A New Year, A New Website

I'm a tinker. Reiterating all the way back from my first blog post, I like to toy with my website here and there. Do touch-ups where and when necessary. My goal being to make my little home on the web (a necessity for any writer/author these days) as efficient and easy on the eyes as possible. I never want it to look congested or too busy. And I only want to put up what information is relevant.

I think I've succeeded.

I was even able to add a few flashy effects here and there (mostly in page transitions, which I didn't feel was too bothersome nor detracted from the subject matter of the site - I am a writer after all, not a special effects wizard).

But a little while ago I discovered a problem. The company that I built my website through (Wix) uses Adobe Flash to make all those nice effects happen on the page. The problem with Flash is that many mobile and portable devices (your iPhones, iPads, and other tablets) don't support it. If you tried to visit my website on a mobile device you would get a message that your Flash player needed updating in order to view it (ironic, in a way). Thus we circle back to the original problem.

Being that most young adults (the direct audience for my upcoming book) and even adults (always an audience for my work) mostly use their phones and tablets to surf the web (meaning fewer of them use desktops or even laptops anymore unless for work-related purposes), my website would have remained invisible to them.

I couldn't have that. It just wouldn't be smart of me to remain with a Flash site.

Fortunately, my site provider Wix had an alternative website tool and I was able to build a "normal" html-based site, shift my domain over, and now all of it is live! You may even be viewing this on your iPad.

Granted, I'm still tinkering (trying to make the mobile version a little more attractive, or even just taking the mobile version away completely and having all devices point right to the main website page if I can). Point is, the site's up now, for everyone to see.

And, for me, that's one step toward having a stress free beginning to the New Year. One less thing to worry about.

Time to go put on the annual Twilight Zone marathon!

See you next year!

The Falank Family Christmas Letter, 2013 Edition: The Blog Version (with pictures!)

Dear Family, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, Facebookers, Twitterers, all the Whos in Whoville, the Hobbits in Hobbiton (this also extends to Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori, and of course, Thorin), as well as any and all followers and those who've stumbled their way by.

Welcome.

This is my/our first attempt at an annual Christmas letter. Before I get going, first, two things: This will only be "annual" if I/we remember to do this again next year, and second, I'm saying "I" and "we" (we being Rebecca and I) respectively in regards to publishing this letter because this was my idea and Becca's helping me. So if you enjoy it (and I/we hope that you do) then we did a great job. If you don't like it, blame the author. I can only try to promise to try and do better next year, and actually put out a physical version to be mailed to friends and family. If I remember to do this.

Nothing goes back to the beginning of 2013 like resolutions. For the last three years I've kept the same resolution: to get published. I'm overwhelmed to share that this year I've been fortunate enough to have accomplished that feat not once but three times. In April and October I had two short works ("The Morning After" and "Answering the Call") put into print in issues 10 and 12 of RiverLit magazine. And it's what's been the biggest news of my writing "career" thus far, in May I was contacted by Jessica Kristie of Winter Goose Publishing, expressing interest in publishing my first novel, Seeing, which is due out in the spring.

Signing my contract!

Yes, I realize technically my first book being published is more a 2014 thing, but I'm sure you can overlook that detail. More about it in next year's letter (setting reminder now).

After a workload that even I cannot comprehend, this year marked a wonderful accomplishment for Becca. As she put it herself:

"600 hours, 50 pages of daily log, a bunch of annotated bibliography entries, 4 STAR activities, 3 evaluations, 2 school board meeting reports, 1 leadership project, an updated resume, and 8 months later .... I am officially ready for my meeting with my internship supervisor.

"Tomorrow, it all comes to an end, but as with all things,

"A new beginning comes from some other beginning's end!"

This list doesn't account for absolutely everything she had done during her Education Administration Certificate program (there were countless small and big tasks asked of her to perform that just don't fit into specific categories) but nevertheless she completed her last few courses (ending with a 3.95 GPA!) and once she takes her final tests in March, will be certified to be a school administrator. I couldn't be more proud of her :) No matter what was put in front of her, she didn't flinch. Not once.

A shared goal Becca and I had this year was to get in better shape. Cliche? Yeah, sure. But it kept us focused. Over the summer we trained for a Color Run (a 5K where participants are doused with colors at random checkpoints) by participating in a free program called C25K (Couch-2-5K). In all honesty, you learn quickly just how out of shape you are when you begin this program. On top of that, I worried I would struggle with my asthma. Neither of us were expecting to do too well given that through the program, the running intervals begin to increase. We had a tough time of it at first, being winded just running for 90 seconds, but by the time we completed the program in August, we could sustain running (without stopping, without the use of an inhaler) for over 20 minutes.

In October, on a chilly, foggy Saturday morning, we drove to Scranton for the Color Run.

Mission Accomplished!

And we're gonna do it again when the Color Run comes to Binghamton in April 2014.

2013 wasn't all work and goals. We also took a few vacations. Over spring break we spent a couple of days in Washington D.C.

The available speeches to read were Nixon's resignation and Clinton's "I did not have sexual relations with that woman"...

In August we also visited a little place you may have heard of called Aruba!

It was really hard to hold this pose waiting for the picture to be taken.

One of the really cool "firsts" for the both of us happened in early August when we were given the opportunity to go up in a hot air balloon during Binghamton's annual Spiedie Fest.

I had a death grip on my phone whenever I attempted to take a picture.

Overall, as I am sure it was for many of you, 2013 was a very exciting year for us and we look very much forward to the New Year and all the surprises and good news it brings.

I do feel like I missed something else that happened in 2013...

...

Oh, yeah, we both turned 30.

...

Nothing more to be said on that.

2013: The Year in Reading

"So many books, so little time." - Frank Zappa

I'm a slow reader. Very slow. On a vacation to Aruba this summer, my wife read an entire novel (One Summer) on the four-hour plane ride down. I finished a book on the plane ride home but I'd already been reading it throughout the week we were down there, soaking up the sun and being entertained by the many different-sized lizards hanging out by the pool. We partook in many other adventures while down there as well, but I'm saving that for the next blog entry.

Now I'm not ashamed of my reading speed. I like taking my time with a book. It took me two years to get from one end of Bag of Bones to the other. Not because I didn't love it, but because I was enjoying it rather than racing through it. I was also reading other books at the same time and that's a no-no for me. I much prefer to focus on one book at a time. That way it may only take me about a month to get through. But, as it is, I like snuggling into the story and staying there as long as I can. The pages appear like a film running in my head. I'll even re-read passages that give me shivers because they're so good.

Last December I got the thought to start jotting down when I finished a book, to see how many I read in a single year. So I kept a list in my Droid for the last year and can now say that by the time the clock strikes midnight December 31st, I will have read twenty books in 2013.

That's not bad. For me.

Now, the twenty books read includes two volumes (Miles Behind Us and Safety Behind Bars) of The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. Some may not consider these "books" and hold firm that graphic novels and novels are separate, but I counted them because I didn't just breeze through the volumes admiring the pictures and reading the dialogue. I put myself in with those characters as they struggled in the harsh elements of winter and fought daily for survival. And I re-read many of the pages.

