The 2013 OWFI Conference – Part 3, The Sessions

May 9, 2013 at 9:09 pm (Writing)
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Despite the fact that some of the programs and scheduling had changed, I still kept pretty close to my intended schedule as listed on the OWFI website. I was looking for a balanced approach, one in which I could get as much of a variety of info as possible, trying to meet new people while reconnecting with folks I had met last year.

The opening session on Friday that I attended was the Small Publisher Panel. I was amazed at the passion for good writing that all five people exhibited. It really does seem that the small presses might be more willing to take a chance on a newer writer as long as the quality of writing is good. They seem to work directly with the writers and do not often have contacts with agents. This is a definite plus for those writers looking to break in somewhere. Later on in the conference, I kept crossing paths with Steve Semken of Ice Cube Press and Philip Martin of Crickhollow Books. They were completely accessible, friendly, and very entertaining.

Alex Miner’s discussion on The Supportive Critique Group reminded me of my time in Boston twenty years ago when Joe Gallo, Cathy Coley, and I had an informal critique group, only we didn’t call it that. Nevertheless, by whatever designation it is given, a small supportive group can pave the way toward making your craft better.

After lunch, I attended Lela Davidson’s discussion on The State of Social Media 2013. I had seen her last year and she is still as spunky and funny as before. On the serious side, I validated all of my current efforts by her suggestions.

The last session on Friday was The Hybrid Author: Self-Publishing with an Agent, presented by August McLaughlin. Conceptually, it was fascinating because it bridged two heretofore separate notions. It made me realize that there are enormous and dramatic changes in writing and publishing and that, to be successful, everything must be considered.

Marilyn Collins was a breath of fresh air on Saturday morning. Titled “Spin Your Writing into Magazine Articles for Special Interest Publications”, her presentation was similar to one I attended last year. It made me realize that I needed to stop procrastinating and find some freelance magazine writing work; it’s the surest way to garner bylines and increase your profile.

The session with Romney Nesbit, a creativity coach, was a change for me. I never considered a need for a creativity coach for myself, but when she answered the question of When to Say No, I took great heed to her comments.

The last session on Saturday was a disappointment. Out of respect for the gentleman, I will not provide his name. He was a book publicist who did not provide feedback on general ideas for publicity. Rather he “suggested” we opt for his fee of approximately $4000 (with other services a sum total of $20,000) for him to pass your name out to the numerous celebrities he knows from his many years. It was disingenuous for the man to make such a suggestion to writers looking for advice and feedback and are not full-time or professional as of yet. Many people left his session; I stayed for entertainment value.

Overall, with the one disappointment, it was highly informative all the way across the board and very worthwhile.

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How Pitchapalooza Led to a Book Deal

January 23, 2013 at 10:14 pm (Books, transgressive fiction, Writing)
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Pitchapalooza is a strange and unique event. Hosted by The Book Doctors, it offers the participants the opportunity for a one minute pitch. No more, no less, than one minute. After you have made your pitch, you are critiqued on it with the aim to help you make your pitch better. The winner gets a future meeting with an agent or publisher or editor uniquely qualified to assist.

You never know what it will lead to. This is my story.

SPOILER ALERT: I did NOT win.

It was at the KWA Scene Conference in 2012 that I participated. On this blog, I debated which of two pieces to pitch: a traditional neo-noir hardboiled mystery or an experimental piece of Transgressive fiction. I chose the latter. It was unique enough to stand out even though it might not be the most commercial piece to pitch.

I had looked up Pitchapalooza on YouTube and saw several examples. I wrote and re-wrote my pitch. I practiced. At the Friday night session, the twenty entrants were randomly drawn. I was confident going in. But as the participants came and went, I waited. And waited. And waited. Nerves were starting to settle in.

And then I was called. And, to be honest, I nailed it. I hit it out of the park. Pick your own analogy. But I did what I was supposed to do. I was ready for that cash bar.

