Earlier this week, my writing group got together for our monthly meeting.  We critiqued the final chapters of a WIP by one of our members. We were unanimous in our enthusiastic appreciation of the work as a whole, and in our expectation of its eventual publication.  

Anyway, in the course of our discussion, the author, a talented writer, and an all-around great guy IMHO, admitted that he was struggling with how much of what was really going on he should reveal. (I don't want to say too much about it, other than that it is a fantasy set in a world that has seen better days, and that the protagonist, struggling to get home to his family, unwittingly becomes part of a larger struggle with worldwide implications. **There. That was vague enough, I think**.) See, in the author's mind, the magic wasn't the point of the story, nor was the mythology, or any mechanism by which the world is saved or doomed, or even how the world got the way it is in the first place.  Nope, the important thing was the character, his journey, and the choices he makes.  Everything else is just...world building.  (Which he is very good at, just so's you know.)

This week I also finished a very good horror novel by fellow Bloodshot Books alum Jeremy Hepler, called The Boulevard Monster.  Again, I don't want to give too much away, but in it, the antagonist seems to have a supernatural connection to blue jays.  It's never explained how or why, and I kinda wanted to know, because they are used in very cool and clever ways, and it's just so...different.  Dollars to donuts, the author knows the answer, and can tell you everything about it. But he chose not to.  Because that's not the story, and in the end, it didn't matter.  Not knowing allowed me to use my own imagination, to, in a way, bring something of my own to the table.  

As the writer, you may know every single detail about the characters, places, and events that make up the warp and woof of your story, but all that knowledge can't go into your book, and sometimes, it shouldn't, even if it might please the readers.  For one thing, putting everything you know about your story will bloat your book beyond all reason.  Those details may help you write more well-rounded characters, but if they don't move the story forward, you don't need 'em.  And the fact is, I've come across very few problems in my writing that couldn't be fixed by cutting something out. But you also have to decide what you want the reader to walk away with. I wrote a sci-fi story about first contact where you never actually make direct contact.  The story was about how humans behave given the certain knowledge that mankind is not alone, not flying saucers, little green men, or gee-whiz technology.  So I left that stuff out.  Besides, I wanted the reader to identify with the characters who shared in wondering just who the hell was out there, and why they are keeping themselves to themselves. Heh.  

So, after you've written the first draft of  your magnum opus - the one in which you've thrown in everything including the kitchen sink - and begun your editing and rewrites, make sure that you keep an eye out for what to take out: the info dumps that weigh your reader down with dry facts, pulling her rudely out of the story; the bloated bits of fluff that don't move the story along, but just sit there stinking up the place, and finally, the parts of the story - well crafted, sleek, sexy - that may seem like a perfect fit, but which mislead the reader, ultimately drawing them away from the story you're actually trying to tell.  

In your quest to become a better writer, remember that it can be just as important to know what not to write, as it is to know what you should.

Until next time...

Peace,
Chris

So, I spent some time today, searching for publications currently open to submissions.  I was looking to place a specific story I'd previously written, which has been languishing at another publication for a "second round" reading since sometime last year.  I was in no hurry then--I had a lot going on, as you may know from some of my previous posts--but I figure it's been long enough, that if they wanted it, they would have said so by now.  But also, I was just...you know...searching.  

If you're a  new writer looking to turn a hobby into a career, you may want to consider that approach, at least from time to time.  Sometimes, publications are looking for a specific type of story for an anthology.  Maybe they are collecting stories based on the worlds created by Lovecraft, or star-crossed love stories featuring werewolves and vampires in tragic romances, or killer clown dolls crazed by genital warts.  Whatever.  They give you the subject. You just have to write a story about it. It can be lucrative, if you can pull it off.  And if you're between stories, it can also be a good exercise in writing outside your comfort zone. Just think about it, ok? My go-to site is DarkMarkets, which lists tons of open markets in horror, and dark/speculative fiction, the deadlines for submissions to their publication, and links for other submission guidelines.  

As you're perusing the list for suitable pubs, I want you to pay particular attention to something.  You can find it in the submission details, usually right after the word count:  it's the payment amount being offered for your magnum opus.  You'll see payments ranging from a "Contributor's Copy" up to 6 cents a word, or some flat rate per story.  Royalties may or may not play a part in it as well. That's really what I wanted to talk about.  

The above covers a lot of territory, right?  Depending on the publication, and how they figure payment, you may receive anywhere from $5-$10, to hundreds of dollars, with the possibility of royalties. 2-3 cents per word seems to be an acceptable norm.  (You can get more or less depending on the size of the publication, and you should probably tailor your expectations accordingly. Cemetery Dance is going to offer better rates than a local mag, and that's a pretty tight market) Or you could get just a copy of the publication itself, which means you basically worked for free. 

I have a problem with that.  

Look, I am by no means widely (or even moderately) published.  I'm still at the stage where I squeal in girlish delight when a magazine tells me my story is being held for further consideration.  Even with a book out, I absolutely understand the newbie willing to accept no payment for the "exposure."  There are even times, when I'm okay with it.  If you're truly a "hobby" writer, and just want to tell your grandchildren about that one time you published a story, fine (although, why not get paid for that, too?).  And if it's for a good cause (I recently wrote and illustrated a mini-comic for a publication that was shining a spotlight on the plight of the homeless. Didn't get chosen, but it's being published elsewhere), or some other labor of love, I can get on board with that. But if you want to be a professional writer, and be taken seriously as one, you need to be paid for your work.  

Ask yourself this: Why are so many publications not offering payment, or next to nothing? Answer: because they can.  So many people want to be published authors, they are willing to settle for "exposure." And, as the old saying goes: Why buy the cow, when you can get the milk for free? The number of people willing to accept publishing without payment, makes it more difficult for everyone to succeed as writers.  And on the publishing side, if you think about it, what's more appealing: someone who's been giving their writing away? Or someone who's been receiving a professional wage for their work? If a publication's been willing to pay for the work, it, and therefore, the writer, must be pretty good, right? If you settled for your contributor's copy, and nothing else, not only are you screwed out of payment then, but few pubs are going to pay to reprint a story you gave away the first time.

Look, it's not about getting rich.  If you're writing to get rich, you may want to re-examine your life choices.  But can you think of any other jobs where "exposure" is considered payment for work well done? Even session musicians and extras on movie sets get paid.  You spent hours writing and rewriting your masterpiece.  The magazine that publishes it is getting paid for that.  And so should you.

Now, go get that money, player...

Peace,
Chris

Well, then.  2018 was certainly an eventful year.  My wife passed. My daughter graduated high school, and went to college.  And in between those two extremes, came all the myriad things, big and small, that make up the warp and woof of all our lives.  But one constant for me, which served as both creative outlet in good times, and escape in bad, was the writing. 

It's a new year, now.  And as I review the last year, and look forward to what's ahead, I can tell you that I am excited about writing.  Rewrites on book number two are going pretty well, I think.  Well enough that I think I'll have something marketable very soon.  Book three is waiting impatiently behind the starting gate, chomping at the bit, and ready to just run, boy, run!  And there are the smaller projects - comics, art, short stories - that I have either planned, or am considering in between.  

2019 is going to be a year of creativity and productivity for me.  And for you, I hope.  Those of you who have had a novel locked away in a trunk somewhere for who knows how long, that puppy ain't gonna write itself.  Get it out, and get to work! For those of you who have been grinding away at the craft, and got no love in 2018, as the Buddha is purported to have said in that zen meme: Let that shit go, man.  It's a new year, and you are freaking unstoppable! So get going, keep pushing, and don't let anything keep you from your goals!

Peace, 
​Chris

Well, Hello, there, gang. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving I did. Gonna be riding a tryptophan high (or low, depending on how you wanna look at it) for another week or so.  Just in time for all the Christmas calories to start rolling in! Heh. 

Anyway, I wanted to talk a bit about the difference between plot driven and character driven storytelling, and why I think it matters.  As the term suggests, in plot-driven stories it is the plot itself which moves the story forward.  A series of events happens, and the characters react until a resolution is reached.  You see this a lot in some genre fiction, especially romance and fantasy, where character development is less important than external forces that move the characters, and the  story to its conclusion.  

In character-driven storytelling, however, the emphasis is on the internal development (or crumbling) of the main character as he, she, or they attempt to overcome whatever obstacles form the crux of the story.  In this type of storytelling, what's going on inside the character's mind is as important as what's going on around her.  In my opinion, this is why some of the movie adaptations of Stephen King's early work fell a bit flat for me. King's stories are largely character-driven, and what's so frightening about most of his work is what happens internally with the characters.  Think about Jack Torrance in "The Shining," and Louis Creed in "Pet Sematary." What's truly terrifying about those stories is not the ghosts, the visions, the dead animals come back to life (okay, yes, point taken: they're no picnic on a sunny day, either), but the madness that takes over Jack, as he gives in to the twin voices of the hotel, and his own inner demons, and Louis, as he realizes that he cannot accept the death of his son...and doesn't have to.  Yes, you can show Jack or Louis staring at nothing as they lose their minds in a movie, but it's not the same as hearing the conversations these men have within themselves as you would in reading the books.  And without that, it just ain't the same, folks. (That being said, does anybody else think the new Pet Sematary movie looks lit AF?)

Anyway, the reason this is important, is that it is another light to shine on your work as a writer.  Do you sit around hatching mind blowing plots guaranteed to leave jaws hanging and eyes bulging?  Or do you focus on a character, putting them through the wringer, imagining them growing, developing, learning, as they run a gauntlet of heart-stopping terrors.  Either way, you can use this knowledge to better write the story you meant to (or possibly, to help get you out of a jam, if you find yourself stuck in your writing).

I hope this helps in some small way, as it did me (I'm a character-driven writer all the way, btw).  Now get outta here. Go write a masterpiece, or something.  

Peace,
Chris

It's been a few weeks since I posted here.  I haven't actually done much in the way of writing, but I knew that was going to be the case.  See, I've been soooooooper busy working on other projects that are more art-related, though some, like the mini-comic I wrote and illustrated about homelessness, did, in fact involve writing.  And it occurred to me that while some of my other art may be just kind of a one-off, with a one-two punch that's easily digestible, most of my art, the stuff that I do for myself, is another way of telling stories.  

Take the thumbnail pic on this post, for example. I completed it yesterday, because the image of an owl and a ghostly female figure got into my brain, and demanded to be birthed onto the page (come to think of it, most of my writing ideas come to me as an image glimpsed in my mind's eye).  I call it "The Wandering Woman," and I imagine her wandering the hillsides and forests at night, searching, unaware that she has passed beyond this mortal coil.  Who is she, I wondered as the image took form.  Who or what is she searching for?  And, oh, yeah...how exactly did she die?

With a picture, I am obviously not thinking about telling a story through words, at least not at first.  But I am thinking and planning how to create a mood through imagery that tells a story. Guess it's just in my blood.  And so, in a real sense, I haven't stopped writing at all.  Not sure how this helps other writers, other than to perhaps to get you to think a little more deeply about your story.  How can you use imagery in your writing to evoke a mood.  How can you look at your writing in a different way, connect with your reader on a more visceral level, bring new life, depth, and insight to your writing.  

You should always be looking for ways to grow.  This is as true as a writer and artist as it is personally.  Could be that thinking of stories in another medium will give your creative fiction a little something new and different to, uh, draw upon.  

Till next time...

Peace,
Chris

You ever have a favorite thing - a movie, a food, a book - that someone you know experienced for the first time and loved? There's this moment of loveliness at sharing something meaningful with someone you're close to, of reliving, vicariously, the first time you experienced it.  And though it's what you wanted, of course, you almost envy the other person that feeling of discovery, right? 

I recently experienced that with friends who are now reading some of the earlier Stephen King books and watching those movies.  I love talking about those things, remembering how much they affected me as a kid (even some of the movies that were eye-rollingly bad).  I'm excited that they liked the movie based on 'Salem's Lot, because I know they'll love the book. I just know it.  And it all takes me back to when I was a kid reading it in bed at night with the covers over my head and the flashlight on, almost frantic to get to the next page.  I read a LOT of Stephen King that way, as I recall (and Robert McCammon, Dean Koontz, Peter Straub, and others). 

Earlier this week, I was interviewed for a podcast (check my Media and Upcoming Events for details, and the link, if you'd care to hear it) and  was asked how I got into horror. I recalled pawing through my dad's boxes of books, looking for anything interesting.  My grubby little hands came out with Carrie (or Christine; I'm pretty sure I read them both that week, and I can never remember which was first, although I really do think it was Carrie. It just feels right.), and it was one of those things where a piece of the puzzle of your life just clicks into place, and you discover something that was just meant to be a part of your life.  Stephen King calls it finding your "true north," and I believe that I found mine that day.  Because I absolutely devoured anything horror-related after that.

Those days and nights of delicious fear, the heart-pounding need to face the darkness with characters you care for, the triumphs and heartbreaking defeats shared, and the warm glow I felt after finishing a book that, for a few hours, absolutely transported me, moved me, showed me another world through different eyes...this is what I want to share with the world. This is the reason that I write.  And, you know? Sometimes it's good to be reminded of that.

Peace,
Chris

A few months ago, my critique mates in the Focus Fiction Group kindly read and critiqued the prologue of my next WIP.  Their advice, as always, was supportive, thoughtful, and very helpful.  While they all seemed to like the writing, there was a general consensus that the main character needed to be revealed in the prologue. (The prologue was actually going to come after the events that followed, and I had intentionally referred to him only as "the man," thinking to have the reader realize only much later in the book who that man was)

The other issue, was that based on what was going on with the main character, several of them doubted the motives of one of the supporting characters, which seemed to lead them down all sorts of rabbit holes I hadn't intended (although, I had, in fact, purposely written her to be...complex, so it's not surprising).  Without giving anything away, I'd meant for her to be a good person with a complicated set of behaviors and morals that live in the gray area between acceptable and borderline-sociopathic.  Cheerfully immoral, in other words, but in a good way. She genuinely cares about the main character, and wants him to get better.  Her way of helping is just questionable, is all. I like her (who am I kidding? I love her!)  She's fun, which I think this very dark work may need to break up some of the horror.  But I get my crit-mates' points. 

And this is MY point. I loved the idea of not revealing the main character's name in the prologue.  I love my (slightly) sociopathic supporting character. But as William Faulkner, who famously advised writers to "kill your darlings" ("murder your darlings, English writer Sir Arthur Quillian-Couch said even before that) would no doubt remind us all: our responsibility is to the story, not to any one character or plot point.  If it doesn't serve a purpose, or goes against your purpose, then you have to get rid of it.  Be ruthless. Ignore the hurt looks of betrayal your character gives as you chop her out of your story.  The story itself will live on and be better for it.  And you can always resurrect the character or subplot or scene in another book, or even in another part of the current work in progress (what I intend to do with the character I've been referring to). 

So, I've been giving the matter some thought, trying to decide if I actually agree with my crit-mates.  As for the prologue: No.  Not really.  It's actually been done. By Stephen King, in 'Salem's Lot.  The prologue occurs after the story itself, and he only refers to two of the main character as "the man," and "the boy." You only figure out who they are later.  (The one thing he did do, that I didn't was to show the reader that the prologue is present day, and the story that follows, a past event, by having the characters reading a newspaper article about the events that have already happened. Mine gave the reader no such clue, resulting in much of the confusion.)

However, two things have made me decide to follow the advice of my CMs after all.  The first being that King has already done it (I hadn't thought about that at all when I wrote the prologue), and done it better.  King is probably not the only one to have done it.  And truthfully, I don't think doing it would matter in the least. The fact is, I think you'd be hard-pressed, indeed, to find something Stephen King - or some other famous writer - hasn't done before you, and better. I would just prefer to find another way, now, having seen another writer has done it.  The second, more important reason I'm going to do it, is that I've thought of a way of revealing his identity in a way that will actually add to the tension and creepy tone of the novel.  And I'm going to make it present-day, which will move the story forward into the first chapter.

I agreed about the supporting character, if only because I haven't written her as well as I conceived of her, and I can see how she is a distraction, which I definitely do not want.  And now that I've changed the timing of the prologue, it not only makes her moot for the scenes that she's in, it would actually make the main character's judgment and motives extremely suspect.  He just wouldn't link with her the way he is now after what happens in the prologue.  So...she goes (for now).  

So let this be a lesson to you.  To make your story the best story it can be, to pull the reader in and keep them riveted and invested in your characters, sometimes the best thing you can do is take stuff out.  It'll hurt.  Sure it will. But what's left will heal up nicely.

Peace,
Chris

So, I just recently finished reading The Witches' Kitchen, by Allen Williams.  Allen is a ridiculously gifted artist I'd been following on Instagram for months (I_justdraw, if you're interested in seeing his work. You should, IMHO). Anyway, I stumbled onto his booth at Dragon Con, and only knew it was him because I recognized a couple of pictures he had hanging there.  After politely gushing over his work, I happened to notice that he had a book on his table. I picked it up, read the inside flaps of the dust jacket, and read that some of his inspirations for this book  were: "...a near-phobic childhood fear of the dark; his training to become a second-degree black belt in Shotokan karate; and a cabinet of curiosities containing a variety of bird and animal skeletons and a box of assorted bones of mysterious origin." 

Whuuuuuuuuuuut....?

After reading that, I couldn't not buy his book.  And the book delivers, I'll tell ya that much! I don't want to tell you too much about it. Only that the main character is a toad, who doesn't know who she is, or why she's in the predicament that she's in. And, oh, yeah, there are two witches of the extremely wicked kind who want her dead in the worst way.  She finds herself lost in the witches' kitchen, which is as vast as it is dark, and filled with all manner of danger - and her not knowing friend from foe.  Basically, if you took parts of Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland, and had Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, and Tim Burton craft it into their own tale, you might end up with something like this.  

What really intrigued me was the way in which some seemingly unconnected things in Williams' formative years formed the base of such an interesting story.  I could really see each of those inspirations at work in this novel, and it's made me think harder on things in my own childhood that have landed in my work, whether I was aware of it or not. For instance, in my novel THE RAGGEDY MAN, the turnoff to Grace's home is based on the one to my paternal grandmother's home in Florida.  My memories of going to visit her with my dad, not only informed the scene, but Grace's very personality.  The thing with the woman on the inflatable raft? It happened.  But what other thoughts, beliefs, quirks, etc., may have found their way into my writing, that I may not even have been aware of? I believe that just as the reader views a work through his or her own filter, coloring how it is received, so, too, do our own experiences color how our characters see the world we've created, and, indeed, how that very world exists in our mind and on the page. 

Take some time to look back at your writing. See if there are any recurring themes appearing that you may be working through that you perhaps, weren't even aware of.  I'll bet you'll find at least a few things ripe for exploring in a new work.  Bet that'll make a good book.

Peace,
Chris 

Okay, so.  This past weekend was all about Dragon Con.  I love to see the proud geeks and dorks (myself, included), who have waited a whole year to be able to be at the biggest comic convention in the southeast, going gaga over whatever floats their little geek boat, dressed in costumes that range from amazing to startling to slightly disturbing.  But it's not all about the pageantry, for me. You may not be aware of this, but there are a whole slew of "tracks" that are available, in the form of panels that you can attend.  They range from comics panels, to actor/actress, to martial arts and skeptics panels.  

I attended panels on the writer's track (yep, it's a thing).  Writers like Kevin J. Anderson, Sherilyn Kenyon, David B. Coe, Janny Wurtz, and other writers you may recognize, speak about their experiences, give advice, and answer questions from us nobodies, who want to be somebodies (cue Marilyn Manson).  

Most of the panels I attended were on marketing/PR (there is a blurry but definable difference: Marketing is designed to get people/companies interested in buying your product, and typically involves buying ads, materials, designing attractive book covers, etc., while Public Relations is generally about communication designed to promote your brand. That's interviews, managing a website/blog, networking, getting beta readers to review your book, stuff like that.  This is overly-simplistic - it's all about getting people to buy what you're selling - and as I said, the line blurs on the two.  But I think you get the picture), and I learned a few things.  Here are a few things you might find useful.  

First thing: If you don't have a website, get one. This falls under the heading of "Don't expect your publisher (if you have one) to do much (or any) of the marketing for you.  In fact, they typically expect you to have a sales "platform" which includes a website for you to sell yourself, and your product on.  Don't make that site the product (i.e., your book).  Because, unless you plan on being a one-hit wonder, you're going to write more books, and then you're faced with either completely overhauling your current website, or creating a new one. (Can you imagine if Stephen King or James Patterson had a different website for every book they'd written???) On that website, you want to have, in addition to your longer bio,  a short one that, say, Barnes & Noble, or your local cafe, or a podcast, can lift and share, if you do an interview or a book signing.  For that same reason, you want to have a picture of yourself, and of your book(s), and the links to all of your social media.  Look around my site.  You'll see I've included that stuff on my home page.  

Your website/blog should not be a constant hammering about your book(s) either. In this age of social media, where people post the most intimate details of their lives on a daily basis, people want to be invested in you, not just your product.  If you get them to care about you, they will be more likely to have a vested interested in your success.  Yes, as writers, we tend to be introverted, and grit our teeth at the time taken away from writing to actually talk to people.  But think about it. What are YOU more likely to respond to: people who spam you with "Buy my book, buy my book!" or someone who's got the same interests and personality as you, whose posts you look forward to reading, because they make you think, or laugh, or whatever, who then says, "Hey, by the way, my book is coming out. It's about (whatever). You should give it a try? 

The last thing I'll share, is about managing social media.  First off: you do NOT have to have a presence on every freaking platform that exists.  But you should have a presence on at least one. Pick the one that you like the most.  The panel members I heard speaking all seemed to agree on Instagram and Twitter (in that order) as their favorites.  They also happen to be mine.  But they also emphasized that whatever your favorite is, is what you should use.  If you feel like the platform you're using is painful, it will come off that way. At the very least, it will seem insincere, and more "spammy." And you can use social media manager apps like hootsuite to help you keep from going crazy. 

Also, use lots of hashtags on those platforms.  It's how people who may have no idea who you are, may be able to find your work. Let's say there are groups of flying saucer enthusiasts, or sci-fi writers, or whatever, who all post pictures and other interesting things to the hashtag #flyingsaucers.  And let's further say that you write a book about flying saucers, and write a post about that book that includes #flyingsaucers? Well, guess what? Your post - and the posts of ALL the people who have used that hashtag, will appear together.  You're now linked to them.  And all of those people will now be able to see your post about your book about a subject that they are passionate about.  And anyone not of those groups, who happens to come across one post, then clicks on the hashtag, will suddenly be able to see all of those posts, including yours. See the possibilities? I tested it today: I posted something about my novel on Instagram to #bookstagram, and various horror hashtags.  And no longer than 5 minutes passed after I hit post, that someone from France, England, and at least one book group, had liked my post, and/or followed me.  Those are people who never would have otherwise known the first thing about me, who will now get my posts, and, if I peak their interest enough, may decide to buy my book. 

These are just a few  things that you can be doing better to make yourself more visible to potential fans, and more likely to reel them in.  Again, as writers, I know the first instinct is to shun anything that isn't about the actual process of writing.  But if you want to do this for a living, then you'd better start treating this like the business that it is.  Suck it up, and do it! Small steps like these can mean the difference between a successful career, and a failed one!
​
Peace,
Chris

So, maybe a week ago, I was watching TV, not really paying attention, just letting the sounds fill the silence as I flipped through unopened mail, trying to decide which ones looked serious enough to demand my attention right then.  I am not even entirely sure what show was playing (although "One Strange Rock" is sticking out in my mind, for some reason), only that there was some science-y-type stuff going on (which I love; PBS is one of my favorite stations, for that reason).  

Anyway, I tuned in for just a moment, long enough to hear something about dire wolves and sabre-toothed cats living in the same era in Earth's history.  My whole soul froze at that moment. Wait, I thought.  What, now? 

Yeah, dire wolves. Marinate on that for a second.  I don't read a TON of fantasy, but I've read enough that contains these beasts to know about them, and to think they're pretty cool.  And to find out that they actually existed? Whoah! Now, it's entirely possible that I am the last person on Earth who didn't know about them, so maybe this "revelation" is all in my head.  And that's okay.  The point is, my world expanded just with that few minutes of learning.  It made me appreciate both their roles in fiction, and the writers who used them.  

No real lesson here, other than that dire wolves are lit AF (and can you imagine the dog and cat fight between a dire wolf and a sabre-tooth?). And that the truth is an invaluable tool in creating fiction.  

Hell, most of the work has already been done for you! Now, go. Learn some stuff.  Then write about it.  

​It might make you famous. 

Later people!

Chris