Book Review: Doomed by Chuck Palahniuk

Spoiler Free Summary:  Doomed is a story about Madison Spencer, who is dead, but that doesn’t stop her from  posting blogs about her fight with the Devil.  She’s trying to prevent the end of the world, which is pretty hard because everyone seems determined to run toward just that, and they’re doing so in her name.

A note on content and content warning.  Not only is this book designed for adults, I must admit that this has some aspects of tone and conduct that strike me the wrong way.  While this affected MY enjoyment of the book, it does not diminish the quality of the writer or it’s narrative.  This is important for me to say because I developed this new review format to be objective.  The reasons I struggled with the book have more to do with my own past and my own issues than it does with why this book might be of interest to other readers.  That said, readers with an aversion to certain sexual situations may want to speak to a friend who’s read this book before reading it themselves.

Character:  Madison is actually a very sympathetic character.  Her situation is tragic for a great many reasons, and as the plot progresses, her story only becomes that much more compelling.  There are a few other cute side characters here and there, but Madison drives this story.   I’m unsure of some of her motivations, and this is an issue because they shift the plot forward when I’m not sure why she’d do such a thing, but the bulk of her actions make up for one issue that may be more a result from having to step away from reading than the actual plot of the book.  Even if there is an issue, it doesn’t degrade Madison’s overall sympathy.    This book is in first-person narrative, and that gives us a lot of insight.  It’s also written in a sort of “blog” style, which is cool to see, and if the reader pays attention, there are some small easter eggs here and there.

Exposition:  This backfired in my opinion.  There are breaks  in this narrative from an alternative perspective.  Those breaks didn’t do much for me in any way, and really only confused me.  It’s not to say that breaks in narrative NEVER work, but to date, I’ve only seen this done well a few times.  I mention it here because those breaks are for exposition.  I comprehend what it’s doing, but all of that information comes back to light in Madison’s narrative.  There isn’t a lot of it, but I don’t know that there needed to be any.

Photo by Allan Amato.  Image used for the purpose of this review to identify author.

Worldbuilding:  This is a pretty deep world when I consider all the forces working together.  The wolrdbuilding is a strength in this book because everything builds on everything else.  It’s set in modern-day earth, but I’m not talking about the “physical” world.  I’m talking about Madison’s world and how it works.   Each time we gain more understanding in how she exists, we learn more about how the forces against her have been moving.

Dialogue:  The dialogue in this book is crisp and witty.   Madison’s tone is darkly optimistic, and that’s something I enjoyed a lot.  Not all of the dialogue is that good.  Madison’s parents were a lull for me in pretty much any scene they were in, but the dialogue between Madison and her grandmother was amazing.  Each character had a unique voice, and Palahniuk did a great job shifting those tones not from his perspective, but from Madison’s.

This image is not related to the book in any way, but it was funny, and I already felt nervous about copyright.

Description:  A friend (Hi Woody!) gave me this book because I continue to assert description as a weakness of mine.  In terms of using this book to analyze and practice the art of description in narrative, this book was a great choice.  Palahniuk’s style and description adds a texture to the story that goes beyond just “knowing what was in the scene.”  Where some authors use scene out of obligation, Palahniuk uses it as a tool and even a plot device.  I’m grateful my friend gave me something like this to study.

Overall:  Fans of dark comedy will enjoy this book, though I didn’t find a lot of it funny.  It’s not graphic or controversial (I think) for the sake of shock value, at least not in my opinion. The cliffhanger ending didn’t endear itself to me either.  This book covers a few very important concepts.  The blending of setting, circumstance, and character makes for some very powerful drama.  It’s satirically funny at times and poignantly tragic in others.  Some of the characters frustrated me because I simply don’t find them believable, but Palahniuk works with characters like that.

Thanks for reading

Matt

New 5-star Review for The Journals of Bob Drifter!

I saw this 5-Star review for The Journals of Bob Drifter on Amazon, and I wanted to share it.  I’m always humbled and happy to see any review.  The feeling is that much greater when the rating is high and the words are kind.  I’m grateful to the reviewer.

The reviewer mentioned seeing more from the universe. As it stands, there are no direct sequels planned for the book, but if you keep your eyes open for my third book, you may recognize a few people.

100!

As I type this, I have 101 followers.  This is just amazing to me.  As an MC in the Navy, I constantly teach my students, “producing content is worthless if it’s not reaching anyone.”  That’s true, but if you reach someone, that matters.  I get a huge sense of satisfaction thinking that 1 person cares.

For the longest time, I kept writing because Ben (my brother) was reading my work.  I gained friends, joined a writers’ group, and found myself on the HMS Slush Brain.  I have support, and this milestone matters.  EVERY milestone matters.

So to celebrate, I’d like to thank a few people.

Quintessential Editor:  Corey helped me make this page.  He noticed my last blog wasn’t getting any traffic, so he pretty much clapped his hands and wiggled his nose, and I had a website before I knew it.  He’s a great man, a brilliant writer and one of the most dedicated friends you can ask for.  He helped me get set up on WordPress, and was my first follower.

Rough & Ready Fiction:  Jenn is one of my top interactions on the blog.  She’s always offering comments, and I truly appreciate it.  Also, she likes Supernatural, so she’s got to be cool.

J.R. Handley Blog:  He’s another person who’s always offering comments and helpful links.  He’s a top contributor and always has some great insight.

