Kurt Brindley's Blog, page 72
August 1, 2016
Write Edit Write: A Private Facebook Group for Writers and Readers
So, I’m creating a private Facebook group for writers and readers who are interested in the discussion of all things related to the process and business of writing.
This will be somewhat an extension of what I do with the Newsletter Love subscribers, but on a much more intimate and informal level. The newsletter process is a bit too formal and segmented and involving to really achieve what I would like to achieve, which is: to network, make connections, and improve our abilities and chances for success as writers.
As much as I hate to admit it, Facebook provides a much better environment to achieve this objective.
Like we’ve done with the newsletter, we can do poetry and flash fiction challenges there as well, with the goal of getting the best of the group’s writing onto my blog and out via the newsletter (is there irony to be found there?)
I am willing to moderate this members only group, provided the members are willing to receive free copies of all my published work and are willing to consider writing reviews for them. In addition to my present work, I would provide all future work for free to these members and ask for them to be both beta readers and to post early reviews of the work once published to help with future sales.
As some of you may know, I am producing a short film called LEAVE that is based upon a screenplay adapted from my short story of the same name. I will provide first and sometimes exclusive insight to the movie making process to this group as I learn it. I will also post photos and videos there that I’ll take when on set. We currently are scheduled to shoot the film in LA in mid-October of this year. If you become of member of this group, you will hear any news about the film first.
Who knows how this group will evolve but the early members will be the ones who help me build the foundation for its future.
Some current projects I’m working on that I hope to finish soon with the group’s help are:
– a short story collection, which includes the short story LEAVE.
– part two of Hercules Gone Mad (I’ve been hoping to finish the story collection and part two for a long time now, which is why I will look to this group to help motivate me to bring them to completion)
– a feature film length script for LEAVE (we already have distributors interested in the movie but they need to see a completed full-length script first)
But the group wouldn’t be just about me. My hope is that all within the group could forge relationships where each could seek similar help from others for her or his own writing efforts.
So, there is a lot we can discuss and accomplish there. If you are interested, you can either let me know publicly in the comment section and I will email you the link; or, you can email me through the contact page and I will reply to you with the link.
I used to call this blog WRITE EDIT WRITE a while back so that’s what I will call the group for now. We’ll see how things evolve and change its name if needed. Let me know when you’re a member if you have a better name. :)
But I can’t create the group until I have at least one member so please let me know if you’re in.
Right on?
Oh yeah… let’s do this, my friends.
Write on!
Filed under: Writing Tagged: books, editing, fiction, film, independent films, Indie Artists, Indie Authors, movies, novels, photography, poetry, publishing, short films, writing
July 31, 2016
Write Edit Write: A Private Facebook Group for Writers and Readers
So, I’m creating a private Facebook group for writers and readers who are interested in the discussion of all things related to the process and business of writing.
This will be somewhat an extension of what I do with the Newsletter Love subscribers, but on a much more intimate and informal level. The newsletter process is a bit too formal and segmented and involving to really achieve what I would like to achieve, group, which is: to network, make connections, and improve our abilities and chances for success as writers.
As much as I hate to admit it, Facebook provides a much better environment to achieve this objective.
Like we’ve done with the newsletter, we can do poetry and flash fiction challenges there as well, with the goal of getting the best of the group’s writing onto my blog and out via the newsletter (is there irony to be found there?)
I am willing to moderate this members only group, provided the members are willing to receive free copies of all my published work and would consider writing reviews for them. In addition to my present work, I would provide all future work for free to these members and ask for them to be both beta readers and to post early reviews of the work once published to help with future sales.
As some of you may know, I am producing a short film called LEAVE that is based upon a screenplay adapted from my short story of the same name. I will provide first and sometimes exclusive insight to the movie making process to this group as I learn it. I will also post photos and videos there that I’ll take when on set. We currently are scheduled to shoot the film in LA in mid-October of this year. If you become of member of this group, you will hear any news about the film first.
Who knows how this group will evolve but the early members will be the ones who help me build the foundation for its future.
Some current projects I’m working on that I hope to finish soon with the group’s help are:
– a short story collection, which includes the short story LEAVE.
