The Key Dancer Chronicles

Word To You

2012-01-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

If you ever feel overwhelmed with sitting down (the hardest part) and writing, just remember:

Writing a story, regardless of length, beginsalways with a single word.

Migraine

2011-12-20T19:54:00.000-08:00

A migraine is the cockblock of writing.

Description as Action

2011-12-14T10:18:00.000-08:00

As writer of prose fiction, one of the most perplexing things is howmuch or how little description? This question has plagued me for years. As areader, and let’s face it, every writer should be an avid reader, I’m always gauginghow masterful authors handle the description conundrum. Charles Dickens mightdevote three paragraphs; Richard Stark might devote a sentence. Yeah, itvaries.

I’ve always tried to write like the recipe for sled dog pemmican: 2/3protein and 1/3 fat. The protein being the action; the fat, description. (I’lllet you do the math in how that breaks down into an average sentence of ten words.)

Description is two-fold. On one side, it creates a picture for thereader using all the senses—sight, sound, touch, taste, and feel. How much andhow many sensory descriptions depends on the story you’re telling. The other sideof description is that it can slow the action down to a death crawl. And we don’twant to do that when we’re writing our prose, no. That makes readers stopreading, check their watches, get bored, close the book.

Elmore Leonard once wrote try toleave out the part that readers tend to skip. I’d bet Leonard, in hislaconic bit of wisdom, was talking about either lengthy description or superfluousexposition. I’m tending toward the former, though.

Speaking of Leonard, here’s the entire reason, the raison d'être, forthis piece. Finally, right? Description as action. I read a wide range of books,currently: Charles Dickens’ Bleak Houseand Elmore Leonard’s Out Of Sight.

Regarding the latter, there was a passage, close to the end of Out Of Sight (page 318) that made me stop and re-read (in good way). In allmy reading, I don’t think I’ve read another author doing this, but it works.Here it is:

Inthe wide second-floor hallway—lined with paintings of horses and fox hunts ondark oak paneling, upholstered chairs and lamps on bombe chests—Maurice said toFoley, “All right now, you and Mr. Buddy go on check the other rooms. Look atthe wall behind any pictures hanging on it. Look at the wall in the closets,behind the clothes.”

Leonard could have written something like:

Thewide second-floor hallway was lined with paintings of horses and fox hunts ondark oak paneling, upholstered chairs and lamps on bombe chests. There, Mauricesaid to Foley, “All right now, you and Mr. Buddy go on check the other rooms. Lookat the wall behind any pictures hanging on it. Look at the wall in the closets,behind the clothes.”

I removed “In,” added “was,” removed the parenthetical em dashes, andadded “there.” Now it’s two sentences. It still works, but not as well. Theaction is broken up. The sentence of description just kind of hangs there, and is passive with the addition of "was." Leonard made the description as action—the masterful way.

Whatever you’re reading, check out how well (or how clumsy) the authorkeeps your eye moving across the page with their words. Does the author keepthe action moving but drain the description down to anemic levels? Does the authorclog the narrative arteries with cholesterolic descriptive passages? Or doesthe reader somehow keep the prose healthy, flowing in a fine balance?

So that’s your assignment. Now pick up a book or e-reader and go!

Mark Twain was a Sagittarius, too.

2011-11-30T07:53:00.001-08:00

"A person who won't read has no advantage over one who can't read."
Happy 176th birthday, Mark Twain.

The Best Way To Revise Your Own Work

2011-11-30T07:15:00.001-08:00

I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living shit out of it.

Write Naked

2011-11-21T08:16:00.001-08:00

When you're writing what you love, it's the most fun you can have with your clothing still on, unless of course, you write naked.

27 Ways To Write Like Hemingway

2011-09-27T08:59:00.000-07:00

"For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can."

~Ernest Hemingway

Not every reader, or writer for that matter, likes Hemingway. In fact, a few I've talked to downright loathe him. That's fine. One thing that cannot be denied, however, is the man knew how to write and write well. (He wasn't given the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954 for nothing.)

In the 30 or so years I've been writing and the 10 or so years I've been editing other people's writing, I've found these 27 tips that Hemingway put down quite useful. In addition to useful, I've found they become more truthful each successive year of my vocation. Some of my favorite authors, Ray Bradbury, Tobias Wolff, and David Morrell, have all mentioned their influence by the illustrious author.

Use them to improve your writing, ignore them at your own peril. (OK, I ignore #19 because I don't fish.)

#1 Start with the simplest things
#2 Boil it down
#3 Know what to leave out
#4 Write the tip of the ice-berg, leave the rest under the water
#5 Watch what happens today
#6 Write what you see
#7 Listen completely
#8 Write when there is something you know, and not before
#9 Look at words as if seeing them for the first time
#10 Use the most conventional punctuation you can
#11 Ditch the dictionary
#12 Distrust adjectives
#13 Learn to write a simple declarative sentence
#14 Tell a story in six words
#15 Write poetry into prose
#16 Read everything so you know what you need to beat
#17 Don’t try to beat Shakespeare
#18 Accept that writing is something you can never do as well as it can be done
#19 Go fishing in summer
#20 Don’t drink when you’re writing
#21 Finish what you start
#22 Don’t worry. You’ve written before and you will write again
#23 Forget posterity. Think only of writing truly
#24 Write as well as you can with no eye on the market
#25 Write clearly – and people will know if you are being true
#26 Just write the truest sentence that you know
#27 Remember that nobody really knows or understands the secret

These 27 tips came from Ernest Hemingway On Writing.

