A. Lee Martinez's Blog, page 75

Ramblin' Man

Hey, hey, gang.  Don't really have a whole lot to write about at the moment, but since it's been a little while I've posted anything.  This blogging stuff is part of my job, strange as that may seem.

Ninja Assassin looks like it could be fully awesome.  I love the title.  No screwing around.  No confusion.  This is about a freakin' ninja assassin.  Deal with it.  I hope it has a lot of butt-kickin' in it.

The new Clash of the Titans looks promising as well.  Monsteriffic, even.  I was on board ...

On Writing: Query Letters

One of my fellow DFWWW writers posted that the trailers for 2012 were a model for "the worst query letter ever".  While I'm not one to resort to simple statements of authority, I think I can say here that he's wrong.  2012's commercials, for all their lack of detail and big FX, are designed to sell the movie for exactly what it is.  A by-the-numbers disaster flick.  It's not meant to be anything else.  So the commercials concentrate on what's important:  Melodrama and Disaster.  Everything...

Inspired

Been wracking my brain for a blog post idea.  Gotta keep current.  I don't know if this stuff actually helps my career or not, but I seem to get a reasonable amount of good feedback.  So let's keep to it.

I've decided to be inspirational today because I love it when I hear that something I've written has given an aspiring writer hope.  If I can do that, then I figure that this isn't a waste of time because, as I've pointed out before, I was an aspiring writer not so long ago.

What's my...

Call Me Irresistable

Being a professional novelologist is a weird gig, gang.  It's not because I get paid to make up stories, although that is a bit odd if you think about it.  Yet no odder than getting paid a million dollars to swing a bat at a ball or drive a car really, really fast.  And it's not because people look up to me for my accomplishments, meager as they are in a sociological or cosmic sense.

It's because, as a modern writer, I'm not allowed to be quiet.  Simply put, I'm expected to be something of a c...

The Cruel Internet Gods Deny Me

Hello.  Just popping in to say that I recently moved and haven't established a reliable internet connection just yet.  This is why you've had to live so long without my wit and wisdom, and while I know that's tough, I also know you're strong enough to carry on a few more days until this problem works itself out.

Hang in there, gang.  I'll be back soon. 

Fighting the good fight, Writing the good write,

Lee

Respecting My Authoritah

I'm speaking at a mystery writer's group this Saturday.  I've said it before, but speaking at these kind of events is always a strange experience.  The people are always nice.  The events are almost always fun, but I still can't get over that I'm an invited speaker.

I imagine that one day I'll get used to the idea, but I'm not there yet.  In my head, I'm still just a guy who writers stories.  The only difference now is that I get paid for it, and this gives me an aura of authority because...

Beasts of Burden (a comic you SHOULD buy)

It's all too easy for me to bemoan the choices of the modern comic book publishers, but sometimes, it's easy to find something to recommend.  Something so original, so interesting, so well executed that it deserves every bit of exposure it can get.  And since I'm a semi-public figure with a modicum of cultural influence, I'd like to go ahead and do what I can.

BEASTS OF BURDEN by DARKHORSE COMICS is a fantastic mini-series that is something like a cross between Benji and Buffy the Vampire...

To Love and Lose

Hey, guess what?  Dollhouse's ratings are still pretty low.  I say this without judgment.  I haven't really enjoyed the show (what little I've seen of it), but I'm just one guy.  I never enjoyed a single thing about Gilmore Girls, and that did pretty well.  So what do I know?

Things get cancelled.  Great things.  We all know this.  So why is it that some things evoke a fan-based delirium and some don't?  Beats the hell out of me.

I know, Whedon fans, how you adore him.  How Firefly was...

Ghost Hunting for Dummies

Hey, do you want to be a scientist, but have no real scientific training?  Do you like spending your nights sitting in dark rooms, asking questions, and looking for cold spots?  Do you want to make a difference in the world but don't feel like becoming a cop or a social worker?  Good news, everyone!

You can be a ghost hunter!

Ghost hunting is a fun and exciting hobby!  All you need is to read a book with sciencey sounding words, a camera, a willingness to believe in any crackpot "hypothesis"...

Musings

This is a third attempt at a blog today.  Nothing's really got that A. Lee Martinez snap.  What is that snap?  Where does it come from?  Do I even know what that is?  Am I even being serious?  (Am I ever being serious?)

Honestly, I don't know the answer to any of those questions.  Writing is weird like that.  I write things.  I get paid.  Even if it doesn't prove I'm good at it, proves that at least I can keep a roof over my head doing it.  And I get positive feedback on this blogging stuff.  ...