Teaching at Writers Studio Tucson

Published August 30, 2016 by Philip Ivory

I’m pleased to announce that as of the first week in October, I’ll be joining the faculty at Writers Studio Tucson as a teacher on the Intermediate Level.

I’ve worked my way up through the program, and the Writers Studio method has done a lot for me, encouraging me to stretch my writing muscles and attempt techniques I otherwise would have never have dreamed of using. (And it has helped me get a few things published.)

Want to try the program? Take one of our upcoming Tucson Workshop classes, available on Wed and Thursday nights, and on Saturday mornings. I know the teachers and they are all great.

Click Here To Sign Up Now.

If you ever hear yourself saying, “I would like to write more, but don’t know what to write about,” you’ll find yourself reassured by the variety of stimulating exercises to jump start your creativity. They’ll prompt you to unleash strong new voices that have been simmering inside you for too long.

“Every week, I presented a new story. Finally something did click, the very thing that’s their specialty at The Writers Studio, emotional content. Before, my work was dead. When I brought in my breakthrough story, I felt I was carrying a weird animal in my bag. It was the first story I sold.”

-JENNIFER EGAN, former student at The Writers Studio, winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for A Visit From the Goon Squad (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010)

You’ll receive friendly, constructive feedback from your teacher and fellow students, never with the intent to tear each other down, always with an emphasis to strengthening our use of writerly techniques to make our writing really sing.

Classes are also available in New York, San Francisco and Amsterdam …. and if you’re not in one of those places, there are online classes as well.

It’s a great program, so try it!

Fiction Publication: Most Of Us Are From Someplace Else

Published July 5, 2016 by Philip Ivory

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I’m pleased that today the online literary journal, “Literally Stories,”  published my short story, “Most Of Us Are From Someplace Else.” It’s about a group of eccentric characters who have created an unusual community in an abandoned railway station in a town in Pennsylvania. Read it here.

“Literally Stories” was launched in 2014, created “by writers for writers.”  It showcases a wide spectrum of short story fiction from new and emerging writers to more seasoned authors.

This story wouldn’t exist except for the “Write-to-Read” challenge issued last September by Writers Studio Tucson. The contest was open to past and present students of the Writers Studio and featured a writing challenged crafted by award-winning Tucson author Adrienne Celt. The writing prompt centered on the idea of “nested narratives,” inspired by the image of the matryoshka, or Russian nesting doll, containing smaller dolls.

I was honored that my entry was chosen as one of three winners of the contest, and I enjoyed the privilege of reading my story aloud at a Writers Studio event last November. (Read more about the event here.)

In accordance with Adrienne’s writing challenge, the story has a larger narrative in which are contained smaller back-stories about the residents of this oddball community, each of whom has suffered some disillusioning experience before finding a place to call home.

I hope you’ll read “Most Of Us Are From Someplace Else” and let me know what you think.

Thanks!

“The Yellow Man” featured in BwS Quarterly Review

Published June 19, 2016 by Philip Ivory

I’d like to offer a warm word of thanks to the very civilized folks at online literary journal “Bewildering Stories.” They’ve been friendly and communicative with me since generously agreeing to publish my very long story, “The Yellow Man.”

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On top of that, their panel of review editors have granted me the further honor of including “The Yellow Man” in the latest quarterly edition of “Bewildering Stories,” their second such installment for 2016. Check it out:  Bewildering Stories’ Second Quarterly Review of 2016.

If you haven’t read “The Yellow Man” yet, please do so, and let me know what you think. If you have read it, now’s your chance to enjoy some of the other eclectic offerings at “Bewildering Stories.”

My Novelette Online: “The Yellow Man”

Published May 29, 2016 by Philip Ivory

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From “The Yellow Man” by Philip Ivory:
“All you have to do is lift up that circle in the middle of the floor. Do you see it? And then go down there, under the floor, and get something. You’ll know it when you see it.”
Indeed, there was a circle in the concrete of the floor, about the size and shape of a manhole, and it seemed to be moving slightly.
That wasn’t right.
“No,” said Allan.
His heart was racing. Something about the circle made him uneasy. All his instincts told him to stay clear of it. When he tried to understand why, it just made the fear worse.
“You have to,” said the Yellow Man. “Or things will never get better.”