For this entry I thought I would pull a handful of my favorite titles from throughout the year and discuss them. Talk about why I enjoyed them, or maybe something about them I didn't enjoy.

Let's start with...

The Shining (by Stephen King)

Yes, I know. Having been a Stephen King fan for many, many years and only in the beginning of 2013 did I get around to cracking the spine of what is arguably King's most beloved novel (most beloved for many, second to others who favor It or The Stand before this third King novel). What surprised me most about this book was how much violence there isn't. The Shining is more a personal journey, or rather a personal deconstruction, of Jack Torrance - a man who has worked so hard to build himself back up after swearing off alcohol and attempting to forgive himself over an accident where his anger resulted in injuring his son, Danny - than it is about anything else.

Reading The Shining, I expected...well, blood. I expected violence. Ghosts. Noises in the night. Pleasantly I found the story to more heartbreaking and tragic than I did scary or even a tad bit unsettling. I love when a book gives you something unexpected. In a good way. The slow pace, the isolation, even knowing the destined outcome of Jack turning against his family somehow enhanced the punch of his downfall.

The ending though, much different than the Kubrick film, offered the redemption I was rooting for.

    

Rise of the Governor and The Road to Woodbury (by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga)



I grouped these two books together because they tell a single story (to be completed in the two-part Fall of the Governor - Part 1 out now, Part 2 in early March). What I really liked about these two novels was how the character of The Governor was humanized. We learn how desperate he was - this man Blake - to save his...daughter...(if you don't know much of Kirkman's Governor character outside the excellent TV show - and excellent portrayal by David Morrissey - then Book 1: Rise of the Governor holds a wicked twist)...how desperate he was to save what remained of his family, and himself. This man, as you discover, is quite justified in his actions - per your own opinion. He's not addicted to violence or determined to lead (quite the opposite), but finds that he trusts no one else to help their small group. Because other people, other survivors, prove too untrustworthy. People plot, steal, and kill to survive. How would you feel leaving the safety of your loved ones up to those you felt were crazy and/or dangerous, or even just plain incompetent? Would you just assume do the job yourself? And, in that, know you have to be ruthless yourself so as not to be usurped like the previous leader?

The world Kirkman and Bonansinga create in these books is both lush with description - sometimes too much description - but also bleak. These are the end times. Surviving is cruel and other survivors even more cruel. The dead - call'em Walkers or Biters or what have you - are a constant threat and ever so present. They're not just fodder for a "Kill of the Week." We believe any one of the infected are capable of taking out any one of our...heroes.

The Gunslinger: The Dark Tower I (by Stephen King)

Back in the world of King (and there's plenty more of him on this list), this is another overdue book I perhaps should have picked up and examined long before calling myself a SK fan.

I'll be very blunt: This is a much different read than many of King's books. The prose is thickly poetic, the description of the world heavy with elements of the fantastic, and, to be honest, not much happens. All you need to know about this book heading in is summed up in what is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable first lines of fiction anywhere: The Man in Black fled across the desert, and the Gunslinger followed.

I was entertained by the brief novel but became ultimately excited to continue onward into King's Magnum Opus at the close. In the confrontation with the Man in Black does our hero, the Gunslinger, realize just how insignificant he is, and it's a moment that smacks the reader with an unexpected cold fist as much it does the protagonist. The moment borders on cruel truth and revealing just how evil the MIB really is.

And this is just Book 1.

When You Reach Me (by Rebecca Stead)

Occasionally I check out what's making an impact in YA fiction. I get plenty turned off when I see the same things: tragic/melodramatic love story, tales of adventure where the main character is "The One", stories that are fine for stretching the realms of possibility but are just plain stupid.

Early in 2013, I saw this book topping many critic's and reader's lists. I read the plot summary, read a sample, and ordered a copy from Barnes & Noble. I'm not one to blind-buy too many books. I have my favorite authors and plenty yet to read (I can't say how many books I have sitting on my "Waiting To Be Read shelf) and it takes a lot for me to open the cover of someone I've never heard of. But I am so glad I did that with When You Reach Me.

This book I don't feel I can talk too much about. There are too many spoilery details I don't want to give, but I will say that, overall, Stead's book is a very pleasant surprise. Very pleasant. It's also a very down-to-earth book. There are some elements of Science Fiction but that's not the focus and don't let that put you off if that genre isn't your thing. It's also not a supernatural romance, which, haven't we seen enough of lately?

What When You Reach Me is is an honest look at one girl's life in NYC, a life that's had its share of struggles, and a life that takes an unusual turn. Most unusual.

One thing's for sure: The ending will have you saying Woah...

Things Slip Through (by Kevin Lucia)

Of the twenty titles I absorbed through the year, this was one of my favorites, and not just because I know the author, but because it is very good. It's well thought out. It keeps its promise of being exactly what the premise offers, and even a little bit more for the readers to discover as the story unravels throughout a string of short stories connected by a main plot.

In an attempt to save myself from being too repetitive, I point you in the direction of the review I did on Things in an earlier post back in October. I will say though that the world Lucia has created in this book feels incredibly real. His Clifton Heights feels very much like a real spot on the map by the time you finish. A real spot like many small towns we pass on the Interstate and wonder about. What would we discover if we were to take that exit... Of Clifton Heights: I pictured a town where the sun was never out. The skies during the day were always on the grayscale (much like any episode of the X-Files when it was filmed in Vancouver), the shadows just a little longer in most places. The abundant amount of trees would always rattle, just loud enough to cover the noises of what horrific things were happening in this place.

More Than This (by Patrick Ness)

Ever since I read A Monster Calls, Patrick Ness has become one of my most favorite authors. With very controlled prose - a simple, witty, and spare style - Ness wove a beautiful, and beautifully heartbreaking tale of loss. And since finishing that book, I've awaited his next.

In a wonderful surprise, Ness released two books this year.

Well, depending on where you live. The second title of his (The Crane Wife) won't be available in the U.S. until January.

Through eBay, I managed to get hold of an advanced reader's copy of his 2013 YA release, More Than This. The story - about a boy who drowns and wakes up unsure if he's experiencing the afterlife - is very effective, and quite surprisingly so due to the fact that much of the book's first third has this boy, Seth, wandering an empty world alone. I don't wish to spoil anything beyond that, and that alone you can read on the book's jacket, but I will say I was not as in love with this title as I wanted to be.

Sprinkled throughout the text are flashbacks to Seth's life. In these flashbacks we learn that Seth is gay and is in a relationship. I don't have a problem with that, doesn't bother me any, and I imagine anyone who reads Ness doesn't care either (Spoiler alert: Patrick Ness is gay). What I did have a problem with is that the fact that Seth's sexual preference was treated like a twist in the narrative. It's like saying if he were straight then it's no big deal, but because he's gay it requires a reveal. I think More Than This would have benefited more if Seth being gay wasn't treated like it was trying to surprise the reader. It is a point of contention with his parents, well, one of them, and the way that's handled is fine because its part of Seth's story. Just felt like Ness was giving you reasons to like this character and feel sorry about him dying and then told you he was gay to challenge you and see if you'd stick with the book after that.

