Appreciation is hard to express

Thank You,

Publishing a book independently is interesting and there's a couple things that you need to understand:

1) Your book will be published. There's no review or submission process that you'll fail. You're responsible for quality control, no one is going to tell you your book is not good enough for sale. You edit, you upload and, suddenly, your book is for sale.

2) No one has to buy your book. This is the case in traditional publishing as well, but when you self publish, you could get no sales. 0. That happens a lot, actually.

I'm pretty proud to say that thanks to you, our readers, we sold some copies. We actually sold quite a few copies AND we're continuing to sell copies every day. Sarah did some marketing pizzazz, which is an understatement of her mastery in the art of hawking books, but without people willing to put down real money for this book we wrote it doesn't matter how much marketing you do. I'm not going to say the reason we write is for money but when you put something up for sale, it's nice to have it sell.

During the launch week of The Captain of The Monte Cristo, we hit top 5000 books on Kindle. That's out of over 1.5 million books available. For a first story in a series and a first book by an unknown author, that's an achievement.

All I can do is say Thanks and to make the promise that we're not done with this yet; not by a long shot.

John!

Brave New World

Things are changing with my writing. Well, ONE thing is changing. I finished something. Ok, I'm lying. I worked on a project that was finished, my co-writer actually wrote the last chapter and typed in 'The End'. But At this point I'm considering that a technicality. 40,000 + words of completed work, 100% edited and slated to be published through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing on July 30, 2017. There's a paperback copy too. You can buy these things, if you want. Some people are even pre-ordering it! I can say people since there are two, that's plural!

I collaborated with the very talented Sarah Wilson and she is the only reason that this project got enough legs to take off. Check out her other series of books, my personal favorite is 'Fort Rewind' but her specialty is Young Adult fantasy. 

This is a pretty big first step for me as writer and while I have been paid for writing before, it's always been contract SOE descriptions. I once paid for Christmas by writing dozens of product descriptions for batteries. Ya, not really stuff that builds up the soul. This is the first creative project that I've put out there. And it is out there, getting reviews already and garnering attention. We've invested a ton of time, a moderate amount of cap ex and a whole lot of heart. Some people have even shown some interest. It's all very new and exciting and we really hope it takes off.

It is my sincere wish that this book is the start of something more for my writing career. I'm going to be posting more blog posts as this page gets linked with the book and hopefully I can gather a bit more traffic. Someday, perhaps, I'll be getting a proper domain and sorted out that way as well.

For now, here it is. I hope if you read it it entertains.

John, The Writer.

Postcard Series - Old Tigers

Had an idea for some post card fiction. Even I can finish postcard fiction :) Enjoy!

.:Old Tigers:.

Edgar awoke with an ache. Old age and old injury had made sleeping a bitter thing; the hard ground did little to ease the way to rest. Dawn was an idea on the horizon; red and orange freckles only the barest of hints. It was only after Edgar stretched and groaned that he felt the stranger's eyes on him.

"Ah," he rolled free of his blanket and bared steel, knowing where to glare by instinct. "Who're you?"

"I, ah, should have known," the other man said, falling backward and landing on his bottom. "That this would be a bad way to introduce myself. Would you believe, I saw your fire? Wanted to see a friendly face?"

"Fire's been out for hours," Edgar grunted. "And I'm less than friendly."

"Right, yes, you're right. I may have followed you here, from town," the other man bumbled and rose carefully to his feet. "I mean, not that you wouldn't be friendly, if the circumstances were different."

Edgar sheathed his knife, "get away, I can see plainly I have little use for you."

"No no, but you do, I mean you might," the man rose shakily to his feet, hands out and moving slowly. "I'm a bard, you see, Samuel Sang I call myself. I'm compiling the stories of hunters, such as yourself. Heroes without legend I call you, protectors whose stories need to be made immortal."

Edgar chuckled deep in his throat, then bent to start his breakfast fire. "I've got no stories."

"Oh no, I beg to differ. You're littered with stories, see? See, look, that's a basilisk fang on the hilt of your knife. Rok feathers fletch your arrows and, if I'm not mistaken, there is something decidedly draconian about your shield over there. Each one, I'd wager, is a tale worthy of song."

