Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 37
September 10, 2017
WINNER(s) of the 48 Hour Writing Marathon: Kelley Power & Jon Dobbin!
[image error]The 48-Hour Writing Marathon, which happened from June 23-25 2017 at the T.H.E. Tutoring Center, was a well-fought competition between peers to see who could get the closest to writing a full novel in 48 Hours of near non-stop authorship! It was difficult: there was little sleep, much junk food, any many distractions. f over twenty participants, only six went on to enter their work to be judged by a panel of three judges in a double-blind process to be crowned the first 48-Hour Writing Marathon Winner!
Via an alternate-vote process, the top two authors were so close in their scores (with a difference of only one point!) that we decided to make them both eligible for the prize! The first place winner was currently-serving WANL Secretary Kelley Power, whose submission (currently titled Milestones) blew the judges away with its intricate character dynamics and atmosphere. The runner-up, Jon Dobbin, penned an amazing (and yet Untitled) epic Western, giving the genre much-needed attention and an update for modern storytellers. We can’t wait to see what both do with their amazing starts!On the subject of Power’s Milestones, one of the three anonymous judges wrote: “The setting was fully realized. The setting grounds the reader in a sense of ‘reality’ almost instantly. Incredible dialog that not only moved the story along but revealed much about the characters at the same time: not an easy trick, and the author seems to have come by in naturally. Foster this talent! It’s something most professional authors cannot do, and those that do have to work hard at it. You have a natural gift for dialog and its place in narrative. A+”
Kelley Power has punched a dozen years in corporate communications both abroad and in Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently splits her time between communications consulting and dabbling in all types of writing. Her work has won the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters competition and has been published in wordhaus eZine.
Regarding Dobbin’s Western, a judge wrote: “For me it was brimming with newness and potential. There were lots of clever turns of phrase and the author seems to have a real knowledge of how to use tone, setting, tempo, pace, and structure all together to build the world the story takes place in: not an easy thing to do, and shows a real knowledge of the genre, its rules (and where to bend them) and of the tools of literature in general.”
[image error]The 48 Hour Marathon winner will each be awarded ‘front of the line’ manuscript evaluations by Engen Books, with each of their manuscripts moving to the front of any submissions the publisher has, should they choose to submit them. They will also receive free manuscript evaluations and beta reads from the Engen Books team once their work is completed. Because of the close nature of the competition, both authors will receive these prizes, with Power receiving one extra award: the 48-Hour 2017 Award Glass, fashioned by Baddy Vinyl (pictured above with recipient).
The judges have decided that both Power and Dobbin will retain the right to use the 48-Hour Marathon Award-seal on their novels and promotional materials regarding it, whomever they chose to eventually publish with, should they so choose.
48-Hour founder Amanda Labonté says the marathon was a tremendous success, congratulates both winners, and says that the event will definitely continue if there is interest. “Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it would be great to reach an even bigger group of writers.”
WINNER(s) of the 48 Hour Writing Marathon: Kelly Power & Jon Dobbin!
[image error]The 48-Hour Writing Marathon, which happened from June 23-25 2017 at the T.H.E. Tutoring Center, was a well-fought competition between peers to see who could get the closest to writing a full novel in 48 Hours of near non-stop authorship! It was difficult: there was little sleep, much junk food, any many distractions. f over twenty participants, only six went on to enter their work to be judged by a panel of three judges in a double-blind process to be crowned the first 48-Hour Writing Marathon Winner!
Via an alternate-vote process, the top two authors were so close in their scores (with a difference of only one point!) that we decided to make them both eligible for the prize! The first place winner was currently-serving WANL Secretary Kelly Power, whose submission (currently titled Milestones) blew the judges away with its intricate character dynamics and atmosphere. The runner-up, Jon Dobbin, penned an amazing (and yet Untitled) epic Western, giving the genre much-needed attention and an update for modern storytellers. We can’t wait to see what both do with their amazing starts!On the subject of Power’s Milestones, one of the three anonymous judges wrote: “The setting was fully realized. The setting grounds the reader in a sense of ‘reality’ almost instantly. Incredible dialog that not only moved the story along but revealed much about the characters at the same time: not an easy trick, and the author seems to have come by in naturally. Foster this talent! It’s something most professional authors cannot do, and those that do have to work hard at it. You have a natural gift for dialog and its place in narrative. A+”
Kelley Power has punched a dozen years in corporate communications both abroad and in Newfoundland and Labrador. She currently splits her time between communications consulting and dabbling in all types of writing. Her work has won the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters competition and has been published in wordhaus eZine.
