Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 53
October 28, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – October Edition
Halloween is around the corner! What a fun month October is. Costumes, candies, ghosts and ghouls. I enjoy the fact that people are more accepting of exploring the darker aspects of life during this time period. The dark, taboo and grotesque lines up with the stories I write and the media I consume. Some of us live in this month mentally throughout the year (so Goth), others, not so much.
Oh boy; the start of fall the media ramps up with a lot spooky entertainment. More horror movies are released, retail stores are filled with cheap knock off costumes and mass consumption of skeletal decorations are all around!
Welcome to another month of Unprocessed Thoughts.
This series tends to be a lot of rambles, and I’d like to warn you now that that is not going to change in the least. Fun fact: this month’s Unprocessed Thoughts takes place in my common writing place – Bru Coffee & Beer house on Jasper Ave. If you haven’t been there and are in Edmonton – go there. They have a wide selection of beer options and a massive infographic of beer and coffee types for education. Learn something new once a day.
Not to get side tracked, the topic is Halloween. The day that a lot of people also forget is of Celtic origins and has no relations to satanic behavior at all. Halloween is something I didn’t start becoming interested with until I became an adult when I learned that it was a lot more fun than when you were a kid. Maybe a personal preference, but that has been my experience (the parties and costumes are more fun).
The main point I’d like to share is the fact that the majority of people do not humor the idea of dark, taboo topics until October. It is a bit unfortunate. I think there are a lot of exciting aspects of the horror genre that people can discover all year round. As you can read in the interview with Lacey Paige, we discuss our thoughts on this. To further elaborate on that, I am a guest blogger on SciFiAndScary.com at the end of this month where I chat about the horror genre in entertainment in further detail. Keep watch!
Late September and October I see a drastic spike in graphic design and web work as well. End of the year budget crunch time for a lot of companies and the snow means that I stop spending time outside or traveling and more time indoors. I use this time exploring new directions with writing (NaNoWriMo is around the corner!) and other creative outlets, like music.
Once October is over, the world will start losing its mind for the Christmas extravaganza of shopping. Funny how we see a complete switch from spooky darkness to joyful family warmth isn’t it? Might be something worth researching into… For now let’s embrace Halloween for what it is.
Happy Halloween.
Beer Note: Stone’s Coffee Milk Stout fits quite well for the frosty weather Edmonton is having. Soothing, milky and java undertones. It is a thicker beer and smooth all that way down. I’d give this beer a 4/5, because I do personally lean towards an Indian Pale Ale but these beers really hit spot when the time is right.
The post Unprocessed Thoughts – October Edition appeared first on Konn Lavery.
October 27, 2016
Lacey Paige: Freelance writer, Communications Professional and life-long Horror Zealot
This month’s guest is a major participant in the horror genre through her journalism, interviews, writing and editing since 2006. She has contributed to such publications as Fangoria, GoreZone, Diabolique, Delirium, Shock Till You Drop/ComingSoon.net, Absolute Underground and Cinesploitation. Lacey currently holds the position of communications and media relations coordinator with DEDfest, Western Canada’s exclusive international genre film festival, making her well-versed in the genre and the industry.
Lacey and I got together to discuss her insights into the horror genre as well as some of her own writing career background.
Lacey Paige, thank you for joining us. Give us a quick intro about yourself.
I am a freelance journalist and writer. I write fiction as well as journalistic pieces, and I am currently the communications and media relations coordinator for DEDfest. I am a third-year Bachelors of Communications Studies student at MacEwan University. I graduated from MacEwan’s journalism program in 2013.
The first time I was published was by Venture Publishing’s GRIP magazine in 2006—fresh out of high school. The publication was mostly teen advice columns, so I wrote about my experiences as an angsty teenager.
When I was 16, I attempted to write a novel but gave up about 30 pages in. I discovered Absolute Underground in 2008, so I contacted them to see if they were in need of writers. It ended up being an eight-year relationship, where I was one of the primary contributing writers for a long time; however, gradually my participated has dwindled due to time commitments with other priorities.