Edgar grunted again, "you can tell all that, in the dark? Quite the eye."

Samuel puffed up his chest, "why yes, I've a good eye. I've studied, in books. Lots of books. But books will only teach so much, my old professor said, so here I am, out in the world!"

Edgar stood, his fire small and hot, and took a quick step towards the man, staring him close in the eye. "True enough. Did you read in your books that a basilisk, in it's death throes, is the most dangerous?" here Edgar touched a deep scar on his cheek. "That the spine on it's tail is best cut off well before you go in for the kill? Or a Rok can see you coming from their mountain perch, no matter how you plan your approach. You're best to let it grab you, and use a spear when it does."

Samuel swallowed hard. "No, I don't believe I've read that before."

"Or have you read how a pride of plains tigers will stalk it's prey for hours in the night but only attack at first light? They do not fear fire," Edgar said and bent to pick up his spear. he pushed Samuel towards the fire and stared out into the night, green eyes reflecting back.

"I..." then Samuel saw the eyes and the great beasts they were attached to, waiting low in the grass and he gave a little squeal, too surprised and choked to be a scream.

"No need for that," Edgar said, standing tall and unflinching. "It seems you may get a story after all."

Something Witty about Saddles

2017 hasn't started out with a bang. I won't rant, but between our project load at work going to about 100% and about 5 people leaving in a month, January and February were hellish months. Those that know my writing, I don't use that word lightly. Then near the end of March I broke my collar bone. Between not having time, not having energy and being physically incapable, writing hasn't been awesome lately.

Between this post and the last one, I had a great run with a story called 'the Call'. Basically its what happens when a bunch of people receive super powers from a phone call. Its first person and I had fun writing it, but it still needs an ending and the middle needs a lot of work. yet another limbo project.

I've started a joint project with this fine Canadian Author: https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-K.-L.-Wilson/e/B0064MSJRE/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Yup, that's an amazon page, she's making a go of it as an indie and making some headway. I meet her on wattpad and at some point in the near future you'll be able to buy something spawned from both of our brains. No hints yet but given my track record with space wizards and her track record with time travelling Nazis, I'm sure it'll be entertaining.

Part of my writing something here is in preparation for our launch, so there you go and here we are. Hopefully this thing I've dabbled in can build some momentum and kick my lazy butt into gear. The goal, my friends, is finished and published. I don't think we'll settle for less.

Oh, and this drops Friday: https://www.theclassiccrime.com/ go to your favorite music outlet and get some of THAT. the singles, so far,

John, a would be writer.

The Definition

I was thinking a little about the art of writing and really was wondering at what makes a writer a writer. It's not the ideas; everyone has ideas. Everyone likely even has one good idea that could be a best seller or block buster or whatever. Honestly, I think anyone's pet dog could write scripts for some of the block busters hitting the big screen lately. So what is it? What makes a writer a writer if not their ideas? I think it has to be the passion for the idea, the driving need to see the idea through to completion, to believe that the idea is something worth sharing and sticking with until it's whole and polished. That's the part that makes writing work. But it's the passion that makes it worthwhile work.


I believe that's what makes a writer a writer.


John, a writer in the making.

Courage

The more of life that I experience, the more I value courage. I don't mean fire fighter type courage, or the kind of courage it takes for a soldier to take up arms in the defence of his countrymen, although I do not want to belittle that courage either! I'm talking about the kinds of courage that make us do things we're not used to, to take risks in faith and actively receive the gifts that God gives us. I fully believe that God works in our lives, providing opportunities and ways for us to improve. The catch is that we need to have the courage to say 'this IS a gift from God, and although I think there could be problems, I don't see the bigger picture. He does and I need to trust that this is what I must do.' Courage, I think, is faith put into action; the best kind of faith.

I would be remiss without quoting C.S. Lewis: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. ”

I think that sums it up quite nicely.

I don't usually include testimony, but I truly believe that so far 2015 has seen a bounty of gifts and these things deserve praise and exclamation. There is some significant work that needs to be done on our ageing house and I was having trouble figuring out how to pay for it all. The solution arose that we could use equity in our home when we renewed our mortgage. The timing was perfect as our mortgage was due for renewal; we wouldn't suffer any penalties for renewing early. This catch: our payments would increase, no small thing when our budget was tight to begin with. But we went with it, saying 'things will work out'.

