Nailing my Priorities

Guess who’s back, back again!

     So, it has been a little bit.  Time for an update folks.

     Grimmack has passed through edit number three and has now been pushed to a publisher’s inbox whom I won’t name.  I have some hopes here, as I think my story is very fun and solid.  The final product was just north of 50k words which is on the low end of young adolescent to teens which is where I’m aiming this story.  That being said I feel it is something that appeals to older readers as well.  According to the website I should get a response between Thanksgiving and Christmas time.  I was surprised actually as I know that Tor (not the one I submitted this too) has about a six month turn around on a response.

     Now, honestly I am bracing myself for a rejection letter while hoping for an acceptance.  I do believe my story is good, but it is up to someone whom I have never met who digs through these manuscripts to decide if it is something they want to publish. They hopefully will love my story, but they may decide they don’t.  Or they may decide it’s not a fit for their publisher, or… well there are many “ors.”  I have done what I can for now within my sphere of control, for now I have put the story to the side as I wait for judgement.  I also am looking for plan B, C, and so on for if this publisher rejects my story.  Because it doesn’t fit one place doesn’t mean it won’t fit anywhere.

      I have been a little distant from my writing otherwise.  I have been cramming the last few weeks for my Network+ certification and thankfully I have passed.  Now I am on to learning Security Fundamentals and then Security+.  For now, I can take a small breath, but a new test will be on me soon.

     So, what am I working on then?  Well, I am still writing Grimmack 2 on the side.  I also am going to be working on editing “The dragon’s apprentice” which is the other book I have finished that needs some love.  That one I have had on the back burner for a while for a variety of reasons, but I have finally figured out a few things I want to do to fix the story, and while it might mean sacrificing a few darlings, I am looking forward to getting it to a point where I can submit it.

     Oh, and there is this little November thing called NaNoWriMo I am hoping to do again this year.  If you haven’t done it before, you should.  It is a fun challenge for aspiring writers.

      Otherwise life is moving on.  I am continuing in school, working on watching for ways to advance myself in my new chosen career path.  Yes, I want to write for a living, but until I get to that point I do need to pay the bills.

      So, there you have it.  A lot of fun, and work to getting to where I want to be.

      Because, let’s be honest, this is all about priorities.  If I don’t prioritize my writing, then all I am doing is talking.  That doesn’t help anyone, least of all myself.

Ben Marble

If you want to support Ben Marble you can buy his short stories at Amazon.com

Critics and Opinions

I'm raising an eye over Suicide Squad reviews.

     First off, I'm halfway through my second of my edits through Grimmack the Goblin.  I will have this run finished by next week, and then I plan on my third run through being a lot more comprehensive and game changing.  Right now I'm happy with the state of the story.  I am looking forward to strengthening my world building and making the third run through my final one for a bit.

     Big thank you to my alpha readers on this.  They have helped immensely.

     If you haven't heard by now the critics are panning Suicide Squad.  This hurts my heart a little as I have been looking forward to watching this moving for months.  And guess what, I'm still going to see it.  Why?  Because critics aren't my end all be all with media.

     I'm that guy.  You know the one who still enjoys watching Ben Affleck's Daredevil every now and then.  That likes (not loves) Superman versus Batman and while admitting there are several issues in that movie can still sit down and enjoy it.  I liked Man of Steel.  I like the Blade movies, and even the campy Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin because I can see them for what they are.  Moments to turn of your brain and enjoy some action.  I loved the Warcraft movie despite the critics ripping it down.  It is a good movie, and I will stand by that.

    If you hate these shows, your point of view is just as valid.  I'm not going to judge you for not liking some of the weird shows I enjoy.  You are welcome to enjoy what you want, even if I don't as well.  If you like Rap and Nickelback, (ok, I like a little Nickelback) we can be friends.  If you vote Democrat, Republican, or flying spaghetti monster may his sauce be upon you, I am cool with that.  I'm going to bring my point back to critics however.

     Critics have the job to let you know if a movie is good or not.  Or a book,  or any other type of media.  They take their expertise (I'm not sure if there is a movie critic school, degree etc... but wouldn't be surprised if there was.) and give the judgement to the movie on whether EVERYBODY would enjoy a show.  Not just the fans, not just the non-fans, everybody.

      I can walk into Suicide Squad and I'm pretty certain that as long as the movie accomplishes some good action, Harley Quinn and Deadshot fun, and somewhat of a storyline I will be happy.  If it blows my expectations away I'll be ecstatic.  I have no illusions that what i'm going to watch is going to be deeply intellectual or Shakespearean.  It is a pop-corn fueled action flick.