In 2010 I found Cinesploitation—a website dedicate to all things genre cinema. Much like Absolute Underground I got in touch with them to see if they were looking for writers. At that time I was just beginning to establish my portfolio. When I first got into genre journalism, my primary focus was to someday have the chops to write for FANGORIA. In 2011 I finally gathered the courage to contact editor-in-chief Chris Alexander. I express interest in contributing, and Alexander asked me what I was interested in writing about, so I inquired as to whether they were interested in publishing something about the late underrated Canadian genre auteur . They agreed and it ended up being my first article for FANGORIA.
Something that I have learned is if you’re passionate about something then you will do it for the love and not just the money, and that can help you get discovered. There are a million other people out there after the same thing as you, so you have to do something to stand out from the herd.
Have you always been a fan of the genre?
Yes, since I was really young. My dad was a big genre fan and he influenced my interests. I grew up during the ‘90s video store zeitgeist. I experienced all of that from my childhood up to my early 20s, when video stores started to vanish. Things were different back then; my friends and I could rent horror movies and the clerks didn’t ask for ID. Additionally, my brothers would scare me—just to be assholes—which contributed to my childhood burgeoning love of horror.
How did you get into the horror industry?
The first horror-centric piece I wrote was a profile piece on a local filmmaker named Matt Acosta, back when he was involved with the Return to Odd festival (which was DEDfest in its earliest stages).
After that I reviewed ’s Mother of Tears for Absolute Underground, followed by an interview with the makers of the infamous August Underground series, Toe Tag Pictures. In 2010 I began writing film and books reviews, and interviewing film industry professionals for Cinesploitation.com.
Do you do much of your own fictional writing?
I’ve been so busy with school and all of the communications for DEDfest, which unfortunately leaves very little time for me to focus on my own creative work. I also occasionally write concert reviews for exclaim.ca. Most of the writing I do these days is for school, so it’s very academic. However, I am currently taking a Writing & Publishing Prose class towards my degree electives, which is fantastic because it pushes me to write more creatively—both fiction and nonfiction. I definitely find that I am more of a nonfiction writer by nature.
I sometimes write short stories and poetry, which I aim to be very transgressive and boundary defying with. For example, one of the ways that I try to write creatively when I am strapped for time is through pornographic short fiction—what I’ve coined “Smut-Lit.” It helps me to strengthen my voice, take greater creative risks, and really hone in on the idea of showing rather than telling. One day I’d like to compile an anthology of horror and Smut-Lit short stories.
I think it is very cool you got to interview , have you gotten a chance to chat with other iconic industry people?
Definitely, tones! , who has been in House of a 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects and Repo! The Genetic Opera. He is a very nice and intelligent guy with a diverse background. I’ve also interviewed , the effects guy for Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th, and Michael Berryman from the original The Hills Have Eyes. In addition to genre film folk, I’ve interviewed a lot of metal bands both locally and internationally known, such as Matt Harvey from Exhumed and Gruesome, a couple of the guys from Obituary, Alex Webster from Cannibal Corpse, Jason Keyser from Origin, and many others.
What are your thoughts on the general public’s view of the horror genre? Specifically it being filled with a lot of gore-based stories.
The genre really is at a peak for its mainstream popularity. There is an entire subgenre of mainstream horror offerings such as The Walking Dead, Hannibal and American Horror Story that the majority of viewers quite enjoy.
I recently wrote a research paper about the uses and gratifications of habitual horror consumption, which I’m slowly working on revising and preparing for publication through my university’s academic journal. The psychology of “why horror?” fascinates me.
I feel it takes a certain level of intuition and a certain type of personality to be interested in stuff like that. The best kind of horror will always be about the human experience. It might be veiled in metaphors and/or surrealism, but horror—above all other genre—has the power to perfectly and adequately encapsulate the human experience. This is stuff that everyone can relate to in terms of what scares us and what connects as on a survivalist level as a species. Horror taps into the spectrum of love and fear, and I don’t think the average casual viewer recognizes how important these sources are in terms of how they can connect us to one another. As unrealistic as fictional horror may seem, it speaks to the human experience stronger than any other form of entertainment. It also provides a safe outlet for productive and indirect purging of aggression and other inherent human emotions and behaviours.
What is your favorite horror genre?
Psychological horror is my favorite subgenre, so for example Clive Barker’s short story “Dread” from his Books of Blood Collection. The cinematic adaptation disturbs me to the core every time I watch it because it hits to close to home and really plays on that idea of human horror so very well.
