Category: Fiction (Page 4 of 7)

Happy Birthday “Gerald Barkley Rocks”!

December 18, 2019 /

Cover designed by Nathan Rumsey

One year ago, I published my first novel. It’s called Gerald Barkley Rocks.

Most writers have soft spots for their first book. I certainly do. It’s the summation of a hell of a lot of work, not to mention the tangible proof that yes, you are indeed a writer. Plus, even non-writers can’t resist seeing their names on books.

So yes, I have a soft spot for Gerald Barkley Rocks—or GBR, as I’ve come to call it, since three-letter names are hot right now. But that certainly doesn’t mean I think it’s perfect.

In fact, in honor of its one-year birthday, I’m going to mercilessly criticize GBR. Well, maybe I’ll show a little mercy. I’ll give credit when it’s deserved. But overall, I’m hoping this might be a fun and educational critique, both for you and me.

Be warned: If you haven’t read the book yet, please consider doing so before reading this blog post. Onward!

Side I

GBR is separated into four parts, which I call “sides,” so named to mimic the four sides of a vinyl double album. I pushed the metaphor even further by renaming the chapters “tracks,” as in tracks on a record. (You might’ve also noticed that each track’s title corresponds to a song by Black Cat Waltz.) I thought it was a cool meta-metaphor then and I feel the same way now. Good job, former self.

Unfortunately, Track 1 starts off slow. It performs its function well enough by introducing our main character and a few conflicts he’ll explore throughout the novel. And yes, there are some decently funny lines (“tall mocha latte swirl”). But I wish I’d found a more exciting way to begin the book. Two dudes sitting in a doctor’s office discussing blood leaking from orifices is not exactly a thrilling opener.

Things pick up in the elevator when the man in the red coat appears. I think I did a nice job connecting him with Barkley’s illness and the music of Black Cat Waltz. It’s a quick scene that suitably unsettling, both for the main character and, I hope, the reader.

The book doesn’t really heat up until Track 2 (This is when Barkley arrives at the scene and meets Carmen for the first time.) I must say, the writing is sharp here. If you’ll allow me to pat myself on the back, I feel I provided a detailed description of the scene and established several important plot points, all economically and elegantly. Carmen Fowler’s first scene in particular has some nice dialogue…

…But, that brings me to one of my main criticisms: Why does Carmen like Barkley? To be honest, this was a question most beta readers asked me when reviewing my manuscript. They didn’t understand why a Hollywood actress would have any interest in an old, glum, and mostly boring detective on the verge of retirement. Honestly, I myself had the same question, even after reading the finished product.

To be fair, I did try to answer said question in the following passage. Carmen begins it (and note, Barkley doesn’t yet know her name).

“Ever since my husband passed I go for walks at night. Can’t sleep. A few times I caught Julian out wandering and we chatted.”

“I’m sorry.”

“About the chatting?”

“About your husband. My wife passed a while back, so the sleeplessness…I get it.”


Unexpectedly, the woman reached out and squeezed Barkley’s hand. “Stay strong, detective. You’re not alone.”


Barkley wasn’t so sure about that, but it was kind of her to say so.

This is better than my earlier drafts, but it’s still a problem, even in the final one.

Rounding things out is the first of the “Hidden Tracks.” Again, going with the vinyl terminology, a hidden track is a song that isn’t listed on the sleeve but appears on the record nonetheless. A great example (and one of the first) is the song “Her Majesty” from The Beatles 1969 classic Abbey Road. It plays about almost 20 seconds after the alleged final track, though it’s not listed on the actual sleeve.

I went for a similar effect with the Hidden Tracks in my book. They’re additional pieces that add color and flavor to the narrative, though they break the book’s point of view and don’t occur during the present timeline. There are three Hidden Tracks, one at the end of each side except the fourth and final. And I’m happy to say, all three work well.

The first Hidden Track is my second favorite. Young Julian Strange’s midnight prophecy is pretty cool, and it hints at the concept of Deaths without outright explaining them. Plus, it hints at supernatural events to come.

Side II

We begin with Track 4, entitled “Sing Us a Song (But Not That One).” Here I think I did a decent job setting up the mystery. The fairy-tale inspired record store is a solid setting and Francisco Jones is a weird character. My main gripe with myself is the “Song of Eggs and Semen” bit.

I remember agonizing over the name of the song for months. I wanted a title that described the song’s purpose (offering new life) yet also made readers laugh. “Song of Eggs and Semen” was meant to be a placeholder, but I simply couldn’t come up with anything funnier. Sometimes you just run out of time and need to write something, even when you know it’s not the best answer.

Another misstep: my heavy-handed symbolism with the color red. For example, in the next track, “Love is for Strangers,” when Barkley and Carmen run into each other at Trader Joe’s, this happens:

They stood there in the aisle, just staring at each other. Cans of stewed, diced, and whole tomatoes waited silently beside them.

A swing and a miss at subtlety there.

However, this side wasn’t a total failure. Nicks proved to be as fun a supporting character as I remember him being. He plays a strong foil to Barkley and has some hilarious dialogue, such as this exchange:

“Hello. Is this Gerald Barkley?”


“Yeah. Who’s this?”


A pause on the other end. Then the voice said, “This is Julian Strange.”


The sound of Barkley’s world dipped out. His lips moved but formed no words. The message made it to his mind clear enough—it was just that his mind wasn’t accepting it. “I…this…it can’t be.”


A moment’s pause. Then a giggle, which turned into a laugh. “Nah, just fuckin’ with you. It’s Nicks.” Nicks. Detective Nicks. His second on the case. “Ha. Did I scare you?”


“Jesus Christ, man.”


“Yup, he’s here too. Let me put him on.”

Next comes Track 6: “Janine.” Honestly, I debated whether or not to keep her scenes. Though powerful, I worried their separation from the main plot made them extraneous. Ultimately, I decided to keep them. I’m glad I did.

Barkley’s conflict with Janine moved me. I think I succeeded at presenting a compelling case for both sides of the argument. I also feel the dialogue conveys grief without verging into melodrama.

