Editing Hat.

Spoilers

2012-01-19T02:08:00.000-03:30

The 'Adam Definition' of spoiler is "One or more facts that, when told by some big ole arse, completely remove the point of reading or watching something." This counts triple if it's something with a twist, like with the ending of The Sixth Sense. Never seen it, never will, since I know the twist. Hence the SPOIL part of the term.

Some people don't give a damn about spoilers. My grandmother, for instance, used to turn to the last page of a book before she started it, to check if she'd like it. I also have friends who look up the synopsis of a movie before they watch it. I think it's safe to say, in fact, that most people view spoilers as an irritant, but not the end of the world. I'm a little more militant.

If you spoil something for me, not only will I probably not read/watch the media in question, I will also assault you with whatever blunt implement I can lay my hands on.

There are two reasons for my anger -

The creator of said media has put in hundreds, if not thousands, of hours to create a piece of work that is designed to entertain you for a small fraction of those hours. Telling me that Dave the Crotchless Supermonkey dies on page 156 pisses all over the creator's efforts to entertain. What's the point in reading the book if you know what's going to happen?
It's a dick move. You're basically saying, "I don't respect you enough to let you enjoy this media in the manner in which it was intended." Seriously now, why would you do this? Do you get some perverse enjoyment from ruining someone else's fun?

Also, I disagree with the idea that, if something has been out for a while, it's okay to spoil the plot. Why would this be okay? There aren't enough hours in my life to read the books released in one year, never mind everything that came before. Just because you read something thirty years ago doesn't mean you have a right to spoil it for everybody else.

It boils down to this: I want to enjoy media in the way it was intended to be enjoyed. If you try and spoil that for me, don't be surprised when you get shouted at.

What about you? What's your view on spoilers?

TTFN,

Adam

Saturday Wavings

2012-01-14T15:31:00.000-03:30

Hi all!

*Waves*

A link for y'all to follow - I'm featured on my internet sistah's new blog, Irrational Propensity! She's doing a regular feature, pleasantly named Sloppy Seconds Saturday (no comment), and has reposted one of my favourite blog posts from my travelling blog, The Newfie Newbie.

Here's the link!

TTFN,
Adam

Blog Pimp!

2012-01-02T18:59:00.001-03:30

Hey hey, peoples, I'm pimping again!

*Dons purple top hat, goes hunting for bedazzled cane.*

It's for my digital sister, Carole, and her new blog, Irrational Propensity. You can tell from the name that it's going to be awesome, can't ya? For those who don't know here, Carole is a very talented writer, who's recently starting playing around with fiction writing again, too. I've read some of her stuff, and I cannot WAIT for more.

Seriously. Can't wait. What the hell, sis? Get writing!

Her blog is brand spanking new, so I hope you'll all go and check her out and make her feel welcome.

*Struts off to blog.*

In Other News:

I've been having Reaper-like thoughts, lately. While I won't be publishing a new Mal 'n Xyla tale for a while yet, this is still very good news. So cheer, damn it.

TTFN,

Adam

2012 Reading List

2012-01-02T12:50:00.000-03:30

That's right, it's here! Woo! :-)

The target for this year is... *drumroll*... one more than last year. So 47.
I'm confident I can reach that, as long as I don't fall into any non-reading spells. Anyway, the list:

Kelly Meding - As Lie The Dead - 01/01/2012
Kelly Meding - Another Kind Of Dead - 15/01/2012

Yappy New Spear!

2011-12-31T11:30:00.000-03:30

Hang on, I think I got that wrong.

Another year has come to an end. In this case, my most important year in all 28. It's had its ups and downs, but the ups outweighed the downs by a good ratio, so I'm pretty durned happy with 2011. It did its job well. Give it a pat on the back.

I had hoped to finish the book I was reading by tonight, so I could start the new year with a new book, but alas, that's unlikely. My total for the year will be 46, which, while not as high as some people (*cough* Dolly *cough*), is more than 50% higher than the previous year, and included some bloody big books (the uncut The Stand, for one). I'm more than happy with the total, and while I didn't crest 50 books, that just means I have a target for 2012.

Real life-wise, it's been a hell of a year. Back in April I flew over to Newfoundland, Canada, and I've been there ever since. I married my sweetheart, Xondra Day, in August, and I don't think I could be any happier if I tried. You're my everything, Xondra. I love you.
Oh, and Charlie the cat is awesome, too.

And so on to the new year! I haven't come up with any real resolutions, but there are a few writing-related things I want to do, so I'll list them here in the hopes that my public decree will spur me into activity.

Write more.
Submit more.
Read more.
Edit more.

Complex list, eh?

I also intend to blog more. I have my sights set on one a week at first, and I'm sorry to say that even that sounds daunting. Methinks some guest blogs, interviews, and themes are needed to get me in the spirit again. Editing Hat will rise again!

Happy New Year to all my lovely readers, and even to my horrible readers, too. I wish you all nothing but the best in 2012. I'll wish you twice as much if you buy my books, too.

TTFN,

Adam

Aspiring MeMe

2011-12-29T14:50:00.000-03:30

Afternoon, all! Just a quickie to say that I have an interview with the lovely Pauline Campos, over on her blog, Aspiring Mama.

CLICKIE!

Also, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and I wish everyone a wonderful New Year. I'll be posting something in the next day or so about resolutions, etc.
I know, a blog post! Rare, these days. :(

TTFN,
Adam

Books 'n stuff

2011-12-23T16:36:00.002-03:30

So, it's nearly the end of the year. You may have noticed. This means it's almost time for a new reading list!

This year I've managed to read 46 books, and am halfway through the 47th. I doubt I'll reach 50 by January the first, but that's okay. It's not a race. :-)

That said, though, I would like to increase my reading next year, like I did this year. As you'll see if you compare my 2010 and 2011 lists, I've increased the number of books read by more than 50%. While I won't increase by the same percentage in 2012 (especially since I have the A Song of Ice and Fire series to get through), I'd love to get to the point where I'm reading for an hour or so every day.

As a child, I read every night, and often for several hours. I doubt I'll manage that (I have a little more on my plate these days, not to mention that I need more than ten minutes sleep now), but an hour a night would make for quite the reading rate, which in turn would help with my writing.

What about you? Have you read much this year? Do you plan to read more, or just better books?

TTFN,

Adam

Bookshelf Snooping With Dolly Garland

2011-12-14T18:13:00.001-03:30

'Ello!

Remember I said I have a guest post coming up?

Well here it is!

Hustle on over to Dolly Garland's blog, Writer Revealed, and see what books I'm lovin'.

Go! Shoo!

Clicky!

TTFN,

Adam

Guest Post Incoming!

2011-12-10T18:41:00.001-03:30

Just a quickie to say that I'll be appearing on Dolly Garland's blog, Writer Revealed, on December 14th. The post will be about my favourite books. Hope you enjoy it!

This is a link. Click it for linking of linkage.

TTFN,

Adam

Erma Post Number, uh, 5?

2011-12-04T01:15:00.001-03:30

Boo!

I did have a nice long post, but it sucked, so I deleted it. Instead here's a link to my latest Army of Ermas post. I hope you enjoy it!

CLICKETH THE WORDS.

Toodles,

Adam

Whaddya Think?

2011-11-17T01:20:00.001-03:30

(Skip to "Short Version" below, if you don't want to read my random musing. Though if you don't, I'm not entirely sure why you're here. It's 90% of my act.)

You may or may not have noticed that I'm posting less these days. In fact, you'd have to be blind not to notice.

Problem is, I've run out of topics. Given that this blog is solely about my writing (and editing) experiences, I'm limited in what I can post about past that. In the past [insert time I've been blogging for], I've covered every writing related topic I can think of, and in some cases I've done it more than once. This makes it bleedin' tricky to post something that isn't a rehash or a "here's what I've done this week that is basically the same as last week" post.

I don't like to post about my personal life, as I'm a private person in some respects, so again, this limits me a bit.

I do, however, enjoy posting about geeky things, though my geek blog gets about as many hits as a fan fiction site dedicated solely to the sex life of fruit flies.

So I thought I'd combine them. I could take this blog, my geek blog, and a large roll of sticky tape, and make me a Frankenblog. It'd still have the writing side, but it would also have posts about games, gadgets, and other geekery.

Granted, some people out there aren't interested in one (or both), but with some thinking, I could probably work out a way of making it so a click would take you to either/or, rather than having to view both.

I'm starting to think that I need to do something before Editing Hat starts to rot.

Maybe a name change is in order, too, to suit the tweak. Gawd knows I've had this name long enough (points for anyone who remembers the previous names).

Short Version:

I'm thinking of combining my geeky and writing blogs, and reinventing the resultant blob of binary. Whaddya think?

All comments and suggestions are appreciated!

TTFN,
Adam

The Campaign For Real Humour

2011-11-04T15:41:00.000-02:30

(I'm English, and flat out refuse to leave out the "U".)

In the words of Our Glorious Leader:

Friends, Ermas, Countrymen - lend me your ears. Ew. Nevermind.
Ahem.
An Army of Ermas is gearing up for the upcoming United States presidential election and looking at the crop of candidates we have to choose from so far, we're going to need as much humor as we can get. Thus, the Campaign for Real Humor has begun.
In the next year, your favorite Ermas will be competing for your votes with their posts. It's up to you to vote by liking a post on facebook, linking on websites, leaving comments on their posts, RTing on Twitter and Stumbling your favorites. Who will emerge the victor? Your vote counts!
We'll be kissing babies, and stumping for votes at the upcoming Erma Bombeck Writing Workshop in April, 2012. Come out and say howdy! Most of us don't bite.

My version:

When the vote begins, you will vote for me.
Or else.

The basic premise is that we're all humoUr writers, and we enjoy what we do. We want to make people laugh. Also, we're a little competitive, and want people to shower us with prizes (there ARE prizes, right, Stacey?).

So, be sure to click the pic and take a look at the site. On there you will find links to all my fellow Ermas' sites, as well as the odd funny post. Cos' that's whut we do.

I don't know when it will begin, but you will. So, let me know, k?

TTFN,
Adam

Professionalism (is a Bloody Long Word)

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-02:30

On my travels through the world of publishing, limited though they may be, I have come across all sorts of authors, and made some great friends as a result. There are the consummate professionals, the hard-workers, the writing-machines, the absolute nutcases (hi!), and myriad hybrids.

And then there are the unprofessional.

I don't mean the ones that like to goof off. After all, I am one of those. I'm referring to the authors that somehow have no clue that what they do or say has an impact on those who listen. Those that bitch about some aspect of the business, or go to a public place and rant about their agent/editor/publisher.

In the past few months, I've seen several occurrences of the latter. People complaining, publicly, using their real name/real pseudonym, about publishers and editors, again using names.

The internet - as well as being a repository for podcasts, pornography, and awesome webcomics - is also very easily searchable. Also, once something is put up, it's damn hard to take it down again (Google caching makes sure of that). Search "Adam Slade", for instance, and you'll see my public Twitter feed, this blog, and a bunch of forum posts. While I do occasionally bemoan my luck in finding an agent, I don't name names, and I don't rag on publishers.

If I can search for a name, so can an agent/publisher, and why on earth would they take on someone that is quite obviously going to be a liability?

Now don't get me wrong, in some cases, things must be brought to light. If your publisher is refusing to pay you, or is stealing rights, that needs to be shouted from the rooftops. But even in that case, it needs to be handled correctly. If you sit there and curse and insult, people aren't going to pay as much attention as if you'd calmly laid out the facts.

Short version - Behave, or be prepared for the consequences.

Bleh, I sounded all stern, then.

[/srs]

TTFN,
Adam

PS - Back to silly posts now, promise.

Hallowaargh!

2011-10-30T17:49:00.001-02:30

I'm not a fan of scary things. When it comes to horror, I don't read it, watch it, or even talk about it. I derive absolutely no pleasure from being scared. All the adrenaline rush does is make me clammy, then leave me unable to sleep for a couple of nights. I've even had to avoid my beloved An Army Of Ermas this month, as it's been about scares and scary stories. (I do, however, have a non-scary post coming up on the 2nd of November, so stay tuned!)

Yup, I'm really that bad.

My darling wife assures me it's because I avoided horror as a child, and never built up a tolerance. That may be true, but I'm quite happy to have no tolerance if it means I don't have to watch the stuff.

As you can imagine, then, Halloween is not my most favourite of so called holidays. Websites put up scary posts, people link to said scary posts, idiots try and get me to click on Youtube 'screamer's (I'm adept at spotting them now), and the TV devolves into even more undesirable programming. Not that we own one.

Still, it makes sweetie happy to watch the scary stuff on the internet. I just put my earphones in and listen to Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows on loop.

What about you lot? Love it? Hate it? Couldn't care less? Don't be shy, I don't bite! :-)

TTFN,

Adam

It's October! (Ramble 'n No NaNo)

2011-10-25T10:27:00.002-02:30

How the heck did that happen?

After three hours sleep (reason for disjointedness of post), followed by three hours staring at the ceiling, wishing I was asleep, followed by a short shopping trip, it's time to be productive.
I'm just about to format an ebook short for my wife (still feels weird saying that), and after that I think I'll write. Not sure what, yet, but it'll be on one of my projects. After that I may have to nap, but that's allowed if I've worked hard first, right?

Lately I've been in a bit of a writing lull. Actually, that's an understatement. I've been in a deep pit of none-writing. A pit with slimy moss-covered walls and no rope. I'm having to fashion one out of my own beard hair (I have a lot lying about since I turned it into a goatee).
The thing is, writer's write. If I'm not writing, I'm not a writer, and I really like being a writer, so I need to pull my finger out and get on with it. Speaking of which...

I won't be attempting NaNoWriMo this year. I've tried it twice in the past, once as an editing exercise instead, and once as a proper writing exercise, and neither worked out very well for me. If anything I wrote less each time, rather than more. I like the community encouragement and support that comes from joining, but the idea itself just doesn't suit my style.

Good luck to those who are attempting it, though!

As well as the writing, I have editing that needs doing, but I'm pretty turned off from that WIP at the moment. I think I need more time away from it before I can properly tackle it without getting angry and trying to set fire to my laptop.

That's about it for now. Sorry for not posting in a while, and sorry if this post makes little sense. I'm still addled. :-)

TTFN,
Adam

Reviews for A Grim Pact

2011-10-13T06:20:00.000-02:30

More to come, I hope!

Review Sites:

TBR Pile - 4 out of 5 stars (Recommended read)

TTFN,

Adam

Typedy Type Type

2011-09-26T18:04:00.001-02:30

Welp, the first draft of a piece I've been working on for my pseudonym is done. Needs an edit, as well as a few new scenes, but I'm reasonably confident that I'll be able to find it a home. I have a particular place in mind, but I'm paranoid about jinxing such things, so we'll just say they're a publisher, and they sell books.

There, that shouldn't affect my luck.

Looks like I'm also going back and retweaking the urban fantasy I've been subbing around. After getting zero interest, I took another look at it with more objective eyes. It's, uh, it's not as good as I remembered.
That's the problem with memory. It lies.

So I shall be starting the rewrite on that soon. The beginning needs a fair bit of work, but the writing improves as it goes along, so I'm hoping that my life gets easier once I'm a third of the way in. We shall see.

What have you been up to?

TTFN,

Adam

Witty Title Here

2011-09-10T05:35:00.002-02:30

Gah!

Sorry, the new 'Create Post' page for Blogger is quite the surprise. Thought something had crashed, what with all the white 'n sparsity.

Anyway, hi!

Once again I've forgotten to post on here in a while, and once again I shall offer a half-arsed excuse - Uh, I was gonna, but then this stuff happened, and I was like, whoah, and didn't post.

There, that's that over with.

How has everyone been? All been working hard on your respective WIPs, I hope!

I've been working on two, lately. One is an erotic romance, and the other is the big ole fantasy I've mentioned in the past. Jumping between projects is something I'm not normally a fan of (because it's bloody hard keeping track), but I find that it's not so bad when they're two very different genres.

The fantasy is coming along REALLY well, though slowly. I've only just got back into adding to it, and it's a lot of fun. It has way more major characters than I normally use, and there are more sub-plots, too. Given the lack of outline, it's a nightmare to keep track of some aspects, but I know this one will turn out well. I can feel it in my water. :-)

Anyway, that's about it for this post. It's 5.33am, and I'm seeing it from the bad side, as sweetie's working nights. Managed to get a good few words out earlier, but I'm somewhat frazzled now. I shall leave you with a question, and hope to see some answers once I've slept and got up again!

Whatcha been up to?

TTFN,

Adam

Back To Querying

2011-08-29T13:52:00.000-02:30

Alrighty, so the wedding announcement has been the top post for ten days. It should have garnered enough attention by now.

