S. Evan Townsend's Blog, page 116

NaNoWriMo Seems to Work

Yes, I was, (and still am a bit) a NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) skeptic.  I said it didn't think it was a good idea to encourage people to write just for writing's sake.  And yes, I still think a lot of bad fiction will come out of NaNoWriMo and a lot of it might be self-published without proper editing/re-writing.

But, having said that, I think now, since I'm participating in NaNoWriMo, it does have value.  I participated in NaNoWriMo due to peer pressure.  My local writing group is very much into it so I decided to go along although I was already 40,000 words into a planned 60,000 word WIP (Work in Progress).  So I have been cheating a bit (I'm on my third "WIP" in November).

But, here is the thing that I think makes NaNoWriMo a fairly good idea: one of the hardest parts for a lot of would be (and established) writers is sitting down and actually writing.  You have great plans but to write it is tough.  So many distractions and self-doubts get in the way.  NaNoWriMo gives you an excuse to say, "to heck with it, I'm writing."  And it has worked for me.  I have written two things I may not have ever written if it weren't for NaNoWriMo, both ideas I've had bouncing around my head for a while.  When I finished those (both short stories about 5,000 words long) I was floundering around for something else to write because I was still short of 50,000 words by more than 10,000 words.  So I latched onto something I wrote and posted here a long time ago and decided to continue the story (I am not counting the 509 words posted on this blog in my NaNoWriMo total).  That is now at 7,787 words and no where near the end.  I'll probably get to 50,000 total words in a couple of days and still have more to write on that story (I need a conflict to arise and soon).

Why am I bothering?  Because I don't want to let down my local MLs (municipal liaison) who are friends.  I don't want to let down my local writers' group, which is full of friends.  Yes, it's the peer pressure to write and it works.  (This is, they have found, why people in wars will risk their lives: they don't want to let down their unit which probably contains friends and at least contains peers.)

So, what NaNoWriMo seems to do is to get you to actually write.  But, what it does that I don't like it is gets a lot of people to write badly.

However, writing badly is the first step to writing well.  So that, in itself is not horrible, as long as those books don't end up on the Kindle and damaging the reputation of all writers.

So I've gone from being a complete NaNoWriMo skeptic to an adherent.  Well, sort of.

Guest Post: Luke Murphy

Luke MurphyToday we welcome back Luke Murphy who we are featuring all week.  Monday we had an interview with Luke and Friday we'll have an excerpt from his novel Dead Man's Hand .  You can find Luke on Facebook and Twitter and learn more at his website.

Today we have a guest post from Luke on marketing, something I think all writers and readers would be interested in.  So please welcome once again, Luke Murphy:


Marketing my Debut Novel
It can be said with near certainty that I didn’t follow the path of the average writer. As a child, I never dreamed of writing a best-seller, never aspired to write the next classic novel, I wanted to be an NHL superstar…period. Unfortunately injuries shortened my career to only four games with the Florida Panthers in 1999 and a six-year career in the minor leagues, so I needed to find a new path.
From a family of avid readers, even as a child, I always had a passion for books. Whether it was reading novels on road trips or writing assignments in school, literature was always part of my life.
In the winter of 2000, after sustaining a season ending eye injury while playing professional hockey in Oklahoma City, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands, and a new hobby emerged.
I didn’t write with the intention of being published. I wrote for the love of writing, as a hobby. I continued to hobby write through the years, honing my craft, making time between work and family obligations.
Then I made a decision to take my interest one step further. I’ve never been one to take things lightly or jump in half way. I took a full year off from writing to study the craft.
I constantly read, from novels in my favorite genres to books written by experts in the writing field. My first two purchases were Stein on Writing, a book written by successful editor Sol Stein, and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.
I read through these novels and highlighted important answers to my questions. My major breakthrough from Stein’s book was to “Show don’t Tell”. I had to trust my readers. I even wrote that phrase on a sticky note and put it on my computer monitor.
The Self-Editing book helped me learn how to cut the FAT off my manuscript, eliminating unnecessary details, making it more lean and crisp, with a better flow. I learned to cut repetition and remain consistent throughout the novel.
I continually researched the internet, reading up on the industry and process “What is selling?” and “Who is buying?” were my two major questions.
I attended the “Bloody Words” writing conference in Ottawa, Canada, rubbing elbows with other writers, editors, agents and publishers. I made friends (published and unpublished authors), bombarding them with questions, learning what it took to become successful.
Feeling that I was finally prepared, in the winter of 2007, with an idea in mind and an outline on paper, I started to write DEAD MAN`S HAND.
My marketing started with the writing of my book. I always had a plan, an idea of the plot, but now I had to think about the characters and setting.
I wanted characters who readers could relate to. Characters that were real, not fictional to the point of unbelievable. My protagonist, Calvin Watters, is as real as they come, with faults and weaknesses like us all. Because of my sports background, I wanted Calvin to also have an athletic background. I was a pro hockey player, but I decided that hockey would be fine for a Canadian fan base, but I wanted to cater worldwide, so I chose football. I believe that more people follow football than hockey.
For the setting, I needed a major market in the United States that people would want to read about, so I chose Sin City, Las Vegas. Everyone is interested in this fast-paced, party-all-night lifestyle and city that is party-central.
But in today’s society, most people don’t realize that writing a book is more than just putting a good story down on paper. I learned this quickly. Agents and publishers want someone with a “platform”, someone who already has a fan base and is guaranteed to sell books. It’s risky for a publisher to take a chance on a new writer, because there is no telling how many books they will sell, no matter how good that book may be.
In 1999 I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Marketing, so I felt I had a running start at promoting my work.
It took me two years (working around full time jobs) to complete the first draft of my novel.
The first person to read my completed manuscript was my former high school English teacher. With her experience and wisdom, she gave me some very helpful advice. I then hired McCarthy Creative Services to help edit DEAD MAN’S HAND, to make it the best possible novel.
I joined a critique group, teaming up with published authors Nadine Doolittle and Kathy Leveille, and exchanging manuscripts and information. Working with an editor and other authors was very rewarding and not only made my novel better, but made me a better writer.
When I was ready, I researched agents who fit my criteria (successful, worked with my genres, etc.) and sent out query letters. After six months of rejections, I pulled my manuscript back and worked on it again. Then in my next round of proposals, I was offered representation by the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency.
After months of editing with Jennifer, and more rejections from publishers, my dream was finally realized in April, 2012, when I signed a publishing contract with Imajin Books (Edmonton, Alberta).
Once my publishing contract was signed, then the real work began, building my “platform”. I knew that when I signed on with a smaller publisher that the bulk of the promotion load would fall on my shoulders, and I accepted that.
I did four things quickly: created my own website, started a blog, and opened a Facebook page and Twitter account.
Now, I have been fortunate to have had many jobs in my life, jobs that have created interest in not only myself, but what I do.
Here are some things I did next:
-        I scribed a letter to all of my email contacts (2500) and all of my FB friends (2500).
-        I scribed a letter for all of the media outlets (radio, TV, print) in the cities where I played hockey, or have contacts. One of the benefits of playing professional hockey was that I went through a lot of interviews with personalities in all forms of media.
-        I picked out the site for my launch party and spoke with the owner about it.
-        I played hockey for teams and leagues all over North America, creating a fan base in a variety of cities, and also worked in hockey camps, so I already had some followers that I contacted.
-        I was a reporter on the radio for a couple of years after retiring from hockey, and my radio reporting was a presence on the web as well as in radio.
-        My sports column, Overtime, which was a main feature in The Pontiac Equity, not only had a following but helped in writing concise and exciting prose.
-        I composed a list of local stores for potential book signings
-        I compiled a list of local stores to sell my book
Next I picked out my target audience and searched the web for them:
-        Thriller readers looking for an atypical thriller hero—an African-American who is no saint. 

