Lovecraft Film Fest 2013

Artist: Jason Bradley Thompson

With a  short story ("Dagon and Jill") anchoring The Cthulhu Mythos Megapack, I feel sufficiently drenched in things Lovecraft to promote an upcoming celebration. Billed as "The Only Festival That Understands," this salute to horror author H.P. Lovecraft happens  here in Los Angeles September 27 - 29 at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.  You'll see long films, short films, as well as hear artists and authors inspired by the Lovecraft canon. And, of course, there's plenty of Lovecraft swag.

Festival organizer Aaron Vanek exceeded his Kickstarter goals and, in the process, made a nifty little film that gives a rundown on the events and places that Lovecraft Lovers will be seeing in ten days.

So barring madness or a mysterious disappearance, you've no reason not to fire up your Model T, load your revolver, practice a few protective spells, and creep on over to the 2013 H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon. (Or, if you're Mr. Busy Schedule like me, you can even stream portions of the festival. Isn't that sort of like having a vision?)

Animaniacs Turns Twenty

In September, there are dark memories and light memories. Today falls on the incandescent side as Animaniacs premiered on Fox back in 1993. (As did the X-Files and The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Which of those two became a big hit, I wonder?) That same premier week, I believe, there was a huge party celebrating the event on the Warner Bros. lot. Steven Spielberg showed up. Free drinks were available in plastic cups. Then time passed and the show disappeared from the air, but stayed alive thanks to fans and the wonder of YouTube. Now the Warner siblings may be seen in reruns on the Hub.

Happy 20th, Animaniacs, and a shout out to all those who worked on the program.

I'm in the foreground right, across from Tom Ruegger and next to Paul Rugg.

And, especially, a water-tower sized 'thank you' to all the fans who persevered and kept the memory fresh. You rawwwwk! We close now with the Animaniacs Suite.

h/t: TammieRD

Remembering September 11, 2001

K called from Florida, "Planes crashed into the World Trade Center and one of the towers just fell." Unemployed in Los Angeles and half asleep at 7:30 AM, I shuffled downstairs to the TV, past Joy as she prepared for work. At first, all I saw was a dirty cloud obscuring southern Manhattan. Then a stunned announcer said the second tower had just collapsed. Joy joined me, work forgotten as we learned of the attack.

Other friends phoned throughout the day. Paul Rugg speculated about the pilots of the doomed aircraft, certain they weren't Americans forced to crash. TJ, a Vietnam vet, was incensed at the footage of jubilant Palestinians with their candy and AK-47s. He wished he could gift them with a nice buttering of napalm. In a grim mood, I agreed.

Watching TV and power-chewing Nicorette, I mostly felt numb — except when the subject was jumpers. Then I felt horror. Go to work, sip coffee, joke with your pals, then decide whether you'll suffocate, burn alive, or leap a quarter mile to certain death. Questions of etiquette arise: jump solo or hold hands with a co-worker? Perhaps several of you link arms and form a chain, finding courage in numbers. Or do you clutch a table cloth and step into the air, desperately hoping it slows your fall?



The journey takes ten seconds.


Air velocity rips away your shoes.


You explode on impact.


I will always be haunted by the jumpers of 9/11.


Oceans of paper were blasted from the towers, filling the New York sky like the Devil's ticker tape. Invoices and wedding invitations floated down to gray sidewalks.

My friend Cathy, who worked in D.C., reported chaos as the government sent everyone home at once following the Pentagon attack. One jammed intersection turned scary as a man leaped out of an SUV brandishing a pistol and attempting to direct traffic.

Being murdered is not a heroic act, though it can be. Flight 93 passengers fought back and died, saving many more in their sacrifice. North Tower Port Authority employees rescued over 70 people before perishing.


There were many heroes that day.

My sister Mary Pat and I had dinner at a coffee shop. She was passing through town, leaving a job in Mountain View, CA to return to Phoenix. Depressed by the day's events, our meal was not jolly.

Later, Joy tried to give blood, but the hospital was overwhelmed with donations and refused.

Vulnerability, grief, dismay, anger.

Such a beautiful morning with a sky so blue.

