Smashwords Extravaganza

Just for the heck of it, all my short stories are FREE on Smashwords for the month of July.

Here's a look at what I'm offering:

	"In Memoriam" Some knew him as Clinton Abernathy Warner, others as "The Wraith." During his funeral, all witness a chilling sight defying explanation. Smashwords Edition - FREE in July!
	"I Took Over the World for This?" Dementius has finally taken over the world. But his subjects are more focused on the economy, law and order, and universal health care than groveling. What's a would-be despot to do? Smashwords Edition - FREE in July!
	"Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" A distant planet is the perfect staging ground for an invasion of earth. Fifty-two heroes answer the call for help knowing most will fall. And no one will forget the last stand. Smashwords Edition - FREE in July!
	"The Stuntman" Superhero Stan Kirkpatrick sells Hollywood the rights to his life story as the Amazing Marvel. When the studio passes over Stan for the lead role, he reluctantly takes a job as an indestructible stuntman. Smashwords Edition - FREE in July!
	"Wing and a Plan" Morris the Penguin has big plans for his kind. The world is his mackerel...if only the other penguins would join him. Smashwords Edition - FREE in July!

Interview at Inkproductions

The awesome Elle at Inkproductions.org asked me a few questions about I, Crimsonstreak over at her website.

We talk about a lot of things--my road to publication, my preferred superpower, and what inspired me to write the novel:

Simply, I love superheroes. I may not be the most rabid comic book reader out there, but the world of tights and flights, capes and cowls fascinates me. I’ve always loved them, from Batman to Superman to the X-Men and Spider-Man (a lot of “man” in there, isn’t there? Geez!), and wanted to put my own spin on superheroes–something that was bright, splashy, and fun.

You can find out more (including my biggest writing quirk) right here.

I, Crimsonstreak: Comics and the Media

Something that's unique about I, Crimsonstreak is the amount of supplemental material appearing in the back of the book. The appendices contain newspaper articles, magazine features, journal entries, and dossiers. This post focuses on the newspaper stories and magazine articles, which are a tribute to the long tradition of journalism in comics.

This is not intended to be an all-inclusive look at the role of the Fourth Estate, but it's safe to say that even some of the earliest comics connect heroes to journalism. Here's a look at a few that come to mind.

Superman: Thanks to Superman/Clark Kent, a "secret identity" as a reporter is a widely accepted comic trope. Superman's secret identity gives him access to information not available to the general public, a perfect front for the champion of Truth, Justice, and the American Way. Lois Lane is the intrepid reporter always looking for that big scoop. The Daily Planet is eponymous with Superman mythology; you can't have one without the other.

Spider-Man: When Peter Parker isn't web-slinging around New York City, he's trying to earn pithy paychecks as a freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle and its hard-charging editor, J. Jonah Jameson. Jameson demonstrates (in deliciously over-the-top fashion) how the whims of a newspaper editor can influence coverage of a story. While most see Spider-Man as a hero, Jameson sees him as a villain...and that's how the Bugle often paints him. It's helped sell a lot of newspapers.

Daredevil: "The Man Without Fear" has an ally in investigative reporter Ben Urich, a journalist who works for the Daily Bugle (in the 2003 movie, Urich worked for the NY Post). Urich watched the development of Daredevil with intense fascination, and eventually deduced his secret identity as Matt Murdock. Instead of making that information public, he held it back, and both Urich and Daredevil supply each other with information from time to time.

Batman: In early Batman comics, Vicki Vale was a reporter convinced that Bruce Wayne/Batman were the same person. A storyline would find a way to dispel that perception, but she wouldn't let it go. My introduction to the character came in the 1989 Batman film, where Vale was a photojournalist who came to Gotham City to do a story on Batman. She fell in love with Bruce Wayne and Batman, while the Joker had a fascination with her. The movie also features a supporting character named Knox who's trying to track down the Bat, even though police tell him there's no such thing as Batman.

Watchmen: The series has a lot of background material that's not necessarily critical to the plot, including the Under the Hood autobiography. A reporter from a right-wing newspaper called The New Frontiersman plays a small role in the comic. The newspaper itself, however, is a major influence on the character of Rorschach (whose views are identical to the paper's). Dr. Manhattan's public outburst also comes on national television, and the role of media is an underlying theme in the story.

The Tick: In the Fox cartoon series, news anchors Sally Vacuum and Brian Pinhead bring us the latest developments from The City. The writers use them to comment on the absurdity of the Tick's adventures. Sally Vacuum talked in pedantic newswoman speak, but sort of disappeared after the first season of the cartoon. Her presumptive replacement, Brian Pinhead (pin-AID) wasn't much better.

BACK TO CRIMSONSTREAK CENTRAL!

I, Crimsonstreak: Comic Influences

I, Crimsonstreak wouldn't be anything without the comic book creators who came before it. References and influences are intertwined throughout the novel. Here are a few worth pointing out.

Batman: Batman looms like a shadow over the criminal elements of Gotham City, and is a giant in the world of superheroes. References include excessively goofy gadgets (the Adam West Batman), a reliable British servant (Michael Gough's Alfred), a secret lair (the Batcave), and the sense of a brooding, serious, professional hero (pick any post-1980 Bat-era for that one). The Crusading Comet and trusty butler Morty are steeped in Batman-ness.

Superman: Superman stands for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way." He's the quintessential "tights and flights" superhero gifted with a wide array of impressive powers (flight, X-ray vision, freezing breath, super-strength, etc.). Colonel Chaos and Miss Lightspeed share many similarities with the Man of Tomorrow, although no one character in particular is intended to be a Superman clone or parody.

The Flash: Chris Fairborne is Crimsonstreak. He's not intended to be a parody of the Flash, but the character definitely has an influence on the protagonist. Super-speed, red color...it's impossible to miss the Flash's influence. If anything, Crimsonstreak is a tribute to the Flash, although the two are quite different.

