Sunday, July 31, 2011

Andrew Copp LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END ST Discussion

Discussion with Andrew Copp about the Script for LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END ST sequel.




In November of 2005 I approached Fred Vogel about writing a sequel to LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END ST while we were hanging out at the Genghis Con convention in Pittsburgh. It seems we both had been thinking about the idea for a while. Both of us had become good friends with the original film's director Roger Watkins over the last five years as we were very much fans of his work, and he was in turn VERY supportive of ours. He had trumpeted my own Film THE MUTILATION MAN to many people as well as Fred's work too. Though Roger had tried a few times to get a sequel going the deals never happened, or he was continually being given scripts he felt were sub par or didn't respect the original film. Fred and I's goal was to give him a script that did indeed respect the original film in every way. So I went into writing the script, that is now without question the darkest thing I have ever written. It was a bad time period of my life and much of that darkness found its way onto the page.

But I also wanted to make a huge point to give things back to Roger that had been lost over the years int he various bad deals the original film had gone through. Elements that had gone missing through the eradication of missing footage, reediting of the original film, etc. Though many people understand that LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END ST is a very dark and disturbing piece of work, they may not see that it is a very artistic one as well. The original film was made in a methamphetamine haze, but Roger's original sensibilities are there very loud and clear. He was a Man that loved things like Bergman films, El Topo and Sam Peckinpah (Particularly THE WILD BUNCH) this artistic melencholia shoots through the original film like spider veins. It is what anchors it and makes it so memorable. This is the kind of weird sideways element that I sought to infuse into what I was writing.

Fred Vogel had a short couple page outline of ideas, and I had maybe ten or so pages of ideas to start and those got melded together and I wrote it into the script that exists now.The initial idea od two jerkwater porno wanna-be's trying to win over Terry Hawkins was Fred's idea for sure, as was the Mafia guy funding them. The rest organically grew out of the lockign myself into writing everyday for a few months. The Clint DeRezny character, the prison bunk-mate of Terry was a melding of Richard Speck and underground writer Peter Sotos, who I was reading a bunch of his work at the time. If you are familiar with the gonzo porn world you might recognize a could of other people in the script loosely (very loosely) modeled after folks there. 



We waited until there was a finished draft before letting Roger know our idea but he was thrilled with both the script and the idea of doing a real sequel. We had real people lookign to invest. It is not prudent to say who, but they had capitol and were honest men who have put out many movies over the years. We spent basically spent two more years putting all this package deal together. Finding these people with the money, talking to actors (once again not a part of the project I think I can legally discuss, but there were a few names looking at it, one low end former child actor who had pretty much signed on, and a few others thinking about it). Most of all I was now doing Producer work too. Several years of pre-production including breakdowns, scheduling, and even some rudamentary story boards had begun. There was much excitment about this happening. There were normal delays of course, as there always are with any low budget production, but it seemed promising.



Then Roger passed away suddenly on March 6th, 2007. I lose a good friend and mentor, someone I loved to email back and forth with, send crazy videos to and  just all around cared about. But we lost the head of the ship, the director. We tried to figure out what to do for some time. We toyed with the idea of Fred and I directing it as a team. Eventually it was decided I would direct it myself since I had already done so much work to get it on track anyway. It seemed like the best course of action. Then for reasons I was not party too, the summer went by and nothing happened...Then the fall and the project was still stalled out.

So that winter I started my own extreamly small project to keep busy. That spring Fred Vogel informs me that Roger's Family does not want us or anyone else to do a sequel to this movie. That it is now a done deal and no more movies are to be done. The project is now D.O.A.

So that is where it stands. This movie apparently can never be made now. Since it is no longer an option and I quite often get mail or questions from fans as to what happened, even now three years later, I decided I should just put the thing online and let the fans read what we were trying to do. It simply is not fair to all the fans out there that lvoe the orginal film, that had high hopes in what we were trying to do, that they cannot get a chance to at least IMAGINE what could have been. So here it is.

