Travis Thrasher's Blog, page 42

Writing Tip #69

Pick an author to pattern yourself after.
For those of you just starting to write, that might be a bit overwhelming. But this isn't something you have to share. Surely you have authors and books that you admire.
Choosing someone that you'd like to pattern yourself after gives you a good idea of the path in front of you. Let me explain why.
One of the first authors I fell in love with was Stephen King. Many of my readers know this, especially since some of my books could be considered homages to him (Isolation and Ghostwriter in particular). Reading The Stand, It and even short story collections like Night Shift back in the 80's helped continue to inspire me to want to be a writer.
As my collection of Stephen King books grew, and as I got to know more about who this prolific writer really was, I began to aspire to be like him. Not necessarily in terms of wanting to write horror novels like him. Yes, I wanted to do that sometime down the road, but it was something else that I aspired for.
I wanted to one day have a whole shelf of books with my name on them. And my foolish thought was this: If someone like Stephen King, this ordinary guy with a gift of story-telling and a crazy imagination, could have all these books filling my shelf, why couldn't I do the same?
Now before you go thinking I'm comparing my writing to King's, I'm certainly not. I would say I'm probably more like King than I am John Irving or Pat Conroy (two other favorite writers of mine). But what I thought was this: How cool would it be to tell a whole variety of stories and fill a few rows in a bookshelf?
I thought this as I got the job of Author Relations Coordinator at a publishing house right out of college. I continued to think it as I wrote novel after novel. Even after all of those got rejected, I continued thinking about that bookshelf.
I never shared that desire. How foolish would it be to say "One day I'm going to have a whole row of books of mine!" before even having my first novel published?
It wasn't about showing off a bunch of books. That wasn't my desire. I thought this way because I had a bunch of story ideas filling my head and heart. I really thought that if I was fortunate and figured out the way to tell a few of them, good things could happen.
I even did something that could have really intimidated some writers. I wrote down the publication dates of the Stephen King novels from 1974-1990 (see my post about it here). I kept this on my desk as motivation. I didn't tell anybody. Not my parents or wife or anybody. It would have looked silly.
Now maybe it would be insane of you to think about writing even half a dozen novels. Maybe you have one novel in you. Would it be foolish to want to be someone like Harper Lee? Sure, it would be if you told people all the time. But maybe deep down that could be your goal. To write one amazing and life-changing novel (that's still my goal every time I start writing a new one). Maybe you'd like to be a literary writer who writes dense and meaty narratives that take years to write. Maybe you want to write series like sci-fi or romance writers.
Maybe you don't care about any of that stuff but simply want to be published.
I say look down the road. I've been looking down the road ever since I was in third grade. I'm still looking down the road. (There's an Arbys not far down the road from my office--I'm looking beyond that).
If you're serious about not only writing but also publishing, then pick an author or two that you'd love to have a career like. Let this serve as motivation. Don't be disappointed if it doesn't happen in the exact way you'd like. Remember--Stephen King's first book has outsold all of mine combined.
That's okay.
I have a clipping from the USA Today that says the following headline:
"After final 'Harry Potter' book, can anyone fill the void?"
I'm keeping that up there until someone does.

Top 100: #62-64 (instrumentals)

Here are three moody instrumentals that could easily go in any movie I ever directed. The first is a throbbing track called "Inside" from Moby's Play album.
I love Tangerine Dream and think their song "Love On A Real Train" from Risky Business is one of the best tracks they ever did.
I took a chance one day while I was standing in an indie record store in downtown Asheville in the mid-80's. I bought Victorialand by The Cocteau Twins and it quickly became one of the most different and moving pieces of music I'd ever heard. I mean--I loved Phil Collins & Genesis. This is NOT Genesis. The track "The Thinner The Air" is haunting and should be in a movie one day. It still gives me goosebumps.