The next Hidden Track, “A Night with Black Cat Waltz,” remains my favorite part of the novel. I’ve gotten similar feedback from many readers. I think it’s well-written, thrilling, and delightfully surreal. Furthermore, it serves as a keystone for the entire book. As we later discover, Barkley actually appears in this scene (even though we don’t know it’s him). It also offers a big clue about Strange’s late-night visitor. Third, this scene is the closest look at Julian Strange we ever get (while he’s still human, at least).

Also, on an adult note, a few readers noticed the constant references to Julian Strange’s—cover your eyes, kids—penis in this book. Yes, that was intentional. It’s my way of making fun of old rock stars. That’s because, and forgive me for being vulgar, classic rock is basically dick music.

Rock’s lyrics are laden with sex and macho bravado, which is simultaneously one of the genre’s signatures and most problematic elements, especially in a modern context. Some examples:

  • In Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Robert Plant shrieks, “I’m gonna give you every inch of my love.”
  • Humble Pie has a song entitled, “One Eyed Trouser Snake Rumba.” One of the lyrics goes, “I got the key and you got the door.”
  • The Doors’ “Light My Fire” is pretty obvious in its symbolism.
  • AC/DC’s “Go Down” doesn’t even try to hide what it’s about.

And the list goes on. I’m not telling anyone anything they didn’t already know. But since Gerald Barkley Rocks is a comedy at heart and meant to poke fun at its subject matter, I made constant references to Julian Strange’s love gun (as Albert King might call it). Seemed like a fitting joke.

Side III

This side is the shortest in the book (just two tracks), but covers important ground. First of all, it explains Deaths and how they work. Barkley confronts the man in the red coat, and this is the explanation he gets:

“You all have your own Deaths,” the man continued. “We go where you go, for your Death is with you from the day you’re born. And when you are done—and I mean done, done—we take you. Yet usually we go unnoticed.”


“What does that mean?”


“It means each Death is a stranger. It means those who are dying do not notice their Deaths until they are very near the very end. And you’ve noticed me, Gerald Barkley.”

Readers, on the whole, seemed to dig the concept of Deaths. A few even remarked that it felt like something Stephen King might devise, which of course made me blush. Maybe I’ll come back to this concept in the future.

The other important detail from this side: A closer look into Carmen and Barkley’s relationship. I still don’t get why they started dating, but this is where I’m glad they did. Infinite, the restaurant that never closes, is one of my most cherished settings, both because I think it’s a fun concept and because it speaks to the broader theme of the book: the natural yet unattainable desire to live forever.

Of course, I did notice some overwriting. For example, this:

There was no bar music, either—just euphonious and presumably urbane conversation.

“Euphonious,” eh? That feels like I hit up the closest dictionary for a big word. Not my finest moment.

Fortunately, I recovered somewhat with the karaoke scene. Another fun setting here: some weird bar infused with a sci-fi vibe. The drink called “Qui-Gon Gin” is perhaps the best pun I’ve ever devised. And Barkley’s failure to sing works as a nice dramatic moment, plus sets him up for success at the end.

Then comes the William Shakespeare revelation, which I’m still conflicted about. As a refresher, Barkley gives Carmen a gift, which happens to be a Black Cat Waltz album with her picture on it. Shakespeare’s on there, too, and Carmen identifies him as Strange’s visitor on the night he died.

I needed a breakthrough on the case and this seemed to work decently well. On the other hand, as noted by my writer friend Levi Jacobs, the protagonist doesn’t find this breakthrough clue. Rather, it falls into his lap. Yes, this does feel like a flaw in the story. Readers want active protagonists who solve problems, not those who stumble upon answers by mistake.

Another Hidden Track follows this one, and is perhaps the most experimental of the three. It’s a script for a VH1-style music documentary chronicling the downfall of Black Cat Waltz. I feel I achieved the effect I aimed for, plus offered some insight into the band’s inner-workings, along with Julian Strange’s mental state prior to his death.

Side IV

Strange’s funeral is an okay scene, though not one of my favorites. It’s kind of whacky and hearkens back to their Nebula Lounge show in the second Hidden Track, but feels a bit more tame than I wish it could’ve been. Wish I’d written it as a more raucous affair. And then we come to Warren Wilder.

The issue with Wilder, I think, is that it’s pretty obvious he’s not dead. Readers might not necessarily make the connection that he’s the mysterious visitor, but I certainly doubt they believe my attempts to make him seem unimportant (for example, when Nicks claims, “[Wilder’s] probably dead and rotten.”

The encounter with Wilder works well enough, though. He’s pretty funny in a weirdo way, and I always enjoy writing in an old English style.

Then comes Track 12, when Barkley and Strange finally meet. It’s certainly one of my favorite scenes, especially this monologue from Strange (who’s now a kitten):

“And yet [being Julian Strange] brought me no happiness.” The kitten batted its gopher toy, watched it roll away. “At times I found it, but never for long. I’ve been searching for eons. In one life I fought for Jerusalem. In another I was accused of witchcraft. I was an American soldier who stormed the beaches of Normandy. I saw the last of the wooly mammoths wither and die away. I farmed the land in the time of the Song dynasty. I was a Mayan astronomer whose name time forgot. I was Robert Johnson. I was Cleopatra. I was Judas and Brutus both. I was Julian Strange, born Johnson Henry Mudge. I’ve lived many lives, yet never have I felt content. Maybe shitting in a litter box will change all that.”

Finally, we have the final scene. I tried not to be too obvious, though I hope that didn’t leave the result too vague. Barkley’s Death leaves him alone because he’s finally found something to live for. Then come the final lines of the book, which work smashingly, if I do say so myself…

Barkley and Carmen took their bows. Then he kissed her, and she kissed him back, and that got an even bigger hand. The crowd chanted one word, over and over.

“Was it bad?” Barkley asked.

“Terrible,” Carmen answered. “Do you hear what they’re saying?”

A smile parted his lips. “Is it…?”

And Carmen laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world. “I think they’re calling for an encore.”

Overall Thoughts

It’s interesting—at times, Gerald Barkley Rocks feels like a rote detective novel. We’ve got a down-on-his luck L.A. cop investigating the murder of a famous person. Yet at other times the book gleefully breaks that mold. For example, Barkley is a decidedly unglamorous main character, plus there’s a ton of supernatural crap happening. And, as it turns out, our murder victim wasn’t even murdered.

