Daniel Sherrier's Blog, page 61

Special promotion

Purchase Earths in Space between now and the end of this Sunday (eastern U.S. time), and I’ll give you the first RIP novelette for free.

Instructions: Copy the confirmation number. Paste it in an email to daniel@sherrierbooks.com. Indicate your choice of ePub, Mobi, or PDF format. Within 12 hours, I’ll reply with your free RIP e-book. If you don’t hear back within 12 hours, there was probably a technical malfunction; try a Facebook message then.

Purchases from any legitimate e-book store are valid. (http://sherrierbooks.com/?page_id=9)

This offer is open to all, so please share with all lovers of science fiction and paranormal fantasy.

Special promotion!

Purchase Earths in Space between now and the end of this Sunday (eastern U.S. time), and I’ll give you the first RIP novelette for free.

Instructions: Copy the confirmation number. Paste it in an email to daniel@sherrierbooks.com. Indicate your choice of ePub, Mobi, or PDF format. Within 12 hours, I’ll reply with your free RIP e-book. If you don’t hear back within 12 hours, there was probably a technical malfunction; try a Facebook message then.

Purchases from any legitimate e-book store are valid.

This offer is open to all, so please share with all lovers of science fiction and paranormal fantasy.

Get to Know…C.M. Wright

This week’s Get to Know features zombie author C.M. Wright. Welcome, C.M.!

Tell us about your latest work.

I’m just about to release the fourth book in my Zombie Overload Series. This series is about a 36 year old mom and wife who has to become strong and brave – two things she believes she’s not - to protect her family from a world of zombies.

Why do you feel this concept can fill an entire series?

Zombies are popular right now, so that’s one thing. Another is that this series isn’t about a man or a young physically fit woman having to survive and protect; it’s about a woman in her mid-thirties who’s a bit overweight and not at all fit, so it’s different and that seems to attract some people. 

What’s the book’s opening line?

I’ll give you book one’s opening line, if that’s alright.

If we weren’t watching the local five o’clock news, we would never have known the “virus” that was reported just last night as “contained” and “no reason for alarm” was this serious, or so very deadly, until it was too late.

What do you most enjoy about writing?

Being able to share my imagination with the world. And if I get ticked off at someone, I can always put them through hell or even kill them off in a book.

Please share a writing tip you’ve found helpful.

Have a theme song that inspires you. Mine is Thriller…imagine that!

Another thing, spell check is NOT always right!

How did your interest in zombies begin? What is it about those deceased fellows with the strange gaits that draws you?

My very first exposure to zombies was when my mom took me to the movies when I was under the age of ten (not sure the exact age) to see Night Of The Living Dead. Scared me to death! But wow was it good. I’ve been hooked ever since.

Why am I drawn to zombies? I think it’s because they’re more real to me. Yeah, yeah, I know they aren’t really real (or are they?) but for me, zombies aren’t as farfetched as other characters. They don’t have super powers. They can’t fly, shift into other creatures, point their finger and make something magical happen. They can’t talk, think, or deceive people. They are what they are and you know what to expect. They want to eat you. That’s it.

What distinguishes your zombie series from the others out there?

It’s about a woman in her mid-thirties – a mom, a wife. She’s not a natural bada**, a bodybuilder, or even in good physical shape. I also try to stay as real as possible with an unreal subject.

Should the zombie apocalypse strike tomorrow, what advice would give those of us who aren’t zombie experts?

If you haven’t at least thought about zombies by now, I promise to kill you for the second – and final – time. You’re welcome.

Protect your family, find safe zombie-proof shelter and stockpile weapons, ammo, food, and water. If you are in a house, get thick doors (steel) and really reinforce your windows. Putting bars on your windows is a good thing when it comes to zombies. Two-story or higher homes are best.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

Karina Halle’s Experiment In Terror series has been my ultimate favorite. Joshua Guess’s Living With The Dead series is awesome, and recently I read the first in Eric R. Asher’s Vesik Series, Days Gone Bad. All incredible books by incredible authors. And then of course, there’s Stephen King and Dean Koontz. As you might realize, I can not pick just one! And I tried!