Sinister Dark Soul:  I love reading the prose on this site.  Sometimes I just skim along the
posts and look at the lines that jump out at me.  If you have 20 seconds, you’ll read some fascinating musings.

Finally, there’s The Excited Writer.  Nichole was my 100th follower if my computer is telling me true.  Thank you Nichole!  I hope that you keep stopping by and I keep providing you with content that interests you!

Thank you all for reading,

Matt

 

 

 

 

Caught Chapter Icons

I have less than 10 chapters left to edit with Caught!  As I’ve been toiling away on the words, I was thinking about the images.  I’m a huge fan of art.  I often say if I were rich, my “rich guy purchases” would all be related to art.  When I go to conventions, I collect business cards and buy the art from those around.

My brother Ben Duke was the artist who created the chapter icons for The Journals of Bob Drifter.  I’ve been a huge believer in my books being opportunities for many people.  My best friend from junior high did the cover for Journals.

Ben did amazing work on Journals, but he wasn’t able to do the icons for Caught, so I looked to give someone else an opportunity.  Along came Jessica Tahbonemah.  I’d originally hired Jess to help me with my social media presence.  She messaged me and asked if she could give the icons a shot.  I gave her a loose concept and a few images for inspiration.  She worked hard and sent me the first image…

 

This image and all images in this post were created by Jess Tahbonemah and are the property of M.L.S. Weech.  Any use without his permission is prohibited.

This image is the chapter icon for Kaitlyn.  As this is a book about characters trapped in a repeating series of night terrors, these icons represent their dream avatars.  For Kaitlyn, her avatar was this minotaur.  You see this creature quite a lot in the first half of the book. This was the image that Jess basically “auditioned” with, and I knew when she finished it that she was going to do well.

 

I’d seen a video when I was a kid that stuck with me.  I can’t even tell you the name of the song even though I’d looked it up when I was trying to explain my vision to Jess.  This is the icon for Chris.  The man on fire is central to Chris’s back story.  I like the energy of this image. I did the most work with Chris in edits.  I wanted to make his role in the story more relevant.  I feel I’ve accomplished that with these edits.  As you can see, I’m quite unreasonable with my demands on my artists.  With Journals, I asked Ben for a glass of Scotch.  Here, Jess asked what I was thinking, and I replied with, “I need a man on fire.”  She sent an initial concept, and after I looked at that is when I sent a few stills from the video.  I think it’s funny because I can’t remember a note or word from the song, but that image stayed with me for decades.

 

So I followed a demanding image with a few that were more simplistic.  Graham is an intriguing character for me in terms of motivation.  He got more lime-light when I removed another character’s POV.  Graham’s role is more pivotal, and these glasses are a common “beat” in his chapters.  It’s simple, but it’s honestly the best, most recognizable symbol for him.

 

Caden is one of my all-time favorite characters.  He really forced me to stretch as a writer, and he’s been a character screaming in my head for more than 20 years.  The original concept (which evolved from outline to draft) was about characters facing their fears, and Caden is NOT a fan of “the bad chair.”  I mean, who isn’t afraid of this symbol?  The electric chair is every bit as symbolic as the act of binding and the act of blinding.  Jess did an amazing job with all the elements I wanted in this image.  It’s VERY complex.  I have to give her credit though, the shadow was all her idea.

 

 

This image required a lot of research.  First off, Ben (my brother, beta reader, confidant, advisor and all-around best friend), wasn’t a fan of the name of Steve’s team.  You recall a deleted scene I posted in an earlier blog?  Dom and Kira are members of his team.  We played around with a few options.  Ben sent me a text with the name Oneiros.  Oneiroi are symbols of dreams in Greek mythology.  So search after search lead me around until I found this image of Morpheus, the god of dreams.  Morpheus is also a hyponym of Oneiroi, which means dreams.  Oneiroi are the brothers of Hypnos, Thanatos and Geras.  To get this image for Steve, I stayed with the teams name and a symbol of their namesake.

 

Sal is the main character, and his image and part of his back story (the mundane part I assure you) comes from my own experiences with Combat Camera.  Lions are important symbols in the places I’ve been (particularly Iraq).  One of my main jobs in Iraq was to document the training and missions of a joint group known as the Golden Lions.  Since documenting those missions was such a big part of my first combat deployment, I wanted to give a part of that to this character, who’s a patriot, a soldier, and a protector above all things.  Again, I’m a bit nostalgic.  This image and the minor role it plays in the book is just a tip of my hat to a team I was very proud to work with.

 

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And there you have it.  The six chapter icons for the six points of view from my next book.  What do you think?  Which is your favorite?  I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.  As it is, I have about 8 chapters left to revise, edit, and proofread, so I’m going to get back to that.

 

Thanks for reading,

Matt

On Finishing Plateau: my first ever novel

I promised The Angry Farmer I’d reblog this when I felt like the blog would have solid viewing time on my page. Give the post a look. Another author has finished his first book. Send him some applause. It takes commitment to get there. I hope the edits go well.

The Angry Farmer

Well bloody hell.

I’ve finished Plateau today! My first ever novel/book/anything! It’s just over 61,000ish words and is now in pre-edit, a.k.a. I’m leaving it alone for a month so I don’t start fussing over it. There’s a bigger explanation of what the bloody hell on the Feedback page detailed below. The book was written ‘live’ daily, I tried to do at least one chapter a day, hence its need for polish and shine.

