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Showing posts from 2016

Checking In

The holidays are rolling in, and soon it will be a new year. I have sold two stories and have my eyes set on many more places for the year to come. I am also happy to write reviews for a horror magazine--I am partially doing it to challenge myself to read a lot more than what I was doing. It is so important to read when you are a writer, and I am finding this out more and more with each book I finish.  I have been thinking about putting a novel out on Amazon, just to test the waters. From what I've been hearing, it's actually not like shooting yourself in the foot--in terms of getting "traditionally" published after going it on your own; you can actually garner attention from a publisher if you do well. Plus there's the thing about your first novel never being the break-through--though, I think we're at the point where we know anything is possible. Your break-through could be the first one. You never know until you give it a shot. Plus, there are a few th

Draining Me

The day job is draining me. I tell myself that i'm going to write, that it can't keep me back, but I still succumb to it's dangerous pull--the need to make money and survive.  The worst is sitting there when an idea pops into my head and I can't do anything about it. Sure I can jot down the idea, but it's not the same. Sometimes you just want to pursue an idea to it's fullest.  The funny thing is there will be situations when i'll have the time to write and end up squandering it all away to news or YouTube videos or some other thing.  Yet the ideas still come.  I do get worried that one day they wont come, but that's just irrational fear. They will come. As I've written before, there are ways to coax them out of your mind. Music and reading are a couple of those things.  The most important thing is to keep going. Perseverance. You may get that rejection letter one day, but tomorrow is another day, and there's another after that. Sleep o

Politics and Writing

Should you write about your favorite politician, or post fueled attacks at the politician you don't believe in on Twitter?  I see a lot of authors doing this these days and feel it's almost like shooting yourself in the foot. Allow me to explain.  A well established author might be able to weather the negative hit posting his or her political rantings may cause, but someone starting out might find getting involved in this manner is almost like committing professional suicide. All those potential fans down the drain because they were offended. This is why I try to stay away from anything extremely political on my author page and sites--except for this post I don't really discuss anything. I'm not saying not to express your political beliefs, but from my observations feel it's wise to at least keep things to a minimum on your professional pages.  It's okay to have your views, but I've seen some pretty wild postings on Twitter and Facebook and wonder how s

Twitter Rant

Twitter is a great way to connect with fans. And I had heard on a horror writing podcast that it can be viewed as a sort of resume of sorts, by the publishing houses who will probably have someone research a writer that is trying to get a contract.  The followers and the posts and how many interactions and with whom, and don't forget impressions, all work together to forge an overall image of the writer. But what if most of those followers are bogus, fake accounts? How do you know?  Personally, I use an application called Crowdfire. This application lets you see who "follows" and "unfollows" you, and there are many other features that one may find to be useful.  But then there is the feature, and advise, on how to hack a large following. And I don't feel that this is helpful to the person trying to build a real audience, or group of like-minded peers.  Think about it: You have 10 thousand followers, but half of them are fake, created to make people t

Different Writing Selves

Happy Friday morning. I was coming into work this morning and thought about the blog. I wondered why with certain posts I can't start them and add here and there when I get the chance. And then realized it's because I'm in a different mood (writer) at different times.  I had read somewhere that artists sometimes seem to be possessed by a spirit when they change into "character." Like a musician who has an alter ego (or a few) on stage that they claim takes over when they perform.  I'm not saying that's happening to me. I'd like to think it's my soul, just different versions of it, but it's there. I was looking at my blog writing self as a different person than the writing self that had been thinking about... well, you get the picture. (I hope).  The different writer version of myself, or the others, would look at the things I wrote and go, "hmmm, well, maybe I wouldn't have wrote it that way," or cringe at times.  I guess