In retrospect it might be a good thing it did not get made however. With the whole "torture porn" (my god how I hate that term) craze getting out of hand, this could have easily pigeon holed me as that kind of director. The script takes those tropes and shoots them into some sort of darker even more evil place than any film before it had ever even though to go. Films like MARTYRS and A SERBIAN FILM had not come out yet and had not transgressed those borders. With that said A SERBIAN FILM makes the idea of making this movie moot, as it trvels a lot of the same ground, and really is the LAST WORD on the snuff film subject. There is no point at all to be made about the topic, even in my own script. So This stands a a huge missed opportunity. But hopefully it still stands as a special read of a dark and evil look into the mids of true evil.

Andy Copp



http://www.amazon.com/Last-House-Dead-Street-ebook/dp/B005EPB1BS/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1312116119&sr=8-7





Thursday, July 28, 2011

Faith Boscawen Interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?


For me it's early in the morning. I wake, I fix my coffee, and I step into the world of my characters—as easy as taking a shower in the morning. I discovered that for me, trying to write after a long day job seemed less productive. I couldn't follow plots, or keep up with characters. It took a few false starts to find that sweet spot, but I did.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?


I start with paper and pen because it usually happens, meaning the idea comes to me in the middle of driving, or a meeting, or at lunch or dinner. Sometimes in the middle seeing a movie. But once I get the initial idea going I find the time to create a Scrivener file for it and write it all down as fast as I can.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?


Everything. Movies, television, books, comics, anime, friends' stories, watching people. That's what makes being a writer so fantastic! A story can come from life itself.


4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?


Yes. I try to do a minimum of 500 words a day. My goal is 2K if I can. And if I can do that in the morning, then I'm not as stressed in the afternoons when I need to run errands or have to work late.


5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?


Self-published. I tried to go the traditional route, but it's hard to break into the mystery field. As for my covers, I have a friend who's a graphic artist and he's been supportive of my efforts. He does them for me free of charge.


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?


I can't NOT write. My day job has a lot of traveling in it and has for several years. I found writing as a way of coping with being in new places and meeting new people. Spending night after night in different hotel rooms in different cities—it's sometimes easier if I can write about it. And even better if I can place my characters there. When my job demands long hours, sometimes 14 to 16 hour days, and I can't get to the computer or a piece of paper to write, then I find I'm more stressed. I have to write.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?


Yes. I have a Kindle and I love it! But I also read on my 'Droid and my iTouch.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?


I have a mix. I love David Baldacci, Dan Brown, Tami Hoag, James Patterson, and Barbara Michaels. I'm reading all the time and learning.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?


I like them, but I haven't had the time or money to either put one together or pay someone too. I'm not sure they actually help sell the book, but they are entertaining.


10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?


Dead In Hell at the Masquerade came out of a writing assignment in a creative writing class I took a few years back. We were working on setting and just before the class I'd visited the Masquerade in Atlanta with some friends. The club is divided into three stories, with Hell being the basement were patrons can dance. I'd been sitting at a stool and watching everyone and the idea of using it as a title sort of stuck.


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?


A bigger book. My first two have been rather short. The latest Speed McNally starts with him taking a picture of something he shouldn't have while he's visiting DC. The discovery of this picture combined with the might behind a political figure sets Speed on a race to find someone he can trust to save his life. It's proven to be a lot of fun. And I hope readers think it will be as well.





Last House On Dead End Street 2: the unproduced screenplay




In 2005 filmmakers Andrew Copp and Fred Vogel teamed up to produce an AUTHORIZED sequel to the cult classic LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END ST with the participation of the original movie's director Roger Watkins who was slated to direct. The new screenplay was written by Andrew Copp from an original story by Fred Vogel and Andrew Copp. The film was in pre-production for a long time, and nearly financed when when the most unfortunate and sad thing that could have possibly happened occurred, Roger Watkins passed away. Many options were weighed to try to put the film forward, including Copp directing the film. Which was a game plan for a long while. But eventually, with Roger not around, the impetus to make the film was no longer there and the production folded. 

Fans often ask about the movie, and the script has become something of a grassroots piece of folklore in the horror underground. Some people have even suggested it was a myth (we are looking at you posters on IMDB). While those few who were on the inside that got to read it still feel like they were cheated in some way that the film did not get to be produced. 