I’d give Gerald Barkley Rocks three out of five stars. It has a flawed romantic plot, a rather pedestrian setup, and a protagonist who sometimes fails to be likable or compelling. But I believe the book makes up for those shortcomings with solid themes, intriguing supernatural elements, and a strong ending. Plus, I feel I earned extra points with an innovative structure and daring side stories.

I know, I’m biased. But if you’ve gotten this far, I hope you’ve enjoyed this article. Also, as a thank you, please try this code on Barnes & Noble Press:

BNPBIRTHDAY

Use it between 12/21/2019 and 12/29/2019 to get 50% a hardcover version of GBR.

Happy Birthday, Gerald Barkley Rocks! Hope I didn’t hurt your feelings too bad.

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about coffee.

My Takeaways from NaNoWriMo

December 9, 2019 /

I lost NaNoWriMo.

But don’t feel bad for me—it was a loss by forfeit. And, odd as it may sound, I think it was the right decision.

To recap, I was working on a project entitled Short Contracts. It’s a book about a professional athlete who has underperformed thus far in his career and is trying to start fresh on a new team. The wrinkle is, he plays an invented sport in an epic fantasy world.

I still love the concept. I still love this character, whose name is Four-Leaf, by the way. But while writing Short Contracts for NaNoWriMo, I realized a couple things. First off, this isn’t the story I’m meant to be writing right now. Second, I need to stick to my process.

First point’s first. I did extensive outlining for this story (I’ve found I need these more and more, at least to get started). I had clear answers to who, what, when, where, and why. And yet, as is often the case, things changed when I started writing.

This manuscript was unruly. It didn’t do what I wanted it to do. Though I knew my general story arc, individual chapters seemed to meander on and on without settling on a point. And some characters (the coach of Four-Leaf’s new team being the best example) I simply didn’t know well enough to write. In fact, most of my character work felt uncertain, even for Four-Leaf.

For example, if you read my post from the beginning of last month,  you’ll remember that Four-Leaf used to be a female character. As I wrote, I decided to switch her gender and alter her conflict. Four-Leaf’s head coach, a dude named Harp, also swapped genders. I wrote about 20k words with four point-of-view characters, then started over and scaled down to just these two.

As you can see, I had no idea what I was doing. It felt like walking up a downward escalator: so much work to get nowhere.

Now that’s all understandable for the first few thousand words of a manuscript. You often need time to meet your characters, get a feel for what they do and say. But the moment of revelation never seemed to come, no matter how many words I wrote.

That I suppose I could take. But the worst part of it was this: I wasn’t having fun. I didn’t like these characters because they simply weren’t coming together, no matter how many words I packed in. After about Day 20, I thought, Why do this if it’s not bringing me joy?

The pace of NaNoWriMo didn’t help, either. When writing a manuscript, it’s important for me to read what I’ve written throughout the process. This helps me keep characters and plots consistent while also reminding me that even though it’s a first draft, I’ve done some decent work. By trying to cram 50k words into a month, I didn’t have time for that. All I had time for was new words. No time to edit, no time to reflect on what I’d written.

So I stopped. I realized that Short Contracts is not the book I’m meant to write right now. I moved on.

All told, I ended the month at just north of 40k. Of course, 50k is just a benchmark and not really the point of the month. The point is just to write. However, I’d set the goal of 50k for myself, so it was disappointing to fall short.

Yet I think I learned a valuable lesson: Sometimes you have a story you want to write, but you’re just not ready to write it. I’m not sure why this is and I’m certain the reason varies, but for me, I hadn’t found the right characters for the world I’d created. I’m sure they’ll introduce themselves some day, or maybe I’ll go track them down. For now, I’m moving on from Short Contracts.

But rest assured, I shall return. I’ll come back to the world of epic fantasy sports. In the meantime, I’m on to a new project. So far, I’m happy to say it’s going much better.

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about coffee.

Literary Necromancy: Resurrecting Your Dead Manuscript

November 18, 2019 /

Necromancy is generally frowned upon.

People freak out when the White Walkers do it. Sauron took the name “Necromancer” and that seemed to bother some folks. Dr. Frankenstein practiced the art, albeit a bit more scientifically. Even Jesus kind of did it, but he’s Jesus so it’s cool. Otherwise, most would probably tell you that the dead should stay dead.

But what about dead books? I mean those novels that we write, bury, and forget about, the ones that Stephen King calls “trunk novels.” Sometimes we think about them again. Sometimes not.

The question I’d like to answer is this: How can we bring a dead novel back to life? Bust out your Necronomicons, people. We’re about to do some work.

1. Ask Yourself: What has Changed?

Zombie

A simple question, but a necessary one. What’s changed between now and the time you initially wrote your manuscript? Ostensibly, it must’ve been something big.

In my estimation, the best possible answer is that you’ve resolved a plotting issue that had previously held you back. Many novels sputter out and die simply because we can’t figure out what happens next. If we do so posthumously, that’s an excellent reason for a posthumous reexamination.

Alternatively, you might’ve decided that you’re better equipped to tell your story than when you first conceived of it. I’ll give you an example. Referring back to the aforementioned Stephen King (a fan of necromancy himself—cough, Pet Sematary, cough), he’s performed the art with many of his many books. For example, he first conceived of the novel 11/22/63 way back in 1971, even before his first novel was ever published. Yet he decided to bury the idea, resurrecting it only when he found time for the requisite research and developed the literary talent needed for such a book. Same goes for his novel Under the Dome; King first began writing it in 1972, yet let it die. It was reborn again in 1982, then died again. It was reborn a third time in 2009, and that turned out to be its final form.

2. Now Fix It

Now comes the hard part. As the necromancer, it’s your job to remedy the issue that killed your manuscript in the first place.

Sometimes this process comes easy. And since you already performed step one, you have a good idea what needs to change. Concentrate on fixing those elements so that your novel’s reincarnated form is better than its previous one. We want dung beetle to human, not dung beetle to worm.