-        Sports fans will be fascinated by Watters’ struggle to recover his decency and win, a kind of Blind Side story with little sentimentality and few illusions. 

-        A Las Vegas setting—the world of The Hangover movies and many youth films like Bridesmaids—will appeal to 20s-30s readers. 

-        Watters’ romance with a former prostitute will appeal to younger female readers.  The marital tension between Detective Dayton and his wife will interest adults. Both men and women will enjoy the twist on the femme fatale figure of the murderer’s lover, who has her own schemes. 

-        Lovers of history, as the term, “Dead Man’s Hand”, is a legend dating back to the Wild West of the 1800’s.
I started creating relationships on the internet through Facebook and Twitter. I met not only authors, but fans of the genres I write.
When my book was released in October, 2012, I felt I had a solid foundation to stand on, but I still had a long way to go.
I contacted media for interviews, held book signings, joined shows and blog toured. I contacted anyone who wrote a blog and asked about being a guest. I joined Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google +, as well as sites created to support Indie authors. I did anything I could to get my name out there, get my book in front of readers.
My publisher set up special promotions where my book was FREE on Amazon for certain periods of time. All of this was done to increase my following, and expand the awareness of my book on a worldwide scale. This will hopefully lead to future sales with not only my debut novel, but subsequent books.
I’ve been happy with the result thus far, but I don’t have anything to compare it to. I feel that the more books I write, the more success I will have. The more I get out there, the more excitement and interest is garnered.
It’s a marathon, not a sprint. JDead Man's Hand   What happens when the deck is stacked against you…From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.…and the cards don't fall your way? When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years. What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand? Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them. "You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out."
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Lincoln Letter "Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Flower "Part police procedural, part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush  And you can find Dead Man's Hand at Amazon.com.

Guest Author Interview: Luke Murphy

Luke MurphyThis week we are happy to host Luke Murphy for three days!  Wednesday we'll turn this blog over to him for a guest blog and Friday we'll have an excerpt from his mystery novel, Dead Man`s Hand .  You can find Luke on Facebook and Twitter and learn more at his website.

Please welcome Luke Murphy:

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Actually my writing happened by accident. Growing up I never thought much about writing, but I was an avid reader. The only time I ever wrote was when my teachers at school made me. I wanted to be an NHL superstar…period.

It was the winter of 2000, my second year of professional hockey, and I was playing in Oklahoma City.  After sustaining a season ending eye injury (one of the scariest moments of my life), I found myself with time on his hands.

My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, was attending a French college in Montreal. She received an English assignment to write a short story, and asked me for some help.

I loved the experience—creating vivid characters and generating a wire-taut plot. So, I sat down at my roommate’s computer and began typing. I wrote a little every day, around my intense rehabilitation schedule and before I knew it I had completed my first manuscript.

I didn’t write with the intention of being published. I wrote for the love of writing.

Twelve years later, I still write for pleasure—and I still love it! The fact that I am being published is a bonus.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your novel?

DEAD MAN’S HAND is a crime-thriller set in Las Vegas. It takes readers inside the head of Calvin Watters, a sadistically violent African-American Las Vegas debt-collector, who was once a rising football star, now a murder suspect on the run.

What happens when the deck is stacked against you…

From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.

…and the cards don't fall your way?

When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known
bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years.

What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand?

Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them.

What brought you to this genre?

My first chapter books were the Hardy Boys titles, so they are the reason I love mysteries. As an adult, some of my favorite authors are Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly and Greg Iles, so naturally I write what I love to read – mystery/suspense novels. DEAD MAN`S HAND has been compared to James Patterson books, which to me is an honour. Maybe in style (short chapters, a quick read), as I have read many of his books.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

I never thought much about writing when I was growing up.

But I was always an avid reader, which I owe to my mother. She was a librarian, and although I lost her when I was young, I will always remember a stack on Danielle Steele books on her bedside table, and a lot of books lying around the house at my disposal.