Offering this screenplay to read is the closest I can give to the fans of the original film. The movie unfortunately can not be made at this point for numerous reasons. But this was the AUTHORIZED sequel to DEAD END ST. This was the film that was in production for several years before tragedy cut it short. So accept no substitutes.





Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Calling All Writers Kindle Single Submission Page up



Submissions Policy

Anyone can submit original work to Kindle Singles. We've showcased writing from both new and established voices--from bestselling novelists to previously unpublished writers.

We're looking for compelling ideas expressed at their natural length--writing that doesn't easily fall into the conventional space limitations of magazines or print books. Kindle Singles are typically between 5,000 and 30,000 words.

A Kindle Single can be on any topic. So far we've posted fiction, essays, memoirs, reporting, personal narratives, and profiles, and we're expanding our selection every week. We're looking for high-quality writing, fresh and original ideas, and well-executed stories in all genres and subjects.

How to submit
We will consider ebooks recently published via Kindle Direct Publishing, manuscript submissions, or pitches.
• To nominate your self-published book, simply email us at kindle-singles@amazon.com and include the title, ASIN, and a brief summary.
• If the work is not yet published, you can submit a manuscript or a detailed pitch for your Kindle Single. Send as much material as you have available to kindle-singles@amazon.com and include your name and a writing sample.
• Writers or publishers wishing to propose an idea for a Kindle Single can write to our editors at kindle-singles@amazon.com.

Selection process
Each submission is carefully reviewed by our editors. Once your submission is received, we will read and respond within two weeks. If we are interested in your submission or pitch, we will provide you with further instructions on how to submit your title via Kindle Direct Publishing and any additional next steps.

Rights and Royalties
Accepted Kindle Singles are published using the Kindle Direct Publishing platform, which means that the author earns royalties on each sale. Kindle Singles must have list prices between $0.99 and $4.99, and authors can choose the 70% royalty option for their accepted titles, even when the list price is below $2.99. All otherTerms and Conditions of Kindle Direct Publishing will also apply to content sold as a Kindle Single.

Writers retain all rights to their work when accepted and published in Kindle Singles. We will consider Kindle Singles from authors, publishers, and agents, and you will need to confirm that you have the rights to publish the work you upload. If accepted, your Kindle Single must be made available in all territories where you have rights, so Kindle customers around the world have the option to purchase your title.

Like all Kindle books, Kindle Singles are buyable and readable across the entire Kindle family of devices, as well as on our Free Kindle Reading Apps (Kindle for iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry, Android, etc.).

Kindle Singles Criteria
• Length: 5,000 to 30,000 words
• List price: $0.99 to $4.99
• Original work, not previously published in other formats or publications
• Self-contained work, not chapters excerpted from a longer work
• Not published on any public website in its entirety
• We are currently not accepting how-to manuals, public domain works, reference books, travel guides, or children's books.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?kin_post_tw_07272011_singlessubmissions&docId=1000700491



Sunday, July 24, 2011

Wenona Hulsey Interview





1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

My most productive time of day tends to be after 9 pm. I’m a mom to two wonderful children and I work a full time job so I have to wait until the house is quite so I can focus.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I prefer to write on my laptop but several chapters of my upcoming release “Burden of Blood” were written with pen and paper. The area where I live was affected by the horrific tornados that devastated so many lives this past April. Luckily, my home didn’t suffer any damage but we were without power for three days. So during the daylight hours, I would sit outside in the sun and write with good, old fashioned, pen and paper.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I’m an avid reader and music lover because that is what makes me truly feel emotions that run deep into my soul. I love when I read the last page of a book and I’m instantly sad because the ride is over. That feeling is what inspires me to write. I want others to feel that from my work.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Yes, I set goals because my writing time is so limited. I’ve learned that if I don’t give myself a way to track my progress, at times, I get frustrated because I feel like I’m getting nowhere. But if I can look back over the week and say “I’ve written four thousand words this week”, then I feel a since of accomplishment.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I recently self-published my short story “Blood Awakening” but my novel, “Burden of Blood” is being published by Trestle Press Publishing. The covers for each one just kind of created themselves. As the stories were coming together in my head so were the cover ideas.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

