Why PulpRev?
Late in the most recent episode of Geek Gab, the inestimable host asks (relative) newcomer to the PulpRev a very interesting question: Why Pulp Revolution? Her answer (at 35:00) is very telling:
“The enthusiasm.”
It was great to hear that question asked of Dominika. Her first novella, I, The One, is an outstanding work of creativity and literary craft. It reminded me of a number of the Hugo nominated works, but done right. (By which I mean without all the navel gazing and axe grinding.) Ever since reading her novella, I have wondered why Dominika – or anyone for that matter – would choose to associate with the misfit and unabashed gutter style prosesmiths of the PulpRev.
Just a few short minutes later, while wallowing in the mire of Twitter, a post crossed my feed in which a writer dropped a jokey little bon motte about why she had an hour to write and chose not to. Those jokes are like weeds among most writer’s groups, and they are a big reason that I could never stomach the few writer forums that I visited in my ‘pre-writer’ years. For some bizarre reason, most writers think making excuses is cute and clever rather than self-defeating and off-putting.
The guys that you follow in the PulpRev don’t do it. I can’t think of a single example of a PulpRev writer treating not-writing lightly. In those rare instances where they discuss a reduced out-put they treat the situation very matter-of-factly. They admit to an issue that keeps them away from the keyboard, but focus on how to overcome that issue, or they focus on how long before they can put it behind them and get back to cranking out words.
You can call it enthusiasm. I call it mindset. The PulpRev crowd has a very output focused mindset.
They don’t dwell on process – except as it relates to output. They don’t dwell on problems – except as it relates to finding solutions. They don’t dwell on being unmotivated – except as means to find motivation and get back to grinding out those words.
It’s different. It’s refreshing. It’s inspirational.
And it’s why I’m part of the PulpRev.