– part two of Hercules Gone Mad (I’ve been hoping to finish the story collection and part two for a long time now, which is why I will look to this group to help motivate me to bring them to completion)
– a feature film length script for LEAVE (we already have distributors interested in the movie but they need to see a completed full-length script first)
But the group wouldn’t be just about me. My hope is that all within the group could forge relationships where each could seek similar help from others for her or his own writing efforts.
So, there is a lot we can discuss and accomplish there. If you are interested, you can either let me know publicly in the comment section and I will email you the link; or, you can email me through the contact page and I will reply to you with the link.
I used to call this blog WRITE EDIT WRITE a while back so that’s what I will call the group for now. We’ll see how things evolve and change its name if needed. Let me know when you’re a member if you have a better name. :)
But I can’t create the group until I have at least one member so please let me know if you’re in.
Right on?
Oh yeah… let’s do this, my friends.
Write on!
Filed under: Writing Tagged: books, editing, fiction, film, independent films, Indie Artists, Indie Authors, movies, novels, photography, poetry, publishing, short films, writing
July 30, 2016
Games of Thrones + Peaky Blinders / Harry Potter = In the Heart of the Sea
IN THE HEART OF THE SEA
FILM | MOVIE | STUDIO | DRAMA
RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★
At least that seems to be the math formula used to come up with the cast list. I suppose, though, to get the full sum of major characters, we would have to carry the new James Bond movies and take the square root of The Avengers.
I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. I was prepared, based upon its flopping like a whale of a fish at the box office, for it to be a complete dud. However, except for some lame CGI scenes, I found it to be quite… “the bomb*.”
I especially enjoyed how the tale of a whaling ship being brought to doom by a vindictive whale – the inspiration for Moby Dick, of course – was unwillingly told by the old drunkard of a whaler Tom Nickerson (Mad Eye Moody) to Herman Melville (Q).
Some other notable cast member characters are:
Thor – Owen Chase
Vampire hunter, Abraham Lincoln – George Pollard
Thomas Shelby – Matthew Joy
Authur Shelby – Caleb Chappel
Catelyn Stark – Mrs. Nickerson
Benjen Stark – Benjamin Lawrence
Spiderman – Young Tom Nickerson
Tom Riddle – Henry Coffin
I guess I’m going to have to give the book the movie is based on another try. I downloaded the audiobook version via my Overdrive app a while ago, but it kept putting me to sleep. But, in the book’s defense, most audiobooks do that to me so it’s best not to judge it solely by its lullaby effect upon me.
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BOOK
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ON DEMAND/DVD
*In this instance, “the bomb” is used in the spirit of the contemporary vernacular of the youth to mean something good, as opposed to “a bomb,” which, of course and as oddly as it may seem, means something bad… like a dud.
~~~~
Rating System:
★ = Unwatchable
★ ★ = Poor Movie
★ ★ ★ = Average Movie
★ ★ ★ ★ = Outstanding Movie
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ = Exceptional Movie
Filed under: Reviews Tagged: Abraham Lincoln, books, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, In the Heart of the Sea, James Bond, movie reviews, movies, on demand, Peaky Blinders, reviews, Spiderman, Thor, writing
July 29, 2016
More Brain Drain Stuff
Image courtesy of National Institute on Aging
So… based on your very kind, honest, and funny feedback to my last post , it appears that Cards Against Humanity , while being fun and completely aligned with my temperament, may not be the game best suited for building up my brain muscle.
I know there are several companies out there now that say they have games and apps that will improve one’s cognitive function and may hold diseases like Alzheimer’s at bay. However, those companies were pretty much debunked by a group of neuroscientists with this.
The good news is that there may actually be one game out there that does improve brain function.
From the LA Times:
If you’re intent on keeping dementia at bay, new research suggests you’ll need more than crossword puzzles, aerobic exercise and an active social life. In a study released Sunday, researchers found that older adults who did exercises to shore up the speed at which they processed visual information could cut by nearly half their likelihood of cognitive decline or dementia over a 10-year period…
The data that the LA Times is reporting from was presented at the Alzheimer’s Assn.’s International Conference.