There’s a new page in the Plateau section for feedback; if you’ve kindly donated time to reading it, I would love to hear what you think! I’ve completed the WIP full text version to the pre-edit finished article if you want to jump ahead; otherwise I’ll bung up the final chapters this week in bits each day, so as not to spam.

[NB. The Everlasting Night is horror, you’ve been warned!]

Full Novel (Pre-edit)

By Chapter…

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I, Writer

There’s a magic trick to writing.  It’s a sacred technique passed on from master to apprentice since time began.  This carefully guarded secret seems to be the great barrier between those who want to write and those who don’t.

I reveal that trick to you now at great risk to my own life.  Should these be the last words you hear from me, guard this secret.  There are anti-writing ninjas in the world who seek to take this technique, not for their own misuse, but worse, to destroy it thus ensuring the end of the line of writers.

When I was but a young apprentice, I had no real master.  I had to survive watching the battles of history’s greatest.  I studied all their moves.  I watched their fights over and over again, trying to find out what made them great.

Whilst wandering the Earth in search of more skills, I came upon a scroll.  I don’t know how it came to be under a rock in a cave I didn’t realize I’d need to sleep in until the snow grew so thick I couldn’t see, nor do I understand why I bothered to glance at it before I burned said paper for much-desired warmth.  The important thing is I read it.

I unclasped the metal pin and stretched the parchment out before me, thinking to get more heat if I burned the paper in smaller bits.  I was shocked to read the title.

The Great Secret to Being a Writer.

This was it!  The secret to my greatest question in life had just fallen into my hands.  I unraveled the scroll, eager to read its many instructions.  I revealed a foot of the scroll…nothing.  What cruel joke was this?  Quickly, I unraveled more and more, equally desperate to punish whoever played this joke on me as I was hopeful to find some hint to how to be a writer.

I’d thought all was lost.  Then I came to the end of the scroll, and found a single word.

“Write”

I re-read the word over and over.  Was there more?  Nothing.  Who would waste so much paper for a single, five-letter word?  The excitement I felt when I saw the title was replaced by the need for self-preservation.  My body was shaking from the cold at this point and my fingers were likely to become individually wrapped popsicles.

I prepared to turn the scroll into a raging heat-giving inferno when I heard something clink at the core of the scroll.  Attached to the end of a thick piece of old bamboo was a metallic and ornate bulbous endcap.  I gripped it and pulled it away finding a single pen inside.  As I held it, I found another message.

“All you ever need to be a writer is something to write with, and something to write on.”

Indeed I was impressed at whatever master engraved such words onto this pen because I couldn’t for the life of me determine how so many words could be placed on such a small object.  Whatever the case, I understood.  I had received The Secret.  Not only did I receive the wisest word I could have ever behold, but I was given all the tools I would ever need.  So I obeyed.

I took the quill (It’s a quill now, cause that’s cooler.  Don’t ask how anyone could engrave on a feather…it’s a magic feather.  If they can make elephants fly, they can hold a single prolific message.) and wrote…

(Now that I have a magic quill, I can keep going…)

…at least I tried to write.  But where where my ideas?  Indeed my mind was emptier than a bottle of Vodka in Russian winter.

I froze.  Devastated, I told myself I could not write, because I could not think.

“You gonna hold me all day, or do you mean to do something?”

I leapt from my spot on the moist cave floor and scanned the area.  Nothing.

“Hey, down here.”

I looked at my hand and realized my magic quill had spoke to me.  (See…I knew that’d come in handy.)

“Why aren’t you writing?”

“I don’t have any ideas.”

“But why aren’t you writing?”

“Aren’t you supposed to give me inspiration or something?”

“How can I possibly do that?” the quill asked.  “I’m a quill.”

“You’re a talking quill,” I replied.

“You’re telling me you have the imagination required to hold a conversation with a quill, and you can’t write?” it asked.

It had a point.

“I still don’t have any ideas.”

“But why aren’t you writing?” it asked again.

“How can you write without ideas?”

“Well,” the pen said, as if talking to the dumbest ninja ever, “You should probably start by putting me on the paper.”

I shrugged, thinking, “Well, what could happen?”  I placed the metal tip of the quill onto the paper and waited.

“You do know how to write don’t you?” the pen asked.

“Of course I can write!” I replied.

“Then why aren’t I moving?” the pen asked.

“I don’t know what to write?”

“I can’t help you,” the magic quill with the ability to both write and display prophetic words of wisdom said.

“Why not?” I asked.

“Because I’m a quill,” it answered. “If you’re truly a writer, I’m all you need.”

Frustrated, I stabbed the pen onto the scroll and started writing a story about an argumentative quill destined to help an aspiring author create the greatest story ever told.

By the time I finished scribbling, I’d run out of scroll.

“You’ve done well,” the pen said.  The scroll glowed red.  It became so bright I had to step away, holding the pen in the air lest it melt in the heat. Just when I thought the scroll would explode, a poof a smoke gave birth to another blank scroll.

I stared at it.

“So, um…” the quill said.  “Do you…do you need me to tell you what to do with that, or is that a too subtle a hint?”

Well?  Is it?

