Estevan Vega's Blog, page 3

deVOTEd : the writer’s politic

Political. Writer.

Dear Planet Earth: If you are a can’t-take-it-er, a wussy, a chosen blind person, or preferred bed-wetter, please don’t read this. For all other brave bison, graze at your leisure.

In the spirit of the election season, that oh-so-bitter(sweet?) season that rolls around every four years and makes you scratch your head and wonder why the crap you vote at all, and if you really believe in the decency of the human race and wasn’t he in that movie that one time? and yada-yada, I figured I’d dust your intellectual minds with a bit of my perspective on the topic of politics. No, this isn’t a Demi / Republican debate, a jackass/elephant debacle; it’s more about the politics of the written word, or better, the politics of an entire industry.

Any author or aspiring author should be aware of genre and style and what’s popular in the market place right now. Because as much as we’d all like to live in Candyland (sans the irritating Snoop Dogg and the recently possessed half-alien, half-female Katy Perry…seriously, Wikipedia totally said that), we live in the real world where royalties are paid as a result of books sold. Oh, and literary fiction (unless you’re sought out by Oprah or you’re John flippin’ Irving, and you decide to write a book every five years that just so happens to catapult to the bestseller list) you’re in trouble. Genre fiction sells. Thrillers. Romance. Witchcraft. Oh, did I say witchcraft? I mean, Harry Potter. And let’s not forget the recently throned literary genre—the mighty epic masterpiece genre—known by and large by the moniker PORN. Oh, not porn. What are all the cool kids calling it these days? And by cool kids, I mean housewives who tell their husbands not to look at Playboy but go out and buy Thirty Shades of…something unimportant. Man, what is it called? Erotica. Yes, that’s it. Granted, one could argue that literary genres are all just euphemisms at the core. Thriller just means eerie, psychological, and twisted. Horror is a synonym for insipid (which actually isn’t fully true). Romance is just another way of saying, yes, women everywhere have agreed it rocks, their boyfriends hate it, but the story’s been done a million times and the public eats it up. I mean, the list goes on and on. Call these genres and titles what you will, the fact of the matter is the green drives the publisher/marketplace, which in turn drives the desperate, egotistical, uncertain author back to his or her laptop in efforts to spin the latest trend to suit their needs. Sometimes (now most definitely included), I want to just check out altogether. Realize this is a fucking joke and refuse to be led by the throat.

Originality is totally dead. I mean, how many more crummy vampire shows, books, movies do we need? Is there another werewolf tale we can “spin”? When will Nick Sparks give it up already and write a book that doesn’t involve a misfit loner in search of true love, who wanders into town, meets the love of his life (who just so happens to be either single or recently dispatched from a lousy relationship, may or may not have a kid), and after falling in lust together, someone dies, causing the audience to get all choked up…and then roll credits. You leave theater wondering, I’ve seen that song and dance before. It’s a game. I know, I know. You could say I’m a ripoff of X-Men. I’m a ripoff of Firestarter. I’m a ripoff of Carrie. Or name any fantasy/supernatural/psychological book out there, and I hijacked their idea. Maybe. Hard to say how true that is, though. Oh, Estevan, stop being a baby, you’re thinking. But hey, this is my rant. Let me roar. I do seem to think there is some originality to my work, otherwise I wouldn’t be writing it, but heck, most of the time, people don’t give it a shot enough to even test it out. Look at my abysmal amazon rankings and you’ll see. I have amazing reviews, but where are the people buying my books? Blame me for not promoting enough. Blame the publishers for not spending enough. You’re right on both accounts. But the bottom line is the people are too comfortable. They don’t like POV changes. They think I’m a cynic. There isn’t enough formulaic writing, not enough “plot”. Frick, I lose track. Can I please everyone? Not a chance. It’s not gonna happen, no matter how hard I try. And I guess that’s what this post (rant? BF? Soapbox serenade?)… That last one was clever. Admit it. : ) … is all about.