(Photos from: Little Green Footballs.)

Repost: Sept. 11, 2008

Update: Strange to reread this. TJ died in 2009 and K passed away just over a year ago. My wife, Joy, and I are doing well, as is Paul Rugg who now rides the train. 

Ink and Alchemy Page Promotes Artists

Emilia Elfe

Who couldn't use a little promo?

On Facebook, the goal of artist Robin Kalinich's Ink and Alchemy is to "encourage, inspire, and transform via networking and social media. I support and promote the work of artists from all over the globe because I believe that a rising tide floats all boats."

And while Ink and Alchemy aims at fine art, More Ink caters to poets and writers of most things written.

When the next rejection notice arrives, go relax among your peers in a place where your efforts are appreciated. You deserve it, artist!

Gothic Wallpaper

wall.alphacoders.com

As I'm writing a horror novel, a suitably dark and macabre image seemed fitting this morning.

Star Trek Reacts to Miley Cyrus

Friend Ken alerted me to the fate of the crew of the Federation starship Enterprise upon viewing the feral gyrations of Miley Cyrus at the MTV Music Awards.


h/t: Aries Head Films 

eBook Novel Writing Update

Novel Writer at Work

Chocked full of metrics, this update celebrated the completion of draft one. At that time I was still aiming for a publication date of August 31.

Then on August 14, I guest posed over at Rachael Rippon's Caravan Girl. There I stated:

"As I prepared to start the second draft, I realized that I wouldn’t meet my initial deadline of August 31. I need time to finish the second draft and let the beta readers do their job while I focus on publishing and marketing. However, I’m certain I’ll upload by September 15. And the organization and metrics I’ve gathered will help me shape the time and focus on what’s important."

September 15 will come and go without seeing my eBook uploaded. Please close your wallets and stow the credit cards. Right now, I'm thinking October 15. But mostly I'm thinking of why I've never completed a novel up to this point: it's a lot of hard work. From a forty page long short story, I've expanded this particular tale to around a 200 page short novel. Characters cry out for more attention, back story, dialogue. Scenes rushed through to reach other scenes must be given their moments. It's easier to nap, read history books, or watch The First 48 than it is for me to craft a novel.

Not that I don't have fun writing. I've been doing it professionally for many years. But there are moments of doubt and hating my own work that lead me to tossing the whole thing into the Tartarus of slain books and starting again on something new. (Oh, the crafty witch called "something new.")

Today I'm on Chapter Five of the second draft and in motion. A third draft may be necessary to make the piece presentable to my beta buddies.

But I'm determined to complete this horror story and see it up on Amazon in time for Halloween.  

Image: Independent Voters of America

Lovecraft, Madness, and Lost Notes

en.wikipedia.org

My cousin James spotted a fascinating Slate article on recently discovered handwritten notes from H.P. Apparently Howard Phillips Lovecraft was living on the edge and used the back of an envelope to catalog thoughts for his 1936 novella, "At The Mountains of Madness."

See the scribbled musings of the master over at Slate's The Vault.

Writing Techniques of Famous Writers

How Hunter S. Thompson crafted his colorful prose is absent.

Interesting to discover how successful writers rolled out the words. Some literally banged them out on a typewriter, while others wrote long-hand. Still others stood or sat or wrote in chaos or skipped lunches with other famous people while they worked.

Here's a quote from Hemingway I liked:

"You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again."

I've also found it helpful to leave a little in the tank. My problem is leaving too much in the tank and veering off to other projects. Then I can't find my juice, though it's usually in a large sippie cup.

Read the rest of Maria Popova's article over at brain pickings. 

Image: junglemagazine.com

Rare Peter Hastings, Norm Abram, Freakazoid Photo

From right to left: Peter Hastings, Norm Abram,  Paul Rugg.
Above: John P. McCann (JP Mac) and Jean MacCurdy.

Peter Hastings, Norm Abram and Freakazoid walked into a restaurant . . . and that was it. They had no reservations and were asked to leave, later attending a play on the history of whistling.   

Back in 1996, when a free 90 hours of AOL came with everything you bought, the five of us had dinner at the Huntington Hartford in Pasadena. 

