is published, the author is asked to select another published piece on the 10ktobi website and write a short statement about the story, noting in what ways it might be provocative, insightful, interesting or impressive. The writer’s comments appear with an Editor’s Note as to why the piece was chosen. In this way, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink strives to promote dialogue between writers, editors and readers, and supports the writing community as a whole.

Read the comments by Rebecca Burns and Allan Shapiro, our published authors this month, or visit our website to read their story and editorial comments.

Rebecca Burns’s comments on Alison Grifa Ismaili’s “Shape-shifters”:

This is a persuasive piece, as moving as it is humorous, which conveys a real sense of place and captures the uplifting, occasionally painful idiosyncrasies of family life.

The title is very apt; David the young narrator is painted in a sympathetic but strong light, seeking his own identity set apart from his hideous older brother. He turns to books, the education system, anything to counter the shifting reality that surrounds him; a shifting reality caused by a chaotic family life. Books help to clear adolescent, foggy emotions—the teenage crush he feels is actually “one of those dangerous kinds of loves I’d read about in books at the library.”

A clever and well-pitched use of imagery support the running theme of painful relationships; David admits he “would have sliced up my whole body and jumped into a pool of lemon juice just to make her like me.” This perfectly captures teenage infatuation, and this juxtaposition of physical agony and emotional fulfillment is replayed in a later scene where the narrator watches a fist-fight between his brother, Fernando, and Fernando’s girlfriend, following the revelation that Fernando had been unfaithful— unsurprising to the reader, given the way he had been portrayed in earlier scenes.

The story also contains well-placed cultural references, recognizable even to readers not from the U.S. The line: “the thing that made me respect her for real was when she kicked Fernando in the balls again and turned on her light heels and took off like she was Marion Jones before coming clean on the UPN 9 News,” is just right; we, the readers, know exactly what the narrator means by this comparison—we are drawn into the story by such phrases. And we can see what is inevitable, what the ending will be. When it comes, the lack of clarity over the fate of the young niece, Zayinna, means one thing—that David must come into his own and finally assert himself.

A compelling and convincing story, well-executed.

Allan Shapiro’s comments on A.K. Small’s “The Diving Board”:

A most interesting little character study. A teenager trying to work through love and sexuality. Fatherless and practically motherless, there really is no clear definition for Heath as to what love is, no basis for comparison except the love he received from his mother, probably only when he was much younger. Add a massive amount of teenage hormones and things become quite confusing, except for the character’s desire, of course.

I also love the closed setting of the swimming pool, like a hotbed of teenage sexuality, with Heath above it all on the diving board, separated from it, but also almost the reason for it, as if it is all there only for him.

And finally, I loved the poetry/rap in this piece. For me poetry, and prose for that matter, is all about trying to put into words things that have no simple definition. And for Heath, it’s almost reflexive, as if he has no control over it. And the one time he needs it, when he’s feeling very powerful things that don’t make sense to him, his words fail him, and he fulfills those feelings with action, which eventually leads to the tragedy of being human, not a God on a diving board.

Great work, and like all great works, completely open to the reader’s interpretation, malleable and engaging, meaning different things to different people.

Auction Items Announced for November 4th Lit Reading!

2011-11-03T17:28:00.001-05:00

We are pleased to announce the generous gifts that have been donated to 10,000 Tons of Black Ink by Merz Apothecary, Old Town School of Folk Music, Northlight Theatre, Writers’ Theatre, Victory Gardens Theatre, and Timeline Theatre to support our next "Best Of" print edition.

Several LWN members also donated their gently used books to be auctioned off during our Special Literary Engagement featuring five great readings from five of our talented members, Friday, November 4, 7pm at The Book Cellar in Chicago.

Auction item #1: Two Tickets to see The Caretaker at The Writers’ Theatre, from November 8 – December 30, 2011.

Writers’ Theatre • 664 Vernon Ave., Glencoe, IL 60022

Item Value: $120
Bidding starts at $10

**************************************************************

Auction item #2: Two Tickets to any Northlight Theatre production during the 2011-12 Season.

Chose from:
Season's Greetings - Nov 11 - Dec 18, 2011
Black Pearl Sings! - Jan 13 - Feb 19, 2012
Ten Chimneys - March 9 - Apr 15, 2012
[title of show TBA] - May 4 - June 10, 2012

Northlight Theatre • 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie, IL 60077

Item Value: $120
Bidding starts at $10

*************************************************************

Auction Item #3: Two Tickets to see Ameriville at Victory Gardens Theatre, from January 27 – February 5, 2011.

Victory Gardens Theatre • 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, IL 60657

Item Value: $110
Bidding starts at $5

***********************************************************

Auction Item #4: Two Tickets to any performance at Timeline Theatre before November 2, 2012.

Choose from:
The Pitmen Painters – Sept. 6 – Dec. 4, 2011
Enron – Jan. 17 – Apr 15, 2012
My Kind of Town – May 1 – July 29, 2012
Check website for future shows running Aug-Nov, 2012.

Timeline Theatre • 615 W. Wellington Ave. Chicago

Item Value: $90
Bidding stats at $5

**************************************************************

Auction Item #5: Gift basket full of natural health and beauty products from Merz Apothecary.

Item Value: $100
Bidding stats at $10

***********************************************************

Auction item #6: a Complimentary New One-Year Household Membership to the Old Town School of Folk Music—for New Members Only!

· Membership benefits for one household
· Member price for Group & Private Lessons
· Advance Concert Ticket Purchases
· Member price for Concert Tickets
· 10% off most merchandise in the School's Music Store
· Discounts on Smithsonian Folkways CDs
· Multiple class discount
· Gift Certificate for an Old Town School t-shirt or hat
· $20 Savings on 16-week classes

Old Town School of Folk Music • 4544 N. Lincoln & 909 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL

Item Value: $125
Bidding starts at $10

***********************************************************

Auction Item 7: A Basket of Several Gently Used Books

Give yourself the perfect excuse to take a break and relax with this wonderful selection of great books…

The Hours by Michael Cunningham
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers
Be Cool by Elmore Leonard
Gilligan’s Wake by Tom Carson
In The Woods by Tana French
Blitz by Ken Bruen
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Little Big by John Crowley
Memoir’s of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
You Remind Me of Me by Dan Chaon
The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club by Laurie Notaro
Night of the Grizzlies by Jack Olsen
Our "Best Of" 2009 print edition of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

Item Value: PRICELESS
Bidding starts at $3

Stay and enjoy readings by…

Denis J. Underwood is the online managing editor for 10,000 Tons of Black Ink. His stories have appeared in The First Line, The Angler, The Paumanok Review, Hatches Magazine, and elsewhere. His chapbook, Carolina, was published by Wind River Press. Grave Matters, a feature film he co-wrote and co-produced, has been in post-production a few years too many. The project was featured on the Sundance Channel's 24 Frames News.

Susan Fox has worked as a technical writer for a major consulting firm in the Chicago area, and is an editorial assistant for 10,000 Tons of Black Ink. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of St. Francis, plus a nursing degree and a certificate in technical writing from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Susan has been invited to speak about her current novel by the Indiana Center for Middle East Peace and excerpts have been published in Two With Water, and the opening pages of the book took honors in the non-fiction category at the 2011 Writers’ Institute in Madison, Wisconsin. Visit her website at www.littlewomenofbaghlan.com.

Chad Peterson is the managing editor of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink. He has written a very small sampling of short stories as he spends most of his time working on novels, working on selling novels, putting novels in a drawer and then starting a new novel. He also writes poetry and has been recognized for his work by the Jo-Anne Hirshfield Memorial Poetry Awards and by the Writers' Institute at the University of Madison. During daylight hours, he serves as Director of Marketing and Communications for Writers' Theatre in Glencoe, and feels that you should come and see “The Real Thing” (which the Wall Street Journal says "reminds us of why we go to the theatre") before it closes on December 4.

Stephen Markley is the author of Publish This Book: The Incredible True Story of How I Wrote, Sold, and Published This Very Book, which is available wherever books are sold. In addition, he is a regular columnist for RedEye and writes a blog for them called "Off the Markley." His fiction and non-fiction have appeared in the Chicago Reader, Perceptive Travel, RadarOnline, The Week, Cars.com's KickingTires, and Weber: A Study of the Contemporary West. He is currently at work on his second and third books and has recently sold the film rights to Publish This Book.

