Bobby Nash's Blog, page 428

SOMETIMES I GET ASKED STUFF… PART 6

One of the best parts of being a writer is the interesting people you get to meet at conventions, store signings, through the Earth Station One podcast, and on social media. Sometimes I get asked questions so I thought it would be interesting to share some of them along with the answers. Some of these are questions asked to me directly, some come from social media, and others are asked to a group of writers. Regardless of where they come from, here are a few of the latest questions that have come across my desk.

Check out Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, and part 5 here.

Q: What are three words that a mystery writer never wants to hear?

Saw that coming.

Q: What is the most important thing that happens in your protagonist's backstory?

In Deadly Games!, police detective John Bartlett’s wife left him and he hasn’t seen her in a few years. This sends him into a depressed state that plays into the novel’s backstory in a big way. You can learn more about Deadly Games! here.

Q: Do you, as a writer, do any type of research before writing your book. If so, then what are some of the resources do you use.

Oh yes. Research is valuable and I sometimes do research before starting and sometimes during the writing process. Internet is helpful, but I have also contacted law enforcement agencies, talked with reporters, or people in whatever type of profession my character has to understand the parameters of the job. Talking to people is always good. If I’m writing about a real place that I can visit, I try to do that when I’m able so I can understand how it feels to be there. That one isn’t always possible though and I have to fake it a bit.

Q: Do you set limits for how long a chapter should be?

Not really. I make the chapters as long or short as they need to be. That’s the simple answer. The long answer is that it depends on the publisher. Some publishers have a set format while others do not. If the publisher I’m working for has a set count then I make sure to write to that. If not, I write it to whatever the story needs. My personal preference is smaller chapters.

Q: How often do you suffer from writer's block?

Not sure if I ever have. I do sometimes have “I don't feel like writing today” days even though I know what I need to be working on.

Q: How much would you price your ebook if the paperback is over 200 pages?

I have my novels (Evil Ways, Deadly Games!, Earthstrike Agenda) priced at $3.99 and my paperback is just shy of 300 pages. That’s personal preference. I won’t pay roughly the same cost for an ebook as the paperback. I think ebooks should be a little less expensive than a printed book.

Q: If there was one bit of advice you'd give a new author... what would that be?

Have fun. Writing is a lot of work, sure, but make sure you enjoy the experience.

Q: Would you like to write for television?

In a heartbeat. I think I would enjoy working in a writer’s room and getting to flesh out characters for a series. It’s one of my goals.

Currently, I'm working on a novella (the first in a series if the publisher likes the first one) that I originally envisioned as a TV series set in Atlanta, which is, not coincidentally, where I live. Who knows, maybe one day it'll happen. I originally planned to write this one next year, but a publisher came knocking and asked if I had anything to pitch so it got moved up in my
schedule. Not much I can say at this time, but it’s called “Snow” after the last name of the title character. Snow is a fun story that I'd say is a little bit Burn Notice, a little bit Magnum p.i. with a hint of MacGyver thrown in. Expect some action, car chases, and random gunfire.  :)

Unless my plans change, there will be a gunfight in the lobby of a hotel that will be very familiar to Dragon Con attendees.

Q: What is the most awesome thing about your protagonist?

Using Harold Palmer from Evil ways and the forthcoming (I’m working on it, I promise) Evil Intent novel, I think the most awesome thing about the character is that he’s just a normal man, a father, a husband, a brother, who finds himself in dangerous situations. The way he handles situations are based on the life he lives. Plus, he has my sense of humor (such as it is) so that’s cool too. You can learn more about Evil Ways here.

Q: What program do you use when writing?

I just use my old copy of Microsoft Word. Nothing fancy. It gets the job done.

Q: What are you reading?

I am currently rereading Walt Simonson's Thor run. Great stuff and the basis for the upcoming movie.

Q: When you're stuck where do you find inspiration?

I find that getting away for a bit and doing anything but writing will allow me to work out story issues without focusing too hard on it. Sometimes we writers focus too hard on plot problems and can't see solutions. Not staring at it helps, at least for me.

Q: What are you working on today?

I'm working on an audio project for a publisher. Can't say much more than that though as they haven't officially announced it yet. I'm bouncing between that and a novella called "Snow" for another publisher.

