What Writers Can Learn From Catching Fire

Image Courtesy of Lionsgate. "The Hunger Games" Written By Suzanne Collins

Walking away from the best film I've seen in theaters since Man of Steel, I can't help thinking how desperately the world needs your story. My story. All of our stories.

The Hunger Games is definitive proof that the world will flock to your story if you're willing to put in the time. The books sold millions of copies and the movies are well on the way to becoming a phenomenon. 

No matter where the stories are now, they began in the mind of Suzanne Collins. She wrote all three of those books out. She was discouraged. She felt like quitting. And she saw it through.

And for those of you would say, "Well, those were her characters. Those were her stories." I would say to you that you're absolutely right. So the best you can do is tell your stories, and speak of your characters, and suffer through the vicious, soul-numbing endless number of rejections to find success. Because I will tell you something that not a lot of other people will say; the difference between the one who failed and the one who succeeded was the one who stayed with it.

So if you're feeling that you cannot do this, that you just cannot take one more rejection or you just can't do this anymore, I tell you to go see Catching Fire.

And then get to work.

Best of luck to you in your endeavors,  and thanks for reading.

On an endnote, a good friend of mine quit his job eighteen months ago to pursue his writing career. Though he came close to throwing in the towel time and again, he is now, as of today, a successful freelance writer and editor with multiple clients, and he produces a weekly comic strip. So it can be done.

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On Selling and Storytelling

Images Courtesy of SellerConfidential (Top) and MorgueFile (Bottom)

As as sales rep for Centurylink, one of my duties was to sell existing customers high speed internet, among other products. Going into it, I figured it wouldn't be so difficult; after all, everyone needs internet, right?

Wrong.

Two weeks into the job was enough to make me believe that people absolutely hated the internet.
Yet, over time, selling internet to people became almost automatic.

I used to think that the biggest hurdle to selling the internet was that when it came down to it, no one really needs the internet. Turns out that people absolutely hate to be sold, and they hate parting with their hard-earned cash even more, no matter the expense.

As writers, we face this dilemma on much more treacherous ground. How do we sell something people don't need, to people who don't want to be sold?

First, (reality check coming) let me tell you the truth about something. Egomaniacs, look away now.
The world doesn't care about you. The world doesn't care about your story. Yes, in your head, you've got the next big thing and your writing makes Shakespeare look like a hack, but no one's going to care about that from the outset.

That is not to say you're a bad writer. Just don't expect the world to welcome you with open arms.

Now, the good news. There is a place on the planet for your story, and yes, your story has the potential to reach millions and be turned into a major motion picture (if that's your ambition) if you're willing to put in the time.

Want proof?

The fans of Firefly were in such an uproar over the sudden cancellation of the series that Fox produced a movie just to shut them up.

The Harry Potter books--not the movies--have sold over four hundred and fifty million dollars worldwide.

Entire websites pop up overnight just to devour the next tidbit about the next Star Wars. That's how badly people want to know--what happens next?

Writing is one thing; selling is another. And you will have to have a good grasp of the latter to have a foundation to succeed. Hopefully this little starter guide helps. This assumes you already have a fairly decent grasp of social media. Facebook, Twitter, and the like.

1). Don't be afraid to tease your story online.

Come up with a wicked line for one of your characters? Share it. Come up with an interesting setting that will transport potential readers to a place they've never been? Share it. Come up with a killer plot twist? Keep that to yourself--but mention something about it online.

Ex: Prepping the climax for (title of your book). I...did not see that ending coming.

2). Prep a brief synopsis of your book.

I recommend doing this when you're about two thirds of the way through your first draft. Summarize your book as something one would read if they spotted it on a shelf and turned it over. Make it compelling. What is it about? Who is it about? What's the conflict your protagonist faces? What will they face to overcome it? In answering all these questions, it is your job to make your potential reader care, to get them to invest emotionally in your work. The objective, at the least, is to get them to remember your title. At the most, they buy your book outright.

3). Close out your synopsis with a question.

Questions linger in the minds of people better than statements do, because humanity has a pathological need to answer a question. In this case, the question can only be answered by them reading your book.
These are three steps you can take to begin selling your work before it's even finished. Make no mistake; the journey to success is one of the most arduous undertakings one can commit themselves too, particularly because there is no destination. There are many more steps you can take to ease the journey, but these three will get you on a solid start.

Best of luck to you, and thank you for reading.

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Dear Planet; Can We Please Stop Validating Bullies?

So I happened across this little tidbit while browsing my news feeds, and it brought back this horrible torrent of memories and a sad realization; nothing has changed over the years.

The message being sent here is clear; being bullied is not just part of growing up, but in this case, there's something wrong with you and they're right to point it out. Toughen up, learn to deal with it. Be like everyone else and they won't bother you.

I was so young when I was brought into the bullying abyss that I thought it was a way of life. After all, I was the one screwing up, right? I mean, I was the one who was always in the principal's office. I was the one always getting suspended.

And of course, when I started fighting back with no sense of restraint, I was the monster. I was the demon. I was the one who needed help. Never mind the multiple kids who'd been tormenting for so long their taunts, jeers, and physical assaults had seeped into my subconscious. No, what they were doing was normal; kids being kids. I was the one with the issue.

Therein lies the worst aspect of bullying. Kids are taught to speak up, to tell an adult when something is happening to them. Kids are not shown the fine print that reads the adult may not believe you or worse, that the child, or the victim is in the wrong.