During the editorial process, you might find that these fixes require huge edits. If you’re willing and able to do the work, this can payoff bigtime. For example, about three years ago I began a manuscript entitled Who the Hell is Julian Strange? May it rest in peace. It was a story about a rock and roll singer named Julian Strange who suddenly and spontaneously returns from death (a novel fitting for this blog post). Moreover, it was about the supporting characters whose lives were changed by this supernatural event. One such character was a self-pitying Los Angeles detective named Gerald Barkley. A man of no particular importance.

Despite a promising beginning, Who the Hell is Julian Strange? died a few months into its life. The characters felt uneven and the plot didn’t seem right. Ultimately, the manuscript itself wasn’t ready for life.

Years later, while searching for something to submit to my writer’s group, I exhumed the corpse of Who the Hell is Julian Strange? Oddly enough, my interest was drawn not to the titular character, but instead to the self-pitying detective, Gerald Barkley. I wanted to know more about this guy. What happened in his life that made him so glum? And, I wondered, could he be redeemed?

The second-coming of my manuscript is entitled Gerald Barkley Rocks. It’s available on ebook, paperback, and hardcover now. Find your copy here.

Anyway, my point is this: let the necromantic process take you where it will. Once you’ve committed to reanimating the corpse of your manuscript, follow the new version wherever it leads you. You’ll find it takes you in all sorts of delightful and unexpected directions.

3. Finish It

I met a zombie once who told me this: “The only thing worse than dying once is dying twice.” The same goes for our manuscripts. Once we commit to necromancy, we should stick with it.

Why? The answer is simple enough. It takes time! You could easily spend that time on a new idea, one that smells better and has fewer maggots crawling all over it. So if you’ve chosen the dead manuscript over a living one, make that time worthwhile. Don’t let your dead ideas die again.

In Conclusion

In some worlds, reviving the dead might be frowned upon. But hey. We’re writers. It’s okay for us to do it, so long as we identify issues, fix them, and finish the process.

You’ve got the skills. Now go do some necromancy.

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about coffee.

Let’s Get Ready for NaNoWriMo

November 1, 2019 /

NaNoWriMo

It’s been a full two years since I last participated in National Novel Writing Month. Time to change that.

This year, I’d like to give you a sneak peek at my project. I’ll start with a preview post here, then a halfway mark review around November 15th, then a final roundup post at the end of the month.

Why? First, to shamelessly plug my book in the hopes that you’ll someday buy it. Second, I’m excited about this story and I want to share it with cool readers like you.

Sound good? Let’s begin.

First, What is National Novel Writing Month?

Every November, millions of people across the world set out to write a 50,000-word novel manuscript. Since it’s a bit of a mouthful, most people call it NaNoWriMo. (Always makes me think of “BiMonSciFiCon from The Simpsons.)

If you average it out, that means one needs to write an average of 1,666 words each day to hit the goal. That’s definitely a lot of writing and there’s little wiggle room. It helps to plan ahead, so here’s my plan.

The World

The working title for my book is Short Contracts. I don’t normally dig the “this meets that” plot pitch, but in this case, I’m using it anyway. My book is Moneyball meets The Lord of the Rings. Let’s start with the LOTR elements.

The dark lord figure has been an archetype of epic fantasy ever since Tolkien. It’s usually a character who appears infrequently on the page but whose influence is felt nonetheless. The dark lord wants to conquer the world, usually by means of vast armies. The central purpose of the book is often to defeat this character.

We’ve seen enough dark lords in fantasy to last a lifetime. Sauron, Lord Voldemort, The Crimson King…there’s no shortage of them. Rather than create my own, I’ve instead shifted my focus to the postmodern. More specifically, I’ve always wondered what happens in these worlds after the Dark Lord has been defeated. In the world of Short Contracts, it’s the introduction of professional sports.

Instead of football or soccer or cricket or something (how do you even score that last one?), the sport of this world is called Questing. Questing is a sport meant to carry on and commemorate the legacy of those brave adventurers who defeated the Dark Lord of this world. There were five in the party who defeated him, and so there are five possible positions for players to play.

I actually previewed this world in “A Good Fit in Penbluff City,” a short story from my collection Monsters at Dusk. Here’s a snippet about Questing:

“Questing, for those who don’t know, is a simple game. Ten players on the field, five on each team. Teams vie to score the most points over a 60-minute period (divided into four 15-minute quarters). A team earns 25 points for disarming an opposing player, 50 points for recovering the Hidden Artifact, and 75 points for slaying the Beast. (The Hidden Artifact is a small object that’s, yes, hidden somewhere on, in, or within the field. The Beast differs depending on the field, though they’re all large, nasty, and temperamental.)

“If that sounds like a dangerous sport, it is. Players have heads bumped, bones broken, limbs severed, even lives lost. Fortunately for them, the day’s advanced magical techniques reverse most of these injuries, sometimes even the fatal ones. Sometimes.”

So those are the rules and stakes of the game. It’s a sports drama as told in an epic fantasy setting (with a strong element of humor, of course).

I realize I’m being a bit cagey with the plot, so here it is in greater detail.

The Inspiration

Take a trip back in time with me. The year is 2014. I’m a senior at Ithaca College and I’m enrolled in a course called Advanced Writing for TV. The assignment: write a script for a 60-minute original TV pilot.

The film Moneyball had released just a few years prior. I found a discount DVD of the movie at the Target on Triphammer Road (remember DVDs?) and had been showing the film to friends whenever possible. The idea of a sports film, particularly one that delved into the transactional aspect of sports, was fresh in my mind. So I decided to write a TV show about baseball. I called it Expansion.

The main character of my show was a guy named Buck Foreman, which makes him sound more like a manly 50s actor than a starting pitcher. But pitcher he was; a hard-throwing (and slightly arrogant) southpaw for the New York Yankees.

At least he used to throw hard. We encounter Buck at age 38. He’s losing velocity on his fastball and has therefore become less valuable to the Yankees. Just a few pages into the script, he’s informed that they will not renew his contract.

Buck doesn’t even consider retirement. He believes he can still play, even if the Yankees (and most of the rest of the league) think he can’t. Only one team shows serious interest in him: an expansion team I invented called the Portland Anglers. (An expansion team is any new team added to an established sports league.) The rest of the script follows Buck as he adjusts to his new life with his new team.