What? Of course that was my reason for not posting. Laziness? Me? Pfft!

Anyway.

I decided to check on my submission list, thinking maybe I could cross some agents off now, since it's been a month or two since I subbed anything, and I haven't heard anything. Turns out it's been between three months since my last batch went out, and I've heard nothing from any of them. Oops.

*Writes 'assumed rejection' next to the lot of 'em*

This tells me two things. That I'm a lazy sod, who needs to get more submissions out, and that my query may need a tweak or two. Or twelve.

So, today will be spent melting in the heat while I tweak the query and work out a list of fresh, new, and awesome agents to submit to!

What about you?

TTFN,

Adam

I Got Married!

2011-08-19T22:28:00.001-02:30

It's true, I did!

Almost two years to the day of our first real meeting online, I became a married man, and my sweetie became Mrs. Slade,

*Super funky happy dance*

As soon as I met her, I knew she was someone special, and it wasn't long before I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. And now she's my wifey!

T'was a small ceremony with only a few close friends, but nonetheless it was the best day of my life, and I'll remember it for a hell of a long time. Like, a couple of centuries at least.

That's all for now, as it's gettin' late, and I have stuff to do. :)

TTFN,

Adam

An Army of Stacey-fans

2011-08-09T11:07:00.008-02:30

There is a place on the internet where people like me can go and be accepted without reserve, despite my nutty behaviour. No, I'm not referring to the local mental health clinic's forum (though they are awesome. Wibble.). The place I'm referring to is An Army Of Ermas, run by the fearless nutcase, Stacey Graham.

Stacey has been working tirelessly since the Ermas' inception to keep the place running smoothly. Not only does she maintain the site, she also proofreads every article, finds suitable images, answers any question the contributors may have, AND puts up with our lunacy without so much as a restraining order. Uh, except that one time, but that was unrelated.

*Cough*

Anyway. As thanks, the darling Beth Bartlett arranged An Army of Ermas Day. A good chunk of the contributors to the site are posting about the site and Stacey, and we're all doing it today, unbeknownst to Ms. Graham. Be sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post to see the other posts!

I first started with the Ermas after a call was put out for a couple of guest spots on the site for Christmas. I decided to give it a shot, having missed the previous call through laziness, and penned this post. Shortly after I submitted it, Stacey asked me to come aboard.

I said yes, in case you weren't paying attention.

I've since posted four or five articles, and will be posting many more, and Stacey has been nothing short of awesome the whole durned time. She's fast, hard-workin', and one of the funniest women I've ever met (and I've met many). I couldn't ask for a better boss and I love that I get to call her a friend, too.

Right, enough of that sappiness. Here're the other Ermas' links I mentioned:

Tricia Gillespie
Terri Lynn Coop
Angie Mansfield
The Hoo
Patti Wigington
Janna Qualman
Jason Tudor
Sarah Garb
Harley May
Amy Mullis
JLC
Sara Spock Carlson
Pauline Campos

(Will add more as they appear)

Aaaaand here's the Ermas link again. At least go and look at this one. ;-)

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Jenn Greenleaf

2011-08-03T09:00:00.030-02:30

We made it! The last interview! I told you all those god-awful Powerbars were worth it, didn't I?

Jenn Greenleaf is a writer, as well as a frugal queen. Seriously, if there's a coupon out there, she's used it already. For her writing, check her Facebook fan page here, and her blog here. For her frugalitude, check her website, Frugalarity, here, and it's fan page, here. She also has TWO Twitter accounts. Hers is here, and Frugalarity's is here. Oh, and she posts on the ParentsGlobal site, too!

You can see why Jenn wins the 'Give Adam Wrist-Strain Moving All The Links' award.

Onwards!

Serious:

Oh frugal queen, give us your best three money-saving tips.

Jenn - I'll give you the quick and dirty answer, rather than the long winded one:

(1) Take inventory of what you have in your non-perishables.

(2) Create a menu plan (breakfasts, lunches, snacks and dinners) for three weeks at a time.

(3) Cross-reference your inventory with your menu plan - and THEN make your grocery list.

Tell us about your latest book!

Jenn - The one I last self-published (Letters to my Baby) or the one(s) I'm working on? ::smiles:: Okay, I'll give you the scoop on one I'm writing, which will be my first published piece of fiction -- it's title is "The Ghost Writer" and it's about a woman who writes books for authors (or would-be authors) who never got to tell all of their stories. Their "unfinished business" are their books. I'm having fun with the plot, and am hoping to roll it out to beta readers this winter.

What made you decide to self publish?

Jenn - I was told I wouldn't be able to sell one single title if I self-published and I said, "oh, really?" I used to be the editor of a newsletter entitled, "Self-Published Writers," which I turned over to Dan Shaurette. This gave me a bird's eye view into the business of self-publishing, which subsequently lead to working one on one with self-published authors in an effort to get their books in front of readers (this was before Amazon launched CreateSpace.com). My experiences with these authors prompted me to write an "advice/how-to" piece for The Writer Magazine in 2005 because I saw many-many promotional mistakes because people just didn't understand the industry. Having these experiences and being in these situations lead me to believe I could make a business out of selling books. My background as an assistant manager in a bookstore, as well as retail management positions in a music store and a home goods store, gave me the foundation necessary to understand the business of creating and the business of selling.

Who is your favourite author?

Jenn - Please don't laugh . . . V.C. Andrews. I was introduced to her work when I was eleven, and her "over the top, I can't believe that would really happen," plots hooked me into reading. That writing style also helped me understand the fiction world, where things can seem real in an unreal way. I liked that, and so I started writing. My work didn't mirror hers (I was eleven, after all), but I was inspired by hers. Her work also lead me to want to research past places, historical events and geographical locations because I wanted my "un-true stories" to have some truth to them. I remember spending hours at the library that was in the town my Grandmother lived in (I was allowed to walk there because, back then, there weren't many axe murderers or other pillagers around).

If you could only read one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Jenn - Um. Hmm....considering my obsession with paranormal "everything," lately . . . I would have to say . . . um . . . yeah, paranormal.

Describe your perfect lazy day. (No work of any sort allowed!)

Jenn - Really? No work? I have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean no work. Is there such a thing? Really?

In all seriousness, it would be me in a cabin in the woods with art supplies on a crisp fall day. I'd sip tea during the day, paint, and draw. Then at night, I'd sip wine and I'd make collages and play around in my art journal. I'd complete pieces of art that have to do with my surroundings, as well as those that have to do with nothing at all. I would leave it all out as I work, and not worry about cleaning things up until it was time for me to pack to go home. I would love that.

Daft:

Doors, eh? Funny things.

Jenn - Doors are my enemy lately! Seriously! Both of my screen doors are broken, and I can't get my sliding glass door to lock without hurting myself. Not nice. Don't even get me started on the bathroom door . . .

If a cat is launched from a cannon at 800 meters per second, and a dog is launched in the opposite direction at an equal speed, who cleans up the mess?

Jenn - Me. It would suck. I get stuck doing all the dirty work around here! ::hands Adam a mop:: It was YOUR idea, YOU clean it up!

Which is better? Dairy Queen or an inactive laptop?

Jenn - I don't think I've ever encountered an inactive laptop. ::grin:: And, I think I've only tasted Dairy Queen twice. I like Ben & Jerry's - they da bomb.

Who would win in a fight? Bruce Lee, or the Pope with a shotgun?

Jenn - I mean no disrespect, but could the Pope hold the shotgun up without falling over. And really, when you think about it, wouldn't the recoil make him fall apart? He seems...fragile.

What is your favourite question ever?

Jenn - How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

___

Thanks, Jenn, for the final interview of the series! I like to end on a high. :-)

As for the rest of ya, comment!

TTFN,

Adam

PS - It may be a while before my next post, as I'm in the process of moving. Heavy lifting and shopping for cutlery tires me out. Wish me luck with it!

Interview - DL Hegel

2011-08-01T09:00:00.029-02:30

Glory to the Hypno-Toad!

Uh, also, here's another interview!

DL Hegel, almighty poet and high-kickin' bad-ass, is an almighty poet (see below) and high-kickin' bad-ass. Duh.

You can find her fan page here (be sure to like it!), and her Myspace page here.

Serious:

So, what’s it like being a ninja?

DL - I don't know. But being a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do is nice. I get to break wood, give push ups, and help people reach their fitness goal--can't beat that.

Tell us about your poetry book, Crash Boom Girl. Do you have any themes or ideas you particularly like to work with?

DL - Love, life view, loss, and beauty of the flawed nature of humans. It is mostly free verse poetry with a strong rhythm and beat. The themes are universal, except for the character poems, but I have heard from more than one person they remind them of themselves or someone they knew. I feel it is a book representive of who I am and how I see the world.

[Poem break!]

Mystery of me

if you can't hear your own heart
how can you hear anyone else’s

i guess that is true
for some people
maybe for me

i have been so many things

voice lost
bird silent
eager eyes
star chaser

laugh soft

never flinching
never showing
never knowing

a special siren's call
to fill my empty spaces

truth matters
undercurrents lie

i am a whole explosion
a wonder to be held
no more than honest passion
awaiting another

to awaken

a spirit to free
and not flee

i can wait
for that perfect state

but the mystery of me
comes in minutes

in minutes i live
in minutes i die

Do you prefer to read or listen to poetry?

DL - I like both, they can inspire and move a person. Songs are the same in that way.

What's in the pipeline?

DL - I am still in the beginnings of my second collection of poetry Crash Boom Girl 'You Can't Go Home.' I have experienced a lot of loss over the past two years, I'm sure it will be reflected in my work. I maintain and express a positive attitude about life and the things we face. And I never surrender.

If you could meet one author/poet, living or dead, who would it be?

DL - Cummings, Bokowski, Plath.

Define Poet [Adam - NEVER! Mostly because I can't.]. Also song writers, Pete Townsend and Dave Grohl

Where do you get your best ideas?

DL - Songs, love, people, loss, over coming obstacles, and seeing the underdog win. [Adam - Ah, so Rocky films.]

Any writing tips?

DL - Despite the type of writing a person is doing, poetry, short story, journalistic, crazy novel, whatever---do it everyday, don't give up or in and remember to have good fashion sense and wear nice shoes.

Daft:

How's my hair?

DL - Very nice, how much am I getting paid? [Adam - Yeah, about that...]

What about this weather, eh?

DL - If I'm around to grump about it, it's all good.

Pick a number from one to fifty.

DL - 92

Which is better? Dairy Queen or an inactive laptop?

DL - Dairy queen and a working laptop, I want it all.

____

Thanks again to the tigress ninja that is DL Hegel. Don't forget to check her fan page here, and her Myspace page here.

And I want LOTS of comments at the bottom of this post, too!

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Tori McCalin

2011-07-30T09:00:00.011-02:30

Welcome, one and all, to interview number... uh... 42? I forget.

Tori McCalin is an erotica author. Her first book, Corsets and Crimson Cheeks, can be found here. Notice the awesome review from The Long And Short Of It Reviews at the bottom. She was nice enough to put the blurb in the interview, too. :-)

You can also find her on her blog here.

Onward!

Serious:

You’re one of those author thingies! What’s that like?

Tori - It's both good and bad. Actually, it's a reality check. I've wanted to publish stories for so long, and now that I have am published, it's sobering. There is stress, joy, relief, pain, glory, hope, doubts, confusion, and all that, but it's also all very worth it.

Tell us about your book, Corsets and Crimson Cheeks.

Tori - Corsets and Crimson Cheeks is both sexy and funny. I think I fell in love with the hero, just a bit (blushes and shoots husband a charming smile).

Here is the blurb.

Jeanette’s finally gotten her big break—posing as a submissive for Maude La Roma fetish wear for the cover of a top fashion magazine. When she learns she’s partnered with her long time crush, male model Dallas Martinez, she nearly loses her cool. But much to her surprise, it isn't Dallas that makes her heart race—it’s big-time photographer Julian Hawthorne. Everyone has a horror story about the man: he’s a tyrant and an ogre and a perfectionist. But a photo shoot with Julian Hawthorne could make a model’s career—unless the model completely screwed it up…

Julian was tired of models who wanted to impress him. They only needed him for one thing—their career. But Julian has needs of his own, and right now, he needed a miracle if he was going to save this photo shoot. The female model was clearly not fetish material, the male was shaking like a schoolboy at the thought of touching her, and the makeup artists had rouged the model’s bottom like a baboon. No one would believe the fantasy of this spanking scene, least of all Maude La Roma. Until the model sat up and asked to be spanked…for real…

What other genres have you written in? What are your favourites?

Tori - I have written many stories, not all are published, of course. Those "other"stories range from young adult fiction, to murder mysteries, paranormal, and even science fiction.

What's in the pipeline?

Tori - Hopefully one or two of my current writing projects will get some of my time. One is a sexy erotic contemportary, a very short story that is part of a formatted collection. The other story is a co-authored project, an erotic paranormal.

If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would it be?

Tori - My co-author! lol! I haven't actually met her in person yet.

Describe your perfect lazy day. (No work of any sort allowed!)

Tori - Oh no! I love working! Aw, can't I work? Okay, if there is to be no work, then I guess lounging in bed with my sweetiepie- after we've slept in. Espressos should be involved there somewhere, somehow. Can we imagine a sexy butler brings some by? Say around ten?

Daft:

What's your favourite sound?

Tori - My husband's voice. [Adam - Awwwwww!]

Hats. Discuss.

Tori - I look like a dork in hats. I once wore a big floppy blue one which I thought looked sharp, but I was three. Hats look good on other people though.

If you strapped toast butter side up onto the back of a cat, and dropped it from a height of six feet, would the local animal welfare service beat you up?

Tori - Hell yeah. Then they'd write me up in the local paper next to the obituaries and bad mouth me. Then local school children would line up to spit on me.

Who would win in a fight? Bruce Lee, or the Pope with a shotgun?

Tori - Can I say Jackie Chan? [Adam – Partial credit.]

Doors, eh? Funny things.

Tori - I love doors. Sigh. I prop them up in my garden just to fool people, but only doors with funky doorknockers. (you think I'm kidding)

If a cat is launched from a cannon at 800 meters per second, and a dog is launched in the opposite direction at an equal speed, who cleans up the mess?

Tori - You don't like cats much do you? [Adam – Love ‘em! I just also admire their aerodynamics.]

I think there wouldn't really be THAT much mess either. I mean... that's pretty fast, and the impact would be intense. Both canine and feline would be particles, no?

It's either that, or the dog opens up it's mouth and swallows the cat whole.

Thanks for inviting me to your playpen.

___

Thanks again to Tori for humouring me! See y’all soon!

TTFN,

Adam

I Done Gone 'n Did It!

2011-07-28T20:22:00.000-02:30

I just passed my target for read books this year, and it's not even August!

Last year was a crappy reading year for me, and thanks to a lot less reading, and some big books, I only managed 30. This year I decided that, despite the many stresses etc. (moving country for one thing), I'd strive to beat the target by at least one. And I did it!

The 31st title was The Sign Of Four by Arthur Conan Doyle, and there have been some awesome books along the way. I even managed to get through the uncut version of The Stand (though it took a month and more), as well as several 5-600 page beauties.

I think it's safe to say I'm back into the swing of things, reading wise, and I'm hoping to get close to double last year's target, now.

So, how about you? Been reading much? I know a certain follower whose name may rhyme with Molly Barland has waaaaay surpassed me, but she's superhuman. ;)

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Lyra Torres

2011-07-28T09:00:00.002-02:30

We’re baaaaaaaack!

Interview number four! This time we’re chatting with Lyra Torres, short story author and owner of the Beyond Tourism blog.

Let's get to it!

Serious:

Tell us about your blog.

Lyra - My blog covers the many topics that make up the history of Florida. I'm a history major and realized that in the wide scheme of things you would think that nothing happens here. I decided to try to change that up a bit with this blog. Also, I needed something to prove that my degree wasn't a total waste of money. And hey you know Florida is more than just Mickey Mouse too. I've always been a Looney Tunes fan myself.

By any chance is your favourite state Florida?

Lyra - I grew up in Florida although I lived in South Carolina for awhile. So I don't know if it's my favorite but it's the state I know the best.

Do you prefer writing fiction or non-fiction?

Lyra - I love writing fiction because I can make it all up. Non-fiction seems to be more rigid because if an idea of mine doesn't line up with anything already out there then it probably didn't happen. I'm not really into writing about conspiracy theories or revisionist history. You know the American Civil War wasn't actually about slavery. Florida was Britain's 14th colony they just didn't join the rest of the colonies in the revolution despite three separate invitations to join.

What genres have you written in? What are your favourites?

Lyra - I love writing science fiction. I had one short story published because I'm not very prolific and that magazine is now out of print or maybe they are under new owners. I can't remember now it was about six years ago. I love reading in all genres. I've currently been reading fiction on Mars and some Stephen King.