No heart, no scares

2011-04-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a tip for horror writers that I've learned not only as an author, but as a reader of the genre for over 31 years...

If you focus on the humanity of your stories, your characters, then the horror will be stronger, scarier. Without the humanity, the horror becomes nothing more than a tawdry parlor trick. All flash and no magic, and worst of all, no heart.

Grab us with heart and the scares will follow.

Making It Count: An Author’s Guide to Hitting Daily/Weekly WC

2011-02-28T22:51:00.000-08:00

When one begins a novel (the one I’m currently working on will be an approximate 150,000–160,000 words), you may begin with reckless abandon and without caution, as if crossing the Gobi Desert in mid-day without implements for survival, chiefly shelter from the unrelenting sun and gallons of water, your journey, needless to say, will be short-lived.

The following are a few tips to keep you from getting scorched.

Short sides and back

2010-11-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

An involuntary new hairstyle from the new girl at the barber shop. Something like John Dillinger wore or Bogie had in TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. I consider myself retro, but there's a limit.

The October Country

2010-10-19T01:27:00.000-07:00

My conclusion to Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes: An Appreciation on Forces of Geek.

New article at Forces of Geek

2010-09-18T13:19:00.001-07:00

Check out part one of my two-part Forces of Geek article Something Wicked This Way Comes: An Appreciation. Hop aboard the autumn train, won't you?

Comforting

2010-05-01T01:08:00.000-07:00

Why is Jack so happy? Check out my latest Forces of Geek article. Just click on the photo of the laughing homicidal maniac below. You may just find some comfort in it...

Take note of my spiffy new signature box, too. Bonus points if you can name
the actor excerpted.

Writing is as Easy as ABDCE

2010-03-19T22:54:00.000-07:00

Is writing easy? Check out my latest post for Forces of Geek. Click on the King of Gonzo below.

New Forces of Geek article

2010-01-04T18:55:00.000-08:00

I'm terrible about updating this page, but alas, here is the first post for 2010. "My God, it's full of stars." (Sorry, a little 2010 humor there.)

Anyway, my latest post Journey To the Center of the Myth: Atonement With the Father is up and running. If you wish to read the remainder of my posts, just click on the little tag below either "DR" or "Clown in the Moonlight" and my complete works with show up.

Click on the box to take you to the article:

Happy New Year!

Film Quote of the Day!

2009-12-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Humphrey Bogart as the conscience-challenged Fred C. Dobbs

FRED C. DOBBS
Conscience. What a thing. If you believe you got a conscience it'll pester you to death. But if you don't believe you got one, what could it do t'ya? Makes me sick, all this talking and fussing about nonsense.

I recently shared The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with a group of friends. I was reminded, once again, at what a brilliant, poignant film that it is. It is one of my top five all-time favorite motion pictures. The John Huston-directed film is a testament to filmmaking at its finest—from the brilliantly adapted Huston screenplay (from the B. Traven novel) where every scene pays off, through the fantastic performances of each actor, and to Max Steiner's rousing, leitmotif score.  

If you haven't uncovered the mother lode that is The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, I suggest you do it soon...

I also included Fred C. Dobbs, one of my favorite film characters ever, in my May article of Forces of Geek.

Solitude

2009-10-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

I can tell you that solitude

Is not all exaltation, inner space

Where the soul breathes and work can be done.

Solitude exposes the nerve,

Raises up ghosts.

The past, never at rest, flows through it.

From “Gestalt at Sixty” by May Sarton

The Four Noble Truths

2009-10-20T06:44:00.000-07:00

1. Life means suffering.

To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

The origin of suffering is attachment to transient things and the ignorance thereof. Transient things do not only include the physical objects that surround us, but also ideas, and -in a greater sense- all objects of our perception. Ignorance is the lack of understanding of how our mind is attached to impermanent things. The reasons for suffering are desire, passion, ardour, pursuit of wealth and prestige, striving for fame and popularity, or in short: craving and clinging. Because the objects of our attachment are transient, their loss is inevitable, thus suffering will necessarily follow. Objects of attachment also include the idea of a "self" which is a delusion, because there is no abiding self. What we call "self" is just an imagined entity, and we are merely a part of the ceaseless becoming of the universe.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

The cessation of suffering can be attained through nirodha. Nirodha means the unmaking of sensual craving and conceptual attachment. The third noble truth expresses the idea that suffering can be ended by attaining dispassion. Nirodha extinguishes all forms of clinging and attachment. This means that suffering can be overcome through human activity, simply by removing the cause of suffering. Attaining and perfecting dispassion is a process of many levels that ultimately results in the state of Nirvana. Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas. Nirvana is not comprehensible for those who have not attained it.

4. The path to the cessation of suffering.

There is a path to the end of suffering - a gradual path of self-improvement, which is described more detailed in the Eightfold Path. It is the middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism); and it leads to the end of the cycle of rebirth. The latter quality discerns it from other paths which are merely "wandering on the wheel of becoming," because these do not have a final object. The path to the end of suffering can extend over many lifetimes, throughout which every individual rebirth is subject to karmic conditioning. Craving, ignorance, delusions, and its effects will disappear gradually, as progress is made on the path.

