Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Star Wars ABC's - The Letter F


In this installment of Star Wars ABC's: the letter "F."

F is for Falcon. As in the Millennium Falcon.


"What a piece of junk!"

"She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts."

With that exchange, you learned everything you needed to know about the Millennium Falcon.

Fast and maneuverable, but not necessarily sleek. Able to spin around and avoid annoying blasts from pursuing TIE Fighters. Capable of getting through an asteroid field despite the odds (3,720 to 1--I know, I know, "Never tell me the odds!). The Falcon is like your first car. It's ugly, clunky, but comes through in the clutch*. You keep it ugly because making it pretty wouldn't suit it.

The ship has a long history (there's actually a book about this), but we all know it's Han Solo's ship. Han with Chewie as the co-pilot.

The Falcon basically destroyed not one, but TWO Death Stars, carried the heroes of Yavin away from the Death Star with Princess Leia on board, rescued Luke Skywalker from Cloud City, tracked down Han after he was frozen in carbonite, dumped a huge load of spice that greatly displeased Jabba the Hutt.

It is the signature ship of the Star Wars universe.

*Unless the "clutch" is defined as jumping into hyperspace while being pursued by Imperial Star Destroyers in The Empire Strikes Back

TOMORROW: The letter "G." It's big. It's evil.

E is for Emperor
D is for Death Star
C is for Chewie
B is for Bespin
A is for Ackbar

Told You So!

My contributor's copy of Told You So arrived in the mail today!

I know this is very self-indulgent, but it's still a real thrill to see my name in print. One day, we'll see it on the cover of my very own book. One day.

I snapped a few very quick images: the cover, the table of contents, and the title page of my short story.

You can get the book through Pill Hill Press or Amazon.com (at Amazon, you can get the Kindle version for just $2.99!). I'd recommend picking it up...you'll find a lot of talent inside beyond page 112. Big ups to Jessy Marie Roberts for doing the editorial duty on this one!

And the World Stopped: When the world's super-powered heroes and villains suddenly lose their awe-inspiring abilities, Night Wasp gets an unexpected call from the Heroic Legion to investigate. The vigilante's uncompromising effort uncovers a deep, wide-ranging conspiracy reaching to the highest levels and pitting him against his own government.


Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Star Wars ABC's - The Letter E


Continuing my series, Star Wars ABC's, we bring you the letter "E."

E is for the Emperor.


In a galactic sense, Emperor Palpatine is the master of ceremonies. He's the guy orchestrating everything, pulling the strings of the galaxy and putting all the pieces in play.

And what does the Man Responsible for Everything look like?

An old man. A frail, death-warmed-over, robed old man who walks with a cane and could use both sunlight and some dental work. I imagine you can't miss the Emperor for two reasons: 1) he travels with quite an entourage and 2) he possesses a certain...muskiness.

He gleefully turned a young man into a monster and then sought to do the same to that man's son. He orchestrated a galaxy-spanning war mostly because he wanted to become the Man Responsible for Everything. He became so confident in his role, he then made a moon-size tool of death. When that got destroyed, he built another and decided to toy with his worst enemy by giving them the secret location to his secret new project.

The result?

The Man Responsible for Everything was unceremoniously thrown down Ye Olde Reactor Shaft for being an overconfident wanker.

I guess he really was responsible for everything, including his own death.

Big ups, Palpy. Big ups.

TOMORROW: The letter "F." She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts.

D is for Death Star
C is for Chewie
B is for Bespin
A is for Ackbar

Live and Let Undead Almost Here!

The short story collection Live and Let Undead is nearly upon us!

Imagine what would happen if the zombie apocalypse ended up being less than apocalyptic. Zombies must co-exist with humanity! How would we do it? Would we put them to work?

