Guest Blog by B.M Griffin

B.M.Griffin

Writing helps relieve me from everyday stress. I step into other lives, sometimes in a different world altogether. It allows me to create something from nothing. A bad day can be channeled into a fight scene. It works for blowing off steam. I’ve always written for myself and only recently I’ve been sharing it with others. Sometimes it can be difficult to continue to write, excruciating even. Especially when my imaginary friends don’t want to talk to me. When that happens, I have a snowman stress ball I throw around a lot. Off the walls, in the air, on the ground. It drives my animals crazy and anyone else that happens to be in the house with me at the time. While I’m doing this, I try tapping into the characters I’m writing about at that time. You know, get into their heads.

I could be better with my writer's block if I could be more consistent with writing.  Finding the time can be difficult. I work full time. I also have a wife, two kids, two dogs, and two cats. We live in a small town in Montana, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Life can be crazy in a small town, particularly if you have kids. I sit on the board for our local youth soccer program as well as the board for our local friends of the library. I help run my daughter’s 4-H club and sit as a member on our county’s 4-H council. Finding time to write can be extremely difficult some weeks. When I do get a chance to write, I do my best writing in the morning and my creativity usually runs out around noon. Sometimes I get creative streaks at night too. In the middle of the day I tend to sit in front of the monitor and stare at it or surf the Net (bad idea on that one) as I'm trying to write.

Like many indie authors, writing full time without having a day job would be quite an achievement and a goal I’ve set. It would be nice at that point. I'd take my kids overseas and let them see different cultures. Possibly start a travel blog or something along those lines. With writing, I can travel and write at the same time. Another dream of mine would be the ability to wake up one morning and say “Let’s go to Europe today!” I think it would be amazing to have that much freedom. Plus I could visit castles, which would be cool considering I’m mainly a fantasy writer.

However, I tend to mix genres when I write. I don’t stay within the bounds of one genre; it could get boring that way. A perfect example, my current novel The Books of Azric: The Beginning, is a blend of medieval fantasy, steampunk, and western, with portals. To be honest, I didn’t know about steampunk until I explained my book contained steam machinery in it. Elves cruising around in steam carriages. I just thought it would be cool. My friend explained it as a steampunk crossover. Researching steampunk blew my mind. As far as "western" goes, this book doesn’t involve guns or anything like that, but there are many other things that make it feel western: a high noon showdown with swords, throwing knives like a cowboy would use two six shooters, sheriffs and bounty hunters. It may not be the normal western novel but the western theme can be found.

The Books of Azric started off being about a bounty hunter, Colt, and his apprentice, Zane. Then they met other characters. The next thing I knew my story changed from what I planned. My characters wanted to tell a different story in a different way. I intended on the content to be more like Lord of the Rings, but Lord Roderick (one of my favorites to write) told me Game of Thrones would be more to his liking. My characters bully me into what they want. They choose their own path and suffer the consequences. I do have other stories out, one called “The Siege,” a short story about sharing the rule between Human, Elf and Dwarf. One of my favorites, yet to be published anywhere but on my blog, “Gleeson the Defender,” is a bloody tale but a fun read.

I have received great reviews from peers, readers, and my beta readers on everything I’ve done. My most important initial feedback comes from beta readers. They read it before anyone else and help me find holes in the plot that I might have missed. My wife found a huge plot hole at one point. Devastating! I spent months writing this and anger took hold. I just wanted to delete it from my computer. I’m glad I didn’t. I fixed it in three sentences. The fix and the catch made me happy. I would never publish without beta readers. The unimaginable importance of beta readers can’t be matched.

To all those that want to write but don’t think they have what it takes, my advice is to pick up a pencil and paper, open up a word doc, or anything else you use to write on, and just write. It doesn’t need to be perfect, it just can’t be forced. Let it flow and let your characters do the talking.