Right now, I am still dreaming of the day when writing can be my career. That is a day that most writers beg for but few see. I write because I love to and if my work is loved to the point where I can quit the day job, then great but if it doesn’t I’ll still be writing. I feel empty without a story bouncing around in my head, waiting for me to type it out and share it with those willing to listen. That creative spark makes me happy so, I keep writing.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yes, I own a Kindle. It’s always with me wherever I go.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Steven King as always been a favorite of mine, even though I don’t write horror. I’ve also found several Indie published authors such as HP Mallory and Nicky Charles who are great paranormal romance authors. I’m currently reading “Spell Checked” by C.G. Powell and “Dark Corners” by Liz Schulte, both are indie published authors also.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I have seen some very well done book trailers but I’m not sure if I will ever have one. I had never heard of a book trailer until I started looking into book promotions and I’m afraid that most people are clueless to them right now too. I don’t want to waste time and money on something that no one will take the time to see.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

The title “Burden of Blood” basically tells how Nicole feels at this point in her life. She has been thrown into a world that she didn’t ask for, all because of powers she inherited. She would give anything to have a normal life again and tries to hide from her destiny.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I’m working on the novel that will continue the story that starts in “Burden of Blood”. I’m still working on a title for this wip.

Author Wenona Hulsey is a lover of all things written. When she was a child, you could find her reading anything from Edger Allen Poe to the back of cereal boxes. Today you will find her with an ebook reader glued to her hands except for the times when she is writing or spending time with her family. She is also an avid social networker who loves to meet new people. You can friend her on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/WenonaHulsey, like her on Facbook http://www.facebook.com/WenonaHulseyAuthor or follow along on her blog http://wenonahulsey.blogspot.com/






Thursday, July 14, 2011

MOMENTUM is here Imogen Rose new book











“Today is the day my crush, David, will finally ask me to the Ball...”


California teen Arizona Darley feels the buzz of an exciting day ahead as she rushes to Starbucks to meet David. Her David.

But he’s a no-show. Crushed, Arizona leaves the coffee shop and walks straight into trouble. Her life is turned upside down when she is thrown into the middle of yet another of Raj’s schemes.

Wanderers, Sigma-W-Pi, what is everyone talking about? And what’s up with Kellan?

This is the fourth book of the Portal Chronicles, a YA paranormal time travel fantasy. Catch the start of Arizona’s adventures in Book One, PORTAL.






http://www.amazon.com/MOMENTUM-Portal-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B005CAT2QQ/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310658192&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MOMENTUM-Portal-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B005CAT2QQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1310657878&sr=1-5

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/MOMENTUM/Imogen-Rose/e/2940012863416

Sebastian P. Breit interview





1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

There really isn't a special time slot in which I work the best, though I'd have to say the morning hours are probably the worst. I usually need some time to get going, so I preferably spend that time doing something else. The most inspiring moments come during the afternoon and before I go to sleep, when the body's wiring down but the mind's still active. But in general, I do my writing in the afternoon and the evening. And then it's open ended: only fatigue and my ability to consume coffee are the limit.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

When I began writing full stories in earnest I did it on the computer, but I soon realized that it was more intuitive to brainstorm and to create chapter and plot outlines with pen and paper. Doing so also gives you the opportunity to go back to what you've written before. Sometimes the first version is the best, and I find it's important to have something at hand that recalls the creative process that's gone into writing something particular. I still keep a pen and a notebook close to my bed. The only time when I don't have access to something to write with and on is ironically during my day job. Luckily I can remember most of the ideas I get during those hours without having to constantly mutter them into my beard.


3: What do you draw inspiration from?

History and contemporary events for some, personal experience and interests for others. Though, to be honest, all of these tend to overlap at some point. Aside from that, I feel I receive more and better inspiration from the written word than I do from visual media, even though this inspiration is more in the way of putting me into the right mood for writing and thinking rather than in the form of concrete ideas.