Top 100: #61

(Loved this song back when I first heard it downtown Chicago in 1997 and still do)
In a way, its all a matter of time
I will not worry for you
You'll be just fine
Take my thoughts with you
And when you look behind
You will surely see a face that you recognize

*chorus*
Your not alone
I'll wait till the end of time
Open your mind, surely its plain to see
Your not alone
I'll wait till the end of time for you
Open your mind, surely its time to be with me

It is the distance that makes life a little hard
Two minds that once were close, now so many miles apart
I will not falter though, I hold on to your hope
Safely back where you belong
And see how our love has grown

*chorus*(5x)

Waiting

The Writing On The Wall

Writing Tip #68: Mr. Jingles (Confidence)

Wake up with it. When the baby cries and the monitor lights up. When the toddler jumps in bed or the dog barks downstairs. When the alarm goes off playing your favorite Sonny and Cher song. When the daylight slips in and slivers over your bed. Whatever way you wake up, you need to wake up with it by your side.

Carry it to work. In the car and in the talk shows you listen to on the radio or in the silence. Tuck it in your coat pocket. Clutch it the same way you hold your car keys or your child's hand as they cross the street on the way to preschool.

Hide it when others come around. Bury it when others joke about "that thing you do." Don't unpack it when people ask to try and understand. Let it hear the praise and let it soak in. But keep it away from those who don't get it and don't believe.

Place it on your desk in plain view during those tough times. When the business rears its ugly little head. When the doors get shut. When the silence gets to you. When the silly little fools get their way. When you feel like it never existed and it's going to slowly begin to fade away. Hold it like a paperweight in your hand. Squeeze it like a stress reliever. Sip it like a cup of Starbucks coffee. Embrace it and don't let it go.

Keep it small. Don't let it grow too big. You of course can't ever see this happening to your tiny little friend, a cute little creature like the sweet little mouse in The Green Mile. You remember what happened to Mr. Jingles, right? And nobody will be there to fix him, either. So you think. So you assume. But if you don't watch out, that little creature might become bloated and need its own room and then eventually need to move out into its own house. If you don't be careful, that little buddy can turn into an uncontrollable beast.

Always remember that it belongs to you and only you. It knows where you've been and how long and hard you've worked. It would love to share this and sing your praises but you know it's better for it to stay quiet. To stay still and by your side.

Sometimes you forget about it when life is hectic and crazy. Sometimes it seems to disappear when you're worrying or waiting or wondering. But then you'll find yourself there listening to music and remembering or writing and feeling or daydreaming or nightpondering. And at that point it will come out of the shadows and it will smile. And you will know. You will know and remember and you'll keep going.

The day will come to an end and regardless of what's happened and who you've spoken with or touched or laughed or cried with, the silent night will come and you'll find that it's still there. Waiting. Watching. Urging you on. Championing you in the only way it can.

Kiss it good night and keep it by your side.

Tomorrow is another day, and you'll need it again.

And again.

And again.

Top 100: #60

"Goodbye" by Ulrich Schnauss
Hello
now take me home
to the dream
ever lasts just once
clouds all around
take away all my fear
let me fall asleep

Let me fall asleep

...fall asleep
you know
you have to let it go
don't go
so hard to say goodbye

She
woke up on return
never woke up
He
held on beyond one's voice
felt all secure
just adored
this beauty, stating
oh so cold...

It was getting cold

Is it cold?
you know
you have to let it go
don't go
so hard to say goodbye

So hard to say goodbye

You have to let it go

So hard to say goodbye

Writing Tip #67: The 27 Club

Story ideas don't have to die. They can simply evolve into other ideas.
I'll share an example since this date plays a part in the story.
Seventeen years ago, Kurt Cobain shot himself dead at the age of 27. Not long after that happened, I discovered that his age wasn't a random thing. There were quite a few famous musicians who have died at the age of 27. They're called "The 27 Club". Musicians like Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix all died when they were 27-years-old, thus becoming a part of this infamous "club."
So I had the idea of a man who happened to be a musician who believed that he was going to die when he was 27. I wanted to write it when I was 27, thus taking this journey with this character. I wasn't sure if it was going to be deadly serious or slightly funny or what.
This idea really went nowhere, but I kept it in my back pocket like so many other pieces of ideas I have.
A few years ago, I decided to morph this idea into another one. It was about a man who worked in the music business (but this time he's a producer) who's told he's going to die on his 40th birthday. Same idea in one sense—a man who believes he's going to die and the journey of whether he will or won't. But it's a very different story than one I would've written if I was writing about the 27-year-old.
Some story ideas don't work. Period. Other times, they need a little time to ferment. Sometimes one idea will lead to another. But don't just toss an idea away into a black hole to never find again. You never know when that idea might lead to something else, which might lead to a book that coincides with someone's birthday.