Willy Nast graduated from Northwestern University, where he studied creative non-fiction. He loves beer, boxing, and greyhounds, though not necessarily in that order. He updates (far too infrequently) his own blog about writing at trustmeimawriter.blogspot.com. His greatest accomplishment is being the only Willy Nast on Facebook.

A Special Literary Engagement with Literary Writers Network

2011-10-06T12:33:00.000-05:00

To Support the next "Best Of" print edition of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

Friday, November 4, 2011
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
$3 suggested donation

Our readings are a collaborative effort by Chicago-area writers and readers who are interested in promoting literary expression and appreciation for the literary arts. The evening will include readings by Denis Underwood, Chad Peterson, Sue Fox, Stephen Markley, and Willy Nast. Plus we’ll have a silent auction offering many great prizes.

All proceeds will go towards the next print publication of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, which features the strongest pieces published online at www.10ktobi.org.

Literary Writers Network (LWN) is an organization dedicated to literary excellence through the advancement and promotion of emerging fiction and creative non-fiction writers. LWN offers a bimonthly Chicago writing group coupled with an online writing community and special literary reading events throughout the year. It also publishes the literary publication 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, featuring regular online publishing and an annual “Best Of” edition.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2011-09-03T22:28:00.006-05:00

Read Editor Comments for Stories Here:

Notes from Denis J. Underwood, Online Managing Editor, for “The Day Laborer” by Dan Reiter

The rich descriptions in this excerpted chapter drew me in from the start. A sense of place, where dread lurks just below the surface, is firmly established from the start. The banter between the workers and the exploration of their cultural eccentricities bring to life an exotic locale and a unique slice of Americana. Here, there’s constant encroachment. Man toils to control nature and nature strives to take back what has been lost. How much time does Old Eddie have left? He’s lived a hard life. He’s wounded, like the crane. But he’s resilient and perseveres. There’s rebirth, rejuvenation, not only in Old Eddie, but in the way nature reasserts itself on the job site. I was thoroughly relieved to make it out of the swamp with Old Eddie. To see him happy.

Notes from Chad Peterson, Managing Editor, for “Shape-shifters” by Alison Grifa Ismaili

This story, for me, worked extremely well. It had a strong momentum from the outset that pulled me through the action with a sometimes violent energy. The family is depicted honestly and completely, but without over-sentimentalizing their situation or the strain in their relationships. Overall, I found this piece to be a thoroughly engrossing and very powerful read.

Stories published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink.

Chicago Literary Publication Brings Together Writers from Around the World

2011-06-06T08:44:00.004-05:00

10,000 Tons of Black Ink Offers Opportunities for Writers through its Writer’s Network

CHICAGO—10,000 Tons of Black Ink (10ktobi) announced today its new publishing model to pool together talented writers from around the world to collaborate with each other, share accomplishments and resources, and take advantage of professional growth opportunities. The magazine will offer writers who have been published in its online publication a biweekly online critique group, a chance to build their resume by contributing articles to its blog and have their accomplishments promoted to writers and publishers around the world on its social network.

When 10ktobi transitioned from a biannual print publication to featuring regular online publishing and an annual “Best Of” edition in 2009, it made an unprecedented change in its publishing guidelines so that contributors select another published piece and write a short statement about the writing. The contributor’s notes appear with editor’s comments as to why the piece was chosen.

“10,000 Tons of Black Ink strives to promote dialogue between writers, editors and readers and to support the writing community as a whole, and we are always searching for new ways to set the magazine apart from other journals,” said Chad Peterson, managing editor of 10ktobi.

During the 2011 reading period (March 15 – September 15), the magazine is offering feedback from its reading panel to any writer who is not accepted for publication. Learn more by visiting the section “Submissions Accepted for Publication” at www.10ktobi.org.

# # #

10,000 Tons of Black Ink is a Literary Writers Network (LWN) publication, featuring regular online publishing and an annual “Best Of” edition. LWN is an organization dedicated to literary excellence through the advancement and promotion of emerging fiction and creative non-fiction writers. LWN offers a bimonthly Chicago writing group coupled with an online writing community and special literary reading events throughout the year.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2011-02-19T20:38:00.004-06:00

Read 10ktobi Editor Comments Here...

Notes from Chad Peterson, Managing Editor, on Ghost Train by Eli Hastings:
I found myself reacting very strongly to this piece, with its patient, quiet unspooling of a painful subject. It’s a nice blend of good writing (with clear, concise description and nice detail work, set off by some exciting use of language) and well structured storytelling. The soft introduction of the action at the story’s open is set off against an immediate foreshadow that lets us know exactly where we are and what to expect, establishing the overall tone of the piece, and by the time we reach the end it has turned into both a strikingly complete portrait of a father-son relationship, and a lovely coming-of-age story that stuck with me for some time after reading. To borrow a phrase from the author, “When it ends, I do not stop hearing it.” Really lovely work.

______________

Notes from K. Anne Unger, Editor, on Woman with a Snubnose Revolver by Nancy Poling Werking:
The frenetic energy of “Woman With a Snubnose Revolver” keeps readers entertained and thoroughly engaged from the beginning to the end. It’s like a rollercoaster ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, anticipating the next big thrill or freakish scare, not knowing what might possibly happen next. But this story offers more than simple amusement. By the end, regardless of how you feel about the narrator, you come to appreciate how the author captured and presented this serious and heartbreaking matter.

To read the full stories, visit our website at www.10ktobi.org.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2011-01-20T21:26:00.001-06:00

"She didn’t bother to leave him a note, having nothing more to say. Still the house looked tidy and clean, as if she’d dusted and vacuumed and straightened up. She watered the gardens front and back, and given her canary more seed." --from Words of the Whale by Anna Sykora

Notes from Chad Peterson, Managing Editor...
Every so often you come across a story that seems to hit you at just the right moment. For me, “Words of The Whale” was very much that story. I can’t remember why, but I was a little down at the time, and this story—nicely textured and beautifully layered, weaving together themes of loss and mourning, the minutia of daily life and, ultimately, a surprisingly strong sense of hope—resonated deeply with me. Ultimately, I found this to be an extremely well-executed story, and one that I’m proud to see in 10ktobi.

Read the full story at www.10ktobi.org.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2010-12-19T20:06:00.004-06:00

Read 10ktobi Editor Comments Here...

Comments from K. Anne Unger, Editor on In Search of Life on Alameda VIII:
It’s always refreshing to be grabbed by a piece of fiction that takes you to surprising new places. “In Search of Life on Alameda VIII” explores more than literature as an art form, it picks us up and carries us to the end, keeping us hanging on, anxious for the next glimpse of this kaleidoscope journey through the eyes of a maladjusted child. This flash piece reaches in deep, perpetrating a fantastical illusion that can sustain itself for only so long.

______________

Notes from Chad Peterson, Managing Editor on The God of Meat:
In “The God of Meat,” our author has given us a quintet of well-actualized characters, and woven together a pair of storylines in such a way that the lives of each family informs and compliments the intricacies of the other. What impressed me most, however, was the patience of this story. The pacing works exceptionally well, doling out information in perfectly measured beats, and segueing into and out of flashback in a way that kept me engrossed throughout. Reading a story like this serves as a reminder that writing is a craft—and it’s a pleasure to read a piece that has clearly been so carefully crafted.

To Read "In Search of Life on Alameda VIII” and "The God of Meat," visit www.10ktobi.org.

Auction Items for November 5th Lit Reading Announced!

2010-11-04T21:40:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to announce the generous gifts that have been donated to 10,000 Tons of Black Ink by Northlight Theatre, Infuse Yoga Spa, Old Town School of Folk Music and Fine Wine Brokers to support our next "Best Of" print edition.

Several LWN members also donated their gently used books to be auctioned off during our Special Literary Engagement featuring five great readings from five of our talented members, Friday, November 5, 7pm at The Book Cellar in Chicago.

Auction item #1: Two tickets to a preview performance of any of our remaining 2010-11 Season productions.