Who is your favorite fictional character? (Any medium)

Daryl from The Walking Dead, of course!

 If you could have one super-power, what would it be and why?

Invisibility! Do you have any idea how freaking awesome that would be?You know those signs that say No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service? Ha ha! Try and stop me. You could go anywhere, do anything, and no one would know. Want to walk around in public naked? Go for it! (Not that I would want to, just saying.)

What’s next for you?

I’m going to put the Zombie Overload Series on hold so that I can write a vampire book I promised my vamp-loving hubby. I also have another zombie series aimed toward teens/young adults that I want to start. Plus one more has been screaming at me to get written. That one I don’t want to talk about yet. I won’t forget about my Zombie Overload series though. It’ll be back.

Where can people learn more about your work?

Pretty much everywhere! My website www.zombieoverload.comFacebook www.facebook.com/writercmwrightAmazon amazon.com/author/cmwright Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/CMWzombieGoodreads http://www.goodreads.com/WriterCMWrightTwitter https://twitter.com/CMWzombieThere’s more, but this is enough to start with.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself.

I’m deathly afraid of spiders! Give me a zombie any day, but keep those nasty spiders away from me!

Thank you, C.M.!

Title announcements!

The first RIP novelette, “Touch,” has been out for a few weeks. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, feel free to go ahead and do that now.

I’m working on the next four installments. Those episodes will be titled…(imaginary drum roll)…

“Alone,” “Strength,” “The Crazy Line,” and “Point B.”

My original plan was to release each one individually for $0.99 apiece. Instead, I’ll compile them — along with the first book — into a single volume for $2.99. So, that’ll be a better value for all involved and should facilitate a more indulgent reading experience.

The already-released first book is sort of like my kickstarter program. Maybe it will help me with production costs, but it will at least serve as a low-priced sample for now. Check it out. See if you like it. Let me know what you think, please.

I’ll set a release date when I’m much further along, but the process will likely take several months. I’ll share some work-in-progress excerpts on my Facebook page from time to time.

Once that’s out, my attention will return to Earths in Space for a while.

Hooray for industriousness. Thanks for your attention.

Get to Know…Nicolai Grunnet

Welcome to Get to Know…! Each week, I’ll interview a creatively inclined individual, such as a writer, illustrator, actor — all sorts of fun folks!

First up, we have fantasy author Nicolai Grunnet. Welcome, Nicolai.

Tell us about your latest work.

First, allow me to say what an honor it is to be here! I’m thrilled to be able to tell you more about ‘Pandegnomium’ my first book in the comical, psychological fantasy series of ‘Heureka’. It’s a story about a world, originally part of an enormous, cosmic game of cards, on which an international crisis breaks out. The government decides to kick start the economy by inventing the gardening gnome and soon the strange little constructs become smashing hits. But alas, the gnomes are about to take back the gardens; possibly even destroy the world. So we follow the young wizard Etnil, who suffers from Arcane Deficit Casting Disorder and is therefore not very good at spells, as he sets out into the world to find the ancient weapon ‘The Banhammer’. A powerful relic able to stop the devious critters before there is no world left to save. But talking hippos, obese old ladies, tyrants and board games are but a few of the dangers he will meet along the way.

Of course, Pandegnomium is also a general introduction to the universe; I’ve always thought that was hard in fantasy novels. You easily risk the setting taking up more space than the actual story, but I’m quite satisfied how it all turned out. One of the big things about this universe is how existence is split in two; the real, material world known simply as The World, and the chaotic world of Heureka. Heureka is sort of like an existential nuthouse, in which the gods placed all ideas and creatures that were too dangerous for The World. Some of the inhabitants are fantastic, others are quite dangerous, and a big part of the Heureka series is how these two worlds (and their inhabitants) interact with each other. Not always in friendly ways, mind you.

Where did the idea come from?

I’ve never liked gardening gnomes much, feeling that they just can’t be trusted. So it seemed natural for me to write about them, eventually. As for the general setting, I’ve been an avid role player and gamer for most of my life, so needless to say I’ve been quite inspired from my countless sessions of GM’ing. Telling stories has always been a huge thing for me; it’s a thrill to see someone who enjoys what your mind made up.

