B C BROWN WRITES...

Life As Art

2012-02-11T23:30:00.000-06:00

As writers, we use our ~~fucked up view of the world and how it's done us wrong~~ experiences to influence, shape, and inspire what we write. This can be everything from choosing a specific genre (i.e. Dreamers tend to write fantasy and science fiction because they are magical and mystical worlds; whereas Realists write more real world stories; Pessimists tend to write more in your face items, like transgressive fiction and the such; and Idealists ~~Hopeless Romantics~~ love their romance categories), to importing their own lives into the stories, using real events that have taken place almost verbatim to further the story along. But the question is: Is Life Art?

Admittedly, I've always been a "Dreamer" mixed with a splash of "Idealist/Hopeless Romantic". I've preferred to write fantasy and science fiction, even dabbled in the occasional romance novel/short story, over the years, finding comfort and solace in whimsical and fantastic. But, lately, I've noticed a fundamental shift in my writing. With my publication A Touch of Darkness, I found myself wandering away from the comfort of third person, objective writing, and into the world of first person, 'Gee, she's ME!' writing. Granted, this story, while the main character is based on how I think and react in situations, is still very whimsical - I mean, the girl fucks up royally and still manages to get the handsome neighbor, after all - but it was my first shift toward a more realistic approach to my writing. Since then I've segued into using my real life situations (names changed to protect the innocent, embarrassed, or plain idiotic) in the stories I write. So I'm beginning to wonder if a shift in my "real life" has began influencing my art to the point of mimicry (well, mostly)? I mean, what is so truly fantastic about my outlook on life now that has made me view the woman standing at the deli counter as a single mom, tired from a long shift, hoping to pick up a quick fried chicken dinner instead of viewing her as I used to - a secret superhero who, while inordinately busy, still finds time to sweep in for a quick fried chicken nibble between dashing dastardly villains?

Well...hmmm...I suppose many things. While I'm sure I'll always maintain a "romanticized" view of people, (I'll admit, I like to think the very best of people in most situations despite the ~~shit~~ things I've been shown in my life), my outlook has shifted because I've found a new appreciation in the "small" heroics of everyday life that I didn't have in the past. Before I needed there to be extraordinary displays of heroics, wanted there to be such a thing as magic. I was reluctant ~~fantastically repelled by~~ the notion that everyday actions could equal heroism on any level, that kindnesses and simple actions, while great, were somehow "less" important than wizards and dragons or alien fleets and genetic mutations. And all this despite having been shown a lifetime of silent strength, wisdom, kindness and generosity. So why was I immune to this notion?

As I've come to believe, I'd grown numb to the notion of normal heroics. What I needed was grandoise, larger than life spectaculars to impress me, to draw me out of the depths of my apathy and bathe me in simple radiance. ~~(Sometimes I'm so fucking poetical I just love it! haha)~~ I'd been inundated with silent magic, for lack of a better word, for decades of life so that the mundane had become...well, mundane. So I'd immersed myself in the bigger, brighter and flashier ~~more, more more!~~ world of literature, hanging on every spell, mythical creature, surreal episode, to give me the adrenaline rush I was craving. But what goes up must surely come down, right? We all know that simple law of physics.

Life crashed in on me, sunk me to a depth I had never experienced before. And, while this depth would be considered a shallow end of the pool by many, it, nonetheless, opened my eyes to the world, the really real world, around me. It made me see the beautiful, not the commanlity, of the single person trying so hard to right their life even though they keep fucking it up again; it made me see the simplistic magic of the bedraggled drunk at the end of the bar, cigarette dangling from parched lips, as she took another sip off the liquor in her glass at 8:30 in the morning. Life made me see life. And, in that life, I began to see art.

They tell writers to "write what they know." For the longest time, I misunderstood this statement so grossly that I wonder how I ever called myself a writer. My interpretation of this line was "write what you read or have read and have seen the formula for over and over again." Then life smacked me like a pimp and I was his ho, delivering the true meaning of the phrase. "Write what you know" isn't restricted to mimicry, while that may be a high form of flattery. "Write what you know" literally translates to "write what you know - what you experience, see, feel, touch and taste: write what, where, when, who, and how you are immersed in everything around you: take the character of people to make the characters you write real." Essentially, make life into art because, let's face it, it already is.

It's the Final Countdown!!

2011-12-10T15:41:00.000-06:00

Fuck me. A deadline looms - omnipresent and depressing. There is nothing quite like the act of completing a work in progress (hereby referred to as WIP). Satiating, fulfilling, pretty much damn near orgasmic. Then again, there is nothing else simultaneous to that fan-fucking-tastic sensation of completing the WIP like the soul-crushing oblivion that is THE DEADLINE.

~~Mommy!!~~

Writers the world around, throughout time and space, face this daunting giant with every project. Some face it in a matter of weeks, some in a matter of months, and others in a matter of years, but, regardless of rank, every writer runs across THE DEADLINE.

~~Help me!~~

There are two types of deadlines:

1) the typically considered, Publisher Deadline. - This deadline can be particularly stressful to the writer. As authors we ~~as in most of us, that is~~ challenge ourselves to start, work, and complete a project by a certain date. We have a "time frame" in mind for publication of the book. Sometimes this time frame is verbalized to others; often times, we keep our big fat mouths shut because we don't want to worry about disappointing future/existing fans. The Publisher's Deadline, however, is scary because, on top of the pressure to complete a project and get it out there, we now have a contractual legal obligation to put down the fucking telly remote and pick up a pen, under penalty of - gulp - lawyers.

~~YIPES!~~

2) the less often considered - Personal Deadline. - This is the shittiest deadline any author can face. For a first time author, this deadline can be a "non" issue. Friends and families (while they continually support fledgling writers - ~~well,most of the time~~), I believe, don't actually expect a writer to come up with a finished product for publication. The notion of their lil cousin or lil niece being "a writer" is quaint and, possibly, mention-worthy. But, in actuality, they don't anticipate anything to come of it. THEN the lil cousin or lil niece does finish; they even publish! That's a whole new ballpark for the (still) fledgling writer. However, this fledgling writer now has a book credit to their name. Ppl (publishers, editors, agents, family, friends, and - gulp - fans) have expectations to be met. The self-imposed Personal Deadline for "the next" WIP can be the worst for writers. I mean, it sucks to be sued. But you don't live with lawyers every day. You see your family, your friends, your - gulp - fans in your daily life. And they are watching, waiting.

So what does a writer do when faced with THE DEADLINE? You do what you always do as a writer: shut your mouth, stick your nose in the WIP, and write, dammit. When friends are partying, you write; when family go on vacation, you write; when Medusa Women from Mars collect taxes at your front door, you write! This is what we do. Many fledgling ~~idealistic, moronic, dreamer~~ writers think that creativity is spontaneous, an act of kindness. ~~<---rolls eyes.~~ When in reality it is an act of sheer force, of determination, will, and (most importantly) effort to create a work of art. The true writer depends on inspiration and creativity less than 10% of their entire career (and, I would say, this inspiration is 8% coming up with the idea, 1% directed inspiration, and 1% ~~other shit~~ possible divine intervention). 90%, however, that is left is the author working the idea of, plotting the outline, figuring out correct POV, determining alliteration, feeding/weaving subplots, grammar checking, spell checking, punctuation nazi-ing...and the list goes on.

The question then becomes: Is writing worth the headache of THE DEADLINE? If you have to ask that then you've never had a toe-curling, back-arching, hair-raising, completely-satisified-to-the-balls-of-your-feet orgasm, and it can't be explained to you or answered for you. You. Just. Don't. Get. It. And you probably never will. Me, on the otherhand? Well, THE DEADLINE approacheth for my latest WIP soon. And that all-too familiar and awaited ache has taken up residence in my soul again. Am I going to make THE DEADLINE? For that soul-refreshing, reality-skewing, make-me-feel-like-I'm-ten-feet-tall-and-made-of-ooey-gooey-squishy-stuff feeling...You bet your sweet ass I am. ;) b

B.C. Brown
Author of A Touch of Darkness (available now), contributor of Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction (available now) and author of Sister Light, Book One: Of Shadows (under pen name B.B. Walter and available now)

Writing vs Talking

2011-10-24T21:00:00.223-05:00

Me likey talky-talky. :)

There's a common misconception that writers, since we're so verbose and even know what words like 'verbose' are (~~and if you're reading this blog and don't know what verbose means, maybe you shouldn't be following this particular blog, eh? Or buy a dictionary and actually use it - ha.)~~, that we also must be great speakers. In a lot of instances, writers are great communicators; in others, we fail - um, miserably. I, myself, LOVE to speak. Ask anyone who knows me, anyone who has ever known me, or anyone who has ever met me - briefly, in passing, for any reason. I'm what my great-grandmother used to call a "chatty Cathy." I will talk to anyone, anytime, for probably any reason; and I might let them get a word in edgewise, too - at some point, maybe. ~~Face it, I have, I have a big ass mouth and abso-fucking-lutely love to hear the sound of my own voice.~~ I've never been the writer who was considered shy or introverted ~~(look at me in the spotlight, baby!!)~~; personally, I don't understand people who are that way. Probably because it isn't my nature. But I do know quite a few who are.

Today, in one of my classes (I'm working toward my degree in funeral services - ~~yes, I want to play dress-up Barbie with dead people for a living~~), I came across another writer (short stories in varies anthologies) that could have been my polar opposite - shy, introverted, uneasy speaking in public situations. Watching this woman as she gave her speech (and I thought it was an easy one because it was about ourselves, and who knows us better than, well, us?) was a bit ~~fucking painful~~ difficult to watch.

I watched this girl with visible nerves clutch the podium she ~~hid~~ stood behind, her hands clenching and unclenching, as she spoke ~~rambled~~ in a trembling voice about her family, her hobbies, and what she liked and didn't like. While certainly not the worst speech of the class ~~(we won't discuss the guy who had a story about his 3rd cousin who was also his 5th great-aunt, or some shit like that~~), the girl scatter-brained leapfrogged from unrelated subject to unrelated subject, her thoughts spinning ~~spewing~~ out in no order. Afterward I felt ~~dirty~~ ~~disgusted~~ less than interested in this person's life or this person - period.

While I don't expect people to be the most profound speakers, I do expect those who, when given time to prepare and a step-by-step set of directions ~~idiot's guide~~ by the instructor on how to go about talking about one's self comfortably, to be able to organize a topic as well known as one's self. But maybe I expect more out of people than I should? The gods know I've been chastised ~~criticized~~ for how much patience I have with some people because I see something in them and expect to, eventually, get ~~wring~~ it out of them. With so much input from the teacher and the addition of a topic that is so easy for everyone, I had high hopes. I shouldn't have. Bane of the optimist, I suppose.

I spend most of my time around writers. Some are published, some are pursuing publication, and others just write for the enjoyment of writing, but they are all writers. I think I have, like, 4 friends who I spend time with on a semi-regular basis that aren't writers; conclusions: A) I need more friends, or B) these other people aren't as cool ~~they suck~~ because they aren't writers. *blink, blink* Moving on.... Out of these friends, maybe two of them could be considered shy or introverted; they are the ones most likely out of us to sit back and watch a conversation happening rather than join it. This in no way, however, makes them poorly spoken in any way. As a matter of fact, when they do choose to participate in conversation, they are two of the best spoken individuals I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. They simply aren't outspoken ~~have big ass mouths~~ like me. But, while they are introverted, they can perform acts of public speaking - especially when given lead-in time to prepare and have a topic they are knowledgeable in. So watching this other awkward writer, I realized that maybe all writers aren't like those I know ~~and love~~.

So my choices at this point are: A) diversify the types of writers I spend time around, maybe I need to find a few of the quintessential writers that stutter when they have to speak, etc?, and/or B) grin and nod and ~~blow my brains out~~ clap politely but be utterly let down after all, and/or C) become a miserable, grumpy elitist and disdain from the company of anyone except for those I deem fit. Hmmmm....sort of like option C. *blink, blink*

If you're wondering what was the abso-fucking-lutely magnificent speech I gave, I can paraphrase it quickly as follows: I sat on the edge of the table at the front of the room; I did not hide behind the podium. My words were as follows because we all know you come here time after time for my words, don't you? *wink*:

"A connoisseur of fine words, melodramatic thespian, karaoke fiend, and gun-toting, tree-hugging, dirt-worshipper (careful, the hippy is armed!), I'm a non-smoking Gemini...oh, wait, that's my eHarmony profile...

"My name is Billie Brown, a.k.a. BB, a.k.a. B.C. Brown, a.k.a. the weirdo who writes, I'm the youngest of three girls. I can tell you my parents were shocked when I showed up. I mean, I came home in a cowboy outfit, in a blue blanket, to a blue room with bears playing baseball. Should I also mention the fact that I'm an avid Cubs fan? Hmm....bears playing baseball nursery....Might be a connection? I began writing when I was eight years old. A good thing I took up that hobby rather than, say, singing since we're pretty sure I started losing my hearing in my pre-teen years.

"I wear hearing aids but, if I were to take them out, I could hear about one-quarter of you about half the time. Imagine your life underwater, and you have an idea of what it's like to hear like me.