Under the Dome (by Stephen King)

Remember when I said I was a slow reader? Well, I got this book for Christmas the year it came out (2009) and reading it on and off, finished it this past summer. That's four years, folks.

No doubt about it, this novel has one of the best openings in a King book since Cell. Visceral imagery aplenty of both the death and destruction variety as the titular dome descends over the small Maine town of Chester's Mill. Everyone inside is cut off from the rest of the world and, of course, panic ensues with grapples for power by those with secrets. Everyone on the outside can do nothing but watch the chaos.

Like many King tales of great length, it's the middle section that wears on you. Much like with Lisey's Story, which I'll be finishing soon, King fills the middle pages with a lot of details and events so that you are imagining/experiencing a real life and a real town these people have. King doesn't like cookie-cutter characters, though more than a few times falls into some serious cliches and popcorn movie dialogue. He wants you to see everything, even if its dull. And sometimes it is.

Also like many King books, once you start the last quarter, things kick into high gear and you're scrambling to finish like you might miss out on something.

As for the ending? I don't know...I mean, I enjoyed it and thought it clever. Many took issue with it. I guess after reading over 1,000 pages there's not much in the way of explanation for the dome or for the fate of the characters within that will make you completely happy. To each their own, my friends. To each their own.

Joyland (by Stephen King)

Yes. I read a lot of Stephen King. I figure I'll be spending a great deal of my life reading his work. What makes him my favorite author is not just his impressive and immense body of stories spanning all genres, but also his commitment to the craft. I cannot wait to read Doctor Sleep and I have a few of his books planned to read in 2014, but I do read at least one or two other books by other authors in between every King story. Like I said before, his middles wear on you.

But not this one.

Joyland is fast paced and worth every word. This is easily my most favorite book of the year. I also think this is King's best work since Cell. Cell was urgent, fast paced, and yet still allowed a lot of quiet character moments. There was just always a purpose driving the characters. Same as in Joyland. Also, given the shorter novels associated with the pulp stories of decades ago (being emulated by the publisher: Hard Case Crime), it is essential here that King restrain his usual long-windedness. What readers get with Joyland is a simple murder story that rides alongside the tale of a young man growing up.


So, that's it - my year in reading. Yeah, I did read other novels throughout the year, but these were the standouts.

With 2014 coming, I'm very much looking forward to the end of The Walking Dead quadrilogy with the two-part Fall of the Governor, as well as digging into Pet Sematary, Doctor Sleep, and the first two books in Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines series. Also, another of my favorite authors, Laurie Halse Anderson, has a new YA book (The Impossible Knife of Memory) out in January after a long absence.

Just maybe, with a little bit of hope and some speedier reading, I'll crack more than 20 spines next year.

We'll see...

And just maybe, hopefully, many of you readers of my blog will be cracking the spine of my book in 2014.

On Writing, Part 3

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway

[Note: I apologize for the lengthy period it took to finish this third, and final part of this "...On Writing" blog series. Around the time I finished Part 2 I also finished another novel. Having gone non-stop writing with that manuscript, a few short stories and some blog entries, I just found myself slipping into an extended break. Usually when I finish a novel I take some time to recoup before I dive into edits. Plus, life just gets busy.

That out of the way, the conclusion to my three-part "...On Writing" series...]


In this final piece on writing I'll finish up the remaining digits of my "Top Ten List of Things I've Learned..." in regards to the craft. To reiterate one last time: I'm no authority on writing. Everything that has appeared in this blog series has been my view, my opinion, based on my path. Yours will be different. Everyone's is. What I hope you take away from this series of blogs is the confidence to keep going and to develop your own list of Things that work for you.

Before delving into Part 3, you can read up on Parts 1 and 2...

5. First drafts suck.

Doesn't matter who you are, your first draft will be terrible. And that's OK. As long as you finish the first draft there's always time, and room, for improvement. Doesn't matter how many story or character inconsistencies are present in the draft, as long as it's done, you can (and will) make it better. Patience is key.

Last month I finished a first draft of a novel I spent the last three months writing. No lie, I think there're more red pen corrections marking up the pages than black ink from the initial draft. But I'm happy about that, because I know the story (and the writing) will only be better in the end.

6. Take a break.

When you finish the first draft, leave it alone for a while. Anywhere between three and six weeks is prime before you start editing. In that time you're eyes will be off the project - heck, you may start working on something else and refocus your mind. The idea here is that the break will allow new ideas to flow and when you come back to the material you'll do so with a fresh set of eyes and thoughts on how to start shaping it up.

There needs to be space between the creator and the created. You need to miss it. You need to feel that thrill that was there when you started the first lines.

7. First Drafts are for YOUR EYES ONLY.

While you are taking your break, I don't suggest you show anyone (not your spouse, not your mother, not your best friend) your first draft. This is for three reasons:

1. Your writing is not at its best.
2. Chances are you won't get the most honest feedback.
3. If you do get the most honest feedback, you're likely to be dissuaded from continuing on (because that most honest feedback should include that while the story may be good, the writing is messy).

Don't go looking for instant gratification in regards to your writing, because you'll either be lied to or given a harsh truth you may not be ready, or strong enough for. We're all very protective of our writing, so why show anyone if it's not top notch?

8. Your writing WILL get better with edits.

As long as you keep working, keep writing, you will get better. If you quit or leave long absences between times you're putting pen to paper then how can you possibly get better? Writing is very much a talent, a skill. It can be argued that the talent to write is subjective to each person (some have it, some don't). I do believe that. I also believe that if you want something bad enough and are willing to put the effort and time in, you will amaze yourself (and others) with the results.

For me, I know I'm onto something good with a story when I'm reading my words and not hearing my own voice reciting it back in my head.

Good writing is all about the flow. So edit, edit, and edit some more. It may take you sixteen drafts to finally feel like you're getting it right, and all that means is draft seventeen will be miles better.

Just wait till you're at draft twenty-three.

9. You will get rejected.

When it comes time to start submitting for publication know that you will get rejected. I am not saying this to be negative, but to be truthful. Your work won't be for everyone's tastes. In fact, because you're taking the risk of putting your stuff out there in the world to be read and criticized, don't be surprised if you ever receive some nasty, inappropriate feedback. It happens. But the world doesn't end. I promise. Try not to take it personally, even if those giving the feedback intend of making it a point to say they hate your guts. You may get replies that range from personal attacks on you and your writing to a very general form letter of rejection that's quite impersonal.

You may even get helpful advice on how to improve.

Regardless, no matter what kind of rejection you receive, just mark it down in a notebook so you know where you've submitted the work (jot a few notes alongside if necessary) and then move on to submitting elsewhere. Don't respond to anyone who rejects your work. It's a no-win situation that may only further your agitation that it wasn't accepted.

Remember, your work isn't for everyone. "No" may be all you hear for a long time. But it only takes one "Yes!"

Which leads into...

10. There's no feeling in the world like being told you're going to be published.

You may have to wait weeks, months to hear back from publishers or agents. Depends on the publisher or agent. No kidding, I still get notices back from submissions I sent out two years ago - submissions that have long since been edited and cleaned up and submitted elsewhere. Anymore I just laugh when I get them.

