Nick Bolock's Blog: Nick's Insight to Madness, page 4
April 25, 2016
Perplexed Purveyor of Words Puzzles Person on Possible Position Pertaining to a Pseudonym
That title took me all day to think up. I like alliteration, sometimes, not all the time.
Anyway, that was my lingering thought for the last week or so. Should I try to publish under a pen name?
I struggled to really think of the pros and cons of the situation for days last week. When I asked my fiance, she said I should so I could write homo-erotica. Uh? Yeah?
Anyway, it made me think of other authors who used pen names, and those that don't use them. Like, for example, JK Rowling used hers to set apart her new stuff from Harry Potter. On the contrary, Patrick Rothfuss doesn't use a pen name AND teaches (or taught) at a college. George RR Martin doesn't. Terry Pratchet didn't. Ted Dekker doesn't.
So I'm in a bind. I do have an theoretical name picked out, but I also have to consider then I submit Dragonsbane that I WILL be publishing under a sort of pen name too. (Whether or not I mentioned it before, I plan to take my fiance's name in marriage. Which I'd feel obliged to publish under anyway). And with the omnipotent power of the internet, I feel like some one would find out anyway. Seriously, I'd have to edit or delete several blog posts already to conceal the name of the book I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT I PLAN TO PUBLISH. Basic Google searches using my name and Dragonsbane already yield, well, this blog.
I'm also considering that I want to be a high school/college professor. THAT would be interesting, even thought a lot of authors who were famous did teach during their fame. Assuming I'd be successful, students would flock to my classes and... Well, I suppose that MIGHT be a good thing then? The schools would be afraid to get rid of me out of a fear of a Norman Reedus-Daryl from TWD death riot. I suppose to that I could use that fame to make them do their work... Something to consider.
Like I said, it seems somewhat pointless in the age of the internet and cyber sleuths and reckless badger hunting and all that freeform jazz.
On a side note, I actually finished doing my chapter sketches and previews for Dragonsbane. That leaves me roughly ten chapters to type and twelve and a half to retype so they match the rest. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.
Anyway, that was my lingering thought for the last week or so. Should I try to publish under a pen name?
I struggled to really think of the pros and cons of the situation for days last week. When I asked my fiance, she said I should so I could write homo-erotica. Uh? Yeah?
Anyway, it made me think of other authors who used pen names, and those that don't use them. Like, for example, JK Rowling used hers to set apart her new stuff from Harry Potter. On the contrary, Patrick Rothfuss doesn't use a pen name AND teaches (or taught) at a college. George RR Martin doesn't. Terry Pratchet didn't. Ted Dekker doesn't.
So I'm in a bind. I do have an theoretical name picked out, but I also have to consider then I submit Dragonsbane that I WILL be publishing under a sort of pen name too. (Whether or not I mentioned it before, I plan to take my fiance's name in marriage. Which I'd feel obliged to publish under anyway). And with the omnipotent power of the internet, I feel like some one would find out anyway. Seriously, I'd have to edit or delete several blog posts already to conceal the name of the book I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT I PLAN TO PUBLISH. Basic Google searches using my name and Dragonsbane already yield, well, this blog.
I'm also considering that I want to be a high school/college professor. THAT would be interesting, even thought a lot of authors who were famous did teach during their fame. Assuming I'd be successful, students would flock to my classes and... Well, I suppose that MIGHT be a good thing then? The schools would be afraid to get rid of me out of a fear of a Norman Reedus-Daryl from TWD death riot. I suppose to that I could use that fame to make them do their work... Something to consider.
Like I said, it seems somewhat pointless in the age of the internet and cyber sleuths and reckless badger hunting and all that freeform jazz.
On a side note, I actually finished doing my chapter sketches and previews for Dragonsbane. That leaves me roughly ten chapters to type and twelve and a half to retype so they match the rest. I'm getting there, slowly but surely.
March 28, 2016
Back in business. Clean-up blog.
After an exhaustive process that almost included the Better Business Bureau, my laptop is finally fixed and running golden again.