My contribution is "Sparky Save the World" --
Harris and his bomb-sniffing partner Sparky work to stop biological weapons and other dangers from going through the nation's ports. Trained to detect hazardous materials, Sparky--an UNDEAD (UNnaturally DE-evolved Anthropological Degenerate) who used to be human--proves his ultimate worth when confronted with a massive, potentially catastrophic weapons shipment.
Fellow contributor Pete Giglio crafted a book trailer for the release, which is coming shortly. The best part is about 1:55 in. I kid, I kid.



Look for Live and Let Undead soon from Library of the Living Dead Press!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Star Wars ABC's - The Letter D


On Friday, I kicked off a new blog series, Star Wars ABC's, with a post covering the first three letters of the alphabet. As we start this week and anticipate the Blu-ray release of the Star Wars movies next month, we move today to the letter "D."

D is for Death Star.


"That's no moon. That's a space station," Obi-Wan Kenobi says with eerie certainty. Han Solo doesn't believe him; then again, Han doesn't believe in the Force.

The Death Star is the Galactic Empire's ultimate weapon, a moon-size space station intended to deter any thought of disobedience or rebellion.

How serious are these guys? They blew up Alderaan (side note: years later, we would learn Jimmy Smits was on Alderaan as well).

Nothing says oppression like a hulking, gray sphere with a green laser capable of turning any planet into an asteroid field.

Fortunately for the Rebel Alliance, the Death Star is like the big bully on the playground. He looks big, he acts mean, he seems tough, but if you kick him in a certain area, he goes down like a game of Jenga. For the Death Star, the delicate scrotal area happens to be a "small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port."

And while it's ray-shielded, it's still susceptible to proton torpedoes. Because the Empire doesn't consider a small, one-man fighter to be a threat. Otherwise, well, they would've had a better defense strategy.

So Luke Skywalker launches his proton torpedoes after switching off his targeting computer, using the Force to kick the bully in the balls.

The end result?

KABOOM! (years later, we would learn the Death Star explosion had a Praxis-like shockwave ring)

Boom goes the dynamite.

The loss of the Death Star left the Emperor mildly agitated. I'm not sure if it was his idea or what, but he decided to build a second Death Star. Somehow, he managed to keep the whole thing secret despite the fact it was larger and more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star. He decided to leak the idea to the Alliance's Bothan spies and then set a trap for Luke Skywalker and his friends.

Had it worked, the Mighty Galactic Empire would've decimated its enemy and gained a new Sith Lord (years later, we would find out about the Sith's "Rule of Two," which I guess means Luke was supposed to kill Vader or the Emperor expected both of them to team up and destroy him. Or maybe he wanted the Sith Order's first-ever Leadership Triumvirate).

Instead, the Mighty Galactic Empire allowed a bunch of spear-toting Care Bears to defeat its "elite" Stormtroopers (years later, we would discover clone-inbreeding may have been a factor in the targeting inaccuracy of the Empire's crack shocktroopers), bringing down the protective shield and giving the Rebels access to the Death Star's exposed superstructure.

After a few Colts 45's, Lando flew the Falcon into the Dreaded Death Star and destroyed its Dreaded Main Reactors.

At least it wasn't a small thermal exhaust port the second time around.

TOMORROW: The letter "E." He is evil. He is smug. And his touch is electric!

C is for Chewie
B is for Bespin
A is for Ackbar

Friday, August 26, 2011

Star Wars ABC's

Star Wars is coming out again.

This time, on Blu-ray.

As usual, the trilogy (or, more properly, dual trilogies) is late to the table. It seemed to take FOREVER for the original galaxy far, far away to hit DVD. Blu-ray is, of course, the Lucas Empire's latest effort to get fans to part with their hard-earned money.

I have and always will love Star Wars. I originally watched the trilogy through "edited for TV" VHS versions full of stops and starts and the occasional commercial. For years, I didn't have the first five minutes of Return of the Jedi because my grandmother and I couldn't figure out how to get the VCR to record during the network television premiere.