"My life after high school was typical. I married my high school sweetheart and moved as far away from here [Vincennes] as possible as fast as I could. After about ten years of marriage, I realized (had it shoved in my face actually) that my husband was a dick, got a divorce and moved home. But two great things happened during my marriage and time away. A) I was introduced to karaoke. The great thing about this is that I can sing as badly as I want/do and it doesn't matter because people think the deaf girl rocks! haha And, B) I became a published author. I have two novels to date and a short story in a collective anthology. I write epic fantasy (think kings, queens, wizards, and war) and paranormal mystery (extraordinary abilities meets COPS), and my short story published is transgressive fiction. If you don't know what that is, it is basically protagonists who are, pretty much, the worst people you can imagine; or it deals with controversial topics like rape, incest, abuse, etc.

"As you can probably tell, I'm not shy or introverted. I'm active in community theater in Lawrenceville and enjoy my time on stage. However, I can appreciate solitude (because, let's face it, writers are the least social creatures on the face of the planet; even when we are being social, we are sitting in a group, hunched over our own laptops/notebooks etc.), and I can appreciate the importance of the non-spoken word as much as those said.

"That's me in a nutshell. Thanks for listening; you've been a great audience. Good night!" And I walked back to my seat.

There were several instances when, since I am not a person who specializes in public speaking, I was so nervous that I had to remember to slow down my speech and not sound so much like a chipmunk on speed. I also had to keep my hands from fluttering around like hummingbirds, but those were things that I knew I had to do. Now, I've never had a speaking class before; I didn't take speech in high school but, I know, that there are things I find painful when I watch someone talking in public. So, therefore, I try to eliminate those items when I speak to people. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But maybe there are many people who aren't quite as observant as I am when it comes to their perceived/despised/repeated actions?

Regardless, the point of this article today is just to point out the differences between being able to write and people who can speak. Sometimes those writers and speakers are the same; other times, they are individuals who can write but choose to speak only infrequently; and lastly, there may be the stuttering, painful speakers who are brilliant writers but can't make the connection of words that flow out of their fingertips to those that flow out of their mouths. However, while there are many fantastic speakers out there, they do not, all of them, know how to write. The awesome relationship between the two is, while there will always be speakers who can't write, there will always be writers who can't speak. I, personally, don't know what it's like to be one of those writers, but now I do realize they are out there, whereas I thought they were the stereotype that didn't actually exist. Guess some do exist.

Big Fat Mouth

2011-09-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

What do writers do? We write; we sculpt and mold words into breathtaking displays of art that will, hopefully, endear themselves to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people around the world.

How do writers do this? We touch fingertips to keypads, or scratch and mar clean, white sheets of paper with ink or graphite sticks; we lay down line after line of scratchy, spidery letters or pound out digitally-formed words until letters transmogrify into ruthless villains, romantic love interests, or thrilling action sequences.

What keeps a writer from doing all this? Our own Big. Fat. Mouths.

Whaaat, B.C.?!

I've been in the writing game a lot of years (don't let my youthful face fool you). I was picking up a pencil to write before I even understood rules of grammar, punctuation, and spelling properly. But those things, while important when being published, aren't all that terribly important while writing. What is important are the stories - the words being put down on the paper.

A great thing happens to writers when they get a story idea. I'm not saying it's the same for all of us, but I know quite a few writers, and they all agree, the initial reaction to a story is very similar: we wake up in the middle of the night/wake up in the middle of the day/wake up from our boring desk job/wake up from sitting in traffic with screaming kids in the back seat/wake up from whatever boring-ass instance is your regular life at that moment to a fantastic vision unfolding before your inner movie theater like a delicate flower opening for a spring shower. You fly/drive/walk/snatch at your notebook/netbook/desktop and write furiously, trying your best to describe the scene blooming before your mind's eye as it whips by at lightning speed. Your brain's synapses go off in one great firework show of electrical activity, and you feel you could solve the world's problems in those moments, but all you care about is the scene and people in your imagination - nothing else exists. And then the world melts away and only your world remains. And, after the orgasmic surge of creativity, the scene before you begins to fade out, the pulse jumping in your neck slows, and the world returns to you in all it's dull black-and-whiteness. You're left spent, exhausted, and euphoric. And, like any other act that sends you spiraling to the heights of pleasure, you want it all back.

Sounds great, right? It's fan-fucking-tastic, let me tell you. This initial response to writing is not what screws up writers, however. As you can see, it's fairly primal - the urge overcomes up and takes over our lives for a short time. What fucks over the average writer time and time again is what happens AFTER that initial surge tapers off.

Enter our Big. Fat. Mouths.

It's human nature to want to share with others anything that makes us giddy and euphoric, causes us enough intense satisfaction that we are bursting from the residual feeling of it. This need to share with others is what starts writers on their road to ruin, as I like to call it.

Words are a writers stock and trade. Specifically, putting words onto paper is our stock and trade. When we open our mouths and start "talking" about our projects, we release beautiful words into the ether that we can't get back. Sometimes, these small releases are tiny, tiny leaks, barely noticeable. They may be hints on Twitter or Facebook or any social network like "Researching...Anyone know about poisons?" or "What do you prefer for romances, 1st person or 3rd person POV?" I call these small leaks "balloon squeaks." If you pull the lip of the balloon tight and let it slack for the smallest moment, the balloon makes the faintest of squeaks. Not a lot of air lost, right? So no big deal.

The second time we open our big fat mouths is to simply mention, to a friend/colleague/whatever, what we're working on. This happens most often in social circles. We go out to lunch with a fellow writer, or maybe just someone who takes an active interest in our writing (yes, those people DO exist fellow writers), and the conversation turns to what you're doing at the moment. "Oh well, I'm working on this new idea for a western romance. It's about the guy who..." I call this leak "slow-steady-and-maintained." This is the type of leak that has a short term, finite lifespan; we're only going to describe it, but not go into too many details. Definitely more words lost here, but it's only a book blurb so who cares?

The third time, and probably the near-death of the stories we write, is what happens when we need to "brain storm" an idea. This is the hardest and trickiest time of writing, in this writer's opinion. This instance happens when we've been good little boys and girls, kept our mouths shut and our fingers to the keypad, and written our little hearts out. BUT, for whatever reason, the story stagnates or we find ourselves written into a corner, and we reach out for moral support and/or guidance to help us re-achieve the fleeing euphoria we had in such abundance. Because who doesn't want to live life in an orgasmic state?!

Talking about a story, brain storming it so to speak, can be exactly what the author needs to get their tale jump-started and back to full steam. It can also be the devastating force that kills a story, and there is a fine line between the two. Like with anything, a subject can be talked to death. This is where an author overtalks and overthinks the story, trying to talk out every detail, iron out every wrinkle, before they begin writing or re-writing. Talk about killing an idea. I mean, why would you want to sit down to write it afterwards? You've already written the story once, albeit it verbalized form, so why do it again; nobody likes to work twice as hard for one reward. This type of leak is called the "dam breaker." The story floods out in a gush and gets soaked into the surrounding area instead of into the paper/screen where it needs to be.

By brain storming, however, verbally, an author can jump-start a derailed storyline because they gain valuable insight from others. This is the old adage that nobody sees all of the angles, all of the time. It's very much true of writing. We know our stories inside and out, know every crook and cranny, every ledge and crack....BUT we may have overlooked or missed something because we were too focused on the main storyline or the main characters. This has personally happened to me; I spent so long focusing on the main character in my story, I'd overlooked a key support character who had an awesome opportunity to unlock the whole story and open a separate, rich storyline within the story, making it richer and better for it's layers. When a writer can use this brain storming effectively, it's still a leak. However, an object that becomes over-pressurized can often develop a useful leak, letting off just enough steam to make it "safe" again. This kind of leak I like to call "the Regulator." It keeps the work in progress at an even keel.

What the author has to realize is happening, and know how to effectively control, is the level of leak they have. A "balloon squeaker" isn't harmful, can generate interest among fans, and can garner some much needed input (such as research information); the "slow-and-steady-and-maintained" is most often used to elicit stimulus of the fan-base, and can whip followers into a frenzy for an upcoming project (but be careful to use this type of leak effectively, don't whip your fan base into a frenzy ten months before the project can even be completed). Using "the Regulator" to keep a story rolling when it begins to feel flaccid is great, but know what this type of verbal brain storm is a slippery slope. An author can and will find themselves the victims of a "dam breaker" in short time if they don't learn to harness their Big. Fat. Mouth.

Happy writing!
b

B.C. Brown
published in Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction and author of A Touch of Darkness

Give A Fracas

2011-09-03T06:55:00.000-05:00

Glorious Bastards Press has released Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction, an anthology of transgressive fiction, that includes one of my short stories, Killing Innocence. **I'm so excited, I could just...spit!** What is Transgressive Fiction, you ask? Well, you're not the first, and you probably won't be the last. Transgressive fiction is all the stuff publishers put on their website that they won't accept for submission. Yep, it's every dirty little idea or notion, act or performance, that most people won't admit to loving but can't get enough of.

GBP's fine list of coarse authors include:

Joe Schwartz
Garrette Calcaterra
J. Travis Grundon
Chance Chambers
Todd Theroff
Leslee Marie Schaffer
James M. Bowers
John F.D. Taff
Scott Lefebvre
myself
Edited by Stacy Bowers and J. Travis Grundon with cover model Kitsie Duncan

If you want edgy stories that mirror true life, a read that makes you say "Yeah, that's how it really is", and writers who don't just feed you whatever is "popular" or "trending", order your copy today. I guarantee you'll get real life in all it's techni-fucking-color. And with this roster of authors, it'll be an event you don't want to be left out of.

b

"Howdy" Lingo - Neighborly Talkin' in Non-Fiction

2011-07-24T08:27:00.000-05:00

As a writer, I take pleasure in seeing other writers find the proper 'Voice' ~~(and I'm not talking about the television show with four judges, people)~~ for their articles or stories. In fact, finding a story's 'Voice' is a very large part of having a reader relate to what a writer is putting out there. I mean, the impact of Flowers for Algernon would be lost without Charly's unique dialogue throughout the story, or the down-home twangy drawl in Of Mice and Men added a warmth and realism that would have been considerably less convincing if the tale had used proper grammar. As a writer, I often utilize different grammatical effects to relay specific character-related quirks or personalities, changing from what type of tale or story I'm telling to the format I'm presenting it in. And I wouldn't trade the opportunity employ every skill or trick a writer has to convey their messages to their readers. However, as a writer, I like to think I know when creative use of language is best utilized and, with the exception of fiction and, possibly, the greeting card business, I've rarely found "Howdy" lingo used in non-fiction articles or stories to be efficient tools of the trade. As a matter of fact, I've more often found the frequent use of neighborly-speech dismaying.

With the ever-apparent "dumbing down" of educational programs (Let's face it, even 15 years ago when I was in high school, we were only asked to read one Shakespeare play and, if you guessed Romeo and Juliet, you guessed correctly; and we never touched on Steinbeck, Orwell, Kerouac, Lee or Buck to name a few of the Greats.), and basic human conversation (Must I point out the vocalization of OMG?!, LOL, or WTF?!, to name a few?), I've often taken solace in the knowledge that most writers know when and where to use informal 'Voice' in their literature. One of these places to bolster that perception I've grasped at ~~(like a drowning man clutches to a life preserver!)~~ could always be found in the newspaper.

All but the smallest rags have managed to maintain a formality to their articles, a finessing of language, that supported my wishful thinking that not all of literature's society was caving into the idiocy that people needed smaller words in order to relate to the literature. So one can imagine my disappointment when I open my local Sunday newspaper to find no less than a science article from an Associated Press writer in Houston using neighborly-speak such as, "Heck, astronauts...", "Astronomers figure...", and "Some old-timers...". With such informal terminology, how can one be expected to not conjure images of two old pig farmers standing knee deep in mire going back and forth casually about "that there importance of asteroid travel by the boys over at NASA by gosh"?

Perhaps only I am bothered by this liberalization of non-fiction; maybe today's society needs simple, friendly words to make possibly dry subjects entertaining? (They are competing with the Kardashian sisters after all.) Let me ask, however, what happens when you hear a journalist use terms in writing such as heck, figures, and old-timers? Does it instill images of professionalism and intelligence, or are you left with pictures of a good ol' boy him-hawing about the weather or the crops in the field? Without much stretch of the imagination, people might be able to see how many, many other people, professional and otherwise, might be led to the same imagery. And, as a writer, I am left to wonder if this article could not have been better verbalized if it had been scrawled on a napkin at 3 a.m. by a NASA-interested pig farmer who had had one Red Bull too many?

Re-emergence...The Writing Cocoon

2011-07-09T04:23:00.000-05:00

All right, so I'm back from my little get-away. And I've decided that one of the first things I'm going to do is ~~drink~~ ~~party~~ talk to you. Now, don't you feel special? I had quite a bit of time to think during my unplug from the cyber-reality that has taken up more than its fair share of our daily lives. One of the main things I've come to determine is that ~~Justin Bieber needs to be shot~~ there are so many more hours in a day when a person isn't constantly thinking about/checking up on their FB status, their Twitter feed, or scanning through their email accounts - not to mention the bigillion other electronic fixes. Boredom takes on a whole new persona when you've:

Exercised
Walked the dog
Planned out the day's meals
Visited with friends
Read a book
Dedicated time to writing
Dedicated time to editing
Walked the dog again
Visited with more friends
Watched the telly/movies
Went on a leisurely walk
Went out with friends
Walked the dog again

And all of this accomplished before a 12 hour period has cycled. The best thing about it, too? You still have time to be bored and there are still technically 4 more hours in the day for you to deal with ~~if you subscribe to the totally asinine belief that people should get only 8 hours of sleep a day!~~.