Which is a sweet relief like no one knows.
I'm a person who prefers mostly constant set-ups for different things. When I play fantasy games where you pick a job class, I almost always pick a mage or a magic person. For writing, I love my low profile, mechanical keys on my laptop with my years-old Logitech mouse. (I also despise track-pads.) So to be typing long passages on my dad's computer, with its raised key keyboard, was hard on my nerves. I appreciate being able to use his computer to write, do homework, and play at least one computer game, but the fact remains... NOT AGAIN!
Basically, this will be a short little clean-up post to try and clue anyone who's been keeping up with me into what's been going down.
The Advanced Resolution Specialist - Sanjay from Dell told me that, as a courtesy, they'd send a tech out to me to replace all the mechanical parts in my laptop. ALL of them. I agreed, because I really had no other options at this rate. The tech called me last Friday morning and said he could come that afternoon.
An hour and a half after he arrived he left. (I found out during our conversations that he's a staff member for Otakon, a convention I go to every year.)
Presto! Boom. Laptop fully functional again. Working like a dream and quieter than the dead.
I set myself up to use it again and have been working in bliss this whole time.
Next topic: My old boss called me last Saturday to tell me that the gentleman I had based my now defunct short story (Vinnie Morgue) had passed away. He'd passed a few months prior, and we heard it second hand. It's a shame, and I find myself wondering how his last few weeks were.
Next: I've been reading the Game of Thrones series. I've working on A Game of Thrones for weeks now and I find myself really drawn into the slow, plodding style that Martin writes with. The language, violence, and sex don't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. Surprise.
Next: I love this keyboard.
Next: A woman was looking for me at my previous job for months and finally located me. Her husband passed lat year and she wanted to give me one of his old key-organs (keyboard organ) for the church to use. I'm not one to turn down free equipment either.
Sadly, that is all I can think of for now. Ah well. I'll have more at some point when I think of it.
Which is a sweet relief like no one knows.
I'm a person who prefers mostly constant set-ups for different things. When I play fantasy games where you pick a job class, I almost always pick a mage or a magic person. For writing, I love my low profile, mechanical keys on my laptop with my years-old Logitech mouse. (I also despise track-pads.) So to be typing long passages on my dad's computer, with its raised key keyboard, was hard on my nerves. I appreciate being able to use his computer to write, do homework, and play at least one computer game, but the fact remains... NOT AGAIN!
Basically, this will be a short little clean-up post to try and clue anyone who's been keeping up with me into what's been going down.
The Advanced Resolution Specialist - Sanjay from Dell told me that, as a courtesy, they'd send a tech out to me to replace all the mechanical parts in my laptop. ALL of them. I agreed, because I really had no other options at this rate. The tech called me last Friday morning and said he could come that afternoon.
An hour and a half after he arrived he left. (I found out during our conversations that he's a staff member for Otakon, a convention I go to every year.)
Presto! Boom. Laptop fully functional again. Working like a dream and quieter than the dead.
I set myself up to use it again and have been working in bliss this whole time.
Next topic: My old boss called me last Saturday to tell me that the gentleman I had based my now defunct short story (Vinnie Morgue) had passed away. He'd passed a few months prior, and we heard it second hand. It's a shame, and I find myself wondering how his last few weeks were.
Next: I've been reading the Game of Thrones series. I've working on A Game of Thrones for weeks now and I find myself really drawn into the slow, plodding style that Martin writes with. The language, violence, and sex don't bother me nearly as much as I thought it would. Surprise.
Next: I love this keyboard.
Next: A woman was looking for me at my previous job for months and finally located me. Her husband passed lat year and she wanted to give me one of his old key-organs (keyboard organ) for the church to use. I'm not one to turn down free equipment either.
Sadly, that is all I can think of for now. Ah well. I'll have more at some point when I think of it.
March 2, 2016
Somewhere in Time: Laptop round 3
Got the beast back and it is still not entirely fixed. I get all the fun of sending my laptop back again. Ah well.