Norm, Paul and Peter were into carpentry. Norm is a master craftsman. But you should know that Paul Rugg and Peter Hastings are immensely practical men, capable of handling the lion's share of household tasks. Should the world again face extinction by water, Paul and Peter could construct very serviceable arks. I would try and avoid drowning by complaining to God about all the people who are worse than me. And Jean would be flying Virgin Atlantic, First Class.

From that dinner, as  Freakazoid! fans might know, came the wonder of Normadeus.

Originally posted as Wood You Look at That?

 (Props to Peter Hastings for locating this snapshot in his voluminous photo archives.)

Rita and Runt Remembered

In collaboration with Max Demski (aka King Yakko), Keeper1st has crafted a player-piano arrangement of "Let's Try for Two" from an Animaniacs' Season One episode entitled,  Phranken-Runt.

Directed by Mike Gerard, the story follows Rita (voiced by Bernadette Peters) and Runt (Frank Welker) as they seek shelter from a storm in the castle of a mad lady scientist (Adrienne Alexander) who is in desperate need of a dog brain.

 

Animaniacs "Phranken-Runt" Recollections

 In addition to the lyrics, this is one of the few episodes where I wrote music. "Rocky Horror" was clearly a musical influence, but that was the extent of it. We weren't trying to slip anything past the censors. Compared to later censors, ours were generally so indulgent that duping them would've reflected badly on us.

I used a cheap little keyboard I had in my office at Warners. Richard Stone accepted my barbaric scratch track and worked his noteworthy magic.

I crafted a couple of Rita and Runt episodes but never met Bernadette Peters. Andrea Romano would always record her over the phone or via balloon or some such old school thing. But I surely enjoyed her singing.

Tom Ruegger came up with the idea of having the rat, Mr. Squeak, constantly slipping on an over waxed floor.

UPDATE: Another influence was Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

UPDATE: On Facebook Ron O'Dell wrote: "Max made the arrangement. I just arranged to get it to play on a real instrument, recorded it and made the video."

Here is the episode, courtesy of BloodyWellDone.

Seven Pitch Meeting Taboos

Executives at Nickelodeon after Higgins Benzine and I pitched Sea Dentist.

If you're in the aTV animation field, or aspire to be, than pitching original series ideas is a bread-and-butter task. Abundant resources are available to tell you how to nail it. But few take the time to guide you around the rocks and shoals of artless questions often asked in haste and regretted in leisure. Here are a few no-nos culled from novices and veterans alike.

(Originally posted Dec, 2011, I again present my thoughts on seven key sentences that can lead to an EBT card.)

1. Why doesn't this studio ever buy anything I bring in here?
In the animation world, ask and you shall not receive.

2. How many dim bulbs get to make notes on the scripts?
This query ensures you won't remain around long enough to count them.

3. My agent says you have fecal incontinence.
Possibly so, but a seasoned animation veteran leaves medical issues for a more relaxed time.

4. Pilots are for timid losers. People with nuts go directly to 65 half hours.
Brashness can lead to ample free time.

5. I worked hard on this pitch and all you do is smile and nod like a dog hanging out a car window.
Pithy observations are best shared with peers and not animation executives.

6. Hey, this office has a killer view. I can see the car I'm living in!
Sadly, economic prejudice is alive and well in Hollywood.

7. When I worked here before, I would lock my office door and inflate a plastic woman.
This sort of provocative anecdote demands a strong response such as 'be silent and go away now.'

Image:  corcodilos.com

5. I worked hard on this pitch and all you do is smile and nod like a dog hanging out a car window.
Pithy observations are best shared with peers and not animation executives. - See more at: http://writeenough.blogspot.com/2011/12/seven-things-not-to-say-in-pitch.html#sthash.lfofHHzI.dpuf

5. I worked hard on this pitch and all you do is smile and nod like a dog hanging out a car window.
Pithy observations are best shared with peers and not animation executives. - See more at: http://writeenough.blogspot.com/2011/12/seven-things-not-to-say-in-pitch.html#sthash.lfofHHzI.dpuf

5. I worked hard on this pitch and all you do is smile and nod like a dog hanging out a car window.
Pithy observations are best shared with peers and not animation executives. - See more at: http://writeenough.blogspot.com/2011/12/seven-things-not-to-say-in-pitch.html#sthash.lfofHHzI.dpuf

io9 and James Rollins Teach Scifi Exposition Tips

"Here's where you'll live, kids. You did bring a lifetime supply of water? Yes?
Gabby, gabby, talk-talk all trip and now you've nothing to say."