Almost out of the blue I was offered a different job (I'd given the company a resume four months previous and had forgotten about it) with a large pay increase, more than covering the extra costs of the new mortgage. It's a great opportunity, a great company and a great place to advance my career. the Catch: it's way across town far from bus stops and we would have to find another car. I took the job saying 'things will work out.'

I found an excellent car last night, a 2008 VW with extremely low KM; it's almost new and so long as the financing comes through, we will probably buy it. The payments are within what I think we can afford and there will probably be a 90 day no payment option that we can take advantage of, just enough time for me to get past my probation period with the new job.

I'm very excited to see what is in store for us next, I can't believe that this is the end of our blessings and all I really want is the courage to take these gifts given us and make good use of them. I realize I'm posting this in a public forum, and that it might be seen as less than helpful in terms of advice, so I will leave with what I think I have learned.

Do not be wary of gifts. Do not be wary or cynical. If it appears to be good and wholesome, it is an opportunity heaven sent. Do not find the small faults that might lead to excuses, these gifts ARE free, even if they don't look like it now, God will not present you with an opportunity only to withdraw all support later to see you fail, He wants you to succeed. That our mortal comprehension can't see past the now shouldn't let us influence the decision in the least. Be courageous, be bold and live the life God desires for you. Receive His gifts in confidence, knowing that his bounty will continue and that success is all but assured if you should only accept.

John, The Writer.

Mockingjay: How to properly preform a revolution or revolt.

I saw the latest hunger games this past weekend. We'd watched the first two and I had been really impressed with Catching Fire. Great plot, great characters and you could really see how the whole series of events was designed to make Katniss into a 'hero'. Mockingjay: Part 1 continued with a lot of the good character development that we'd come to expect and plot wise it did several other things really well. I really liked how Katniss wasn't forced into being a soldier; just because she survived the games doesn't really qualify her for real combat, she has no experience on a battlefield. I'm sure in the last of the series, that will change but such is life and Hollywood.

What bothered me most was the way the common men and women went about revolting. In both cases the emphasis was on sacrifice instead of a tactical goal and preserving life. While sacrifice is both noble and inspiring on screen, it doesn't make sense in warfare when simple alternatives present themselves. While I can understand that these are simple people, it makes perfect sense for District 13 to have agents planted to help organize efforts. And to supply them. The Dam sabotage scene is a great example.

Let's say that the bombs make sense since they need explosives for their work. Let's say District 13 is taking a hands off approach to helping. Let's just assume that. The people came in mass because they knew most of them would be human shields that wouldn't make it out of there alive. I have no idea what kinds of firearms those white mask guys are packing, but the bullets seemed to be stopped by a human body. Now if it were me and I had an ounce of self preservation, I'd have rigged up some kind of shield, medieval siege engine style. I think that makes sense, right? Stop half those bullets and save a ton of lives. Now if District 13 had supplied them with even small amounts of fire power, then everyone's getting out alive, right? I mean, those poor guys walked pretty much right up to the spillways in the fog before anyone said boo. Rockets launched from under cover would have done pretty much the same thing as their bombs in a box. I saw the District 13 weapons depot, those guys HAVE rockets.

Anyway, it was a very dramatic scene. People dying for their freedom etc, but I couldn't help but wonder if properly led why the Capitol wouldn't have fallen years ago when they seem to be falling now to a bunch of ticked off peasants with death wishes.

Closing the Year, Looking Back, Peering Forward

I sat down to write stories, but found that the words wouldn't come. So I figured I'd add to my blog as I listen to a Podcast of a Warhammer 40K match. I think my geek cred is safe :) As far as writing goes, 2014 was an interesting mixed bag. More interaction with writing communities through scribophile and wattpad and some relationships made there, although less volume of writing was produced. Mirror Mirror kind of stalled shortly after summer which is unfortunate as it had gained a decent following on wattpad. Mynfield Mysteries was tinkered with, but nothing significant progressed. The only notable writing I've done recently is paid work through textbroker, which was a nice infusion of income when we're living paycheck to paycheck for no apparent reason. I've also struck up a relationship with a professional UK editor, which was had some mutual benefit.


