Category: Writers – Steve D’Adamo

Trump’s Next Business Venture Might be Terrifying

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Storytelling, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments
trump
http://i.imgur.com/kUBrvUP.jpg

Okay, so I’m writing a Trump post. How original. But bear with me for a moment, because I had a crazy idea last week that has sounded less crazy in my head the more I’ve let it simmer.

The last couple of weeks have seen the addition of two eyebrow-raising figures to Trump’s inner circle. Roger Ailes, the former founder, chairman, and CEO of Fox News, joined Trump as an “advisor”, and no one can seem to figure out what the hell he’s supposed to be “advising” for Baby Hands. Then, Stephen K. Bannon, the chairman of Breitbart News, was appointed as the chief executive of Trump’s presidential campaign.

These alliances aren’t really surprising on their surface. Fox News jumped on the Trumpwagon as soon as it realized that Cruz just wasn’t quite sensationalist enough for its brand, and Breitbart is what Fox News would be after a two-month coke binge followed by a one-month molly bender, just to take the edge off. Both have leveraged Trump’s celebrity to push ad revenue (along with CNN, NBC, and every other news outlet), and Trump has leveraged them to incite his mostly white, mostly male, mostly bigoted, mostly paranoid support base into a fever pitch of borderline American Fascism.

So why are these appointments important or at all relevant beyond Trump’s ongoing media frenzy? Continue reading “Trump’s Next Business Venture Might be Terrifying” →

Short Story Update – The Deadline is Coming!

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Storytelling, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

So I’m pretty sure I mentioned last week that I’m working on a short story to submit to an online litmag contest this month. Right? Yes, here!

Five on the Fifth‘s submission deadline for their short fiction contest is looming rather large on August 31. I currently have about 1,500 words of a first draft, with a pretty clear idea of how I will set up the final act and conclude the story. I think my submission will end up finishing around 2,500 words, but I’ve been known to miscalculate projected word counts in the past. Continue reading “Short Story Update – The Deadline is Coming!” →

Writing Lesson #37: Writing Consistently is about Balance

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Storytelling, Writers - Steve D'Adamo2 Comments

Lesson #37 from finishing my first manuscript: Try to find that balance.

Accomplishing anything effectively is about balance. Finishing the first draft of The Warden of Everfeld: Memento over the last few months was a bit tiresome. I had not met my monthly writing goals since the end of NaNoWriMo 2015, and I was constantly falling behind – according to my own exceedingly high standards. I just wanted it done, but I didn’t always have the motivation or the willpower to just sit down and write.

Continue reading “Writing Lesson #37: Writing Consistently is about Balance” →

Strange Birds + Grandpa vs. Prowler + Dead Sara = The Best Rock Show I’ve Ever Seen

On By Steven D'AdamoIn Reviews, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment
Dead Sara - Ottobar, Baltimore, 8/5/16
Dead Sara – Ottobar, Baltimore, 8/5/16

Ottobar in Baltimore is not a large venue, but it is the perfect venue to see three high-energy bands leading up to Dead Sara, who have rapidly become one of my favorite bands. Continue reading “Strange Birds + Grandpa vs. Prowler + Dead Sara = The Best Rock Show I’ve Ever Seen” →

What is that Novel Really Worth?

On By Steven D'AdamoIn On Storytelling, Writers - Steve D'AdamoLeave a comment

Now that The Warden of Everfeld: Memento is officially past the stage of being just a collection of ideas and dreams locked away in my brain and/or on a flash drive, it’s time to start thinking about it in terms other than its qualitative worth. Yes, I am of course talking about money and its necessary attendants: marketing and business — the collective bane of artistry, creativity, and human-made beauty in the world.

Because when we talk about publishing, that’s really what we mean: the promotion and sale of a piece of work. As writers, we tend to lean on the adage that the writing of a novel is its own reward, and that any material gain that comes of it is a bonus. Luckily, most of us are telling the truth when we say this. Continue reading “What is that Novel Really Worth?” →