Word of the Day:
Denouement:
PRONUCIATION: (day-noo-MAHN) noun: The final resolution of the plot of a story or complex sequence of events.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 7
If you find that your house is built upon or near a cemetery, that was once a church that was used for black masses, had previous inhabitants who went mad or committed suicide or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed necrophilia or satanic practices, move away immediately.
So I wake up this afternoon and find this little note in my inbox, it’s a fan letter, I think…
[Dear Crystal,
Let's stop kidding ourselves. This can't go on much longer. Global economies crashing, nuclear fallout, aliens...something big is sure to happen soon. I have a truck, a gun, and an iron will to survive. So I’ve chose you to keep me company during the ensuing months as well as to help me repopulate the planet when all's said and done. All you have to do is keep our camp clean, cook, provide stimulating conversation, and, naturally, sex. In exchange, you will receive protection from hunger-crazed gangs who haven't bothered to learn how to grow food or live on their own, wolves, zombies, et cetera. You will have access to my library, which I'm keeping as history for the new generations of mankind we will produce. More valuable than anything, you'll have newfound respect, pride, and love as the new Eve! I read this story you wrote called the monster and that’s why I think that you, more than anyone else, deserves to live through the coming disaster. Also, if you have a decent sized dog or large stockpiles of non-perishable food that would be great.
Waiting to hear back from you,
Jxxxxx]
Yeah. Not sure if I should be flattered or frightened, lol. Speaking of the speaking of the apocalypse things are finally going well with The Lazarus Antidote, I’m finally at the place where I am starting to like this story. I put it back on back burner to work on Amber’s New Friend. I’m really anxious to get this story in the hands of my new editor, who fucking rocks btw, because I’m really loving the story but I need to make sure the structure is right and the story flow is easy to follow.
I'm sych'd and gearing up for Seattle's Crypticon which is less than 30 days away, Q the butterflies =D I'm super exicted and hope to see some of you guys out there!
On the dark side of the mountian some changes are on the horizon and I'll let you guys know what it is when it get's a little closer but what I can tell you its gonna be an reenactment of the of gunfight at the O.K. Corral because I’ve basically had it up to here. >=(
I'll keep you guys posted
ttys
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
DVD Pick of The Week: Movies From Both ends of The Spectrum.
Word of the Day:
HighfalutinPRONUNCIATION: (hy-fuh-LOOT-n) adjective: Pompous; bombastic.
Also spelled as hifalutin or highfalutin' or hifalutin' or highfaluting.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 23
Stay away from certain geographical locations. Such as: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog, the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.
I’ve got two movies for you this week, this 1st one was recommended by one on my blog followers and the other comes from one of my favorite production houses After Dark Productions.
1st up:
There’s Nothing Out There!
Plotline: seven kids going to a remote cabin and falling prey to an alien! This time around though, one of the kids knows that they are part of a horror movie and knows exactly what is going to happen next, and of course ... his friends don't pay attention.
Scariness Factor: 0 out of 5 stars, there is nothing remotely scary about this movie and I wouldn’t be surprised if this film was the inspiration Scary Movie.
Gross-Out Factor: N/A
Complaints: N/A
High Points: The over the top cheesiness, slapstick dialogue, gratuitous nudity and a random cat! I can’t believe I haven’t seen this movie before now especially since it’s considered to be a cult classic.
Personal Commentary: Had I’d seen the trailer for this movie or saw it in a video store I would have passed it up, but after getting way too many emails from the same follower I knew the only way to make the emails stop was by reviewing this movie. I have to say, I’m glad he persisted. There’s nothing out there is a blast to watch!
Stars: 5 Stars
Where I rented it: Comcast on Demand
Next at bat:
Husk
Plotline: A small group of friends becomes stranded in the country following a horrific car accident, and encounter a psychotic scarecrow while searching for help.
Scariness Factor: 4 Stars out of 5
Gross-Out Factor: N/A
Complaints: The only thing that drove me mad was the very stupid choices these guys made.
High Points: I almost passed this one up because the all of the synopsis suggests that this is another zombie movie (sighs, eye rolling, and head shakes) it has nothing to do with zombies, it’s more a modern day tale of Cain and Able told with Children of the Corn creepiness.
I really liked how they all started turning on each other when things started going wrong, it wasn’t any of that “I can’t go on, save yourself” crap. Towards the end they tried to regroup but things don’t always go as planned.