4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Setting concrete goals as a means to motivate yourself can work, but it won't always get you where you want to go. I'm usually one of those who believe you've got to beat your muse with a stick if that's the only way to get her to work, but there are limits to that approach. Though all in all, writing something is still always preferable to writing nothing. In general, if you've got the whole day available for nothing but writing: set yourself a goal and stick to it. For everything else, force yourself to write that on extra line, but know your limits.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am self-published, using Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace platforms for the ebook and paperback editions of my novels. Since I'm lucky not to mess up while drawing stick figures I've employed an illustrator for the cover of my novel. The easiest way to find one was to scour places like DeviantArt.com and simply send out queries to artists whose style I found appealing. I ended up working with a very talented Portuguese artist by the name of Jorge Jacinto and plan to use his services for the covers of other novels in the future.


6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

It wasn't something that had always been the first thing on my mind. I didn't wake up one day after I had finished high school and told myself 'Now I'll become a writer'. But I had been an avid reader for most of my life, and I liked writing. I started writing stories in my native German around the age of eighteen, but they never got anywhere. I got on the internet in 2000, and from that point on my focus changed. I participated in text-based RPGs for several years as the primary outlet for my creativity. Some of these had two dozen participants, ran for eighteen months and amounted to more than 3 million written words. It was only when I believed I had reached a high enough level of proficiency in English that I started writing stories again. Those were fanfictions – Star Gate, The Wheel of Time, Mass Effect – and only when I had brought a hundred thousand words narrative to its conclusion I felt I was ready to move on.

I enjoy writing, I like telling stories, and I think I have some interesting stories to tell. But to say being a writer is a career choice: it's too soon for me to be affirmative there. Wolf Hunt has been out for less than a month, and it's a niche genre piece. Right now it's out there primarily because the idea of having published something makes me happy. He future will show whether the choice I made is a financially viable one.


7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

I don't own an ebook reading device at the moment and don't have any plans to purchase one in the future. I do part of my writing on a netbook, which is about as mobile as it'll get for me. Those ebooks that I own I read on it, either in PDF format (which I do personally find preferable) or using some of the readily available format emulators.


8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

George R.R. Martin, David Weber, Andrzej Sapkowski are the ones I can immediately think of, but looking at my book shelf and the folder on my netbook there just are too many to name. Right now I'm reading Ray Moseley's “Between Hitler and Mussolini” about the life of the Italian foreign minister Count Ciano.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

They are an interesting visual marketing concept, and there's at least one instance where the trailer clinched it  for me to buy a novel. However, most authors I've talked to about the use of book trailers seem to agree that their usefulness regarding sales is limited. They hardly increase exposure; maybe that would change if there was some kind of hub that hosted nothing but book trailers. Regardless of any usefulness, they are a fun concept. Maybe I'll make one have one made for one of my future projects.


10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

“Wolf Hunt” wasn't the first title the novel had. In fact, if I remember correctly, I went through two others before settling on “Wolf Hunt”, and that largely occurred once I had come to the conclusion that the story was big enough to warrant sequels. Thus I needed a name that a) factored in some kind of imagery I would be able to continue during the sequels and b) hinted at the content. As such, “The Burning Ages” will use animal imagery in its titles. As for “Wolf Hunt”, the solution to that particular riddle is comparably simple: the novel deals with the attempt to assassinate Hitler, and Hitler's most consistently used code name was “Wolf”.


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

While I'm in the plot outlining phase for the sequel to Wolf Hunt, I've begun writing a scifi/crime thriller set in the second half of the 21st century. However, the more I work on it the more I realize that I should rather be writing its prequels! It's very different from the more epic Wolf Hunt; it's far more character-centered since it's all told just from one person's perspective, a perky young woman working for an FBI section called “Special Homicide”. I'll post some details about it on my web page soon.

Links:

My homepage: www.spbreit.com

Amazon (Paperback): http://tinyurl.com/5s4l6vz

Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056QJGN0/?tag=kindleboards-20 (July Discount: only $3.99 US!)