I am also a fan of slasher flicks and cheesy alien invasion movies, too, because those types of movies provide escapism and are just plain fun!
What do you think makes horror good?
Effective horror is based around a story or concept that is relatable to anyone.
For example, Session 9 is an effective horror film because focuses on stuff that can and has actually happened in real life. It can happen to anyone, which makes it relatable and disturbingly realistic.
Having such a history in the horror industry, where do you see it going? Specifically in the storytelling aspect.
I have always been deeply interested in the odd or obscure side of life because it has resonated with me from a very young age. When people ask if I watch The Walking Dead, I generally say no. Zombies were never about infection or the return of the living dead. Its roots are grounded in ancient Haitian voodoo practices, and I find modern zombie films have no relation to this. I am not really into modern zombie movies because the subgenre is so overdone. The one I can think of that I really appreciated is ’s Pontypool, based on Tony Burgess’ book, Pontypool Changes Everything. The concept is a brilliant and almost plausible one that really works on so many levels.
Thomas Ligotti is a very talented underground author, and his work is often compared to that of H.P. Lovecraft. Ligotti is so steeped in the unknown and the incomprehensible; he has this uncanny ability to describe things that the human mind can’t even fathom, while also perfectly encapsulating the human experience of identity crisis and the like.
Horror has risen to the forefront of pop culture with things like fan conventions, zombie walks, and network TV series. I think there will always be that segregation between the underground and the more mainstream horror enthusiasts, similar to metal music where there will always be more mainstream forms of it, but much of it will always be shrouded in obscurity.
I hope the direction of horror gets past this wave of recycled ideas. I would like to see more of a focus on what’s relevant here and now within the social and cultural framework of present-day society. Movies like The Den or Unfriended are relevant because they play off of possibilities and social contexts that people can relate to. Horror can take any modern thing and turn it into a metaphor. Real life is scarier than anything.
What are some of the clichés that you can’t stand?
Underdeveloped characters and plots, and bad dialogue. Of course, there is a certain sub-genre that calls for that sort of thing.
Where do you plan on going next with your career?
Continuing to fulfill my role as the communications coordinator of DEDfest, finishing my Communication Studies degree, and eventually working towards writing and publishing books and works of my own creative writing.
With DEDfest, I am getting a lot of opportunities to go to other places and network with other people in the industry. I think ideally I would like to someday work for a film or music distribution company as a PR or communications consultant of some sort.
Final Thoughts to leave us with
A quote I like:
“One of the central pleasures of getting scared is that it focuses the mind. When you experience extreme fear, you forget the rest of the world. This intensity fixes you in the present tense.
Overwhelming terror may be the closest we ever get to the feeling of being born. To put it another way, the good horror movies make you think; the great ones make you stop.”
Jason Zinoman, Shock Value
Also support print media and the horror genre! Check out DEDfest.com
Thank you Lacey for joining us!
Lacey worked with me on the Seed Me novel as a guest editor to provide some expertise in the genre to better the general plot. She offered insightful feedback into the book and was a great addition to work with along with Robin Schroffel.
You can find Lacey Paige on the following sites:
Instagram: DEDfemme
Twitter: laicypaige88
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October 25, 2016
Last Book Signing of 2016
That is right, a day before Halloween will be the final signing of 2016. This will be the last chance to grab your signed copy of Seed Me before the year ends.
When and Where:
Sunday, October 30th from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters – Strathcona
10504 82nd Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A4
Mark your calendars.
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October 14, 2016
Seed Me Signing at Audreys Books
The fourth signing of the year. Following up from the Strathcona Chapters, I’ll now be heading over to the one and only Audreys Books for a signing of Seed Me. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, the World Mother score, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Monday, October 24th from 11:30am – 1:30pm
Audreys Books Ltd.
10702 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB T5J 3J5
Mark your calendars.
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October 13, 2016
PIG American Excess Tour – Trip to Seattle
If there is one thing that I enjoy, it is listening to weird underground music – as you may know through my Instagram account. Particularly I grew up listening to the industrial rock band KMFDM, first hearing them in 1998 with the song Spit Sperm featuring Raymond Watts. If that sounds like the type of music you’d like I’d highly recommend checking them out if you have not already.
