Troy Aaron Ratliff's Blog
October 10, 2019
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.” - Henry David Thoreau
*Taps mic*
Hello? Is this thing still on?
*squeeeeeealing feedback*
Hey. Hi there, how’ve you been? We haven’t spoken in so long… I know, I know, it’s been five years since I made a peep here on this blog (five years to the day to be exact) and I guess I should start by saying, yes I’m still alive. I didn’t die or anything. I’m still out here on the inter-webs. I’m still actively creating, just in a different avenue and medium. And yes, I took a long break from writing, which is why I disappeared soon after Robin Williams left the world stage a final time, Russia invaded Ukraine, and we were about to open up the new World Trade Center.
Boy, have things changed.
But that is inevitable, right? Change is constant just like time.
Something else I knew was inevitable was my return to writing. And this is where I want to explain my long absence to everyone, which I can truly and forthrightly sum up in one single word: burnout. After writing for 20-years straight since I was eleven years old, at 31 and just publishing my first three short stories and a stand alone literary novel I felt like I had ran a marathon and I was utterly exhausted. Exhausted from the marketing side of it, the hunt for reviews and the battles with editors and proofreaders that were trying to stifle my voice and change it into something it wasn’t, the constant and masturbatory social media hype-fest, the lack of sales, the feeling of the book being more of a money pit than an investment, no readers, no reviews, doing all of this solo, and finally, my towering stack of ideas, characters, and worlds in my head and heart seemed to just topple over in a mess of words that overwhelmed me and wasn’t going anywhere anyway, causing more pain and dissatisfaction than joy. My writing life felt like a mental cul-de-sac.
Plus, I needed the change.
I consider myself more of a Creative than just a Writer anyway, though writing has a major part in that, and while I’ve been writing since I was eleven I’ve been an artist since I was five. The incredible intensity of the writing phase of my life undoubtedly overshadowed my artistic side for all those years, building up an artistic reservoir desperate for release after going mostly ignored for so long.
Now, I’m not about to start educating you about my artistic life or my artwork on here. This space is strictly for the fans of my writing, and just my writing. There’s plenty of places online with my artwork to check out if you’re interested, but I will say that in my 20-year writing phase, my art would only pop up here and there like someone emerging from the ocean gasping for air. But in these last few years of writerly absance, I’ve sharpened that creative side of myself, like the other side of an unbalanced sword, with one side sharp to the touch while the other couldn’t cut jello.
As of this writing near the end of the year and this unbelievable decade, I feel that both of those aspects of my creativity are evenly yoked, and the duality of them could bounce off of each other and work together in a creative harmony like an old school game of Pong. But, I did accomplish a lot and am extremely proud of where my art has taken me and what I’ve been able to do with it.
But what fully called me back to my writing was honestly the equivalent of flipping a coin.
I’d been spending more time with my friend and fellow writer Mike Robinson for most of 2019, who continued on with his writing life and career after I pulled over for an almost six year pit-stop, and his encouragement tickled my ear with every visit. But I had soured so much on my writing over the years, especially with the bad breakup we had, that I hadn’t even glanced at - and had mostly forgotten - the majority of my stories and ideas. But around the end of May, just before my birthday in fact, I had cracked open my computer like an old forgotten treasure chest and opened up my doc file called “Story Stack” where most of my writing waited for me.
It was a curious and mega-nostalgic feeling to see those titles of unpublished stories, like spores or seeds waiting to be planted and germinated in the Amazon jungle for new readers to discover. I opened one and scanned it, and then another, and another, and I was reminded of lost ideas and plots, and characters who came back to me like old friends, and a couple of series plans that I had completely brain dumped in lieu of the art career I was trying to construct.
And, careful me, before I had said goodbye to my stories for however long I needed, I had drawn myself something of a map to guide my future-self (i.e. Me today) to where I was planning on going with each of those tales and my writing career as a whole. It was all there, the treasure trove and a map/instruction manual to guide me to where I wanted to take this thing. I had known all along I was going to come back.
Before I re-read those long-lost volumes of my imagination - beyond the titles - I had to remind myself that this was something of a gift in the realization, because this would be the freshest my eyes would ever be for my stories. I really would be like a brand new reader to my own work after this long of time, like discovering these stories again for the first time. And after reading though just a few of them, I had to admit that maybe I was a little too harsh on my writing, and on myself. There were some pretty good ones in that file after all.
A few weeks goes by. Mike and I are chatting about writing again like old times because there was that spark of excitement in me again that I hadn’t felt in many moons. But not without a spot of apprehension either, remembering the failure and abysmal depression I felt six years ago. So, Mike suggests that I try to throw my novel on Bookbub and see what happens. Real Talk: I had been out of the loop of the writing world for so long I had completely and utterly forgotten about Bookbub and the ultimate power they welded with their literal millions of subscribers they have waiting for authors and new books.
“You never know, dude, what’s the worse that could happen?” Mike had said, “They don’t pick you?” And in Mike’s way that he does, he shrugged off the consequences with a dismissing expression. I had to admit he had a point. So…I don’t get chosen, big whoop. And in that mindset, I had decided that if I did get chosen for an email spot and it goes through smoothly, then I would treat it as something of an omen or a sign that it was time to pick up the pen again and start writing. Or at the very least, get it out to more people and gauge the reactions through reviews on here and Amazon to see if it’s worth picking up the pen again.
I think it was around June 21st I got the email that informed me that I had been chosen for a Bookbub campaign on July 15th. Prime Day. Right on the nose. Oh Heavenly light, shine down upon thee!
I don’t think the weight of it hit me until around July 4th when, after I had already paid the entry fee and got a fresh Second Edition of Do I Bother You At Night? readied and published on Amazon that the build up was starting to become a reality to me. Holy cow, my little standalone novel, Do I Bother You At Night? - my attempt at Literary Horror, the likes of The Wasp Factory, Rosemary’s Baby, IT, Swan Song, Watchers, and House of Leaves - was about to be blasted out to a LOT of people.
On July 15th, the email was sent to 1,030,000 people around the world, and I woke up to a ton of book sales for the first time in my life and my KU bar rose by the minute for the first time in years. It felt amazing to say the least, even if it was five and half years late from the original release date, but who cares? It was in people’s hands. People were actually reading my book and enjoying it. I posted about it on my Facebook and Instagram and let everyone know where I was at in the rankings on Amazon (I peaked at #8 in the Literary Horror and Horror genres, something I’ve dreamed about) and I ended up selling a lot of books and to this day I’m still getting pages read on KU and a few sales here and there.
Going into the third month since the campaign, I’m still seeing the effects that Bookbub had on my novel. I have more than doubled my reviews both on here and Amazon, sold 800 copies, and recently received the payment for those book earnings and was able to make a sizable dent in a credit card. Another first checked off my writing bucket list: sell enough so my books can pay my bills. I’m quite happy with my promotion and the results, and am eagerly awaiting the chance to do it again. I’m aiming for around February and again in Sept of 2020.
But circling back to the original headline of Thoreau’s quote, I always knew in the back of my mind that I would return to writing again. I just didn’t know when. This break could’ve gone on a lot longer had my art exploded and went viral (*snort*), but I’m still learning in that field too. I knew I needed to get some living under my belt to improve my writing, my style, and the realism of my characters too. I don’t take Thoreau’s quote lightly, and I feel there is a lot of truth in his words of standing up to live. You learn when you live. You grow. And as much as the world has changed, and is still and always changing, so am I, and so are you. Five years is a long time. It takes seven to eight years for our body’s cells to completely regenerate and then you’re basically a whole new person.
But I wanted everyone to know that’s interested, I AM writing again, so that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. Plus, I have some things in the works I’m really excited to share with you. I’m picking up where I left off the better part of a decade ago, but with a different perspective and understanding, not only of publishing and writing as a career, but of life too. In my last post five years ago TODAY I wrote a closing line that read “That's why Do I Bother You At Night? is my first effort, but it won’t be my last.” I’m here to fulfill that promise, more mature, stronger, smarter, and with a little hope, as a better writer too.
But now, I feel like it’s time to begin marrying my writing and my art together as well, blending and utilizing both sides of those creative spheres together to have them both working for me in unity. They’re evenly yoked now with regards to my talent levels and will continue to be, hopefully, over the coming years with the stories I have planned, plowing furrows of creativity with those two wild beasts leading the way as I drive them forward. Onward!
One final note, I hope all of you yourselves are doing well in whatever project, book, author, creation, or personal struggle you’re currently tackling. Life’s been hard the last few years for a lot of people. Coming back to books and fiction again has been a breath of fresh air for me in my life, and I hope and wish you the best for your personal accomplishments and trials, inside and outside the borders of literature. Also, I want thank every one of you for purchasing, reading, and reviewing my work over the years. I hope my work brings some enjoyment and distractions from your problems for a little while. And whether you loved and adored my work, or completely loathed it, thank you in any case for reading.
There’s more coming.
Hello? Is this thing still on?
*squeeeeeealing feedback*
Hey. Hi there, how’ve you been? We haven’t spoken in so long… I know, I know, it’s been five years since I made a peep here on this blog (five years to the day to be exact) and I guess I should start by saying, yes I’m still alive. I didn’t die or anything. I’m still out here on the inter-webs. I’m still actively creating, just in a different avenue and medium. And yes, I took a long break from writing, which is why I disappeared soon after Robin Williams left the world stage a final time, Russia invaded Ukraine, and we were about to open up the new World Trade Center.
Boy, have things changed.
But that is inevitable, right? Change is constant just like time.
Something else I knew was inevitable was my return to writing. And this is where I want to explain my long absence to everyone, which I can truly and forthrightly sum up in one single word: burnout. After writing for 20-years straight since I was eleven years old, at 31 and just publishing my first three short stories and a stand alone literary novel I felt like I had ran a marathon and I was utterly exhausted. Exhausted from the marketing side of it, the hunt for reviews and the battles with editors and proofreaders that were trying to stifle my voice and change it into something it wasn’t, the constant and masturbatory social media hype-fest, the lack of sales, the feeling of the book being more of a money pit than an investment, no readers, no reviews, doing all of this solo, and finally, my towering stack of ideas, characters, and worlds in my head and heart seemed to just topple over in a mess of words that overwhelmed me and wasn’t going anywhere anyway, causing more pain and dissatisfaction than joy. My writing life felt like a mental cul-de-sac.
Plus, I needed the change.
I consider myself more of a Creative than just a Writer anyway, though writing has a major part in that, and while I’ve been writing since I was eleven I’ve been an artist since I was five. The incredible intensity of the writing phase of my life undoubtedly overshadowed my artistic side for all those years, building up an artistic reservoir desperate for release after going mostly ignored for so long.
Now, I’m not about to start educating you about my artistic life or my artwork on here. This space is strictly for the fans of my writing, and just my writing. There’s plenty of places online with my artwork to check out if you’re interested, but I will say that in my 20-year writing phase, my art would only pop up here and there like someone emerging from the ocean gasping for air. But in these last few years of writerly absance, I’ve sharpened that creative side of myself, like the other side of an unbalanced sword, with one side sharp to the touch while the other couldn’t cut jello.
As of this writing near the end of the year and this unbelievable decade, I feel that both of those aspects of my creativity are evenly yoked, and the duality of them could bounce off of each other and work together in a creative harmony like an old school game of Pong. But, I did accomplish a lot and am extremely proud of where my art has taken me and what I’ve been able to do with it.
But what fully called me back to my writing was honestly the equivalent of flipping a coin.
I’d been spending more time with my friend and fellow writer Mike Robinson for most of 2019, who continued on with his writing life and career after I pulled over for an almost six year pit-stop, and his encouragement tickled my ear with every visit. But I had soured so much on my writing over the years, especially with the bad breakup we had, that I hadn’t even glanced at - and had mostly forgotten - the majority of my stories and ideas. But around the end of May, just before my birthday in fact, I had cracked open my computer like an old forgotten treasure chest and opened up my doc file called “Story Stack” where most of my writing waited for me.
It was a curious and mega-nostalgic feeling to see those titles of unpublished stories, like spores or seeds waiting to be planted and germinated in the Amazon jungle for new readers to discover. I opened one and scanned it, and then another, and another, and I was reminded of lost ideas and plots, and characters who came back to me like old friends, and a couple of series plans that I had completely brain dumped in lieu of the art career I was trying to construct.
And, careful me, before I had said goodbye to my stories for however long I needed, I had drawn myself something of a map to guide my future-self (i.e. Me today) to where I was planning on going with each of those tales and my writing career as a whole. It was all there, the treasure trove and a map/instruction manual to guide me to where I wanted to take this thing. I had known all along I was going to come back.
Before I re-read those long-lost volumes of my imagination - beyond the titles - I had to remind myself that this was something of a gift in the realization, because this would be the freshest my eyes would ever be for my stories. I really would be like a brand new reader to my own work after this long of time, like discovering these stories again for the first time. And after reading though just a few of them, I had to admit that maybe I was a little too harsh on my writing, and on myself. There were some pretty good ones in that file after all.