 A problem I'm facing now is how to tease out information without using the dreaded exposition avalanche. Sci-Fi author James Rollins lists a few tips, plus many techniques and tools to smarten up your science fiction—or, in my case, horror—tale so that it shines like the accretion of hydrogen on the surface of a white dwarf star igniting into nova.

On the topic of clunky exposition, Rollins writes:

"The bane to all fiction, no matter the genre, is called “info-dumping.” Whether it’s trying to fill in a character’s backstory or explaining the science behind quantum physics, never stop your story to lecture or teach. So how do you get that necessary information into the book without bringing your story to a grinding halt?

 By remembering the adage: story = conflict. Information should be revealed to the readers through a variety of techniques: shared through an argument between characters, or perhaps teased out within the scope of an action scene, or left unresolved as a tool of suspense. Use that spoonful of sugar to help that medicine go down. And it works. After I wrote my novel Black Order, I received a flurry of emails stating “I never understood quantum mechanics until I read those three pages in your book.'"

Read more over at io9.

Image: mst3

So long, Elmore Leonard

www.theguardian.com

Not long ago, I posted his ten rules for writers. And now he's gone like the cash from a mark's wallet. There's a lengthy article on Elmore Leonard from 2008 that says, in part:

"He has helped shape an entire body of literature and cinema. He has become, in these later years, an iconic cultural reference point: Any quirky violent crime story with punchy dialogue is Dutchesque. When the new version of the video game Grand Theft Auto came out recently, the New York Times said its street patois could "rival Elmore Leonard's." "Pulp Fiction" is the best Elmore Leonard film not written by Elmore Leonard; director Quentin Tarantino acknowledged a "big debt" to him when the film came out. The New Yorker reviewed the Oscar-winning "No Country for Old Men," and said, "If I want wry lawmen and smart, calculating fugitives, I'll get them from Elmore Leonard." (His own books have been turned into films since God was a baby: "Get Shorty," "Jackie Brown," "Out of Sight," "3:10 to Yuma," "Hombre," "Mr. Majestyk.")"

Read the rest at the Washington Post.

Comic Carolla Cracks Crowd-Source Million

fox5sandiego.com

Raising money for another movie, former Acme Comedy comrade Adam Carolla has hauled in a sweet 1.36 million to be exact. According to entertainment media:

"Adam Carolla, who launched his entertainment career as a stand-up comic, has raised $1.36 million via a crowdfunding campaign for a feature film set in the world of comedy clubs.

Carolla, who is using Donald Trump’s Fund Anything site, will write, direct and star in “Road Hard” with plans to begin shooting in December. Story will center on a former standup-turned-sitcom-star who is forced to return to the road after a divorce and the cancellation of his show.

Carolla told Variety that Illeana Douglas, Larry Miller and Phil Rosenthal have been cast and that a host of stand-ups will appear in the film. Kevin Hench, who co-wrote Carolla’s “The Hammer,” will be co-directing and co-writing.

Carolla’s movie campaign reached its $1 million dollar goal in less than 30 days and had hit $1.36 million as of 6 p.m. PDT Monday, the final day of the campaign."

Read the rest at Variety. 

Read Rachael Rippon's Horror Tale 'The Bagman'

Who the deuce is the Bagman? Is giving a teenage girl seven wishes to be used in seven days really a smart idea? Learn why you should watch what you wish for and pay less than a dollar for the info over at Amazon.
 NOTE: Rachael Rippon was kind enough to ask me to guest post on her blog Caravan Girl. In turn, I have promoted her book of my own free will. In addition, I have used the occasion to again plug my post on organizing for writers. Thus, in small ways, does one scribe freely help another in this vast Web of ours. Or we're backscratching. Either way, it works.