Spider-Man: Spider-Man is a hero grounded in the mundane nature of life. While he's trying to stop his impressive rogue's gallery from destroying New York/the World, he's also dealing with common problems like romantic entanglements and financial difficulties. Crimsonstreak is cut from a similar mold, although his problems are a bit less common. Spider-Man brings an everyman sensibility to the comics, something that influenced Chris Fairborne's character.

The Shadow: No character in particular directly references the Shadow in the main narrative of the book. However, I love the pulpy feel of the character, and have few nods in the bonus material that definitely echo Shadow lore. The original Crusading Comet's outfit, for example, is a callback to the Shadow's flowing trenchcoat and wide-brimmed fedora.

The Tick: The book has a goofy sense of playfulness to it as far as superheroes are concerned. The Tick is a major influence on how I see the world of comics. My love for the character comes primarily through the TV show from the nineties, and I loved every minute of it. The Crusading Comet was nearly Die Fledermaus reborn before he evolved into a different type of character.

The Phantom: "The Ghost Who Walks" is another pulp hero sometimes forgotten like the Shadow. The 1996 movie with Billy Zane ("Slam Evil!" was the tagline) remains a guilty pleasure. The Phantom's legacy--sons/family members succeed previous Phantoms in an unbroken line--is exactly how the Kensington family has decided to operate.

BACK TO CRIMSONSTREAK CENTRAL!

I, Crimsonstreak: Why Superheroes?

I've always loved superheroes and comic books characters. Although I've read my fair share of comics, I am not a dedicated weekly reader. I mostly read collected trades and/or novelizations. For me, it's just an easier time commitment. Perhaps one day I'll have the time to follow multiple comics and read multiple issues a week. At this point, I don't have that time. I wish I did.

Now to the point of this post. Why superheroes? Why superhero prose?

Because they can be complex.

They can be real.

They can be flawed.

Superheroes reflect ideals. Your super-duper-good vigilante represents the American Dream (Superman). Your masked, shadow-stalking vigilante represents the gray areas of life (Batman). A guy like Captain America stands for liberty and freedom. Captain Marvel symbolizes the latent power of youth and good intentions.

Even the villains have their place. The Joker is an agent of chaos, Lex Luthor stands tall for big business, and Red Skull represents Nazis. Nazis are bad.

I, Crimsonstreak plays on these archetypes. Chris Fairborne is the son of heroes and takes it upon himself to live up to those ideals. He isn't always the most successful of the lot, but he's dedicated and sees the world in stark terms of black and white.

Superheroes give us something to aspire to. The real world is full of heroes, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it. In broad terms, superheroes clearly define themselves. The guy in the cape is there to save the day...and you know it because he's wearing a friggin' cape. If we were all so selfless, just imagine how much we could accomplish.

My book is full of heroes, although sometimes they don't play well together. The Heroic Legion, for example, tends to get caught up in bureaucratic nonsense. Still, there's a sense that people do try to do what's right and set an example for others to follow suit.

They're just like us...except, you know, they can fly and stuff. Ye Olde Spider-Man is probably the best example here. Poor Peter Parker can't do anything right, gets paid peanuts for taking pictures, and saves the day on the side. Sure, some multi-billionaires are hard to relate to (*cough* Bruce Wayne *cough*), but a great superhero story has a character in there who's relatable. Many have families to protect.

In I, Crimsonstreak, our main hero has plenty of problems, although I'm not sure they're all relatable (having a father who's taken over the world, for instance). Still, Crimsonstreak has to come to terms with a broken father/son relationship, reunite with an old flame, mentor a young hero, and deal with the absence of his mother. These are all very human issues, and things people can relate to.

From a storytelling perspective, they're flexible. This is a wide-open genre full of diverse opportunities. You can go supernatural (Ghost Rider), humorous and nigh-invulnerable (The Tick), dark and brooding (I'm not even going to mention his name), intergalactic (Silver Surfer), high-tech (Iron Man), vampiric (Blade), paramilitary (The Punisher), godlike (Thor), and much, much more.

My novel is pretty straightforward in being a tights and flights, capes and cowls type of story. I do dabble in some science fiction and fantasy elements, but you won't encounter things like "paramilitary" or "vampiric." That said, we do have some godlike characters, tech guys, and that sort of thing.

There's lot of "in between." Not every hero dons red, white, and blue. Sometimes they don't wear the white hat...sometimes the hat is gray. Maybe the "hero" kills people. Maybe he/she has to make an impossible choice to prevent some terrible catastrophe. Maybe they have to choose the lesser of two evils. Maybe they have to make a deal with the bad guy. Maybe they are the bad guy.

In I, Crimsonstreak, it's hard to know what to make of Crimsonstreak's father, Colonel Chaos. He started out as evil, became a hero, and then took over the world. Crimsonstreak comes to realize that not everything is as black and white as he originally thought, something our good Mortimer P. Willoughby points out in the novel.

We can paint in broad strokes. Superheroes certainly have their own shorthand. We know who the guy with the huge biceps and chin that doubles as a nutcracker is supposed to be. We understand the multi-trillionaire with the cowl has all the gadgets. The genre definitely has its tropes...and those easily-accessible ones help set up a world...and then allow authors to flip it upside down.

Yeah, I took advantage of this one. Many of the supporting heroes and villains are very easily explained simply by their names (Crossworld, Exponential the Amazing Multiplying Man, Zeus Caesar, Mimicry).

Grandeur and wonder already included. People can fly, run faster than sound, move things with their minds, and walk through walls. These are not normal abilities (except in comics, of course). Sure, these things can become mundane, but writers who step back and awe at these superhuman acts can share the experience with their readers.