A few weeks goes by. Mike and I are chatting about writing again like old times because there was that spark of excitement in me again that I hadn’t felt in many moons. But not without a spot of apprehension either, remembering the failure and abysmal depression I felt six years ago. So, Mike suggests that I try to throw my novel on Bookbub and see what happens. Real Talk: I had been out of the loop of the writing world for so long I had completely and utterly forgotten about Bookbub and the ultimate power they welded with their literal millions of subscribers they have waiting for authors and new books.
“You never know, dude, what’s the worse that could happen?” Mike had said, “They don’t pick you?” And in Mike’s way that he does, he shrugged off the consequences with a dismissing expression. I had to admit he had a point. So…I don’t get chosen, big whoop. And in that mindset, I had decided that if I did get chosen for an email spot and it goes through smoothly, then I would treat it as something of an omen or a sign that it was time to pick up the pen again and start writing. Or at the very least, get it out to more people and gauge the reactions through reviews on here and Amazon to see if it’s worth picking up the pen again.
I think it was around June 21st I got the email that informed me that I had been chosen for a Bookbub campaign on July 15th. Prime Day. Right on the nose. Oh Heavenly light, shine down upon thee!
I don’t think the weight of it hit me until around July 4th when, after I had already paid the entry fee and got a fresh Second Edition of Do I Bother You At Night? readied and published on Amazon that the build up was starting to become a reality to me. Holy cow, my little standalone novel, Do I Bother You At Night? - my attempt at Literary Horror, the likes of The Wasp Factory, Rosemary’s Baby, IT, Swan Song, Watchers, and House of Leaves - was about to be blasted out to a LOT of people.
On July 15th, the email was sent to 1,030,000 people around the world, and I woke up to a ton of book sales for the first time in my life and my KU bar rose by the minute for the first time in years. It felt amazing to say the least, even if it was five and half years late from the original release date, but who cares? It was in people’s hands. People were actually reading my book and enjoying it. I posted about it on my Facebook and Instagram and let everyone know where I was at in the rankings on Amazon (I peaked at #8 in the Literary Horror and Horror genres, something I’ve dreamed about) and I ended up selling a lot of books and to this day I’m still getting pages read on KU and a few sales here and there.
Going into the third month since the campaign, I’m still seeing the effects that Bookbub had on my novel. I have more than doubled my reviews both on here and Amazon, sold 800 copies, and recently received the payment for those book earnings and was able to make a sizable dent in a credit card. Another first checked off my writing bucket list: sell enough so my books can pay my bills. I’m quite happy with my promotion and the results, and am eagerly awaiting the chance to do it again. I’m aiming for around February and again in Sept of 2020.
But circling back to the original headline of Thoreau’s quote, I always knew in the back of my mind that I would return to writing again. I just didn’t know when. This break could’ve gone on a lot longer had my art exploded and went viral (*snort*), but I’m still learning in that field too. I knew I needed to get some living under my belt to improve my writing, my style, and the realism of my characters too. I don’t take Thoreau’s quote lightly, and I feel there is a lot of truth in his words of standing up to live. You learn when you live. You grow. And as much as the world has changed, and is still and always changing, so am I, and so are you. Five years is a long time. It takes seven to eight years for our body’s cells to completely regenerate and then you’re basically a whole new person.
But I wanted everyone to know that’s interested, I AM writing again, so that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. Plus, I have some things in the works I’m really excited to share with you. I’m picking up where I left off the better part of a decade ago, but with a different perspective and understanding, not only of publishing and writing as a career, but of life too. In my last post five years ago TODAY I wrote a closing line that read “That's why Do I Bother You At Night? is my first effort, but it won’t be my last.” I’m here to fulfill that promise, more mature, stronger, smarter, and with a little hope, as a better writer too.
But now, I feel like it’s time to begin marrying my writing and my art together as well, blending and utilizing both sides of those creative spheres together to have them both working for me in unity. They’re evenly yoked now with regards to my talent levels and will continue to be, hopefully, over the coming years with the stories I have planned, plowing furrows of creativity with those two wild beasts leading the way as I drive them forward. Onward!
One final note, I hope all of you yourselves are doing well in whatever project, book, author, creation, or personal struggle you’re currently tackling. Life’s been hard the last few years for a lot of people. Coming back to books and fiction again has been a breath of fresh air for me in my life, and I hope and wish you the best for your personal accomplishments and trials, inside and outside the borders of literature. Also, I want thank every one of you for purchasing, reading, and reviewing my work over the years. I hope my work brings some enjoyment and distractions from your problems for a little while. And whether you loved and adored my work, or completely loathed it, thank you in any case for reading.
There’s more coming.
October 10, 2014
My First Novel
*Note:* The draft for this blog posting has been sitting in my Goodreads draft pile for over a year. I admit it, I've been gone for a while, but if you've been following me and heard the news, you know why. Because this is a blog driven by writing, I won't go into that here. But, it is the one year anniversary of my first novel, Do I Bother You At Night? So, with the upcoming blog tour and the anniversary celebration (and the other news), here is the post that I had ready for last October and just never released...don't ask me why. Obviously, I've tweaked it for the sake of being updated to 2014. Hope you enjoy!
Many of you reading this post have experienced the incredible feeling that overcame me last October, and this past year. Generally, Octobers bring a building urgency in my creative spheres of thought and focus with the Nanowrimo competition just around the corner in November, fulfilling writing ambitions and challenging not only writing skill, as well as typing speed, but imagination and organization skills that would make Phil Hartman's Anal Retentive Chef blush. Last October was a little more special for me…
Okay, wrong. It was a LOT more special for me. On October 4th, 2013, I self-published my first novel of literary horror, Do I Bother You at Night?
So, yeah. There’s THAT.
Plus, these past few years have already been big for me. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I had a big birthday back in June of 2012. Thirty. With any age that ends with a zero comes reflection of the most brutal and personal kind. I like to think that most people take pause to look back at the previous decade or even the sum of their lives when the big X-0 milestone shows up. In her book, My Life So Far, Jane Fonda wrote that she looks at her life in three acts: birth to thirty as Act I, thirty to sixty as Act II, and - if she’s lucky to get to the end of her final Act - sixty to ninety. I suppose anything beyond is considered the after party. Being an actress, that example makes perfect sense for her. But I believe us writers can identify with such an outlook too with the structured - or not so structured (guilty as charged) - way we tell our stories. But, there’s always the beginning, the middle, and the end. Just like with life.
I reflected on my first act when I arrived at the big 3-0 two years ago and the two aspects that have been a constant in my life personally were writing and art. Both of those creative outlets of self-expression have been seesawing their focus in my life for as along as I can remember, handing down comfort, or distracting me from pain, or even telling me who I am as an adult, as a man. Art came naturally to me, but writing I had to develop. Art is a free, youthful, invigorating exercise, while writing is a focused and thoughtful creative process. Art is organic for me, while my writing is planned. Writing fulfilled that hankering Long-Term Project satisfaction in me that waited for so long to get out and couldn’t through my art. Art can be long-term too, sure, but what I draw compared to what I write are vastly different in size and time. A longish piece of art for me would be a month long project. A book…well, as many of you are very well aware, it takes a little longer than a month.
What so many non-writers (who I secretly call Muggles, to borrow from Ms. Rowling, but don't tell anyone) don’t understand is how much work goes into writing and creating a novel that lifts your pride into the stratosphere, lights your soul on fire, and in the end, speaks to you like your own personal Morgan Freeman.
Okay, absolutely, great. Here's the thing: that subject of how much work goes into publishing a novel has been talked about to death on every blog under the sun. What I want to touch upon is the therapeutic, wonderful, and exhilarating sensation writers gain during and after such work, even if it is thoughtful and focused. Writers? Scribblers? Back me up here. You know what I’m talking about, right? Don't leave me hangin'.
Because, while it is work, there’s that familiar enjoyment and pleasure in writing - like coming back to a favorite lover, or slipping into an old pair of shoes. The pleasure can stretch over weeks, months, years, and a lifetime afterward if you have sustainable fans and readers who crave your work and, of course, implement your active, well-used, and well-loved imagination. Then again, even if you don't and it's one and done for you, you've still earned an Achievement Badge on your Merit Badge Sash of Life: Novel Writing.
What made me want to be a writer? Honestly, since I’ve been doing this for over twenty years now, I’ve long since forgotten what exactly drove me down the path of a struggling scribbler. I’ve always blamed King and Crichton for lighting the canon, but that’s a cheap copout and not very sexy considering the years I’ve put into it, and now - be still my beating heart - how long I’ve been a self-published author to the public.
But isn't that the answer? That building culmination of feelings and emotions and expressions trying to get out? Or, better yet, after it’s out, falling in love with it? Think about that for a second. Falling in love your own writing. Being proud of it, flaunting it, and blowing your own damn mind that you created this. So, there's really no pinpoint moment. It was always in there. It just…leaked out…a little bit at a time.
But what kept that leak going, or better yet, what possessed me to never plug it? What was it that drew me back to the keyboard year after year, decade after decade with rejection letters and stories forming digital dust mite villages on the hard drive? I’ll tell you. It was that exhilaration when I saw the story coming together after pages upon pages of weaving and sewing together plot and themes and ideas and moods. Or when I gave a quirky, but endearing trait to a character with which you, and hopefully every one of my readers, can identify. It’s the goosebumps I got the first time I saw my book cover. It’s in my smile when I see the reviews my work is earning after years upon years of quietly scribbling away and never knowing what people would think of it. It’s the thrill in reading an amazing, life-shifting piece of a fiction that gets in my face, pokes me in the chest, and barks, “Hey! Think you can beat me? Are you up for the challenge? Try it.”
And I did. I took the challenge. And I’ll keep taking it, each time a little wiser in the execution and publication to make my stories better, to reach more people, and to grow to become a 21st Century writer. I want to fight for that satisfaction, that achievement, that hallowed merit badge.
That's why Do I Bother You At Night? is my first effort, but it won’t be my last.
Why do you keep coming back?
Many of you reading this post have experienced the incredible feeling that overcame me last October, and this past year. Generally, Octobers bring a building urgency in my creative spheres of thought and focus with the Nanowrimo competition just around the corner in November, fulfilling writing ambitions and challenging not only writing skill, as well as typing speed, but imagination and organization skills that would make Phil Hartman's Anal Retentive Chef blush. Last October was a little more special for me…
Okay, wrong. It was a LOT more special for me. On October 4th, 2013, I self-published my first novel of literary horror, Do I Bother You at Night?
So, yeah. There’s THAT.
Plus, these past few years have already been big for me. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I had a big birthday back in June of 2012. Thirty. With any age that ends with a zero comes reflection of the most brutal and personal kind. I like to think that most people take pause to look back at the previous decade or even the sum of their lives when the big X-0 milestone shows up. In her book, My Life So Far, Jane Fonda wrote that she looks at her life in three acts: birth to thirty as Act I, thirty to sixty as Act II, and - if she’s lucky to get to the end of her final Act - sixty to ninety. I suppose anything beyond is considered the after party. Being an actress, that example makes perfect sense for her. But I believe us writers can identify with such an outlook too with the structured - or not so structured (guilty as charged) - way we tell our stories. But, there’s always the beginning, the middle, and the end. Just like with life.
I reflected on my first act when I arrived at the big 3-0 two years ago and the two aspects that have been a constant in my life personally were writing and art. Both of those creative outlets of self-expression have been seesawing their focus in my life for as along as I can remember, handing down comfort, or distracting me from pain, or even telling me who I am as an adult, as a man. Art came naturally to me, but writing I had to develop. Art is a free, youthful, invigorating exercise, while writing is a focused and thoughtful creative process. Art is organic for me, while my writing is planned. Writing fulfilled that hankering Long-Term Project satisfaction in me that waited for so long to get out and couldn’t through my art. Art can be long-term too, sure, but what I draw compared to what I write are vastly different in size and time. A longish piece of art for me would be a month long project. A book…well, as many of you are very well aware, it takes a little longer than a month.
What so many non-writers (who I secretly call Muggles, to borrow from Ms. Rowling, but don't tell anyone) don’t understand is how much work goes into writing and creating a novel that lifts your pride into the stratosphere, lights your soul on fire, and in the end, speaks to you like your own personal Morgan Freeman.
Okay, absolutely, great. Here's the thing: that subject of how much work goes into publishing a novel has been talked about to death on every blog under the sun. What I want to touch upon is the therapeutic, wonderful, and exhilarating sensation writers gain during and after such work, even if it is thoughtful and focused. Writers? Scribblers? Back me up here. You know what I’m talking about, right? Don't leave me hangin'.
Because, while it is work, there’s that familiar enjoyment and pleasure in writing - like coming back to a favorite lover, or slipping into an old pair of shoes. The pleasure can stretch over weeks, months, years, and a lifetime afterward if you have sustainable fans and readers who crave your work and, of course, implement your active, well-used, and well-loved imagination. Then again, even if you don't and it's one and done for you, you've still earned an Achievement Badge on your Merit Badge Sash of Life: Novel Writing.
What made me want to be a writer? Honestly, since I’ve been doing this for over twenty years now, I’ve long since forgotten what exactly drove me down the path of a struggling scribbler. I’ve always blamed King and Crichton for lighting the canon, but that’s a cheap copout and not very sexy considering the years I’ve put into it, and now - be still my beating heart - how long I’ve been a self-published author to the public.