If you look at my bookshelves right now it's a mix of quilting books, writing books, Science fiction, Civil War history, and a growing collection of horror mostly made up of Stephen King. Science fiction is my favorite. I think I got it from my parents, I was named after a princess from outer space after a character in an Edgar Rice Burroughs novel.

What's in the pipeline?

Lyra - For my Florida History blog, I'm going to write at least one more post about the movie industry to go along with my current post on the first homosexual movie recorded. Jacksonville was the movie capitol of the United States before Hollywood ever was. Then with the end of the Space program I'll probably do a few posts about that at least. If anyone has an interest in a particular aspect of Florida history I have an email address they can email me or they can want they can post in the comments section.

If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would it be?

Lyra - My favorite author of all time is Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was reading not only her Little House on the Praire books but also West from Home, and her biography. I have yet to read her numerous newspaper articles. She was my inspiration for becoming a writer.

Daft:

Who would win in a fight between a giraffe with an uzi, and a llama with three legs and a super soaker full of Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster? Show your workings.

Lyra - I'd have to go with the three legged llama with super-soaker of Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster. He can jump to mouth level of the giraffe spray the gargle blaster and the giraffe will forget how to use the Uzi. Then the llama will just take the Uzi from the giraffe and thus end the fight. The giraffe was probably just jealous of the llama's hair.

How's my hair?

Lyra - You look much better with a beard than without one. You have brown hair like me so that's always good. Okay if you look at my facebook page it shows blonde but it's just a dye. Canada is colder than England right so your face will stay warm.

Srsly?

Lyra - Srsly like a I can has cheezeburger cat srsly.

Doors, eh? Funny things.

Lyra - It's was a good band. Otherwise they are hard to see through and the peephole is never low enough for me to use properly. Okay the second sentence was about actual Doors not the band. Peephole is not a code word for anything dirty.

If a cat is launched from a cannon at 800 meters per second, and a dog is launched in the opposite direction at an equal speed, who cleans up the mess?

Lyra - I don't think there will be a mess. The cat will land on its feet and then laugh at the dog for not being able to do the same. But really it's the birds who will be laughing at both because neither can fly.

What's your favourite smell?

Lyra - Right now I'm 23 weeks pregnant I smell everything really well right now. I work in a pharmacy as a cashier so some of those pills are horrendous. Otherwise, my favorite smell is oranges or burnt orange peel. I used to live by the Tropicana plant so when they burned their orange peels you could smell it all over town if the wind was blowing right. It might be an acquired though cause I can never find it in the candle section of any of the shops I go into.

___

Thanks, Lyra, and best of luck with the new kid (and seeking the candles)! :-)

Next up is...

Pfft. Like I'd tell ya. It's a surprise!

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Avery DeBow

2011-07-26T09:00:00.021-02:30

Hi! Welcome to interview number three!

This time we’re talking to skater ‘n fantasy author, Avery DeBow. Her book, Resonance, was recently released, and is available here, or here. You can find Avery herself on her Facebook fan page, here.

Let’s begins, shall we?

Serious:

Tell us about your book, Resonance.

Avery - Resonance is about a twenty-two year-old nihilistic punk rock slacker named Resonance Murphy who moves to a small Maryland town on the coattails of her estranged mother, hoping to get away with doing nothing with her life for just a bit longer. Once in town, though, Resonance discovers an ancient god is arising in her new home city, and she is the warrior fated to destroy him. Before she has time to unpack she’s launched into a series of grueling, reality-bending trials meant to awaken the warrior within her. Resonance, of course, wants nothing to do with this and enlists a mortician/necromancer uncle and nephew duo to assist her in finding a loophole in destiny. As they aid her in earning her new powers, questions arise about who Resonance really is. Adding to the complications brought on by her unwelcome heroic status are a litany of enemies: a dark magician; a fallen goddess; and a feral, tattooed young woman. Each wants a piece of the power she is set to wield, and all of them are perfectly happy to see her die in the process of retrieving it. It all comes to that moment where Resonance has to decide if she cares enough about humanity to risk everything to save it.

On the surface it’s a “tough-girl-meets-big-bad” sort of (anti)heroic fantasy adventure, but I’ve tried to include a deeper examination of just what it means to accept the ultimate responsibility for other peoples’ lives. There are three other disparate POV characters in the novel, and each one has a unique view of who Resonance Murphy is, and each, by the end of the story, forces Resonance to consider the implication of her very existence. Throughout the novel I tried to maintain a subtle theme about destiny versus freewill, as well as choice and consequence; I enjoy books that pull me along, draw me in with a fun, exciting story, but leave me reflecting on bigger issues once I’m done. Since that's what I like to read, that's how I wrote Resonance.

Skating. S’all cool ‘n stuff. Tell us about how you got into the whole ‘bad-ass roller derby’ thing.

Avery - Oh, the derbz! Man, I’m a complete addict, now. I watched the last gasps of televised roller derby on Sunday mornings when I was little. There was something fascinating and terrifying about those Amazonian women that just pulled me in. Back in the heyday of roller rinks pretty much every kids' parents dropped them off on weekend evenings so they could hang out and skate. Since my family was no different, I grew up rolling in a counterclockwise circle for hours on end. But, the rinks died out, and roller blades became the craze. I didn’t get along well with inlines, so I packed up the skating for what I thought was forever. Fast forward (*ahem*) years, and miraculously roller derby started coming back. I’d see news footage, articles here and there, and of course, “Whip It,” the movie came out. I kept thinking how awesome it would be if my town had a league, so I kept checking. One day, I found a facebook page for the Salisbury Rollergirls. I thought about it for a while, went back and forth with it. See, I'd had back surgery in my mid-twenties and was worried derby might exacerbate the situation. One day I fell down my steps, landed with my lower back dead on a tread's edge. And nothing happened. I figured if I could fall down the steps and not screw up my back, then I could play derby. I came out and watched two practices--and no, there is no hair-pulling, clotheslining, punching, clawing, or biting allowed--ordered my gear, and set about collecting bruises.

Writing or skating? Decide! No thinking!!!

Avery - Do I come into your house and say, “Your leg or your arm? Decide!” No. No, I do not.

Who is your favourite author?

Avery - Agh! I hate this question. [Adam – That’s why I ask it!] I don’t have favorite authors; I have favorite novels. I'm odd that way. My all-time favorite novel, since you didn’t ask, isThe Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I’ve always been a sucker for Arthurian legends, and this one is so beautifully re-imagined. The story is in my head, in some way, all the time. Occasionally, when the storm drains are clogged I wade into the street in my bathrobe and pretend to be the Lady of the Lake.

If you could only read one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Avery - Fantasy, of course.

Describe your perfect lazy day. (No work of any sort allowed!)

Avery - Well, there are two levels of lazy days (didn't you know this?): functional, and hungover. My perfect functional lazy day would be messing with my garden, reading, then going skating. My perfect hungover lazy day involves all three LOTR movies, the couch, and a fine line of drool coming from the corner of my mouth.

Daft:

What's your favourite sound?

Avery - British accents, with just a touch of Canadian. [Adam – A girl with taste.]

Which would you rather have - an apple shaped like a banana, or 57 oranges carefully arranged in a pyramid?

Avery - The oranges, hands down. A) Why do I want a jacked-up apple? B) 57:1 ratio is a much better bargain, C) Pyramids of oranges provide infinite avenues for destruction and hijinkery, D) No scurvy!

Srsly?

Avery - Is this part of the apple-orange question? If not, I'm fairly confused. [Adam – Intentional]

Who would win in a fight? Bruce Lee, or the Pope with a shotgun?

Avery - Bruce. A) old dude reaction times are not good at all, and I doubt they teach marksmanship in Pope school, anyway. B) He’d probably slip and fall in those silly red shoes, or get tripped up in his dress, and C) Bruce would of course be undead, making him a zombie AND a badass.

What is your favourite question ever?

Avery - “Would you like your royalties in check form, or will this duffel bag full of cash suffice?” I haven’t actually heard it asked, but it sounds awesome in my head.

___

Thanks, Av! Always a pleasure. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Julie Fletcher

2011-07-24T09:00:00.006-02:30

Interview number two is upon us!

This time I’m talking to Julie Fletcher! She is the owner of Black Label Books, a new ebook publisher specialising in short reads, and ParentsGlobal, a website about parenting that includes help, tips, and even freebies. They even interviewed me. Weirdos.

With much ado about nothi--, uh, hang on, that’s not the one I mean. Without further ado (aha!), here’s Julie.

Serious:

How did Black Label Books come about?

Julie - I was working for an epub that Shall Not Be Named (ever). A good friend of mine was an editor there, too. We were frustrated with the (can I say fuckery on your blog?) and struck out on our own. There are not enough venues for great short stories on the web where authors can earn royalties. So, we made one.

Do you prefer to write, or work on other writers’ books?

Julie - That's a hard call. I love to write, but the stories we are publishing are awesome, I love working on them!

Tell us about ParentsGlobal.

Julie - ParentsGlobal is my other project with a twist. Most blogs hire writers based on a per post payment method or revenue share. PG allows authors to put their own Adsense ads in their posts. No ad rotation, no revenue share. Writers can out-earn the main blog if they promote enough. We're syndicated as of today (7/20/2011).

What's in the pipeline?

Julie - Rumor has it I own a survivalist site, I'm trying to talk my husband into a special zombie project, and there are 7 more BLB books coming.

If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be?

Julie - Mark Twain. Someone told me that I could be a female Twain...I reckon that might be true, ask me later after I've indulged in a few cold ones.

Do you use beta readers?

Julie - Yes. Darn things eat all of my batteries, though.

Daft:

Who would win in a fight between a giraffe with an uzi, and a llama with three legs and a super soaker full of Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster? Show your workings.

Julie - The llama.

[No working out! 50 DKP minus.]

What's your favourite sound?

Julie - The silence after the kids fall asleep and before one of them wakes up calling for water/potty/my head.

Which would you rather have - an apple shaped like a banana, or 57 oranges carefully arranged in a pyramid?

Julie - The oranges. If someone gets too close, I can fire them at their head. If I freeze them, they would be great for taking shots at zombie heads.

Hats. Discuss.

Julie - Hats are a necessary part of life. Without them, we would have nothing to line with aluminum foil in order to keep the aliens from scanning our brain waves.

What about this weather, eh?

Julie - I grew up in the South Eastern USA, Adam. We've literally fried eggs on sidewalks to mess with folks from 'Up North'.

If you strapped toast butter side up onto the back of a cat, and dropped it from a height of six feet, would the local animal welfare service beat you up?

Julie - My luck, I'd end up with PETA protesting my house.

___

And there we are! Thanks again to Julie for agreeing to be bothered by me. :-)

More interviews to follow! Stay tuned!

TTFN,

Adam

Interview - Angie Mansfield

2011-07-22T09:00:00.001-02:30

Alrighty, let’s start this series of interviews off with a bang. Or rather, a zebra.

Angie Mansfield is a writer, humourist, and creator of the faux news site, The Zebra Rag. She also writes for An Army Of Ermas, and has a blog entitled The Wandering Zebra. As well as all that, she has been known to roam the prairies with her herd, chewing on plant life, and [insert other zebra humour here].

Here we go!

Serious(ish) Questions:

Zebra! You’re a zebra! How did that happen? Also, tell us about The Zebra Rag

Angie - Well, you see, when a mommy zebra loves a daddy zebra very much...wait. No. Hm. Okay, here's what really happened: I started hanging around this goofy writer's site, and someone sent me a picture of a zebra on a motorcycle. I immediately snatched it as my avatar, which made me instantly famous on the site, and before you could say "Shazam!"**, I was known far and wide as The Zebra.

The Zebra Rag started as a place to store some of my insanity in the form of fake news stories -- sort of like The Onion, only I thought of it first! I just didn't...you know...*do* it first. Heh, "do it". Heh, heh...

**Not that you'd ever say, "Shazam!" I mean, who says, "Shazam!" anymore? No one, that's who. Except me, just now, but that was for illustrative purposes only. Also: "SHAZAM!!!"

Twitter, eh?

Angie - What is this Twitter of which you speak?

Srsly, I'm hardly ever on there. When I am, it's usually to make some silly comment in reply to someone else, and then disappear again. Because that's how I roll, baby.

Did you know that the scientific name for a llama is Lama Glama?

Angie - You're making that up. That is far too silly to be...*looks it up*...Yes, I knew that. Of course I knew that. Anyone who's smart at *all* knows that. Incidentally, "Lama Glama" would be a great name for a rock band. Their logo could be a llama with blinged-out sunglasses in the shape of stars. That's my idea, don't steal it.

Describe your ideal writing retreat.

Angie - Well, first we'd be surrounded, with the keyboards closing in on us. We'd have lost Doug long ago - poor guy, first real action he's seen and now this - and things would be looking bleak. We swore we'd never give up, never surrender, but we're outnumbered three to one and there's nothing noble about this man's war. We've got one chance to survive, and that's to retreat, so we grab Doug's letter to his sweetheart so we can give it to her when we get out of this mess, and...

Wait. I think perhaps I mistook the meaning of your question...

Do you use beta readers for your writing/articles?

Angie - No, but I should. I really, really should. I mean, look at that writing retreat answer up there. Where the hell did that come from? That, my friend, is what happens when I'm left to my own devices. I mean, what does that even mean, up there? Excuse me, I need a lie-down.

Where do you get your best ideas?

Angie - From my smokin' ta-tas. Genius idea generators, they are.

Daft Questions:

What’s your favourite smell?

Angie - A cross between a veterinary clinic and an ink-jet cartridge. With strawberry undertones and a nice mocha finish.

How's my hair?

Angie - Fahbulous, dahlink. But it could use more stripes.

Who would win in a fight between a giraffe with an uzi, and a llama with three legs and a super soaker full of Pan-galactic Gargle Blaster? Show your workings.

Angie - 42. Because that's the number of rounds in the Gatling gun owned by the maniacal bunny hell-bent on dusting both these fools, yo.

Which would you rather have - an apple shaped like a banana, or 57 oranges carefully arranged in a pyramid?

Angie - The humpback whale, by a nose. But he cheated.

Pick a number from one to fifty.

Angie - 3.14159. Dutch-apple. With ice cream.

___

Like I said, I thought I'd start with a nut.

Hmm? Oh, zebra. Not nut. My bad.

TTFN,

Adam

I Did It Again!

2011-07-21T12:16:00.000-02:30

Gah! I suck at blogging lately.

Anywho, the interviews are starting to come back to me, so I should have the first up soon. The rest will follow within one or two days of each other (hopefully one), and I shall bring life back to this husk of a blog if it kills me!

In Other News -

Sweetie and I have an apartment!

*Insert that 'Celebrate Good Times Come On!' song here.*

We headed out last Friday and stayed with a rather awesome couple of sweetie's (and now my) friends while we searched. After many MANY failed attempts at contacting people for viewings, we got our first, headed over and had a good look around. Along with a bunch of other people. Bah.

Still, we liked, we headed back, we emailed.

We got it.

*Play that song again. You know you want to.*

So, in ten days, we'll be headed back to the big city, laden with the various articles of furniture and accoutrements we've managed to gather in the last couple of months. Who's helping us paint?

Where'd you all go?!

TTFN,

Adam

PS - Buy my new book. (Available in most major seller stores soon!)

So, Yeah, Hi...

2011-07-11T12:05:00.001-02:30

It's been a while, and I have little excuse, other than 'I've been busy' and that's a crap excuse.

How about I make up for it with a series of eight interviews?

Starting in a week or so (flat hunting gets in the way), I shall be interviewing seven lovely ladies and one guy with weird hair. They're authors, poets, bloggers, tigresses, and I even managed to find a roller derby queen in an alleyway. She tried to shake me down for cash and axle-lube, but I talked her into an interview instead.

I'll either do them daily, or every other day, depending on when I get the interviews back, and I'll do them in the order in which I receive them.

So, am I forgiven?

*Bats eyelashes*

TTFN,

Adam

Happy Canada Day!

2011-07-01T12:54:00.000-02:30

We have CAEKS!!!

*Falls down from excitement*

I've put a post up on my Newfie Newbie blog about it. The day in general, not the cake.

I also have a new post up on Army of Ermas.

These are my gifts to you.

Because I'm a cheapskate.

In Other News:

I'm toodling along on a couple of projects, and having a lot of fun with both. I'm hoping that they will both come out great, but time will tell. So far the plots are working out nicely. I'm trying a new tack with one of them though, so we'll see.

TTFN,

Adam

I ain't a parent, but

2011-06-25T12:36:00.000-02:30

... I do have an interview with Parents Global.

Clicky!