Plot: I get my ideas from stories I hear about, whether through reading (newspapers, magazines, etc.), what I hear (radio) or what I see (TV, movies, internet, etc.). The plot is completely fictional. I wouldn`t say that one thing or person influences my writing, but a variety of my life experiences all have led to my passion in the written word. There is not a single moment in time when this idea came to be, but circumstances over the years that led to this story: my hockey injuries, frequent visits to Las Vegas, my love of football, crime books and movies. Dead Man’s Hand became real from mixing these events, taking advantage of experts in their field, and adding my wild imagination. The internet also provides a wealth of information, available at our fingertips with a click of the mouse.

Setting: I usually set my stories in cities I`ve visited and fell in love with. Las Vegas was the perfect backdrop for this story, glitz and glamour as well as an untapped underground.

Characters: I have never been involved in a homicide investigation, LOL. Although I am not a 6’5”, 220 pound African-American, I’ve used much of my athletic background when creating my protagonist Calvin Watters. Watters past as an athlete, and his emotional rollercoaster brought on by injuries were drawn from my experiences. His mother died of cancer when he was young, as mine was. There are certainly elements of myself in Calvin, but overall, this is a work of fiction. I did not base the characters or plot on any real people or events. Any familiarities are strictly coincidence.

I’ve always been a self-motivated person, and my harshest critic. Whether it was in school, hockey or writing, I’ve been the one to put the most pressure on myself to succeed, to be the best in everything I try.

How do you react if/when you get any negative reviews?

I have received a couple of 2-star reviews, but to be honest, they were actually pretty nice 2-star reviews. More comments like, “it wasn’t for me” or “thought it was a Western”. So I can’t complain so far.

But I don’t take the comments or reviews personally. I know that my book won’t suit everyone, because there are diverse tastes around the world.

Who is your favorite character and why?

Definitely the protagonist in my novel, Calvin Watters.

Many people have asked if I can make any real connections to the main character in my novel. The answer, as for my connection…no, I have never been involved in a homicide investigation, LOL. The plot is completely fictional. Although I am not a 6’5”, 220 pound African-American, I’ve used much of my athletic background when creating my protagonist Calvin Watters. Watters past as an athlete, and his emotional rollercoaster brought on by injuries were drawn from my experiences. His mother died of cancer when he was young, as mine was. There are certainly elements of myself in Calvin, but overall, this is a work of fiction. I did not base the characters or plot on any real people or events. Any familiarities are strictly coincidence.

As far as characterization goes, Dead Man’s Hand’s protagonist Calvin Watters faces racial prejudice with calmness similar to that of Walter Mosley’s character Easy Rawlins. But Watters’ past as an athlete and enforcer will remind other readers of (Jack) Reacher of the Lee Childs series. The Stuart Woods novel Choke, about a tennis player who, like Watters, suffered greatly from a dramatic loss that was a failure of his psyche, is also an inspiration for Dead Man’s Hand.

When thinking about creating the main character for my story, I wanted someone “REAL”. Someone readers could relate to. Although it is a work of fiction, my goal was to create a character who readers could make a real connection with.

Physically, keeping in mind Watters’ past as an NCAA football standout and his current occupation as a Vegas debt-collector, I thought “intimidating”, and put together a mix of characteristics that make Watters appear scary (dreadlocks and patchy facial hair), but also able to blend in with those of the social elite. Although he is in astounding physical condition, handsome and well-toned, he does have a physical disability that limits his capabilities.

He’s proud, confident bordering on cocky, mean and tough, but I also gave him a softer side that readers, especially women, will be more comfortable rooting for. After his humiliating downfall he is stuck at the bottom for a while, but trying hard to work his way back up.

He has weaknesses and he has made poor choices. He has regrets, but Watters has the opportunity to redeem himself. Not everyone gets a second chance in life, and he realizes how fortunate he is.

Calvin Watters is definitely worth rooting for.