I write 1,000 words  a day.  Now I define writing as drafting, editing or worldbuilding.  Whatever produces words, I call writing.  When I first committed to that goal, it was miserable.  I didn’t know what I was doing, how to work, or even what the word “predicate” meant, much less where it goes in a sentence.  (No, seriously, I was 17, and I’d lived my whole life wanting to be a writer, and I couldn’t talk about writing using the proper terms).  None of that mattered.

I’d decided to be a writer, and I realized all I needed to be so was to write.  I started out as a discovery writer.  I just made crap up and wrote until it made sense to me.   I kept going until I’d finished my first book.  It was awful.  The description was lacking.  The setting made no sense. The plot was trite.

It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever made with my own two hands.

Then I took the hint.  I wrote another.  I learned the language of the craft.  I visited blogs and read books about the subject.  I started reading more and more (which I’ll discuss later).

I joined the Navy and learned how to be a journalist.  I saw a bit of the world.  I got distracted, but I eventually recommitted to what I wanted to be.  I wanted to be a writer, so I wrote.  I tried to save that first book.  I literally tried 21 times to make that book something ready to be published.  It’s still not.  So I wrote a new book.  I joined a writer’s group.  Those words came more and more easily to me. The more I wrote, the more I wrote.  The more times I typed “the end,” the more times I started a new book.

I have a challenge for you.  I’m not a magic quill in a cave.  You’re not a dense ninja looking for warmth.  But my challenge is the same.  If you want to be a writer, where, exactly, are your words?

I challenge you to ask yourself two questions if you can’t seem to put pen to paper:

1. Do you really want to be a writer?  It’s okay if you don’t, just don’t complain that you’ve never finished that book if you don’t ever, you know, sit down to write it.
2.  Are you having trouble thinking of ideas, or are you just afraid someone won’t like what you’ve written?  I’ve already given my perspective on what you should do with fear.

Everyone with a dream has that moment of calling.  It’s almost never some obvious magical moment in a cave with a magical, talking quill.  It’s hardly ever some wise old traveler coming to change your life.  The real world isn’t that kind.  The real world lets you do, whatever it is you want to do.

You can choose to write, or you can choose to (in my case at the moment, play video games).   But I started asking myself, “What am I doing right now that’s more important than writing?  There are things.  Spending time with family always trumps everything.  Video games are less important, unless, of course I’m playing video games with family.  I’m still afraid the Journals of Bob Drifter sucks despite the 4.21 average rating on Goodreads.  It’s natural to be afraid.  But if you want to do something, inevitably, good or bad, you do it.

I don’t care what you write.  Just write.  I don’t care if it’s good; that’s what editing is for.  I don’t care if no one likes it;  write what you like.  Just write.  It doesn’t have to be a thousand words.  It can be a block of time or a smaller number of words.  But every day you write, you’ll find it easier to write.  I promise!  Every day you write, you’ll find you’ve written more and more.  I promise!

I’m not a writer because I’m published.  I’m not a writer because I’ve sold my book at conventions.  I’m a writer for one very simple reason.  I write.  Therefore, I, Writer.

So consider me your magic talking pen.  I’m here, and there’s a scroll open before you.  Is this hint too subtle?

My Routine: One Writer’s Habits

One of the more common questions I’ve heard is “How do you get through writer’s block?”  or “How do you find time to write?”

In my blog “confessions,” I talked about my work day.  I’m going to delve into that a bit more, but what I hope to address is the distinction between “finding time to read,” “writer’s block” and just plain prioritizing.

I’m a big believer in routine.  I think consistency breeds consistency.  Perfect practice leads to perfect performance.  I’m not perfect by any stretch of the imagination in any regard, but I’ve found a thing or two that works for me.

First:  My schedule.  I usually wake up at 6 a.m.  I get up, go the the bathroom, go right back down to my room and shut my eyes for another 10-15 minutes.  I don’t like waking up early.  I worked night shifts in my younger days, and the routine stuck.  My brain usually comes alive around 3.  My current schedule, my bosses and my students don’t and shouldn’t care bout my sleep work cycle, but it’s how I’ve always worked.  This is honestly harder each year.  Already, my body demands an earlier bedtime than it did four years ago.  Still, the thing that gets me out of bed is the fact that my students are there, and I love helping them.  My friends are there, too.  So I get up, get dressed hit the road and arrive to work on time.

I leave my job anywhere from 4:30 to 7:30 depending on a host of factors.  Do my students need extra help?  How much do I have to grade?  Am I prepared to teach whatever it is I’m teaching tomorrow?  Will I have to be early tomorrow?  How long has it been since I’ve worked out?

More often than not, I’m home no later than 7:30.  I’m happiest when I’m home by 6:30.  As impossible as it is to tell when I’m going to get home, I still get there.  If I get home first, I clean up and start/order dinner.  Once everyone is home, I take the time to hang with my family.  This goes until about 8:30.

Then I go back to work.  Only this time, it’s my dream job.  It’s the occupation I want to put on my tax form. (I do that now, but I’d like for my income to grow).

A Call to action:  My call to action book was On Writing by Stephen King.  I’ve recently read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.  Both books talk about a premise that I hold to be true.

If you want to be a writer, you should probably write.  I’ll blog about this at a later date.  Anyway, to write, you have to build a routine that works.  Some of you may disagree.  That’s fine.  This is just what works for me.