In I, Crimsonstreak, superpowers are widely accepted. Yet there's a point in the book where Crimsonstreak flies with another hero...and it leaves him awed. Despite his ability to run faster than fast (and even faster), the thrill of flight manages to capture his imagination.

You want stakes? I got your stakes right here, and the villain just raised 'em. Every story needs high stakes, something big on the line. The stakes don't get any "higher" than superhero stories. I mean, come on, the world's going to blow up. An alien invasion is imminent. A mad scientist plans to unleash a super ray turning everyone into Christopher Walken (yeah...it sounds like the perfect world...but when everyone is Walken, there is no Walken).

In the book, the world, as is usually the case, is at risk. Freedom, justice, personal liberty...also on the line. Crimsonstreak's very reality is threatened, along with the lives of his family and friends. Stakes don't get any higher than that.

What do you think? What draws you to the genre? What pushes you away? Is this just "kid stuff?"

BACK TO CRIMSONSTREAK CENTRAL!

REVIEW: Empire State

I can't explain why I was so excited about EMPIRE STATE. Perhaps it's because I write superhero fiction and was elated to see someone else writing it. Perhaps it's because of the gorgeous cover.

I don't know.

I pre-ordered the book for my Kindle and waited eagerly until it was auto delivered on December 27th. It didn't take me long to finish it.

EMPIRE STATE is the debut novel from Adam Christopher published by Angry Robot Books. Adam was kind enough to submit to one of my "Take Five" interviews, which you will find at the end of this review.

First of all, I expected superheroes from EMPIRE STATE. And while the book includes superheroes, they're not the primary focus. The novel is a "mash-up" of various genres. Yet, at its heart, it's a noir/murder mystery with a lot of pulpy sci-fi thrown in for good effect.

EMPIRE STATE tells the story of detective Rad Bradley, your typical hard-drinking, trenchcoat-wearing private eye. When a mysterious woman comes to Rad's office and pleads with him to take on a missing persons case, Rad accepts. What follows is a trippy journey involving parallel worlds, superheroes, cults, robots, Prohibition-era New York, an undefinable "Enemy," and a doomsday plot.

Rad, you see, lives in the Empire State, a dark, atmospheric take on New York City. No one leaves the Empire State. Ever. It's always wartime, the city's always foggy and dark, and nothing seems to add up. Of course, Rad doesn't realize this until he begins investigating the case. He encounters his own doppleganger, travels to the "real" New York, and discovers the truth about the Empire State: it exists, but it shouldn't.

Turns out Rad is an echo of someone else...just like the Empire State is an echo of the "real" New York. Now, someone wants to destroy the bridge linking the two realities, an act that could destroy the Empire State, New York, and the world. Rad resolves to stop it, although it becomes abundantly clear that he can't trust anyone (not even himself!).

The tension builds throughout the book as the scope of the mystery becomes clearer. Rad encounters robots, great airships called ironclads, a strange cult leader, and two rocket-powered superheroes.

And, just when you think you and Rad have it all figured out, it turns out you don't.

Because nothing is ever as it seems in the Empire State.

The book shoots high and hits most of its targets. It's by no means perfect, but I don't think I've ever encountered a perfect novel. I found it fun, engaging, and nostalgic. I think it will appeal to fans of pulpy detective stories, science fiction lovers, and open-minded mystery lovers.

LOVED
-Superheroes. With rocket boots.
-Thugs. With gas masks.
-atmospheric take on NYC via Empire State is terrific; both worlds are tied together but remain distinct
-good building of mystery and satisfying reveal
-a few nice little "nods" here and there to other works via locations and characters' names
-really liked the character of the Captain
-no one in the book is particularly trustworthy; readers should be prepared for a bounty of twists and double crosses
-fun, genre-bending, page-turning read

DIDN'T LOVE
-the main "villain" seems to, in some ways, come out of left field
-some readers will be left scratching their heads at the origins of the Fissure and some of the inconsistencies between characters and their parallel universe alter egos
-things get a little convoluted toward the end
-be prepared for much "sniggering" -- although the word is not used excessively, I encountered it enough times that it stuck in my mind

THE VERDICT

EMPIRE STATE reaches the rarefied air of Field of Dreams on the Ray Liotta Quality Meter (a brief explanation of the Ray Liotta Quality Meter).

QUESTION: It's hard to pin down a genre for EMPIRE STATE because there are a lot of different elements woven throughout the book. Where would you place it?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: I think it's a science fiction noir, but it has elements of steampunk and fantasy too. But the central concept is science fiction - it might be wooly, fantastical, unscientific science fiction, but that still counts!

QUESTION: I'm fascinated by parallel universes, and I don't think I'm giving much away by saying you juggle two distinct "worlds" in this book. What attracts you to parallel realities?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: Parallel universes are a fascination for me too - I love the idea that there are other realities with an infinite number of possibilities. Every day we make decisions and have thoughts that take us down one path - but what of the alternatives? I my love for alternate realities actually came from Doctor Who, originally. I was introduced to this series when I was 7 and New Zealand television was starting a big repeat run, starting with the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee. In one of his stories, Inferno, he travels sideways in time to an alternate version of Britain, where the Nazis won the Second World War and all his friends from UNIT are fascists.

Parallel universes are certainly a recurring theme in my work! Places that are the same, but not - here, but not here. I love that kind of concept!

QUESTION: Superheroes, it seems, LOVE New York (or some version of it). What made it the perfect setting for the novel?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: There were a couple of reasons - I wanted to write a period detective piece and include Prohibition, so I knew it needed to be set in a big, familiar American city. New York in the 1930s was also the birthplace of modern superhero comics, so the two ideas came together and New York it was!

Plus New York is so familiar and iconic, and I love the state's nickname - the Empire State. It seems so grand and mysterious... and it makes a great name for a novel!