I did pick up where I left off on Dragonsbane now and figured out a whole bunch more things to work with that work in my head. If they work on paper remains to be seen.
Theoretically, the book is half-written and I still am pressing to get it out to a publisher before summer. Fingers crossed.
I did pick up where I left off on Dragonsbane now and figured out a whole bunch more things to work with that work in my head. If they work on paper remains to be seen.
Theoretically, the book is half-written and I still am pressing to get it out to a publisher before summer. Fingers crossed.
February 17, 2016
No laptop, ideas bursting my head, send help
So, I got my laptop back last week and the issue still persisted. Dell reccomends I send it back again, and I did, but I find their methods to be... like the same old boring, breakfast muffin sandwich. They told me to save the box they shipped my laptop in to recycle or reuse, to help the environment. Well, when I told the guy I didn't need a box because I had that one, he told me it's "company policy" to send a new, fresh box. Got it in record time, that is all I can say.
Otherwise, I have been using an external HD on my dad's computer to write bits and pieces of Dragonsbane post chapter 16 because 16 can only be accessed on a program that my dad doen't have (and I am too lazy to download). I have the bits and pieces, everything in my "final head-draft" seems to function properly. I changed my mind on some future events, how some characters act, and etc.
Just wanted to let people know I'm not dead, just angry at Dell.
Aw well, Ah hell, I'll live I guess.
Otherwise, I have been using an external HD on my dad's computer to write bits and pieces of Dragonsbane post chapter 16 because 16 can only be accessed on a program that my dad doen't have (and I am too lazy to download). I have the bits and pieces, everything in my "final head-draft" seems to function properly. I changed my mind on some future events, how some characters act, and etc.
Just wanted to let people know I'm not dead, just angry at Dell.
Aw well, Ah hell, I'll live I guess.
January 28, 2016
Out to Lunch, the Strange Tale of My Laptop.
Where to begin?
So about a week and a half ago, my laptop screen went pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt. Not like dead, cold dead, but it was acting up and making my life hard. So I called Dell and six headaches later I finally get to ship this monster out for repairs. They told me I could fix it and, like usual, I made things worse! Yay!
So anyway, I'm on break from writing anything while I back-up my work and use a borrowed laptop for my classwork. Oh boy.
I'm gleefully using this time to do other things like catch up on all my console games, brainstorm, star at ceilings, fight crime, chase my dog across the neighborhood, planning my wedding, and just generally surviving.
I can easily say that all the ideas I have structured for Dragonsbane are the final ideas until an agent tells me I'm either completely insane or brilliant, but I think those two go hand-in-foot. Or hoof-in-mouth. Whatever.
I'm still really confident that I can get this sexy beast of a manuscript published by a big name and one day attend my own movie premier.
I seriously have had this planned for YEARS. I'll attend the premier and if I get asked how I enjoyed it I'll reply something like: "This was adapted from a book and... Whoever wrote the book is the biggest idiot. That was awful!" jokingly, of course.
So, this is my short post to let my faithful know I'm still alive. That's all for now until I get the behemoth back from repairs somewhere deep in Texas. (No offense Texans, but I assumed this thing was going to Florida for some reason.)
See you next time with hopefully fewer games to finish and a repaired laptop!
So about a week and a half ago, my laptop screen went pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt. Not like dead, cold dead, but it was acting up and making my life hard. So I called Dell and six headaches later I finally get to ship this monster out for repairs. They told me I could fix it and, like usual, I made things worse! Yay!
So anyway, I'm on break from writing anything while I back-up my work and use a borrowed laptop for my classwork. Oh boy.
I'm gleefully using this time to do other things like catch up on all my console games, brainstorm, star at ceilings, fight crime, chase my dog across the neighborhood, planning my wedding, and just generally surviving.
I can easily say that all the ideas I have structured for Dragonsbane are the final ideas until an agent tells me I'm either completely insane or brilliant, but I think those two go hand-in-foot. Or hoof-in-mouth. Whatever.