Caravan Girl: Organizing for eBook Writers

 My prose organizational musings on Rachael Rippon's blog.

Caravan Girl: Guest Post: Organizing for Writers: Perhaps, like me, organization does not come naturally. And perhaps, like me, you need a kick in the pants on occasion. Even better, perhap...

Tom Ruegger Explains 7D Writing Process

The Big Board at 7D.

Step behind the scenes of an animated TV series over at Cartoonatics.  Learn the subtle interactions that go into crafting a new series for Disney. Complete with illustrations including jazz hands! For example, did you know that attracting good animation writers proceeds thusly:

"Step One To create stories for "The 7D," assemble a team of top-notch animation writers.  Since your budget is limited, offer these writers relatively low salaries but throw in attractive perqs like free bowls of breakfast cereal and unlimited elevator rides to and from the workplace lobby."

More at Cartoonatics.  
 (Image: people.clarkson.edu)

Splatterpunk Microfiction 'Death Honk' Descends on Wattpad

www.fordesigner.com

A neo-noir microfiction morsel. Enjoy a gritty splatterpunk tale of desperation, moral confusion and clown-bear clashes out in the California desert—and all under a 1,000 words.

Death Honk - Page 1 - Wattpad

Angeles Crest 100 Race Report

Ultra marathoner and fellow TNT coach Kiley Akers set out once again to run 100 miles in the San Gabriel Mountains while raising money to fight blood cancers. Check out his heroic exploits.

www.foothillflyers.org

eBook First Draft Finished

writerswin.com

On Monday. That wasn't so bad. In 100 hours over the course of 15 days I wrote 41,862 words. Not all of them stellar, but genuine English words nevertheless. My labors resulted in 170 pages averaging 2,790 words a day with an hourly average of 418. Vital metrics in planning future works.

This week  has passed assembling more research and interviewing people with nautical experience as the shank of my novella takes place aboard a small boat. Researching as much as I can in advance maximizes my interview time and allows me to ask more salient questions.

Next week will see the second draft commenced, followed by Beta reads. While I'm waiting for feedback, it'll be time to finalize cover art, read all 19 pages of the Kindle Direct Publishing contract, and line up reviewers as well as hone my marketing plan.

I am stoked to self-publish. 

Tom Ruegger and 7D Roll Along

New looks for old dwarves. (Animation Magazine)

Over at Cartoonatics, Tom Ruegger displays voice cast and crew photos from the upcoming Disney Junior animated TV series 7D. A fresh take on the old Seven Dwarves of Snow White fame, the show's crew could easily be mistaken for an Animaniacs reunion. Dare I say, they have baloney in their mine.

i09 Presents Scifi Fiction Worldbuilding Don'ts

coolvibe.com

Before you write a great scene with a flying car, Charlie Jane Ander has a few suggestions on how not to craft a futuristic and/or fantasy realm. Hat tip to author Roger Eschbacher who has cobbled together a few worlds of his own.

Radio's Art Bell Back on Sirius in September

Let lovers of remote viewing, alien invasion, creepy federal science projects, and satanic false flag operations celebrate the return of the Master. LA radio in the 90s rocked. Early in the evening there were hours of improvisational gold with Phil Hendrie. However if you were up late or driving home from a party, you could feast upon the sublime genius of Art Bell. In the era of the X-Files, Bell talked all things spooky, paranormal, futuristic, and techie. Callers were divided into two camps: those west of the Rockies and those east of those majestic peaks. Guests ranged from defrocked priests discussing devils in the Vatican to individuals claiming to be from beyond our solar system. Bell's secret was to never openly call anyone a nut.

Say a guest claimed he belonged to a top secret government agency that was able to raise the dead and learn secrets lost to time. Bell would encourage the man with phrases such as, "If what you say is true, that's astounding." That's a line finer than the one crossed by Wallenda over the Grand Canyon. But Art Bell walked it with confidence and style.

I'm glad he's back. Radio just upped its game. And I can't wait to discover what's hot and what's not in the paranormal community.

Update: If you have ten minutes, listen to Art Bell's interview with the antichrist. Art carries this guy. He really keeps the call alive.

h/t: JJPerks

37 Days to Publication #1

This man is a worry eater whom I've hired to devour my doubts.

Since Monday of this week I have written:

A. 17, 073 words.

B. 83 pages.

C. In 50 hours.

This still puts me only about halfway home on Draft 1 of my horror novella. I ran all those marathons back in the day and now the discipline stands me in good stead.

But first drafts are the worst for me and I fear if I do not push, push, push then I'll never finish. My office is a graveyard of books that never made it past draft one. I enjoy rewrites but this is the Dark Night of the Writing Soul.
(Image: thejoyfulorganizer.com)

Paul Rugg's Moving Experience

Paul's view from the train to Los Angeles.

 At his blog, Paul Rugg describes seaside living, bear baiting, and other nuggets of note.

H.P. Lovecraft Mythos eBook Impresses Goodreaders

  When it comes to Lovecraft, nothing says madness like the Megapack. Filled with old school H.P. classics such as "The Dunwich Horror" plus homages like my own "Dagon and Jill," this collection of mythos tales is enough to knock your world spinning into another dimension. (Assuming you'd like that.) See what the Goodreads folk write about this Lovecraftian bonanza.

51 Days to Publication #1 and Heroboy

Time evaporates like water on the devil's head. I write, research, sleep, write, eat Cheetos and watch old movies. Will I publish three books on Amazon in 2013? Below are my thoughts on success. h/t: UnManuel

Old School Sci Fi Cinema Lives!

Go trucking with The Colossal Beast.

If it's a strange movie, involves monsters, motorcycles, chicks running wild; was released by American International Pictures or all of the above it's probably on Psychotronic 16. Stop by for a dose of unheady cinema, LSD educational films, and trailers from the days of yore.

Mythos Safety Matters

www.wallpapername.com

Vital that pedestrians heed clearly posted signs. An unseen mythos menace can often engulf the unwary citizen out for a summer evening stroll.

Heinlein's Five Rules for Writing

Science fiction ace Robert Heinlein composed these aids to crafting the written word  back in 1947:

1. You must write.
2. You must finish what you start.
3. You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.
4. You must put it on the market.
5. You must keep it on the market until sold.”

Then he added: “The above five rules really have more to do with how to write fiction than anything said above them. But they are amazingly hard to follow — which is why there are so few professional writers and so many aspirants, and which is why I am not afraid to give away the racket!” More on the subject here.

Publishing Update

www.authormedia.com

Insomnia pays! Couldn't sleep early this morning so instead of gnashing my teeth—which hurts—I got up and started writing. Dashed out almost two thousand words on eBook number one before heading to the gym.

So here's the update. I have rough outlines on three full-length novels. But I realize now I might only get one up on Amazon Kindle Direct by my deadline. I want three. So I'm parking all three books and devoting my efforts to expanding and publishing a long short story, Bane Fish. (First fiction work I ever sold.) That'll be book one.

The second book will be a collection of unpublished long and short stories that fall into the category of dark urban fantasy.

The third book will consist of my jury duty tale plus an expanded version of my 2002 trip to Vietnam in search of a battlefield.

Most of the material is already present in some form. (I always find it easier to rewrite than to write.) So I'm moving, typing, slugging down the joe.

This is going to happen! Will they make any money? Can't say, but they will be published!

The IndieTribe

The IndieTribe

Charlie Bray's website seems stuffed with interesting news, promotions and tips for the self-published scribe. Writer blogs are promoted and there's a log line competition where winners receive free book publicity. Learn about gratis downloads and much more.

My Story in a Lovecraft Rich eBook

Just a reminder to Lovecraft lovers and others that for under a buck you can read old school and new school H.P. all in one handy eBook. My very own "Dagon and Jill" warps up a horror bonanza of mythos-centered tales. (And if you were pleased with your purchase, do comment on Amazon. And if you single out "Dagon and Jill" for special praise, I shall blush like a youth.)

Now on Wattpad: Cat Next Door

sheslosingit.net

A young man, unrequited love, and large cats. What would you do to impress the girl of your youthful dreams? Wattpad holds the answers. 

HPL Art

THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS!! 

Source: Uploaded by user via Amanda on Pinterest

Book Review: The Forgotten Man

The Forgotten Man by Robert Crais

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Crais wore me down a bit this time with the constant switch between first/third person. If nothing else, it shows the author at work and intrudes on the pace. The story of private investigator Elivs Cole searching for the killer of a man claiming to be his estranged father was interesting enough. It's a quick exciting read save for the moments when forlorn cop Starkey tries to work up her nerve to bed Cole. Then the tale felt like star-crossed YA romance. That said, Crais adds enough cop stuff to make me believe it's real and mixes his action and clues well enough to keep the pages turning. Worth a peek.  



View all my reviews

Honk if You're the Government

So Long, Jack Vance

herocomplex.latimes.com

As a teen I once read an Ace Pocketbook my dad left lying around entitled Eyes of the Overworld. This fantasy tale was set on a future Earth beneath a weak red sun threatening to wink out momentarily. Life is precarious in this dangerous time when science and magic have crossbred. "Overworld" chronicles the doings of a crafty rogue named Cugel who burns every bridge he crosses and often falls prey to his overly clever schemes.

I rushed through the book, then read it again, the writing so compelling, the language so rich and unique, that I immediately became a fan of Jack Vance.

www.worldswithoutend.com

Vance was born the same year as my father and died Sunday at age 96. For over sixty years he wrote science fiction, fantasy and mysteries. He  won Hugo awards for The Dragon Masters and The Last Castle back in the day—both favorites. But my top Vance tales  remained those such as "Overworld," set in a time called The Dying Earth.

As authors go, Vance was quite a character. A blue collar guy who lived in Oakland, California, he believed the sci fi author's role should be muted in terms of publicity so as not to impose his personality between the reader and the world the author had created. He claimed to be in it for the money and never read science fiction.

fabledlands.blogspot.com -

 Looking back on my own stories, I often find a turn-of-phrase, an ironic description, a subtle underselling of scene or character that are stamped into my writing genes thanks to many decades of reading Jack Vance.

So journey well, Jack. You were a guy who just wanted to turn a buck telling tales.

I should be so fortunate.

Kurt, T.J. and Other Departed Warriors

umass74.blogspot.com

This Memorial Day I again think of Kurt and T.J.

Imagine you knew a man from Cleveland, Ohio.

This man had one sibling, an older sister.

During Vietnam, he volunteered for dangerous assignments, operating far behind enemy lines.

After the war, he battled drugs and alcohol.

Eventually, he sobered up and went to work for a vending machine company.

For many years, he traveled in a van around Los Angeles fixing coffee and soda machines.

Now imagine you knew two men with the exact same history.  (But different vending machine companies.)

I was honored to have been friends with a pair of guys whose backgrounds meshed in such odd intimate ways. Once I introduced them at a party, figuring they'd have lots in common, but after a few polite minutes they separated.

They'd experienced stranger things.

Kurt served in Marine recon. Based out of Khe Sanh, he operated in Laos along the Ho Chi Minh Trail on operations so secret that the Americans who died there were never officially acknowledged. Kurt had extended his service to go to Vietnam. He was wounded twice, decorated, and returned home only to be attacked in a bus depot by a man angry over the war. (The man didn't fare well against Kurt who beat him into a fine mist.)

T.J. originally fought with the 12th Infantry near Dak To. He loathed the eerie randomness of combat—here one second gone the next and decided his odds would be better in the  LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol). Instead of waiting to be hit, TJ  crept around North Vietnamese base camps in the Central Highlands making the enemy nervous. He returned to serve out his last few months at Fort Knox, conducting tours of the U.S. Gold Reserve. One night while watching a TV show he started shaking and broke into tears.

Years would pass before he learned about PTSD.

In 2002 I made a business trip to Vietnam. I brought Kurt back a little Buddha and some red clay from Khe Sanh. TJ collected Buddhas so I picked him out a honey in Saigon: a big, fat happy Buddha, smiling like he'd just won the Power Ball,  holding up the Pearl of Knowledge. 
 
