The Soundtrack Of My Summer

When I write, more often than not, there's music playing. Different songs help settle me into the groove and mood of whatever it is I'm writing. And usually what I listen to is score music (I've always dug James Newton Howard's cues), but this summer there have been a few lyrical tunes that have wormed their way inside my head and have been useful placing my mind where it needs to be when I've sat down to work on the next story.

Here are a few.

SIGNS - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
James creates sensational music, and his theme for SIGNS is iconic. Nestled within that repetitive three-note motif are sweeping variations on the theme that include heights and lows in the pace. Some of the music is somber, some is frantic. It's all so well balanced. One of my favorite scores to listen to, and was put on in the background while I recently typed away on my novella SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

THE VILLAGE - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Another brilliant score from James. The music here is tender at times, and then the tone changes on a dime into high energy/spooky elsewhere. Another of my favorite scores. This one I also listened to while writing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"I Won't Give Up" - Jason Mraz
Snippets of this song have played in commercials for the upcoming show "This is Us" and I'd be lying if I said it didn't stick in my head (I suppose that's the point of the marketing campaign). The melody of this song helped establish the tone I wanted when developing SOMETHING ABOVE THE STARS.

"Down In Mexico" - The Coasters
If you're a big follower of Quentin Tarantino's films, you're aware of DEATH PROOF. Despite the film being "horror" it's just like all his others - mostly consisting of long stretches of conversations and plenty of catchy tunes. There also happens to be the always awesome Kurt Russell as a murderous stunt car driver. Anyway, in the movie, Kurt's character "Stunt Man" Mike convinces a girl to give him a lap dance (the means aren't important), and what results is a pretty high energy scene that was expertly filmed and includes a contagious track by The Coasters. The song begs to be played over and over. It played during stretches when I was writing the second draft of my short novel THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"Staggolee" - Pacific Gas & Electric
Another song from the DEATH PROOF soundtrack, "Staggolee" was in my head, and playing on the stereo, when writing THE LONG ROAD HOME.

"The Man Comes Around" - Johnny Cash
I can't say much about THE LONG ROAD HOME, but I can tell you the hero of the story is confronted by an unsettling stranger who's intentions are long debated between many in the hero's camp. The idea of the stranger came to me when I thought of this famous Cash song.

LADY IN THE WATER - Complete Score - James Newton Howard
Just beautiful. Perfect. Elemental. Portions of suspense, fantasy, and a recurring theme you can almost feel as pinpricks in your skin. My absolute favorite score. I listen to it with every story I write.

The (Art of the) New Author Photo

I suppose I don't have to do it - I'm not a fan of having my picture taken - but with the onset of a new book (An Unexpected Visit is almost a month away!), there comes the inevitable decision: use the previous author photo, or take a new one?

Let's go back two years.

Here is my author photo from 2014 for Seeing:

Not too shabby, no? Alright, let's dissect it.

I took this photo myself one spring afternoon while my wife was out grocery shopping. As mentioned, I don't like sitting for pictures - and they can be costly - so I figured I'd just do it myself. I simply set our camera up on a tripod, set the timer, and placed myself in a recliner, making it look like I was caught near a particularly bright window, looking over the pages of some work. Because that's how all authors get things done.

Yes, that's a white binder. I think the lined pages inside were blank. No, the lens flare isn't real; I added it later for effect (could be worse, I could have gone all J.J. Abrams and lens flared the whole pic so that you could only see my jaw). And I can't tell, is it supposed to look like I'm writing something? Kinda looks like I'm about to nod off.

Note to self: Don't take picture of yourself looking down. It doesn't have the impact you think it does.

Alright then, when it was time for The Painted Lady the following year, the choice was obvious: New picture!

And here it is:

Once more I went with the black and white. Looks more dramatic. Striking. I also took my own picture again. This time it was with my iPhone, with the camera set to Selfie Mode.

That's right, my 2015 author picture was a selfie. #win

This one was easy. I stood in front of an upstairs window in our house and just started snapping while looking all contemplative...at the wall. Yep, that's where my eyes are pointed. At a wall. The sun sure did a nice job of bleaching out most of that window. Ah, dramatic lighting.

That "shadow" of stubble is what I get the day after I shave. I could have a mountain-man beard in no time if I stop taming that thing.

This year it was obvious again - take a new picture! - but I wanted to do something a little more...meaningful, and try for better (production) quality.

Man, my new iPhone takes a hell of a picture. Not a selfie this time.

So, this pic isn't cropped down to actual "author photo" size, but in this wide shot you can see a frame on my desk that has a picture of my wife with Maddie, who was just a day old, and over my head is a picture of Maddie at two months holding a copy of Seeing. Yeah, there's also a BB-8. And a Millennium Falcon. What?

I like this year's author photo more than the previous takes (though I still don't like having it done) because it places a lot into one picture that makes up me - my family, my work, and some of my favorite things (behind me on the shelf are copies of my favorite books and movies, not placed overtly that they'd be obvious, but I know they're there).

With no plans for a book release next year, I've got two years to plan the next shot.

Imagine what my iPhone 8 will be able to do....

Continuing A Prolific Summer

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

Here we go.