Are you working on anything else at the moment?

I’m currently working on my second novel, another crime-thriller, following the career of rookie, female LAPD detective Charlene Taylor.

I would love to write another book. Right now, I have a full time job (teaching), a part-time tutoring job, and three small children (all girls, YIKES!!).

I don`t have much time to write, but when I get a chance, I do all I can. It could take some time, but eventually I would love to write a series of novels featuring Calvin Watters. But I will not limit my novels to Calvin Watters, as I would like to write a variety of novels, all in the crime-thriller genres.

Do you have any advice to other authors who would like to be published?

Get a part-time job to pay the bills (haha). Just kidding. Honestly, for anyone who wants to be a writer, you need to have three things: patience, determination and thick skin. You can`t let anyone or anything get in the way of your ultimate goal. You will hear a lot of “no's”, but it only takes one “yes”. The writing industry is a slow-moving machine, and you need to wait it out. Never quit or give up on your dreams.

Just for fun.
If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Speak to the dead. I would love to talk with my mother, who died when I was young.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Definitely potato chips.
Chocolate or Ice Cream?
I like both, but I’m more of a salt over sweet kind of guy.
What’s your favorite music?
I don’t listen to a lot of music. When I’m in the car I listen to sports talk radio. But if I had to choose, I’d say 80’s rock. Unfortunately, living with a wife and 3 daughters, I listen to a lot of One Direction, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, etc.
Who would you pick to date? The bad girl or the sweetheart? Why?
I would pick the bad girl to date, and the proper lady to marry. For obvious reasons LOL
If you had a super power what would it be? Why?
I would love to fly. I think that would be pretty cool - an easy escape when necessary.
Do you believe in ghosts? Why?
Never have, never will. I’m one of those guys who needs actual proof or facts before I can believe in something. [I'm with you there-SET] Dead Man's Hand   What happens when the deck is stacked against you…From NFL rising-star prospect to wanted fugitive, Calvin Watters is a sadistic African-American Las Vegas debt-collector framed by a murderer who, like the Vegas Police, finds him to be the perfect fall-guy.…and the cards don't fall your way? When the brutal slaying of a prominent casino owner is followed by the murder of a well-known bookie, Detective Dale Dayton is thrown into the middle of a highly political case and leads the largest homicide investigation in Vegas in the last twelve years. What if you're dealt a Dead Man's Hand? Against his superiors and better judgment, Dayton is willing to give Calvin one last chance. To redeem himself, Calvin must prove his innocence by finding the real killer, while avoiding the LVMPD, as well as protect the woman he loves from a professional assassin hired to silence them. "You may want to give it the whole night, just to see how it turns out."
—William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Lincoln Letter "Dead Man's Hand is a pleasure, a debut novel that doesn't read like one,
but still presents original characters and a fresh new voice."
—Thomas Perry, New York Times bestselling author of Poison Flower "Part police procedural, part crime fiction, Dead Man's Hand is a fast, gritty ride."
—Anne Frasier, USA Today bestselling author of Hush  And you can find Dead Man's Hand at Amazon.com.

Standardization is a Good Thing

When I buy a computer, unless it is an Apple, it comes with a Windows operating system.  For better or for worse (I haven't tired Windows 8, yet), this is the standard.  I can buy a Dell and get Windows.  I can buy an HP and get Windows.  I can even by an Apple and have Windows on it.  This standardization is a good thing because it 1) fosters competition by computer makers to make better computers because consumers can be comfortable switching brands without worrying they have to learn a whole new operating system (which is one reason I have not switched to Apple) and 2) if someone hands me a PC, no matter the brand, I can probably operate it since I'll be familiar with its OS (unless it's Windows 8).

So why, when you buy a Ford, you get "Ford MyTouch" and when you buy a Chevrolet you get "Chevrolet MyLink" and when you buy a Cadillac (built by the same manufacturer as Chevrolet) you get "CUE" (a whole other system) and I could go on and on because it seems every car manufacturer has a proprietary OS for their infotainment and navigation systems.  (Interestingly, I looked at a Chrysler 300 recently and it seemed to have a Garmin navigation system, which to me is a step in the right direction.) 

