Benjamin Wallace's Blog, page 26

Benjamin Wallace Book Fair

Remember when the book fair came to school. It was best way to get money from your folks, because people, especially parents, aren’t allowed to hate books. Well, this is just like that book fair from school except I can promise all of the books have bad words in them.

All of my ebooks are on sale for $2.99 for a limited time.

There’s more Dumb White Husband.

    

There’s action/adventure comedies.

         

There’s even a guide to using Twitter.

Now’s the time to hoard.

Thanks for your support.

-ben

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“What on Earth was he listening to when he wrote this?”

Michael Estrin, author of Murder and Other Distractions, joins us to talk about how music helps him write. Here’s Michael:

I am not what you would call a “music person.” You probably figured that out because I put “music person” in quotes. I’ve always been this way. In elementary school, my music teacher took away my recorder—probably the world’s simplest wind instrument—because I couldn’t master Three Blind Mice, even though it’s the reverse of the one song I could play, Hot Crossed Buns. I got my first stereo in high school, but didn’t buy my first CD—The Very Best Of Cream—until college. In my entire life, I’ve only been to four concerts—Michael Jackson, White Zombie, Tom Petty, and New Order. And lately my wife has grown tired of helping me distinguish the Black Keys from The Black Eyed Peas. Then again, what does she expect from a husband who mashes together gibberish lyrics with an unrecognizable tune and pesters her to name that song? But for all my musical shortcomings, the truth is I can’t write without listening to music.

Seriously.

I’ll prove it.

I’m turning off Spotify…

NOW!

Two minutes later

I’m back, in black—literally. I’m listening to AC/DC because those Aussies rocked their own pants off—hence the shorts, I presume—and their thumping rhythm and thunderous guitar licks are a power burst that pushes me through the self-doubt and agony of a first draft.

Not that I’m a metal man.

While working on my first novel, Murder and Other Distractions, I listened to a lot of Weezer and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Both bands helped me access a dark, Los Angeles vibe that is essential to the novel’s laidback cynicism. And because both bands were formed in Los Angeles—thanks Wikipedia!—some of their lyrics felt like a perfect fit for a story about an apathetic hipster facing a murder rap.

The radio blares out a Red Hot Chili Peppers song, and that fact officially makes us a cliché—three stoned Californians cruising for tacos on a bright, sunny day—because only Golden State natives can listen to Anthony Kiedis without getting bogged down in the desperation of life lived at the edge of the Pacific—the end of the road.

It’s the edge of the world and all of Western Civilization…

The sun may rise in the East…

At least it settles in the final location…

It’s understood that Hollywood sells Californication…

Not that it’s all about Southern California melancholy. Tone Loc gets his due because I believe he’s that rare bread—a self-deprecating rapper. And a lot of the jokes in the book were written while listening to Huey Lewis and the News, although Hip to be Square is just too catchy for me to concentrate on the lyrics, which is a shame because Murder and Other Distractions is filled with pop culture references and meta moments.

But of course, writing isn’t just about the music you’re listening to. If it were, everyone with an iPod would be a novelist, and everyone who uses the Genius feature would be an award-winning novelist. However, music does help shape the spirit of the work. And there’s something about occupying your ears that lets you free up the voice inside your head, whether or not there’s a direct and literal connection between music and text.

Author’s note

This post was written while listening to: Bananarama’s Cruel Summer, Wall of Voodoo’s Mexican Radio, and Weezer’s Pork and Beans. AC/DC’s Back in Black was also helpful, but Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was entirely too distracting. Likewise Ice Cube’s Good Day made me feel so gangsta that it brought on delusions of grandeur, which are great for boosting your self-esteem and terrible for hitting your deadline.

 

Thanks, Michael.

You can follow Michael on Twitter (@mestrin) and Facebook.

And, be sure and check out Micheal’s book. It’s FREE January 16th and 17th

Book summary: If you’re wanted for murder, the last thing you should do is smoke a joint, eat a taco, and alienate potential alibis. Then again, Ethan isn’t a very good murder suspect.

