Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Something's Come Up, So I'll See You Next Week!


For those of you coming back for the contest, something's come up that needs my attention. I'm not sure how long this will take, but I will have more on that for next week's IWSG. I will see you then.


I'm David, and have a most safe and enjoyable Halloween! :)

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Event News: Woven Signing at the Idaho Falls Barnes and Noble, New Contest Next Week, and Star Wars!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGbxmsDFVnE
Hey guys, and happy Back To The Future day! That's right, Oct 21, 2015. The fabled date when we were supposed to have lots of cool stuff. Some of it actually came true (or surpassed), and it sure would be something if the Chicago Cubs actually do win the World Series. How's THAT for a prediction?

What BTTF didn't predict was the new Star Wars movie, and how awesome the trailer looks. I'm still cautiously optimistic, but I got to say I'm getting really excited about this. The ticket pre-sales record is shattered and the variation on the original score gave me serious chills. Blogger won't let me post YouTube videos for some reason, so in case you haven't seen the new trailer yet, click here to see it!

*     *     *

New event: while at Comic Con, a couple employees from the Idaho Falls Barnes and Nobel approached us with exciting news. According to them, they "can't keep Woven on the shelves," and so they invited us to come for an event, and to do some school visits beforehand. If you happen to be near the Idaho Falls area, I'd love to see you. Come hear two guys talk about ghosts, princesses, and magic while getting your own signed copy of Woven. Here's the information on that:

Barnes & Noble Grand Teton Mall, Saturday Nov 7th @ 12:00 pm

*     *     *

Remember a couple years back when I held a contest that would make someone a zombie in my zombie novel? Now that my edits are finished and the cover is completed, I've been getting serious about the second installment. And I need more zombies. That's why next week, I will host a new contest on this blog: Zombify Me Again!

Check back next week for details. Until then, save me some jerky.

How are you spending your Back to the Future day? What do you think of the new Star Wars trailer? Want to become a zombie? 

I'm David, and "the Force is calling you. Just let it in."

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Insecure Writers Support Group Anthology Contest!


Hey guys! If you haven't already heard, there's this cool contest going on at the ISWG website. It's an excellent opportunity to have your work put out there for all to see. Check out the details below (details from the IWSG website) 

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 5000-6000

Theme: Alternate History/Parallel Universe. That’s right, we’ve decided to go the speculative route. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines, except erotica or graphic violence.

Story deadline: November 1st 2015

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to TheIWSG at gmail dot com before the deadline passes. Make sure to include your contact details.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title. The winners will also receive an exclusive badge to display on their blog.

Are you a member of the Insecure Writers Support Group? Have you contributed to an anthology before? Ready for Halloween yet?

I'm David, and where did I put those Halloween decorations?

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

IWSG: Warm Hearts and Cold Feet: Understanding Who I Am and What I'm Doing Isn't Just For Myself



It's that time again! Special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating and hosting the Insecure Writer's Support Group, a monthly forum for writers to share insecurities without fear of reprisal. Let's get insecure!

If you've been following along, it's no secret that I've had depression for the better part of this year. This last month was better, and something about being at Comic Con helped me switch gears and get the ideas flowing again. In my case, it's the hindsight, looking behind after the funk has cleared that a healthier perspective stepped in. I'm not 100% out of it yet, but I'm enough above the fog to see just how much all of this has affected others. I'm about to get brutally honest about what I think contributed to this episode, a trigger if you will, so I hope you'll bear with me.

I've been ungrateful without realizing it. For years I've pursued the dream of having something I wrote published, just as many of my writing friends have done or continue to pursue. And for me, being fortunate enough to publish in a big house made the realization of this dream that much sweeter. My expectations climbed. My hopes soared. I learned quickly how much work there is after publication and went about following in the footsteps of authors I've admired for years. Results varied. Most avenues I sought wouldn't open their doors to a new author, one without a sales record behind him.

And then I fell into the trap of social media, watching what looked like amazing experiences that my writing peers were enjoying. Massive turnouts at signings. Trips to exotic places. Conventions around the country. Always smiling. I was jelly. Something was missing in myself. In trying to find out what, I dug a deep hole, as humans sometimes do. Having a new submission turned down didn't help either.

This isn't a calling out of my peers. Any measure of success should be celebrated in whichever way they deem best. I simply absorbed this in an unhealthy way. But I will share what I experienced recently that served as a wake up call (without names). I joined a table of authors who I look up to, and was struck by their complaints--the total opposite of how I had perceived them on social media.

It was at that moment when my rose-colored glasses came off.

Was I contributing to social media in the same way? Were my posts not reflective of my actual life, just the good parts? Was I truly unhappy and looked to social media as a means for relevancy to feel better about myself? Who was I really doing this for, anyway?

I've changed my tune since then, and I apologize for this brief hiccup in my life. I understand that if I am to succeed at a writing career, I have to work harder than ever. Light that midnight oil again. Three writing projects have replaced my time on social media, including a self publishing project. My heart hasn't beaten with this much excitement in a long time, while my feet are practically frozen with doubts of pulling back. But I will never know unless I give it a try.

No matter what happens, I'm freak'en proud of what I'm doing.

This journey isn't about me anymore. This is for all who wish to join me, who enjoy what I have to say. Because this is who I really am. So do me a favor. Take some gauntlets on your way out. Slap me with them should I ever think of crawling into that hole again. Savvy? 

How do you avoid the traps of social media? When times are tough, how do you keep writing? What do you do to stay on track?

I'm David, and I think I'm turning 33 this weekend. Crazy!