QUESTION: Detective Rad Bradley is the heart of the book. How did he develop throughout your writing process?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: I was lucky with Rad - he appeared, pretty much fully formed, before I even started thinking about the book. The name came from a mistyped Amazon search - I was looking for Ray Bradbury, but as soon as I saw the typo I had this image of a tough private detective, maybe an ex-boxer who's a little older and out of shape. But someone tough, hardboiled, loyal, who would fight for what he thinks is right.

He was a lot of fun to write! I must say I feel sorry for him a little - the things he has to go through! His world is turned upside down and inside out in the course of the book!

QUESTION: What are some of the books/movies that influenced the feel of EMPIRE STATE?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: I'm a big comics fan and obviously Empire State owes a lot to that - particularly the work of Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, two fantastic writers who have worked in both superhero and crime genres (incidentally, the two genres I think work best in comics). There's a lot of classic detective fiction in there too - the likes of Raymond Chandler, etc. In fact, I see Empire State as sort of "Raymond Chandler meets The Rocketeer in Gotham City," which is a little long for an elevator pitch, but seems to sum it up quite well!

BONUS QUESTION: What's your next project? What are you working on at the moment?

ADAM CHRISTOPHER: My second novel, Seven Wonders - a big, spandex-clad superhero epic, is out in September 2012. Other than that, I have a number of other projects on the go, so we'll have to see - more information when I have it!

EMPIRE STATE is available at most major retailers and e-tailers, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. You can also get it through the publisher, Angry Robot

Follow Adam on Twitter @ghostfinder

You can read Adam's musings on his blog HERE

I bought and read the Kindle version for this review and conducted the interview through email. Special thanks to Adam Christopher for his time!

The End is Nigh

Crimsonstreak 2: Crimsonstreakier is nearing completion.

I can feel it.

Smell it.

Taste it.

So far, I have more than 80,000 words. I will probably be able to wrap things up in 5,000-6,000 words, making the sequel's main story about 10,000 words longer than the original. I find this incredibly interesting because at about 60,000 words in, I didn't know if I'd hit my 75,000 word target. Here I am now writing about how the sequel is even longer.

Obviously, I'm going to lose some of those words. I'm going to go through and hack away here once the first draft is finished. I've come to the realization that "finished" is a word that doesn't really work with writing. You'll find closure once a story is published, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean a work is "finished."

Of course, now that I think about it, Crimsonstreak 2: Still Running may clock in even "heavier." I've left places in the manuscript for flashbacks, a technique I used extensively in the first book. These are essentially flash fiction pieces (250-500 words) that provide little vignettes into the characters. I've earmarked some sections for these little asides and imagine more will spring to mind when I read through the manuscript.

Exciting times here!

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.

An Interview with Glider-Hawk

After an interview earlier this week with real author Michael R. Hicks, today we Take Five with Glider-Hawk, a character from my short story "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven."

Glider-Hawk hails from the fabled world of Klebbia, a place where...um...well...I don't know much about it. Perhaps the man-hawk will tell us more about his homeworld.

MATT: Hello, Glider-Hawk. Thanks for joining me today. What's it like being a part of the Interstellar Justice Corps?

GLIDER-HAWK: They let me fight. I like fighting. (awkward pause)

MATT: That's it?

GLIDER-HAWK: You're using up your five questions quite quickly, human. I grant you an additional one.

MATT: Tell me about the Last Stand. Do you any survivor's guilt about what happened on Cyclonus Seven?

GLIDER-HAWK: No. (awkward pause)

MATT: How many of the enemy did you kill?

GLIDER-HAWK: I cannot say for certain. It was an overwhelming army. (ear-piercing screech of a warrior hawk) If I were to venture a guess, human, I would say thousands. Many thousands.

MATT: What are your impressions of CrimsonStar?

GLIDER-HAWK: (rubs mouth-beak with tip of wing) CrimsonStar was a great man. He proved to this warrior why the Klebbians should care about your earth. When I first heard the distress call from Cyclonus Seven, I did not believe it worthy of my time. Because of my affiliation with IJC (Interstellar Justice Corps), I felt obligated to answer the call for help and doubted CrimsonStar's ability to lead our group of heroes. I underestimated him. He and his mate (Windshear) were very brave. The hearts of Klebbian Warriors beat within their human chests.

MATT: You speak fondly of your homeworld. How would you describe Klebbia?

GLIDER-HAWK: You Earth-men speak of heaven. That is Klebbia, a world with pure, blue skies and rich, shining seas. It is a wondrous place with magnificent, mighty trees and daunting rock cliffs. To soar above Klebbia is to soar on a higher plane of existence and feel the hearts of all Klebbian beat as one nest. A Great Nest it is.

MATT: Thank you so much for joining me today, Glider-Hawk.

GLIDER-HAWK: I grant you one more question.

MATT: You really don't have to do that.

GLIDER-HAWK: (ten seconds of ear-piercing screeching that rivals the Most Annoying Sound in the World)

MATT: Okay, Glider-Hawk. If you could do anything differently regarding the defense of Cyclonus Seven, what would that be?

GLIDER-HAWK: I would not have left CrimsonStar and Windshear. Though my final action is what ultimately saved your planet, it is not the Klebbian Way. My brethren are trained to fight to the death. I regret my wounds kept me from finishing the fight at their side, even though I understand the necessity of it.

MATT: Thank you, Glider-Hawk. May the Great Nest be with you.

GLIDER-HAWK: That is not what we say, Earth-man. (Glider-Hawk squawks and then flies off, presumably bound for Klebbia)

Catch Glider-Hawk in action during the "Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven," available now at Smashwords and the Kindle Store!



Hawkeye picture courtesy jurvetson via Flickr

Smashwords Experiment

A few weeks ago, I decided to put some of my short stories up on Smashwords to see how they'd do. With very little fanfare or advertising, I put five stories up on the site, set the price at 99 cents, and then enrolled in Smashwords' July Summer/Winter Sale, where the code SSWSF allows readers to grab a free short story.