One of my high school friends had never actually seen the first Star Wars until I gave him my well-worn version taped off WISH-TV in Indianapolis.

Eventually, I got the Fox/CBS VHS versions. I think the VHS ones taped off TV are hanging around somewhere. In 1995, I distinctly remember buying the THX remastered version of the trilogy. A few years later, the Special Editions came out on VHS and I had to have those as well.

I bought my first DVD player in 2000 because I wanted Gladiator and couldn't wait for the VHS version (which was delayed by six months compared to the DVD release). It would be four more years before the original Star Wars made it to the DVD format. That's been my primary set for a while. I didn't buy the DVD release with the original movies as bonus features that came out a few years after that.

A quick look at my Star Wars home video timeline:

Awareness of Star Wars through Approx. 1992 - Versions from TV (VHS)
1992-1995 - CBS/Fox Home Video Releases (VHS)
1995-1997 - THX Remastered Versions (VHS)
1997-2004 - Special Edition boxset (VHS)
2004-Present - Trilogy DVD boxset (DVD, of course)

Now, here we are in 2011. With the Blu-ray format gaining wider acceptance, Lucasfilm has decided to release the trilogy yet again. I have mixed feelings about this because I, like many other fans, have already bought multiple iterations of these timeless movies. In the end, I know what will ultimately happen...my love for the Star Wars films will win over and I'll get this new set. I'm sure they've been tinkered with some more (actually, I know they have), but I'm looking forward to a wealth of special features, including a bounty of deleted scenes.

In anticipation of this release, I'm bringing back an "ABC's" format to the blog...this time focusing solely on Star Wars.

That means a new logo:


The Blu-ray release hits on September 16th, with the option of individual trilogies for the original three and the prequels or a mega boxset featuring all six movies. Part of me wants to just grab the originals and acquire the prequels after the inevitable price drop; the other part of me just wants to get the whole darn thing (and then there's the part of me who wants to play with my action figures).

To kick off my Star Wars ABC's, we're doing a three-shot today.


"It's a trap!" -- A is for "Admiral Ackbar."

Admiral Ackbar didn't get much screen time, but as the scratchy-voiced, fish-headed leader of the Rebel Alliance fleet, he made quite an impression with what time he had. It was Admiral Ackbar who explained the whole thing about the forest moon of Endor and the projected shield protecting the space station. It was Admiral Ackbar who had the wherewithal to tell everyone in the fleet that the Empire had set a trap for the attack on Death Star II.

And it was Admiral Ackbar, master tactician, who almost retreated because the fleet "couldn't repel firepower of that magnitude" when the Death Star proved to be a fully armed and operational battle station. Thankfully, Lando had the Colt 45-inspired idea to attack the Imperial fleet to buy a little more time.

Ackbar redeemed himself by urging the fleet to "concentrate all firepower on the Super Star Destroyer," which ended up smashing into the Death Star because...um...a pilot's snubfighter crashed through a window.


B is for "Bespin." This could've also been filed under C for "Cloud City."

Ah...Lando's Palace. A city in the clouds, a great place to get away from it all and have dinner with your arch-nemesis after your best friend betrays you. Put that on a postcard, people!

Bespin is a great place to visit, unless you're a protocol droid, in which case you run into a rude doppelganger before being unceremoniously shot to pieces by Imperial Stormtroopers and then being reassembled backwards by a usually reliable Wookie mechanic.

You know...if I were Han Solo, I think I would've captured the second Death Star, steered it over to the Anoat Sector, destroyed Bespin and then scuttled the Death Star's main reactor.

Really.


C is for "Chewie."

There are friends and then there are Wookies. Sure, Chewbacca kind of had to be Han's best buddy because of that whole life debt thing, but Chewie's the kind of guy you want on your side. As long as you can stand the shedding.

