The first (and only previous) time I taught Creative Writing at the high school I had about 12 students. They were required to write a short story, collection of poems or a play. Some didn’t. Some of those still managed to pass the class because of the weight of our benchmark test, and the fact they get to retake that if they fail. (Yes, it’s asinine, but there it is.) This time, I vowed no one would pass the class without completing that major project. And, of course, it would have to go through various drafts.
Had I known I’d have 30 students in the class I would have rethunk that idea.
I spent all freaking day reading those stories. And cursing. Everything I told them about creative writing was tossed out the window. A list of events is not a story! Paragraphs? Hello? I was most disappointed in some of my seniors, students I’ve had in core English classes … students who still cannot string together a coherent sentence. Gah! In two weeks I have to read a "final" draft of all this stuff again.
Unless somebody shoots me first. (There are guns in my closet!)
In other news, Bad Moon Books publisher Roy Robbins told me this evening that Little Graveyard on the Prairie has been officially announced. He didn’t send a link, though, and I can’t find it on the BMB site. Maybe the announcement was in a newsletter I missed. Anyway, I’ll post the exact link as soon as I get it, along with the prices for the trade and lettered editions. I also got the galleys for the lettered edition to read today.
And finally, Greg Lamberson posted an excerpt of Ulrik over at Fear Zone. This is a different excerpt than what’s posted at The Werewolf Saga Online. Be sure to check out Greg’s review of the book while you’re over there.
Speaking of Greg, he sent me some Johnny Gruesome tattoos a while back. Now my 14-year-old daughter has a Johnny Gruesome tramp stamp. Yeah, I’m so proud. My 6-year-old son has Johnny on his belly.
Steven E. Wedel 
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