Meanwhile, I’ve been hard at work on my fantasy novel. If you look deeply into my author photo, you can catch a peek at early lines from my first draft.
All right, honestly, I haven’t been writing it with quill and ink, but I do write the first drafts longhand. I like the ease and physical contact of writing with pen and paper.
During this year, Running Wild Press has been busy with many awesome projects – just check out their twitter. Among their latest offerings are writing courses.
From RWP: we’re launching a fully online creative writing program.
Want to join a supportive, online writing community for feedback and encouragement? Take a Running Wild Press writing course.
These fully online courses will be taught in 4 to 8-week formats entirely online by experienced instructors from higher education institutions from around the country.
Three of these courses will be taught by my anthology colleagues Elan Barnehama, Nick Mazzuca, and Amelia Kibbie. I heartily vouch for their writing abilities, because their stories are honestly some of my favorites. Check out my interviewswiththem for more about them and their stories.
A fourth course will be taught by Dr. Lisa Montagne. I’m not acquainted Lisa, but if you’re interested in reading and writing poetry, have a look! You can check out all the courses here.
As for me, check back soon for more interviews with new authors, and of course I’ll keep you posted with any news!
Now, let me be clear: these are not official Golden Globe bags. They are “Red Carpet Gift Bags honoring Golden Globe nominees,” to quote Hollywood Swag Bag, who will place these gifts in the celebrities’ rooms, working in conjunction with the hotel management. How amazing is that!
Here is a partial list of who will be receiving these excellent books among all the other cool gifts:
Glenn Close
Bradley Cooper
Lady Gaga
Benedict Cumberbatch
Hugh Grant
Elisabeth Moss
Emma Stone
Justin Hurwitz
Tina Fey
‘In our third year of publishing, Running Wild Press has had an impressive year. Already nominated for several awards including the Pushcart Prize, the executive editor, Lisa Diane Kastner, is excited for two of the press’s books to be included in gift bags to 2019 Golden Globe nominees and presenters. The bags will be gifted to actors, actresses, and presenters for the 2019 Golden Globes the weekend of January 7, 2019.
“When we were informed that both ‘Frontal Matter: Glue Gone Wild’ and ‘Running Wild Anthology of Stories, Volume 2’ would be included in the gift bags, I couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Lisa Diane Kastner, Founder and Executive Editor of Running Wild Press. “This is the perfect tribute to our authors, our readers, and the stories of 2018 as well as a gorgeous beginning to 2019.”
Lisa founded Running Wild Press with the vision to bring great stories and great writing that do not fit neatly in a box to readers worldwide.
“In 2018, we published nine books with stories ranging from personal narratives to cross-genre fiction and non-fiction,” said Lisa. “These two books represent a great compilation of our narratives.”
Never one to shy from an opportunity to feature talents who don’t necessarily fit in mainstream media, we chatted with Lisa about the press, the Golden Globes, and anything else we could fit in.
How Did You Get Into The Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards Gift Bags? A dear friend reached out to me and mentioned that there was an opportunity to be included. There are only a handful of companies authorized to provide gift baskets for events such as the Golden Globes, the Emmys, the Grammys, the Oscars, and SAG Awards. I figured, heck, can’t hurt to have a chat. That chat resulted in our stories being included in 50 gift bags for both Golden Globe nominees and presenters as well as SAG Award nominees and presenters. We couldn’t be more excited. Only a select few are invited to be included in these baskets so this truly is an honor.
Who Among the Recipients Are You Most Excited to Meet? Admittedly, I doubt that I’ll personally meet any of the celebrities or nominees during the weekend of the Golden Globes or the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but I am incredibly excited to have the likes of Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Spike Lee, Constance Wu, Charlize Theron, and Lin-Manuel Miranda read these amazing stories.
I have admired Bradley Cooper’s rise and strategic choices for years. Lady Gaga continues to broaden and expand her repertoire. Her ability to tap into her own meager beginnings in “A Star Is Born” was truly breathtaking. Spike Lee’s true gift to bring forth real life situations and demonstrate their relevance to today’s society is beyond phenomenal. Constance Wu and the rest of the cast of “Crazy Rich Asians” not only brought theatrical houses down but showed the world how a Rom-Con should be done. And Lin-Manuel’s gifts for storytelling – no matter the form (Have you seen his Twitter account? Oy!) continues to inspire. I could go on and on. Needless to say, we’re proud to have these stories in such amazingly talented artists’ hands.
