Pembroke Sinclair's Blog, page 13
March 18, 2018
Movie Review Monday
The Boondock Saints (1999)
Is it weird that I’ve known about this movie for a while but only watched it recently? I have no reason for not watching it, except that maybe I put it off to see new releases. I don’t know.
Whatever the reason, it was available on Netflix, so my spouse queued it up. I had no expectations going into the movie. Like I said, I knew about it, but I didn’t know about it. I knew
The Boondock Saints is a bizarre movie. I enjoyed it, but it left me with my eyebrows furrowed and wondering what the hell was going on. The plot is simple enough: two Irish brothers are trying to clean up gangs in their neighborhood, particularly of the Russian variety. They take the law into their own hands to do so, but they only target people they believe really deserve to die.
They aren’t professional killers, and luck plays more on their side than skill does. But because they are fighting for a noble cause, they are victorious.
They hook up with a friend who has ties to the Russian mob as a low-level bag guy, and that’s when things go awry. The friend believes that he should have a say in who gets killed, and that’s leads to trouble.
Throughout the movie, an FBI agent played by
There are some incredibly memorable lines in the film, and there are some weird scenes with Dafoe’s character trying to recreate crimes. The characters are fleshed out and easy to sympathize with, so when the sh*t hits the fan, I felt sorry for them.
All in all, it was an enjoyable movie with some weird parts. I’m glad I finally watched the film, and there’s apparently a second movie, but I haven’t seen that one yet.
Anyone else have any thoughts on The Boondock Saints?
Is it weird that I’ve known about this movie for a while but only watched it recently? I have no reason for not watching it, except that maybe I put it off to see new releases. I don’t know.
Whatever the reason, it was available on Netflix, so my spouse queued it up. I had no expectations going into the movie. Like I said, I knew about it, but I didn’t know about it. I knew
The Boondock Saints is a bizarre movie. I enjoyed it, but it left me with my eyebrows furrowed and wondering what the hell was going on. The plot is simple enough: two Irish brothers are trying to clean up gangs in their neighborhood, particularly of the Russian variety. They take the law into their own hands to do so, but they only target people they believe really deserve to die.
They aren’t professional killers, and luck plays more on their side than skill does. But because they are fighting for a noble cause, they are victorious.
They hook up with a friend who has ties to the Russian mob as a low-level bag guy, and that’s when things go awry. The friend believes that he should have a say in who gets killed, and that’s leads to trouble.
Throughout the movie, an FBI agent played by
There are some incredibly memorable lines in the film, and there are some weird scenes with Dafoe’s character trying to recreate crimes. The characters are fleshed out and easy to sympathize with, so when the sh*t hits the fan, I felt sorry for them.
All in all, it was an enjoyable movie with some weird parts. I’m glad I finally watched the film, and there’s apparently a second movie, but I haven’t seen that one yet.
Anyone else have any thoughts on The Boondock Saints?
March 13, 2018
The Fun Side of Author Marketing
I’ve established in some past blog posts that marketing isn’t always fun, but it’s a necessary evil. It can be time consuming and frustrating. It can cost a lot of money. But there are some aspects of marketing as an author that are a lot of fun.
I’d forgotten about the fun side of marketing until recently. With the move to Nebraska and trying to get my feet under me, I’ve been neglecting some of my marketing. Things are changing now, however, and the future looks bright.
So what is this fun marketing I’m talking about? It’s getting myself out there. It’s talking about my books and giving presentations. It’s being involved with author events and conventions.
Sure, for some the thought of speaking to a crowd is the scariest thing in the world. I won’t lie: I get nervous before I stand up to do a workshop or presentation, but once I get into my groove, my nerves fade away. There’s something magical about getting an audience talking and involved with my presentation. It’s so much fun to hear how they would survive zombies or what their favorite horror movie is.
Every so often, I do online presentations for elementary students, and those are a lot of fun too. Kids get so excited to talk about books and what they are working on in school. I love asking them questions and hearing their answers. They can be so funny!
I’d forgotten how enjoyable it is to get out and mingle with people who are like-minded. My focus has been inward lately, so it’s nice to get out. Hanging out and doing presentations and workshops is inspiring and re-energizing—something I really needed!
I’d forgotten about the fun side of marketing until recently. With the move to Nebraska and trying to get my feet under me, I’ve been neglecting some of my marketing. Things are changing now, however, and the future looks bright.
So what is this fun marketing I’m talking about? It’s getting myself out there. It’s talking about my books and giving presentations. It’s being involved with author events and conventions.
Sure, for some the thought of speaking to a crowd is the scariest thing in the world. I won’t lie: I get nervous before I stand up to do a workshop or presentation, but once I get into my groove, my nerves fade away. There’s something magical about getting an audience talking and involved with my presentation. It’s so much fun to hear how they would survive zombies or what their favorite horror movie is.
Every so often, I do online presentations for elementary students, and those are a lot of fun too. Kids get so excited to talk about books and what they are working on in school. I love asking them questions and hearing their answers. They can be so funny!
I’d forgotten how enjoyable it is to get out and mingle with people who are like-minded. My focus has been inward lately, so it’s nice to get out. Hanging out and doing presentations and workshops is inspiring and re-energizing—something I really needed!
March 11, 2018
Movie Review Monday
It (2017)
Since the moment I heard this movie was being remade, I knew I wanted to watch it. I kept up with the news and got butterflies in my stomach when they released the first images of Pennywise. I watched the trailers. I was ready.
The first time I watched the original It movie (1990), I was a freshman in college. The film had been out for 6 years, but it still scared the hell out of me. Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise (but he’s amazing at whatever character he plays), and I jumped so many times throughout the film.
Then, came the end. I won’t lie: I was disappointed. I had expected so much more, especially after the build up and tension throughout the rest of the film. I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. I rolled my eyes at the silliness that was the ending. (I’m purposely not telling you exactly what happened at the end because I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. I highly suggest you experience it for yourself).