Origin.

Walla Walla Book Signing

2009-10-17T00:45:00.001-07:00

It was important that my first author signing was in my hometown. Don't get me wrong, Seattle and Portland are cool, and those signings will be fanatically fun, but Walla Walla had to be the number one stop on this short book tour.

The Walla Walla Valley has always held a creative sway over me, many of my best ideas have been hatched in its verdant valley, under the gaze of the Blue Mountains. My friend Tricia told me it was like Odysseus finally coming home after 20 years away. Fine, I'll take it.

OK, the truth is finally revealed...

I am Dr. Robert Twombly (well, at least I ghostwrote the manuscript for him).

I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone.

Darren was one of my favorite patrons. He's 10-years-old, and I was a little shocked that he was buying my book—it's rated-R, PG-13 at the very least. Some of Chris Lane's gloriously gory illustrations even turn my stomach. But Darren had seen Zombieland, every Romero movie—probably every undead film ever made: he's a huge fan.

We had a long, good chat.

Pens and coffee and water: all essential things during a signing.

The book sold out within an hour. I couldn't be more proud of my hometown patrons who showed up on a Wednesday night.

I really do feel fortunate for this opportunity. It was so much fun to talk to fans about films, books, storytelling, and everything. Signing books aside, I just like to meet people.

Now, I can't wait for Portland and Seattle...

Photos by Molly M. Ulmen

The Joy of Music

2009-10-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

Two songs have haunted me since Saturday... two Joy Division songs: "Digital" and "Dead Souls."

I can't listen to each of them enough.

Perhaps it's the autumnal feeling in my heart and in the air. There are certain persons in my life whom these songs spark images, emotions, pain, and some joy. You decide...
(Click on the link to hear the song if you choose.)

DIGITAL

Feel it closing in,
Feel it closing in,
The fear of whom I call,
Every time I call,
I feel it closing in,
I feel it closing in,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out.

I feel it closing in,
As patterns seem to form.
I feel it cold and warm.
The shadows start to fall.
I feel it closing in,
I feel it closing in,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out,
Day in, day out.

I'd have the world around,
To see just whatever happens,
Stood by the door alone,
And then its fade away.
I see you fade away.
Don't ever fade away.
I need you here today.
Don't ever fade away.
Don't ever fade away.
Don't ever fade away.
Don't ever fade away.
Fade away. Fade away.
Fade away. Fade away.
Fade away. Fade away.
Fade away.

DEAD SOULS

Someone take these dreams away,
That point me to another day,
A duel of personalities,
That stretch all true realities.

That keep calling me,
They keep calling me,
Keep on calling me,
They keep calling me.

Where figures from the past stand tall,
And mocking voices ring the halls.
Imperialistic house of prayer,
Conquistadors who took their share.

That keep calling me,
They keep calling me,
Keep on calling me,
They keep calling me.

Calling me, calling me, calling me, calling me.

They keep calling me,
Keep on calling me,
They keep calling me,
They keep calling me.

Lyrics by Ian Curtis

Four Tenants of Chung Tai

2009-09-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

"To our elders be respectful,
To our juniors be kind;
With all humanity be harmonious,
In all endeavors be true."
--Grand Master Wei Chueh of Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan

An important lesson that I learned last night: Respect, kindness, harmony, and truthfulness. Keep them in your heart and your world, and those around you, will change.

The Uses of Sorrow

2009-09-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)

Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
--Mary Oliver

I read this today in Mary Oliver's fine collection of poems, Thirst. Somehow, it helped me to make sense of the confusion and pain that currently spills over in my heart's cup...

Welcome To My Nightmare

2009-07-11T02:07:00.000-07:00

Over on the Chronicle Books site, they have a feature where you can view the first few pages of my new Zombies book.

Click on the book below to take a look within... You've been warned!

Rangers Lead The Way

2009-06-06T17:52:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post something special for the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, which occurred in Normandy, France on June 6, 1944. You can read more about the landing here. And check out this clip. I wanted to honor the Rangers of Second and Fifth Battalions who fought and gave their lives on that day at Point du Hoc.

Also, I want to honor the Rangers with whom I have had the honor to serve with during my years of service 1989-1993, particularly MSG (ret.) Howard "Mad Max" Mullen, Jr., who was the sergeant of 3rd platoon, in Charlie Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion.

Mullen recently visited the Ranger Memorial at Fort Benning, Georgia and shot a photo of my Ranger Memorial stone. I hope, someday, to take my family to the memorial so that we can see the stone together.

Anytime that my five-year-old daughter sees soldier in uniform, either in a photo, film, or reality, she asks, "Is that a Ranger, dad?" Most of the time I have to tell her no. The Rangers are a special breed. They are few and far between.

It has been an honor knowing those few.

If you know someone who either graduated from Ranger School or served in a Ranger Battalion, you can click here and then type in their name. If you don't find the name you're searching for, you can always purchase a stone, which will both honor your Ranger and help to maintain the memorial.

Rangers Lead The Way!

