Six foot two, eyes of blue...

The editor for my soon to be serialized story is currently making up the banner that will run across the top of it on the web page where the story will be published. I have no doubt it will be some kind of cool-looking graphic. But in order to create it, she needed to know about my main character. In particular, what he looks like. I had to describe his facial features, what he wears, etc., in pretty good detail. For some reason I found this incredibly difficult. I'm not really sure why. Maybe I just don't think of my characters except in sort of general characteristics, like "tall" or "red hair." Anyway, I got through it. I'm sure whatever my editor comes up with will be excellent judging by the banners on the other serialized stories over at Abandoned Towers. Oh, almost forgot, came up with an overarching title after batting a few possibilities around with my wife, who was very helpful:

The Dark Inspectre.

I like it!

And, as a bonus this weekend, I was able to work a little on that half written story of mine. Not a lot, but some. Hopefully I'll be able to do more soon. Yay!

Slowly but surely

Things are continuing to percolate with my various projects coming out in the next weeks/months. First of all, there's the digital cover (see below) for my short story coming out September 1 via Damnation Books. It's way cool, and I never would have thought of that image. I'm not very good coming up with conceptual art for these things, so I really appreciate the people who do.

And I've settled on a title for my continuing series that will be going up over at Abandoned Towers: The Dark Inspectre. So everything's going good, though it is making me increasingly nervous that I haven't gotten any edits back on any episodes except the first one, and it's supposed to launch Monday, Aug. 3, with new epi's every 2 weeks. I am still refraining from nagging my editor. And hopefully this weekend I will be able to get to that story I have half written. Hope springs eternal!

Title trouble

It's getting closer to when my serialized story is supposed to debut. First Episode is supposed to hit Aug. 3, with episodes every 2 weeks after that, and I've only gotten edits back on Episode 1! So naturally I'm getting a bit anxious and trying to resist the urge to nag my editor (get that hand off that keyboard!).

But something else is causing me mental angst. I've got to come up with an overarching title for the story, which will continue after the current series is complete, so it can't be just related to the story that's going to run in the next few weeks. It's got to tie in to the world I've created, or the main character, that sort of thing. And boy am I having trouble. The overall story is set in a near future where telepathy is possible. The main character is a cop who is not only telepathic, but can communicate with the dead. It's very noir and hard-boiled. My wife is trying to help with a title also, and we're both stumped.

In addition, I'm trying to concentrate with half my brain on a completely different story that I have half written and have been trying to find time to get back to. Progress in any of the above mentioned areas would be good!

And the beat goes on...

So, another rejection on a story that's making the rounds, and I mean a lot of rounds. sigh... Checked out another publications, shaped the story up, and sent it out again. And so it goes.

On the plus side, the publisher of Damnation Books is really getting the word out. Ads and the line up of the first authors are popping up at an awful lot of places. And these are mostly horror fiction sites, which I'm really not that familiar with, being more conversant with the scifi side of things. It's just cool to see my name there with the title of my short story in places that I frankly didn't know exist. It's all supposed to blow up large on Sept. 1. Yay!

And I'm still eagerly awaiting the next edits on episodes from my serial that's going up on Abandoned Towers next month. So far I've gotten Episode 1 back. Fourteen to go...

It's getting closer...

Damnation Books just updated their web site. They've got the line up for their first round of short stories and novels that will go on sale starting September 1. Why should you care? Because your's truly has a short story in there, called "The Killer Within." Check the web site (look to the right in the links section). You'll see my name amongst all the other authors and titles. Very exciting!

Sooooo how was the movie?

I took my older boy to see Transformers this past weekend (couldn't take him on his last day of school cuz I got a migraine). Let me just say that it was not as bad as the reviews made it out to be. I don't think it could have been. At the end of the movie, the audience stood up and applauded. I kid you not. This was in Brooklyn, where audiences (including their kids) are fairly discerning.

Why the applause? Cuz it was a lot of kick-ass transformer action. Sure, there were some abso-freakin-lutely ridiculous moments, but you know what? It was a fun, summer, popcorn movie. That's what people expected, and that's what they got. Sometimes I think reviewers are a bit disconnected from what actual people expect from movie-going experiences. Was it a work of art? A cinematic masterpiece? Of course not. But nobody who bought a ticket sat down to see one.

And not that box office is any kind of true barometer, but the movie is raking it in at a ridiculous rate. So clearly it's struck a cord out there. Nuff said.

Episode 1 Revision

Two days ago I received my first edits for Unfinished Business, which will be going up as a 15-episode serial in August. The edits were for, naturally, Episode 1. So I was very excited to see the email pop up in my in box since that brings home the fact that this is really happening. Which for me is a big deal cuz I've been working on this story for a looooong time, and also cuz I think it's some of the best stuff I've ever written (to camera: I haven't written all that much, so not really saying a whole lot there).

Anyway, it was interesting to see the edits. My editor definitely has her own unique style, and she pointed out some things that I just never would have thought of, particularly with point of view, which gets tricky given the story structure (you'll see when it comes out!).

So I threw in my two cents and sent it on back. And now I'm just waiting to see how it went over...

In the meantime, it's 4th of July weekend, which inevitably means Transformers with the boys. Sigh...well, the first one was pretty good, how bad can the second one be...? I'll let you know!

-jason