Looking forward to 2015, I have two goals. One short story for the March submission deadline of the Canadian Writers Guild Annual Short Prose competition (http://www.writersunion.ca/short-prose-competition) I've started work on a short story I'm tentatively calling 'Insomnia' about a man(being?) who deals in sleep as a commodity. The second goal I'm setting for myself is to finish a novella in the same world as the 'Angel Home' series. I need a good ending before I start anything and my intent is to develop the setting of the Angel Home world in preparation for a larger piece. If I can complete these two goals, I'll start looking at some of the other projects that have fallen to the wayside; Mirror Mirror and Mynfield rising to the surface as projects with the most work done on them to date, Angel Home coming in after as most complete idea.


2015 should be interesting. Unfortunately other constraints on my time, most of them because of stressed financials, are making it so I ether have less time to write or less energy to write. I'll continue my technical and product writing for textbroker, as it's a decent source of income although rarely could be considered creative work. I often wonder if I could work on my craft for a year if that could see any marked improvements or rise in quantity. I'm not sure. I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to find out either.


Happy new year to all and best wishes as time lumbers on,


John the Writer

Appearances

I think I always feel like since very few people read this blog (if any?) that I don't really care if it falls out of date. I should care, and I should update it more if only to make sure that anyone who does care gets what they came for. You know, appearances.

Current Projects : Mynfield Mysteries: Story Boarding, Mirror Mirror editing, Saara's Avengers Fanfict: writing. Seems like enough, right? I'm keeping busy :) Between school and work and life (and video games) writing is taking a bit of a back seat. Though I am trying www.wattpad.com a bit to see if I can get some fans or a following. Not putting Mynfield up there as I'd like to submit it at some point. Some odds and ends YA stuff though, that seems well received at least.

You can read them here : http://www.wattpad.com/user/JohnGunningham

For now, thats it. Just a little something for appearances.

John.

Took alot of Cold Hard Want to get what I got...

I was looking for a book to read about a week ago and picked James Frey's 'How to Write a Damn Good Mystery' off my book shelf. I friend had given it to me quite a few Christmas's ago and I never really read it. Likely because I figured I knew everything already. Hah. HAHAHAHAHA... hrm. I don't. No, oh my no.

James has some really, really good points on creating a story written by your characters. He stresses really good character development to the point that when situations arise you can ask the question 'what would this character do in this situation?' and you can answer yourself clearly. He also stresses making sure that there are lots of characters in opposition to each other. This ensures a couple things: first your plot will make sense, since characters are doing what makes sense for them to do. Secondly your plot will have conflict and excitement and action since you have carefully set up characters that will be naturally opposed to each other.

Simple stuff right? It is, really, but man... basics. I've never been formally taught in creative writing, unfortunately, and maybe that's part of why I struggle so much with getting projects finished. Frey also stresses step sheets and planning out your whole novel start to finish before writing. Thats including parts that are happening 'behind the scenes' and things that the reader sees and are actually written. All these events are brought back to the question of what would your characters be doing at any given time. That way the story has a fluidity and things are moving of their own accord as characters go about their lives perscribed by you, the writer.

Using this process a little more and getting some more planning done before hand so that Mynfield Mysteries has some direction seems to be helping. Just starting chapter six and the first five chapters seem to jive with each other and the larger story. I'm calling it act one for now as I jump from the wilderness to Arconis between chap 5 and six, we'll see how it works out in the end.

Anyway, just posting in order to post something.

Another note, www.radiou.com is just a fantasitc online radio station and House of Heroes new cd 'COLD HARD WANT' is simply amazing. They have the whole deal up on youtube, you can check the official links here : http://www.coldhardwant.com/

John, the writer.

The Process...

I've read a lot of hints and tricks to writing over the years. Above all I feel that several elements of story done well can carry a story. I'm feeling that way about 'Name of the Wind' right now. He has a good world, is an excellent story teller and knows how to weave an entertaining series of events. Somehow his story at times lacks what I feel is the right atmosphere, but it doesn't matter, really. The story is firm and engaging. I'm having trouble putting it down.