Like this jacked-up bogus election, I’m not content with the way things are going. I’m not content with mediocrity hitting the bestseller lists. I’m not content with movie after movie after movie being the same fricking thing. Oh, here’s an idea…let’s do another this or another that. Why? Because the masses are easily swayed and will eat it up. The least amount of thought, the better. No depth. No window into the soul. Just Keisha. Just fricking Bella and her dead boyfriend for the fifth time. Just another blow em up flick with no plot. (Transformers trilogy excluded) Ooo, can’t wait for the next James Patterson abortion (does that guy even write anymore, or just put his name at the top once a month when his next book hits the market?) No integrity. Publishers have become a bunch of desperate, greedy, lazy bastards. They’re all basically the same, and they’ve all bought into this philosophy, a high school philosophy really. What’s popular is good and what isn’t, well, isn’t. It’s kind of unavoidable, but so true. We’re trained what to like, what not to. Told whom to vote for and whom to hate. Told that Jesus is evil and every other religion is the way to go. Everyone should be gay and straights are the antichrists. Kill babies and disrespect fathers as long as people get equal pay and you get to keep driving your lame Prius because gas prices are so high you have to work two minimum wage jobs just to avoid driving to and from work. Please, make this carousel stop. I want to get off.

But can I?

From an early age, we’re taught to believe in democracy, but time and time again the system fails us. Why should the business world be any different? Publishers just want to stay in business. If you don’t make them money, or they think you won’t make them money, why should they care about you? I guess that makes sense. Cue eye roll. The world’s not as pretty up close, is it? People tend to look a lot uglier once you see the cracks in the skin, the holes in the heart, and the blood on the hands.

You want to survive? Don’t be a writer. I do it because of a passion in my blood that won’t quit. But it’s a path that doesn’t lead to gold. You want to survive as a writer (as paradoxical as that statement seems to be considering my previous supposition)? Then know what sells, know whose chapped butt to kiss, know which blogger to say the right thing to, know that you, like all other authors, are a fad—temporary. Know that your publisher (and I’ve had four) doesn’t want to spend a dime marketing you but expects you to do everything, and be willing to grab your balls and shotgun and go to town. In order to stay relevant, you need to be trashy. You need to have the shock value (which I’ll admit to giving into from time to time). You need to write thrillers and avoid anything with too much soul-searching, too much God, too much innocence or depth. Just stay on the surface. That’s where the industry wants you. That’s where O…I mean, the government, wants you. That’s where you should be, right?

-the dreamer,

evega

Twitter: @estevanvega

Facebook: we are arson

UPDATES: promo/Winter Sparrow/ARSON FEST

Hola, amigos!

It’s been awhile, but I have so not abandoned you. I’ve been a busy little freak, let me assure you.

1.) ARSON, the first book in the Arson Trilogy, was free on amazon.com for a week. And it was downloaded thousands upon thousands of times, which is so freaking cool! A huge thank you to all who helped make it rock. If you’re still on the fence as to whether or not you should read it…you totally should!

2.) My brand new baby…I mean, book, Winter Sparrow, just released. It explores the very real, very intricate concept of love in a much deeper way than I’ve ever gone with my stories. And it’s short enough to read in one sitting. This really cool fantasy has poignant hints of romance and darkness. Go pick up a copy right now please, and I love you long time! Plus, if you like it, please leave a review.  Reviews are awesome!

3.) Last, but not least, ARSON FEST. Who doesn’t like music? To those who don’t know, when Arson originally released, I held a cool concert in support of it. I had bands like Write This Down, Abel, The Letter Black, and many others. It was awesome. Well, I’m planning to top that, and then some. We’re going to have 10 incredibly talented bands taking stage at The Cave in West Haven, CT on January 26th, 2013. It’s gonna be a sick show, full of a variety of musicians, and of course, I’ll be there! If you’re even remotely close to CT, you should be there. This is definitely a show for all the arsonists!

 

til next time, peeps…spread the fuego!

evega

twitter: @estevanvega

facebook: we are arson

youtube: the estevan vega

POV Shifts : Cambria Hebert rocks the vegasphere!

Hey everyone!