Big thanks to Julie Fletcher and Georgie Price Lowery for letting me be their first author interview. You gals are all awesome 'n stuff. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

A Grim Pact - An Excerpt

2011-06-18T16:20:00.000-02:30

Knew I'd forgotten something... ;)

___________________________________________________________

Part way across the room, a very large and very drunk demon stepped into their way. His gaze ran the length of Xyla’s body, pausing on all the bits Mal tended to pause on, too.
“H-hey, cutie,” he said, attracting the attention of half the bar with the volume. “Buy you a drink?”
“I’m flattered,” Mal said, batting his eyelashes. “But we have elsewhere to be.”
The bar roared with laughter as the demon frowned, trying to work out what just happened. His eyes widened as it struck him.
“I meant her, not you!”
“Really? Well now I’m just embarrassed.”
“You wanna watch your mouth, human.”
“Or what? You’ll start a fight?” Mal gestured about the bar. “In Earl’s?”
“I don’t give a damn where we are, I’ll rip yer head off and use it as a bowling ball!”
Mal scratched his neck. “You wouldn’t get many strikes.”
“Huh?”
“Heads aren’t round enough, you see. You wouldn’t be able to accura—”
His attempt at neutralisation via sarcasm ended abruptly as the demon swung a large fist at his face. It came too quick for him to dodge, so he closed his eyes and tried to think painless thoughts. The blow never came. He opened one eye tentatively to see the demon’s fist held fast in Xyla’s hand. She cocked her head as he struggled to pull free.
“Did you just throw a punch at my boyfriend?”
The demon screeched as she squeezed, and Mal winced at the sound of grating bones.
“Well?” she asked again, the picture of calm. “Hurry up. We have places to be.”
“N-no, I mean yes! I mean...” He paused. “Can I have my hand back, miss?”
“Not until you apologise.” She squeezed again.
The mountain of a demon babbled a number of apologies, in several languages, and Xyla let go.
“There’s a good boy.” She turned back to an amused Mal and held out her hand. “Shall we?”
“We shall.” He took her hand, and they walked over to a bemused Earl. “So I’m your boyfriend, am I?”
“Yup.”
“Do I get a choice in the matter?”
“Nuh uh.”
He feigned a sigh. “I guess I’ll just have to go along with it, then.”
She grinned. “You know, most men would chastise me for stepping into that fight.”
“Meh. Most men are stupid. Also, most men’s girlfriends aren’t millennia old demons capable of head-butting their way through a bank vault.”
“You put it so lyrically, Mal.”
He dropped into a short bow and hoped that she wasn’t paying too much attention to his thoughts. Boyfriend? Booya! If he was anywhere else, and had two working legs, he’d have danced a jig.

___________________________________________________________

There we are!

If you'd like to read a longer sample, click here to be taken to Smashwords, or click here to be taken to the Kindle page where you can download the sample.

Other stores will have it soon, and I'm trying to figure out the whole 'print' thing, too.

TTFN,

Adam

Nepotism Abound!

2011-06-17T12:58:00.000-02:30

I have an interview up with the delightful darling that is my sweetie, Xondra Day.

CLICKY!

See? It's me! And her! Talking and stuff!

Be sure to check out her new erotic romance release, Menage on the Prairie, too. It's currently storming its way up the Bookstrand bestseller lists!

TTFN,

Adam

S'my Birthday!

2011-06-14T21:20:00.001-02:30

And I have cake!

In other news:

I think it's about time I started a new project.

I started one back in May, then stopped after two weeks to begin work on editing A Grim Pact (still only $0.99 for a limited time, and coming soon to other formats/stores!). I came back to it earlier today and since I couldn't recall half of what I'd written, I reread it.

Bleh.

I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I wrote it, but it's terrible. I don't think my writing has come along much in the past month, but apparently it's enough to make the thought of continuing said project similar to sticking a fork in my leg - only if absolutely necessary.

So, instead, it's back to the drawing board. I have the next in the Reaper series to write, but I don't want to start that just yet. I want something humorous, though.

I'll keep you informed.

TTFN,

Adam

Book Three Is Out!

2011-06-11T19:05:00.001-02:30

A Grim Pact, the sequel to A Reaper's Tale, is out on Kindle, and only 99c for a limited time!

CLICKY!

Blurb -

Some Grim Reapers just can't get a break.

As well as nursing a broken leg from the last person who tried to kill him, Mal is trying to track down the serial killer who's offing demons on his patch. And it seems like one of his friends knows more than he's letting on.

On top of that, Death, Mal's boss, is awake after decades of slumber. Which means yet another challenge to face.

Paperwork.

I'm working to get other formats up on other sites (B&N etc.), and hopefully I'll have a print version at some point soon for those curmudgeonly types that don't like these new fangled ereaders. :-)

Resolved to Review

2011-06-07T12:41:00.002-02:30

I was discussing reviews with my sweetie the other night, and we were talking about how few reviews some books get, despite their sales. The discussion went something like this:

Me - *Looking at a book selling site* "Jeez."

Sweetie - "What?"

Me - "I know for a fact that this book sold hundreds, if not thousands, of copies. It has 18 reviews."

Sweetie - "Yeah, I know. It's annoying how few people review the books they've read."

Me - "Indeed. Bleedin' ridiculous, it is. They should be ashamed."

Sweetie - "Oh? When did you last rate or review a book?"

Me - "... Crap."

Given that I put a fair bit of importance on reviews when I'm looking at buying a book (that, and in the case of Kindle books, the ability to download a sample), it's rather hypocritical that I generally don't review unless I'm bored, or it's a friend's book.

So, I'm resolvededededed! From now on, no matter the book and what I thought of it (unless it's a case of 'not for me'), I shall at least put up a rating, if not a short review. Nothing long, since I suck at reviews, but I can attempt the highlights/lowlights.

What about you? Do you review?

TTFN,

Adam

Kindles Rock!

2011-06-03T12:53:00.000-02:30

Srsly.

I'm currently reading through the manuscript of A Grim Pact on my Kindle. It's awesome!

I can make notes anywhere, like on paper, but I save monies!

Uh, that's it.

Off you pop.

Go on, shoo!

Adam

A Grim Pact

2011-05-29T20:17:00.003-02:30

So, as you may have seen in the previous post, I've been working on the sequel to A Reaper's Tale. It's title is A Grim Pact, and it starts the day after the events of Reaper, and revolves around Mal's attempts to stop a serial killer. Among other things.

It's also going to be self published.

Yup.

I'm sure my readers are now in three camps. The "boo"s, the "woo"s, and the "I don't care"s. I've made my opinions on the debate clear in the past, so I'll avoid going over that again. Too durned arguey. ;)

The reasons for going down this path are thrice, and since I like the sound of my own voice, I shall enumerate.

I get to set my own price - This doesn't mean I want more money. In fact it's the opposite. I wish to sell the book for less than a publisher would do so. Publishers have more overheads to cover, and thus need to charge more. I do not have the same issues. Plus, y'know, everyone likes cheap books.
It's fast - Again, publishers take longer to bring things out, because they're busy dealing with another two dozen authors' manuscripts at the same time. I don't have a great deal on my plate at the moment, so I can devote mucho time to working on the manuscript.
I'm curious - Always have been. Formatting, line editing, and the like, are all things that I haven't done before, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I'm capable of.

Now, before the "boo"s start in on the comments, I'll give you the three downsides that I'm being careful to keep in my noggin.

It costs me money - Not much, granted, since most of the tasks are done by myself, but if I were to go with a publisher there would be zero cost. In this case, I've had to pay for the cover art, and will have to shell out a little on advertising (though not much - I'm not daft).
It's hard - The advantage to going through a publisher is that you get help along the way. Most importantly through editors. I have no editors helping me with this. Other than some incredibly helpful beta readers, I'm flying solo (I'm not willing to hire an editor - mostly because I'm poor). In reality, this means I have to pay so much attention that by the evening, my brain is goo.
The stigma - Yes, there still is one, and it's not going anywhere. Some reviewers won't take self pubbed titles, some third party sellers won't list them, and some people turn their nose up at the mere mention of a title being self published. Fair enough. I understand that there is a LOT of self published stuff out there that isn't even worth grabbing for free. But it's not all like that.

I did not take this decision lightly. It took weeks. At the end of the day though(I hate that saying), what I choose is my choice, and my choice alone, and I choose to self pub this title and its sequels. That does not, however, mean that everything else I produce will also be self published. I'm still working on attaining an agent with another project, and my end goal is to be traditionally published.

Yes, having self pubbed works may affect some agents' decision in taking me on, but if that's the case, so be it.

I can only let my writing speak for itself, and hope it's packing a megaphone.

TTFN,

Adam

PS - More humour in the next post. Promise!
PPS - And maybe an excerpt.

Tiny Snippet...

2011-05-23T13:23:00.000-02:30

Boo!

So, I was sitting here, editing the sequel to A Reaper's Tale (now named 'A Grim Pact'), and I thought, "Why not post a snippet on my blog?"

So, here we are. As those who have read the first book will hopefully remember, I interspersed the book with 1st sections of Mal's autobiography. In the sequel, I'm using sections from "Grim Reaping in the Modern World - 1887 Edition." Here is one such section:

Common Reaper Misconception Number Two: “Grim Reapers hold dominion over life and death.”
Incorrect. While Death himself can choose who lives and dies with a mere thought, Grim Reapers have no such ability. At the very beginning, Reapers were taught how to bring on death with a touch, but too many were found to be using it to suit their own ends. This worsened during the inception of the ‘per death’ wage system. (This was one of the reasons why wages were stopped entirely.)

It has been reported that some Reapers have limited abilities regarding bringing life or death, but this is very rare indeed. Any employee found to have such powers is quickly bound using powerful magics to ensure no misuse of said powers, either accidental or intentional, occurs.

Hope you likey! :)

TTFN,

Adam

Internet Fame +3

2011-05-17T12:07:00.002-02:30

(Listening to - The Science Fiction Podcast)

The interview that I mentioned in the past couple of posts? Yeah, that's up now.

BOOYA!

I hope you'll have a listen, and be sure to throw a link up somewhere if you enjoyed it!

(They're also on iTunes (clicky), and reviews would be appreciated!)

TTFN,

Adam

Durned Blogger...

2011-05-13T15:46:00.000-02:30

As my post from yesterday has disappeared, I'll give you a recap (hopefully the full post will reappear soon):

I did a podcast interview with the host of The Science Fiction Show, Jason Tudor. The full thing is released on Tuesday, but a snippet is available for your listening pleasure right now.

CLICKY!

Told y'all I sounded weird. :P

TTFN,

Adam

Hatless Editing! (And Upcoming Podcast Interview!)

2011-05-12T12:12:00.000-02:30

That's right, I'm editing without my editing hat!

I'd like to say that this was because I felt I no longer needed the assistance in my editing, because I'm just. That. Good. In fact it's because I'm some 2,000 miles away from the shelf the hat sits on.

Aaaaanyway. Yeah, Editing. I'm working on making the sequel to A Reaper's Tale read less like a car crash (excluding the scene that has an actual car crash in it). I read it through two nights ago on my shiny new Kindle, and it comes across well. I even laughed aloud at a few parts I'd forgotten about.

Uh, that IS a good thing, right?

It needs some new scenes, and some of the existing scenes need expansion, but it's nothing I can't handle, and I'm enjoying messing around in that world again. It's my favourite. :)

In Other News:

Next Tuesday, I'll be appearing on a podcast named "The Science Fiction Show." The host, Jason Tudor, interviewed me about my latest release, Strand. I'll put up a direct link once it's up.

I hope you all give it a listen, if only to hear what my bizarre accent sounds like. ;)

Be sure to subscribe to them on iTunes, too!

TTFN,

Adam

'Nother One!

2011-05-02T11:00:00.000-02:30

(Listening to - The Sound Of My Sweetie Editing)

Another week, anther interview and giveaway. This time with my awesome buddy June Kramin!

CLICKETY CLICK!

I love me some silly interviews... :)

TTFN,

Adam

It's Up!

2011-04-26T10:56:00.000-02:30

My interview and giveaway with Digital Author Spotlight is now UP!

I hope you'll go take a look. You might win my books in the process. :)

CLICKY!

TTFN,

Adam

Digital Author Spotlight (Interview & Giveaway)

2011-04-25T11:42:00.001-02:30

(Listening to - Wind, Birds, A Chainsaw)

I have an interview appearing on Digital Author Spotlight tomorrow, as well as a giveaway of a copy of both A Reaper's Tale AND Strand to one lucky reader!

DAS is a new blog, "dedicated to helping authors who are published with digital first/only publishers get the word out about their books." I hope you'll go and have a look around.

I'll post a reminder tomorrow, with a direct link. :)

TTFN,

Adam

PS - Don't forget to check my Newfie Newbie and Bit Geeky blogs too!

Hi!

2011-04-17T15:38:00.000-02:30

(Listening to - My sweetie, typing)

Hi all!

Long time no post. I've been kinda busy, what with the moving and all. Still, I'm starting to settle now, and I've thrown up a post on my new blog, The Newfie Newbie.

CLICK ME!

It's a post about my trip over, mostly. The blog will be about my experiences over in Canada, and adjusting to the way of life.

Hope you enjoy!

TTFN,

Adam

Strand Is OUT!

2011-04-04T12:34:00.001-02:30

(Listening to - Ladies Of Leet Podcast)

It's out! It's out! It's out!

*Runs in small circles, falls down.*

Currently it's only up on the Lyrical site (click the pic!), but should be up on Amazon and other resellers soon! Go read the excerpt, and see if it floats your boat. :)

Also, my first book, A Reaper's Tale, has been reduced on the US Amazon. Click here and take a look at the sample. :-)

Right, back to the editing!

TTFN,

Adam

Reviews For Strand

2011-03-31T16:04:00.003-02:30

(Listening to - Ladies Of Leet Podcast)

Since I've just received my first Strand review, I thought I'd set up my review post. I'll link it to the right (like my Reaper one), and will post links and snippets for each review I get.

Review Sites:

GhostWriter Literary Reviews - "Strand is a good mixture of Sci-Fi, Space and Action-Adventure" - 4 out of 5
Sizzling Hot Book Reviews - "...Strand will be enjoyed by a lot of readers."
Night Owl SciFi - "...this is an enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of Mr. Slade's work"
TBR Pile - 4 out of 5

TTFN,

Adam

Enter The Dra--, Synopsis

2011-03-21T09:30:00.000-02:30

(Listening to - Bon Jovi - It's My Life) [Haven't heard it recently, it's just stuck in my head for some reason]

After much tweaking, rewriting, and swearing like a sailor, the edits to Pyro are done! Finally!

The end word count is a hair under 71k, which I'm happy with. It was looking like it was going to be a lot shorter at one point, which would have been less than desirable.

The downside to having finished is that I now have to write another damn synopsis (and query). Bah!
It's bad enough having to fit a story into 70,000 words, never mind squishing said story into 1-2 pages of double spaced 12pt TNR.

Well, more accurately - It's easy enough to squish a 70k story into 1-2 pages. What's difficult is making the thing readable. ;)

In Other News -

Strand is out April 4th!!!

*Happy dance*

I've been waiting so long for this! It was accepted for publishing a little before A Reaper's Tale came out, and while that's only around a year, which isn't particularly long in publishing, it's dragged. ;)

Still, only a couple of weeks left to go. I hope you'll at least view the excerpt on my sweetie's blog HERE, even if the genre isn't your thing. You never know, you may enjoy it. Why deprive oneself of enjoyment?

TTFN,

Adam

New Guest Post!

2011-03-16T15:09:00.001-02:30

'Ello!

My guest post about crossing genres is up on my sweetie's blog, Write Outside the Box. It's about my writing in other genres, and also has an excerpt from my new book, Strand (out April 4th).

Go take a look and say hi in the comments! :-)

TTFN,

Adam

Upcoming Guest Blog!

2011-03-08T12:56:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Nightwish - Ghost Love Score)

Boo!

I don't know whether I told y'all, but my sci-fi novella, Strand, will be coming out on April 4th. It's finally nearing! The wait has been loooooooooooooooong, but it'll be worth it when it's out.

Anyway, onto the post.

In a week's time, March 15th, I shall be guest posting on my sweetie's blog, Write Outside The Box. The post subject will remain a mystery until then, but it will in some way involve my new release.

There will also be an excerpt. The first excerpt shown anywhere (unless Lyrical throw one up on their site to thwart my statement)!!!

I hope you'll all jump over on the 15th to read and say hello.

TTFN,

Adam

2011-03-07T10:33:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Megadeth - Disconnect)

Just a quicky post to say my new article is up on Army of Ermas!

CLICK ME!

TTFN,

Adam

Contest results!

2011-03-04T20:43:00.000-03:30

The contest is finished!