I’ll also be honest and say that I owe my two favorite authors, Sir Terry Pratchett and R.A.Salvatore, a LOT! These guys have enriched my life in so many ways, and I won’t hesitate to admit that my style of writing contains some elements that I loved in their books.

Why do you feel this concept can fill an entire series?

That’s a really good question. There is definitely a lot of potential in the ongoing struggle between the prime material world, in which people go to work and live ordinary lives, and that of the wild ideas of Heureka. Pandegnomium is not only the first book of the series, but also the first of the Etnil Storyline; the main protagonist. He’s a character that leaves so much more to be had from his life, even though he has accepted it probably won’t be anything different. It’s not that he has given up on his own existence; he has just settled for something less. After all, he’s a wizard whose spells are unpredictable and dangerous, meaning people are afraid of him. To Etnil, things like career, prestige, sex, family and love are arbitrary in the same sense as we perceive other planets. We know they’re out there, but so far away that we don’t really bother much with them and instead move on with our lives.

The way Etnil gets involuntarily involved in the struggle is long and challenging. It’s not just about a personal journey, like we know it from so many other great stories, but how every crazy idea made up by man or god could possibly influence an otherwise boring world.

What’s the book’s opening line?

“The World is flat. This is not to be disputed, no matter what any deranged scientists or self-inflated missionaries tell you.”

Facts first. Though I mention it, science doesn’t play a huge role in Heureka, usually because people don’t bother too much. In Pandegnomium, an earthquake detector measures the intensity of the quake by the number of porcelain cups hitting the floor each second. As you can see, there is a long way to go.

As for religion, I’m careful about that subject, mostly just making up my own stuff and make fun of that. That being said, the primary antagonists in the series are quite religious, which will be explained further in the next book, “Bloody Peasants”

What do you most enjoy about writing?

There is an undeniable peace to it, let’s just be honest about that. But it’s also freedom, seeing as how we always strive to tell stories whether we’re talking about identity, careers, family and so on. Living our life is telling a story, both to ourselves and those around us. But when writing, nobody can mess it up for you.

Also, on a less philosophical note, I keep finding it interesting how the original concept for a story matches the final product in so very few ways. I think a lot of authors out there agree with me that a good story is born, not made. It develops. Often you come up with an idea out of the blue; perhaps it’s so great it will keep you awake at night or make you ponder how to incorporate it. When I began my third book, I’d only written around 10 pages, yet I couldn’t sleep for half a night because my head was teeming with ideas for the story. That was extremely unique, and not something I’ve ever tried before.

Please share a writing tip you’ve found helpful.

Just do it. Sit down, begin writing in the split of a second. Run like crazy into the sunset. Never look back. That’s what editing is for. It’s so easy to get caught up in procedures today, seeing as more and more guides will teach you how to write, what to avoid and what not to do. But we must never forget that which made us sit down in the first place; writing.

You will make mistakes. Lots of them, perhaps. But don’t stop writing; keep at it and love it. If you’re a true writer, it’s very hard for you to stop once you get going.

And in that line of thought; learn to embrace (constructive) critique. It’s much harder said than done.

So you have a pet hedgehog. Tell us about the little fellow.

My hedgie and familiar, Mr. Tanglefoot, is about a year old and keeps making me smile. Perhaps because his preferred way of having fun is to stick his head into an old toilet paper roll and walk around with it. I had the idea during an RPG session, where one of my characters owned a hedgehog for a long time, making me wonder whether they’d make good pets. So I found out, much to my surprise, that such a thing is very feasible today. Hedgehogs are adorable and faithful companions, as long as you take the time required to cuddle (the common notion that this is impossible: false) and play with them.  I was surprised at how easy going (and curious!) they can be, but it is an exotic pet that I had to read up a lot about.

How do your experiences as a clinical psychologist contribute to your writing?