When I first started writing I just sat down and wrote things as I heard them in my head.  I never gave any thought to my writing style or any kind of writing detail. It wasn’t until after I was published that I thought about these things… I know… that’s really backwards, LOL!!

I started being asked about writing in first person and how and why I chose to write POV shifts (That’s point of view for any non-writers). It never occurred to me that writing in first person or switching POV’s was something not every writer does. Then I heard that sometimes readers didn’t like to read books where the POV shifted… and I got nervous. (I’m a nail biter, and so my nails have suffered). What if people didn’t like reading POV shifts, what if they didn’t want to read in first person? Thankfully, most people have enjoyed it (and the ones who didn’t haven’t said much, lol). But still, people ask what the process is like to write with POV shifts and in first person. So this is my answer.

My Heven and Hell series is written in First Person. To me, I can’t imagine writing any other way. Writing in first person really gives the writer and the reader a chance to get to know the character. When I write in first person I put myself in the characters head and write as them. Really, it’s a nice break from my own internal dialogue…. I can be a lot to handle sometimes – even for myself. LOL.

Masquerade (Heven and Hell #1) has 4 POV shifts. Yes, it is a lot. I didn’t set out to write it that way. It evolved. The first draft was all Heven, the main character, with no other POV shifts. Then as I was reading it I thought… this needs something. It needs more. Then I came up with The Hate and The Hope. Two unidentified personalities in the book that the reader gets glimpses of. They are strong personalities – strong characters – but the reader doesn’t know who they are until halfway through. I think as you can tell from their names… one is good and one isn’t. Complete opposites. How did I manage that? I wrote all of The Hate scenes first. I slipped into that ‘bad’ personality and really asked myself what my version of heinous was – what someone in that position would do and say and I wrote it all out. I found the places to insert the scenes (which are short – no more than one page) and I wrote. Then I went back to those Hate scenes and I followed them with a Hope one. Something that pretty much went against The Hate. So I stayed “in character” with each person I wrote. Then came Sam. He is a huge part of the book. My editor actually suggested writing a scene or two from his POV and it worked so well and added a whole other side to the story that you would never have gotten to see so I did it through the whole book. Every time I felt there was a need for more depth or explanation or action in came Sam. That’s when I realized it. I hadn’t known Sam at all. That really hit me in the face like a wet mop. How could I have written a book (actually the second in the series was done as well) and NOT know one of the main characters. I was appalled at myself. So I plowed into Sam’s head and really got to know him. I won’t lie – the first couple scenes I wrote of him were the hardest of the book. Sam has secrets… secrets and feelings he didn’t want even me to know…. But I went with it and I kept working. And Sam came alive.

I think writing in so many POV shifts was very challenging but so useful in really getting to the bones of the story. I was able to understand the story from every angle and not just see it through Heven’s eyes. I hope that it makes it a better – fuller story. Is it necessary for all books? Nope. Was it necessary for this one? I think so. Judge for yourself.

The challenging thing about POV shifts is making sure the book still flows and that the writing stays consistent. Just because the character is different doesn’t mean the writing necessarily will change. The writing is what sets the tone throughout the entire book. The characters are what give it flavor.

In short (yeah, cause I’m so good at being short, lol) writing is like cooking. A little bit of this, a little bit of that all thrown together make on great stew. Its finding the right mix of ingredients that make the story.

So that concludes my thoughts on writing today. J What are your thoughts on POV shifts in books? Love em, hate em? Too distracting? Tell us how you feel…

 

EV: So, what do you think? I personally love pov shifts. I am sorta addicted to them, at least, for the moment. If any of you have read my stuff, you already know this. Since I love movies, and movies deal in a very similar fashion, jumping from character to character and scene to scene, I too have adopted this technique, and it works pretty well. So…any other authors or readers wanna chime in and try to prove me wrong? Either way, a huge thank you to the rockin C.H. for droppin by to entertain us and offer a bit of insight. Check out her books on amazon and look over her bio. She’s pretty cool!