Another thing I thought was cool was one of the characters developed a stressed induce ability to have visions of past events and it worked nicely to fill in the back story.
Personal Commentary: I’m not really sure how many times you people are gonna make me tell you to stay out of that damn ass cornfield, since you insist on not listening stop crying about it now … it’s your own damn fault.
Stars: 5 Stars
Where I rented it: Netflix
HighfalutinPRONUNCIATION: (hy-fuh-LOOT-n) adjective: Pompous; bombastic.
Also spelled as hifalutin or highfalutin' or hifalutin' or highfaluting.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 23
Stay away from certain geographical locations. Such as: Amityville, Elm Street, Transylvania, Nilbog, the Bermuda Triangle, or any small town in Maine.
I’ve got two movies for you this week, this 1st one was recommended by one on my blog followers and the other comes from one of my favorite production houses After Dark Productions.
1st up:
There’s Nothing Out There!
Plotline: seven kids going to a remote cabin and falling prey to an alien! This time around though, one of the kids knows that they are part of a horror movie and knows exactly what is going to happen next, and of course ... his friends don't pay attention.
Scariness Factor: 0 out of 5 stars, there is nothing remotely scary about this movie and I wouldn’t be surprised if this film was the inspiration Scary Movie.
Gross-Out Factor: N/A
Complaints: N/A
High Points: The over the top cheesiness, slapstick dialogue, gratuitous nudity and a random cat! I can’t believe I haven’t seen this movie before now especially since it’s considered to be a cult classic.
Personal Commentary: Had I’d seen the trailer for this movie or saw it in a video store I would have passed it up, but after getting way too many emails from the same follower I knew the only way to make the emails stop was by reviewing this movie. I have to say, I’m glad he persisted. There’s nothing out there is a blast to watch!
Stars: 5 Stars
Where I rented it: Comcast on Demand
Next at bat:
Husk
Plotline: A small group of friends becomes stranded in the country following a horrific car accident, and encounter a psychotic scarecrow while searching for help.
Scariness Factor: 4 Stars out of 5
Gross-Out Factor: N/A
Complaints: The only thing that drove me mad was the very stupid choices these guys made.
High Points: I almost passed this one up because the all of the synopsis suggests that this is another zombie movie (sighs, eye rolling, and head shakes) it has nothing to do with zombies, it’s more a modern day tale of Cain and Able told with Children of the Corn creepiness.
I really liked how they all started turning on each other when things started going wrong, it wasn’t any of that “I can’t go on, save yourself” crap. Towards the end they tried to regroup but things don’t always go as planned.
Another thing I thought was cool was one of the characters developed a stressed induce ability to have visions of past events and it worked nicely to fill in the back story.
Personal Commentary: I’m not really sure how many times you people are gonna make me tell you to stay out of that damn ass cornfield, since you insist on not listening stop crying about it now … it’s your own damn fault.
Stars: 5 Stars
Where I rented it: Netflix
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A day in the life…
So an old fling of mine calls me up wanting to know if he can hire my firm as his wedding planner and another author from the same publishing house as mine sends me a facebook message out of the blue asking me if I’m getting any of my royalty checks, that’s funny because I did the exact same thing two weeks ago. And I had to answer him the same way she answered me…by saying no and sending a friend request.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bad Dreams, A Few Reviews and Current Project: The ramblings of sleep deprived-delusional-insomniac.
Word of the Day:
Lacuna PRONUNCIATION: (luh-KYOO-nee)
noun: An empty space, gap, missing part, an opening. (just like in my mind.)
How to survive a horror movie tip # 7
Anniversary nights of executions, horrible murders, or terrifying rituals should be viewed with fear. Especially on the spot where the event took place. Most especially on even century anniversaries. And certainly if you or a friend is somehow descended from one of the original participants.
Wow, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be a fan of space cadet dingbat (that would be me) super sorry for the absence tons of stuff going on. Today I had to force myself awake from a dream I was having about cupcakes.
I was on trail and the cupcake prosecutor was screaming at me, he said “Is it TRUE Crystal, that you no longer eat cupcakes for breakfast and are now eating APPLES instead?! And is it ALSO true that your even considering TRYING packets of the Breakfast On The Go?!” The courtroom erupted and the honeybun judge was beating the gavel and that’s what helped me wake up because it wasn’t the gavel I was hearing but someone at the door.