Chose from:
A Civil War Christmas: An American Musical Celebration by Paula Vogel
Eclipsed by Danai Gurira
Sense & Sensibility by Jon Jory, adapted from the novel by Jane Austen
The Outgoing Tide by Bruce Graham

Northlight Theatre • 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie, IL 60077

Item Value: $110
Bidding starts at $10

**************************************************************

Auction item #2: a Complimentary New One-Year Household Membership to the Old Town School of Folk Music—for New Members Only!

· Membership benefits for one household
· Member price for Group & Private Lessons
· Advance Concert Ticket Purchases
· Member price for Concert Tickets
· 10% off most merchandise in the School's Music Store
· Discounts on Smithsonian Folkways CDs
· Multiple class discount
· Gift Certificate for an Old Town School t-shirt or hat
· $20 Savings on 16-week classes

Old Town School of Folk Music • 4544 N. Lincoln & 909 W. Armitage, Chicago, IL

Item Value: $125
Bidding starts at $5

*************************************************************

Auction Item #3: a Spa Tea Party for six at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park

How would you like to have clear skin, a radiant complexion and a new daily luxury ritual? Gather your friends and learn a simple but effective do-it-yourself facial you can re-create at home using botanically based premium skin care products. Vegan. Free of chemical dyes, fragrances and parabens... you and your friends will learn what to look for when reading labels and how to create your own at-home spa ritual. All guests receive special pricing on any product purchases the day of the party.

Infuse Yoga Spa • 713 W. Wrightwood Ave., Chicago, IL

Spa Tea Party Value: $300
Bidding starts at $10

***********************************************************

Auction Item #4: a 4-Class Package for Yoga Classes at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park

Do you need to relieve tension, get rid of aches & pains, build strength and flexibility, clear your mind, or simply relax? Our boutique Lincoln Park studio is the antidote to the stress of your busy urban life.

Infuse Yoga Spa offers customized yoga experiences designed to assist you in attaining greater peace of well being in a warm, welcoming environment. Class package may also be used for Pilates Mat, Cardio Boot Camp, and Belly Dance and can be shared with a friend.

The class package may also be used for the brand new Late Night Yoga Lounge Friday November 12th or Friday December 10th @ 10pm. An alternative to the same old Friday night social scene. Lounge music, great yoga, candlelight, organic wine sampling.

Infuse Yoga Spa • 713 W. Wrightwood Ave., Chicago, IL

Yoga Class Package Value: $68
Bidding stats at $5

**************************************************************

Auction Item #5: 2 Tickets to Fine Wine Brokers Spirits and Sparklers Event, November 16, 7:30pm

Check out Lincoln Square's Annual Grand Tasting of Champagnes, Whiskeys, Dessert Wines and more…over fifty items will be available for tasting including selections of Scotch, Bourbon, Cognac, Port, Sherry, Madeira, Cava, Prosecco and many other rare treats.

Fine Wine Brokers • 4621 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL
November 16, 7:30pm

Item Value: $80
Bidding stats at $5

***********************************************************

Auction Item 6: A Basket of Several Gently Used Books

Give yourself the perfect excuse to take a break and relax with this wonderful selection of great books…

Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Turkey Hash - Craig Nova
Foreign Land - Jonathan Rabin
Secret Lives of the First Ladies - Cormac O'Brien
Hot, Flat and Crowded - Thomas Friedman
Long Story Short - Flash Fiction Collection
Ishmael - Daniel Quinn
Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan
The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
Mumbo Jumbo - Ishmael Reed
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
Another Roadside Attraction - Tom Robbins
Our "Best Of" 2009 print edition of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

Item Value: PRICELESS
Bidding starts at $3

Join Us for a Special Literary Engagement with LWN Members

2010-10-05T20:53:00.007-05:00

And help raise funds for our next "Best Of" 10,000 Tons of Black Ink print edition

Friday, November 5, 2010
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
$3 suggested donation

The Book Cellar
4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago

This special evening will include several readings by Literary Writer’s Network members, and a silent auction offering many great prizes.

Journalist and Essayist, Kate Hawley, will read an excerpt from her novel in progress, The Bride of Arlempdes. The book weaves together the stories of two families, a 19th-century peasant couple trying to marry off their unusual daughter, and a contemporary family struggling with an unhappy marriage. Kate is a freelance writer who has been published in the Chicago Reader, the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Travel+Leisure Family Magazine and elsewhere.

Northwestern graduate, Willy Nast, will read his short story "Surfing." Stuck in Lily Lake, Illinois, with his pregnant girlfriend, Craig couldn't be farther from surfable conditions. Outside of writing, Willy’s three greatest loves are hockey, boxing, and his retired greyhound Elmo. He is currently working on a book about his hometown of Aurora, Illinois and blogs about writing, although not as nearly as frequently as he should, at www.trustmeimawriter.blogspot.com. Willy studied creative non-fiction at Northwestern University.

Goddard College MFA graduate Kathleen Cecilia Nesbitt, will read an excerpt from her novel Sentencing Silence. In this excerpt, a young newlywed discovers her husband and his friends have ideas that send her reeling. Other excerpts have been published in 20lbs of Headlights and on BigCityLit.com. Her short fiction, prose poetry, and poetry have appeared in Whiskey Island Magazine, No Exit, Clockworks, and Hair Trigger.

Great Books Foundation Editorial Associate Lindsay Tigue, will read her short story "With Love From All of Us." Two sisters navigate loss against the backdrop of a national media event. Lindsay is a marketing and editorial associate at the Great Books Foundation and manages its quarterly magazine, The Common Review. Her fiction has appeared in Monkeybicycle and the Vermont Literary Review. She blogs about short story collections at www.iheartshortstories.com.

Author Sue Fox will read from Little Women of Baghlan, a creative non-fiction account of a Peace Corps volunteer that lived and worked for two years in Afghanistan. Sue has worked as a Registered Nurse, a technical writer and a flight attendant. She plays clarinet in several community ensembles and founded a school-based mentoring program.

Check back for details about the many great prizes offered during our silent auction.

All proceeds will go towards the next print publication of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, which features the strongest pieces published online at www.10ktobi.org.

New Fiction Published at 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

2010-09-18T20:38:00.002-05:00

Read Editor and Contributor Comments Here...

Notes from K. Anne Unger, Editor on Going Down:
In “Going Down” we are trapped with what we first think are two rather despicable characters with absolute utter disregard for each other, its only saving grace the snap retorts and easy banter exchanged between the newly divorced couple. Separately they are both a bit quirky, one having lost his hair in chunks from stress, the other obsessively playing with the missing toe she mistakenly severed. Together they are greatly afflicted by the mere presence of each other, but one thing becomes clear: they respect each other enough to sidestep the sympathetic clichés that such situations create. Instead, they stand their ground, saying exactly what’s on their mind until the very end.

Comments on Terry Sanville’s The Way Things Happen by Ezra Fox, author of Going Down:

The three scenes of Terry Sanville’s “The Way Things Happen” cover a lot of ground. We’re treated to teenagers playing hooky and surfing in the ’60s, estranged 30-something friends dealing with consequences from Vietnam before a wedding, and reconciliation and mortality.

We begin the story thinking that it’s just a coming of age piece with a surfing backdrop. But as soon as that section ends, we jump to a new perspective and we leapfrog over more than a decade of our characters lives, including the entire Vietnam war and meeting the woman that a character’s about to marry. We jump another few decades and our trio is old, and in passing, reference dead parents. But the sting is gone from these revelations because even though it’s the first we’ve heard of it, it’s ancient history.

In the space of 5,000 words, we’ve aged over 40 years with our boys, and the last section is poignant because they’re aware of how many years they’ve lost with each other and how few they might have left. But by this point, the characters and the reader have learned something about life. Time moves quickly, but if you’re with people you like, doing something you love, it might be enough. And even if it’s not, you’re sure not getting any younger. You might as well get back in the water and enjoy the ride.

Read "Going Down" at www.10ktobi.org.

“Don't Let Sixty Rejection Letters Get You Down”

2010-05-18T14:53:00.003-05:00

Interview and News from Lindsay Tigue

Join LWN member Lindsay Tigue for her reading at the StoryStudio Chicago Writers Read Showcase! The reading is Thursday, May, 20, 7:00 p.m., at 42 North Latitude, in Chicago (4500 N. Lincoln in the Lincoln Square neighborhood).