Regarding Dobbin’s Western, a judge wrote: “For me it was brimming with newness and potential. There were lots of clever turns of phrase and the author seems to have a real knowledge of how to use tone, setting, tempo, pace, and structure all together to build the world the story takes place in: not an easy thing to do, and shows a real knowledge of the genre, its rules (and where to bend them) and of the tools of literature in general.”
[image error]The 48 Hour Marathon winner will each be awarded ‘front of the line’ manuscript evaluations by Engen Books, with each of their manuscripts moving to the front of any submissions the publisher has, should they choose to submit them. They will also receive free manuscript evaluations and beta reads from the Engen Books team once their work is completed. Because of the close nature of the competition, both authors will receive these prizes, with Power receiving one extra award: the 48-Hour 2017 Award Glass, fashioned by Baddy Vinyl (pictured above with recipient).
The judges have decided that both Power and Dobbin will retain the right to use the 48-Hour Marathon Award-seal on their novels and promotional materials regarding it, whomever they chose to eventually publish with, should they so choose.
48-Hour founder Amanda Labonté says the marathon was a tremendous success, congratulates both winners, and says that the event will definitely continue if there is interest. “Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it would be great to reach an even bigger group of writers.”
September 8, 2017
The Good, The Bad and The Zombie # 2
Thanks for tuning into the second edition of The Good, The Bad and The Zombie.
The Good
We are only one week away from Atlanti-Con 6. In just seven days at the Corner Brook Civic center at 5 pm the doors will open. Then the opening ceremonies will take place at 5:30 and that’s just the beginning of a great weekend. It’s going to be a wonderful con so make sure you get out and take part in the fun. We have JG Hertzler and D.C. Douglas attending this year along with fan favorites Fat Apollo and Kevin St. Pierre returning. The vendors room will be bigger and better than ever with more tables to visit. The wide range of fun and exciting panels will offer something for everyone so make sure you take the time to enjoy the ones you want to see. Make sure you bring water with you because it can be a long day and with all those people it tends to get a little warm at any convention, especially if you decide to wear your favorite cosplay. So remember come on down to the Civic Center next Friday for Atlanti-Con. Remember to have fun and respect all those around you. Cosplay does not mean consent.
The Bad
The terrible weather that’s taking place. The destruction of so many peoples homes and lives has been devastating. Nature can be a beautiful thing put it can also be extremely powerful and dangerous. Thousands of peoples lives have been forever changed in the matter of only a few days and now they must find a way to rebuild. Hurricane Irma has already left a path of unimaginable destruction and it is far from over. It is scheduled to make landfall in the Florida Keys and is foretasted to be a category 5 hurricane. Hurricanes Katia and Jose will inevitably leave their mark as well. Lets thank all the first responders, red cross, military and all the people who will be risking their lives and those that have already risked their lives to help others.
The Zombie
This will be a big weekend for zombie lovers because AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead returns this Sunday. The second half of season three will begin and its sure to be filled with hordes of the shambling undead. Also season seven of The Walking Dead is now on Netflix if you feel the urge to binge watch it again or if you’ve been anxiously awaiting to find out who Negan feed to Lucille you now have your chance. If you haven’t played season one of Telltales The Walking Dead it is now available for free so pick it up. The tale of Lee and Clementine is one of the best stories from Robert Kirkman in his Walking Dead universe.
So until next week zombie lovers, stay on the side of the living and have fun watching people kill zombies.
Atlanticon Paranormal & Fantasy writing event! 11AM Saturday, Sept 16, Corner Brook!
Meet authors Amanda Labonté (Call of the Sea, Supernatural Causes) and Heather Reilly (Binding of the Almatraek) September 16 at Atlanticon!
Learn the tricks and tropes of the trade from two of the province’s leaders in paranormal and fantasy YA writing!
Special Panel for Aspiring Authors 11AM Saturday!