In the beginning you'll be driving yourself nuts waiting on responses. No matter what I or anyone else will tell you, you're gonna be constantly checking your e-mail. You're going to go through emotional highs and lows. You'll be hopeful about your work, then depressed by it, then ecstatic. Sometimes all in the same day. You'll get rejections (as mentioned), and you may begin to feel like things will never change. But they will.

I got serious about writing three years ago. I've sent out queries everywhere. I've received many rejections. Some were form letters. Some included tidbits on improving the story. Some I just plain never heard back from. And that happens, too.

But I've also made some good contacts, got invaluable feedback, and learned a lot more about publishing and all its different levels. I've also learned a lot about agents and marketing.

Most important: I didn't give up.

And that's the key. That's the answer to this and any other "On Writing" advice piece. No matter what anyone tells you. It's all about persistence.

There were times I wanted to give up. There were times I just wanted to cry out "Screw this!" and just leave whatever I was working on to neglect in a wake of my own frustrations. But those times were few and fleeting.

Because I have a deep desire to tell stories. Because I hate quitting.

Because being a storyteller is what I am supposed to do. I feel that.

And eventually I got my "Yes!"


In conclusion (an "...On Writing" Epilogue):

There are many things more I could tell you about writing, but there's not much point in my doing so. From the beginning I've said your experiences will be different from mine. The important thing to take away from all of this is to keep at it. That's it. Not everything I listed in this entry or the two previous in the series were pretty, but they're honest.

So, now that you've read what I've learned, it's time for you to tell your story. Time for you to develop your list of Things Learned. Time for you to sit down and develop and write your fiction.

Because you're only ever going to get good at writing by actually doing it.

Meet Christopher Lloyd Wright

"Everything you can imagine is real." - Pablo Picasso

For all local residents (Binghamton, Johnson City, Vestal, Endicott, etc.), this Friday (November 1st), during downtown Binghamton's First Friday Art Walk, you can meet and experience the amazing artwork of Christopher Lloyd Wright.

Chris is the man (as well as a dear friend) behind the beautiful pieces that make up the Seeing book teaser.

Chris will be at the Lost Dog Cafe in Binghamton (222 Water Street) from 7 p.m. to 11. The event listing below is directly from the Lost Dog site. Hope to see many of you out there in support of one of our own amazing talents!

Portraits & Places, Real & Imagined.

The Art of Christopher Lloyd Wright

Select Works from 2006 to 2013

Christopher Lloyd Wright, 32 of Sidney, New York was raised in the Afton, New York area.  Known also as CLWright, he studied Fine Arts at Pratt Institute in Utica and Brooklyn. He completed coursework in Jewelry, Sculpture and Anatomy drawing from 2001 to 2003.  Leaving Pratt before graduating, he took what he learned from the anatomy classes and started teaching himself how to paint portraits with oils.  Using a mix of real and imagined people and places, CLWright builds unique compositions dealing in urban, rural and sometimes exotic backgrounds. Christopher draws most of his inspiration from vivid collaged memories, using both imagined and Upstate New York cityscapes. He also draws upon his many conversations with other local artists whom he considers to be his most reliable resource.

"Meet the Artist" in the Lost Dog Cocktail Lounge from 7 to 9 p.m. on First Friday.

The kitchen stays on open til 11:00pm on First Friday!!!

On Writing, Part 2

"Best advice on writing I ever received: Finish." - Peter Mayle

Before I continue on with Part 2 of this three-part "...On Writing" blog series (the first part of which can be read here), let me repeat from the previous entry: While I am having my first novel published next year, I am no authority on writing. I'm not trying to tell anyone what to do or what to write. The purpose of these blogs is to encourage writers. Encourage them to continue and not give up. Encourage them to finish. Which is what Part 2 is all about.

I'm being completely straight (no B.S.) when I say the most important part of writing is to get to THE END. And so, because reaching THE END is so important, this next digit on my "Top Ten List of Things I've Learned and Have Helped Me in Regards to Writing" gets its own entry.

4. Finish

When you sit down with a blank sheet of paper (or Word document) and are about to commit yourself and your time to this brand new writing project brewing in your head, you're quite excited to begin, right? You've got a great story that you feel is fresh and exciting, you maybe even jotted down some notes on Post-its or in a separate notebook for story or character reference. You begin filling the first page and feel the words; the description, the narration, the dialogue; pouring out of you. You see sentences then paragraphs taking up space as you move on to more pages. You get one chapter under your belt. The next day you get another. And another.

Days, weeks go by.

Then it happens.

You hit a wall. 

Suddenly you don't know what to do. The story has stalled, or you begin to notice a character is not behaving how you originally thought. A portion of the plot is meandering away from where you planned, or there was a thread you forgot all about and don't know how to re-insert it into the story. You go back and read a few pages and find the writing stinks. Whatever the issue is, you find yourself dreading continuing on because now it feels more work than fun. The initial spark that fueled you is gone. At this point it's easier to quit.

I cannot tell you how to fix this, or any other issue. You'll do what you want and what feels right. What I can do is share with you how I get past such...speed bumps...and how I make it to THE END.

First, I plot. I know a lot of writers (probably half) are opposed to such a practice. There are writers out there, very gifted, who can construct a story from beginning to end all while they work. They don't know where the story is going; they just make it happen. Like magic.

I'm not that kind of writer. I have to know where my story is going. I have to know how my protagonist will fare throughout. I have to know my message gets across. If anything, plotting allows me the freedom and relief to know my time spent on the story won't be in vain. I won't hit a dead-end. In fact, plotting not only helps me with connecting the dots of the story's events but also helps me know more about the characters and their motivations before I begin.

I need to mention that when I plot, I don't prepare every moment of the story. I begin with the simple Plot Structure Diagram (where I jot notes down about the Exposition, the Hook, the Rising Action, Climax, Falling action, and Resolution) 

and then, once I know the story from one end to the other, I jot down ideas whenever I get them - further filling out the story.

What I note is mostly the big story and character arcs throughout. Like I said, I don't prepare every moment. There are times my characters go somewhere, do something that I hadn't planned but seemed natural for them. I let those instances happen. Stories shouldn't feel forced. Then, when they're ready, my characters rejoin the structure - again, when it's natural for them to do so.

I should also mention that before I even begin to write a story, I know the ending. The ending is the most crucial part of the story because it ties up and concludes all the plot threads, all the conflict (internal and external). In knowing the ending, I can place clues throughout the text; I can be assured the ending makes sense with everything that came before it so that it doesn't seem out of character or simply made up out of thin air because I ran out of ideas. I try to make the climax the only natural finish.

Now, there are times (a lot more than I'd like) when I find inconsistencies as I'm working on the first draft. Maybe the name of a place changed, a character does something (either intelligent or stupid) but it's never mentioned again (heck, I've even had a character disappear), etc. Let me tell you: That's OK! From a writer's standpoint, your first draft is going to be terrible. You won't be happy with it in terms of content. It'll be riddled with errors and too much description and some awkward dialogue, to say the least. But you know what else your first draft will have? It'll have every idea you had for the story contained in its pages. That's what editing and draft 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on is all about!