And who was it… the Mexican lady selling tamales =/ I am being to think the evils of sugary goodness and saturated fat have joined forces to conspire and sabotage my 50 pound weight loss goal.
So for those of you who also follow me on facebook know that I entered The Darkness into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards and I made it to the 2nd round! The 1st round was judged on the “hook”, and I was super pumped to have made it past that first round! The next round was judged on a 5000-word excerpt, but I didn’t advance…which is fine because after reading some very nasty feedback that a lot of other authors received they can all kiss my ass because that’s not the kind of project I want to be a part of.
Some of the things that were said about my work pissed me off but is nothing compared to what was said about other author’s work. Here’s my “feedback”
[The narrative was hard to follow at times. It jumped all over the place. Some times, it seemed like the writer was going for noir and at other times, cold speculative fiction. Other times, it read like pure pulp fiction. Not sure if that was intended but it seemed haphazard. It creates a feeling of sloppiness and rushed pace of author who does not respect his/her work enough or his/her readers enough to just settle on one style and go from there.
The world building needs more details. There need to be more transitions between info, showing how one thing relates to another. The author needs to spent more time making transitions between scenes. These are the fine points that get a reader interested in a character, the setting and finally the story. This story has much potential but needs work to fine tune the details.]
Ok, so nothing makes me madder than a lazy reader. Out of all the reviews, comments, and emails I received for The Darkness, this person is the ONLY ONE who had troubles following the plot and felt that my world building needs more detail. I’d be willing to bet that this person didn’t actually read those 5000 words but just skimmed thru it. I’ve entered another contest and I promise to keep you all posted…Wish me tons of luck =D
Book II in the Spectrum Trilogy, Artificial Light is moving along beautifully. I have a new editor Stephanie Kinkaid who rocks btw and we’ve already begun the editing, and even though she rocks I have come to the conclusion that I do not like the reworking phase of book writing…dudes it sucks.
Stephanie was interviewed today Lori Titus (another smoking hot Virgo horror writer, like myself) over at Flashes in the Dark Radio here’s the link to the postcast:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashes-in-the-dark-radio/2011/04/17/authoreditor-stephanie-kinkaid
I am working on a story for ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After, called "The Lazarus Antidote" and for some reason I'm having a tough time with it and as of right now its really kicking my ass.
I feel like the pace is not fast enough and there's not enough action so I told myself it wasn't a good story. And then I tried to sabotage my self by asking others to read it so that they could confrim that the story sucks...but here's the thing, so far everyone whose read it LOVES IT. And to tell you the truth I was just looking for an excuss to stop working on it because I'm having such a hard time with it.
I'm not too sure if it's normal for a writer to be so unsure about a project while everyone around them is cheering them on. So I am going to push thru until Friday and then I am going to put it back on the backburner to return to Artificial Light and Amber's New Friend. But what I can say for sure is that I am way happier with what I have now compaired to the very 1st version of this story. I'll keep you all posted.
Oh you guys! Strange Tales of Horror by NorGus Press which features my short story The Monster is now available!! If you click on the book cover on the right-hand side it will take you to Amazon where you can purchase it =D
I have been reading these stories and there pretty amazing, and I have been writing a review for each story and posting them both on Amazon and Goodreads here is the link to the reviews, I have four more I need to post but I will share it will you guys but for now here is the link for what I’ve posted so far:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/145634005
And here another review for Strange Tales of Horror by author Eric Dimbleby which includes a review for “The Monster.”
http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=10150143503102060
Ok that’s all I have for now…DVD pick of the week coming Wednesday
Lacuna PRONUNCIATION: (luh-KYOO-nee)
noun: An empty space, gap, missing part, an opening. (just like in my mind.)
How to survive a horror movie tip # 7
Anniversary nights of executions, horrible murders, or terrifying rituals should be viewed with fear. Especially on the spot where the event took place. Most especially on even century anniversaries. And certainly if you or a friend is somehow descended from one of the original participants.
Wow, I can’t imagine how hard it must be to be a fan of space cadet dingbat (that would be me) super sorry for the absence tons of stuff going on. Today I had to force myself awake from a dream I was having about cupcakes.
I was on trail and the cupcake prosecutor was screaming at me, he said “Is it TRUE Crystal, that you no longer eat cupcakes for breakfast and are now eating APPLES instead?! And is it ALSO true that your even considering TRYING packets of the Breakfast On The Go?!” The courtroom erupted and the honeybun judge was beating the gavel and that’s what helped me wake up because it wasn’t the gavel I was hearing but someone at the door.