In total, there were 7 comment entries, as well as 3 email entries. I listed 'em, mixed the names up, then had Vivian give me two numbers between 1 and 10. Fair as fair can be. ;-)

So, the winners of the two ebooks each are...

*Drumroll*

Zebra Rag and Faheem!

Congratulations, peeps! I'll send you each a message tonight and once I have email addresses, I'll get the ebooks sent to you!

Thanks all who entered!

TTFN,

Adam (and Viv)

Oops!

2011-03-01T19:23:00.000-03:30

I could've sworn I posted more recently than this. Bah.

Sooooo, how are y'all? Good? Gooooood.

*cough*

My Pyro edits are coming along, if a little slowly. I've added a ton of new scenes (I always write sparse, but I took the biscuit with this one), and it's much more readable now. Beforehand it was too straightforward, which, while easy to follow, made it damn dull to read. And who wants a dull read? ;)

I'm also working on my new project, Barefoot, and am still running without a plan/outline, much to my own surprise. No notes, not nothin'.

It seems so far, though I've not too much to go off so far, that I'm less lazy with my scenes. When I outline, I often go from point A to point B without smelling the roses, and then have to go through and add the smelly roses afterwards in edits. Without the outline, though, I take my time and am not so rushed in my writing. In theory, while I'll need to trim a little, the edits will be easier, and I won't need to do some of the things I'm doing with Pyro.

In theory, anyway.

New, and better, post coming soon!

TTFN,

Adam

Vivian Kees - The Interview (And Giveaway!)

2011-02-18T12:01:00.002-03:30

[CONTEST IF FINISHED!]
(Keeping this spelling mistake for posterity.)

Hello, folks!

It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here!

Vivian Kees is an author of predominantly romance and horror works. She also happens to be my special someone, so I can assure you this is the bestestestest and most biased interview ever. ;)

You can find Vivian at her blog here, on Twitter here, and on her author Facebook page here. I'll put her book links further to space things out a bit. I'm arty like that, y'know.

(Giveaway details after the interview!)

Ok, let's start with the usual stuff!

Adam - Tell us about your new release, 'Power Play'!

Vivian - Power play is about the erotic journey of one woman, Daria, who after marriage counselling has found a unique way of dealing with the troubles that plague her marriage.

It’s a light, steamy read.

Adam - If you could pick one scene as your favourite, which would it be and why?

Vivian – I like the ending because everything is resolved between Daria and her husband. She, by that time, also realizes her own self-worth which is something she struggles with throughout the novella.

Adam - How long have you been writing, and why did you decide to start?

Vivian – I’ve had an interest in writing, and books in general, ever since I learned to read. The local library was always one of my favourite places growing up.

I completed my first novel some years ago, but after a rejection with some great editorial feedback, I gave up, thinking I wasn’t good enough.

I started to seriously get back into writing in 2009. Since then I have published two novellas under two pen names and have three more contracted and waiting to come out.

Adam - You write in a number of genres. Which is your favourite, and why?

Vivian – I don’t have a favourite, not really. But I do like writing m/m romance and horror. It’s hard to pick just one because each brings something different to the table, as they say. I love diversity in my life.

Adam - If you could only read one genre of books, which would you choose?

Vivian - Romance, with horror coming in second.

Adam - When do you write most, and what helps keep you motivated?

Vivian – I write most mid-day. This has changed in the past two years, as I use to do my best work early in the morning.

My motivation comes from the desire to succeed, and I keep hoping that that big contract is just around the corner.

(Also available at Amazon, Bookstrand, and Allromance.)

Now for the daft!

Adam - Toast always lands butter-side down, but what if you use margarine?

Vivian - Eggplant?

Adam - I see. Day, night, or llamas? Give reasons!

Vivian – Night. I’ve always preferred it.

Adam - Who's the sexiest man on the planet?

Vivian – My fiance.

Adam - Woot! What about on Mars?

Vivian – As in the bar? Yummy!

Adam - If zombies took over the earth, would you be fightin' or hidin'?

Vivian – I would be doing a bit of both.

(Also available at Amazon, Bookstrand, and Allromance.)

And now some more mundane ones!

Adam - Other than reading, what do you like to do to relax?

Vivian – I love nature and photography. I also quilt in my spare time.

Adam - Still want me living with ya?

Vivian – Of course!

Adam - Even though I make you answer silly questions?

Vivian – I’m used to it!

Adam - If you could have any one thing for your birthday, what would it be?

Vivian – I’m not much for gifts so, you!

Aw, shucks! ;)

Big thanks to Vivian for agreeing to let me bother her.

Giveaway!!

For those who skipped the interview just to get to the freebies, shame on you! That said, I may have done it myself from time to time... *cough*

So, anyway. Vivian has decided to give away Kindle copies of A Sordid Situation and Power Play to TWO lucky people.

All you have to do to be in with a chance is leave a comment on this blog, along with an email address so I can let you know if you win.

(If you'd rather not leave an email on a public blog, you can email your entry to editinghat(AT)gmail(DOT)com )

Got it? Good. :)

The competition will run for 2 weeks from today, ending on Friday, March 4th, and the winners will be chosen using a RNG.

Good luck!

TTFN,

Adam

Things I've Noticed While Writing

2011-02-11T21:28:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Marilyn Manson - The Love Song)

I'll start with story (the fun ones), and work my way to craft. Ugh, I dislike that word. Conjures images of grimy flats and nicotine-stained fingers on well-worn typewriter keys. Anyway:

I always want to give my main character a pet, be it cat, dog, or abomination from the depths of Hell, but almost all are removed in the edits. Charlie (A Reaper's Tale) was this close to disappearing into the void.
I enjoy raining suffering, both mental and physical, on my characters. Broken bones, charred flesh, lost eyes... Huh, guess it's mostly physical.
If I ever write a story without a twist in the plot, the world will turn into jelly and be instantly consumed by the Space Whales. Which reminds me;
Most of my ideas are too bizarre to ever leave my brain, lest I'm interned in one of those places with padded walls, and I can't type in a straight-jacket. Tried it.
If I followed the rule, "write what you know," I'd only write about computer games, old Shimano drivetrains, and Joss Whedon shows.
I've begun using the serial comma, though I have no memory of when I started. Also I'm probably using it wrong.
While music aids my cognitive process, I have to know the words to the song or they'll find their way into my work.
The more uncomfortable I am, the higher the word-count. This works for both back pain and wonky wrists from typing in bed.
If I left my writing schedule to my muse, I'd never get anything done. Instead, I keep her on a long leash. During my downtime she's free to frolic, but when I need her, it only takes one yank. She's a slow walker sometimes, though.
Characterisation would be so much easier if I could put every second sentence in italics. But then I'd look a fool, and the bigger boys wouldn't like me so much, boo hoo hoo.
The less I write, the more I talk about writing. The more I write, the less I talk about writing. I guess my brain needs one or the other as an outlet, but not both.
If I concentrate on doing it right, it reads like robotic crap. If I just write, it's rougher, but better. And rough's easier to edit than crap.
I cannot please everyone, so I should concentrate on pleasing myself (shush). I am my own ideal reader.
Reading inspires me to write. Good books, bad books, shampoo ingredients... It's all good.

There. Hope you derived some entertainment from this. If not, I owe you 'nother book to make up for it.

(Strand, out in April. It used to have a cat in it.)

TTFN,

Adam

Interview And Giveaway Coming Soon!

2011-02-09T10:14:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Just Cool Enough Podcast)

Some of you may remember me announcing a while back that I had an interview coming soon with my sweetie's writing alter-ego, Vivian Kees. Well, yesterday we both remembered we were supposed to be doing it!

We shall also be giving away copies of her books, so stay tuned!

TTFN,

Adam

New Blog

2011-02-06T12:52:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - The Wind)

Boo!

For those interested in geeky things (games, gadgets, etc), I have created a new blog for just that. There will be posts on what I'm playing, what gadgets I've been messing with, and the odd article on geek culture. I don't know how often I'll update yet, but I'll try and keep it regular, unlike Gumshoe...

The link is over to the right of this page, and also here. I hope you'll give it a look when you get chance. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

Pondering Mark 2

2011-02-02T12:32:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Guns 'n Rose - Sweet Child Of Mine)

While reading Stephen King's 'The Stand' last night, and pondering things afterwards in the shower, I came to a conclusion.

I don't write like that, and should stop wasting my time trying. (This ain't me moping, promise. Read on, Macduff!)

People like Stephen King (and my new fave, Joe Abercrombie) can command language like a lion tamer does a... um... big thing, like a cat... Damn it, I had it a minute ago. These writers own the words, an-- LION! That was it!

Anyway, they understand them there purty words to such a point that they can make them do whatever the hell they like. They can write a 1,100 page book (with a small font!) and not once do I think, 'boy, this is dragging'. They can describe a scene with 3 words, or 300, and you have the thing in your head for a week.

I love to read it, but I can't write it no matter how often I try.

As anyone who has read my stuff will tell you, I'm a sparse individual. A table is a table, and an angry man is an angry man. You know what both look like. I leave a great deal of both description and characterisation up to the imagination of the reader, and I've only ever had one person mention that it wasn't enough for them.
Despite this, every time I start a new project, I begin by writing a train wreck of a first scene, where I try and weild words and ideas not built for my stories. A chapter later, and I've slipped back into my style and don't even realise till the edit, when I pull my hair out.
My style is my style. It's an amalgam of many other writers, I'm sure, with a hint of my personality, and it's what I'm good at. I should focus on improving it, rather than trying to be something I'm not.

Er, that's it. End of odd blog post.

How do you write? Do you strive for something different, or are you happy with it?

TTFN,

Adam

PS - This is in no way an attempt to slag off my own writing. More a comparison of styles, with a realisation that I perform better with one than the other. I'm more than happy with the way I write, in general, so no "don't be so hard on yourself" stuff please. Thanks! :-)

Afternoon All

2011-01-27T10:48:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Snoozing Dogs)

Eep! I've really got out of the habit of regular posting, haven't I? Must try harder!

Lemme see, what's new...

The edit of Pyro is coming along, if slowly. It seems to require more tweaks that I remember noting in the read-through. Ah well, it's all for a good cause. (Agents, publication, the ability to spend money without the bank shouting at me.)

I'm around about 13k into Barefoot, and I've noticed that my writing style has changed as a result of not outlining (I assume). I'm spending more time in the heads of the characters, and my dialogue seems a little more involved. The descriptions remain the same (sparse), but that's nothing major. It's what edits are for, in fact.
The lack of an outline/safety net is still disconcerting, certainly, as I seem to hit a fair few patches of not having a clue where to go, but when the flow is... uh... flowing, I fly through the work, and love that I'm not bound to anything. :-)

Swings and roudabouts, as they say here.

At some point further down the line, I intend to write a more detailed post on my experiences with both outlining and "pantsing". I think it would be interesting to see the differences. I'll need a few more chapters of Barefoot first, though.

In Other News:

I had an optician's appointment yesterday. I believe the man's exact words were, "How did you even find the shop?" (That's right Facebookers, I re-use my puns.)

Judging by my new prescription, I think my right eye is actually a marble. (See! Again!)

Ah well. On the bright side, I get sexy new glasses. ;)

Ever notice how many writers have rubbish eyesight?

Toodle oo!

Adam

It's a Comin'...

2011-01-20T11:08:00.004-03:30

(Listening to - Queen + David Bowie - Under Pressure)

Morning/afternoon/evening, all! (Pick the least appropriate)

I've two things to prattle on about today!

Firstly, I've just got the final proof for my sci-fi, Strand. In a few days it'll be off to the vendors! I believe the release comes in a month or two, so I'll have to wait (im)patiently.

When the excerpts are up, I'll be sure to post links! :-)

Secondly, I finally reached the point in my new WIP where I'm a little more confident about talking about it.

*Takes a deep breath.*

So, yeah. This is my first foray into so-called 'Low Fantasy', meaning fantasy without most of the fantastical elements. It's usually low on magic and fancy beasts, and revolves around 'normal' people. Or at least that's my understanding of it. Think Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy (if you've read it).

This project revolves around two characters, an assassin and a mercenary with an... odd health issue. It'll start off as two separate stories that wind into one when they finally meet up and discover they have matching goals (and possibly try to kill each other, haven't decided).

Since I'm trying to write without an outline, a lot is up in the air right now. It's slowly taking shape, though, and I look forward to seeing where it ends up.

Suppose I'd better give it some sort of name on here...

Barefoot. Makes sense if you're me. :-P

TTFN,

Adam

The Experiment

2011-01-13T20:14:00.004-03:30

*Insert evil scientist type laugh here.*

All right, so it's not that kind of experiment, but I do a good sinister laugh, and it'd be a shame not to use it.

As you may have spotted on my word counters to the right of the blog, I've started in on the new project. For those who have read my How I Write series, I've passed part three, and am rounding on part four. For those who haven't, I'm done with chapter one and am at the point where I plan out most of the story.

Only I'm not going to. I've decided that, from this point on, I'm going to try writing without a plan.

There are two reasons for this. Firstly, I've never written a book without some form of plan before, and am curious as to whether I can do it. Secondly, I'm drawing a blank on future events but don't want to give up on the project as the characters are fun, and I think it could be a good 'un.

So, instead of sitting down and going through the usual steps, I'm going to write and see what happens. If it works out, great! If not, I'll have to have a think. I'm confident that I can do it, though.

Watch this space...

So, reading writers, are you planners or 'pantsers'?

In Other News:

The Pyro edit is coming along nicely. I've had to make more tweaks than I expected, but they're not huge issues (mostly character stuff). I'm a little concerned about the length, as I'm not adding as much as I need to, but I'm not going to add unnecessary scenes for the sake of padding.

I hope to have the marking up done in a day or three, and then have the changes made a few days after that. Then it'll need another minor edit or two, and it'll be ready for subbing. Yay!

Once that's done, I can start the edit on the sequel to A Reaper's Tale (though I still don't know what I'm planning to do with it).

TTFN,

Adam

The Ubiquitous Publishing Vs. Self Publishing Rant

2011-01-10T19:09:00.005-03:30

(Listening to - Wind 'n Rain)

Hey hey, all! How're my peeps? :-)

I figured it was about time I got back to a 'real' blog post that wasn't just an update. So here's a rant.

If you don't want to read it (it's a played out topic, after all), skip to the bit that says In Other News.

Rant beginneth:

I am sick to death of the "Traditional" publishing vs. "Self" publishing debate, or rather the skewed version. It seems that every other tweet, Facebook status or email lately links to one of the two sides slagging off the other, and I'm at the point where I hide the damn posts so I don't have to read the same old comments that follow.

For those who have no clue what I'm on about, I'll explain (and probably irritate in the process):

Picture two armies. Each composed of authors, each carrying a banner. One reads "Traditional and/or e-publishing are the way to go!" and the other reads "Nuh uh! Self and/or vanity publishing is, for the following reasons!"

(I know, long banners.)

Traditional proponents will say that their's is the way forward, as the author needs not pay a penny, and the publishers will market for you. Self proponents will point out that their way is a lot faster, and gives you considerably more control over the aspects of publishing.

Sound good, right? And it would be, if they stopped there. Problem is that so many people (many claiming to be "experts" for some reason or other) post these irritating bloody articles that point out only the best points of their choice, while showing the worst points of the other in a hope to sway opinion in their favour.

What I want to know is why. Why do you care if Random Writer #177,543 chooses one side over the other? It's no skin of your nose if they chose an alternate path, is it? If it's because you want them to succeed in their career, give them ALL the facts, not just the ones that make your side look prettiest.

Both sides have pluses, and both have minuses. One is more suitable for certain things, whereas the other is better for others. I'm not going to say any more on that, as there are better articles out there already. Suffice to say, research is the key, as well as a level head. Look at what both sides have to offer, then make up your own damn mind.

Rant endeth.

I don't know about you, but I feel better. Big ole weight of my chest. ;)

In Other News:

The new project is still in its infancy, but I have a chapter and a bit written (as well as a very specific target wordcount), and a bit more plot. The second main character turned out different to how I'd envisioned him, but I think I prefer this version.

Once I have more plot, I'll throw up some details. Promise!

How is your project going (if you have one)?

TTFN,

Adam

A Review AND An Article!

2011-01-07T10:47:00.002-03:30

(Listening to - Some Singer On OZFM)

'Ello all! How the devil are you?

Two links for ya today, should you be interested. First up is an awesome review for my book, A Reaper's Tale, by Plaid Earthworm, over on her blog, Squiggle! Thanks again, Plaid! :-)

Secondly, my article on failed resolutions is up on An Army Of Ermas! Hope you enjoy it!

In Other News:

The new project is coming along nicely, so far. I have a couple of scenes written so far, and am tinkering with a few ideas for plot. It even has a word counter on the right of the blog. :)

As I'm unwilling to jinx this project like I did the last, I'm still not revealing anything. Shouldn't be long now till I'm confident enough, though.