The more I write the more I realize that the details are things you learn and the guts, the main things you're writing you have to win. I used to write to my '2 of 4' rule: have at least 2 of the following 4 things in each chapter; action, a question, an answer or information. I've discovered now that this doesn't really work as it doesn't inheritally promote flow and pacing. With any entertainment media, I've begun to think of pacing as king (I've likely mentioned this before). Pacing requires a continuity of events and relationships between characters. To this end I've adopted the simpler model of Reaction and Action. If all events (actions, dialogue etc etc) are either actions or reactions, then by default you're bound to create chains. Chains have flow. So long as every action produces a reaction and the chains are designed to grow, a certain pacing is established that can be maintained relatively easily as long you don't have errant links.

Anyway, I thought I'd post this to keep something up here. It's a good trick for anyone having trouble piecing plot together.

On another note; Avengers. I'd just like to say that all special effects and big names aside, pretty well made movie. An interview with Joss gave an interesting insight; he wanted to have each character have equal time in the spotlight, something I think they did really well considering that all Avengers aren't created equal. Thor, Cap, Hulk and Iron man are kind of on their own level leaving Hawk Eye and Black widow behind. During the movie it felt that each Avenger had their uses, even if their strengths weren't on par. Except at the end. I really don't see how Black Widow and Hawk eye survived that last battle, even with their more extraordinary friends to bail them out. At any rate, that's nict picking. When the SHIELD aircraft carrier lifted off for the first time, I got goose bunps.

John, the Writer.

We all Fall Down

I've been listening to ForthAngel on repeat for the last few days. Their latest release "London Bridges" resonates. Check these lyrics: "I'm standing right here / Right here on the edge / of a beautiful life" and this gem "but we all fall down."

I think they got it. I think that there is the answer. We are all of us, each and every one on the edge of a beautiful life. Do we fall? Oh man yes. Bad stuff happens. Terrible stuff happens and it rips your heart out of your chest and you stand there watching the life ebb from you and you wonder how you can take another step for fear of greater disaster. THAT is life. It's a war of attrition meant to change us from who we were to who we're going to be. You choose who you will become. Sure we fall. Sometimes it's our fault, sometimes it's other people who push us and sometimes it's events completely out of our control. But always, ALWAYS we have the option to step into that beautiful life. Everyone falls, its how you get up that makes you who you are. Makes you think.

Life Lessons the Hard Way

I like this site : http://www.sfwa.org/  It always seems to be filled with realistic people as far as Science Fiction and Fantasy writers go. Since using wattpad hasn't garnered me any real attention, this article struck home as a good reflective piece of advice. It follows along the same path of that fatherly advice I received when I was young : Anything worth having is worth working for. The question the blogger asks is whether authors or would be authors should try to self publish. His answer is no, not unless you've been proven good enough to do so. The rejection letters and editing etc etc are a learning process that are part of a writer's trials. Yes there's fire. Yes there are tears. Yes you will be a better writer at the end of it. I guess each person needs to decide what they want out of the expierence and determine the amount of sweat and rejection they're willing to spend to get there.

School is nearly finished for the summer, I'm litterally days away from my last exam. I haven't written on Mynfield Mysteries for a while; it's been on hiatus until I can get school over with. I haven't not been writing, however. Years ago a friend and I worked on a game design document that was mothballed for a while. My brother recently got the idea to design some sort of tower defense game and was asking me for advice on how to go about it. His project prompted me to dust off 'Dungeon Mercenaries' and work on the design document. It's fun because it's easier than trying to write characters and story, kind of a break is as good as a rest. It might even turn into a story someday since game design, rpg game design specifically, is basically world building.

I have another post in Draft talking about my impressions of the newest movie crazy "The Hunger Games" and how it compares to other recent pop culture phenomena. I didn't post it because I'm not sure I've formed a complete opinion yet. I am facinated by something that can resonate with so many people. It speaks loudly that there is something missing in this culture that people are trying to find and that one place their search takes them is the theatre. They must think that they're finding what they're looking for, as insubstancial as it is, and are eager to escape to that world for a little while.

Hopefully more Mynfield Mysteries as time allows and soon!

John, The Writer.

