Dale R. Long's Blog, page 2

Fictional Bravery vs Real Life Bravery

Once there was a woman of infinite grace, married to a man of infinite jest. She was meek and quiet. She hid behind her hair.

Once.

***

As a writer, I deal in emotion. Regardless of genre, all writers, when you boil it down,�� create out of emotion. In fiction, where I peddle my trade, we also draw off real emotion. It is instilled in each character’s actions and reactions.

Or distilled?

They talk of “strong” female characters. Most times though, these are caricatures of the writer’s fantasies.

I like to think I write strong female characters. But my version of strong isn’t�� a super-flawed, super heroine. I like to think mine are real. They are confident but not arrogant. They are evil and manipulative when the story calls for it, and capable, smart and caring and sometimes brave and take charge, also when the story calls for it. Above all, I want them to be real and relatable.

But fictional bravery is a pale simulacrum of real life.

Here is where the real life bravery far outstrips anything I could ever hope to put on paper.

Recently an insidious evil has crept into my home. Even as we speak it is trying to steal�� my wife and I am helpless to stop it. I don’t like that feeling. I have always had a bit of a superhero mentality. I want to fix things when I see them broken. Offer protection, lend a helping hand. Ya, the caveman, dominate-male, programmed, privileged mentality, I get it. Accept my many failings and move on. The fact of the matter is, I can’t do anything to help. My wife has to face this battle on her own. Is she capable? Hell yes! She happens to not only be smarter than I am, but she is proving her bravery every second of every day.

She is forcing this battle to happen on her terms. That’s not to say there aren’t moments when she is knocked back on her heels. Like today for instance.

It is today that we realized the first hurdle, the first blow. Her hair.

Yes, the initial diagnosis had the impact of a wrecking ball, but she was in otherwise good health. There were no external symptoms and no pain. She sailed through the first two treatments with little to no discomfort. She handled the biopsy and subsequent marker procedure, even injecting herself, with a grace and a smile. Forced at times, but a smile none the less.

The first crack in her armour. Yes it is just hair and it is a small price to pay, but for many women it is more than that. For some it is their identity, it is one of the few fashion accessories that they will always control, that is always uniquely them. For others, like my wife, it is their security blanket. She is losing hers and there is nothing I can do about it except hug her through her tears.

If I could, I’d trade places with her in a heartbeat.

I hereby turn in my cape. My wife, Sue, is more deserving of it than I am or ever imagined�� I could be.

***

Once there was a woman, and while she is not gone, she is forever changed.

She is the brave that stories only hope to capture.

She is a warrior.

 

 

Many thanks to her support. Crazy writers and their spouses, old high school and university friends, co-workers, long time friends (extended family) and family (both blood and by marriage). You guys prop her up when she is low. You are all gems.

 

Muskoka Novel Marathon 2015

Last year I got unceremoniously roped into participating in the Muskoka Novel Marathon by my writer friends, Tobin Elliott, Kevin Craig and Lori Twining. There were more, but these three were the loudest.

For those that haven’t heard about it, the Muskoka Novel Marathon, henceforth to be called MNM, is an event that raises funds and awareness for adult illiteracy and innumeracy. Together with the YMCA of Simcoe and Muskoka, MNM invites 40 writers to fund raise and in July, spend 72 hours in Huntsville writing non-stop.

Well, ok, some write non-stop, some take breaks, but still, it is a creatively charged atmosphere.

So it was with some trepidation that I finally caved and agreed to participate. My hesitation wasn’t borne out of lack of faith in the cause, but more in my own abilities. I don’t write in long jags. I write in fits and farts, as my Scottish Nana used to say. My brain won’t spit out anything close to a “shitty first draft”. No, it has to roll the idea around, flesh it out, make sure it is cohesive, before it will allow me to put one word on the page. And if I try to force the issue, try to write down points and ideas, it, rather snobbishly, refuses to revisit said ideas.

Now that is not to say that when I get around to putting words on the page that they are perfect in any sense. No. My ability to transform the pictures my brain forms into words, is where the polish needs to happen. The fact that grammar and punctuation like to switch nametags as a lark for my discomfort, are the parts that need fixing.

So I arrived in Huntsville having raised my money (which I hope to exceed this year) and to a room full of actual skilled and talented writers. Round pegs to my square peg. The fear that they would see through my writerly facade only gained credence with the first writer to post 50 pages. I had a paragraph.

Luckily I had some friends who talked me down off the ledge. In the end, I produced a solid 60 pages. 45 of which was the completed sequel to The Good King, called Three Ships for Three Kings, and 25 were the ending to my Middle Grade illustrated Christmas story, Archibald and the Gentlemen Three.

And the 50 page writer, Pat Flewwelling? She, along with two other writers, went on to complete over 300 pages each.

In total, we raised $23,000.00 and produced over 3090 pages as a group. To add icing to that cake, a lady that went through the YMCA program participated for the second year in a row.

The program works.

This year I signed up again, no cajoling required. I don’t know what I am going to write yet. I may rewrite (edit) an existing story. Either way, it is time well spent. I actually feel guilty for what I take away from this event. The creative energy in a room full of writers is not only inspiring but addictive. But this isn’t supposed to be about me, hence my guilt.

So, if you know someone who can’t read or recognize numbers, or even if you don’t, you probably do, they hide it well, please consider donating. If I complete a book as a result of this event, I will make sure it has a page of acknowledgements at the front, naming you (if you want) and thanking you for your kindness and compassion.

Everyone deserves to read, if not for pleasure, just to get by in everyday life. We often forget how much of our daily lives require us to read. Prescriptions, directions, recipes, TV listing, Holiday cards or even just little notes from our loved ones, our children or grandchildren.

Go to the Muskoka Novel Marathon home page to read more and to see photos and read the accomplishments of the writers last year. Also, check out the writers participating this year. It is a talented group, everyone of them.