I won’t write much more about Expansion. Why? Because you can read the whole thing for free, right here. Hope you enjoy it.

Now you might wonder why I went off on a tangent about a school project from five years ago. That’s because it’s serving as inspiration for the book I’m about to write for NaNoWriMo.

At the time I wrote this script, I honestly believed it was the best writing I’d ever done. The characters fit nicely together, the plot was tight, and it was really fun to write about baseball, a sport I’ve loved watching since my grandfather got me into it (sad Yankees fan here). I’d lamented the fact that I’d likely never become a television showrunner, which therefore meant nobody but my classmates and my teacher would likely ever read the script. I’m glad I get to use it in some capacity now.

The Novel

Short Contracts won’t be about an expansion team (though I could always return to that idea in the future). It’s about a player who’s been unceremoniously dumped by her team. Now she’s forced to adjust to life with a new one.

Our main character’s name is Four-Leaf (not a real name, but it’s the name everyone calls her). Four-Leaf’s Questing career has been defined by disappointment. She was the number one overall pick in her draft class, a local kid, and a great college (or in this world, academy) player. She was considered a can’t-miss prospect.

That made it all the more crushing, for both Four-Leaf and the fans, when she missed. A combination of injuries, poor coaching, and bad luck have ruined her once-promising career, to the point that she’s known as one of the biggest busts of all time. That reputation is solidified just before our book begins, when Four-Leaf makes a horrible error that costs her team a championship title.

So Four-Leaf finds herself on a new team. Just like Buck Foreman, she must adjust to a new city and a new team. The question is, will she become the player everyone thought she could be? That’s what I’ll be writing about this NaNoWriMo.

Parting Plug

If you’re interested in the world of Questing, you can get a sneak peek right this second. Remember that story I mentioned called “A Good Fit in Penbluff City”? It’s available now in my short fiction collection Monsters at Dusk. Check it out. Hope you enjoy it.

Let NaNoWriMo Begin!

I’ll check back about midway through the month with more info on my project. I’ll have updates and maybe even a little excerpt for you. Until next time!

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about coffee.

The Stories Behind the Stories of “Monsters at Dusk”

September 9, 2019 /

Stories behind the stories of monsters at dusk

If you follow me anywhere, you’ve probably been blasted with news of Monsters at Dusk. Yep, it’s officially out and available for purchase.

If you’ve already bought the book, thank you. This post will hopefully add to your enjoyment of the stories. If you haven’t yet purchased it, perhaps this post will pique your interest.

Here’s some insider info on each of the 10 stories in Monsters at Dusk. No spoilers for those who haven’t read them just yet.

Several Messages from Abby to God (Regarding Her Cat)

Every weekday morning, I wake up and write. Most days I plan what I’ll write. Some days, I don’t. For the latter, I wander around the page. I discovered this story while wandering one morning.

This story was inspired by a feeling I think many people experience: that of a beloved pet dying. For some, especially children, their favorite dog or cat passing is their first run-in with death. Furthermore, it’s difficult to reconcile belief in a loving God when that God has ostensibly just snatched your best friend away.

That’s where it started, though it changed a lot in the telling. After submitting a completed draft to my writer’s group, my fellow writers asked for a stronger ending. Therefore, I spent a great deal of time refining both the middle and end. I’m hoping I achieved a sense of rising tension feeding into a satisfying conclusion, all without losing the humor the piece carries throughout.

The epistolary style was super fun to write. The short, pithy letters in which characters relay information to one another is modeled after Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s Dangerous Liaisons. Except instead of feuding nobles, this one’s about God, Satan, a kid, and a cat.

Also, if you read my first book, Gerald Barkley Rocks, you might notice some feline overlaps here and there. Hope I’m not going overboard with the cats…

Unbelievable

“Unbelievable” first appeared in the January 2017 issue of Chantwood Magazine. It began with two characters arguing in a car. The theme (and therefore, the title) only revealed themselves as I wrote.

This spontaneity actually works quite well for the piece, I think. After re-reading it, it feels like the characters get a definite sense of, “What the hell is going on?” And any story where I get to poke fun at skinny jeans is a good story, in my book.

We Remember

This is likely the most personal piece in the collection (and also the most depressing). I tried to imagine what it would be like to lose all memory of my wife. Not fun, but I think it made for a moving story.

The entwined theme of water and memory came from an article I thought I read when I was a kid (though I’ve had trouble finding it since). As I remember, the article’s author posited that memory is actually a liquid chemical within the brain, and that it’s pumped whenever we need to recall anything. When we forget, it’s because that liquid memory has evaporated.

I always thought that was an interesting theory, so I played with it symbolically in “We Remember.” What if there was a monster that lived off those memories? Thankfully, I made up enough water metaphors to fill a 3,000-word story. Hopefully not too many, though.

Large Coffee, Black

If I don’t know what I’m going to write in the morning, I look for inspiration from my surroundings. In the morning, I’m usually surrounded by two things: cats and coffee. I write about the former often enough. Now for the latter.

The monster here is metaphorical. Perhaps it’s our main character, perhaps it’s his obsession, perhaps it’s our titular beverage itself. It might even be love, which is a pleasantly surprising subtheme I stumbled upon somewhere in my later drafts. Whatever it is, I think it’s more fun if I let the reader decide. Your call.

A Good Fit in Penbluff City

As I’m sure you can tell, this story is a smaller slice from a larger pie. I intend on returning to this world, sooner rather than later.

I’ve followed professional sports all my life. The thing I love most about them: stories. Each season brings heroes and villains, ripe conflicts, betrayals, moments of heroism, and victories against the odds. Furthermore, there’s the business aspect, a world which we catch only minor glimpses of here and there. With this story, I’m bringing that business side of sports to epic fantasy.

I don’t normally care for this style of pitch, but I’d describe this world as Moneyball meets The Lord of the Rings. It was fun writing, and I look forward to more of it in the future.

Alice

Funny story behind this one. It was originally entitled “David” and it’s one of the oldest stories in this collection (circa 2014). And, once upon a time, it was also accepted for publication.

This was around 2015. A magazine called Lakeside Circus gave “David” the green light. Yet then several months passed without further updates. I emailed a couple times to check the status, but still no word. Finally, in June, the sad news arrived: Lakeside was closing down permanently.