Chewie is the trilogy's unsung hero. He's the one who talks to Obi-Wan and hooks up with Luke and the droids. You can bet he's the one who guilted Han into going back to help Luke during the trench run on the Death Star. In The Empire Strikes Back, Chewie chokes some sense into Lando before "convincing" him to go back for Luke. In Jedi, he gives himself up to Jabba to find Han and then alerts his buddy to the presence of the Galaxy's Most Feared Bounty Hunter.


Chewie then steals a freaking AT-ST walker, a move that effectively ends the Battle of Endor.

And. They. Didn't. Even. Give Him. A. Freaking. Medal.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Reform Now! Reform Forever!

In anticipation of the print release of Susan Jane Bigelow's Broken, the wonderful Candlemark & Gleam is asking YOU to spread the word!

And what better way is there to do it than by distributing some propaganda posters?

This is my contribution to the cause!

You can learn more at Candlemark & Gleam's website.








Saturday, August 20, 2011

A quick Colts picture gallery

In addition to my writing, I'm also a major Colts fan. This week, I won a Twitter contest from Colts owner Jim Irsay and scored tickets to last night's preseason game against the Washington Redskins.

My view from section 307:

From here, you could TASTE the offensive ineptitude.

The Colts scored three measly points, more or less allowing the 'Skins to have their way with them. The highlight was Adam Vinatieri's 55-yard field goal. Mr. Clutch has still got it.

Oh! Oh! They also had the roof open!

Hey...it's almost like...outdoor football.

But then Peyton craned his still-recovering neck and saw clouds. Thus, Peyton commanded that the roof close. And thus with his mighty powers, was it so.

Fact: I'd rather watch the roof close than the Painter-led offense. (shivers)

Ten hours later, the roof was finally closed.

Pat McAfee got quite a bit of work during the game. I got up close and personal with him at halftime.

The arrow covers up Vinatieri. This was unintentional.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

"And the World Stopped" now available!

The Told You So anthology is now available through Pill Hill Press. The anthology is a collection of conspiracy-themed stories and includes my shortie "And the World Stopped."

Summary: When the world's super-powered heroes and villains suddenly lose their awe-inspiring abilities, Night Wasp gets an unexpected call from the Heroic Legion to investigate. The vigilante's uncompromising effort uncovers a deep, wide-ranging conspiracy reaching to the highest levels and pitting him against his own government.


The book will soon be available through Amazon.com and other retailers. When it hits those other outlets, I'll let you know.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Guest blogging at Superhero Nation!


One of my favorite writing sites posted a guest blog I pitched a week or so ago.

Confused by this whole ebook thing?

Check out Superhero Nation for a primer.


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Take 5: Stan Kirkpatrick


Stan Kirkpatrick--perhaps better known as the Amazing Marvel--sat down for an exclusive interview to talk about his new career as a Hollywood stuntman, the pleasure of working with a talented lead actor, and the possibility of a sequel.

Matt: Thanks for your time today, Stan. I know you're in high demand now as a stuntman. Tell me a little bit about your role in Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Stan Kirkpatrick: It's not really a role, Matt. I play a stuntman in the movie version of my life as a superhero. So even though I'm the Amazing Marvel in real life, in the movie--Confessions of an Amazing Marvel--I take care of the action scenes.

Matt: So even though the movie is based on a book you wrote, you're not actually in the movie?

Stan Kirkpatrick: (coughs) When you say it that way, it sounds kind of pitiful. I'm on the screen, you just can't see my face. See, I did all the stunts. All the flying, all the getting beat up, all the being buried underneath buildings. That was all me. The movie again is Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Matt: It's funny you say that. Sounds like you got to do everything except actually APPEAR in the movie, which is based on the book you wrote based on your own life. Seems ironic. We've heard the film has quite the ending. What can you tell me about that?

Stan Kirkpatrick: The ending of the movie is absolutely amazing! They bring my arch-nemesis Bloodsport out and we have this epic fight. It's spectacular. The movie's called Confessions of an--

Matt: I think everyone knows the title by now, Stan. The early reviews are coming in and they're good. Everyone seems to be raving about Shia's performance. It's his first real lead action role. How do you feel about that?

