Patrick C. Greene's Blog: BEST BLOG EVER!, page 11
January 15, 2014
“I’M BETWEEN PROJECTS.” ….YEEEEAAAAH RIGHT.
A co-worker casually asked me what my current writing project was. Foreseeing an extended, rambling discourse littered with bumbling, incoherent summaries of my many irons in the fire, I saved myself some awkwardness and my co-worker some boredom by tossing out “Well, I’m kinda between projects right now.”
Truth is, I’m never between projects, and I doubt many of my fellow writers, if they’re serious, could say they are either.
Before writing my novel PROGENY, I concentrated my writing efforts on screenwriting and the occasional short story. In the world of screenwriting, assuming you’re able to get past the initial obstacles that are in place to weed out those poor deluded souls who unfortunately lack the talent, discipline, or knowledge to complete a polished screenplay, the writer is not necessarily the Last Word on the story’s direction, themes, characters, setting, title, etc. Many screenwriters spend the bulk of their careers working from someone else’s idea or treatment.
Those who manage to get their spec (for ‘speculation’, meaning the script is totally original, written with the hopes that a producer will be interested in the script itself, as opposed to just wanting to hire the writer) past the other submitters and readers (there are people working for the production companies, often unpaid interns, whose main function is to read scripts and separate the wheat from the chaff) will then receive ‘notes,’ which basically address the elements of the script that aren’t agreeable to the potential producer and/or director.
Sometimes, the changes being requested have to do with budget, location, or casting possibilities. Other times, there is no discernible reason.
All this is to say that screenwriters will often find themselves working on several projects at once. Those ‘notes’ come in out of the blue, often after you’ve given up on that particular lead. Suddenly you’re burning the midnight oil to meet a new deadline, forcing aside whatever else you might have been working on.
I tend to fall into a certain groove with a project. Once I start a screenplay or story, I immerse much of myself into that world, viewing the world through its specific “rules,” if you will. The feel, the general atmosphere may almost always be more or less dark, but in varying shades, from one project to another. To suddenly leave behind one world and jump back into another is disconcerting at best.
But after a while, ya just gotta be a pro and go with it.
I’ve known authors who work on a sort of stream-of-consciousness basis, starting projects as the inspiration hits them. This results in the juggling of several stories at once. For me, the initial story idea goes into a notebook or email to myself, and gets revisited depending on how intensely it haunts me as the project at hand comes to a close. But I can see the advantage of taking a break from one project to have some fun with a less serious, less “urgent” work.
Nowadays, I lean toward treating screenwriting as a pastime almost, while painting more ambitious landscapes on the canvas of prose. More accurately, that is the position of my current cycle. Screenplay formatting actually makes for a great first draft for pure prose, which is why I’m converting the tales that comprise “Twisted Fates,” the omnibus script currently in development at SaintSinner Entertainment, into short stories. I enjoy reading a book and then comparing it to its film adaptation, and vice versa, so I figure there are others of like mind. Two of those stories are currently available; “Nightbound” in the vampire anthology WRAPPED IN RED, and “Fate by Firelight” in DARK DESTINIES. The third, GUARDIAN OF THE ORCHARD, is currently in the hands of my editor.
So, having just turned in the latest draft of Fates to the producers at SaintSinner, I’ve also submitted and am awaiting response from a publisher on my second novel “The Crimson Calling,” (which is also the first of a trilogy.) That means (hopefully) revision notes on that one in the near future. Then there’s a film project I can’t yet discuss, commissioned by foreign producers, also my locally produced web series “The Outside Man”, my submission for the coming WRAPPED IN WHITE ghost anthology, and any number of short story ideas hammering their way out of my skull.
So, with apologies for my li’l white lie, I laugh at the notion of being “between projects,” hoping quite frankly, that I never am.
January 11, 2014
The Voice of God is Dead…
BUY IT TODAY!