Mynfield Mysteries - The Long Road Home

I'm proud of Mynfield Mysteries. It is my best work to date. Most of the plot is clear and the pacing is decent. The characters are the types of people that I've always wanted to read about. All of them are flawed, which I like. Characters in a story have to grow and, above all, they need to behave according to thie virtues and their vices. The growing, however, takes time. I'm hoping this story allows me the time to see them grow. Jonas is the Catalyst for this growth. He, himself, may not change much but I'm hoping he will effect change around him. That would be the theme, I think. One man acting can change the world simply by changing himself.

I've always envisioned Jonas as a Doctor Who type hero, but I know this isn't entirely true. Although not violent by nature, Jonas' mysterious past (so cliche, I know!) has been very difficult. His greatest trait is that he hasn't been utterly broken by this past, becoming strong because of it. He's already had to change and the reader doesn't get to see what he was before, but they have to know this man is better for it.

If Mynfield Mysteries has a theme, that is it.

I've posted the first chapter here:

http://www.wattpad.com/3597823-mynfield-mysteries-the-long-road-home

I hope it comes as an enjoyment.

John.

Pray for the Rain, May it Redeem Their Eyes

Putting in an effort to get something in this blog once or twice a month, even if it's just fortune cookie philosophy tempered with theology. I've been writing, but I think I'm going to expand my wattpad page instead of here. 14 views on Life Plus, no comments. I think I'll post some Mynfield Mysteries up there. I know it's different from alot of the popular stories that are front page right now, but at least it's a different style than Life Plus. More character and story and less dark at least, right now it's less dark. Brings to mind the question I've had before, if an artist creates with no audience... what is his motivation? To what end does he struggle? Maybe it's moot, but I still feel I need to get these stories out. They may consume me otherwise, flesh, bone and marrow.

I've been giving some thought about the casual state of morality in local society. I doubt it is any worse than in many other ages, but maybe it is. There isn't a metric for this, no gauge that can really be used to measure how defunct society has become at any given time. Generally, though, there is a moral defficency that I feel is getting worse, at least in the younger generations. Traditionally the church has been responsible for the moral fiber of a community, but is it an absense of 'church'? Air1's Brant Hansen has a great interview with author and researcher David Kinnamon about youth leaving the church here : http://soundcloud.com/air1radio/nsff-2-3-12-fin If this topic interests, I recommend listening. Within they discuss the church's relavancy in todays culture and, specifically, why young people are leaving the church.

I think it's more than an absense of religion (Christian or otherwise, almost all religion, afterall, is based on morality). I think it's an acceptance and even a tendancy to reward unethical behavior. Walking the halls of the University, I overhear a lot (I'm not nosey, just observant). Should a story of binge drinking leading to blacking out be accepted? Should a one night stand be rewarded with a fist bump? These are, unfortunately, as close as many people get to adventure these days and people are generally bored. It's everywhere because it's easy to do. There's a general acceptance that these things happens. It seems generally this is considered not excellent behavior but not exactly terrible. After all, who's being hurt? Unfortunately the answer is likely themselves; it's self destruction wether they see it as that or not. I could argue pretty successfully that any selfish behavior is ultimately self destructive. It cheapens the soul or if 'soul' is too heavy a word, it deadens ones sense of morality.

I don't have a close for these thoughts, which isn't fair. Problems should have solutions. I'll end with some bible that should be obvious but doesn't seem to sink into the minds of 'safe' men. Psalm 15:4 "Despise the Despicable". Hard words, but I think easy going is killing us all. Wisdom and courage are needed by those with concern.

I'll post some wattpad links later, cheer this place up a bit.

John, The Writer.

Marketing

I read through a bunch of my old blog entries the other day and decided that instead of waiting to have a story to post, I'd just write a little blip. Maybe add some links. Tragically this is just filler since no one reads this. The IDEA is one day someone will hear something and say "hey that John guy.. he's alright. I should google that guy!" and BAM! This blog pops up and there you go, at least someplace I have writing for people to read.

Apparently writing is more about marketing than writing unless your pen drips pure genius. For those of us with moderate genius, we need to spend as much time promoting as we do writing / reading to stay current on the craft. It brings to mind the old addage, "if a writer writes and no one reads it, does he actually exist?" Maybe not. Depends for the reason you're writing I guess. If it's personal than you could happily spend years writing a massive epic and upon completion, set the whole deal on fire. If a writer writes for basically ANY OTHER REASON then he wants someone to read what he's got.