An aside: My opinion is, don't buy navigation systems for cars.  They want $1,000 for them and then charge you to update them.  Buy a Garmin for $200 and you can carry it from car to car (including rental cars) and they update much cheaper (if not free).

The reasons for this have to do with both the history of the PC and the history of the car.  But I think automakers should standardize.  Yes, they want their luxury cars to have better infotainment than their base models (thus "MyLink" and "CUE") but they could have similar OSs but with more options.  Like Windows Home and Windows Professional and Windows Professional Premium.  That way when you buy a new car, you don't have to sit in the driveway with the owners manual (which they are stopping printing and putting on DVD/CD so I'm not sure how you're supposed to read them in the car) and figure out how to turn on the radio or enter a destination in the nav system.

And I've yet to have a car that understands voice commands as well as Siri does on my iPhone (and she has trouble, too).  I've pretty much given up using the nav systems in my cars because Siri works so much better (and stays up to date and doesn't want to charge me $150 for updated navigation CDs).  The only bad part is the small screen on my phone (helps a lot when a passenger can use their iPhone and give you directions).  Now if I could integrate my iPhone with my car's infotainment system . . .

So I think standardization of car infotainment systems would be a good thing.  But try to get BMW and Mercedes to agree on anything!

Isolated

I live in kind of a weird spot.  I live in the middle of Washington State (sort of) in a county bigger than the state of Delaware.  The population of the town I live just outside of is about 20,000 people but there are nearly 50,000 who share the same zip code and almost 100,000 people in the county.  Yes, I know if you live in New York City there's probably 100,000 people within a few blocks of you.

This town is geographically isolated.  It's on Interstate 90 and if you go east on the interstate, the next biggest town you hit is 100 miles (160 km) away.  In fact, there is really two other towns between here and that larger town, and they are both tiny.  If you go west on I-90, you don't hit a bigger town until you get to the suburbs of Seattle, about 160 miles (257 km) away.  Yes, there is a larger town northeast of here about 70 miles (112 km) driving distance away and the "Tri-cities" are south about 70 miles (driving) and they are all bigger.

So, my point being, this is the largest town for quite a long ways around.  But we're isolated.  To get on a commercial airplane we have to drive minimum 70 miles.  To shop somewhere other than WalMart you used to have to drive, again, minimum 70 miles (actually, I usually did the 100 because it was all freeway and took about as long as going the 70 miles to the Tri-Cities).   The nearest 4-year university is, you guessed it, 70 miles away.  This town didn't have touch tone phones until the late 1970s.  And while the retail situation is improving, it's still pretty slim selection.

What inspired this post was I was looking at the National Weather Service website and our weather reports come from 100 miles away.  Why aren't they generated locally?

I have Facebook friends who live in smaller towns (in Idaho, of all places) and they have more shopping and restaurant choices than we do.  I think, for some reason, this town is so isolated that people simply don't know it's here.  We are another Starbucks stop on the interstate, and that's it.  And it's been that way for as long as I can remember (well, after we got a Starbucks, before that we weren't even a place to stop).

Movie Review: Pacific Rim

When I first saw the ads on TV for Pacific Rim, I thought, "Oh, dear, here's a live action mecha movie that will be huge on special effects on short on story."  Then the Rotten Tomatoes score came in pretty high and my kids went and saw it and thought it was good, so I put it in my Netflix queue.