Sunday, July 10, 2011

Marsha Canham interview




1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

Hmmm. It used to be very late at night when the house was quiet and no one was watching TV or clanging around in the kitchen. But I live alone now with my dog and birds, so early morning has become the time when I read what I wrote the previous day and either crumple it for the bin or nod and think, yeah, not bad, keep going.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

When I first started writing, there were no computers *s*.  Final drafts were typed on an old Underwood typewriter, so for the sake of saving fingers and ribbons and ink, I wrote everything in longhand first, then typed it.  It was a good habit to have because a lot more thinking goes on between writing and typing and often, even now, when I'm typing what I think is a final draft into the computer, I get ideas that send me off in totally different directions.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Just about anything.  I've written books based on a catchy phrase that turned into the title of the book. Another came from listening to my neighbour talk about an obscure incident in Scotland's history.  I draw characters from the people around me, friends and not-so-much friends.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Nope. I don't believe in forcing creativity. If I walk by my office door and don't feel like going in, I don't go in.  In my experience, any time I force myself to sit and write X number of pages in a day, they suck and I end up tossing them anyway.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I have had 17 books published in print.  I have the rights to 13 of them back and have been self-pubbing them over the past few months.  I do the covers myself, searching through stock sites until something catches my eye.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I initially started writing on a bet from a neighbour.  I was reading a crappy book that she had given me and raved about, and when I told her I thought it was crappy, she challenged me to write a better one.  Took me four attempts, four unpublished manuscripts, but by then I had caught the bug and knew what I wanted to do.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yes I do. An android, a Pandigital Reader.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

I read everything Wilbur Smith and Michael Connelly write. Grisham used to be up there too on the auto-buy list, but not so much anymore. Leon Uris is terrific. Alastair MacLean, Clive Cussler, Joseph Finder are a few more.  And no, I don't read romance novels even though I write them.  Or maybe because I write them.  I just don't want to be influenced by someone else's plotline or characters or story.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

If they work for other people, fine. I don't view them and don't have any plans to make any.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

The Following Sea?  Again, I read it in an article or something and the phrase jumped out at me. I was mulling over the sequel to The Iron Rose and it just seemed to fit perfectly.  And that would be the book I'm working on now and one I plan to release myself, straight to ebook.  I put in my time debating with editors and following rules and deadlines, and I much prefer following no one's rules but my own.

Thank you so much for the interview.  If you want a complete list of my ebooks, check my website at www.marshacanhamebooks.com  I have a page there also if anyone is interested in book covers.  My blog can be found at www.marshacanham.wordpress.com and I'm on Twitter as @marshacanham