Step one:  Establish the Command Center

So when I go downstairs, I bring some diet soda and a few snacks.  I snuggle up in my chair and pull my table with my lap top right up against it, trapping me in what I call my Command Center.  You see, I grew up watching Voltron, and I liked the feel of having my chair lock me into my own version of a battle robot.  I’ve occasionally been heard making sound effects.  Don’t judge.

The term Command Center came from an old boss of mine.  He once told me, “You can’t win a war if your command center isn’t squared away.”  I hadn’t joined the Navy at the time, and he was a crusty old Sailor.  The term made a lot of sense to me.  I finish off the command center by making sure my 49ers blanket is wrapped around me in a cowl, my references are near to hand, and my distractions are literally out of reach.  I make sure I have a pen and something to scribble on is near by. So my command center is established when I’m locked in, everything I need is close to hand and everything I don’t need is out of reach.  The 9ers blanket is just because I love my team, and I like being warm.

Step two:  Clear the Distractions
This is a bit of a trick.  Before I understood the importance of social media, all I had to do was make sure the X-Box controller and remote controls were out of reach.  Social Media has made that harder.  I can’t focus if I think there’s other stuff to do.  I think very quickly, and if I think a problem is coming, or I need to handle something, I jump to fix it.  This takes me away from writing.  So I have to clear the virtual distractions, too, so I do my rounds.   I have a Facebook, WordPress, and Twitter account.  I do whatever sharing, following, and Tweeting I feel is necessary.  I check on my sales.  I check my emails.  I make sure I’ve addressed everything that can come up.

Step three:  Establish the Mission

So being in the military has given me an affection for being told what to do, even if I’m the only one giving orders. I COMMIT to what I’m going to do.  I PROMISE myself I’m going to achieve something, and every now and then, I promise myself a reward for meeting the mission goal (right now I reward myself by watching episodes of Naruto).  I’ll ORDER myself: “I WILL write 1,000 words” or “I will edit this chapter” or “I will write this blog.”  Then I offer my self reward.  I’ll say, “…and after I finish, I’ll watch ONE episode of Naruto,” or whatever I have to. NOTE:  It’s CRITICAL to me to be as strict with my reward as I am with my mission, otherwise I write one thing and watch TONS of Naruto.  That’s bad.  It’s a betrayal of my mission and a failure of my efforts.

Step four:  Clock in.

Lately, I’ll signal this by sending Quintessential Editor a quick message via Facebook saying, “Clocking in.”   We both know this isn’t an excuse.  It’s a commitment.  He knows I’m working.  He’ll usually tell me he’s working or how long he’ll be before he goes to work.  The point is, we’re professionals, who go to work.  We see our work as an occupation.  It’s not a hobby.  It’s not something we get around to.  It’s our job, and we have to do it.  We may only have to do it because we choose to, but the point is we’ve chosen to.  If you want to be a writer, write.  If you want to make money off your writing, treat it like the job you want to earn an income doing.  So I go to work, and I clock in.

Step five:  Meet the goal

Whatever objective I established for myself, I reach.  Sometimes, it’s fast.  For me, it’s fastest when I’m drafting and slowest when I’m editing.  That’s not to say there aren’t days when drafting is a pain.  Trust me:  The most important time to write is when you don’t feel like writing.  Now some disagree with me on this, but I have a few tips (which I’ll elaborate on in future blogs).

First…if what you’re trying to write isn’t working, write something else.  I have several projects going.  If Caught is really not working, I still work until I’ve met my objective, but I may take a different sort of break.  No, I don’t go to the digital water cooler and talk to Corey.  Instead, I shift gears to a different project.  Right now I’m drafting Images of Truth, world building Sojourn in Despair, reading something for my writers group or scanning 1,200.  Be wary.  If you ever want to be a PUBLISHED author.  You have to finish something.

I shift gears to another project only as long as it takes me to get a sense of momentum (more on this later).  Once the muse (I subscribe to King’s theory on the muse by the way.  I really do.) has had a chance to use the imaginary bathroom or finish his last beer (see “On Writing”), and I can hear him talking to me, I move back to my objective project.  I don’t take a break yet.  I won’t let distractions fool me into thinking I’ve actually done anything.  I finish the mission.  Again, I was trained as a Sailor.  I may have to take a break from photography or writing an article to stand watch or clean a compartment.  Those are important jobs too, but they’re not my main mission.

When I finish those collateral duties, I go back to work and finish the job I PROMISED myself I’d finish.  This is the hardest trick to figure out, especially if you’re someone like me who’s a fan of linear, one-at-a-time tasks.  But momentum is more important to me than anything.  The more I gain momentum, the easier it is for me to keep it.  If I stop, I’m hosed.  That’s all there is to it.

Once the juices are flowing, I step away from the side project (promising that said project will in time become my primary mission) and get to work on my current objective.  I knock it out.  Then I revel in whatever reward I’ve promised myself.  If I’m on a role, I let it ride until I feel like I’m forcing it.

Rinse.  Repeat.

I can’t do one thing for extreme periods of time.  I need to shift gears.  I’ve learned I work best with about an hour of productivity and 20-45 minutes of rest.  This is just what works for me.

On a good night, I get through about three rotations.  On a great night, I get through three rotations, and it’s not yet midnight.  That almost never happens, but it’s beautiful when it is.  If I’m particularly sleepy or drained, I only do one rotation.  But I ALWAYS do one rotation.  Midnight is a benchmark for me.  If I have more time, or I feel particularly energized, I push it.  I usually end up going to 1 or 2 in the morning.