I’ve been a clinical psychologist for some years, mostly working with anxiety and PTSD.  It’s pretty evident in ‘Pandegnomium’ that a psychologist made up the characters, seeing how anxiety and degrees of depression from a troubled childhood torment all of the protagonists. Some have asked me whether this is intentional, to which I can only say no. I just don’t think I could write without including that element. Some protagonists in various stories never seemed that convincing on a psychological level, even though the author tried including it in a rudimentary sense. I suppose we’re thrilled by the ideal of a psychologically invulnerable hero, but I need my characters to have real issues to fight with, as well as orcs.

When I look back, the second book of the series, ‘Bloody Peasants’, is likely the one most influenced by my profession. It was written when I worked with traumatized patients, who’d seen torture, war and horrible tales beyond counting. I never really intended for it to be so, but when I look back at it now, I can clearly see how this story turned out way, way more dark than anything I’ve ever written.

For me, much writing has been a mechanism of coping, I suppose. Part of being a clinical psychologist is to realize how overwhelming it is to fight against your own mind, and how some people go at it for their entire life, even with little hope of remission. That’s what I love about fantasy; we might not be guaranteed victory, but hope is there as long as we try. Ultimately, I’m not very concerned with the heroes reaching their goals, but want to know more about how they got there.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

I know I’m betraying my craft by saying that the greatest stories have come to me from games. Dragon Age, in particular, was likely the story that had me stunned, crying, laughing, thrilled and empty inside when it ended. That being said, “Guards! Guards!” by Terry Pratchett was the first Discworld book I read and (almost) fully understood as a child. English is my second language, after all, so it took a lot of time getting used to; yet this story was entertaining, interesting and had some strangely appealing characters.

Who is your favorite fictional character? (Any medium)

I’m generally fond of the misanthropic, grumpy and silent antihero; an archetype I haven’t really played that much around with in my books. Mostly because it seems difficult to portray them properly, and often these people aren’t interested the slightest in being a hero. I suppose you could say the same thing about Etnil in Pandegnomium, yet he pretty much goes along with the events because he’s too insecure to say no. Not because he rarely gives a damn about anything but himself.

Characters such as Garrett from the Thief-games, the assassin Artemis Entreri from the Drizzt series, and Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead are all up there on the top of my list.

If you could have one super-power, what would it be and why?

This is actually one I’ve given a lot of thought. I usually say ‘the ability to freeze time’ but some people argue that’s more like a god-power. So I’ve settled with unlimited teleportation, seeing how that can solve basically all my problems. I’m a strange person like that; late at night I can have a desire to take a stroll in London or visit one of my friends in Germany. Also, I’m terribly lazy when it comes to shopping and consequently arrive too late for most appointments. Teleportation would make my life so much easier! Also, to teleport annoying people on the bus away, yes please.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the third book in the Heureka series, which will likely be done this Summer. I won’t really make too many promises, seeing as I’m rather satisfied with publishing three books within half a year; things just have to develop in a natural way. I can assure you that the third book is perhaps the best I’ve ever written; it just keeps improving. And if you liked the strange elements of Pandegnomium, you will definitely love the third one.

Part of me still wants to go back to the psychiatry one day, and I might just do that for some time. A lot of people have told me they are sad to see me stop being a therapist, which I am of course thankful for. But now that I’ve started with the books there is definitely no going back. Some people have asked me whether they will see paperback editions, to which I’ll sadly say no. It’s not something I’m looking into. Instead I am contemplating the possibility of audio books; something I believe is coming in strong in the next couple of years.

Where can people learn more about your work?

The central hub for all information would be my homepage, really: http://www.nicolaigrunnet.com/ There you can find information about the books, me and links to my Facebook page, twitter and personal blog. It really pays off to join in on Facebook, as a lot of stuff happens there.

Pandegnomium is currently on a wide array of platforms, such as Smashwords and Amazon.

Tell us one fun fact about yourself.

I watched The Fellowship of the Ring 11 times in the cinema. Only because I wanted to beat a friend who watched Titanic 10 times.

***

Thanks for joining us, Nicolai!

If you, too, are an artistic individual and would like to be featured in a future Get to Know interview, please email me at daniel@sherrierbooks.com.

Converting a script into a book

RIP began life as a television pilot script.

It was a semifinalist in the 2011 PAGE International Screenwriting Contest in the TV Drama category and a finalist in the 2010 People’s Pilot Competition.

