The Writer's Life 12/21 - Contents

Here’s the table of contents of my forthcoming book. 12 of the 35 works will be appearing in print for the first time, although excerpts have appeared in this blog. A few were posted in their entirety. The screenplays have been available as Kindles for a couple of years. I have to decide whether to take them down. They’re a bargain at a dollar, but I wonder if some customers would be pissed that they could have gotten more bang for their buck by ordering the collection. Unlike A Hitch in Twilight, which is comprised of stories influenced by Hitchcock and The Twilight Zone, the new book is an eclectic mix, but largely explorations of the bittersweet mystery of life, my favorite subject. I just ordered a proof copy. I hope to flush any errors I may have missed in the digital file. If it’s relatively clean, I’ll submit the corrections and forego a second proofing. I’ll be surprised if it isn’t ready by early January. I hope I haven’t jinxed myself in saying that. The brief synopsis that appears here after each story will not be in the book.

Rude Awakening, an eight-year-old's growing awareness.
Lessons Learned, the same child two years later, still trying to get life right.
The Bat, an at-risk adolescent's love of baseball.
Change, (First time in print) Christmas in a department store.
Distinctions, a raucous night on the town.
Actor-Activist, based on someone like Alec Baldwin.
Mysteries, after-party of an off-off-Broadway play.
The Best Revenge, growing up in Brooklyn.
Up and Down, (First time in print) four friends playing golf.
Bad Form, (First time in print) friction between a dating middle age couple.
Member’s Only, (First time in print) my only attempt at what is called Flash Fiction.
Murky Realm, (First time in print) conversation between old friends.
Chaos in Alphabet City, (First time in print) a young woman's struggles.
Symbiosis, (First time in print) a man on his early morning walk.
What Might Have Been, (First time in print) an alternate universe.
Just a Joke, argument between man and wife.
Wonder Wheel, (First time in print) young man opens up to a beautiful stranger.
Oblivious, the danger that awaits the unaware.
Rain and Rhubarb. a young man's tribute to his uncle.
Decisive, (First time in print) young female living dangerously.
Miller’s Time, (First time in print) conspiracy buff.
Colors, unemployed male, post job interview.
Panorama, what a middle aged man sees on a walk through his neighborhood.
Fear, late night NYC circa 1980.
Hip Hop, a girl with a heart of gold in a cold world.
What Is Life? - dealing with an old parent.
Fall, chance encounter.
Real World, political hardball.
Psychology, a man comforts his wife with lies.
Fairy Tale, a couple who have made it.
One Billionth of a Lifetime, a different kind of parlor game.
The Last Laugh, one-act play, great dead white males converse in the afterlife.
All Hallows, screenplay, five nuts escape asylum, wreak havoc.
A Truth Universally Acknowledged, screenplay, romcom influenced by Shakespeare & Austen.
Not So Black and White, teleplay, (First time in print), race relations in NYC circa 1990.

Here’s the cover:

My thanks to the three kind folks who bought books today, and to Herbie, who donated a hardcover thriller.
Vic's 5th Novel: http://tinyurl.com/okxkwh5
Vic's 4th novel: tinyurl.com/bszwlxh
Vic's 3rd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Short Story on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/k95k3nx
Vic's Short Story Collection: http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tiny.cc/0iHLb Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/kx3d3uf
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tinyurl.com/l84h63j
Vic's Rom-Com Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/kny5llp
Vic's Horror Screenplay: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3f
Vic's Blog: http://vicfortezza.blogspot.com/
Website: http://vicfortezzaauthor.my-free.website/