The study the data was drawn from was conducted by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging.
The game used in the study found to be effective is called Double Decision.
Of course you have to become a paid subscriber to play the game. If you pay monthly, it costs $14.00. If you pay annually, it costs $8.00.
A monthly membership to Golds Gym costs around $25.00 a month.
I am not yet sure if I am going to subscribe to play the game but I am sure, based upon your feedback and my research, that muscles, brains or otherwise, are expensive to build and maintain.
Filed under: Health Tagged: Aging, Alzheimer's, brain, brain games, brain health, Cards Against Humanity, cognitive disorders, games, health, National Institutes of Health, neuroscience, NIH
July 28, 2016
My Chemo Brain Counter-Offensive
So… yeah. I’ve been having some chemo brain issues for quite a while now and I’m in search of interesting ways to build up my brain muscle to counter these “cognitive disorder” side-effects, as my neurologist so neatly calls them.
I’ve never been a board game – or any game for that matter – kind of guy, but I’ve read and I’ve heard anecdotal evidence that board games do help with one’s focus and clarity issues.
With this anecdotal evidence as my impetus, of course I went to Amazon, the event horizon of the internet, and searched around for what the best board game for my particular interests would be.
And I found this:
As you can see, it tags itself as “A party game for horrible people.” And while I don’t feel that I’m all that horrible, after reading a few of the many thousands of reviews, it does seem like a game that would appeal to my interests.
Does that make me so horrible?
That was rhetorical.
Anyway…
Which brings me to the point of this pointy post…
Research, with you being my source information.
Have you played the game? And if so, what do you think of it? Is it fun? Challenging? Stoopid? Do you feel you have a stronger brain because of your playing it?
And don’t worry, just because you played the game doesn’t mean I will judge you as a horrible person.
Necessarily…
I will, however, admire your courage for admitting it.
If you’re not familiar with the game, you can learn more about it here .
Filed under: Health Tagged: Amazon, board games, cancer, Cards Against Humanity, chemo, chemo brain, chemotherapy, cognitive disorders, games, health, humor, leukemia, side effects
July 22, 2016
The Happily Disgruntled Writer Ponders The Broad Appeal of Donald J. Trump’s Leadership Qualities…
#unfortunatelyimwithher
#wakemeupwhenitsover
#dontwakemeupwhenitsover
Filed under: Humor Tagged: cartoons, comics, Democratic National Convention, Democrats, Donald Trump, drawing, Happily Disgruntled Writer, Hillary Clinton, humor, political cartoons, political parties, politics, Republican National Convention, Rupublicans
July 15, 2016
Calling all fans of creepy suspense… | A Guest Post by Author Timothy G. Huguenin
Calling all fans of creepy suspense, small-town horror, and dystopian fiction!
My name is Timothy G. Huguenin (but let’s cut the pretense here—just call me Tim). I just launched When the Watcher Shakes, a dark suspense novel about a mysterious religious sect hidden in the isolated mountains of West Virginia. It’s such an important story to me because it’s representative of my own spiritual and personal journey, and it’s also set in the same beloved mountains where I grew up. I want to share it with you guys through Kurt’s blog, because he’s all about relationships and characters, and though it’s something of a genre story, I wanted to focus heavily on the characters residing in this cult and how their leader’s lies affect each person differently. The story is kind of a mix of Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines series, my life experiences, and Orwell’s 1984.
Here is a nutshell version of the book to whet your appetite:
The walls were meant to keep evil out—but they only hid the evil within.
John has given up his ordinary life to find wisdom traveling the country and enjoy the freedom of living as a nomad. But when he stumbles across a mysterious town tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains, walled off from modern society, he discovers a group of people who could use some freedom of their own. Are they a harmless religious sect, or is there something less benign underneath the surface?
The townspeople are initially wary of their new visitor, but as John questions their way of life, some of them begin to have questions of their own. As the leadership’s tight control unravels, men and women break free from the chains of legalism–some literally, and some at the cost of their own lives.