Momentum is everything.  I know myself, and as an author, you need to know yourself.  Identify your resistance (if you subscribe to Pressfield’s dialogue).  For me, I know I WANT an excuse not to write.  I want an excuse to step away.  That’s why I have to establish my command center.  I make sure I don’t have the “excuse” to get up to find something I need.  That’s why I clear the distractions.  I make sure I don’t have the “excuse” that I’m worried I forgot something.  Etcetera.

The more I write, the more I will write.  The more I accomplish the more I will accomplish.  The consequences of stopping?  A few weeks back I had a terrible headache.  I took the night off.  Now it was the right thing.  My head hurt so bad I saw spots and couldn’t see very well.  My body said, “Matt, get some sleep, or I’ll PUT you to sleep.”  So I let myself turn in early (very early).  I was fine the next day, but I didn’t get anything done for about another week.  Even when stopping is the right thing to do, it totally derails my rhythm.

I don’t believe in writer’s block.  I believe people don’t have momentum, so they stop because they can’t get started.  When I say it that way, with brutal honesty, do you see how little sense that makes?  It may be a real thing, but I’ve never had it.  Maybe something wasn’t working, but the trick I mentioned above always gets me back on track.

My routine PROBABLY won’t work for you.  It’s mine.  Maybe some theories will work, but you have to find a routine that works for you.  I hope mine has given you a few ideas.  This routine has evolved over twenty years now.  It started when I read “On Writing” and learned the muse needs to know when to come by.  (roughly translated it means go to work when you say you will, or write at a consistent time.)  It evolved and evolved as I found more distractors or potholes on my road to success.  I think it’s pretty solid now as I’ve written six books, and I’m about to publish my second book.  The main point remains.

If you want to be a writer, you should be writing.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

The Wrath of Cons: An Indie Author’s Guide to Conventions

So a while back, I posted my blog about finding new readers.  Quintessential Editor brought up a great idea in which I post some of my successes and mistakes.    Being the dutiful Brown Piper than I am, I sat down and wrote it my next “blog writing” day.

How to Find Them:  Well, in some cases, they found me.  They found my website or my book and shot me an email.  What this should tell you all is it’s a business.  They have table to sell to vendors, and you’re vendors.  If you go to one convention, they’ll have flyers for pretty much every other convention you could dream of.  Snag the flyers.  They usually have tables themselves, so you can ask them for an “artist alley” form and sign up.  (More on that later).  I’m based in Maryland, so I just google “Maryland Comic/Supernatural/(INSERT RELEVANT THING) Conventions,” and start shopping.  Just shop for the right ones.

Which Ones Should You Go To:  The closer they are to your genera or plot, the better.  It’ll be tempting to just got to every one you can, but trust me, it SUCKS to sit at a table for 8-hours a day for three days for no reason.  Don’t go to who will have you, go to the ones your readers are going to.  For me, comic conventions, science fiction conventions, Supernatural (the TV show) conventions are all great opportunities because that’s where people who love my book will go.

Big or Small:  My second convention was Awesome Con.  Another author told me it was a bad choice.  You see, that convention is huge, and the table price was higher because of it.  My table selection wasn’t smart (I PROMISE I’ll get there), but I wouldn’t trade that convention for anything.  I sold about 10% of the books I’ve sold so far at that first event.  Maybe that’s not good for most, but there’s a few reasons for that.

(TANGENT):  That author was right in one way.  I was at a table with one book.  That meant the most books I was going to sell per customer was, well, one.  Any author there with more than one book could literally sell twice as many books per customer as I could.  This is why I advise self-publishers not to go indie until they have at least two books ready to go.  It opens doors for marketing and repeat business.  I may be alone in this, but it made sense to me, and I saw it work in practice.

Artist Alley:  There are usually a  few types of booths.  You want an artist alley table, not a vendor table.  What’s the difference?  About $300.

How Many Books to Bring:  I get a lot of varying opinions here.  I made the mistake of buying a BUNCH of books, thinking I’d sell out at my first event.  It didn’t work out for me.  I sell about thirty books an event.  That’s on the low side.  I mentioned one reason above, the other reason is the price per book.  I made a lot of mistakes in publishing Bob, that cover price is one I’m literally still paying for.  I didn’t pick it.  I sell it on my website and at conventions at the biggest discount I can.  The next convention I go to, I’ll have Caught available.  I’ll bring sixty (thirty of each) to the event.

Matt’s Guide:  Don’t buy a table for more that $200.  Bring enough to profit $200.  This means you’d have to sell enough to earn that money plus what you paid to get that table.  Don’t forget to factor in gas and/or lodging.  If you sell out, celebrate, and adjust your inventory for next time.  (Any of my other indie authors out there, PLEASE don’t hesitate to comment on how many you bring to an event).  The more inventory you have, the more you should bring.

Marketing or No Marketing:  I always bring something, but I honestly don’t think I’ve sold a single book from any of the cards or bookmarks I’ve given out.    What they DO is open the door.  If you offer them something free right off the bat, they’ll probably be ready to hear your pitch.

Have a Pitch:  You better be ready to talk to people.  I have what I call an elevator pitch and then a small series of tidbits that helps.  One thing I do is something I learned when I heard an author speak a while back.  I forget what she calls it, but I call it the blending technique.  I take two things that are similar to my book.  I tell people the book is “Supernatural meets Dead Like Me.”