Maybe it’s just been a lousy week for him. There are layoffs at the office, poorly written death threats, and a vapid, but alluring coworker sending Ethan mixed signals. The f-buddy who loves to loathe him doesn’t understand that it’s over, and his philosophizing best friend is pretty sure that Ethan’s problem is merely the dreary momentum of the hipster ethos. Or it could be that Ethan’s pot dealer is out of baggies once again.

But the cop who’s after him doesn’t buy any of that bullshit. Despite being lazy and crooked, Boyd is damn good at his job. He’s certain Ethan murdered his ex—The Girl Who Got Away—along with her nobody of a boyfriend. And the more Boyd hounds him for a confession, the more Ethan comes to see the murders as his way out of the existential crisis consuming him.

Author bio: Michael Estrin grew up in Los Angeles, fled, and returned.

He has written for a broad range of publications, including American Way, Nerve, Bitter Lawyer, AskMen, Draft, California Lawyer, and Penthouse (yes, they have articles, too).

Murder and Other Distractions is his first novel.

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A Writer’s Space: Rose

Author Andrea Wulf writes under the name of Rose Wulf and she has been kind enough to share her writer’s space with us. Here’s Andrea:

Usual Appearance

My current writing space is, quite simply, my bedroom. Not that I don’t ever do any writing in other spaces, but that is where the vast majority of my writing gets done. Since I still live at home (hey, money’s tight!), it’s the same room I’ve been living in since I was seven – you know, back when it was cute and girl-cool to have soft pink walls and stuffed animals everywhere. As young as it is, though, it’s still where I’m comfortable. So to transform the room into my writing space I pull out my computer desk chair, raise it so that it’s high enough for me to stretch my legs out on my bed, and power up my laptop.

In My Space

I use a 2009 HP powered by Windows 7, and when it comes to must-have programs my needs are simple: Microsoft Office. I use Word, obviously, for the writing itself – really, I’ve come to quite hate Works Word Processor – and since every author needs her handy charts and various notes to keep her work in order, I usually have several windows up at once. In addition to the Word document I’m writing on I’ll have one, sometimes two, more with notes I’ve already written about the novel or overall series, so that I can keep myself organized. I also use a spreadsheet for quick fact referencing, with useful details like full character names, ages, height, hair and eye colors, and (yes) often these details include what kind of car they drive. You never know when you might need to know that!

The Setup

In addition to those all-important cheat-sheets, if I really want to get into my writing I need my music. I’ve heard stories of how lots of authors hate any kind of distractions, but for me music is the background ‘noise’ that drowns out the everyday, unavoidable noises of the world around me. My music helps me fall into ‘the zone’ of writing and allows me to focus; sometimes, if I feel like I’ve hit a wall with a particular scene, I’ll tune into whatever song is playing and the next thing I know I’ve found a new inspiration or angle to consider. As for what kind of music I listen to, well, that varies depending on my mood and the mood of the work I’m writing, not to mention the scene I’m writing. Generally I find a good playlist that doesn’t have any songs I might want to skip and put it on shuffle, so that it includes some country, rock, pop, and even some soundtrack music. But it all depends on the mood of the moment.

Sometimes, though, even the music isn’t enough to help me focus if I’m feeling particularly fidgety. I usually make sure I have a drink (coffee or flavored water, generally) on hand to keep me going and I’ve developed something of a need for a handy stick of Trident Layers (the Wild Strawberry & Tangy Citrus flavor). There’s something about the activity of chewing the gum that takes the edge off the fidgetiness, but I’m not sure that even makes sense! And, because it’s best to be prepared and my room is often a little on the chilly side, I always keep a pair of slipper socks and a sweater within reach. On the really cold days (ironically, these are in the summer when we have the AC cranked up), I even wrap my feet in the blankets and weigh the blankets down with a small extra pillow!

But with all these things in place, or ready to be used if necessary, I’m good to go. I settle in, hit play on my iTunes, and get writing. I realize it’s not the most elaborate or isolated writing space, but it works for me. The only distractions that really reach me when I’m up in my room are my phone and, on Tuesdays, the landscapers!