I think the key to this is with any craft, it needs to be supported by a community. Thinking back, the last time I had something like that was when I was posting on elfwood (it still exists! I think my account still has material on it actually...) but that was ages and lifetimes ago. I know I've grown alot as a writer and hopefully as a person as well. Maybe it's time to start taking this writing thing a little more seriously. Maybe it's time to take this writing thing ALOT more seriosuly.

That means getting the name out. That means getting people interested. In a world where fan bases are whimsical and treacherous things, how? I have a plan. It's not even manical. I'm goi g to read and give honest comments. Wattpad is crazy active. Most of the comments I've posted thus far have resulted in replies within minutes of my posting. I blame iPhones. My story has as of yet no comments and four reads, each of them mine. I'll be posting something a little longer there soon. From what I've seen, people like things with chapters in them. I HAVE that. I have alot of that.

Signing off for now, will post with updates on this little marketting adventure pans out,

John, The Writer.

Winning and Losing.

I entered a contest here: http://www.writersunion.ca/cn_shortprose.asp and didn't place. The part of me that had dillussions of a winning entery springboarding my career as a writer is a little sad. But, as that plucky little frog says from the storks gullet "Never Give Up!" The problem, likely, is that I'm not good enough. I can fix that, I can get better!

I started a wattpad account and posted teh story there. I think that makes more sense than posting it here. For one, the formatting isn't completely nuked by blogger, whihch is a useful feature in a writing site. http://www.wattpad.com/3395374-life-plus?p=1 

I started reading a few science fiction pieces on wattpad and just have to say, to any writers that MIGHT come across this post: vulgar language does not immediantly make your story more mature and respectable. If anything, it shows a lack of expression that a writer can't get that specific mood set by any other means. I should ellaborate.

I see this in books, comics, movies, TV shows... every concievable creative media. There's a pattern, a formula that is used that, while works to a degree, is not always optimal. It's more than vulgar language, it's mature content in general. Sex is thrown into media to make a scene more exciting, it works because sex is exciting (reguardless of your opinions on the matter, it is) but it is often a crass use of it. A cheap trick to get cheap results. There are times when it's used expertly, read The Watchmen to see what I mean (don't settle for the movie, the original TPB lead-up, background and execution of this scene is superior to the silver screen rendition). Here it means something more than a cheap thrill. It means something because, to the characters, it is actually meaningful.

Vulgar language, when used for shock value, should be used sparcely. I can't say I'm a fan of crass words, but I understand their effect. to quote C.S. Lewis on the same type of subject "Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite." It's the boy that cried wolf syndrome, use something too much and your readers will become accostmed to it. Then, when you really want some shock value, it doesn't hit as hard since that same character cursed similarily wether their sports team missed a play or their wife has been kidnapped by terrorists. See what I mean?

In closing and on the same subject, I've seen movies and read books that built up more charge and more expectations, and therefor more satisfaction, from two characters kssing than from the steamiest sex scene. Think on that.

John.

 

The stamps are pasted, the envelope sealed tight and on it's way a week before the deadline. My entry for the Canadian Writer's Guild is away! The suspence! The mystery! I'm quite proud of my entry as it's actually one of the few stories I've been able to close (appart from my Piper Sorrow's shorts) This has no prospect of a sequal, it is a one shot, another soemthing that I rarely do. The premise is something that I fear may come to pass: as the world population increases, and as technology increases, a viable solution may be for those that can to retreat into a virtual world, effectively creating warehouses for bodies and decreasing the need for food as the body would need minimum substance to maintain health. In these virtual worlds, people coul have access to unimaginable and fantastic simulations... they could, potentially, have godlike powers within a fake world. How would that effect the human mind? Man was not made for godhood... I suggest it would not end well.

November is only days away now and my next project will be for NaNoWriMo. I skipped last year since I was working on Mynfield Mysteries, a story that has taught me a great deal about the epic. It will continue to teach me for years I imagine... but I see it as manageable and so will eventually finish it. This year, however, I see no reason not to stall Mynfield Mysteries for a month in order to put effort into another project : Mirror Mirror.