As a writer, I came to the decisive conclusion that most, if not all, of this "boredom" time could be re-invested into my writing. Having gone through a ~~drought~~ down-cycle (Can we say "Sahara", baby?) recently in my writing, the idea of re-investing myself so thoroughly back into writing was met with some ~~kicking and screaming~~ hesitation. But do you know what I learned? (That walking so much after being the world's biggest couch potato led to the world's stiffest woman?) I learned that my aforementioned (Think back some blog articles ago, people.) apathy toward writing wasn't actually toward the writing at all!

Instead, what I learned was the overwhelming need to market myself and my writing was leaving the horrible aftertaste in my mouth that I was associating with the writing itself!

You'll only ever have the slightest inclination as to what a revelation this was to me. The relief was enormous. Here I was, a writer my entire life, tagged as "The Writer" in casual and formal conversation since before I'd hit puberty, and the idea of writing was distasteful and distressing to me. Me?! However, I learned during my disconnect, that the writing itself hadn't become the enemy, the pressure to market had. I'd become obsessed with knowing who of my friends had the "latest thing" published; I needed to share and re-share every writing-related Tweet I'd posted, share and re-share every FB blurb about my books, or share and re-share my blog articles. Then I'd become addicted to seeing how many times my shared item had been re-shared by others, commented on by friends and strangers alike, and "liked" and viewed, and so one and so forth. During my disconnect I learned three things:

I am not a marketing genius.
I would rather spend my time writing.
I have far less back and neck stiffness and pain when I spend my time writing on the laptop instead of "surfing".

Number 1 was pretty simple. I may have held a lucrative job as an advertising agent for a national company but, when it comes to pimping myself, I need help. Number 2 is something I used to know at one point and had forgotten. And number 3 just contributes to less ~~bitchiness~~ ~~irritability~~ bitchiness on my part.

At this point in the blog, I'm sure, people are wondering why the fuck I'm bothering to write about this? Main reason? It's my blog and I can do what I want. Another reason is because I'm hoping that my own revelation can help others in some small way. During my own down-cycle I had at least a dozen writer-friends tell me how they were becoming more and more disconnected from their writing. For some ~~unfathomable~~ reason, they turned to me for advice. But I had none to share. I mean, who was I to give advice on something I was A) going through, and B) didn't know how to fix for my damn self, much less someone else? So, basically, the whole point of my cyber-therapy in this article is to reveal to others what I did, finally, learn, and that is this:

Maybe it's not the writing pissing you off. Maybe it's the ever-present, ever-pressing need to market/promote yourself.

And, if you've eliminated that entirely, eliminated every other aspect of writing-related items from the list of "Is this causing the fucking problem?", and it is none of the above. Well, maybe, just maybe, it is the writing. And then, I ask you, why the fuck are you still doing it?

Vacation

2011-06-05T02:31:00.001-05:00

Just in case everyone (anyone? O.o) hasn't noticed, I've decided to take one of my "breaks" from blogging. This can often last a short duration or a ridiculously long one but, since I promised not too long ago in a blog post to not just up and vanish for months on end without so much as a ~~Fuck You~~ Howdy-doo to the the people

~~(Ah, hell, probably only one person; who am I kidding, right?)~~

who read this thing, I wanted to get on here and state that I am:

ON VACATION, BITCHES!

All right, I've officially said my piece - officially; there. As for all of you ~~(Yep, all 1 of ya, dammit!)~~, enjoy your own version of vacation!!

b

Waking the Sleeping Dragon: Apathy and Its Effect on Wrting

2011-04-23T04:45:00.000-05:00

jsdlfjsdlijerjwfdslkjslcmslkdfmselfkweifjsdlcmsldkfmwlerjwofjsdkflskdnmflskdnmflwejfiwejdflsdfklmsdlfkmlfmjawejflsdkfmlskdfmsldfmalwerjawopeifjlskdfnmlkmfnle......Oh, shit, sorry; I fell asleep on the keyboard again. Lately that has been all there has been to my writing regime, normally so scheduled and productive, an endless parade of staring at a semi-blank screen, watching the little cursor go blip, blIP, BLIP all the day/night. Nonsensical words fall from my fingertips like normal but any thought or rhyme to their placement on the screen is devoid of conscious thought, planning, or emotion. I've come smack up against the second-most dreaded thing in a writer's career:

APATHY

Possibly even worse than writer's block, the apathetic writer is the one who has ideas a-plenty with no difficulty in putting those ideas to paper. Their only stumbling block? Their own inability to muster the desire to write. And, what's worse? Apathy is also the lack of motivation to even CARE that they aren't writing; at least with writer's block, the aspiring author wants to write.

Tons of people think an apathetic writer is an unhappy writer. They wonder what in that person's life has made them not care about something they are normally so passionate about. What's happened to me? Not a fuckin' thing. I've (almost) successfully completed my first semester back to college with decent grades; my social life is active with close friends; my work schedule is regular and on-track; and I'm finally getting a handle on those pesky bill-thingies people keep talking about. All-in-all, I'm pretty flippin' shiny. So why don't I want to write? I dunno.

<----------insert huge fucking apathetic shrug here--------->

I've plenty of new ideas; tons of old ideas to complete, play with, or just fiddle with if I get bored; and, as always, the ability to pound out well-constructed prose into plausible tales of dastardly villains, dashing heroes, and devilishly twisting plots. The only problem I'm facing is that I. Just. Don't. Care. Which would probably account for the constant migraine I have and the semi-crabby nature I've adopted since not writing has always attributed to the feeling that my eyeballs were going to pop out of my head due to the explosion of my creative center located in the deep recesses of my squishy lobes.

Climbing one's way out of apathy, however, is something akin to attempting to hold onto the last doughnut at an Over-Eaters Anonymous group night - damned difficult and, quite possibly, dangerous to try. In order to correct a problem, one has to first CARE that they have a problem. That, by very definition, is somewhat hard to obtain when dealing with - say it with me, class: Apathy. So how does an author tackle such a daunting task? By sucking it up and just doing it. You know, pretty much the same way we deal with not getting to go out with our friends because it interferes with our writing schedule; the same way we deal with giving up whole weekends of getting to sleep in and/or go out and party so we can trek halfway across an entire state or more to attend a book signing/reading where we might only get 5 peoples who attend; it's also the same way we take every rejection letter or snarky comments about our perceived masterpieces with heads held high despite wanting to scream and rant and smash someone's face in. OK, well, MOST of the time we handle it with our heads held high. Rarely do we smash people's faces in - rarely.

Basically, that means, I'm going to have to piss myself off royally for the next few days/weeks by forcing myself to care and think about what I'm doing/writing. This solution has always worked in the past for me and, hopefully, it will work once more. Let me know, other writers, what works for you when the passion has just gone out of the creative process. How do you reclaim your fire?

The Muse Is A Greedy Bitch

2011-03-01T15:54:00.000-06:00

Now don't misconstrue me here. I love ~~hate~~ love ~~hate~~ love my Muse! But she is one monumentally greedy bitch. And I'm sure that all writers, artists, and musicians who live and ~~practically~~ die by her whims and wishes would agree with me on this statement.

Many people who know me personally are aware that, despite my stringent writing schedule, I have written few ~~inspired~~ new words in some time. And that all my attempts to rekindle my writing has not had much success. Part of this problem was sheer frickin' laziness on my part. I can admit. It's too easy to be seduced by the feeling of satisfaction that editing can bring about. A writer can feel so productive after spending an entire writing session editing one chapter to pristine wit. And, after a time, this instant feeling of satisfaction (and maybe the actual need to get some editing completed) can lure one into a sense that editing IS writing. But this is a dangerous trap for writers and a slippery slope into complacency.

How can editing ever be bad, B.C.?

Well, editing isn't bad - per say. But letting editing become the absolute dominance of your writing schedule is a slow way to kill yourself as a writer. It will certainly kill any career that you might have. Why, might you ask? Consider this:

I have a two-hour a day writing schedule. I maintain this schedule four days a week, without fail. I generally accomplish a minimum of 1,000 words per scheduled session (this is only 3 pages of work roughly). This equates to 4,000 words (minimum, mind you) a week. In one month, I complete 16,000 words. At this rate, I can complete the first draft of a novel (64,000 words) in 4 months.

These are great numbers for completing the first draft of a novel. I would think that most authors would agree that 64,000 words is pretty average for a rough first draft. (Yes, some of us are superfluous writers and have rough first drafts that end up on the high word-count side, but I think most fall short of "normal" word count for submission and are "fill-it-in"-ers.) At this rate, a novelist can churn out a first draft in 4 months; a second draft in, say, 2 additional months (with the minimum addition of 32,000 more words); and a final draft (with an addition of another minimum of 32,000 words) in 2 more months. This is now a 128,000 word novel. (A bit lengthy, but that's why we edit.) So far, this only totals 8 months - leaving the author an additional 3 months for edits/revisions, and 1 month to divide up amongst play-time and sick-time (or Damn, life got in the way of my dreams again!-time).

At this rate, a novelist can complete fully one (ranging on average from 70,000 - 100,000 words) novel a year. Awesome job!

But let's look at what happens when editing begins to creep into my scheduled writing time, shall we? Consider this:

My writing schedule is divided by half. I spend 1 hour a day editing something I've already written and writing something new. My word count dwindles to 500 words a day (about a page and a half of work). This means I complete 8,000 words a month. To complete the same 60,000 word first rough draft, it takes me 7.5 months. Can we see where this is headed? To over all reach the same 128,000 word original third draft, it would take a novelist 16 months to only work on the drafts for a novel. Then there are the editing and revisions.

Granted, it might only take half the time to edit and revise as what I indicated previously but still? 16 months to complete the drafts? Whereas before a novelist can churn out one novel (fully edited and ready for submission) every year, it would take almost two years for the same project.

What about those novelist who work on multiple ideas at a time, B.C.?

Ah, the multi-taskers. Well, I'm one of these people. I'll admit that I frequently work on more than one project at a time. Why? Well, it's certainly not because I don't want to remain dedicated to one task and completing it at an impressive rate. Realistically, it's because ~~sometimes~~ the Word Muse is a stubborn little bitch as well as being greedy. Sometimes her greed is shown by her hoarding all the words to herself; other times, she's ridiculously generous with them - to the point of overabundance...too bad they aren't all on the same project, however.

Most multi-taskers, like myself, don't go off project because we want to. We go off project because we have to. At some point, the Muse thought it might be funny to toss a whole (or sometimes several new) idea to us at once. As writers we learn that if you try to wait to write the other ideas that come to you, you might as well kiss 'em good-bye because they'll be gone before you have the chance. Sayonara, suckers! This is the case of the Word Muse being a stubborn bitch; she refuses to let you work on one idea until you work on the other idea she's given you. But we multi-taskers have to be dedicated. We have to take the extra words the Muse is supply and use them but try not to let them overrun us - like with editing.

Yeah, I'm back to the editing rant now. Whatcha gonna do, stop reading? HAHA

As a multi-tasker, writers have to learn how to take what we feel inspired to do in small doses (unless it's churning out those word counts, baby!) or else we'll get snowed under. Take, for instance, my most recent disaster with not writing when I should have been.

I have a routine that I follow when writing. My writing schedule is never at the same time a day (like I know many other authors do), and I'm never in the same place when I decide I'm going to start my writing schedule (or finish it, for that matter), but there are some fundamentals to my writing that are required. These are two things - my laptop (not someone else's or a notebook or the library computer, but mine) and Gummi Bears. If I'm missing one of these two ingredients, then my writing schedule is pretty much a bust - nothing productive will come out of it. At least not new words. However I can edit anywhere, with anything, and without Gummi Bears. And it is so easy to become seduced by the notion that editing alone IS writing.

Is editing a necessary part of writing? Uh, yeah. Is it something every writer has to do once they complete a novel? Uh, duh. But is it writing? Uh, no. Editing is a part of writing and a small part at that. There is nothing easier than taking something that has already been created (especially if you created it) and changing it in small or even monumental ways. But the fact of the matter remains that you aren't creating anything new (except maybe two or three words here or a sentence there), and new creation is the hardest part of writing. Otherwise anyone would be able to write.

So back to my original thought about the Muse being a greedy bitch. I have learned the hard way over the last 4-5 months that while I may not like the fact that I have two very specific needs for creating new writing, the Muse (in all her ~~frickin'~~ glory) makes those two demands of me. Whether or not I choose to fulfill her wishes determine whether or not I gain access to her wondrous inspiration that is a perfectly crafted sentence of sheer indulgence. Because, let's face it, that is what writing is to me - it's sheer indulgence in my own fantasies. So I suppose I'll give up the goat, admit to my laziness (that editing, while it makes me feel productive is not actually writing), and make sure I have a steady supply of Gummi Bears on hand to sacrifice to the Word Muse from here on out, huh?