Escape and sh-... stuff

Writing may seem useless when you look at all the writers out there trying to get a piece of the pie, but I don't think of it like that. It is interesting to look at emotionally, when you're this little underdog standing below these massive behemoths--but save that for writing inspiration when you have a character who is hopeless. We aren't hopeless, i'll tell you why.  What is it to really be the best? To get to the top? Being successful is just as good, no?  I think to make someone escape, to go to the world you create, and keep them wanting to come back is a great accomplishment. You can toil away at your work and get nothing (for now, but if you push you will make it), and if all that hard work only reaches one person and changes their life, well then you've accomplished something big.  We all start out small. Once you pick up that little handful of snow it seems like nothing. But roll it along the ground and watch more snow stick to it. Now, yes, it may c

Still Here

Its been a while. The day job has been very busy and to get into the writing mood has been rough.  I'm still pushing forward, but it's been a bit slower than I'd like.  Some very good news. October 4th the magazine Hindered Souls is coming out with one of my stories in it: Tonight Forever.  I will post more closer to the date and as I find out more info.  Well, back to the day job.  WCM

Don't Stop

I wasted a lot of time. Either being not sure of myself and doing constant research, or by pure procrastination and thinking i'd do it later, watch that YouTube video, or play another round of Candy Crush. And don't get me wrong, there are definitely times for those things. But in the end it all comes down to this. Do you want this? Is this what you want to do with your life?  And it's not just writing, you could be a director, or a rapper, or a rocker, or whatever. Are you willing to work for it? Do you have what it takes?  I have this new way of thinking. It goes something like the Nike slogan, just do it. And that's what i'm doing now, trying to bridge the gap of procrastination and studying theory over the years.  I am finding that there is one sure way to go about this, you just do it. And do it. And don't stop.  You fail? Keep moving. Someone puts you down? Who cares, don't listen, keep moving.  Things seem stacked against you? Good! You'

Got a Short Story Accepted

It's been a while since I posted something. I was accepted into a magazine. I am very excited about this. I have been blitzing along with my short stories, trying to send out as many as possible. It's full speed ahead at this point. Now to be a bit cryptic: I feel as though I lost something for a bit. I still had the ideas and such, but putting them together was a bit sloppy. I feel I captured something back recently. Also, being accepted does a lot for your ego. All these hours, days, weeks, months, years you write and you wonder: is this good enough? Will this ever be seen by anyone? Will someone really like it? Well, it's a wonderful milestone. More to come on that soon. And more posts soon. For those who aren't reading this haha. Just kidding, I see you out there, yeah you. Keep writing! WCM

Don't Overdo It

It's not a good idea to edit too much. I used to be part of this camp. Editing should definitely be done. The problem arises when you overdo it, or procrastinate and go back to that work out of boredom and creating new material. Now don't get me wrong, if something doesn't seem right, you have to correct it. But just like fixing one part on an old car can make other parts bust, the same thing can happen to your writing. If something isn't working, sometimes it's best to just trash it and start over. Maybe it's an omen. Funny thing, one time I lost a big portion of writing that I LOVED, it was perfect, and so I went back and rewrote the scene, and then later found the document. Guess what, it was just about exactly the same. I've read a writer say to rewrite your story instead of editing it, because it will be the same, but any kinks will be ironed out from the bottom up.  I've read the difference between a writer and author is a writer keeps

Creative Gallivanting

I read somewhere that it's good to just write down what comes to mind, and then you go back and edit it...and edit it etcetera. But the focus here is I'm going to gallivant and maybe make sense and maybe not make sense. I'm going to try to minimally edit, only glaring mistakes, and just write for the thought and what's on my mind. If you like what you're reading, please comment. If you want to gallivant yourself, feel free to. I do vet comments, I'm trying to keep this clean (at least the blog), so be aware. Sometimes I just want to hear the keys being tapped, and an idea may be squeezed out, so I'll see where this goes. I was thinking about old clicky keyboards and have a couple, so I was trying to find my PS2 keyboard adaptor--I seem to have lost it--and the last thing I know Windows 10 is not compatible with it yet. Now, I don't know if this is something they were going to include at a later date, so I'll test it. I really like my old