Despite my disappointment with the original film, I was excited to see how the new film would be updated and how they would handle the end. I had hoped to see the new It in the theater, but it didn’t happen. Even when it was available for rent, I had to wait weeks to see it. I watch movies on the weekends, and the boys wouldn’t go to bed so I could watch the film. Finally, one night, they were distracted playing video games, so I rented the film.
I was not disappointed. There’s always a risk when doing a remake that it won’t live up to the original’s expectations and that the original fans will be upset. It’s quite possible fans were upset with the film, but I wasn’t. I thought the new It did the story justice and modernized it for a whole new audience.
Bill Skarsgård was absolutely amazing as Pennywise. He brought just the right amount of creep, full-blown scary, and not-so-scary to the role. My spouse really liked Pennywise, and I think the Bill Skarsgård’s version ranks as one of his favorite villains. He’s definitely in my top 10.
If there was a downside to the film, it would be that there is going to be another one. I’m fully aware that the goal is to make as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is to drag the story out as long as possible. I hope that it works and that the story doesn’t get stale.
The plus side to there being another film is that it can take its time to build more tension and scares and reconfigure the ending so it won’t be as disappointing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t roll my eyes at the end of the next film.
For me, there wasn’t a lot of jump scares in this film. As a horror connoisseur, I know to expect them, but there are times I’m still taken by surprise. That didn’t happen this time, but that doesn’t mean the film failed to create tension.
What I think the film did really well was focus on fears, especially the fears of kids. It had irrational ones, such as being afraid of the abandoned house at the end of the block, but then it added another layer of real fears that the kids had to face. There were bullies, parents dying tragically, abuse, younger siblings disappearing mysteriously, and racism.
The play between the real fears and the irrational fears was done with brilliance, and having kids as the main characters made them mesh together well. The film does an amazing job of capturing childhood fears and how kids react to them. It also does a great job of showing that at some point in time, the irrational fears have to be put to rest and the real fears have to be faced. If the characters can’t do that, they won’t make it.
Pennywise becomes the embodiment of both the irrational and the real fears. If the kids can defeat him, they can be free. But the question remains as to whether or not they are successful in conquering him.
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the original It film, but I have plans to rewatch it. I just have to find some time when the boys are distracted. I really enjoyed the remake and felt it added to the story instead of taking away from it.
If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. If you have seen it, what did you think?
Since the moment I heard this movie was being remade, I knew I wanted to watch it. I kept up with the news and got butterflies in my stomach when they released the first images of Pennywise. I watched the trailers. I was ready.
The first time I watched the original It movie (1990), I was a freshman in college. The film had been out for 6 years, but it still scared the hell out of me. Tim Curry was amazing as Pennywise (but he’s amazing at whatever character he plays), and I jumped so many times throughout the film.
Then, came the end. I won’t lie: I was disappointed. I had expected so much more, especially after the build up and tension throughout the rest of the film. I laughed at myself for getting so worked up. I rolled my eyes at the silliness that was the ending. (I’m purposely not telling you exactly what happened at the end because I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t seen it. I highly suggest you experience it for yourself).
Despite my disappointment with the original film, I was excited to see how the new film would be updated and how they would handle the end. I had hoped to see the new It in the theater, but it didn’t happen. Even when it was available for rent, I had to wait weeks to see it. I watch movies on the weekends, and the boys wouldn’t go to bed so I could watch the film. Finally, one night, they were distracted playing video games, so I rented the film.
I was not disappointed. There’s always a risk when doing a remake that it won’t live up to the original’s expectations and that the original fans will be upset. It’s quite possible fans were upset with the film, but I wasn’t. I thought the new It did the story justice and modernized it for a whole new audience.
Bill Skarsgård was absolutely amazing as Pennywise. He brought just the right amount of creep, full-blown scary, and not-so-scary to the role. My spouse really liked Pennywise, and I think the Bill Skarsgård’s version ranks as one of his favorite villains. He’s definitely in my top 10.
If there was a downside to the film, it would be that there is going to be another one. I’m fully aware that the goal is to make as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is to drag the story out as long as possible. I hope that it works and that the story doesn’t get stale.
The plus side to there being another film is that it can take its time to build more tension and scares and reconfigure the ending so it won’t be as disappointing. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t roll my eyes at the end of the next film.
For me, there wasn’t a lot of jump scares in this film. As a horror connoisseur, I know to expect them, but there are times I’m still taken by surprise. That didn’t happen this time, but that doesn’t mean the film failed to create tension.
What I think the film did really well was focus on fears, especially the fears of kids. It had irrational ones, such as being afraid of the abandoned house at the end of the block, but then it added another layer of real fears that the kids had to face. There were bullies, parents dying tragically, abuse, younger siblings disappearing mysteriously, and racism.
The play between the real fears and the irrational fears was done with brilliance, and having kids as the main characters made them mesh together well. The film does an amazing job of capturing childhood fears and how kids react to them. It also does a great job of showing that at some point in time, the irrational fears have to be put to rest and the real fears have to be faced. If the characters can’t do that, they won’t make it.
Pennywise becomes the embodiment of both the irrational and the real fears. If the kids can defeat him, they can be free. But the question remains as to whether or not they are successful in conquering him.
It’s been a long time since I’ve watched the original It film, but I have plans to rewatch it. I just have to find some time when the boys are distracted. I really enjoyed the remake and felt it added to the story instead of taking away from it.
If you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. If you have seen it, what did you think?
March 6, 2018
YA/NA Pure Paranormal Giveaway
Looking for some great YA/NA paranormal reads? Then enter the giveaway for your chance to win some great books!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The book I've included in the giveaway is The Appeal of Evil. Check it out! And good luck to all of those who enter!
Katie wants to invest her heart and soul in love, but she may lose both to Hell.
Katie, a senior in high school, is torn between loving the "good" guy, her childhood friend Wes who makes promises he doesn't keep and abandons her when she needs him the most, and the "bad" guy, the new kid at school Josh who is also a real demon from Hell. Katie wants someone who pays attention to her and puts her first, but what is she willing to give up to find him?
