Author Archives: Robert Pritchard
They Don’t Sell
Remember, kids, nobody will publish your short story collection unless you’re already an established author, because they don’t sell.
Retrospective Re-evaluation of Success to Give the Illusion of Struggle
“His novel sold well. “It was an okay living from the first day,” he said. But, he adds, “I was not an immediate success. I was an immediate cult hit. It was really 10 years before I was what you would call a real success. People mis-remember it. They think it happened overnight. It didn’t. … Continue reading
He Struggled for Years Without Success Before Deciding to Quit. Then This Happened!
FARMINGTON NM–Robert Pritchard’s dream from childhood was to become a writer. He wrote something like ten novels over twenty years, plus dozens of short stories. He submitted them to many publishers and agents, without luck. “A few short stories were published in obscure venues, for like ten or twenty dollars” he said. “They were all … Continue reading
See If You Can Imagine What I Might Say About This Kind of Thing
Rejection is the norm for authors. So why do we hide it? Sophie Mackintosh Huge deals and fairytales are sexy anomalies – almost all writers face setbacks, they’re an important part of the creative process Mon 26 Aug 2019 07.37 EDTLast modified on Mon 26 Aug 2019 08.52 EDT
What Have You Been Reading Lately? (Updated May 27, 2020)
Interview given by Tea Obreht, March 4, 2011: Q: What have you been reading recently? A: The book I read most recently is Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, which was really fun and pleasurable to read. I also read Touch by Alexi Zentner and I loved Swamplandia!. (https://ew.com/article/2011/03/04/tea-obreht-interview/) Pettigrew: published November 2010. Touch: April 2011. Swamplandia: February … Continue reading
Million Word Theory
In the 2000 movie Boiler Room, a recruiter, Ben Affleck, gives a roomful of prospective employees this pitch: “If you become an employee of this firm you will make your first million within three years. Okay? I’m gonna repeat that: you will make a million dollars within three years of your first day of employment at … Continue reading
Annals of Superhuman Persistence, Vol. VII
All successful writers went through immense suffering and agonizingly long periods of rejection before becoming successful. We know this because they constantly tell us. But what did this suffering consist of, and how does it compare with the suffering of unsuccessful writers? In 2015 George Saunders wrote some recollections of his early years in an … Continue reading
Photo-Essay
I’m always interested in where books were written, so here is a thing about where I wrote some books. From late 2010 to March 2012 I wrote a novel called “The Dream Devours the World” in San Diego, in my apartment–
The Next Re-Edit
You must learn the ways of the midichlorians, if you’re to come with me to Alderaan. Judge me by my size, do you? And well you should not. For my ally is the midichlorians, and a powerful ally they are. Life creates them, makes them grow. Their energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings … Continue reading
Notions, Concepts, and Ideas
In “Annie Hall,” when they go to LA, at a party at Paul Simon’s house, one “Hollywood player” is heard saying to another, “Right now it’s just a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it a concept, and later turn it into an idea.” We know that the recent Star … Continue reading