But isn't that the answer? That building culmination of feelings and emotions and expressions trying to get out? Or, better yet, after it’s out, falling in love with it? Think about that for a second. Falling in love your own writing. Being proud of it, flaunting it, and blowing your own damn mind that you created this. So, there's really no pinpoint moment. It was always in there. It just…leaked out…a little bit at a time.
But what kept that leak going, or better yet, what possessed me to never plug it? What was it that drew me back to the keyboard year after year, decade after decade with rejection letters and stories forming digital dust mite villages on the hard drive? I’ll tell you. It was that exhilaration when I saw the story coming together after pages upon pages of weaving and sewing together plot and themes and ideas and moods. Or when I gave a quirky, but endearing trait to a character with which you, and hopefully every one of my readers, can identify. It’s the goosebumps I got the first time I saw my book cover. It’s in my smile when I see the reviews my work is earning after years upon years of quietly scribbling away and never knowing what people would think of it. It’s the thrill in reading an amazing, life-shifting piece of a fiction that gets in my face, pokes me in the chest, and barks, “Hey! Think you can beat me? Are you up for the challenge? Try it.”
And I did. I took the challenge. And I’ll keep taking it, each time a little wiser in the execution and publication to make my stories better, to reach more people, and to grow to become a 21st Century writer. I want to fight for that satisfaction, that achievement, that hallowed merit badge.
That's why Do I Bother You At Night? is my first effort, but it won’t be my last.
Why do you keep coming back?
July 5, 2013
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #7
Episode #7 – Ellie Ann – I Hear She Makes Great Egg Rolls!
Men and women of Troy, meet the lovely Ellie Ann Soderstrom. It seems like Ellie and I have run into each other on several occasions and in several places in the tubes of the interwebs, but it wasn’t until recently that she reached out to me with a more creative and collaborative proposition. Her new novel from Stonehouse Ink, The Silver Sickle, has just been released to the public and she asked to use some of my art in the chapter headings! Obviously, I was completely flabbergasted and totally honored by this generous act. I graciously accepted with next to no hesitation. And now, here is your chance to meet this rising new star full of bounce in her step and a new book in hand. Oh, and she super nice too! You’ll see.
-Tell us a little about yourself, Ellie.
I've never been kidnapped by pirates. I've never eaten a guinea fowl, or had pigeon eggs with pears. I've never been to jail on false charges of libel. I've never met a fuzzy caterpillar I haven't liked. I absolutely positively without a doubt hate beef stroganoff. If you served me beef stroganoff I'd do my very best to politely eat it by plugging my nose and washing it down with water, but it's only because I like being invited out to dinner and because I want dessert.
-How long have you been writing?
I wrote a few articles for the Poweshiek Area Christian Homeschooler's Newsletter when I was in seventh grade. The article I wrote on apple orchards was my best, I received several compliments from my mom regarding it.
But I set aside my journalism career (no matter how promising it was), and wrote my first NaNoWriMo novel when I was twenty-three. Four years ago.
That makes me twenty-seven. I've been writing four years, and just this month I finished my eighth book, four of which are/will be published, four of which will never see the light of day.
-What brought The Silver Sickle to life?
Ah, it has a glorious and grisly history.
One of my dearest internet buddies and most talented writers I know, Albert Berg, asked me to co-write a book with him. I answered him a resounding YES, and we naively began writing the following week, after putting a piddly little outline together.
Stop laughing.
Since then, I've learned that it takes much more organization than Al and I were willing to give in order to bring about a successful co-written book. But holy guacamole, we have fun! We spent hours developing this world, hashing out the scenes, wondering about the characters...it was a magical experience to wake up and find that a chapter had been written while you slept! We wrote an entire book, horribly titled: Clockwork Hearts.
Stop laughing.
Just like the fairy dust tree, our magic dried up before our last revision. Al generously gave me the rights, so I took our story-world, cut everything except three sentences, and re-wrote it into a book called The Silver Sickle.
-What is coming up in your great big world?
This is the year of publication (huzzah!)
The Silver Sickle comes out in July, Slice of Life comes out in August, Twisting Steele comes out in August, and Girls and Boys will be published by the end of the year as well. And next year, the comic I'm writing for Motionworks Entertainment will be published.
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
I'm hoping to keep my record of never being kidnapped by pirates. I'm also hoping to write lots of stories, travel to the middle east, climb a mountain, and possibly even learn how to make an incredible loaf of French bread, but I might be dreaming too big on that one.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I want to make people laugh.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
Hm. *squints, strokes chin, gazes off into the distance* it's probably Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford and Sons. Either that or the entire Hezekiah Jones album, Have You Seen Our New Fort.
-What line of prose that you’ve written are you the most proud of?
"Wind and sun, you and I," Zel whispered in her hair.
"You can't kill wind and sun." Farissa said.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Kindness and humor.
And possibly making an incredible loaf of French bread.
-Are you happy?
Yes!
-Where else can we find you?
At the donut store.
Ellie Ann is an author and an editor for Stonehouse Ink Publishing. Check out her new thriller, Breaking Steele, and the upcoming Twisting Steele, she co-authored with #1 Amazon bestseller Aaron Patterson. Her first solo novel, a YA science fiction called The Silver Sickle, is available through Stonehouse Ink now! Something else that tickles her fancy is working with transmedia books at Noble Beast Publishing, where she is a producer, author, and editor.
Ellie Ann blogs at I’m Ellie Ann and would love to meet you on Facebook or Twitter.
The Silver Sickle
Ellie Ann
Men and women of Troy, meet the lovely Ellie Ann Soderstrom. It seems like Ellie and I have run into each other on several occasions and in several places in the tubes of the interwebs, but it wasn’t until recently that she reached out to me with a more creative and collaborative proposition. Her new novel from Stonehouse Ink, The Silver Sickle, has just been released to the public and she asked to use some of my art in the chapter headings! Obviously, I was completely flabbergasted and totally honored by this generous act. I graciously accepted with next to no hesitation. And now, here is your chance to meet this rising new star full of bounce in her step and a new book in hand. Oh, and she super nice too! You’ll see.
-Tell us a little about yourself, Ellie.
I've never been kidnapped by pirates. I've never eaten a guinea fowl, or had pigeon eggs with pears. I've never been to jail on false charges of libel. I've never met a fuzzy caterpillar I haven't liked. I absolutely positively without a doubt hate beef stroganoff. If you served me beef stroganoff I'd do my very best to politely eat it by plugging my nose and washing it down with water, but it's only because I like being invited out to dinner and because I want dessert.
-How long have you been writing?
I wrote a few articles for the Poweshiek Area Christian Homeschooler's Newsletter when I was in seventh grade. The article I wrote on apple orchards was my best, I received several compliments from my mom regarding it.
But I set aside my journalism career (no matter how promising it was), and wrote my first NaNoWriMo novel when I was twenty-three. Four years ago.
That makes me twenty-seven. I've been writing four years, and just this month I finished my eighth book, four of which are/will be published, four of which will never see the light of day.
-What brought The Silver Sickle to life?
Ah, it has a glorious and grisly history.
One of my dearest internet buddies and most talented writers I know, Albert Berg, asked me to co-write a book with him. I answered him a resounding YES, and we naively began writing the following week, after putting a piddly little outline together.
Stop laughing.
Since then, I've learned that it takes much more organization than Al and I were willing to give in order to bring about a successful co-written book. But holy guacamole, we have fun! We spent hours developing this world, hashing out the scenes, wondering about the characters...it was a magical experience to wake up and find that a chapter had been written while you slept! We wrote an entire book, horribly titled: Clockwork Hearts.
Stop laughing.
Just like the fairy dust tree, our magic dried up before our last revision. Al generously gave me the rights, so I took our story-world, cut everything except three sentences, and re-wrote it into a book called The Silver Sickle.
-What is coming up in your great big world?
This is the year of publication (huzzah!)
The Silver Sickle comes out in July, Slice of Life comes out in August, Twisting Steele comes out in August, and Girls and Boys will be published by the end of the year as well. And next year, the comic I'm writing for Motionworks Entertainment will be published.
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
I'm hoping to keep my record of never being kidnapped by pirates. I'm also hoping to write lots of stories, travel to the middle east, climb a mountain, and possibly even learn how to make an incredible loaf of French bread, but I might be dreaming too big on that one.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I want to make people laugh.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
Hm. *squints, strokes chin, gazes off into the distance* it's probably Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford and Sons. Either that or the entire Hezekiah Jones album, Have You Seen Our New Fort.
-What line of prose that you’ve written are you the most proud of?
"Wind and sun, you and I," Zel whispered in her hair.
"You can't kill wind and sun." Farissa said.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Kindness and humor.
And possibly making an incredible loaf of French bread.
-Are you happy?
Yes!
-Where else can we find you?
At the donut store.
Ellie Ann is an author and an editor for Stonehouse Ink Publishing. Check out her new thriller, Breaking Steele, and the upcoming Twisting Steele, she co-authored with #1 Amazon bestseller Aaron Patterson. Her first solo novel, a YA science fiction called The Silver Sickle, is available through Stonehouse Ink now! Something else that tickles her fancy is working with transmedia books at Noble Beast Publishing, where she is a producer, author, and editor.
Ellie Ann blogs at I’m Ellie Ann and would love to meet you on Facebook or Twitter.
The Silver Sickle
Ellie Ann
February 22, 2013
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #6
Episode #6 – Tess Thompson – Writer, Essayist, and Hot Momma!
I have another lovely lady coming to the T-roy Talks today, and she brings with her a Number One Bestseller! Author and Blogger from Seattle, Washington, Tess Thompson joins us here in this strange den of wonders. Honestly, I think she’s a little too classy and graceful for this place, but she agreed to come by for a pow-wow. I hope she knows what she’s gotten herself into. Tess is the author of the Romance/Suspense novel Riversong which hit number one on Barnes and Noble’s Nook in October of 2011! Not only this, but she is a contributor to the story collection Write for the Fight from Booktrope Publishing, in which all of the proceeds went to saving the Ta-Tas! And on top of all this, she just released her latest novel Caramel and Magnolias to rave reviews! Let’s hear what she has to say…
-Tell us a little about yourself. How did Tess become Tess?
I’m from a small town in Oregon, raised by a schoolteacher and artist. I’m the middle child between two boys, which should tell you everything you need to know. I studied acting in college with the idea that I would have a life in the theatre as an actress, director and playwright. But it didn’t quite work out that way. It never does.
-What made you write Riversong ?
I asked myself, when contemplating a plot - what is one of the worst things that could happen to me or one of my women friends? And I came up with this - husband commits suicide and leaves you pregnant and owing a million dollars to the mob. I set it a small town in southern Oregon, based loosely on my own town, because I knew it was ripe with quirky characters and beautiful scenery. It all grew from there.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I wrote my first story in 4th grade about an orphan girl who opens a pizza restaurant. In the late 90’s I had some success as a playwright but nothing big time. One day, it occurred to me that I should write what I like to read – novels for women. So I did. And everything took off for me once I figured that out. It only took like twenty years!
-You’re also a dedicated mother. How do you balance writing and motherhood?
It’s difficult, as it is for any working mother, no matter your profession. But because I’m so busy with the kids, it forces discipline. I have one rule. When the kids are at school, except for my obsessive morning exercise routine, my butt is in the seat, writing. That is it. When they get home I try to focus just on them, but I have to admit, sometimes the keyboard calls me back. They are good at entertaining themselves at this point – they’re 6 and 9 - and they know that if I have an idea sometimes I have to spend a few more minutes writing. I’m sure they’ll talk about it on the therapists couch in twenty years or so. Their memoirs are going to suck. No more wire hangers.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
I have a new women’s fiction novel coming out February 1, 2013, called, Caramel and Magnolias, along with four other novels hopefully released in 2013 as well. One of them is a sequel to Riversong, called Riverbend. The others are historical fiction set in the south in the 1930’s and will be released as a trilogy.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I want two things. One is to continue to work on my craft, inching ever closer to true art, understanding that perfection is impossible but knowing I will never stop trying. Secondly, I want two books a year on the bestseller lists, for the rest of my life - until the day they pry my gnarled fingers from the keyboard and put me in the ground. I know, bold. Go big or go home.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
I’ve been listening obsessively to this song by Brandi Carlisle called, “Save Part of Yourself.”
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
I don’t know if this is the one I’m most proud of but I like it. From the opening of my “Autumn” essay in Write for the Fight.
It is glorious autumn, with gold and orange and red leaves fluttering in the crisp October breeze; sometimes these leaves hover in the air, suspended between the green bud they once were and the dry flakes they will become when they return to the earth.
I am an autumn leaf, somewhere between before and after. This is my now, with work to do and love to reap and sow before I land gently on the ground to merge with the earth as I meet the source, my Maker.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Dedicated and loving mother. Generous and passionate partner (still looking for him). Loyal daughter and sister. True friend. Stellar writer.
-Are you happy?