At the end of the session, the five panelists excused themselves for a review/vote/consultation. They came back a short time later to announce that they had a winner AND an honorable mention. I knew from my research that was unheard of. They did not usually have Honorable Mentions. I was announced as that rare honoree. Initially I was disappointed but having been mentioned at all, to have been considered, WAS a victory.

One of the panelists was Dan Case of AWOC.COM Publishing who was quite taken with my pitch, my story, and me. I had a one-on-one session with him on Saturday as well as one with Arielle Eckstut, one of the Book Doctors.

Flash forward two months to the OWFI Conference. One of the sessions was on the Elevator Pitch. Again, my Transgressive work, having recently been perfected, was blurted out in a one sentence pitch. More applause and appreciation.

I run into Dan Case. He remembers me. He still wants to see what I’ve got up my sleeve. I send him both pieces that I pitched back at the KWA Scene Conference. We can flash forward some more. Because Dan Case decides to publish the neo-noir hardboiled mystery, “Swan Song”, currently available on Amazon Kindle and Paperback, Barnes and Noble Nook and Paperback, and Kobo e-books.

It’s really mind-boggling, amazing, fascinating, and fun, all at the same time. I keep thinking that Raymond Chandler published his first novel, “The Big Sleep”, when he was 51. I beat him by six months.

It’s only a start. I know that. I don’t know where it actually goes from here. But it all really started because of a crazy event called Pitchapalooza.

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The Evolution of a Novel – “Swan Song”

December 27, 2012 at 7:53 pm (Books, Writing)
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Why do writers write? It is the fascination and obsession with the Word. Their connection, their sound, their emotional weight. We are story tellers and we tell our stories with words.

This is the story of “Swan Song”, my debut novel published by Deadly Niche Press. {The Kindle Edition is available at Amazon.com; the print version will be available after the first of the year.}

In 2007, I won a prize in the Adult Poetry Division of the Kansas Writer’s Association’s yearly contest. At the presentation and corresponding reading at Watermark Books in Wichita, KS, I talked with Storme Maynard who told me about a strange thing called NaNoWriMo. All you had to do was write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. No problem, right?

The stress of the thing was palpable. Writing poetry in Boston in the mid 1990′s was a thought-provoking, emotional, and at times intellectual process. But we took our time until we got it right. This thing was literary insanity. But I finished it; I completed a “book”, such as it was. However, looking over my effort in December was out of the question. The holidays were approaching and I didn’t want my sloppy 50,000 words to depress.

I did work on it. Many times through several years. Eventually I came up with a piece of neo-noir hardboiled fiction that still captures my attention and creates striking images in my mind. Keep in mind that it is still nothing more than a manuscript at this time.

That is until I met Dan Case of AWOC.com. He was a speaker at the KWA Scene Conference in 2012 and a panelist for Pitchapalooza, sponsored by The Book Doctors, David Henry Sterry and Arielle Eckstut. In a what-the-heck kind of moment I decided to pitch my Transgressive novel, Weekend Getaways, or Adventures in Contract Killing. I got an honorable mention for my pitch and some additional people looking in my direction, one of whom was Dan Case.

I ran into him at the OWFI Conference in May. We talked; he said he was interested and so was I. I sent him the manuscript for both. Knowing that the Transgressive piece might be a harder sell, he opted to start with “Swan Song” which has just been released as an e-book.

I am thrilled and pleased and know that the work has just begun. But consider the evolution: writing contest to casual conversation to online writing event to writer’s conference to pitch session to another writer’s conference…

There are those who say that NaNoWriMo is silly and it’s not really about the art and craft of writing. There are those who say that writing conferences are a venue for published novelists to garner attention. There are those who think that an e-book is somehow not a “real” book.

Whoever those people are, I do not agree with them.