You know what will make you most happy about that first draft?

That you got to write THE END.

Part 3 of this blog coming soon.

On Writing, Part 1

"...most books about writing are filled with bullshit. Fiction writers, present company included, don't understand very much about what they do - not why it works when it's good, not why it doesn't when it's bad. I figured the shorter the book, the less the bullshit." - Stephen King (On Writing)

This won't even be a short book. Hardly lengthy at all, and that's how it should be.

Yes, I'm having my first book published next year, but who am I to tell anyone how to write? I won't do it. I don't have THAT much to say on the topic. I'm doing this now three-part blog (it was a two-parter) because if I can be helpful in any way to someone out there who's struggling writing a story and feeling that sense of doubt that they'll ever "make it" and quit before they start, let alone wrestling with the feeling that they'll never finish if they've already begun, my hope is I can inspire them to keep going. To keep writing.

To create their own path.

I'll keep this very minimal. Hopefully completely devoid of B.S.

Instead of talking about writing, what I thought I would do is share what I've learned. Consider it a Top Ten List of the things that worked for me/helped me. Your journey will be different from mine and everyone else's. You'll eventually come up with your own Top Ten as you go on. Consider this a start into devising your own list.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. Do what works for you.

The Top Ten...On Writing:

1. There are NO rules.
No matter what you read online in anyone's blog or in Writer's Digest magazine, don't be fooled. There's no one certain way to tell a story. What I've discovered is people have specific ways and want to share them with the world and that's fine, but it's not necessarily "the way". There is no "the way" so don't bother. You got a story in mind? Write it. That's all.

This leads into...

2. Write the story YOU want to tell.
Don't write what's popular. Don't write a vampire story or a boy wizard story just because of the successes of Twilight and Harry Potter. Yes, E.L. James made a lot of money and earned a lot of fame from a trilogy of books based off Twilight fan fiction she tweaked. But she was an exception (and not a very good one, I hear, when it comes down to her abilities). There are not many exceptions. Point is: write the story you want to tell. Don't put a year (or more) of your life into a story you feel you should write just because of how it's exploding the market. Chances are by the time you finish (if you don't lose interest beforehand because it's not something that speaks to you), readers will have moved on to the "next big thing".

At the same time, if your love is vampire fiction, by all means write it. Write what YOU want, not what the market wants.

3. Write every day, even if it's only a little.
Got some free time in the morning? At lunch? In the evening? Write. Write whatever you can and don't let anyone make you feel bad for how much (or how little) you get down on paper. Stephen King recommends writing 2,000 words a day. This is where I call B.S. on him (and he's one of my favorite authors). Unless you're well off financially and can afford to stay home (like King) and put the effort into reaching a 2,000 word limit every single day, you've got to fit writing in wherever you can. That means around work, around cooking meals and doing laundry and dishes and spending time with your family/spouse/significant other, and taking out the trash. Don't forget the recycling. You simply cannot ignore life and be able to write successfully. I write during my lunch break and in the mornings and some evenings on weekends when I can. Sometimes I put down only 300 words, sometimes it's 500. Sometimes I manage 1,000 or even 1,500 on really good days when the words and story are flowing. But, all the same, I write, with no goal of word count in mind. I work in the time I can find and what's doable. It's not about passion for writing (if you're a committed writer you have the passion), it's that many of us find our time split between the many things in our lives that are important.

And that's where I end tonight, because my wife's in the living room and I've spent enough time on this computer. And The Walking Dead is coming on. I got my writing in for the day and even the first part of this blog so I'm happy.

Part 2 of this list coming soon.

Book Review: Things Slip Through

"...I think a door of some kind was opened in there. Not all the way, just a crack. And I think something slipped through into our world..." Gavin (Things Slip Through)

And with that simple, introductory quote, I bring you my review of author Kevin Lucia's first book: a short story collection titled Things Slip Through.

Before I delve into my review of the book, a bit of history:

I "met" the author Kevin Lucia about seven years ago. I say "met" because we've never been in each other's company. Back then he was doing weekly book reviews for the local Press & Sun Bulletin and I, being naive and young and dumb, self-published a work that I queried him through e-mail to review. While he was more than accommodating, thankfully that review never took shape.

What did happen though was a thread of e-mails between Kevin and I and another local writer about getting a writer's group together. We were all just starting out (and by starting out I don't mean we had all just begun writing but writing with serious goals in mind) and very hungry - hungry to write and hungry for peer review. For reasons I cannot fathom we were unable to get together and make a group work. It's too bad really, in hindsight.

Through reading blogs and following Facebook/Twitter/website updates over the years, I was able to "keep in touch" with Kevin. I read about his progress; saw that he was getting short stories published here and there in collections and online; his most recent being a serial novella (And I Watered It With Tears) in the first issues (and Volume 1 bound collection) of LampLight magazine, as well as a story ("On A Midnight Black Chessie") in an anthology titled For The Night Is Dark, to name a few.

In November of 2012, Kevin made the announcement that he was tapped to have his first collection published. This collection of short stories (without a title at the time) would be bound and released by Crystal Lake Publishing in late 2013. The cool twist on the project was that this was no ordinary collection he was putting out. The individual stories (some previously published), while able to stand on their own, would link up with a central storyline prominent through the book.

Very cool.

It was quite refreshing to see a different take on the short story collection, which offers little variety in terms of presentation.

Over time, Kevin released the collection's title - Things Slip Through - followed by the amazing cover art by artist Ben Baldwin, which appears further along in this entry.

But even more than the artwork, the big sell came with the back cover blurb:

Welcome to Clifton Heights, New York, an average Adirondack town, and nice enough in its own right. Except after dark, under the pale light of the moon. Or on a road out of town that never ends, or in an old house on the edge of town with a will of its own.

Maybe you shouldn't have left the interstate, my friend. But you saw our sign, turned down our road, figuring on a short stay. And maybe it will be.

Or maybe you'll never leave.

While you're here, pay a visit to The Skylark Diner. Pull up a chair and I'll tell you about our town. It's nice enough, honestly. Except after dark. Or on cold winter days when you're all alone...

Having been born, raised. and a continued citizen of Binghamton, N.Y. (known for where Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone, went to school and grew up, who based many of his stories in Binghamton), it's not hard for me to imagine the oddities of a quiet small town. I live in a place where, when traveling the roads by night, or the highway overlooking the valley in the early dark of morning, or wandering around under the bleak grey skies that dominate the year, it's not hard to look around and wonder what secrets, what unusual things are out there, tucked away in any house, lurking in the fog, or hiding in the shadows before the daybreak chases them away.

After hearing and seeing all that was being put out ahead of the release, I was excited for Kevin and couldn't wait to get a copy of his book - adding Things Slip Through to the list of titles I wanted to get through by the end of the year.

Which leads me to my review.

First things first, you can tell a great deal of care went into this collection. For starters, the cover art. Artist Ben Baldwin (whose other works can be seen on his website and at Crystal Lake's website) has created an image that is flat out gorgeous and haunting. Honestly, the cover is something you need to see in your hands to truly appreciate. The picture above is amazing, but doesn't do Baldwin's work (or Kevin's for that matter - whose words enhance the image) justice.