Find out in book one of this thrilling young adult paranormal romance by Pembroke Sinclair.
March 4, 2018
Movie Review Monday
Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 2
Last Monday, I reviewed season 1 of Ash vs Evil Dead. If you read it, you’ll recall that I really enjoyed the first season. Of course, I’m a huge fan of the Evil Dead films, so I knew I was going to like this show.
Season 2 expands on the story and even takes us back in time—much like Army of Darkness did. This time, however, it was Ash’s choice to go back. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know that he was sucked into a portal against his will. I won’t give away why he goes back if you haven’t seen the series because I want you to experience it in all its glory.
Like season 1, season 2 is full of demons, humor, and horror. There’s tons of gore, and the characters get developed further. I really enjoyed season 2, and I was super sad when it ended. I’m going to have to wait a long time now to watch season 3.
If you have Netflix and some extra time on your hands, I recommend checking out Ash vs Evil Dead. It’s a lot of fun with traditional horror tropes and lots of gore. Ash vs Evil Dead is a great way to unwind after a long day.
Has anyone else watched this show? What are your thoughts?
Last Monday, I reviewed season 1 of Ash vs Evil Dead. If you read it, you’ll recall that I really enjoyed the first season. Of course, I’m a huge fan of the Evil Dead films, so I knew I was going to like this show.
Season 2 expands on the story and even takes us back in time—much like Army of Darkness did. This time, however, it was Ash’s choice to go back. If you’ve seen the movie, then you know that he was sucked into a portal against his will. I won’t give away why he goes back if you haven’t seen the series because I want you to experience it in all its glory.
Like season 1, season 2 is full of demons, humor, and horror. There’s tons of gore, and the characters get developed further. I really enjoyed season 2, and I was super sad when it ended. I’m going to have to wait a long time now to watch season 3.
If you have Netflix and some extra time on your hands, I recommend checking out Ash vs Evil Dead. It’s a lot of fun with traditional horror tropes and lots of gore. Ash vs Evil Dead is a great way to unwind after a long day.
Has anyone else watched this show? What are your thoughts?
February 27, 2018
The Ability to Learn Something New
I really like telling stories. You may have noticed from
the books I’ve written that I’m a fan of telling stories with zombies in them
. They aren’t the only stories I enjoy telling, I also like writing about demons.
My goal isn’t to scare but to entertain. I’m a huge horror fan, and I enjoy that zombies force survivors to act and react in their new world, so that is why I often choose them as my catalyst to spur my characters into action. I’m endlessly fascinated with the question of what makes us human, and I think zombies and most other horror do a nice job of attempting to answer that question. The best part is that they often blur the lines of whether the human or the monster is worse.
When it comes to telling my stories, my comfort zone and expertise lies in writing. I know how to structure a story on paper; I know how to navigate from the beginning of the story to the end—even if that journey isn’t in a straight line. But that doesn’t mean I want to limit myself to telling stories on the page.
I’m a huge movie fan. There’s something magical about watching a story unfold on the screen, whether it’s in TV format or film format. There are things that can be done in movies that can’t be done in books (and vice versa). Movies can reach different audiences than a book can (and vice versa).
I’ve always dreamed of having one of my books turned into a movie, which is kind of weird if you think about it. I mean, most movies don’t do the books justice, and most people will say, “The book was so much better than the movie”—I’ve uttered these words myself. I’m totally aware that if I was ever lucky enough to get one of my books made into a movie, it might not live up to my expectations and vision.
Still, that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to break into the film medium. And a lot of the reason for this is because I want my story to reach a larger and different audience. I want people who don’t read to still experience my worlds and my characters. I want them to be entertained by something I created.
I also want to challenge myself.
I want to see if I can take the idea that I put onto the page and adapt it to be shown on the screen and still have it be fun and meaningful. I have the opportunity to take on that challenge.
I’m an indie author who doesn’t have a huge amount of sales. I’m not a household name, I don’t have the backing of a major publisher, and I don’t have a book on the New York Times bestseller list, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get my book made into a movie. It means I have to find a different way to accomplish that goal, but it could potentially get accomplished.
There are so many different ways and places for people to watch movies and shows right now, and those places need content. It opens up avenues for people outside of Hollywood to pitch their ideas and potentially see their work on screen.
For a while now, I’ve been on the mailing list and read the newsletter for Voyage Media . I’ve always been slightly skeptical about what they do, believing that they are out to scam people out of their hard-earned money. I did my research and found others were just as skeptical, but there seems to be good things about the company too.
Unfortunately, for a long time, their price tag to talk to a producer was out of my range. And then, one day it wasn’t. Every so often, the company runs a special so that authors can talk to a producer and Nat Mundel (the founder of the company) at a reduced price. I could justify and was more than willing to spend $149 on the package—even if nothing came of it.
I won’t lie, even after signing up, I was still skeptical about what would happen. I’ve contacted producers and production companies on my own in the past, and the conversations were less than encouraging. I’ve done my research about what it takes and how hard it is to break into the film industry, so I had no delusions that this route was going to get me any closer to my dream. There was hope it would, but I’m a pretty rational and realistic minded person.
But, hey, $149 to talk to a producer, what did I have to lose? The answer is always “no” if you don’t ask, and even if it was no after I asked, at least I could say I tried.
After I paid my fee, I was given access to their site and had to pick a producer and schedule a meeting. There were quite a few producers to pick from. I did a preliminary examination and read their quick blurbs, finding a few that looked promising and were looking for the type of project I was pitching, then I clicked on their links and read their full information.
After that, I picked one I thought would be a good fit and went to their calendar to schedule the phone call—only to discover that there was a glitch and I wasn’t able to view their calendar. I was trying to accomplish this task on a weekend outside of business hours, so I sent a message and figured I’d come back on Monday to see if the issue had been fixed.