And who was it… the Mexican lady selling tamales =/ I am being to think the evils of sugary goodness and saturated fat have joined forces to conspire and sabotage my 50 pound weight loss goal.
So for those of you who also follow me on facebook know that I entered The Darkness into the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards and I made it to the 2nd round! The 1st round was judged on the “hook”, and I was super pumped to have made it past that first round! The next round was judged on a 5000-word excerpt, but I didn’t advance…which is fine because after reading some very nasty feedback that a lot of other authors received they can all kiss my ass because that’s not the kind of project I want to be a part of.
Some of the things that were said about my work pissed me off but is nothing compared to what was said about other author’s work. Here’s my “feedback”
[The narrative was hard to follow at times. It jumped all over the place. Some times, it seemed like the writer was going for noir and at other times, cold speculative fiction. Other times, it read like pure pulp fiction. Not sure if that was intended but it seemed haphazard. It creates a feeling of sloppiness and rushed pace of author who does not respect his/her work enough or his/her readers enough to just settle on one style and go from there.
The world building needs more details. There need to be more transitions between info, showing how one thing relates to another. The author needs to spent more time making transitions between scenes. These are the fine points that get a reader interested in a character, the setting and finally the story. This story has much potential but needs work to fine tune the details.]
Ok, so nothing makes me madder than a lazy reader. Out of all the reviews, comments, and emails I received for The Darkness, this person is the ONLY ONE who had troubles following the plot and felt that my world building needs more detail. I’d be willing to bet that this person didn’t actually read those 5000 words but just skimmed thru it. I’ve entered another contest and I promise to keep you all posted…Wish me tons of luck =D
Book II in the Spectrum Trilogy, Artificial Light is moving along beautifully. I have a new editor Stephanie Kinkaid who rocks btw and we’ve already begun the editing, and even though she rocks I have come to the conclusion that I do not like the reworking phase of book writing…dudes it sucks.
Stephanie was interviewed today Lori Titus (another smoking hot Virgo horror writer, like myself) over at Flashes in the Dark Radio here’s the link to the postcast:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashes-in-the-dark-radio/2011/04/17/authoreditor-stephanie-kinkaid
I am working on a story for ...And They All Lived Happily Ever After, called "The Lazarus Antidote" and for some reason I'm having a tough time with it and as of right now its really kicking my ass.
I feel like the pace is not fast enough and there's not enough action so I told myself it wasn't a good story. And then I tried to sabotage my self by asking others to read it so that they could confrim that the story sucks...but here's the thing, so far everyone whose read it LOVES IT. And to tell you the truth I was just looking for an excuss to stop working on it because I'm having such a hard time with it.
I'm not too sure if it's normal for a writer to be so unsure about a project while everyone around them is cheering them on. So I am going to push thru until Friday and then I am going to put it back on the backburner to return to Artificial Light and Amber's New Friend. But what I can say for sure is that I am way happier with what I have now compaired to the very 1st version of this story. I'll keep you all posted.
Oh you guys! Strange Tales of Horror by NorGus Press which features my short story The Monster is now available!! If you click on the book cover on the right-hand side it will take you to Amazon where you can purchase it =D
I have been reading these stories and there pretty amazing, and I have been writing a review for each story and posting them both on Amazon and Goodreads here is the link to the reviews, I have four more I need to post but I will share it will you guys but for now here is the link for what I’ve posted so far:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/145634005
And here another review for Strange Tales of Horror by author Eric Dimbleby which includes a review for “The Monster.”
http://www.facebook.com/#!/note.php?note_id=10150143503102060
Ok that’s all I have for now…DVD pick of the week coming Wednesday
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Shhhhhh! I am now a member of a secret society.
Word of the Day:
Procumbent
PRONUNCIATION: (pro-KUM-buhnt) adjective:
1.Lying face down; prostrate.
2. Of a plant: Growing along the ground without putting new roots.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 4
If you find a town that looks deserted, it's probably for a good reason. Take the hint & stay away.
Praeclarus Intus Scriptum!
“Excellence in Writing”
FINALLY! I have been accepted and am now a member of “secret society!” We have our own code, motto, pledge, and there’s even a secret handshake! Right now I am just an associate member. I have four more “test” I have to pass, and I will, before I can be considered to walk among the ranks of Full Membership.