This concept was originally suggested to me by an aquaintance and I've toyed with the idea for quite a few years, going so far as working on it with an artist (for just a moment) to see if it was a viable comic idea. Time, anyones enemy, put teh project on hold. But man do I have notes, and ideas and scenes and characters and... well everything that one would normally dump into a story. I've got a good idea where I want the story to go and thanks to MM I've gotten better at making critical decisions that make plots move.

The premise is this : there is a world parallel to ours called Temple, and the inhabitants are created from elements of this world. Courage and valour birth heroes, villiany and malice spawn monsters. Enter the Lost Soul, a being that has been fated to be reencarnated in different beings until it was time to be brought forth once again into Temple. Until that time it would slumber, passive. Wishing to help fate along, the Librarians use a powerful artifact to awaken the Lost Soul early making the life of Dawn, the current vessel of the Lost Soul on earth, very difficult. Drawn into the world of Temple against her will, she must fight to find and save her friends while being hunted at every turn by those that wish different things of the Lost Soul, a power she doesn't understand.

I like the idea of prophesy and doing weird things with it. I'll post the prologue sometime November 1st, since I should be done it by then.

until then, Cheers!

John, the Writer.

I have a wonderful acquaitance who has led me to beleive in seasons. Not the literal seasons, but more the seasons of the soul, seasons of life. Literally it is Autumn in all it's dying blaze glory, trees lit like torches in the last furious days of heat before winter awakes to embrace us. I think life wise I am Autumn as well, preparing to weather the winter that is inevitable. This is where my writing is as well.

Mynfield Mysteries is continual, but with my additional course load this semester, progress has slowed. Who knew an English class would have so much writing and reading invovled. I'm nearly a quarter way through the first draft, with planning finished on significantly more. A little a day, it'll get done, but as always my goal of a 100,000 first draft by December will fall short.

I've, then, turned my goals to the slightly less ambitious. There is a short prose contest held annually by the Canadaian Writers Guild with the aim of flushing out those hidden writers among my countrymen. The bait : 2000 and consideration from several magazines. Their yearly catch is varied and skilled. I aim to be among their number this year. I already have a first draft; I'm not one for math but 2500 words sounds smaller than 100,000.

NaNo is coming speedily as well and I think I will attempt it. I have a fun idea. I'll post about it when I have more time.

sadly this post is largely just to keep this blog current. To those that care, I will attempt to post more frequently, as things come to head, so to speak.

Oh I hope they come to head.

John, The Writer.

Much has happened, and much continues to happen, though things seem to stay much the same. Curious, isn't it? Last night I was tired from life and all the things I WANT to do and all the things I'm REQUIRED to do through my assumed responsibilities and had the thought that the mundane was crushing the wonder in my life. Human beings, wether they know it or not, are wonder starved. So many amazing things surround and premeate our existance on this world that we're lost perspective on wonder itself.

This morning I was more rested, and while biking to work in the glory of a bright new day, I remembered that. Perspective is the only thing separating you from your personal wonder.

I digress.

I wanted to write here because I have not in a long while. It is now the 1st of June of the NEXT year to my last post. Not a full year absent, but half a year. This is what has happened with my writing.

The Prachette contest I missed, though intentionally and I have not given up. I realized teh first draft, or even a second or third revision of the story that was in my hands I was not happy with. I'm using bits of the original, parts and ideas, growing it into something that is actually mystery instead of an attempt at one. I'm trying something new, building the story in an outline first, and then editing the outline until the ideas themselves flow. I've always held that pacing is one of the most important aspects of story telling. Balance and speed. This process I think is helping me become more focused and allowing me to write this larger work without getting disorganized. Some writers, I know, just write. and then revise. and write more. I think I should not allow myself to do that, at least with these larger works.

I won't post here until I'm happy with how the story is unfolding, but I will post updates. By December 31st I hope to have a 100000+ word first draft. I think this is realistic for length of the story I'm hoping to tell. I'm happy with the new begining I've laid out, and I'm happy with the final scene that is in my outline, I'm only missing certain parts in between. I'm following the classic 'mystery' rules of suspects, red herrings and whatnot, though these things I don't have much practice with. It's a learning expierence, to say the least. One that I'll share here, to any and all who care.

John.