On Monday, the issue still wasn’t fixed, so I used the handy dandy live chat feature they have on their site. I was instantly connected with someone, and they asked me about my project and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended another producer whom they thought would be a better fit. I checked out their profile and figured, “What the hell.” I scheduled my phone call with them, then went on with my life.
The producer I was set up with was
I did not go into the phone call with high hopes. In all honesty, I was sure he would tell me that I was wasting my time trying to pitch a zombie story (I’ve been told this by producers before), especially since the market is so saturated with the undead. And while he did say it can be challenging to get my story noticed because of the amount of zombie stories out there, he didn’t say it was impossible. He didn’t say I should give up and find something else to do. He offered advice on how I could accomplish my goal.
The phone call lasted an hour, and it was both encouraging and disheartening. Michael gave me a lot of things to think about and consider, and I mulled things over in my brain for several weeks. I still had a follow-up call with Nat.
For this phone call, I was convinced it was going to be a let-me-sell-you-some-services pitch—and part of it was. After all, Nat owns Voyage, which is a business, and he stays in business by selling his product. I won’t lie, I was probably a little defensive going into the phone call. I wasn’t going to be swindled out of my money.
As a good salesman, Nat was ready for this. He knew exactly how to work through my objections and get to the heart of what I wanted to accomplish. He had read Michael’s report about our phone call and knew exactly what he had to work with. I told him that I was sure my chances were slim to none for getting my story optioned, but he encouraged me to look deeper into my issues and figure out exactly why I felt that way and if there was a way around them.
He pointed out that yes, zombies were an incredibly popular topic at the moment and yes, there were lots of stories and people trying to get their work noticed. However, all it would take would be a focus on something new and intriguing to get noticed. Zombies are popular, which means that’s where the money is because that’s what people will pay for. I could find a story to pitch in an unpopular topic, but there’s no money there. It was an eye-opening argument.
This phone call was only supposed to last 20 minutes, but it went well over. At the end, Nat totally convinced me to consider buying one of their programs, which is expensive ($2,000), but much cheaper than the $15,000 program he first offered.
Side note: Yes, I’m fully aware of the technique he used to get me to consider the cheaper program (I live with a spouse who has dedicated his life to sales, I get to hear about all the tricks of the trade day in and day out). Lead with an expensive option, one that very few people would be able to afford, then follow-up with a more affordable one that still offers high value and the opportunity to pitch my story to producers. He still wins. But you know what, I might win too.
I totally opted for the cheaper program. Have I been swindled? Hard to say. It’s still incredibly early in the process, but I do feel confident in the fact that the entire process was laid out for me in writing (I received a formal proposal and had to sign a contract). I have been given access to Basecamp, a program that lays out all of the steps that need to be followed and has contact information for everyone who is involved. While I’m fully aware this could still be a scam, it seems ridiculously elaborate at this point.
At the end of the day, nothing could come of this process. I might spend thousands of dollars and hours out of my day trying to get my story in front of producers, and they could say no. But they could also say yes. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to take a chance.
I mulled this decision over in my brain and looked at it from every angle. I talked to my spouse about what his thoughts were, and in the end, we decided to take a risk. If nothing else, I have the opportunity to learn from the process. I can see what it takes to try to get a book turned into a film. I will get information and guidance from a producer. I will get experience—whether good or bad.
I can’t tell you how this journey will end, but I will let you go along for the ride. If you’re so inclined, you can even contribute to my education and opportunity. It doesn’t have to be much, but it will go a long way. Hopefully, I will too.
My goal isn’t to scare but to entertain. I’m a huge horror fan, and I enjoy that zombies force survivors to act and react in their new world, so that is why I often choose them as my catalyst to spur my characters into action. I’m endlessly fascinated with the question of what makes us human, and I think zombies and most other horror do a nice job of attempting to answer that question. The best part is that they often blur the lines of whether the human or the monster is worse.
When it comes to telling my stories, my comfort zone and expertise lies in writing. I know how to structure a story on paper; I know how to navigate from the beginning of the story to the end—even if that journey isn’t in a straight line. But that doesn’t mean I want to limit myself to telling stories on the page.
I’m a huge movie fan. There’s something magical about watching a story unfold on the screen, whether it’s in TV format or film format. There are things that can be done in movies that can’t be done in books (and vice versa). Movies can reach different audiences than a book can (and vice versa).
I’ve always dreamed of having one of my books turned into a movie, which is kind of weird if you think about it. I mean, most movies don’t do the books justice, and most people will say, “The book was so much better than the movie”—I’ve uttered these words myself. I’m totally aware that if I was ever lucky enough to get one of my books made into a movie, it might not live up to my expectations and vision.
Still, that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to break into the film medium. And a lot of the reason for this is because I want my story to reach a larger and different audience. I want people who don’t read to still experience my worlds and my characters. I want them to be entertained by something I created.
I also want to challenge myself.
I want to see if I can take the idea that I put onto the page and adapt it to be shown on the screen and still have it be fun and meaningful. I have the opportunity to take on that challenge.
I’m an indie author who doesn’t have a huge amount of sales. I’m not a household name, I don’t have the backing of a major publisher, and I don’t have a book on the New York Times bestseller list, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get my book made into a movie. It means I have to find a different way to accomplish that goal, but it could potentially get accomplished.
There are so many different ways and places for people to watch movies and shows right now, and those places need content. It opens up avenues for people outside of Hollywood to pitch their ideas and potentially see their work on screen.
For a while now, I’ve been on the mailing list and read the newsletter for Voyage Media . I’ve always been slightly skeptical about what they do, believing that they are out to scam people out of their hard-earned money. I did my research and found others were just as skeptical, but there seems to be good things about the company too.
Unfortunately, for a long time, their price tag to talk to a producer was out of my range. And then, one day it wasn’t. Every so often, the company runs a special so that authors can talk to a producer and Nat Mundel (the founder of the company) at a reduced price. I could justify and was more than willing to spend $149 on the package—even if nothing came of it.