Friday, July 8, 2011

Carmen Anthony Fiore interview





1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

I may be weird, but I write everywhere and anywhere that's convenient for the project at hand, and for my creative juices at the time that my subconscious mind is feeding me the information (wordage); and I become the "lowly" medium, for all intents and purposes. I really should list my subconscious mind as co-writer on my next published book. I discovered its benefits years ago when writing my first novel, THE BARRIER, a novel of social commentary (soon to be available as an e-book on Amazon's Kindle e-book reader. The story line was based on my experiences as a social worker here in New Jersey. I had backed myself into a "literary" corner during the writing of the first draft, and having heard of using the subconscious mind as a writing prompt in an article in THE WRITER MAGAZINE, I said to myself, "What the hell, I'll try it." I did that night and applied the old addage, "sleep on it," and it worked. The next morning, without taking time to eat breakfast, I immediately went into my office and started to record the "feed" from my subconscious mind, which became a case of nonstop writing until I had filled nine sheets of yellow legal-sized pad paper--by hand--writing right through the previous story problem without stopping or thinking of what to write. So, I've been using my subconscious mind ever since with effective results. It's not let me down yet. I recommend it highly as a writing tool.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I usually do the first draft in longhand, because I don't like anything mechanical coming between me and the creative effort. I usually write the first draft in blue or black ink. Then, after I let it "cool" down with a time lapse interval, I'll go back to the first draft with a red ink pen and revise the usually messy, sloppy, over-written fist draft of whatever it is, fiction or nonfiction, long or short format. The reason I use red ink for the revisions is to highlight and differentiate the revisions from the original wordage at a glance, when I eventually go to the computer and not just to transpose the first draft but to re-create it into a second draft. After that all my revisions and drafts are done on the computer. But I do print a copy of each page of the revised first draft, which becomes my second draft. Then I revise that with a red ink pen and with the revised text I go back to the computer to re-create yet a third draft. The process is repeated for each subsequent draft. Everything I've ever written has gone through at least five drafts before I even consider showing it to my first reader, who is my private editor. She usually finds something wrong with my text and we go over every page and talk over her suggestions and usually I cave and make the revisions. It's an exhausting process, but it's necessary in order to create publishable writing, long or short.
One note of advice: find a person, amateur or professional, who is word/language/literary knowledgeable and an annoying nitpicker detail-type person, because they make the best kind of editor. I should know, I do editing on the side myself. But everybody needs an editor; so don't fight it, get an editor.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from life itself. When I was younger--all the way back to my growing-up days, I felt I was different than the other kids. I quess even then I marched to a different drummer, so to speak. I was more observant. I sensed it right away. I was more curious. I asked more questions, and I really listened to the answers. That's how I first learned to store information in my brain, I guess. Even in school, when the other students used to groan and moan during history and geography classes, I used to "eat" that stuff up. I loved reading about people from the past and what happened to them. And I loved studying maps and finding out about our 48 states and foreign countries and their people. It fascinated me. I'm still that curious kid. I enjoy doing the necessary research for my writing projects even now. And if we writers have lengthy careers, and do extensive research for each project, we can't help but eventually become knowledgeable in many areas and subjects. It's an occupational hazard that we turn into annoying know-it-alls. It's true. Just ask my wife, Catherine, she'll tell you how annoying I am. Whenever she's stuck for an answer, I usually offer the correct information, providing more facts and details than she cares to know. She says I'm so irritating. I get a laugh out of that, because it's one of the few social pleasures I get out of life these days--irritating my wife.

All the writers who have come before me, from Shakespeare (my favorite writer) to our modern times, have inspired me, including the dead ones as well as the living. They struggled. They persevered. They raised themselves out of obscurity, and so can I. Rejection has never stopped me or deterred me from continuing on. When a writer quits, because it's too tough to keep fighting the gatekeepers, then it's one more victory for those same gatekeepers. Writers need to develop thick hides to ward off the "slings and arrows" of constant rejection and to keep on writing and to keep on submitting. Don't let them get to you. Never quit writing. Just keep on revising and making your stuff better until it gets accepted for publication. I repeat: never give up on yourself, never give up on your writing, just keep improving it. Somebody will eventually like it enough to publish it. So what's the name of the writing game? Revise, revise, revise. As for me, being a writer is who I am. It defines me. It's my oxygen. As long as I keep writing, I keep breathing.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

If I'm working on a new project, I have the automatic goal written in stone hovering above my head: You must write five full pages at each sitting, and you don't stop till you reach that goal, pal, so no procrastinating, hear? (five pages is about 1250 words) It works for me. I'm born under the Virgo sign. We're the workaholics of the world and we're as self-critical as we are critical of others. We're also (at least I know I am) compulsive neurotic detail people and possibly anal retentive, which is the story of my life that I can sum up in one word: constipation. In other words, we make perfect writers.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I'm both from a publishing standpoint. I started out having others publish me, then I decided I wanted more control over my work; so I took the self-publishing route for a while. Now, I'm back to having other people publish me--in print. But I've recently decided to revise and self-publish my previously published work, bringing my novels into the digital age through Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing program. Up to now I've published three of my print novels, which are still available in paper format.