Next came an odd cycle. I submitted “David” to about seven publications. It was rejected by them all. By then it had been several years since the piece’s initial acceptance, and I was beginning to lose faith in it. As a result, I tinkered with it constantly. I even changed the name to “Alice.” Didn’t help. Nobody wanted to publish it.

Finally, I shelved it. There it sat until this year, when I was digging through my archives for an as-yet unnamed short story collection. I read it again and decided maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. I think I saw a glimmer of what the editors of Lakeside Circus saw in 2015. I hope you see it, too.

Thespian: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in Three Acts

This is another reprint, first appearing in the November 2016 issue of Allegory Magazine. It was inspired by a conversation I had with my dad after he saw the Spielberg film The Adventures of Tintin.

Here’s the gist: My dad was blown away by the quality of computer imagery in the film. He theorized that eventually, perhaps in the near future, this technology would improve so much that one could build your own cast and settings completely digitally. If that happened, actors and actresses would go the way of Blockbuster Video. So I decided to write a story about an actor going obsolete.

Another metaphorical take on our theme here. Technology is the monster, at least to our hero Joel. Poor guy.

Virus/Affliction/Condition/Curse

This began with a simple question: How would the American legal system handle werewolves? I know. I probably have too much time on my hands.

Really though, this is one of my favorite stories from the entire collection. It’s heavily inspired by Ted Chiang’s “Liking What You See: A Documentary.” Basically, I wanted a cluster of vignettes collected by a shared theme. In this case, werewolfism.

The fun of this story was discovering the characters in each segment. Some, such as ad executive Giovanni Fressi, were devised long before the actual writing began. Others, like attorney Mandy Stackhouse, developed on the fly. (Mandy is my personal favorite.)

After submitting to my writer’s group, I got a great deal of feedback requesting some thread to tie the mini-stories together. That’s when I added the bookends about the narrator and her connection to her mother. You’ll notice a constant theme of family, with at least one familial reference in each segment.

Wings

This one is the least funny and most outright horrifying one in the collection. It was previously published in the June 2016 edition of Five on the Fifth. It’s what’s classified as “flash fiction” since it’s under 1,000 words.

The challenge with such a short form is telling a complete story. Therefore, I feel one must rely on mystery and implication to really get there. Neither character is named or described significantly. Same goes for setting. Really the questions I want readers to come away with are twofold. First, why would someone do this to someone else? And second, why would anyone agree to it?

The Megrim

The novella of the bunch. It’s influenced by Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm, starring Heath Ledger and Matt Damon. I only saw the film once and don’t remember liking it overmuch, yet the creepiness of kids disappearing into the woods stuck with me.

I based the dynamic between the two main characters around that of Mulder and Scully in The X-Files (one of my favorite shows ever). One is a believer, the other is a skeptic.

Aside from a few tinkerings with the plot here and there, this one actually developed quite well the first time around. I think that’s because I had a solid grasp on both the main characters, their relationship, and what their roles would be in the story.

That’s All!

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about the stories of Monsters at Dusk. It’s available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the short story collection Monsters at Dusk and the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

“Monsters at Dusk” Arrives This Friday

September 2, 2019 /

Cover designed by Nathan Rumsey

Well, it’s finally here.

Monsters at Dusk, the short story collection I’ve been working on for the past nine months, is finally releasing this Friday, September 6th.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t like waiting. Therefore, I’ve set up a preorder for the book. It’s available today.

To preorder your copy, simply click this link. Enter your purchase information, then Amazon will send a Kindle ebook copy of Monsters at Dusk straight to you as soon as it’s ready.

Friday’s main release will include versions from Barnes & Noble and Smashwords, plus a paperback edition from Amazon. If you’d prefer one of those, please wait to purchase until Friday.

Next week, I’ll delve deeper into the stories behind the stories of Monsters at Dusk. Until then, hope you enjoy it!

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks and the forthcoming short story collection Monsters at Dusk. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

10 Stories, 10 Samples

August 26, 2019 /

Monsters at Dusk

Alternate title for this post: The Monsters at Dusk sampler platter.

Why? Because, with short story collection Monsters at Dusk just 11 days away from release, I’d like to add something new to the menu. Today, I’d like to share the titles of all 10 stories. In addition, these titles come with a brief peek at each story.

If you like the sampler, don’t forget to order the main course on September 6th. Here we go!

Several Messages from Abby to God (Regarding Her Cat)

Dear Mr. Satan,

My name is Abby Thymes and my cat Pickles just died. I herd about you at Sunday skool and they said you’re kinda meen but also kinda magical I guess so I thought I’d say hi. I think Mr. God’s maybe taking a nap becuz he didn’t anser me.

Have you seen my cat Pickles down there? If you have could you send him back? If you do I would like you a lot and I would lissin to loud music with screeming and screechee gitars and stuff. My brother lissins to that stuff and he says it’s your favrit music. I’m sorry I don’t spell very good.

Anyway please send Pickles back. If not I’ll be really really mad at you.

Sincerealy,

Abby Thymes

Unbelievable

Anyway, once back at his dorm room, [Toby had] thrown on his clothes, some flip-flops, his backpack, whatever, and he’d dashed out the door. He smelled like his childhood dog Ambrose used to smell after rolling in the mud, but there was no time to care. If he was late again, the honorable professor Simon R. Briggs would fail him. And then probably murder him, just because he had tenure and he could get away with it.

We Remember

In my dream, I lie in bed beside you and I remember the outdoor concert where we first met, how hard it poured during the encore. I remember watching Troll 2 with you, our first B-movie, and laughing hard enough that cream soda gushed from my nose—still the only time it’s ever happened. I remember how hot it was the day we got married, how we all (especially me) sweat through our clothes. I remember the first time we kissed, and how my heartbeat never quite slowed around you since.

Large Coffee, Black

Some people flavor their coffee with sugar, milk, creamer, and the like. Osbourne truly hates those people.

A Good Fit in Penbluff City

Pren isn’t royalty, by the way. But that doesn’t mean she can’t feel like royalty. After all, she’s the closest thing to it these days. She’s a billionaire: first as a player, then as a landowner, now as a team owner in a sports league. And there’s no bigger sports league than the Greater Questing League.