B.C. Brown

The Book Thief

2011-02-21T11:33:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not talking about the recent and popular novel by the same name. (Admittedly, I haven't even read it yet but am told it is excellent.) I'm talking about the "Idea That Got Away" - presumably into somebody else's head.
Say what, B.C.?
Just the other day I was watching an episode of 'Supernatural' (love those hunky brothers and awesome tunes!) and realized that the exact premise of the episode was a story idea I had squirreled away in the "Trunk" portion of my writing folder. Now I'm sure a few of you are wondering what my "Trunk" is, so I'll tell you. The "Trunk" portion of my writing folder is where I store all the small ideas I get that don't seem to go anywhere after a short time. Most of the time these are short stories that I'd hoped to elaborate into something longer (since I am a novelist by preference), or they are stories I didn't think were quite up to snuff - whether it was due to plot holes, stilted writing, or just corny ideas. But seeing this episode of 'Supernatural' made me go back into my writing folder and re-read the story idea I'd had (according to the date and time stamp on the entry) more than 3 years ago and waaaay before the show's writer's came up with it.
What was it that made me decide this story wasn't good enough? Clearly, the idea had been good enough to use as a premise for a fairly well-known television show, so it couldn't have been that. (Although I did see the annotation I'd made at the end of the idea summary that simply stated 'Credible enough?') It hadn't been that I wanted to later turn the idea into a longer story because the folder contained only an idea summary and the original scene that demanded to be written. So what had kept me from fleshing out the idea I'd had before the ~~damn~~ lovely writers at 'Supernatural' and making my own profit from this idea? After a good deal of thought, I was pretty sure I had figured out what the problem with this idea ended up being.

Self-doubt.
Oh, yes, folks! The end-all, be-all of book thieves - doubt. Self doubt is probably the single-most killer of stories all over the world. One could equate doubt to the heart attack; the #1 killer.
Many people could argue that lack of time and motivation kills more stories than ever doubt could. But I'd like to point out the millions (upon probably millions) of novels, short stories, lyrics, and poems that are floating around in existence, unpublished due to that nagging little thought in the back of their author's brains. What I write isn't good enough; what I write will never be as good as (fill in the blank).
Several years ago a teacher once told me to "Forget coming up with something original. There are no original ideas anymore in literature; they've all been done and redone. But what you should do is try to make the ideas that are already out there as YOU as possible. Because any new ingredient added to an old recipe makes it new and yours." I took this advice and ran with it. I realized that plots for stories, while varied slightly, are pretty tried and true and it would be impossible to come up with a 100% unique story that no one had ever heard before. But what I could do is lend my voice, my personality, and how I write to these stories.
Now I'm not saying that I go out and rip off other people's plots. But you have to admit that girl-meets-boy is a pretty straight forward plot whether it's with were-girl-meets-vamp-boy or alien girl-meets-human boy or princess-meets-stable boy or even normal girl-meets-normal boy? But it's my voice that changes the story and makes it unique to me and for the reader. So back to my original thought - the book thief that is self doubt.
Self doubt is the one thing that all writers have, no matter how successful they've been in the past. Everyone who has an idea scrutinizes that idea (whether it's before they write it, while they write it, or after they write it) under the harshest light. Because that idea has to win out against every doubt we might have for that story. (In my case, my doubt was that the idea might not be credible to the readers.) Clearly I found my idea lacking in some way; somehow it didn't measure up. The true irony is that 3 years later I'm watching it on a nationally syndicated television show where millions of viewers thought it was plenty credible - at least if two hunky brothers listening to awesome tunes were included. Just makes me realize that any time that little voice talks up and asks me if what I'm writing is good enough, I should just tell it to fuck off...
And then write two hunky brothers listening to awesome tunes into the mix.

B.C. Brown

Less is More - To Blog or Not To Blog

2011-02-17T16:28:00.000-06:00

I am a writer. I write fiction. I do not write non-fiction.

These are three statements I made recently to someone after they'd found out that I wrote and wanted to know more about me. (Strange how being a writer makes people want to find out more about you. ~~Perhaps it's because if they ask about your writing and what you write they might not actually have to read it?~~) After I'd gotten through the nitty gritty of what I wrote, how often I wrote, and (of course) the ~~annoyance~~ delight of what inspires me to write, this individual finally asked where they can view some of my writing. I ~~arrogantly~~ proudly directed them to my website and this blog. The person stopped, blinked and asked me a question I'd never been asked before..."If you don't write non-fiction, why do you blog?"

I stopped. I had to think about my answer to that because, frankly, they were correct. If I considered myself a fiction writer alone, why would I blog about non-fiction topics of interest? This took me a minute as possible reasons raced through my little red noggin.

Why do I blog? Three things came immediately to mind:

~~I'm egotistical.~~ I like to help people.
~~I like the sound of my own voice - even on paper/screen.~~ People like to hear from "experts" and they think I'm some sort of one on writing.
~~I'm egotistical.~~ I enjoy blogging.

I thought these were very reasonable and true statements. And our conversation ended there. Until nearly a week later when I ran into this same individual at the grocer. To my astonishment, she had gone and read my entire website and every article I'd written on this blog. ~~Stalker?~~ She'd even read over some of the notes I had on Facebook, although those are very limited let me tell you. Then she popped back up with another question that I had to pause and ponder... "Why don't you blog more?"

Fortunately, I didn't have to ponder this one as long as I had the other. I simply told her, "Less is more. The less often I blog, the more interested people seem to be when I do post." I've had a lot of people contradict me on this. I even had one author today (which is what made me think of this conversation and write this post) mention that when he blogs daily, his "hits" go up. And I know of at least one other author who posts to her blog daily (and she seems to excel at it too), and she seems to experience quite a high number of traffic to her site. But my thought on the matter has always been less is more. It's the simplistic law of supply and demand. The lower the supple, the higher the demand.

It has always seemed so to me in writing. I know the authors who come out with a novel every 3 months are not nearly as anticipated and do not experience the high sales volume that authors who only have novels that come out every year to two years. Perhaps that's not the case in blogging?

But then I have to question - What do I write about every day? My life is not nearly interesting enough to discuss the mundane activities of it; I am a rather ~~ordinary~~ ~~dull~~ boring individual - that's why I write fiction. And, while I am plucky and do have some rather strange thoughts and ideas, I don't have those 'interesting-enough-to-be-of-any-interest-others' kind of ideas on a daily basis. So if the demand is for me to blog on a more regular basis, what do I fill the space with? Recipes (I don't cook), stories about kids (I don't have any), my personal life (Uh, trust me, no), what then?

I'm left then blogging about what I know and love - writing. So in an effort to not beat to death the horse I love, I had to tell the woman I was talking to that, despite evidence to the fact that blogging more frequently might increase traffic to my site and bring more attention to me, I would have to go as I've been going - slow and steady with less is more. If I didn't and began writing whatever lame or trivial fact came to my mind then I wouldn't be any better than those writers who churned out unimaginative fluff for the sake of a paycheck. However, I did make a mental promise to myself to not leave my readers hanging for, say, four months without so much as a ~~'bite me'~~ 'how do ya do?'

Feel free, of course, to chime in your thoughts on the matter of blogging frequency. What do you enjoy blogging on or reading about? Do you enjoy the fact that I blog solely about writing, or would you like to read more articles on other topics? I like words - gift me with some of yours!

B.C. Brown

Dying Light of Ember's Bright...

2011-02-15T11:47:00.000-06:00

As you all know, it has been some time since I last posted. Many of you know the reasons why. Full-time author and full-time paycheck-earner attempted to add full-time school and full-time business entrepreneurship to her stuffed scheduled. And then, of course, there was an attempt at least at a social life! HAHA However, there have been a lot of rumors circulating as to one aspect of my life very recently, and so I've found myself needing to admit to something I'd rather not. But since myself and the one other person involved are the best to address the issue, and he has already done so on his blog (and quite eloquently, might I add), I felt it was time I do the same.

To borrow a line from my good friend J. Travis Grundon's blog - They Killed a Mockingbird...

For more than ten years I've harbored the secret dream of owning and operating my own bookstore. In the Fall of 2010 my best friend for more than a decade (make that closer to one and a half! ha) decided to take the plunge and open The Mockingbird Book Emporium in Vincennes, Indiana. The peoples' lament of not having a bookstore had resonated with the two of us, and with fire in our bellies we thought we could make a decent go of it - at least a passable go at it.

The anticipation of the store was nearly palpable, and we were bombarded with "future" customers asking "How long? How long? How LONG?" This may have given us a bit of over-inflated glow concerning the desire of the Vincennes people to have a bookstore, but we sincerely had hoped not. We worked tirelessly to get the store running as quickly as possible. And in September of 2010, we opened with a blow-out grand opening that included a special event by St. Louis author Joe Schwartz and an appearance by the mayor, with the local newspaper in attendance.

But the fanfare quickly died away, the shine wearing off in as little as the first month in operation. After nearly 4 months of dwindling sales, sometimes full weeks going by without so much as a single customer, we kept hearing "This is just what this town needs!" and "Finally! A bookstore. I'll be back when I have a moment to actually browse." But those moments never came - no one's schedule magically opened up to reveal extra time to let them come in and support "what this town needs". And, while we did have a few very loyal customers, and cherish them more than anything, the lack of enthusiasm or even flat interest from the rest of the populace was overwhelming.

This said, many can understand how mine and Trav's own enthusiasm for the store began to wane. How the fire we had turned to ember. But we continued to fan those ember's hoping for some sort of pheonix to rise from the quickly accumulating ash. But, as the weeks progressed and our frustration for the lack of support of a town that can house so many bars, fast food restaurants, and tattoo parlors but can't manage to support one small used bookstore, we learned a valuable lesson.

There isn't a pheonix inside those ashes; there is only choking debris. And we were choking on the dying embers of our own dream.

So, with heavy hearts and aching souls, we have decided to close the Mockingbird Book Emporium. That Vincennes desperately needs a bookstore is not a question - literature is the fuel for imagination and creativity, and without it, a town would certainly stifle and stagnate. But perhaps the ample lubrication of alcohol, preservatives of processed foods, and ever-lasting permanence of ink will manage to preserve the town longer than it should. Who knows?

In part two of my news to report, I am sad to announce the death of my publisher, Papercut Books. (Also to quote my good friend, J. Travis Grundon) Papercuts hurt.

Thrilled beyond belief to find a fledgling company with the vision to take chances on unknown authors and an honest and up-front business practice, I did not worry when the company went through an initial rough patch. (As many know, there was a loss of key personnel in the beginning which ended up putting quite a bit of strain on the creative director when he suddenly had to become publisher and CEO.) But things appeared to be shaping up with the addition of a new benefactor...who, sadly, had to back out as soon as he joined - leaving the company a one-man with limited revenue venture again.

Their announcement of closing has left me again on the elusive search for a publisher. However, I have chosen to taken on a whole new approach to my writing. I'm admitting to my limitations. I am a writer and a dang good one (or so I've been told). And, while school and paycheck-earning are not two things I can eliminate from my life, I want my focus of life to be my writing. What I mean by being a writer means that I am not an agent. I am not a graphic designer. I am not a publisher. And, despite a fondness for blue pencils, I am not an editor. What I am is a creator of worlds. And I do that frequently; far too frequently to try to be my own agent, my own graphic designer, my own publisher, and my own editor.

While there are several of my writing associates out there that are screaming at me that I can represent myself and saying things like "Why should you PAY someone else to do what you can do?" I am resolute in my standpoint now. I have been a long-standing advocate against non-agent-hood, but some recent reflection has shown me that I am a good writer and by trying to be all of the above mentioned I am seriously doing my writing a dis-service. My two-hour-a-day writing schedule has become 15 minutes of writing and an half and forty-five minutes of cover design, extensive editing, and publisher research. I'd say my scale was a little broken, wouldn't you?

So, if anyone knows of reputable agents accepting new clients, I'd appreciate any information you might have. I'll still need to dedicate some of my writing time to researching and querying agents, but I found that I can do that while earning the paycheck instead of using my writing time for that - it's a win-win! HAHA

All right, dearies, so that is the extent of everything happening in the life of author B.C. Brown at the moment. Now repeat after me... Being a writer must be sooooo glamorous!

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

B.C. Brown

NaNoWriMo Challenge!

2010-11-02T12:20:00.001-05:00

Hi there! How are ya? How's it hangin'?

Well, for me, if you follow me online at all, you know that it is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writer's Month) time again this year. I am dutiful with pen in hand (um, keyboard on lap) and determined to reach 50,000 words this year. Last year, I came close and ended up with a pretty danged good start on another paranormal mystery that needs to be finished up once I have some free time on my plate. HOWEVER! This year I am going to write all 50,000 words and finish the project. So, with this said, I wanted to let everyone know that I will not be writing an blog articles this month. For those of you who follow me regularly, I apologize but just think of this time that you could be working on your very own novel for NaNoWriMo. See? It's a win-win situation for all!

Anyway...with this said, I'll see everyone again come December!

Wish me luck and speed and flow of words!

B.C. Brown
A Touch of Darkness (Papercut Books, Fall 2010), Sister Light, Book One: Of Shadows (under pen name B.B. Walter)

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!

2010-10-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

"I'm walking on sunshine...Whoa-oh-oh!" Feet tapping, hands drumming, and head bobbing, this author's day has gotten a little brighter than it was a moment before. And it was pretty darned bright already with Samhain looming on the horizon!

Why, whatever is going on, B.C.?

Well,if you insist, the first review of my latest novel, A Touch of Darkness, a paranormal mystery, has received its first review today.

Drumroll, please......

FIVE STARS!

Reviewed by Toni V. Sweeney, author of Walk the Blood Trail, Blood Curse, and many many more, the story has received a favorable review and received a Five Star rating!

Try to imagine my immense and total JOY! at this moment, will ya? Now multiple it by, like, TEN THOUSAND!!

Here is Toni's review as follows:

Abbey St. Michael is a special police consultant, a woman with psychic abilities enabling her to “read” the dead and relive their last moments. This so-called gift recently got her a two-year stay at a special therapeutic facilities in San Cabo, a refuge and rehabilitation haven for people driven to their mental limits by the paranormal. Now, she’s back, and called to the scene of a murder, that of a child…no small task for someone who lost her own baby while in pursuit of a criminal and still carries that guilt with her. Abbey reads the dead by touching them, so keeps herself insulated from any other contact with layers of clothing and special gloves. Anything she touches has to be cleaned continually to wash away residual energy. Even humans carry others memories as well as their own and because of that, Abbey hasn’t touched another living creature in years. That in itself creates problems of a more personal nature.

This present case is one which will push her to the limit. The child’s body carries no memories. Not one. Someone—or something—has erased them. Only the murder weapon holds a trace of the crime but not enough to give the killer’s identity, so the police have nothing to go on. When more children’s bodies are discovered with the same result, Abbey believes a negator, someone who can absorb or destroy living energy, is responsible. Her investigations tell her there are only a few negators registered and they all check out, so the killer is not only not one of them, he’s more powerful than any known so far, and he’s not documented anywhere.

Into this turmoil, Abbey’s personal life takes a sudden wonderful, albeit devastating turn, as she gains the notice of her new neighbor Nik Romanov, a handsome restauranteur. Wanting to reach out to Nik, Abbey refuses to allow herself the pain of absorbing all his memories along with the others she now possesses but Nik doesn’t give up easily. His persistence pays off, and Abbey discovers something wonderful…with Nik, there are no memories. When she’s with him, there a total blank with only her own emotions in play. Her joy—and their lovemaking—is heaven, and even Nik’s statement that he has to tell her something about himself doesn’t quell her desire.

The murders continue, Nik offering Abbey little respites from her inner turmoil over finding the negator. Then Nik’s grandmother tells Abbey her lover’s secret: her grandson is able to block energy, psychic or otherwise. Nik is a negator, a very powerful one, and his family has kept his secret all his life. Now Abbey has to face the truth and force herself to do something which breaks her heart as she realizes the man she loves, the only living creature she’s allowed into her life since her gift emerged full force, may be the killer she’s been pursuing…

MY OPINION: WOW! That’s all I’ve got to say. (Not really.) Followed by tense, gripping, emotion-wrenching, gritty, eerie, sexy, and any other powerful adjective you want to add. Abbey’s angst over her “gift”, her pain over choosing to use it in the face of her grief, and the horror she faces in her decision to continue after the killer—though he may be the man she loves—comes through with heart-breaking clarity. Nik is written in such a way he’ll capture your heart no matter what he turns out to be. More Abbey St. Michael stories, and please keep Nik in them! Abbey need him, no matter what.

RATING: Five Stars

Bom-chika-wow-wow!! Happy dance!

This is the first review A Touch of Darkness has received, but surely it won't be the last. Here's to hoping that every review given from here on out is the same (OK, well not "the same" because that would be plagiarism, and plagiarism is bad, kiddies, but you know what I mean). So tonight join me in raising a glass to the first of many awesome reviews for my latest book, A Touch of Darkness! And, if you're feeling froggy, you could swing by and join me for that raised glass...But, be warned, the happiness dance is usually performed in my skivvies in the moonlight filtering through the windows in my living and/or bedroom, dependent upon my location when the mood to dance overtakes me. :)

B.C. Brown

Quinessential Querying

2010-10-15T14:06:00.002-05:00

I often hear (and say) that writing a query letter to an agent is ~~one of the~~ the single-most scary (is that even grammatically correct? Ah, screw it!) aspect of being a writer. One might be inclined to think it would more so be a matter of writing anywhere from 60,000 - 120,000 words, or trying to create realistic and believable (hell, even likable!) characters? But, no! You'd be dead wrong! More writers cower in terror (after they conquer their debilitating fear of rejection, that is) of the ever-present and looming QUERY LETTER.

This query letter process might as well be spelled WRITER'S BLOCK. Because that is what happens...we freeze. We get stuck trying to figure out how to sell our story to a person (a professional at that!) without being a) over-eager (and by this I mean pushy as all hell!), b) cheesy (My 120,000 word YA novel is a must-read for any teenager dealing with anger at parental figures, body-image issues, or peer pressure!), or c) plain stupid (People tell me all the time how good my story is!).

It's not a fear of rejection. (As I believe I've mentioned, we've jumped this hurdle already and decided to query someone for Pete's sake.) If we were afraid of rejection still, we wouldn't be sitting down to write a query letter after all. So what is it that has us so locked up?

It could be those danged questions we have floating around in our brain...like... What do agents/publishers really look for in a query letter? Well, I ~~worship~~ follow this absolutely awesome agent's blog who gives a low down on exactly what it is that ~~agents~~ he looks for in a query letter. Follow your click-happy-self over to here:

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/03/query-letter-mad-lib.html

B.C. Brown

Through the Wormhole- Interview with author P.M. Russell

2010-10-03T17:50:00.001-05:00

"Once upon a time..." This is how most children's stories begin. It's a rare treat to find a children's author who takes a journey that does not start off with the classic introduction. Admittedly, I am not a big children's story reader. As I do not have children of my own, I find myself glossing over most children's stories on a whole, but an author came to my attention a few years back whose story was intriguing. This woman wanted to write stories for children that had actual scientific information in them. Basically, she wanted to write intelligent fiction for kids. Hum...interesting idea, I thought. After contacting the author, I read her work - and absolutely LOVED it! I immediately wanted to introduce her stories to my nephew (who was then younger) and wanted to read more. So, in my effort to perpetuate good literature of all genres, I asked my friend to join me in an interview. Today we'll get to know a little bit about my friend and author P.M. Russell. So everyone give her a big round of applause, and we'll drive right into the meat of the interview!

What made you decide you wanted to write children's books?

I believe children have a great capacity for learning. They are able to learn an entire language in one year. I think it’s a waste of time to talk baby talk to a baby or read nonsense to a very young child. Children are learning about the world they live in from the very start by using their senses. It is critical to give kids accurate information. My son went to Montessori. It is a wonderful school that believes young children are capable of learning more than they are given credit for. The school teaches visually. My son was reading by the age of three because he was taught whole words, rather than individual letters. He learned math at Montessori by using beads and writing series of numbers. By the time he was ready for first grade, he was tested at third grade level. Conversely, I saw how other children were being trained to be children. They were not exposed to advanced knowledge because they believed children were not capable of comprehending it. That is why I wrote The Wormhole Adventures.

I had trouble finding good books on advanced subjects for children, so I made my own.

Einstein was a great thinker, but not always a good student. This was because he was determined to do things his own way. He sometimes knew more than the teacher and was considered obstinate. I didn’t want my son to be held back just because he was young. He is now 13 and has already taken his SATs. He is in a class with several students like him who are advanced. As a result, they are allowed the freedom to excel. I truly believe if the opportunity were available, more kids would do extremely well.

Do you do a lot of research on the scientific topics you cover in your books?

Research is a very important part of the process. Unless you are writing a complete fantasy without any regard to reality, research is critical. A reader cannot take a fictional tale very seriously if the subject matter completely disregards reality. For example, if you are writing a baseball story, it wouldn’t have the same impact if the rules of baseball were inaccurate. I researched Einstein’s theories as well as the study of ravens when writing my story.

It was important for me to educate as well as entertain. I’ve read historical fiction that wasn’t entirely accurate with regards to history. As a result, I doubted the credibility of the author in other books. If you are going to write on a subject, even in a fictional setting, it’s important to keep the facts surrounding the story accurate.

Many writers have Beta readers to test their stories out on prior to publishing, do you read your stories to kids you know in much the same function?

When I completed my book, I read it to my son and his nephew. They gave me invaluable feedback from a child’s point of view. I did have an editor look it over before I submitted it for technical accuracy.

I know you also freelance write in addition to writing children's books; tell us a little more about that portion of your writing.

When I was in college, I was required to send off research articles to magazines. I learned a great deal about the process and had an article published in financial magazine. I wrote about a local business which was shutting down and how it affected, not only the workers but the community as a whole. Several individuals attempted to buy the company themselves and reopen it, only to find it was beyond their means.

I subsequently sent off more articles and had work published in several other periodicals. Some were trade magazines, regional publications as well as a parenting magazine. I knew of one woman who wrote over 50 articles on how bleach and ammonia combined is poisonous. Many people were using these common cleaning products together without realizing the dangers. She modified the article to fit the periodical she was sending it to. As a result, she did very well using only one subject matter. I, on the other hand, have written on a wide variety of topics. If I notice something of interest, I research it and decide if there’s a need for more information on the topic. There is so much information out there, but not all of it is accurate. Clarifying a common misconception can make for a great article. Focusing on specific genres can make for interesting topics as well. My sister creates miniature toy theaters. She attends miniature artist conventions and writes about the artists. Any topic can be a basis for a magazine article. Researching the types of magazines available will give you an idea of the themes needed for articles.

Was it difficult to establish yourself as a freelancer? What steps did you take?

As I said before, it was a course requirement in college. My professor, the late Caroline Dow, was a former People magazine columnist. She passed on her great wisdom to her students. She taught me to write with a passion and a purpose. With her as my mentor, I learned to write within areas that I had an interest. You can’t write a good article on a subject you care nothing about. That passion is the foundation for your writing. Accurate background research is also imperative. Together, they can form a timely human interest piece which magazines thrive on. Anything you’ve ever written can be used in a resume. A magazine publisher wants to see what you’ve done in the past. At the same time, they want know your expertise. What have you done which demonstrates your knowledge in a specific field? Career highlights and volunteer work can show where your knowledge and experience lies. There are thousands of periodicals out there. You don’t need an agent to send articles to magazines. The key is to keep sending out the articles. Also, read the magazines in which you are sending the article. You must be familiar with the type of information they publish. Libraries have a large selection of magazines available. Spend time browsing magazines of interest and take notes.

Since you seem to have established yourself in the writing business, what advice would you give to other writers really just getting started?

One thing I learned over the years is to never give up. If you have a passion for something, follow it. Don’t ever talk yourself out of following a dream. I firmly believe that we create our own destiny. If we don’t believe in ourselves, no one else will. Even the most successful authors went through rejection when they started out. Opening yourself up to possible rejection takes courage. The easiest thing to do is nothing. It takes initiative and confidence to follow the path less traveled. However, your life will be so much the better for it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Patricia, for taking the time to speak with me! You can find P.M. Russell's books on her website www.pmrussell.com and in brick and mortar stores as well as online at Amazon and other fine online retailers. I know I (and my nephew) are eagerly awaiting her next book where we're hoping she'll taking us through the wormhole on another fantastic and informative adventure!

B.C. Brown

Wording and the Art of Interpretation

2010-09-21T18:48:00.001-05:00

Check out our vibrating plows!

This is the sign I see one day while driving outside of a lawn and garden equipment rental business. Of course, I didn't see the large business sign declaring, first, that this statement belonged to a lawn and garden equipment rental place. What I notice is the large, multi-colored lettering declaring this place has vibrating plows. Immediately my brain jumps into hyper-drive, all things, um, gutteral, shall we say. And I'm left wondering, as my eye catches on the business's primary sign, if the person who designed this slogan for the day worded it thusly intentionally? Could their intent have been to conjure a naughty school-boy response to one of their products? I wonder. Or is it a simple matter of "speaking" without thinking.

Clearly, such a thing as vibrating plows exists. As indicated by the picture to the right here. And, again clearly, these people probably do rent this lawn and garden equipment. But was there a better way that could have been used to describe their inventory if a little more thought had been put into the wording ahead of time and people's potential reactions to it?

B.C., you're being silly. Not everyone would jump to this naughtiness like you did.

That's probably very correct. But the sad thing is that enough people could and would misinterpret the words on this business's sign. But, perhaps, one example is not enough. Try this one on for size.

While driving down the road on vacation a few years back, I pass a muffler and auto repair shop. The typical auto shop related items are out front - vehicles in all manner of disrepair, oil stains on the pavement, and a stack of tires set out inticingly to lure in buyers who are in no actual need of tires - but it's the sign that really catches my attention.

No muff too tuff.

No joke. This sign is right out for the world to stop and gawk...while driving down the downtown business district in an extremely large, heavily-commuted city. And, of course, with this bold, declarative statement of vast interpretation, people do stop and stare. Or, at least, drive very very slowly trying to puzzle out if they've read this public sign correctly.

So what does this have to do with writing, B.C.?

Writing is the very essence of word interpretation. We take our thoughts and feelings, our emotions and experiences, and inscribe them for all to see in print, for all time. However, whether a writer is truly good at his/her craft, well, that depends how those words are interpreted by the reader.

I once heard someone say (and I can't remember who or else I'd quote them directly and give them credit for such a brilliant statement) that 'English teachers, often, put more thought into a book than the author/s did.' This declaration made me laugh out loud. Then it made me stop and think. Because, often times, this statement is very true. How many of the classic Greats, do you think actually sat down with the intent of the story they were writing conveying a certain emotion? Probably not many. If the Greats are like most writers (and I've always pictured them thusly), the story they were trying to write (whether the Great was Hemingway or Bradbury or Palahniuk) was probably burning up their brains, demanding to be put on paper (or screen). There was plenty of emotion going into the project, no doubt, but it was most likely the need to get the words out of their heads as fast as their brains were supplying them.