     I look at movies that are supposed critical failures and a lot of times I see the critics points.  Avengers one was great because it was the culmination of years of work from Marvel.  Avengers 2 wasn't likely to reach that high point, but when they made it a move that not only had to be a great flick, but shoved things in there to set up the rest of the MCU that baggage dragged it down.  I look at Captain America: Civil War, and that one was great.  Why? Because it was again the Culmination of several things including Avengers 2 and wasn't bagged down by having to set up a lot of new stuff coming in the Marvel Universe.  I still love both Avengers movies, but I have to admit the second one wasn't as good.  So the critics were right to bag on it a little more.

     However, with Batman Vs. Superman, the critics were right.  If I took my daughter who hates super hero movies to it, she would have hated it.  If I grabbed Joe Shmoe off the street who didn't have an opinion, he might have looked at the ending and been, "ummm Martha?"  Or he might have turned his brain off and enjoyed the action.  The critics are supposed to judge which re-action Joe Shmoe is more likely to have.

     With writing I hear again and again authors warned not to read the reviews on their work.  There are some hateful folks out there and they are happy to let you know if they think you suck.  There are also literary critics who once again are judging based on "If anyone picked up this book," not "If a fantasy nerd picked up this book."  It makes the critics opinions pretty much invalid for a large group of people who fit in the fantasy nerd circle.

    Anyway, I've rambled.  In short, Enjoy things because you enjoy them.  Don't let people be they critics or friends make judgments for you.  If you want to see Suicide Squad vs Batman Vs Ghostbusters, go see it.  If you enjoy it, smile and enjoy it.  If you hate it, well you won't know until you see it.

    Just don't let people decide what you like for you.

Ben Marble

     As always, if you want to support this crazy habit of writing you can purchase any of my short stories on Kindle or Amazon.com.  A Fey Deal, The Choice, and The Black Oak.

Support Your Local Writing Friends.

     So, you have a friend who has self-published.  Or even traditionally published.  How do you support them best?

    Look, this is a question on my mind as I've now delved into the world of self-publishing.  Not only do I wonder how to best get people to support myself, I ponder the best way to support my friends who are venturing into this abyss where you cast you net of words and hope to pull something back from it.  I have thought of a few ways.

     First and formost, buy their book.  Look, if it's $0.99 it's not a big deal.  If it's a tad bit more expensive just remember that you are supporting someone.  When you are first starting out on this adventure every little sale makes your heart leap and gives you a bit of a grin.  I know I have purchased a couple of R. Brady Frost's books from the Nook Store, and when his latest Chlorophyllium 9: A Short Story comes to the Nook I will buy it too.  This short story I have already read (and enjoyed) but it's not about just reading it to me.  It's giving that little ego boost that every author needs every now and then.

     Rate their books honestly.  Now wait a moment before you raise and eyebrow and hear me out here.  I know you want to give your friend a five star, ultra awesome, changed my life rating.  That's cool because you are a good friend.  However, think of what it will do when someone browses over his book, see's that 5 star rating decides to give it a go.  If the story does not live up to that hype this prospective fan could be turned off.

     Think of it this way, there is a movie you really want to see.  You hear all these rave reviews, your buddies tell you it's awesome, and everything builds the expected Wow factor higher and higher.  Then you see this movie.  The movie can be good, even great, but if it doesn't meet  that Wow factor you have build for it you feel a sense of dissapointment.  The same kind of feeling can happen if you read a bunch of five star reviews, then find you don't like the story or you feel it's not that good.  The sense of betrayal you get could turn you off of an author before you get to see some of their work you might really like.  This could also cut your friend off from prospective fans if you oversell the experience to them.

    So give them a rating that fits the story for you.  You can speak positively about what you like about their story and try to sell it for what it is.  If you don't have anything nice to say, don't leave the review.  Seriously, it's O.k. to tell someone you didn't like their story.  If your are writing you have to accept not everyone will like what you write.  It might sting initially coming from a friend, but be honest and tell them why and they might be able to improve their writing off the feedback.  If not, well like I said above not everyone is going to like what you write.  That includes friends.  And family members.

     I have already decided that when the day comes that someone tells me what a crappy writer I am, and how horrible my story or writing is that I'm just going to smile.  Then I'm going to thank them for taking the time to read my story and tell them I'm sorry they didn't like it and keep it at that.  I know when the time comes it will harder then just writing these words down and making the plan, but I feel this plan is solid.

     My last bit of advice is help your friend share their story to the world.  Take a moment to share their link on facebook.  Retweet a link for them.  Talk about their book if it comes up in discussion and do what you can the help raise awareness.  I think of it this way.  If all my friends have one hundred friends on their Facebook accounts, and two share my post.  That is two hundred more people that will glance at my book that I may have not reached.  That number only goes up with each share I get.

     Most of all, just be supportive.  Let your friend know your excited they are writing and taking the risks that come with it. (Rejection, Mental Breakdowns, Self doubt, and all the other fun)  Let them know you are happy for them every step of the way.  Even if I never sell a single copy of anything I write, I know just having people like that in my life helps keep me writing.

Ben Marble

P.S.  My short story The Choice is now available on Amazon.com.

Character Arcs

        I love a good character Arc.  The way a character develops is important to your story.  There are some instances where it's important you main character changes, and there are some instances where it is important they don't.

        One of my favorite character arcs is Wesley (Played amazingly by Alexis Denisof) from the shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and "Angel."  While all of the characters developed through the series and showed all sorts of change, he is the one that changed the most dramatically to my eyes.  Even more importantly his changes made sense.

       If you were to take a look at him in the beginning, he was a naive and even silly character.  He hid his inexperience under false bravado and made mistakes due to the fact he was so green.  I always felt  that one of the tragedies of his arc in Buffy, is that had the group included him as he wanted he might not have made some of the bad choices.

      One of the only moments he loses his inherit goofyness in Buffy (season 3) is when he calls the watchers onto Faith instead of letting Angel try and help her.  I always felt this decision was made on his part out of anger for not being included in the plans to help the rogue slayer, and being kept out as an outsider, and not just because he felt it was the proper thing to do.

      When he returns in Angel however, he is all jokes and awkwardness again.    Wesley once again can not be taken seriously or counted as competent as he becomes the foil to the competence of Angel.  Of course as things progress he becomes more competent and you see him grow as a character.   And then it happens.  The story arc with Angel's son Conner.

      If you can point out any part that changes his character this would be it.  Wesley makes some bad choices (that from his point of view are right, and you can argue that they are) and ends up helping Angel's son get stuck in an alternate dimension and gets his throat cut.  To top that off, Angel who can be argued to be the closest friend he has attacks him in the hospital and threatens his life.

      From that point on in the series Wesley is a darker more serious character.  Even after he makes amends with Angel and the crew he never becomes the funny, optimistic character he was.  Instead he is brooding and serious to a point that makes Angel look happy and bouncy.  There are rare flashes of the man that was before this event, but at the point his character was changed for good.

     The important thing looking at this arc, is that it was O.K. for the events to change his character for good.

      If Wesley had gone back to the happy, optimistic character of the first three seasons, it would have cheapened the actions he took and the events they led too.  Instead we see a tortured character who is paying daily for his failings, even to the point that in season five when he is supposed to have forgotten everything to do with Angel's son, he still is dark and pessimistic.  However, because you spent the whole ride with him, you still shed a tear when he dies at the end of the series.  (Seriously, the scene where he dies in Illyria's arms is completely one of the most heart wrenching things I've watched on T.V.)

      The lesson here is that you shouldn't be afraid to change your characters.  The more dirt, grime and blood you run them through the more dirty they should be.  No one is unchanged by large events in their life, and if there are no large events in your fiction then what are you writing about?  Trust your characters and let them change in believable ways and you will have more connection with your readers.  I know this is something I struggle with and one of the things I'm looking at more and more as I edit my book.

       So what is your favorite story arc, and what have you learned from it?

On Feeling Discouraged.

Let's be honest.

     You can hear again and again the struggles of writers as they tried to get published.  From J.K. Rowling living in a car and being a single mom, to Brandon Sanderson having written four or five book before being published.  Stephen King talks about not being able to afford "the pink stuff" (amoxacillin) for his sick child in his book "On Writing."  There are plenty of stories of "this author struggled to make it" to varying degrees.

      The problem is, despite the stories it's hard to look at the author in question and not see where they are know.

      Now I am sure we can find plenty of authors who also didn't have a hard time getting published.  We just don't hear about them because what is interesting about "I wrote a book, sent it in and they loved it?"  I would highly guess these authors are in the minority as the vast majority rack up rejection letter after rejection letter.  I think part of the passage of becoming a known author is working hard despite rejection and moving forward.

      This is the advice I'm sure you've heard again and again.  Keep working, keep writing.  You have to write over a million words before your writing is up to snuff.  You need to hone your craft, you need to keep submitting, you need, you need, you need.

      Sometimes "you need" is a daunting path to look down.  It's even longer when you realize that even if you do get a book deal and published you still have another roll of the dice on whether or not people will buy your book, or if it will flop.  There is every chance you will work your butt off, sacrifice time with family, and  lose thousands of hours just to find out that your newly published book doesn't sell.

      Dan Wells ("I Am Not a Serial Killer") posted a chart a couple month ago on how much published authors make.  The reality of this chart is that about 1% of published authors make over six figures.  Most make very little.  (I tried to find the chart and couldn't) He had a chart for self published authors as well and the figures were about as encouraging.  No one should become a published author in the hopes of being rich.  In most cases it's a supplementary hobby.

      I will make the argument that the charts may not have taken into account that I suspect most authors who get published write one book and quit.  Or finish their trilogy and when it's not a break away give up.  I highly suspect that 1% of authors sitting on larger incomes are people who just kept writing.  Book, after book they ignored the fact that sales weren't amazing or that they didn't seem to be gaining traction.  Then one day they realized they had grown a larger fan base, their books continued to be discovered and suddenly they were making money.  This is suspect is the normal way being manage a career from writing.  I think the very rare ones are those who write a book, or series and suddenly get discovered and are thrown into the lime-light.

      Discouragement is normal.  You need to have your downs to feel your ups.  You need to have bad experiences to have the good.  You will have good moments.  Even your first rejection letter can be a good moment, you have to choose to make it so.

      In the end you have two choices.  Let discouragement win, throw in the towel, and walk away, or stand straight and keep on writing through the frustration.

The pen is in your hand.

Ben.

Introductions are in order.

I am an aspiring writer.

Badly done cover before I changed the name the first time.

      I prefer to use that phrase rather then "I'm a writer," or "I'm and aspiring author."  Why? Well it's simple with me.

      I am a writer who is unpublished and still honing his craft.  I have finished the second book that I have written so far and am fighting myself into editing the little beastie.  Some authors have issues sitting down and writing consistently.  My nemesis happens to be the editing table as it were.

      You sit down, look at the work you have already done and you know it's not good enough so you change the words, fix the errors, and look for issues that aren't working.  This is where my first book died.  I may revisit it eventually, but for now I consider the story broken to the point where I would just have to rewrite the book from page one on.  Now that may not be the worst prospect, but I would rather take what I have put down on paper and rework it then start from proverbial scratch.

      The book I am working right now is presently titled "The Dark Below,"  I am debating taking the name back to "The Dragon's Apprentice."  It's a little urban fantasy that I realize after I wrote it really doesn't hold to much "urbaness" at all.  Most of it is spent in what might be considered fantasy type settings.  As it is, I like the book and the story and I am looking forward to having the writing reworked to the point where I can start marketing the book out to different agents/publishers.

     My goal is to have a new book written edited and finished every six months eventually.  Right now I'm still working the Book I did for NaNoWriMo back in November, so I've let myself get way behind schedule.  Part of this, is as it is the first book I want to actually market I have been farming some feedback before I go into crazy editing mode.  The other part is that I hate editing so as long as I have an excuse to put it off.....

       I am going to start working on being productive anyway.  I am prepping the outline etc... for book 2 of this trilogy and also working a side project.  I need to make sure I am still writing consistently however, with my job I don't have the luxury of being able to say I will write at time A consistently.  My schedule changes and fluxuates so my goals need to be set at places like, I will write 10,000 words this week.  I find I have a hard time writing daily, but when I do sit down I normally can bang out 3-5 thousand words.  There was one Saturday during NaNoWriMo where I knocked out 12,000 words in one day where I just marathon wrote.

      I will tie this up with my favorites list, and influences.  The books I suggest you, and everyone reads are as follows.

Robin Hobb.  The Farseer Trilogy.  (The rest of her books are fantastic, but this trilogy I love more then most.)
Robert Jordan.  The Wheel of time.  (I was reading it where there were only four or five books in the series"
Brandon Sanderson. Mistborn series, and Way of King Series.  (He also wrapped up Wheel of time)
Jim Butcher.  The Dresden Files.  (Simply amazing.  He uses the same formula for every book and it's so good it doesn't feel like it.)
Kim Harrison. The Hollows Series. (Another great Urban Fantasy)

     And my list goes on from there.  I will probably look back and realize that I missed several I would have wanted to mention.

Next time I will have an actual subject to discuss.  I will be past the introduction stage.

Ben.