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2012 OWFI Conference

May 8, 2012 at 7:59 pm (Writing)
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If there was a writer’s conference but there was not a single editor or agent in your genre, would you attend? Heck, yeah. It’s not always about you and your book but the kind of insight you can get, the tidbits of minutiae, the alternate perspectives, that added to your writing and your writing life.

This was my first conference of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc. and it was rather impressive. Held at the Embassy Suites hotel not far from Will Rogers Airport, it featured several speakers, an editor/agent panel, two dinner banquets (one with keynote speaker Steven james and the other the contest awards presentation), and various late night buzz sessions.

The highlights for me were:

C. Hope Clark, whose newsletter Funds For Writers, provides practical insight into venues for freelance writers. Her maxim, “You have to be known as a writer first before you are known as a novelist” really hit home.

Dan Case of AWOC Publishing. I had already met Dan at the KWA Scene Conference in March. His enthusiasm and laugh is contagious. He’s reading one of my pieces now, the hard-boiled crime fiction “Swansong”. So, we’ll wait and see.

Chuck Sambuchino, whose blog Guide to Literary Agents is one of the most useful tools out there. i had a one-on-one with Chuck while he reviewed my pitch for the Transgressive fiction piece, “Weekend Getaways, or Adventures in Contract Killing.” Very perceptive feedback plus additional directions that might help me secure and agent.

Thomas B. Sawyer, screenwriter, novelist, teacher, and one heck of a storyteller. He was entertaining OUTSIDE of the session. I was very fortunate to have he and his wife sit at our table for breakfast the next morning.

No, i did not secure an agent or a three-book deal or any of those other fantasy illusions we have of attending such events. I met some very talented industry professionals who were accessible and met me on an equal level. I met some really wonderful folks who did seem impressed by some of my louder Hawaiian shirts.

More importantly, I retained and expanded on the main things it takes to be a successful writer. Hope and confidence. Add to that my enduring desire and I can assure you this thing ain’t over yet.

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They don’t tell you about dinner.

March 14, 2012 at 7:43 pm (Blogging, Personal, Writing)
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It is only two days away from the Kansas Writer’s Association’s Scene Conference. It’s time to think about what it means to be a writer.

I’ve known, ever since first grade when the teacher had us put those ten vocabulary words into ten sentences, that words were a source of fascination. This notwithstanding the extensive library my parents maintained. And, in grade school, high school, college (where my second major behind film-making was creative writing). Training to be a writer.

Going from a “portable” Smith Corona typewriter to a Brother Word Processor. Identifying the hardware and being able to use it. Falling behind the computer generation and then feverishly catching up. Reading and expanding my reading list. Immersion in the Boston Poetry Scene in the early 90′s. Classic Greek and Roman poets and a few Dadaists and Surrealists thrown in for good measure.

Trying to get back to screenwriting while making a home in Kansas. Turning my attention back to the start, back to fiction. Crime fiction. And then discovering Transgressive fiction. Allowing myself to dare to experiment and be different. Or be myself, as the case may be.

Membership in the KWA. Subscription to Writer’s Digest. Teaching myself all the computer skills necessary, still being behind the curve, but catching up slowly. Learning about blogging and websites and creating a platform. My wife got me Ariel Gore’s book “How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead” and other such books. They’re great. Great insight, fantastic suggestions, good feedback into becoming a better writer and getting published.

And then there is that shake of the head. I’m spitting distance from turning fifty, a married homeowner with a full-time job, and just as many personal responsibilities as artistic desires. I’m not young enough to drop everything and go on an extended book signing/reading tour of colleges in a five state area. I’m not old enough and retired to attend writing conferences on either coast and expand my social and professional networking circle.

I’ve got to go grocery shopping and make dinner and take out the trash and pay bills and show up to work often enough where they do not doubt my sincerity of working there and allow me to keep making a living so I can pay my bills.

The bottom line is that I take everything I read and hear and discuss about writing and becoming a published writer and having a career as a writer with a grain of salt. I’ve got to fit everything that is MY life into an intricate jigsaw puzzle, sometimes daily or weekly or monthly or yearly. Whatever happens to be the priority of the moment.

I squeeze in some reading during two fifteen minute breaks and a half hour lunch. I post a blog when the urge strikes. I check up on the social networking as much as my limited resources allow. And I write when there is some new story to tell or some old story to revise.

And my wife, who is also my editor and biggest supporter, knows that the door open is an invitation and the door closed is a sign of immersion. I try to remind myself of the definition of ‘discipline’ every time I am at my desk in my office and when the laptop is turned on.

I keep reading the sage wisdom of published writers and what worked for them, hoping to come across someone EXACTLY like me. Because anyone else is either older or younger or a different gender or in a different profession or a different state. I haven’t found that person, as you may have guessed. Thankfully, at least for my wife’s sake, there is no one exactly like me. Therefore I am charting my own path.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go clean up the dishes from tonight’s dinner.

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Everything comes in Threes: A Third Ebook

March 13, 2011 at 8:40 pm (self-publishing, Writing)
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I placed my third Ebook, The Ballad of Justin Thieme on Smashwords.

It is the sad account of a young man with a funny name who endures as much social abuse as he can and maintain his dignity. When he is fired from his job because it is perceived that he was the one who was not accommodating, he finds himself free to exact a bloody vengeance.

From the collection published on Lulu, Unemployed and Dangerous: A Trilogy of Transgressive Novellas, this final entry marks my complete transgressive fiction work.

So far.

It has been an exciting and interesting experience to convert to digital forms and offer my work in that fashion.

As always, I look forward to any commentary and feedback. I would be interested in knowing who else has used Smashwords or any other such media and how they feel about offering their works as Ebooks.

Naturally, I wish all my readers continued success.

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An Ebook now available

March 9, 2011 at 12:26 pm (self-publishing, Writing)
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My Transgressive fiction novella, Malfeasance, is now available on Smashwords.com

I have two more that I am working on formatting and creating cover art/photos. This is exciting for me because of the nature of it. Smashwords offers a profoundly clear formatting guide that makes it easier for an old analog dude like me to figure out.

Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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Real Life vs. The Literary Life

February 22, 2011 at 10:17 am (Personal, Writing)
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Today is my day off. As is typical, I wrote up a to-do list last night for today. I looked over it this morning. In part it read:

–Pay mortgage
–Grocery shopping
–Deposit Lulu.com revenue check
–Continue editing
–Upload recent photos
–Look up a recipe for Funeral Chicken

At first glance, it appeared stunningly weighted in one direction. A five-to-one ratio of the Real World over the Literary World. Was there something wrong?

I realized it was a matter of perspective. Recently, after much reading in Writer’s Digest and on several blogs and after re-establishing my Writing Goals for 2011, I’ve come to a realization of balance in a newer and more profound way than when I was in my twenties or thirties.

The goal is not necessarily to make a living as a writer. There are actually quite few of those. Perhaps it is not even to “get published”, those two profound words that dangle over us like the Sword of Damocles.

The real goal is to become a better writer, much in the same way that I can strive to be a better husband or son or friend. It is not necessary to consciously separate components of your life. The only result will be an unhealthy competition that will lead only to disappointment.

So, I will pay my bills, deposit my checks, go grocery shopping, continue editing, deal with the digital camera, and find that recipe. I will attempt to complete my to-do list for today and be content that I have done so.

And I will work to be a better husband, a better son, a better friend.

And a better writer.

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Book Covers

November 2, 2010 at 3:13 pm (self-publishing, Writing)
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I’ve done a great deal of experimenting when it comes to my three works that are “published”. I have them on Lulu.com and in the Kindle store. I am working on getting them on Pubit from Barnes & Noble. I’m learning how to make book trailers. This was all above and beyond the writing and editing process.