In the end, Vietnam finally claimed them both. Health and psychological problems shortened their lives. But they did the best they could with a bad hand and I value the times we had together.

This weekend I remember them and all who gave their lives in service to the country.

(Based on a post from 2009.)

Thanks David Linden for the "Death Honk" Nod

www.tumblr.com

Years pass and I gradually remember my manners. My short story about the nature of job interviews as told through a struggle between clowns and bears has been experiencing a small revival since publication in 2010.

1000words1000days.

At the time, I failed to credit scientist and author David Linden for recommending "Death Honk" to his blog readers. I remedy that now. Thanks, David. Be on the lookout for a companion piece involving rednecks and plague-infested monkeys. 

Number 2 on Google But Why?

Briefly this morning I held the number 2 rank on Google for Wattpads, a position I neither sought nor refused. Curious ranking for a man with generally microscopic page views. What would cause this?

UPDATE: Customization was mentioned as a possible reason. But to what end? I wanted Wattpad, not any mention I ever made about Wattpad.  Ah, but it's gone now. Were it not for the screen shot I would doubt my sanity in this matter.

Review: Chasing Darkness

Chasing Darkness by Robert Crais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

Work Backwards From Your Deadline

movemoretoday.c

This and other useful tips on wringing the most from your writing time are available courtesy of the Publication Coach.

Thanks to Stefan Blitz and Forces of Geek

Did you ever read any? All of them contained words.

In my hustle, with generous doses of 'bustle' thrown in, I have forgotten to thank Stefan Blitz, Editor-in-Chief at Forces of Geek. From November of 2011 to March of this year he was kind enough to post my "Reviews of Films I Have Never Seen." And while the reviews started small and gradually became unseen in their own right, I nevertheless had good, sound fun writing them. Because of my astounding schedule, I have cut back on everything including sleep and time spent on the Russian-Girls-Want-You website. Thanks for the platform, Stefan, and may your page views swell to an appropriate fullness.  

Elmore Leonard's Rules of Writing

Image: Listmaker

Tips from a guy who has written a couple of novels including a book on writing.

1.  Never open a book with weather.
2.  Avoid prologues.
3.  Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue.
4.  Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said”…he admonished gravely.
5.  Know that if you're me, anything you write will be made into a movie. Anything. Seriously, anything.  (I added this one.)

And, of course, his famous advice:
"If it sounds like writing, I re-write it."

My Writing Schedule

Image: www.Clipartof.com

Since it now consumes the bulk of my day, here's a peek into my authorial life:

1. Get up around 4:45 and write down my goals for 2013, including publishing 3 ebooks on Amazon.com by Dec. 1.

2. Write for an hour before breakfast.

3. Write four to five more hours.

4. Go to the gym.

5. Write another hour.

6. Spend an hour researching the ebook biz.

7. Eat dinner.

8. Watch an hour of reality show crime TV.

9. Go to bed by 9:30.

That's five days a week, with only two hours of writing and one hour of researching on Saturday. On Sunday I clean off my desk, pay the bills, and write out the next week's schedule. I will have three finished ebooks—probably two novellas and a novel—written by Thanksgiving. No one is making me do this. No one is paying me to do this. But there has never been a better time to be an author. Ebooks have changed the publishing landscape. I'm climbing on board before head implants replace the Kindle.

I Live and Do Things!

Yes, it's true. So many new things. Too many to discuss right now, but soon. If it weren't for those new things, other things would creep up and take their place so I'm grateful. Are home fries the little potato cubes?

Happy Easter!

I assume no one shows up here anymore and that this blog is more arid than the Mojave. In any case, I have set a task for myself of writing and publishing three ebooks by Dec. 1. My days consists of getting up around 5:00 AM, writing until around noon, off to the gym, then write until about six. Occasionally, paying work interrupts such as this week when I have marketing copy to produce. In addition, animation still lingers as I'm preparing to pitch a number of ideas to Amazon.com's new animation division. Who knows what Amazon will do next? Possibly surgery or cattle insemination. Nevertheless, a Happy Easter to all! (Image: waterfordlibrary.net)