Apex – Revive the Drive!

 

 

I’ve long been a fan of Apex, both their book and magazine arm. Even have a signed edition of Descended from Darkness: Apex Magazine Vol. 1 *hugs it*

Jason and Lesley have some spiffy stuff for their Revive the Drive 2017! Including Pet Wars – Pumpkin vs. Oz, original poems, interviews, stories and, coolest of all, raises for artists and authors! So, come help us unlock levels!

Here’s an interview with Jason Sizemore, to give you a taste of Apex. Oh, and remember, to check out Apex Book Company for fantastic stories!

Cyani -What’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you guys at a convention?

Jason – Okay, I’m going to share an experience that is described in detail in my book For Exposure: The Life and Times of a Small Press Publisher.

I walked in on a group of…older people engaging in group intercourse (read: orgy). They invited me to join them. When I turned them down (politely), they asked if I wanted to partake of some honey baked ham they had out on a folding card table. Again, I turned them down.

Cyani – Does Apex have any office traditions?

Jason – The first thing I have to do is to make sure that Lesley Conner is fueled up and ready to go. Naturally, her fuel is coffee. The high-intensity stuff that they give to race car drivers. Without it, she is mostly useless. And cranky. Oh god, cranky.

Cyani – Editing and running a business are tough jobs. Besides Pumpkin’s not-so-subtle threats, what gets you guys through ‘those days’?

Jason – Lesley and I ride the whole circuit of emotions during a typical week. From silly to angry, from professional to immature. The key is that one of us has at least a toe in the pool of sanity. Sometimes I’ll pull her back from the verge, sometimes she’ll pull me back.

Cyani – Speaking of, what is Pumpkin’s role at Apex? He seems cute and cuddly but does a diabolical spirit reside within?

Jason – Pumpkin is a many things at once. He is cute and cuddly. He does a good job forcing me to take the occasional break by demanding I hold him for pets and chin rubs. But he has a dark side.

When he thinks I’m not giving him enough attention, he will intentionally push books off my inventory shelves. Or he’ll sit on the keyboard and give me a look that says “You’re done.”

He also thinks the printer is possessed and will attack it when it is printing.

Silly kitty.

Cyani – Thanks for your time, Jason. Here’s to great success at Apex!

Top 10 Gifts for Writers

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It’s Christmas and you have one of those weird creatures to buy for – the ever elusive writer. Whatever to do?

Despite our strange habits, oddities and general mayhem there’s one thing that writers covet above all others – books! Yup. All sorts. Big ones, small ones, snazzy ones, raggy ones. Doesn’t matter, they each contain the stuff our dreams are made of.

Chances are, your writer has a Wish List of books in their favorite genres that could encompass several known worlds and perhaps a few that have yet to be discovered. By all means, please gift them! But if you also want to show support for their chosen insanity career, please consider these. I own each of them and can vouch for their awesomeness, it’s true. See. They’re right behind me.

Listed in no particular order:

 

finding-voice

 

Finding Your Voice is one of my all-time favorites to recommend. It helps break the shackles of vanilla and thrust writers into the realm of the unique. Also check out Les’ Hooked: Write Fiction that Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go

 

the-fire

 

The Fire in Fiction does exactly what it promises by lighting a fire in the writer’s creative soul to push their craft to the next level. You can also pre-order Donald’s newest book, The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface, which releases on December 30th.

 

writing-monsters

 

Writing Monsters  is an invaluable resource that teaches writers how to create believable monsters of all sorts to terrify their readers. If your writer is into Fantasy &/or Sci Fi, also check out The Guide to Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: 6 Steps to Writing & Publishing Your Bestseller! 

 

conflict

 

Conflict, Action & Suspense ah the very core of what makes fiction exciting! Without which, we’d be left with ever-so-dull drudgery. A must have for every writer’s shelf.

 

spunk

 

Spunk & Bite  puts the snap in fiction. Knowing the rules is great, but knowing when and how to break them is the thing bestsellers are made of.

 

art-of-war

 

The Art of War for Writers is filled with easy to read, easy to digest tips on writing that can instantly help any writer – fledgling or advanced. I’d also recommend all of James’ books. Yup. All of them. Go on, get them. They’re all stellar. Including another of my personal favorites, The Mental Game of Writing: How to Overcome Obstacles, Stay Creative and Productive, and Free Your Mind for Success

 

 

bullies

 

Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches are at the very center of chaos and destruction in fiction. Villany, oh foul Villany, where would we be without you?

