Self Publishing... The Wave Of The Future

 Self Publishing may mean any one with a half-baked idea can bang out some non-sense, but it also helps the true talents that are passed over by publishers the opportunity to be writers!

That's right folks... Over the years people from all walks of life that have had an interest in becoming a writer... Like all artistic careers it seems... Have had to make a career of becoming a writer...

Well I will say this... Where as going this route can be extremely lucrative financially, if you think of all of the truly talented writers since the invention of the written word that have been out there that never got publushed for arbitrary reasons... It staggers the mind the true level of literature that could have been entertaining the very soul of culture for at least a millennia!

Now there is an invention that allows people to bypass the publisher and become that famous author you always knew you could be... Through self publishing!

Now you can become a published author at the press of a button!

Nothing is ever surefire, and to be sure, there are inevitably going to be some truly horrifyingly poorly written books that are going to come out, and since you probably won't have the same resources to promote your novel that a publisher does... Well let's just put it this way, 'if it were easy to do... Would it be as much fun?'

I guess basically what I am trying to say to the un-published writer... Stick with it, keep your head down and power through it... And you will make it as a writer, despite what some arbitrary publisher has to say about it!

The Mixtape... A Fun Addition For A Horror/Sci-fi Story

A tape with many uses...

For those of you who were born in the 1990s, I reckon you may not have heard of, 'The Mixtape'... The Mixtape, (later the, 'Mixed CD', I suspect,) was a tape that people recorded songs on to, to give as gifts to other people.

I suspect that there was many reasons why people gave out mixed tapes, (as party favors, or maybe corporate gifts, or for any number of other reasons...) But the most famous one that I know of, (and this one you might recognize from movies, I know that it is the one that I know of for the most part,) that being when a guy gave a girl he was interested in dating a mixed tape of some of the music that would help sway her in the direction of going out with him.

The way to a girl's heart... Through her favorite music?

 Now you might be wondering why I am mentioning this...

The reason that I am mentioning this is because one of the reasons I started up this site is because I wanted to help writers in their endeavors to go from being amateur, to professional, and it recently dawned on me, that the concept of the, 'mixtape' could be a great addition in to a story!

Now before I go on, let me say this, in movies the, 'mixtape' seems to be mostly used for, 'romantic comedies', but since this is a site for horror and science fiction, I thought that I would do those...

First off, in horror, there is one salient and recognized truth (no matter what the sub-genre or type of script you are writing,) anything and everything can be a weapon, (just imagine Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees throwing the character's mixtape at him or her as he or she flees.)

Trust me when I say, they could and probably will eventually kill some one with a mixtape!

Next off, lets talk about era... The era of the mixtape, (don't know specifically how long, but I have heard of them as far back as the 80s,) but any of these eras that you place your story in, that has the mixtape in it, is a time period were some of the best modern horror/science fiction movie/books have been written... So it goes without saying that having that in play in some capacity should work pretty nicely...

And lastly, I thought that I would mention here the fact that the concept of the, 'mixtape' can be a story in and of itself... Just think, Videodrome (1983)...

If they could do it, it so can you!

There are other uses for it, but I think you get the point, and I do hope that this helps!

Don't Start Out On, 'A Dark And Stormy Night'

Here is an example of not doing it right! 

Now you might be wondering what I am talking about when I say this, but I have been writing both Horror & Science Fiction stories for years, and well there is one thing that I have learned... That is the fact that you don't ever want to start, 'On A Dark And Stormy Night'...

Why? Why else, because it is as cliched as the survivors of a horror or science fiction movie laughing at the end of a movie, it is cliched and has been done to death! Be original when you are writing a story, don't just try to make the work that some else has done your own, it is cheesy and useless, and if you are like me, you will find it to be pretty obvious... I would even go so far as to say that if you go original, your first stories may suck, but eventually you will make it to that story that is going to rock... And who knows... Maybe even create a masterpiece that would stand the test of time... How is that?

Boris Karloff as, 'Frankenstein's Monster' a character from a zombie movie that is based on the book, 'Frankenstein'... A novel that could be said to be a one of a kind! 

Great examples of this is, 'Frankenstein', or, 'Dracula', there has been many novels similarly written to these two epics since Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley released there respective novels... And heck there have even been novels and what not that had been written before that, but Dracula and Frankenstein stand as very unique masterpieces that are original un to themselves because A: Dracula brought not just to prominence, Vampirism, but in a superstitious society that was a major player in Europe at the time, had actually brought people to believe that Vampire's were real (this idea gained even more credence when after the grave of Vlad Dracul (The real life inspiration for Bram Stoker's, 'Dracula') was un-earthed, it was discovered that his body wasn't in there...)

And as for Frankenstein... Corpse re-animation is something that authors and filmmakers have been working with this concept for many years, but Frankenstein you could say is the precursor to the concept of the modern zombie that we have all grown to love!

I know it maybe difficult, and at points in your writing you might find yourself using similar elements from other stories... If you do, well such is life, considering the fact that in the millions of years that mankind has been around, well just about every kind of story has been written... Just don't plagiarize some one else, make your work your own... And your work will truly shine!