I ultimately decided this story was better suited for a novel — or, to be more precise, a series of novelettes that will eventually combine into one large novel. I’m essentially converting a season of television into a book.

I had already written about four and a half TV episodes, some more polished than others. The first episode, “Hi, I Kill Dead People,” became the first e-book, “Touch.”

Here’s an excerpt from that pilot script:

EXT. PUBLIC PARK – NIGHT

Rip walks down a sidewalk in front of a passive park: a wide-open grass field with some trees around the perimeter.  It’s dark except for a few street lights.  No one else is out.

A tiny orb floats behind him, then vanishes.  Rip stops and turns around, having felt something.  He resumes walking, but faster.

Several orbs appear before him.  Startled, he SHOUTS immediately as he sees them.

He runs onto to the grass and leans against a tree near a streetlight: a nice, safe, well-lit area.  He catches his breath.

RIP

(mumbling)

Okay.  Sugar.  That was sugar.  Ate too much…

He looks down and shakes his head.  Can’t deny it any longer.  He looks up.

RIP (CONT’D)

Let’s get this over with.

Serissa fades back into view.  She stands in front of Rip, invading his personal space.  She flails her arms.

SERISSA

–I’m not sugar!  Don’t be scared!  Don’t be scared!

*****

In the e-book, this turns into:

A midnight stroll never actually alleviated his insomnia, but he clung to the theory anyway. He opted for the usual, most convenient path. Near his apartment complex was a passive park—a wide-open grass field with evenly spaced trees dotting its perimeter. He walked down the sidewalk bordering the green, where streetlights provided sufficient illumination.

The park was vacant. It was late, after all—or early, depending on your perspective. But he still had that nagging feeling someone else was lurking around, peering over his shoulder.

Didn’t he conquer these fears years ago? There was reality and there was imagination. The latter may have enjoyed freedom from rules, but not the former. No, reality came with restrictions. Reality couldn’t break its own laws. There was no such thing as phantoms or ghosts or ghouls or anything of the sort!

A tickle on his neck compelled him to look back, but it was a misleading tickle, because there was still no one there.

Rip walked a bit faster.

His vision blurred with white spots—numerous tiny, circular spots. Was he going blind? Did he pick up a rare illness? He felt fine, though. Or did he?

The tiny white dots started glowing.

Instincts took over, and he ran out onto the grass. He dashed around a thick tree near a streetlight. He leaned against the trunk in the nice, safe, well-lit area, and he rationalized, like a good adult.

“Okay. Sugar,” he muttered. “That was sugar. Ate too much…” He lowered his head. He couldn’t deny it any longer. “Let’s get this over with.”

Rip looked across the field, dreading whatever might happen. So far, the park remained empty. Nothing strange…yet. Even the white spots had dispersed. He had to clamp a hand on his leg to keep it from quaking.

That leg quaked nevertheless, and the other soon joined in.

He squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in the cool, fresh air. Breathing out, he opened.

Arms flailed in his face. “I’m not sugar!” said the young woman from his dream. “Don’t be scared! Don’t be scared!”

******

And there you have it, a conversion from a television script to full prose.

Don’t forget to download your copy of RIP: Touch.

Adventures in make-up

I have been makeup-free since January 2005.

I had a lot of fun acting in plays in high school and college, but I always dreaded the makeup.

The final time I had to endure the wretched stuff (well, only wretched when it’s on me) was the final time I acted in a play, Gilbert & Sullivan’s Ruddigore at the College of William & Mary.

I knew when I auditioned that would be my last time acting. It was my senior year of college—I had my fun for several years, and it was time to focus on some other areas.

There’d be much to miss about acting. Not the makeup, though. But I figured I could tolerate a little bit one last time.

They cast me as a bust. A marble, white bust — a head statute that, through the magic of Gilbert & Sullivan, came to life. And was very, very white. Ghostly white. My shower and I spent good quality time together after each show.

Incidentally, I was the town drunk in earlier scenes, obligated to drink far too much awful-tasting iced tea shortly before being smothered in the white makeup and hairspray and stuffed in a box to hide everything below my neck. Oh, and for one number, I and several guys had to do the grapevine on a platform six feet above the stage, without a railing. Good thing I stopped while I was ahead.