Long story short, 3/4 of the original members left in the late 90s and reunited in 2016 for Raymond Watt’s project with the American Excess Tour. There was only one Canadian date in Toronto back in September, my schedule didn’t line up to attend. This was a one of a kind show and some musicians I look up to, something I could not miss. So without hesitation I booked flights, hotel and purchased tickets for the last show of the tour, in Seattle.
First time to Seattle
I am a little ashamed to admit of my lack of worldly travels – clearly I spend too much time writing and working to take real vacations. This short, three day get-away was well worth the re-scheduling of my work. I had yet to go to the United States of America and Seattle was a real treat as a first go.
Waiting for the flight at 11am with time to kill meant grabbing a beer and reviewing some of the new writing material I had in the works. I tend to bring my old Asus Transformer tablet for travel, smaller and not a big loss if it breaks.
Getting to Seattle was quick and after taking Uber to the hotel, it was practically time to hike over to the show. Yes, hiking, I did not expect there to be so many hills and certainly got my share of exercise through walking during the trip.
PIG American Excess Final Show
With VIP passes I was able to meet and greet Raymond Watts, En Esch and Gunter Schulz. After loading up on merch I got them to sign my new swag and take a photo with them. It was a pleasant surprise at how thankful they were for everyone who came by to meet and take pictures with them.
PIG had two openers prior to the show, Peter Turns Pirate and En Esch’s solo act. All three bands were well performed and they rocked hard, knowing it was the last show of the tour. I recorded most of the songs from all three bands, hearing classics like Go To Hell, Xcess, Conillon, Brute, and Rope to name a few it was a hell of a evening that extended well beyond midnight.
A video posted by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Oct 8, 2016 at 8:37am PDT
Dead Phone, Standing in a Metropolis Alone
The next day I was a bit hungover and in awe at the wicked show last night and decided to hit up a retro diner a few blocks down before doing some sightseeing. Afterwards, grabbing a coffee at Starbucks, (it is where the company started so I had to give it a go) my phone froze mid Instagram upload and went black, refusing to turn on. This is when I really clued in that I was in Seattle. The phone dying caused a realization that I was disconnected from texting or calling everyone I knew and the ease of Googling anything I wanted. A real eye opener that put me in the present moment.
It forced me to do things like do more introductions with people around me to ask for the time or for directions, then write them down on a piece of paper. This was a short period of the day – something like several hours – but it truly felt like nothing else. Eventually after four cellphone stores and learning about technological advances and limitations since my last phone, I managed to buy an unlocked one that my SIM card fit into and I was reconnected with the world. The downer was most of my footage from the show did not backup in time and I lost them on the broken phone.
Experience Music Project Museum
A secondary goal of the trip was to explore the EMP Museum. They had a special horror film and fantasy exhibits that I wanted to indulge in for inspiration and insight into these genres.
“Can’t Look Away: The Lure of Horror Film” provided some insight into horror from directors Roger Corman, John Landis and Eli Roth who talked about their work, how to define horror and creating a sense of fear in their audience. The exhibit also showcased some iconic pieces such as the xenomorph suit, outfits used in the Thriller music video, Mars Attacks! alien sculpture among more.
The fantasy exhibit was focused on lore and story more than a specific media type. It narrowed in on topics such as character classes, world building, magic and story arcs from various authors. Seeing actual notes from authors such as Christopher Paolini was enlightening and motivating to crack the whip on myself and flushing out the rest of Mental Damnation’s world.
EMP Museum’s featured Star Trek exhibit was also a treat, got to see the original and rebooted costumes of Khan among many other props found within the franchise.
I have Seen the Light – Flying Home
I could write a lot more about my nerdism with KMFDM, PIG and En Esch (like in the sub title), the specifics of the EMP Museum and some of the sightseeing I had done but it’d be pages worth of writing. This post gives a solid outline of the main excitements from the trip. Getting out of my regular routine and the country, even for such a short bit, was rejuvenating and birthed a desire to do it again very soon. Seeing the slight culture differences and the vast history of Seattle began to spark new writing material, meaning it is time to buckle down and start typing away.
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October 1, 2016
Seed Me Signing at Strathcona Chapters
The third signing of the year is here. After the West Edmonton Mall Chapters signing, I’ll now be heading over to Strathcona Chapters for a signing of Seed Me. Drop in for a meet & greet the author, artwork, the World Mother score, and of course, the books themselves.
When and Where:
Saturday, October 8th from 11:00am – 4:00pm
Chapters – Strathcona
10504 82nd Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A4
Mark your calendars.
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September 29, 2016
Unprocessed Thoughts – September
Summer is gone! That’s the first thing I thought when I noticed September rolled on out. It is hard to believe that the only two months of warmth that we get here in Edmonton were over. However that is the nature of the Alberta and we eventually get 8-10 months of snow. Growing up in Alberta it is something that you get used to.
Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts
With fall and winter coming up it means it is back to finding a winter project. For the past couple of years I participated in NaNoWriMo where I wrote the original Seed Me manuscript in 2014. In 2015 I wrote half of another manuscript titled The Unfortunate Tale of Hashtag YEGman which is another Edmonton based story. The plot is quite different to Mental Damnation and Seed Me, it is its own beast entirely and I aim to complete the story… I plan on returning to the manuscript and finishing it within the year so it can come out 2018-19. However there are other writing projects in the works, which I have kept pretty hush-hush at the moment.
Outside of the secret winter writing project, the fall has been kept busy with book signings and ensuring that Seed Me ends up on as many store bookshelves as possible before I get too busy with graphics and web work. Fall is generally the incline for end-of-budget season for projects with Reveal Design. Scheduling becomes rather unpredictable. To be fair, that is just the nature of the contract business.
At this particular point in time, there has been a lot of planning for what the future holds in the writing career. This spring and summer have been major learning curves. Some conventions and marketing tactics worked and some didn’t. Seed Me was a major milestone for my writing and storytelling capabilities between the novel and the score. It’s nice to take a bit of a breather to reflect on what the original concept was for the Seed Me project, how I grew from it and deciding what will be the next objectives for the future projects.
The second book signing has been completed and the Edmonton Comic Expo is finished. Received a number of surprisingly great reviews for Seed Me. The latest being from ScifiAndScary.com giving a critical review of the story with a positive reflection. Very pleased with the feedback.
Moving forward, the announcement of the secret project will come in due time. The reason for holding back on a announcement is I need to project timelines before I can make any promises on what will be released. In the meantime, there will be more blog posts related to writing tips. Also enjoy the concert snippets from instagram, the last show was from the teaches of Peaches concert:
A video posted by Konn Lavery (@_konnartist) on Sep 26, 2016 at 11:01am PDT
Beer Note: Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Finish is probably my second favorite by this brand, next to the rum finish. It is probably the strongest Innis & Gunn I have tried, leaves a stern aftertaste – approved. 4.5/5
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September 28, 2016
Self-Publishing Talk at the Edmonton Expo 2016
This year I had the opportunity to run a panel with fellow author and comic book artist Beth Wagner. Our focus for this panel was the introduction to self-publishing. It was an entry level discussion for those who were seeking knowledge of the production side of the whole process. We kept it open to discussion with the audience allowing for a Q&A styled session.
The Rest of the Edmonton Comic Expo
The Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo has come and gone. What an exciting weekend. As always there are a ton of great costumes. Trying to take photos of them all would be a lot of work but check out their Facebook page to see a lot of the great shots. I did get to see a Spawn costume though, personally I think there should be more Spawn in comic cons (bring the new movie into production Todd McFarlane!).
That aside, during the weekend I got to catch up with fellow authors Adam Dreece and Vince Seim, both of who have been guest authors of the month for this blog. Check out the links in their name to find out more about their work. Many other colleagues and friends were also at the expo again, considering it is in my home town it makes it easy to travel to in comparison to some of the other conventions.
The booth was focused entirely on Seed Me and the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score since they are the shiny and new work. A lot of Mental Damnation readers were pleased to see me release something new, finally. Especially considering there has been no new material for anyone since the launch of Fusion back in the fall of 2014. Basically 2 years of conventions and signings without any new work.
There were some downtimes throughout the convention, pretty standard. People tend to move in waves depending on lunch time and what panelists/photo-ops are going on. During these times it makes catching up with friends a lot of fun – especially when we’re both rocking Seed Me and Mental Damnation T-Shirts by SANE Clothing!
It was a fun year and the last convention of the 2016. As always, worth the experience and looking forward to exploring new conventions next year with future panels.
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September 19, 2016
Returning to the Minstrel Cycle Podcast
The folks at Minstrel Cycle were kind enough to have me back for their podcast. We did a follow up to chat more about Seed Me and the World Mother: Seed Me Novel Score. Give the podcast a listen for some jokes, laughs and NSFW (Not Safe For Work) material. You’ve been warned!
Episode 00014 – Konn Lavery17-09-2016
Minstrel Cycle and Konn Lavery are at it again! He’s here to talk about his new book “Seed Me”. Check it out!
BUY SEED ME (Amazon) or (Google Play)
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September 14, 2016
Adam Dreece’s new Sci-fi novel The Man of Cloud 9
This month’s guest author is Calgary’s Adam Dreece. He is well known for his bestselling steampunk series The Yellow Hoods. Adam had a presentation at this year’s When Words Collide about the road of indie publishing, outlining some of the obstacles along the path and how to overcome them. It was truly an insightful session. Adam is also has finished a new novel titled The Man of Cloud 9, a Sci-fi story.
We had a Skype session together where we chatted about his work, career and the life of a writer.
Thanks for taking the time to chat, tell us a bit about your new novel, The Man of Cloud 9, that is available September 30th.
The story takes place 70 years in a future that has a world that’s damaged both in infrastructure and socially. Particularly the people have abandoned the concept of moving forward for a better tomorrow and innovation moved towards about solving the problems of their present.
The plot follows a Steve Jobs-like character named Nico Rafaelo who is like that classic Silicon Valley genius who has an idea for reviving the technology of nanobots and human microbial clouds (an aurora surrounding each person made up of dust, bacteria and particles). Nico wants to use these clouds as a battery for the nanobots. He has a vision of bringing back the ‘old world’ like video conferencing. It’s about the inventor vs the corporate beast that this world has created. As you go through the story you discover Nico’s company which has intentional parallels to Steve Jobs.
The primary advisory basically represents the reflection of people’s inner failings and seeing the work of Nico to be a giant billboard of their letdowns and feel the need to destroy him. This has been a reflection of my past both personally and professionally.
Have you found any challenges with writing Sci-Fi vs other genres you’ve worked in?
The background of being a software engineer made the tech come naturally. The writing was a lot more cold and suppressed in emotion than other genres. I enjoyed finding the right balance of how much science you put in mixed with the story telling. So it’s not too fantasy and not too technical.
This book and The Wizard Killer that I wrote were objectively meant to have me take risks and expand my audience. I wanted to show a different side of me. I had comments from long time sci-fi readers who found it like sci-fi from the 60s. It is focused on grounded storytelling that happens to take place in this otherworldly setting. I had some non scifi readers enjoy it that it didn’t go too deep in technicalities.
What inspired you to write a science fiction novel?
There were two things: After finishing the fourth novel in The Yellow Hoods, I needed a break. A friend of mine half-joking asked me to write a short story about microbial clouds. I had an idea and wrote 5,000 words, realizing it needed a tweak and it became 10,000 words, then 15,000 words and I realized I had a lot more to say.
Along the way I also began to pull ideas that I had parked previously and mined some of my background for concepts.
If you had to compare The Man of Cloud 9 to another story, which one would it be?
I was told that The Wizard Killer had a “Mad Max vs Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter meets Die hard”.
With The Man of Cloud 9, several of the early readers finished the book said it stayed with them for days. I didn’t get a comparison from early readers which was interesting for this book.
The movie Gladiator does comes to mind, except the era. It follows the concept of someone who is from up high, brought down low, and ultimately has to face their nemesis with their unwilling nature to give up their ideal.
Do you think you will continue to write in this genre or do you have a future direction in mind?
In sci-fi yes, a sequel to this, that I don’t know. I had early readers ask, or rather tell me that I am writing a sequel. I’m not sure if I will. I will write sci-fi space operas that will be very different than this novel. I have a couple of ideas based in the universe of The Man on Cloud 9, but I need it to sit for a bit. I got The Wizard Killer sequels and the next The Yellow Hood book to write.