They Can't Duplicate You

I've noticed that a lot of stories today, and blogs, are almost a test. They are done to dip your toe in the water. But I've noticed that a lot of the writers are writing stories that are the same as other writers. This is good to start out, to test your story telling capabilities, but at what point do you shift into a different gear and start writing really individual stories? Where do you learn your voice and create a world for yourself? Sort of like Stephen King usually puts things about The Dark Towers and bits of that world into some of this other stories. Or how Emenem and other music artists have a world of certain characters that parade around their work. Korn came to be known for the bad things that happened to the lead singer and other little characters and voices that he sang as. Dean Koontz usually has a dog and lots of guns in his stories. I'm throwing these things out randomly, but hopefully you get the point. There is a style, a sound, a feeling you get

Muse

I was thinking, and with all the stress from the day job, added to that the stress of worrying about the writing career, how can one be creative? You hear people on podcasts and blogs and Twitter rant and rant about how it's hard to break into a successful writing career, or how the industry is changing and if you don't change with it you won't make it. Don't get me wrong, in there somewhere is a positive note, but for the most part it gets my heart racing a bit. Sometimes I feel I've procrastinated, or am procrastinating, and it's all passing me by. But it's not. The thing is this, do you have it? Can you write memorable stories that resonate with people that make them want to turn the page? And I'm not just saying this; I mean can you REALLY do this? Ultimately that's for the readers to decide, and a few others, but it can be done. There is a formula. And maybe it's not just one formula. Maybe it's a formula for each individual wri

Escape from Reality

I was thinking about something and it made me think. I don't want to depress people. I want to make them escape into a world. If they have a rough life, maybe I can make it less rough, at least for the time that person is reading my stories. But I've noticed that a lot of the stories these days, whether on TV or in book, are very depressing. And yes, there is a prevalence of decease and other maladies that are real, but don't we want to escape this sad stuff?  Instead of focusing on the sickness, it should be a brief thing that can be possibly overcome. But that's hard to do once the sickness has been introduced into the story.  Some examples are Breaking Bad (loved this series, so good). It's really not a spoiler to say that the main character, Walter White, finds out he has lung cancer, because the rest of the story is him trying to make money for his family before his demise. And this isn't even that bad. But there are many other instances.  Another tha

Rant

Sun is out and so is pollen, allergies. Perfect. I can't get into the writing mood well when I don't feel fairly well--unless something really grabs and pulls me along. That's OK, though. Just have to keep moving and using techniques to keep you going. So I am reading tweets and come across an article about what authors make. It's not that depressing, but when comparing how many writers are ripping and tearing at the pedestal to get to the top--or even make a livable wage--it can slap you hard into perspective. I've had people tell me they write only for the love of it, but ultimately you want to get paid for that work you've done. But then another mistake that is made is thinking the one work you do is going to be enough to sustain you in your career. You need many stories. And even more than that. From what I've seen, depending on which route you're going to go, independent, or the "Big Five," you have to have a lot of conten

Spam Folder!

A bit disappointed. I had summited a story to a place and they sent a rejection on May 23 rd , could have been submitting to other places, but this email went to my outlook spam. Not sure why. The thing is this particular magazine asked not to submit to other places. Guess I'll be checking my spam more often. Well, back to the drawing board. WCM

Look at the Trees

It feels as though something, some entity or power, is trying to keep me from attaining my goal. It's funny at times, because it really seems this way. Of course my sick mind makes it into a story. If it's not the day job sucking the energy from me, then it's the commute (MTA, or New York traffic). I used to be able to type some notes on my work PC, maybe belt out a scene or two, or three. But then they put some restriction on Office and I can't send out a certain size, then it has to be labeled external, but it still somehow doesn't work all the time. So I got creative and copy pasted (keep source format) into an email and then copy pasted (KEEP SOURCE FORMAT) back onto a Word document on my PC, or phone. Yeah, it worked, but now it was a hassle. And sometimes it's so busy, and so much energy is gone, that you don't want to do all these extra steps. Or you say, "Oh, I'll do it tomorrow," and the email gets lost, or you forget where you wanted

So Much Editing!!!

Still here. Day job has been a bit crazy. Not as much writing getting done as i'd like. Don't know how people post so much on Twitter! :-D  Wish there was more time for writing, but it will come. It's crazy, (and I've heard this a few places too) it's like writing is part getting the ideas down, but most of it is in the editing. Oh, so much editing! Over and over...  The funny thing is it still will be edited some more before published. But it's all good.  Well, gonna keep moving here. Talk soon.  WCM

Don't Stop

What a wonderful rainy Friday. Haven't been able to do much besides a few jottings of ideas and a scattering of scenes, but it's okay. The weekend is here and I plan to get down to it. I have submitted twice this week, got one rejection, and that's okay.  In a way I'm actually looking forward to it. Not exactly rejections, but what the whole thing means. I plan to keep going, write another story while I wait to see what happens to the first, and send that out. Hopefully every day, if not every other day. But you can't stop.  I was thinking this week past about who rejected Stephen King, or J.K. Rowling. How they must be kicking themselves in the rear. But it happens. When you send to a place, unless they just don't want the story, they may reject it because maybe at that time it doesn't fit in with a theme they have, or they are full, or zombies were last month, or anything. But it doesn't mean your story is bad. You just have to keep doing it.  So

Questions 3

Okay, here's some more questions on my mind.  Why do companies on Twitter add you and then immediately IM you with their service? Don't they know how it looks at this point? Pretty much like a spam phone call. Which brings me to the next question.  Who are the people using these services?  I say this because when I need or want to try a new product or service I research and go to the store and do a lot of other things to make sure it's the right one for me. But the places advertising in this social media manner (aggressive, if I can add), feel someone is going to go, "Oh, yeah! That's JUST what I need. Let me go and use their service." I mean, some might, and I guess these services prey on those people.  I just don't get it, though, because there are other ways they could, if they were legit, possibly garner customers through legitimate posts and experience.  I usually follow back real people on Twitter, unless they post extremely offensive thing

Questions 2

A few more questions that are more thoughts.  Where do writers get the time to actually write when they are on social media all day? I know coming on here when you need some inspiration, or just a jump off point, can be helpful with starting your writing session, but unless they hired someone to post and comment and stuff for them, when are they reading and writing?  I happened to read this one writer post about starting on their next book, but they were so involved in their advertising and social media aspect that they were worried they didn't have any content yet  for the next book.  This social media thing can really ruin creativity sometimes. But I guess it's like anything, too much can be a bad thing. Everything in moderation. (Sorry for the old saying).  A funny one: Why is it when you tell someone you write horror they look at you as though they are trying to remember if they left the stove on at home?  Now this one can go both ways, because there are a lot of p

Questions

Questions  All this content. Everywhere. Are writers just selling to each other? I know writers are readers, too, but where are the "just readers" out there?  Do writers/editors/etc try to scare the novice by showing how complicated things are? When a "newbie" sees all the hoops they have to supposedly jump through, they probably wonder how they could ever accomplish those things. Then they might send their manuscripts out to a self-publish place and bam, lost them. Then again, maybe the fact that they gave up was the test from the beginning?  Why do beginning writers think everything they write is gold? They think their first attempt is going to make them best selling authors. I have even tried to help a couple of writers, but they took it as I was criticizing. I told them where they can go to get information. But they got offended. I know because I was once in that situation, but I would have taken any advice.  I had another question but I forgot it as they

Scooping Out Thoughts

Friday again. Still keeping up the fight. Still sneaking in some writing/editing every chance I can. In the cafe now, working on something. I've been in a different location at work the past few days, so less immediate stress and constant direction. I can take a few notes here and there.  I like writing at night, but there's something about the morning. When everything is starting up. When barely anyone is out and about, or if they are it's just to grab a coffee and scoot off to work. Seats are all available and waiting. The puffy eyes and yearning stomach asking to fill it's void.  Don't forget the coffee...  Ah, just like in other jobs I've had years ago that didn't pay all too well, there were those perks. Not saying this endeavor isn't going to pay off one day, but for now I stay to the shadows, looking out and planning my action.  It's important to keep a decent day job, or as I've read other writers say, to have a spouse who has a d

Tomorrow Is a New Day

Fear The Walking Dead is turning out to be okay, but not like The Walking Dead. Some people at work are ready to write it off, only going to give it a couple more episodes, but I'll give it more. It's filling a void between the original, and it would really be interesting to see how/if it eventually ties in with the original story. They are, after all, in the same universe.  No new news on the submission front, had a lot to do over the weekend and didn't get much done. Tomorrow is a new day, and i'm looking forward to getting to it--at least the writing part...not the day job part (wink).  Well, that's all for now, talk later.  WCM

Another Day

Ah, another day. That's about all I can think of. It's been a crazy week at work. Set me back a bit with regards to writing.  Now I feel exactly how I don't want to feel. Lost. Not knowing where to pick back up. I will pick back up, but I don't like that feeling. I keep up with the blog and social things, and that helps with keeping the doorway open; so I guess that's another thing good about the social aspect, I guess.  Well, I'm going to try and get to this. Oh and I just remembered, yesterday morning I was working a bit. Guess my inner mind feels it wasn't enough. Either way, keep at it.  WCM

Friday morning? Cafe? Must be writing!

Okay, warming up. I'm in one of my favored spots close to my job for writing. I've got the coffee. I'm ready.  Going to put the anxious noise on the back burner (hopefully it burns there), and just write. Anxiety and stress are the biggest killers of creativity. I hate them, they try to get the best of me often. But you have to just say they wont. Lately, and I've been very happy about this, I've just grabbed my work and got to it. No matter how small. I just looked at it and took a bite here and there. You have to do it. Like I said before, if you don't do it it will never get done, and then the thoughts you had waiting will fizzle out. Now you may get similar ones, you may get the same ones, but sometimes you're going to miss out on something that could have been very special.  So do it. Now my fingers are warmed up and i'm going to get to some writing.  Talk later.  WCM

Dreams Happening

Quick post before I get to bed. Look to the right (it should be there). Pretty darn proud to post this banner. I am an HWA supporting member right now, but that will change soon.  Okay, good night.  WCM

Balance

Didn't really get anything done yesterday, a little editing, but nothing much. Today is shaping up for the same. Though lunch hasn't come yet, so let's see.  Things are moving faster now since I joined the HWA, like a fire was lit...you know the rest. I have also been learning to shut off the job side and turn on the creative side. Not an easy task, at least not in the beginning.  I used to get a ton of great ideas just flowing into my head, but this particular occupation has blocked that. Long story, maybe one day.  So basically I'd go home exhausted and not able to go into the world to create.  Luckily I have a lot of ideas and partially created stories to fall back on. But now, with some techniques I've been trying, I've been getting ideas once again.  So it's lunch time, I'm going to get going.  WCM

Force Yourself!

I've noticed that lately I have got to the point where I realize if you don't just do it it won't happen. I used to just say oh I'll get to it, but that never  comes--or it comes very late and nothing gets done. I find I sort of force myself, but not in a negative way. I know that if I don't get the pages open before me I won't do anything, but I also know that once I'm doing it (editing, or writing), I'll be happy. So I am only really forcing myself to start. The rest just comes naturally.  I also have been working on a method that I've come to really like, but I know it will have to develop. But it's exciting how much you can get done just getting into it and starting. Like a writing inertia. I used to look at the work and have this energy and no what I had to do, then put it off, get back to it and don't remember. And then I say to myself, "how the hell am I supposed to do this there's just too much!" And that's the thi

HWA Supporting Member!

So I am a member now of the Horror Writers Association. Supporting for now, but will be moving up very soon. I am now looking for places for my short stories. So far a few have said they are not open for submissions for now. Makes me feel a bit down, but I'll keep looking. And during the interim it's the best time to keep on writing and editing.  I have the next story I'm going to start editing, it's written mostly in longhand--because my job took away the ability to send Office documents to external email accounts. And there is a lot of foot traffic going past my desk. So I was forced to use this method of writing. That and using my phone and Word. But it's okay. Necessity is the mother of invention.  Guess that's it for now. Time to sleep.  WCM 

Wishful Thinking

I usually tell people at my job that I wish it was Miller time (time to clock out for those who don't know that saying), but then I thought about it. What am I doing by asking for this all the time? I'm basically wishing my life away.  Even though time at work can be harsh (thinking about that next scene you want to work on), you can still use this precious time here and there to do little things, even if it's at our day jobs.  Hey, how about if we didn't skip the whole day, just had a feature on those video player apps on our electronic devices. Skip--skip--skip. You know? 30 second increments. So a part of the day comes you don't like, you can skip 30 seconds, maybe a minute, maybe five. But you don't miss out on the whole day.  Wishful thinking.  Either way, you can still use those snippets of time between agony. I've said it before, mobile phones are so useful with social matters and even with word processing now, it's insane.  So consider y

Sneaking In Some Writing. Shhhhh!

Good day! Today I'm still editing. Was a very busy day at work, couldn't get my tablet or phone out too much, so I couldn't edit too much. But this is almost done.  Waiting for approval email from HWA, very excited about that.  So now time to get back to the grind and sneak in some writing on my phone. Shhhhh!  WCM

Spoiler Alert, Sort Of

So I'm a big fan of The Walking Dead. Sort of a spoiler alert coming up.  That said, I will just come out and say I figured they were going to do something like this, not showing who died until next season. If you think about it, it's genius. It doesn't get anyone angry if it's (ahem, Glenn, cough cough) and keeps the fans eager to know who it was that got their head bashed in--like in the comic...where it was Glenn.  I was talking to a guy at work about the possibilities. He was saying Maggie was getting it, I said Glenn, like the comic. And then we sort of came to the conclusion that they'd do what they did and killed the person and saved it for next season. Still good stuff. I almost thought they weren't going to do that, and that felt weird because I didn't know what was going to happen--but I like when a story can do that to me. One thing about being a writer is you sometimes know what is going to happen, what the writer is going to do. When they su

Update

So just joined the Horror Writers Association as a Supporting member, until I sell what needs too be sold to move up the ranks.  Pretty excited right now. Finishing up the short story and getting ready for The Walking Dead season finale tonight.  OK, going to get back to some editing before it starts. Later.  WCM

Action Packed Weekend

I'm not usually this opinionated, actually I'm a bit non-social. But I figured I'd type out the things I'm thinking about from day to day and see what it looks like later when I reach my goals.  That being said I can change my opinions and thoughts as I learn new things. That's the great thing about writing and life. Learning.  So, this weekend is an action packed one. First, i'm going to finish this short story I've been toiling over for weeks, and hopefully submit it. But if not this weekend, surly next week. I feel after this story is finished the subsequent ones should be easier. I say this because I feel (at this point) that novels are a bit easier to write.  The other thing is Walking Dead's season finale. Very exciting stuff.  And finally, i'm going to join the Horror Writers Association as a supporting member--for now.  Once i'm published I will upgrade that level.  So that's it for now. Talk soon.  WCM

Another Day At the Grind

Another day at the grind. I didn't get to do as much of the editing I wanted to yesterday, between falling asleep during lunch break and having a big event in the evening. I was able to make up some at night when I got home, but not what I had wanted.  But that's OK. I will pick right up today where I left off.  Got some new pens yesterday, my wife had put them on her Amazon order. .4 great for editing.  Well, have to squeeze in some reading, my stop is coming up soon.  WCM

Trying to Wrap This Up

Working my hardest to get this short story done. It's like everything is against me. But I'm pushing forward, because this will never get done unless I make that extra effort. All the time I say I'll get to it, this is a great idea I'll do it later. And I feel good about it, thinking that later I have this great idea. But when later comes that idea is diluted. No better time than right now. I mean of course unless there is something urgent.  So the way I'm doing it now is I'm editing during the day any chance I get, and making the changes at night. Print in the morning. Repeat. Once I finish this short story I feel it will open up the floodgates.  While I'm doing all this I'm also trying to fit in editing the first three chapters of my first novel. And this weekend I will be joining the Horror Writers Association, on the beginning level.  OK, back to the day job. Until next time.  WCM