Anyway, that white makeup wasn’t as bad as the blue makeup from my sophomore year of high school.

That one-act play was called “The Girl Who Was Asked to Turn Blue,” and my character was part of a utopian society of blue people (not the Smurfs, another one) trying to convince this girl to join us in our collective.

So, on top of all the usual adolescent anxieties 15-year-olds deal with, this play gave me a new one as I returned to school each morning: “My face isn’t still blue anywhere, is it?”

Luckily, most plays only required a minimal level of makeup, and in high school, some of the girls seemed to take bizarre pleasure in making up us guys. So at least I didn’t have to know how the stuff worked. I just had to sit there and take it.

College was different. Not only were we expected to apply our makeup ourselves, but we had to go out and buy our own.

Yes, my higher education made me the slightly embarrassed owner of makeup.

So picture this: myself and a car full of college boys being taken to Target and heading straight into the cosmetics aisle.

An upperclassman picked everything out for us (with uncanny speed and accuracy), and then the cashiers faced a sudden surge of young guys individually purchasing makeup, and only makeup.

Shortly later, we learned how to put it all on without turning into clowns. I remember little at this point, except that the eye-liner was particularly nefarious.

Then I had to smuggle it all into my dorm room.

Makeup certainly had an unfortunate but unavoidable presence during my performance days. In fact, it occasionally got too much credit.

For a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest my senior year of high school, I was one of the bad guys, so I decided to be stereotypically evil and grow a goatee.

This prompted one of the freshman girls to say, “I like your beard. Is that real, or is it painted on?”

Casting

This is my final pre-written installment of the theatre education series for high school students. If you’d like more, please let me know.

Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students…

Casting a show can be fun, but there’s one potentially stressful part. For most school one-act festivals, you’re competing with several other directors for the same pool of actors. You probably won’t get everyone you want. You have to realize that going in.

As I said before, you need to consider alternative cast members before you meet with the other directors. That way, if one actor isn’t available, you have someone else in mind you’re comfortable with.

Here’s the tricky part here…Unless you’re doing a one-person show, no actor gets cast in a vacuum. You’re looking for talent in each individual actor, yes, but you also want to make sure these people have some chemistry with each other–that they look and feel right together.

For example, if your script calls for three girls who all need to be the same age and who appear together frequently, you might not want to cast one senior and two freshmen. Unless she looks as young as the freshmen, the senior might stand out in an awkward way. They might all be great individually, but something could look a little off when you put them together.

It’s easy to get so focused on each individual role that you forget about the larger picture.

Of course, you’re not going to get your ideal cast. You’ll have to make concessions, just as the other directors will make concessions that will work in your favor.

As you go into the meeting, decide which top choice you’re most willing to part with. It’s not a bad idea to go ahead and rank everyone. Then, when a conflict arises, you can be the first to offer a concession. “Okay, I’ll let you have Actor A, but I really want to hang onto Actor B here.”

Be aware: The actor you label as an absolute must-have could very well hold that same label on another director’s casting notes. In the end, only one of you can have that person (unless you want to go the double-casting route, which is only advisable if there are more parts than actors.)

Usually, when such a situation arises, the faculty advisor should act as the final arbiter (especially for high school productions). The teacher is most likely to favor the director who already made the most compromises with other roles. If you haven’t given up any actors yet, but your rival has given up two top choices, you’re probably not getting the person you want in this case.

So think strategically. It’s like a crazy, creative chess game. How much do you want each actor, and who are you willing to give up to get him/her in your show?

But remember: As you keep mixing and matching the roles, try to picture each set of actors together.

That’s something else to consider while watching the auditions: How well does each actor work with others?

When the dust settles and you finally have a cast, there will be further surprises in store–all kinds of surprises, possibly.

Auditions are not a science. Someone might audition well, but then it takes him several rehearsals to warm up to the part. Or, an actor might display brilliant skills in rehearsals that you never noticed when she auditioned, making her the absolute best for the role–despite the fact that she was your third choice.