What Inspired You to Start Running Wild Press? I had spent over a decade studying the art of storytelling from New York Times Bestsellers, such as Jonathan Maberry, Alexander Chee, Porochista Khakpour, Da Chen, Pulitzer Prize nominees such as Luis Alberto Urrea, National Book Award winners such as Julia Glass, Ha Jin, and PEN Award winners such as Percival Everett. I studied fiction, non-fiction, memoir, journalism, screenplay writing. Each experience and interaction brought greater knowledge and understanding.
I ran several writers workshops including Running Wild Writers Community out of Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. I often found writers whose writing was on-point – truly magical stories with great writing; the pieces simply needed a little tweaking. I gave the authors feedback and recommended that they send the pieces out for publication. I checked with each one and was often shocked when they said they couldn’t find home for their work. When I asked why, they informed me that the publications said the author’s writing was wonderful but didn’t quite fit. The more I heard this, the clearer it was that tons of great stories with great writing simply don’t fit into the mainstream media. So, I created Running Wild Press for great stories and great writing that don’t fit neatly in a box to find worldwide audiences. I’ve been humbled by the public’s enthusiastic response to our stories. We’ve been nominated for several “Best of” collections, the Pushcart Prize, and several more honors that are currently in the works.
Continuing in my series of interviews with my Running Wild Anthology colleagues, I’m very pleased to feature Nick Mazzuca. Nick’s story “Buck It and Bolt” is great sci-fi with a gritty soul and lots of heart.
Welcome, Nick!
Is there part of the Anthology’s cover collage that reminds you of your story?
I really like the inserts of black-and-white photographs layered under the color overlays – it reminds me of the Cowboy Bebop opening, which is another piece of science fiction centered around regular folks grinding their way through their days.
Would you add anything to the cover to hint at your story?
I’d put a diffused starscape in the background.
What do you like best to write?
I enjoy throwing characters into impossible, no-win situations and seeing how they crawl out.
What’s the biggest stretch for you to write?
I’m great at figuring out the how of world-building, but getting my characters to sing requires a lot of effort.
Where do your stories fall on the plot-driven vs. character-driven spectrum?
I try to cut it straight down the middle. Plot is there for characters to struggle against. Characters are there to survive what the plot throws at them.
What authors did you love most as a kid? Now? What authors have influenced your writing most?
I was a huge fan of Clarke, Peter David, Harlan Ellison, Conan Doyle, and Rosemary Sutcliffe growing up. Frank Herbert’s examination of societies through personal point of view still informs much of my artistic worldview, though I very much reject the “Great Man” theory underpinning it. Right now I’m enjoying Shelley and LeGuin.
Is there a place that you’ve lived (or visited) that most influences your writing?
I grew up in Nebraska, but moving to Philly really did cement my notion of what a city can represent for a people. Economics, sociology, and history really do come together to create the vibe Philly has. Philly is weird, but you never see a bumper sticker saying “Keep Philly Weird.” It stays that way on its own.
What’s the first piece you wrote that you’re still proud of/happy with?
My Master’s Thesis: The Dreamer Deepe. It’s a Lovecraftian horror play that I wrote close to a decade ago. There’s a ton wrong with it, but it moves and has a solid sense of space and place.
What have you been up to since the Anthology came out?
One of my plays had a reading at the Valdez Last Frontier Theatre Conference. Spending a week binging theatre and taking nature photos in one of the most magnificent places on Earth… doesn’t suck.
What do you plan to work on next?
I’m restarting work on a sci-fi horror play as well as getting the outline of a screenplay about alien abduction into gear.
How can readers connect with you?
Twitter for my random musings and angry political scoldings: twitter.com/nickmazzuca
Instagram for lots of striking images (and the occasion fuzzy friend!) @nickmazzuca
Thanks for being part of my blog, Nick! It’s great to hear your news and plans, and I wish you the best success with them!
UPDATE Dec. 8th, 2018
Exciting news! Nick’s story “Buck it and Bolt” has been chosen as one of RWP Readers’ Choice Best of 2018*. Congratulations, Nick!
Gemma L. Brook 