33 Comments

So is having chill Christmas beats recommended to you by an author and musician extraordinaire something that happens to you once you become an author or this more an only happens to you type deal? (Asking as the desire to become an author has potentially never been stronger depending on the answer to the question.)

Expand full comment
author

You know the best part...? the season that's just started...? wait for it:

Academy Award Screener Season! Each day DVD copies of 2023 feature films arrive in my mail box. By the zillion! For free! (does a little dance here)

Expand full comment

Oh my God . . . It’s somehow better than I envisioned . . .

THE BENEFITS ARE ENDLESS!

Expand full comment

Friendly reminder that you promised the copy of Invisible Monsters to me around 2 years ago. Cant wait til I can watch that one.

Reread it this year. Very interesting to see it analytically, especially the point where the reader discovers the big reveal.

First read that discovery point in The Old Louisville Coffee shop in November of 2005 and still clearly remember the big stupid grin on my face. I dont know if November feels like Louisville, or if Louisville feels like November, but Ive learned to enjoy the winter slowdown.

Expand full comment
author

Funny how that works. In the Armistead Maupin books, when Jon Fielding dies blind, I read that standing in line to register for classes at the University of Oregon. Twenty years old and trying hard to not cry in public. Scarred for life, in a good way.

Expand full comment

The scars of happiness. Its Vonnegut's 101st birthday. Debating going to Indy to celebrate with the museum gang.

Expand full comment
author

"Whitey, you'll be the death of me!" And a week later his little dog, Whitey, tripped him with the leash. He fell on the stoop, hit his head, and died. RIP a hero.

Today is dedicated to him. Celebrate it.

Expand full comment

Wait, did he write that in something? Maybe if he had named the dog in the writing Blackie, we'd have had him a few more years? Until his lungs shut down from the Pall Malls.

Expand full comment

I don't think I understand how to build tension. Does tension have to do with opposing goals? And how it's like the characters are playing a tug of war to achieve their goals? I've been searching up books on psychology and conflict management and toxic relationships.

Thanks for the song.

Expand full comment

Personally, I’d say the best way to build tension is to prolong something uncomfortable or even unbearable for as long as possible.

I’ve always liked Alfred Hitchcock’s example of seeing people sat at a table with a bomb beneath it. They don’t know the bomb is there, only the viewer does, and this thing is ticking down, down, down, until eventually . . . Kablamo!

The tension isn’t the bomb going off though -- that’s the relief, in a sense. It’s the build up -- or countdown, considering what the bomb’s doing in the situation -- that’s building the tension. It’s seeing this thing that’s about to turn two innocent and unsuspecting people into red dust particles steadily approach detonation that makes the viewer want to scream out loud “LOOK UNDER THE TABLE FOR GOD’S SAKE!”

I will now step aside and allow Chuck to effortlessly and eloquently put my impromptu TED talk spiel to shame with what he has to offer on the topic of tension.

Expand full comment
author

You make an excellent point. You've shown how making the reader smarter than the narrator or character creates tension. Scarlett says, "There's not going to be any war" and we tense up.

Expand full comment
founding

The episode of Big Bang Theory where Sheldon doesn't like things to be incomplete is a good example of little mini tension builders. Sheldon can't handle it! Don't give them closure too soon! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r60lVSiF1AA

Expand full comment
author
Nov 11, 2023·edited Nov 11, 2023Author

Consider that even simple things can build tension. We're so used to series of three -- big, bigger, biggest -- that even a series of two builds tension because it fails our expectation. That's why I urge people to avoid too many series of three.

Also dialog that is contradicted by gesture. "Helen shook her head and said, 'Yes, of course'."

Also putting someone -- especially an animal -- in peril. Also telling a lie or violating a social contract. For instance, pretending to choke in restaurants so people think they've saved you with the Heimlich Maneuver.

Just pay attention and note what pisses you off. Me? I'm enraged when the McDonald's drive-thru sends me to the "parking space of shame" when I've only ordered one tiny cheeseburger. I have to sit and and wait while everyone drives off with their food. That's why I never carry a gun in my car.