A very true statement.

A friend of mine taught me to make my work an original masterpiece of my own work (and not just some one else's work that I am copying...) And well I have to admit that I am pretty pleased with the results!

555 - Whatever... A Good Writing Gimmick

I'll bet you she regrets picking up the phone!

Have you ever noticed that in a lot of  older TV shows and in older movies that the first 3 digits of any phone number is, '555'? Have you ever wondered what that is for? If so, well then I am glad I am not the only one...

I know that, that must seem like a pretty nit picky thing to wonder about, but the truth is, is I have found it odd that almost every older movie and TV series, no matter where the lead character has ever lived, that there phone number always started with '555'...

Now before I go in to this any further, let me explain to you guys what I am talking about, you see, I don't mean the area code or the country code, but in older movies and TV series, it seems like the lead character could be in Washington DC, and call China, and some how the number will always be something like, '555-1234' no matter what city/state or country you were in...

 Nancy Thompson is one who may be stuck in her house, but her father is only a phone call away...

Anyway, to answer your question, I suspect that at least partly it is an easy way to ensure that actors and actresses will always say their lines appropriately, but as a writer, I also wanted to say that it can also be used as a good writing technique!

What I mean by this is that where as it is good to always keep plenty of notes on what you are writing, I think that using a technique like, ' 555 - whatever' could also be a good way for the writer to remember a key element of the story line that he is working on... Also I hate to say it, but it is also a way for writers to kind of skip ahead of the game and get a little lazy...

Well there is a lot of tips and tricks like this, and if you happen to be starting work on your first movie script, or your first manuscript... Trust me when I say that this tip can help you out!

One Vs. The Other. Self Publishing Vs. Tradition Publishing

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="423"] A good question...[/caption]

It used to be in the past that going to a reputable publishing house to have your novel published was the way to get yourself recognized and to have the career as a writer that you have always wanted... Well in an ever changing world, and with the potential for self publishing, and potentially becoming your own publisher, the question is, 'Is there any value to continuing to go to a publisher to be published?

And with our continuing series, 'One Vs. The Other' I thought that it might be kind of fun to examine that very topic!
So with out further adieu...

Since going to a publishing house to be published got to the table first, I thought that we should start there!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Tradition publishing methods may have been the first to the table, but is it still the best way to go?[/caption]

So the perks:

1. Getting published by a reputable publishing house means that you will immediately be capable of having a career as an author (seeing as how publishing houses will pay for you for your novel.)

2. With the release of your latest novel, publishing firms will usually send you on some sort of press tour in an effort to promote your book, which would give you almost instant name recognition and popularity.

The drawbacks:

1. You essentially sign over parts of your career to the publisher that you are publishing with.

2. It is extremely hard to break in to that world, and with the advent of the e-Book, and the with the release of self publishing, it makes it even harder to get published.

And as for self publishing:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Self publishing the wave of the future?[/caption]

 

Perks:

1. You have complete control over your work and how it is released to the world.

2. You will be published quicker.

Drawbacks:

1. Just about all of the initial funding for the novel is mostly out of pocket, and you have to work 10 times harder to make a profit on the sale of your novel.

In the end, I am going to say that in this case fiends, that really it is a draw, I mean I know that there is more perks to self publishing, but the reality of it is, is that if you are willing to do the work, then doing both will help you catapult your writing career quicker then has ever been possible!

A Helpful Tip From Your Friendly Neighborhood Writer.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Instead of trying to, 'write what you know' and getting frustrated by it, try, 'writing what you love'![/caption]

As a writer myself I have heard a lot of different takes on the craft, I have heard that the only way to become a writer is to spend an inordinate time taking creative writing courses when you are in High School and in College, I have heard that you are supposed to become a member of as many amateur writing clubs as humanly possible, and to have your own support group and 12 step program, and all sorts and kinds of other nonsense... And you want to know what that has resulted in? That has resulted in almost everyone I have ever met who has tried their hand at writing taking literally, YEARS to finish their novels, short stories, or what ever they were writing!

That's insane!

No offense, but to those of you guys out there that are looking to start a writing career, listen, it is true that you need to go to School to learn to write, I mean you need to learn how to form sentences and grammar and the like, but in all truth, you don't need to go to college to get a degree in how to write a story! I am going to give you one tip, and one tip only... WRITE!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] All the support groups in the world won't prepare you for the one thing you need in this world, and that is to just, 'WRITE!'[/caption]

That's right folks, most people say that you should, 'write what you know,' and you know what? That is a good point, but for me (and I have been writing in various forms since I was, '5',) instead of starting with, 'write what you know', try, 'write what you love'... And don't get overly caught up in every single detail down to where the rocks in the story are located!

Now before I go on I should say that you should try to make your story as accurate as possible, all I am saying is to let the words flow out of you, and if you need to research something for historical accuracy, or something about a mechanical device or whatever, do so, just don't spend six months planning out, 'chapter 1' in extreme detail, and then another 6 months researching... let's say, 'A Pentium 3 computer' down to the history of the factory where the metal that was used to build the case came from.  Just write what you love, and the words will flow from you, and as you need to do research on something the, 'write what you know' part will come to play!