I won’t lie, even after signing up, I was still skeptical about what would happen. I’ve contacted producers and production companies on my own in the past, and the conversations were less than encouraging. I’ve done my research about what it takes and how hard it is to break into the film industry, so I had no delusions that this route was going to get me any closer to my dream. There was hope it would, but I’m a pretty rational and realistic minded person.
But, hey, $149 to talk to a producer, what did I have to lose? The answer is always “no” if you don’t ask, and even if it was no after I asked, at least I could say I tried.
After I paid my fee, I was given access to their site and had to pick a producer and schedule a meeting. There were quite a few producers to pick from. I did a preliminary examination and read their quick blurbs, finding a few that looked promising and were looking for the type of project I was pitching, then I clicked on their links and read their full information.
After that, I picked one I thought would be a good fit and went to their calendar to schedule the phone call—only to discover that there was a glitch and I wasn’t able to view their calendar. I was trying to accomplish this task on a weekend outside of business hours, so I sent a message and figured I’d come back on Monday to see if the issue had been fixed.
On Monday, the issue still wasn’t fixed, so I used the handy dandy live chat feature they have on their site. I was instantly connected with someone, and they asked me about my project and what I hoped to accomplish, then recommended another producer whom they thought would be a better fit. I checked out their profile and figured, “What the hell.” I scheduled my phone call with them, then went on with my life.
The producer I was set up with was
I did not go into the phone call with high hopes. In all honesty, I was sure he would tell me that I was wasting my time trying to pitch a zombie story (I’ve been told this by producers before), especially since the market is so saturated with the undead. And while he did say it can be challenging to get my story noticed because of the amount of zombie stories out there, he didn’t say it was impossible. He didn’t say I should give up and find something else to do. He offered advice on how I could accomplish my goal.
The phone call lasted an hour, and it was both encouraging and disheartening. Michael gave me a lot of things to think about and consider, and I mulled things over in my brain for several weeks. I still had a follow-up call with Nat.
For this phone call, I was convinced it was going to be a let-me-sell-you-some-services pitch—and part of it was. After all, Nat owns Voyage, which is a business, and he stays in business by selling his product. I won’t lie, I was probably a little defensive going into the phone call. I wasn’t going to be swindled out of my money.
As a good salesman, Nat was ready for this. He knew exactly how to work through my objections and get to the heart of what I wanted to accomplish. He had read Michael’s report about our phone call and knew exactly what he had to work with. I told him that I was sure my chances were slim to none for getting my story optioned, but he encouraged me to look deeper into my issues and figure out exactly why I felt that way and if there was a way around them.
He pointed out that yes, zombies were an incredibly popular topic at the moment and yes, there were lots of stories and people trying to get their work noticed. However, all it would take would be a focus on something new and intriguing to get noticed. Zombies are popular, which means that’s where the money is because that’s what people will pay for. I could find a story to pitch in an unpopular topic, but there’s no money there. It was an eye-opening argument.
This phone call was only supposed to last 20 minutes, but it went well over. At the end, Nat totally convinced me to consider buying one of their programs, which is expensive ($2,000), but much cheaper than the $15,000 program he first offered.
Side note: Yes, I’m fully aware of the technique he used to get me to consider the cheaper program (I live with a spouse who has dedicated his life to sales, I get to hear about all the tricks of the trade day in and day out). Lead with an expensive option, one that very few people would be able to afford, then follow-up with a more affordable one that still offers high value and the opportunity to pitch my story to producers. He still wins. But you know what, I might win too.
I totally opted for the cheaper program. Have I been swindled? Hard to say. It’s still incredibly early in the process, but I do feel confident in the fact that the entire process was laid out for me in writing (I received a formal proposal and had to sign a contract). I have been given access to Basecamp, a program that lays out all of the steps that need to be followed and has contact information for everyone who is involved. While I’m fully aware this could still be a scam, it seems ridiculously elaborate at this point.
At the end of the day, nothing could come of this process. I might spend thousands of dollars and hours out of my day trying to get my story in front of producers, and they could say no. But they could also say yes. There’s only one way to find out, and that’s to take a chance.
I mulled this decision over in my brain and looked at it from every angle. I talked to my spouse about what his thoughts were, and in the end, we decided to take a risk. If nothing else, I have the opportunity to learn from the process. I can see what it takes to try to get a book turned into a film. I will get information and guidance from a producer. I will get experience—whether good or bad.
I can’t tell you how this journey will end, but I will let you go along for the ride. If you’re so inclined, you can even contribute to my education and opportunity. It doesn’t have to be much, but it will go a long way. Hopefully, I will too.
February 25, 2018
Movie Review Monday
Ash vs Evil Dead: Season 1
I love the Evil Dead trilogy. When I was pregnant with my first child and told I should take a movie with me to the hospital, I took Army of Darkness with me. When I heard that Starz was going to make a series based on Ash’s adventures, I was excited and bummed—mainly because we didn’t have the Starz channel.
I did, however, have the opportunity to watch a few episodes when Starz had a free preview weekend, and I wasn’t disappointed—until later, when I couldn’t finish watching the series because I still didn’t have Starz.
And then Netflix stepped in and made everything all right.
I’m pretty sure I squealed when I discovered that Ash vs Evil Dead was available for streaming . I instantly started watching, thrilled that I was able to see it from the beginning in all of it’s glory (and gory!). Once again, I wasn’t disappointed.
The story takes place 30 years after the original films were made, and they continue the narrative of how Ash finds himself plagued by demons and having to save the world from evil. They introduce some new characters, Kelly and Pablo, who help him in his mission. To hinder him in his mission is Ruby, played by Lucy Lawless, who turns out to be a complicated character.
As expected, there is action, demons, some scares, and a lot of gore—and I mean a lot of gore. I don’t think there was one episode where one character didn’t get completely covered in red goo. I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew they would get covered before they started filming or if it was a surprise. There’s also humor, which makes the movies and the TV show so enjoyable.