Has the experiment been worth it?

I'm going to say yes. Sure, I haven't made any money off the 257 "purchases" readers have made on Smashwords. Without the promo code, however, would anyone have paid for one of my shorties (anecdotal evidence on Amazon.com suggests the answer to this is pretty much "no")?

This is not the final tally, of course, there's a little less than two weeks left to get one of my stories (well, actually, ALL of them) for free (shameless self plug site link HERE).

"Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" is the runaway winner, with "In Memoriam" in second place and my other three in a dead heat. Here are the "sales" numbers:

"Last Stand on Cyclonus Seven" - 61
"In Memoriam" - 57
"I Took Over the World for This?" - 47
"Wing and a Plan" - 46
"The Stuntman" - 46

I set a goal of 300 sales for the month...and I'm getting close. The experience has been well worth it and I'm thinking about unleashing this upon the world:

This is Super, an anthology of superhero/comic book stories that includes 20 of my original works. I'm almost finished with the layout, although I'm going to have my beta readers look through it and there's that little matter of the story I still need to finish for it.

I'm wondering: does this interest anyone? Instead of getting a story for 99 cents, does 20 for $2.99 sound appealing?

Cincinnati Reds and Superheroes

My very first book is called Seven. I originally wrote it four years ago, when I didn't know much about writing and knew nothing about the publishing world. Years ago, I thought that book was my ticket; it would propel me to the top.

So I entered it into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest.

Didn't even make it past the first round.

Yeah, I was bummed. But that book never stood a chance (read why here). I didn't understand that at the time. Now I do.

That's called learning.

I've learned a lot about writing and publishing in the intervening years. I'm no expert, but I'm a much better writer now than I was four years ago. If I didn't get any better--and I didn't realize I was getting better--I don't think I would've retooled my blog and kept writing.

I now have a business card. It's a simple thing, but I took the step of ordering them. I'm not going to call myself a brand--I'm a person and a writer, not a brand--but branding is an indelible part of what writers do. That's why I have the business card.

Early on in my career, I seem to have hitched my star to the world of superhero fiction. My first published story was a superhero story. Four of my first six published works were superheroic in nature (and a fifth was about a vigilante, which could certainly fall in that category). Over the last two months, I've devoted considerable time and energy to polishing a book I don't think a traditional publisher would want to touch because it's a quirky superhero book. I thought maybe I'd "ebook it." Maybe I still will...I haven't decided.

Let me circle back now to Seven, the story of a genetically-engineered baseball player. When I wrote the first draft, the Cincinnati Reds were awful. They hadn't made a playoff appearance since 1995 (excepting a one-game playoff in 1999). I built that book around the Reds' recent history of lackluster performances, but now that sentiment no longer sticks. Cincy made the postseason last year.

In its current form, Seven is no longer viable. The novel needs major rewrites as it stands, but now I face the daunting task of scrapping the idea of setting the book in the Queen City. Perhaps I should focus on a franchise much more snake-bitten than my beloved Reds. And I could stay in the division by choosing either the Pirates or the Cubs.

A very early draft predating the mad rush to finish an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award entry set the book in Chicago, with the owners so desperate for a winner, they cloned a baseball player. The basic framework of that idea still exists and most of the characters would still fit with minimal tweaking.

One "character" wouldn't survive, however, and that's the city of Cincinnati. It would be supplanted by Chicago.

I'll have to think about this some more.

Then again, maybe I should just forget Seven entirely and concentrate on Timey Dancer!

In Defense of Superheroes

My writing output has dwindled in the last few weeks, mostly because I've been working like a dog on some revisions for one of my books. And I also wasted time created book covers (see here and here).

It's a superhero novel.

Speak up, son!

IT'S A SUPERHERO NOVEL.

When I first started writing...and trust me it hasn't been that long ago...I was a little shy to utter that phrase. I gave a more friendly, PC answer: "I write sci-fi and fantasy." Which I do...it's just a lot of that science fiction and fantasy stuff involves people in spandex. With capes.

I still get a little embarrassed about it from time to time. I think people are going to tell me it's immature to like superheroes. They're going to tell me those types of stories are for kids. They're going to smile, nod, and head straight for the door because the guy they just talked to had the immature audacity to pitch a freaking superhero book.

So today I write in defense of superheroes.

Because they can be complex.

They can be real.

They can be flawed.

To me, superheroes reflect ideals. Your super-duper-good vigilante represents the American Dream (Superman). Your masked, shadow-stalking vigilante represents the gray areas of life (Batman). A guy like Captain America stands for liberty and freedom. Captain Marvel symbolizes the latent power of youth and good intentions.

Even the villains have their place. The Joker is an agent of chaos, Lex Luthor stands tall for big business, and Red Skull represents Nazis. And Nazis are bad.

This is nothing you haven't heard before. People far more eloquent than me have covered this topic in greater depth and detail. But I'm explaining why I'm not embarrassed to like and write about superheroes.

Superheroes give us something to aspire to. The real world is full of heroes, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it. In broad terms, superheroes clearly define themselves. The guy in the cape is there to save the day...and you know it because he's wearing a friggin' cape. If we were all so selfless, just imagine how much we could accomplish.

They're just like us...except, you know, they can fly and stuff. Ye Olde Spider-Man is probably the best example here. Poor Peter Parker can't do anything right, gets paid peanuts for taking pictures, and saves the day on the side. Sure, some multi-billionaires are hard to relate to (*cough* Bruce Wayne *cough*), but a great superhero story has a character in there who's relatable. Many have families to protect.

