Write It! Publish It! Market It!

Karina Fabian presents Worldbuilding Class in September

2011-08-01T07:26:00.001-05:00

People who read my blog know how bizarre my imagination gets, and how detailed and wild I can get in my worldbuilding. Even though I'm more of an intuitive, seat-of-the-pants kind of writer, I have broken down worldbuilding into several steps and I'm teaching them at savvyauthors.com September 5-October 3. I really stretched this class out so that folks had a lot of time to think, research, etc. However, you can go at your own pace, do don't let the length intimdate you. I have taught this in week-long conferences. However, you are going to get up to four weeks of my attention for only $25 ($25 for Savvy Author members.)

Get more information here: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1001

Are You A Real Christian?

2011-05-31T17:38:00.004-05:00

What makes a real Christian? Is it just because you say you are? Of course not! I can say I am a billionaire but then I have to prove it with my bank balance. People equate being saved God's way with spirituality. You can be spiritual without being a Christian, but a true Christian is one who not only believes in Jesus as their Savior but shows it by their lifestyle.

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian just as frequenting a bakery doesn't make you a cake. It is what we do with what we believe that denotes what we really believe. Jesus said, "If you love Me you will keep My commandments".

Yes, none of us are perfect, but the Bible says we are being perfected by God as we grow spiritually closer to Him throughout our lives. This perfection is a process we go through until we die. We still sin but hopefully not habitually as we once did.

What does your lifestyle look like? If you go to church on Sunday, what do you act like the rest of the week? Do you have peace in your life or are you in constant turmoil? Do you want to get closer to God or are you content to do your own thing instead of what God wants you to do? These and other questions will help you judge if you are truly a Christian.

The main question is, have you asked Jesus to come into your heart and asked forgiveness of your sins? He has this gift for everyone, no matter your status in life. He will cleanse you of unrighteousness and give you peace, but you have to accept them.

Maybe you have come to Jesus in the past but have turned your back on God? Then you need to think about rededicatiing your life to Him with a simple prayer. Just tell Him what you are feeling and repent of your sin, then ask for His peace to permeate your life. This is the starting point. Next you need to read your Bible so you can get to know your new Father who loves you very much. Talk to God any time of the day or night, He is always listening. Ask God to change your life and be obedient to what He shows you needs to be changed.

I am a sinner just as you are. God is working on my life day by day. He has blessed me abundantly and will do the same for you when you commit your life to Him. (Psalm 37:3-5)
Make God your first priority and watch what He will do for your life. It will be so wonderful you won't believe it, but it is true.

Take that first step today toward a new life. Come to God through Jesus His Son, whether you are doing it for the first time or are rededicating your life to God. Don't give up! God promises to never leave or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5) Start with the fourth book of the New Testament, the book of John and slowly read it and let it sink into your spirit. The Bible is not just any book, but the Word of God. It will change your life if you let it with a humble heart.

Excerpt from DRAMA, an upcoming release by Lacresha Hayes

2011-01-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

LOVE CHALLENGES

We try to define love based upon what we feel. It’s our natural way, the way many are taught, but the most erroneous and dangerous way to attempt it. That brings a challenge in defining and showing love, which challenge only grows without a true relationship with God.
As a child, I had one definition of love. As I grew up and in experiences, my definition changed and evolved, but not necessarily for the best. In fact, hard life warped my ideas of love so badly that many of my dreams, goals and relationships were affected by it.
When I started up with Jay the first time, it was the fact that he was much older and more settled that drew me in. I figured he’d know how to love me and protect me. When we started up the second time, I was cautious and tried to talk to my emotions, tame them so that I’d feel nothing. But feelings are a small part of love. Love is an action that gives and gives and gives without counting how much has been given or tallying what is owed for all that has been given. The emotion of love is that overwhelming sensation that says even when you’re hurting me, I cannot imagine causing you pain. I’ll take your insults, your injuries, your callousness and I’ll care even more for you. I don’t see what you’re doing or hear what you’re saying. I see your heart and the issues that are springing up there that are causing your actions and I forgive you because I know you need my love and forgiveness more than my judgment or retaliation. Wow, the power of love.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by Lacresha Hayes. Unedited excerpt of DRAMA, an upcoming release.

Write It! Publish It! Market It!

2011-01-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

I'm so proud of the new design to our blog. Write it! Publish it! Market it! is a fabulous group on Yahoo groups and this blog is just an extension of all the talent present over there. We hope that you will be as interactive with the authors and contributors as possible and will spread the word about this blog.

Coming soon, we will feature more editing and marketing tips as a monthly part of this blog. Looking for great authors, publishers, marketers and editors to learn from? Join our Yahoo group and get acquainted. Join us today at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/writepublishmarket/

Join a group, get a contract

2010-06-14T01:08:00.000-05:00

On May 15th, Tribute Books published a small book on Catholic spirituality and living, Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life, by Karina Lumbert Fabian and Deacon Steve Lumbert. This is my first non-fiction book, and my father's first book ever.

We would never have done this had it not been for LaCresha and her wonderful Yahoo! group, Write, Publish, Market.

I joined WPM about a year ago because I was interested in finding new ways to market my books and to share with folks some of my marketing ideas and experience. I also like to pass on things I learn to other groups I'm in, like the Catholic Writers Guild.

A post by Nicole entitled, "Looking for a Catholic Writer," caught my eye. Nicole was looking for an author to write a small book on short notice to fill a hole in their production schedule. I figured if I couldn't help, I knew plenty of Catholic writers who could.

Nicole knew exactly what she wanted, right down to format: personal stories about faith in the everyday, with some practical tips for readers, and Bible verses. The more we discussed the idea, the more I wanted to do it. Not only was the format similar to work I'd done for another publisher, it occurred to me that I could get my father to co-author with me, broadening the scope of the book and making for some fun father-daughter bonding.

Nicole had a tight deadline--one reason, I believe, that she posted her request on WPM, which has a hundreds of members who are actively seeking writing gigs. My father and I had a very intense, very fun week of IMing stories back and forth. It's the first time in a long time that we'd worked together on a project. My father's already eager to do another one!

In the end, this turned out to be more than a book contract--it was a chance for father and daughter to reconnect, and an opportunity for us to share our faith and our stories with others. I feel richer for having done this, but I also know that I never would have imagined taking on such a project on my own. It was Nicole's post on LaCresha's group that led me to this wonderful place.

Thank you, LaCresha. Though you never planned it, you have blessed our lives.

Meet Cheyenne Johansson

2010-05-09T05:21:00.005-05:00

Normally, my characters leave me alone after I write the end in a novel, but not this time. Cheyenne is begging me to let her tell her own story. So, I'd like to introduce you to Cheyenne Johansson from RAW REDEMPTION, my first full sized novel.

Hi. My name is Cheyenne Johansson. Some of you probably think you know me, probably think you know my story, but I have a newsflash. You don't know the half of it. Sure, Lacresha did an alright job with talking about me, but no one can tell my story like me.

When I first left Maryland to put distance between myself and my family and ex-husband, I didn't know what I was going to do. I had just enough cash to get to California and find a not so great place in a not good at all neighborhood. I'd only been in California three days when I met a young lady at the grocery store who told me I'd make a good escort. I struggled trying to find a job that paid enough for me to pay all my bills without using the weight behind my family name. I caved in after two weeks and called the man who would be my "pimp" for three years. The service was reputable on the surface, but soon I realized that at some point, ALL of the ladies were expected to "entertain" the higher powered guests. I refused, was fired and then started my own service as an independent contractor. Two of the former service's clients followed me and I picked up two others through referrals. For eighteen months, my job was looking good, smiling beautifully, speaking well, etc. But I wanted to do something I could be proud of, something that would make my uncle rue the day he ever hurt me.

I better not give you the whole story right now, but suffice it to say that moving away from home and the comfort of all that money and status was difficult. In fact, there were days when I didn't know how to respond to being alone without being verbally assaulted all day long by my husband or uncle.

If you hadn't read my not-so-happy life story and very happy ending, you'd better get a copy of RAW REDEMPTION (as if there is any other kind). I told Lacresha she wouldn't sleep a darn bit until I got to share my story before the story. There's a lot more to Cheyenne Johansson than meets the eye. Hopefully when you are finished reading my books, you will know what I mean and will find courage inside yourselves to turn over a new leaf and give yourself permission to dream again. Good day, all!

Talented Author and Transformation Coach, Chrishawn Simpson

2010-05-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dynamic. Engaging. Real. These are just a few of the adjectives that describe up-and-coming author, Chrishawn Simpson. She is a Transformation Specialist, who uses the power of the written word and Divine inspiration from the Almighty God to empower people to overcome obstacles, get balanced, flourish, and have the life they were created to have -- a life of purpose, passion, joy, and fulfillment.

She is the owner of Transform Your Path, where she offers her life-changing, transformation program to the world. She feels everyone can benefit and flourish from a life of self-balance and encourages everyone to take the necessary steps to do so. She will soon be offering Transform Your Path workshops for those that crave the interaction of other people to get themselves started on the right track.

Transformation is a wonderful process and in this 16-chapter revolutionary book, you will get 21 exercises that will challenge you to your very core and make you face reality - which sometimes isn't pretty; but is very necessary for change to begin. Once you complete this guide, you will be strengthened, alive, and whole.
You will be TRANSFORMED!

The Transform Your Path Book can be purchased online at www.TransformYourPath.com

Self Publishing is Growing- Over One Million Books Published in 2009

2010-04-24T09:34:00.000-05:00

More and more authors are turning to self publishing establishments rather than wait endless months to know if an agent or publishing house is going to accept them. Last year, according to Bowker, more than 1,000,000 (yes I want you to see that number) books were published with the greatest percentage of them coming from self-publishers. And that trend doesn't show any sign of letting up.

Still, the majority of those books didn't even sell 500 copies, which tells me we have a lot of authors joining our ranks, but very few who know how to get attention for their books. It may also speak to the fact that just because there are many books being published, not all of them are worth the paper they are printed on. I'm sure more figures will be released soon.

TANGLED Hits Amazon Kindle

2010-04-14T17:17:00.000-05:00

I'm so happy to announce that my newest ebook, TANGLED, has hit Amazon Kindle for the low price of $3.99!!!

TANGLED is the story of two people who finds love in the strangest place. This star-crossed love story will make you angry, happy, sad and happy again. Look at what happens when you travel halfway around the world for love but find it right there at home where you left it. Shannon and Brian will make you believe in fighting for true love all over again. Get your copy of TANGLED today!

Interview transcript and another acceptance

2010-01-23T22:13:00.001-06:00

The Andromeda Library is rebroadcasting an interview they did with me back in 2008. You can access the audio at www.glendas-books.com. I've posted the transcript with photos and hyperlinks here.

My poem "Total Lunar Eclipse" has been accepted for reprinting at Astropoetica. I don't yet know when it will go live. The poem originally appeared in Aurora #23, Winter 1983-84.

Elissa Malcohn's Deviations and Other Journeys

Promote Your Page Too

Vol. 1, Deviations: Covenant (2nd Ed.)
Vol. 2, Deviations: Appetite
Vol. 3, Deviations: Destiny
Free downloads at the Deviations website and on Smashwords.

Go to Manybooks.net to access Covenant, Appetite, and Destiny in even more formats!

Participant, Operation E-Book Drop. (Logo credit: K.A. M'Lady & P.M. Dittman.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Did You Know These 5 Things Could Hinder Your Writing?

2010-01-22T06:03:00.002-06:00

Writing is easy. Writing well is a different story altogether. There is a nemesis to writing around every corner. See if you are falling to either or all of these five:

* Broken focus- comes when your surroundings are busy, or you have much to accomplish in several different areas. It kills your ability to flow.

* Editing while writing- this is a great nemesis. If you are editing and writing simultaneously, a battle will rage since these are two different aspects of writing and require two different mental states. Editing causes us to snap into a critical mindset. Writing into a creativity mindset. You see how this could cause quite a bit of internal friction.

* Limited literary background (don't like to read)- I believe the best writers are those who read a lot. It expands our own thinking and our own creativity. When you have had limited exposure to other books and stories, there tends to be a lack of depth to your own writing, as well as a lot of repetitiveness.

* Writing on an empty stomach- yeah, I know what you're thinking. Still, an empty belly hinders the creative process. It takes energy to concentrate. That energy comes from food. Everybody say "yes" to breakfast and snacks while writing.

* Writing while sleepy- yep, you guessed it. We make crazy mistakes that may be hard to catch during edits when we are sleepy. We forget names. Our storytelling ability suffers. Altogether, it makes for a sloppy mess. That's right. Get your beauty and creativity sleep. It pays off in the long run.

SYMMETRY, The Next Hot Thing

2010-01-18T12:37:00.000-06:00

Both the heroine of SYMMETRY and its author have trichotillomania (TTM), and neither of them are ashamed to admit it.

There has never been a main character in a novel who has TTM, and author Joyce Scarbrough wants to present herself and her heroine as positive role models for people with this common disorder shared by millions. She put the issue into a work of popular fiction rather than doing a reference book about it because she hopes to raise awareness of TTM in the general public and the woefully uninformed medical community. Scarbrough is tired of people with this disorder being told by their doctors that they're crazy or defective when they simply have a nervous system disorder that is no more shameful than diabetes or high blood pressure.

Scarbrough describes the book itself as “chick lit for women who own more books than shoes.” It’s a humorous look at an engaging young woman dealing with marriage problems, a difficult relationship with her mother, her ticking biological clock, and a sexy man from her past. No wonder she pulls out her hair!

Read the first chapter and get buying info here: http://tinyurl.com/yafjyty

Post A Story For Haiti, and publication updates

2010-01-16T12:54:00.002-06:00

I'm a participant in "Post A Story For Haiti," a project initiated by Crossed Genres. If you click here, you'll find links to free fiction, including a link to my stories "Prometheus Rebound" (Helix #10, 2008) and "Variations for Four Hands" (Yellow Silk #14, 1985). Says the site, "[I]f you enjoy the free stories and want to show your appreciation, please donate to a charity involved in the Haiti relief efforts," followed by links to several organizations.

Three poems have recently come out, and a fourth has been accepted.

"Butterfly Woman" appears in the Winter 2010 issue of Goblin Fruit. Click here for the text, here for my audio recording.

"Lepidoptera from Space" appears in the November/December 2009 Star*Line, journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association.

Despite their similar titles, "Butterfly Woman" is the older poem by several years. It received second place in the 2003 contests of the Florida State Poets Association and fourth honorable mention in the 2004 contests of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. I wrote "Lepidoptera from Space" last year in response to Star*Line's call for submissions for its special prose poem issue.

Star*Line has also accepted my poem "Evolutionary Variants on a Russian Proverb" for its July/August 2010 issue.

Late last year, my poem "Neighbors" appeared in Vampyr Verse, out from Popcorn Press.

This past Monday, Covenant passed 1,000 downloads between Manybooks (859), Smashwords (136), and Obooko (12). That doesn't include downloads made from my site or from other sites carrying the book, since I don't have those numbers available. But I feel very gratified and grateful!
Elissa Malcohn's Deviations and Other Journeys

Promote Your Page Too

Vol. 1, Deviations: Covenant (2nd Ed.)
Vol. 2, Deviations: Appetite
Vol. 3, Deviations: Destiny
Free downloads at the Deviations website and on Smashwords.

Go to Manybooks.net to access Covenant, Appetite, and Destiny in even more formats!

Participant, Operation E-Book Drop. (Logo credit: K.A. M'Lady & P.M. Dittman.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Leigh Laurence Drops Her Second Ebook, "A Rose for the Dying"

2010-01-05T06:29:00.001-06:00

Leigh Laurence has finished and published her second ebook, a romantic suspense short story about sibling rivalry with a tragic ending, entitled A Rose for the Dying. Available on Amazon Kindle now for $4.99. We will have an interview with Ms. Laurence about her status as a relationship expert and how that translated into this award-winning short story coming soon. Stay tuned in!

Can You Read that Story Again?

2010-01-03T05:23:00.001-06:00

Writers often have glorious imaginations. They can conjure up a story in a matter of minutes. But, can you tell that story again and again with equal enthusiasm? Could you read it more than a few times and find new and hidden clues and information? That is what a book does. A book tells your story over and over and over again.

If you'd get tired of your own story after hearing it a couple of times, then the story is not yet ready for the reading public who will not see your darling creation in the same sweet and innocent eyes as you do.

Before setting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, for fiction, always ask yourself if you could stand to tell and/or hear the story you're telling again and again. Remember, landing a reader is good, but you want to leave an impression with the reader, one that makes her/him go out and tell friends and family about the book. Word of mouth works, especially in reading. Don't tell a mundane story that bores even you, the creator. Tell a spectacular story, one that mesmerizes the reader and makes you wonder how you came up with such a brilliant story. If you can wow yourself, then maybe you can wow anyone.

"On the Way to Forever" by Joyce Scarbrough (Short Story Excerpt)

2009-12-29T07:17:00.001-06:00

Every pair of eyes in the establishment turned toward the blond, muscular young man who had arrived in the yellow Corvette that had screeched to a stop in front moments before. He returned their gazes defiantly before descending the three steps to the sunken floor and crossing the room to sit at the end of the bar on that side. The green pattern in his shirt glowed eerily within the nimbus of a sign on the wall advertising Royal Beer, and his green eyes seemed to glow likewise as he stared at the neon words.

The female bartender placed a napkin in front of the brawny youth and said, “What can I get for you?”

“Beer—any kind but that.” He indicated the sign on the wall. “And make it a pitcher.”

“Sure thing, handsome, but I’m gonna need to see some ID.”

He reached in his pocket and slapped a hundred-dollar bill on the bar. “Will that do?”

She palmed the bill and tucked it in her bra. “Helluva good likeness.”

He was still glaring at the sign when she returned with his pitcher and glass.

“So, how long you been in town, honey?”

His eyes moved slowly from the sign to her face. “How much will it cost for you to go chat up somebody else?”

Her smile vanished. “My treat, jerkwad.”

He filled the glass with beer and chugged it, then stared into the empty glass. “One down, ninety-nine to go.”

From behind him, a woman’s voice: “I’m afraid that would leave you much too inebriated for the evening’s activities.”

He turned to rebuke the interloper and froze at the sight of the luminous creature before him. Light seemed to emanate from the pores of her ivory skin, and her hair appeared more of an iridescent silver than mere blonde, but it was her eyes that were the most striking thing about her—the perfect blue of a cloudless sky at the height of summer. The scathing words he had planned to utter dissipated in the glow of her countenance, and he found himself fighting baffling tears.

She took his hand in both of hers. “I’ve been waiting for you, Wade. Come with me and I’ll take you to meet him.”

He rose to follow her but said, “Who are you, and how do you know me?”

“My name is Nicole and I was sent to be your guide. All young people have one when they first arrive.”

“Arrive where? I don’t even know where I am.”

“I know you don’t, my son.” She stroked his forearm in a maternal gesture to match the endearment. “But try to be patient. Things will become clearer before long.”

~Joyce Sterling Scarbrough
True Blue Forever
Different Roads
Symmetry

Read the first chapters: http://www.authorsden.com/joycelscarbrough1
Joyce's Blog: http://joycescarbrough.blogspot.com/

Writing Forms and Writing Laws

2009-12-28T05:04:00.002-06:00

I recently conducted an online seminar about writing. It was supposed to be an hour, but we all carried on afterwards because it was so good. Anyway, I introduced everyone to three writing forms and my three laws of writing.

1) Outline First Writing - for those who have a particular message they want to relay.

2) Timeline First Writing - for those who are crafting a fictional story, or a biography/autobiography.

3) Freestyle Writing - this is for those who write on a whim; often this is incorporated into all other forms of writing

We had a ton of fun defining and redefining these writing styles. There were people there who did one or the other, and some who used all three frequently. We ended with my three laws of writing:

1) Never stop writing, even when you write what amounts to crap. The more you write, the better your writing becomes. Just be open to learning from your mistakes.

2) Read, a lot. While it is imperative to read in your genre, read outside it too. You never know when you'll get your next great idea. Just be open to learning from others mistakes while you're reading.
3) Write what you know and love. Chances are you are not alone. Also, you can always relay what you know better than what you've only read about. Readers are smart. They can spot a hole in your story. Just be open to the opinions of your readers, both good and bad.

I look forward to getting your comments.

2009-12-27T10:15:00.009-06:00

The Asquinn Twins and Grant is now available and ready for download

The Asquinn Twins Series is set in the place where I grew up, in an area known as The James Bay Frontier. This rugged but awesome area takes up the northern portion of the province of Ontario, Canada. The first book, The Asquinn Family Saga: The James Bay Frontier, is written through Erma Asquinn's POV and is about the families early life in Forest lake. Check out my site and the links where you can buy these E-books.

My Site

Writing for a Living

2009-12-27T08:55:00.000-06:00

Many writers desire to make a living doing what they love. The fact is, writing can be hard work. It is sometimes the hardest work. Those who have a passion for it want to make money while doing it. There are many obstacles to bringing in enough money to make a living in writing, but it isn't impossible, particularly today with ezines, magazines, anthologies and more.

The first step is finding out how many avenues of income you qualify for. Can you write articles, short stories, poetry, or are you simply a book person? How many genres can you successfully write? Do you know the market for each? How much time and money are you willing to spend seeking a way into the industry? These are all questions that need to be answered before you embark upon this journey.

The main sources of income for many writers are articles, no doubt. Some can pay such a small amount that it may take banging out five or ten a week or every two weeks just to make ends meet. Nevertheless, this is a great starting place. But, you have to know how to keep tight deadlines and follow directions.

Destiny Live for Download!

2009-12-02T22:43:00.001-06:00

Click here to see the cover components.

Vol. 3, Deviations: Destiny, is now live! Download it for free in multiple formats here, at Manybooks, and at Smashwords.

As stated on my site, these books contain mature content. Destiny ramps that up a notch. Please download and share responsibly.

In other publications news, "Butterfly Woman" is forthcoming in the Winter 2010 issue of Goblin Fruit (guest-edited by Mike Allen); "Lepidoptera in Space" will appear in the Nov./Dec. prose poem issue of Star*Line (guest-edited by Bruce Boston); and "The Unexpected Answer," originally published in Of Poets And Poetry, will be reprinted in Harp-Strings Poetry Journal. The Popcorn Press anthology Vampyr Verse (now available for pre-order) contains my poem "Neighbors." In 2010, my story "Judgment at Naioth" will appear in the Dybbuk Press anthology She Nailed A Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror.

Thanks to Windborn for this review of the Deviations series over on HubPages, in which he writes, "Rather than stuff judgments of right and wrong down the reader's throat, Malcohn asks questions, and leads the reader to find his own answers. Further, she develops the ideas of right and wrong from her characters' points of view, and the points of view of her various cultures. ... Get the whole series, and allot a large chunk of time for reading them, because once you pick them up you won't want to put them down."

When I finished drafting Destiny back in 2005, I originally thought Deviations would remain a trilogy. The first three series volumes can stand on their own as a combined work, with its own overarching story line. But the characters refused to leave me alone. The events at the end of Destiny created various consequences and uncertainties, and I wanted to see how those would play out -- not only for the adults in the saga, but for the next generation. Those children will get their turn as the six-volume series draws to a close.

Projected release of Vol. 4, Bloodlines, is mid-2010. Again, thank you all for joining me on this journey!

Elissa Malcohn's Deviations and Other Journeys

Promote Your Page Too

Vol. 1, Deviations: Covenant (2nd Ed.)
Vol. 2, Deviations: Appetite
Vol. 3, Deviations: Destiny
Free downloads at the Deviations website and on Smashwords.

Go to Manybooks.net to access Covenant, Appetite, and Destiny in even more formats!

Participant, Operation E-Book Drop. (Logo credit: K.A. M'Lady & P.M. Dittman.)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

Writing the villain-hero or the likable bad guy!

2009-10-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

Turning good guys to bad and vice versa or writing characters that are a hearty mix of both has always been a favorite pastime of mine. People were convinced Ty was the hero of TYGERS until about 4 scenes in, when I turned the tables and showed them a 4 y/o boy's best friend was a psychopath instead of his hero, which completely freaked one reviewer for a few chapters. OTOH, Mik, Jorg/Veriel, and Jurel all started out as villains, but when you got to see from their POVs...well, how about that? Not villains anymore...or at least villainous heroes, in Jorg's case. At the beginning of PROPHECY, people were convinced Joe was a stalker. Perception is a fun game to play.

So, how do you do it? How do you make a villainous character engaging and appealing to the readers?

First of all, the character has to be three-dimensional. A two-dimensional villain will automatically be disliked by readers. That's the point of a villain. To be three-dimensional, a villain has to have a backstory and reasons for what he/she does. Those reasons have to have a logic, even if that logic is skewed.

You have to make the reader empathize with the character's position...not necessarily sympathize with or agree with or even approve of the choices morally, but empathize with and understand why and how this happened. One way to do that is with sympathy. People who are seriously wronged and seek revenge is a good way to invoke the knee-jerk support or sympathy of readers, but it's the cheap seats of doing the job.

What else works?

Alien or non-human sensibilities. Write a were or animal-type paranormal creature, and you have instincts in the mix. You can also have instincts for creatures like vampires. Write someone from a culture not our own, and you have cultural mores, ethics, and laws that call for things we wouldn't engage in and might find horrific. Write a creature driven by hunger, and everything will be flavored (pardon the pun) by that driving need.

World situation. Men will commit atrocities in a war that they never would otherwise. I'm not saying war corrupts absolutely. It doesn't, but... A friend of mine (the wonderful author Teel James Glenn) once gave me an old quote that applies here: "The rules of engagement only apply until the first attack." After that, it's fight or die, and any dirty trick that lets you live is fair game, in the heat of the moment. I can't recall the movie, but there is a great scene of Russian soldiers being sent out (WWII, I believe). There were only enough firearms to supply one in ten of the men, so you'd stay close to another soldier and try to stay alive long enough for him to be shot, so you could grab his rifle. Whatever you did to stay alive was what you did. Was that ENEMY AT THE GATES? Maybe?

Likewise, people who are starving will choose the lesser of two evils, steal or die. Ethics are often situational, and the spirit of the law is not black and white. In a severe enough situation, people will rethink their ethics and are much more likely to slide toward neutral from lawful.

Politics. Closely linked to world situation. If you see something happening or coming that you feel is ethically bankrupt, what would you do to stop it? From the Declaration of Independence... "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security." It is often seen as a duty to right the wrongs, and if the despot is abusing his power, violence may call for violence. THAT is your Robin Hood character, in a nutshell. No, he wasn't a murderer, but he didn't shy from killing a few soldiers, when he had to. That bow and arrow or long sword or staff weren't for show, after all.

Protection of the innocent. This is another lesser of two evils moment. If you had a choice to stand by silently and allow innocent children to be hurt...whether they were your children or not...you may be spurred to do something extreme in their protection.

Madness. Pure and simple. This takes the idea of revenge a step beyond. What if the abuse was so severe, the character went mad from it? What if, in his grief and pain, he does things that are horrible? It could happen, and I've found readers very receptive to the mounting madness in a character.

The mind of an innocent. What if the person doing wrong has a very childlike understanding of right and wrong? What if, in order to protect another, he does things that most people would consider the very WRONG choices, because he doesn't understand what the right choices are? What if the wrong is all he's seen? Or he's so sheltered, he's never faced the situation to know the right answer? Think SLING BLADE. Think DOMINICK AND EUGENE.

The horrific justice-bringer. There is a reason Hannibal Lecter is so popular with readers (including myself). "I only eat the rude." Look at who he preys on: pedophiles, serial killers, officious types, thieves, corrupt or abusive officials in positions of power... In short, all of the people many feel, deep down inside, the world is better off without. The people who are nice don't need to fear him.

However you do it, it's a rare and challenging writing feat to write the villain-hero or the likable bad guy.

Petition for authors, artists, and musicians!

2009-09-18T12:23:00.001-05:00

Are you an author, artist, or musician who lives and/or publishes in the US? Are you concerned about piracy? If so, consider signing Copyright Alliance's letter to President Obama and VP Biden. Let them know we care about our IP rights and need their help to protect them when new legislation comes up!

Copyright Alliance is hoping for 500 signatures in the next week. We can do better than that. Can't we?

Brenna

SUBMISSION CALL- Charity Anthology- Fantasy

2009-09-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

This call comes from Karen Woods of Sleeping Beagle Books. Over the last few years, both she and I have lost several friends to pancreatic cancer. For that reason, Karen has decided to fight back. How do authors and publishers do that? They commit to a charity anthology (or more than one, if she gets enough submissions for them) titled FORSWORN. No one (save the distribution channels) will be taking a cut of this. Authors and cover artists will be donating, and as publisher, she's donating her portion as well.

What is she looking for? Fantasy stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words in length, dealing (at least loosely) with the consequences of being dishonest. It's not as hard as it sounds, since many disagreements and internal struggles come down to people being dishonest with themselves or someone else. All manner of fantasy is welcome EXCEPT fantasy erotic romance and fantasy erotica. Reprints are welcome, as long as you have rights back.

The rights are non-exclusive. The book/s will release in e-book (anthologies AND stand-alone stories) and print, via Amazon. It is a lifetime plus copyright agreement, but with non-exclusive, you can use the story later for your own purposes. Not to mention you'll be getting exposure for your work and supporting a great cause!

Additional details can be found at Sleeping Beagle Books. You can reach Karen directly at forswornanthology@gmail.com.