Ash vs Evil Dead, like the Evil Dead films, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It knows it’s over the top and ridiculous, and it will point that out—just in case you miss it—but that only adds to its charm. Adding humor to horror isn’t anything new, and it helps balance out the audiences’ emotions. Everyone needs a moment to relax and breathe before the next big scare finds its way onto the screen.
I was not disappointed by the Ash vs Evil Dead rehashing of the Evil Dead trilogy. I think each episode added to the story and fleshes out the characters in a variety of ways. Season 1 was fun, funny, full of gore, and had some scares. There are currently two seasons on Netflix (season 2 review coming next week), with a third in the making, which probably won’t be available on Netflix for a while.
If you haven’t seen the Evil Dead trilogy , I highly recommend watching those movies first before watching the series. It references them a lot, so you might be a little lost if you don’t have the background. Plus, they’re great movies. Then, sit back and enjoy the Ash vs Evil Dead series.
I love the Evil Dead trilogy. When I was pregnant with my first child and told I should take a movie with me to the hospital, I took Army of Darkness with me. When I heard that Starz was going to make a series based on Ash’s adventures, I was excited and bummed—mainly because we didn’t have the Starz channel.
I did, however, have the opportunity to watch a few episodes when Starz had a free preview weekend, and I wasn’t disappointed—until later, when I couldn’t finish watching the series because I still didn’t have Starz.
And then Netflix stepped in and made everything all right.
I’m pretty sure I squealed when I discovered that Ash vs Evil Dead was available for streaming . I instantly started watching, thrilled that I was able to see it from the beginning in all of it’s glory (and gory!). Once again, I wasn’t disappointed.
The story takes place 30 years after the original films were made, and they continue the narrative of how Ash finds himself plagued by demons and having to save the world from evil. They introduce some new characters, Kelly and Pablo, who help him in his mission. To hinder him in his mission is Ruby, played by Lucy Lawless, who turns out to be a complicated character.
As expected, there is action, demons, some scares, and a lot of gore—and I mean a lot of gore. I don’t think there was one episode where one character didn’t get completely covered in red goo. I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew they would get covered before they started filming or if it was a surprise. There’s also humor, which makes the movies and the TV show so enjoyable.
Ash vs Evil Dead, like the Evil Dead films, doesn’t take itself too seriously. It knows it’s over the top and ridiculous, and it will point that out—just in case you miss it—but that only adds to its charm. Adding humor to horror isn’t anything new, and it helps balance out the audiences’ emotions. Everyone needs a moment to relax and breathe before the next big scare finds its way onto the screen.
I was not disappointed by the Ash vs Evil Dead rehashing of the Evil Dead trilogy. I think each episode added to the story and fleshes out the characters in a variety of ways. Season 1 was fun, funny, full of gore, and had some scares. There are currently two seasons on Netflix (season 2 review coming next week), with a third in the making, which probably won’t be available on Netflix for a while.
If you haven’t seen the Evil Dead trilogy , I highly recommend watching those movies first before watching the series. It references them a lot, so you might be a little lost if you don’t have the background. Plus, they’re great movies. Then, sit back and enjoy the Ash vs Evil Dead series.
February 21, 2018
Are Zombies Being Done to Death?
I love writing zombie stories, especially young adult zombie stories. Zombies are such an amazing catalyst to spur survivors to act and react in a new world. Teens make great main characters because of their lack of experience with the world and their need to learn how to function in the world. Telling their stories and showing how they fail, learn, and grow is a lot of fun.
I’m not the only one who thinks this. There are a lot of dystopian stories in the world, and several young adult zombie stories . I would argue that the virus-infected people in The Maze Runner books are zombies, even if the majority of the story doesn’t focus on them—but it kind of does since it focuses on immunity and curing the world.
During my movie review on Monday , I mentioned that watching The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials got me thinking a lot about zombies in stories—particularly mine. The first thing that came to mind was the amount of films and shows that use zombies. This wasn’t surprising to me; it’s been going on for about the last 10 years. Zombies have seen their popularity surge, and perhaps wane slightly.
Having characters that are immune to the zombie plague isn’t a new idea. It might not have been done a lot recently, but it’s been done. I explore that idea in my book Humanity’s Hope . There has to be some hope that humans will survive and take back there world. But with that hope comes people who want to exploit the immunity and use it for their own gains. Again, not a new idea; exploitation is actually a trope quite common in the zombie genre. The world falls and there are those who do what they can to rule it. I also explore that idea in my book Life After the Undead .
What really hit me while watching The Scorch Trials was how incredibly common these ideas are. Yes, they are tropes of the genre, which means they are expected to be there, but how often are they done differently? This, of course, isn’t a necessity. I would argue that most audiences and production companies are looking for the familiar—ideas that have been done before and appeal to lots of people—so that they can make money. There’s comfort in that, on both the producers’ part and the audiences’ part.
In my own work, I point back to the classics and those who brought the zombie genre to the mainstream, especially George Romero. I would never say that my stories are new and groundbreaking or that they have elements that will shock and surprise you because they don’t, but they are unique to my voice. I would also argue that The Maze Runner stories have a unique voice, as do the majority of other zombie stories out there.
But within all of these stories, there is the familiar, the known, the unsurprising. I think that might have been what depressed me the most when thinking about zombie stories and my own writing. I want to create this totally new and unique world with zombies running amok, but I’m not sure it’s possible. I’m not sure there’s a new story out there with the undead in it. I think there are just variations on a theme.
Does that mean we should stop writing zombie stories? Absolutely not. Again, every writer has a unique voice to add to the lexicon. And if that is the story that makes you happy to write, then write it.
Monsters go through phases and popularity, and when one creature is in vogue, everyone will try to jump on the train to get their piece of the pie. Your story will just be one of many existing in the world, but tell it with pride, tell it with enthusiasm, tell it genuinely, and audiences will enjoy it. Above all, do what makes you happy, even if everyone else is doing it too.