When it comes to preferred writing spaces, again I don’t think mine is crazy ridiculous. I’ve always been a mountain girl, so I think my dream space would be in the mountains. I picture a nice, comfy cabin in a forest. The area itself could either be part of my bedroom (clearly that works for me!) or maybe part of a little library-type nook. I want a good-sized window seat, overlooking either a part of a mountain lake or the rushing waters of a creek, of course with mountains themselves in the background and lots of pine trees. There would need to be a cozy blanket nearby for winter days, of course, and some sort of table-like flat surface that I could use for that cup of coffee. Then I could just curl up into the window seat, plop my computer on my lap, and forget about the outside world for a good long while!

The Current View

As for me, I write as Rose Wulf even though my first name is Andrea. I’ve been writing for years, but mostly for fun and practice; my very first publication didn’t come until late August 2012, in the form of a small summertime novella entitled Campfire Romance.

Check out Andrea/Rose’s book here.

Right now I’m in the editing stages of my first full-length novel, which is the first in a series of five paranormal romances about four brothers with elemental powers and lightning-wielding enemies. I don’t yet have a tentative release date, but you can find out anything you want to know about me as an author and my works by visiting my website: www.rosewulf.weebly.com. You can also follow me on Twitter  or find me on Facebook!

Thank you, Andrea, for sharing your writing space with us. 

Want to share your writing space with us? Contact us here.

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Using My Words – WE’RE BECOMING PIZZA

If we’re not already pizza.

When I first got into advertising I worked on a pizza account. You’ve heard of them. Actually, I named the P’zone. It was a joke. They didn’t get it and they ran with it. Sorry, America. Aside from the rare opportunity to work potty humor into a calzone, we did a lot of coupon work. Why? Because people don’t buy pizza without a coupon.

The pizza companies had trained the populace that there would always be a coupon in the mail. They got hooked and would only order pizza if they had a coupon in hand.

Ebooks are falling into the same trap. The Kindle Select program offered us a great opportunity to distribute our work. At first free downloads counted as sales and boosted our rankings. Then the math changed at each download equated to about a tenth of a sale. Then it changed again and they seem to be worth nothing now.

Authors everywhere took advantage of the program (for good reason) and the reading public has come to expect their books for free. They happily accept it and put it in their to-read “pile.” Have you looked around Goodreads? Some people’s to-read lists are thousands of books long. Are they really going to get to them all?

If there is a mile long list of free books everyday, why would you ever buy a book? I don’t blame them at all.

The free book on Amazon still has it’s use. If you’ve got a series, it only makes sense to give the first book away for free from time to time. But, the constant barrage isn’t helping authors.

I’ll be using the program quite sparingly. As for now, I’m planning no further promotions on Amazon.

There is still value in giving away books however. I’m just going to do it differently. I’ve started the Holy Crap, Free Books Program.

When people sign up for my newsletter, they become a part of the program.

Now when I give away a book I’ll know that it’s to interested parties that will read it instead of simply storing it in the cloud. I don’t know if it will work any better but I think it’s better than just handing out pizza coupons.

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Sound of the Apocalypse

As you probably guessed, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about the apocalypse. Not because I’m plotting which building will be my Omega Man fortress in the event the entire population becomes a race of nocturnal mole people (Dallas Federal Reserve building – if it’s not locked) but because of my books.

In all of that thinking, I’ve always imagined the start of the apocalypse sounding like “kaboom,” “kadoosh,” or at least a slow hiss or mumbled “whoops.” But, I was wrong—this is the sound that will begin the apocalypse.

 

That sound is Nasciturus, a piece composed by Iamus in one second. Iamus is a computer. Computers are now creating art. Granted it’s not very good art. (I guess that’s subjective. And, true, it is the best orchestral piece I’ve ever heard that was composed by a computer.)

Iamus composed this and several other pieces with zero human input other than it’s initial programming. It’s first album, most likely entitled Soundtrack of Your Demise, was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra like the meat-puppets Iamus no doubt sees us as.

So, that’s it. We had a good run but the machines are taking over. Who would have thought Skynet would arrive with a harpsichord?