I look at choosing the next book to write from a philosophical perspective: Does it have an effect on the world? Or I am doing it for myself? I also need to take a step back from a novel to remember the original intention of it. Maybe in January I will reflect The Man of Cloud 9 and revisit it.
At When Words Collide, you mentioned you used to be a software developer before becoming an author, how did you go about this transition?
When I was in my early teens, I started doing 2 things, playing a lot of DND (being the DM and coming up with stories) and teaching myself programming. So I always stayed with those, getting up at 5AM or 6AM in the morning and working on them throughout the day. Between those two things that took up my time.
I took computer engineering in university and became a solution architect for small companies and big companies like Microsoft.
I am a guy who loves ideas, not technology. Ideas have the element of people, the element of impact and the product itself. You need to understand what that product’s purpose is and who the audience is.
When we moved to Calgary in 2014, I had a big opportunity with software engineering while writing The Yellow Hood. Once that contract ran out, I hadn’t seen much of an opening in that industry since the .com explosion came to an end. My wife saw I had a good thing going with writing and encouraged me to pursue it. The IT background has helped me with the large-thinking planning that comes with writing series and drilling into the small details.
Also being a stay-at-home dad keeps me pretty busy.
You do more than just write, you do public speaking as well. Was this a skill you had prior to writing?
No. I wrote for 25 years and did nothing with it. The writers I had around me were very discouraging. In 2003 when I was at Microsoft, I signed up to be a co-speaker for a program that was running across the country. It was terrifying but I wanted to be able to stand in front of at least 1,000 people and be able to present. The whole thing went really well but was very stressful.
One thing I also learned about being a dyslexic is learning to role with whatever you said, don’t try and stop to fix it. Just role with it and people won’t notice the error because you made it unimportant.
A director over at Microsoft once said to me his key to success was try to outrun your mistakes instead of fixing them.
For aspiring writers, what advice would you offer them to convert their writing into a career?
First, the key message I give at all my talks is to give yourself permission to make a mess.
The second is recognize that building a career is an 8-10 year endeavor. Chances are it is not going to be your first, fourth or sixth book. It’s about applying yourself every day to move your author career forward. I personally don’t write every day, but I do at least one thing to support my writing so I am better off today than I was yesterday.
The last piece is to recognize that being an author is about having team. Not just the supporters and fans, but anywhere you can get advice. I have a cover designer and an editor. Knowing that having them focus on those aspects of the novel allows me to write more.
Recognize that everyone has their own speed. One person might be able to pump out a book a month and other people might take 3 years to do so. This doesn’t make one right or the other wrong, you have to find the speed of your voice without jeopardizing quality.
In a recent blog post I talk about anxiety and my long time workaholic behavior, having the feeling that you are never doing enough and how I own these symptoms.
A lot about being an author is developing grounded, sustainable, productivity and creativity and you got to slay a lot of personal demons along the way.
Thank you Adam again for taking the time to discuss your writing and some of your background, truly encouraging to keep at writing regardless of your mood and keep with long term planning.
Again, Adam Dreece is launching his new book The Man of Cloud 9 on September 30th and will be in Edmonton for a couple of book signings where you can grab a copy of the new novel.
The book is also available in digital copy at the following sites:
– Amazon http://smarturl.it/AmzMc9 (This is an internationalized link)
– Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HTVKDD6
– Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/the-man-of-cloud-9
– Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/648114
– Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-man-of-cloud-9-adam-dreece/1124066913?ean=2940153109978
The Man of Cloud 9 by Adam Dreece Synopsis
Niko Rafaelo is a brilliant and driven inventor, determined to flip the late 21st century on its head with a new take on a banned technology, nanobots.
In a world that has been battered and bruised for decades by endless natural disasters, Niko’s ambitions are seen as reckless and wasteful.
Following in the footsteps of his Silicon Valley heroes, Niko’s startup takes the planet by storm. But what happens when the corporate beast and Niko’s conscience conflict? And what is his ultimate goal?
“Adam Dreece continues to surprise, enthrall, and sweep us, his avid readers, along – with his elegant prose and insightful story telling. If you, like I, enjoy the sci/fi fantasy genre, you can’t do better than THE MAN OF CLOUD 9.”
– Rene Auberjonois, Avid Reader, Actor/Director
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