I’m not the only one who thinks this. There are a lot of dystopian stories in the world, and several young adult zombie stories . I would argue that the virus-infected people in The Maze Runner books are zombies, even if the majority of the story doesn’t focus on them—but it kind of does since it focuses on immunity and curing the world.
During my movie review on Monday , I mentioned that watching The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials got me thinking a lot about zombies in stories—particularly mine. The first thing that came to mind was the amount of films and shows that use zombies. This wasn’t surprising to me; it’s been going on for about the last 10 years. Zombies have seen their popularity surge, and perhaps wane slightly.
Having characters that are immune to the zombie plague isn’t a new idea. It might not have been done a lot recently, but it’s been done. I explore that idea in my book Humanity’s Hope . There has to be some hope that humans will survive and take back there world. But with that hope comes people who want to exploit the immunity and use it for their own gains. Again, not a new idea; exploitation is actually a trope quite common in the zombie genre. The world falls and there are those who do what they can to rule it. I also explore that idea in my book Life After the Undead .
What really hit me while watching The Scorch Trials was how incredibly common these ideas are. Yes, they are tropes of the genre, which means they are expected to be there, but how often are they done differently? This, of course, isn’t a necessity. I would argue that most audiences and production companies are looking for the familiar—ideas that have been done before and appeal to lots of people—so that they can make money. There’s comfort in that, on both the producers’ part and the audiences’ part.
In my own work, I point back to the classics and those who brought the zombie genre to the mainstream, especially George Romero. I would never say that my stories are new and groundbreaking or that they have elements that will shock and surprise you because they don’t, but they are unique to my voice. I would also argue that The Maze Runner stories have a unique voice, as do the majority of other zombie stories out there.
But within all of these stories, there is the familiar, the known, the unsurprising. I think that might have been what depressed me the most when thinking about zombie stories and my own writing. I want to create this totally new and unique world with zombies running amok, but I’m not sure it’s possible. I’m not sure there’s a new story out there with the undead in it. I think there are just variations on a theme.
Does that mean we should stop writing zombie stories? Absolutely not. Again, every writer has a unique voice to add to the lexicon. And if that is the story that makes you happy to write, then write it.
Monsters go through phases and popularity, and when one creature is in vogue, everyone will try to jump on the train to get their piece of the pie. Your story will just be one of many existing in the world, but tell it with pride, tell it with enthusiasm, tell it genuinely, and audiences will enjoy it. Above all, do what makes you happy, even if everyone else is doing it too.
February 18, 2018
Movie Review Monday
The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015)
We watched the first movie in the series and weren’t completely disappointed, so we decided to give the second one a try.
It continues where the first one left off and gives the audience deeper insight into the teens’ desire to survive and thrive and how far the WCKD corporation will go to get what they want. We get to meet some rebels in this one who are fighting the authorian power and trying to save the world/kids.
There were a lot of expected tropes in this film, including the heroes falling to the villains and needing to pick themselves up from the ashes to fight and be victorious. There was a betrayal, but neither my oldest nor I were surprised by who it was. I was kind of bummed about that. I wanted there to be shock and surprise.
The audience is able to see more of the destroyed world and get a better sense of how it devolved into chaos. The people who get infected with a virus are incredibly zombie-like, but they are like 28 Days Later zombies because they are fast and persistent. My spouse was surprised that it turned into a zombie film, but I wasn’t. I knew from the first film when it explained that people were infected and acted unpredictably and violently that there would be zombies.
As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but think of my own writing and how the undead are used in stories. I’ll probably do another blog post about my thoughts, but I’ll hint that my initial reaction was one of depression. More on that another time.
There were several questions left unanswered by these two movies, including: if the kids are supposed to be immune, how can they become infected by both the zombies and the Grievers? Even the characters ask this question, so I’m hoping at some point it gets answered.
At a little over 2 hours, this movie felt too long. There was so much running, which I get if you’re running for your life, but I wanted more insight into the world and the people living in it—and we were introduced to some new characters, but they seemed pretty flat and predictable. They didn’t get a lot of development, so it was hard to be attached to them. Thus, when one of them gets infected, it was like “Meh. That was expected.”
Again, my kids really enjoyed this film and there was action and fights to keep them entertained. I thought it was too long and dragged in places, but it wasn’t a complete waste of an evening. I don’t doubt that when the third one becomes available to rent, we’ll watch it so we can see how the story progresses. Apparently, there are four books in the series, so there’s probably at least one more movie in the works to finish the story.
Who else has seen this film? Thoughts?
We watched the first movie in the series and weren’t completely disappointed, so we decided to give the second one a try.
It continues where the first one left off and gives the audience deeper insight into the teens’ desire to survive and thrive and how far the WCKD corporation will go to get what they want. We get to meet some rebels in this one who are fighting the authorian power and trying to save the world/kids.
There were a lot of expected tropes in this film, including the heroes falling to the villains and needing to pick themselves up from the ashes to fight and be victorious. There was a betrayal, but neither my oldest nor I were surprised by who it was. I was kind of bummed about that. I wanted there to be shock and surprise.
The audience is able to see more of the destroyed world and get a better sense of how it devolved into chaos. The people who get infected with a virus are incredibly zombie-like, but they are like 28 Days Later zombies because they are fast and persistent. My spouse was surprised that it turned into a zombie film, but I wasn’t. I knew from the first film when it explained that people were infected and acted unpredictably and violently that there would be zombies.
As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but think of my own writing and how the undead are used in stories. I’ll probably do another blog post about my thoughts, but I’ll hint that my initial reaction was one of depression. More on that another time.
There were several questions left unanswered by these two movies, including: if the kids are supposed to be immune, how can they become infected by both the zombies and the Grievers? Even the characters ask this question, so I’m hoping at some point it gets answered.