Stan Kirkpatrick: (visibly agitated flinch, almost like a mental tic at the mention of Shia's name) He was the most...professional (grits teeth) actor (grits teeth) I've ever worked with. He really got into the role of the Amazing Marvel (grits teeth) and respected the source material (grits teeth). I really enjoyed working with him and learning from him (vein becomes visible on forehead).

Matt: It sounds like the movie is going to be one of those big-time, summer tentpole films. They're already talking about a sequel. What would you like to see happen?

Stan Kirkpatrick: There are plenty of stories within the book to adapt, as the...ahem...movie adaptation left a few things out. I've got more material to mine for a new screenplay. In addition, I'm also a full-time superhero, so I imagine my next encounter with a supervillain will be game for a sequel to Confessions of an Amazing Marvel.

Matt: Stan Kirkpatrick, everyone.

Stan Kirkpatrick: Thanks for letting me have that last title plug.

Matt: No problem.

Read all about Stan's second career in The Stuntman, available now on the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.


Monday, August 8, 2011

Boom, Baby!


A super-productive day today! I banked 5,400 words on my latest book, earning the rare (and distinguished!) position of Reggie at the Garden on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum. To celebrate, I'm having a cookie and reliving my favorite "Garden variety" moment:

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Saturday Progress

Saturday isn't over yet, but so far we're at 1,500 words. I'd really like to hit "Reggie at the Garden" this weekend, but that is a very, very tall order. We'll see what happens.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Another Average Night on Crimsonstreak 2

I'm staving off a cold right now, but I still managed to cobble together 1,650 somewhat coherent words of my new book. I like where it's going, although I'm already concerned about the pacing because things are moving just a little too quickly and conveniently.

But the point of a first draft is to get it out there and THEN make it good. So call it another Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum. My reward: sleep.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

10 Things I've Learned about Writing So Far

Every once in a while, I like to take stock and share what I've learned with other writers. The hope is that the ones who are just starting out may learn something from me; conversely, I hope to learn something from other writers whose careers are at a different point.

Let's do it!

I present "Ten Things I've Learned about Writing So Far."

1. Self-publishing is now a viable career path. Even a year ago, people thumbed their noses at writers who published their own books.

"Not good enough for the Big Six," they would scoff. "Obviously not talented enough to write anything I'd read."

I used to think this way about my own work. If no one wanted to publish it, why would anyone buy something directly from me? But publishing has changed. We've seen mid-list writers find success; we've seen unknown writers become veritable "rock stars" with 99-cent books...all without the aid of a traditional publisher.

Self-publishing isn't the path you have to take, but it is a completely viable option for doing what you love.

2. Twitter isn't the devil. I used to hate Twitter. I mean, the kind of seething, irrational hatred Jerry Seinfeld and Newman share for one another.

"Hello, Twitter."

"Hello, Matt."


I've softened my stance significantly on this curious internet invention (of course, as I say this, Google+ spreads its Googly tentacles throughout the internet). I have met other writers on Twitter, I have corresponded with editors and publishers, and I have "discovered" books on Twitter.

If you're not on it, you need to be. If you're shy, you don't have to necessarily interact (although you'll miss out on some of the benefits). But the amount of information shared and the way you can specifically tailor it to your own interests is too good an opportunity to pass up.

To be honest, I wish I could spend a little more time on Twitter, but my regular job makes it difficult to give it as much time as I'd like.

3. Treat writing as a hobby, and it stays a hobby. Treat it like work, you can make it into a career. This is premature, as writing is not a career for me. It's more like that second job you take, except it pays very little (and sporadically when it does pay!).

Writing is work. Sure, you're sitting in front of a computer or jotting stuff down in a notebook, but there's real, tangible work that goes into it. In addition to the actual writing part, there's social networking, blogging, and the fun office work that comes along with it.