From a storytelling perspective, they're flexible. This is a wide-open genre full of diverse opportunities. You can go supernatural (Ghost Rider), humorous and nigh-invulnerable (The Tick), dark and brooding (I'm not even going to mention his name), intergalactic (Silver Surfer), high-tech (Iron Man), vampiric (Blade), paramilitary (The Punisher), godlike (Thor), and much, much more.

There's lot of "in between." Not every hero dons red, white, and blue. Sometimes they don't wear the white hat...sometimes the hat is gray. Maybe the "hero" kills people. Maybe he/she has to make an impossible choice to prevent some terrible catastrophe. Maybe they have to choose the lesser of two evils. Maybe they have to make a deal with the bad guy. Maybe they are the bad guy.

We can paint in broad strokes. Superheroes certainly have their own shorthand. We know who the guy with the huge biceps and chin that doubles as a nutcracker is supposed to be. We understand the multi-trillionaire with the cowl has all the gadgets. The genre definitely has its tropes...and those easily-accessible ones help set up a world...and then allow authors to flip it upside down.

Grandeur and wonder already included. People can fly, run faster than sound, move things with their minds, and walk through walls. These are not normal abilities (except in comics, of course). Sure, these things can become mundane, but writers who step back and awe at these superhuman acts can share the experience with their readers.

You want stakes? I got your stakes right here. Every story needs high stakes, something big on the line. The stakes don't get any "higher" than superhero stories. I mean, come on, the world's going to blow up. An alien invasion is imminent. A mad scientist plans to unleash a super ray turning everyone into Christopher Walken (yeah...it sounds like the perfect world...but when everyone is Walken, there is no Walken).

What do you think? What draws you to the genre? What pushes you away? Is this just "kid stuff?"

Stretching yourself

From a writing standpoint today, I did very little.

Yet, from a writing standpoint today, I also did a lot.

I woke up this morning at 7 a.m., no small feat for a man who didn't get home from work until 11:30 p.m. and couldn't fall asleep until about 2:30 a.m.

Why was I so eager to get up?

The Midwest Writers Workshop held a mini-conference today in Brownsburg. It featured a few other writers and about 60 attendees, providing a great atmosphere to spend a few hours eating donuts and talking about writing.

The great thing about these events is getting the chance to mingle with other writers. Apparently, we have all kinds of writing groups around Central Indiana, including one in Avon. I met a couple of people from that group and am looking forward to attending some of their meetings. Writing may be a solo endeavor, but as I mentioned in this post, it also shares some similarities with baseball in that you need teammates to back you up. They can include beta readers or critique partners.

While I blog often about my work, sharing it isn't necessarily in my comfort zone. A lot of writers are like me; we fear a gigantic conspiracy in which someone steals our idea, writes it more profoundly, and then laughs all the way to the Kindle Store. It took me more than a year to expand my Elite Beta Reader Corps beyond my wife (the Elite Beta Readers are much like Army Rangers or Deep-Cover CIA Agents; you won't see me revealing their IDs publicly). Just a few weeks after that breakthrough, I'm now exploring writing groups and other avenues for collaborative work.

This is stretching myself.

This is not playing it safe...and as Cathy Shouse of MWW said today while quoting Elliott Smith, "Playing it safe is the most popular way to fail."

I don't want to fail...so I'm going outside my comfort zone to share my work, make friends, and learn more about the craft I love so much.

I'm stretching myself.

There are several ways to stretch yourself in the writing world. One way is to share your work, exposing it to ridicule and critique. Not everyone is going to love every word you write. It's best to learn that now and develop the thick skin you're going to need to survive in the publishing world. It's better to learn how to respond to that criticism (PRO TIP: Improve your writing!) than learning that harsh lesson in a devastating and very public manner, like this unfortunate writer from a few weeks ago (PRO TIP #2: Going off on reviewers is not a good idea).

Another way to stretch yourself is to write something outside your comfort zone. I'm primarily a sci-fi/fantasy guy. I like space operas, superheroes, laser guns, spaceships, alien invasions, time travel, alternate realities, etc. I'm not a vampire guy; not a werewolf guy. I haven't written poetry, non-fiction, horror, paranormal romance, literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, mysteries, mainstream thrillers, legal thrillers...you get the point. I write what I enjoy reading, which for the most part includes sci-fi and fantasy. Even within that narrower category, there are sub-genres I've yet to touch. I'm not big into high or epic fantasy and never made it through the entire Lord of the Rings series.

Yet, there are opportunities within these other genres to play with and explore; other avenues in order for me to stretch myself.

I blogged a while back at how I'm not much of a horror writer. The genre doesn't "mesh" with me for some reason; I don't watch slasher flicks and I don't read horror novels or stories. Yet, I've written a couple of things that fall into that category. A short story of mine, "Vengeance" is due in an upcoming anthology. While it's not going to frighten anyone, it falls more in the supernatural/horror arena than my previous stories. Zombie fiction is also big and I made my first foray into that with a story about a zombie that's been trained to sniff out explosives. That story was also accepted.

What I'm saying here is that it IS important to stretch yourself. For example, Dianne Drake, a successful romance writer, said today that she's starting to hear editors asking for superhero fiction. She even gave me the name of a publisher who was looking for that particular genre. But there was a catch with that: Dianne writes romance novels and the publisher specializes in romance...a genre I'm not sure I can tackle. I'd have to take my beloved superhero conventions and mesh them into the framework of a romance novel.

Can I do that? Am I capable of writing a superhero romance novel? What genre does that fall in? Is that a new thing? I honestly have no idea.

But it got me thinking: how would I go about writing a love story involving superheroes? Sure, there are plenty of examples in comics and movies, but romance novels, at least in my perception, beg for a little less action in the middle of the city and a little more action in...well, you know where that's going. The characters would have to resonate more, relationships would need to be more fully formed, and the superhero hijinks, while front and center, would still take a backseat to that central romantic relationship.