Some of you may be comforting yourself with the thought, “They’ll still need people to play the music and I’m a flautist. I’ll be just fine.” Obviously you haven’t seen the other latest bit of robot music news:

 

Quite clearly, we’re all doomed. And, really, flautist? Just say you play the flute. You’re just making it weird for people.

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20 Questions with John Lavan

1. So, what’s your book all about?

Familial: Selected Poems (http://apostrophebooks.com/familial) is a book of heartfelt poetry – from a father to his family.

2. What inspired you to write this tale?

My son, Andrew, has Down’s Syndrome and he’s my muse. There’s not a lot of art created from a father’s perspective on family love.

3. Do you have a favorite quote about creativity/inspiration etc…? What is it?

William Blake: ‘To create a little flower is the labour of ages’

4. What things do you keep in your “writing space”? Do they inspire you? Confound you? Hold wires in place?
5. What is your perfect “writing space”?

I work as a management consultant and I travel all around the UK, mostly on trains, so my ‘writing space’ is a railway carriage and laptop. Sometimes the madness of traveling behaviour can be an inspiration – yesterday I was in Wales and a lady berated her boyfriend for going to the toilet at the wrong time! There’s a poem there.

6. If your car horn could play any song, which would it be? Can’t say Dixie.

‘Show me the way to go home’

7. What would you name the first permanent settlement on mars?

Mars Place

8. How tall is the perfect sidekick? Please explain why it even matters.

The perfect sidekick is 1 cm shorter than me. It matters because, as a creative write, I need challenge – but not too much challenge.

9. If you were to mess with the time stream, what would you change? Let’s assume a hundred other people already took care of Hitler so you don’t have to say, “Kill Hitler.”

I’d have a dinner party with Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson. I’d seek to make them an item.

10. Let’s say your character has a pet brown bear. What’s the bear’s name?

Baby Bear

11. If you had to give an antagonist an annoying trait, what would it be?

A stutter

12. What kind of car would your ultimate protagonist drive?

One that keeps stalling and backfiring

13. You’ve got a year to travel anywhere. Where?

Nowhere. I need to stop traveling!

14. You just bought a boat with your book fortune. What are you going to call it?

A very small rowing boat – it’s a poetry book!

15. What kind of music, if any, gets you typing the fastest?

Bach’s Chaconne – I wrote a poem about it here – http://bit.ly/SVtQok

16. What’s the punch line to your favorite joke?

I like Daddy Bear best, he gets more porridge.

17. What lyric do you sing poorly, yet loudly?

I can do most of Les Miserables in the car or bathrioom. The lyrics for that musical were put together by poets!

18. You find a portal to another world in your sink’s drain. What is this other world called? And what is the best way to clean the portal so it doesn’t smell like old food?

I’d like a world where people were more conscious of, and skilful with,  language and its effect on the human psyche – we all could use words with tremendous skill to uplift. I’d call it ‘World of WordCraft’. It wouldn’t smell because people in that world would cast wordspells (poems!) to clean it.

19. Where can people learn more about you, your work or any pets you have?

The book Familial is here – http://apostrophebooks.com/books/poetry/familial/ which also has two videos of poetry readings on it, and interviews.

About me: http://apostrophebooks.com/writers/johnlavan/

On Goodreads (please rate and review it!): http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15838108-familial

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/apostrophebooks/familial-selected-poems-by-john-lavan/

And I blog  here – http://poemsfromreality.blogspot.co.uk/

If you want to meet Andrew and a super-hero, please look!

20. What’s next?

An epic poem – I’m half way through writing it. Called – ‘The Little Shaman’

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A Writer’s Space

While the 20 questions bit I did here was fun, I’ve decided to put it to rest.But, I still want to feature authors of all kinds, so I’ll be doing something new.

Writing spaces have always fascinated me. Whether it’s the kitchen table or a hut in the wilderness, there is always something interesting and inspiring about the space in which a creative work came to be.

I’d like to invite you to share with us your latest book and your work space. Contact me and get yourself, your work and your space featured here.