The Art and Craft of the Thrill

2009-05-26T09:21:00.000-07:00

Legendary James Bond author Ian Fleming wrote this little 1300-word article for Show magazine in 1962—a rather revealing story about the art of the craft of writing. It's also important to note that Stephen King, in his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft also writes 2,000 words per day, everyday, until his novel is complete. While Fleming talks about 60,000-word novels, King recommends (for him) the mammoth 180,000-word kind. What do these two writers have in common besides multi-million dollar franchises and world-renowned popularity? Well, just that. And something too that the would-be writer should possess, myself included, unflinching diligence to your craft. Will you achieve the success of either? Doubtful. But why not try to hit one out of the ball park, right Babe?

HOW TO WRITE A THRILLER
by Ian Fleming

People often ask me, “How do you manage to think of that? What an extraordinary (or sometimes extraordinarily dirty) mind you must have.” I certainly have got vivid powers of imagination, but I don't think there is anything very odd about that.

We are all fed fairy stories and adventure stories and ghost stories for the first 20 years of our lives, and the only difference between me and perhaps you is that my imagination earns me money.

But, to revert to my first book, Casino Royale, there are strong incidents in the book which are all based on fact. I extracted them from my wartime memories of the Naval Intelligence Division of the Admiralty, dolled them up, attached a hero, a villain and a heroine, and there was the book.

The first was the attempt on Bond's life outside the Hotel Splendide. SMERSH had given two Bulgarian assassins box camera cases to hang over their shoulders. One was of red leather and the other one blue. SMERSH told the Bulgarians that the red one contained a bomb and the blue one a powerful smoke screen, under cover of which they could escape.

One was to throw the red bomb and the other was then to press the button on the blue case. But the Bulgars mistrusted the plan and decided to press the button on the blue case and envelop themselves in the smoke screen before throwing the bomb.

In fact, the blue case also contained a bomb powerful enough to blow both the Bulgars to fragments and remove all evidence which might point to SMERSH.

Farfetched, you might say. In fact, this was the method used in the Russian attempt on Von Papen's life in Ankara in the middle of the war. On that occasion the assassins were also Bulgarians and they were blown to nothing while Von Papen and his wife, walking from their house to the embassy; were only bruised by the blast.

So you see the line between fact and fantasy is a very narrow one. I think I could trace most of the central incidents in my books to some real happenings.

We thus come to the final and supreme hurdle in the writing of a thriller. You must know thrilling things before you can write about them. Imagination alone isn't enough, but stories you hear from friends or read in the papers can be built up by a fertile imagination and a certain amount of research and documentation into incidents that will also ring true in fiction.

Having assimilated all this encouraging advice, your heart will nevertheless quail at the physical effort involved in writing even a thriller. I warmly sympathise with you. I too, am lazy My heart sinks when I contemplate the two or three hundred virgin sheets of foolscap[*] I have to besmirch with more or less well chosen words in order to produce a 60,000 word book.

One of the essentials is to create a vacuum in my life which can only be satisfactorily filled by some form of creative work—whether it be writing, painting, sculpting, composing or just building a boat - I was about to get married—a prospect which filled me with terror and mental fidget. To give my hands something to do, and as an antibody to my qualms about the marriage state after 43 years as a bachelor, I decided one day to damned well sit down and write a book.

The therapy was successful. And while I still do a certain amount of writing in the midst of my London Life, it is on my annual visits to Jamaica that all my books have been written.

But, failing a hideaway such as I possess, I can recommend hotel bedrooms as far removed from your usual "life" as possible. Your anonymity in these drab surroundings and your lack of friends and distractions will create a vacuum which should force you into a writing mood and, if your pocket is shallow, into a mood which will also make you write fast and with application. I do it all on the typewriter, using six fingers. The act of typing is far less exhausting than the act of writing, and you end up with a more or less clean manuscript The next essential is to keep strictly to a routine.

I write for about three hours in the morning—from about 9:30 till 12:30, and I do another hour's work between six and seven in the evening. At the end of this I reward myself by numbering the pages and putting them away in a spring-back folder. The whole of this four hours of daily work is devoted to writing narrative.

I never correct anything and I never go back to what I have written, except to the foot of the last page to see where I have got to. If you once look back, you are lost. How could you have written this drivel? How could you have used "terrible" six times on one page? And so forth. If you interrupt the writing of fast narrative with too much introspection and self-criticism, you will be lucky if you write 500 words a day and you will be disgusted with them into the bargain. By following my formula, you write 2,000 words a day and you aren't disgusted with them until the book is finished, which will be in about six weeks.

I don't even pause from writing to choose the right word or to verify spelling or a fact. All this can be done when your book is finished.

When my book is completed I spend about a week going through it and correcting the most glaring errors and rewriting passages. I then have it properly typed with chapter headings and all the rest of the trimmings. I then go through it again, have the worst pages retyped and send it off to my publisher.

They are a sharp-eyed bunch at Jonathan Cape and, apart from commenting on the book as a whole, they make detailed suggestions which I either embody or discard. Then the final typescript goes to the printer and in due course the galley or page proofs are there and you can go over them with a fresh eye. Then the book is published and you start getting letters from people saying that Vent Vert is made by Balmain and not by Dior, that the Orient Express has vacuum and not hydraulic brakes, and that you have mousseline sauce and not Bearnaise with asparagus.

Such mistakes are really nobody's fault except the author's, and they make him blush furiously when he sees them in print. But the majority of the public does not mind them or, worse, does not even notice them, and it is a dig at the author's vanity to realise how quickly the reader's eye skips across the words which it has taken him so many months to try to arrange in the right sequence.

