Patrick Rutigliano's Blog, page 14

Background on Surviving the Crash – Part One

As the release of my first novel is imminent (I just got the proofs today!), I thought it might be a good idea to delve a bit into its background.

 

I love the pulps.

H.P. Lovecraft was the author who got me writing in the first place. The scale of the horrors in his stories was so vast, so unsettling, that I became an instant fan. I read virtually all his work multiple times, and I even went so far as to seek out his contemporaries and influences to see with whom he shared his time and print space.

I found many great writers (Robert E. Howard arguably being my favorite of the bunch), but the more I read, the more I noticed the deficiencies.

Sexism and racism were products of the time, and they ran rampant through many of the works I read. Women were almost always weak and little more than a motivation for the hero (or else an evil seductress), while any black or Asian characters were relegated to roles as servants or villains.

These aspects rankled me. Badly. The characters deserved better than bigoted caricatures, and so did the reader.

This was the chip on my shoulder with which I approached Surviving the Crash. I wanted to write a period pulp that not only embraced the excitement of the old stories but bucked these tropes, full-on twisting them to make stronger, sympathetic characters.

More on that next time…

 

 

New Article Up (Choosing a Crew)

Because, contrary to popular belief, writing is a team sport:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/choosing-a-crew/

Surviving the Crash’s Cover (and Blurbs)!

At long last, the cover for Surviving the Crash is here!

The book has also received some very generous endorsements:

“A unique and compelling tale, well written and thoroughly engaging. Do yourself a favor and check this one out.” ~ William Todd Rose, author of THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY INFECTIVE PEOPLE

“Dread building upon dread, as things scuttle up the walls–Rutigliano has opened up a hole and let the predators slip through, en masse.” ~ D.L. Snell, author of PAVLOV’S DOGS

“Rutigliano reveals the dark things that can consume from both within and without in a story that defines apocalyptic terror as well as personal strife.” ~ David Dunwoody, author of EMPIRE and THE HARVEST CYCLE

“Surviving the Crash is both an entertaining adventure tale and a chilling horror saga. I loved the characters and feared for them.” ~ Patrick D’Orazio, author of the Dark trilogy

And to top everything off, Bestiary’s cover fund just hit $93.10 this week. Shouldn’t be much longer now…

 

New Article Up (A(nother) Grammar and Punctuation Lesson)

Because I missed colons and ellipses in the last one:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/another-grammar-and-punctuation-lesson/

Bestiary Production Update (And Con Lessons) #10

Another Appleseed Comic Con has come and gone. I had a great time co-manning a table with my wife, Hannah, and shooting the breeze with my neighbors in the artist’s alley. While I didn’t sell anything (as I predicted), I had the privilege of being positioned right next to Steve Horton of Amala’s Blade fame.

Now, on top of being a fine writer and a cool guy, Steve is an excellent salesman. Watching him sell his wares over the weekend taught me just how much work I still have to do on my con game, as well as some methods I might be able to adopt for improving it. I’ll never again underestimate how useful it is to literally put something in a person’s hands as he or she is walking by. Next year, I’m definitely going to hand out sample chapters of my books to passersby.

As to production, I’m still debating what direction I want to take for gathering funds. Trading my books to re-sellers probably won’t net me more than a few bucks. About the only other option I can think of is to stake out a parking lot and sell the stuff out of my trunk.

However, there is good news, too. Surviving the Crash is rolling along like gangbusters. I just turned in the final draft yesterday afternoon and got to see the rough version of the cover. Things are looking great on both ends, and I can’t wait to get the novel to you all.

 

New Article Up (Writing Dialogue)

Because your characters’ speech matters:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/writing-dialogue/

Background on Bestiary – Part One

Rather than an update, I figured I’d include a little background on what the Bestiary series is all about and how it came to be.

I dig a good dark carnival story, and the dynamics of the traveling show have always fascinated me. A circus or carnival is a strange little community on wheels, offering a taste of the extraordinary wherever it goes.

During the heyday of the freak show, performers exhibited any number of strange conditions for the general public to gawk at, playing them up to fit whatever role they were selling people on. Bearded ladies, dog boys, and everything between were on display. They were the misfits who would have earned the same stares had they tried to live a public life. The “other” to a T. Yet, once the crowds were gone for the day, they were as normal as everyone else. Carnies chatted with their neighbors, married, and had kids. I imagine the audiences they drew might well have been disappointed by just how normal they were.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of resentment boiled under the surface for some of these people. Despite appearances, they were normal, after all. And gaped at, and laughed at, and God knows what else to earn a living in a society that would refuse them any other way.

The revivalist tent show provided the other half of the equation. The religious fervor of a crowd coming to a slow boil under the power of one man stalking the stage and the growing intensity of the attendees, far more under the spell of the preacher’s charisma than any religious text. A touch and a few words could connect with that mood, that energy, and leave a true believer convulsing on the ground. Speaking in tongues.

While I don’t believe any of these events were “miracles,” they’re pretty interesting examples of hypnosis and the malleability of the human mind. Not to mention how receptive the body can be to the brain’s influence…and a little suggestion.

New Article Up (Red Flags)

Don’t submit your books or stories with a blind eye. There are some real schmucks out there:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/red-flags/

Bestiary Production Update #9

Again, there’s not as much to report this week as I would like. I just got home from dragging about twenty novels to Half-Price Books and was rewarded with the princely sum of $7.50. I honestly can’t say I was expecting much more than that, though (the store does have its name for a reason).

And so, the funds for the book’s cover have reached a grand total of $62.50 to date. Appleseed Con is coming up in a few scant weeks; I might be able to make up some ground there. If not, I have one more ace up my sleeve that just might do the trick.

I’m also pleased to note this blog now has 25 articles up to assist writers (particularly those working in the horror genre). Not bad for a guy who never had any interest in writing non-fiction. And Number 26 is already written and waiting to go up on Sunday.

 

 

New Article Up (A Grammar and Punctuation Lesson)

As a proofer, a lot of the same mistakes come up in every project. Be aware of the trouble areas:

http://patrickrutigliano.wordpress.com/articles/a-grammar-and-punctuation-lesson/