Alice

Why would it do that? Never heard of an animal crying before, have you? That would require being sad, and being sad means you’ve got emotions. Animals only have about three: they’ve got scared, they’ve got hungry, and they’ve got horny—and don’t tell Gram I told you that last one. Animals don’t have the mental know-how to feel anything else.

Thespian: A Tale of Tragedy and Redemption in Three Acts

I was jobless, worthless, a base wretch and nothing more. My tyrannical landlady ousted me from my apartment, you see, just a day after my release from the theater company. The old bag cited three months without rental payment as motivation. She even cast me aside without so much as a “Good luck, and break a leg!”

Virus / Affliction / Condition / Curse

“Yeah, I worked on the werewolf Super Bowl commercial.” Giovanni Fressi frowns for a moment, then says, “Why? You wanna complain about it?”

Wings

“I can give you wings,” he said.

That was all. That and an enigmatic smile, a smile that might’ve been warm or predatory or indifferent. All he wanted was an answer. A yes.

I gave it to him.

The Megrim

When the first child vanished in the night, I called on the High Temple for aid.

Piebald the Cobbler laughed at me for doing it. “You’re always worrying, Pureman,” he said the following day as we trudged over fresh snow. “Too much for a young man like you. I’ve got a boy of my own. These children, they go wandering, they come back. Once this one starts missing his sweets and his bed, he’ll return.”

Yet a day passed without sign of the child.

[You can read even more from this one here.]

That’s all for now…

But you can buy the entire book on ebook or paperback September 6th. Look for it then!

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks and the forthcoming short story collection Monsters at Dusk. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

An Early Look at “Monsters at Dusk”

August 19, 2019 /

Monsters at Dusk

I’ve been teasing a new book for the past few months. I’m happy to say it’s nearly here.

The book is called Monsters at Dusk. It’s a short story collection (well, technically six short stories, three flash fiction pieces, and one novella). Each story concerns a different monster, some literal, some metaphorical, some you’ll recognize, others you won’t. A handful of these stories have been published around the internet; most are unpublished and original. Here they are, together for the first time. Kinda like The Avengers in 2012.

But you can’t have a book without a cover. So that’s why I asked my good buddy and eminently talented designer Nathan Rumsey to do this:

Nathan did the cover for my first book, Gerald Barkley Rocks, as well. Don’t ask me which I love more—it’s like choosing between kids. To learn more about the making of this one, feel free to read last week’s blog post, “Creating the Cover of ‘Monsters at Dusk’.”

Now what about the cover copy? I’m glad you asked, kind reader. Here’s a little more info about Monsters at Dusk:

There’s no monster under your bed, but there are several in this book.

The first short story collection from “Gerald Barkley Rocks” author Kyle A. Massa, “Monsters at Dusk” offers answers to several important questions, such as:

Do vampires use Snapchat?

What happens when a demonic cat declares war on God and Satan?

Is someone drinking your memories? If so, are they tasty?

If a mad scientist offers to build you a set of wings, should you accept?

Can sports franchises set in epic fantasy worlds make better hiring decisions than real ones?

How would the American legal system handle werewolves?

What is a Megrim and why does it keep taking everyone’s kids?

Balancing fantasy, science fiction, horror, and humor, each of the collection’s 10 stories concerns a different monster—some familiar, some original, some literal, some metaphorical, all strange and wonderful in their own way.

Monsters at Dusk arrives Friday, September 6th, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and in paperback.

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks and the forthcoming short story collection Monsters at Dusk. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

Creating the Cover of “Monsters at Dusk”

August 12, 2019 /

A book without a cover is like a burrito without a tortilla. For quite some time, that’s what I had with Monsters at Dusk.

That’s the title of my upcoming book, by the way. It’s a collection of short stories (and one novella), all about—you guessed it—monsters. I had the stories, I had the title, and I even had the pretentious quotes at the beginning. But that was just the filling. I needed to wrap it all up before anyone could take a bite.

Enter Nathan Rumsey. Nathan is a designer, a former co-worker, and a good friend of mine. He designed the cover of my first book, Gerald Barkley Rocks, and he did a fantastic job. (If you haven’t seen it, please do check it out. And while you’re looking at the cover, you could, you know, buy the book. If you feel like it.)

The Cover of Gerald Barkley Rocks

I had a specific idea in mind for Gerald Barkley Rocks and Nathan executed it brilliantly. I can’t remember the exact description, but it went something like this…

Yo Nathan! I’m looking for a spinning vinyl record on a turntable. The color red is essential to the book, so I’d like that to be a key element of the cover as well. Perhaps the needle is scratching a line of blood into the disc? Also, since the book has a mostly amusing tone, I don’t want the cover to feel too creepy. Looking for more of a lighthearted feel.

He turned that description into this gorgeous cover…

Nathan absolutely nailed it, as you can see. The only part that didn’t quite work was the needle scratching blood on the record; Nathan tried it, but it didn’t translate well to the cover. Especially in thumbnail size, the record needle looked more like a water cooler.

Luckily for me, Mr. Rumsey translated the needle idea to the title font instead. Notice the droplet of blood that hangs from the letter C in “Rocks.” Love it!

What’s more, I appreciate how Nathan addressed the challenging bits of my description. For example, how does one make a bloody cover lighthearted and not creepy?

Nathan did. He used bright colors that contrasted with the black background. Furthermore, he used a faded font that suggested retrocelebrationism over anything more sinister (like how I coined a new term there?).

But enough about the past. Let’s focus on the future.

The Cover of Monsters at Dusk

Here’s an approximation of my description for Nathan:

Ahoy Nathan! This time around I’m writing a short story collection. As you can guess from the title, each story is about a monster. Dusk (or more generally, times of transition) is a key theme.

Since it’s several stories in one, I don’t want a specific character or monster from any one story featured too heavily. I want something slightly creepy, yet also somehow humorous, because these aren’t straight-up horror stories. Other than that, I have no strong opinions or ideas. Hope that helps!

Clearly not the most descriptive description. Yet I was lucky to be working with a creative guy who can make a lot from a little. I sent three stories from the book to Nathan, then waited.