I am so gonna bust my ass to make it thru the grueling, near death, don’t look into the light, initiation process because only then will I be allowed to participate in the Midnight Bloodletting Ritual to gain favor of the Dark Nether Demon Sha'Daadicus whose apocalyptic resurrection will bring forth a new age!
I am now a proud member of The Fictioneers, which is a group that promotes a family atmosphere and a strong support system to encourage the authorship of science fiction, horror, and fantasy tales; and also commits to the pursuit of excellence in the writing of fiction of the fantastic. And actually that’s the motto of the “Fictioneers Praeclarus Intus Scriptum,” Excellence in Writing. As you can see I wasted no time slapping our logo up on my blog.
When The Darkness was released I was so excited at the prospect of becoming a member of a writing association I started applying for memberships the day after the book went on sale a month later I was devastated over how pompous and condescending that most of these members and clubs are and I started to think that maybe being associated with these type of writing clubs wasn’t in the best interest for me or my writing.
Last year I attended two of my 1st horror conventions and it was there that I heard for the 1st time the words “independent press” and it didn’t take long before I was wooed. There was no “Now that I am a published author I can’t talk to unpublished wanna be writers, or offer tips on your work” clause it was really quite the opposite.
The 1st person I spoke with via email was author Robert R Best, and when he found out I was about to be published not only did he cheer me on he gave me tons of contact info on where to submit some of my other work. If it weren’t for Robert I would have never met Timothy Long or Jonathon Moon. Thru John I met Jessica, Rebecca & Matt. Tim introduced me to Stephanie. I learned about a group called Black Science Fiction Society at a convention and have meet too many amazing authors and graphic novelist to list.
Procumbent
PRONUNCIATION: (pro-KUM-buhnt) adjective:
1.Lying face down; prostrate.
2. Of a plant: Growing along the ground without putting new roots.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 4
If you find a town that looks deserted, it's probably for a good reason. Take the hint & stay away.
Praeclarus Intus Scriptum!
“Excellence in Writing”
FINALLY! I have been accepted and am now a member of “secret society!” We have our own code, motto, pledge, and there’s even a secret handshake! Right now I am just an associate member. I have four more “test” I have to pass, and I will, before I can be considered to walk among the ranks of Full Membership.
I am so gonna bust my ass to make it thru the grueling, near death, don’t look into the light, initiation process because only then will I be allowed to participate in the Midnight Bloodletting Ritual to gain favor of the Dark Nether Demon Sha'Daadicus whose apocalyptic resurrection will bring forth a new age!
I am now a proud member of The Fictioneers, which is a group that promotes a family atmosphere and a strong support system to encourage the authorship of science fiction, horror, and fantasy tales; and also commits to the pursuit of excellence in the writing of fiction of the fantastic. And actually that’s the motto of the “Fictioneers Praeclarus Intus Scriptum,” Excellence in Writing. As you can see I wasted no time slapping our logo up on my blog.
When The Darkness was released I was so excited at the prospect of becoming a member of a writing association I started applying for memberships the day after the book went on sale a month later I was devastated over how pompous and condescending that most of these members and clubs are and I started to think that maybe being associated with these type of writing clubs wasn’t in the best interest for me or my writing.
Last year I attended two of my 1st horror conventions and it was there that I heard for the 1st time the words “independent press” and it didn’t take long before I was wooed. There was no “Now that I am a published author I can’t talk to unpublished wanna be writers, or offer tips on your work” clause it was really quite the opposite.
The 1st person I spoke with via email was author Robert R Best, and when he found out I was about to be published not only did he cheer me on he gave me tons of contact info on where to submit some of my other work. If it weren’t for Robert I would have never met Timothy Long or Jonathon Moon. Thru John I met Jessica, Rebecca & Matt. Tim introduced me to Stephanie. I learned about a group called Black Science Fiction Society at a convention and have meet too many amazing authors and graphic novelist to list.
As a whole the indie writers is not such a secret society…but it’s definitely a society that I am proud to be a member of. For more information about the Fictioneers check us out at:
Oh and btw, the whole conjuring up a demon thing isn’t real…or is it?
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Haters welcome!
Word of the day:
Expostulate
PRONUNCIATION: (ik-SPOS-chuh-layt) verb: To reason earnestly with someone in order to dissuade.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 19
Never publicly announce your plans for the future if you make it out alive. It guarantees that you have no future.