This is such a hard question, as happiness is such an elusive concept. I will say, in general, I’m a naturally happy person, in that I find it easy to be grateful for what I have instead of worrying about what I don’t. However, I don’t think it’s possible to feel ‘happy’ every moment. I prefer to think of happiness more in terms of moments of joy. Even though I have times of doubt, anxiety and loneliness, especially lately, as I’m going through a divorce, I also have moments of pure joy – laughing with my daughters or friends or just being with people I love without any expectations or hidden agendas. I experience many moments of joy in my work - like when that perfect sentence comes together or when a plot point becomes suddenly clear. Sometimes joy comes from something as simple as the beauty of rainwater glistening on a tree branch or the view of the snowy Cascades during my daily walk with the dog. Oh, and then there’s dancing in my Zumba class. It’s impossible to be unhappy whilst shaking one’s arse. But I digress. I guess to answer your question, not every aspect of my life is happy right now, but there are enough moments of joy that my heart is full.
-Where else can we find you?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TessWrites
www.Tesswrites.com
email: tessthompsonwrites@gmail.com
I have another lovely lady coming to the T-roy Talks today, and she brings with her a Number One Bestseller! Author and Blogger from Seattle, Washington, Tess Thompson joins us here in this strange den of wonders. Honestly, I think she’s a little too classy and graceful for this place, but she agreed to come by for a pow-wow. I hope she knows what she’s gotten herself into. Tess is the author of the Romance/Suspense novel Riversong which hit number one on Barnes and Noble’s Nook in October of 2011! Not only this, but she is a contributor to the story collection Write for the Fight from Booktrope Publishing, in which all of the proceeds went to saving the Ta-Tas! And on top of all this, she just released her latest novel Caramel and Magnolias to rave reviews! Let’s hear what she has to say…
-Tell us a little about yourself. How did Tess become Tess?
I’m from a small town in Oregon, raised by a schoolteacher and artist. I’m the middle child between two boys, which should tell you everything you need to know. I studied acting in college with the idea that I would have a life in the theatre as an actress, director and playwright. But it didn’t quite work out that way. It never does.
-What made you write Riversong ?
I asked myself, when contemplating a plot - what is one of the worst things that could happen to me or one of my women friends? And I came up with this - husband commits suicide and leaves you pregnant and owing a million dollars to the mob. I set it a small town in southern Oregon, based loosely on my own town, because I knew it was ripe with quirky characters and beautiful scenery. It all grew from there.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I wrote my first story in 4th grade about an orphan girl who opens a pizza restaurant. In the late 90’s I had some success as a playwright but nothing big time. One day, it occurred to me that I should write what I like to read – novels for women. So I did. And everything took off for me once I figured that out. It only took like twenty years!
-You’re also a dedicated mother. How do you balance writing and motherhood?
It’s difficult, as it is for any working mother, no matter your profession. But because I’m so busy with the kids, it forces discipline. I have one rule. When the kids are at school, except for my obsessive morning exercise routine, my butt is in the seat, writing. That is it. When they get home I try to focus just on them, but I have to admit, sometimes the keyboard calls me back. They are good at entertaining themselves at this point – they’re 6 and 9 - and they know that if I have an idea sometimes I have to spend a few more minutes writing. I’m sure they’ll talk about it on the therapists couch in twenty years or so. Their memoirs are going to suck. No more wire hangers.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
I have a new women’s fiction novel coming out February 1, 2013, called, Caramel and Magnolias, along with four other novels hopefully released in 2013 as well. One of them is a sequel to Riversong, called Riverbend. The others are historical fiction set in the south in the 1930’s and will be released as a trilogy.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I want two things. One is to continue to work on my craft, inching ever closer to true art, understanding that perfection is impossible but knowing I will never stop trying. Secondly, I want two books a year on the bestseller lists, for the rest of my life - until the day they pry my gnarled fingers from the keyboard and put me in the ground. I know, bold. Go big or go home.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
I’ve been listening obsessively to this song by Brandi Carlisle called, “Save Part of Yourself.”
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
I don’t know if this is the one I’m most proud of but I like it. From the opening of my “Autumn” essay in Write for the Fight.
It is glorious autumn, with gold and orange and red leaves fluttering in the crisp October breeze; sometimes these leaves hover in the air, suspended between the green bud they once were and the dry flakes they will become when they return to the earth.
I am an autumn leaf, somewhere between before and after. This is my now, with work to do and love to reap and sow before I land gently on the ground to merge with the earth as I meet the source, my Maker.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Dedicated and loving mother. Generous and passionate partner (still looking for him). Loyal daughter and sister. True friend. Stellar writer.
-Are you happy?
This is such a hard question, as happiness is such an elusive concept. I will say, in general, I’m a naturally happy person, in that I find it easy to be grateful for what I have instead of worrying about what I don’t. However, I don’t think it’s possible to feel ‘happy’ every moment. I prefer to think of happiness more in terms of moments of joy. Even though I have times of doubt, anxiety and loneliness, especially lately, as I’m going through a divorce, I also have moments of pure joy – laughing with my daughters or friends or just being with people I love without any expectations or hidden agendas. I experience many moments of joy in my work - like when that perfect sentence comes together or when a plot point becomes suddenly clear. Sometimes joy comes from something as simple as the beauty of rainwater glistening on a tree branch or the view of the snowy Cascades during my daily walk with the dog. Oh, and then there’s dancing in my Zumba class. It’s impossible to be unhappy whilst shaking one’s arse. But I digress. I guess to answer your question, not every aspect of my life is happy right now, but there are enough moments of joy that my heart is full.
-Where else can we find you?
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TessWrites
www.Tesswrites.com
email: tessthompsonwrites@gmail.com
February 1, 2013
Our Damaged Society…
I’m not one to strike out at people and their views. Many of you reading this probably know, I’m a pretty nice, easy-going guy. At least, I hope you think that. I also hope you think I’m not someone who jumps the gun over news or opinion. That is why I’ve waited over a year to make any kind of commentary about this particular news story:
On January 30th, 2012 (one year ago Wednesday), a story broke across the publishing world and all over Twitter that literary author, scholarly titan, and one-time Oprah Book Club non-participant Jonathan Franzen stated that e-books are “not for serious readers”, and essentially, as The Telegraph put it, "damaging to society". Naturally, there was backlash and agreements from all sides in an avalanche worthy of Amazon’s money pile toppling over. Some agreed that Franzen had a point in that paper books have more of a personal, passionate feel of permanence to them. To a certain extent, I concur with him on this.
However, the idea that e-books are damaging to society is beyond ludicrous. Damaging? Really? How about the ridiculous amount of Reality TV shows that are broadcasted into our living rooms every night with the constant screaming matches and poo-flinging? Personally, I think that is pretty damaging, but that's just my opinion. If you want to measure how far we've come as a society, pick up a novel by Cormac McCarthy or Tom Robbins and then watch five minutes of E! Channel. But I digress.
To say that, of all things, e-books are the corrosive rust eating at the glittering shine of human society is tremendously silly to me. If anything, e-books open up bigger, brighter worlds we never knew of before, allowing access to knowledge and entertainment in reading forms while discovering new, emerging voices.
The past few years have unleashed a flood of opportunities for struggling writers, more so than at any other time in the past. Everywhere there are opportunities of recognition, connection, and easy advertising that would make a young Ted Turner green with envy. Word of mouth, guerilla marketing, and an entrepreneurial drive have made some unknown authors unstoppable online social monsters heaving their book into the Top 100 lists of Amazon, and even the NYT Bestseller lists, like a fireball on an unsuspecting village of straw huts. Not to pass judgment, but is this where Franzen’s statement stems from? More competition? More people horning in on his game?
But there’s a bigger question here. Namely, what defines a “serious reader”? Here on Goodreads, you’ll find tons of serious readers who are just as passionate about reading and writing as the next person. And is it only “serious readers” that have created the tectonic shift in publishing of buying more E-books than hardbound and paperback?
Furthermore, what are his feelings on audiobooks? Are they corroding the thinning fabric of society because we’re being read to, instead of reading the book ourselves? Is a service like Audible.com blasphemously evil in tainting the sacred spirit of literature because our eyes aren’t gliding across the holy printed page? Does he not consider listening to an audiobook as an actual book we’ve read, or is it just a story we’ve listened too?
I know. I know. I’m going off on a tangent here, but I’ll end this post with what I find the most hilarious of all: Jonathan Franzen’s work is available on all e-book formats. That’s right, kids. Kindle, IBooks, Nook - all of them have Mr. Franzen's work readily available. It is for that very reason why I waited so long to make a comment about it – to see if he would actually do it. To see if he would take his work off the very formats he loathes, because if he truly feels that they are ruining the most purified form of the reading experience, why hasn’t he put his money where his mouth is and removed all of his work from e-readers? It would only make sense to me.
But what do I know? I’m just a reader who likes e-books and corroding the world for generations to come...
On January 30th, 2012 (one year ago Wednesday), a story broke across the publishing world and all over Twitter that literary author, scholarly titan, and one-time Oprah Book Club non-participant Jonathan Franzen stated that e-books are “not for serious readers”, and essentially, as The Telegraph put it, "damaging to society". Naturally, there was backlash and agreements from all sides in an avalanche worthy of Amazon’s money pile toppling over. Some agreed that Franzen had a point in that paper books have more of a personal, passionate feel of permanence to them. To a certain extent, I concur with him on this.
However, the idea that e-books are damaging to society is beyond ludicrous. Damaging? Really? How about the ridiculous amount of Reality TV shows that are broadcasted into our living rooms every night with the constant screaming matches and poo-flinging? Personally, I think that is pretty damaging, but that's just my opinion. If you want to measure how far we've come as a society, pick up a novel by Cormac McCarthy or Tom Robbins and then watch five minutes of E! Channel. But I digress.
To say that, of all things, e-books are the corrosive rust eating at the glittering shine of human society is tremendously silly to me. If anything, e-books open up bigger, brighter worlds we never knew of before, allowing access to knowledge and entertainment in reading forms while discovering new, emerging voices.
The past few years have unleashed a flood of opportunities for struggling writers, more so than at any other time in the past. Everywhere there are opportunities of recognition, connection, and easy advertising that would make a young Ted Turner green with envy. Word of mouth, guerilla marketing, and an entrepreneurial drive have made some unknown authors unstoppable online social monsters heaving their book into the Top 100 lists of Amazon, and even the NYT Bestseller lists, like a fireball on an unsuspecting village of straw huts. Not to pass judgment, but is this where Franzen’s statement stems from? More competition? More people horning in on his game?
But there’s a bigger question here. Namely, what defines a “serious reader”? Here on Goodreads, you’ll find tons of serious readers who are just as passionate about reading and writing as the next person. And is it only “serious readers” that have created the tectonic shift in publishing of buying more E-books than hardbound and paperback?
Furthermore, what are his feelings on audiobooks? Are they corroding the thinning fabric of society because we’re being read to, instead of reading the book ourselves? Is a service like Audible.com blasphemously evil in tainting the sacred spirit of literature because our eyes aren’t gliding across the holy printed page? Does he not consider listening to an audiobook as an actual book we’ve read, or is it just a story we’ve listened too?
I know. I know. I’m going off on a tangent here, but I’ll end this post with what I find the most hilarious of all: Jonathan Franzen’s work is available on all e-book formats. That’s right, kids. Kindle, IBooks, Nook - all of them have Mr. Franzen's work readily available. It is for that very reason why I waited so long to make a comment about it – to see if he would actually do it. To see if he would take his work off the very formats he loathes, because if he truly feels that they are ruining the most purified form of the reading experience, why hasn’t he put his money where his mouth is and removed all of his work from e-readers? It would only make sense to me.
But what do I know? I’m just a reader who likes e-books and corroding the world for generations to come...
January 12, 2013
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #5
Episode #5 – Kate Roth Writes, Blogs, and is a Lovely Interviewer Too (Yes, I got a SECOND girl to come here)!
Folks, today I’m interviewing the exquisite Kate Roth, blogger and author of The Low Notes! Kate Roth is a hairstylist by day and novelist by night (or by any free moment she has). From middle school to college, Kate has been writing anything from short stories to romances to poems to music. Her love of writing was sparked in 2008 when she took a writing class to hone some of her former ideas into something more. What started as a novel writing course after hours at a local high school turned into Kate's dream come true of becoming a published author. Her first completed work The Low Notes was released in May of 2012 from Rebel Ink Press. I caught up with Kate to see what she's up to in my first interview of 2013!
-Tell us a little about yourself.
I've been writing for kicks for years and in May my first novel, The Low Notes, was published by Rebel Ink Press. Now that writing is an actual job for me I spend most of my time trying to figure out how to balance my dream job of being an author and my bill-paying job as a professional hair stylist. I live in Indiana with my husband of five years, Adam and our crazy cool dog, Sampson.
-What made you write The Low Notes?
During college and when I was first married I'd let writing slip away and I almost forgot how much I loved it. In 2008 I tried to re-energize myself by taking a writing course, hoping to work on a supernatural romance I'd been pondering. During my time in the class I was hit by the memory of a story I had started once in high school and once in college but had never actually written more than a few paragraphs. It was The Low Notes or as I referred to it for years 'the teacher-student romance'. Once I started working on it it flew off my fingertips and I was done in a matter of months. It showed me that I needed all along to follow my heart and write the story that had such a tight grip on me.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I've always been a storyteller but the first time I can remember feeling like a writer was sixth grade. So something like fifteen years. (Whoa. That sounds crazy.)