Amazing how things like that can work out.

Top 100: #59

Kurt Cobain would have been 44 years old if he hadn't shot himself seventeen years ago. He was the face of grunge and Generation X, my music and generation when I was in college. This is still one of my favorite songs by Nirvana in many ways.
"Come As You Are" by Nirvana
Come as you are, as you were
As I want you to be
As a friend, as a friend
As an old enemy

Take your time, hurry up
The choice is yours, don't be late
Take a rest as a friend
As an old

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria

Come doused in mud, soaked in bleach
As I want you to be
As a trend, as a friend
As an old

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

Memoria, memoria
Memoria, memoria
(No I don't have a gun)

And I swear that I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun
No I don't have a gun

Memoria, memoria

First Review of 40

(Josh Olds at TheChristianCritic.net sent me an early review of 40. Since the book releases a month from today, I thought I'd share it.)
40: A Novel by Travis Thrasher
Reviewed by Josh Olds, TheChristianCritic.net

What if you knew the day you were going to die? What if you knew that Heaven and Hell existed but weren't sure where you would end up? What God was trying desperately to make Himself known to you? Would you listen? Would you ignore? What would you do? Tyler Harrison is about to find out.

Nine months away from his 40th birthday, Tyler Harrison begins to hallucinate. He thinks. If you're not sure you're hallucinating, are you hallucinating that you're hallucinating? It's stress, he thinks. His job as a music producer hasn't been going so well lately. But everything falls into place when Tyler meets Matthew. If Matthew is to be believed, he's an angel sent to tell Tyler that he will die on his 40th birthday.

Convinced that Matthew is who he says he is, Tyler lashes out against God, angry at how his life has gone. He meets a DJ named Ellis who goads him on in his anger, counseling him to loosen up and just have fun. But Ellis's type of fun is self-destructive and as Tyler nears his day of death, he becomes more introspective and afraid for his salvation. He reaches out to a pastor named Will and tries desperately to make amends before the end.

40 is both provocative and introspective, putting the reader in Tyler's place and making them question their eternal destiny as well as how their live is lived on earth. Are we really making the most of each moment? The book is written for the twist, which I frankly was completely surprised by. When you read as much fiction as I do, even great storylines begin to be anticipated. But Travis Thrasher genuinely surprised me, and in a way that made complete sense after having been told the twist.

From a writing style, it took me a while to get into the pace of 40. It begins rather slowly, and Tyler's initial hallucinations seem bizarre and unexplained. In short, I was experiencing about as much confusion as Tyler, which may have been Thrasher's point. For me, it seemed to miss that initial hook in dragging me into the story and demanding I finish it in one sitting. Nevertheless, 40 hits its stride about midway through, once Tyler figures out what the hallucinations are about and meets Ellis, and rushes to a mind-blowing conclusion.

Thrasher is a master at the first person present tense writing style, a style that due to his writing has become a favorite of mine. It allows the protagonist to be introspective without those annoying thought italics. Introspection is good, because that's ultimately what the theme is about. Facing death, how would you live your live? But aren't we all really facing imminent death anyway? Perhaps Tyler was blessed in knowing. Thought-provoking and convicting, the questions Thrasher raises are what really drew me into 40.

I've long described Travis Thrasher as an author who explores Truth, discovers Love, and gives Hope. 40 does all three in a uniquely compelling way that will have readers wondering just how much they are like Tyler. The answer is that 40 is a universal story. It's your story. It's my story. It's Travis Thrasher's story. We are all like Tyler and face the same decisions but we rarely realize why that's important. Thrasher reminds us, and that's what makes this book unforgettable.