H.A.T.E.R.S = Having Anger Towards Everyone Reaching Success
Expostulate
PRONUNCIATION: (ik-SPOS-chuh-layt) verb: To reason earnestly with someone in order to dissuade.
How to survive a horror movie tip # 19
Never publicly announce your plans for the future if you make it out alive. It guarantees that you have no future.
H.A.T.E.R.S = Having Anger Towards Everyone Reaching Success
So there was this woman who owns a web-designing firm that I had to take to court last year, and to be completely honest with you I totally forgot who she was until I read the 1 star “review” she posted on Amazon about The Darkness.
If she didn’t have her picture posted to her Amazon page I would have never known who she was. I was laughing so hard when I read it I had tears running down my face and I had to flip thru archived emails because I couldn’t even remember her name.
It’s interesting that someone would be able to review a product without purchasing it 1st, and I know she hasn’t bought a copy of The Darkness because the very last thing that she’ll ever do is put money into my pocket.
It’s really creepy and sad that after all this time she doesn’t have anything else to do but stalk me online and post spiteful little comments, but at the same time, it’s flattering in a twisted little way that someone I’ve completely written off and forgotten about not only still thinks about me but invests the time to look me up and then write a snide little comment.
In a way that I can’t explain I actually like that, I think that naysayers and people who go out of their way to criticize is a truer measure of one’s success. Because if I was working a dead end minimum job, or living out on the streets she wouldn’t say anything, because she’d would be genuinely happy to see me that way…
But I’m not; I am enjoying the benefits of owning my own company, which allows me the time to chase my dream as a writer. The Darkness is my 1st novel and its being warmly received, my short stories are being accepted for publication with two different publishing houses and I am about half way done with Book II in The Spectrum Trilogy.
I am about to start a two-month tour and will be a vendor at a few horror and science fiction conventions. Hopefully there will be more people who publicly display their distain for my success because that will only mean that I am on the right track. So in the words of a famous comedian…
(Warning expletive)
If she didn’t have her picture posted to her Amazon page I would have never known who she was. I was laughing so hard when I read it I had tears running down my face and I had to flip thru archived emails because I couldn’t even remember her name.
It’s interesting that someone would be able to review a product without purchasing it 1st, and I know she hasn’t bought a copy of The Darkness because the very last thing that she’ll ever do is put money into my pocket.
It’s really creepy and sad that after all this time she doesn’t have anything else to do but stalk me online and post spiteful little comments, but at the same time, it’s flattering in a twisted little way that someone I’ve completely written off and forgotten about not only still thinks about me but invests the time to look me up and then write a snide little comment.
In a way that I can’t explain I actually like that, I think that naysayers and people who go out of their way to criticize is a truer measure of one’s success. Because if I was working a dead end minimum job, or living out on the streets she wouldn’t say anything, because she’d would be genuinely happy to see me that way…
But I’m not; I am enjoying the benefits of owning my own company, which allows me the time to chase my dream as a writer. The Darkness is my 1st novel and its being warmly received, my short stories are being accepted for publication with two different publishing houses and I am about half way done with Book II in The Spectrum Trilogy.
I am about to start a two-month tour and will be a vendor at a few horror and science fiction conventions. Hopefully there will be more people who publicly display their distain for my success because that will only mean that I am on the right track. So in the words of a famous comedian…
(Warning expletive)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Beautiful and Very Talented Miss Eloise J. Knapp
Word of the day:
Captious
PRONUNCIATION: (KAP-shuhs) adjective: Having an inclination to find faults, especially of a trivial nature.
How to survive a horror movie tip #22
Do not take “anything” from the dead.
Today where taking some time to speak with Eloise J. Knapp author of The Undead Situation. Eloise’s love for zombie’s started with, of course, George A. Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead, who she was able to meet at Seattle’s 2010 ZomBcon convention. Please heed the Trioxion & Keep Out warning postings and under no circumstances are you to approach the undead! Check your ammo and let’s get to know a little more about my fellow debut author and friend Miss Eloise J. Knapp.
Notes From The Author: Thank you so much for taking the time to be here today, I’m super excited to have you here.How much time passes from the moment that you wake up to the moment you start writing?
Eloise J. Knapp: Sometimes I get up and walk straight to my office, which is great. Then there’s the rough days when I just don’t write.