Lindsay is a recent recipient of a partial scholarship to the Bear River Writers' Conference, sponsored by the University of Michigan from June 3-7, 2010, on Walloon Lake in Northern Michigan. Lindsay will have a chance to learn from some of the very best literary teachers today. The conference will feature faculty members Peter Ho Davies, Laura Kaschiske, Thomas Lynch, Elizabeth Kostova, special guest Jane Hirschfield, and more.

Lindsay most recently had her short story, “Collection of Lines” accepted for publication by The Vermont Literary Review, an annual literary journal founded in 1994. The publication is edited by English Department faculty at Castleton State College. “Collection of Lines” will appear in the 2010 issue, which will be available in late summer.

Lindsay is a marketing and editorial associate at the Great Books Foundation, a Chicago-based non-profit publisher and educational organization. She helped edit the anthology Even Deadlier and is on the editorial board for the Foundation's quarterly magazine, The Common Review. Her fiction has appeared in the online literary publication Monkeybicycle. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2007, where she received a second-place Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Literary Prize for fiction.

Lindsay shared with us some insights on writing and editing.

Anne Unger for LWN: When did you first know you were a writer?

Lindsay Tigue: Ever since I learned to read, I have had a thing for words. In third and fourth grade, this interest intensified due to some really great teachers. I remember my fourth grade teacher set a candle in the front of the classroom, turned off the lights and asked the class to describe it. I don't know if that's when I knew, but I think it's significant that I remember that particular assignment and the act of describing something so simple.

LWN: When and where do you like to write? In other words, do you have a writing schedule or a specific place that inspires you, or can you write anywhere, anytime?

LT: I don't have a set schedule. Sometimes I squeeze writing into mornings before work, sometimes nights, sometimes weekend marathon sessions. I write in all sorts of places—my apartment, at my kitchen table, at cafes. This is what everybody says not to do, but I have done some of my best writing in my pajamas, flopped on my bed.

LWN: What is your writing process like?

LT: I revise a lot. It usually takes me several months to a year to get a short story where I want it. To start a story, I find myself making little notes about images or brief phrases in my notebook. Eventually, one of these is the germ of a story. I usually write out the scenes I know and after I have the skeleton, I fill it in from there. I don't outline, but as I go, if I know a scene is coming (but am not ready to write it out), I will put a reminder or a sentence farther down the document. That way I have something to write toward.

LWN: Do you find it challenging to turn the editor off in you while writing? Is also being an editor more helpful or more of a hindrance when writing?

LT: I do find it challenging, but I don't know if this always a bad thing for me. I edit a lot as I go and this seems to work for me.

LWN: What advice can you share with young writers?

LT: What advice can people give me? I am still very much in the advice-collecting stage myself. I guess, based on my experience in the last year, my advice is: don't let rejection get under your skin; it's inevitable. I submitted one of my stories to practically every journal under the sun and was met with countless rejection letters. One day, lo and behold, that little reject story is responsible for my partial scholarship to the Bear River Writers' Conference and was accepted for publication by The Vermont Literary Review. I found out about both pieces of news on the same day. (It was a good day.) I guess, what I am saying is, don't let sixty rejection letters get you down.

To hear Lindsay read Thursday night and to learn more about the line-up, visit StoryStudio Chicago for details. Hope to see you there!

Pick-up 10,000 Tons of Black Ink at your local bookstore

2010-04-15T17:55:00.007-05:00

Our debut "Best Of" 2009 print edition featuring six stories, chosen from more than 30 published in the online version of the magazine, is on sale at various local bookstores.

If you haven’t ordered your copy from us, be sure to pick one up at one of these Chicago-land locations:

The Book Table, 1045 Lake St., Oak Park
The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
Komoda, 2559 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago
Quimby's Bookstore, 1854 W. North Ave., Chicago
Reckless Records, 3161 N. Broadway, Chicago

The cost is $5. You may also purchase a copy via PayPal by visiting our site at www.10ktobi.org, but there is an extra charge for shipping and handling.

Thank you for your support.

Literary Writer’s Network Hosts Reading for Chicago Author’s Debut Memoir

2010-03-23T08:51:00.004-05:00

Literary Writers Network (LWN) will host a special literary engagement featuring Stephen Markley, author of the newly released memoir Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold and Published This Very Book

The book is a no holds barred self-referential account about life and love (and everything in between) and the unending struggle to find your true self in it all. “There are compelling, emotionally resonant passages… a reflection on what it's like to shake loose the influence of a literary mentor, for example, or a best friend's realization of just how much an unplanned pregnancy has changed his life,” said Publisher’s Weekly.

In an interview with LWN, Markley admits, “Mostly, I just want people to enjoy it—to laugh where appropriate and think about the larger stuff when they have time.”

Markley is a Tribune RedEye columnist and blogger, and a commentator for the automotive blog Kicking Tires. His fiction has appeared in the Chicago Reader, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, and in Midnight Times, and he has had articles published in the Populist Progressive, Weber—The Contemporary West, RadarOnline and Private Investigator’s Magazine.

Please join us at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln, Chicago, on March 26, 2010, 7-9 p.m. The evening will include select readings from his debut book, a Q&A with the author, and a book signing. Admission is free.

To learn more about the author, please visit www.stephenmarkley.com.

A Message to All Writers from Stephen Markley, Author of Publish This Book

2010-03-18T20:14:00.003-05:00

"Tearing Down The Walls" promotion by Sourcebooks promises access to a literary agent and a 2-4 paragraph critique of your submission

Unbelievably, I was fed up with the byzantine quest of trying to get a book published. So, I decided to cut to the chase and simply write a hyperkinetic, high-concept memoir about trying to publish a book — Publish This Book (my newly released book to be precise).

So a big part of Publish This Book is about the maddening Kafka-esque nightmare of trying to break through as a writer in the cutthroat world of publishing. Writers spend months, years, and decades crafting a manuscript and honing a book proposal, only to get the standard form rejection letter: "We're sorry, but this does not meet our needs at this time."

Breaking down this wall between the writer and the industry is the idea behind a new promotion by my publisher, Sourcebooks. And yes, as soon as I describe this idea to you, it will sound as if these people have all lost their minds. Here's the gist to the “Tearing Down The Walls” promotion:

You have a novel or a non-fiction book proposal, right? Well all you have to do is buy a copy of Publish This Book (because they are not doing this solely out of the goodness of their hearts) and send in the receipt or order confirmation along with your proposal. Then, in a few months (depending on how many people take them up on this), you will get back a critique written by a Sourcebooks editor or my agent, Julie. The promotion is set to run through May 9th (so get cracking).

Some ground rules:

• A proposal includes a one-page synopsis of your book, along with up to 5,000 words of your manuscript
• Submissions can be sent to ptbsubmissions@sourcebooks.com or for more information you can click here
• This in no way guarantees you a book contract, but trust me when I say that getting any kind of feedback, advice, and/or words of encouragement from the Stalinistic publishing world is an awesome opportunity for any aspiring writer and something I would have given organs for a couple of years ago when I was struggling to find a publisher or agent to look at my book

Again I repeat… getting someone in publishing to respond to your manuscript nowadays is a very big deal and an opportunity I know I would have jumped all over back when I was banging my head against the wall trying to get something published.

Believe me, I'm on your side when I say that Julie, Sourcebooks, and my editor Peter are all insane for taking this on. I told them as much in a recent meeting -- that they have essentially opened themselves up to critiquing every Twilight rip-off and right-wing crank's manifesto (my dad is already madly preparing his!) in all of North America.

So aspiring writers of Chicago (or anywhere), don't waste this chance: buy your copy of Publish This Book, prep your own book, and deluge my publisher.

-- Stephen Markley
Author of PUBLISH THIS BOOK, released Spring 2010 from Sourcebooks

Good Rule of Thumb for All Writers: “Always Be Brilliant”

2010-03-06T12:38:00.011-06:00

Interview with Stephen Markley, author of Publish This Book

Literary Writers Network (LWN) member and author of Publish This Book—a soon-to-be-released memoir about life and love (and everything in between) and the unending struggle to find your true self in it all—Stephen Markley, shares with us his outlook on writing and offers insights into what it takes to be successful. Stephen came to LWN in 2007, soon after moving to Chicago, where he began writing Publish This Book and passing chapters through the LWN writing group for critique. He eventually obtained representation and landed a book deal before the entire project could be work-shopped, but several members promptly critiqued the remaining chapters (nearly the whole second half of the book) outside of the group to help Stephen prepare his memoir for his publisher.

Anne Unger for LWN: So how does it feel to have your first book published just a few years out of college?

Stephen Markley: There’s really no other word for it except “badass.” I’m well aware that writers work their entire lives to get a book into print, and to have leapt over so many hurdles so quickly really has me on a high. It opens up so many doors that were previously locked.

LWN: Publish This Book is part trendy, part intellectual, do you remember how you came up with the book idea?

SM: Desperation mostly. I really had no idea how I was going to achieve this dream of mine but also knew it was all I wanted, and I would be after it until I dropped dead or went insane. I mostly used Publish This Book as a side project while I worked on other things, but then everything started to fall into place.

LWN: What do you hope to leave your readers with or what do you hope they’ll learn from reading Publish This Book?

SM: I have no idea. I think that’s the great thing about “literature.” It’s not just what the writer puts on the page, but also what the reader brings to it. Already, I’ve heard wildly differing opinions of people’s favorite parts. Mostly, I just want people to enjoy it—to laugh where appropriate and think about the larger stuff when they have time.

LWN: It’s easy (and important) for writers to become absorbed in the story they are writing, living with it, feeding it, tending to it, often making it challenging to nurture and maintain most relationships. How do you find that balance in your life while writing?

SM: My problem is I absolutely care about writing more than anything else in my life, and I do sometimes think that has a negative effect on relationships. I’ve thought about it a lot since I got the book contract, but I really do prioritize writing above everything else. I’m sure that’s going to leave me lonely, cynical and miserable at some point, but for now it’s awesome.

LWN: Are you working on another book-length piece? What can we hope to see next from you?

SM: My goal starting out was to be a fiction writer, and that’s where I’m headed next. What I’m working on right now is really weird and might be a Hindenberg-style disaster of a sophomore effort. But then again, you only live once.

LWN: When and where do you like to write? In other words, do you have a writing schedule or a specific place that inspires you, or can you write anywhere, anytime? Any unusual writing rituals?

SM: I hear writers talk about their rituals, but I’ve never really bought into any of that. It is an anywhere, anytime kind of thing for me. A couple of times when I was driving around out west and sleeping in my car at rest stops, I even wrote then. I do like to write late at night—just stay up until four in morning with my laptop, and that’s how I finished Publish This Book--but my day job has made that a tough thing for the last couple of years.

LWN: Any hard or fast rules you adhere to when writing?

SM: Always be brilliant.

LWN: Do you read your work aloud to get it ready for publication?

SM: No. I probably should, but I have a bunch of roommates who would likely use something like that to denigrate my masculinity.

LWN: What are you reading right now? Do you find that you read more or less while writing?

SM: I read all the time no matter what. The only way you can be a writer is just to read non-stop. I try to keep my reading material as varied as possible, and I have a nerdy little system to keep that chugging along. Right now I’m kind of into theoretical physics, which sounds bizarre but is related to the aforementioned weird project. I went back to read Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time.” It’s a total trip, and it’s possible I’m not understanding any of it.

LWN: What advice can you share with young writers?

SM: This is one of those questions that necessitates a bullshit answer because there really is no magic advice. My situation is so anomalous that there is really no lesson to be drawn. My favorite advice ever comes from Conan O’Brien on the last night he hosted the Tonight Show. He said: Work hard and be kind. I think that’s pretty awesome.

Want to hear more from Stephen?

Be sure to join LWN for a special literary engagement with Stephen Markley on Friday, March 26, 2010, 7-9pm, at The Book Cellar, 4736 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. He will read from his newly released memoir Publish This Book, and sign your very own copy following a brief Q&A. The reading is free and copies of the book will be available for purchase.

If you simply cannot wait until March 26th to get your copy and meet Stephen, please join him next Thursday, March 11, for the official release of the book at McFadden’s, 1206 N. State Parkway, Chicago, from 8pm-12am. Stephen will read from his memoir from 8-9pm; an all-you-can-drink special will be offered at $15 per person. To avoid paying a cover charge at the door, mention that you are attending Stephen’s release party. Visit www.StephenMarkley.com for more details.

If you live out of town, but want to get your hands on the book, you can order it through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Special Literary Engagement with Stephen Markley

2010-02-16T16:33:00.004-06:00

Join Literary Writers Network for a Special Literary Engagement with Stephen Markley, author of Publish This Book.

Fed up with the Byzantine quest of trying to get a book published, Stephen Markley decided to cut to the chase and simply write a hyperkinetic high-concept memoir about trying to publish a book—this book, to be precise. Like a mobius strip in book form, the concept is circular, self-indulgent, and maybe, possibly, hopefully brilliant.

Stephen will read from his newly released memoir Publish This Book at The Book Cellar on Friday, March 26, 2010 at 7 p.m. Following a brief Q&A, he will sign your very own copy of Publish This Book.

The reading is free; copies of the book will be available for purchase.

To learn more about Stephen, visit his website at www.StephenMarkley.com.

Auction Items Announced!

2010-02-10T20:50:00.004-06:00

We are pleased to announce the generous gifts that have been donated to 10,000 Tons of Black Ink by Northlight Theatre, Chicago Fire, Infuse Yoga Spa, and The Great Books Foundation to support our debut "Best Of" 2009 print edition. Several LWN members also donated their gently used books to be raffled off at our 2009 “Best Of” Release Party, Thursday, February 11, 7pm at The Book Cellar in Chicago!

Auction item #1: two Gold Section tickets for any night of the week to Northlight Theatre’s production of Hugh Leonard’s Irish classic, A Life, featuring John Mahoney.

As Desmond Drumm nears retirement, his memories come to life, reminding him of the triumphs and tragedies of his youth and prompting him to mend relationships with a childhood friend and the love interest that had charmed them both. But as scenes from the past shed light on the misunderstandings of today, Desmond must realize that his lifelong ability to use his great intellect and acerbic wit as a means of self-defense has come at a cost.

Northlight Theatre • 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie, IL 60077
MARCH 18– APRIL 25, 2010

Item Value: $100 (for both tickets)
Bidding starts at $10

**************************************************************

Auction item #2 & 3: two pairs of Premier Section tickets to Chicago Fire Opening Night at Toyota Park on Saturday, April 10th at 7:30 PM.

Throughout their ten seasons, the Chicago Fire has proven to be a force in Major League Soccer. The Fire have always given fans something to cheer about, winning five domestic titles; four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups and an MLS Cup Championship.

Item Value: $76 for two tickets (one pair of tickets per auction item)
Bidding starts at $10

Please note that the two sets of tickets cannot be combined so that all four tickets holders will be seated together.

*************************************************************

Auction Item #4: a Spa Tea Party for six at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park

Treat your skin with this do-it-yourself facial. Using botanically based premium skin care products, you won't find a drop of the bad stuff in these mud masks and they definitely haven’t been tested on animals. You and your friends will learn what to look for when reading labels and how to create your own at-home spa ritual. All guests receive a $20 product voucher toward purchase.

Infuse Yoga Spa • 2536 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL

Spa Tea Party Value: $300
Bidding starts at $10

***********************************************************

Auction Item #5: a 4-pack class card at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park

Do you need to relieve stress, reduce chronic pain, build strength and flexibility, clear your mind, or simply relax? Our boutique Lincoln Park studio is the antidote to the stress of your busy urban life.

Infuse Yoga Spa offers customized yoga experiences designed to assist you in attaining greater peace of well being in a warm, welcoming environment.

Infuse Yoga Spa • 2536 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL

Yoga Class Package Value: $64
Bidding stats at $5

**************************************************************

Auction Item #6: Seven Deadly Sins Sampler and Even Deadlier Slipcase Set

The popular Great Books Foundation anthology, The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, and the exciting new sequel, Even Deadlier, comes in a handsome slipcase, featuring illustrations by artist Lisa Haney. Includes 28 stories by literary greats and discussion questions that will fuel hours of conversation.

A nonprofit educational organization and publisher in Chicago, the Great Books Foundation has been advancing the reading and discussion of great literature in our communities, schools, and homes for more than 60 years.