-How do you balance writing and your day job?
It's tough. My job is pretty demanding. I stand on my feet, talk and use my creativity all day long as a hair stylist so coming home and needing to sit and be quiet and squeeze some more creative juices out can be difficult. It's sometimes hard to switch gears and it's hard to keep my energy up to do it all. But, bottom line, I simply love writing so I make the time and I get it done. If that means the house is a wreck and there's no milk in the fridge then so be it. God help me when I have children to tend to.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
I'm pushing along on finishing that supernatural romance from back in 2008 actually! It's been coming along nicely and I'd love to have it to my publisher by early 2013.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
Dang, you got me with a tough one. At this point in time it's a Big Six contract. But I think the goal that has been looming since my book came out is to make as much money writing as I do at my day job (so I can quit and write books all day!).
-What’s your favorite song right now?
I've been playing "Stay" by Sara Bareillas on repeat lately. I adore her voice and so many of her songs find their way on to my writing playlists.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
When I was writing The Low Notes I had a moment where I wrote a sentence and thought "Oh, yes. That's good.". My two MCs finally let passion get the better of them backstage during intermission of an ensemble show and it's a moment they've both been fighting for a long time. The line is, "The second act had begun." When I wrote it it hit me and I still hold onto that line as being the most powerful to me. People might've even skimmed over it but to me it says it all.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
There's so many answers I could give you but deep down I think what I would be happiest to be remembered for would be being an inspiration to other dreamers. If someone can look at what I've been able to do and be inspired and then catapulted to their own success...well, that would be one hell of a legacy.
-Are you happy?
Totally! 2012 has been a phenomenal year for me in every aspect of my life. Sure, I have bad days just like everyone else but I am living a freaking dream right now. Happy is an understatement.
-Where else can we find you?
I'm blogging and keeping people updated on
Website: www.katerothwrites.com
I'm on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkateroth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateRothWrites
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Roth/e/B00...
and Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Come see me!
Thank you so much to Troy for having me! And many thanks to the Twitter and this amazing technological age for bringing us together as friends!
The Low Notes
Kate Roth
Folks, today I’m interviewing the exquisite Kate Roth, blogger and author of The Low Notes! Kate Roth is a hairstylist by day and novelist by night (or by any free moment she has). From middle school to college, Kate has been writing anything from short stories to romances to poems to music. Her love of writing was sparked in 2008 when she took a writing class to hone some of her former ideas into something more. What started as a novel writing course after hours at a local high school turned into Kate's dream come true of becoming a published author. Her first completed work The Low Notes was released in May of 2012 from Rebel Ink Press. I caught up with Kate to see what she's up to in my first interview of 2013!
-Tell us a little about yourself.
I've been writing for kicks for years and in May my first novel, The Low Notes, was published by Rebel Ink Press. Now that writing is an actual job for me I spend most of my time trying to figure out how to balance my dream job of being an author and my bill-paying job as a professional hair stylist. I live in Indiana with my husband of five years, Adam and our crazy cool dog, Sampson.
-What made you write The Low Notes?
During college and when I was first married I'd let writing slip away and I almost forgot how much I loved it. In 2008 I tried to re-energize myself by taking a writing course, hoping to work on a supernatural romance I'd been pondering. During my time in the class I was hit by the memory of a story I had started once in high school and once in college but had never actually written more than a few paragraphs. It was The Low Notes or as I referred to it for years 'the teacher-student romance'. Once I started working on it it flew off my fingertips and I was done in a matter of months. It showed me that I needed all along to follow my heart and write the story that had such a tight grip on me.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I've always been a storyteller but the first time I can remember feeling like a writer was sixth grade. So something like fifteen years. (Whoa. That sounds crazy.)
-How do you balance writing and your day job?
It's tough. My job is pretty demanding. I stand on my feet, talk and use my creativity all day long as a hair stylist so coming home and needing to sit and be quiet and squeeze some more creative juices out can be difficult. It's sometimes hard to switch gears and it's hard to keep my energy up to do it all. But, bottom line, I simply love writing so I make the time and I get it done. If that means the house is a wreck and there's no milk in the fridge then so be it. God help me when I have children to tend to.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
I'm pushing along on finishing that supernatural romance from back in 2008 actually! It's been coming along nicely and I'd love to have it to my publisher by early 2013.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
Dang, you got me with a tough one. At this point in time it's a Big Six contract. But I think the goal that has been looming since my book came out is to make as much money writing as I do at my day job (so I can quit and write books all day!).
-What’s your favorite song right now?
I've been playing "Stay" by Sara Bareillas on repeat lately. I adore her voice and so many of her songs find their way on to my writing playlists.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
When I was writing The Low Notes I had a moment where I wrote a sentence and thought "Oh, yes. That's good.". My two MCs finally let passion get the better of them backstage during intermission of an ensemble show and it's a moment they've both been fighting for a long time. The line is, "The second act had begun." When I wrote it it hit me and I still hold onto that line as being the most powerful to me. People might've even skimmed over it but to me it says it all.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
There's so many answers I could give you but deep down I think what I would be happiest to be remembered for would be being an inspiration to other dreamers. If someone can look at what I've been able to do and be inspired and then catapulted to their own success...well, that would be one hell of a legacy.
-Are you happy?
Totally! 2012 has been a phenomenal year for me in every aspect of my life. Sure, I have bad days just like everyone else but I am living a freaking dream right now. Happy is an understatement.
-Where else can we find you?
I'm blogging and keeping people updated on
Website: www.katerothwrites.com
I'm on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkateroth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateRothWrites
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kate-Roth/e/B00...
and Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Come see me!
Thank you so much to Troy for having me! And many thanks to the Twitter and this amazing technological age for bringing us together as friends!
The Low Notes
Kate Roth
December 7, 2012
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #4
When I asked the lovely S.M. Boyce to join this incredibly silly cavalcade of author interviews, I told her that she would be a welcomed addition to clear out the man-funk that has been wafting in the air around here. Surprisingly, and despite it smelling like an armpit, she agreed to join us here on my blog! Yippee! Don’t get it twisted, though. I cleaned the place, tidied up the dirty laundry, brushed the crumbs off the maroon crush velvet couch, and slipped into my nicest smoking jacket. You see, she is a lady after all, and an accomplished lady at that! She’s the author of Lichgates: Book One of the Grimoire Trilogy, which the latest book, Treason, has just been released! I was able to sit down with Mrs. Boyce and see what else has been going on in her world!
Episode #4 - S.M. Boyce – It’s About Time We Get a Girl Up In Here!!
-Tell us about yourself
I love a good joke, and sarcasm is my favorite weapon. I also love to connect online, and frequently post questions on my Twitter page to find out what readers are thinking and how life is going for them. I also host a Friday meme called “Quick Question” that hosts discussions and share-fests about everything from books to our favorite coffee. Life is fun, and I like to focus on that when I talk to people.
-How long have you been writing?
Man…forever. I think the question is how long have I been writing well. That happened in the last five years, I’d say. Getting my Creative Writing degree helped loads.
-What brought Lichgates to life?
Persistence. I’ve been plotting and developing the series since 2006, adding new layers and characters with every year. But even with all that work, it never felt ready. After some serious pity parties, I had the pendant featured in the trilogy—the Grimoire Clover—brought to life. I wore it daily as a reminder to not give up, and it paid off. To celebrate, I even made the Grimoire Clover available to readers to inspire them in the same way.
-What is on the horizon for the SM Boyce?
I have a lot in the works. I’ve been building and developing my new writers-only site to encourage professionalism among authors and teach others from my mistakes. I frequently host guest posts, list awards for indie authors, and write how-to’s for everything from formatting to writing technique. Please stop by.
I’m also working on Heritage, of course, and the first book in a new series that I will probably release at the same time. It’s still in the developmental stage, but it’ll be big. It’s a fairytale for a new generation, and my hope is to make it even more epic that the Grimoire Trilogy. Feel free to follow my readers blog to get more updates on that book as well as my other projects.
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
World domination. If not, I guess I can settle for internationally bestselling author.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
To see that my work inspires people. The best part about that is it’s a continuing goal. As long as I inspire readers to dream big and believe in themselves, I consider myself a success.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
"Gangnam Style" by Psy. I cannot get that song out of my head, and it makes me happy every time I listen to it. I think it’s because I have no idea what he’s saying and because I’ve memorized that music video. When I listen, I know which part of the video would be playing at that moment. I think I listen to it too much…but dang, it’s just a happy song!
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
Dude, that’s like picking a favorite child. Umm…
Well, I can give you one bit out of Treason, but it’s kind of a spoiler. So…I mean, keep that in mind. I wanted to include the end of Chapter 26 (Death), but it doesn’t have the same effect if it’s read out of context. The end of Chapter 26 is, I think, my favorite part of the book. The effect the rest of the chapter has on its last line makes me smile every time I read it.
But here is my second favorite part of the chapter:
“Do you remember asking the Grimoire once if you could bring back the dead?” Death asked.
Kara’s jaw tightened. This had to be a trap. She didn’t answer.
He continued. “You must know by now that you cannot do such a thing. I will come again for you someday, just as I have come for every living creature since the dawn of time. Today is not your day to die. You may return, but use your second chance at life well. Few ever have this opportunity.”
Death offered her a giant, red hand. Kara reached for it, but hesitated to examine the crevices in his palm. There were folds, wrinkles, even fingerprints. Death looked so…mortal.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Making people happy. I love to see people smile, and to know I put it there is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It’s one of the reasons I write—to know that my work entertains, inspires, and encourages people to be as awesome as possible.
-Are you happy?
I think we all have our roller coasters, but yes. I have a great life that’s filled with blessings in every shape & size. But I’m gooey like that.
-Where else can we find you?
Everywhere. All of my online profiles are below in the “About the Author” section, so please stop by and say hello!
And here is some more about S. M. Boyce:
Boyce writes fantasy and paranormal fiction. She’s a sarcastic twit, but she still has friends because some people seem to like that. Her Creative Writing degree qualifies her to serve you french fries, but it helps her write books, too. She’s currently working on the YA epic fantasy series the Grimoire Trilogy.
Website: http://smboyce.com/
Blog: http://blog.smboyce.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesmboyce
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesmboyce
Google+: https://plus.google.com/1121754704639...
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thesmboyce/chara...
S.M. Boyce
Episode #4 - S.M. Boyce – It’s About Time We Get a Girl Up In Here!!
-Tell us about yourself
I love a good joke, and sarcasm is my favorite weapon. I also love to connect online, and frequently post questions on my Twitter page to find out what readers are thinking and how life is going for them. I also host a Friday meme called “Quick Question” that hosts discussions and share-fests about everything from books to our favorite coffee. Life is fun, and I like to focus on that when I talk to people.
-How long have you been writing?
Man…forever. I think the question is how long have I been writing well. That happened in the last five years, I’d say. Getting my Creative Writing degree helped loads.
-What brought Lichgates to life?
Persistence. I’ve been plotting and developing the series since 2006, adding new layers and characters with every year. But even with all that work, it never felt ready. After some serious pity parties, I had the pendant featured in the trilogy—the Grimoire Clover—brought to life. I wore it daily as a reminder to not give up, and it paid off. To celebrate, I even made the Grimoire Clover available to readers to inspire them in the same way.
-What is on the horizon for the SM Boyce?
I have a lot in the works. I’ve been building and developing my new writers-only site to encourage professionalism among authors and teach others from my mistakes. I frequently host guest posts, list awards for indie authors, and write how-to’s for everything from formatting to writing technique. Please stop by.
I’m also working on Heritage, of course, and the first book in a new series that I will probably release at the same time. It’s still in the developmental stage, but it’ll be big. It’s a fairytale for a new generation, and my hope is to make it even more epic that the Grimoire Trilogy. Feel free to follow my readers blog to get more updates on that book as well as my other projects.
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
World domination. If not, I guess I can settle for internationally bestselling author.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
To see that my work inspires people. The best part about that is it’s a continuing goal. As long as I inspire readers to dream big and believe in themselves, I consider myself a success.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
"Gangnam Style" by Psy. I cannot get that song out of my head, and it makes me happy every time I listen to it. I think it’s because I have no idea what he’s saying and because I’ve memorized that music video. When I listen, I know which part of the video would be playing at that moment. I think I listen to it too much…but dang, it’s just a happy song!
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
Dude, that’s like picking a favorite child. Umm…
Well, I can give you one bit out of Treason, but it’s kind of a spoiler. So…I mean, keep that in mind. I wanted to include the end of Chapter 26 (Death), but it doesn’t have the same effect if it’s read out of context. The end of Chapter 26 is, I think, my favorite part of the book. The effect the rest of the chapter has on its last line makes me smile every time I read it.
But here is my second favorite part of the chapter:
“Do you remember asking the Grimoire once if you could bring back the dead?” Death asked.
Kara’s jaw tightened. This had to be a trap. She didn’t answer.
