MAURICE BROADDUS: Five Things Learned Editing STREETS OF SHADOWS

by darkheroicfantasy

From the editors of Dark Faith, Maurice Broaddus and Jerry Gordon, comes a collection of 

supernatural crime noir.

You think you're safe. What a joke.

You don't think about the places you pass every day.

 The side streets. The alleys.

 The underbridges.

 All you'd have to do is take a step to the side.

Then you'd know.

The streets are filled with shadows.

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I have known Maurice for quite a long time, more through email correspondence back in the day, and then actually meeting the fine gent this last September at IMAGINARIUM 2014 in Louisville Kentucky. Maurice was always friendly across the wires, and meeting him in person, and sitting in on a few author panels listening to what he had to say on topics about Steampunk (his work in the genre would be called SteamFUNK) and other literary tidbits, all I can say is Mr. Broaddus is a fine and talented human being through and through.

I hear Mr. Broaddus had a piece in ASIMOV DIGEST February 2014. How cool is that?! Way cool!

PJW Dec 2014

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1. Know where to begin.  

I remember being in a workshop led by Mort Castle.  I’ll never forget how after reading my story he said “That’s some good writing, but you know that your story doesn’t begin until page three, right?”  It was a tough lesson to learn, but I am reminded often of that lesson often in the slush pile.

2. I’ve seen that before.  

Sometimes it was the story, sometimes the characters, sometimes the setup.  I want a new experience, a fresh take, something I haven’t seen before.  Something only that writer could have written.

3. Bring “you” to the party.  

Most story ideas have been done, so in a lot of ways what differentiates the story is your particular voice.  Your authorial voice is what you bring to the party:  your worldview, your style, your sense of characterization and storytelling.  If anyone could have written it, it will read like a generic story.  I want to be able to pick a story out of a lineup.

4. Cut, cut, cut.

Yes, we’re paid by the word, but make sure they are good words.  Each. Word.  Counts.  Extra scenes, extra paragraphs, extra words, extra anything … if they don’t add to the story, get rid of them.  Keep the story as tight as possible.

5. Stick the landing.

  

I read a lot of stories that opened great and showed great promise throughout.  It was at that magical ¾ point that I found myself praying “please stick the landing.”  There’s nothing more disappointing than investing your time and energy into a story only to get to the end and go “That’s it?”  End well.

Author Bio

You have to go here and see what this talented individual is about: Mr. Broaddus's full bio. Trust me, you'll enjoy it.

Links

Streets of Shadows (Amazon)

Streets of Shadows (Alliteration Ink Press)

Website

Twitter

Maurice Broaddus and I at IMAGINARIUM 2014