Insightful blog posts?

I don’t write insightful or instructive blog posts.

I read a lot of blogs. I follow all the news about filmmaking or publishing or writing – whatever I happen to be interested in that day – but I don’t write them. It doesn’t really occur to me to share my opinion on such things as self-publishing, or buying book reviews, or ebooks in libraries, or the latest controversy. I twitter or facebook the posts I find most interesting and then shut down my browser and focus on writing whatever I am working on …

It has just occurred to me this morning that perhaps this is odd. Is it odd that I am not more “opinion-ly” active? Is it odd that I while I appreciate other people’s opinions, and use their blogs to keep myself vaguely informed, I don’t offer any of my own insights in return?

It’s not that I don’t have opinions on what makes a good story (structure) interesting (action) and engaging (kick ass characters), but that I rarely think to share them beyond a few guest blog posts, etc. It’s not that I am not trying to figure out how to position myself in the market and get more readers’ eyes on my books. And it’s not that I don’t have any experience to bring to the table, though most of that experience is in independent filmmaking in Canada and screenwriting.

To me writing is intense, all-encompassing.

At first, it is just about getting the story out of my head with as much focus as possible, and yet also being free enough to let the character or plot take me where it will within the structure I’ve provided. I often feel utterly empty after a few hours of writing on this level. Devoid of opinion … or even complete sentences.

Then, the next drafts are about making sure that each beat rolls into the next smoothly … with just enough information but not too much.

Then, editing. Is this word the right one? Is it simple enough that anyone will understand what the character feels or thinks, but complex enough to encompass everything I am trying to say or imply?

I write my heart, my fears, my dreams, and my aspirations into each story. All cloaked in the fictional world I’ve envisioned. I laugh … I cry … I fall in love – just a little bit – with scenes I had no idea I was going to write.

I don’t try to be insightful.

I see the story. I write it. I refine it as best I can.

And, at the end of the day or week, that is all I have. Just whatever words have made it on to the page.

I have nothing else to give, but these stories or movies. No opinions or insights, no matter that I would love to write engaging and interesting blog posts. I guess I have nothing much to say about anything else other than whatever story I am constructing.

Unless it’s a picture of a cat attempting to impede my writing, I have been known to snap a few of those. Such as: Leo in the blueberry box, Darby sleeping on a manuscript, or cats ruling the world. But I have a feeling those posts don’t count at all … not on an “insightful” level. My Facebook friends seem to like these posts the best though, and honestly so do I.

I guess this makes me kind of boring.

Sorry about that.

Maybe you’ll find one of my books or films more interesting … that is always the hope.

Goodreads Giveaway – After The Virus in Paperback

Enter to win a paperback copy of After the Virus from August 27 – September 7, 2012.

Accepting international entries.

ENTER HERE

AUTOGRAPHED COPY!

“After the Virus sucked me in and didn’t let me go – the writing was great, the characterisation excellent and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.” – 4 stars, Kat from The Aussie Zombie, http://theaussiezombie.blogspot.ca

“Hold onto your hat! Prepare to enjoy a wild journey of the good, bad, and ugly after an apocalypse.” – 5 stars, Susan Frushour, Goodreads/Amazon review

“Bad guys become good, worse guys stay bad and humanity fights for what’s right. What more could I ask for? Oh and then Doidge added zombies. Bottom line, I loved [After The Virus]!” – 5 stars, Suzie Ivy, http://badluckdetective.com

Synopsis: After the virus decimates 99.9% of the world’s population, and all traces of humanity along with it, Rhiannon and Will are forced to move beyond their past fame, fortune, and personal demons to rescue a mute girl from the clutches of two warring cults.

Keywords: post-apocalyptic, dystopia, survival, zombies, suspense, thriller, horror, love

Categories: Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Action-Adventure, Fiction

ENTER HERE

Guess what came in the mail today?

I almost immediately yanked them out of the box while squealing – I didn’t even hear the mail courier drop them – but I managed to contain myself long enough to grab my phone and snap a picture:

These are the proofs for After The Virus and Spirit Binder from Createspace. I been anxiously waiting for these to arrive (almost three weeks from shipping date, FYI).

I needed scissors to get the packages open … I guess customs opened the package at the U.S. border, so hopefully they liked what they saw: I DO!!

Interior: After The Virus
Interior: Spirit Binder

It is so exciting to see them in print!

Now to approve the proofs!!

Spirit Binder Blog Tour

Starting today Spirit Binder will be on a one week blog tour hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. I’ll update with direct links as the posts go live.

Here is the current schedule:

July 20 Behind A Million And One Pages

Guest blog – Post 1: What Inspired Spirit Binder: Opening Scenes

July 21 Book Nerd Revealed

Promotional Stop – Excerpt

July 21 Crossroads

Promo and review

July 22 Reader Girls

Guest blog – Post 2: What Inspired Spirit Binder: The World

July 22 Happy Tails & Tales

Review & Interview

July 22 Coffee Addicted Writer

Promo

July 23 Book on the Bright Side

Guest blog – Post 3: What Inspired Spirit Binder: Character Names

July 23 Mila Ramos, Paranormal & Contemporary Romance

Promo & Excerpt

July 24 It’s A Hardcover Life

Guest blog – Post 4: What Inspired Spirit Binder: Settings/Locations

July 25 A Bibliophile’s Thoughts on Books

Guest blog – Post 5: What Inspired Spirit Binder: Theme

July 26 Chapter by Chapter

Promo

July 27 Manga Maniac Café

Interview

The Anatomy of a Book Cover

Irene Langholm recently re-envisioned the book cover for After The Virus and the amount of work she put into it was crazy and amazing at the same time. So I thought you all might like to see what an artist does when pitched a basic plot from an author … through concept … to completion.