He continued. “You must know by now that you cannot do such a thing. I will come again for you someday, just as I have come for every living creature since the dawn of time. Today is not your day to die. You may return, but use your second chance at life well. Few ever have this opportunity.”
Death offered her a giant, red hand. Kara reached for it, but hesitated to examine the crevices in his palm. There were folds, wrinkles, even fingerprints. Death looked so…mortal.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Making people happy. I love to see people smile, and to know I put it there is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It’s one of the reasons I write—to know that my work entertains, inspires, and encourages people to be as awesome as possible.
-Are you happy?
I think we all have our roller coasters, but yes. I have a great life that’s filled with blessings in every shape & size. But I’m gooey like that.
-Where else can we find you?
Everywhere. All of my online profiles are below in the “About the Author” section, so please stop by and say hello!
And here is some more about S. M. Boyce:
Boyce writes fantasy and paranormal fiction. She’s a sarcastic twit, but she still has friends because some people seem to like that. Her Creative Writing degree qualifies her to serve you french fries, but it helps her write books, too. She’s currently working on the YA epic fantasy series the Grimoire Trilogy.
Website: http://smboyce.com/
Blog: http://blog.smboyce.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesmboyce
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thesmboyce
Google+: https://plus.google.com/1121754704639...
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thesmboyce/chara...
S.M. Boyce
November 16, 2012
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #3
Okay everybody, today’s T-roy Talks is going to be a little bit on the crazy side because you are getting two Troy’s for the price of one. If we were gold, you’d be rich. Instead, you get us…so ladies, you’re in heaven. Introducing fellow scribbler extraordinaire, Troy Blackford. He is the author of the new ebook Critical Incident as well as a Twitter monster, which is where I met him! Not only does he write, but he is a rabid blogger too! I was able to catch up with Mr. Blackford to see what kind of shenanigans he’s been up to.
Episode #3 - Troy Blackford – From One Handsome Troy to Another…
-Tell us a little about yourself
I'm a man of diverse interests, but the main thing people should know about me is that I am enthusiastic about things that are funny, moving, interesting, or crazy. If you combine those things in any way, I either already am a fan of your work or will be as soon as I encounter it. For example, I had never seen three of my favorite shows before this year. For all I know, the thing I like most is just around the corner. But it's undoubtedly awesome.
-How long have you been writing?
This is actually a more difficult to answer question than it would be for many writers! It is multi-layered. How long have I been writing words down for fun? All my life. But there is a very literal reading to that. When I was younger, I would literally write and write and write pages of what could really only be summed up as 'Word Salad' - writing whatever flowing phrases I felt filled the page with wondrous shapes and assonant sounds.
"I shall but not to empty the reprove of summer's morn, for as I walk and bake, and flower and grow I shall fill the fount with all the thundering fonts of fracture..."
That sort of thing. When I say I wrote and wrote pages of this, I mean pages. In consumer ed class in high school - screen off, fingers flying. Just glad it wasn't a loud click-style keyboard. I would print it out at the end of the class and take it with me. I would sit in a closet in my first apartment with an electric typewriter just filling up pages from this old dot-matrix style ream of 1,000 sheets of paper I had ever since I was 12. It was nuts. But the important thing to remember is that at this time I did not in any way think of myself as a writer. I often remarked to myself how odd it was, as I typed the pretty sounds, that I didn't try to write something with form, characters, plot... a story, in other words. Often, there wouldn't even be meaningful grammar to what I was writing. It was like prose poetry.
The issue becomes even more clouded because I actually later wrote a thing as a joke that ended up being a 'Short Story Collection that Grows Into a Very Complicated Epic Novel' in 2006, entitled GhostPopulace, Vol. 1. And even at this time I did not consider myself a writer. I didn't try writing more until December 2009.
In September of 2009, I decided to confront one of my then-girlfriend's (now wife's) biggest fears. Each Halloween season, we watch about two months of horrifying movies. That year, she made it clear to me that she wanted to end that particular Halloween season with the movie that had scared her the most as a child, the made-for-television 1990 Miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King classic IT. I had never seen IT. I had definitely never read IT. I had, in 5th and 6th grade, went through a brief Stephen King era where I read (because of the miniseries The Langoliers ) the novella-collection Four Past Midnight, followed by the short story collection Skeleton Crew. These were both amazing books, but honestly I was so disturbed by the child-rape scene in The Library Policeman in Four Past Midnight (which I shouldn't have read as a ten year old, except probably I should have because even though the story was terrifying as hell, it was awesome) that eventually I felt too afraid to read any more of the great man's work as a mere 'pre-teen.'
Once I started reading it again, at age 23 or something like that, I really started reading IT again, if you take my meaning. It was so incredible and epic and mindblowing that I felt like a ridiculous fool for not caring before that. I started reading another Stephen King book and another, and within a few weeks I had started reading every single one in order. On December 3rd, 2009, after reading Stephen King say that he got the basic core idea for Pet Sematary while burying his daughter's mauled cat, I had an epiphany.
That was the day I started writing my first actual novel, Under the Wall. It was actually not very good, but the lessons I learned from writing that, the book afterward (the pitiful short 'story' collection A Sudden Outburst of Cosmic Duck), the book afterward (Out the Door), the book afterward (Formland, good luck finding that one) and the subsequent works that are actually decent, helped me become the person I am today!
-What brought Critical Incident to life?
Honestly, I had been focused on short stories for months. I had finally started cracking into some publications, and was feeling pretty good about that. But I realized that I hadn't entered into the sort of 'Write a longer story, put it out' situation that had typified my earlier work, and I thought "Let me just get real lean and mean with some short novella and make it a Kindle exclusive." That was what was buzzing though my head for a week or two while I was finishing up some short story revisions. Then, I was walking from my awesome office job to the bus stop downtown, when this really raggedy homeless looking guy walked by, muttering incomprehensible things while consulting a wadded up piece of paper every two seconds like he was worried he would forget whatever it said on the page. I thought "I should make that into the premise of that novella I keep meaning to write. What would the story be?"
Then I just had somebody die every time things started slowing down. The rest is history.
-What is on the horizon for Mr. Troy (it’s still weird to say this)?
Ha! Fellow Troy, it will always be weird to talk to someone as cool as you, whatever their name is. But right now I have just come out with my latest book about cats with sinister powers, Through the Woods - you can find it on Kindle on Amazon. I'm putting out a paperback within the next week of that. I've just got Critical Incident available on paperback, as well. But I just started hardcore work on the sequel to Critical Incident, which will be out by the New Year and be quite freaky. I had three stories published in journals last month, and hope to keep the trend of externally published short stories going while I finish Emergent Pattern, which is the title of the Critical Incident sequel, and I also have a psychological crime/horror thriller called Fiver Films in the works that will be out either before or after the final novella in the Critical Incident trilogy releases in March. By June, I will have released Emergent Pattern, it's sequel, Fiver Films, a few more short stories, and... I dunno... a partridge in a pear tree?
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
Having kids, teaching them to mow the lawn and do dishes, and just sort of 'coasting.' I have so much on my short-term writing horizon, my long-term goals are to expand my short story publications and then leverage that into a professionally published collection. But it sounds so ridiculously normal and unfunny to say that I will just say my longterm goals are to become the sexiest and most talented possible mix of Martin Gore and Jon Hamm.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
To be able to spend all day everyday working my fingers into nubs to be as creative as possible in an attempt to bring some mild amusement into people's lives. I think that however much I work at writing, it would be a bigger weirdness if I could spend even more time at it.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
Today I listened to the Allegro Con Brio section of "Waldstein Sonata" like four times in a row. Nice Beethoven piano sonata, but not typical of what I usually listen to. My favorite new band is thenewno2, and I recommend listening to their BRILLIANT new album thefearofmissingout if you have a chance. It's unbelievable. My favorite bands include Depeche Mode, John Lennon, and Rasputina. I am bumping 'Holocaust of Giants' by Rasputina, 'My Joy (7" Mix)' and 'Painkiller' by Depeche Mode, and 'Make It Home,' 'Station,' and 'Live a Lie' by thenewno2 every day lately when I write. And it rules!
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
"A setting sun is rising every elsewhere," is the one I think of right off the bat. Not really a line, but the subtitle of the final chapter of my currently purposely out-of-print novel Out the Door. I bet there is one I'd mean more, but that's the one I remember without thinking so it seems an honest answer.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Not having cussed out the people on the bus who suck while I'm writing. I know it's not their fault, but the people on the bus who yell stupid crap while I'm trying to drown them out with my Rooted Android phone (which can have volume turned up an order of magnitude beyond what an unrooted phone can do, literally putting my hearing at not risk but at gunpoint) and I can still hear them over music being pumped directly into my ear louder than anything should safely go - they sort of suck. They sort of make me want to kick things. The fact that nobody has died because I'm trying to write on the bus? Where's my freaking medal?
-Are you happy?
Hell yeah! I love my job, my wife, my cats, my house, and my work! I have plenty of time to write and even if it's never lucrative, I've gotten such great feedback from what little I've done and had so much fun doing the actual work itself that even if I had to pay to write, and only a few people ever had nice things to say, I'd be prouder than a peacock and happier than crap!
-Where else can we find you?
The easiest answer is just to head to my website: http://www.troyblackford.com - got links to everything else online there. The sidebar on the right has all my short stories published on other sites, in paper publications, and on my own site, in addition to links to buying my novels and novellas on Kindle and in paperback. I recommend everybody who reads this just sort of goes all swirly eyed and then wakes up in a pile of having bought and read all my stuff. Then, they should turn into mindless advertisement zombies who tell all their friends and family to pass out and wake up in a pile of having benefited me.
I should have just said: http://www.troyblackford.com, huh?
Thanks so much, Troy Aaron Ratlif, for interviewing me - Troy Arlen Blackford. The last thing I want to mention is that in that crappy first novel, Under the Wall, my main characters' names were 'Redcliffe' in a weird remix of 'Blackford' - and that's basically your name. Weirdo!
You can find Critical Incident here: http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Incide...
And Troy's newest Through The Woods here: http://www.amazon.com/Through-the-Woo...
Goodreads:
Troy Blackford
Episode #3 - Troy Blackford – From One Handsome Troy to Another…
-Tell us a little about yourself
I'm a man of diverse interests, but the main thing people should know about me is that I am enthusiastic about things that are funny, moving, interesting, or crazy. If you combine those things in any way, I either already am a fan of your work or will be as soon as I encounter it. For example, I had never seen three of my favorite shows before this year. For all I know, the thing I like most is just around the corner. But it's undoubtedly awesome.
-How long have you been writing?
This is actually a more difficult to answer question than it would be for many writers! It is multi-layered. How long have I been writing words down for fun? All my life. But there is a very literal reading to that. When I was younger, I would literally write and write and write pages of what could really only be summed up as 'Word Salad' - writing whatever flowing phrases I felt filled the page with wondrous shapes and assonant sounds.
"I shall but not to empty the reprove of summer's morn, for as I walk and bake, and flower and grow I shall fill the fount with all the thundering fonts of fracture..."
That sort of thing. When I say I wrote and wrote pages of this, I mean pages. In consumer ed class in high school - screen off, fingers flying. Just glad it wasn't a loud click-style keyboard. I would print it out at the end of the class and take it with me. I would sit in a closet in my first apartment with an electric typewriter just filling up pages from this old dot-matrix style ream of 1,000 sheets of paper I had ever since I was 12. It was nuts. But the important thing to remember is that at this time I did not in any way think of myself as a writer. I often remarked to myself how odd it was, as I typed the pretty sounds, that I didn't try to write something with form, characters, plot... a story, in other words. Often, there wouldn't even be meaningful grammar to what I was writing. It was like prose poetry.
The issue becomes even more clouded because I actually later wrote a thing as a joke that ended up being a 'Short Story Collection that Grows Into a Very Complicated Epic Novel' in 2006, entitled GhostPopulace, Vol. 1. And even at this time I did not consider myself a writer. I didn't try writing more until December 2009.
In September of 2009, I decided to confront one of my then-girlfriend's (now wife's) biggest fears. Each Halloween season, we watch about two months of horrifying movies. That year, she made it clear to me that she wanted to end that particular Halloween season with the movie that had scared her the most as a child, the made-for-television 1990 Miniseries adaptation of the Stephen King classic IT. I had never seen IT. I had definitely never read IT. I had, in 5th and 6th grade, went through a brief Stephen King era where I read (because of the miniseries The Langoliers ) the novella-collection Four Past Midnight, followed by the short story collection Skeleton Crew. These were both amazing books, but honestly I was so disturbed by the child-rape scene in The Library Policeman in Four Past Midnight (which I shouldn't have read as a ten year old, except probably I should have because even though the story was terrifying as hell, it was awesome) that eventually I felt too afraid to read any more of the great man's work as a mere 'pre-teen.'
Once I started reading it again, at age 23 or something like that, I really started reading IT again, if you take my meaning. It was so incredible and epic and mindblowing that I felt like a ridiculous fool for not caring before that. I started reading another Stephen King book and another, and within a few weeks I had started reading every single one in order. On December 3rd, 2009, after reading Stephen King say that he got the basic core idea for Pet Sematary while burying his daughter's mauled cat, I had an epiphany.