THE MURDERED METATRON
Book 1 of
THE METATRON MYSTERIES
By James Glass
Prologue
John Smith looked at his silent phone and tried to scratch his back. It had always itched for as long as he could remember – which was not a particularly long time – and his extensive collection of back-scratchers were no help. He’d spent hundreds of dollars he didn’t have on massage sessions asking only that the masseuse scratch him as hard as they could. Sometimes with a fork.
He took out the serrated knife tied securely to a stick and began to run the teeth over his reddened flesh. He had been to countless dermatologists and doctors. The conclusion was always the same; it must be a result of the accident that had left him in a coma for two weeks. After the coma he woke with no memory of who he was, no one to claim him, and two long scars running the length of either side of his back. They itched like hell, dammit.
via The Voice of God is Dead….
January 9, 2014
New Godzilla Teaser!!!!
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, Godzilla will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.Slated to open on May 16, 2014, the film is expected to be presented in 3D.
January 8, 2014
STILL DYING 2: Zombie Anthology
Here it is! Read an excerpt below…
*********************
STILL DYING 2
Zombie Anthology
Nine authors… Ten stories… nothing but zombie horror!
An excerpt from
STILL DYING 2
HOW ME AND BOZY BECAME DADS
By Patrick C Greene
They just popped up one day, the creeps, when we was out doing some community service, clearing the highway.
Some guy was stumbling around off down the interstate a good piece, and I said “Someday, that’s prolly gonna be me.”
“Stop jabbering to yo’ sef,” Bozy muttered, “They gonna send you off somewheres.”
“I don’t know man,” I answered, “This is prolly the end of the line for me.”
“Don’t be all down. Be glad you’re outside today.”
Funny. Bozy had sort of turned into my bodyguard and big brother since I got transferred to medium security back in February. What was funny about it, Bozy was about five-six, maybe one-forty after chow. He was locked up for stealing checks; he had used ‘em to buy his girlfriend some clothes for her new job, so they could get ahead.
And here I was, six-two and finishing a stretch for armed robbery. Bozy took up for me on day one. Turned out he was just a really good guy deep down. Being kinda small, he had to kick the shit out of three other inmates on his first day—and they tell me he did it easy.
I had managed to maintain good behavior while I was in max. So when I showed up at County to do my last year, I was nervous, coming off like a bitch waiting to be broken. He told everybody right away to lay off. And they did.
I found myself turning around, realizing I got antsy anytime his black ass got too far away, and made my way toward him. Further down the stretch was Tollison, Jefferies and Pokey, so-named not because he was slow, but because he had poked out the eye of one of his mugging victims. They were all caught up in filling their trash bags, thinking about what it would be like to be back out here everyday, I guess.
Puttering around the side of the road, I found a half-empty, fairly fresh bag of Funyons, and thought about holding onto it, passing it off to the hobo when he made his way past us. I didn’t expect he’d get hit by a car.
Right as I picked up the bag and rolled it up, Officer Schlotsky started toward me, bowing up his arms and shoulders, bringing his shotgun around in front of him like he was ready to bring it up and butt me with it. “Whatchoo got there, Randall? Lemme see it.”
“It’s just a snack. For that man.” I pointed off toward that weird guy still stumbling our way, sure Schlotsky would take one look and wave it off. Instead, he had to be an asshole about it.
He slapped the bag out of my hands, spilling Funyons all over the dewy grass. “Fuck that. If you was a good Samaritan, you wouldn’t be here.” Then Schlotsky stepped on those Funyons, crushing them into the ground, staring me down all squinty-eyed like the pig he was; tough with his shotgun. Just like I had been with mine.
READ MORE
December 30, 2013
The Metatron Mysteries
Reblogged from Sekhmet Press LLC:
Sekhmet Press LLC
is proud to bring you
THE METATRON MYSTERIES
Beginning with a re-release of Book 1:
The Murdered Metatron
on January 11, 2014
followed quickly by Book 2:
The Dispossessed
in February
"John Smith is a PI, and not a very successful one. Until the day two men call and offer him a job- and a large paycheck. Tracking down Virgil Callahan was the easy part- learning the story behind the man was the hard part.