A few weeks later, Nathan presented a handful of concepts. There were many more than these, but here are several of those rough sketches:

Monster at Dusk Sketches

The concept was totally cool. In the top middle row, for example, I like how you can see the sun dipping below the horizon line. Furthermore, I was intrigued by the placement of the title, particularly the way the word “Dusk” creeps along the ground. My only concern here was that the word “Monsters” would be difficult to parse, especially in thumbnail size.

The bottom left image really caught my attention. I loved how the title was composed of early evening light passing through a window. The tree in the background gives that slightly creepy tone I mentioned in the description without branching into horror.

I told Nathan I was intrigued. He delved deeper and returned with more concepts.

Looking pretty good now, huh? Nathan worked his magic again, this time fleshing out the colors and adding a few more experimental elements. Here I loved how it was now much easier to read the book’s title. And again, I enjoyed the placement of the words along the floor and wall.

For the images along the top row, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the faces in the darkness. They achieved that subtly-creepy-yet-slightly-humorous tone I mentioned, yet they felt a bit too on-the-nose. However, I knew Nathan was onto something with these concepts.

The bottom row really got me thrilled. The tree in the reflection returned again, along with the cool font climbing up the wall. Also, the extra windows disappearing out of frame gave the image a broader sense of space.

In the middle image, you might also notice a creepy fellow wearing a bowler hat. Nathan threw that in there and confessed he wasn’t sure if I’d like it. I totally did. It wasn’t a specific character in any of my stories, yet I felt it embodied many of them: Uncanny creatures that aren’t always obvious monsters.

Next up…

Here you can see the design solidifying. We’ve got the contrast of dark negative space with bright colors in the reflection, which brings your eyes to the title. The words also move all the way up the wall, making them less cramped. The creepy guy did disappear in this iteration, though I promise he returns in the finished product. The other sweet innovation: the slippers. See them in the bottom right-hand corner?

This is one of the many moments when Nathan’s work amazed me. The slippers are perfect. They have little monster jaws on them and they’re a classic bit of bedtime attire—that connects the book’s two most important themes. Also, they’re kind of funny, which fulfills the humor request. A+ work.

So all that leads us to the finished product. If you’re subscribed to my newsletter you’ve already seen this. If not, here it is for the first time. Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you the finished cover of Monsters at Dusk!

Now that’s a perfect burrito.

It’s all here: Creepy guy, the monster slippers, the tree (now slightly out of focus), the cool title font, even a nightstand with a plump little spider. Notice too that the font on my name is the same from Gerald Barkley Rocks—Nathan shrewdly added that to give the covers a bit more continuity. I also dig the purple color palette because it gives the sense we’re lost somewhere between late afternoon and nightfall. Or, ya know, dusk. The gradient color of the light bolsters this effect.

I’m thrilled to finally share this cover with the world. Thank you so much, Nathan. I love this cover!

If you’re looking for an amazing designer, I could not recommend Nathan highly enough. Check out his website (a work of art in and of itself) for more information.

To buy this cover and everything underneath it, Monsters at Dusk releases Friday, September 6th. If you’d like to get even more hyped for its release, don’t forget to read the excerpt.  More to come!

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks and the forthcoming short story collection Monsters at Dusk. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

What To Do With a One-Star Review

June 3, 2019 /

one star review

I recently received my first one-star review. This was my reaction:

Nah, just kidding. I was pretty bummed at first, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I have some fresh thoughts. In this post, we’ll discuss ways to make something good out of a bad review.

Write About It

…But please don’t write a scathing hit piece against the reviewer. Remember, every review is valuable, even those with one star. Instead, it might help to write a piece that helps other writers going through the same thing.

Okay, I know this sounds a little like a support group for something that isn’t that bad. It’s just a review. However, bad reviews sting, and they can be jarring blows to your confidence. So do what you do best. Write about it.

Give others tips on how to overcome their disappointment. Discuss ways to do something positive with a negative. That can help turn things around.

You might even take this one step further and use it in your next story. Every experience can contribute to fictional work, so keep this one stored away. Write about a writer who’s struggling to move on after receiving bad reviews. Or, more generally, apply this feeling to a character who’s experiencing momentary failure.

Remember That Everyone Gets Them

Really. Everyone. Here’s a review for Margaret Atwood’s latest:

Here’s another for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, one of the most successful novels of all time:

And even the master of horror himself, Stephen King:

It’s just like mom said: You can’t please everyone. Your carefully crafted plot twist is going to be labeled predictable by some readers. Your favorite character is going to be someone else’s punching bag. Your most intricate passage is going to feel unwieldy to a less patient reader.

It’s the nature of art to be controversial. If everyone feels exactly the same way about it, then maybe it’s not doing its job well. Some of the most enduring stories are those that people argue about.

For example, consider the latest Avengers film. Without giving anything away, let’s just say that Marvel Studios made significant changes to some of its most beloved characters. Some people liked it. Some didn’t. Yet even those that didn’t are joining a conversation about the film. And that’s a good thing.

Consider the Aggregate

If I may take an example from my cardboard addiction, Magic: The Gathering, consider the aggregate. In Magic, if your goal is to win every match, you’ve set an unrealistic expectation for yourself. Even Jon Finkel, the Michael Jordan of Magic, wins only about 65 percent of his games. So if you can’t win every match, what should be your goal?

In Magic, the goal is not to win, but to increase your percentage chance of winning. The best players in the world squeeze out that additional one percent of win likelihood, which doesn’t sound like much, but really is. Over the long term, that extra one percent could be the deciding match in a championship game, or a difficult-to-navigate situation most other players would lose. Percentage points are what separate good players from the greats.

The same goes for reviews. Even if that one-star review feels like a loss, your skill will be shown in the overall record of your book. The aggregate scores will drown out some of the worse ones, and overall, you’ll find success.

Summing It Up

One-star reviews are hard to stomach in the moment. Give yourself time to be sad about them, but then move on quickly. Find something positive to do with that negative review, and then do it. It will be a huge help in the future.

Kyle A. Massa is the author of the novel Gerald Barkley Rocks and the forthcoming short story collection Monsters at Dusk. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. He lives somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats.

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