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No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

Guest Blog by Rachael Eyre

Rachael Eyre

Books were always an important part of our household. It's what every first-time visitor said as they gazed around our living room: “What a lot of books.” Nothing was taboo, you helped yourself to whatever looked interesting. My sister and I belonged to our local library as soon as we could walk; both my mum and grandma were gifted storytellers. Perhaps it isn't surprising I started to write stories of my own.

The catalyst was an assignment at school. How “Write a story” translated into “Write a twenty-eight page illustrated haunted house story,” we will never know, but that's what happened. This simple piece of homework unlocked something deep within me. I was hooked. After that I took a folder wherever I went, scribbling down ideas and sketching characters. I announced at eleven, apropos of nothing, that one day I would be a famous author. My mum was mortified!

The trouble was I didn't have any staying power. Star Wars fan fiction aside, everything I wrote petered out after ten pages. I wrote dozens of radio plays and musicals but they were intended for an audience of one—i.e., me. I kept diaries, but obviously they were top secret. At fifteen I finally completed a manuscript and mailed it off to a nearby publishing house. I was crushed by the inevitable rejection and didn't write for a year.

My salvation came when I was selecting universities. I was planning to study English Literature, my best subject, but the words "English Language with Creative Writing" in the Lancaster University brochure galvanized me into action. This was it! I was going to learn how to be a writer!

Many universities offer creative writing courses now, but it was a novelty back in 2003. I sent them a chapter of my work in progress, fingers crossed. In hindsight, it was utterly feeble, a mass of teenage clichés, but I didn't know any better. Somehow they saw past this juvenilia and offered me a place. The class proved a steep learning curve. I had to overcome my crippling shyness and horror of public speaking to actually read my work aloud—awkward when it was full of gay relationships and skullduggery. I joined the campus writing group, where I met my partner. To this day, she is my best collaborator and critic. 

I graduated a more confident, competent writer. The perfect subject eluded me, however—it was another two years before I began to write about a closeted Victorian governess and her charge.  That novel, The Governess, was published with Kindle Direct Publishing in 2012. My partner persuaded me to enter it in the 2013 Polari First Book Prize competition. I shrieked with joy when it ended up on the longlist.

By then I had developed a taste for sustained writing. My second book, The Revenge of Rose Grubb, couldn't have been more different. It was an urban fantasy revenge tragedy—or, as I once described it, “Hamlet for girls.” Since it was still on the niche side, I thought it would be best to indie publish this one too. My research had shown that many publishers were reluctant to pick up mixed genres or LGBT subject matter.

My latest novel, Love and Robotics, is yet another departure. Published earlier this year, it's the story of Josh, an artificial, or advanced, robot, and Alfred, the grizzled explorer he falls in love with. It was my first attempt at writing science fiction and romance. It's also the proud result of four years, countless beers and possibly the weirdest search history on record. I became fascinated by robot ethics and the questions they prompt: can a robot ever truly love a human? What if unscrupulous humans take advantage of or maltreat robots? If whole areas of employment become roboticised, what happens to the human workers who are made redundant? If robots become sentient, aren't they entitled to rights? I try to answer all these questions and more.

I wouldn't say I had anything that resembled a method. I write when I feel inspired, not at any other time. Reading is vital—how else will you know what works? I try to keep fresh by writing blogs, reviews, and short stories as well as novels; my current project is a novella about a love triangle, set in 1911. I love social media but can't deny that it's an enormous temptation! Before you know it, you've spent hours ping-ponging your views of this celebrity or that politician rather than do any meaningful work.

My goals as an indie writer are far from concrete. As success is so rare in any part of the industry, I'm content to keep on writing and publishing at regular intervals. If it takes off, fantastic, but it’s better to keep your feet on the ground and polish your craft. It's an exciting, intellectually and emotionally fulfilling hobby—and what could be better than that?

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No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

INDIE AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: SCOTT THOMPSON

Scott Thompson

Q: Scott…what made you become a writer?

