R.B. Holbrook's Blog, page 23
August 20, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Writer’s Block
Angel: “Do you get writer’s block?”
Me: “Not the usual kind.”
Demon: “Usual kind? There is more than one kind.”
Me: “Well, I’ve never had a problem writing or coming up with an idea. If anything I have too many. Heck, I could write all day if my eyes didn’t get dry and tired. Or my finger’s didn’t need rest. Because the way my mind is… let’s just say, perpetual motion.”
Angel: “Then what kind of writer’s block do you have?”
Me: “Distractions. Things that have to be done. Places I have to go. People who want my time… I mean… I don’t mind doing for others. It’s a good thing. Helping people out. Good.”
Angel: “Yes. Very good.”
Demon: *grins* “But….?”
Me: “BUT DON’T GET BETWEEN ME AND MY WRITING!”
Demon: “Then RB become an evil, nasty gremlin that roars a fierceness like none you’ll ever see! I LOVE IT!“
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writer's Block?, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, distractions, perpetual motion, Writer's Block?, Writing
August 18, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Music Mentality
Angel: “You listen to a lot of music.”
Me: “Music’s good for the soul.”
Demon: “Sin is good for the soul. Let’s go streaking!”
Angel: “Why do you listen to music while you write?”
Me: “It helps to set the mood.”
Demon: “Is that why you listen to rock and rap music during fight scenes?”
Me: “Pretty much. The faster the pace of the music, the faster the pace of the action. I also listen to that
type of music during intense and angry scenes. I listen to almost everything. But depending on what I’m
trying to write I’ll set music to put me in the frame of mind.”
Demon: “Yeah, I can always tell when you’re writing emotional scenes. You put on that horrible classical
crap.”
Me: “Or New Age.”
Demon: “All crap.”
Angel: “Just like you.”
Demon: “Oooo, good one.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: action scenes, Angel vs. Demon, creative writing, mind set, music, setting the mood
August 16, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Unicorns and Rainbows
Angel: “Does everything you write have to have violence? It’s disturbing.”
Demon: “Great, that’s what it is!”
Me: “It’s not as violent as my last books.”
Demon: “A pity, too. Ollie was freakin’ brilliant. That girl was an ace. All your characters should be like her.”
Angel: “She was quite… colorful. Yes. But you promised these books wouldn’t be as violent.”
Me: “And they’re not.”
Angel: “Yes, but-”
Me: “Look, my books are violent. And though what I’m writing now is not as violent or intense as Oracle’s Legacy, there be violence. And I won’t apologize. I’ll just warn you. Read at your own risk.”
Demon: “What do you expect RB to write about? Unicorns and rainbows?”
Angel: “Well….”
Me: “Nope. Not happenin’.”
Demon: “Unless of course, that rainbow was painted with the blood of a unicorn.”
Me: “Now that is an idea.”
Angel: *GASP*
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Books Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, blood, Books, Ollie, Oracle's Legacy, rainbow, unicorn, violence, Writing
August 14, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Sci-fi/Fantasy
Angel: “Why don’t you ever write something inspirational? Spiritual?”
Me: “Because I am a sci-fi/fantasy author. I grew up watching Willow, Star Trek: Next Generation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Wars, and Never Ending Story. I read comics like X-Men, X-Factor, and Batman. I loved reading Piers Anthony books and watched Akira: my first step into Japanese Animation.
Demon: “Oooo, Akira. That was a bloody masterpiece!”
Angel: “And what is so great about science fiction and fantasy?”
Me: “Wha….What’s so great?! Have you no imagination? No dreams? Do you lack the creativity to go beyond reality? Where should I begin? How should I educate your limit perception?”
Demon: “Oh, crap, I’m leaving.”
Angel: “What? What did I say?”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Akira, batman, comics, fantasy, Never Ending Story, Piers Anthony, sci-fi, sci-fi/fantasy, science fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars, Willow, x-men
August 12, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Nothing New
Me: “I can’t… believe it.”
Angel: “Welcome home!”
Demon: “What can’t you believe?”
Me: “Well, I stopped at the bookstore today…just to look.”
Demon: “Yeah, right.”
Angel: “That would explain the Barnes & Nobles bag in your hand.”
Me: “Bygones. Skimming the science fiction section I happened upon a book where the storyline was much like one I started years ago and never finished.”
Demon: “Be specific, you have a lot of those.”
Me: “Silence. Anyway, I’m shocked. How could anyone have the same idea as me? Sure there were many differences in the story. Heck, I would’ve never ended it that way, but-”
Angel: “You read it in the store?”
Me: “Skimmed it.”
Angel: “Soooo… the characters were the same as yours?”
Me: “No.”
Demon: “And it didn’t end like you would have ended it?”
Me: “No.”
Angel: “Was the writing style the same?”
Me: “Of course not.”
Demon: “Then it wasn’t your story.”
Me: “Yes, but… Explain.”
Angel: “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1:9.”
Demon: “Are you…? No! Cut that out!”