Here is my donation page. https://www.canadahelps.org/en/pages/dale-r-long-at-muskoka-novel-marathon-2015/��

Every little bit helps. If you can’t donate, that’s understandable, you can still help by spreading the word.

Mass Opinion Of The UnRead

It is becoming more common place to see debates raging on the internet. Debates about what books to read, what movies to watch, what the school boards should and shouldn’t be teaching and so forth and so on. It poisons Facebook, it poisons Twitter, it is the court of uninformed opinion and the internet has become the stage, the bullhorn for these ragefests.

Uninformed? Yes, you read that right. I have read two such arguments recently. One expounding the evils of reading books written only by a certain gender, race and religious bent, and the other on the evils of sex-education in the schools. Neither of which I want to get into here. If you want to wade in with your opinions, find them on the internet and do yourself a favour, read up on them. Read everything you can find from respected and learned sources before you offer up your opinion. This is a practice that is largely ignored.

Yes, I agree, your opinion, or my opinion, is just that, our own. When it starts being a problem is when that opinion is ill-informed and when that opinion it stuffed down the throats of others.

There are many people out there that take exception to certain things. I understand that. You are allowed not to like something, but don’t base that dislike on an article you read, written by someone that didn’t bother to fact check because they feel they are right.

It’s not hard to understand why this happens in today’s age of clickbait, and lazy journalism. Look at any well written, well researched and non-inflammatory article and then scroll down to the comments. They are populated by commenters that didn’t research, can hardly spell and when called out for their ignorance, hide behind religion. Here’s a news flash for those people, the smart, religious people are sick of you dragging their faith through the mud.

On a Sex-Ed debate one woman, a proclaimed home-schooler, proudly announced that she didn’t not have to read the article she was against because “I have read the bible cover to cover”. Well so have I and I’m not religious. At all. I don’t remember a single passage on Sex-Education. And don’t even get me started on her whole rant that it promotes homosexuality reasoning either. What astounds me, is that she is teaching. Thankfully only her children, I can’t help but feel sorry for those poor kids. The thing with the whole Sex-Ed thing is, if you don’t like it or agree with it you have options and the best option is education. Teach your kids! Don’t rely on the TV, the Internet, society or the school. Teach them the reality and let them make up their own minds. If you forearm them with proper, not skewed, knowledge, they will make the right choices. You have to allow them that ability, that freedom, that most basic of rights.

In order to teach, one must be educated and that includes the stuff they don’t like. With out knowing the full story, both sides of it, how can one teach? What happens in that case is no different than brain washing. Her children have no choice. “You will believe only what I say because I said it”. Ouch. Where have we heard that before?

I guess my beef here, besides my total lack of patience for the intentionally ignorant, is that reading, the act of actively gaining knowledge, is falling by the wayside in lieu of Internet News. When places like Fox News can’t be bothered to hide their bigotry, misogyny and blatant stupidity, how can we expect the viewers to be otherwise. Everyone has an option. Just because you don’t like or even agree with something, don’t assume everyone feels the same way and you can’t make them.

I know not everyone can read, which is why I participate in the Muskoka Novel Marathon to raise money to combat illiteracy. Everyone deserves the basic right to read even if the mass majority that can, choose not to.

Always fuel your brain before you open your mouth or fire up the keyboard. And remember, your opinion is yours alone.

Don’t be loud, be informed. And above all, READ.

 

 

 

Confession Time

I have a confession to make. While everyone is making New Year’s resolutions and trying to stick to them, I’m going to confess.

Forgive me, dear readers, for I have committed the ultimate writerly sin; I have not been reading. There I said it. And now that I’ve said it, I realize it’s not entirely true. I have been reading. I have read a number of new works by up and coming writers. Writers brave enough to trust me with the infamous “shitty first drafts”. Keep an eye out for Kate Arms Roberts: The Red Oak, Connie Di Pietro-Sparacino: Daughter of God, Samantha Banik: The Pirate and Tobin Elliott: Cycle of the Aphotic World trilogy!

I have also been reading my own writing over and over and over again…

Normally I am a voracious reader. I would stay up late into the night, trapped between the pages of a good book. But since I started writing and since the i-products have insinuated themselves into my nightly routine with Netflix, I have barely read.

I am trying to get myself back to no electronics at night. (Keep your minds out of the gutter, people, this is a kid friendly show). I have a few books I have started that I need to finish and a number of books I really want to read.

First I have a few books by writers I know who write in genres outside of my normal reading field of comfort. Let me get this up front, I don’t read Romance (any variety thereof) or Historical (see previous). Now before you jump all over me, I will admit that I let the bad stereotypes of those genre taint my perspective. Because of that, and because I write Horror, which is a melting pot of all the genres, I feel it is my best interest to read outside my comfort zone. In the interest of research and because I know these writers and they do good work.

So on my reading list is, in no particular order;

Kevin Craig: Burn Baby, Burn Baby. I’ve read his book, Summer on Fire and if this is YA, then I like YA. And I know Kevin. He’s the most humble writer you’d ever meet.

Claire Gillian: The Pure. I’ve actually started this and while it is labelled a romance, it is not heavy-handed and the main character is instantly likeable and relatable. While I don’t like comparisons, if you like Janet Evanovich, you’ll like Claire. She is one of the writers I meet through Absolute Write and she can write dark and humour. Sometimes at the same time.

Diane Dooley: Blue Galaxy. This one may be too Sci-fi romance for my tastes but I also know Diane from Absolute Write, and she can write. She is another romance writer that can write dark. I love her darker stuff. So I will read this.

Elaine Cougler: The Loyalist’s Wife. Another book I am hesitant on because of the genre, but another one I will read anyway. I meet Elaine at the Algonkian Writer’s conference. Are all writers really nice people or is it only the ones I know?