I'm still really confident that I can get this sexy beast of a manuscript published by a big name and one day attend my own movie premier.
I seriously have had this planned for YEARS. I'll attend the premier and if I get asked how I enjoyed it I'll reply something like: "This was adapted from a book and... Whoever wrote the book is the biggest idiot. That was awful!" jokingly, of course.
So, this is my short post to let my faithful know I'm still alive. That's all for now until I get the behemoth back from repairs somewhere deep in Texas. (No offense Texans, but I assumed this thing was going to Florida for some reason.)
See you next time with hopefully fewer games to finish and a repaired laptop!
January 12, 2016
Smile!
Within the last month alone, we've lost quite a few celebrities including Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and David Bowie.
We are told death is inevitable, and yet people fight so valiantly against it. We prolong our lives through natural and artificial means, the fountain of youth or eternal youth and other means to live forever make up the central themes to many stories. To people of the past, overcoming death was a godlike miracle in and of itself through the sheer force of beating the unbeatable. Orpheus, Heracules, Izanagi, Gilgamesh. These mythological heroes have defied death and were well known for it.
The reason I start the year with a rather bleak post is because I wanted to share one of the most touching things that's happened to me in some time.
Recently, my old boss's mother passed away after an extensive battle with what seemed to be every illness under the sun. Last Friday and Saturday were the services for the deceased and as a show of respect I at least went to the wake service. Mind you, despite growing up in the church and attending so many funerals I still have yet to find the secret to distancing myself so that I don't end up crying with the family.
I go to the funeral home a little later than expected, but with enough time to spare to pay my respects to the deceased, but also to her family. After turning from the urn of cremation, I walked right to her husband, my old boss's father. Him and I have a very close friendship from working together and etc.
Before I could say anything or even shed a single tear, he looked at me and uttered one word. One single word that made me rethink whatever I could have said at that moment.
"Smile!"
As I've mentioned before, I've been to numerous funerals, numbering easily above fifty. Every time those in attendance hear the same message. "Remember the good times and not -or- and the bad. That's what made them who they were." But in this very moment, that one word, smile, made me remember who exactly his wife was as a person.
In that very moment my feeling of sadness was swept away as he went on to tell me that after 2 hours, his legs and backside hurt. I couldn't help but smile myself then. A light went on in my head that gave me the sense that while my friend was sad over the loss, he still found reasons to smile.
I made my way down the family line to my old boss and his wife and, instead of trying to hold back sadness or recklessly extend my condolences, I smiled. Then my boss smiled, his wife smiled.
We all smiled at her, because...
She always smiled at us.
We are told death is inevitable, and yet people fight so valiantly against it. We prolong our lives through natural and artificial means, the fountain of youth or eternal youth and other means to live forever make up the central themes to many stories. To people of the past, overcoming death was a godlike miracle in and of itself through the sheer force of beating the unbeatable. Orpheus, Heracules, Izanagi, Gilgamesh. These mythological heroes have defied death and were well known for it.
The reason I start the year with a rather bleak post is because I wanted to share one of the most touching things that's happened to me in some time.
Recently, my old boss's mother passed away after an extensive battle with what seemed to be every illness under the sun. Last Friday and Saturday were the services for the deceased and as a show of respect I at least went to the wake service. Mind you, despite growing up in the church and attending so many funerals I still have yet to find the secret to distancing myself so that I don't end up crying with the family.
I go to the funeral home a little later than expected, but with enough time to spare to pay my respects to the deceased, but also to her family. After turning from the urn of cremation, I walked right to her husband, my old boss's father. Him and I have a very close friendship from working together and etc.
Before I could say anything or even shed a single tear, he looked at me and uttered one word. One single word that made me rethink whatever I could have said at that moment.
"Smile!"
As I've mentioned before, I've been to numerous funerals, numbering easily above fifty. Every time those in attendance hear the same message. "Remember the good times and not -or- and the bad. That's what made them who they were." But in this very moment, that one word, smile, made me remember who exactly his wife was as a person.
In that very moment my feeling of sadness was swept away as he went on to tell me that after 2 hours, his legs and backside hurt. I couldn't help but smile myself then. A light went on in my head that gave me the sense that while my friend was sad over the loss, he still found reasons to smile.
I made my way down the family line to my old boss and his wife and, instead of trying to hold back sadness or recklessly extend my condolences, I smiled. Then my boss smiled, his wife smiled.
We all smiled at her, because...
She always smiled at us.
December 23, 2015
Last Ride of the Year, One Last Post of 2015.
It is now December 23rd, in the year of our lord 2015. There are but few days left of this year, a year where I've come so far. Therefore, I place fingertip to key-space to type this last entry of 2015 into my blog.
Enough of that serious crap.
2015 has been an up and down for me in all from new school plans, trips, job changes, books, events, and whatever else I forgot.
2015 was the year I published Regolith. My second novel in my NOW HIGHLY RATED self published series. (Thanks Cathy for the four star rating on Rising Seas!) Regolith was a big deal for me because this was the first of my series that I wrote where I had very little in terms of actually plotted out material. Seriously, I usually work on things in my head a lot or even voice them out in the car. When I had an iPhone I used to set notes up to be able to yap my fool head off while I drive and then email myself the golden treasure therein. I do really like how Regolith turned out, despite the massive errors I seem to have missed in the book.
This was the year I dedicated myself to NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. Basically you sit your pretty little can down and pen a novel of at least 50k words between November 1st and midnight November 30th. The prizes aren't crazy spectacular things, but upon completion I did get a coupon for half off a really awesome writing program called Scrivener. If you are a serious writer, CHECK IT OUT. It's really cool and not all that expensive for just the base version.
Anyway, I dedicated myself to writing ADAM in that span. This was the novel that I had on the brain but knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about. NOTHING. Fact is, I just ran with it and made a novel that sounds rather decent. I persevered and came out on top.
Dragonsbane, the once proudest part of my Storyteller War cannon is now out of the cannon and working towards being a fully published novel. Why? Simple.
The story goes that I felt that it was stronger, far stronger, than anything I had written before. I asked my loving girlfriend to read it to see her reaction. Needless to say, she called me and threatened me because I didn't publish that first. It's very good and - ignoring my once thoughtful timeline of shopping it out after Christmas - will end up shopping it to publishers by the end of next year. Watch out, you unlucky agents. Nicky is coming to town!
My first author signing event. That was fun. I got to meet a few new authors, made a few sales, and networked a whole heck of a lot. While the event wasn't super well attended, I am grateful for the opportunity and the learning experience. (I didn't even have business cards. :( So now Jess has strong armed her way to being my official/unofficial manager.)
What else happened? Oh yeah, found out I have an allergy to a certain kind of spandex... While wearing a full body suit of it. Not fun. REALLY not fun.
That's really all that comes to mind right now. For all their help in the past year I'd like to thank the following people and groups:
My parents, Jessica and her family, my author buddy Cathy (Seriously, she's awesome. Go check her work out!), Llendowyn and Ritsukai for their help with Regolith's awesome cover art, the Scranton Historical Society, the Scranton region NaNo group, and anyone else I might have missed. Thank you all so much for an awesome 2015! Let's make 2016 go off with a bang!
See you in 2016! Happy trails, and happy reading!
I want to wish everyone who reads this a merry Christmas, happy new year, and a happy holiday for any which holiday traditions you may or may not celebrate!
Enough of that serious crap.
2015 has been an up and down for me in all from new school plans, trips, job changes, books, events, and whatever else I forgot.
2015 was the year I published Regolith. My second novel in my NOW HIGHLY RATED self published series. (Thanks Cathy for the four star rating on Rising Seas!) Regolith was a big deal for me because this was the first of my series that I wrote where I had very little in terms of actually plotted out material. Seriously, I usually work on things in my head a lot or even voice them out in the car. When I had an iPhone I used to set notes up to be able to yap my fool head off while I drive and then email myself the golden treasure therein. I do really like how Regolith turned out, despite the massive errors I seem to have missed in the book.
This was the year I dedicated myself to NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. Basically you sit your pretty little can down and pen a novel of at least 50k words between November 1st and midnight November 30th. The prizes aren't crazy spectacular things, but upon completion I did get a coupon for half off a really awesome writing program called Scrivener. If you are a serious writer, CHECK IT OUT. It's really cool and not all that expensive for just the base version.
Anyway, I dedicated myself to writing ADAM in that span. This was the novel that I had on the brain but knew ABSOLUTELY nothing about. NOTHING. Fact is, I just ran with it and made a novel that sounds rather decent. I persevered and came out on top.
Dragonsbane, the once proudest part of my Storyteller War cannon is now out of the cannon and working towards being a fully published novel. Why? Simple.
The story goes that I felt that it was stronger, far stronger, than anything I had written before. I asked my loving girlfriend to read it to see her reaction. Needless to say, she called me and threatened me because I didn't publish that first. It's very good and - ignoring my once thoughtful timeline of shopping it out after Christmas - will end up shopping it to publishers by the end of next year. Watch out, you unlucky agents. Nicky is coming to town!
My first author signing event. That was fun. I got to meet a few new authors, made a few sales, and networked a whole heck of a lot. While the event wasn't super well attended, I am grateful for the opportunity and the learning experience. (I didn't even have business cards. :( So now Jess has strong armed her way to being my official/unofficial manager.)
What else happened? Oh yeah, found out I have an allergy to a certain kind of spandex... While wearing a full body suit of it. Not fun. REALLY not fun.
That's really all that comes to mind right now. For all their help in the past year I'd like to thank the following people and groups:
My parents, Jessica and her family, my author buddy Cathy (Seriously, she's awesome. Go check her work out!), Llendowyn and Ritsukai for their help with Regolith's awesome cover art, the Scranton Historical Society, the Scranton region NaNo group, and anyone else I might have missed. Thank you all so much for an awesome 2015! Let's make 2016 go off with a bang!
See you in 2016! Happy trails, and happy reading!
I want to wish everyone who reads this a merry Christmas, happy new year, and a happy holiday for any which holiday traditions you may or may not celebrate!
December 8, 2015
Krampus and the Tale of the Repeated Name!
Another week, another Kyoryu Change!
Not really, but I have a blog post here and fresh. (If you're wondering, Kyoryu Change is the morphing call of the Kyoryuger's from Sentai Kyoryuger.)
Let's rewind to Saturday, the 5th of December. My girlfriend, Jess, calls me and asks me if I want to come out with her sister and her for some shopping, dinner, and to see the new horror film Krampus.
New horror movie based on an old Alpine-German legend of Saint Nicholas's dark side who gives coal/steals kids/beats kids/kills kids (based on the interpretation)? COUNT ME IN!
I'm a sucker for legends and stories with origins and set-ups like this. I have a thing for the dark sides of characters. Simply said.
Anyway, before we went to see the movie we stopped in the local big box bookstore chain and were looking around for a bit. When Jess's sister was finally ready to check out, I turned my head to look back into the store and saw a book cover that caught my eye.
It was graphite/dark gray with a fiery bird/phoenix/dragon/something on the cover. I, of course, strolled over to see what the book was.
Lovely little book called DRAGONBANE by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My heart sank at seeing a similar title to my own eventually publishable work. In the end, I googled my own title and found a few matches including a book and a past role playing event.
Ah well, I can still do my thing.
On to the movie. The BEST, absolutely best way I can describe the film is mix National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Friday the Thirteenth and Small Soldiers.
The movie ROCKED. Long story short: I loved it! The prop work was really what got me since almost all the monster props, like a giant, man-eating jack in the box and a demonic tree angel, were PRACTICAL PROPS. Super high quality PROPS!!
I love practical props more and more when they are well done and there is a good budget for them.
I suggest going to see it if you like horror movies that don't take themselves too seriously. No, really. GO SEE IT!