The article presented here is the exact opposite way to end bullying in the world. If you really want to solve the problem, tell the children perpetuating this torment that they are wrong, and there are consequences for their actions. Tell the girl that she is beautiful, that it is okay for her to be herself, and that she is doing nothing wrong. Because she's not.

You want to end the violence and madness? Do you want to do so seriously, and not just with rhetoric and empty words? Stop blaming the victim. Stop justifying the perpetrator. Make people take responsibility for their actions.

And you will see positive change overnight.

Thanks for reading.

"I use Grammarly for proofreading because they make the world a better place to read in!"

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The Road Home Returns.

Originally, I was planning to let this blog lay dormant for a little while as I geared up the opening of my new website. With my divorce and the legal issues surrounding it now in in full swing, I've decided to resurrect it for the time being.

I cannot release anything while my divorce is pending. I can't even actively discuss what I'm writing while this is going down or it could be used against me.

What I can do, however, is share what I've learned about writing, selling, storytelling along the way, and how I hope it parlays into a great 2014 for all of us.

So I am bringing this blog back, and it's first entry; "A Confession, Selling, and Storytelling" will be available for public consumption within the next ten days.

As always, thanks for reading, looking forward to sharing with you all again.

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Life is an Adventure!

I admit it; 2013 has been the worst year of my life.

I began the year as a husband and father-to-be. I live alone and the ashes of my daughter take up temporary residence in my top dresser drawer.

I like to think I can push myself through things prettying well, but this is different, this is...unyielding. There are times I'm okay around babies and toddlers. Then I have moments where I have to excuse myself from a room because if I don't, I'll shatter into little pieces. I'm trying to be okay with the idea that this is a wound that will never completely heal.

Then came the moment where I finally had to admit that circumstances had gotten the better of me and I had to write my publisher and cancel the two books I promised.

I write this, my final blog entry, and offer my last confession; the events of the past eighteen months almost completely destroyed me. But admitting it is the first step to bouncing back. And not just saying it until you make yourself believe it, or burying the problem so deep down that you can almost forget it exists, but I mean truly dealing with the issue, so you can recover and move on with your life.

I still don't believe that we are put here to suffer, but to be forged. I remember laughing, good times, fun times, reckless times that made for awesome memories, and they keep me going. Life is meant to be lived, not suffered through, nor endured. Life is meant to be experienced, taking at full tilt without worry or fear of the unknown. Time, effort, and patience solve all problems.

The hard times are given to test and forge our resolve, to strengthen us for whatever future awaits us. Hard times are given that we may look back upon the experience and learn, applying the hard-won knowledge to the next hard time. Or to help others through their own, to let them know that they are not alone, that they can and will endure, that they will smile and laugh again.

People suffer every day, far worse than anything most of us have been through. If those people who endure the unimaginable can persevere, then we have no excuses.

I made up my mind a long time ago; I will never stop moving forward. I will never allow anyone to tell me that I cannot do something. I will never be so broken that I cannot heal. I will never lose my ability to laugh and smile and I will never, ever stop believing in the overall goodness of people, no matter how cynical I may appear. Do no harm, but take no shit. Stand up for one another. Love one another. Embrace what makes us different.

I have persevered to the restoration of my driving privileges after ten years of being unable to legally drive. I have made headway into three novels in the Universal Warrior franchise and their teasers have been well-received. I'm co-authoring a sci-fi graphic novel with a good friend and have to write a guest  post on the writing process at someone else's invitation.

I may not have completely bounced back, and it will be a long time before I'm whole again, but I've at least taken the first step. And I'll keep moving forward till I get to to where I want to be in life.

This will be the final blog entry on the Road Home. I can no longer keep to the schedule of blogging once per week, so rather than let things languish, I'm going to take a hiatus from full time blogging to focus on freelancing and the fantasy trilogy I'm writing; Universal Warrior: War Of The Wild.

If you think I'm not doing things behind the scenes, though, you have another thing coming. If you want to be kept in the loop on what's coming (and oh, how there are so very many things coming), sign up here. I'll probably tweak the hades out of this over the coming months, but if you sign up here, you'll know what's coming before the rest of the world does, and it's a good way to get some free stuff, too.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your support and encouragement over the years. Thank you for reading and turning this blog into a success. I will be back, believe that. Life is an adventure. You will be tested, you will be hurt, and you will persevere, and you will get through it because you CAN.

As always, and until next time, thank you for reading.

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The Hardest I've Ever Had To Write (Part 2)

Writing this letter was about as difficult as publicly admitting I'd fallen short. I was pretty low as I prepared to leave for work.

As I was shutting down, I got a new mail notification. My publisher had replied.

Hesitantly, I opened the letter.

He told me to take as much time as I needed--and tell him about what else I was working on.

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE.

Just wanted to share.

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The Hardest Letter I've Ever Had To Write

Image Courtesy Of Morguefile

I hate failing. It's my biggest fear, to set out to do something and then admitting that for whatever reason, I was not up to the task.

I just finished writing my publisher and telling them that I would not have the two titles I promised ready by the end of the year.

I do not have the time and energy to create two novels, in that time frame, that worth readers money. So I took a step back.

I don't regret getting married. It taught me who I was, what I wanted, and where my boundaries were.

Doesn't mean I'm quitting writing (please, it's keeping me sane), but I am re-focusing things for a minute.

Sometimes, you have to take a step back and a hard look in the mirror.

Happy Monday.

Thanks for reading.

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