SEARCHING, a novel of social commentary about a man who stopped being black, Negro or colored. THE SNAKESKIN, a lost-in-the-woods juvenile/young adult novel.
VENDETTA MOUNTAIN, a novel of suspense/adventure set in southern Italy and involves an Italian-American and his Irish-American wife and the threat to their lives because of a long-dormant feud in the husband's ancestral mountain village by people he doesn't even know, and has no clue as to why. All three books are now available on the Kindle e-book reader and can be downloaded for the ridiculously low price of $2.99. Hey, the future is digital--and it's here--right now! That's why I'm preparing two other novels for the Kindle. THE BARRIER is social commentary and is based on my experiences as a social worker and a school teacher. LITTLE OSCAR is erotic realism/social commentary, and it's based on the last case of incest that I worked on when a social worker. Both books will be available on the Kindle some time in May of 2011. Amazon also offers screenplay writers wonderful opportunities to get their work noticed through their Amazon Studios program to which I have entered eight of my screenplays into their script-writing contests over these last several months.

As for my covers, my talented wife, Catherine, is a professional artist and she helps design my covers through easily available art software that would be too difficult for yours truly, the inveterate and technically challenged computer dummy.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I've always been a word kind of guy. Words, semantics, diction, grammar, language; they all fascinate me. Each word has its own history. A day never goes by that I don't have my nose aimed at a dictionary's page looking up an esoteric word or phrase. I'm also a sucker for books on grammar, language, punctuation, writing, publishing, book promotion, and just about anything that applies to writing and publishing and writers in general. My attraction for the written word is similar to a cowboy's attraction to horses. At this stage in my life I wouldn't want to be anything else but a writer. I love what I'm doing: playing God with my characters and their worlds. In my earlier life, when I was forced to provide for my family (read: children and a dog) I had to be satisfied writing part time. Now, I can write full time, and I can't wait to get up in the mornings to write, market, promote, whatever is needed to get the creative juices flowing.




7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

At the present time I don't own an e-book reader, and that's mainly because I'm not a gadget person.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

My all-time top favorite writer is William Shakespeare. When you read his plays and poetry and see/hear a performance of his better plays, you realize his genius, and that's because he delt with universals, which are what drive our characters and make them human to our readers. So, is there any doubt that universals (greed, love, hate,
revenge, loyalty, family, companionship, friendship, fear, loneliness, etc.) are the key to writing fiction/plays/screenplays that will have your work read and appreciated hundreds of years from now, like Shakespeare's great plays: Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo & Juliet, Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, Merchant of Venice, Richard the Third, Henry V, etc.?

     I don't have any favorite present-day American or European fiction writers, because I really don't care for what they're producing, to be honest. Every now and then I sample a novel to see if I can get excited about the author, but I end up putting the book down and remaining disappointed with the subject matter or the writing itself.
Some past American writers I liked were John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, James Jones. They wrote the kind of realism I favored. I've always been sort of luke warm toward Hemingway. Currently I'm reading Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. I read his DaVinci Code. He tells a good story, but I don't care for his writing style. I read the Stieg Larrson's turgid novels: talk about being over written, but still he told a good story in each book and the main young female character was interesting.


9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

They're good for promotion, if they are well done. Otherwise, they're a distraction rather than beneficial, because you're dealing with a visual medium, while promoting a completely different medium: the written word. Each medium appeals to a different part of our brains and psyches--and audience--in my opinion.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

     I wrote a what-if historical fiction novel titled THE LINCOLN CAPER. It's set in 1864 and involves the kidnapping of Lincoln and his subsequent rescue in time for the 1864 election. I'm a Civil War buff. I belong to Civil War Round Table groups and have written other Civil War works such as YOUNG HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR,
which is about kids as young as eight and nine who ran away from home to enlist as drummer boys. Some went on to win medals for bravery and courage. I'm also a big admirer of Lincoln. He was what a president should be like--in my opinion. The USA could use another Lincoln. He brought us through the worst partisan upheaval this country has ever known--to date.


11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I'm revising my previously published novels and formatting the text to be included in Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing program for its Kindle e-book reader. I'm hoping to complete the work some time in May of this year. On occasion lately I've been doing shorter pieces: articles, essays and short stories for print and online websites. I think my next novel will be another what-if historical novel set either during the Civil War or the Revolutionary War, which was actually America's first Civil War, since the most vicious fighting was between the American rebels and the American Tories, who were loyal to the British Crown. One third of population were rebels, one third were Tories, one third were independent citizens. Translated: they couldn't care less who won the war. That's why it took eight years to settle the argument.