Spread the fire!

evega

Cambria Hebert grew up in a small town in rural Maryland. She is married to a United States Marine and has lived in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and back to Pennsylvania again. She is the mother of two young children with big personalities, is in love with Starbucks (give the girl a latte!) and she is obsessed with werewolves. Cambria also has an irrational fear of chickens (Ewww! Gross) and she loves to watch Vampire Diaries and Teen Wolf. Her favorite book genre is YA paranormal, and she can be found stalking

that section at her local Barnes and Nobles (which happens to be her favorite place ever!). You can find her never doing math. It makes her head hurt.

Cambria is the author of the Heven and Hell series, a young adult paranormal book series. The series begins with Before, a short story prequel and is followed by the first novel in the series Masquerade. Look for all her titles where all books are sold.

Cambria also co-hosts a live, internet blog radio talk show, JournalJabber, (www.blogtalkradio.com/journaljabber) where she dishes about books, publishing and everything in between: hair in a can, toilet snakes, chicken phobias, etc..

You can find Cambria on Facebook, Good Reads, Twitter and her website http://www.cambriahebert.com for her latest crazy antics and the scoop on all things Heven and Hell.

The Rich Servant

Christian Bale as Bruce and Michael Caine as Alfred in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy

What is the job of the writer? What is it an author is supposed to do? If you take a look around at the industry, at the way it’s been, and even the way it’s going, one undeniable thing about writing, and art in general, is that the artist is a servant.  I know it’s a weird concept, but it seems so true. Writers are servants. We’re the used car salesman. We’re the self-employed barber struggling to make a quick buck. We’re the Alfred to the world’s Bruce Wayne. We are completely vulnerable and optimistically invincible at the same time.

So often I’m at a book signing, and I get asked by a young person, “So, you’re an author…are you rich?” I usually shrug it off with a

too many of us…

chuckle, knowing that a child will ask the most innocent and inquisitive questions just to find an answer. “Trying,” is all I usually say. Trying, such a fragile, funny word. The servant tries to be rich, tries to be the master. But can the artist ever truly be the master? Sure, the artist has “god” control over what he creates, what she sings about, what he writes, what she paints. But at the end of the day, the consumer, the “Bruce Waynes” of the world have final say as to what gets bought and what is forgotten.  We are the beginning, and they are the conclusion. Our art, our passion, our love can only go as far as the consumer wants it to go. Now, obviously, there are things that can’t be calculated like fate, divine purpose, serendipity, etc. But that which can be calculated—the acceptance factor—lies in the hands of the conclusion, not the beginning.

Just think back to all the brilliant men and women, talented people, who died penniless, practically nameless. Their only entrance into immortality were the words or pictures or ideas they left behind. So even in death, and the transition into immortality, their art becomes a new servant for a new generation to either accept or reject. So where does this leave men like me? I’m not entirely sure. Sometimes I look back on what I’ve been allowed to achieve, and look forward to what I hope to achieve, forever standing in the in between of the two realities, wondering…when? And if? And how? But maybe I’m missing the point. Great thinkers, great artists, great religious figures…they came to serve. Maybe they didn’t know it at first. Maybe it wasn’t wholly clear to them, but that was their purpose. The fact that they made a few bucks in the process, well, that was icing on the cake. The artist, the self-employed man, the struggling painter with all her talent, is here to serve. Weird concept, right? Why don’t we just do something else with our time, something else with our lives? Some have left the path. Too many rocks, too narrow.

But those who stick with it, the ones who keep the faith, who believe when the sky falls down around them…they shall inherit the kingdom of hope, of beauty, of vision. They shall enter into immortality, and the gift of being either accepted or rejected, will be theirs.

Gift? Yeah, gift. Sometimes we forget that. Sometimes I forget.

-E

www.estevanvega.com

facebook: we are arson

twitter: @estevanvega

youtube: the estevan vega

Friends Don’t Get Friends Who Read Their Novel

Friend/Acquaintance: OMG, I just finished, like, the 12th Nicholas Sparks novel in two weeks.

Me: Oh, really? Cool (sarcasm). What do you like about them?

Friend: I don’t know. Someone recommended it to me, and I just fell in love.