I'm not the most consistent "2K a day" guy out there (and I envy those who are!), but to make writing something more than a hobby, you have to treat it that way. Some will tell you to "clock in and clock out" at a certain time or produce "X" number of words a day. I certainly aspire to write a little something each day.

The stories don't write themselves and they certainly don't promote, revise, or submit themselves (if my stories do attain sentience, I'll let you know and then we'll run for it together).

4. The path is a progression, not immediate success. And it's kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. Maybe you are the exception. Maybe you've written something so wonderful and unique that "someone important" sees it and passes it forward to "someone even more important."

But that's not how it works in most cases.

Writers have several available paths.

I started out trying to query novels and didn't find much success.

Then I tried submitting some short stories and didn't find much success.

I kept submitting stories, and then experienced a little success. No matter how small the publication, getting published is an accomplishment to be proud of.

Now, I'm working on my novels again and keeping short stories in mind. Other writers will take different paths--perhaps a pitch at a writing conference kickstarts them or a chance meeting with an agent or an insanely well-done blog post leads somewhere. There's self-publishing, too. Being a non-fiction expert. Writing magazine articles/freelancing toward a writing career.

It is like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel. To agree with me, turn to page 52. To shoot me, turn to page 55.

Wait...this is a "Find Your Fate" book...not a "Choose Your Own Adventure." But Quick Kick's taking care of Destro, so we're good.

PAGE 52: You can now move on to point number five.

PAGE 55: I saw it coming. I shot first. Move to to point five.

5. The "other stuff" is important, but focus on the writing. It's why you're doing this. Blogging. Tweeting. Facebooking. Tweeting. Networking. Sending query letters. Submitting stories. Writing book reviews. Critiquing other writers' work. Going to writing conferences. Learning ebook formatting. Stalking agents. Stalking publishers. Hiding in the bushes outside a famous writer's house in hopes of getting a blurb.

Distractions can easily derail even the most dedicated writer. It's my understanding that publishers are giving less and less support to newer writers. Thus, writers must become their own strongest advocates.

This stuff takes time.

It's also enough to make your head explode. We spend so much time talking, writing, emailing, and tweeting ABOUT writing that we experience lapses in actually writing. The temptation to talk shop, ruminate on characterization and the finer points of grammar, and stake out our small claim in cyberspace overpowers the prose.

Unplug. Stop tweeting. Take a break from that agent search and write, write, write.

6. Be proud of your work. If you take pride in your work, people will notice.

If people say your writing stinks (and they will!), be proud of your creation and explore ways to improve it. By doing this, you take even more pride in your work by proving you're willing to do anything to make it better.

Don't be embarrassed by the type of writing you do. I'm primarily a science fiction/fantasy and (cough) superhero fiction writer. See that cough there? It's an automated response to the reaction I think I'm going to get from people when I tell them I write superhero stories. I've gotten over it.

Sure, some people will thumb their nose at genre writing. That's okay. But don't ever think you're "not a real writer" because you create something entertaining. Not every story has to unravel the deep, dark secrets of human nature. Sometimes people just want to sit back and enjoy a good story.

7. Support other writers, even if it's just in small ways. Take a chance on a self-pubber's book. That 99 cents you just spent may be the sale that brightens their day. Leave a review--an honest one--about your experience with the book.

Send them an email telling them you enjoyed it. Send them an email about something that didn't quite "click" in the story.

Leave a blog comment.

Tweet them back on a day when they seem down, as if the world itself will fold over and crush them.

Give 'em a retweet for a link or article you find helpful.

Share their blog with others.

They'll appreciate the support.

8. Reading is as important as writing. Watch the skilled wordsmiths at work, and you may just improve your writing. Read a book that's not "quite there," and you'll also find it improves your writing.

This can be frustrating. Sometimes I have a hard time shutting off my inner editor/writer.

Why did she use that word?