Brenna

Do you know a teen writer who wants to hang out with the pros?

2009-08-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

EPIC’s 5th annual New Voices contest opens, and plans are unveiled for this year’s youth writing track at the annual convention

It’s August, and that means big changes for your average middle or high school student: new teachers, new class schedules, sometimes new schools… It also means the opening of the 5th annual New Voices contest, e-publishing’s premiere youth writing contest.

What makes the New Voices contest different than other writing contests? Several things.

New Voices is a worldwide contest, just for middle school and high school students (or the country of origin’s variation thereof). The contest is intended for students aged 11-18 years old, writing in the English language. In previous years, students from as many as sixteen US states, four Canadian provinces, and several foreign countries have won places in the contest.

The contest is split into middle school and high school divisions, then further split into poetry, essay/non-fiction, and fiction short story categories in each division. Contestants may enter one piece of work in each of their division categories.

There’s no entry fee for the contest. At the same time, sponsors and EPIC (The Electronically Published Internet Connection) underwrite the contest to provide prizes for entrants. Prizes range from gift certificates and cash to PDAs and/or e-book readers. And all winners are included in the yearly New Voices anthology.

Entrants never need to pay a dime. Unlimited copies of the e-book anthology are provided to winners. A CD copy and a print copy are provided to each of the winners and their schools. Additional print copies may be purchased at cost, but no one is required to purchase anything.

This contest is ideal for students with an interest in writing. All entrants, win or lose, receive feedback from published authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals.

For those with a serious interest in publishing, EPIC provides a youth writer’s track at the yearly convention, EPICon. This year’s convention will be held at the Sheraton (New Orleans, LA) from March 4-7, 2010. The youth track is scheduled for Saturday, March 6th. The youth track costs $40 and includes lunch, where contest winners in attendance will receive their awards. Non-attendee winners will receive their awards by mail. For an additional $27, youth track attendees can have breakfast while several established independent press publishers answer questions about their businesses and submissions.

But time stands still for no young writer. Anyone with an interest in entering the contest has until midnight October 20, 2009 to get an entry in. Anyone with an interest in attending the youth writing track at EPICon has until February 5, 2010 to register.

Any questions about the contest can be addressed to the New Voices chairs at newvoices.competition(at)gmail(dot)com. Any questions about the convention can be addressed to the EPICon chair at cjparker1(at)att(dot)net For more information on them, please visit http://www.newvoicesyoungwriters.com/index.html or http://www.epic-conference.com

Feel free to pass along!

Listings, Thanks, In Memoriam

2009-08-20T14:33:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Susan Crealock for including Covenant and Appetite on Online Novels. Listing page is here.

I'm a guest blogger today for the Florida Writers Conference. Topic: Watching Movies to Learn Our Craft. Thanks to Chris Hamilton for including the piece.

I'm now on the site for ZonaCon, slated for Orlando in late November. And the new Deep Carnivale (Tampa next month) site is finally up. I plan to have a vendor table there, though I don't yet know if I'll have a reading slot. Much of their schedule this year is devoted to special tributes. In-between those two, I'll be a guest and vendor at Necronomicon in St. Petersburg (FL) and am currently signing up for panels. Thanks to coordinators Marc Miller (ZonaCon), David Audet (Deep Carnivale), and Ann Morris (Necronomicon); to everyone involved with planning these events; and to K.L. Nappier, with whom I'm teaming up in all three.

Thanks to Julianne Draper at the Miami Examiner for doing another piece on me. (To be clear, the Hugo win is John Klima's, though I and many others were a part of that process.)

My story "Flotsam" is blurbed over at Asimov's as part of its October/November issue line-up.

And Dybbuk Press has its cover and Table of Contents up for She Nailed A Stake Through His Head: Tales of Biblical Terror.

I'm saddened by recent news that SF writer and poet Gene Van Troyer has died (1950-2009). I corresponded with him by snail mail in the early 80s, when I was first discovering science fiction poetry and the SFPA. At that time Gene was assistant editor at Star*Line. In 2007 he co-edited Speculative Japan (Kurodahan Press), an awesome anthology of Japanese speculative fiction, much of it published in English for the first time. He was a kind and generous human being and visionary. RIP, Gene. (SFWA obit here.)

Vol. 1, Deviations: Covenant (2nd Ed.)
Vol. 2, Deviations: Appetite
Free downloads of both volumes here.