Brought to you by Engen Books, Reilly Books, and Atlanticon! Not to be missed!
September 2, 2017
Novel Writing Course starts in 18 days!
Have you always wanted to bring a novel to publication? Slots are still open with “Novel Writing Foundations,” a 6-week course lead by the author of over a dozen novels, Matthew LeDrew!
Novel Writing Foundations: Starting Right to Make sure you Cross the Finish Line!
“THE presents ‘Novel Writing Foundations: Starting Right to Make sure you Cross the Finish Line,’ a 6-week adult learning course aimed at making sure authors writing for both pleasure or publication start off with the right tools to ensure their work reaches fruition. This course will feature a mix of short instruction and group feedback on your work led by Matthew LeDrew, the author of 17 novels and partner at prominent local fiction publisher Engen Books.” For additional information or to register please call 753-3972 or email creativelearningdianne@gmail.com
Each class will be a combination of group manuscript assessment, short lecture, and interactive discussion. Classes will be fluid and will cover the topics needed by the authors and their work, but LeDrew will also have some fundamentals prepared to generate discussion.
Fundamentals that will be covered include:
Idea Generation
Structure of a
Character Creation
Show, Don’t Tell
Scene Construction
How to manage multiple storyarcs to a satisfying conclusion.
September 1, 2017
The Good, The Bad and The Zombie #1
The Good
The Con community has grown into something much larger than a science fiction convention. The first Con I attended was Atlanti-Con 2 and the reason I went was to see the guests and to buy some super cool, geeky merchandise. After attending several more of these conventions I still look forward to seeing all the awesome stuff available from all my favorite vendors but that isn’t the reason I go any more. The con weekends are about so much more. For three days it becomes an escape from the hectic work weeks and an escape into a fantastical world where I go to see all my friends that I only get to see during these conventions. It is almost like getting the family together for Christmas. You get to catch up with everyone and learn about what they’ve been up too in the real world. I spend most of my day wandering from table to table talking to everyone, sharing a laugh or learning about what everyone’s been up to since the last convention. So I would like to share my good experience at Avalon Expo 3 with you all just in case you couldn’t make it. Matthew Ledrew’s newest release, Jacobi Street launched this past Friday and I can tell you it could be his darkest work yet. I was lucky enough to read it before it was released (Thanks Matt) and I can still feel the chill running up my spine. It’s a hard book to put down and I will soon post my full review. I was excited to see a new book on Charles O’Keefe’s table. A collection of short stories called The Chaos Stories: Tales of Magic, Terror, Passion and Blood. I can’t wait to pick up my very own copy. As always Scott Bartlett was hard at work and I am currently reading Supercarrier: The Ixan Prophecies Trilogy Book 1 so stay tuned for my views about his latest military sci fi adventure. Unfortunately Heather Reilly was under the weather so I had to avoid her like the plague but I know shes working on something great so I look forward to Atlanti-Con in two weeks. Starting to freak out because ATLANTIC CON 6 IS IN 2 WEEKS. I absolutely can not wait for my home town convention and, in my biased opinion, the best Con in Atlantic Canada!
The Bad
My grammer. It is possibly my greatest weakness in life. It is awful and for any editor (Sorry Erin Vance, you deserve so much better) is more horrifying than my actual writing. If I was in school at Springfield Elementary when they started handing out warnings for poor academic performances I would have been up there instead of Ralph and it would have been me that said “Me fail english, thats unpossible.” While my first novel could have used another round of editing I feel much better knowing that the editor in chief of Engen Books, the extremely talented Erin Vance, has edited the next book in my series. Which will lead us into…..
The Zombie
Zombies on the Rock Book 2: The Viking Trail will be released on December 1st if everything falls into place over the next few weeks. I apologize to anyone who’s been waiting since reading Outbreak to find out what happens next but I needed to be sure this book lived up to the first book. Having the book edited to a higher standard was high on my priority list and it is something I am very proud to say is in the hands of a real professional this time around. I also wanted to make sure I kept the elements of horror, mystery and action remain of the highest quality. I believe that not only will this book keep the same intensity and goriness that you expect from Hollywood but do it in a unique way that will keep you turning the pages. So until next week zombie lovers stay on the side of the living. Oh and one last thing before I go….I’ll leave this as a little mystery until next time.[image error]
Zombies on the Rock, Paul Carberry
August 22, 2017
Jacobi Street by Matthew LeDrew | Other Indie | Full Review by Paul Carberry
[image error]Jacobi Street is a uniquely dark and twisted tale woven by the extremely talented Matthew LeDrew. The main characters are easily relatable and you feel attached to them right from the beginning. The relationships and interactions of the main characters never feel forced or out of character while still remaining complex and natural at the same time. LeDrew has a natural talent for this type of character development and this talent has shined brightly in Jacobi Street.