Yet, the idea intrigued me.

I am a fairly big advocate of "write what you know" (and if you don't know it, set the book in the future and make crap up so you LOOK like you're writing what you know), so I would have to stretch myself by reading a few romance novels and getting a feel for them.

After that, onto poetry...

And legal thrillers...

And paranormal romance...

Maybe I'll just combine those into an epic poem about a romance involving a superhero and a vampire lawyer.

Then again...that's probably stretching a little too much.

What about you? How do you stretch yourself?

A revision done...now what?

It's been a big three weeks for my novel I, Crimsonstreak. The manuscript has received the kind of love and attention usually reserved for a big celebrity like Butler's Blue II.

An adorable Bulldog makes every post better.
For three weeks, I've pored over the manuscript at all hours of the day (mostly between midnight and 4am, sometimes actually in daylight on the weekend). I am happy to announce that I'm finally finished.

(Sound FX: Record Screeching)

Wait, I'm NOT finished. You see, I am a mediocre onscreen editor. I'm decent enough...there are several stories I've submitted that have been accepted thanks to my onscreen editorial prowess. However, I usually print out my stories and make ye olde (fashioned) editing marks. There's nothing better, in my opinion, than the symbol for "transpose," the slash for "lower case," and the triple underscore for "capitalize." It's a wondrous world; a language in and of itself.

So now, after "revising" the novel manuscript, it's time to revise the revision and improve upon what I improved. I assure you that my revisions most likely resulted in plot holes, inconsistencies, misspellings, run-on sentences, awkward word usage, and all that fun stuff.

So now, I get to go through this:

500 pages? No sweat!
And I have some good news! After devoting a good chunk of time for revisions, I finally have a great idea for a short story. Expect the Reggie Miller Writing Continuum to return shortly!

As a bonus gift, here's a sneak peek at the chapter structure for I, Crimsonstreak. This will likely change; I noticed while flipping through the manuscript that the early chapters are relatively short while later chapter breaks are spaced farther apart.

Chapter 1 - The Clermont Institution for the Criminally Insane: Serving Evil Doers and Those in Need Since 1978

Chapter 2 - Have (Straight) Jacket, Will Travel

Chapter 3 - My Only Escape is Escaping

Chapter 4 - Look Out Chester, There's a New Cheetah in Town

Chapter 5 - Take Me Down to New Chaos City, Where the Grass is Green and the Butlers are British

Chapter 6 - Batman, Meet Robin...Please Don't End Up Like Jason Todd

Chapter 7 - Chaos Reigns & an Enforcer's Lament

Chapter 8 - A Celebrity at Central Processing

Chapter 9 - The Comet Accelerator (Yes, That's Really What He Calls It)

Chapter 10 - Chaopolis South: It's Like Chaopolis, Only Southier

Chapter 11 - Getting a Boost

Chapter 12 - Chaotic Family Reunion

Chapter 13 - Trapped Like a (Lab) Rat

Chapter 14 - Here We Go Again on Our Own

Chapter 15 - Will the Real Colonel Chaos Please Stand Up?

Chapter 16 - A Not-So-Little Caesar and an Epic Battle of Epicness

Chapter 17 - Rebuilding

Review: OMNI History Begins

All right...I've been talking about this for a while. It's time for the blog's first-ever book review.

This all started a few weeks ago when a man approached me about his book OMNI: History Begins, which is available at several major outlets, including Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. I decided to go for it. We haven't done any book reviews on this blog, but since the focus has become geared more toward writing, I figured it would be something unique.

Joe Graham's OMNI: History Begins tells the story of an 11-year-old boy named Joseph Pringle. He's a near-miss, which means he possesses abilities beyond the scope of normal people that fall just short of superheroic. After a particularly frightening experience at his school science fair, Joseph and his family become the focus of an investigation by the Heroes Union.

They're tested, scrutinized, poked, and prodded. The results prove surprising; not only are Joseph's powers growing at an exponential rate, but he could be a danger to humanity! He receives an unexpected invitation to Alpha, an academy where kids with special abilities train as future superheroes. Think Hogwarts...take away the wands...and replace them with spandex.

Quickly, Joseph takes the superhero "handle" Midas and falls in with a core group of friends with an international flavor: Darkspeed, Olympian, Bioforce, Virtuoso, and Shi. Despite Joseph's young age--he's only 11 years old while the others at the academy are 12 and up--his abilities continue to grow and he makes 1st Team, which is essentially the varsity superhero squad.

The kids train, they fight among each other, struggle with a lack of direction from their "tough-love" Coach Connors, and act as typical pre-teens and early teenagers should act. They form rivalries with other teams and take their lumps when they refuse to work together.

The good news: they get their act together.

The bad news: a long-thought-dead menace rises from the grave to threaten the world with unprecedented destruction and chaos.

Will the young heroes be up to the challenge?

What I Liked: I'm a sucker for superhero stories. I was instantly interested in the subject matter and really did enjoy meeting the characters and spending some time in the world. The novel is quite lengthy--600 pages--and I witnessed Joseph & company change and grow throughout the book (along with their powers). Joseph in particular discovers an incredible truth about his abilities, uncovering an unexpected destiny he isn't prepared for.

The book draws upon several of my favorite conventions, including future-science, some light time travel, and an "I am your father" moment (the funny part about the latter: it doesn't involve the main character!). Graham has created a fun world lovingly filled with things like "nanomail armor," "Sparrow transports," and "transmutation."

The story features an international cast of characters who travel across the globe as they train, grow into their powers, and face a looming global threat.

It's a fun place to visit, but...