The purpose of special effects in a movie is to show the audience something it can't see in real life or, in some cases, to show something it would be to dangerous, difficult, or expensive to do in real life.  And with computer generated imagery (CGI) that is only limited to the film makers' imagination and budget.  The best special effects are those where the audience doesn't even realize there is a special effect on the screen.  But with a movie such as Pacific Rim, that's impossible.  There are no giant monsters rising up from the sea and there are no huge robots with people inside them to fight the monsters.  But still, the film makers can hope to achieve the point where the audience isn't thinking "Wow, what a cool special effect" but is thinking, "I hope the robot wins this fight."  Some film makers make the mistake of thinking the special effects are the story but good film makers know that a good story and compelling complex characters have to be there, the special effects only enhance it.  My touchstone for such movies is the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Huge amount of CGI effects throughout, yet it never, ever lets go of the story.  And yes, there are times you forget that Golum is a CGI effect.

Pacific Rim, while no LOTR, never lets go of the story.  Yes, there are times you think, "Wow, the CGI effects budget on this film must be huge" but it's hard to get away from that with huge robots fighting huge monsters.  It's not like 6,000 riders of Rohan that you can forget are a CGI effect.  But the personalities, the stories, and the pain and triumph of the characters always comes through despite the huge effects budget.  No, it's not Pride and Prejudice with robots and there's a few hoary clichés, but over all, Pacific Rim is enjoyable and fun.

Movie Review: Australia

Yes, I normally review movies quite a while after they come out because I watch most movies on Blu-ray or DVD from Netflix which means I have to wait until the DVD/Blu-ray to come out then often four weeks after that because Netflix doesn't release some new releases for four weeks after you can buy them because of a deal they made with movie studios to get streaming content.  Yes, it's very annoying.

But here I am about to review a movie from 2008: Australia .   For those of you math-challenged, that's five years old.

When this movie first came out I had no interest in it because it just looked like a western cum travelogue mishmash of a film.  But my mother was waxing rhapsodic about it a while back and wishing she could see it in high definition (she doesn't own an HDTV) so I said I'd put it on my Netflix list and when it bubbled to the top invite her over to watch it.

I put it at the bottom of my queue figuring it would be safely down there for months.

But, Netflix is being kind of weird lately (ever since, it seems, I sent back a non-working disc of Oblivion and demanded they send me a new one).  I have two movies released in 1999 and 2000, respectively, both on "long wait."  I had four released movies in my queue ahead of Australia and they sent me . . . Australia.  So I invited my mother over to watch it and we watched the 2 hour, 45 minute movie.

I think what happened is a bunch of Australian actors and producers and maybe even the director thought "hey, let's make a movie about the grand history of our country."  But what they forgot was: compelling characters and a plot that wasn't lifted from old John Wayne movies.  What we ended up with was a predictable plot, gross clichés (oh, aren't the native folk so much smarter and honorable than the white people), and cheesy special effects.  There was even about two minutes of film clipped right out of the 38-year-old movie Tora! Tora! Tora ! before the Japanese attack on Darwin.

Yes, the scenery was often spectacular (looked a lot like southern Utah to me) and yes, the actors did what they could with the material they were given (oh, Nicole Kidman, you tried so hard, you did.) 

(Speaking of Nicole Kidman, remember when she looked like this:
What happened? Did she have a botched facelift?)

What you had with Australia was a movie trying so hard to be epic, it was mediocre.  Yes, Australia is an amazing country with a rich history and fascinating aboriginal culture.  But this movie seemed to just gloss over all that in favor of spectacle and barely-believable romance salted with Hollywood clichés.  Not how I want to spend 2 hours and 45 minutes.

WIP Blurb

My current (novel) WIP (Work in Progress) is called The Treasure of the Black Hole.  This weekend it goes on second edit and after that it goes to proofreaders.  Then I'll have my wife read it out loud to me (yes, the whole thing) which I found with Gods of Strife (still at my publisher) really helped find things my eyes would have missed.  Luckily, Treasure is about 68% as long as Gods.

I'm so excited about Treasure, I've even written the back cover blurb for it already.  Here it is:

The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of . . .
When private detective Rick Bailey is hired by the exotically beautiful and outrageously wealthy Princess Nora, he thinks it'll be easy money.  Escaping from her rebellion-torn kingdom, the princess has lost her handmaiden, Lores: the only person who knows how to find the hidden royal jewels.
But when his search for the equally lovely Lores turns deadly, Bailey realizes that there is more to this case than it first seemed.  When someone tries to kill him, he discovers that the roots of evil run deep.
With his own set of values and sense of honor, Bailey must keep one step ahead of murderous mobsters, secret government operatives, and a genetically enhanced Lores as he races across the galaxy in search of the truth.  The only things he knows he can trust are his eight-foot-tall ladybug-like secretary and a powerful weapon that responds to his thoughts.
Will Bailey find the treasure of the black hole in time and will he survive long enough to discover why it is something worth killing for?

Cheating at NaNoWriMo

Shhhh, don't tell anyone but I'm cheating at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

Here's the problem: when November rolled around I was 40,462 words into a WIP (Work in Progress).  My goal for the WIP was about 60,000 words.  That meant for NaNoWriMo I could only write about 20,000 word and you're supposed to write 50,000.

So, I made a nefarious plan.  Instead of just counting the words in my WIP, I'd count everything I wrote, including blog posts, freelance assignments, and short stories (yes, this blog post will be counted).  I know this isn't what you're supposed to do for NaNoWriMo.  But if I only wrote 20,000 words left on my WIP, I would disappoint the local NaNoWriMo group who is counting on my word count to add to their total word count (which is right now at an amazing 527,799 words).

Oh, and I finished the first draft of the novel on November 3rd, not quite at 60,000 words (after the first edits, it was 59,985 words).

Now, it might have been a bit of a stretch to include the glossary I wrote for proofreaders and editors for my WIP and blurb I wrote (and rewrote and rewrote over and over) in my total word count.  But they were things I wrote.  Not counting this blog post, I am at 32,934 words with 1,800 of them written today (in a short story I'm writing).

So, yes, I'm cheating.  Maybe next year I'll be able to start a novel on November 1st and do NaNoWriMo the right way.  My local writers' group is big on it and I want to support the group.  But I also write on my own schedule.  If I have an idea for a novel I'm going to start writing it no matter when it is.

I just hope they don't mind I'm cheating a bit this year.

My iPhone is Stalking Me

Last night I pulled down the "Today menu" on my silver and white iPhone 5S with iOS 7.0.2 loaded.  I'm not sure that that is what it is actually called but I call it the "Today menu" where it has the choices of "Today" "All" or "Missed" and usually gives you a little talk about the weather and your schedule along with stock prices.  (A Google search indicates it's called the "Notification Center.")  But last night it said something like, "It will take you about 15 minutes to reach . . ." and an address I didn't recognize.  I touched the text (not even sure that would do something) and it opened the Apple map app showing a route to that address.  I zoomed in.  It was a restaurant that, coincidentally, my wife and I have gone to the last  two Sunday nights in a row.

Now it is saying "Right now it would take you about 15 minutes to drive to . . ." and an address.  I assume the "right now" means it's looking at traffic (which I don't think is available in my little town) and figure it out.  But the address is where I go to Toastmasters every Monday night.

Unbeknownst to me, my iPhone seems to be figuring out my schedule and, in an effort to be helpful, letting me know how long it would take to get where I usually go.

I'm trying to decide if I should be happy with the convenience or annoyed at the lack of privacy.  Is this information going to Apple's servers?  (If it were an Android phone, I would assume Google had the information and was trying to figure out a way to monetize it.)  And if it's going to Apple's servers is it going to the NSA's servers?

I suppose I could turn off "Location Services" on the phone but that would eliminate so many convenient functions, including the map apps (I have the default Apple and the Google maps).  If I were a criminal that would be the first thing I would do.  Before the phone says, "Right now it would take you 35 minutes to get to the place you normally dump bodies."

And what else is my phone learning about me?  How long until privacy is a quaint notion people used to worry about, you know, before smartphones and dumb governments made it null.