But what, after all these labours, are the rewards of writing and, in my case, of writing thrillers?

First of all, they are financial. You don't make a great deal of money from royalties and translation rights and so forth and, unless you are very industrious and successful, you could only just about live on these profits, but if you sell the serial rights and the film rights, you do very well. Above all, being a successful writer is a good life. You don't have to work at it all the time and you carry your office around in your head. And you are far more aware of the world around you.

Writing makes you more alive to your surroundings and, since the main ingredient of living, though you might not think so to look at most human beings, is to be alive, this is quite a worthwhile by-product of writing.

[*] Foolscap is paper cut to the size of 8½ × 13½ inches (216 × 343 mm).

SOURCE: Licensed To Kill

Trek Yourself (before you wreck yourself)

2009-04-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection

2009-04-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's official! Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection is available. Here it is at the Chronicle Books website. And at the Amazon site. Book signing dates coming soon!

You’re in Deep… Snow! Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Book

2009-04-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

As promised, my debut Forces of Geek article appeared online today... Click here to play in the snow...

Geeks and the Guild

2009-03-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am officially a member of The Authors Guild. What's that mean? Well, it means that although I've been an author for a few years now, I still get that nice little buzz from saying, "I belong to The Authors Guild." But wait, there's more! My website will soon be online courtesy of the guild. It will feature news and updates of books (and/or movies) that I'm working on, where to find my books, and any public appearances that you might want to avoid.

Also, I am now a writing for Forces of Geek. I will contribute an 800-word column the third Friday of every month. Friday, April 17 will be the first column, and it will be in regards to deep snow, writing, and trying to survive both. Trust me, it will be much more entertaining than it sounds.

The title of my column Clown in the Moonlight is based on the Lon Chaney, Sr. quote: "There's nothing funny about a clown in the moonlight." It seemed apt. Here are some images just to confirm that Lon Chaney, Sr. knew what he was talking about.

I also want to offer a exceedingly large thanks to Jeremy Drysdale for putting in a good word for me to FOG, and to Stefan Blitz, the FOG commander-in-chief, for actually believing Jeremy and allowing me to contribute.

NOTE: No Clowns Were Harmed®, at midnight or otherwise, during the writing of this blog.

NOTE #2: Well, maybe just a little...

But I'll Do the Writin' Until the Writin' Man Comes...

2009-03-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's been over two months since my last post as I have been busy working on not one, not two, but THREE books!

ZOMBIES! is done for Chronicle Books (featuring the art of Chris Lane) and will be out this autumn.

VAMPIRES TALES is done for Scholastic Book Clubs and will also be out this autumn.

And THE RUNNER, a novel that I am co-writing with D. Michael Tompkins will be out via Tigress Publishing in spring 2010 -- just in time for Major League Baseball spring training! (You'll know why when you read it. And you will read it, right?)

I will write a more proper, thorough update a bit later on some of these projects and future stuff. Until then, enjoy the fine music of Sonny Boy Williamson...

Peace On Earth and Love To Everyone...

2008-12-24T16:22:00.000-08:00

Geek Love

2008-12-11T02:46:00.001-08:00

It's been over a month since my last post -- so many book and screenplay outlines, so little time. I'll report more on the success and failure of each at a later date. However, the experience has helped me to ratchet up my story-telling abilities and to really use the "beat sheet." I thought I was too old and too seasoned to read any more how-to screenwriting books, but I've found the two by Blake Snyder to be refreshing and thought-provoking. His beat sheet has really been a tremendous tool to help me reevaluate past screenplays that came up short in narrative and execution. I feel confident that I have a "secret weapon" to go back and attack these troubled scripts in the not-too-distant future.

It's also got me thinking about Joseph Campbell's heroic journey paradigm from his immutable The Hero With A Thousand Faces. Just to prove that I'm not joking about heroes, here's one of my favorite t-shirts that I wear much too much. But as a writer, you have to take the muse where you can get it. Venture on!

Barack Me, Obama!

2008-11-10T22:45:00.000-08:00

Our new president!

A Change Is Gonna Come

2008-10-25T16:38:00.001-07:00

It's Zombie Time!

2008-10-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Currently, I am writing up a proposal for zombie book, a spoof based on the popular Gnomes book published back in 1977. (My friend Alan Schaub first introduced me to the magical book back in 1979.) So right now, I am working with the designer, illustrator, and editor to put a proposal together for interested (hopefully) publishers. This is the way it works in the publishing world. It's not all that different than being a film production company and pitching a movie idea to a studio. (Though book pitchers are usually more successful since it doesn't cost millions and millions of dollars to publish a book.)

Anyway, I spent the day doing my favorite thing -- research! Yes, I know: I'm a zombie fan and I've seen nearly every film and read many popular works as well. But you must do research! All dramatic and entertainment possibilities for the zombie book must be milked (or is it bled?).

So then I came across this little gem. It's a test. Don't even try to study for it -- just answer as truthfully as you can. (RE: Don't say you own guns if you don't.)

Remember, if you don't prepare for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, when will you...?