 

plot-perfect

 

Plot Perfect is an all-around inspiring book on creating novels worthy of the eyes of readers. I’d also suggest another one of Paula’s goodies Writing with Quiet Hands: How to Shape Your Writing to Resonate with Readers.

 

dynamic

 

Dynamic Characters are the creatures through which our victims readers experience the story, view the world, experience the thrills, chills and terrors. Along the same line is Nancy’s Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting Dynamic Characters and Effective Viewpoints.

 

make-a-scene

 

Make a Scene and they will come 🙂  Seriously though, this is pretty close to being THE book on creating vivid scenes that thrust the story forward and for creating multiple layers within your scenes to keep the readers buckled in until the very end.

And this very post is proof that we writers are obsessive about books. Couldn’t even stick to the 10 promised in the title. Tisk. Ah well, there’s worse addictions.

Have a Creative Christmas!

The Road to Hell is Paved With 3x5s

 

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Hell for your characters that is 🙂

Those seemingly benign lined cards are a perfect tool of torment! Wield them right and the characters will writhe until the very end and with them the most precious of all tormentees – the reader.

Just how do you use these office supplies for creating doom? Why, any way that’s effective for you as an author. Here’s how I use them.

Once the main forces of my novel are set in my head and I have a solid grasp of the characters, plot and The End, I unsheath the Sharpies and haul out the cards. Then it’s time to plot out the gritty and the nitty for the battle plan! Each card represents a scene and each Sharpie color represents a character VP (View Point) so they can be easily tracked on the field. As scenes are written, it becomes clear which are essential, which can be combined and which are not necessary. There’s something strangely satisfying in wadding up a 3×5 whilst proclaiming “Haha! Your redundancy is futile!”

Then, I spread them out on the battle field, check for any gaps and create new scenes to strengthen the whole. This gives me a broad view to assess any weaknesses, where the story might lag, where it needs more speed, less speed, and balance the Force of tension and release.

Once their formation is complete and I’m satisfied with their placement it’s time to pile them up in order and take them to the computer. As powerful as 3x5s are they’re too small to contain exact marching orders, so these are plugged into the manuscript and include everything that the scene is supposed to accomplish – the emotions, the character innards and outters, foreshadows, clues, twists and troubles. As the scenes are briefed, they’re allotted into chapters.

And then…it’s time to write!

Let the games begin! Muahahahah!

Easy Pre-Submission Check List

 

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You’ve done it! You’ve slogged through the rough draft, rolled with the punches during revisions, murdered your darlings. Your writing area now looks like a scene out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But what you’re left with on screen is a work of beauty. Art! Dream on paper errr pixels. Congratulations!

So what’s next? Consult this short, handy check list, that’s what.

1 ) Is your manuscript really finished? If so, does your word count fit within genre standards? If you’re unsure, check these sites: Chuck Sambuchino’s How Long Should a Book Be? and Litrejections’ Word Count.

2 ) Then, even if you think it’s ready, run a quick search on some nit words and eradicate them, if necessary. Sentences with words like had, seemed, felt, that, watched, and just  as well as many ly’s can often be revised to make a more dynamic story. Also search for vanilla description and jazz it up. Vanilla words include but are certainly not limited to: ran, sat, walked, looked etc. anything that doesn’t exactly describe how a character did something or doesn’t show the reader some of the character’s mood or personality.

3 ) Take your agent submissions list and double check those agent facts! They open and close to submissions throughout the year and sometimes change their guidelines, so ensure the ones you plan to send to are currently open AND accept your genre. As in for sure accept it. If in doubt, Google them and read their interviews, check out their blogs, check their Twitters – most will post #mswl (ManuScript Wish List). Stalk it. Know it. Love it. Breaaaaathe it. One of the top complaints I see on agent feeds is the overwhelming number of queries they get for genres they don’t represent. Don’t be among the uninformed.

4 ) Do a final read through on your submission packet – query letter and synopsis included.

5 ) Then, the final moment! Prepare each submission per agent guidelines (found on their site) and let your pretties fly! *cackles*