Hey!
About a week ago I was informed by ScarlettBlackDaisy that my novela BEACH BUMS had been featured in Editor's Picks List. I didn't know what this was at first, and when I found out I was flattered and excited. I don't really do much to publicize my writing on this site, as I only just recently figured out what I wanted to use this site for, in terms of my writing (which I'll explain more when I post the new book I'm currently finishing up). I like people but I don't like social media and am uncomfortable using it, because I almost always feel used by it. But still, I liked the idea that there was a place I could post rough drafts of my books and I am so honored that people have responded to The Lonelies and Beach Bums. I wrote these because I had to, and while I hoped someone out there might dig them, I didn't have much in terms of expectations. I used to write screenplays for Hollywood, and learned from that experience that the only way writing made sense was to tell the story I wanted to hear, not try to write something I guessed other people would want to hear. I wrote the Lonelies because I couldn't stop thinking about my experiences living in Portland, Maine. I wrote Beach Bums because I spent about four years doing psychotherapy in the Skid Row district of Los Angeles and couldn't stop thinking about some of my experiences there. With Beach Bums, I became really interested in telling the stories of people who I felt were denied having their stories told, and this then got me interested in trying to tell stories that weren't stories, which was why I ended up writing The Dog Hunters, to further explore this idea. Writing helps me stop thinking about stuff, and that's why I have to do it. I think I read once about a writer saying they write to remember. I write to forget. Getting the feedback and encouragement I've received on this site makes me remember what I've done, but in a good, satisfying way, that I wasn't prepared for. A happy surprise, and thanks!