So rather or not you are a Science Fiction fan and want to write the next great intergalactic epic, or are a romance writer and want to write about the latest and greatest love affair, try, 'writing what you love,' and then the, 'writing what you know,' will come as you write, and trust me when I say that the words will flow freely... And well, in the end you may not always come out with the next great American novel, you will get to a novel that I assure you, that you will love reading as much as writing... But in the end despite all else, don't plan to write, just do what the Nike commercials used to say and, 'Just Do It!'

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="150"] Trust me when I say that, 'when you write what you love,' you will, 'love what you wrote!'[/caption]

Writing A, 'Killer' Backstory

If you’re a fan of the horror genre like I am, but are new to the field of creative writing, but are intending to produce a horror script (rather it be a Screen Play for TV or for a Movie, or heck even for manuscript that you wish to get published.) Then I thought that I would put down in to words a few tips that I thought that you guys or girls might be able to use when crafting the backstory for your Killer for your work of horror fiction!

The first thing that I thought that I would mention is that when it comes to Slasher Movies or any movie that has a flesh and blood (non-paranormal) killer in it, usually before the killer became the person they would become later, there would be some form of tragedy (usually something involving Children or Family as the plot device for making the killer the man (or woman) he or she would become!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 'Cropsey'... One of the lesser known killers from the classic 80s Slasher movie, 'The Burning' (1981)[/caption]

A couple of examples of this being:

1. Jason Voorhees became a serial killer after the cruelty he endured at Camp Crystal Lake, and ultimately seeing the one person in all-the world that actually loved him murdered (his mother).

2. Michael Myers became the man he is today because in the original series he was possessed by a demon that had him kill off his family, and in the new series he was crazy because of the torture he had to endure from the children at School and the abuse he suffered at home!

3. And yet another example is Norman Bates, who would go on to become a killer due to the obsession he had with his mother and the fear of what would happen if the truth about his mother’s death came to life!

Of course you can do any number of reasons for it, I mean ultimately Arnie Cunningham (from the Stephen King novel/movie: Christine) became the killer that he ended up being, honestly due primarily to the Demon in the car that he drove taking possession of him and rotting him away inside (I just mention the family or children thing from above because that seems to be the most traditional.)

Also another cool thing (although I have noticed this becoming more and more of a trend in the last decade or so,) but another interesting way to create a Killer’s Backstory, is if you are planning on creating a franchise around this particular horror movie/TV Series/Book, then I would recommend making the killer in Act 1 (the first book or movie, or the pilot episode), someone completely mysterious…

The reason being that I have found is that it seems to help to create the initial legend and mystique that the story tends to lose bit by bit with each successive sequel.

The next thing that I thought that I would mention here is the creation of a sort of mystique surrounding the killer in your book/movie/TV show…

At this point though, you might be asking yourself “How does letting people know the myth and legend work with what was mentioned above?”

Well it is true that a lot of times when people in the past have used this technique, they have let people know exactly who it was that the legend was about… (I,e. Jason Voorhees in the Friday The 13th Remake.)

But, (and if you have seen the original Friday The 13th movie then you might understand what I am talking about), but instead of letting people know who the killer is early on, you kind of (as Crazy Ralph from the first two Friday The 13th movies would put it), let people that there is a, ‘Death Curse’ associated with whatever the killer stalking grounds are… This way, it sets people up for the gore to come, but leaves the killer completely mysterious!

Now I know that this isn’t quite back story stuff that I just mentioned above, but the way that I would tie in all of this to the killer’s back story would be a couple of different ways that can be used either individually or collectively:

1. The area where all of these events are taking place could be where the trauma that led to the person becoming a killer occurred.

2. It could also be the last area where the killer was happy (and thus he is trying to keep people off of his land), etc…

3. As is the case with Jason Voorhees it could be the area where someone important to the killer was murdered at (and thus he is trying to keep the area clear…)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Michael Myers... The legendary killer from thr Halloween series.[/caption]

The next thing that most killers in movies (this isn’t necessarily true in novels), but in movies the serial killer tends to where some form of costume (or just a mask). Now generally speaking in movies these costumes or masks don’t really seem to be specific to anything (although they later become that)… What I would recommend is making it specific to the killer in your story (I haven’t had the chance to really use this as yet for my own work, but I saw this beautifully done in the movie, The Prowler (1981), where the killer dressed up in world war 2 fatigues to kill his victims… Now I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, so I won’t go in to the exact reasons why, except to say that it was relevant to the killer’s backstory!)

The last thing that I wanted to mention is this… When doing your killers back story, be original, don’t try to copy those writers that came before you… First off, most of the time people don’t really pull it off right… And second off, (and I don’t mean to be judgmental when I say this), but unless you have no other choice, I have found in the books that I read and the movies that I watch, where this occurs, that the quality of the movie (not to mention the killer himself tends to suffer!)

Anyway, I hope that you have found this well, and that if anything that this helps you when you are writing that horror Novel, Movie, or TV Script!

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