Travis Thrasher's Blog, page 39

10 Reasons To Check Out The Solitary Tales

My 16th novel officially releases today. It's Gravestone and it's book two of The Solitary Tales.
So if you're not already a fan, here are ten reasons why you should be:
1. You're looking for a story that's unexpected and keeps your interest. If so, I promise you—this series will do it.

2. You love series. This is my first series, with four books planned (along with a few other surprising releases along the way).

3. You're tired of vampire stories. I promise you, there are no vampires in these books. At least none so far.

4. If you loved Twin Peaks but hated how the story drifted off to nowhere. I promise you—every question you might have in this series can be answered. The only question I have is which ones I'll choose to answer when the end comes.

5. You like spooky stories but you also don't mind a little dose of love. Oh, come on—who doesn't like a good ghost story along with a shot of teen romance?

6. You grew up in the 80's and loved John Hughes films. In many ways, this is my homage to the films I grew up watching—from Breakfast Club to Friday the 13th.

7. You love music. If so, then you'll fit in well inside the world of The Solitary Tales.

8. You want something that feels real, not fantasy or futuristic. This is as authentic as I can make a teenager's world out to be. Even though this is a supernatural series, Chris and his experiences are very real and very fitting for today.

9. You're tired of series that ultimately let you down. I'll admit—there's never a way to please everybody. But the mysteries will be revealed (most of them), and Chris's journey will have a crazy wild ending that will include hope and desperation.

10. Twilight is over. The Hunger Games is finished. You need an exciting new teen series to latch onto. What are you waiting for?? Solitary is free on kindle for a limited time only.

Discover The Solitary Tales before the rest of the world does and it becomes so clichéd to be a fan.☺

TT's Rules of Writing #8 (Writing Tip #79)

A long time ago I learned to stop asking my wife for input about my fiction.
No, my 8th rule for writing is not to ignore your spouse's input.
It's this:
Figure out who to listen to.
There are a lot (and I mean a lot) of people out there with opinions. It's so much easier having an opinion on a work of art rather than trying to make one. Everybody loves giving his or her two cents on movies, books, albums. That's just the world we live in today.
When you're a writer, you have to have input from somebody. Otherwise there's no way you can learn about the bad things you're doing (along with hearing about the good things). Getting input sometimes isn't the hard part. It's learning which input to trust.
I've shared this story often. When I first started working at a publisher, I got a writer's group to meet for lunch every week. The idea was that we'd all bring our writing for others to critique. Most of the people in this group were editors. That meant they were paid to give input. They were "experts" on writing.
What eventually ended up happening was that I was the only one bringing material to critique. I'm sure most of the material I showed was quite bad. Being the kind editors that they were, they helped me understand how bad that writing truly was.
I eventually dropped out of the writing group because it was too discouraging. Were they being honest? Yes. Were they bringing their work in for critique? No. Did I listen to their input? For the most part, yes. Did I need to get out of that group? Absolutely.
It wasn't their input that stung but the way they did it. I had invited them to bring it on--"I have thick skin" I told them. Well, my skin wasn't as tough back then. I really began to question my writing abilities.
At the same time, I used to also give some of my works-in-progress to my wife for input. Sharon is not much of a fiction reader, so it was a bit unfair to ask her. She would come back to me with comments that didn't quite match what I was looking for. "Why is this character named Mitch?" "You can't call a book that." "Who's this character supposed to be? Is this based on me?" Stuff like that. I'd always tell her that she was missing the point, that I wanted input on the story and whether it worked.
What I realized is that I shouldn't be asking her. It was unfair of me. And it usually only ended up discouraging and frustrating me.
Some novelists have spouses that are invaluable to their writing and publishing process. Some have friends or family members. Some trust their agent or long-time editor.
For me, I've worked with both my agent and an editor long enough to trust both of them. I've gotten a lot of input over the years by working with a variety of publishers, editors and even collaborators. I'm still learning.
Be careful who you ask to give you input. It might discourage or dishearten. But don't let it discontinue the writing. Be able to get input from someone who cares about you. Okay, maybe not your mother--she cares too much--but from someone who will be gentle. You might think that your skin is thick, but then a month later be in the doldrums not knowing why. That's what happened to me with that writer's group.
The thing I've always had going for myself is that I'm stubborn and hard-headed. And usually, if someone tells me something I don't like--well, deep down, there's a part of me that says I'll show you.
I've recognized this about myself and I'm learning. When an editor or someone in publishing gives me input, even if it's something I don't like to hear, I'm learning to not respond right away. To not take it personally. To then figure out exactly what they're saying and to see which points I actually think are correct. Then to get back to work since this is work we're talking about.

Starting This Week

On Wednesday, June 1, I'll begin Temptation, the third book in The Solitary Tales. It's the same day the second book, Gravestone, officially releases.
Maybe because this is a series--or because it's book three in it--but I've never been more ready to start a book.
Have to remember not to sprint out of the gates--that writing a novel is a marathon, even when you know exactly where you're going.

TT's Rules of Writing #7 (Writing Tip #78)

Every now and then, do the OPPOSITE of what you would normally do in your writing.
Here's the thing--everybody has his or her own voice. It's true. The more you write, the more you discover that voice with all its potential and problems. The difference between writers and singers is that writers are able to tweak and change that voice over time. All singers are able to do is get out the Auto-Tune machine.
So as you're working on trying to figure out your voice as a writer, it's easy to get stuck in the same patterns. Sometimes you can get stuck in a rut. If you write a lot without having the benefit of editors and acquisitions people critiquing your work, then you won't be able to truly know what's working and what's not (and no, your mother's opinion doesn't count).
That's why I suggest to occasionally do things differently.
For those of you who have read many of my books, I hope you would agree when I say that I've constantly tried to do different things in my fiction. I've written in first person, third person, and even (gulp) second person. Past and present tense. I've had books that have spanned over a ten-year period and ones that have taken place in under twenty-four hours. And yes, I've even done the sweet, syrupy love stories and the not-so-sweet, bloody horror stories.
Do I do these things to be difficult? Well, let's not answer that one. But the main reason I've done stuff like this is to try and do things differently. I'm learning just like everybody else.
With my novel, Broken, I tried to tell a story in the opposite way of how I'd normally tell it. I eliminated most characters' interior thoughts. I completely eliminated italics. There's little backstory and lots of action. I did do journal entries which are reflective, but other than that I really tried to tell this story in a different way.
If you feel like you're getting stuck in a rut, do the opposite of what you'd normally do. Whether it's style or tone or genre--whether it's the chapter length or the paragraph length (again, something I've tried to vary over the years)--whatever it might be in your writing, shake things up a bit and do it differently.
You might surprise yourself and find the results are better than expected.

The Tendency

I have a tendency to want to share what's going on in my writing life. In this Golden age of social media, everybody shares everything. Since I work in a job that's very isolating and solitary (yes--I know--but the titles do work), it's even more tempting to overshare. Since, of course, I think the stuff that I'm working on is very important.
But here's the thing--a lot of things that happen or that I'm working on are things I can't necessarily share.
For instance--there's the project that I'm working on right now. Can I talk about it? Nope. Will I ever be able to? I'm not sure. Is it fiction? Yes. Have I gotten paid for it? Half. So is it a TT novel? Nope.
That's just one vague example. There are conversations I've had between my agent and I. Between other agents who'd like to work with me. Between myself and other publishers. Between myself and other authors.
Then there are the future projects. And because it's easier to talk about something than to do it (hence the reason a lot of businesses love having meetings), I try to refrain from yammering on about a story idea. I don't want to divulge too much in case it's the next Harry Potter. I also don't want to say too much if the idea never happens.
So a lot of the things happening in my writing life--projects and pitches and ideas and happenings--are things I refrain from talking about. This can be particularly difficult on certain days.
Every single project I've worked on has always whispered this in my ear: "This might be huge!" And so far, every single project has come out without fulfilling that possibility. But that's the dream. That list of future projects that I have facing me on my dry erase board--the list of goals I have in my writing journal for 2011--the list of dreams I have for myself and my writing--they're for me and only me.
If something does go big, then it'll be worth talking about with others. For now, I'll keep the ideas spiralling around my head. I'll keep working. And I'll try, for the most part, to keep my mouth shut.

Why LOST Matters

A year ago the best television show I've ever watched came to a close. My wife and I shared a passion for this series, which is unique for us since we're so different. For that reason alone, I can justify enjoying Lost. But there are so many other reasons why it was so amazing.
Enough people have written about Lost so there's no need to go into details about the show. But after it was all said and done, there were a lot of people feeling like the finale was a disappointment and that all the show's many questions weren't answered.
Here's my simple comment to all of those who needed answers. The first three STAR WARS movies still mean something to me because of the characters. Ben Kenobi. Luke. Leia. Yoda. R2D2. And, of course, Han Solo. Wonderful wise-ass Han Solo. The rogue with a big heart who ends up having to endure hell to save everybody. (I've been through carbon freezing and it's not pretty) The Lord of the Rings saga means something to me because of the characters. Especially wonderful Frodo who starts out all bright-eyed and naieve and ends up having to endure hell to save everybody.
Lost means something to me because of the . . . characters. Yes, the mysteries were fun to ponder. And it was exciting to see where the producers and writers were taking us. But we wanted to find out because of the characters. We wanted to go on the journey WITH them. THEY are the reason the show mattered.
The characters--all of these broken and bruised people. All those wonderful lost souls. Especially Jack, who ends up having to endure hell to save everybody (well--as many as he can).
As for all those myriad of questions in Lost that went unanswered? Life is too short to dwell on them. I have a myriad of questions going unanswered every day. Why don't our twin baby girls sleep through the night? Why am I up at 3:23 a.m. every morning even if everybody else is sleeping? What's the mystery behind why the word "toaster" sends our Shih Tzu running up the stairs? What exactly is happening in the abandoned house across the street?
Some things never get answered or explained. Like the ring in Lord of the Rings. Or The Force in Star Wars. Or the island in Lost.
Stories matter because of the people. Lost mattered because it was epic and ground-breaking and because I dearly loved those lost, wandering strangers bound together by an amazing adventure.
To the creators of Lost--I'm among the inspired. And you are among the great stories ever to be filmed.

Compass And Guns (Why I Write)

Compass and guns.

I guess in two words that's what I'm going for.

I'll share this secret, just between us here on this blog that anybody can see but that most probably don't pay much attention to.

I'll tell you exactly the spirit that I'm going for in every single one of my stories.

EVERY one of them.

It's compass and guns.

Does that ring a bell? Anybody?

I'm sure it does.

It's a poignant scene in the powerful movie The Shawshank Redemption. I'm sure you know it. The one where Morgan Freeman (who's never been better) goes to a field to fulfill a promise to his fellow prison mate, a man named Andy Dufresne who was wrongly imprisoned and finally escaped. What he finds there . . . well, you know, right? He finds cash and a letter.

But really, truly, what he finds is this . . .

Hope.

That's the whole point of that story and that movie. Written so well by Stephen King. Filmed so well by Frank Darabont.

Why do people say time and time again that The Shawshank Redemption is their all time favorite movie?

Because of this.

Compass and guns.

Because of this.

Surprise and wonder.

You're dragged through hell to the get to the end, but oh my, what a glorious end.

Sometimes that's what this life and this world feels like. It feels like hell.

But the glory and majesty of Heaven await. Right?

That's what I believe, anyway.

That bit of surprise and wonder at the end—that chunk of hope—that's what I'm going for with my stories.

I don't want to preach. I don't want to pontificate.

I don't want to be a brand that brings in the big bucks.

What I want is to go through a little hell in every story to try and reach the shores of hope.

I want to take that bus ride with Morgan Freeman and I want to cry tears of hope with him.

I want to feel the swell of Thomas Newman's score accompanying us as we jump bail even though nobody will really care.

Then I want to walk the soft, sandy beaches of sweet freedom. Of hope and redemption.

Dear publishing world: Do I really have to have a brand?

If so, that's the brand that I'm trying out.

That's the only brand I want.

I want to feel that feeling of surprise and wonder in every single story I'm fortunate enough to tell.
I want to feel excitement. In the words of Morgan Freeman's character, "I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain."
Sometimes it seems like this life can sure be a prison. But there's hope. I truly believe there's hope.
And I also believe that I'm supposed to write about it.

Teen Songs

(this bit of rambling--I mean blog--was inspired by work on my upcoming teen novel Temptation)
When you're a teenager, it's okay to have a theme song. To have a group that knows you and sings your sorrows. To have a musician read your mind and your soul and sing about your yesterdays and tomorrows.

Then you grow up.

Right?

Well, some of us do.

But the thing is, we all carry around soundtracks throughout our life. But "adults", whatever that term might mean, forget them. They're too busy. They're making a living. They're changing diapers. They're buying houses and cars. They're paying for houses and cars and the cribs and car seats that fill them. They're too busy for soundtracks and the silliness of their teenage lives.

They bury the songs.

They forget the passion.

They become responsible. Respectable. Resolute. Repetitive. Ridiculous.

Being a teen is about suddenly discovering that you have a beating heart. That you have a troubled soul. That you have the ability to fall or figure it out. That you're so close to this thing called adulthood yet you're still not there. Not yet. Not just yet.

The music takes you away. It makes you breathe. It keeps you awake. It shares all your fears. It bonds. It breaks. It moves you in ways you never thought you could be moved. It says everything you wish you could say in four minutes or less.

The songs and the soundtracks of your teen years are never forgotten. Never. They are heard while driving on the freeway late at night. They are heard on the restaurant speakers during a business lunch. They follow you in an outdoor mall or the laundromat or a new television commercial.

But adults never keep the soundtracks going.

At least most don't.

But there are always exceptions.

There are always teens at heart. Never wanting to grow older. Never wanting to music to end. Always searching for that perfect song to define their imperfect soul.

Some people think wisdom is defined by the wrinkles on their skin. But deep down, they're still those same insecure teens. They're just afraid to turn up the music and sing out loud and dance a little.

Find a song or two. Create a soundtrack. Sing to the music. Make up your own lyrics. Dance a little.

Don't be afraid to be a teen again.

40 Things To Shape My Writing #1

I'm going to start sharing things that have helped shape my writing. I won't go into detail about them but rather just show them in pictures. I thought 40 was a good number. Not sure why, but it seems to fit . . .

TT's Ten Rules of Writing #6 (Writing Tip #77)

Thinking is overrated.

It really is.

Here's why: because the voices begin to multiply and echo and scream and shout.

Soon you start getting a headache.

I like to joke that I can't believe I have to use my brain this much on a daily basis. That it's the main tool I use in my job. That's a scary thought since it's, you know, my head.
Over the years, I've met a lot of smart people who probably are smart enough to write a book. But sometimes I think that their head gets in the way. They're too analytical or too practical or too careful or too something-or-other.

They think WAY too much.

I feel I use something else just as much on a daily basis.

Okay—this will sound corny, but I'll just say it.

I use my heart as much as my head.

The head part—the thinking part—that's what constructs sentences and scenes. The use of nouns and verbs and adjectives and all that. This is what builds and shapes a novel.

But the real true heart of a story is its—er—well, I just said it.

The heart is what matters. (Cue the Celine Dion song)
If you want to go into technical writing, then—then why in the world are you reading my blog? But if you're into telling stories and writing fiction that moves somebody, you gotta do more than just think. You gotta feel. And you gotta stop thinking so much.

Sometimes I go overboard in making it all about the heart in some way. Yes, I have to use my head and my skills acquired over the years. But still—the heart is what matters.

You can't go to school for that. It's either there or it's not.