Not really, but I have a blog post here and fresh. (If you're wondering, Kyoryu Change is the morphing call of the Kyoryuger's from Sentai Kyoryuger.)
Let's rewind to Saturday, the 5th of December. My girlfriend, Jess, calls me and asks me if I want to come out with her sister and her for some shopping, dinner, and to see the new horror film Krampus.
New horror movie based on an old Alpine-German legend of Saint Nicholas's dark side who gives coal/steals kids/beats kids/kills kids (based on the interpretation)? COUNT ME IN!
I'm a sucker for legends and stories with origins and set-ups like this. I have a thing for the dark sides of characters. Simply said.
Anyway, before we went to see the movie we stopped in the local big box bookstore chain and were looking around for a bit. When Jess's sister was finally ready to check out, I turned my head to look back into the store and saw a book cover that caught my eye.
It was graphite/dark gray with a fiery bird/phoenix/dragon/something on the cover. I, of course, strolled over to see what the book was.
Lovely little book called DRAGONBANE by Sherrilyn Kenyon. My heart sank at seeing a similar title to my own eventually publishable work. In the end, I googled my own title and found a few matches including a book and a past role playing event.
Ah well, I can still do my thing.
On to the movie. The BEST, absolutely best way I can describe the film is mix National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation with Friday the Thirteenth and Small Soldiers.
The movie ROCKED. Long story short: I loved it! The prop work was really what got me since almost all the monster props, like a giant, man-eating jack in the box and a demonic tree angel, were PRACTICAL PROPS. Super high quality PROPS!!
I love practical props more and more when they are well done and there is a good budget for them.
I suggest going to see it if you like horror movies that don't take themselves too seriously. No, really. GO SEE IT!
December 1, 2015
NaNo/ADAM - I'M BACK! (Paradise by the Keyboard Light)
Ok, ok. I know. I've been gone for almost a month from my blog and everyone is DYING to hear from me.
Well, I'm here; and I'll give you the lowdown on the whole adventure.
So right after my last post I began thinking that it would take a great toll on me to do two jobs, write, and blog. Hell, I even gave up on playing video games entirely. I played a few short things here and there, but only for a few minutes. I basically made the sacrifice of not blogging and assuming people who follow other authors would realize that I'm not dead. Hopefully.
I gave up on blogging for a while and devoted all my evening time to writing ADAM. ADAM, for all its worth, if finished and written almost to completion. I'd say this is version 0.5 before reaching Final Version 1.0.
Why?
Simple. I wrote in such a blinded state (despite having notes) that I have to go back and read the whole thing again to make sure its consistent and not insane. Which, I am sure its pretty insane. The current, unaltered word count is (according to NaNo) 51,157. Word claims its 50,097. Who knows?
Basically, I'll let it sit for a bit while I relax and let myself get caught up elsewhere. I also have a house guest until the 13th of December in the form of another Russel Terrier. My girlfriend asked me to look after the crazy goof for a bit.
NaNoWriMo was a whole new experience for me, and yes, I stuck with it! I made it to the end and posted my finished word count on last Saturday. Most of my region didn't finish, which is somewhat upsetting, but life happens.
Did I learn anything? Eh, no.
Did I develop new skills? Eh, yes. I developed a better consistency.
Will I do it again? Lord, I don't even know. Problem is, it was easy to just do ADAM because that was next in the pipe for The Storyteller War. But in a year, where will the story be? I figure I'll drop ADAM into the water next spring sometime. After that, I'll start on The Storyteller MAYBE for NaNo next year.
That seems like a long way off, but considering I start online college in January of next year, ehhhhh.
Also, it allows me to give more attention to Regolith's marketing (which has been nonexistent) and ADAM's working around (which has a long way to go.)
Also, no, I didn't forget about Dragonsbane. That got shelved since November first as well. I mean, yeah, I did take notes on some ideas I had, but that is it! That's it. I'm still confident in what will be my first venture into the wide world of big time publishing. Fancy stuff here. I should probably work on Dragonsbane instead of ADAM or... yeah.