The important thing was that the Greats were/are thusly named because they were/are masters of their craft. Without direct intent, they can convey emotions to the reader without having to consciously think on the matter. What makes them even better is that, later, whilst editing, they can then further hone those emotions by re-reading their work and selecting exactly the right words to make their emotion abundantly clear without leaving open-ended interpretation of their words.

The entire point of my rant today is that wording is very important. The right words can whip a crowd into a frenzy of emotion, whilst the wrong words can whip them into the opposite frenzy...you know, the one you totally didn't intend but that the crowd interpreted from the words you decided to choose to make your statement or your novel. As writers it's our job to pick the right words to make our points abundantly clear and to leave as little open to interpretation as possible.

B.C. Brown

Unraveling the Mystery - Interview with Author Jay Zimmer

2010-09-12T05:42:00.000-05:00

Books are my all-consuming passion. Whether I'm choosing to touch pen to paper (or fingers to keys in my case most of the time), selling a much-loved novel at my and long time friend J. Travis Grundon's bookstore The Mockingbird Book Emporium, or whether I'm selecting one to read for myself, books are my chamomile tea, my sweeping romance, or my mysterious puzzle. This being said, I read...well, EVERYTHING. My motto: If it's been written, it deserves to be, and probably will be, read - by me. So when people ask me what I read, they are sometimes surprised when I tell them "everything."

"Everything? Really?" they ask. It seems they have trouble understanding how a person can like science fiction AND romance, or like horror AND westerns, but I do. I'm not claiming that every book in every genre entices me to pick it up and read it, but I am always willing to at least consider a book no matter the genre.

So what are you getting at here, B.C.?

OK, the point, I understand. I like to ramble. :) My point is that I love to read. But what I like most is finding a good book, or a good author, and passing them along to others. And that is my point today - to share both a good author and a good book.

Author Jay Zimmer (Evansville, Indiana) has been gracious enough to answer a few questions regarding his writing and his books with me. (And, to let you know, signed copies of both of his books are available at my new bookstore, The Mockingbird Book Emporium, in Vincennes, Indiana.) So, without further ado...here's Jay!

Would you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your writing?

My name is Jay Zimmer. I've been writing since my teens and am pleased to be able to say I've finished every story I've started. I am the author of the Peter McDermott Adventure Series, a group of books with the same lead characters who experience many and diverse adventures from dealing with female terrorists, to a modern-day hunt for pirate treasure, to a familial generational murder mystery to a clandestine university sex club.

OK, now that the preliminaries are out of the way...Tell us a little about yourself outside of writing.

I am an avid boater. I own a 32-foot Marinette cabin cruiser I keep in the marina at Evansville, and I am winding up a three-year term as Commodore of Inland Yacht Club. I am also a college student. At 58 I started working toward a Business Management Degree at Harrison College and my grade point average is 3.97. I enjoy taking walks, many of them along the river, and I dabble in cooking from time to time. In addition I am a classically trained musician and sometimes play bass in pick-up bands and at one time wanted to play music full time. I did, for several years, but I sold out for a steady paycheck albeit a small one, and went into broadcast journalism where I stayed for 40 years. I am now retired and a full-time freelance writer.

Many writers talk about how much they like to read, what are your favorite genres or topics of interest?

I own many books about the U.S. presidents and our Founding Fathers -- an interest I developed in partly growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, the only state capital to serve as the U.S. Capital. The presidency and how it came to be -- and what the occupants of the office brought to it -- is absolutely fascinating -- and every Administration was something new and different. Otherwise, my favorite author is Clive Cussler. I particularly enjoy the Oregon Files and the Dirk Pitt adventures, and much of my writing is loosely modeled on Cussler's style, although my heroes aren't anywhere near the supermen his are. I also like biographies of my favorite music and show business people.

Do you write in the same genres you like to read?

As I say I am a huge Cussler fan, and he has inspired me, but you should not infer from that any intention to plagiarize his excellent work -- I am my own writer and newspaperman Peter McDermott is his own man. Yes, I do write in the genres I like to read, I think every author does. they find something they like in another book and they say to themselves, "I can do that." It's amazing how many of them do -- evidenced by how many first-time-author books come out every year. I haven't attempted nonfiction yet. That may be the next thing that happens after McDermott runs his course, you just never know. I may also write an autobiography, the title of which will be the punch-line of my favorite joke. It could be called "And There I stood With My Piccolo."

Do you often glean ideas or inspiration from other authors?

I think every author does this. One of the things that turns a weiter into an author is inspiration from otehrs whose work has affected the writer deeply. I've picked up things such as dialog style, narrative direction, word usage, and so on from people like Judith Krantz, Erica Jong, James Patterson, John Grisham, Herman Wouk, William Martin and of course CLive Cussler. Like other writers, I've taken all the things I've picked up, things in other people's books that have caught my eye, and distilled each of these individual elements into a single style -- my style. I don't try to write "like" any one particular author, but use different elements of each to develop who I am as an author.

What other stories do you have cooking at the moment, or are you unwilling to give us a sneak peek?

In my currently in-progress novel, McDermott, Rod Pitcher and Charlie Hume run across a sex club at a university. It's one that exploits the college co-eds and is protected by the chief of police and the sheriff of the county -- and one where girls who blab about it find themselves in the Chesapeake Bay with a knife in their breasts. "The Color of Dark" will be out next year. In the one after that, McDermott and his colleagues take on a popular, charismatic preacher whose flock is being sheared and whose lives are being ruined -- or taken. It will be called "Thou Shalt Not..." Next will come "Of Mind and Motive." Ruinous items show up on the society page of a new Annapolis (MD) newspaper, which names names and leads to many divorces and business closings and even worse. When the columnist who writes the dirty items turns up dead there are just too many suspects to investigate. But because it was a journalist, however oily, who was killed, the crew of Baltimore's North Bay Times traces the clues to a single common denominator -- a psychic visited by many of the victims.

Jay's books can be found online at www.jayzimmer.com, along with cool information regarding his newest and latest novels coming out. I want to extend a very special thank you to him for taking the time to talk with us! I can't stress enough that, if you like good stories with quick pacing and witty dialogue and adventure, you must pick up one of Jay's novels - Code of Theophilus or Dry Terror.

Cracker Jack Prizes

2010-09-06T10:57:00.001-05:00

I don't like popcorn. In any of its forms - caramel, cheesy, white chocolate, etc., to me, popcorn is more of an annoyance than a practical food source. And unless I'm starving or totally broke, popcorn is not on my list of food selections. So why is it that most of my childhood memories include walking down to the convenience store down the street from my grandparent's house in order to buy Cracker Jack boxes by the arm full? Well, looking back on those memories, I've searched for the answer, looking to see if I actually ate this food source in such abundance as a child that, perhaps, I burned myself out on it as an adult. But what I always remember is happily carting home my bundle of boxes, anticipation bubbling in my tummy; sitting down Indian-style in my grandma's back bedroom, also known as the grand kid's playroom; ripping into the boxes, tearing all the tops open one at a time prior to looking at their contents; and, finally, handing them off to my cousin whose convenience store loot consisted of chocolate and fruit-flavored sugar. So what was the purpose of me buying the caramel popcorn if I was going to hand it off to a family member to devour? Simple. I didn't buy the snack for its multitude of contents. I bought it for one specific content - the prize.

Of course many people have the same memories - although a few, I'm sure, actually ate the sweet popcorn on the inside - so why is my story valuable? Well, it's because, in the end, most of us were waiting for, and looking for, the prize at the bottom of that red, white, blue and caramel-colored box.

All right, B.C., what does this have to do with writing?

I promise I am getting to the point. The reason for my little trip down memory lane ties very closely with my current standpoint in my professional life. The elusive search for the legitimate publisher.

Ah.

And that, my friends, is where I am at in my professional life currently. Now that I am finally getting past my stumbling hurdle of e-publishing as an option thanks to professional and personal friends of mine (you know who you are!), I'm stuck with a multitude of publishers to add to the list of publishers I already had in my little notebook. The possibilities are overwhelming!

So where do you start?

A professional friend once gave me a formula for checking the legitimacy of a publisher. I've felt that its time to pass on this bit of information to others. And, I know, everything on the list seems like common sense but, trust me, when you are wading through the myriad of publishers and your eyes have crossed from the bright light of your lap top's screen, common sense has long since decided to take a coffee break. Having a copy of these check-rules beside me when I begin the long hunt to finding a legitimate publisher helps me, and I want to pass on the good advice to others because, let's face it, GOOD advice is few and far between a lot of the time.

THE LIST
1. Ask for Author references.
2. Ask for a local bank reference.
3. Look them up on Amazon.
4. Ask for samples of their printing / binding.
5. Look for an office you can go into.
6. Type their name into google followed by PROBLEMS.
7. Ask for samples of book cover designs.
8. Ask if they use template. If they do RUN AWAY.
9. Ask for store references where they have books at.

These are the basic rules I abide by when I start the hunt for a legitimate publisher. Since one of the most frequently asked questions I receive is "How Do I Find A Publisher?" I hope this list lets people know a little bit more about the process I have when researching for one. Also, one of the best tools I've come across for researching and finding a good publisher is to talk to people. Making contacts with people already in the writing industry is one of the sharpest tools a writer can have in their tool belt. So, remember, we're good with the words flowing out of our mouths as well as the ones flowing from our fingertips.

As always, do any of my author friends who read and follow my blog have any recommendations or tips for aspiring authors searching for publication? Anything you think should be added to this list?

B.C. Brown

To Build A Mockingbird

2010-09-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

J. Travis Grundon and long time friend B.C. Brown have decided that the one thing an author can bring to a community is books. The two have decided to bring books to Vincennes, Indiana, not just their own. Brown and Grundon have joined forces to create The Mockingbird Book Emporium.

The Mockingbird is designed to be a new and used bookstore with a focus on local and bestselling authors of all genres.

“We wanted to be a part of the downtown business district and really make Vincennes a cool place,” Brown told one source.

The grand opening of the store will be on September 11th at 10am, with St. Louis author Joe Schwartz signing and reading from his book Joe’s Black T-Shirt. The opening will also feature refreshments, door prizes and several local authors in attendance. One door prize mentioned for the event is a signed copy of Isabella Moon by Laura Benedict. Other prizes will include more books signed by local authors and a gift certificate. The amount of the certificate will be announced at the opening.

Vincennes Chamber of Commerce President Marc McNeece was thrilled to tell the local newspaper, “A bookstore has been one of those things that’s been missing for a while.”

Brown and Grundon have several events and fun already planned for the store from a 10/10/10 ten author signing to a Mark twain tribute, that will coincide with the release of Twain’s highly anticipated biography.

The Mockingbird will also be having local play actors reading to children, one Saturday a month.

“This is something I have wanted to do for a very long time and I’m ecstatic to have so much support from the city,” Grundon said.

The published co-owners of the store have been very hard at work getting ready and the buzz about the store in Indiana’s first city is already huge.

Upcoming Events:

Sept. 11th, 2010 - Grand Opening with Author Joe Schwartz

Sept. 25th, 2010 - Children’s Author/Vincennes Lincoln Alumni Dr. Ed Yosowitz Signing with profits going to the Ronald McDonald House.

Oct. 10th, 2010 – Ten Author Signing Event featuring: Co-Owners B.C. Brown and J. Travis Grundon, along with Thriller Author Jay Zimmer, Local Woman’s Fiction Author Molly Daniels, Non-Fiction Author David Boyer, Horror Author Brian Barnett, and several more!

A Day in Review...

2010-07-31T07:04:00.002-05:00

Today I've chosen to post a few book reviews that I've done in an effort to bring more literature packed content to you, the reader! Plus, if you're anything like me, you are an avid reader and quite possibly a word...um, fiend and are always looking for books. Some of these might be books you've never heard of, and others might be books you've seen advertised all over the place but have yet to enjoy a book review that invites you in to read them or tells you to run for cover and spend your money elsewhere.

I'll include two book reviews in this post today. Both of these books are by authors that I know and would like to send a little promotion their way.

Eveningshade
Author: Stephanie Johnson
Genre: Fantasy
Length: approx. 240 pages

Eveningshade, by emerging author Stephanie Johnson, is a classic fantasy tale between good and evil. Three human women – one raised a fairy princess, the other a goblin orphan, and the third a sorceress ruler – find themselves embroiled in an epic quest to stop an evil queen from the Territory of Men from destroying the Five Lands they call home. Johnson immediately sets the pace with this novel, wasting no time sweeping away the reader in the desperation of the situation as she unleashes Queen Aeola’s sinister army of men and orcs on the unsuspecting Five Lands. Her heroines – Morganna, Francesca, and Iceis – learn of a shared heritage from their guide and mentor, a unicorn named Meadowstar, and their possible involvement in the destruction of the evil queen and her forces.

Johnson shows talent for being able to draw her readers into both the militaristic aspects of this story and also relating the personal stories of the characters involved without catapulting from one extreme to another every time she switches track in the story line. Well-paced and well-thought out, Johnson has left a mark with her debut novel that is certain to have readers looking to see what this new author will come up with next.

Fortress of Darkness
Author: Patricia Perry
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 180 pages

The Fortress of Darkness by Patricia Perry is a visually stunning fantasy. Perry’s attention to detail with a thoughtful ease sets an easy current for this sweeping story line.