A: That’s tough to say. There was always a story running in my head. When I was a kid, I would draw and create worlds that would make Tolkien happy. When I wasn’t drawing, I was daydreaming. In math classes and church I killed a lot of ninjas. When I became an adult I started to put stories and ideas on paper more and more. Sometime in my thirties the idea of books started to formulate. Since then I’ve had two novels published. Most recently, Eight Days. I’m a storyteller. I use the word author so people can find me online, but I don’t know if I like the word. "Author" sounds too much like someone much smarter than me, but I can work with being a storyteller.

Q: What is your typical writing day like?

A: I like to start early and write first, before everything else distracts me. I don’t write too long. Maybe an hour. When it’s time for revisions I’ll spend more time working on a manuscript. This evolves the more I learn about writing and the better I get. I would like to dedicate three to four hours to writing daily, but at this time in my life that’s not possible.

Q: Do you outline? If so, how extensive are your outlines?

A: I outline each story, but only about a page or so. I do take lots of notes and write dozens of ideas down that I might use. The outlines give me goals to write to, but I don’t let them control the story too much. If things need to change, if the characters go somewhere different than I planned, I’ll follow. I’m always listening, and I might add something new I pick up along the way.

Q: How many revisions will you typically do on a novel?

A: That depends on the story. I write the first draft, and then put it away for a few weeks. Then I’ll come back and do one revision before letting my wife read the manuscript. She’ll pick up on continuity issues and characters taking actions without the proper motivation. Then I’ll revise based on her notes and ideas. After that, I’ll read the manuscript again. Once a publisher sees it I’ll usually end up revising parts of it again several times based on their findings. Some of the revisions are to improve continuity, to improve phrasing, to make parts of the story make more sense, and finally to clean up typos. Eight Days probably went through about seven revisions.

Q: What is your best tip for editing a manuscript?

A: Editing is tough for me. I’ve always had trouble with words, even though I love them, and I don’t see things that should be obvious. The best thing you can do is to get the help of professional editors. Even if you’re a grammar guru, you should get someone else to edit for you because we become blind to our own errors, even when they’re obvious.

Q: Which writing habits and/or tricks of the trade have made you a better writer?

A: To always keep a notebook handy to take notes, even if it’s for stories you may not work on for years. I don’t know if it’s an industry habit or not, but I think discipline is the least spoken about trick to completing writing projects. You can be the best writer in the world, but if you don’t have the discipline to finish a work, to edit it, to sell it to a publisher, and then to promote it, you won’t be read.

Q: Do you ever suffer through writer’s block? If so, how do you fight it?

A: Not really. Sometimes writing is hard because life is busy, but it’s work, and to complete your work you have to start, stay at it, and finish.

Q: What drew you to write your preferred genre(s)?

A: I write the stories I want to tell. Publishers and readers put me into genres more than I do. I think maybe I’m a Southern Fiction writer, but later novels may be set in other places with themes not common in Southern stories. The term “Literary Fiction” can sound boring, so I don’t know if that’s a good fit for me either, but it’s sometimes used to describe my writing. Genres are good for helping readers find books, and I don’t have a problem with them, but I don’t want categories to limit me. I hope people who read in any genre will like my work.

Q: Do you utilize beta readers?

A: My wife and then maybe a couple of close friends. After that it’s usually editors who offer suggestions. I don’t have a formal beta reader process in place.

Q: In your most recently published novel, what’s one scene you really enjoyed writing—and why?

A: I enjoyed writing about the main character’s father. His father died when he was young, and he never knew him. My dad doesn’t remember his own father, so it was special to consider what it might be like to learn about someone you love but can’t remember.  

Q: What makes the main character(s) of your most recent novel so special?

A: They are real. You know them. Maybe they are you. Life is hard, but it’s also beautiful, and like the rest of us, the characters usually forgot to enjoy the day to day.

Q: What is your best advice for author self-promotion?

