Cliff Burns's Blog
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Jan.30.2012
My wife recently bought me a palm-sized video camera, the Kodak "PlayFull".
Her timing is impeccable--Kodak just announced they're seeking bankruptsy protection. That venerable old firm getting left in the technological dust by its competitors. Fighting for its survival. How the mighty...
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Jan.15.2012
Finally in the stretch run, nearly done my new western novel, The Last Hunt, and though I have developed a great deal of affection for the cast of characters, I have to say, once it's finished and off to the printer, I won't be shedding any tears.
It's not the novel's fault--it features a genuinely...
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Jan.03.2012
I can happily say that last year I succeeded at the "100 Book Challenge", though not with the margin of error I'd expected. Ended up reading 105 books in 2011, the last one being Gonzo: The Life of Hunter S. Thompson.
In 2012, I'm concentrating on BIG books: fat, weighty tomes...
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Dec.18.2011
I completely empathize with the sentiment that being a writer is great, it's the actual writing part that's a pain in the ass.
In case I'm not stating the obvious, writing is hard work. It's supposed to be. It goes with the pain of giving birth to something original, something that didn't exist...
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Nov.29.2011
I've co-written a song with my friend, Laird Brittin.
I think I was channeling the spirit of Charlie Louvin or Johnny Cash when I scribbled this little ditty. Then I handed the lyrics to Laird and the arrangement he came up with was nothing less than magical.
I've posted the song over at my...
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Nov.10.2011
That's right, a literate, original science fiction novelette (10,000 words) for less than the price of most silly apps.
"Eyes in the Sky" is now available on Kindle--and you don't need one of those fancy-shmancy devices to read it. You can also download the software free from Amazon and read...
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Nov.01.2011
Every time November rolls around the pretenders and wannabe writers haul out their "Twilight" pencil cases and "Harry Potter" binders and vow to commence work on their literary masterpiece. The one they have on their head. The one that would be an instant bestseller...if they could just...
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Oct.16.2011
Well, if you're going to be a champion of the printed word, lobby and agitate on behalf of the power of literature, you'd better be an avid reader.
Over the past couple of years, what with working like a drudge on several novels and various side projects, my reading had been drastically...
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Sep.27.2011
My son Sam has finally overcome numerous technical glitches and setbacks and recently uploaded his film "Snoop"on to YouTube.
Like his dad, Sam has a real affinity for caper movies, film noir and people existing on the finges of society. He has a true cinematic eye, something that is...
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Sep.21.2011
My science fiction/alternative history tale "Eyes in the Sky" received an honorable mention in the Galaxy Project science fiction contest. I rarely submit my work elsewhere any more--hey, I'm an independent writer and publisher--but when I learned the contest was going to be judged by the...
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Sep.16.2011
After long hours spent shooting and editing a rather daunting amount of footage, I have now completed my latest cinematic effort, a short film titled "Beautiful Desolation".
I cannot offer enough thanks to my wife, Sherron, and my youngest son Sam, who talked me through the process and helped me...
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Sep.08.2011
I think a good number of my colleagues would empathize with my contention that being good chums with a writer can be a difficult proposition.
Authors, like most artists, tend to be egocentric, driven, indifferent to the feelings of those closest to them...in short, real bastards.
I've just...
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Aug.30.2011
Anyone who believes that only the best books get published, that editors employed by traditional publishers have peerless taste, the whole system is a meritocracy, etc., has a hard time defending that point of view these days.
After all, recent major book deals involved a novel written by, wait for...
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Aug.29.2011
My latest post over on my main blog at Wordpress is going to raise a lot of hackles.
I have an extremely low opinion of people who take up writing in order to achieve fame and fortune. If that's your mindset, I see little difference between you and a prostitute.
My literary heroes all...
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Aug.20.2011
Evere since I upgraded my old Mac, I've been offering daily thanks to the Creator for inspiring such a wondrous device as the iMac. Which can do almost anything, except balance my bank account (a feat, methinks, that would stump even the latest supercomputer).
I've used it as a word processor...
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Cliff Burns is a literary pioneer, going independent two decades before it became fashionable. For Burns, it was never about the money; it’s always been about artistic integrity and connecting with his audience.”
—Robert Runte, Canadian critic and academic
About Cliff
I've been a professional author for more than 25 years and an independent publisher since 1990, when my first book, Sex & Other Acts of the Imagination, was released through an imprint my wife and I created. That little publishing concern, which...
Connections
Causes Cliff Burns Supports
The Stephen Lewis Foundation, Community Radio
Cliff’s Favorite Books
Ah, now this is a tough one. "Favorite" books or "best" books? Because that's two entirely different things... Still, here are a few of the ones that have...