Thanks,

-ben

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My Writing Resolutions

A standing personal resolution that popped up year after year was to write a book. Having now done that, I’ve gotten full of myself and I want to write more.

I wrote 6 titles in 2012. A couple of short stories, a couple of nonfiction, a novella and a novel. This year it’s all novels.

I always plan too big so my plans this year are to finish 8 novels. Can I do this? A couple are well on their way. Outlines help dramatically. It is simply finding the time to write.

My regular goal was to write 2000 words a day and I often missed that goal. Not because I fell short, but because I never got to write. Blogging, marketing and all the other stuff got in the way.

This year I plan to back off on the marketing quite a bit. I still intend to blog but that will be done on the weekends and not during my regular writing time. My new goal is 3000 words a day. Is this possible? With a better outline process and fewer distractions in place … maybe.

Anyway my hope is that this will be a year of sequels for the most part. There will be two  more books in The Bulletproof Adventures of Damian Stockwell starting with a story called Terrors of Tesla and two more novels in the Duck & Cover series following that. There’s one more Dumb White Husband story to tell but it will take a novel to do it and Tortugas Rising should finally have a sequel at the end of the year.

That’s only six. The other two are surprises/not sure I’m gong to write them titles.

So, my resolutions are:

write 3k words a day

pay less mind to the marketing crap

write 8 books

and read more (I’ve got a TBR pile that’s in danger of falling on the little dog. But, I don’t like the little dog so I’m not going to move it.)

 

What are your plans for 2013?

 

-ben

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Using My Words – Change of Plans

One of the best parts about being a writer is that people expect you to be a little weird, quirky and drunk by noon. I had long since planned my next to be novel to the follow-up to Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors. I’ve got an outline and everything.

But, whenever I got into it, it just didn’t seem right. For the longest time I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. This weekend I had an epiphany. It wasn’t cool like a flash of lightning or anything. Actually, it hit my wife. She simply said, “maybe there’s another story before it.”

It all kind of made sense after that. She was right. The story I plan to tell in Songs of the Apocalypse still excites me. I love where the character is at emotionally. But, I have to get him there first and that will take another book.

So, here’s the quirky part, I’ve been promising Songs of the Apocalypse to be my next book. Now, it’s not. It’s still coming, but I have to tell the other story first. Before that I have to figure out what that story is.

This changes my plans. I know people are waiting for the sequel to Post so my plan is to write the next two books in the series this year and have them both released, hopefully, in time for summer.

If I had a point to this post it’s that you’ve got to stay flexible. People have graciously asked for sequels to all of my stories but none more than Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors. But, rushing to answer that call wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be the story it could be. It’s okay to slow it down and really think things through if it means a better story in the end.

I hope this doesn’t disappoint anyone. And, I hope everyone understands that it’s for the best. It will make Songs a better story in the end. If they don’t understand, let’s just all pretend I was drunk. Okay?

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The Bulletproof Adventures of Damian Stockwell: Horror in Honduras

I always enjoyed the pulp adventures from the 30′s—Doc Savage, The Shadow, Tarzan. They all had a simplicity that was just fun to read. Larger than life characters with a moral code. Fantastic gadgets with little basis in actual science. And, over the top adventure in every story. So little thinking and so much fun.

Over the past year, I serialized my own pulp title in my newsletter. Now that the adventure is complete, I’ve made it available on Kindle. I invite you to join Damian Stockwell—part pulp adventurer and part Frank Drebin—as he faces peril with his trusted valet Bertrand in pursuit of the Horror in Honduras.

Raised from birth to be a force for justice, Damian Stockwell has forever trained to combat the evils of the world. Blessed with the physique of a demigod and one of the world’s foremost minds, he travels the globe on a quest to confront evil and punch it in the face. At his disposal is a vast fortune, an endless array of gadgets and loyal friends.

Now, one of those friends has gone missing in a Central American jungle and the only clue is the grotesque image of a demonic tribal mask. Dam and his trusted valet Bertrand rush headlong into danger and go face-to-face with evil incarnate to save their missing friend and attempt to destroy the Horror in Honduras.

Get it now at Amazon. 

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