NFTA: From extremely frightening films like Danny Boyle’s 28 Days later, and Craig Singer’s Perkins 14 to over the top slap stick movies like Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, and Andrew Currie’s Fido zombies can be found from one end of the spectrum to the other. Why do you think zombies are such a crowd pleaser?
Captious
PRONUNCIATION: (KAP-shuhs) adjective: Having an inclination to find faults, especially of a trivial nature.
How to survive a horror movie tip #22
Do not take “anything” from the dead.
Today where taking some time to speak with Eloise J. Knapp author of The Undead Situation. Eloise’s love for zombie’s started with, of course, George A. Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead, who she was able to meet at Seattle’s 2010 ZomBcon convention. Please heed the Trioxion & Keep Out warning postings and under no circumstances are you to approach the undead! Check your ammo and let’s get to know a little more about my fellow debut author and friend Miss Eloise J. Knapp. Notes From The Author: Thank you so much for taking the time to be here today, I’m super excited to have you here.How much time passes from the moment that you wake up to the moment you start writing?
Eloise J. Knapp: Sometimes I get up and walk straight to my office, which is great. Then there’s the rough days when I just don’t write.
NFTA: From extremely frightening films like Danny Boyle’s 28 Days later, and Craig Singer’s Perkins 14 to over the top slap stick movies like Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, and Andrew Currie’s Fido zombies can be found from one end of the spectrum to the other. Why do you think zombies are such a crowd pleaser?
EJK: Some people don’t like scary movies, some people love them, and some people just want something different. Zombie movies can cover any movie genre out there: romance, comedy, horror, and action just to name a few. When a creature can be in that many types of films there is a zombie movie for everyone.
NFTA: I find that zombie fans are completely different beasts from horror and science fiction fans. They tend to be more lenient about conflicting theories and more forgiving of a weaker story line if there is a lot of gore. I’ve seen some pretty horrible zombie movies, and have stopped reading books after the 3rd of 4th page because the story was so bad. Do you think some artist exploit the fans love, tolerance, and excitement about zombies to produce poor quality material?
EJK: I do think some artists exploit fans. I think they do in any genre to be honest. It’s easy for someone to think, “Hey, teenage girls love vampires. I’m going to cash in on that gravy train and write some cheesy vampire romances.” However, just because a movie or book is bad that doesn’t mean someone purposely created poor material in attempts to make money. Sometimes authors or movie makers don’t have the skills or finances to produce high end work.
NFTA: Culturally, which was conveyed in the Halperin brothers 1932 film White Zombie, zombies are terrifying. In your opinion how did we get from Night of the Living Dead to Fido?
EJK: Film evolves so much over time. Aliens used to be terrifying, too, but now some movies turn them into comedy. I think the transition between NOTLD and Fido came from film makers trying to make something new and establish their place in the movie world. Once one funny zombie flick comes out other developers see it and think, “I can do that, too.”
NFTA: With the overwhelming amount of art, comics, books, and movies and now with AMC’s The Walking Dead TV show, did you struggle to come up with an original concepts material?
EJK: Original concepts material is a complicated subject. Here is a little example, in Day by Day Armageddon he gets a canary yellow Hummer. Then a while later the movie Zombieland comes out and they have a canary yellow Hummer. Was Bourne the originator of this concept and Zombieland used it? Or was it coincidence?
When writing The Undead Situation I felt like (and still do) the ideas are original. As far as I know my characters are unique because I’ve never come across characters like that but someone else probably has. I’m a strong believer in the phrase, “There are no new ideas” but I like to say, “There are rarely no new ideas”.
NFTA: You’ve said that your hope is to offer an alternative zombie world; can you tell us a little bit about The Undead Situation, and how it differs from what we’re use to seeing or reading about in zombie movies and books?
EJK: There isn’t anything wrong with this, but characters in zombie books are relatively weak. They can’t defend themselves, have no weapons, and are bounded by moral obligations that cloud judgment. Even when they do come across some guns, their characters are still emotionally weak and afraid. My primary character doesn’t fall into that category. He doesn’t care about being a good guy and saving those in need. Cyrus doesn’t fear the undead, not really, and certainly doesn’t care about the end of the world. My zombie world also offers fast and slow zombies in a different way other authors portray it (gotta read the book to find out why, though!)
NFTA: The Undead Situation is your 1st book, congratulations! Trust me I know how you feel. From start to finish how long did it take to write TUS and was the journey to becoming a published author everything you hoped it would be?