In my first directing experience, through sheer dumb chance, I wound up casting two girls who had been lifelong best friends–which I had no idea about. That made for some rambunctious rehearsals, though quite fun.

So unless you cast all your best friends, you never know precisely what you’re going to get. But that’s part of what makes it all exciting.

In any case, never tell anyone that he or she was a second or third choice. Once they’re cast, then they’re all you have to work with. Make the most of them, and make sure you have fun.

Find an assistant director

Continuing the series on theatre education for high school students…

Here’s a simple little bit of advice: If you’re directing a show, even just a short one-act, find yourself a reliable assistant director.

Assistant directors can serve several invaluable purposes:

1) When the actors first go off-book, the A.D. can follow the script for anyone who needs to call “line.” This frees you, the director, from having to divide your attention between the page and the live scene.

2) If an actor misses a rehearsal, you have someone handy to read the lines.

3) It never hurts to have a second set of eyes on the blocking. While the actors can certainly make their own good suggestions and additions, the A.D. would be the only other person focused entirely on the big picture. If you try out some new blocking and you’re not quite sure about it, you have a second opinion right there.

4) Similarly, you have someone else to help you brainstorm about matters such as props and set pieces — and to help you find these items.

5) If an actor quits the show, you might have a willing understudy who’s already familiar with the script. (Of course, you only have a 50/50 shot of the A.D. being the right gender.)

You can direct a one-act without an assistant, and some people may prefer it that way. I’ve done it both ways and have found that having an A.D. makes life easier.

It’s not a glamorous position, so it may not be easy to find the right person for the job, and it’s not the end of the world if you can’t find one. But if you can, the process should be smoother. You just have to make it clear (politely) that you, the director, always have the final say on all matters related to the show.

If you do find an A.D., respect this individual by making sure you use his or her time well and consider any ideas shared. It’s easy for an A.D. to feel useless, and if that happens, you run the risk of losing this person and all his or her ideas.

Collaboration is a key ingredient to theatre, so bringing in extra eyes and an extra mind can be a huge help.

Opening lines

Call me Ishmael.

No, please don’t.

The first line always deserves extraordinary consideration from the writer – or, in the case of plays and screenplays, the first visual. I once opened a one-act with a “chicken” crossing the stage, only to get hit by a car immediately upon exiting. It’s good to make an impression.

I’ve now launched two e-book series. Let’s take a look at the first lines of both first books and see how they fit with the series blurb.

Earths in Space

The blurb: There are no aliens, but the universe is full of people. Other Earths are out there. Unique individuals populate them all, making unique decisions that lead to unique civilizations. Amena Wharry wants to visit each one. She has no idea what she’s getting into. She can’t wait to find out.

The opening line: The forest was just like any old forest, until an archer in a spacesuit appeared.

My thoughts: People make any place. These Earths would be nearly identical if not for the different people inhabiting them, and those people are what make them interesting to explore. But what if there’s an Earth that no longer has native humanity? We get to experience such an Earth in the second novella (also part of the first volume), which opens with the line, “The world was going to explode in ninety minutes.” It’s not a pleasant place.

RIP

The blurb: Opening yourself up to a whole new world can leave you vulnerable — but it’s the only way to grow. That’s what Rip Cooper has to do when he learns he can perceive ghosts with his five senses as if they were flesh and blood people, and he’s just as solid to them — in fact, the only solid thing to them. This young loner has to overcome his fears and kill dead people to prevent them from corrupting the living. He works alongside an impure angel and his ex-best friend’s ex-girlfriend as they teach him how love can conquer fear.

The opening line: Rip Cooper never forgot the haunted house in which he spent his early childhood, though no one else seemed to notice its condition.

My thoughts: Rip sees what other people don’t, and what he sees isn’t always wonderful. Also, being a small child in a haunted house sure is going to leave a mark, isn’t it? Who does that kid grow up into? And what or who was haunting the house? We’ll learn more about that particular ghost in a future novelette, because in this series, every ghost — no matter how wicked now — was once a halfway-decent person. The truly bad ones went straight to Hell. Of course, the truly good people went straight to Heaven…

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So how’d I do? Feedback is always welcome, and reading is always encouraged.