Those who say I shamelessly rip off Odd Thomas are also correct.  I don’t just say that to say it.  I genuinely feel that my book takes the tone of Supernatural and the situation of Dead Like Me and combines them into something new.  Give them the plot hook.  Have reviews ready. Have a  sell display.  That’s just a small stand-up display that you put on the table that has some reviews on it.  Me personally, I just print out multiple copies of a few and hand them out.
Tables Are Barriers:  If you have a  corner table, life is great.   I try to stand in front of my table four an hour or so, then I sit down for a while.  I wouldn’t do this if I were in the middle of a row.  You’re in the way of customers and other people trying to sell their hopes and dreams.  I’ve seen people spend the whole convention on their feet, in front of their table, and it worked.  They were in a corner table.

The Gretzky Approach:  A person not spoken to is a sale not made.  I’m confident I have a  pretty good feel for people.  So if a guy walks in with an F-U tattoo on his forehead just for me, I leave him (or her) alone.   I’m not there to jump in people’s face, and they’re not there to be accosted.  But I do say hello to EVERY person who walks by my booth.  I do offer them whatever I have to give, and I do ask them, “Can I tell you about my book?”  Boy do I love it when that beautiful cover of mine draws someone over.  That thing does half my work for me.  But at the end of the day, you have to be approachable.  Saying hello and BEING personable helps.

J.R. Handley offered some advice in the comments section of the blog mentioned above.  It all lined up with what I’ve seen.  He mentioned Dead Robots Society Podcast and Kristen Martin.    I’d be a fool not to mention them, and I think anyone about to start marketing at conventions should check them out as well.  J.R. If you have the direct links to either of those specific podcasts or Vlogs, please thrown them in the comments section and I’ll switch up the links.

I mentioned bookmarks.  Every convention I went to had some sort of cover.  I’m frankly too broke to buy much more than the table I sit at, and the promotional stuff I bring.  I’m not saying its a bad idea, I’m just saying I can’t do it.

Take Credit:  Not for your work, I’m pretty sure your name is on the book cover.  I mean have a  way to take credit.   I have a  pretty good split between cash and credit customers, but having that option means a lot.

Steal Ideas:  I saw one author create a display.  She offered to autograph that for people who bought the ebook from her QR Code reader.  I did it, and it does work.  That also did a LOT to help me reduce the pain of that cover price.  The e-version of my book is every bit as entertaining, and I make about the same profit.  This gives them the book, gives you a reader, and let’s them have something you can sign.  I think everyone wins.  That’s an idea I stole from someone I saw selling well at an earlier convention.

Bring Help:  Usually tables come with at least one other badge.  Take it, invite a friend.  Let him or her have fun, and have that person sit in for you when you have a panel or need a break (or you want a picture with that awesome person you’re a huge fan of.  No Corey, I’m not going to post that picture, I’m too afraid it’ll appear as appropriation.  I do make every effort to meet people I’d like to meet. I DO NOT try to sell THEM my book.  In fact, I try not to sell vendors my book.  They’re at the convention to sell products, work, and earn a living just like me.  If we just buy each other’s stuff, we’re not making any money.  Anyway, having someone there to help is great.

Sign Up For Panels:  Every convention has a request form for a panel.  Get a group together and have one.  I’ve done about three panels.  They’re fun, and they’re a great way to meet those ever elusive new readers.

Get Pictures:  Oh do I suck at this, but I mean to get better.  Getting pictures and posting them on social media really does a lot to legitimize your presence.  The help I mentioned above would be awesome for that.  Whatever you do though, get pictures and post them.  (NOTE:  all kidding with Corey aside, make sure you inform the customer what you’re taking it for and what you intend to do with it.  They have some rights.  You do too, but save yourself a lot of pain and just talk to people, especially if they’ve already bought your book.)

These events are DRAINING!  I love them, but they’re a ton of work.  If you have the time to take a vacation day, do it.  You should be exhausted, but you should also have fun.

Anyone else have a  few tips I haven’t mentioned?   I’d love to see them in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Matt

SIBA Update

Tomorrow is Sept. 1, and the Summer Indie Book Awards are scheduled to open voting.  If you sign up here for the newsletter, they’ll send you a genre link.  You can also vote through Facebook at this link.  You can get a bit more information on the host’s page.  The folks at Metamorph Publishing are committed to making this event a success.

As you all know, I was nominated for the award’s fantasy category.  If you’ve been following me on Facebook, you already know, but I’d like to make it official.  I’ve also been nominated in the paranormal category.

I can’t begin to describe how happy I am to receive one nomination, much less two.  Every artist appreciates being recognized, and receiving this nomination is a form of recognition in itself.  I still encourage everyone to vote only for the books you’ve read and enjoy, but I’d like to summarize the rules.

The poll is being run through pollmaker, and you’ll be allowed to vote one time a day from the first until Sept. 11.  You can vote for just one category, multiple, or all of them.  Also of note is the fact that you can vote for multiple books in a single category.  I appreciate that this allows for people to vote, but I’ve always been a sort of one or none guy myself.

You’ll see each choice with a box next to it.  You’ll be able to check each option you wish and then click vote.  Be sure you’ve clicked all the options you want to support before you hit the vote button, and make sure hit vote.  You can vote only once a day, but you can vote multiple days.