December 9, 2013
WORLD OF BLOOD – Exsanguinate
Who doesn’t love a great vampire series, especially at Christmas time!
Today we’re interviewing the married writing team, Killion Slade, and featuring their newly released novel
Exsanguinate
***
Amidst an impending vampire apocalypse, Cheyenne finds herself both in conflict for survival and for her heart. Will her immortal self derail any hope of solving the multiplying puzzles before time runs out to save her sisters, herself and her humanity?
WATCH THE TRAILER
***
Q. How did you meet?
A. We met in the virtual reality online game Second Life. Mr. Slade was selling his real world photographs to other game players, and Mrs. Slade was doing research for a client related to the World of Warcraft. After a casual meeting at a dance club, it was discovered that we both worked in the same profession with separate specialties. This led to days at work conferencing over VoIP, and evenings virtually dating on Second Life. Less than a year later, Mrs. Slade had made the move to Montana. Virtually commuting days at the day job and spending evenings together in real life became our normal lifestyle.
Q. This novel has an interactive second screen website?
A. Yes, we were inspired by Chantal Noordeloos from her recent release on Coyote, with their second screen version. To read our novel, it is stand alone, but for those who want a little more – we provided the extra special secret bonus features. We like to think of it as a Blu-ray of reading. You loved the movie – now you want to see the special features, deleted scenes, interviews with the characters, etc. That is how we envisioned a reader might want to enjoy a few of the extended scenes which didn’t necessarily move the story forward or have the action required, but they would enjoy reading an extended zombie parade scene, a Battle Kroc fight sequence, or expand on the haunted houses inside the theme park.
The ebook version has interactive links to the World of Blood website which does exactly that. It allows the reader, if they so desire, to navigate to the website from their phone, tablet or PC and read the extras, check out the pictures, and learn more from each character’s dossier. The printed book has a QR code is embedded in the text inviting the reader to experience more if they would like to explore.
Each version of the book stands alone on its own. A reader need not use the website to enjoy the story. The website is for the extra little goodies. Scenes that we wanted to include, but didn’t necessarily move the story forward at the fast pace needed in today’s instant gratification society. For example, we enjoyed writing out a detailed zombie parade scene, it was great fun, but all of that detail didn’t have direct impact on the plot structure and needed to be cut. We wanted to reward the reader who would like to have read the zombie parade scene, and now they can.
Q. How do you story board inside Second Life?
A. Together we own a small section of mainland where we have a photography studio and enough room to build custom backdrops. The studio has hundreds of poses as well as third party “pose balls” which enable us to position the avatars to build our scenes. Not only does this allow us to set a scene, it also gives us a reason to spend time where we met. Our book trailers rely heavily on the scenes created inside Second Life.
Q. Why did you choose to write this story?
A. We had both done some personal writing in the past. Deeply interested in vampires, dragons, and other preternatural and natural phenomenon, a spark formed. We began talking about a story line that encompassed our combined interests. This story involves items from history, mythology, virtual realities, and our imaginations.
Q. Is it hard to write with your spouse?
A. We must both admit that yes, writing with a spouse can definitely have its challenges. But the rewards outweigh any obstacle thrown at us. It’s fun to have a conversation about people who don’t exist and turn them into characters people can enjoy.
Q. Would you do it again?
A. Not only would we, but we have planned out the World of Blood series to include five, possibly six books. We look to release The Blood Oath – World of Blood – Book Two in 2014.
About the Author
Killion Slade is a married writing team who met in the virtual realms of Second Life and virtually enjoy everything. Members of the Horror Writers Association and the Paranormal Romance Guild, they storyboard their characters inside Second Life as their avatars reveal their stories. Tucked away in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Northern Montana, they stay busy chasing kids, corralling horses and cats, and enjoying the harvest from their garden. Married on Halloween – they love to live life to the fullest and embrace one another each and every day.
