Author: Caleb J. Ross

  • Blog Orgy Tour stop #18: Planing in the Workshop

    Blog Orgy Tour stop #18: Planing in the Workshop

    Just a few more stops on this crazy marathon tour. This thing has been amazing.

    Today, I get a bit learn-y as I hit Gordon Highland’s (author of Major Inversions) Medialysis blog. In his words, regarding the purpose of Medialysis:

    The idea is to share knowledge, identify and critique trends, stir the muse, and further our professional development. I advise from personal experience, offer tips, tricks, and quickie tutorials, link to items of interest, and just generally pimp stuff I think rocks. With some laughs along the way.

    I play my role with an answer to a question posed of me via Facebook. It’s a writing concern I’ve heard often, so I hope a few people find my answer useful. Paraphrased, “how can I workshop my stories without peeing my pants?”

    After finding out the answer at Medialysis, why not flip back through my previous Blog Orgy Tour stops, and take in the dates for the few remaining stops, here?

  • Blog Orgy Tour stop #17: The Story Junk Binder

    Blog Orgy Tour stop #17: The Story Junk Binder

    Today, Jason Kane is kind enough to have me at his blog. I’ve known Jason for a few years, and have been consistently impressed with his writing. There’s not much of it out there to read, but here’s hoping, fingers crossed and all that, that he starts putting some more out there soon.

    I post over there a bit about my story creation process. There’s even scans from my “junk binder.” Not that said binder contains any secrets, but come on, we’re all voyeurs.

    And don’t forget to check out the rest of the stop, here.

  • Blog Orgy Tour stop #16: this review will fuel me for years

    Blog Orgy Tour stop #16: this review will fuel me for years

    Craig Wallwork, author of the aptly titled Craig Wallwork blog, takes over with this stop, letting me rest for a day. But lucky for you, you beautiful groupie, Craig’s post may just be better than all of mine combined. At least my ego thinks so.

    Click over to Craig’s blog to read a stunning review of Charactered Pieces. This thing make me blush every time I read it (and I read it more this is probably healthy).

    Here’s a taste (read the whole thing at Craig’s blog to know what he means with the swimming analogy):

    It is a great achievement for any writer to see their work in print, but to produce a piece that could, given time, be a significant bit of storytelling of our age, is awe-inspiring. For personal reasons I am indebted to Caleb for allowing me to read his work. Like the boy of twelve years, I jumped into those deep waters with little hope of ever resurfacing the same person, or ever resurfacing at all. I was anxious and fearful of the consequences. And just how being forced under the water allowed me to appreciate the world above it, by the same token Charactered Pieces forced me to take that first breath again after turning that last page with a greater appreciation of life, even if it is flawed and imperfect.

    And don’t forget to check out the rest of the stop, here.

    Lastly, a second printing of Charactered Pieces is in the works! That means almost all 100 copies of the first print-run have been taken in by readers. I want to thank everyone who has purchased and read a copy. Because of you, I feel I may have something good going on here.

    In my possession, I have literally just 3 numbered copies of the initial print run left. I think Amazon.com has a few more too. After that, there will be no more numbered copies EVER! So, if you’re a book nerd like me, and you’d collect abortion pamphlets if they were signed by the author, then order quick.

    From OW Press

    From Amazon.com

  • Caleb’s SNIPPETS OF TOMORROW (01/02/10)

    Caleb’s SNIPPETS OF TOMORROW (01/02/10)

    @Fictionaut, I’ve started a profile. I’m still not entirely sure what the site is all about. But it has the word “fiction” in the url, and I like fiction.

    @JMWW I’m interviewed. We talk about fatherhood, stories, and the reasons behind my lack of manliness.

    @everywhere, all installments of my AUTHOR NOTES series have been posted. Click here for a full list. The AUTHOR NOTES are a series of posts that contain specific extra information about each of the stories in Charactered Pieces. When I get a die-hard fan, this will please him.

    @Prospero’s Books in Kansas City, Charactered Pieces is now for sale. If local, go there to support this fantastic bookstore.

    1800 West 39th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111 { Directions }

    phone: 816.531.WORD · email: info@prosperosbookstore.com

  • Blog Orgy Tour stop #15: a new story, my second about retarded kids

    Blog Orgy Tour stop #15: a new story, my second about retarded kids

    Today is a special day in the Blog Orgy Tour. Not only is this the first stop of the new decade, but it’s a unique stop in that I have a brand new story to offer. The story, “Legs Unwilling,” is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever written. And between this story and an older story, “Petty Injuries,” I might have the makings of a collection of stories built around mentally disabled children. How’s that for a feel-good read?

    I’m quite glad to have Rotten Leaves post this story. The editors, Axel Taiari and Christopher Dwyer are fantastic writers themselves. Stick around the site and check out the other offered fiction.

    The Blog Orgy Tour is winding down. But damn good things are still to come. See the dates, here.

  • Oprah Read This > Oprah, Read This

    Oprah Read This > Oprah, Read This

    The easiest characters are those with baggage included.

    OPRAH READ THIS > OPRAH, READ THIS is a collection of stories that each leverage the name-recognition of other writers to impart a meta-layer of interpretation. These are fictions. The writers are not. Here, we explore the overlap.

    This collection will be live for 11 months: January 2010-November 2010

    Writers include:
    Mel Bosworth/Henry Miller
    Chris Deal/Chinaski/Charles Bukowski
    Christopher Dwyer/Jane Austen
    Paul Eckert/Kurt Vonnegut
    Gordon Highland/Stephenie Meyer
    Nik Korpon/Dexter Morgan
    Caleb J Ross/Sarah Palin
    Kevin Sampsell/Mary Gaitskill
    Richard Thomas/Stephen King
    Nathan Tyree/Tao Lin
    xTx/Stephen King

  • Blog Orgy Tour stops #13 & #14: read “Refill,” and get drunk with Bukowski

    Blog Orgy Tour stops #13 & #14: read “Refill,” and get drunk with Bukowski

    Today is another double-header, sending me from the literary and artistic haven for poets, writers and artists known as Troubadour21 to the subterranean bloke’s room populated by Bukowski, Kerouac, Carver, and Waits known as Bukowski’s Basement (I think Bukowski contributes more than is 1/4 of the rent to get his name on the sign).

    At Troubadour21, a full story from Charactered Pieces is posted. This one called “Refill,” which originally appeared in the now defunct Green Muse Review. This story is a personal one, semi-autobiographical, yet despite what that description implies, it isn’t boring.

    Over in Bukowski’s Basement, I talk a bit about my secret dream of being a barstool stereotype. It’s not secret anymore. The post also acts as the final installment of my Author Notes, this one about the non-fiction piece, “A Chinese Gemini.” Fitting, the piece spends some time in a bar.

    The Blog Orgy Tour is winding down. But I promise that these final days just might be the best. I’ve got an AMAZING review coming from Craig Wallwork’s blog; a bit on my note-taking process at Jason Kane’s blog; I help some writers at Medialysis; I promote scribbling in books at LitDrift; I have a top five list at Deckfight; and last A FULL WEEK OF FREEDOM BLOGGING AT 3AM MAGAZINE. Click here for links to all the upcoming stops.

    You want to be a part of it all. Contact me. I’ll swing by and mess up your blog, too.