My first published novelette, “The Yellow Man,” is now available courtesy of the venerable online journal, “Bewildering Stories.”  CLICK HERE to read it now. (Because of its length, the story’s been broken, like a dark wizard’s soul, into seven horcrux-like parts,  all of which are now available to read.)

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“The Yellow Man” is a puzzle box of a tale, dealing with  childhood loneliness, identity and the shadow world between life and death. You may find it a bit sad and scary — but perhaps also touching and surprising.

For those interested in such distinctions, a novelette  — something  more than a story and something less than a novella — is a piece of fiction landing somewhere between 7,500 words to 17,500 words.

This is by far the longest piece I’ve had published yet. I’ve written one other novelette, yet unpublished, that’s about the same length as this one. And I presently have a novel in the works, but it will be a while before that one’s ready for public consumption.

“The Yellow Man” began last year in my advanced class at Writers Studio Tucson. My thanks to WS teacher Renee Bibby and my fellow class members for their encouragement and feedback, which were essential to this tale’s development.

“Bewildering Stories,” which features quite a dazzling smorgasbord of prose and poetry that you really should check out, has also posted an author profile about me. CLICK HERE to see it.

Please read “The Yellow Man,” and post your reactions here on the blog. Your feedback means everything to me. 

Thanks for reading!

Upon a Time: How Fairy Tale Feeds Fiction

Published May 10, 2016 by Philip Ivory

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Tucson writer friends … unlock the mythic story-telling power of fairy tales, and enrich your own writing. Join our friends at Tucson Writers Studio for this enthralling and illuminating event at Tucson Hop Shop on Saturday, May 14.

Beer and fairy tales, a combination devoutly to be wished!

Follow the link to learn more:

Source: Upon a Time: How Fairy Tale Feeds Fiction

Fiction Publication: “On Hyacinth Mountain”

Published May 1, 2016 by Philip Ivory

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From “On Hyacinth Mountain” by Philip Ivory

He came across a boy, perhaps eight, blondish, crouched, examining ants in the dirt.
“Hello,” said Bradford.
Not looking up, the boy said: “They’re taking it apart.” Bradford leaned in to see a grasshopper, still writhing as ants partitioned chunks off to carry away.
“Are your parents here?”
“You think you’re smart. You shouldn’t have come back,” said the boy in a glum sulky tone. “One time too many.”

[read this story now!]

I’m pleased to announce that my story, “On Hyacinth Mountain,” has been published in the May 2016 issue of “Devolution Z” magazine.

“Devolution Z” is subtitled “The Horror Magazine,” which should give you a clue that “On Hyacinth Mountain” comes from the grimmer, scarier end of the story spectrum.

So yes, the story’s a bit grisly and depraved but, I hope, not bereft of literary quality.

I developed the story last fall while taking the Advanced Class at Tucson Writers Studio, taught by Renee Bibby. Renee and my fellow students provided excellent feedback to help me deepen the story. I only began sending it out in April and, after a rejection or two, “Devolution Z”‘s acceptance came rather quickly.Embed from Getty Images

Sorry, this time you’ll have to buy the magazine to read the story. Follow the link to Devolution Z, which will take you to Amazon where you can order either a digital version for Kindle ($2.99) or a print copy ($6.99 cheap!).

It’s the first time a story of mine will be available on Kindle or in a physical publication, so I couldn’t be more excited. I’m really grateful to the dark, twisted minds at “Devolution Z” for welcoming me into their fearsome fold.

Two of my other fiction pieces continue to be on the schedule for publication in “Bewildering Stories” and “Mystic Illuminations.” I’ll let you know when they go online.

If you get a chance to read “On Hyacinth Mountain,” I’d love to hear your comments, so feel free to share here on the blog. Thanks, and don’t read it with the lights out!

Interviewed by The Writers’ Lens

Published March 16, 2016 by Philip Ivory

I was recently interviewed by The Writers’ Lens, a wonderful web resource that puts the spotlight both on established authors and ones that are up and coming.  I’m lucky enough to have been included in the latter category and my interview appears in a feature called The Writers’ Lens: First Look.

