Pulp Fiction is Back!
A resurgence of the writing style associated with Dick Tracy, The Maltese Falcon, and Doc Savage will be celebrated at Pulp Ark 2012 at the Independence County Fairgrounds in Batesville, Arkansas April 20-22.
Called “New Pulp,” this writing style emphasizes linear storytelling, creative use of language, and plenty of action.
To learn more about New Pulp, make plans to attend the convention where you can meet New Pulp authors and publishers and watch the first Tarzan movie ever made.
According to convention director Tommy Hancock, the trick to writing New Pulp is “including enough characterization to appeal to a modern reader while keeping the plot and the rest of it quick and well-paced enough to still be pulpy.”
In an interview with Arkansas writer Lisa M. Collins, Hancock listed some of his favorite “old” pulp authors as Rex Stout, Louis Lamour, Lester Dent, Walter Gibson, Norvell Page, ERB, Robert Heinlein, and Isaac Asimov. Although the best-known author of pulp fiction is probably mystery writer Dashiel Hammett, Hancock says that pulp can be written in any genre, as long as the elements of larger-than-life protagonists and antagonists, a focused plot, a fast pace, and clever turns of phrase are present.
For details, visit the Pulp Ark 2012 Convention website.
Maeve Maddox
Maeve Maddox writes about popular culture, English usage, and education. Her most recent books are WORD RAGE, a guide to peaceful coexistence as American English-speakers, and THE FABERGE FLUTE, a cozy mystery set in 1980s London.