Q: Do you write more than one thing at a time?

I always have multiple stories going at any given time. Sometimes it's by choice. Sometimes I get gigs with overlapping deadlines.

And I think that will just about do it for this round, I think. Do you have any questions you’d like me to answer? Post them here as a comment or send them along to bobby@bobbynash.com and I’ll answer them in a future installment of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff...

Also, please sign up for my mailing list. Drop me an email at bobby@bobbynash.com and I'll happily add you to the list.

Before I go, my Fight Card Books release “Barefoot Bones” should be out very soon. Keep watching this space. You can read my behind the scenes essay here.

Bobby

IT'S A CONSPIRACY, I TELL YA! A CONSPIRACY!

Found this image on-line looking for CT movie poster. It's pretty cool. No! No! Not THAT
Conspiracy Theory!I’m writing a story about a conspiracy theorist that is set in 1948. I researched the major events of that year and some of them were pretty interesting. Much like today, it was a turbulent time in the USA's history. The Cold War, communist hunts within the halls of the US government, and so much more. What really amazed me was how easy it was to piece this character's conspiracy theory together once I started looking at events with an eye toward them being connected in some way. It's kind of freaky.

FYI, this is for the same story that I posted the excerpt from last night. You can read it in the post directly below this one or just click here.

For the record, I am not a conspiracy theorist and the conspiracy this character believes to be real is completely from my imagination, but I'm having fun writing this guy and getting into his head.

The trick is not getting stuck in there.  :)

Bobby

A LITTLE TEASE...

Here's a little tease of the story I’m working on at the moment (well, one of them anyway). Since the project has not been officially announced by the publisher yet, I’ve changed the character’s name for the purposes of this tease. His name is not Hanson. It is a pre-existing character for a media tie-in project and I look forward to sharing the official news here when it is released.

Until then, enjoy the tease.

Bobby

“You better have one whale of a good reason why you’re in my office at three in the morning,” Hanson said, glancing away long enough to check the clock.

“I have identification,” the stranger said. He motioned toward his inside jacket pocket. “If I may?”

“Slowly.”

“Agent Smith,” the man said as he pulled a wallet from his jacket pocket. He flipped it open so the author could see his government identification.

“Let me guess… first name: John?” Hanson asked.

“Very good, Mr. Hanson. I see you’ve played this game before.”

“Once or twice.”

BOBBY'S DRAGON CON PANEL SCHEDULE GROWS

Two new panels have been added to my Dragon Con schedule. These are discussions of a couple of TV Person of Interest and Arrow.
series that I'm really enjoying,

-------------------
Title: Person of Interest
Description: Discussion of the TV series Person of Interest.
Time: Sat 08:30 pm Location: M301-302 - Marriott Marquis level (Length: 1 Hour)
-------------------
Title: Arrow
Description: Discussion of the TV series Arrow.
Time: Sun 05:30 pm Location: M301-302 - Marriott Marquis level (Length: 1 Hour)
-------------------

My full Dragon Con schedule can be found under the Appearances tab above.

I will have books with me at all of the panels as well.

See you there.

Bobby

THIS MADE MY DAY

This might be the coolest thing I’ve read today. It was a Facebook status.

After reading Bobby Nash's wonderfully creepy galactic adventures in "Frontier," I crash landed back on Earth smack dab into the steamy jungles of "Cryptozoica" (by Mark Ellis w/art by Jeff Slemons).

Not only am I excited for the kind words about Frontier (Thank you, Christian Grasso), I'm over the moon to be in such good company as Mark Ellis. I actually have Cryptozoica on the tablet. I'm hoping to dive into it soon.
Frontier is still available. Learn more about it in the Short Stories/Novellas tab above or here.
Have a great weekend.
Bobby

AUTHORS TO WATCH INTERVIEWS BOBBY NASH

New Pulp Author Bobby Nash was interviewed at the Authors to Watch website.

Bobby and interviewer, Tricia chatted about the writing process as well as spent some time discussing Bobby’s Evil Ways novel from BEN Books and Moonstone Books’ The Spider: Extreme Prejudice anthology.

You can read the entire interview here.

NASH NEWS

I just sent out the August Nash News email newsletter to subscribers. What? You mean you aren’t a subscriber? Well, that's easily rectified. If you want to be added to the Nash News list, please email bobby@bobbynash.com with your name and email address and I'll add you to the list.