Open Submissions at Winter Goose

Are you a writer in search of a publishing home? Got a manuscript you've been working on, burning away the long hours of the night in hopes of finding it some pairs of loving hands that'll help you get it out to the world? Perhaps you've got a novel-in-progress stuffed away in a drawer waiting for some inspiration to finally return and finish it? If so, I have some great news for you:

My publisher, Winter Goose Publishing, will be holding an open submission period from the beginning of the day on August 1st till the end of the day August 15. All of the details on submissions and this upcoming open submission period can be found at their site.

Having published two books (with a third on the way in October) with WGP, I can attest that they've been nothing short of wonderful to work with - extremely professional with terrific communication; they're all about making sure - through the hard work that is editing and design - that their authors and readers are happy with the final product. Authors also aren't treated like authors; they're treated as family.

So finish up those manuscripts or dust 'em off, fellow writers, and good luck!

Full Details on AN UNEXPECTED VISIT

Three short months from now, in October, my third book, An Unexpected Visit, will be available in both e-book and print formats.

What makes Visit different from my previous releases is that this one isn't a novel. It's novella length - about half as long as Seeing and The Painted Lady.

Because I don't want to short anyone, I've included some "special features" - nine additional micro stories to make up for the...length. Full details below.

From my publisher, Winter Goose Publishing:

Look for the upcoming novella, An Unexpected Visit, by Joseph Falank, author of the hit YA fiction novel Seeing, and the adult fiction novel The Painted Lady, later this year.

There are fates worse than death.

In his early thirties, Noah Adams writes of the turning point in his life: a long weekend spent in the company of his estranged father, Scott, a Special Forces soldier who had been gone two years. During their stay in a remote farmhouse out in the Pennsylvania countryside, Noah recalls encountering both bizarre behaviors and horrifying truths.

It is this visit that has shaped the man, husband, and father he has become. For better and for worse.

Along with the titular novella, which headlines the book, the nine additional micro stories are as follows:

• The Morning After, and Answering The Call - The first two stories I ever had published; they were originally included in issues of RiverLit magazine (which, unfortunately, has since gone on indefinite hiatus).
• Confessions, and At Sundown - Two never-before-published micro stories selected just for this release.
• The Tales Of The Painted Lady series - Last summer, in the lead-up to The Painted Lady's release, I wrote a series of five stories that were from the point-of-view of different characters from the book, taking place right before the events of the novel. The stories are titled: Moving Dad, For Rent, Anniversary, At All Costs, and From Downstairs.

1st Book Trailer: "Inspiration"

An Unexpected Visit - Book Trailer # 1: Inspiration

For each book I want to try something different when it comes to the aspect of marketing. To say having to put on my businessman hat is one that doesn't fit too comfortably is pretty much on point. I'm no marketer. I know the message of my book to sell to readers to get them interested, it's finding the right angle and approach that doesn't tread on becoming overbearing, annoying, and/or off-putting. It's quite the puzzle to solve while trying to remain original and not produce carbon copies of what other authors do to market their books. And in this day where advertisements can be found everywhere, and salespeople are as pushy as ever, my stance is one of remaining low key whenever possible.

With Seeing I filmed a live-action book trailer. With The Painted Lady I did a modest video book teaser and wrote a series of independent micro-stories from different points of view that led into the beginning of the novel, which were posted weekly on this blog and on my site (www.josephfalank.com).

This time, for An Unexpected Visit, I decided to go back to creating a book trailer, but the substance of the trailer is different.

My hope this time is to do a series of book trailers (if possible) that touch on specifics not only involved with the book itself in final form but everything that went into its creation. For instance, in the first trailer, titled "Inspiration," I decided to narrate what gave me the idea for the story and what my intention was while writing it as you get glimpses of the work-in-progress. Maybe you'll find it interesting, or maybe you won't. That's the gamble I'm betting on, so we'll see.

Deciding to narrate wasn't a comfortable bed to sleep in (I don't like hearing my own voice), but I do like the final product of the trailer. Hopefully you will too.

Already A Productive Summer

I love my (ten-month) day job. I do. I swear it.

But this is summer. I get to spend all hours of the day with my daughter (when she's not visiting her grandparents so I can get duties accomplished around the house. Ha. Duties.). I can't mow when it's just her and I, and some of my summer projects include cleaners and paint, which she can't be around. Today it was cleaning the garage. Way too many sharp things surely to call her attention. Other than that, it's her and I - what's been self-dubbed Maddie/Daddy Summer, Part 2. Pictures to pop up on my Facebook if we're friends over there.

Summer also sees my awesome wife with a much lighter schedule, which means less for her to bring home and more time for us. Cue drinks out on the back porch at sunset and yelling at the television during America's Got Talent.

Summer is also the best writing time for me. Maddie naps between ninety minutes and two hours (sometimes more, and sometimes just shy of ninety), which gives me plenty of time to do what I do. 

It's only been two days into my summer vacation and already I've finished the first draft on a novel roughly to be out three years from now (I speak as if that's a long time from now, but, certainly, the time will fly), and I've just begun the second draft of a book that I'm planning to put out in 2018. Where'd all the inspiration come from?

Well, months ago I decided not to work myself into a stressful exhaustion by taking a year off from having a book on the calendar. By determining not to have a book release in 2017 it really took the pressure off, and opened up my timeline, letting the next story come freely and without worry. I could just write. When it's done, then I'll think about release dates and the like. As of now I have two novels out with a third (a novella and story collection) in the editor's hands that'll come out in October.

As for the remaining seventy-four days of vacation left, I look forward to more of the same, plus losing track of what day it is.

Happy Wednesday!