Me: Have you ever thought about getting a room together?

Friend’s bro: Seriously, Estevan just wants you to read his book.

Friend: Hey, I read your book before my brother. Wait…did your second one come out yet?

Me: Yeah, about a year ago.

Friend: Hmm…

And that’s pretty much how it is, folks. Warning…this may be a bit of a rant. You know, it’s a rather curious relationship: the friend to book thing. I mean, most of my friends are guys, and guys are usually reluctant to read and whatever. But it just seems weird how one of their friends puts out five novels, and they’ve only read…um…none or one. Something’s off. Now, if all my stuff sucked, that’d be one thing. But a simple cruise through the amazon review pages will show that I don’t. Granted, my stuff isn’t for everybody. I get that. But if one of my friends put out a short film or a CD or whatever, I’d show some interest. But then again, maybe that reluctance to try something by someone you know is squelched in me because of my profession. Jury’s still out on that one.

Rant continues…

My friends, and their respective ball and chains, have read everything from Twilight to James Patterson to Nicholas Sparks to The Hunger Games. And another one of my friend’s family reads a ton, specifically the genres I write in, yet neither of the members has ever read one of my stories. Ever. I scratch my head, and I’m, like, will they ever? Probably not. Sometimes I feel like even if my stories hit NYT bestseller status, these people will still be rubbing their chin with a raised eyebrow wondering if it’s worth their investment.

“A prophet is welcome everywhere but in his hometown.” That famous phrase can really relate to any creative profession. Just change prophet to ARTIST. There’s a curious psychology to all of this. I think something clicks in our minds when we discover that someone we know has made a film or written a novel or cut a record. It’s as if we instantly shuffle that knowledge to the back of our minds under the category of “things we can live without.” We’re wary to try it because it might suck. After all, we know the person, and there’s no said individual could have created something we’d enjoy. I mean, c’mon…right? Take any hugely successful book. Twilight or Harry Potter or Stephen King’s stuff. All stuff that has climbed the pop culture charts, become popular, great things. But I’ll bet 9 to 1 some of these writers’ friends have never picked up their books. Why? Because there’s a fear there. As I said before, we don’t think our friends are capable of making something worth our investment. Also, chances are they’re jealous.

Now, this is not an ego trip post, I promise. I’m not saying I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I am definitely better than pumpernickel in general. Rather, I am saying that if you’re a writer, or any kind of creative person, be aware that this reality will hit you at some point. By all means, hope for your friends and family (yes, my family doesn’t really read my stuff either) to be into your passion, but know that the odds are they won’t be. There’s just not enough time in their busy schedules. They just finished Dear John, and they have to read it once more before your book makes it up their TBR list. They can’t get caught up on The Walking Dead. Whatever the reason, you’ll be last. But then again, if you were reading my post carefully, you’ll note I mentioned books like The Hunger Games and Twilight and Harry Potter. All of these books have exploded in terms of popularity.

So, in the grand scheme of things…does it really matter? You still might end up as happy as a…well, these weirdos.

Just create the best thing you can. Fans will follow.

For more info on my books or me, please follow my social media sites, and tell all your posse.

dysfunctional is the new normal,

evega

www.estevanvega.com

facebook: we are arson

twitter: @estevanvega

ARSON writes a note to SYKOSA

Today, Arson, my character, writes a note to Sykosa, Justin Ordenez’s character. They discuss fire, ice cream, and…um…cramps?

Sykosa,

I’ve had the ability since I was born, and I’ve never known anything else, so to me it’s kinda been a drag. Doesn’t help that my grandmother takes every opportunity to remind me what a terror I am and how I stole her precious daughter away by being born. It’s not like the movies. If I try to push myself too far with my fire power, I could get hurt, so I wouldn’t swim in lava, and should the world ever end, I’ll make sure to let you know if I survive it, so can I take a rain check on that answer?

As for your comment about my knowing women, I’m not so sure about that. Emery is my first girlfriend, and I’m not even sure I should be using that label. (I think I just opened a can of worms).

All your talk about cramps and stuff isn’t increasing your chances of getting a free ice cream cone! Mandy looks like a swim suit model, so that’s why I gave it to her. I know, lame, right? I’m a super-fail. What do you happen to look like? And I usually think girls and water together is a great thing, but I understand being forced to do stuff you don’t like. If you read the bonfire scene in ARSON, you’ll understand.

I hope to leave my backwater town someday, too. And keep your voice down about my grandmother, what if she hears you?!? The woman doesn’t understand, and I don’t think she wants to.

Thanks for the note! You’re getting close to that ice cream cone!

Arson

There’s a sweet giveaway going down, so make sure you enter to win! Head on over to Sykosa’s site and enter for a chance to win a $50 gift card! http://sykosa.wordpress.com/

Spread the fuego!

evega

Splickety Magazine, Ben Erlichman, and the Evega

EV: Out of the blue, a rockin dude by the name of Ben Erlichman contacted me via facebook about being a part of the second issue of Splickety Magazine, a new mag still in its infancy but ready to take the world by storm with pulse-pounding awesome flash fiction. I had the opportunity to submit an excerpt from my thriller The Forsaken in its most recent issue, and Ben has just been a great guy to work with. Not to mention, the magazine looks great! I am both proud of what he’s done and proud to have been a part of it, especially in its beginning. So, I invited Ben on here for a cool Q and A. He talks about life, the need to flash us…I mean, the need for flash fiction, and how writers can get involved. Enjoy!

 

Why a magazine like Splickety?

I created Splickety Magazine for two reasons: First, I saw a need, a void in publishing that Splickety seeks to fill. That’s the need for flash fiction. That void isn’t necessarily just a “publishing” void, but also a void in our reader’s lives. Splickety is designed for on-the-go readers with busy lives who wish they had time to read more but can’t. It’s also for folks who enjoy (or even don’t enjoy) reading because they can’t seem to stay focused on a novel for long enough. They can get an issue of Splickety and consume their fiction in smaller bites.

What’s your vision for Splickety’s future?


Splickety is on course to put out four magazines this year. We’ve already launched two, our third will launch in September, and we’re hosting the HIS Writers Novel Crafting Seminar Flash Fiction Contest for our November issue (more info here: http://www.hiswriters.acfwcolorado.com/flashfiction_2012.php). Four issues per year is great, but I’d like to get up to six or possibly even eight issues per year within the next five years.

In addition to that, we are in hot pursuit of subscribers for both our digital and print versions of Splickety. My Book Therapy (www.mybooktherapy.com) is running a promotion right now where if you subscribe to the MBT blog, you get our newest issue for free. The second part of that promo is that if you buy an annual subscription to Splickety ($7.50 -digital, $24.95 – print, $29.95 – both) then we will send you the latest digital issues of our three other magazines: Harpstring, Other Sheep, and Starsongs.


What are you looking for from authors?


The best way to describe what I’m looking for from authors is to point you to what we’ve already published. Read the first issue (which you can download for free any time at http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/324163), and read our second issue (http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/411510) and definitely read our submission guidelines as well (http://inthefray1.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/splickety-magazine-submission-guidelines/)

In short, we need quick, clean, poignant stories that have a beginning, a middle, and an end. They have to have developed characters and conflict. If you can mesh all of that together in a cohesive way, you’ve got a good shot at being published by Splickety.

Tell us about yourself and your staff.


Splickety operates with much more efficiency now that we are three people instead of two. Previously I had recruited Arpit Mehta (www.arpitmehta.com) as our Art Director well before we ever put out our first issue. He lives in California, recently got engaged (congrats, buddy!) and just re-designed our second issue AND our logo. He’s incredibly skilled and I’m blesses to have him helping me with the layout and design.

Andrew Winch is a recent friend who seems more like an old one, even though we met not even a year ago at the ACFW Conference in St. Louis. After editing two issues myself, I realized that I needed help and that, frankly, it was taking too much of my time. I need all the time I can get these days, so I asked Andrew to serve as our Senior Editor. He handles all acquisitions, editing, proofreading (which I help with), and rejections. That’s easily 1/3 of what we do at Splickety, so it’s a relief that he does those things so I can focus on growing our readership.

As for me, well, I’m 26 and I live in Wisconsin just north of Milwaukee. I’m married to my beautiful wife Ashley, I have a new baby named Liam (who is sooo cute), and when I’m not Splicketeering I’m sword-fighting, shooting guns (at the range), playing church-league sports, and writing. I have a full-time day job, a burgeoning writing career, a family, and a church youth group to juggle, so life is always interesting and rarely not busy. That’s just the way I like it, though.

How can one grab a copy?


If you’ve made it this far into our interview, you will have already seen two links where you can purchase hard copies of Splickety, as well as a link to My Book Therapy where you can subscribe to their blog for a free issue and where you can get info on subscribing to Splickety to get those three extra free issues of our other mags.  To purchase an e-version of the new issue, just email me at subscribe.to.splickety@gmail.com and I’ll make sure we get you set up with a way to do that. Actually, emailing me there with any subscription/purchasing questions is a good idea.

Thanks, Estevan.

-Ben

EV: Thank you, Ben, for a rockin interview. Now, any writer out there who’s thinking about submitting…go polish your stuff and read the sub guidelines. The next issue could feature YOU!

Life is short. Spread the fuego!

E

www.estevanvega.com

twitter: @estevanvega

facebook: we are arson

EMMA MICHAELS: The (UN)-OFFICIAL MAD HATTER

EV: Have I ever stated before how much I love having cool, creative peeps on this blog? Oh, right. Probably a million times. I love em. I believe creative, innovative people are the backbone of society. We need them. And of course, we need all the awesome fellow believer right alongside. So today, I have invited the way-too-cool-for-this-blog author, innovator, cover designer, giant slayer, zombie neutralizer Emma Michaels to talk a little bit about what she does and who she be. Give your eyes for a few moments. Don’t think you’ll regret it!

Emma Michaels, The Mad Hatter -How is a raven like a writing desk?

 
Well, actually a raven and a writing desk are both very closely related when it comes to the life of this mad hatter.  The most common questions I am asked normally have to do with my abundance of professions. I love to write and ultimately writing novels and short stories is my passion BUT I also do cover art, create silk screen designs for clothing designers, do public speaking, am a marketing consultant and do some work as a blog scout for publishers (and that is the short list). People find out how active I am in many of these professions, and their first question is almost always “How do you do it?”

Here is my little secret. I am a mad hatter!

I was simply made to wear many hats and have too many thinking caps on to let it all aim at one profession. If I am working on one project, I am ONLY a person from that profession at that time. I let me concentration zero in on that one project and all other thoughts are banished from my mind and given a vacation.  I try to schedule everything with larger amounts of time devoted to one frame of mind at a time instead of skipping around and to be honest, I am naturally someone who has too many thoughts going at once so having so many projects keeps me balanced.

Now for the question they should be asking. “Why?”

Because I need to. It isn’t just that I am the type of person that has to have multiple projects going, it is also a necessity for what  I hope to accomplish with my future.  I grew up sick. I was constantly having to fight to stay alive, keep breathing or to keep walking and it taught me something. NO, I am not going to say that time is limited, that one is obvious. :-p Instead, remember that time is precious. The average person will spend five years over the course of their life in lines waiting for something, whether it is a Starbucks coffee or the ride of a lifetime, all of that time is spent simply waiting.

I woke up one morning after my fiancé finally convinced me that no matter what the doctors said it didn’t have to control me and decided I was tired of waiting. I wanted to accomplish something, something bigger than me. The first thing I knew was that I would have to decide how I wanted to accomplish that something and lay out a plan. Over the course of the next few years I realized that I had to use everything to my advantage that I could. Sure, my health was never that great but I spent a lot of time in beds and that meant reading, drawing, writing, learning and studying people and the ways they behaved. When I started writing, it felt like flying, it was the freedom I had never had before so I took a hold of it and ran.