Also, keep sending your questions for the surprisingly popular Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff... feature. You can check out Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, Part 4 here, and part 5 here.

Bobby

Earth Station One Episode 174 – The Satirical Work of “Weird Al” Yankovic

Can author Jonathan Maberry
survive The Geek Seat?On this episode, the ESO crew honors one of the truest geniuses of our time – the award-winning master musician, songwriter, producer, director, author, actor, humorist, podcaster, multi-media artist known as “Weird Al” Yankovic. Mike Faber, Mike Gordon, Jennifer Hartshorn, and the award-winning author Bobby Nash are joined by Phantom Troublemaker and Gary Mitchel compare one anther’s ultimate “Weird Al” playlists. We also are joined by New York Times Bestselling Author Jonathan Maberry and we show him our version of the “Extinction Machine” aka The Geek Seat! Plus, ESO remembers veteran character actor Michael Ansara. Not to mention the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report, and Shout Outs!

Join us for yet another episode of The Earth Station One Podcast we like to call: The Satirical Work of www.esopodcast.com
Michael Ansara as Star Trek's Kang“Weird Al” Yankovic at
Direct link: http://erthstationone.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/earth-station-one-episode-174-the-satirical-work-of-weird-al-yankovic/

Table of Contents
0:00:00 Intro / Welcome
0:10:43 Rants & Raves
0:44:06 Interview & Geek Seat w/ New York Times Best Selling Author Jonathan Maberry
1:16:01 Weird Al Yankovic
Peter Capaldi: The 12th Doctor2:15:52 The ESO Khan Report
2:25:44 ESO Shout Outs and Show Close
2:33:56 The Weird Al Montage

Next on Earth Station One...

ESO gets burned!
Final Notice
Next week, the ESO crew sneaks a peek at the top-secret dossier of burned CIA agent, Michael Westen. How did this top operative find himself disavowed? Who are his friends? Who can he trust? And why is all this happening to him? Plus, we look ahead to the upcoming series finale with our predictions on how it all ends. You know, on most podcasts, that would be more than enough, but we’ll also have the usual Rants, Raves, Khan Report, Geek Seat, Shout Outs, and even a special guest or two. You get all this and more on the next exciting episode of Earth Station One.

ESO would love to hear from you. Share your favorite Burn Notice stories and memories with the ESO crew at esopodcast@gmail.com, www.esopodcast.com, Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. We love hearing from you. Who knows, we might just read yours on the show.

BOBBY’S PANEL SCHEDULE FOR THE 2013 GEORGIA LITERARY FESTIVAL RELEASED

Author Bobby Nash will be a guest at the 2013 Georgia Literary Festival, held the weekend of November 9th in Milledgeville, GA. You can learn more about the festival here and visit the Festival’s Facebook page here.

Bobby’s 2013 Georgia Literary Festival Panel Schedule:

“Blending Genres: The Hardboiled P.I. In Different Eras” on Saturday afternoon, November 9 at 1 pm (35-minute panel)“The Graphic World of Comic Books” on Saturday afternoon, November 9 at 3 pm (35-minute panel)“Georgia (and Murder) On My Mind” on Saturday afternoon, November 9 at 4 pm (35-minute panel)
Plus, Bobby will be available during the festival on Saturday to meet with attendees and sign books.

I’m looking forward to attending my first Georgia Literary Festival. Thanks to Barry Reese and his team for inviting me. It’ll be fun.

Bobby

NEW BOBBY NASH INTERVIEW AT NOCTURNE TRAVEL AGENCY

New Pulp Author Bobby Nash sits down with Nocturne Travel Agency host, Tom Deja for a rousing discussion of…well, all things Bobby Nash [his favorite topic, naturally ;)]. Bobby explains how he got into writing and the process he went through to get Evil Ways published. He blames Sean Taylor for the creation of Rick Ruby and The Ruby Files and Bobby and Tom talk at length about the Domino Lady and Honey West!

It's 50 minutes of pure writer-y goodness, don’t delay, press play!

You can listen to the second episode of the Nocturne Travel Agency podcast here.

Thanks for a great interview, Tom.That was fun.
Bobby