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write - A Note.

2011-01-06T17:01:00.003-03:30

Hey hey, all.

After a think, I've decided I'm not going to do the last part of this series.

The post was to be about acquiring agents, publishers and whatnot, but I don't feel I've anywhere near enough experience in this to comment. For one thing, I don't have an agent (yet).

Sorry if anyone was looking forward to the next part, but anything I posted on the subject would be general stuff, and not related to my own experiences, which isn't what the series is about.

TTFN,

Adam

Gumshoe Go Boom?

2011-01-01T11:46:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

For the third time now, this blog has jinxed my writing projects.

Or rather, I have, by announcing them FAR too early.

Succubus based dark urban fantasy - Less than 2,000 words. No plot.

Post Apocalyptic comedy - Less than 200 words. Irreconcilable character and world issues.

Gumshoe novel - 2,117 words. My heart ain't in it.

That's not to say I won't return to the ideas at some point. At least two of them have promise. For now, though, RIP. ;)

Luckily I have an idea for a new project. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING THOUGH!!!

I ain't jinxing this one. I'll wait till I have at least a basic outline before announcing. That worked fine with the previous book. :-)

Hope you all had a good 31st Dec!

TTFN,

Adam

My 2011 Reading List

2011-01-01T11:35:00.036-03:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

New year, new list!

I'm starting the year with the uncut version of The Stand (1100+ pages with a small font!), so it'll be a while before I get to book two, I think... While you're waiting, write your own list! I love reading 'em. :)

I'm going to try and expand my reading horizons this year, but chances are this list will still be mostly fantasy and humour. Let's see, shall we?

Stephen King - The Stand (Uncut Edition) - 15/02/2011 (I knew I'd be reading this forever.)
Xondra Day - Power Play - 16/02/2011
Terry Pratchett - Thief Of Time - 20/02/2011 (One of the best Pratchetts)
Terry Pratchett - Unseen Academicals - 07/03/2011
Xondra Day - Beyond Friends - 04/04/2011 (Loved it!)
Desiree Holt - Afternoon Delight - 05/04/2011 (I'm expanding my genres! Woot!)
Ashley Ladd - Confessions of a Nympho - 06/04/2011
Terry Pratchett - Soul Music - 10/04/2011
Jim Butcher - Blood Rites - 27/04/2011
Jim Butcher - Dead Beat - 02/05/2011
Xondra Day - The Blood Between - 03/05/2011
Jim Butcher - Proven Guilty - 06/05/2011
Jim Butcher - White Night - 12/05/2011
Jim Butcher - Small Favor - 15/05/2011
Jim Butcher - Turn Coat - 19/05/2011
Jim Butcher - Changes - 23/05/2011
Kevin Hearne - Hounded - 29/05/2011
Scott Lynch - The Lies of Locke Lamora - 06/06/2011
RA Salvatore - Gauntlgrym - 10/06/2011
Kevin Hearne - Hexed - 11/06/2011
Scott Lynch - Red Seas Under Red Skies - 17/06/2011
Brent Weeks - The Way of Shadows - 22/06/2011
Brent Weeks - Shadow's Edge - 28/06/2011
Brent Weeks - Beyond The Shadows - 05/07/2011
Kevin Hearne - Hammered - 11/07/2011
Grady Hendrix - Satan Loves You - 12/07/2011 (Awesome)
Charlaine Harris - Dead And Gone - 14/07/2011
Xondra Day - Adelaide's War - 14/07/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - 22/07/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - A Study In Scarlet - 24/07/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Sign Of Four - 26/07/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Hound Of The Baskervilles - 29/07/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Valley Of Fear - 14/08/2011
Arthur Conan Doyle - The Memoirs Of Sherlock Holmes - 25/08/2011
Nick Cole - The Old Man And The Wasteland - 27/08/2011
Brandon Sanderson - The Final Empire - 11/09/2011
Brandon Sanderson - The Well Of Ascension - 22/09/2011
Brandon Sanderson - The Hero Of Ages - 27/09/2011
Joss Whedon - BTVS: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Book 1) - 27/09/2011
Douglas Adams - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - 11/10/2011
Douglas Adams - The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - 25/10/2011
Charlaine Harris - Dead In The Family - 31/10/2011
K.A. Stewart - A Devil In The Details - 04/11/2011
Douglas Hulick - Among Thieves - 16/11/2011
Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book - 02/12/2011
Robin O'Bryant - Ketchup Is A Vegetable: And Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves - 11/12/2011

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write, Part Six (Edits! ARGH!)

2010-12-31T05:30:00.001-03:30

(Listening to - Twisted Sister - The Beast)

First up, happy holidays! I hope you had a great time / got what you wanted / had a good rant about commercialism. Whichever floats your boat. :)

It's been two weeks since my last confe--, episode of my How I Write series, which ties up nicely with my note in the previous one about how I leave the first draft alone for at least a fortnight before edits.

Uh, that's what this one is about, by the way. Edits.

(If you haven't seen the other posts, check the link list top left of the page, or click here for the first post.)

So, onto the post. I'll try and keep it short, as the format of my blog make long posts look enormous. Durned double sidebar...

The first thing I do is also arguably the most important step. I print the manuscript out (double spaced so I have room to mark), then just read it. No marking whatsoever. Not even typos! The idea is to get into the story so I can better identify the bigger issues without getting bogged down in commas and colons.

Huh huh, colon...

*cough*

I read from front to back, trying to view it as a reader (and often failing), then generally make a few notes if anything jumps to mind, then leave it be for 24 hours. After that comes the marking up.

There are a bunch of fancy ways of doing this, I'm sure, with silly little squiggles that denote various issues. Nuts to that. If it's broke, circle it, if it needs a note, draw an arrow and write it in the margin. Done.

Oh, and pencil is preferable, as I mess up frequently.

Once I've hit the end of the manuscript, I prop the manuscript up precariously beside my monitor and make the changes on the computer (after making a backup), pausing only to stretch the legs. And check Facebook. Oh, and my emails. And Twitter. Maybe Tumblr...

(When it comes to the noting, I try and grab everything in one swoop. Spelling, grammar, flow, structure, character development, whatever. I'm impatient at heart, and don't want to do a pass for each.)

Once the changes are made, I go through the manuscript again, though this time on the PC only, as there's (hopefully) less to catch. I usually make three passes in total.

So, to recap, I:

Print and read through without making notes.
Reread, making notes, circling errors etc.
Get distracted by the internet.
Transfer changes from printout to PC.
Go to bed early with severe eyestrain.
Run through the book a further two times (at least), while repeating points 3 and 5.

And that's about it. Other than some more procrastination and the associated guilt.

The next post in the series will be the last, as I'm sure a few of you will be happy to hear. It'll be on synopses, queries and agents/publishers. In theory, at least. That's the part I have the least experience in, so we shall see.

TTFN,

Adam

Let's See How I Did

2010-12-29T11:45:00.009-03:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

At the end of '09 I wrote a writing resolution post. Since it's now very nearly '11, methinks it's time to go over them and see how I did. So, without further ado:

Further improve the quality of my writing, through reading, critiques and (most importantly) practise.
I'm pretty confident that my writing has improved substantially. The editing process with my publisher has helped a huge amount. So this is a tick.

Increase my productivity, starting at a minimum of 1k a day (or a good number of pages if editing), every day, and working up to 3k by the middle of the year.
Uh, I've had some very high word count periods, but with the slumps, I'd say my average is around 1-1.5k. No tick, and a "bad Adam!"

Read more. I'm not saying that I'll read X number of books in the year, just that I'll make a conscious effort to put more books under my nose.
Tick! 30 books so far, though one was unfinished. I'd go for another before the year end but I just got the uncut version of The Stand for Xmas (from my sweetie). I think that'll take me into February on its own.

Find my niche. I'm certain it's fantasy, but what kind? Dark? Urban? Epic? Humorous? Steampunk?
Hmm. I know what I enjoy most, which is urban fantasy, but I also love regular fantasy and plain humour. Partial tick?

Submit Strand to a suitable publisher.

Big tick! It'll be out around March, I believe. :-)

Overhaul Solus and start submitting, along with at least 2 more books.

Solus is currently on sub, but it's on its own. One third of a tick.

Write those 2 other books. ;-)

Tick! The sequel to Reaper, and Pyro are both in first draft, awaiting edits.

Have at least 2 more books picked up by publishers before Dec 31st 2010.

No tick. This one was a little ambitious methinks. Still, if I'd done it I'd have been over the moon. :-)

So, not too bad, but not great either. I've increased my quality, written and read more, and have another book out, but I didn't reach my lofty goals. Still, there's another year right after this one. Time to think on the new resolutions...

What about you? Did you have any writing aims? Did you reach them?

TTFN,

Adam

Quickie H.I.W. Announcement

2010-12-23T21:07:00.002-03:30

Hi!

Since it's Christmas Eve tomorrow, and Chrimbo after that, I'll be postponing the next How I Write blog post til' the Friday after.

Ok, part of it may be laziness, too.

Happy hols,

Adam

Ebook giveaway!

2010-12-21T14:01:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - Fourcast Podcast)

Like romance? How about free stuff?

My sweetie has a giveaway going on her blog. All you need to do is comment on her blog post to be entered to win a copy of her book, A Sordid Situation!

Go on, go say hi! :-)

TTFN,

Adam

The New, Yet Strangely Familiar, Project...

2010-12-18T10:44:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - Twisted Sister - Leader Of The Pack)

One week till Christmas, baby! Woo!

*Tap dance*

So, the new project.

Pyro is cooling off for a couple of weeks prior to the edit, and I have a new book to takes its place. My new WIP is...

*Drumroll*

Gumshoe Casefiles, The Novel!

After coming up with a few fantasy ideas, I decided I'd rather do something humorous instead, so I'm writing about one of Frank Peterson's longer cases. It'll be set a month before the first 'case' on the Gumshoe blog, as I don't want the posts to be required reading.

To those who have bugged me over the past year about turning it into a book - "There! Ya happy?"

I'll keep you updated when I know more. VERY early days at the moment. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

I'm Internet Famous!

2010-12-17T19:58:00.003-03:30

Ok, maybe not.

I do have an interview up on Book Wenches, though!

CLICK ME!!!

I think this was one of my favourite interviews, what with the range of different questions. I had a lot of fun answering them. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write, Part Five (The End)

2010-12-17T05:30:00.000-03:30

You're still reading these?! Wow. I owe someone a fiver.

Hmm? Oh, right, the post.

Welcome to part five of my How I Write series (note the "I"). There's a link list on the top left of the blog that leads to the other posts in the series, or you can click here to be taken straight to the first, which includes a short introduction.

The clue to the content of this post is in the title. Don't worry, it'll be a darn sight shorter than the previous one. ;)

As luck would have it, I finished the first draft of my latest project a couple of days ago, so I'm in the right frame of mind.

I have a short attention span, for the most part, so by the time I approach the end of a draft, a mix of relief and worry is surging through the stoned badger between my ears that I call a brain. Relief because I can move on to the next project, and worry because I have a hard time with endings.

That's not to say I'm bored of what I'm working on by the end, just that I'm antsy to 'play' with a new project.

So, endings. I approach them something like this:

Huh, I've got about 3k of story left. Better end it.
End?
Argh!!! But the threads, they'll never tie! THE THREADS!!!
*Shower/sleep/break*
*Plan*

I work out what threads of story are in need of an ending, and which can be left dangling to lead into a second book (even with my standalone titles, just in case). I then work out how best to tie them into a pretty bow, ideally without the use of staples or electrical tape. I won't go into detail because I don't want another stupidly long bloody post. Suffice it to say, tight bow good, sloppy bow baaaaaad.

As soon as I've typed 'the end', I save, close, backup the file (locally and online) and email a copy to myself, just in case.

I cannot over emphasise how important it is to regularly backup your stuff, and not just locally! Either use a service like Dropbox (if you join, use that link and I get extra storage), or email the file to yourself. That way, should a meteoroid hit your house while you're out apple picking, you won't lose your writing.

(I'm sure you all have the same worry.)

After the backing up and meteor-proofing of my house using apple cores, I do the most important pre-edit preparation...

I LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE.

For at least a fortnight. If I start the edit straight away, I cannot distance myself from the story/words, and cannot correctly edit it. Hence the two weeks (and all caps).

Right, I'm going to leave this post here, as I don't want it to overrun like the last.

Comments/questions? Throw 'em in the box at the bottom. :-)

Happy Christmas, all!

TTFN,

Adam

Pyro, done-o.

2010-12-14T19:55:00.003-03:30

Woot!

I just finished the first draft of my WIP!

The end word count was a hair over 60,000, which is shorter than I was aiming for, but given that I write sparse and add in edits, I'm not in the least concerned.

This is my fastest written book so far, at about two and a half months for the first draft. I'd like to speed up further, and I know I'm capable of it, but I'm happy of the time taken, regardless. :-)

Oooh!

I've finished a draft a few days before my blog post about reaching the end of a draft! I shall have to make notes on feelings and such. :P

TTFN,

Adam

Coming Soon!

2010-12-10T21:39:00.004-03:30

Boo!

Remember my interview with June Kramin? Well that was supposed to be a series...

Oops.

So, coming soon will be the second interview of said series, with my favourite author in the whole wide world, Rhaina Randell!

Her first book was released last month, and I've been meaning to get her up on her ever since.

She's also my sweetie, so expect the odd bit of lovey doviness on my part. ;)

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write, Part Four (The First Draft)

2010-12-10T05:30:00.010-03:30

Part four! I mean, hi! We're now at the mid-point of this series, and I'd like to thank those who left comments on the previous posts. I'm glad people are enjoying them, as there'd be no point in writing them otherwise.

(For part one, click here, and for other parts, check the box top left of the blog.)

As the title says, this post is about how I write the first draft. I'll try and cover the major bits, and I'll extend the first scene (see part two) a little as well.

So, let's begin.

The first thing I do at the start of a writing day is procrastinate for half of it.

*cough*

The second thing I do open up my plan/outline, SoC, and first scene files. I glance at the plan to make sure I'm headed in the right direction (though it's not vital that I am -- more on this later), then reread the first scene.

(Note - This is probably the only time I'll read what I've previously written until it's time to edit. The exception is when I've not been working on a project for a while and need to get back into the story.)

Once I'm read up, I get cracking. I wasn't sure where to put the extended first scene, so I'll plonk it here.

Dead Spaceship Thing (Still need a title!)

Robert slapped a hand to his face as the throbbing being his eyes threatened to split his skull in two. He couldn't remember what he'd been doing last night, but whatever it was it must have involved repeatedly head-butting walls while drinking vodka. He opened one blurry eye a fraction and was glad to find the lights were set to low.

"Thank mercy for small heavens," he muttered with a cotton tongue. "No, other way around."

He patted the bed to his side, in search of Marie, but found only cool sheets, then a metal wall. That can't be right. He tapped it with a knuckle and the wall clunked in reply. A thick metal wall where plasterboard should be, and an empty mattress where his wife should be.

He opened both eyes and was confronted with a blur of grey and green. Geez. I'm never drinking again. He blinked until they cleared, then glanced around the room. Wherever he was, it wasn't home. Stark grey walls on all sides made up of foot square metal panels, a single narrow steel door, and no windows. A low hum emanated from somewhere behind the door. One thing at a time, Rob. He sat up, then swore as his head collided with the bottom of the bunk above him. He jumped as a hand dropped down, dangling limp from the above bed.

"Uh, sorry." He pulled the coarse green blanket up to his waist. "Now that you're awake, though, can you tell me where I am?" The man didn't reply. "Hello?"

With a supreme effort, he swung his legs out from under the blanket and shivered as his bare feet met the cold metal floor. He paused for a moment, sat on the edge of the narrow mattress, as the ache in his head reached a crescendo. As it passed, he shook his head, knocking the arm that still hung down beside him.

"Sorry."

Still nothing. He turned to the arm, thinking to maybe lift it back up out of the way, and froze. The skin was pale, too pale, and looked wrong. Waxy, almost. His stomach lurched as the real reason for the lack of a response hit him. The man was dead.

***(New bit starts here, peeps)

Nausea rose as Robert shrank back from the corpse. He turned away and stared hard at the grey wall as he took deep breath after deep breath, trying not to vomit. After a minute or two the urge faded and his heart slowed its jack-hammer pace. He placed his hands then forehead against the cold metal of the wall and closed his eyes. Where the hell am I?

The hum he'd heard earlier was stronger on this side of the room, causing vibrations to pass through his head and make his ears tingle. He stood back from the wall and turned to the door. Let's have a look.