And, of course, on the list are the books in the genre’s I’m more familiar with, The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, The Divine Comedy, Faust, Paradise Lost. All of which I have read bits and pieces of. And my standard gotos like Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley and Charles Dickens.

Then there are the anthologies. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada: 101 Stories about the Joy and Wonder of the Holidays, WCDR’s Short Short Fiction Renaissance, Tomes of Terror. Filled with writers I know.

And I have a number of series I need to catch up on. Terry Goodkind: Sword of Truth. Dan Brown: Inferno. (Don’t judge me, I actually liked Angels and Demons). Andrew Pyper: The Damned. Dean Koontz: Odd series.

There are so many more and I’m afraid my night table is not rated for the weight that sits on it.

So that’s my confession and I suppose my resolution.

I’m excited. This feels like it is going to be a productive writing year. A building on the momentum of this past year. Here are a few pictures of what I was up to and why I wasn’t blogging.

The Muskoka Novel Marathon July 2014.

Three Ships for Three Kings was written here.

My daughter and the Horror Maestro, Tobin Elliott

at BookapaloozaGTA November 2014.

Bookaplaooza Samples

Blue Heron Books Advent Calendar December 2014

The Good King was day 7!

So now you are up to speed and I feel better for my confession.

Happy New Year everyone!

 

Burn Baby Burn Baby Blog Tour 2014

It’s official, Burn Baby Burn Baby is avaliable in digital and hardcopy now.

My previous blog was to promote the cover, but I wanted to be part of the actual release and Curiostity Quills was nice enough to include me.

So, while you may have read the original post, I’ve modified it to freshen it up some.

I know Kevin Craig from The Writer’s Community of Durham Region or, more simply the WCDR. I also had the opportunity to write with him at the Muskoka Novel Marathon in July.

Like Billy Joel’s Piano Man, Kevin is quick with a joke. He is the first to welcome new writers to the WCDR and the last to talk about his own writing.

Like me, Kevin isn’t one for self-promotion. He is uncomfortable with praise and equally uncomfortable when people ask for his book. It is these reasons that I am promoting it for him. That and the fact that he is a great writer and a great guy.

So when Kevin asked me if I could be part of his blog tour and after I picked my jaw off the floor, I said “Seriously dude??” He nodded like Scooby-Doo looking for a Scooby Snack. Well, that’s not really how it went, but it is funnier than “Yes” and “thank-you”.

But here was my stipulation, I had free rein to put The Author’s Voice spin on it and he had to answer my questions.

I had to tackle him as he tried to run away.

TAV: Why the big push for this when you have other books published? It has a first book published kind of feel to it.

KC: It does feel like a bigger push with this one, but I don’t know why. I feel like I worked just as hard on the other three novels. It IS a bigger publisher this time around, and the book will have bookstore distribution. But that’s not it. I have more support. I guess people are reading my stuff.

TAV: I know you don’t like to push your own writing, I totally get that and am of the same mind, so when you have this huge group of colleagues, scratch that, friends – because we are more than colleagues – does the promotion still feel awkward?

KC: The promotion feels blindingly awkward. I just push ahead full steam and my heart bleeds a little every time I click SEND, TWEET, POST, or whatever it happens to be I’m sending it to. I die a little with each push. But I know it’s something I have to do. I love writing. That’s the push for me. The other side of that coin is readers. When I hear that someone is actually reading one of my books, I feel sick inside. I want to apologize to them in advance. (-: I LOVE that my friends support me so wholeheartedly. That’s validation…huge validation.

TAV: How does it feel that so many people want to help you do this?

KC: I get speechless. I get teary-eyed. I get goosebumps. I can’t imagine this. And yet there it is…it’s happening. I’m so over-the-top grateful, I can’t even put it into words. I am living an extremely blessed life right now and I take NOTHING for granted.

TAV: I know I struggle with the whole “writer” label and you do too. And I know fame will never go to your head, but is there a sense of legitimacy with this book?

KC: There is! And it’s not because it sold to a publisher. It’s not because my amazing agent believed in it. It’s the feeling I got when I first completed it at the Muskoka Novel Marathon. I thought, “THIS IS IT!” It just hit so deep to the bone that it left me speechless and breathless at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I thought there was SO MUCH WRONG WITH IT (naturally…that’s my go-to thought with my writing). I actually thought it would never sell. I thought the subject covered was too taboo, too many No-nos that writers shouldn’t do, too much swearing…there was just so many reasons. I thought I just wrote this fantastic story that will never see the light of day. At every turn I thought someone would say, “WE CAN’T USE THIS!” And at every turn I was pleasantly surprised. The legitimacy I felt with this book was that I was writing it as a more authentic person than I used to be. I allowed myself to cover issues that scared me. I broke that wall that some writers never penetrate. Even if this sat on my shelf forever, never to be read by another living soul, it would have given me the same sense of legitimacy.

TAV: Finally, and I’ll let you up after this, why should people buy this book? I don’t want a “you’ll like it”, “It’ll make me pant-loads of money”, or “I know people that will make you read it” kind of answer. ;)

KC: I’ll go with telling you what the dedication says as a lead-in to why you (the general YOU) should read this book. The second part of my dedication, after the personal one, says, “…and for all the boys and girls the world over who ever, even for a moment felt bullied and/or marginalized. You are beautiful. You matter.” Your question was, “Why should people buy this book?” I won’t go there. I’ll answer why people should READ this book. Because everybody BELONGS. When you’re a teenager you don’t fully fathom that LIFE GETS BETTER. If you’re being bullied, you think THIS IS MY LIFE. It’s a terrifying and depressing place to be. If you’re a bully…you’re suffering just as greatly, I’m sure. But whatever roles we live in high school are not life roles. People – the bully and the bullied – can rise above. I like to write about the downtrodden…but in a way that ultimately gives them hope for redemption and improvement. Read this book if you were ever bullied or a bully. Read it if you think nobody will ever love you because of your flaws and faults. Read it if you were ever a teenager in pain, love, bliss or anger. I hope that answers your question.

TAV: Answered my question and left me speechless.

So there you have it. Without further ado, here is Burn Baby Burn Baby

Burn Baby Burn Baby, by Kevin Craig

Genre: contemporary, young-adult

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky (https://curiosityquills.com/team/)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23208375-burn-baby-burn-baby

Amazon: http://www.amazon.ca/Burn-Baby-Kevin-Craig-ebook/dp/B00O26GFG6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418996524&sr=8-1&keywords=burn+baby+burn+baby

 

Seventeen-year-old Francis Fripp���s confidence is practically non-existent since his abusive father drenched him in accelerant and threw a match at him eight years ago. Now badly scarred, Francis relies on his best friend Trig to protect him from the constant bullying doled out at the hands of his nemesis, Brandon Hayley���the unrelenting boy who gave him the dreaded nickname of Burn Baby.

The new girl at school, Rachel Higgins, is the first to see past Francis���s pariah-inducing scars. If Brandon���s bullying doesn���t destroy him, Francis might experience life as a normal teenager for the first time in his life. He just has to avoid Brandon and convince himself he���s worthy of Rachel���s attentions. Sounds easy enough, but Francis himself has a hard time seeing past his scars. And Brandon is getting violently frustrated, as his attempts to bully Francis are constantly thwarted. Francis is in turmoil as he simultaneously rushes toward his first kiss and a possible violent end.

About The Author:

Kevin Craig is the author of three previous novels; Summer on Fire, Sebastian���s Poet, and The Reasons. He is a 4-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon���s Best Novel Award. Kevin is also a playwright and has had eight 10-minute plays produced. His poetry, short stories, memoir and articles have been published internationally. Kevin was a founding member of the Ontario Writers��� Conference and a long-time member of the Writers��� Community of Durham Region (WCDR). He is represented by literary agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.

Find Kevin Craig Online:

Website (http://kevintcraig.wordpress.com/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/KT-Craig-Author-Playwright/325130504188846?ref_type=bookmark) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/KevinTCraig)| Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/785432.Kevin_Craig)

Thank-you Kevin and thank-you readers. Make sure you get your copy while they last and while you are at it, buy his other books too, Summer on Fire, Sebastion’s Poet and The Reasons. Blue Heron Books has some of his older books and will get more if you ask nicely.

This is The Author’s Voice signing off. Keep you pen on the page and your head in the clouds.

The Author's Voice: Shamelessly Promoting Burn Baby Burn Baby ... For a Friend

Burn Baby Burn Baby, by Kevin Craig

Genre: contemporary, young-adult

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release: December 11, 2014

Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky (https://curiosityquills.com/team/)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23208375-burn-baby-burn-baby

Seventeen-year-old Francis Fripp’s confidence is practically non-existent since his abusive father drenched him in accelerant and threw a match at him eight years ago. Now badly scarred, Francis relies on his best friend Trig to protect him from the constant bullying doled out at the hands of his nemesis, Brandon Hayley—the unrelenting boy who gave him the dreaded nickname of Burn Baby.

The new girl at school, Rachel Higgins, is the first to see past Francis’s pariah-inducing scars. If Brandon’s bullying doesn’t destroy him, Francis might experience life as a normal teenager for the first time in his life. He just has to avoid Brandon and convince himself he’s worthy of Rachel’s attentions. Sounds easy enough, but Francis himself has a hard time seeing past his scars. And Brandon is getting violently frustrated, as his attempts to bully Francis are constantly thwarted. Francis is in turmoil as he simultaneously rushes toward his first kiss and a possible violent end.

By now you will have seen images of this book popping up in your social media feeds, or at least I hope you have, that was the plan.

See, this isn't Kevin's first "go round". He has published several great books in the past, but this one just seems like the first one all over again.

Like me, Kevin isn't one for self-promotion. He is uncomfortable with praise and equally uncomfortable when people ask for his book. It is these reasons that I am promoting it for him. That and the fact that he is a great writer and a great guy.

So when Kevin asked me if I could blog his cover and after I picked my jaw off the floor, I said "Seriously dude??" He nodded like Scooby-Doo looking for a Scooby Snack. Well, that's not really how it went, but it is funnier than "Yes" and "thank-you".

But here was my stipulation, I had free rein to put The Author's Voice spin on it and he had to answer my questions.

I had to tackle him as he tried to run away.

TAV: Why the big push for this when you have other books published? It has a first book published kind of feel to it.

KC: It does feel like a bigger push with this one, but I don't know why. I feel like I worked just as hard on the other three novels. It IS a bigger publisher this time around, and the book will have bookstore distribution. But that's not it. I have more support. I guess people are reading my stuff.

TAV: I know you don't like to push your own writing, I totally get that and am of the same mind, so when you have this huge group of colleagues, scratch that, friends - because we are more than colleagues - does the promotion still feel awkward?

KC: The promotion feels blindingly awkward. I just push ahead full steam and my heart bleeds a little every time I click SEND, TWEET, POST, or whatever it happens to be I'm sending it to. I die a little with each push. But I know it's something I have to do. I love writing. That's the push for me. The other side of that coin is readers. When I hear that someone is actually reading one of my books, I feel sick inside. I want to apologize to them in advance. (-: I LOVE that my friends support me so wholeheartedly. That's validation...huge validation.

TAV: How does it feel that so many people want to help you do this?

KC: I get speechless. I get teary-eyed. I get goosebumps. I can't imagine this. And yet there it is...it's happening. I'm so over-the-top grateful, I can't even put it into words. I am living an extremely blessed life right now and I take NOTHING for granted.

TAV: I know I struggle with the whole "writer" label and you do too. And I know fame will never go to your head, but is there a sense of legitimacy with this book?

KC: There is! And it's not because it sold to a publisher. It's not because my amazing agent believed in it. It's the feeling I got when I first completed it at the Muskoka Novel Marathon. I thought, "THIS IS IT!" It just hit so deep to the bone that it left me speechless and breathless at the end. Don't get me wrong, I thought there was SO MUCH WRONG WITH IT (naturally...that's my go-to thought with my writing). I actually thought it would never sell. I thought the subject covered was too taboo, too many No-nos that writers shouldn't do, too much swearing...there was just so many reasons. I thought I just wrote this fantastic story that will never see the light of day. At every turn I thought someone would say, "WE CAN'T USE THIS!" And at every turn I was pleasantly surprised. The legitimacy I felt with this book was that I was writing it as a more authentic person than I used to be. I allowed myself to cover issues that scared me. I broke that wall that some writers never penetrate. Even if this sat on my shelf forever, never to be read by another living soul, it would have given me the same sense of legitimacy.

TAV: Finally, and I'll let you up after this, why should people buy this book? I don't want a "you'll like it", "It'll make me pant-loads of money", or "I know people that will make you read it" kind of answer. ;)

KC: I'll go with telling you what the dedication says as a lead-in to why you (the general YOU) should read this book. The second part of my dedication, after the personal one, says, "...and for all the boys and girls the world over who ever, even for a moment felt bullied and/or marginalized. You are beautiful. You matter." Your question was, "Why should people buy this book?" I won't go there. I'll answer why people should READ this book. Because everybody BELONGS. When you're a teenager you don't fully fathom that LIFE GETS BETTER. If you're being bullied, you think THIS IS MY LIFE. It's a terrifying and depressing place to be. If you're a bully...you're suffering just as greatly, I'm sure. But whatever roles we live in high school are not life roles. People - the bully and the bullied - can rise above. I like to write about the downtrodden...but in a way that ultimately gives them hope for redemption and improvement. Read this book if you were ever bullied or a bully. Read it if you think nobody will ever love you because of your flaws and faults. Read it if you were ever a teenager in pain, love, bliss or anger. I hope that answers your question.

TVH: Answered my question and left me speechless.

So there you have it.

About The Author:

Kevin Craig is the author of three previous novels; Summer on Fire, Sebastian’s Poet, and The Reasons. He is a 4-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Best Novel Award. Kevin is also a playwright and has had eight 10-minute plays produced. His poetry, short stories, memoir and articles have been published internationally. Kevin was a founding member of the Ontario Writers’ Conference and a long-time member of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region (WCDR). He is represented by literary agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.

Find Kevin Craig Online:
Website (http://kevintcraig.wordpress.com/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/KT-Craig-Author-Playwright/325130504188846?ref_type=bookmark) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/KevinTCraig)| Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/785432.Kevin_Craig)

To find out what other people are saying about Kevin, here are some blogs;
Cold Lake Cathy-Red Hot and Coming Soon
Tobin Elliott-Cover Reveal: Burn Baby Burn
Caroline Wissing-Cover Reveal for Burn Baby Burn by Kevin Craig

Colleen Knight-Cover Reveal: Burn Baby Burn Baby

Thank-you Kevin and thank-you readers. Make sure you get your copy while they last and while you are at it, buy his other books too. Blue Heron Books has some of his older books and will get more if you ask nicely.

This is The Author's Voice signing off. Keep you pen on the page and your head in the clouds.

Burn Baby, Burn BabyKevin Craig

The Author’s Voice: Shamelessly Promoting Burn Baby Burn Baby … For a Friend

Burn Baby Burn Baby, by Kevin Craig

Genre: contemporary, young-adult

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release: December 11, 2014

Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky (https://curiosityquills.com/team/)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23208375-burn-baby-burn-baby

Seventeen-year-old Francis Fripp’s confidence is practically non-existent since his abusive father drenched him in accelerant and threw a match at him eight years ago. Now badly scarred, Francis relies on his best friend Trig to protect him from the constant bullying doled out at the hands of his nemesis, Brandon Hayley—the unrelenting boy who gave him the dreaded nickname of Burn Baby.

The new girl at school, Rachel Higgins, is the first to see past Francis’s pariah-inducing scars. If Brandon’s bullying doesn’t destroy him, Francis might experience life as a normal teenager for the first time in his life. He just has to avoid Brandon and convince himself he’s worthy of Rachel’s attentions. Sounds easy enough, but Francis himself has a hard time seeing past his scars. And Brandon is getting violently frustrated, as his attempts to bully Francis are constantly thwarted. Francis is in turmoil as he simultaneously rushes toward his first kiss and a possible violent end.

By now you will have seen images of this book popping up in your social media feeds, or at least I hope you have, that was the plan.

See, this isn’t Kevin’s first “go round”. He has published several great books in the past, but this one just seems like the first one all over again.

Like me, Kevin isn’t one for self-promotion. He is uncomfortable with praise and equally uncomfortable when people ask for his book. It is these reasons that I am promoting it for him. That and the fact that he is a great writer and a great guy.

So when Kevin asked me if I could blog his cover and after I picked my jaw off the floor, I said “Seriously dude??” He nodded like Scooby-Doo looking for a Scooby Snack. Well, that’s not really how it went, but it is funnier than “Yes” and “thank-you”.

But here was my stipulation, I had free rein to put The Author’s Voice spin on it and he had to answer my questions.

I had to tackle him as he tried to run away.

TAV: Why the big push for this when you have other books published? It has a first book published kind of feel to it.

KC: It does feel like a bigger push with this one, but I don’t know why. I feel like I worked just as hard on the other three novels. It IS a bigger publisher this time around, and the book will have bookstore distribution. But that’s not it. I have more support. I guess people are reading my stuff.