Now for the plot that links the stories. (I should mention here that the details I discuss may be considered "spoilery". While my aim is not to reveal everything about the book, I may give you more details than you're willing to know if you've just started or have yet to read it. So, to be safe, read the book then come back.)

Things begins with main character Chris, the new town sheriff of Clifton Heights, who one night confronts a small group of his friends regarding mysterious disappearances and...happenings...within the town limits. Being that these friends have always been local, Chris believes they know more than he does regarding these mysteries and resolves to get answers. Taken up on the offer to openly discuss any and all details, Chris and one of this friends, Gavin, head off to The Skylark Diner - a local establishment open 24 hours that allows them the time and the quiet (not the mention the fuel by way of diner food) to get through a night of disturbing town history.

This is where the meat and potatoes of the collection - the stories - come into play. A neat storytelling device, the stories are actual stories in the context of the book - written by Gavin himself, who was once a published author before...succumbing to difficulties. As it happens, Gavin shares his handwritten tales with Chris, who reads them when we do.

Right off the bat I was hooked. Lucia jumps right into the story. There's no prologue or lengthy opening chapter that describes how these characters have met, gotten along, attended the same get-togethers and such - you learn these details through the progression of the book. The writing is sparse and effective. Where many genre writers, like Stephen King, can get bogged down writing forever in exposition (I swear I stopped reading Lisey's Story because the novel becomes page after page and so on of regurgitated material and back-story he already explained. Twice.), Lucia cuts right to the bone. His main character, Chris, is already bothered and frustrated by his lack of town knowledge on the first page, and doesn't waste time letting his friends know about it.

Between each story are moments of reflection and discussion between Chris and Gavin in the diner. Lucia uses these moments of dialogue to give us more information than the stories tend to reveal (like the fate of some of the...characters...after the story's conclusion), but there are also times when Chris and Gavin do a bit of catch-me-up and discuss previous stories like they are making sure the reader is still with them. After finishing the book I asked myself if this could've been avoided, and, really, I suppose not. Not with so many character names and how they intertwine with others throughout the book. The sections with Chris and Gavin are not long - a couple pages at the most - and then we're promptly returned to the meat and potatoes.

As it is with short story collections, readers will have their favorites. I won't get into discussing each tale, but, surprisingly, I found I was drawn more into the tales that focused more on the flawed people in this town ("Lament", "On A Midnight Black Chessie" especially, to name a few) than I was the stories where horror came into play ("The Sliding", "Lonely Places"). This surprises me because I'm very much a fan of the supernatural. Lucia is very good with both types of stories, but I felt more effected when I knew more about the characters and learned of their darker sides. "Lament" is an amazing opening story. It's harsh with its language and brutal and vicious in terms of its events, yet really makes you feel for some of the characters. One story, "Brother's Keeper", is a good mix of both character and horror, and is quite grisly to boot. A little something for everyone.

The ultimate success of Things Slip Through is in its tone. These are some dark stories. And it's a credit to Lucia's talent that Things keeps moving. In his restraint, Lucia keeps us present with the people of his town instead of hammering us with too many thoughts or over-explanation. Writers do tend to be wordy, but Lucia keeps it lean and mean. That speaks of his confidence in his material.

Overall, Things Slip Through makes a great Halloween read. It also serves well any time after dark. Or (as it goes) on cold winter days when you're all alone...

Things Slip Through ships in November.

Beyond Writing

"Personal experience is the basis of all real literature." George Henry Lewes

This particular post won't be about writing. In fact, once past this opening, I won't be discussing any of my work or the work of others. So there, you've been warned if you choose to read further.

What this post will be about is honoring a goal. And maybe/hopefully will be a little inspiring.

At the onset of summer, my wife and I began a program called Couch-2-5K. This downloadable app, for those that aren't familiar, is a running program designed with the purpose of getting a person who doesn't normally run acclimated with building the stamina to endure a 5K. The C25K program is split into an eight-week schedule with each week dedicated to conquering another level in regards to how much you run vs. walk in each session. In the beginning, you walk more than you run. By the end of the program you're running nearly the entire thirty-minute session. Sometimes the progress is slow, with you running less than a previous session but in longer intervals, and other times it can seem jarring, like going from running ten minutes in one session to twenty-two minutes the next time.

I don't think I need to tell you, but I will anyway, that neither my wife nor I are runners.

At least we weren't.

The program was difficult, at least for me, at the start. I'm asthmatic, and even in the best weather conditions of the summer it was tough enough trying to maintain the running intervals without stopping and sucking down a spray of Albuterol. But lungs be damned, I wouldn't give up; I pushed as hard as I could, every once in a while looking for my wife on the track. Seeing her reminded me of our goal. She inspired me to keep going. And I just kept throwing one foot out in front of the other, keeping a stride the best I could. There were times I was a faucet of sweat, my heart pounding through my chest, my lungs feeling as if they'd swelled twice their size, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. I wouldn't allow it.

What made us decide to tackle this program in the first place? For a while we'd been wanting to get into something that would inspire us to stick with making healthier choices - eating better as well as exercise. We love to go for walks but needed something more, something to dedicate ourselves to. And though the C25K program was an every-other-day-thing, we did it every day when we could. All each session required was thirty minutes to complete and that seemed quite reasonable to us. It got to the point where we looked forward to doing the next run together. By the end of the eight weeks I was running over twenty minutes straight without a break and not needing my inhaler afterwards. Talk about progress! No, seriously, even I was surprised by this. I even dropped five pounds. We bought more fruit during our weekly run to the grocery store and found ourselves turned off by unhealthier foods (though Oreos always found their way into our cart).

Our eventual goal in all this was to run an actual 5K. There had been one on the calendar for a while; a 5K run/walk that was dedicated to a man who long suffered with and eventually passed away from his long fight with cancer (a man who once went to school with my wife). Suffice to say we never got to run that 5K, but in honor of this person, and in honor of the goal we set for ourselves back in June, we were still determined to complete a race.

Today (Saturday, October 5) my wife and I are registered for the Color Run/Color Mania 5K in Scranton. Unfortunately, with the onset of school and just all around being busy from morning to night, we haven't been able to keep up with running daily. Heck, to be honest, we haven't truly run since the first weekend in September and that was only once. And it was a run around the neighborhood. Speaking only for myself, I know I've lost a lot of that built up stamina and conditioning. The constant changing of weather - from warm to chilly to hot to cold to rainy to humid - has been messing with my asthma (as it always does this time of year), making today's run a lot more difficult. The reality being - and I can feel it just in how my body has reacted to this weather change and lapse in exercise - that it'll be more of a walk than a run. A lot more.

But we're still determined. We have our shirts - printed with the name of my wife's friend, whom we are running in honor of - and we have our combined strength, supporting each other to make it through to the end. Whether it's run, walk, or even crawl.

Because we said we would.

But hopefully not crawl.

Answering the Call for RiverLit

"A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it." Edgar Allan Poe

There's a much more lengthy post regarding short stories in the works, but for now I wanted to take this time to mention that a new story of mine ("Answering the Call") will be featured in the October issue of RiverLit magazine.