I am absolutely infatuated with the finished product, BTW (in case there was any lingering doubt). Click the image to get a closer look:

The Anatomy of a Book Cover – After The Virus –  by Irene Langholm

Finished cover and sources:

http://irenelangholm.deviantart.com/art/After-the-Virus-310887976

Stock used:
http://freetextures.deviantart.com/art/Texture10-asphalt-67439625
http://waxsphere-stock.deviantart.com/art/asphalt-stock-50308707
http://arkaydo.deviantart.com/art/asphalt-texture-171800902
http://darkrose42-stock.deviantart.com/art/Army-56617154
http://pendlestock.deviantart.com/art/Fossil-120329445
http://hatestock.deviantart.com/art/Paper-stock-9-91944104
http://bashcorpo.deviantart.com/art/Grungy-paper-texture-v-1-22965919
http://agent-kstock.deviantart.com/art/snowy-mountains-75365193
http://hoschie-stock.deviantart.com/art/street-47084536
http://rml-stock.deviantart.com/art/Street-Stock-05-75324962
http://sirius-sdz.deviantart.com/art/texture-100-106021598
http://babybird-stock.deviantart.com/art/White-crumbled-paper-texture-48496295

Spirit Binder – book cover reveal

Here is the cover for my next novel, Spirit Binder. I absolutely LOVE it. Irene Langholm, the artist, is currently working on a cover for the print version of After The Virus (hopefully available in July 2012).

Spirit Binder is a fantasy set a thousand years after spirit (aka magic) rises to take back the world in an apocalyptic event. It is book one of the Cascadian Chronicles. The second book, Time Walker, is a young adult novel and will be released in the fall of 2012.

Available as an ebook June 2012 and in print July 2012

Synopsis: Theo woke severely injured, covered in blood, and missing ten years of her life. Just to complicate matters further, Theo was born under a prophecy — one that has rabid followers with three different interpretations, all of whom are willing to sacrifice her in order to fulfill it. Not knowing if she can trust the stranger she’s betrothed to, the warrior visiting her dreams, or even her own mother, Theo tries to piece together her past only to find that her present is far more dangerous. It’s the power of her own blood that scares her most of all. This is a responsibility Theo never wanted, and a destiny she cannot deny, “all because of a prophecy she was trying not to believe in, but kept fulfilling.”

ARCs currently available for reviewers upon request

ETA: May 28, 2012 – we changed up the font treatment. Here is the updated version.

Around The Web Wednesday…

 

Harbinger #FlashFiction – round up

How about a by weekly round up of the Flash Fictions currently available for “A Year Before Harbinger”?

Please note: These are unedited, non-proofed first drafts.

The three entries so far are:

September 30, 2011 – Peace of Mind?

October 14, 2011 – Meaning to the madness?

October 28, 2011 – Not helpful

Around The Web Wednesday…

  • Writer Suzie Ivy recently read and reviewed my novel, After The Virus – “Bad guys become good, worse guys stay bad and humanity fights for what’s right. What more could I ask for? Oh and then Doidge added zombies. Bottom line, I loved this book!”
  • A brand new project of mine can be found over at Yesterday’s Sunsets  – in an effort to offset the massive amounts of writing I am currently doing on the Harbinger first draft, I felt I needed another creative project, but not one that would consume too much writing time. I had always intended to document the amazing sunsets we are so lucky to get here in Vancouver, and this seemed like a good time to start doing so. I am adding a bit of random dialogue along with each post – just to keep my writing muscles flexed (in a different direction) as well.
  • Currently reading, Bad Luck Cadet by Suzie Ivy and very much enjoying it! I’ll post a review when I am done, but you can find excerpts of the book (and her next one) over at her Bad Luck Detective blog.
  • Just read Scott Fitzgerald Gray’s novella, The Twilight Child, and though I usually don’t read high fantasy, (which I believe is the correct term) I really enjoyed this short story. I even reviewed it!!
General update: I just cracked the midpoint of the Harbinger novel, and am trying to not get distracted by a new idea to redo my screenplay, Love Lies Bleeding, as a novel. I actually have most of the third act written for Harbinger, so it’s a bit deceptive to say I am only halfway. I should have a completed draft by the beginning of December, then the rewriting begins! I’ll continue the Flash Fiction Fridays every 2nd Friday and start posting some short stories soon as well. Sales for After The Virus have been steady (thank you!), and I am working on a POD (print on demand) version that I hope to have ready for Holiday shopping.

Hope you are all well – I just can’t believe it’s NOVEMBER!!