Daniel Sherrier's Blog, page 55

More free days!

RIP: Touch will have two more free days Sept. 13 and 14. That’s this Friday and Saturday. So, if you missed it the first time, here’s your chance to sample the beginning of the RIP series for the low cost of zero dollars and zero cents.

By the way, RIP vol. 1: Choices After Death is currently in the hands of editor Todd Barselow, which means it’s coming soon. That volume will re-launch “Touch” with three new novelettes and a new short story, so I want you to grab the first novelette for free.

Here’s the Amazon link. If you like it, please leave a review and come back for Choices After Death next month. In the meantime, you can also download Earths in Space for a mere $1.99…not free (and it’s not going to be free, sorry), but it’s pretty close.

Thanks for your support.

Why can’t more super-hero comics be YA?

Yesterday I attended my first Baltimore Comic-Con. I was helping my uncle, Joe Sergi, promote his new YA novel, Sky Girl and the Superheroic Adventures, and the Great Zombies in History comic book anthology, while also giving out some free samples of Earths in Space.

I had a good time, but it got me thinking about the current state of super-hero comic books, namely how so many just aren’t appropriate for kids anymore. That’s a shame. It deprives kids of some reading entertainment, and it’s terrible for business long-term.

The best time to hook a comic book fan is before high school, when all sorts of other interests will start competing for their attention. The book-publishing world has products for all stages of life — and products that can be appreciated at several different stages of life. A middle school kid and forty-year-old can enjoy the same YA novel, and that’s great. The kid can continue his habit of reading, and the forty-year-old gets another fun book without taking anything away from younger readers. He still has older fare for when he feels so inclined, and he and his kids can chat about the YA book.

The classic super-hero characters were designed for children, and they’ve grown up over the years. Much of that was a positive evolution, giving us such treats as the Claremont/Byrne X-Men, the Frank Miller Daredevil, the Wolfman/Perez New Teen Titans, and the Englehart/Rogers Detective Comics — all books parents can feel comfortable giving to eleven-year-olds, and books no eleven-year-old would feel insulted reading.

The current trend, however, seems best represented by this year’s Man of Steel movie, which I reviewed here. That joyless movie aims to impress adults with its “realism,” as (SPOILERS) we get to see Pa Kent suggesting that young Clark let people die to protect his secret, Superman snapping a villain’s neck, and Superman failing to save who-knows-how-many lives as the carnage ensues. What does it have for kids? Not nearly as much as The Avengers, which did a great job appealing to a broad range of ages.

Look at DC’s Identity Crisis mini-series from a several years back (and more spoilers ahead, of course). The story brings together nearly all the major DC super-heroes to solve the murder of the Elongated Man’s wife…who we learn was raped by Dr. Light…and then another super-hero’s wife goes psychotic…and it turns out a group of Justice Leaguers once chose to mindwipe Batman for convenience…and yeah, this isn’t for kids. The book has Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, and more in it, but it’s not for kids.

But that’s what I’m seeing. More violence, more blood, more sexism, more attempts at “realism.”

Look at what they did to Starfire.

I recently re-read some of the early 90s Batman books that got me started on comics. Reading as an adult now, I was particularly impressed by what a great role model Robin was at that time. That was the Tim Drake version — a well-adjusted kid who figured out Batman and Nightwing’s secret identities on his own, and he takes it upon himself to help them. He was smart, capable, determined, and had a good moral compass, and his adventures could be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Do kids reading comics today have anyone like that? In Spider-Man’s book, Peter Parker is dead and Doctor Octopus’s mind is driving his body, so not there. The new version of Spider-Man in Ultimate Spider-Man looks promising, though I haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.

Please let me know if there are any good super-hero comics that are appropriate for older elementary and middle school readers. I’m genuinely curious. Maybe I’m just missing them. I hope that’s the case.

Not all super-heroes need to be for kids. The world has room for wonderful adult-oriented books like Hawkeye. But Superman belongs to folks of all ages.

Exercise with martial arts

We all need exercise. It’s easy to get sucked in to many hours at the computer, making it all the more important to prioritize getting out there and being active.

My preferred workout is martial arts training. Here’s a nice little video/commercial that mentions several benefits of such a program:

Perseverance

Last week, I finally completed a full draft of the third novella in the Earths in Space series.