That was the day I started writing my first actual novel, Under the Wall. It was actually not very good, but the lessons I learned from writing that, the book afterward (the pitiful short 'story' collection A Sudden Outburst of Cosmic Duck), the book afterward (Out the Door), the book afterward (Formland, good luck finding that one) and the subsequent works that are actually decent, helped me become the person I am today!
-What brought Critical Incident to life?
Honestly, I had been focused on short stories for months. I had finally started cracking into some publications, and was feeling pretty good about that. But I realized that I hadn't entered into the sort of 'Write a longer story, put it out' situation that had typified my earlier work, and I thought "Let me just get real lean and mean with some short novella and make it a Kindle exclusive." That was what was buzzing though my head for a week or two while I was finishing up some short story revisions. Then, I was walking from my awesome office job to the bus stop downtown, when this really raggedy homeless looking guy walked by, muttering incomprehensible things while consulting a wadded up piece of paper every two seconds like he was worried he would forget whatever it said on the page. I thought "I should make that into the premise of that novella I keep meaning to write. What would the story be?"
Then I just had somebody die every time things started slowing down. The rest is history.
-What is on the horizon for Mr. Troy (it’s still weird to say this)?
Ha! Fellow Troy, it will always be weird to talk to someone as cool as you, whatever their name is. But right now I have just come out with my latest book about cats with sinister powers, Through the Woods - you can find it on Kindle on Amazon. I'm putting out a paperback within the next week of that. I've just got Critical Incident available on paperback, as well. But I just started hardcore work on the sequel to Critical Incident, which will be out by the New Year and be quite freaky. I had three stories published in journals last month, and hope to keep the trend of externally published short stories going while I finish Emergent Pattern, which is the title of the Critical Incident sequel, and I also have a psychological crime/horror thriller called Fiver Films in the works that will be out either before or after the final novella in the Critical Incident trilogy releases in March. By June, I will have released Emergent Pattern, it's sequel, Fiver Films, a few more short stories, and... I dunno... a partridge in a pear tree?
-What’s on the long-term horizon for you?
Having kids, teaching them to mow the lawn and do dishes, and just sort of 'coasting.' I have so much on my short-term writing horizon, my long-term goals are to expand my short story publications and then leverage that into a professionally published collection. But it sounds so ridiculously normal and unfunny to say that I will just say my longterm goals are to become the sexiest and most talented possible mix of Martin Gore and Jon Hamm.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
To be able to spend all day everyday working my fingers into nubs to be as creative as possible in an attempt to bring some mild amusement into people's lives. I think that however much I work at writing, it would be a bigger weirdness if I could spend even more time at it.
-What’s your favorite song right now?
Today I listened to the Allegro Con Brio section of "Waldstein Sonata" like four times in a row. Nice Beethoven piano sonata, but not typical of what I usually listen to. My favorite new band is thenewno2, and I recommend listening to their BRILLIANT new album thefearofmissingout if you have a chance. It's unbelievable. My favorite bands include Depeche Mode, John Lennon, and Rasputina. I am bumping 'Holocaust of Giants' by Rasputina, 'My Joy (7" Mix)' and 'Painkiller' by Depeche Mode, and 'Make It Home,' 'Station,' and 'Live a Lie' by thenewno2 every day lately when I write. And it rules!
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
"A setting sun is rising every elsewhere," is the one I think of right off the bat. Not really a line, but the subtitle of the final chapter of my currently purposely out-of-print novel Out the Door. I bet there is one I'd mean more, but that's the one I remember without thinking so it seems an honest answer.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Not having cussed out the people on the bus who suck while I'm writing. I know it's not their fault, but the people on the bus who yell stupid crap while I'm trying to drown them out with my Rooted Android phone (which can have volume turned up an order of magnitude beyond what an unrooted phone can do, literally putting my hearing at not risk but at gunpoint) and I can still hear them over music being pumped directly into my ear louder than anything should safely go - they sort of suck. They sort of make me want to kick things. The fact that nobody has died because I'm trying to write on the bus? Where's my freaking medal?
-Are you happy?
Hell yeah! I love my job, my wife, my cats, my house, and my work! I have plenty of time to write and even if it's never lucrative, I've gotten such great feedback from what little I've done and had so much fun doing the actual work itself that even if I had to pay to write, and only a few people ever had nice things to say, I'd be prouder than a peacock and happier than crap!
-Where else can we find you?
The easiest answer is just to head to my website: http://www.troyblackford.com - got links to everything else online there. The sidebar on the right has all my short stories published on other sites, in paper publications, and on my own site, in addition to links to buying my novels and novellas on Kindle and in paperback. I recommend everybody who reads this just sort of goes all swirly eyed and then wakes up in a pile of having bought and read all my stuff. Then, they should turn into mindless advertisement zombies who tell all their friends and family to pass out and wake up in a pile of having benefited me.
I should have just said: http://www.troyblackford.com, huh?
Thanks so much, Troy Aaron Ratlif, for interviewing me - Troy Arlen Blackford. The last thing I want to mention is that in that crappy first novel, Under the Wall, my main characters' names were 'Redcliffe' in a weird remix of 'Blackford' - and that's basically your name. Weirdo!
You can find Critical Incident here: http://www.amazon.com/Critical-Incide...
And Troy's newest Through The Woods here: http://www.amazon.com/Through-the-Woo...
Goodreads:
Troy Blackford
October 13, 2012
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #2
For the second episode of the T-roy Talks, the hilarious Steven Luna has joined this circus of idiocy! Author of Joe Vampire which is now available on Amazon, B&N and several other places on the computer machines, Stephen is represented by Booktrope Publishing and is already hard at work on the sequel! I had a little fireside chat with Mr. Luna in which he expounded on his writing talents and plans:
Episode #2 – Steven Luna - Conversations with a Intergalactic Cephalopod and a Down and Out Vampire
-Tell us a little about yourself. What are the sacred beginnings of the Luna?
The Luna began in Brooklyn, tumbling lazily into the world with a twin at his side. Two years later, their clan sailed overland westly and landed in Arizona, unofficially known as the Flip Flop state. His imagination was full-blown from the beginning, and forty two years in he’s just barely begun digging in the clay. In between, he tripped and fell into a degree in psychology and taught himself to play the piano and draw stuff in addition to writing down stories. Or something like that. Is that even what you meant by this question? I could totally do better if not…
-What made you write Joe Vampire?
Joe began as a character blog. A Twilight-er friend made a comment about something (I don’t remember what it was now), and my answer was “Not all the vampires sparkle; some of them are just average Joes”. It made me wonder how a contemporary dude would handle being saddle with something like being a vampire. The answer, of course, was that he’d blab about it on the internet. So that’s what he did, in a character blog called – yes – Joe Vampire. He was talking about what a raw deal it is to be stuck with this condition, while sharing details about his life. At about post 9, I recognized a story emerging and decided to make it a novel instead. And now it’s a series. I guess Joe (or I) have a lot to say about the subject of vampires. Prior to this, we had no clue about them.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I really caught the scribbling bug around seventh grade. I wrote really bad poems, which led to really bad lyrics for songs that never materialized. That led to slightly less-bad poems, and my senior year in high school I actually made my teacher cry with a summarization of “To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolfe, rewritten in verse form. He insisted it was a good crying, so I kinda figured I must have improved a bit. I started taking it a little more seriously at that point.
-You’re also a talented artist. Any plans to expand on that too?
Pre-Joe, I had an online art studio that was a lot of fun, but a TON of work. It turned art into drudgery, and I really tried to keep it a positive experience, but it just turned out to be a grind overall. That isn’t at all what I want from my creative endeavors, so I figure any visual art I create from now on will arise out of personal enjoyment. Haven’t painted since I started writing again…though I am toying around with the idea of a Joe Vampire comic strip at the moment. We’ll see how that goes.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
There’s a finished sequel to Joe Vampire, called – appropriately enough - Joe Vampire 2: The Afterlife. I’m cleaning it up a bit before sending it off to my radical future-facing publisher Booktrope for editing and production. Hopefully it’ll roll out by late autumn. I’m also knee-deep in a new character, a rock star alien abductee, for a book called Starstruck. He’s a mash-up of all the rock and roll/music business folk lore we’ve all heard over the past forty years, and he’s a blast to write; the book is a mock autobiography/memoir of his life and times in show business blended with an account of his abduction. Aiming for a spring 2013 release for that. And then, work begins in earnest on Joe Vampire 3, hopefully to be ready by summer 2013.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I used to think that unless I could illuminate some hidden aspects of the human condition through my writing that it wouldn’t be worth doing. I’m sure every writer goes through a phase like this. As I pushed through figuring out how to turn a story into a book, I realized that what I really want to do more than anything is to entertain people with my writing. I think one of the most important needs any artist can fulfill for those who experience their work is to shift the viewer’s perception toward something more whimsical, whether through humor or drama or fantasy. It doesn’t necessarily have to impart wisdom; it just has to take them out of the prosaic for a while. So now, that’s my biggest goal: to have people walk away from my work having been entertained by it. And if I entertain myself while creating it, then everybody wins!
-What’s your favorite song right now?
It changes from moment to moment, but I’m really digging “It’s Time” by a new band called Imagine Dragons. It’s catchy and anthemic, and has some kind of mandolin thing going on, which you don’t hear too much of these days. Comes to a big, stompy, drum-tastic chorus, too. Love that. I’m also kind of stuck on “Madness”, the new tune by Muse. It’s like the best U2 song that U2 never wrote, shoved through a Prince-and-Queen filter and sythed to the gills. It’s an earworm, I tell you. Earworm.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
I really like the tagline for Joe: Just a dude who’ll never die, trying to figure out how to live. There’s a lot of meaning jammed into that single sentence. Another one I’m very happy with comes from my middle-grade fantasy, a quote from an author in the story describing how he brought his imaginary world to life: They had been there all along, waiting just beneath the surface; with my pen, I set them all free... That pretty much sums up our work as writers and artists, I think – the empty page holds limitless potential; we just need to draw it out.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Making people laugh and think at the same time. You probably thought I was going to say “The eyebrow thing”, huh?
-Are you happy?
Absolutely. I consider happiness a choice, not a coincidence. It’s a direct result of unconditional gratitude, which is also a choice. Is that too hippie-ish or psycho-babbly? I could change it to, “When I’m jacked up on candy,” if that sounds better…
-Where else can we find him?
Well, the blog, which is now a resource for indie and small-press authors, readers, and supporters in addition to JoeNews: http://joevampire.blogspot.com/
The Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeVampireBlog
The Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestevenluna
The Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
And folks can check in on http://www.booktrope.com/ while they’re internetting to find out more about the company and the other stellar authors they publish.
And here is a link to Joe himself: http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Vampire-Ste...
Episode #2 – Steven Luna - Conversations with a Intergalactic Cephalopod and a Down and Out Vampire
-Tell us a little about yourself. What are the sacred beginnings of the Luna?
The Luna began in Brooklyn, tumbling lazily into the world with a twin at his side. Two years later, their clan sailed overland westly and landed in Arizona, unofficially known as the Flip Flop state. His imagination was full-blown from the beginning, and forty two years in he’s just barely begun digging in the clay. In between, he tripped and fell into a degree in psychology and taught himself to play the piano and draw stuff in addition to writing down stories. Or something like that. Is that even what you meant by this question? I could totally do better if not…
-What made you write Joe Vampire?
Joe began as a character blog. A Twilight-er friend made a comment about something (I don’t remember what it was now), and my answer was “Not all the vampires sparkle; some of them are just average Joes”. It made me wonder how a contemporary dude would handle being saddle with something like being a vampire. The answer, of course, was that he’d blab about it on the internet. So that’s what he did, in a character blog called – yes – Joe Vampire. He was talking about what a raw deal it is to be stuck with this condition, while sharing details about his life. At about post 9, I recognized a story emerging and decided to make it a novel instead. And now it’s a series. I guess Joe (or I) have a lot to say about the subject of vampires. Prior to this, we had no clue about them.
-How long have you been scribbling words?
I really caught the scribbling bug around seventh grade. I wrote really bad poems, which led to really bad lyrics for songs that never materialized. That led to slightly less-bad poems, and my senior year in high school I actually made my teacher cry with a summarization of “To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolfe, rewritten in verse form. He insisted it was a good crying, so I kinda figured I must have improved a bit. I started taking it a little more seriously at that point.
-You’re also a talented artist. Any plans to expand on that too?