TAV: I know you don’t like to push your own writing, I totally get that and am of the same mind, so when you have this huge group of colleagues, scratch that, friends – because we are more than colleagues – does the promotion still feel awkward?

KC: The promotion feels blindingly awkward. I just push ahead full steam and my heart bleeds a little every time I click SEND, TWEET, POST, or whatever it happens to be I’m sending it to. I die a little with each push. But I know it’s something I have to do. I love writing. That’s the push for me. The other side of that coin is readers. When I hear that someone is actually reading one of my books, I feel sick inside. I want to apologize to them in advance. (-: I LOVE that my friends support me so wholeheartedly. That’s validation…huge validation.

TAV: How does it feel that so many people want to help you do this?

KC: I get speechless. I get teary-eyed. I get goosebumps. I can’t imagine this. And yet there it is…it’s happening. I’m so over-the-top grateful, I can’t even put it into words. I am living an extremely blessed life right now and I take NOTHING for granted.

TAV: I know I struggle with the whole “writer” label and you do too. And I know fame will never go to your head, but is there a sense of legitimacy with this book?

KC: There is! And it’s not because it sold to a publisher. It’s not because my amazing agent believed in it. It’s the feeling I got when I first completed it at the Muskoka Novel Marathon. I thought, “THIS IS IT!” It just hit so deep to the bone that it left me speechless and breathless at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I thought there was SO MUCH WRONG WITH IT (naturally…that’s my go-to thought with my writing). I actually thought it would never sell. I thought the subject covered was too taboo, too many No-nos that writers shouldn’t do, too much swearing…there was just so many reasons. I thought I just wrote this fantastic story that will never see the light of day. At every turn I thought someone would say, “WE CAN’T USE THIS!” And at every turn I was pleasantly surprised. The legitimacy I felt with this book was that I was writing it as a more authentic person than I used to be. I allowed myself to cover issues that scared me. I broke that wall that some writers never penetrate. Even if this sat on my shelf forever, never to be read by another living soul, it would have given me the same sense of legitimacy.

TAV: Finally, and I’ll let you up after this, why should people buy this book? I don’t want a “you’ll like it”, “It’ll make me pant-loads of money”, or “I know people that will make you read it” kind of answer. ;)

KC: I’ll go with telling you what the dedication says as a lead-in to why you (the general YOU) should read this book. The second part of my dedication, after the personal one, says, “…and for all the boys and girls the world over who ever, even for a moment felt bullied and/or marginalized. You are beautiful. You matter.” Your question was, “Why should people buy this book?” I won’t go there. I’ll answer why people should READ this book. Because everybody BELONGS. When you’re a teenager you don’t fully fathom that LIFE GETS BETTER. If you’re being bullied, you think THIS IS MY LIFE. It’s a terrifying and depressing place to be. If you’re a bully…you’re suffering just as greatly, I’m sure. But whatever roles we live in high school are not life roles. People – the bully and the bullied – can rise above. I like to write about the downtrodden…but in a way that ultimately gives them hope for redemption and improvement. Read this book if you were ever bullied or a bully. Read it if you think nobody will ever love you because of your flaws and faults. Read it if you were ever a teenager in pain, love, bliss or anger. I hope that answers your question.

TVH: Answered my question and left me speechless.

So there you have it.

About The Author:

Kevin Craig is the author of three previous novels; Summer on Fire, Sebastian’s Poet, and The Reasons. He is a 4-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Best Novel Award. Kevin is also a playwright and has had eight 10-minute plays produced. His poetry, short stories, memoir and articles have been published internationally. Kevin was a founding member of the Ontario Writers’ Conference and a long-time member of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region (WCDR). He is represented by literary agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.

Find Kevin Craig Online:

Website (http://kevintcraig.wordpress.com/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/KT-Craig-Author-Playwright/325130504188846?ref_type=bookmark) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/KevinTCraig)| Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/785432.Kevin_Craig)

To find out what other people are saying about Kevin, here are some blogs;

Cold Lake Cathy-Red Hot and Coming Soon

Tobin Elliott-Cover Reveal: Burn Baby Burn

Caroline Wissing-Cover Reveal for Burn Baby Burn by Kevin Craig

Colleen Knight-Cover Reveal: Burn Baby Burn Baby

Thank-you Kevin and thank-you readers. Make sure you get your copy while they last and while you are at it, buy his other books too. Blue Heron Books has some of his older books and will get more if you ask nicely.

This is The Author’s Voice signing off. Keep you pen on the page and your head in the clouds.

Does It Get Easier?

Having an agent interested in my writing is a momentous step. Any writer would be excited to have the door open that tiny crack for them. In fact it is common thinking (and I have thought this myself) “If only I could get an agent’s attention, things would be that much easier.”

Wrong.

In actual fact, it makes things exponentially harder. Well at least for me. Now my brain says, “If they liked that, you really have to match that quality or, better still, exceed it, in order to hook that elusive representation.” I am now afraid to write a “shitty first draft” because I can’t afford to.

Some compare this process to fishing, where the pitch is the bait and the hook to catch the attention of a literary agent or a publisher or both. But if we are going to use this allegory, then we must also acknowledge that these are crafty fish indeed. One might say, in some cases, overly picky or just not hungry, fish.

My view is that the bait we often use is not indicative of the whole. It is a pale morsel crafted to what we think they like. Sometimes it works and sometimes we come up empty. And through it all, we have to trust that our quarry will see it the same and dig deeper.

This is wishful, but not impossible thinking. Yes, there are still a large majority out there too busy to look deeper, but for every ten of those, there is one agent or publisher that would rather sit down and talk to writer than to look at a pitch. True storytellers are a rare breed. Quite often they are incapable of encapsulating their rich and complex story into 140 words. They work hard and are always striving to be a better writer. This is what comes out in a one on one.