91%

My Dog Rosa

2008-10-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

The family and I spent a magical Saturday morning watching My Dog Skip. The heart-wrenching film is based on Willie Morris’ moving, autobiographical novel. Both the book and movie bust me up inside. It makes me yearn for my yesteryear dances across backyards and monkey-tailed climbs up apricot trees in the summers of the mid-1970s.

Morris’ work—much like my beloved author Ray Bradbury—somehow captures all those childhood feelings in a jar like so many fireflies, illuminating our darker, adult years with joy and nostalgia that makes your heart ache. I remember so many childhood dogs that I had—paw-trotting beside me as I pulled a friend in a Radio Flyer wagon over endless sidewalks or tongue-wagging along side when I piston-peddled my orange Schwinn bicycle down old Elizabeth Street in Milton-Freewater, Oregon.

After the movie, Autumn bundled up Rosa, her childhood dog, inside her Dalmatian blanket. They cuddled up together on Rosa’s bed. The moment was timeless; I had to capture it. Someday, when Autumn, like her dad, is middle-aged, and she holds up those nostalgic fireflies, I hope this photo will illuminate the darkness within her heart, too.

The Curse of Frankenstein

2008-08-14T23:35:00.000-07:00

Too restless to sleep, I decided to do "something creative." Attempting to fall asleep to a good horror movie—The Curse of Frankenstein starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, an idea occurred.

What if I piecemealed a poem together—like Victor Frankenstein piecemealed a man together—out of select words (rather than body parts)?

And so, on the back of the Warner Bros. DVD, I borrowed a word or three from each line of the description to put my own private little monster poem together. Ah!

If you wish, try it at home and post your results—try anything: words out of the newspaper, off a cereal box, a Slim-Fast ad... anything!

The Curse of Frankenstein

Science:

Victor Frankenstein

Discovered life’s secret

And unleashed—

Resulting:

A cursed creature

With a horrid face

And a tendency to kill.

“Please Try Not To Faint.”

The Original TOY STORY

2008-07-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

I caught this four-minute film on cable about 14 years ago. I found it on YouTube and am happy that I did. If you're a fan of stop-motion animation or classic GI Joes from 1964-1978, check this sweet little film out. A precursor to Pixar's Toy Story indeed.

E.T. Might Phone Home...

2008-06-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

... but he should refrain from watching a damn movie on it. At least a David Lynch film.

I'd have to concur with the Auteur. There is no experiencing a film unless its just you and it -- and a few considerate people who won't chatter, chomp popcorn, or answer their frigging cell phone -- in a darkened room, enveloped with picture and sound. Letting it all wash over you.

Hang up. Seek the darkness.

Quote of the Day

2008-06-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

"The first essential, the life and soul, so to speak, of Tragedy [drama] is the Plot; and that the Characters come second—compare the parallel in painting, where the most beautiful colors laid on without order [unity] will not give one the same pleasure as a simple black-and-white sketch of a portrait."

Aristotle, Poetics

Film Quote of the Day!

2008-06-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

From Sid & Nancy, written by Alex Cox and Abbe Wool

NANCY
I'll never look like Barbie. Barbie doesn't have bruises.

The Greatest Meets The Greatest

2008-06-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

The greatest athlete of all time, Muhammad Ali, meets the greatest vocalist of all time, Sam Cooke.

In a word: charming.

Not Fade Away

2008-06-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

R.I.P
Bo Diddley
Dec. 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008

Rock Around The Clock

2008-05-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Photo by Michelle Taylor

I bought this rock in a gift shop when I was on vacation at Cannon Beach, Oregon last summer. Since then, I have kept it in my pocket, or where I can see it, as a constant reminder to always create, to always be telling stories.

Formula For Success?

2008-05-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

I found this while researching a project. I've never read a Harry Potter book or seen a film adaptation, so I will trust that these "revisions" are accurate.

I doubt J.K. Rowling ripped off George Lucas. (Hell, Star Wars is nothing more than an amalgam of Flash Gordon serials, westerns, and samurai films.)

More importantly, it's a great example of Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey—a universal story paradigm—as illustrated in his magnificent book The Hero With A Thousand Faces.

Luke Skywalker. Harry Potter. Nine hundred and ninety-eight heroes to go...

The 48 HRS. Diaries

2008-05-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Screenwriter Larry Gross, one of the last writers on 48 HRS., Walter Hill's buddy cop film that made Eddie Murphy a star—and is probably my favorite buddy cop film—kept a journal during his rewrites.

This is fascinating stuff for any screenwriter or fan of the film. Part One is now up with more to follow. Keep checking back.

48 HRS. is one of those films I saw in my youth—at The Milton-Freewater Drive-In—when I was already scripting home movies and writing stories. (This film was a milestone, too, as it was the first movie that I was able to drive 16-year-old self and friends to rather than begging a reluctant parent to take a carload of film fanatic boys. In my '67 Oldsmobile Toronado, AKA "The Blue Lemon.)

48 HRS. was a major influence. Walter Hill's film boasts some great laughs, a rousing James Horner score, and some suspenseful set pieces, sure. But to me, it was one of the first films that I saw that dealt with the issues of race and racism in such a frank, non-politically correct manner. This is something today that I continue to explore in my work today.

REGGIE: You said bullshit and experience is all it takes, right?
JACK: Right.
REGGIE: Come on in and experience some of my bullshit.

Film Quote of the Day!

2008-05-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

From the film Network by the legendary Paddy Chayefsky:

HOWARD BEALE

I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth; banks are going bust; shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter; punks are running wild in the street, and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it.

We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. And we sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be!

We all know things are bad—worse than bad—they're crazy.

It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out any more. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials, and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone."

Well, I'm not going to leave you alone.

I want you to get mad!

I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot. I don't want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street.

All I know is that first, you've got to get mad.

You've gotta say, "I'm a human being, goddammit! My life has value!"

So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell:

"I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

Not Tomorrow: Today!

2008-05-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

This rousing, haunting piece of film music to The Day After Tomorrow by composer Harald Kloser has been looping in my head all day.

At least it keeps the voices in there calm...

Give it a listen!

The Summer Movie I Wait For...

2008-05-12T12:07:00.001-07:00

Iron men, sure. Incredible hulks, okay. But then there was Dalton Trumbo. If you don't know about him, you should. As one of the Hollywood Ten, Trumbo was a great American screenwriter who went up against the House of Un-American Activities (HUAC) in 1947 and lost. Or did he?

Strong as iron, and as powerful as a green hulk, Dalton Trumbo stands the test of time. And he's got the film credits to prove it!

Trumbo was noted for writing his scripts by hand in the bath tub, as per the revealing poster image. How's that for pre-screenwriting software?

And hey, he was a writer who was a Sagittarius, so there's that, too!

The Trumbo documentary will be in limited release starting June 27, 2008. Hopefully, it will go wider within weeks of that date.

Film Quote of the Day!

2008-05-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

Major Kong (Slim Pickens in cowboy hat) is given the secret instructions to begin the end of the world in Stanley Kubrick's brilliant DR. STRANGELOVE.

MAJOR KONG

Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

American Civil Rights

2008-05-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

Currently, I am writing a screenplay that occurs during the American Civil Rights movement. The project, which has been a major undertaking, has had me research nearly 2,000 pages worth of material both in print and online.

Searching on You Tube today for some images of the Woolworth Lunch Counter sit-in in Greensboro, NC, on February 1, 1960 by four courageous African-American college students, I came across this clip. I cannot believe that this happened in the United States. The word "united" is just a bit too ironic here.

If these images don't affect you in some way, then I weep for you, too...

Block Party

2008-04-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Nothing's a better cure for writer's block than to eat ice cream right out of the carton.

I prefer Rum Raisin.

"Gortoz a ran"

2008-04-24T19:25:00.000-07:00

Yeah, okay, this post probably isn't any cheerier that yesterday's post. I must be in some kind of melancholy funk. However, I don't feel melancholy...more reflective, if you will.

Anyway, I recently purchased the Black Hawk Down soundtrack. I love the work of director Ridley Scott and composer Hans Zimmer when they collaborate. Magic happens. If you don't believe me, just play the Gladiator soundtrack.

When I first saw Black Hawk Down, I wept, panicked, and Michelle almost had to drag me out of the Manhattan theater during the scene when the first Black Hawk crashed into the Mogadishu street. But I braved through it. It was hard, because I was a Ranger in the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. I knew many of the Rangers who died during the Battle of Mogadishu, a botched smash-and-grab operation to obtain Mohamed Farrah Aidid: A former US Marine turned warlord who let over 300,000 fellow Somali people starve to death by taking control of all incoming food supplies and countering any Red Cross relief. A simple, UN peace-keeping mission gone horribly wrong.

In the aftermath, 18 US soldiers lost their lives and over 1,500 Somalis were dead. Though Aidid died in 1996 (succeeded by his son), violence against the innocent still persists today.

I have been feeling nostalgic as of late. First, my niece, Tiffany, wrote a college paper about the event a few months ago. She called me, asking for help. I relayed to her as much as I could about Ranger tactics and operations, and also what I knew that went down in 1993. Next, I recently found my old sergeant from Charlie Company, Howard "Mad Max" Mullen. Strangely, when I Googled him, I found out that he is an action figure. It figures. The man is a living, breathing action figure: fit, energetic, and inspiring. He did—and still does—bring out the best in me. He makes me want to achieve. He motivates me in a way only a Ranger sergeant can. So yes, I have been living vicariously in 1993 as of late.

After buying the film on Blu-ray, I re-watched Black Hawk Down. Though I can watch it "without incident," there is still a pang of sadness knowing that my Ranger brothers died on the shores of Somalia that fateful day in October 1993. During my time in the Ranger Battalion (1989-1993), I saw Rangers die in combat (Operation Just Cause), during training missions, and even by their own hand.

One track on the Black Hawk Down soundtrack, which plays for about 90 seconds at the end of the film, is "Gortoz a ran," translated from Breton means: "I Await." Lisa Gerrard's amazing voice, along with Denez Prigent, somehow are able too tap into that pang of sadness, vocalizing the internal. It is such a haunting melody, I encourage you to plug your headphones (or ear buds) into the computer and let it wash over you. In the last 24 hours, I have probably listened to this track 50 times. Yes, it's that moving.

And so, this is for you, my fellow 3/75 Rangers (Bravo Company), who died in Mogadishu on October 3, 1993:
CPL Jamie Smith
SPC James Cavaco
SGT Casey Joyce
PFC Richard "Alphabet" Kowalewski
SGT Dominick Pilla
SGT Lorenzo Ruiz

And to the other US soldiers who died, and to the Somali people, who today, are still subjected to undeserved violence and tyranny.