Angel: [Rolls her eyes] “Hopeless. What I mean is there is nothing new in storytelling, and yet, there is. Many authors write about vampires, but not every vampire is the same. Many write about star-crossed lovers, but not every story ends with suicide.”
Demon: “Unfortunately.”
Me: “I know. New stories are always coming out: old ideas with new spins. So it shouldn’t surprise me.”
Demon: “And I’m sure your story would have twice the action and suspense. Then it will be your story. With ass-kicking characters that making you want to cheer. Can’t wait.”
Angel: “You might have to. She set that one aside remember.”
Demon: “Crap.”
Me: “Now I wonder just HOW many times has this idea been written about.”
Angel: “Yeah, we may never get to read that story.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Storytelling, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, ecclesiastes 1:9, new ideas, nothing new, plots, story ideas, Storytelling, vampires, Writing
August 10, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Character Naming
Angel: “Have you found a new name for your character yet?”
Me: “No.”
Angel: “May I make a suggestion?”
Me: “Fine.”
Angel: “Angelica.”
Demon: “Hell no. Demonica’s better.”
Angel: “How about Mary?”
Demon: “Jezebel. Make her a Jezebel.”
Angel: “Jezebel! Who would use that evil name?”
Demon: “It’s just a name.”
Angel: “Then what’s wrong with Angelica?”
Demon: “Sounds too holy.”
Me: “Listen. The name has to reflect the character. Not just a name because you like it. The name has as
much a purpose as the character’s actions. Now think carefully and dig deep.”
Angel: “That will be hard for the Demon.”
Demon: “Ha…ha…ha… You suck.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, character development, character naming, Jezebel, Mary,
August 8, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Name Change
Me: “I need a name for this character.”
Demon: “You already have one.”
Me: “It’s too closely related to another name I’ve used in this book. I have to rename her.”
Demon: “Use it anyway, no one will know.”
Me: “I’ll know. It is bothering me.”
Demon: “There are billions of people in the world and most of them have the same name.”
Me: “This isn’t the world. This is MY world. I want a new name. It will eliminate any confusion for the reader.”
Demon: “Nothing wrong with confusion.”
Angel: “Of course, for someone who thrives in confusion. But I see RB’s point. Even in the real world, having two people in the same area with the same name can cause problems.”
Demon: “Problems make the world go round.”
Me: “Yes and I’m still changing this character’s name.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, character naming, confusion,
August 4, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Brainstorm
Demon: “Yo, Angel, check this out. RB is eating cereal without milk, pen in her other hand while she’s writing in a notebook. What’s that about?”
Angel: “It’s called brainstorming. Sometimes so much is going on up in a person’s brain, they have to work out the plot to make sure they don’t get confused. If not careful, an author can confuse a plot or make it too simple.”
Demon: “But no milk in the cereal?
Angel: “… soooo we’re not talking about the notebook.”
Demon: “Ha! Nope. You ASSumed.”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: Angel vs. Demon, assumptions, brainstorming, notebook, R B Holbrook, Writing
August 2, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Evil Enough?
Demon: “YEEEEEES!”
Angel: “I can’t believe you just wrote that?”
Me: “Why not?”
Angel: “It’s just so… evil!“
Demon: “He’s the villain. He’s supposed to be evil. Duh.”
Angel: “But not that evil.”
Demon: “Yes, that evil, or would you prefer him to pass out teddy bears and lollipops? Wait… an idea! Teddy bears packing machine guns and poisoned lollipops!”
Angel: *gasp*
Me: “Wrong kind of evil.”
Demon: “Wrong kind? Evil is evil. There is no kind.”
Me: “But deadly lollipops and teddy bears don’t go with this villains image. So its not happening.”
Angel: “That means… you’ll change the scene?”
Me & Demon: “No way!”
RBH
Filed under: Angel vs. Demon, Writing Tagged: angel, Angel vs. Demon, demon, Evil, inner conflict, lollipops, R B Holbrook, teddy bears, villains, Writing
July 31, 2012
Angel vs. Demon: Edge of Death
Demon: “You know…? I’m not feeling the death. Shouldn’t it be on his heels? Shouldn’t he be panicking more?”
Me: “The character isn’t supposed to die.”
Demon: “Right, but during a life and death situation what would you be thinking?”
Me: “I’ve… never been close to death.”
Demon: “Yes, but there have been so many who have… And do you want to know what they think?” He creeps closer. “They think, about all the regrets. All the things left unfinished. All the wrongs they could have righted. So many regret and pain. Delicious.”
Angel: “And its those regrets, those things left undone that makes this character cling to life. He wants to live to finish what he started.”
Demon: “But he must first feel that agony of where he will fail. Failure. Hopelessness. Utter despair.”
Angel: “But the lack of hope will surely kill him. Without hope, there is no life. He has to cling to some even a little. Remember, we don’t want him dead…wait are you trying to kill this character?”
Demon: “Hmmm?”
RBH
Filed under: Imagination, Writing Tagged: angel, Angel vs. Demon, character, death, demon, despair, hopelessness, inner conflict, Writing