A: I don’t like self-promotion, but it’s something we have to do as authors. Most of us anyway. If you write something you believe in it’s easier to share it. Be honest. Be yourself. People want to know who you are, so show them some of your life. You have to keep safe boundaries, but don’t be afraid to be human. Help others and they’ll help you in return. The writing business is the only one I’ve ever experienced where others help each other so much.

Q: How do you deal with negative reviews?

A: I look at negative reviews of the best authors in the world. Even Hemingway is trashed in Amazon sometimes. Everyone won’t like your work, but some will. Write for yourself first, and then write for those who do need to read your work. Stories change people. They heal. Don’t worry too much about negativity. Think about the good your story will do.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: I like the freedom. Even though I have a publisher, they allow great freedom to explore areas that larger houses wouldn’t allow. They take risks. I worked with a larger house before Eight Days and we had big creative differences. French Press Bookworks helped guide my vision, but they never tried to change it. If you can find people who understand what you’re trying to do, and want to help you, that’s the foundation of a good relationship.

Q: What is your least favorite aspect of being an indie author?

A: There’s not much money for promotion, and it’s much more difficult to get your book in front of people.

Q: What is your current writing project?

A: I’m working on my next novel. I’m continuing to study the purpose and meaning of life.

Q: What are three of your favorite novels?

A: A River Runs Through It, by Norman Maclean ; A Walk Across America, by Peter Jenkins; Serena, by Ron Rash.

Q: If you could have lunch with any novelist, living or dead, who would it be? What would you talk to them about?

A: Peter Jenkins. I’d talk about whatever he wants. When you get to meet a genius, it’s best to sit back and listen.

Q: What is your best piece of advice for budding authors?

A: Write almost every day and keep working. It’s tough, but if you’re persistent, you can do something good with your writing.

Q: What is your favorite inspirational quote?

A: “Just Do It”—Nike advertisement slogan 

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Quote of the day...

Isaac Babel (1894-1940), on Revision

"I work like a pack mule, but it’s my own choice. I’m like a galley slave who’s chained for life to his oar but who loves the oar....I go over each sentence, time and again. I start by cutting all the words it can do without. You have to keep your eye on the job because words are very sly, the rubbishy ones go into hiding and you have to dig them out—repetitions, synonyms, things that simply don’t mean anything....I go over every image, metaphor, comparison, to see if they are fresh and accurate. If you can’t find the right adjective for a noun, leave it alone. Let the noun stand by itself. A comparison must be as accurate as a slide rule, and as natural as the smell of fennel....I take out all the participles and adverbs I can....Adverbs are lighter. They can even lend you wings in a way. But too many of them make the language spineless....A noun only needs one adjective, the choicest. Only a genius can afford two adjectives to one noun....Line is as important in prose as in an engraving. It has to be clear and hard....But the most important thing of all...is not to kill the story by working on it. Or else all your labor has been in vain. It’s like walking a tight-rope. Well, there it is....We ought all to take an oath not to mess up our job.” 

No witches, warlocks or vampires...

just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

"A great summer read!"
"A sexy Hollywood tale!"
"It's WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN for the 21st century!"

Available in paperback from Amazon.com 

and Kindle e-Book!

Quote of the day...

"A man's soul 

or lack of it 

will be evident 

with what he can carve 

upon a white sheet of paper." 

-- Charles Bukowski

No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...
Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

Quote of the day...

"I went to the typewriter and sat before it. My thought was to write a sentence, a single perfect sentence. If I could write one good sentence I could write two and if I could write two I could write three, and if I could write three I could write forever."

From Dreams From Bunker Hill, by John Fante

No witches, warlocks or vampires...
just a sexy tale about a guy trying to live the Hollywood dream...

Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen by Jim Vines

VIDEO: More Shameless Book Promotion!!

Jim promotes Luigi's Chinese Delicatessen!

"A great summer read!"
"A sexy Hollywood tale!"
"It's WHAT MAKES SAMMY RUN for the 21st century!"

Available in paperback from Amazon.com 

and Kindle e-Book!