The door was the same colour and material as the walls, and could only be seen at all because it was slightly recessed. There was a panel to the side of it that Robert assumed was a control panel of sorts. Automatic, then. He walked to the door and swore as his nose crunched into it. He kicked at it before remembering he was shoeless, hopped back a step, slipped and landed on his bottom.

"Okay." He rubbed his nose as he stood. "I guess it's locked."

The panel at the side came open with a twist to the right, revealing a small black circuit-board and enough wires to make a very unfashionable wig. Robert frowned at the tangle of colours, then snatched at two, pulling them free from the circuit. A spark jumped from one part, blackening his nail, then a whirr sounded as the door slid open. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, he slipped through before the door could close again, the wires still in his fist.

The hallway looked no better than the bunk room, but at least it took him away from the corpse. Both directions looked identical, so he picked left, toward the hum.

As he followed the corridor, he scoured his memory for clues as to how he got wherever he was. The last thing he remembered was a card game with the boys, but the throbbing behind his eyes made it hard to ponder. There had been booze, because there was always booze, and he would have drunk a fair amount, because he always did. Other than that, all he remembered was the clink of something metal being thrown onto the card table. The chips they played with were plastic, so it wasn't one of those.

A shiver brought him back to the here and now. There had been a significant drop in temperature in the last minute or so. So much so that his bare feet were starting to numb. The vibration had increased too, and he had a feeling both were caused by whatever was behind the door at the end of the corridor. He rubbed his arms through the thin shirt he was wearing, then carried on.

The door turned out to be the same kind as the one he'd come through a few minutes ago, and once again it opened when the right two wires were pulled out. A wave of cold and noise came through the opening and he jumped back, letting the door slide shut again. He paused to consider the odds of guessing the right wires on the first door, then frowned as he realised he had no idea which they were, yet had still managed to find the same two on this panel.

"Once I figure out where I am, I'll have to buy a lottery ticket."

He took a breath and stepped inside. The floor was so cold that his feet started to burn, the hum so loud he had to cover his ears. As he noticed the six blue corpses strewn about the room, he decided it could be worse.

***

Okay, that'll do for the example. I didn't really need to add any more, I suppose, but I wanted to. :-)

As I wrote the continuation, the character changed. To begin with, the corpse in 'his' room freaked him out, but as he saw those in what is to be the engine room, he was more nonchalant about it. I think I prefer the change, and will have it so he doesn't know why he's nonchalant. I won't go back and edit the first part, though. Instead I'll leave a note in the margin (using the Note feature of OpenOffice) so I don't forget. I find if I go back and tweak, I'll keep on tweaking and not write.

This change also helps illustrate my attitude when it comes to my outline. If something changes in the writing, I follow the change instead of the outline. I find that nine out of ten times the story works better. I could make something up here about the writing unlocking my subconscious, which in turn yada yada yada... but that's not how I think. Sometimes better ideas just come along, and I find it's best to snatch 'em up.

When it comes to daily word counts, I aim for 2,000 a day. If I hit it, great, if I exceed it, awesome. Lately I've had a fair few days where I've missed it entirely, but they're down to my ability to procrastinate at the drop of a--

Ooh, emails!

Sorry.

I have several things I do when writing that make the process a little easier. The first one is to make sure I always face the monitor. I've listed the rest below, with short explanations.

Set up a word counter. Like you see on the right of my blog, they have my current word count, my target word count (estimated), and a percentage, to help me keep track.

Stick to small targets. This relates to the above bullet point. I don't think, "Right, I need 70,000 words," I think, "Right, I need to get to 5k/10k/10% of the total." If I think about the whole amount, it leads to the point below this one.

Prepare for the 20k blues. Despite knowing they're coming, I get 'em every time, without fail. I hit around 20k, look at what I've done, look ahead to what I've got left, and become stressed. How the hell am I supposed to write that much?! Focusing on the little goals helps a bunch, as does knowing that many writers go through it, and that it doesn't reflect on the book itself.

Read! Reading helps with the flow of ideas, motivates me to continue writing (whether the book I read is good or bad), and is just plain awesome. I love reading more than anything else. :-)

I have no idea what goes here. Seriously. I pressed enter and another bullet point appeared, but I've nothing to put here. Um... *Does a little dance.*

All in all, my writing process is much the same as anyone else's, I suppose. Start at first word, continue to the last two. The more I write though, the easier it is to write more. My current WIP will be my fifth complete draft, and when it's edited it will be my fourth complete (meaning edited to a submission standard) book.

The next post will be on reaching The End, and leaving the WIP alone for a bit. For those who found this too long, worry not, it'll be a shorter one. ;-)

TTFN,

Adam

All Erma'd Up.

2010-12-08T11:40:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

Voila, my Army of Ermas piece is now up - Click me!

Also, I guess I did something right, as I've been invited to become a regular poster! Yay! I hope to do the gals (and guy) proud, and will post on here when my articles are up.

The articles themselves will vary in theme/content, but all will be humorous. Or Stacey will flog me. :(

TTFN,

Adam

PS - Still on target for getting the next part of my writing series up on Friday. See you then!

I'm A Guest Erma!

2010-12-05T10:19:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - Twisted Sister - Heavy Metal Christmas)

My buddies over at An Army Of Ermas recently asked for submission for Christmas guest posts. I'd meant to enter a previous call and forgot, so I wasn't letting this one go by. No sirree.

So, I penned a lil' something, sent it off, and they said yes! WOOP!

My piece will be up on December 8th, and is about as Christmassy as I'll get this season. Here's the announcement post.

I hope to see you all over there come Wednesday!

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write, Part Three (Planning And SoC)

2010-12-03T05:30:00.000-03:30

(Listening to - Tom Petty, I think...)

Boo!

Part three of my series is upon us! Repent! Or something.

If you haven't seen the other parts, there's a link list on the top left of the blog. You can click here to go straight to part one, two. Uh, too.

So far we've done the idea, the micro brainstorm, and the first scene. Next up, as you no doubt divined from my title, is planning and the 'stream of consciousness' (ooooh! aaaaaah!). First, the planning, or outlining, as some call it.

As far as I'm aware, there's nothing special about the way I plan my books.

Hey, wait! Come back!

Uh, as I was saying. My planning style is both new and revolutionary. Hmm? No, you must have misheard.

*Thinks*

The first thing I do is start up my Binaural Reckoning And Intelligence Node (or B.R.A.I.N., for short), then open up my idea/brainstorm and first scene files. In, erm, in my positronic... semi-cuspidal...

Screw it.

I open the two files and reread -- even if it's only been a day since I wrote them -- then start a new file titled 'plan.' I know, my naming conventions are hard to follow, but try to stick with them.

In the new file, I start to work out what happens in the story. I tend to use between two and four sentences per scene, sticking to major plot points (unless something minor occurs that I deem important) and go till I run out of ideas. This could take me to the end of the book, or the end of chapter three. At this moment, it doesn't matter.

So, let's do that, then. In this example, I'll just run to a chapter or so, since you probably wouldn't want to read the whole thing. :-)

Spaceship thingy plan

Wakes up, thinking he's home, finds he's in a cell-like room with a dead bunk-mate. (Yup, I even plan the bit I already wrote. Weird, huh?)

Minor freak out when he realises the dead guy is dead, backs away toward the door, only it doesn't automatically open. In fact, it's busted, and he doesn't know how to open it. He 'tries' something, and it works, leaving him both baffled and triumphant.

Hello freedo-, cold hallway. Several rooms either side of his, each with dead people. No sounds, other than a faint hum coming from somewhere. He decides to follow the hum, which takes him to a room at the end of another cold halfway (his feet are like icicles by now). This door is harder to open, but once again he manages, much to his own surprise (he's a [insert day job here], not an electrician). Door opens to reveal...

What appears to be a huge engine room, complete with corpsicle accessories. This room is COLD, as compared to the other places which were just plain un-capitalised cold. Can't stay in there long, so scouts around for a comms system, finds nothing, then scoots back to the relative warmth.

Decides to head the other way and finds another door (thirst kicking in now, and headache still bad). Actually, head is getting worse, and by the time he gets into the new room, he's in so much pain he passes out. Comes around an indeterminate time later to find he's on the bridge [find a less Star Trek term] of a space ship. Dun dun duuuuuun...

Reaction to realisation, followed by head pain and need to drink. Freaks out some more (because, let's be honest, who wouldn't?) then inspects room. Finds a computer, but it's dead, along with all the other bits and pieces of tech in the room. Dead ship, dead crew (so far as he's seen), hungry, thirsty, sore head, cold. Decides to try and deal with the most immediate bits first, like heat.

Ok, so that's the first chapter, and the first scene of the second. I'm a little unsure as to the humour level in this, as I find myself jumping between "light humour" and "dead serious." Given that the first scene has some humour though, I'll aim that way for now and see where it takes me.

If I find myself stalling on a plan, I start writing the draft instead, being sure to note down anything that occurs, and if I find that I'm starting to veer from the plan I will follow the veer instead. Should that result in a dead end, I still have the plan to go back to.

In the writing of my outlines, a number of questions occur. I don't like to clutter my plan with such things though, so I use what I call a 'stream of consciousness' (SoC for short). Basically, it's a file where I ask myself questions and then answer them as best as I can. Both question and answer are usually done in a conversational style, as I find that gets the most out of my brain. It sounds weird, it looks weirder, but it works!

For clarity, I ask the questions in bold, then answer underneath. If I come up with anything important to the plot, I'll then port that bit over to the plan file.

Here we go:

Ok, so what's with the sore head?

I'm thinking it's from when someone or other put the door info (among other things) in there. He thinks it's a hangover at first, but gets suspicious after a while.

Who put the info there, and how extensive is it?

The info was put there by some sort of military program. They plucked him off the street along with a bunch of others then implanted the information in there as part of an experiment into enhancing skills via neural patterning (or something equally techy sounding). It failed in all the subjects except him (though they thought him dead), so they piled them on a spaceship and floated them off to lose the evidence.

Why would they waste a perfectly good spaceship just to do that? Couldn't they just shoot 'em and throw 'em in a furnace?

Crap. Fair point. Ok, so they implanted a bunch of crew, some with intelligence, some with physical improvements, then knocked them out, the idea being they'd fly off somewhere and start the training. Trouble is, something went wrong and one of the subjects was ill at the time, and his implants caused the illness to mutate and wipe out everyone except our character.

How did he survive?

No freaking idea. Rare blood type? We'll come back to that.

Ok then, how come the ship is dead?

Jeez, you're on with the toughies today, aren't you? Let's see... Among other things, the virus caused increased aggression and paranoia. The remaining crew turned on each other, and in the fighting, bust the engines. The damage caused the ship to drift off course.

Wouldn't the military come to collect their ship?

Assuming they could find it, they may, but they will have been in touch with the captain at the time of the events, and will have known about the virus. They may well decide to just cover it up and not risk infecting anyone else.

And how will the MC find these things out?

He'll start to remember snippets of what happened after each blackout, and will find limited information once he manages to get a console running (most will be passworded though).

How long has he been in space, away from his wife?

One year. He'll start to remember more and more as time goes by, and once the console is working, he'll see the date. Cue breakdown.

There we are! A long example is better than no example, no? I hope the idea seems less bizarre now. ;-)

When it comes to the SoC file, I will continue to add to it for as long as I have questions. Only around a third of what I come up with in the SoC will make it into the plan/story, as it throws up a fair amount of dead ends (as you saw in the example). Still, better to squash ideas early rather than after you've wrote fifteen chapters about them.

That's it for this week! Next week's is about writing the first draft. Chances are I'll add some more to the first scene, but it'll mostly focus on writing, targets, pitfalls and avoiding editing. That's the theory anyway.

Hope you enjoyed! Comments/questions are gladly received. :)

TTFN,

Adam

Keeping Up With The Blogging...

2010-12-01T20:11:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - ZZ Top - Sharp Dressed Man)

Just a quick question for my fellow bloggers.

Do you have a blog day, and schedule posts for later in the week, or do you prepare them then post immediately?

(Next part of my series will be up on Friday!)

TTFN,

Adam

How I Write, Part Two (The First Scene)

2010-11-26T05:30:00.003-03:30

Welcome to part two of my series on how I write. If you didn't see the first part, here it is.

Last week I went through my process for the first idea and brainstorming to expand it, and had a fun time doing it. This week, I'm going to have even more fun. This 'ere is the first scene of the new WIP (work in progress)!

As I mentioned in the previous post, I write this scene before I start on the outline. The reason behind this is pretty simple; I start coming up with the scene about two seconds after the idea pops into my head. If I was to note it down, or simply wait until after I'd planned things out, the scene would be either lost, or not the same. So I write it, without editing it afterwards, and then start on outlining.

So, let's give it a go. Other than obvious typos etc., I'll leave the scene in draft quality, as I don't like to edit anything until I hit 'The End'.

Dead Spaceship Thing (Need a title!)

Robert slapped a hand to his face as the throbbing behind his eyes threatened to split his skull in two. He couldn't remember what he'd been doing last night, but whatever it was it must have involved repeatedly head-butting walls while drinking vodka. He opened one blurry eye a fraction and was glad to find the lights were set to low.

"Thank mercy for small heavens," he muttered with a cotton tongue. "No, other way around."

He patted the bed to his side, in search of Marie, but found only cool sheets, then a metal wall. That can't be right. He tapped it with a knuckle and the wall clunked in reply. A thick metal wall where plasterboard should be, and an empty mattress where his wife should be.

He opened both eyes and was confronted with a blur of grey and green. Geez. I'm never drinking again. He blinked until they cleared, then glanced around the room. Wherever he was, it wasn't home. Stark grey walls on all sides made up of foot square metal panels, a single narrow steel door, and no windows. A low hum emanated from somewhere behind the door. One thing at a time, Rob. He sat up, then swore as his head collided with the bottom of the bunk above him. He jumped as a hand dropped down, dangling limp from the above bed.

"Uh, sorry." He pulled the coarse green blanket up to his waist. "Now that you're awake, though, can you tell me where I am?" The man didn't reply. "Hello?"

With a supreme effort, he swung his legs out from under the blanket and shivered as his bare feet met the cold metal floor. He paused for a moment, sat on the edge of the narrow mattress, as the ache in his head reached a crescendo. As it passed, he shook his head, knocking the arm that still hung down beside him.

"Sorry."

Still nothing. He turned to the arm, thinking to maybe lift it back up out of the way, and froze. The skin was pale, too pale, and looked wrong. Waxy, almost. His stomach lurched as the real reason for the lack of a response hit him. The man was dead.

***

There we go. 372 words is a little shorter than my first scenes usually run to, but where it ended made for a good cliffhanger, and I'm a big fan of cliffhangers in my writing.

It turns out that the mini-brainstorm from part one was close to how it came out, which is nice. It appears that he's now married to a woman named Marie, which I hadn't expected. I was thinking he'd be single, originally, but this'll just make for another good reason for Robert to find his was home ASAP.

From the pacing, the end of the first chapter will be him realising he's on a spaceship. Until then he'll be thinking he's in some sort of medical facility dealing with an epidemic of some sort (what with the corpses and all). I'm unsure as to the year, but it's largely irrelevant anyway, as long as it's in 'the future'. Like the brainstorm said, it won't be 'hard' sci-fi.

Gah, as I write this, I'm resisting to urge to edit my above scene. I normally wouldn't touch it, but people are looking at it! Argh!

*Cough*

Alright, I'd better leave it here for now, before the urge overtakes me. The next episode will be in a week's time, and will probably be a fair bit longer than this one. It'll be on planning/outlining the story, and the much vaunted "stream of consciousness," again with examples, since this story is shaping up to be a lot of fun.

May have to turn it into a book afterwards. :-)

TTFN,

Adam

PS - Any questions/comments are gladly received!

How I Write, Part One (The Idea)

2010-11-19T05:30:00.002-03:30

Hello all and welcome to my lil' series about how I write, cunningly named, "How I Write." I know, my titling talents are boundless.

First up, a disclaimer. Notice the use of "I" in the title. This is because this isn't meant to be taken as a "how TO write" series. This is simply a bit of fun for me and (hopefully) a bit of entertainment for you. I'm very much still learning at this stage, and I sure as hell ain't not no expert or nuthin'. Still, if someone take something of use from the series, I shan't complain. :-)

Anyway. Each post will focus on a separate part of the process, and will be in the following order:

The idea, and brainstorming. (That's this one!)

The first scene.

Planning, and the Stream of Consciousness.

Writing the draft, and the pitfalls I break a leg in every damn time.

"The End" and what comes next.

Edits! ARGH!!!

Synopses, queries, and agents/publishers.

My idea is to use a brand new project as an example where necessary, both to make it more fun for me to write, and to make it more interesting for you lot. So, without further ado...

Part 1 - The idea, and brainstorming it.

Before you can write something, you need at least a rough idea of what that something is. For me, this is almost always a very short germ of an idea. For instance, the idea for A Reaper's Tale was something along the lines of, "Sarcastic undead guy working as a grim reaper." Strand's was even shorter, with, "Guy who steals spaceships." Obviously they don't stay that short for long, but it only takes a few words to get the cogs whirring.

(If you're having a hard time coming up with ideas, I recommend a hot shower, music, or browing Google Images. Though not all at once. Unless you have a waterproof laptop.)

For the purposes of this series, I've picked an idea from my 'ideas folder' which is where I put all my ideas. In theory, it'll keep the series interesting for me too, then. :-)

"A guy wakes up on a dead spaceship with no clue how he got there."

There. A little cliched, but I like it. Now we have an idea, we can move on to the next part, which is brainstorming.

I use the term "brainstorm" pretty loosely. To me, it always makes me think of intense thinking and charts with interconnected bubbles. I do neither. What I do do (huh huh), is open a new file and put the idea at the top. Underneath that I make a bullet pointed list of the first things that occur. These don't have to be connected in any way, and can be something as big as a story arc, or as small as the name of a minor character, or whether he's left or right handed. Whatever comes. So, let's do that...

"A guy wakes up on a dead spaceship with no clue how he got there."

Sci-fi (duh), but not "hard" scifi. Some humour.

Man also finds that he has technical knowledge he didn't have before going to sleep.

Though not enough to do anything with the ship.

Where was he before? Not on a spaceship, that's for sure.

Kinda goes a bit loopy since he's alone.

The ship is new, as are the corpses of the crew that surround him.

Life support is running, and nothing else.

Guy's name is Steve. Or maybe Robert.

Robert. Haven't had a Robert before.

No shoes. This will be important somehow.

That won't work, what with the dead people around him, unless they have no shoes, too.

Maybe he's terrified of touching the corpses, in case they were killed by a virus, and refuses to touch the shoes. After a while, he'd get over that and take some corpse-loafers.

Why? Heating malfunction? That or a Die Hard style thing.

Ooh, there's a thought. Air ducts! Fun!

No shoes AND air ducts? Unless he made a Bruce Willis reference, that'd be lame, and he wouldn't make a Bruce Willis reference because that's ancient history.

Just the shoes.

I mean no shoes.

(This is indeed how I write in brainstorms, no matter the genre or style. Don't judge me.)

Lengthwise, I aim for a page or two at this point, but more is no bad thing. Just saves time later. By this point, I'll generally know whether I can work with the idea or not. If I can't, I throw the information in a file for a later date (I know what you're thinking, this idea wasn't one of those), and try again. In this case, I'm confident I can take it through the planning stages, if not all the way to the end.

Speaking of ends, that's it for this part! I had fun writing it, as well as playing around with the brainstorm. I hope it didn't suck.

The next one will be in a week's time, and it will cover the writing of the first scene, and my reasons for writing said scene before the real planning begins. I will be writing the scene in its entirety, and using it as another example, too. I'm hoping it'll come out well, but let's be honest, bad writing can be fun too, right?

Right?!

Questions? Comments? Throw 'em below!

TTFN,

Adam

It's Out!

2010-11-17T11:24:00.003-03:30

(Listening to - Wind, mostly)

My sweetie's book, A Sordid Situation is now out!

(Click the pic!)

Congratulations on the release, sweetie! Here's to lots of sales and more five star reviews!!!

TTFN,

Adam

Yay Sweetie!

2010-11-16T12:41:00.006-03:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

My sweetie has just got her first review for her novella (out tomorrow!). She got five out of five! Awesome!

Here's the review. Clicky!

Congratulations, sweetheart!

Be sure to grab a copy when it's released tomorrow! Here's the link!

TTFN

Adam

Testing The Waters

2010-11-07T20:52:00.005-03:30

(Listening to - Nothing!)

Hello all! How've you been? :-)

So, I was writing a list of ideas for future blog posts (I've been slacking of late), and had an idea. What if I did a series of 6 or 7 posts on how I write a book, starting with the germ of an idea, through planning and writing, and all the way up to editing and submission. They'd be mid-length, and humorous where it suited, and may be entertaining to read if such things interest you.

What do you think?

Yay? Nay?

Anything in particular you think it'd be good for me to cover?

I know I'm nothing even approaching an expert, but I love reading things like this on other people's blogs, so I think it could be fun to do my own. Let me know what you think in my comments.

As well as that, I'm planning to tackle a few writerly topics, like self publishing versus 'traditional' publishing, some stuff on genre and literary, as well as a bunch of interviews of both authors and bloggers.

I'm also thinking of trying my hand at either a video or audio post, providing I can summon the courage. ;-)

For now though, I'm off to cough some more.

TTFN,

Adam

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet

2010-11-04T12:44:00.004-02:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

I just received an email telling me of a new review for A Reaper's Tale! A good review! 4.25 out of 5!

Voila! (Um, click it.)

They also said they'd like to do an interview at some point, so stay tuned for me being a nut on yet another site... :-)

In other news -

The WIP is coming along still, though I've had some slow days lately. Had a bit of a plot issue (I'd planned the start and finish, but not enough in the middle), but I seem to have resolved it.

That's all for now!

TTFN,

Adam

Strand Cover Art!

2010-10-30T12:32:00.005-02:30

(Listening to - The Film Sack Podcast)

It's finally here! My Strand cover art!

(Click to enlarge, book out early '11)

I'm loving the background in this one. The model is a lil' younger than Strand, but I'm happy with him. The left arm is out of shot for a reason that will be revealed when I bring out the blurb (though it may already be mentioned somewhere on the blog, come to think of it).

What do you think? :-)

NaNo, No Thanks

2010-10-23T16:29:00.005-02:30

(Listening to - Limp Bizkit - Just Like This)

Yeesh, I need to get back into regular blogging again...

*Clears throat*

Where was I?

Oh, yeah.

So, NaNoWriMo begins in a week, and a few peeps have asked me if I'm doing it this year, and when I say no, they seem surprised. I thought I'd explain why I'm not on here.

First of all, NaNo is an awesome idea, and I know a lot of people who do it every year and produce great novels because of it. It encourages people to give themselves targets and deadlines, and to reach them while having fun along the way. I have no issue with the idea itself, and would recommend it to any and all writers. Click here for more info on it.

It just won't work for me.

Unless a deadline or target is imposed by me (and me alone), I don't respond well to them. In fact I work slower. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I'm a ridiculous kind of person, as those who know me will attest.

Along with that, NaNo comes with a shiny forum to jump on and read about other people's progress/projects. Things like that are like crack to me. I'd spend hours reading it instead of working on my own project. I know this because it's EXACTLY what happens with my writing forum, which is why I avoid it these days.

Another reason is that I'm already working on a project. Granted, you don't have to start a new project with NaNo, but it's preferred, and I'm not stopping this WIP for anything. ;)

So, there it is. I'm sure someone will pick all sorts of holes in my reasons (they're rather thin after all), but it won't make me sign up. I'm resolute in my non-NaNo-ness. :-)

Still, I'm interested in hearing if others will be playing. Lemme know, peeps! And good luck! :D

TTFN,

Adam

Canada Here I Come!

2010-10-11T16:45:00.005-02:30

(Listening to - OZFM)

As some of you may already know (because I announced this elsewhere last week but forgot to blog it), there's been a change of plan in the whole, "My sweetie is coming here" thing.

After some discussin' (similar to cussin' only without the cussin'), we both decided that the other way around made more sense, for a number of reasons.

So, at some point (probably around February), I'll be off to stay in Newfoundland, Canada for a while!

I told my family over the weekend, and they all took it well. It'll be hard to leave 'em, as well as the pooches, but my sweetie was prepared to do it for me, and I'm sure as hell prepared to do the same. Plus, it's a GORGEOUS part of the world, and the people seem friendlier than here (I love the whole "have a good day, sir" thing, even if it's insincere). I'm looking forward to it.

I may have to start a "Brit in Newfie" blog. I can see the first post now - "What the hell is wrong with these shopping trolleys?!"

In Other News -

The new WIP is coming along very nicely indeed. I passed the 10k mark last night, and while I really should have done that a week ago, it's a milestone nonetheless.

The plot has taken a couple twists that I hadn't planned, but I find that often happens, so it's no biggy.

I look forward to finishing the draft!

TTFN,

Adam

Meeeeeeeme!

2010-10-04T15:42:00.008-02:30

(Listening to - Coheed and Cambria - Always and Never)

So, my favourite 5'+ talking squirrel, Laurie Dalzell nominated me in one of those memes I love so much. I could hardly say no, could I? Here it is!

A Meme

1. If you could have any superpower, what would you have? Why?

Pyrokinesis, or "fireballs 'n stuff like that Johnny Flame bloke in those comics." I've been writing about it in my latest WIP, and it's sooooo cool!

2. Who is your style icon?

Writing - Pratchett and Salvatore are tied for number one, with King just behind. I don't try and emulate them (that would be foolish), but they inspire my every word. :)

Fashion - Um, nobody. Though I do riff off Einstein, in that I wear the same type of thing every day (cargo pants, t-shirt).

3. What is your favorite quote?

It varies, but at the moment it's, "Some mornings it just doesn't seem worth it to gnaw through the leather straps," by Emo Phillips.

4. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?

From my sweetie, Rhaina - "Yer a nut."

5. What playlist/CD is in your CD player/iPod right now?

Right now I'm listening to the Good Apollo album by Coheed and Cambria. It's pleasantly strange.

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

Hoot! Hoot!

*Twists head around.*

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

I used to be very much a dog person. Then I met Rhaina's cat Charlie. Now I love them equally. ;-)

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

I have a hat I wear (when I remember) when editing. I have a longer explanation here.

It used to be called "My Muse Is A Vampire," as I do my best work at night and wake up drained. ;-)

Now comes the tagging! I promise not to hunt you down if you don't do the meme, but I love reading them. :)

Rhaina Randell - The sexiest woman alive.

June Kramin - My number 2 fan (behind Rhaina)!

Melanie Hooyenga - HOOEY! Graphic designer extraordinaire!

Stacey Graham - The high priestess of Zomb.

Kim Clark - My (slightly) nutty buddy!

The entire Army of Ermas - That's right, all of 'em! (Not expecting them to reply to this - t'would be tricky - but they deserve pimping!)

Alrighty, that's all for now. Toodles!

Adam

I Have News

2010-10-02T19:23:00.003-02:30

(Listening to - Nothing, though I'm expecting the puppy to start barking any time now.)

Hi! How the devil are you?

As some of my regular readers may remember, I mentioned that I had some big writing related news, but didn't want to mention it until it was confirmed. Well, the contracts are signed now, so here it is.

*Drumroll*

Coming soon, A Reaper's Tale. THE FILM!

ARGH!!! You have no idea how excited I am!!!

So here's the story:

A good buddy of mine, June Kramin (AKA Auntybug) sent me an email saying that she had recommended my book to her friend. Said friend then recommended it to his son, a young film maker named Forrest Nelson. He then got in contact with me through June to ask if he could have the rights to make a film of the book.

Once I'd stopped running in circles, I said yes.

The idea is that it will be a low budget indie film, that will closely follow the story. I've already exchanged several emails, and am ecstatic to see that he wants to keep it as close to the original as possible (though since he's in the US, I'm guessing it'll be low on Brits).

As you can imagine, since the contracts have only just been signed and returned, it's in the veryearly stages. I imagine it'll be quite some time before it's out.

Still, MOVIE! MOOOOOOOOVIE!!!

WOOP!

*Ahem*

Ok, I'm calm again.

Speak soon!

Adam

Hoping This Doesn't Screw The Project...

2010-09-30T21:22:00.004-02:30

(Listening to - Silence)

So, remember that new project I was talking about last week? I now have 95% of a completed outline, so I'm confident it won't disappear after 5k words. Here are the basics -

It revolves around Aiden Black, a cocky pyrokinetic (that's control of fire) vigilante, who spends his nights and days off from work hunting demons. He's pretty darn good at it, too.

The story starts just before he's fired from his job and nearly kills an attacker who later dies. While he's sitting in a cell, he's approached by the head of a group of individuals who do what he does on his days off. Only they're better equipped. And paid. He agrees to work for them (like he has a choice, what with unemployment and a possible prison sentence they'll make go away), only to find later that the group aren't what they first appeared to be.

That's all yer getting. I want you to buy the thing, after all. ;-)

In other news -

Up to five rejections from agents now I believe, but I'm still not letting it dishearten me. 'Tis a difficult game, and I'm a newcomer. My agent is out there.

So, how have your weeks been? Looking forward to the weekend?

TTFN,

Adam

This Blog Is Jinxed, I tells Ya!

2010-09-23T10:35:00.004-02:30

(Listening to - The Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun)

Ok, maybe not. But the past two times I've mentioned a writing project, it's fallen on its arse.

Yup, the post apoc. idea is trunked too, now. I couldn't work out how to connect the comedy with the tragedy, and if I can't do it right, I'm not going to do it at all. I have no interest in publishing a book I'm not happy with. That said, I'm improving all the time (*he says, not cockily*), and I love the idea, so I will be returning to it some time.

So what am I working on now, you say?

Whaddya mean, you didn't say that? Someone said it! I heard 'em.

Well, yes, I suppose it could have been me.

I'm now a lil' paranoid about announcing my projects on here when they're in their early stages, so for now, we'll say it's a dark urban fantasy, involving guns, demons 'n hellfire. I'll add more when I'm more sure of its direction etc.

Huge thanks to my sweetie, Rhaina Randell, for helping me with the brainstorm!

In Other News -

I just received the first set of edits for Strand, my sci-fi with Lyrical Press. There was a lot less to do than I expected, which was nice. Hopefully I'll see the cover art soon too, so I can start planning the next tattoo!

So, writers, how are your projects coming?

So, non-writers, how are tricks?

TTFN,

Adam

'Nother Interview Up!

2010-09-17T11:00:00.003-02:30

(Listening to - My dogs running about like crazy people)

That's right! In my attempt at world domination, I have yet another interview up. This time it's with my good friend Dolly over at her blog, Writer Revealed.

Here's the link! Clicky!

Thanks again, Dolly! :-)

In other news -

My first group of agent queries are in various agents' inboxes! I've had two quickie rejections so far, but was under NO illusions that I'd be snapped up by the first. This is a tough game, after all, this writing lark.

I'll be researching more agents today and preparing their queries etc. Wish me luck!

TTFN,

Adam

Bye Bye Blogroll, You Infected Hound!

2010-09-16T10:35:00.003-02:30

(Listening to - The Donut Shop Podcast)

I just opened my blog to find a bloody virus alert! Gah!

Turns out it was coming from the AW Blogroll, so until it's sorted, the Blogroll is gone from my blog. My normal list remains though.

In Other News -

I queried some agents. Cool, huh?

Of course, it means some nervous waiting around (well, writing/planning/editing), but still, woop!

TTFN,

Adam

A Snippet

2010-09-12T20:02:00.006-02:30

(Listening to - Nothing!)

This is currently the opening to my new post apocalyptic WIP:

Gregor stooped and plucked an ashen skull from a pile of bones in the bottom of one of the stasis pods.
"Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well." He peered in through the eye sockets. "Always wanted to say that."
"That's not Sergeant Yorick." Craig pointed to another pod. "That is."
Gregor turned. "Who's this then?"
Craig brushed the dust from the name plate on the pod. "Private Steve Cooper."
"Bah." Gregor dropped the skull. "I hated Steve."
Craig watched, mystified, as his superior, Commander Gregor SURNAME pushed past him and picked up the correct skull and began to recite the same verse. Another of the troops stepped forward.
"Commander, what are your orders?"
Gregor spun, the skull still in his hand, and regarded the private for a few seconds longer than necessary. "I wasn't finished."
The private glanced at the skull, then back at the commander. "With respect, sir, Yorick was a friend of mine."
"Then you'll want me to finish his send off, no?" He didn't let the private reply. "There's a good man!"
"Then you'll want to say it right," a voice added from behind them. "It's 'Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio, a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy.'"
Gregor shrugged. "I prefer the misquote, thank you, doctor. I cannot stand Shakespeare."
"Then why--"
He was cut off by the sound of the skull shattering on the floor. "Too late, you spoiled the moment."

I don't want to give anything away (mostly because I don't know much of anything about the plot yet), but it's about a group of soldiers who wake from a form of statis to find that the world has been destroyed and humanity wiped out through war.

Gregor is the leader, who is was brought out earlier than the rest, and the process seems to have addled him somewhat. Hence the not taking death seriously (wonder where he gets that from...)

So what do you think? Has legs? :)

TTFN,

Adam

PS - I'm aware the guy has no surname. I'll figure it out eventually. ;)