Evil is spreading throughout the fragmented lands, and the Races are too lost within their own suspicion of one another to heed the signs all around them. A woman in internal conflict with herself, Sara, has set herself on the path to defeating this evil, the Vox. Requiring the aid of others, she finds herself traveling with two men, one nomad and the other an elf, along the long and dangerous road that may lead to the land’s salvation. The question remains: Can they find unity in peoples who have taken comfort in solidarity, or are the lands intended to fall one by one like dominoes set in motion several hundred years in the past?

This tale washes over the reader in tidal waves of sensory pleasure. One is simultaneously drawn from desolate lands to lush forestry, a richness of description and plot that nearly leads to imagination overload. I was thrilled with every word upon the page and engrossed with the plot until the very last point of punctuation.

Both of these fantasy novels I enjoyed very much and wanted to share with the rest of you. I know for a fact that they are both available online at Amazon.com and various other sites online. I can't guarantee that you'll like these books as much as I did, but they are certainly worth a look.

Just remember: Keep Dreaming. Keep Reading.

B.C. Brown

How to Write a Novel in 30 Easy Steps

2010-07-22T14:10:00.000-05:00

There are a lot of great websites/blogs available that tell writers how to get their work published (in very vague terms that don't actually give specifics as to "how" to actually do it), and there are great sites that tell writers how to edit/review/critique their manuscripts. But very few sites help a writer with the essential process of writing a novel.

1) Pick a tense situation in a completely fictional world of your choosing that you think can sustain a viable plot.

2) Mule over that situation and meandering plot for months and months, creating, dismantling, and re-creating characters time and time again until you go insane.

3) Agonize over an outline, pouring yourself into every detail of your imaginary world until it oozes with your personality and presence.

4) Shove your outline in a drawer and completely forget which overstuffed drawer you put it in.

5) Compose the novel, completely ignoring your outline unless you get stuck.

6) Never give up.

7) If you absolutely get stuck, try to find the blasted outline you stuffed away.

8) Still don't give up.

9) Keep writing...Anywhere near the halfway point yet?

10) If you are, take a break - realize that you still have family and friends and they might need a little attention from their writer family member/friend.

11) Don't get distracted - go back to the novel; you've recharged, now it's time to work again.

12) Don't give up.

13) Are you finished with it yet?

14) Find the 3/4 mark of your novel and take a break - revisit your family and friends.

15) Get back to work.

16) Don't give up yet. This is the hardest point; you're so close to the end, you are exhausted, and you know how the danged thing ends (unless you write like I do and never look at your outline once you stuff it in a drawer), so why continue??

17) Don't quit now...keep going.

18) Stuck? Review your outline but keep working.

19) Get frustrated with your story.

20) Scream, kick, and rant about how your story will never be done!

21) Stare at your computer monitor for hours on end, completely blocked.

22) Take several trips to the bookstore, staring at all the titles on the shelves that are obviously way better than yours will ever be.

23) Repeat Step #22 at the local library.

24) Fall into despair and drink too much.

25) Realize you'll never be as good as other authors and think about chucking that manuscript in favor of one that IS actually as good.

26) Also realize that the manuscript sitting on your desktop, so close to being finished, is probably just as good a starting place as any other manuscript - plus, you're drinking too much as this point to fathom starting a new MS.

27) Sit back down at the monitor.

28) Put the bottle away, and pull the outline back out.

29) Start writing again.

30) Don't give up until you type the words (as pretentious as they might seem) "The End".

And there you have it! The actual steps it takes to write a novel. Of course, some of these steps might vary a little from writer to writer (like if you don't care to become a raging alcoholic and would rather substitute some other type of vice like playing the ponies, etc.), but this gives the aspiring and budding author a step-by-step guide to writing a novel.

In actually, there might be a few steps you could skip in this instruction guide. But, if you're going to take any one step away from this article today, you should take this one - Don't (or Never) give up.

~B.C. Brown

Guest Blog with Author J. Travis Grundon

2010-07-20T13:49:00.000-05:00

Just the Tip…

New York Times Best Selling Author Janet Evanovich was asked: “What advice would you give aspiring writers?” Her answer was “WRITE!”

I have a lot of friends who talk about being a writer, or wanting to write, but they spend most of their time playing video games, watching movies, getting drunk, making excuses or spending time with the ones they love. None of these are good reasons to not be writing if it is something you really want to do.

If you want to be a writer, you have to write.

I have heard every excuse from “I don’t have the time” and “I’m not as good as my favorite author” to “I’ll never do anything with it” and “what if it’s not good enough?”

My advice to these people is SHUT UP!

An artist never paints a masterpiece without the first brush stroke. A NASCAR driver doesn’t win a race without getting behind the wheel and a writer is never successful or tells a story without putting in the time.

You have to make the time and stop crying about how bad it is before it’s even finished. It’s an editor’s job to tell you its shit. You have to just write the story you want to tell. You have the write the book you want to read and let nature take its course, but you can’t get to this step if you don’t sit down and write.

It doesn’t really matter if anyone likes it. It doesn’t matter if it has proper grammar and spelling. All that matters is that you took the time and energy to tell the story. Once that is accomplished and you achieve that feeling of accomplishment you will have the power to do it again and do anything else you set your mind to.

A lot of people talk about writing a book, but not everyone does it.

One thing I always go back to when someone asks me about being a writer is a poem by Charles Bukowski. He may have been a misogynistic asshole, but he was right about being a writer.

I don’t think anyone has ever put it better. Nothing meant more to him than his writing. Sometimes that is how it has to be.

So You Want To Be a Writer
By Charles Bukowski

if it doesn't come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don't do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don't do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don't do it.
if you're doing it for money or
fame,
don't do it.
if you're doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don't do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don't do it.
if it's hard work just thinking about doing it,
don't do it.
if you're trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you're not ready.

don't be like so many writers,
don't be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and
pretentious, don't be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don't add to that.
don't do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don't do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

Now that you’re feeling motivated, check your Facebook page one last time, get off of the internet and do the “write thing.” Feel free to read Bukowski’s poem as often as needed to kick you in the ass and light the fire you know is inside. Do it for you.

My other 2 tips for writers are:
2.) Find/ start a writers group.
3.) Read as much as you can. The more you read the better writer you’ll become.

Check out http://jtravisgrundon.blogspot.com/ for more on these topics…soon!!!

- Travis

A Little Friendly Competition?

2010-07-11T13:33:00.001-05:00

In an effort to keep as well-informed as possible on the wonderfully wacky world of writing, I stay tuned into several sites and information sources that provide contest information for writers looking to either "make it big" or simply those trying to "earn a little cred". Below are three contests I found in the Writer's Digest Yearbook edition picked up in June at my local bookstore.

(As Writer's Digest recommends, I also urge all writers to research all affiliates/contests on their own before entering their work.)

IOWA SHORT FICTION CONTEST
Submissions: Minimum of 150 pages
Deadlines: August 1 - September 30
Fees: None
Prize: Publication by the Iowa University Press
Website: uiowapress.org/authors/iowashortfiction.htm

JUNIPER PRIZE FOR FICTION CONTEST
Submissions: Minimum of 150 pages to 350 pages
Deadlines: Check website
Fees: $25
Prize: Publication by University of Massachussets Press and $1500
Website: umass.edu/umpress/juniper_fiction.html

MILKWEED EDITIONS NATIONAL FICTION CONTEST
Submissions: Minimum 150 pages to 400 pages
Deadlines: Rolling deadline
Fees: None
Prize: Publication by Milkweed Editions and cash advance of $5000 against royalties
Website: milkweed.org/content/view/22/72

Again I urge all writers to do their own research regarding all affiliates to these contests; however, as Writer's Digest is one of my trusted sources of information, I wanted to share these three potential contests with any writers who might want to utilize them.

Enjoy and Happy Writing!

B.C. Brown

Guest Blogger - Author Kenzie Michaels

2010-07-05T07:17:00.000-05:00

So You’re Published; Now What?

“…and they lived happily ever after. The End”.

“Dear Kenzie, We’d like to offer you a contract… Here are your edits… Here’s your cover…. Your release date is…”
Wow. Now what? Your book, which you’ve worked so hard to write, submitted it to a publisher and had it accepted, bitten your nails to the quick over edits, and approved your cover, is finally available. But what comes next?

Throw yourself a release party, first and foremost. This is an accomplishment, after all. Go out to eat; enjoy some cake and ice cream with friends or family and celebrate a little. And hopefully if you blog or belong to chat loops, you’ve already posted the news, an excerpt, and the cover all over cyberspace and your website. Soak up the applause and bask in any guest blogging comments on your friends’ sites.

And get a good night’s sleep, because the real work begins the next day.

What? Oh…you didn’t know? Aren’t you glad I’m telling you this now?

Your publisher has done their job. Now everything else is up to YOU, the author, to get the word out. Watch for calls for guest bloggers or interviews. Promote your work on any promo days on the chat loops you belong to. Show up at chats with your online friends and rebuild relationships with those you’ve interacted with before, but maybe neglected while you were busy editing.

Sign up for a Google Alert on your title and name, and put quotes around them; otherwise you’ll get hit with any or all uses of the words. One of the groups I belong to is the marketing for romance writers, and the members are very generous in answering any questions pertaining to promotions.

Have some bookmarks made up, or postcards to send out. VistaPrint.com is a wonderful source to find inexpensive promotional items, as well as your local office supply store. I sent my local Office Max a copy of my cover and pay about eleven dollars for one hundred bookmarks.

If your book is coming out into print, look around in the community for places to network. My alter ego placed a few copies of her books in gift shops on consignment. I’m considering doing the same at a local adult gift shop with my own books. I’ll buy a copy of my own work, download it to CD and set the price accordingly. Don’t forget to leave a few of your business cards with the owners. I’ve also set up at local festivals, contacted book stores to set up signings, and set up booths at craft fairs at Fish Fries around my area. If you don’t know who to contact, call the fire station once you see the signs and ask to speak to the person in charge of the booth rentals. Call the local Chamber of Commerce to find out about when the festivals take place. And if it’s too late to set up, go and talk to the vendors. Ask about fees, who to contact, and the hours.

And above all else, don’t stop writing! Because at some point, someone will ask ‘What is your next book about?”

Genre/s

2010-07-01T13:19:00.001-05:00

In this world, there are insane amounts of information available. The internet alone has opened up an immense collection of information readily available at your fingertips. That is, IF you know the correct keyword to use. If not, well, then we start to get cross information of completely unrelated topics. And, we've all seen those goofy commercials with the pregnant woman at yoga class quoting keyword/search engine information overload, or the husband and wife in bed who end up arguing due to his keyword/search engine information overload.

For writers, there is a completely different type of keyword overload, and it is generically defined as one simple, somewhat inoccuous little word with a H-U-G-E meaning - GENRE.

Genre, as defined, by Webster's English Language Dictionary:

A class or category of artistic endeavor having a particular form, content, technique, or the like.

Seems simple, right? If we read and understand the definition, then describing our work of fiction should be easy. I mean, what topic does our literary baby fall into? Well, let's take an example of a classic story and define what topic it falls into. For this example, we will use a well-known and well-documented fictional tale - 'Wuthering Heights'.

'Wuthering Heights' basic story outline is as follows:

Many people, generally those who have never read the book, consider Wuthering Heights to Romeo and Juliet on the Yorkshire Moors. But this is a mistake. Really the story is one of revenge. It follows the life of Heathcliff, a mysterious gypsy-like person, from childhood (about seven years old) to his death in his late thirties. Heathcliff rises in his adopted family and then is reduced to the status of a servant, running away when the young woman he loves decides to marry another. He returns later, rich and educated and sets about gaining his revenge on the two families that he believed ruined his life.

Now, here is a listing of the different types of genres that you and most people might be aware of:

Romance
Science fiction
Fantasy
Women's Lit.
Historical
Western
Contemporary Lit.
Horror
General Lit.
Young Adult (or YA)
Mystery

Seems fairly straight forward, right? Well, one would think so. However, there is another type of genre listings that are not as straight forward. These are subgenre listings, and subgenre listings can be both a hindrance and help to the writer. Here is a list of subgenres I'm talking about:

Supernatural
Post Apocolyptic
Slasher
Erotica
Criminal Mystery
Thriller
Court Thriller
Realist
Modern ________

Seem as easy? If so, then you are one of the lucky ones. However, most writers easily become confused about the different types of genres available that may be applicable to their story. Often times, when asking an author what his/her particular story is about, one ends up hearing that that author's story is a "paranormal/historical/romance with an adult theme."

Huh? So this story is about werewolves/vampires/ghosts set in the past (so non-modern day conveniences) with a prominent love story for readers over the age of 16 years? Hummmmm...Totally self-explanatory!

Right. So let's take a look at what is so confusing about this way of using genre to define one's tale.

Writers are ego-centric people on a whole. Woah, there, wait a minute, B.C.! You're making us out to seem like bad guys, you writers are saying right now. (Or, at least, the writer's in my head are saying right now.) But, truthfully, I'm not. Authors ARE ego-centric; we have to be. It is a staple of our craft. Without the ability to focus wholly on one's self, we would not be able to create diverse characters that are both rich and varied. But saying that we are ego-centric people, does not mean that we are wrapped up solely in ourselves either. It simply means that we, as writers, have the capability to turn our mind's eye inward and focus on ourselves to the point of excluding all others. By doing so, authors can split themselves, the whole, into as many different entities as required to fill an entire world with fresh, different faces and personalities.

So what are you getting at here, B.C.?