I had been struggling with it since January, and I took several lengthy breaks to work on other projects, primarily the RIP series (Volume 1: Choices After Death coming soon!). Each time I returned to the story, it never quite felt right. It had some good moments, yes — enough to motivate me to keep going with it.

The story needed to happen. I knew that, especially since I had already written drafts of the fourth and fifth novellas and most of the sixth. There were holes in character development that needed filling. The crew needed one more story before the events in Episode Four.

But I kept making mistakes in execution. The plot involves a zombie-like threat in a space ark that gets snagged in Pluto’s orbit. I didn’t want to do the usual zombies, though. The Walking Dead does great zombies, and I don’t have anything to add to that type of living dead, flesh-eating monster. I wanted a new type of living dead monster — one that eats energy.

Initially, I had them devouring all types of energy, and that was simply far too unwieldy. It didn’t work. They needed to crave only a specific type of energy, one that can be found in people.

Then there was another problem. All the antagonists were brain-dead. Collectively, they were like a force of nature, but the good guys needed a still-human antagonist to confront. The series explores people on other Earths, after all, not the climates. Even the second novella, “The End of an Earth,” which takes us to a world where mankind has long since died out, shows us possible effects of the absence of humanity.

Basically, this new story needed more than just energy suckers floating over Pluto, and I soon found a villain — a villain who thinks he’s absolutely justified, of course.

The next issue was to tie the events of the third novella back to the events of the second while still standing on their own. Once I did that, it helped me set the theme for the entire four-novella second volume — evolution. And by “evolution,” I also mean personal growth.

I’m about to give some light SPOILERS for “The End of an Earth,” which is the second story in Volume 1: Where Are the Little Green Men?

Here we go.

The crew meets non-human animal life that has evolved in the strict Darwinian sense, adapting to survive a harsher environment. Their intelligence hasn’t evolved — they’re still animals, perhaps more brutal than ever — but they’ve acquired new physical skills over the past several billion years to help them endure this harsh world. (You will never see talking animals in Earths in Space. This isn’t Animal Farm.)

So, Amena has seen strong evidence suggesting that life does indeed evolve, if given enough time. This leads her to wonder…What would evolved humans be like? In what ways would they evolve? Does an Earth exist out there where mankind had the opportunity to physically or mentally evolve? They never got the chance in the Earth featured in “The End of an Earth,” but maybe there’s another one.

However, there’s now a spaceship floating over Pluto, full of cryogenically preserved people. What are they fleeing?

This third novella, tentatively titled “The Pluto Factor,” needs lots more work. Plot points need smoothing out. Clunky passages need fixing. And I’m sure I’ll spot some new issues after I take a little break from it.

But I know it will continue improving, and eventually, it will get where it needs to be.

I’m glad I didn’t give up on it.

Now to re-read the fourth novella and see what needs work there…

An Earths in Space snippet

Enjoy this quick little dialogue exchange from the next Earths in Space, definitely still a work-in-progress:

“Are you having fun filling my ship with toxic fumes?” Gilmore asked.

“Fan’s running,” Amena said. “What do you think so far?”

“It looks like you haphazardly flung your paintbrushes every which way.”

“Good eye. Yep. It’s called abstract expressionism.”

“And what precisely are you expressing?”

“Colors are fun.”

***

Keep an eye out for Earths in Space vol. 2: We Must Evolve, coming later this year. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out the first volume, Where Are the Little Green Men?

A benefit of writing and reading

I had a random thought last night:

A beneficial side-effect of creative writing and reading is getting into heads and points-of-view that aren’t your own.

Understanding other people’s perspectives is an essential life skill. It leads to empathy, compassion, and tolerance, and it reduces the number of times someone angrily says, “How can anyone in their right mind think X?!?!?”

Good writers allow their characters to express views the writers themselves don’t believe. This is vital. The good guys can’t all have identical worldviews. There can be some common ground, but distinctions need to be drawn. And would you want to read a book in which all the sympathetic characters appear to be mouthpieces for the author’s opinions?

There’s a scene in The Avengers movie where Captain America makes a positive reference to God. The screenwriter/director, Joss Whedon, is an atheist, but he didn’t let that get in the way. He wrote the line that rang true for Cap’s character, regardless of how he personally felt about it. That’s the mark of a professional right there.

So, for you authors out there, as you write all your characters with their unique viewpoints, you’re training yourself to look at the world in different ways. You might still disagree with your characters, but you’ll at least see where they’re coming from. Then, in real life when you meet people whose views initially seem baffling, you’ll have the skillset to step outside your own head and explore those views in a new light.

The same goes for readers. Read books from the POV of characters who are nothing like you, and it will stretch your perceptions.

Keep reading and keep writing, and the world will be a more compassionate, tolerant place.

How not to write a bad review

Not everyone likes everything, and that’s fine. There is no such thing as a flawless work of entertainment, whether it’s a book, movie, play, or TV show.

The world is vast and complex, and we each perceive it from a different angle. We notice things others miss, and other people notice things we miss.

A movie’s flaws might grate on certain audience members, diminishing or eliminating their enjoyment. Someone else in the same theater might be willing to forgive those flaws, and other people might not even notice those flaws because other aspects of the film are dazzling enough to distract them. And others might still find those flaws grating, but they’ll put up with them because they enjoy other qualities within the movie.

This has nothing to do with intelligence. Everyone’s just looking at the movie differently based on their unique life experiences leading up to that point.

Some things appeal to larger numbers of people, but nothing appeals to everyone and it’s okay to express that opinion.

The key, however, is remembering that it’s just an opinion.

If you ever write a review that says, “In fact, this book is just plain awful/brilliant,” you’re mistaken. You can say “This book is just plain, awful/brilliant,” and in the context of a review, we know that’s your opinion. Using “in fact” to emphasize an opinion is like using “literally” to emphasize how your headache cleaved your skull in half.

Here’s a good example of how to approach a critical review — a Goodreads review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (a book I thoroughly enjoyed).

The reviewer offers constructive criticism from which others can learn. She criticizes the black-or-white nature of some characters and their unclear motivations. She offers some kind words, too.

She closes with an attitude everyone should adopt when reviewing: “Good for the people who like this series, who can see things in it that I just can’t see. I really wish I could love it as they do. But I just can’t.”

That’s how you do it. Now here’s how you don’t.

An IMDb reviewer said of Breaking Bad, “I could NOT believe that someone in their right mind could recommend this show as an excellent show. … I don’t recommend this show to anyone with sense.”

Apparently, I’m not in my right mind, as the capitalization makes clear.

On the same site, an Avengers reviewer says, “Im actually pretty disgusted that this movie is making the money it is – what does it say about the people who brainlessly hand over the hard earned cash to be ‘entertained’ in this fashion and then come here to leave a positive 8.8 review?? Oh yes, they are morons. Its the only sensible conclusion to draw. How anyone can rate this movie amongst the pantheon of great titles is beyond me.”

Again, it’s that If you don’t agree with me, you’re stupid approach, which merely succeeds in demonstrating the reviewer’s arrogance and/or insecurity, as well as his lack of empathy.

Another Avengers reviewer says, “Those playing Thor, Hulk, Black Widow either phone in performances or look embarrassed.”

This is a pet peeve of mine — saying the cast “looks embarrassed” to be there. It makes the reviewer sound like he’s trying to steal authority from those directly involved in the production. He doesn’t know what’s going on in their heads, but he gives us a guess to help bolster his argument. Reviewers can speak for themselves, not for anyone else.

A Batman: The Animated Series reviewer mistakes his opinion for a fact: “People say it’s one of the best cartoons ever, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Again, it’s okay to dislike things many other people enjoy. I watched the first two seasons of the critically acclaimed Mad Men, it just wasn’t my thing. All of the characters seemed like terrible people to me, so I couldn’t get behind any of them. But I see how the show is very well done in other ways — the cast and production values are excellent. I’ll admit to not liking the show, but I won’t go around acting appalled that other people do enjoy it.

I’ll also confess to having mixed feelings while reading The Hunger Games. The first book held my interest, and I consumed it in two days, but I’m very uncomfortable with the whole “teens killing teens” premise, even if it is presented as a terrible thing. I’m probably just not into dystopian futures as much as others.

I love the Harry Potter series, but I can see why others might think differently. I don’t mind them saying so. It’s okay to not like Harry Potter or any other successful franchise. It’s okay to express those opinions.

However, if you start trying to convince other people that they shouldn’t like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games – that it’s wrong to or that you must be illiterate if you do – that says more about you than the books.

Let people enjoy what they enjoy, and let them dislike what they dislike. We’re entitled to our own opinions. We’re not entitled to other people’s opinions.

Want to win some prizes?

Platinum Book Reviews is sponsoring a weekend-long Facebook event Aug.17 and 18, so log on to your FB account and join the Multi-Author Release Extravaganza!

There will be a bunch of contests and a bunch of prizes provided by the participating authors. It’s an opportunity to learn about new books released in the past year, and many of the authors will be on-hand during their respective events to say a digital hello. Lots of different genres will be represented.

I’m one of those participating authors. My timeslot starts at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday (or 3:30 p.m. in my native EST). I’m giving away copies of Earths in Space to a pair of lucky winners. I’ll be there to chat.

Come join the fun!

“Doing great and getting better”

In one of my other lives, I help out at a martial arts school. Whenever we ask the kids how they’re doing, they know to respond, “Doing great and getting better, sir!”

It’s an attitude worth adopting, regardless of what we’re doing.

How’s that book coming along? Doing great and getting better!

How are you doing with your fitness goals? Doing great and getting better!

How are you adjusting to your new job? Doing great and getting better!

To break it down, “doing great” means we’re on the right path. We’re making progress toward a worthwhile goal at whatever pace we can presently manage. “Getting better” means we’re improving, and we will continue improving as long as we keep working at it.

So, let’s say you’re struggling with writer’s block. You’ve got 10,000 words written, and you’re not sure where to go next. It’s aggravating. I know. You start feeling like nothing’s working, and you wonder if this thing will ever come together.

Switch it around in your mind. You’ve already written 10,000 words. They might need work. They probably do. But there’s some good stuff within — good stuff that didn’t exist until you made it exist. That’s fantastic! You’re doing great! Go ahead and do some light editing on those 10,000 words. Make them better, and as you do, you’re getting closer to finding a solution to overcome that writer’s block. You’re getting better.

Remember: How are you doing?

“Doing great and getting better!”

Fun with titling

I previously announced my next title as RIP vol. 1: Choices. Today, while printing out free samples for tomorrow’s Hanover Book Festival, I decided the title needs to be RIP vol. 1: Choices After Death.

Two words. One prepositional phrase. And it feels like it makes all the difference.

“Choices” kept feeling too vague and generic to me. It certainly fit a theme of the book, as the earthbound ghosts in RIP are basically in purgatory and it’s up to each individual to decide whether to work toward Heaven or waste away until Hell calls. Plus, Rip himself has to choose to snap out of his funk and to embrace his mission to stop the wicked ghosts from haunting the living.

So I was definitely on the right track by including “choices” somewhere in the title. But it wasn’t enough. It didn’t distinguish the book, didn’t help it stand out. It didn’t spark the imagination in any way.

“Choices After Death,” however, begs the question…What can you possibly choose after death? Aren’t you already dead? What’s going on here? It lends an exotic air that “Choices” alone did not.

It’s not too terrible that I had already mentioned “Choices” as the title. The title is only growing by two words, and nothing else is changing. Anyone plugging RIP Choices into a search engine should still land on RIP vol. 1: Choices After Death.

I went through something similar with Earths in Space. For many months while I was writing the initial drafts, the working title was just “Earths.” Even when it was in an editor’s hands, it was still just “Earths.”

Again, I was on the right track. The series takes us to numerous alternate Earths throughout the universe, and Earth isn’t a word we tend to see in the plural. But I knew it was missing something. It lacked the sense of fun I wanted, lacked the whimsy.

I don’t recall exactly how I landed on it. Maybe a subconscious suggestion from my Muppet-fueled childhood. But once I typed the words “Earths in Space,” I knew that was it. Nothing else would do.

After all, it’s not an alternate reality series. These Earths are other planets in our same universe. That title is more descriptive while packing in the necessary level of fun.

By the way, I also recently came up with the full title for the next volume:

Earths in Space vol. 2: We Must Evolve

Given my track record, it’s probably missing two words somewhere, or just a prepositional phrase.