On Second Thought: OMNI has some glaring problems, most of them in technical execution. I spotted several grammatical errors and problems with writing mechanics. While reading the book, I kept a notepad to write down any misspelling, incorrect wording, or faulty punctuation I spotted along the way. I gently put the notepad aside as the mistakes piled up. This is a self pubbed/small press book, but the quality was, unfortunately, not up to professional standards. Several problems became apparent, from confusion between words (they're vs. there) to missing punctuation, misspelled words, and even incorrect words. I found the mistakes distracting enough to pull me out of the story.

I also struggled to keep up with the sheer number of characters introduced during the first 130 or so pages. There are simply too many thrown at the reader at one time; many of these characters are sparsely used and could have been eliminated entirely or introduced in a different manner.

Also, at 300,000+ words, 600 pages, OMNI is much too long. The deft and pragmatic hand of an editor is sorely needed.

The Verdict: OMNI: History Begins aspires to be a mash-up of Ender's Game, the Harry Potter series, and classic superhero comics. It succeeds in some respects, but falls short in other areas. Readers who are able to overlook the book's technical shortcomings will find an enjoyable story...and wish the finished product had several more coats of polish.

I was provided with a complimentary copy for the express purpose of this review.

EXTRA: Interview with OMNI author Joe Graham

What influenced you to write OMNI?

Joe: I always wanted to write something my kids would like to read. OMNI started out as a few bedtime stories. Then I simply wanted to write it down so they would have something from me to read. It just started snowballing from there into a story much bigger than I thought it would ever be.

I work as a computer scientist and have seven children. When I started writing OHB, I had six. Their names are Jacob (Jake), Johanna, Joseph, Jillianne, Juliette (Jet), and John. They are the basis for the personalities you see in 1st team, which is the reason you have multiple protagonists in the story, each is a special part. I just happen to use Joseph’s character to pave the introduction into the story. Also, Jake is the one who did the cover art and the green and black comet on the back of the book is the Darkspeed symbol.

What other books and authors do you count as influences?

Joe: I met a comic book writer at ComiCon back in 92. He gave a workshop on storytelling. I remember it vividly to this day (because) he really brought his craft to life and sparked something inside of me that made me what to be a storyteller of any medium. I left his name off, because years later when I tried to contact him and tell him what an influence he was on my life, he was a colossal jerk. Oh well, I’ll just remember the good part.

Other than that, (I would say) Orson Scott Card because he also put out a book on writing sci-fi. I read that book and saw how his rules for writing worked in his own worlds. That meant something to me; to read how he thought as he wrote.

How long did it take to write the first draft?

Joe: I have a full-time job and a big family, so in my "spare" time it took about a year. That breaks down like this:

1) Three months to write a 75-page outline and invent the new world and its science and jargon.

2) Six months to actually write the rough text. When I write, I write ten pages in three hours. I don’t look back. I don’t check spelling. I don’t let anything derail me from making forward progress. It’s kind of like free writing.

3) Three months to check the book for plot content. I looked for any holes in the plot that might come back to haunt me.

What has been the biggest struggle in promoting the book?

Joe: I’m not really a promotions guy, so it’s been a complete amateur effort on my part. I think I’m kind of like Edison who said, “I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb.” Only catch is, I don’t think I’m up to 1,000 yet!

What can you tell readers about your plans for the sequel? Is it bigger? Better? Grander?

Joe: All of those things :)

CWII (Coalition's War II) is about one-third written. It starts up two days after the last one ended. One of the things I started doing in this book is giving Vector (the main bad guy who appears relatively briefly in book one) as much time in development as the rest of the main characters.

In OHB, I had to teach the reader my universe, which I did through Midas/Cosmos, as he learned it. In CWII, I don’t do that. I pick up where I left off and assume (the reader knows) all that. The second book moves faster because of this.

More secrets are revealed as the story goes on, showing the strengths and the weaknesses of the main characters. The Coalition becomes a greater threat as the heroes prepare for the next round.

What are your writing ambitions? Are you working on anything else?

Joe: I’ve written a few movie scripts, one really good one. But, I think that working the OMNI series is the thing that interests me most. I’ve sat down and written the end of the series, which happens several books later. It’s nice to have a clear vision of where you started and where you will end. This series is my labor of love.

Tell me a little about Rejection Press? What’s the idea behind it? What’s next?

Joe: When I finished my first draft, I started emailing publishers and agents, ignorant of the whole publishing process. I was fortunate if anyone even responded with a rejection. Most of the time, it was no response at all.

I had the chance to meet a lady on the internet who had just published a book on horse breeding. Being an expert in her field and working to polish her query letter and approach, she sent out over 200 letters over a two-year period before an agent agreed to read her book.

I’m too impatient for that, so Rejection Press was born. I started a small press and my work is available online.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love to hook up with a big publisher. To date, no one in the mainstream publishing industry has read my work.

As for the future, expect more of the OMNI series and more of the same storytelling.

A Journey through "In Memoriam"

I called my wife as I started the 25-minute journey from home today and she informed me that I had a package waiting for me. I wasn't expecting anything--after all, I haven't ordered anything online since Christmas--but I finally put it together: my contributor's copy of A Thousand Faces had arrived!

The pristine cover of this fine publication.
I wrote "In Memoriam" nearly a year ago and learned it had been accepted for publication in May. The actual issue appeared in November. I have a special attachment to the story; it was the very first story I ever submitted and the first accepted for publication, although it was not the first one I ever had published (that distinction belongs to "The Bank Loan," which appeared in an issue of This Mutant Life)

A familiar author penned this story.
As I flipped through the book eager to again read the fine stories contained within, I spotted something on the last page that made me smile. A Thousand Faces accepted another work of mine...which was actually promoted!

It's blurry...but if you squint really hard, you can see that certain familiar author's work promoted for the next issue!
A Thousand Faces publishes quarterly. My next story, "The Villain," will appear in the March 2011 issue, which is coming soon! Make sure to check out A Thousand Faces for updates! Of course, when it's up, you'll hear about it here!