Kenneth Atchity's Blog, page 212

Ken Atchity on the Apple e-books case and its impact on the book industry

More on the changing landscape in literature and publishing




Story Merchant
Ken Atchity takes time out from working on the movie, “The Kennedy
Detail” in Louisiana, to talk with Larry and Dave about the Apple
price-fixing case and its potential and real impacts on traditional
publishers and booksellers.



Ken’s Story Merchant Books imprint is part
of a major shift to digital publishing, requiring a different mindset
and marketing strategy. Ken talks about his passion for stories and
introducing new authors, and how Story Merchant Books offers the author
higher payback and more control over the content than sales through
traditional publishing channels.






Podcast: Play in new window
| Download (Duration: 26:47 — 15.4MB)

Nadine Maritz's My Addiction Author Interview – Donna Williams on Nobody Nowhere.

Three weeks ago we did a huge
interview with Beverly Nero and Dan Ireland on your autobiography Nobody
Nowhere going to film. It’s therefore a great honour to do a formal interview
with yourself. Donna thanks so much for granting MA this interview.

No problem. Nice to meet you

Donna, from the discussions I had with Beverly a view week’s
back, you have fought through various difficulties in life. People thought you
to be deaf, psychotic, disturbed even retarded. You fought through cancer,
endured a double mastectomy and still managed to bring a message across to
others. How do you manage all of this?

I was diagnosed as psychotic at the age of 2, had primary
immune deficiencies since infancy, later came the usual that goes with that,
allergies, autoimmune disorders, and, yes, cancer, the diagnosis of a
connective tissue disorder, dysautonomia, central apnea... I call it 'fall
apart syndrome'. It’s all clay, shit if you like, but to a sculptor of life
it’s like clay... take shit, make sculptures. So it doesn't defy life, derail
life, it IS part of the fabric of life. It shapes me, but I also learn who I am
in defying all of it, I reinforce the sovreignity of my personhood. It gives me
enough crap to experience my hero moment, to become the person I'd most want to
take to the battle front, the person who would have earned my respect, trust,
belief in. Sharing that with the world is part of awareness that life is short,
humanising the tough stuff for others, awareness that we are all star stuff,
being a citizen of the community.

As a child you obviously went through a lot considering people
never understood autism at that time, how did you manage? When did you get to
the point of understanding that this was in fact autism and not some kind of
psychotic disease?

I didn't have functional speech until I was around 9-11
years old and even then was so dominated by Exposure Anxiety that I couldn't
ask anything complex or personal until my late teens and twenties. Something
happens to you when you grow up like that, especially if there's nobody to wipe
your butt for you. I had one parent probably on the autism spectrum, the other
parent I experienced as psychopathic. It was like growing up in a sideshow, a
dangerous, wild, colorful sideshow. There was so much survival to deal with. So
although I had the need to understand, it wasn't until my 20s that I had enough
speech, enough conversational skills and enough capacity to ask personal,
emotional questions and that's when I learned that I was diagnosed as psychotic
at age 2 and that people had thought I was autistic (which was then an
adjective used to describe psychotic children). But learning I was intelligent,
I realised that at age 11, that I wasn't disturbed or crazy, that took
longer... especially because I WAS traumatised, dissociated, had anxiety and
compulsive disorders but was not actually psychotic. That's a hard one to
fathom.

And at first, when my autism was finally compassionately
explained to me in my 20s, I accepted it as a condition, a developmental
disability. But progressively I thought, no, this condition is actually a whole
bunch of different things, a 'fruit salad', a 'jumbled jigsaw', which when
mixed up enough and overwhelming enough derails usual development and presents
as what we know as autistic. Sure, I could be autistic and have curly hair,
shortness and be my own flavour of crazy too.

I also realised that everyone has some 'fruit salad' and
that I didn't have to be 'normal' to be equal, nor could I presume the world
would naturally acknowledge my equality. I realised I would have to advocate
for my own version of 'normal', and equality in difference.



How would people know that they are in fact dealing with a child
that suffers from autism?

Each child with autism has their own collection of fruit
salad... I was faceblind, meaning deaf, saw my world in bits, had a lot of
jumbled sensory messages, was echolalic and had involuntary avoidance, diversion
and retaliation responses – quite 'feral', 'bizarre', 'odd' – and the health
issues made me rather out of it. The inability to cope meant I spent a lot of
time in self-directed chatter, caught up with my reflection, sensory 'buzzing',
dissociated from body, mind, emotions. But another autistic child may have
obsessional interests, be unable to read facial expression, body language,
intonation and come across more as literal, obsessive, a little professor.
Another may give up all their skills and development out of fear of losing a
monopoly over the carer and fight to stay at the developmental level of a
toddler. Another may be capable but reclusive, silent and struggle to
emotionally connect to others. Another may have little control over their
speech or behaviour but through typed communication demonstrate a high level of
ability, intelligence and empathy. As an adult I became an autism consultant
and worked with over a 1000 kids with autism so I can tell you the reality is
they are very different fruit salads and very different personalities and for
every stereotype they fit there will be a stereotype they shatter.

Where could people reach out for assistance when they think they
or their children suffer from autism?

The question of whether kids with autism suffer is worth
addressing... sometimes its the family that suffers more than the child with
autism, or the siblings, sometimes the child with autism is the least
challenging child in the family! Some kids with autism will have overwhelming
'fruit salad' that makes up their autism and they will suffer from some parts
of that but indulge, enjoy, even thrive because of other parts of their autism.
So it’s very diverse which is one of the things I hope people get from the
different characters in the film. As for where can families get help... well
that would be from their local autism chapter, from online groups, from talking
to a range of adults on the spectrum who may have experienced some of what
their children are dealing with.





Your autobiography Nobody Nowhere has been getting great
reviews, it’s said by many to be an eye opener, was this always the intention?
To write about it, get the word out there or was it something you did for
yourself? A way you managed to deal with your own problem?

It was an international bestseller and 15 weeks on the New
York Times Bestseller List when it came out, so it was a ground-breaking,
evocative and shocking book. I wrote it as a means of giving myself permission
to jump in front of a train on the London Underground. An inner voice said I
didn't have a right to throw my life away until I let at least one human being
really know me. It was like I couldn't leave this world until I ticked that
last box. I had such a degree of involuntary avoidance, diversion, retaliation
responses that I couldn't dare let anyone know me with any depth in any
on-going way... I felt invaded if the external world got entangled with my own
world it triggered rampant fight-flight responses... so the only way I could do
it was to purge my life on paper. I wrote the book in 3 weeks, typing night and
day, barely eating, washing, and sleeping. Then I thrust it at a child
psychiatrist to have them tell me 'what kind of mad I am'. My belief was he
would tell me I was mad, hopelessly so, and then I could shred the manuscript,
burn it and rather smugly go ahead and do what I wanted to do which was to exit
the body I felt entrapped me, made me vulnerable by virtue of its very
existence, I wanted to erase it, to steal my spirit away from the body through
killing the body, to set it free, become a ghost and leave it discarded. But
the reaction of that psychiatrist utterly floored me. He read it and told me
there was nothing like it in the world, that it would change the way autism was
seen for all others with autism. I felt, well, I was about to thrown my life
away, how dare I steal from others this opened door, this chance at their own
autism being understood. I decided to 'sacrifice' the manuscript, I left it
behind in the UK and went back to Australia. The psychiatrist passed it on in
my absence and several passes later I was shocked to get a fax from a UK
literary agent who now had it, had four publishers bidding for it, and was
desperate for me to agree to its publication. I was talked into conceding to
that. Progressively it took a lot of work to come to terms with going from
someone so afraid of being known I was ready to give up on life to someone who
became a public speaker, autism consultant and author, in the end, of 9 books
in the field of autism.



Your helpfulness towards others led you to Beverly Nero, what
was your first impression when you decided to put your book onto film?

The book was near impossible for another writer to put into
film because the language, the way of thinking, of perceiving was so utterly
foreign to non-autistic reality. It really needed an autistic writer, but more
than autism it needed Donnaism... I am strikingly idiosyncratic, what people
refer to as 'what a character'... and ultimately it really takes that same
person to write the script in that same voice. I had written a few scenes some
time before so I knew I could write powerful scenes... I just didn't know I
could write a powerful script or that the script could be as gobsmacking, as
magical as the book. I think what was so wonderful was that being echolalic and
echopractic (mirroring voice and actions of others) ironically made me an ideal
script writer... I could easily convey the characters from the book as they
were... even when I took characters and merged them into one, they were taken
as being 'real people' which I think is when I knew I really could write film.

Beverly mentioned that you write your own screenplay for the
film. Was it something you had to do some research on or did it come naturally
– writing the screenplay?

Just as I wrote the book in 3 weeks, I wrote the first
draft of the screenplay in around 4 weeks. At that time I had no idea other
people have to think and write... for me it was more like... dissociate, stare
into space and let the writing write itself out from your fingers. That's the
way I sculpt, paint, write... its more like a dream state... like I'm typing
directly out of a dream state, hypnogogic really. So, naturally? Sure, my
version of natural.







How involved are you in casting the actors for the film? Beverly
did mention that your character in itself was a difficult and they require an
actress with authenticity

Bev and I have spent years talking casting. I navigate by
sensing... I map people like a cat does. Maybe because I grew up meaning deaf,
face blind, seeing my world in bits. But it means I can encounter an actor or
actress for 30 seconds and I've mapped them... their tone, their 'music of
beingness'... it’s like a 'tune', a 'signature' unique to each person, but
people's 'music' can resonate, be harmonious, or be dissonant. So I have a good
sense of who fits, their range, their patterns, their feel. Of course I also
look at them logically, their range, their achievements, and their level of
life experience too. I returned to school in my 20s and became a sociologist,
later a teacher. I think I bring those skills to casting input too.

Dan Ireland is a well-known director, how was it to work so close
with him?









Dan is gorgeous... we hit it off like old time pals... he's
fun and funny but he knuckles down, he dares to challenge, but he's an open
channel too, he listens, he's timely, a doer. I think 'Donna time' blew him
away a bit... I don't think he's ever worked with anyone who turns a script
around as quickly as me. It was a great synergy working with Dan. He really got
not just Donna but the plethora of characters in the film. He savoured them
like sweets in a candy store. Our enthusiasm bounced off each each other and a
lot of the time we were on fire!

Upon me asking Dan what he would take away from turning your
autobiography to film he gave us the great reply of:

“If I could take anything with me on working on “Nobody
Nowhere,” it would be the bravery, the fearlessness, the joy, the selflessness,
and the innocence that got Donna Williams through her incredible journey. This
is the story of an unsung heroine, and even though I can’t sing, I sure as hell
am going to give it everything I’ve got.”

This is quite an emotional statement, something that shows he
looks up at you in many ways. What do you take away from all of this? From
getting published, going over to film, working with people like Beverly, Ken
Atchity and Dan Ireland?

Oh dear, I'm so simple really on that level... I just liked
these folks, Beverly Nero, Norman Stephens, Ken Atchity, Dan Ireland... I found
them to be like new flavours in one of life's ice cream stores and I was
passing through and enjoying the flavours and out of it formed these creative
partnerships, each of them challenging me in new ways, new adventures in the
world of film. I think my father, the character 'Jackie Paper' in the film, is
quite 'Willie Wonker'... he was in real life... and as his daughter I'm rather
'Willie Wonker' too... so I guess all things are 'normal' in my world, or maybe
there is no 'normal' so all things just 'are'... and my life took me into the
film world and I took it in my stride and enjoyed the adventure. I'm just glad
these folks were autie friendly, diversity friendly, Donnaism friendly. I'm
glad they've enjoyed the experience too :-)





Where to from here?

Hmm... well in addition to all I mentioned I also became a
singer songwriter with several albums, two songs in an international TV series,
have sold my artwork around the world, had two books of poetry published,
celebrated 10 years of a great marriage to a wonderful partner, got a great
chatty cat we adore, live in a simple house in the hills among parrots and
gumtrees on the outskirts of Melbourne and I enjoy the Taoist perspective that
sustains me and shapes all I experience. But where to from here is presently
dealing with autoimmune disease and knowing what all that means. My health
disorders may not allow me to make it to 65, perhaps not even 55, so I've
retired at 49 and am presently teaching art. Like the woman who died the same
day I was born – Edith Piaf – Je n'regrette rien - I have no regrets about my
lot. What more can one want from this life, this world, than that?

Last but not least where can people stay in contact with you or
follow your work?

They can come visit Donnaville at my website www.donnawilliams.net where they'll also find links to my blog, my
Facebook pages, my Twitter.

Thank you for the
interview Nadine and all the best in your own life and future.

Donna, Thanks so much for
granting us this opportunity to know more of yourself and your journey. M.A is
grateful for everything you have done towards society and the courage you show
in everything life throws your way. We can but only hope that more people will
be inspired by what you do and who you are.

Connie Martinson Talks Books with Dennis M. Walsh Author of Nobody Walks

The Messiah Matrix Reviewed

THE MESSIAH MATRIX

A Thriller by


Kenneth John Atchity



OVERVIEW: (from The Messiah Matrix Home)



What Lengths Would The Vatican Go To Suppress The Origins Of  Their Faith??



That's the story behind THE MESSIAH MATRIX,  a thriller that delves into
the secrets of the past, and brings forward those who hide  them still.
You will follow a young Jesuit priest and a brilliant archaeologist as
they seek their passion for truth.  At the same time they are trying to
control their passion for each other. During their trek for truth they
uncover a well kept secret.  A secret that the Vatican has been keeping.
A secret that the Curia has never wanted to be known.



From the first page to the last you are on a quest from the ancient city
of Caesarea to Rome's catacombs and beyond.  It is a confirmation for
those who ever wondered about the historical existence of the "Christian
Saviour".



This book may be the most thought provoking
thriller ever written.  Classical scholar and Yale Ph.D. Dr.Kenneth L
John Atchity is the only author alive today capable of  creating this
literary and historically-based masterpiece.



"All that is hidden must now be revealed."







REVIEW:



Author, Kenneth John Atchity, Ph.D., writes a brilliant novel, THE
MESSIAH MATRIX.  It is a story that makes the reader view religion
differently. Mr. Atchity is an accomplished author, scholar and
producer.  There definitely isn't any disappointment in his writing.



The book is definitely a page turner.  It puts that gray matter to work. As the author seeks
truth and origin of Christianity, the book draws the reader into
corruption, murder, romance and rich history.  The setting is in Italy.
The author has done much research to write this story about such a
controversial idea.




You will find that you can't put the book down.  The story of Christ is
different than the story told by the Bible. The author weaves a web that
at times is hard to unravel. The characters become united even when you
least expect it.  The book has a lot of mystery and yet a lot of  usage
for the brain.  You get to thinking, maybe it was this way.



THE
MESSIAH MATRIX's subject matter is highly controversial.  I believe
some people will be upset with the subject matter.  You have to read it
with a open mind.



I would recommend this book to anyone who can go into it with an open mind.



I received a complimentary copy of this book, THE MESSIAH MATRIX by Kenneth John Atchity for this unbiased review.



I would give this book a 4 STARS

About The Story Merchant

The ancient Phoenicians were legendary merchants, often credited with the first evidence of advertising and branding east of the Indus - not to mention the invention of the alphabet! On their iconic ships, they delivered stories and culture from every port they visited, along with in-demand goods to distant consumer markets.

Ken Atchity inherited that marketing spirit from his father’s Lebanese ancestors, and his philosophy today is represented by its convergence with the Cajun tradition of creative ingenuity from his mother’s side.

With more than forty years experience in the publishing world, and twenty years in entertainment, Dr. Ken Atchity is a self-defined "story merchant" - writer, producer, career coach, teacher, and literary manager, responsible for launching dozens of books and films. His life's passion is finding great storytellers and turning them into bestselling authors and screenwriters.

Ken has produced 30 films, including "Hysteria" (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Informant Media), "Expatriate" (Aaron Eckhart, Informant), the Emmy-nominated "The Kennedy Detail" (Discovery), "The Lost Valentine" (Betty White; Hallmark Hall of Fame), "Joe Somebody" (Tim Allen; Fox), "Life or Something Like It" (Angelina Jolie; Fox), "The Amityville Horror" (NBC), "Shadow of Obsession" (NBC), "The Madam's Family" (Ellen Burstyn; CBS), "Gospel Hill" (Danny Glover; Fox), and "14 Days with Alzheimer's" (with Story Merchant client Lisa Cerasoli).

Films in development include "Memories of 100," "Meg," "Boobytrap," "Demonkeeper," "Dr. Fuddle and the Golden Baton," and "Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not!" (starring Jim Carrey; Paramount). Full film bio at imdb

His 14 books include books for writers at every stage of their careers.

Based on his own teaching and writing experience, Ken has successfully built bestselling careers for novelists, nonfiction writers, and screenwriters from the ground up. Clients include bestsellers Steve Alten, Jerry Blaine and Lisa McCubbin, Royce Buckingham, Alaya Johnson, Clint Hill, John Scott Shepherd, Noire, Shirley Palmer, Dennis Palumbo, James Michael Pratt, Larry Thompson, Tracy Price-Thompson, Ripley's Believe-It-Or-Not!, Cheryl Saban, and Governor Jesse Ventura.

Ken's Story Merchant companies, AEI, and The Writer's Lifeline have provided full-service development and management machine for commercial and literary writers who wish to launch their storytelling in all media--from publishing and film and television production, to Web presence and merchandising & licensing.




(Read More)



Lisa Cerasoli - Executive VP 









In
2003, Lisa Cerasoli and Dr. Atchity met for the first time about her script. He thought it read like a novel, tossed her a book and said, “Write it like this.”
Two weeks and fifty pages later, Lisa was hooked. Recently, with Dr. Atchity in
the executive producer seat, she directed and produced, “14
DAYS with Alzheimer’s.”



Originally
a Michigan girl, Cerasoli moved to L.A. in ’95. She nabbed two series, Acapulco
Bay and General
Hospital, and
recurring roles on The Pretender, Diagnosis
Murder, Pensacola, Boomtown and more...Family matters
drew her back home. Since then, Lisa’s received 25+ national/international
awards including:




On the Brink of Bliss and
Insanity (Five
Star Publications, 2009)


Winner
Best Romance: Los Angeles, London, Hollywood Book Festivals


Silver
Medal - Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year

As Nora Jo Fades Away:
Confessions of a Caregiver (Five Star, 2010) 

Foreword by Leeza Gibbons


Winner
- Paris and Hollywood Book Festivals

“14 DAYS with Alzheimer’s” A Documentary Short


WIN:
Randy Becker TV Web Series Competition 2013


Women’s
International Film Festival, Los Angeles


Detroit
Windsor Film Festival


Grand
Rapids Film Festival 




BEST
OF FEST: Seattle Film Awards 




AUDIENCE
CHOICE: Boulder, Life & Death Matters Festival
As
Executive Vice president of Story Merchant, Lisa dedicates her immense
energies, management and editorial skills, and visionary focus to helping
writers move their careers forward. 

Nadine Maritz of My Addiction Interviews Martin Ott About His Thriller The Interrogator's Notebook

THE INTERROGATORS NOTEBOOK WRITTEN BY MARTIN OTT










Martin Ott is a former US Army interrogator who wrote the The Interrogators Notebook. M.A is
extremely honoured to have this interview with someone of such calibre. Even
though I reside in South Africa I have always felt great honour towards the
people that would do anything for the sake of their country.




The Interrogator’s Notebook is based around
a character Norman Kross whose story reflects on real-world experiences and
meticulous research. Norman Kross is a master interrogator skilled at
deciphering secrets. He is however totally blind to the truths within his own
life.




Martin, we are very
honoured to have you here today. Tell us a bit more about yourself and your
journey towards writing The Interrogator’s Notebook.




I wrote and published a short story The Interrogator’s Last Question about a former interrogator with a
troubled family life, and this provided the genesis for The Interrogator’s Notebook. During the course of writing the novel
I changed the setting – from DC to Los Angeles – as well as the structure. At
one point, Saddam Hussein was even a character.

I kept my eyes on the news and researched interrogation
throughout the process to make sure that I was accurate in my portrayal of
Norman’s career. I was fortunate enough to have manager/producer/writer Ken
Atchity read my novel, and he convinced me to publish it on Story Merchant
Books.




Doing some research
on the novel I noticed that some readers where fairly critical – in your case
they are luckily view and far in-between. As an author I know that we need to
know that not everyone would love what we write even though we put everything
we have into it, how do you deal with the criticism?




I received feedback from fellow writers, editors, agents,
and readers that I integrated into multiple drafts of the novel. I think you
have to be open to feedback to become a better writer. The Interrogator’s Notebook has received a couple of negative
reviews, and I only wish the feedback was more specific.






How long have you
been an author, when did you know that writing was what you wanted in life?




I have always been an avid reader and began writing
seriously, at first in a journal, when I was in the Army. I studied English and
Creative Writing at the University of Michigan, and in the Masters of
Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California to help
hone my craft. I have always been interested in working in different genres,
and I have also published 3 books of poetry and optioned several screenplays.




You have published
dozens of short stories in publications such as Connecticut Review,
The Literary Review, The Los Angeles Review, Nimrod, Praire Schooner and
Quality Paperback Literary Review – were all your stories based on interrogation?





Only a couple of my short stories focus on the character of
an interrogator. I have written stories from the point of view of small boy, a
70-year-old woman, and everything in between, including stories that test
conventional form.




How close is your
character Norman Kross to yourself? How close are his experiences to your own?




I think all authors dip into the well of their life
experiences. I used the familiar locales of my hometown in Michigan and Los
Angeles neighborhoods, but the details of Norman’s family are not very close to
my own. I did, however, use a few details from my own experiences as an
interrogator throughout the book.




Can you tell our
readers a bit more about the book? What can they expect, what would draw them
in?




There was a central theme that drove me to write the book:
to explore what happens when a master interrogator is blind to the truth of his
own family, friends, and relationships. I also wanted to explore what happens
when someone who is used to being in control gets the tables turned on him.




How do you write? Do
you set out a timeline and write accordingly, do you do graphs? A lot of people
don’t do either what works for you?

I write because I don’t know how to not write. I set weekly
and monthly goals for myself, and never seem to hit them! However, barely a day
goes by where I do not write or edit creative work.












How do you feel
writing and publishing has grown over the past ten years? Did you know from the
word go what you were letting yourself in for or has publishing been a long
hard journey?




I believe that electronic publishing and ebooks are creating
a shift in publishing, and providing opportunities for dedicated authors to
find audiences for themselves. For me, it has taken longer than some to get
books published, but I never thought that it was a long journey or a hard one.




As an author, what
satisfies you in your writing? Some people do it for money, some write for a
hobby – me time. What makes it worth it for you?




I love the process of writing in a way that makes it more
than a hobby. I don’t write for the purpose of making money, but I am very
aware that the more I make directly from my writing the less time I have to
spend on a dual career as a marketing professional.




Any plans on going to
film?




Several readers in the entertainment industry have thought
that The Interrogator’s Notebook
might translate to film or television. I’m open to the possibility.




As a final question,
where can readers and fans follow your work?




The best way would be to visit my writing website www.martinottwriter.com or follow me
on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ottpops. If there are any people interested in
the craft of writing, I recommend my blog: http://writeliving.wordpress.com/.



Martin Thanks so much
for your input, it’s been great chatting with you. MA wishes you well in all
your future endeavours.

Guest Post: Getting Out of Your Own Way by Dennis Palumbo

Hollywood on the Couch







The inside scoop on Tinseltown, USA.
by Dennis Palumbo



For an artist, "being yourself" may be simple, but it's not easy.





I want to talk about the most important thing a creative person must know how to do---which, for lack of a better phrase, is just to get out of his or her own way. Or as cellist Pablo Casals said, about playing music well, “Learn the notes and forget about ‘em.”

Simple, isn’t it? You have a story to tell, plot beats to tell it, characters to live it, and the will to create it. (You may even have a deal to deliver it.) All you have to do is get out of the way and let the creativity “happen.”

See? Simple, right? Not exactly. Because, as a former teacher of mine once remarked, “It may be simple, but it ain’t easy.”

For years, as a Hollywood screenwriter, I struggled to “get out of my own way,” without really understanding what that meant. The phrase always had a kind of down-home, common-sense, don’t-make-such-a-big-deal-out-of-it quality that I was often frustrated with myself for my difficulty in achieving it.

(Similar to my response to the advice to just “be myself,” whenever I was anxious about some upcoming interpersonal conflict. Again, simple but not easy.)

As it’s generally understood, “getting out of your own way” implies somehow putting aside the anxieties and doubts,ego concerns and career pressures, “mental blocks” and “critical inner voices”---pick your favorite pet term---that stand between you and the effortless flow of work. As though, if you just did enough therapy, or meditated deeply enough, or visualized sincerely enough, or manifested enough positive energy, you could disavow all the “stuff” that gets in the way of your creativity.

If only, in other words, you were different than who you are.

Because the simple fact is, we do bring our “stuff” to our creative endeavors, “stuff” that runs the gamut from the ridiculous to the sublime, the irritating to the overwhelming. Some artists can’t get past their fear of failure; some struggle with a nagging sense of inadequacy regarding their talent; some feel the pressure of being unknown and thus feeling powerless. (Or even, ironically, the reverse: Norman Mailer once talked of the feeling of creative paralysis that came over him after he’d achieved fame. “It wasn’t just me sitting down to write,” he said. “It was Norman Mailer sitting down to write. I had to live up to him.”)

Add to that the relationship issues, financial pressures, marketplace fluctuations, and sense of isolation that creative types must contend with on a daily basis---and suddenly the amount of “stuff” you’re supposed to put aside in order to “get out of your own way” starts to feel like a veritable mountain of personal baggage.

That’s because it is. Each of us lugs around enough baggage to warrant the name Samsonite. It’s the trait we share with every other human being. Our “stuff” is who we are. Our hopes and fears, faith and doubt, empathy and envy, loves and hatreds and fantasies and habits and prejudices and favorite movies and the way we tie our shoes and whether we like asparagus and on and on and on. That’s us. Human beings.

One particular subset of human beings, creative artists, have all the same “stuff” as the rest of the tribe. Except for the need and desire to create art out of it. We may produce stories or screenplays. Or films or TV pilots. Or novels, poems, and songs. But what all artists, regardless of approach, really do is try to make sense of their “stuff.” In a language or medium or form that is understandable to the audience. In other words, “stuff” talking to “stuff.”

Now comes the paradox. If I, the artist, get out of my own way---that is, put my “stuff” aside so I can create---what’s left to explore creatively? My “stuff” is the raw materials of my work.

In fact, I’ll go out on a limb and just say it: there is nothing but stuff. Which is great, because that means I’ll never run out of raw material. As long as I’m a human being, I have an inexhaustible supply.

I began this column by stating that the most important thing an artist had to do was get out of his or her own way. Haven’t I just challenged this statement? No. I’m only challenging the conventional view of what that means.

Let me explain: From my perspective, a creative artist who invites all of who he or she is into the mix---who sits down to work engulfed in “stuff,” yet doesn’t give these thoughts and feelings a negative connotation; who in fact strives to accept and integrate whatever thoughts and feelings emerge---this artist has truly gotten out of his or her own way.

From this standpoint, it’s only by labeling a thought or feeling as either good or bad, productive or harmful, that you’re actually getting in your own way. Restricting your creative flow.

Getting out of your own way means being with who you are, moment to moment, whether you like it or not. Whether or not it’s easy or comfortable, familiar or disturbing. And then creating from that place.

As I said, simple but not easy.

Fossil River - Kirkus Reviews

This
pedal-to-the-metal speculative thriller revolves around the discovery of a
highly territorial colony of predatory dinosaurs in Alaska that has survived
undetected for millions of years.




The story begins in an
America on the verge of collapse: The nation’s oil reserve is almost gone, and,
within a matter of weeks, the country’s entire infrastructure could crumble.
However, scientists have discovered the largest fossil fuel deposit in the
world, within Alaska’s Noatak National Preserve, which could save the nation
from imminent disaster. But there’s one major drawback: a large colony of
vicious birdlike dinosaurs (classified as Deinonychus) that have lived
in the secluded area for millennia. Zoologist Scott Chandler and his
ex-girlfriend Kimberly Fulton, a pre-eminent paleontologist, are tasked by the
president of the United States himself to help identify and somehow suppress
the mysterious predators—– but an overzealous military presence turns the
volatile situation into an all-out blood bath, as dozens of Marines enter the
“lost world,” and none return alive. When Fulton’s wayward son and his
girlfriend venture into the area, Chandler and Fulton are forced to attempt a
desperate rescue.




The narrative features
well-developed characters, a plausible and well-researched premise, vivid
description and brisk pacing throughout. The only two significant criticisms
are that the conclusion is somewhat predictable, and the overall concept isn’t
particularly original; James Robert Smith’s The Flock (2006), for
example, features a very similar setup. That said, readers who like intelligently
written thrillers, à la Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park (1990) and
Frank Schätzing’s The Swarm (2006), will likely enjoy this
pulse-pounding trip into the Alaskan wilderness.




An undeniably readable
thriller with breakneck pacing and jaw-dropping action sequences.

A Bokononism [via Nina Reznick]

“Unusual traveling directions are dancing lessons from God” 

~  Bokonon

Guest Post: Stop Chasing Oprah! by Jeff Rivera

Jeff Rivera is an author and inspirational media personality.






When I was about 18-years-old, I was given the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet my idol, Oprah at a cocktail party in Las Vegas. She was everything you’d believe she would be and more. She glowed and emanated a presence  that was indescribable to me. I was excited, not only because I idolized her (and still do) but because I believed, she could be “the answer”.

She could be the one that would rescue my family out of American poverty, turn me and my screenplay into a star and make all my dreams come.  Pleasant as she was, none of that happened. And I spent the next 15 years or so trying to chase other phantom Oprahs; people that symbolized “the answer”.

It’s something a lot of writers and artists in general do. They believe, once that savior picks their project, then all their dreams will come true. Whether it’s agents, studios, book publishers, stars, music labels, the national news media or even popular bloggers, artists believe that their fate lies in the hands of these anointed people.

Well, I’m here to tell you, that ain’t true anymore.

There may have been a time when blessings by these people meant the world and could super-launch your career and they were believed to be the only way to “make it” but not anymore.

Nowadays, there’s nothing they can do – nothing – that you cannot do on your own.


BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

Book publishers used to finance authors through advances, edit their work, print and distribute it. But we know that bubble burst a long time ago. Everyone knew it was an illusion but we hoped no one else would notice. Advances have dwindled in half or less, literary agents complain that editors don’t edit anymore, some say editors only have time to project manage.  Book publishers do distribute to bookstores on consignment but most books are returned, their marketing and publicity departments are understaffed and not able to service the books they have already, so the only thing publishers have to offer that you cannot get anywhere else is printing copies on a massive scale. But why? So, that they’ll be returned and you’ll get your $.75 cents royalty rate a copy after agent cuts and taxes (that is, if you’ve even earned your advance out).

Nowadays, authors can hire their own editors (many of whom are from the masses of people who were laid off at the publishing houses or moonlight), get their own book covers for less than $100, market themselves through social media or hire a small firm, print on demand and distribute the book on their own to bookstores as well.  Look at how many indie authors are hitting the New York Times bestsellers list on their own with zero marketing budget?

I’m not saying New York publishers aren’t needed. There are some amazing people that work at them that I am proud to call my friends and colleagues. But when we’re honest, their power and influence has dwindled to the point where they’re just another right that you can sell.

Look at how many literary agents are forced to close their doors.  Most were so overwhelmed, they didn’t have time to service the books they already represented, let alone the hundreds of submissions they received every week.  Nowadays, you can just hire a reputable book consultant to give you the hand-holding agents used to have the time to do and you can hire a reputable publishing attorney to negotiate your contract for you.

I’m not saying literary agents are  not needed, because if you can find a really great one, they are, especially when it comes to foreign rights and many of the innovative agents have adapted their business models with the times and service their eBook indie published authors in a way that makes financial sense for everyone.


MOVIE AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY

Movie studios and networks used to finance, attach A-list talent, distribute and market films and they were the only ones that could do it. But not anymore.  Nowadays, you can finance your film with Kickstarter, attach an A-list star (now that your film is funded), distribute through Gathr or Tugg.com, get it on Netflix and DirectTV through Distribber and market for free through social media. Advertising rarely works.  National media doesn’t either.  How many studio films do you know were given multi-million dollar marketing budgets and bombed big time?

Sure, studios give you credibility and have an easier time getting films into theaters. But how many little films ended up successful on their own. It happens every year.


MUSIC INDUSTRY

It used to be that a talented band would come off the street, go through the A&R department and come out the other end a star. But nowadays, they want you ready-to-go with your own fan base before they’ll even think about distributing you.  But you don’t need that anymore either. Most of the sales are from digital downloads and you can use TuneCore to distribute on your own.  You can hire a reputable music industry consultant to coach you along the way. You can hire the same publicist that the stars have for the same amount of money or you can just do it on your own through Youtube videos and once you create enough of a following, they start looking for you. And where do you get the money for hiring all these great people? Kickstarter.


You see, there’s nothing they can offer you that requires you to put your career on hold until you receive their blessing. There’s no need to chase Oprah anymore. Go for it. Be brave enough to spend all the time and energy you were wasting to get someone’s blessing for you to continue on your career and re-invest it in making yourself the best artist you can. Be great, be fantastic, be breath-taking and most importantly be yourself, and literary agents, book publishers, music labels, movie studios and television networks will come chasing after you.



http://jeffrivera.com