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Not only did I get a chance to let more people know about my first published story, “The Dead Outnumber the Living,” but I also was allowed to expand upon my writing process … and even discuss why I write at all.

They also asked me to talk a bit about the more substantial piece (most likely a novel) that I’m working on now, which I was happy to do.

You can read the interview and explore more of this excellent site by clicking here:  Philip Ivory Interview at The Writers’ Lens.

COPD: Highly Illogical … an upcoming film about Leonard Nimoy

Published March 1, 2016 by Philip Ivory

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Click here to see the trailer for COPD: Highly Illogical.

The trailer for the upcoming film “COPD: Highly Illogical” is narrated by  John de Lancie (“Q” of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and features Julie Nimoy, daughter of beloved actor Leonard Nimoy of “Mr. Spock” fame.  Leonard Nimoy died just over a year ago of complications related to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

I’m very excited to be involved in this important project, which will be released later this year, during the 50th anniversary of the debut of the original “Star Trek.” I’m proud to have written the trailer and to be involved in scripting the upcoming film, which is in production now.

It’s the true story of Leonard Nimoy’s personal battle against this disease … and his final mission to speak out and educate others about the dangers of COPD, which affects approximately 30 million Americans but remains little understood by the general public.

As someone who has spent a good part of his career writing about progressive, life-threatening diseases like the muscular dystrophies and ALS, it feels natural for me to be part of Leonard Nimoy’s mission to broaden awareness of COPD. The goal is to help all of us better understand how COPD can be prevented, treated and — one day — cured so that families will no longer lose loved ones to this often fatal but preventable disease.

And as a lifelong Star Trek fan (yes, I’ve been to conventions and I even own my own tribble and set of Klingon battlecruiser blueprints) it’s just very cool to be connected to Leonard Nimoy’s legend and the grand mythos created so long ago by Gene Roddenberry. With the success of the new “Star Trek” films produced by J.J. Abrams, it seems that Roddenberry’s optimistic, operatic vision for the future still has a lot of life in it, even after 50 years of storytelling.

I’ll post more as the film develops. It promises to be a very moving story about Leonard Nimoy and his family, but also about all families fighting COPD. I hope it will be a game-changer in sparking awareness to prevent more lives from being lost to COPD.

Live Long and Prosper!

Two New Fiction Acceptances

Published February 24, 2016 by Philip Ivory

I’m very excited to announce that within the space of about a week, I received word that two fiction pieces of mine have been accepted for publication in two different online journals. That’s in addition to my first published piece, “The Dead Outnumber the Living,” which was published in Dali’s Lovechild last December.

One of the new stories, “The Yellow Man” is quite substantial, officially a novelette. And a spooky, moody one, to boot. It is slated to go online in “Bewildering Stories” on March 15. I understand it may be broken into pieces to accommodate its length.

The second new endeavor is a flash fiction piece titled “Apparition on the Threshold,” only about 600 words. I didn’t know if I would ever find a home for this mysterious, otherworldly piece, an account of an uncanny childhood vision that may or may not have happened … or perhaps never will. I was delighted to find an online journal called “Mystic Illuminations” that said “Apparition on the Threshold” was right up their alley. It should be online soon.

Both stories were developed with the help of the teachers and students at Writers Studio Tucson, where I’m working to further my skills.

I’ll post again on each piece when they are available online, telling a bit more about their genesis and development. Stay tuned. Thanks.

Challenge! | World of Horror

Published December 8, 2015 by Philip Ivory

Recently, the World of Horror blog held a cool challenge:  Write a horror story in only two sentences.  Well, a winner was chosen and it wasn’t me …. but my entry is below, just for the fun of it. After you read my entry, go and check out the others including the winner on World of Horror.

 

After having, in rage, bludgeoned Janie with a hammer until she’d finally staggered and fallen, he had then dragged her sticky, unmoving form to the woods, and was now grimly patting down the rocky soil that covered her in the grave he had dug with the shovel. Reaching for his phone to check the time, he found his pocket empty, and stood as still as death as he heard the eerie beep-beep-beep of a cell being dialed, the sound rising up from below the cold stony ground at his feet.

Source: Challenge! | World of Horror