“Kansas Two-Step” was a novella I wrote during my breaks and lunches on one-subject notebooks by hand at an old job. When I first decided to put it on Lulu, I decided to take the picture myself for the cover since I didn’t want to get into any rights issues. Digital cameras can be wonderful tools. I initially thought it might be too dark of a cover but since it deals with pornography and murder it suited the subject. (By the way, those are my ostrich skin boots.)

“Quick” is an older piece, written at a time when I was trying to jump-start my writing. It was written in that fashion, one chapter a night after dinner with a couple of glasses of wine. No outline. What you would call guerrilla writing. I knew I wanted to convey the essence of speed, since the beginning of the story is the main character (Jamie Quick) leaving the scene of a bungled robbery that turned into murder. The thing with digital cameras is that you can’t take a blurry picture. UNLESS your wife leans very far forward in the passenger seat, almost pressing the camera to the windshield and quickly tries to snap passing vehicles. (This was on Highway 11 in Oklahoma on the way to our cabin in Kaw City, OK.)

After being unceremoniously dispatched from my place of employment after thirteen years, I wrote a series of very dark transgressive novellas. Unintentionally, there was one in first person, one in second person, one in third person. They were so dark that my wife had to do a double take to make sure I hadn’t gone off the deep end. I had not. the writing was excellent therapy. I used a different template from Lulu.com than I had used on either of the first two and was able to create a diverse imagery that I hope creates a sense of the stories.

All of this was within the last eighteen months. There is no sense of perfection here whatsoever. I know there are people out there far better adept at the digital technology. My efforts ARE enough to give me a sign of encouragement that I can learn and develop and grow. I will not be (nor can I afford to be) the grumpy old dude who wishes things were the way they used to be.

As long as I continue to read blogs and follow those writer’s adventures in the New Digital World of Writing; as long as I keep my mind open to possibilities that the technology affords; as long as I keep the brain in creative overdrive, I will eventually meet my goals.

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“Unemployed and Dangerous: A Trilogy of Transgressive Novellas”

September 9, 2010 at 9:34 pm (Personal, self-publishing, Writing)
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I’ve just put up my latest collection onto Lulu.com

These stories are much darker than any piece of crime fiction I’ve ever written.  That said, I’m not making excuses or justifying anything.  They were written at a time of turmoil and change in my life.  Thank goodness for a creative outlet otherwise I don’t know what my mood may have become.

The three tales tell separate stories of men undergoing their own changes during a job loss.  They deal with the situations in their own unique manner.

A stockbroker actually fired for sleeping with the CEO’s mistress winds up getting a job on the maintenance crew that services his old building.  From that vantage point he is able to exact a deep measure of revenge.

A laid-off television sales executive starts day trading to bring in income while contemplating his next move.  But boredom sets in and sends him on a path toward serial rape and murder.

A man with a strange and funny name can no longer be the brunt of insensitive humor.  He uses his termination as a stepping stone toward violent revenge.

It would be easy to pass these off as the ravings of an emotional strain on the part of the author.  But these were always serious writing efforts.  First of all, each piece is written in a different voice (first, second, and third person).  I had done quite a bit of first person writing in my crime fiction and done a few pieces in third person.  But second person narrative was a real challenge and required extra attention.  It succeeded in so far as second person narrative can succeed.  Second, there was a conscious effort to have a different style, different motivations, and a different outcome for each.  I did not want anyone to say that all three were the same.  It would have made the entire collection boring.

My wife was my editor once again and she confessed to me that she was disturbed at some of the writing.  She had not seen the style nor the content from me before.  But she knows me well as a person and as a writer and understood the depths that I had to reach in order to create these works.  My personal situation has taken a turn for the better; I have released the pent-up aggressions that were created; I know I can write like this.  I hope I never have to again.

I was more conscientious about formatting and cover art than in my previous efforts.  I am pleased with the results.  I was desperately wanting to finish this project so I could proceed with the YA novella I am working on in honor of my niece.  After all, the 10-year old needs SOMETHING she can read by her uncle.

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