Anthology Slipcase Set: $37.95
Bidding stats at $5

***********************************************************

Raffle: a basket of several gently used books

Raffle tickets are $1

Congratulations to Our Contributors

2010-01-19T15:34:00.007-06:00

We wish to extend our sincerest congratulations to our contributors who will be featured in our 2009 “Best Of” 10,000 Tons of Black Ink edition.

"Corners" by Jonathan David Sanchez Leos

"The Long Room" by Willy Nast

"The Church in the Next Town Over" by Craig Greenman

"Blue" by Kelly Marshall

"The Frotteur in the Dark" by Terry White

"Imprisoned with the Dead" by Alan Barstow

… and to our Finalists:

“A Love Began/A Beer Can” by Joseph Riippi

“Tomorrow We Release the Dogs” by Rich Mallery

“The Lost Art of the Horror Story” by Thania Rios

“The Death of Orion” by Benjamin Robinson

Jonathan David Sanchez Leos and Willy Nast will read their stories at our release party.

Be sure to join us...

Thursday, February 11, 2010

7:00 p.m.

The Book Cellar

4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave

Chicago

2009 “Best Of” Print Edition: Advertise

2010-01-16T16:57:00.006-06:00

If you are an arts organization or a writer with a book to promote, or perhaps a workshop or website you want other writers and literary enthusiasts to check out, consider advertising in our literary publication, scheduled for release February 11. Keeping the artists in mind, ad rates are as low as $50 for 1/3 page. There are only a few spaces left, so if you're interested, visit our website for details.

The inaugural print edition of the best of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink will be between 75-100 pages and feature the 6 best stories, chosen from the 30+ featured in the online version of the magazine. There will be 500 copies printed in the initial run, which will be sold online and at select bookstores around the Chicago metro area and suburbs (primarily North side). A second run will feature another 500+, should demand be enough to require it.

In addition to appearing in the 10,000 Tons of Black Ink 2009 “Best Of” edition, advertisers will have their logo posted on our website and be included in promotions that reach more than 2,500 literary Twitter followers, several hundred writers, readers and literary enthusiasts through our e-mail list, plus friends and fans on our Facebook page and blog.

Ad pricing is as follows:
Full Page (4.5” x 7”) - $125
Half Page (4.5” x 3.5”) - $75
Third Page (4.5” x 2.3”) - $50

To purchase an ad or to find out more about our ad specifications, please contact Chad Peterson before Friday, January 22 (the date the book closes) at: petersonartsmarketing@gmail.com.

2009 “Best Of” Print Edition: Pre-Order

2010-01-15T16:09:00.002-06:00

Please show your support and pre-order your copy today!

Cost $5. PayPal: www.10ktobi.org or by check, e-mail kaunger@literarywritersnetwork.org for details.

There will be FREE shipping and handling on all pre-orders placed in the month of January, 2010.

SAVE THE DATE!

2010-01-15T16:08:00.003-06:00

Please Join Us For Our
2009 “Best Of” 10,000 Tons of Black Ink Release Party

Thursday, February 11, 2010
7:00 p.m.

The Book Cellar
4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago

10,000 Tons of Black Ink will release its 2009 print edition featuring the strongest pieces published online during the course of the year. The evening will feature readings from the publication, and will include a silent auction and raffle.

You will have a chance to bid on generous gifts donated by: Chicago Fire, Northlight Theatre, and Bucktown Soup Café, to name a few.

Be sure to come a few minutes early to visit The Book Cellar’s wine bar, serving a variety of wine, coffee drinks, beverages, salads, and sandwiches.

To learn more, please visit www.10ktobi.org.

A Special Literary Engagement

2009-09-09T13:10:00.006-05:00

Please Join Literary Writers Network for a Special Literary Engagement, featuring critically acclaimed Chicago Author Stephanie Kuehnert, on Thursday, September 17, 2009, at 7 p.m. at the Book Cellar, 4736-38 North Lincoln, Chicago.

Stephanie will read from her newly released novel, Ballads of Suburbia, and a brief Q&A with the author will follow. She will also sign copies of her book, which will be available for purchase. To learn more about Stephanie, visit her website at www.stephaniekuehnert.com.

Praise for Ballads of Suburbia…

"....an intensely real and painfully honest novel of high-school anxiety." and "....Kuehnert nails the raw vulnerability of teendom and delivers a hard-hitting and mesmerizing read." - Booklist

"Like an American Beauty for the teen set." - NewCity

"With her first two novels, Kuehnert has created vivid pictures of teenage lives that lie in that borderland that abuts adulthood. It is a fertile, confusing and intense place, and Kuehnert never holds back. But like a good ballad, she keeps the stories taut and precise, with a touch of heart thrown in for good measure." - Chicago Sun-Times

The evening will include brief readings by the following LWN members prior to our featured author:

Stephen Markley, whose first book, Publish This Book, will be released by Sourcebooks in March 2010. Currently he writes for the Tribune Company’s RedEye and the ChicagoNow blog “Off the Markley,” at www.chicagonow.com/blogs/off-the-markley.

April Galarza, a Columbia College Chicago graduate of fiction writing and an associate editor for the literary publication 10,000 Tons of Black Ink.

Nancy Werking Poling, author of Out Of The Pumpkin Shell, released earlier this year. To learn more about Nancy and her book, visit her website at www.nancypoling.com.

The reading is free.

10,000 Tons of Black Ink: Submit!

2009-09-09T12:52:00.004-05:00

Our reading period is about the close! Don’t forget to submit your original unpublished fiction and creative non-fiction by September 15 for our literary publication 10,000 Tons of Black Ink.

All stories published in our online edition in 2009 will be considered for our forthcoming "Best Of" publication. Our annual print edition features the strongest pieces published online during the course of the year.

Visit www.10ktobi.org for complete guidelines.

Seeking New Members for Chicago Writing Group

2009-08-28T12:07:00.000-05:00

Literary Writers Network is now accepting new members to join our Chicago writing group in September. For consideration, please submit your manuscript by September 7, 2009, following the guidelines below:

1) Submissions should be no more than 4,000 words.
2) Story submissions must be complete stories or a novel excerpt that stands alone as a complete story.
3) Please submit your story in electronic form with “writing group submission” in the subject line to chicago@literarywritersnetwork.org by September 7, 2009, with a brief statement sharing any related experience and writing background. Upon receipt, we will send you the group guidelines and questionnaire for membership consideration.
4) Manuscripts should include your name and contact information, including a phone number where you can be reached.

We meet the second and fourth Tuesday evening from 7-9:30pm of every month in Chicago.

LWN is a writing community for intermediate to advance writers to share their work and receive critical feedback in a supportive and nurturing environment and to provide motivation to keep members writing with the goal of getting published.

New Publishing Structure Announced

2009-05-07T19:22:00.003-05:00

We have some good news to share with you. As we were searching for a way to set 10,000 Tons of Black Ink apart from other online journals that also offer an annual best-of print edition, we came up with an idea that as far as we know nobody else is doing… although there are different variations to the new publishing format we’ve adopted. We changed our publishing guidelines so that before an accepted story is posted, the author will be asked to select another published piece on the site and write a short statement about the writing, noting in what ways it might be provocative, insightful, interesting or impressive. The writer’s comment will appear with an Editor’s Note as to why the piece was chosen. In this way, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink strives to promote dialogue between writers, editors and readers and to support the writing community as a whole.

We hope you share our enthusiasm for this new structure and will continue to tell your writing friends about 10K TOBI and also consider submitting your own work. Our reading period is Mar 15 - Sept 15, so there's still plenty of time!

We look forward to reading your work. Happy writing!
10,000 Tons of Black Ink editorial team

A Community for Literary Enthusiasts

2009-02-17T11:17:00.003-06:00

Literary Writers Network relies on the kindness and generosity of those who support the arts. If you are interested in helping promote the various activities of LWN, please e-mail us at volunteer@literarywritersnetwork.org.

Sharing your time and talents with us will help us fulfill our mission in promoting the literary arts and giving new and burgeoning writers a reliable resource to further their professional development.