A little over a month ago - in the midst of being on the back nine with another novel project - I decided to take a couple days to dedicate to a few smaller ideas I had, with the intention of submitting to RiverLit during their submission period. Earlier this year I had a short ("The Morning After") published in their tenth issue and really enjoyed my experience with them.

The idea for two stories came to mind at about the same time. The first one I wrote ("The Lady Listens") came out in its entirety in a single writing session. That doesn't always happen. I was down at my in-laws when the idea came to me, and I just sat down and penciled the whole thing on a few scraps of plain white paper. Funny thing is I really liked the story, so much so that after I finalized a typed draft I figured there was no use in even writing the other to submit because "Lady" was just too good (my wife even really liked it, and while she likes the things I write, she really made sure to tell me so with this one). And yet, when submitted alongside "Answering the Call", "Lady" lost out.

Surprising to me and my wife, but of course still exciting because "Call" is very much a...different kind of story. One that I am very happy with and am anxious for people to read.

"Answering the Call" will be included in the October issue, alongside other amazing stories from some very talented writers, and beautiful selections of art (I absolutely love the image chosen for the cover).

All of the details are below. And if you pre-order your copy now (before October 8) you'll get it at a discounted price - so hurry! Hurry!

RiverLit No. 12
(Volume 3 Issue 4)

Writing by: Luke Roe, Joseph Falank, Michelle Hartman, Bruce Holbert, Jerry Ratch, Geffrey Davis, Lisa Rizzo, Casey FitzSimons, Stephenson Muret, Isaac Black, April Salzano, Laura Kaminski, Marisol Baca, James Damiani

Art by Nochi Sardea, R. August, Christian Gastaldi, Florine Demosthene. 

Comic by Justin Winslow.

PRE-ORDER (Copies ship late October)

My First Interview

“Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”
― Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

In the past I've discussed my stories with friends, loved ones, and occasionally mentioned them in fleeting tweets and Facebook posts. Never before had I talked so openly about writing that includes my history with the craft - my process, my failures and successes, my thoughts - with a complete stranger.

Until last night.

Last night, for over forty minutes, I took part in my first press interview regarding Seeing (out in the spring from Winter Goose Publishing). The interviewer for the Vestal Town Crier, Darla, asked questions regarding the book (I was quite generous with a description of the story - not too generous though) and then went beyond that. We talked about my two day jobs, my previously published stories, what kinds of stories I like to write and read, and even delved a bit into my unpublished work.

Having never been interviewed before, I didn't know what to expect. In the days leading up to the interview session, I'm not afraid to admit I worried about how I would answer some questions. The last thing I wanted was to stutter and stumble over responses (to have a lot of "Umms" and "Uhs"). Most writers are better writers than they are orators, this is why, I believe, it's their chosen profession (I believe I fall into this category). In preparation, I went so far as to have notes on hand to read from if it so happened I felt my words, my train of thought escaping me. What happened, though, over the course of those forty minutes was something I didn't expect. A kind of magic. My fears alleviated.

Not once did I look at my notes. Not once did I lose my train of thought. If anything, I was able to discuss a lot of things at length and found great comfort answering the questions posed. I may have even rambled. That won't surprise a lot of those that know me, my wife included, who knows how talkative I get when good ideas strike.

Anyway, I don't want to spoil any of the interview before it hits the stands. I hope it turns out to be a very interesting article and when the time comes for it to be published, I'll post on the blog along with Twitter and Facebook where copes of The Crier can be found.

For those out of the immediate Binghamton and Vestal area, I will do what I can to get it online.

Being a Tease (and liking it)

"I don't need an alarm clock. My ideas wake me." Ray Bradbury

So true. My ideas also keep me up at night. It seems the best notions always arrive when my mind is relaxed with nothing else to ponder. When surrounded by the dark, enveloped in its stillness and quiet, it's so much easier to visualize the scenarios and hear the voices of my characters continuing the story from where I last left off on the page. Just so happens I'm usually warm in my bed, or somewhere far from my writing desk when the good ideas start to roll in. I try to keep some paper and a pen or pencil on or near me at all times (or, if none happen to be stuffed in my pockets or on my nightstand, the very handy Note Everything app on my phone does nicely in a jiff) just in case.

And so begins another blog post. A good time for one, actually. With the change of the season comes the change in many things not just writing related for me but also the restart of a ten month cycle that comes with working in the field of education.

Before I delve into the present, this past summer was very...mellow? Yeah, I think that about describes it perfectly. My wife and I went to Aruba (yay, Aruba!), and a week away from everything (our phones were off and left back in the states) was pure bliss. That wonderful week away was at the close of summer vacation. Back at the end of June, I finished a draft of my novel, sent it to my publisher, then took some time to recharge the batteries. The end of the school year was around that time, and instead of trying to force myself to put anything down on paper or in Microsoft Word while waiting for edits and suggestions to come back on my manuscript, I just...drifted. My summer job began and it was about two or three weeks before any of those good ideas started trickling in.

I keep a stock of blank composition notebooks at the ready for when a good idea starts to gain momentum; stretching outward, becoming a spiderweb branching off the main idea. Within a relatively short amount of time I had more than enough notes and plot points for this new idea and felt the information was stable enough to support a story. In the past I would just write whatever idea came to mind, but now (considering time and the fact that I get easily distracted if a better idea comes along), there's this whole process to my storytelling before I start an initial draft. For the current project I'm working on, it was toward the end of July when I began the first chapter, and slowly now, as the new school year has started, I'm making the turn into the home stretch. In consideration of a time frame, I'd love to put THE END on this new work before mid-October, but we'll see. I'm purposefully keeping my writing schedule light (between 500 and 1,000 words a day but not stressing over it) because I don't want to burn out, especially when any day now I could get my edits back and re-shift my focus where it's needed most.

And that, my friends, would of course be the novel.

Constantly I think about it. The release nearing, even though it's tentatively scheduled for the spring, no date set-in-stone as of yet. I daydream about the cover, about how the insides will look, the flow of the words...all of it. Every piece is important.

Figuring the latest a spring release can occur is mid-June, that allows nine months for promotions. I really try not to overdo it when it comes to putting the word out on Twitter or Facebook, especially in that, up till now, there hasn't been much of anything to push beyond my website, this blog, and my author site at Winter Goose. I find it increasingly annoying when an author uses their platform just to sell and be so obvious about it. I'm of the mind that you must (must!) mix in a good portion of yourself. It can't always be sell, sell, sell. People see right through that. I do love to promote and find interesting ways to do it, but I also love to add humor in whenever I can (take a scroll through my Twitter feed and maybe you'll find something that'll make you laugh, or at least smile, perhaps even be offended!) and just be a real person. I use Twitter and Facebook for both business and pleasure because I love using them. They are wonderful tools, especially if used correctly. In regards to promotion, I honestly believe that if people like you or, at the very least, find you interesting, they are more apt to spend some of their time in getting to know more about you, and in the case of being an author, check out your work. Not because you told them to, but because they want to.

Maybe they'll even tell their friends (wink, wink).