So, here's the list of games I neglected in order of earliest release: Tales of Zestria, Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Fallout 4, Sword Art Online: Lost Song,and Xenoblade Chronicles X. I have some bitter times ahead. In the rare instance, I begged my parents NOT to even mention games for the upcoming holidays. I may just hurl. (Kidding)
There it is. My Lazarus blog. I'm back, I'll keep posting, and I'll extend beyond just writing again someday soon enough.
Sayonara, kids!
Well, I'm here; and I'll give you the lowdown on the whole adventure.
So right after my last post I began thinking that it would take a great toll on me to do two jobs, write, and blog. Hell, I even gave up on playing video games entirely. I played a few short things here and there, but only for a few minutes. I basically made the sacrifice of not blogging and assuming people who follow other authors would realize that I'm not dead. Hopefully.
I gave up on blogging for a while and devoted all my evening time to writing ADAM. ADAM, for all its worth, if finished and written almost to completion. I'd say this is version 0.5 before reaching Final Version 1.0.
Why?
Simple. I wrote in such a blinded state (despite having notes) that I have to go back and read the whole thing again to make sure its consistent and not insane. Which, I am sure its pretty insane. The current, unaltered word count is (according to NaNo) 51,157. Word claims its 50,097. Who knows?
Basically, I'll let it sit for a bit while I relax and let myself get caught up elsewhere. I also have a house guest until the 13th of December in the form of another Russel Terrier. My girlfriend asked me to look after the crazy goof for a bit.
NaNoWriMo was a whole new experience for me, and yes, I stuck with it! I made it to the end and posted my finished word count on last Saturday. Most of my region didn't finish, which is somewhat upsetting, but life happens.
Did I learn anything? Eh, no.
Did I develop new skills? Eh, yes. I developed a better consistency.
Will I do it again? Lord, I don't even know. Problem is, it was easy to just do ADAM because that was next in the pipe for The Storyteller War. But in a year, where will the story be? I figure I'll drop ADAM into the water next spring sometime. After that, I'll start on The Storyteller MAYBE for NaNo next year.
That seems like a long way off, but considering I start online college in January of next year, ehhhhh.
Also, it allows me to give more attention to Regolith's marketing (which has been nonexistent) and ADAM's working around (which has a long way to go.)
Also, no, I didn't forget about Dragonsbane. That got shelved since November first as well. I mean, yeah, I did take notes on some ideas I had, but that is it! That's it. I'm still confident in what will be my first venture into the wide world of big time publishing. Fancy stuff here. I should probably work on Dragonsbane instead of ADAM or... yeah.
So, here's the list of games I neglected in order of earliest release: Tales of Zestria, Assassin's Creed: Syndicate, Fallout 4, Sword Art Online: Lost Song,and Xenoblade Chronicles X. I have some bitter times ahead. In the rare instance, I begged my parents NOT to even mention games for the upcoming holidays. I may just hurl. (Kidding)
There it is. My Lazarus blog. I'm back, I'll keep posting, and I'll extend beyond just writing again someday soon enough.
Sayonara, kids!
November 3, 2015
NaNo/ADAM - Socialite and Writer
Well, I attended the kick-off party last Saturday and no one decided to eat me alive or something. Woo?
I'll keep this short because I don't have much to say lately. (And I've been forgetting to blog.)
ADAM is going well, well enough that I have 7k words done in three days for NaNoWriMo. Yippeeeee!
I'm confident in working with this so far. Let's hope that continues.
I'll keep this short because I don't have much to say lately. (And I've been forgetting to blog.)
ADAM is going well, well enough that I have 7k words done in three days for NaNoWriMo. Yippeeeee!
I'm confident in working with this so far. Let's hope that continues.
Nick's Insight to Madness
This is the semi-official blog of author Nick Bolock. I'll write here about my writing, some things around me, ideas I've worked on, and some other things along the way.
Keep checking back! ...more
Keep checking back! ...more
- Nick Bolock's profile
- 3 followers
Nick Bolock isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