Roles we would like to fill:

LWN:
Volunteer Coordinator
Marketing Intern/Assistant
Public Relations Associate
Research Assistant
Grant Writer
Producer (fundraisers and literary readings)

10,000 Tons of Black Ink Transitions to an Online Publication with an Annual “Best Of” Print Edition

2009-02-17T10:52:00.003-06:00

We recognize the professional and motivational power resulting from new and emerging writers having their work published, and we wanted to address this need. We decided to transition 10K TOBI to an online literary outlet, which allows us to publish writers more regularly and gives us plenty of great manuscripts (already polished and ready to go!) to choose from when it comes time to design and publish the print edition.

We’ve also changed our reading period from two four month periods to one six-month reading period. We now accept submissions from March 15 – September 15 of each year.

Visit our new 10,000 Tons of Black Ink website at www.10ktobi.org to learn more.

9/30 Prose Show Raffle Announced!

2008-09-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to announce the generous gifts that have been donated to Literary Writers Network by Northlight Theatre, Infuse Yoga Spa and several LWN members to be raffled off at our September 30th Prose Show!

All raffle tickets are just $1.

Raffle #1: two tickets to Northlight Theatre’s production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

What happened the night that Henry Jekyll died? The respected doctor has begun to display alarmingly erratic behavior toward his friends, even as a dark and mysterious figure haunts the city streets under the cloak of the London fog. This fiendishly clever and theatrically innovative new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale is a smart, psychological thriller that reveals the many faces of Edward Hyde.

Northlight Theatre • 9501 Skokie Boulevard Skokie, IL 60077
SEPTEMBER 17– OCTOBER 26, 2008
based on the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
adapted by Jeffery Hatcher
directed by Jessica Thebus

Ticket Value: $100

***********************************************
Raffle #2: a 60-minute Private Yoga or Thai Bodywork session (winner’s choice!) at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park

Do you need to relieve stress, reduce chronic pain, build strength and flexibility, clear your mind, or simply relax? Enter to win a 60-minute Private Yoga or Thai Bodywork at Infuse Yoga Spa in Lincoln Park.

Infuse Yoga Spa offers customized yoga experiences designed to assist you in attaining greater peace of well being in a warm, welcoming environment. View yoga spa offerings online at www.InfuseYogaSpa.com.

Infuse Yoga Spa • 2536 N. Halsted St., Chicago, IL
Session redeemable through December 2008

Yoga Spa Value: $90

***********************************************
Raffle #3: a basket of more than 20 gently used books that includes a copy of the second issue of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink

Our special, one-time edition of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink that includes photography, music and art in addition to short stories by emerging literary artists will top off a basket of gently used books.

Some gently used books include: No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Postcards by Annie Proulx, The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe, Girl Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, Home Town by Tracy Kidder, Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje, The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, Lake Wobegon Summer 1956 by Garrison Keillor, Moral Disorder and other stories by Margaret Atwood, Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman, Summer Sisters by Judy Blume, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy, and The Best American Short Stories of 2004, edited by Lorrie Moore.

Basket of Books Value: Priceless

Special Literary Engagement

2008-09-11T11:13:00.003-05:00

First-ever LWN Members only Prose Show

Tuesday, September 30, 2008
7:00 p.m.

Mercury Café
1505 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago

We’re pleased to present our first reading dedicated to LWN writing group members who will share their original fiction, including:

Stephen Markley, chapter excerpt from his novel "Publish This Book."

Diane Gillette, short story “Unmatched.”

Denis Underwood, short story “Fractured Memories of Hope,” published in the spring 2008 issue of The First Line.

Caela Carter, short story “Carrots or Celery?”

Alex Slagg, short story “Hello, My Name is: PDG.”

April Galarza, chapter excerpt from her novel "La Manda."

Chad Peterson, short story “Groovy.”

Seating is limited, so we encourage you to RSVP for priority seating by e-mailing us at rsvp@literarywritersnetwork.org with the number of literary enthusiasts in your group. A $3 donation is suggested.

Be sure to come a few minutes early to visit Mercury Café’s coffee bar, serving a full array of coffee drinks, beverages, salads, and sandwiches.

Visit the “Readings” section at www.LiteraryWritersNetwork.org to learn more about Prose Show.

Last Call for Submissions!

2008-09-11T11:05:00.001-05:00

Don’t forget to submit your original unpublished short stories by Monday, September 15 for our winter issue of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink!

10,000 Tons of Black Ink features the quality work of fiction and creative non-fiction writers. Our goal is to represent the best of what is freshly pouring from the pens of today’s most talented, creative, and hardworking authors. The passion of emerging literary artists cannot be outdone, and we seek out those pieces that have the mark of love and toil, the stains of sweat and tears, and the touch of brilliance and innovation.

If you would like to contribute to the publication, please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Manuscripts should be an unpublished work of literary or experimental fiction, or creative non-fiction. No genre fiction will be accepted. We do not publish poetry at this time.
2. Manuscripts should not exceed a word length of 5,000.
3. A brief statement that includes writing background should accompany each submission.
4. Complete manuscripts should be submitted electronically in a .doc format to 10KTOBI@literarywritersnetwork.org. Please include “Fiction submission” or “Nonfiction submission” in the subject line.
5. Submissions via mail are acceptable; however, manuscripts will not be returned. Please allow for a longer response time to hard copy submissions. Submissions can be sent to Literary Writers Network, 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, 2735 N. Clark St. #158, Chicago, IL 60614 with SASE for response.
6. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. The author must notify the editor immediately if the story is accepted for publication elsewhere.
7. Please submit no more than two manuscripts during the current reading period (May 15 – September 15)

Through 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, LWN strives to give voices to new and burgeoning literary artists who would normally not have the freedom to stretch their works to the limits of imagination and ingenuity. 10,000 Tons of Black Ink exists to encourage emerging writers to reveal the splendor of their uninhibited creativity, and to share the product of this expression with a diverse audience. Preference will be given to writers whose work has not appeared in a magazine with a circulation over 5,000.

10,000 Tons of Black Ink Number Two Available Now!

2008-08-17T10:00:00.020-05:00

After months of hard work and dedication, the second issue of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink is now available for purchase! The magazine features stories by J.A. Tyler, Christine Boado, Pat Wakeley, Eddie Bonnell, Shawn Rohrbach, and Amanda Leduc.

Number two also features photography by Maggie DeRolf, a comic by Russell Gottwaldt, and design and artwork by Bill Ripley.

But that's not all! We're excited to also feature music from fine Chicago artists in this issue. Maps & Atlases, A Light Sleeper, Rock Falls, Opal Wood, and the Roostarr have all contributed a song to this wonderful package of narrative goodies.

Issue two is now available at the following Chicago stores:

Chicago Comics
2936 N. Clark Street

Laurie's Planet of Sound
4639 N. Lincoln Avenue

Reckless Records
1532 N. Milwaukee Avenue
3161 N. Broadway Street

Quimby's
1854 W. North Avenue

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone Release Party

2008-06-27T08:59:00.007-05:00

We at LWN are happy to report the release of Stephanie Kuehnert’s debut novel, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Stephanie’s novel, described as a raw, edgy, emotional novel about growing up punk and living to tell about it, will be released through MTV books.

As a friend to LWN, Stephanie has read at multiple Prose Shows, and a chapter of her upcoming novel Ballads of Suburbia is featured in issue one of 10K TOBI.

Help Stephanie celebrate her novel’s debut at the book’s release party.

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone Release Party
Beacon Pub
101 Circle Ave, Forest Park, IL 60130
Thursday, July 10
Party starts at 7 p.m.
Reading and signing at 8 p.m.

Here’s a summary to entice:
The Clash. Social Distortion. Dead Kennedys. Patti Smith. The Ramones.

Punk rock is in Emily Black's blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back.

Now Emily's all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn't it lead her right back to Emily?

About Stephanie:

STEPHANIE KUEHNERT got her start writing bad poetry about unrequited love and razor blades in eighth grade. In high school, she discovered punk rock and produced several D.I.Y. feminist 'zines. Stephanie received her MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago. She currently resides in Forest Park, IL. Visit her website at www.stephaniekuehnert.com.