Killion Slade can be reached at the following:
Email: Killion@killionslade.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/killion.slade
Website: http://www.killionslade.com/contact/
Related articles
Exsanguinate (horroraddicts.wordpress.com)
Killion Slade (cemeteryflowerblog.wordpress.com)
December 4, 2013
PCG’s Quirky Queue: The Queue Quirks Back
It’s been too long since I dropped some mind contro-uuhhh, bloggery, on you, so I’m taking some time out from polishing my new novel THE CRIMSON CALLING to churn out a few capsule reviews of my recent fevered film viewings. As always, I’ve sought out some of the most bizarre and unheralded gems from the action and horror genres, barely escaping with my senses intact, in some cases.
RITES OF SPRING: I was pleasantly surprised by this pastiche of slasher, supernatural and doomed/abducted victims (clunky I know, but more accurate than the term “torture porn”) sub-genres. Some nice surprises and powerful suspense.
OLDBOY: The original Korean version of the Spike Lee flick currently tanking in cinemas is complete–no familiar A or B list white folk needed. It tells its story nearly flawlessly–and is devastating.GRAVE ENCOUNTERS: I’m not a fan of the found footage sub-genre, but this particular entry works better than most, and nearly as well as a traditional narrative flick. Even the acting, and (can’t believe I’m writing this) camerawork is spot on most of the time.
ZU WARRIORS: Tsui Hark‘s directorial remake of the 1987 fantasy film he produced, which is said to have caused a resurgence of western interest in Hong Kong cinema, is beautiful to behold, but severely lacking in storytelling, and a bit light on kung fu for my tastes.
HU YING (Fistful of Talons): Malaysian kung fu whiz Billy Chong in a better than average 70s effort featuring RETURN OF THE DRAGON’sIn Sik in another brutal villain role. The stunt fighters absorb some amazing bumps in slow motion, long before it was possible to CGI out their crash pads.
13 ASSASSINS: Master auteur Takashi Miike delivers an outstanding contemporary samurai epic that is both emotionally powerful and shockingly brutal. EXTINCTION: The cleverly misleading plot synopsis leads to a disappointing viewing experience involving parkour zombies in the usual post-apocalyptic setting. Might’ve been better with around twenty minutes cut from its two hourish running time.
ANNA IN KUNG FU LAND: Fun and colorful videogame-like adventure with decent enough fighting and acting. Some of the Asian-centric comedy may not land well with westerners.
SADAKO: This update of the Japanese hit THE RING might have worked in its original theatrical 3D format, but falls flat, if you’ll forgive the pun, without the gimmick.
THE LEGEND IS BORN: IP MAN: Yet another in a long line of recent bio pics about the former wing chun instructor of one Mister Bruce Lee. Set during Sifu Man’s late youth, it may not have the presence of a Donnie Yen to propel it, but still offers plenty of decent action and drama.FROM WITHIN: Another “pleasant” surprise from out of nowhere, with a rash of horrifying suicides plaguing a town falling rapidly under the spell of a young fundamentalist minister. Day-for-night shots will make you cringe, but otherwise, a great hidden gem.
S&MAN: The title is supposed to be pronounced “Sandman” but–whatever. I will say it caught me off guard and left me a little befuddled, but I recommend it.
DOOMSDAY BOOK: More Korean goodness, this time in the form of an anthology of sci fi and horror stories that tend to be more thoughtful than the usual bite size scares. Beautifully photographed as well.SCOURGE: I don’t even remember watching this–yet there it is, on my viewing activity list, and with a paltry two star score. Maybe that’s all one needs to know? I’ll have to look into this mystery further…
.
.
MORE from PCG’s QUIRKY QUEUE
From the Quirky Queue of PCG
The Super Returning of…PCG’S Quirky Queue!
November 22, 2013
Trench Coats, Pretty Dames, and Video Games
Trench Coats, Pretty Dames, and Video Games
If someone ever asks me why I wrote COLT COLTRANE AND THE LOTUS KILLER, those seven words will pretty much sum it up.