Expand full comment

Thank you again, I appreciate the responses. The series of three intrigues me. Normally we love a series of three, it's so satisfying. And the dialogue contradicted by gesture I appreciate too. It feels like you have many subtle things you do that each build tension.

What pisses me off? People who steal from stores like Walmart or CVS or Rite-Aid. Recently I've seen a picture of a store that replaced items on the shelf with framed photos of the item. This shit is ridiculous. I know times is tough but jeez. Stores are having to close down and that means less places I can walk to.

Expand full comment

So very chill!!! Thank you!

Expand full comment

My brother used to rave about this Portland band, Richmond Fontaine. Then I heard them and became a big fan as well - they were Willy Vlautin's band - which he eventually left to form the Delines. Of course, along the way he wrote some excellent novels. Love this Christmas tune.

Expand full comment
author

Funny Willy Vlautin story: How we met, we'd both been invited to the Festival of North American Culture sponsored by the French government in Paris. We both rode a private subway car to the American embassy. Neither of us could speak French (Mike speaks French so fluently he was trading dirty jokes with every cab driver) so Willy and I skipped the speeches and just stood getting drunk in a huge gallery of John Singer Sargent paintings. We discovered we both lived in SE Portland. At the time, we lived only two blocks from each other. We'd traveled all that way to meet, and we were already neighbors.

That night a famous writer who lauds his perfect marriage and children was staying in the room across the hall from me. All night he had loud sex with a Washington Post reporter who was not his wife. Oh, the shit I will carry to the grave.

Expand full comment

Going on my Christmas playlist

Expand full comment
founding

Everyone get in the Jeep. We are playing hooky this Christmas and going to cruise to Atlantis. Mermaids have the brewsky beers and we can all talk about books and play cards.

Expand full comment
founding

Totally had Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime stuck in my head this morning. I blame the holiday tinsel and peppermint explosions at all the stores right now. Always been a favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94Ye-3C1FC8

Expand full comment

What a song! Want to run out of that house as soon as whities appear! Like e the singers voice and the music and production of track! Best xmas song ever after last xmas of course! Could I have an interview with the artist pls?

Expand full comment

Mostly ridiculous/obscure xmas song playlists. Theyre near the same but the YT is somewhat better because of the uploads of songs that aren't available on streaming.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mxVo5mjK4eg&list=PLGNRN3buESD11rqd9L1v53Ex9tME0dQEg&index=1

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3RRSpuXoozwVphEqIBpFZN?si=2hGfjTXTQWioro3n41nz9g&utm_source=copy-link

Expand full comment

I spent the morning watching old fever-dream videos of ShowBiz Pizza Rockafire Explosion, talking to my dad about my mom being in the hospital, and mindlessly eating Insomnia cookies out of a pizza-sized box. This was the holiday song I needed. It was the holiday song I deserved. Lol

In the event you’d like to join my sugar-fueled, glossy eyed animatronic trip:

https://youtu.be/7WZ3d0x5tn8?si=MkiTQyKawEFnXjYR

Expand full comment

More holiday related ... but, omg, it never ends. 😵‍💫Lol

https://youtu.be/q18-FMkBeDI?si=TFUSqEUrDNRDGVTQ

Expand full comment

Author/DJ Chuck, folks!

But seriously this is a modern Christmas classic

Expand full comment

Oh Chuck, I had to stop by while watching this latest interview you did for This is Horror. My favorite part was when you had to take off your nice gloves with that workshop story about the 9 year old. And you said it angers you when someone depicts violence but in a clean way with clichés. What would you hate more? That, or someone plagiarizing a good story for workshop?

Expand full comment

Still watching the interview, and oh man, I would LOVE if a company took your short stories and did stop motion animations with them. Do you think they will go as dark as how you depict certain things? Like, if they did one based on The Toad Prince, that'd be insane, but also extremely fascinating to me. Also, I can't remember the title of one of your stories, but it involved a CPR doll and how people would take it home and do stuff to it.

Expand full comment
Nov 12, 2023·edited Nov 12, 2023

Cool track! Thank you. Happy holidays to everyone.

ps- the GTA in the basement really resonated with me ;-) (my copy has been on the fritz of late.)

Expand full comment

Feeling pretentious as I write this but

I really want this on vinyl.

Expand full comment