OK, so, like I said, I have (give-or-take) nine months. Right now is a good time to begin what's called a "teaser campaign", which, for me, is about putting the idea of the book into people's heads - teasing them, if that wasn't obvious enough. This isn't the time for full-blown plot summaries or extensive reviews with potential spoilers. This is where I keep information of the book limited to a single sentence, such as the following:

A thirteen-year-old boy seeks the truth regarding his grandfather's most miraculous story.

That's it. When someone asks, "What's your book about?", that's what I say (in some variation). Oh, and the title:

Seeing

Much like how films are promoted (bits and pieces at first, then more and more gets revealed close to the release), that's how I plan to go about getting my work out there. Maybe it's the right thing, maybe not. I do like to tease. It's fun to get reactions when people know you're holding back. It's fun to watch them get excited and want to know more about it.

Anymore, books are promoted like films. They (books) even get their own preview trailers (like this upcoming sequel to The Shining from Stephen King that you can see on YouTube). These trailers run early - months before the release - to get readers hyped up in anticipation, and, as it just so happens, this past week, a teaser was put together to announce the publication of Seeing.

When it comes to pretty much everything, I'm a simple person. In regards to promotion, I believe simplicity sells. More so than anything extravagant and/or overt. Walking past the bookshelves at Barnes and Noble and Target, I'm bombarded by covers for books that are all the same, especially in regards to YA fiction designs. For Young Adult readers, the main color featured on the covers is (usually) black. Typically there's a shot of the main character(s) on the front (usually with their back(s) to the reader, and they're peering [and sneering] over their shoulder(s) like they know you're behind them and one of them has to fart and is now annoyed they can't do it because you are watching them - why are you looking at me??? their pose asks). Occasionally, there are lightning bursts or magical fog (which goes well with their clenched fart face) surrounding them in their doom-and-gloom, woe-is-me pose. It's all the same. That's not what I imagine at all when I think of Seeing on the YA shelves.

First, if I had to choose a color for Seeing that best represents the prose within, it wouldn't be black. It'd be white. I don't need smoke, lightning, fog, or dragons. Or sneering. Or fart faces. I'll take a butterfly. Simple.

You'll see why.

The best book cover I think I have ever seen - and one that influenced my purchase without having read a single line - is the one for A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. The art, by Jim Kay, is beautiful and haunting. Much like the novel between the covers. Kay chose to only use black and white when doing the designs for Calls, providing an odd starkness to compliment the grim tale.

For the minute-and-a-half teaser (above) I used the illustrations of a wonderful artist named Christopher Lloyd Wright. His designs are simple and thought-provoking. Everything you see in the teaser has meaning, even the things that seem so mundane. But I can't say anymore. ... Except that I can't wait for you all to be able to discover what Seeing is all about.

You just have to wait. Nine more months at the most.

Again, I like to tease.

First Draft

"Pretend you're writing on a type writer. Commit. Learn to crave the flow. Not the words." M. Night Shyamalan

It's going to take a little while for me to adjust to blogging on a regular...semi-regular basis.

As it is I'm currently residing in a place I'll simply call "inside the cracks" - a spot where my (debut) novel has been formally announced (by myself and my publisher), my website/Facebook/Twitter/blog/workout schedule have been publicized online, but, beyond that, there's not much to say at the moment. It's too early to be discussing reviews (though I've done some research), signings/visits, and all the fun/exciting/nerve-wracking stuff yet to come. I know soon enough things will pick up. I just ask that you please be patient and I'll have more to talk about when that time comes. Maybe some of it will be funny. No promises. Some of it you may also find interesting.

Also no promises.

By the way, did you seriously click the link for my workout schedule expecting to see just that??

Weird.

So, why do I not have much to say right now? Well, at this time my current draft of the novel is sitting with the publisher so I'm awaiting their edits and suggestions to begin the next round of work. In the meantime, and while I still have the freedom of summer to dedicate the time, and a loving, patient wife who is always supportive of me finding free time to write (whether it's at 5am, 2pm, or 10pm), I've started work on a new project -  an adult story - and have been grinding away on a first draft.

Usually I don't say much about a story until the first draft is done. No exceptions here.

Except that it's a strange story. Very strange.

Aaannnd...I'm debating saying anything further...but...oh, all right...I can never help being a tease. The story delves into how much of a mark marriage leaves on a person. Myself being very happily married almost two years (October 22), I've discovered how married couples young and old have their own "language" - their shared habits and displays of affection that are their own. These small things define them.

OK, enough about that. You'll have to wait for the book.

I'd like to talk first drafts though.

Many writers do their first drafts (and their writing) differently. We all have our own styles. For me, I want to get through a first draft as fast as possible - while the story is still fresh and exciting in my mind. After too much time my mind will linger to the next idea (I get A LOT of ideas - have a composition notebook full of them) and then it's very difficult to stay focused on the current WIP (work in progress). Suffice to say, on this current project, I've made a lot of headway in a short amount of time (my shorter summer work hours have assisted here) and should have a first draft finished by the end of September.

Side note: My dream would be to release alternate YA and adult novels.

Okay. Back now.

Recently, on Twitter, I came across this tweet, from @JEdwardPaul:

My first drafts are merely skeletons, hollow and weightless, that need the flesh of editing to come alive.

I love that. Because, for me, it's true. My initial drafts are sparse on details as I shape the story. Then they gain muscle, and usually a lot of fat. Then I try to find a good middle ground/happy medium through subsequent drafts, so I cut, and add, and trim, and binge until it feels like the right, healthy combination.

Just like with this blog.

On that note - more soon everybody!

My Debut Novel

"The scariest moment is always just before you start." Stephen King

Hello there! Let me welcome you, once again, to my website. At the best of times I'll try to keep things moving along and updated regularly (I'm not much of a blogger so we'll see how well I do). What you'll find on my site currently is a front page with all the news, a bio page, another page regarding what published fiction I have out there for you to get your hands on, and a Visitors page that's, well, all for those who visit my site. Naturally. I should mention I'm a bit of a tinker, and like to adjust things from time to time, so if something about my site looks a little different from your previous visit it's just me trying to perfect it.

With that bit of welcoming and introduction out of the way, I am quite excited to announce my debut novel will be published in the spring of 2014 by the wonderful people at Winter Goose Publishing.

My focus for the website right now is to journal the events leading up to the publication of the book and everything that happens after. Sound good? Good.

So a little about the book then? All right, here it is...

Seeing, a novel for both adults and young adults, is about a thirteen-year-old boy who seeks to find the truth behind his grandfather's most miraculous story. The book, when released, will be available in both print and e-book formats.

More features and pages are being planned for my website (www.josephfalank.com) in accordance with the book being published so visit often to see what's new. Like I said, some things may look a little different with each visit as I'm getting the feel for this and may be trying new things out. I'll try my best to lock it down.

Also, I have an Author page up at Winter Goose's site. Check it out! They were very kind to edit down my bio into something less rambling and much more concise than what I had given them.

And also, I wouldn't be doing this introduction justice if I didn't throw out (or up) the links to where I can be found in the world of social media.

My Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joe.falank

My Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JosephFalank

Well, I guess from here we just have to wait and see where all of this goes. Glad to have you along for the ride.

- Joe