In this industry and at this time in history you have to use your strengths to your advantages and turn your weaknesses into additional strengths. New and innovative ideas catch attention, especially when they have to do with more than one talent. Just think of Maggie Steifvater’s book trailer for Shiver and how it exploded on the internet! You never know what tools you have at your disposal until you take a step back and look at your own hat collection. Have you been letting something you love that could help you fall to the wayside? Then why not include it in your current profession? My blogging helped my blog scouting which helped my marketing consulting which helped me market my own novels which helped me breakthrough in the cover art industry. Follow your own road and not the ones you think have been laid before you and you never know where it might lead!

So how is a raven like a writing desk? In my case it is because my novel, Owlet, was written at my writing desk and has an interesting avarian urban fantasy twist to it. So this October  13th you will just have to see for yourself! :p

EV: So there you have it, folks…go get creative. Feel free to follow Emma on twitter: @emmamichaels or on her rockin blog: http://emmamichaels.blogspot.com/

And um…spread the fire!
evega
www.estevavanvega.com
facebook: we are arson
twitter: @estevanvega

We Need the V

Yes, my last name starts with the letter V, and V is also the name of a miniseries. Oh, and a recently remade show of the same name starring Laura Vandervoort, Lord bless her beautiful soul. But that’s not at all what this post is about. This post is about V-necks.

Yes, you may know them. You may like them. You may even fear them. But you cannot deny that they have arrived, and they’re probably here to stay.

As a young boy, I remember grumbling at the thought of ever sporting a V-neck. My dad wore V-necks, and therefore, they were an old man’s garment. I remember my dad’s chest hair freely searching for my approval as it erupted like a volcanic black spring from behind the fabric. Never, I swore. Never. Once I entered my teenage years, I started to develop a sense of style, noticing different unique variations of fashion and designs. I became selective with what I would wear. I wanted to hand-pick my wardrobe. Then I could take all the credit when I looked awesome, right?

Now, one thing to note is my passion for music. Particularly rock music. It just, well, rocks. So throughout high school and college, I grew my hair out. Hey, all my favorite bands were doing it, so I was gonna do it.

Then…I was re-introduced to The V. Of course, I had seen V-necks before, on gorgeous women and Suspect B, my pops. I knew it was okay for women to wear V-necks. After all, their affiliation with this type of shirt allowed many young teenage hormones to erupt. But could rock stars really pull it off? Could it become a thing? Well, said rock stars have gotten away with far worse. Eye-liner, odd piercings, tats, etc. How bad could a V-neck really be? So…I…experimented. I tried one on, against my better judgment. What business did a young man have wearing a V-neck? I thought. I’m not previously mentioned hot chick with grandiose cleavage. Nor am I my father. Still, I could not deny this attraction. I could not deny this connection…between the V and me.

But I couldn’t be buying into a fad. I knew it was more intimate than that. This V understood me in ways no one else did. It fit. It felt right. It. Loved. Me. I knew after wearing several of its kin that it was now my favorite kind of shirt to wear.

Jeans. Fly Shoes. And the V. That’s the ultimate Evega wardrobe.

It’s freer. It’s smoother. Yes, I must often deal with the raised right eyebrow. And yes, occasionally I am forced to defend the V’s honor, to prove that it is indeed the one defining part of a man’s wardrobe. It’s not afraid to say,“Yes, I may be misidentified as a metrosexual, but so what!” It glares at scoffers who suggest it’s meant only for gorgeous, full-figured dames. The V is Man. In an economy as unsure as this one…in a world as scary as ours, we need the V now more than ever.

Take pride in your clothing. Rebel against the stereotypical, and embrace your wardrobe, as I did. No, I’m no longer following a trend. I’ve since cut my hair, shower occasionally, and yes, ladies, I even trim my…nails.

Pick your poison: Regular V or Deep V. Either way, you’re cool. Canadians welcome. Don’t hate the V. Your future girlfriend will thank you for it.

Thanks to Laura, Megan, blessthefall, and whoever that dude from Gossip Girl is, for the hot picks.

spread fire,

e

twitter: @estevanvega

facebook: we are arson

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