Rangers Lead The Way

On Death And Dying

2008-04-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

While I was doing some research for a supernatural thriller script of mine that I'm putting a polish on, I came across this image from the L.A. Herald Express, a tabloid rag started by W.R. Hearst in 1931. This is probably the most heart-breaking thing I've seen in a long time. Just thought I'd share it. There is a melancholy poetry to it and I cannot help looking at each of the children's faces over and over again.

It's finding weird shit on the Internet like this while working that makes my job so much more interesting than hen-pecking keys all day and most of the night.

My New Favorite Song, I Think...

2008-04-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Bless you Bob Marley for writing it.
Bless you Joe Strummer for recording it.

You both are deeply missed.

Anything but 'Bad' or 'Ugly'

2008-03-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Zanne send me this link with the subject line: "Thinking of You."

Not only was I flattered that Ennio Morricone's ethereal music reminded someone of me, but I was also bowled over by seeing The Maestro performing his iconic main title to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly in front of an sprawling, 120-piece (or so) orchestra. (I often have not had the opportunity to see Mr. Morricone "move," much less conduct, only still photographs.)

Maesto Morricone's music and Sergio Leone's films have been such a part of my life, like many other film geeks, I suppose, that I feel such a kinship with them. Those flickering images and wavering notes are the very make up of my being, cinematic chromosomes, if you will. All of which has had a tremendous influence on my writing and films.

And so, here is the Maestro performing the main title to the Leone's most splendid film:

"Casual Friday" — All Week Long!

2008-03-26T12:48:00.001-07:00

"Writing is a dog's life, but the only life worth living."
-Gustave Flaubert

If being a working writer (and editor) has only two advantages, it is:

1. The daily commute is 15 feet (from the bedroom to the computer).
2. You can wear pajamas to the office everyday.

It took me 10 years of working in corporate offices (27 years, if you count the years writing) to be able to finally earn the right to write those above words, but goddamn, it was well worth it.

All right, back to work (in my Aquaman pajamas).

"Always The Hours..."

2008-03-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

Talk about key dancing—I wish my fingers could dance on my computer keyboard as I try to make meaning of dramatic, and oft elusive metaphors, as Branka Parlic does—seemingly effortlessly—playing one of my favorite pieces of modern music: Philip Glass' The Hours. This performance was recorded in The Synagogue of Novi Sad, July 5th, 2005.

Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and let this eight minutes of splendor wash over you.

It might just help you wile away the hours...

Ruling Your World

2008-03-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

When he was about to sit down and pen his first screenplay, Pi, writer-director Darren Aronofsky was pensive—to say the least—about cracking out a feature film script. Filling 90-120 pages with engaging action, compelling characters, and snappy dialogue is no easy task, whether you're just beginning or a seasoned pro. And so he created six simple rules for himself.

Having written over 20 feature-length scripts myself, I find this as inspiring as Aronofsky must have writing his first.

These six little rules do not only pertain to screenplays—it could be that term paper you're having trouble writing, the pesky blog, that novel that just won't happen.

Have fun!

Darren Aronofsky’s Rules For Getting a Script Written Quickly and Efficiently:

1. Always move forward. If you have a problem, type through it.

2. Only take a break after something good happens on the page or you accomplish a goal. No breaks for confusion: type through it.

3. Ten pages a day minimum.

4. Only go back to add something. Do not remove contradictions, just make a note.

5. Do it. Suffer, live, cry, struggle.

6. Have fun.

On The Road Again

2008-03-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

"So, basically, The Odyssey is just one big road movie."
—Unknown

The Believer magazine has a wonderful little article on one of my favorite film genres, The Road Movie.

Hit the pedal to the metal and drive on over...

Cookin' With Sam

2008-03-09T20:08:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of Autumn with my Sam Cooke album I bought back in the summer of 1986. She grabbed the headphones, put them on, snatched my album, and said, "I’m listening to Sam Cooke." Moved beyond words, I naturally had to snap a photo.

"You send me, honestly you do..."

Death From S–Z: Serial Killers and Zombie Women

2008-03-09T14:47:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Autumn, my daughter

I have to give a shout out for my friend Ryan Hobson. He has illustrated all five of my books (the fifth one coming out this autumn), along with a number of projects that I have edited.

Ryan spends most of his day drawing dinosaurs, zoo animals, and unicorns for a Seattle-based book producer. But, like most of the people whom I call friends, there is always more than meets the eye.

Ryan has recently gotten attention for his Serial Killer Trivia Game and his Nagelnomicon site is finally online as L'eggo My Nagel.

The Serial Killer Trivia Game has been in the making ever since I met Ryan three years ago. He has spent years conceiving this game, drawing it, and building prototypes. His hard work has finally paid off, at least in recognition, and not without a few death threats. It’s my opinion that if you create art that annoys people, you’re on the right path. If you create art that elicits death threats—you’re golden!

Nagelnomicon, Ryan’s art exhibit, premiered at Seattle’s No Space art gallery in 2006. It is a riff on the work of 1980’s pop artist Patrick Nagel, most famous for the Duran Duran album cover Rio.

Since I’ve met him, Ryan has always proved to be a source of inspiration, artistic encouragement, and enjoyable collaboration.