I love to talk. I love to talk about writing. I love making people react. I consider myself a storyteller. No I am not grammatically correct, and yes my English use is a Frankensteining of old school English and Newfoundland/Scottish influences. I tend to write the way I talk. The advantage to that? I’ve been told it makes my writing instantly relatable, like the reader is hearing me tell the story to them personally. The downside? Some people don’t get it. The references too obscure, the sayings too old, the word choices, sometimes archaic.

This is why I prefer the face to face approach when pitching. I want that personable vibe that is, most times, elusive to ink on paper. Much like sarcasm is lost in texting. That and the fact that I write visually. I see the pictures in my head and, as I’ve said before and as other writers will attest to, getting those pictures onto paper by way of words, is not an easy task. Even my best writing I consider a pale comparison to the pictures in my head.

I read the same way. The books I love tend to be authors who can make the words on the page disappear and fill my head with pictures. Books, that when I read The End, I don’t remember turning the pages.

In too many books, nowadays, the author leads the reader through the story. Holding their hand the whole way, telling them what they see and how they should feel. I suppose there is a market for those books and that style of writing is hard to break free from, but for those writers who do, well, the words disappear. They don’t lead you down the path, they merely show you the entrance. Their guidance is subtle. They let you see the characters on your own. They let you feel how you want to feel and in the end you may hate them for it, but you love the book.

That is what I want the agent or publisher to see. And that is next to impossible to do in 140 words or less. And don’t get me started on synopsis and how it distills the tapestry of the story into a bulletin board of facts, just the facts, ma’am. With storytellers, the meat of the story lies in how these facts are presented or dressed.

A story isn’t just the proper order of words. It isn’t just good spelling or proper syntax, it is the ability to make the reader see.

So, to answer my own question, no, it doesn’t get any easier. Writing never gets any easier. Having an agent makes it infinitely harder, but so much more fun. The effort is worth seeing or hearing the readers reaction.

And right now, I have an agent interested in my Christmas story, Archibald and the Gentlemen Three.

So, keep your fingers crossed.

To paraphrase John Legend, I need an agent that wants

All of me

Wants my genres and my edges

All my perfect imperfections

They should want all of me

All my ends and my beginnings

 

Yardsticking Your Writing/Literacy Necessity

I am one of those writers that holds his writing to impossible standards. And why would I do such a thing? Quite simply, to keep it fresh, to keep striving to be better, and ultimately, for the challenge. For this, I use my own version of The Litmus Test.

OK, so the Litmus Test actual is a measurement for pH-a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. How, you may ask, does that apply to writing? Well, the term Litmus Test has been used not just for its intended purpose, but also as a general term for benchmark of sorts. For example, does what you are doing ‘cut the mustard’ or, pass the Litmus Test. See?

My version is the Holy Shitmus test, or the HST. (I came up with it first, you government types can just back off). If my writing doesn’t elicit a ‘holy shit’ type of response, or, at the very least, a ‘wow’, I haven’t done my job. I know a book can’t be filled with holy shits for one, because I don’t write religious history. Secondly, because it would be smelly and hard to sell. I’m not even considering the collection process. And finally C, because it would, quite frankly, get old fast. No, what I’m saying is that the book, as a whole, should elicit that response, not every scene.

Does that make me a perfectionist? Maybe. Does it make me perfect or better than any other writer? No, not by a long shot. If I ever considered myself better, then I have no place left to go, right? Time for a new challenge. But, I will never reach that mark. Not because I can’t, but because I won’t let myself. I am one of those annoying types. Tell me I can’t do something or that a challenge is too hard, and I will do my very best to prove that wrong.

To my detriment, I succeed more times than I fail. That is not good for keeping the ego in check. Luckily for me I have an inner editor more fearsome than my loud ego.

Ultimately, my goal is for you, the reader, to come away from one of my books with images or dialogue stuck in your head. I want you to feel what the characters feel and I want those characters to feel real, not just in the literary sense, but really real. Believe me, if they feel real to you, it is because they are real to me.

I want you to want to re-read the book. That is the best compliment I can ask for. It is the reason I write. That and to get the voices out of my head.

No I don’t want to kill them… No I won’t threaten them with violence if they won’t buy my book…

Wait, was that out loud?

Nothing to see here, move along.

Oh, one more thing before you call the police. While on the topic of measuring my writing…

By now, you may have seen a number of blogs popping up under the heading The Muskoka Novel Marathon. Well, I’m here to tell you, again, if you haven’t already seen my Author Facebook page,  I am also throwing my hat into the ring for this.

It wasn’t without much trepidation and considerable badgering from my fellow writers. My writing process is… well, there isn’t really a process. I write when my muse decides it is time. And I can’t force the little imp to give up its secrets any faster. But I have to. I know for me to move on in my writing, I have to find a regiment that works.

Enter MNM 2014. 40 writers writing for 72hours in Huntsville.

What am I writing, you ask? It is my plan to write my third Christmas book. A continuation, of sorts, of The Good King, titled Three Ships for Three Kings. It is my interpretation, with creative license of course, of two Christmas carols and the history of the Cologne Cathedral. A fictional story about the beginnings of our Christmas traditions.

A book I hope to have fleshed out in those 72 hours and a third collaboration with my ubber talented cousin, and illustrator of The Good King, Meg Simmons.

Now I know you may be thinking that writing for illiteracy is in my own best interest, and on the surface, yes, I suppose one could see it that way and they wouldn’t be wrong… technically. But that isn’t why I am doing it. Trust me, even people that can’t read can find a way to enjoy a good book. To me, it’s about the freedom of being able to do something for oneself. The ability to read to ones children, to know what the label on the medications say, to read the ingredients on the food labels or even to read a recipe. It is self reliance and independence. It is also something too many people don’t have the luxury of. We are trying to give that to those that need it. It is a good cause.