Why did he decide to have the character do that?

Reading someone else's work helps give you perspective and may even spark an idea ("I want to write something like THAT!"). You have to enjoy reading; otherwise, you won't be as effective of a writer because you end up writing in a vacuum. And that...go ahead and groan...sucks.

9. A little entrepreneurial spirit never hurts. This is where I struggle. Some of it's because of time constraints, some of it's because I can be a little introverted.

Listen: no one likes the guy on Twitter who tweets, "buy my book on Smashwords! 99 cents today!" every five minutes. No one likes the guy who tweets the same four links at the exact same time every single freaking day. Well, maybe someone likes him, but I'm not that someone.

I want my work to sell me, but it doesn't quite work like that. I can't put a book on Smashwords or Amazon or Barnes & Noble and watch it abso-freaking-lutely sell like hotcakes. The name "Matt Adams"--while a synthesis of two very common first and last names--is unknown. No one can read what they don't know exists, thus the "buy me on Smashwords!" tweets and the "I have a store!" posts on the blog are inevitable.

I made a Facebook author page this week and had to like myself in order to see my own posts in my Facebook feed. I was convinced that would create a fissure in the space-time continuum. It didn't. Or at least it hasn't happened in this dimension, although it's entirely possible it caused a rift that we've all forgotten thanks to a terrific retcon. Somewhere out there, "Author Matt Adams" spins in infinite nothingness and curses "Real Matt Adams" for "liking" his Facebook page (please pass the Excedrin).

Anyway, the point here is that being able to network and get people to notice your work without ramming it down their throat is an admirable quality. If you have it, I'd like to buy it from you. Please.

10. Fail once, try again. Fail twice, try again. Fail twenty more times, try twenty more times. Quitters never win. Winners never quit. A wise man on the internet once said that 99% of getting published is perseverance with the other 1% being the actual writing. While this quote sounds almost real--it's not because I just made it up--it carries an intrinsic sense of truthiness.

When you're a kid and you want the new Optimus Prime Transformer, you ask once. Your mom says, "NO!" You ask again. Your mom says, "NO!" You keep asking. She keeps saying, "NO!"

Best. Transformer. Ever.

Eventually, for the sake of being able to sit comfortably and your mother's delicate sanity, you stop asking. You know it's not gonna happen (at least...not until Christmas. Maybe.).

As a writer, you can't be like that little kid who may or may not be me (or an analogue of the perpetually moribund and infinitely spinning Author Matt Adams).

You have to keep trying.

Persistence is NOT futile. You will experience your share of setbacks, but revise and keep submitting. Eventually, you'll smooth out a piece of work so wonderfully, someone's bound to pick it up.

What about you? What have you learned so far?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Moving right along...

After realizing I've neglected the blog of late, I prepped a few blog posts tonight.

Writing progress was slow, but I finally got into a groove, finishing with 1,700 words and giving me another Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum.

Coming Soon...


Coming Soon to the blog...

ACTION!

ADVENTURE!

ROMANCE!

ER...BROMANCE!

Green Lantern and Superman (Pez dispensers) shake the city of Springfield, Illinois, to its very core with a bold road trip packed with derring-do, superheroics, and a little history!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

New Project, Reggie Meter Update

Over the weekend, I sketched out a few ideas for a new writing first--a sequel. After spending a long time revising I, Crimsonstreak, I decided I wanted to return to that world of superheroes and supervillains.

So let's make it official...I'll let Peyton do the honors, since he's not doing much right now:


I, Crimsonstreak 2: (colon subtitle undetermined but suitably snarky) is now moved into the First Draft Queue! What does that mean? Well...it means I'll be working on it for a few months while maybe squeezing in the occasional short story. It also means, being a first draft, that it will completely suck.

I made good progress today, too. My writing shift was split between a morning session and a late night, post-work session. Combined, I ended the day with 2,400 words, good enough for Average Night on the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum.