I’m new to the internet game, at least insofar as it comes to writing. Several months ago, I read that an author needs to build a platform if he wants to be taken seriously – 
so I set about doing just that. It’s been a great ride, and I’ve met some wonderful people along the way, but there are some things about this game that concern me. Participating in blogs, Twitter, Facebook, forums, NaNoWriMo, or any of the gamut of writing outlets, despite the benefits, comes with some serious risks. Here are four of them: (more…)
Archive for June, 2010
One busy week…
Posted in On Writing, tagged blogging, busy, editing, Two Words One Pen on June 25, 2010 | 4 Comments »
The last week has been a busy one. I’m officially hands off editing The Dead Don’t Cry, with the exception of edits suggested by my beta readers, Suzanne from her excellent new blog, Two Words One Pen, and my old man, Papa Lopez (who is exceptionally talented at finding grammatical errors). TDDC excerpts will be discontinued, however, Part I in its entirety is available here. Due to the workload, I will be foregoing today’s usual post, with a regular week (Monday/Friday posts) next week, as well as something special planned for Wednesdays, should it pan out. Until then, Happy Blogging everyone!
A Love of Art Inspired
Posted in E-Publishing, tagged art, bookstore, device, e-ink, e-reader, empowered, ipad, ipod, Kindle, landscape, literary, love, mall, Phillip Glass, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stepfather's Day, technophile, The Beatles, world wide web, zombiepocolypse on June 21, 2010 | 8 Comments »
I remember when I first got an Ipod. I was a couple of years late in the game, which meant I had benefited from a slicker, fancier model than the first generation mp3 players. I enjoyed the device – it was trendy, practical, and well, cool – for all of about two weeks. The sad truth is that I’m woefully lacking when it comes to musical savviness, my familiarity being limited to The Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Phillip Glass, with a nostalgic affinity for 90′s alternative rock. That’s it. Hardly enough to capitalize on a device designed to hold, manage, and ultimately glorify a love for music. Well, readers, guess what? Our Ipod has come
, and no, it isn’t the Ipad. (more…)
Are You a Vanity Author or an Enterprise Author?
Posted in E-Publishing, tagged book cover, Edit, enterprise author, enterprise-publishing, entitlement, exploitation, hill, honesty, naiveté, product, the "V" word, The Devil's Advocate, vanity, vanity author, writer on June 18, 2010 | 7 Comments »
“Vanity, definitely my favorite sin.”
For those of you unfamiliar with the above quote, it’s the last line to a film I remember enjoying very much, The Devil’s Advocate. Al Pacino plays John Milton, a physical manifestation of Satan, and the line refers specifically to vanity’s inherent potential for exploitation. Unfortunately, this applies not just to lawyers (as was the case in the film), but to writers alike, or more to the point, vanity authors. Er, wait, I meant enterprise authors. OK, which one is it? (more…)
Plot First, Characters Second?
Posted in On Characterization, tagged actions, bagel, book, Cafe Lopez, carnival, Christopher Nolan, emotional logic, emotions, enterprise author, hope, Inception, It's Complicated, Jack, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lillian, Lopez, Lucy, Mission Impossible, plot, Ponyo, reconciliation, salvation, Shutter Island, stories, story, story-tellers, subconscious, TDDC, The Dead Don't Cry, theme, tone, word on June 14, 2010 | 14 Comments »
The last few days have been exceptionally kind to me. Between having a picnic in the rain (under a gazebo), watching movies together (It’s Complicated, Ponyo, Shutter Island, MI:III), taking the kids to a carnival, and hosting a dinner for Papa Lopez, I truly couldn’t be happier sitting here and munching over another superb Monday morning breakfast (bagels today…mmm). No better way to write a blog.
I just read an interview with director Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Insomnia). I regard him as a master story teller, even if I occasionally disagree with his directorial choices (Christian Bale’s incomprehensibly ‘realistic’ take on Batman’s voice, for example). In this particular article, he talks about his work with Leonardo DiCaprio in their latest collaboration, “Inception,” and how “[he] spent months with DiCaprio to find emotional logic for every moment and every decision in the story.”
Emotional logic. Every writer should fuse this concept into her subconscious. (more…)
Enterprise Authors: Rethinking the E-Book Revolution
Posted in E-Publishing, tagged advance, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, bookstores, brick and mortar, business model, businessman, collaborate, demand, Disney, E-Publishing, editor, enterprise, enterprise-publishing, entrepreneurs, expensive, facebook, failed author, filter system, hostility, independent, indie, internet, iPhone, JK Rowling, Kindle, litmus test, logical fallacy, manuscript, market, market saturation, marketing, net worth, Nook, profit, publication, sales, self-published, self-publishing, selflessness, Seth Grodin, SmashWords, solitary profession, Stephanie Meyer, Stephen King, The Dead Don't Cry, Twitter, vanity author, WordPress on June 10, 2010 | 18 Comments »
There is something happening in the publishing industry right now. Something seismic. Regular men and women – children even! – are beginning to self-publish. The internet has given them the keys to a once gated empire – and the gatekeepers are not happy. There is a system in place for writers, a proven process that filters “the talentless hacks” from the Stephen Kings, JK Rowlings, and Stephanie Meyers of the world. And by sidestepping it, so-called ‘vanity’ authors are essentially flooding the market with a deluge of sub par fiction and nonfiction alike. This attitude has created an enormous tide of hostility towards would be authors, but like all anger, it is rooted in fear, a fear which has absolutely no basis in merit whatsoever. (more…)
TDDC: Chapter 3: “Afraid of the Dark”
Posted in On Writing on June 9, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Last week, on The Dead Don’t Cry, Lillian and Jack discussed the implications of leaving their daughter on New Earth. This week, we join Lucy as her Dad breaks her the news. As always, enjoy!
On Giant Coincidences
Posted in On Creativity, tagged book, delusional, giants, movies, potential, published, scene, Shrek, stories, subject matter, success, TDDC, The Dead Don't Cry on June 7, 2010 | 7 Comments »
Funny thing happened at the movies yesterday. We took the kids to see the new Shrek (recommended for anyone w/children), and somewhere around the half-way point the film turned into The Dead Don’t Cry (my book). Now, this lasted all of thirty seconds, max, but when I looked over to see my girlfriend’s reaction, her expression told me that she was thinking the same thing…holy crap, it’s Mark’s book. (more…)
What’s your book about? *UPDATED*
Posted in On Creativity on June 5, 2010 | 17 Comments »
First off, let me thank everyone for their advice. I may not have won the contest, but the lessons I’ve learned in the process have been nothing short of inspiring. That said, I’ve come up with two new single sentence doozies. The first is my response to the “What’s your book about?” question, and the second is my new and improved logline. Hope you like!
The Dead Don’t Cry is about a ten year old girl who gets caught in the middle of an interplanetary crisis, and how she and her family come together to save two planets from the wrath of one man.
When a ten year old girl gets caught in the middle of an interplanetary crisis, it’s up to her to unite the two worlds before one man can destroy them all.
I wanted to incorporate key words like ‘wet-born’ and ‘Old Earth,’ but I don’t think the required brevity permits it. So, what do you think?
________________________________________________________________
Hi, everyone, hope you’re enjoying this beautiful weekend (if you’re in North Jersey)! I finally got around to writing a one sentence answer to the dreaded question, “What’s your book about?” thanks to this terrific contest. I’m broadcasting it for some input.
“Worlds collide when an extraordinary girl determined to save her father wanders into an ancient wilderness embroiled in a life or death struggle against a legacy of tyranny.”
Do you like it? Is it too wordy, not wordy enough? Writing these are terribly difficult, so every bit of feedback helps!
Drunk on Words
Posted in My Writing, tagged beer, biere, book, boozer, brain, brewery, Cafe Lopez, cerveza, delicious, drunk, face, fiction, genre, indulge, intoxicating, literary, metaphor, micro-brewery, punch, reading, sucked, Words, write on June 4, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Micro-brews. Expertly crafted pints of intoxicatingly delicious cerveza (yes, I just used a different language to avoid a future redundancy. Is that allowed?). My best friend and I had a couple of beers last night, and I can’t tell you how rejuvenated I feel right now. I wonder why that is? Our usual nights involve darts and lagers (cheap, American lagers), which are fun, but not quite as satisfying. Is that how people feel when they read genre fiction. And if so, what’s that like?
“Oh man, that was a whoot, but I need to get a literary fix quick or else my brain is going to rot.”
Or better yet, the equivalent to a genraholic: (more…)
TDDC: Chapter 2: “The Reclamation”
Posted in On Writing on June 2, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Last week, on The Dead Don’t Cry, Jack was assigned to pilot Operation GODSPEAR, a mission to Old Earth. This week, we join Lillian as she and Jack argue over the implications of leaving their daughter behind. Because this is the end of Chapter 2, I will be including the last two sections [Words of Wisdom - GODSPEAR] in addition to “The Reclamation.” As always, enjoy!
Plotting: Part II: Addicted to Plot
Posted in On Structuring Plot, tagged action, addiction, Atlantic City, book, casino, emotional, gambling, give and take, investment, mechanics, monetary, nerd, plotting, principle, protagonist, repetition, reward, scene, slog, time, time sink, video games, winner, writing on June 1, 2010 | 5 Comments »
What do slot machines, video games, and smart plotting have in common? (more…)