At a little over 2 hours, this movie felt too long. There was so much running, which I get if you’re running for your life, but I wanted more insight into the world and the people living in it—and we were introduced to some new characters, but they seemed pretty flat and predictable. They didn’t get a lot of development, so it was hard to be attached to them. Thus, when one of them gets infected, it was like “Meh. That was expected.”
Again, my kids really enjoyed this film and there was action and fights to keep them entertained. I thought it was too long and dragged in places, but it wasn’t a complete waste of an evening. I don’t doubt that when the third one becomes available to rent, we’ll watch it so we can see how the story progresses. Apparently, there are four books in the series, so there’s probably at least one more movie in the works to finish the story.
Who else has seen this film? Thoughts?
February 13, 2018
Making Business Decisions About Your Books
There are a lot of different reasons to publish a book, and making money doesn’t have to be the top priority on the list. If all you want to do is have people read your story, there are ways to let them have access to it for free—and there’s nothing wrong with that decision.
However, if your goal is to have people read your work and to make money from it, then you’re going to have to start thinking about your writing as a business .
Ugh! Doesn’t the phrase “think about your writing as a business” sound super boring and slightly complicated? Where’s the romance? Where’s the fun and intrigue? Well, it should be in your writing, but when it comes to making and spending money for your books, that should be totally boring and straightforward.
Whether you want to keep track of your spending and earnings or whether you want someone else to do it for you, that’s totally up to you, but tracking the success of your business is something that has to be done. I don’t make mine complicated; I use Excel to record my spending and income. I can see at a glance how much I’ve made and how much I’ve spent.
It is important to keep track of your spending and earnings so you know if your writing is successful. It helps you keep track of how much you are investing in promotion/marketing and how much you are making from sales. The numbers can be skewed, and you might be spending more than you’re making, and that’s okay—as long as you’re okay with it. If not, having the numbers in front of you is a great way to change your marketing technique and develop new strategies that will hopefully lead to more sales.
I like to use my earnings and reinvest them into my marketing schemes, but I have to know how much I have to make it work. I don’t have a ton of extra money to spend on marketing for my books, so I use my numbers to create a budget and stretch my dollars as far as they’ll go.
Because I use this technique for marketing, if I don’t have money coming in, I can’t spend it on promotion. Then, I have to make business decisions about what is best for the funds I have and how I will get the most return on the money I can spend. I’ve had to give some things up with this process, but if the money isn’t there, I can’t make it magically appear.
It’s not easy deciding what to trim and what to keep. After all, just because one marketing idea didn’t work in the past doesn’t meant it won’t work in the future. Plus, what if making a business decision means getting rid of something you’re suppose to have, say, your newsletter .
Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy answers to these questions, and they are decisions you have to make based on your preferences and budget. You have to sit back and decide if said newsletter is bringing you any sales to justify paying the monthly fee. If it is, then you probably don’t want to cut it. If it’s not, there’s probably a better, cheaper way to connect with readers.
None of your decisions have to be forever decisions. If you discover down the road that yeah, the newsletter was totally bringing in sales, then add it back in to your marketing plan. If you find that Facebook ads actually make a huge impact on sales, then maybe it’s worth your time and money to invest in more of those. If they don’t, then you can probably cut them out. It’s trial and error when it comes to marketing, and only you can decide what is best for you, your books, and your budget.
It’s not a whole lot of fun to think about writing as a business, but it’s necessary if you want your marketing/promotion and your writing career to be successful—especially if you have a limited budget. The process doesn’t have to be complicated, and it’ll help you track your success.
However, if your goal is to have people read your work and to make money from it, then you’re going to have to start thinking about your writing as a business .
Ugh! Doesn’t the phrase “think about your writing as a business” sound super boring and slightly complicated? Where’s the romance? Where’s the fun and intrigue? Well, it should be in your writing, but when it comes to making and spending money for your books, that should be totally boring and straightforward.
Whether you want to keep track of your spending and earnings or whether you want someone else to do it for you, that’s totally up to you, but tracking the success of your business is something that has to be done. I don’t make mine complicated; I use Excel to record my spending and income. I can see at a glance how much I’ve made and how much I’ve spent.
It is important to keep track of your spending and earnings so you know if your writing is successful. It helps you keep track of how much you are investing in promotion/marketing and how much you are making from sales. The numbers can be skewed, and you might be spending more than you’re making, and that’s okay—as long as you’re okay with it. If not, having the numbers in front of you is a great way to change your marketing technique and develop new strategies that will hopefully lead to more sales.
I like to use my earnings and reinvest them into my marketing schemes, but I have to know how much I have to make it work. I don’t have a ton of extra money to spend on marketing for my books, so I use my numbers to create a budget and stretch my dollars as far as they’ll go.
Because I use this technique for marketing, if I don’t have money coming in, I can’t spend it on promotion. Then, I have to make business decisions about what is best for the funds I have and how I will get the most return on the money I can spend. I’ve had to give some things up with this process, but if the money isn’t there, I can’t make it magically appear.
It’s not easy deciding what to trim and what to keep. After all, just because one marketing idea didn’t work in the past doesn’t meant it won’t work in the future. Plus, what if making a business decision means getting rid of something you’re suppose to have, say, your newsletter .
Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy answers to these questions, and they are decisions you have to make based on your preferences and budget. You have to sit back and decide if said newsletter is bringing you any sales to justify paying the monthly fee. If it is, then you probably don’t want to cut it. If it’s not, there’s probably a better, cheaper way to connect with readers.
None of your decisions have to be forever decisions. If you discover down the road that yeah, the newsletter was totally bringing in sales, then add it back in to your marketing plan. If you find that Facebook ads actually make a huge impact on sales, then maybe it’s worth your time and money to invest in more of those. If they don’t, then you can probably cut them out. It’s trial and error when it comes to marketing, and only you can decide what is best for you, your books, and your budget.
It’s not a whole lot of fun to think about writing as a business, but it’s necessary if you want your marketing/promotion and your writing career to be successful—especially if you have a limited budget. The process doesn’t have to be complicated, and it’ll help you track your success.