I wanted to take a few moments update you all and remind you to stop by tomorrow and vote.

Thanks for reading

Matt

Origins: Two Moments That Changed My Life

My birthday has come and gone.  At least from your point of view as you read this.  It’s still to come from my point of view as I type it.  Which means we’re both time traveling in a way, and that’s awesome!  But that’s not what I’m talking about.  I read a blog from A Penny for my Thoughts the other day that reminded of a few things.  As my birthday was approaching, another tradition of mine made this a pretty great opportunity to talk about two very key moments in my life.

When I was about 8 years old, I saw my favorite movie for the first time.  Krull is the story of a man who must rescue his princess from a mountain castle that moves each time the sun rises.  I often say if anyone wants to understand me, watch that movie (and another I’ll mention briefly below).  It explains everything from my fear of spiders to my affinity for fiction.  It was quite formative for me as I think back.

I recently shared a video on Facebook talking about the Top 10 Fantasy Movie Weapons.  The cool weapon in my favorite movie was number eight.  I watch this movie and Valley of the Wind every year on my birthday.  It’s my way of feeling like a kid again.  So let me go back to those days…

As a boy, watching what has been my favorite movie ever since, I sat crying as my favorite character dies.  My biodad wasn’t a nice person in any stretch of the imagination.  He gave me a scoffing laugh and said, “If you don’t like it, write something better.”

You see, in my family, we don’t take kindly to challenges.  I had “small kid” syndrome, “picked on” syndrome, and a huge case of the ego, so when he threw down the gauntlet.  I picked it up.  I marched into the dining room, sat down and scribbled away some 10-plus pages of a sequel that explained how my favorite character did not, in fact, die.  I did not know what copyright infringement was.  I will of course also take full credit for creating the genre known as fan fiction.  You’re welcome.  (*Note…I probably didn’t invent fan fiction, but who can blame a guy for trying?)

(NOTE:  The years start to blend together.  I’m pretty sure this all happened my freshman year in high school, but there is a chance it happened in junior high.  I’m fairly certain it was high school, but in the interest of honesty and integrity, I felt the need to disclose that fact.  Aside from what year of school I was in, this story is accurate.)

I’ve been writing ever since.  I didn’t finish that sequel.  But I fell in love with storytelling.  It also gave me a love for attention.  Well, if I’m being completely honest with you, I’ve always loved the spotlight.  Which brings me to my Freshman year of High School.

I’m a proud graduate of Yuma High School.  I was number 35 on the football team, and let me tell you I single handedly kept the bench from harming any of the other players!  That first year though was quite an experience for me.  I was egotistical, arrogant and still getting over some adjustments in my life.  I was a little shit.  I actually planned out a series of skits and pranks to take over class.  I once interrupted finals for the semester by pretending my left hand came alive to kill me.  I had not yet seen Evil Dead 2.  The next semester, my English teacher  tried to do a lesson on metaphor using Star Trek: The Next Generation.  I, of course, made it my mission in life to correct her on every account and pretty much just continued to make an ass of myself.

So the funny thing is that teacher had every right to do anything from give me detention to enforce stronger behavioral medications.  She didn’t do either of those things.  Despite the fact that I was indeed a trouble-making instigator, the records for both high school and junior high school say I was a model student.

I was so unruly, that this teacher put her faith in the other 20-something 14-year-old freshmen in the class more than one of me.  She’d stop class whenever I started, um, drawing attention to myself.  She’d take me for walks.  She’d ask about my day.  She’d ask how I was.  She invested in me.  Then she asked what I wanted.  I said I wanted to be a writer.  So she made me a deal.  If I kept my work and grades up (which was never a problem), I could write my first book during class, and she’d read it.

So there I was a kid crying out for help in all the wrong ways, and she heard me.  I’m such a horrible human being, I don’t even remember her name, but I’ll never forget she gave me a shot.  I never finished that book either, though I still actually have what I did write of it.  She gave fuel to a passion I’d already fired up to a substantial degree.

Not too many years later I’d become a substitute teacher.  I ran into that teacher’s husband while subbing at a local high school.  He knew me on site.  I apologized for being the worst human ever, and told him how much of an impact his wife had on me.

Now I’m a teacher.  I’m a writer.  Even better!  I teach about writing.  Those two events had such an impact on me.  At work, I tend to gravitate to those students who aren’t doing well.  I’m excited for those with high potential, but I want to be the guy who helps students who could make it, if only they had the same chance my teacher gave me those many years ago.  I write fantasy books because I want people to feel that same sense of wonder and I I feel every time I watch those two movies.

Life is funny in the way that it shapes a person.  I have a pretty sharp memory.  These are the ones that I tend to focus on.  One stokes that competitive fire in me.  The other memory refuels my passion to be patient and teach even when I have every right to punish.  Don’t let that fool you.  There are a great many MCs out in the Navy that will tell you how quick I am to hold people accountable.  That’s true.  I’ll never be as patient or understanding as that teacher of mine was.  Also, I teach young adults, not high school students.  I’d like to think, however, that even when I hold a student accountable, I still look to correct the issue.

I thought I’d share those little stories.  What moments helped shape who you are?  What people influenced you most in your life?  Don’t be afraid to share in the comments below.

Thanks for reading,

Matt