Well, the point I am trying to get to is that with writers being ego-centric people, we also tend to lead very lonely lives. The actual process of literary art is a solitary practice. Have you ever seen a writer's group hard at work? Twenty or thirty authors all clustered around a table, a laptop or notepad at the ready, and the room is silent since all their heads/feet are bopping rythmically to whatever song/event is being pumped through the tiny speakers of their earbuds/headphones. Despite the illusion of community, the writer him/herself is isolated. The people around him are peripheral to the world, the characters, he/she has already immersed themselves into.

The point already?

Ever been around someone who is lonely and doesn't want to be? They tend to be chatter bugs that you can't shut up. The same is true of most writers. Writers are people-people; we have to be in order to market our work (that is when our egos do not get in the way). And writers also tend to be little kids are heart. We have overactive imaginations that run rampant and seek out opportunities to include things and people in them. With that understood, you can better relate to what writers experience when someone actually ASKS them about their work.

Many people are interested in the arts. Millions of people flock to art galleries and museums, clubs and concerts; but, on a whole, looking at a picture or listening to a song floating through the air is "easy" art interest. The act of reading itself takes effort and time. So when a writer is approached by someone concerning the work they'd already done, when they are approached by someone showing genuine interest, writer's - well - they tend to get a little overexcited. And, lastly, it can be difficult to clearly define something that is as intricately written as a story, which normally contains a plot and one to two subplots. Once you've started weaving that particular braid, it can be easy to get caught up in the complexities of a story well crafted. (Or, at least, we HOPE well crafted.)

Authors are masters of "the hook". We learn very early on that we have to "hook" the reader, or else they will put down our book and move on to the next guys. If that next guy can't "hook" them, then they move on to the next and next and next, and so on until they find the one book that draws them in. And once the author has lost the opportunity of "hooking" you into their story, as a general rule, they've lost you entirely as a reader for that book, that world. So when a potential reader expresses interest in their story, an author can forget that sometimes less is more and let their imaginations get carried away. Because, after all, they have written THE quinessential story of all time and you MUST read it, MUST be interested in it. Right?

Riiiiight.

So that is what happens when a writer is asked to describe their story. We jump straight to the hook. (In this case, we'll jump straight to Wuthering Height's hook.) The only difficulty is that we know nothing about the potential reader we are speaking to, or relatively nothing most likely, so we try to expand our book topic to include as many possible hooks as we can. Despite the fact that there is only one ghost, who is a peripheral character in the story by the way, in the whole book, I excitedly blurb that my book is paranormal (because my reader MIGHT like paranormal stories). And I KNOW that my story is a romance, so I add that it is a romance. Now my story has become a paranormal/romance. BUT my story also has a historical slant to it, so I feel the need to include historical to the list of genre because the reader might really dig that. So I'm up to a paranormal/historical/romance. Oh, wait, but I'm not done! My story also has a mystery in it, so I'm now up to a paranormal/historical/mystery/romance.

Starting to get a little wordy here, huh? Most editors and agents think so as well. In most research I've done concerning manuscript (MS) submission and Query submission, I've found that most agents seems to have a preference to a two-word genre tag. The old addage of less is more is as true in the literary field as any other and, by giving too much information (hence information overload), the writer begins to damage their chances of the reader actually caring about the piece. By the time we've gotten out our third description of the book, our reader's eyes have began to glaze and a little pool of spittle has began forming in the corners of their mouthes. Clearly, we've oversold - like the used car salesman trying too hard to upsell you the Ford Taurus on the lot because it has heated seats instead of selling you the simple Toyota Corola you were originally looking at. And, as a consumer, you'd be just as put off by this salesman and your potential reader has now become of you. So the basic advice is that writers should stick with a two word genre that is as close to the major plot arches of the story as possible. In our case of Wuthering Heights, we would define our story as a historical/romance. If your reader isn't interested in either historical or romance, then you might have hit a snag in selling your story to them; however, I can guarantee that the more information you give them, the more the chance their eyes are going to glaze and their mouthes are going to go all drooly. And you've lost them regardless of what you say.

What am I trying to get at with this article? A) To help clearly define what genre is, B) To illustrate how writers like you and I misuse and abuse this valuable and necessary tool, and C) To smack writers everywhere in the face with the simple knowledge of "less is more". Or, I suppose, saying I am "equipping" writers with a simple truth sounds a little better, doesn't it? LOL

For more information concerning writing, please visit often to www.bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com, www.bcbrown.webs.com, or follow me on Facebook (bc brown books @ gmail . com) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/bcbrownbooks).

{Currently Reading: The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lilian Jackson Braun and Speaking with the Angel edited by Nick Hornby (short story anthology) and The Anthology of the Living Dead by J. Travis Grundon (short story anthology of collected authors)}

B.C. Brown

Good Guys/Bad Guys

2010-06-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

We've all read it, the 'Traditional Plot' - Good Guy meets Good Girl, Bad Guy/Girl tries to intervene, Good Guy and Good Girl overcome all obstacles, defeat Bad Guy/Girl and live happily ever after. Right? This is the age old story, the epitome of good fiction (if written well, that is). However, what happens if/when Good Guy, the character you've been rooting for the entire story, reveals himself overall to become Bad Guy? And, to add insult to injury, the Bad Guy reveals himself to be the Good Guy? Can the writer still satisfy the readers' expectations with such an abrupt change?

Writers around the world and throughout the centuries have been struggling with writing stories, telling tales, that both satisfy and surprise their readers. Some writers have used twisting plot shifts and surprise endings to their advantage - for example George R.R. Martin's heroes are rarely the victors and his villains are frequently the triumphant, or Jacqueline Carey worlds are often harsh and bitter while managing to find small threads of joy and beauty; while other writers stumble over the intricacies needed to defy convention, chuck the traditional, and say "Woah, they won't expect this!"

So how does an author walk this finely drawn line? Especially a relatively unknown author. Is it wise to defy tradition and say, "I'm going to create a story that defies every known convention I can pull out of my writer's cap."?

Many authors I know have chimed in on the matter. And the lot seems to be equally divided. In Camp #1, some writers disagree with defying convention, stating fairly obvious reasons, the old addage, of not rocking the boat. Tradition works, plain and simple. Readers dig Good Guys hooking up with Good Girls and Bad Guys being defeated in horrifyingly brilliant displays of vengeance/justice. Agents/publishers may not appreciate centuries of tradition being overthrown at the whim of a presumptuous would-be author, after all. In Camp #2, the rest believe that chucking tradition is exactly what is required of new and budding authors to shine out from the depths of the slush pile. Their belief? Editors/agents/publishers have seen and read the same 'tried and true' tale of Boy-Meets-Girl, almost-loses-Girl-to-Second-Boy, before-overcoming-and-living-happily-ever-after dog and pony show. By switching up the same-ol', same-ol', the blossoming writer may have the unique opportunity to grab an agent/publisher by the balls and make them stand up and take notice.

Of course, I have my own opinion on the matter. I'm a grab 'em by the balls and make 'em sing your name kind of person/writer! :big grin: But I'll admit that I enjoy snuggling down with a good, traditional tale of Boy meets Girl, meets Second Boy, defeats Second Boy, and lives happily ever after. But I'm always thrilled by the story that grabs me, sucks me in, and then completely throws me off the trail by doing something totally unexpected! To me, it seems, those reads are rare jewels and are, often, the books I keep floating around instead of exchanging.

Naturally, everyone has their own opinion, and I welcome yours. Let me know what you like in a story, and what your thoughts are on today's topic. Do you welcome the satisfaction of a tried-and-true tale of Good Guy/Bad Guy/Good Girl, or do you like it when the story throws you a reversal and makes you question the morality of each character?

B.C. Brown
Fiction Novelist
www.bcbrown.webs.com

Fatigue, Time and Motivation...3 Obstacles to Writing

2010-06-02T23:54:00.000-05:00

Since becoming a writer, whenever I meet someone and they learn of this fact, the one question I always receive is "How do you find the time?" or "Where do you come up with your ideas?" Today, I'm going to tackle these three very important topics for writers.

(Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times and enjoy the ride!)

Fatigue - One of the key points of everyday life. Adults are simply tired - All. The. Time. Period. Between work, kids, housecleaning, paying bills, errands, and social life - there isn't enough time to sleep, so there isn't enough energy to go around. We all know that Family and Bills/Work are priorities that head up every adults life. Followed closely behind those are housecleaning and errands. And, if we're lucky, we get to fit in a social life. (Most of us aren't lucky.) With writing, being tired is a bad thing. Fatigue is bad mojo for the creative Muse to strike. When it comes to being tired and writing, you have to do what we do when we face all other things and we're tired. We just do it.

Writing is like any other aspect of our work lives. If you're writing for publication (or with the hopes of one day becoming published) then it has to be viewed as work. Fun and interesting work, but work nonetheless. The great thing about being a writer is that our work is fun and interesting. And, I'm willing to go out on a limb here, I'd guess that once you do sit down at your computer or with your notebook or typewriter and start the process of writing that you feel infused with energy and don't want to stop, right? Come on, you know I'm right! Writing is stimulating; it gets the brain thinking, blood starts flowing, and (if we're writing something we're interested in and most of us are) then it gets the blood pounding. Plain and simple, it makes us feel good, so we want more. You know you'll feel good once you start, so the trouble is actually starting. My advise here is simple. When I don't feel like writing because I'm tired and run-down feeling I tell myself one thing: "I'm going to pick up the laptop for 15 minutes only, and I'm only going to edit." I set an alarm, and here's the thing I learned...I never only edit, and at the end of the 15 minutes, I always always reset the alarm for another hour.

Just like any form of work or exercise...Writers know we have to write to survive. The same with work and exercise, it's something we have to PUSH ourselves to do. The good news is that once you do, unlike work and exercise usually, you're going to end up happy, fulfilled, and just darned proud of yourselves so....Shush, grab the notebook, and push through it. You'll be glad you did!!

Second subject that goes hand in hand with fatigue is TIME!!! (Dum dum DUUUUM!) I won't list out again everything that eats away at our precious time. (If you need it, see paragraph #3) Time is an issue regular people have, so it makes sense that it is also an issue writers have...only we have one.more.thing. to squeeze into that darn day. There are two things you have to realize before I talk about "How to make time in your busy day". Are you a lark or an owl?

Larks are morning people. This is not to say you enjoy getting up early to go about your day, but that you find you are more productive and get more achieved throughout your particular day when you do get up early. You're also sharper and more focused during the day, have more energy, and are generally in a better mood.

Owls are night people. This may mean a mid-day person. Generally these are people who are sharper and more focused during the later parts of the day, are sluggish moving around in the earlier hours of the day (like it takes you three hours to wake up instead of a brisk hot shower and a bowl of cereal), and are short tempered when woken before, say, 11 a.m.

Once a person determines which kind of individual they are, it makes it easier to go into this next part. If you're a lark, you should write in the morning; if you're an owl, the evenings. This means when you sit down at whatever you use to write, you should try to schedule your day around these factors. I am (to my husband's annoyance) a lark. (He's an owl.) I'm required to be at work at 8:00 a.m. Monday-Friday; I live precisely 15 minutes from work if I hit a train that morning; My beauty regime takes me 45 minutes (shower, dress, makeup, breakfast...the whole nine yards). What time do I get up? 5:00 a.m. Why? Because I'm a lark; I'm more productive during the day. So that is when I schedule my writing time.

Second thing a person needs to do after discovering their individuality is time management!!! I can't stress it enoough. You have a work schedule, right? So have a writing schedule! It makes sense. You have a time you have to start work (within x amount of time so you don't get in trouble) and a certain time to get off work. Do the same with your writing. This is not saying you need to force yourself to write. If you sit down and can't get started on anything new, then edit something old, do some research (real research, not just surfing the web or playing games...research includes, however, reading my blog *smile*), or reread and revise old material. Ten-to-one says that one of those items will kick-start the old silly noodle and you'll end up writing something.

The key thing with this "scheduled writing time" is that people know this is work time, not optional. Ever notice how everyone calls you while you're at work? They want to swing in for a chat when you have a date planned with your husband? Humans are genetically programmed to be a disruption, I think, and that's why we all have this talent for zeroing in on a person's scheduled whatever time. Friends and family should know when your time to write is and when they are not welcome. You have to be as blunt as that because, if you're not, it will be taken as being ok if they think it's important. (Like them needing to ask if you're going to watch the Cubbies tomorrow night...you know, a conversation that can wait for another hour or so.) Be polite but be firm about your schedule....with others and with yourself.

All right, key thing...Motivation. Every writer has different motivating factors in their lives - personal fulfillment, money, fame, a combination of things. (I'm a fame/money person with a dash of personal fulfillment tossed in for flavor.) There is not cut and dry motivation for anyone in this world; humans are complicated, and so are their motivations. The important thing is realizing What motivates you. For me, motivation can be as simple as looking at the thin pocketbook (lack of money equals need to write more) or Google-ing myself online (I don't come up that often that I feel I'm starting to get famous. The personal fulfillment dash? I'm not happy unless I'm working on something, period. So that takes care of that. Your mission (should you choose to except it) is to take a long hard look at your writing and ask, "How important is writing to me?" If you answer that it is toss Issue #1 and Issue #2 right out the window; they no longer matter. Your family is important and (unfortunately) work and bills are important, so you make time and spend energy you don't have on those, don't you? The same goes with motivation for writing...if it's important, you will make the time and you will find the energy.

If you can't, then you're a dreamer, not a writer.

B.C. Brown

Fiction Novelist