Writers Spotlight

2008-06-18T10:16:00.001-05:00

Ah, the summer. The sun is here, the veggie dogs are on the barbecue, the pools are gleaming and Tom Benz is making a splash! Tom, one of the Chicago writing group’s longest-standing members, graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame. In the last several years, he has had 11 stories published in magazines, including the Timber Creek Review, the Beacon Street Review, the Paumanok Review, Words of Wisdom, Wilmington Blues, Carve, the William and Mary Review, and Pangolin Papers. His story “Satellite View” was recently accepted for the Spring issue of Willard and Maple out of Champlain College in Vermont.

Tom has attended weekend writing workshops at the University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin, and Indiana University. His biggest literary influences are John Cheever, Richard Ford, John Updike, Richard Russo, Michael Chabon and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. His aim is to write fiction that balances serious conflicts with strong doses of irony and humor, in order to represent a proper balance of sadness and joy, and the interplay between them.

Tom lives with his wife and son in Evanston, Illinois and occasionally, on the sublime shore of Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. He has recently finished a novel called Wiler’s Fall about a guy who is forced to look at life from a different angle when his wife has an internet affair, and he loses his copywriting job and becomes a part time reporter for a local column called “Spy on the Town.” Tom is currently seeking representation for this novel. We all wish Tom good luck in finding it the perfect home.

Writer Spotlight

2008-05-17T12:49:00.005-05:00

May was made for Chicago writing group member Robyn Detterline! Robyn has been a writer since before she could write. In kindergarten her book about Snickers the Clown won a prize in the Indiana Young Authors contest. Other selected titles by Robyn from this era include “The Magic Necklace” and “Halloween on 66th Street.” In her teen years her focus switched to poetry and music, and she thought she’d grow up to be a viola teacher or a rock star; however, during her sophomore year her short story “She” won third place in the Project XL contest for high school students. She won 1,000 bucks and the wheels in her brain started turning. In her senior year she completed her first novel, which one day she may actually get back to and turn into a fine young adult book.

Robyn attended Loyola University Chicago and earned her degree in English, with her concentration in creative writing. While at Loyola her fiction and poetry were featured in Loyola’s literary publications. She also “completed” her second novel while in college, which she is still revising, six years later. During her senior year she received honorable mention in the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation’s young adult short story competition, and she also received an honorable mention in the Lorien Hemingway short story competition.

Since her time at Loyola, Robyn cofounded Literary Writers Network. She is an active LWN writing group member, is the managing editor for 10,000 Tons of Black Ink, and has read her stories at various Prose Shows. This month, Robyn’s short story “Other Fish” is featured in elimae magazine.

Congratulations to Robyn for her many accomplishments!

10,000 Tons of Black Ink: For Sale!

2008-04-12T13:11:00.007-05:00

Our inaugural issue featuring authors Gabriel Check, Stephanie
Kuehnert, Jerome Long, Michael Dykstra, and LWN writing group member April Galarza, and artwork by Russel Gottwaldt, Julia Kuhl, Justin Russo, Denise Simon, and Bill Ripley can now be found at these Chicago locations:

Kate the Great's Book Emporium 5550 N. Broadway
Komoda 2559 W. Chicago Ave.
Laurie's Planet of Sound 4639 N. Lincoln Ave.
Quimby's Bookstore 1854 W. North Ave.
Reckless Records 3161 N. Broadway

You may also purchase a copy by emailing us at
info@literarywritersnetwork.org

Thank you for your support.

Writer Spotlight

2008-03-26T14:12:00.007-05:00

LWN is buzzing about writing group member Denis J. Underwood. Denis has been with the group since September 2007, and his dedication and enthusiasm have brought immeasurable value to LWN. This month, Denis' story, "Fractured Memories of Hope," is featured in the spring issue of The First Line, which is available for purchase online and at Quimby's Bookstore in Chicago.

Denis was born in Houston, Texas and raised in the United States and France. The product of a father born in Southern Ohio and a mother hailing from French-Algeria, he grew up spending summers in the wilds of Ohio as well as abroad. Some of his earliest memories are of candlelit dinners in France where master storytellers delivered family chronicles of North Africa.

Denis has written short stories, a screenplay, and he is currently working on completing his first novel. His full-length feature film "Grave Matters" (featured on the Sundance Channel's "24 Frames News") has been in post-production for a few years too many. When he and his childhood friends reunited to make the film, they had no idea how difficult it would be to complete. Whenever possible, Denis enjoys going fly-fishing and experiencing the beautiful places the sport takes him.

Denis’ fiction has appeared in The Paumanok Review, 55 Words, and La Fenêtre, and his chapbook, "Carolina," was published by Wind River Press. LWN is proud to have Denis as a member, and we congratulate him for his many successes.

Prose Show Lineup

2008-03-11T17:36:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday, March 18, LWN will be proud to host the following readers at Mercury Cafe for its Prose Show reading:

Dinah Grossman is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Dinah also studied creative writing at Hampshire College, where her teachers included Michael Lesy and Timothy Westmoreland. A native of rural Maine, Grossman recently relocated to Chicago. Dinah will read her story "Tucson Days."

Robyn Detterline is the cofounder of Literary Writers Network and the managing editor of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink. She studied creative writing at Loyola University Chicago. She enjoys writing and decoding nonsense. Robyn will read her story "Other Fish."

Bobby Zaman is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. A novelist and playwright, Bobby's works include the play “The Palace” and the novel “Armed Against the Night,” which is due for publication in the very near future. Bobby sends his love to his amazing family for their support and unconditional love in spite of everything he's taken them through, and he give his heart, soul, and devotion to his wife Annah. Bobby will read his story "The Tutor."

March 18 Prose Show

2008-02-25T15:57:00.006-06:00

Literary Writers Network will host its first Prose Show literary reading of the year March 18, 2008 at Mercury Café in Chicago. The LWN Prose Show is a collaborative effort by Chicago-area writers and readers interested in promoting literary expression and appreciation for literary excellence.

Please join us!

For priority seating RSVP at rsvp@literarywritersnetwork.org
(include the number of guests)

Prose Show
March 18, 2008
7-9 p.m.

Mercury Cafe
1505 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622

Admission is free; a $3 donation is recommended.

Visit our site for more information.

Accepting New Writing Group Members

2008-01-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

LWN is now accepting new members to join our Chicago writing group in March. For consideration, please submit your manuscript by January 31, 2008, following the guidelines below:

1) Submissions should be between 1,000 and 4,000 words.
2) Story submissions must be complete stories or a novel excerpt that stands alone as a complete story.
3) Please submit your story in electronic form with “writing group submission” in the subject line to chicago@literarywritersnetwork.org by January 31, 2008 with a brief cover letter sharing any related experience and writing background.
4) Manuscripts should include your name and contact information, including a phone number where you can be reached.

Seeking Submissions for March 18th Reading

2008-01-09T08:52:00.000-06:00

Read at our first Prose Show of the year! We are now accepting fiction and creative non-fiction stories up to 3,500 words for our March reading.

For consideration, please submit your manuscript by January 31, 2008, following the guidelines below:

1) Submissions should be no longer than 3,500 words. The writer must be able to present the story in a polished, professional manner in 15-17 minutes or less.
2) The story must be the original work of the writer submitting it and if accepted, will be responsible for presenting the work at the March LWN Prose Show between 7:00-9 p.m.
3) Story submissions must be complete stories or a novel excerpt that stands alone as a complete story.
4) Flash fiction is encouraged.
5) Only one story will be accepted per author.
6) Story submissions are subject to editing for content and (stage) time; the writer may be responsible for making editing suggestions.
7) Submission for the LWN Prose Show does not guarantee participation.
8) Please submit your story in electronic form with “submission” in the subject line to proseshow@literarywritersnetwork.org by January 31, 2008 with a brief cover letter sharing any related experience and writing background.
9) Manuscripts should include your name and contact information, including a phone number where you can be reached.

10,000 Tons of Black Ink is Now Available!

2008-01-05T12:54:00.000-06:00

Our premiere issue of 10,000 Tons of Black Ink features LWN short stories by LWN writing group member April Galarza, authors Stephanie Kuehnert, Jerome Long, and Michael Dykstra.

The issue also features black and white line art by Russel Gottwaldt , Julia Kuhl, Justin Russo, Denise Simon, and LWN’s graphic designer Bill Ripley.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, please e-mail us at info@literarywritersnetwork.org.

We are also still accepting submissions for our second issue. Visit our Web site for complete guidelines.