EJK: I started writing little bits about Cyrus V. Sinclair when I was sixteen. It wasn’t until I was almost 17 that I got serious about turning it into a novel. I finished writing the book mid 2009, put it on Kindle by the end of the year, and in October of 2010 I finished the final edits with Louise Bohmer. So from the idea to the last grammar fix, about 4 years.
I don’t know if it’s everything I’d hoped it would be yet. My book isn’t out and some recent developments (good ones) have delayed the release of the book until next year. As for what I have gone through as an author, I’m very pleased. Working with a professional editor was awesome. I have to say, it was so satisfying to have someone unbiased (not a family member, that is) edit my book. It’s so much better because of it. Jacob over at Permuted Press is a great guy and easy to work with.
NTFA: If you could go back and change one thing in regards to the choices you made and the team that’s helped you get to where you are now, what would that be? And no cheating by saying ‘I wouldn’t change anything’ you really have to answer this question …sorry love.
EJK: I’d change adding fluff to my book. While I was first writing it I’d constantly add to make the book longer. Louise helped me tear that crap out to make the book flow better. It’s shorter now, but I wish I hadn’t fluffed it up to begin with.
NTFA: How much reality goes into your characters, are they your alter ego’s, based on people you know or completely made up?
EJK: Cyrus V. Sinclair and I are very similar. It scares my family and those who have read the book, but almost everything Cyrus does is something I would do during apocalyptic times. I can be a little sociopathic at times and Cyrus truly is one. Some of the other characters are loosely based on people I know while other’s I made up completely.
NFTA: Let’s talk about your marketing and promotional material, which btw is minding blowing! I love your photo’s they look like movie posters. Thanks for signing mine! How did you come up with such an awesome idea?
EJK: Thanks! Photography is another hobby of mine. I’ve been into it since I was about ten. So, love of photography and zombies… when you put them together, I do some cool zombie photos! Ideas pop into my head, usually before I fall asleep, and I execute them quickly while the idea is fresh. I think in terms of scenes like in movies which is why they look like that.
I do all my own graphic design work and am an ace with Photoshop. That helps, too!
NFTA: As far as marketing and promoting which have you found to be more effective, your website or your facebook fan page?
EJK: Probably my FB. Everyone and their mom are on FB so it makes networking easy. It provides more exposure, too.
NFTA: You also gave away about a gallizon t-shirts at Seattle’s ZomBcon, what kind of return did you get on that in terms of facebook fans, and sales and do you see using T’s as standard promotional items?
EJK: Well I’m not selling anything yet, so I don’t know. I’ve gotten about 30 fans since the convention so it was worth something. I designed the shirt myself, researched bulk clothing providers and silkscreening. It all worked out so well I’ll always have t-shirts for promotion. I like to give them away so when my book does come out and I hit conventions I’ll probably do a free t-shirt with book. At least a free print with book because people love free stuff!
NFTA: Speaking of ZomBcon was that your 1st con as a vendor, how much fun did you have and what’s con’s are you planning on attending next year?
EJK: First convention as a vendor and attendee. It was so much work but a ton of fun. I met some crazy amazing people and ended up working with one (Robert Elrod) on a cover! I’m probably going to go to Crypticon and zomBcon again.
NFTA: What would be your specialty in a zombie apocalypse?
EJK: Probably fortifying places to stay. I analyze building’s safety levels for zombie apocalypse and mentally assess how defendable it is and what could be done to strengthen it.
NFTA: So what else do you have planned for all the fans next year?
EJK: My aunt L.J Landstrom and I are releasing a collection of short stories for Kindle around February. Robert Elrod, who I mentioned above, did the cover. The Undead Situation will come out next year as well.
NFTA: In closing is there anything you would like to tell us about, any upcoming appearances, movie deals, or a wedding?
EJK: I’ll probably be at some conventions like I said above and that zomBcon fundraiser this December. Nothing else that big coming up but I update my fan page often with news if there is.
NFTA: Thanks again love for stopping by today it was really awesome chatting with ya I’ll see you in May but talk to you way before then. Ciao
For more information on Eloise J. Knapp please visit: http://eloisejknapp.com/
Be a Fan on Facebook: Eloise J. Knapp-Author
For more infromation on The Undead Situation please visit: http://permutedpress.blogspot.com/2011/01/permuted-press-teams-up-with-audiblecom.html
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