SCORCH ATLAS

I spent the last few days finishing my story collection manuscript. I think it is now done. There may be small variations but beginning next week I am entering a new phase. Any recommendation of potential homes continues to be much appreciated.

There are 17 stories in the collection. The longest is 6200 words and the shortest is 400.

On Wednesday I drove 3 hours north of my home to try to meet my family for Thanksgiving but got stuck in hell traffic and rain and garbage and so turned around and went home. During the drive I listened to a recording of William S. Burroughs reading JUNKY. I also made a list of titles for the manuscript. I decided to keep many of them. This is the title of my book:

SCORCH ATLAS: A BELATED PRIMER
or
IN THE YEAR OF CYST & TREMOR
or
IN THE YEAR OF WORM & WILTING
or
OBLITERATIA
or
A BLOOM OF BLUE MOLD ALONG THE BACKBONE
or
A SLIP OF TONGUE IN THE YEAR OF YEAST
or
HIDE HIS EYES IN THE HIVE BLANKET
or
ILBLISSUM AKVISS NOEBLEERUM IGLITT PEEM
or
________
or
NO WINDOW
or
SPOKE INTO THE SOFT SKIN OF THE MOTHER
or
WANT FOR WISH FOR NOWHERE
or
COMA OCEAN
or
GOODNIGHT.

The title will probably continue to get longer.
I am finished with the rest.
Now's the hard part.

Short Story Collection

I am about 90% done with finishing my first collection. I have to make two of the shorter stories longer and then it will be done. It could be considered a novel in stories like OTHER ELECTRICITIES. All of the stories are set during some apocalypse event and have elements of the semipopular genre MAGICAL REALISM. You have to pick words that people can latch onto to try to sell things. I have chosen to confide in MAGICAL REALISM. For instance, in one story there is a child that lives in a man's attic and as time passes the child swells to fill the entire attic. In another story a boy's father goes to prison for not being able to hit free throws. In another story the hair of the dogs in the neighborhood grows out so long they can not walk.

I can't think of a great title for the book yet. The only thing I've almost liked for a title was what I thought of last night while I was driving: SCORCH ATLAS. I think that's pretty okay. I am also considering the title: ________

Which is appropriate in context of the book but maybe too shlocky to do.

I am going to try to get the collection published. Looking back, I think I had difficulty selling novels because I wrote them differently from the way I really write. I think this book is how I really write. Stories from it are forthcoming in NINTH LETTER, PHOEBE, WILLOW SPRINGS, LIT, LAKE EFFECT, QUICK FICTION, and others. If anyone has good ideas for how/who/where to shop a collection, please tell me. I would appreciate it. I might even suck your titty.