So please consider a donation. Every little bit helps, whether it is $1 or $10 or even $100. Donations over $5 are eligible for a tax receipt. Online donations can be made here, through Canadahelps

I thank you in advance.

Again, this is not for me, but for those that don’t have the luxury capacity to read this blog.

Thank-you.

 

 

The Learning Process.

Saturday’s WCDR Breakfast hosted Historical fiction author, actress, and teacher, Barbara Kyle. While Historical fiction isn’t a genre that grabs my reading attention, it doesn’t mean I think less of it or that, as a horror/gothic/dark fantasy/sci-fi writer, I won’t learn anything from it. Quite the opposite in fact. I came to the realization, through the course of Barbara’s presentation, that I do, in fact, write historical fiction as well.



Let me quantify that. I use elements of historical fiction in that I have written stories set in a time before I was born. Hence, historical. The Good King is set in 920. Echoes bounces from modern day to the 60′s and dips it’s toe in the 1400′s. So, when we think of a particular genre, we should be open to the fact that not every book is the same. Live and learn.

Barbara presented the gathered writers with a top ten list of, for lack of a better term, ‘Rules of Thumb’ that have helped her along the way. “Rules” that have morphed from book to book and as her writing required. Never once did she say that these “rules” would work for everybody or that we should follow them to the T. In fact, the idea was to inspire us, to let us know that she was once in our shoes, our the early stages of writing blues shoes.

If you are a writer, I recommend you, at the very least, visit her site. But, I also recommend her courses and workshops. I’ve had the pleasure of hearing her speak several times now and have never been bored. There is always something new I take away from her talks. If you are a reader, a history lover, then check out her books.

Notice a theme here? Learning.

Learning anything is often more trial and error than it is guidance. Not that I’m saying the guidance or teachings aren’t important, they are, it’s just what you do with the teachings that is important.

Look at any good teacher and the first thing they’ll tell you is that your particular learning curve/process is different from everyone else in the room. Just as their process is different from yours. This is why I used the term guidance. That is a more appropriate handle for teachers. They are your guides. They are there to guide you through the process. At least the good ones are.

Lucky for me, I have never been one that holds a lot of stock in “the one and only way”. It is that mentality that drives me to be better. As I gain more experience and improve in my technique, I am incorporating little bits of advice and along the way. Essentially finding my own path but with help.

I have been blessed to have had some great teachers in my writing development. I have also been blessed to be surrounded by a bevy of talented writers more than willing to share their “bags o’ tricks” with me.

Along that bumpy path towards the flickering light of writerhood, I’ve discovered a few nuggets of my own that I’d like to share with other writers sharing the path.

Again, as with Barbara’s list, these are merely guides and if they don’t fit your style, feel free to ignore.

#1) There are no hard and fast rules to writing that cannot be bent or broken. After-all, aren’t the arts (writing, music, painting, singing etc) all about freedom of expression and individuality? That is what makes the work standout.

#2) Genres were created by the people trying to fit your book into a category and thus make it easier to quantify and sell. And ultimately to be easy to find in the library. ;)

#3) Writing is more than just words. Those words are a distillation of emotions, images, music, smells etc. Keep it loose and be open to all forms of stimulus for your muse. Pay attention. This will also improve your appreciation for life as you take notice of your surroundings and how it all moves together like the glorious ballet that it is.

#4) Beware of movement. As per #3, goods books have good choreography. While you don’t have to describe your character’s every move nor their surrounding’s every move (No, really you don’t. We are no longer in the age where writers were paid by the word or letter, thankfully.) You do, however, have to be aware of their every move. So, yes, Choreography is a valid term to be used when writing. (Thank-you Kate and Connie).

#5) Anyone who tells you “never start your book…” or “never do this….” is someone you should walk away from. A strong story trumps all the “never” rules, so if you really feel the story is stronger with the prologue, prologue away. Personally, I don’t mind them.

#6) Not every chapter has to end in a momentous cliff hanger. Subtle cliff hangers or questions or even implied questions work just as well if not better. Don’t hit the reader over the head with your literary hammer. Forward momentum, however you achieve it, is what I look for.

#7) Always, always, push yourself to write better. And to achieve that always listen to other writers and, as importantly, readers. Whether you like what they are telling you or agree with it, as soon as you put yourself above that input, you’ve put yourself out of reach of any audience that isn’t you or a clone of you.

#8) When being asked for critiquing or to be a judge for a writing contest, or etc., never be afraid to admit you aren’t qualified. If you write in one genre only and the contest is in that genre or the critique is is for that genre, you are qualified. If, however, you write only one genre and are asked to critique a genre you don’t write in, politely decline. You won’t be doing them any favours by trying to mold their work into something it is not.

#9) On the flip side of that coin, make sure to find the appropriate audience to ask for a critique. And again, always be gracious of the input whether you agree or not. You asked for it. If you only wanted them to tell you how brilliant you are, be clear that that is what you want. If you are like me, I actually seek out feedback even from people that neither read, nor write in my “genre”. I want to hear where I failed because that is how I can improve. It is my belief that great writing transcends genre.

#10) and one last word on genre. While I preach not conforming to any hard and fast rules, if you chose to write in a specific genre, be aware of the rules for that genre. Sometimes following rules will benefit your readership. Sci-fi and some forms of romance have rules that need to be followed. But worry about that after the story is written. Get it out, get it down and then worry about molding it.

So says the guy still trying to find his place in the literary scene.

As always, I say the best way to find your way is to experiment. Don’t be afraid. Always be open minded. Ultimately, make mistakes, get messy. Remember, as powerful as words, or the mighty pen may be, the most important tools in any writer’s toolbox are their ears.

I’ll leave you with this quote which applies to so much more than just writing;

“Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the saddest are these, ‘It might have been.”

― John Greenleaf Whittier