I love the way men and women dressed in the forties, fifties, and the early sixties. Everyone was gorgeous back then. Look at a picture of your mother or your grandmother from those days and try to find a flaw. Her hair will be perfectly curled and shaped. Her makeup and jewelry will be just so. Her dresses will be perfectly tailored to fit her body, because the whole concept of buying mass-produced clothing off a discount store rack was still pretty much unheard of back then, and she probably made that dress herself because it was cheaper. And the men, so crisp in their suits, their features and closely cropped haircuts set off just so by their fedoras.
While I have been in love with the COLT era for quite some time, and I had the idea of this particular book in my head for several years, I didn’t start to feel like I had it in me to actually sit down and write it. Details necessary to writing period fiction tend to elude me, and despite how many years I’d watched movies and studied the history of the era, I felt ill prepared to tackle it until I played a video game of all things. L.A. Noire, to be precise. 
As anyone who follows Rockstar Games knows, they pride themselves on highly detailed and authentic environments. The game happened to be set in the same year as Colt, and the main character in the game is a police officer. So not only was I able to play through actual crime scene investigation techniques necessary for Colt to know (as a former homicide cop), I was also able to get a feel for the ways people communicated, the types of cars they drove, the actual landmarks in Los Angeles at the time, and any other cultural nuances. And it was that game’s exploration of the city’s storm drain system that inspired me to create the monster lurking there. Rockstar might have taken creative liberties too, but then again I added robots to the mix.
While some would argue that video games are more of a diversion from writing than an actual tool, in this case, I would have to disagree. For someone like me, who is a very kinesthetic kind of learner, playing this game was better than watching movies or surfing the internet. I was actually able to reach out and interact with the environment in a way that was impossible in any other medium. The game also has a fantastic soundtrack (available on Spotify). In a way, the experience of using a video game to help me write this book was like the world of Colt Coltrane himself. A bridging of the past and the present to create a soupy mix of fun ideas. I can’t wait for folks to eat it up.
CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY
Join the Virtual Release Party Saturday November 23rd 1-3 pm EST
Related articles
Strings Book Tour with Allison Dickson (arbookcorner.wordpress.com)
Best Horror Fiction of 2013 – STRINGS (sekhmetpress.wordpress.com)
Meet Horror Novelist Allison M. Dickson (examiner.com)
Culling Forth the Darkness (Again) (fearwriter.wordpress.com)
THE LAST WEDDING IN THE MIDNIGHT CHAPEL by Allison M. Dickson (sekhmetpress.wordpress.com)
Strings: Opening Weekend Book Release (hobbesend.wordpress.com)
November 12, 2013
Guest Post: Patrick C. Greene
Reblogged from Armand Rosamilia:
THE DEAD ROCK!
Patrick C Greene
In honor of Armand's DYING DAYS series, and the upcoming anthology based in its universe, I decided to take a look at how the zombie phenomenon has infected the popular and underground music scenes.
Okay. Maybe not the Top Ten – but here’s my take anyway.
Back in nineteen eighty-something, Michael Jackson kicked off the pseudo-trend I guess, with his loving tribute to horror films, the extended music video for his smash hit Thriller.
In honor of Armand’s DYING DAYS series, and the upcoming anthology based in its universe, I decided to take a look at how the zombie phenomenon has infected the popular and underground music scenes.
blog zombie music
Okay. Maybe not the Top Ten – but here’s my take anyway.
November 6, 2013
Author Appearing in Asheville NC!
Patrick C. Greene will be appearing LIVE on The Jeff Messer Show and at Mr. K’s Books in Asheville NC
FRIDAY 11/8/2014
Patrick will be LIVE on the Jeff Messer Radio Show on 880am around
4:30pm
Listen LIVE on iHEART RADIO
After that Patrick will be at Mr. K’s Books signing books and running his mouth from
6-8pm
Mr. K’s BOOKS
Come out and see us!
BEST BLOG EVER!
- Patrick C. Greene's profile
- 153 followers