The best thing about this story? The Kindle version is free until Sunday. So get on over to Amazon and check it out!
I’d love to have you visit my website, tghuguenin.com. Come on over and let’s get to know each other.
I would like to thank Tim for his donation in support of my movie making endeavors and for sharing the news of the launch of his debut novel with us. Please take the time to check out Tim’s site and his writing and support him in his efforts.
Filed under: Books Tagged: 1984, authors, books, dark suspense, dystopian literature, George Orwell, Guest Authors, horror, Indie Authors, small town horror, suspense, writing, WTWS
July 13, 2016
The bridges of Ashtabula County, Ohio
It must mean something that I’m coming across this and that about my hometown on the web recently (maybe it has something to do with the Cavs realigning the Universe with their winning of the NBA Championship).
Thanks so much to my friend Ava of Fresh Brewed Thoughts for “bridging” this to my attention.
Please visit Bruce Stambaugh’s wonderful site to see all of his beautiful covered bridge photographs.
Roadkill Crossing, and other tales from Amish Country
Benetka Road Bridge.
By Bruce Stambaugh
I’ve been curious about covered bridges for a long time. I wondered about their purpose other than the obvious one of crossing from one side of a stream to another.
My curiosity got the best of me recently. Accompanied by my wife and another couple, we went exploring all 18 of Ashtabula County’s covered bridges. We discovered that the unique architectural wonders were so much more than a conveyance from one bank to another.
If you’re not familiar with Ashtabula County, it’s Ohio’s northeastern most county. It bumps against both Lake Erie on the north and Pennsylvania to the east.
It’s a big county with varied topography and land usage. Its trail of covered bridges is one of its most distinctive features. Most of the bridges are still in use today.
Covered bridge hobbyists admire the intricate architectural details of the wooden tunnels. I…
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Filed under: Photography Tagged: Ashtabula, Ashtabula County, bridges, covered bridges, hometowns, life, nature, ohio, photography, writing
July 9, 2016
Poetry Is My Balm
Many of the haiku and other poems in Short Verses & Other Curses were written as a therapeutic balm in response to my cancer. I don’t know why or how I survived all that nonsense but I suspect writing the poems helped at least a little.
Recent events make it seem to me that my country is suffering such a life-threatening and cancerous disease so I was naturally drawn to some of the poems I wrote for the collection. To some degree they helped again, if only as a temporary distraction from present reality.
I doubt if these poems have any healing power potent enough for all the ills sickening my nation; however, it is out of love and desperation that I shall share them with you now.
For the next day or so, please feel free to download the collection. If any of the poems move you in any way, I ask that you share your thoughts here in the comment section. If you have any other poetry that you believe will help relieve a troubled soul, I ask that you also share those with us as well.
You may download the collection by clicking on its book cover.
Peace.
Filed under: Poetry Tagged: crime, culture, guns, haiku, hate, life, love, photography, poems, poetry, police shootings, therapy, writing, 俳句
July 8, 2016
No Point In Asking
When I first began articulating this post in my head, it was framed around the question, “When will it all end?”
But after just a few seconds of contemplation around it I quickly realized that question is quite ridiculous.
Obviously, we are no where near a point in which we can even begin speculating about the end to all this madness.
And after last night’s shootings, I am quite sure we are actually at a new beginning.
A tragic new beginning with an ancient foundation of seemingly immovable hate.
Not just for the other’s race, or the other’s politics, or the other’s finances, but a hate from where all other hate stems.
A hate for ourselves.
We Americans are like the spoiled, bully rich kid who, because he’s always had everything given to him, it is impossible for him to see that everything is all there is.
He wants more and if he can’t have it he is going to whine and kick and piss in his pants and make it a living hell for anyone and everyone around him.
We Americans have it all.
But it’s not enough.
Guns in our society are a problem. But they are not the problem.
We are the problem.
And we know it.
And we hate ourselves for it.
#lookwithin
#stopthehate
#startthelove
Filed under: Culture Tagged: #blacklivesmatter, American culture, culture, gun violence, guns, hate, life, love, police shootings, racism, society, writing