LeDrew has done an astonishing job establishing the atmosphere of Jacobi Street by bringing the street itself to life. Jacobi Street will instantly be pictured by the reader and they will feel like they have been there before. Every city has a “Jacobi Street” and LeDrew draws the reader into the story by allowing us to picture ourselves in the back alley of The Menagerie looking at one of Sloan’s paintings.
The story at first allows the reader to get settled in and feel like we have just moved into a artist paradise on Jacobi Street. The story revolves around Bob, a struggling artist who works at The Menagerie. While at first glance Jacobi Street appears to be a beautiful place to live be we quickly discover that Jacobi Street is located in one of the darkest corners of the Engen universe. The mood instantly takes a shift towards the dark and mysterious nature, and this is where LeDrew ignites the readers interest. From the moment a mysterious painting enters The Menagerie, LeDrew starts to accelerate the tempo of the story and he does not let his foot off the gas even when we reach the end of this dark path.
While remaining true his unique talents that have spawned his own genre of horror, LeDrew has shown his growth and devotion to story telling. This will arguably be the darkest story from the Engen universe but even after ten years of writing LeDrew is still able to paint a horrifying tale with his writing.
August 19, 2017
Top Ten Movies of All Time | Distractions
It’s my birthday, and so I’m going to let myself do something I rarely do: I’m going to make a purely self-interested post. I don’t typically, in fact the “Distracted” series has waned a bit because I often second-guess myself as to whether or not a post is too self-indulgent, but today on August 19th I’ll let it go. I’m not discussing books or comics or anything close to my medium that could be considered remotely relevant to my position here at Engen Books: these are my top 10 favorite movies of all time. 
August 18, 2017
Surprise! More Writer’s Block Panel Updates! | Avalon Expo | 48 Hour Writing Marathon
Surprise! We said we were done with the Avalon Expo Writer’s Block announcements, but we had one left! The winner of the 48-Hour Novel-Writing Marathon that took place in late June will be announced a week from today, Friday August 25 2017, during the 6:00pm-8:00pm – Author Social event!
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Which of our participants will win the first ever 48-Hour Writing Marathon? Someone has to, and we’ll find out who in seven short days! Winners receive: bragging rights! A shiny seal to put on the cover of their book! fast-tracked manuscript evaluation once their work is complete! Someone has to win, which will it be?
“We were on a break!”
I’ve been a bit neglectful.
See, I started to panic about the progress of a story I was writing. I was wondering if it was going to be long enough; if I had enough plot; if I was only writing things for the sake of filling up the word-count; if I’d taken the right direction or if I was way off course.
Doubts, man, they can really get in your head sometimes.
So I took a break. I stopped staring blankly at the screen, writing half a sentence and then deleting it. Instead, I worked on a couple short stories. Then a couple more. Then I was chatting with someone who’d read The Six Elemental and that gave me an idea for another short story. Then I got distracted by an old novel I’d written a few years ago and sunk WAY too much time on that (long story short: I decided to move from first person POV to third person, and now I’ve basically got to re-write the entire 50,000 words).
But last week I decided to go back to that first story, and you know what? I started to fall in love with it all over again. I was getting new ideas, fixing problems, making motivations clearer… It was like meeting up with an old friend.
When I’m in between edits, I’ll try to take a break from what I’m working on. It gives me a chance to come back to it anew and see things that I might have missed because my face was jammed so close to it. But there are times that I need to take a step back from a project because something isn’t working, and I need the space to realize what the problem is.
It can be tough to step away. It might feel like you failed your work or your characters, or that now you’ll never get it finished. But the best part is that you can always go back to it. And sometimes, when you come back, you might see that you were actually doing a pretty great job.