Pre-Joe, I had an online art studio that was a lot of fun, but a TON of work. It turned art into drudgery, and I really tried to keep it a positive experience, but it just turned out to be a grind overall. That isn’t at all what I want from my creative endeavors, so I figure any visual art I create from now on will arise out of personal enjoyment. Haven’t painted since I started writing again…though I am toying around with the idea of a Joe Vampire comic strip at the moment. We’ll see how that goes.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
There’s a finished sequel to Joe Vampire, called – appropriately enough - Joe Vampire 2: The Afterlife. I’m cleaning it up a bit before sending it off to my radical future-facing publisher Booktrope for editing and production. Hopefully it’ll roll out by late autumn. I’m also knee-deep in a new character, a rock star alien abductee, for a book called Starstruck. He’s a mash-up of all the rock and roll/music business folk lore we’ve all heard over the past forty years, and he’s a blast to write; the book is a mock autobiography/memoir of his life and times in show business blended with an account of his abduction. Aiming for a spring 2013 release for that. And then, work begins in earnest on Joe Vampire 3, hopefully to be ready by summer 2013.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I used to think that unless I could illuminate some hidden aspects of the human condition through my writing that it wouldn’t be worth doing. I’m sure every writer goes through a phase like this. As I pushed through figuring out how to turn a story into a book, I realized that what I really want to do more than anything is to entertain people with my writing. I think one of the most important needs any artist can fulfill for those who experience their work is to shift the viewer’s perception toward something more whimsical, whether through humor or drama or fantasy. It doesn’t necessarily have to impart wisdom; it just has to take them out of the prosaic for a while. So now, that’s my biggest goal: to have people walk away from my work having been entertained by it. And if I entertain myself while creating it, then everybody wins!
-What’s your favorite song right now?
It changes from moment to moment, but I’m really digging “It’s Time” by a new band called Imagine Dragons. It’s catchy and anthemic, and has some kind of mandolin thing going on, which you don’t hear too much of these days. Comes to a big, stompy, drum-tastic chorus, too. Love that. I’m also kind of stuck on “Madness”, the new tune by Muse. It’s like the best U2 song that U2 never wrote, shoved through a Prince-and-Queen filter and sythed to the gills. It’s an earworm, I tell you. Earworm.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
I really like the tagline for Joe: Just a dude who’ll never die, trying to figure out how to live. There’s a lot of meaning jammed into that single sentence. Another one I’m very happy with comes from my middle-grade fantasy, a quote from an author in the story describing how he brought his imaginary world to life: They had been there all along, waiting just beneath the surface; with my pen, I set them all free... That pretty much sums up our work as writers and artists, I think – the empty page holds limitless potential; we just need to draw it out.
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Making people laugh and think at the same time. You probably thought I was going to say “The eyebrow thing”, huh?
-Are you happy?
Absolutely. I consider happiness a choice, not a coincidence. It’s a direct result of unconditional gratitude, which is also a choice. Is that too hippie-ish or psycho-babbly? I could change it to, “When I’m jacked up on candy,” if that sounds better…
-Where else can we find him?
Well, the blog, which is now a resource for indie and small-press authors, readers, and supporters in addition to JoeNews: http://joevampire.blogspot.com/
The Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeVampireBlog
The Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thestevenluna
The Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
And folks can check in on http://www.booktrope.com/ while they’re internetting to find out more about the company and the other stellar authors they publish.
And here is a link to Joe himself: http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Vampire-Ste...
September 14, 2012
T-roy Talks – Conversations with a Cephalopod #1
This is the first in a series of interviews I’m doing to help out my fellow writers. I’m dominating the hashtag #writershelpingwriters on Twitter (you can go check for yourself to be sure, you sexy mothers). I figured I should start to pronounce this hashtaggery even further in the tubes of the blogosphere on the Internets. Therefore, the T-roy Talks (no, not the Ted Talks – this is far more arbitrary) will expand on the cool writers I’ve met on my odyssey of indie writing and let you get to know them on a weirder level. I apologize in advance that I’m not taking requests for further interviews. If I’m interested, I’ll contact you. In Hollywood-speak that's code for "my people will contact your people (which really means, I’ll contact you, but no one has to know about that. *wink*)".
Episode #1 - Mike Robinson
Intelligent, calculated and driven can sum up many writers, but Mike Robinson brings those qualities to the next level with his own brand of dedication to the craft. He is the editor of the magazine Literary Landscapes, an advisory board member of GLAWS (the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society), and his work has been in several other magazines and podcasts that have gone on to feature such literary heavyweights as Neil Gaiman. Recently, Mr. Robinson published his debut novel Skunk Ape Semester with Solstice Publishing. Mike may not be a cryptozoologist on paper, but he is one at heart and it shows with his love of all things Fortean. I had a little pow-wow with Mr. Robinson where he expanded further on his goals and interests.
-Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a native of Los Angeles (an Angeleno, I guess you’d say), but I haven’t been in front of one film camera nor do I have a screenplay, at least not yet. While having studied Illustration at Otis College of Art & Design, and while having worked in the videogame industry, my numero uno passion is writing fiction, and that’s something I’ve been doing since.... (drum roll)
-How long have you been writing?
...I was seven years old. Two totally divergent authors sparked my early storytelling interest: Bruce Coville (My Teacher is an Alien) and Matt Christopher (actually a woman, who wrote wonderful sports stories). So from my scribbling hand came such 9-page tomes as Aliens In My Backyard! and The Tournament of Golf (sounds so epic, doesn’t it?). Eventually I turned specifically to horror and fantasy yarns, and published my first story through a contest with the YA series Strange Matter, when I was 12. My first paid publication came when I was 19.
-What brought Skunk Ape Semester to life?
A voracious fascination with the paranormal, stemming back to when I was 13 and received a copy of cryptozoologist Karl Shuker’s The Unexplained. Thus began years of “research”, meaning recreational reading that I didn’t know would become research once the idea for Skunk Ape Semester plopped into my head. And I shouldn’t forget my Friday (then Sunday) night ritual of The X-Files.
At the time I actually thought of the novel, I’d been on a beatnik literary kick, sopping up Jack Kerouac, Tom Wolfe, and others. Then, one day, in one of those random neural events, an On the Road synapse met an X-Files synapse, and I wondered what it might be like to tour the country’s stranger places, places of Bigfoot, vortices, the Chupacabra, Lake Monsters, etc. Although I did do this in real life (to a certain extent), the notion soon became fictionalized in Skunk Ape Semester.
-What is coming up in the wide world of Mike?
Later this year Curiosity Quills Press will be publishing my supernatural thriller The Green-Eyed Monster, as well as my existential horror novel The Prince of Earth, which will debut early 2013.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
Currently I’m on the third attempt of an ambitious fantasy / science fiction project. The first attempt crashed and burned (mercifully), and the second attempt caught a bad case of doubt and slipped into an irreversible coma. So far the third has been trucking along, but I’m on high alert.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I’d say my primary goal is to marry successfully the good qualities of so-called “literary” and “genre” fiction. My favorite authors do this. As a reader, I find my tastes are in the minority. Formulaic genre fiction bores me, as does pretentious literary fiction. Both could use something from the other. I love genre fiction with vibrant characters, an original and colorful style, and an awareness of larger, existential concerns. I also love literary fiction that knows how to deliver a good story, and doesn’t get bogged down in masturbatory minutia.
Another “subgoal” of mine is to help launch a new way of approaching paranormal fiction (I know, sounds pretentious in its own right). But I think a lot of the recycled vampires and zombies have lost that cool creepy edge of the unknown. Let’s put the “para” back in “normal” and come up with something truly original and just plain out there.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
Given the amount of writing I’ve done, I have a number of passages that I’ve eventually refined into something I’m proud to say came from me, but from Skunk Ape Semester I’d say this is one of my favorites:
“It was all hyper-realistic, an embossed world, one that stood out in all its vivid laws and color, and, driving along, the Soulless Scientist in me – the one who tallied the ‘rational’ explanations for everything – fell into a grandiose sleep at the childish but very thrilling realization that nothing was rational, that life was paranormal in and of itself, that the universe’s existence was the strangest unexplained phenomenon ever known or that could ever be known. Our search to prove or debunk the validity of the ‘paranormal’ world would be rendered moot if we just realized that the ghosts and the alien conspiracies paled compared to the mystery of the person in the mirror.”
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Hmm, I suppose I’ll take the generic writerly answer and say I’d like to be remembered for being an author of consistent quality and honesty. Who knows if I’ll have one piece by which people will remember me. If I do, I doubt I’ve written it yet.
-Are you happy?
I can thankfully say I am. I’m incredibly appreciative for this life. As Cormac McCarthy says, “Life is pretty damn good, even when it looks bad. We should be grateful, even if we’re not sure who to be grateful to.”
Find Mike here:
http://www.skunkapesemester.com/index...
http://twitter.com/MikeSkunkApe
Hard copy: http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Ape-Semes...
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Ape-Semes...
Episode #1 - Mike Robinson
Intelligent, calculated and driven can sum up many writers, but Mike Robinson brings those qualities to the next level with his own brand of dedication to the craft. He is the editor of the magazine Literary Landscapes, an advisory board member of GLAWS (the Greater Los Angeles Writers Society), and his work has been in several other magazines and podcasts that have gone on to feature such literary heavyweights as Neil Gaiman. Recently, Mr. Robinson published his debut novel Skunk Ape Semester with Solstice Publishing. Mike may not be a cryptozoologist on paper, but he is one at heart and it shows with his love of all things Fortean. I had a little pow-wow with Mr. Robinson where he expanded further on his goals and interests.
-Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a native of Los Angeles (an Angeleno, I guess you’d say), but I haven’t been in front of one film camera nor do I have a screenplay, at least not yet. While having studied Illustration at Otis College of Art & Design, and while having worked in the videogame industry, my numero uno passion is writing fiction, and that’s something I’ve been doing since.... (drum roll)
-How long have you been writing?
...I was seven years old. Two totally divergent authors sparked my early storytelling interest: Bruce Coville (My Teacher is an Alien) and Matt Christopher (actually a woman, who wrote wonderful sports stories). So from my scribbling hand came such 9-page tomes as Aliens In My Backyard! and The Tournament of Golf (sounds so epic, doesn’t it?). Eventually I turned specifically to horror and fantasy yarns, and published my first story through a contest with the YA series Strange Matter, when I was 12. My first paid publication came when I was 19.
-What brought Skunk Ape Semester to life?
A voracious fascination with the paranormal, stemming back to when I was 13 and received a copy of cryptozoologist Karl Shuker’s The Unexplained. Thus began years of “research”, meaning recreational reading that I didn’t know would become research once the idea for Skunk Ape Semester plopped into my head. And I shouldn’t forget my Friday (then Sunday) night ritual of The X-Files.
At the time I actually thought of the novel, I’d been on a beatnik literary kick, sopping up Jack Kerouac, Tom Wolfe, and others. Then, one day, in one of those random neural events, an On the Road synapse met an X-Files synapse, and I wondered what it might be like to tour the country’s stranger places, places of Bigfoot, vortices, the Chupacabra, Lake Monsters, etc. Although I did do this in real life (to a certain extent), the notion soon became fictionalized in Skunk Ape Semester.
-What is coming up in the wide world of Mike?
Later this year Curiosity Quills Press will be publishing my supernatural thriller The Green-Eyed Monster, as well as my existential horror novel The Prince of Earth, which will debut early 2013.
-What’s on the horizon for you?
Currently I’m on the third attempt of an ambitious fantasy / science fiction project. The first attempt crashed and burned (mercifully), and the second attempt caught a bad case of doubt and slipped into an irreversible coma. So far the third has been trucking along, but I’m on high alert.
-What is one of your biggest goals in this writing life?
I’d say my primary goal is to marry successfully the good qualities of so-called “literary” and “genre” fiction. My favorite authors do this. As a reader, I find my tastes are in the minority. Formulaic genre fiction bores me, as does pretentious literary fiction. Both could use something from the other. I love genre fiction with vibrant characters, an original and colorful style, and an awareness of larger, existential concerns. I also love literary fiction that knows how to deliver a good story, and doesn’t get bogged down in masturbatory minutia.
Another “subgoal” of mine is to help launch a new way of approaching paranormal fiction (I know, sounds pretentious in its own right). But I think a lot of the recycled vampires and zombies have lost that cool creepy edge of the unknown. Let’s put the “para” back in “normal” and come up with something truly original and just plain out there.
-What line of prose are you the most proud of?
Given the amount of writing I’ve done, I have a number of passages that I’ve eventually refined into something I’m proud to say came from me, but from Skunk Ape Semester I’d say this is one of my favorites:
“It was all hyper-realistic, an embossed world, one that stood out in all its vivid laws and color, and, driving along, the Soulless Scientist in me – the one who tallied the ‘rational’ explanations for everything – fell into a grandiose sleep at the childish but very thrilling realization that nothing was rational, that life was paranormal in and of itself, that the universe’s existence was the strangest unexplained phenomenon ever known or that could ever be known. Our search to prove or debunk the validity of the ‘paranormal’ world would be rendered moot if we just realized that the ghosts and the alien conspiracies paled compared to the mystery of the person in the mirror.”
-What would you like to be remembered for?
Hmm, I suppose I’ll take the generic writerly answer and say I’d like to be remembered for being an author of consistent quality and honesty. Who knows if I’ll have one piece by which people will remember me. If I do, I doubt I’ve written it yet.
-Are you happy?
I can thankfully say I am. I’m incredibly appreciative for this life. As Cormac McCarthy says, “Life is pretty damn good, even when it looks bad. We should be grateful, even if we’re not sure who to be grateful to.”
Find Mike here:
http://www.skunkapesemester.com/index...
http://twitter.com/MikeSkunkApe
Hard copy: http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Ape-Semes...
Ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Ape-Semes...
