Pushing Through Misery

 

A lot has changed in 18 months. And I find myself coming back to blogging.

The pandemic was slowing down here in the states. The lowest amount of cases in June of 2021 was a remarkable 5,000 for the entire country. Now we have had 1.35 Million cases just yesterday. The Beta Variant is gone. The Delta Variant is dwindling. It seems that the majority of cases of Omicron are less severe and come with an antibody response.

Many of my fellow narrator friends, family members, and old friends have lost a loved one due to Covid19 or Cancer or another illness.

My own father passed away from Cancer. A form called Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST) on September 25th of 2021. (For more information on this rare disease, click here.)

We've lost heroes young and old. Quite recently we lost Betty White, Sidney Poitier and Bob Saget.

Here in Michigan, January has replaced December as an unforgiving month of bitter cold with temperatures in the single digits at night.

And while a lot has changed, you have to wonder: How does one power through trauma and misery in order to write another story?

Well, this blog is called Tales and Troubled Times of a Hungry Writer for a reason. 

I am no stranger to Trauma.

Writing has always been therapeutic for me. My mother and father always encouraged my voracious appetite for reading and when I finally started penning my own stories, they gave me tremendous support. When I decided to self-publish my first book, they provided me with money to do so. They kept copies of my books in their bedroom on a nightstand within reach. Every time I told them I had another idea cooking they were both impressed and astonished by my productivity. But they were the ones who fed the fire that continues to burn within me.

Yes, it is easy to get bogged down. To have downtimes. To not even want to glance at a blank page. To regard storytelling as a fool's gambit when you are in the throes of great depression. But the blank page is always waiting. It remains neutral. The blank pages listen to your woes and tries to help you figure them out one sentence at a time.

And while the world seems to be changing rapidly, through peaks and valleys, sometimes grim and sometimes hopeful, I remain convinced and encouraged that better days are just ahead.

At least, that would be my father's outlook. He was always a man with infectious optimism. And I'd like to carry on that tradition.

The last gift I gave my father was a gold pocket watch. These days I find myself wishing we had more time together.

The last gift he and my mother gave me was a FreeWrite Traveler.

Even with all the bad news and daily struggle of sadness, I have found time to finish some stories.

I recently finished what I called THE BIG SCI-FI BOOK, which has been long-gestating. It finally has a cover and is available on Kindle, Nook, and Kobo now. I call it Skyways Of Tomorrow. I am currently halfway through recording the audiobook.

I have also finished a thriller Novella on the FreeWrite.

A story I am 90 percent finished with is a Christmas Novella that will hopefully be out soon. Maybe in February.

And, quite recently, I've decided to end every future story I publish with the words:

In Loving Memory Of

Carmelo Scarlato

Life moves. Friendships are rekindled. Stories are still told.

Our strength as humans is not just in our multiple ways of expressing ourselves but also in that much-needed yearn to express our grief and to be vulnerable. This helps us untangle the wires in our minds. It helps us relate to one another. But it is a feature that is distinctly human.

So continue to write. Write about Sorrow. Write about Joys and Triumphs. Write about whatever your heart desires. Pour out your humanity on the page and it will heal you in turn.

Then you will find that you're not just pushing through misery. You are creating something new and beautiful which will make your loved ones proud.

I'm still writing stories, Papa. These yarns are for you.

Here it Goes: Novel or Nothing!

For the past few months, I’ve been really busy. It feels like two sides of me are organizing the year ahead when it comes to new projects. Writing has always been my go-to when finding inner peace or to unravel the concepts involved in life. While I am an avid consumer of entertainment, I strive to be a content creator. I’m here to entertain the masses.

But, as it turned out, I’ve really branched out when deciding to become a narrator. It gave me another outlet to express myself.

So that, understandably, has taken up a lot of my time. And I don’t mind. I love immersing myself in being a storyteller.

I now work for three companies: Acx, Bee Audio and Findaway Voices.

If all goes well, I should be quite busy this year when it comes to my full time job. But, my productivity has slowed significantly with writing.

So, for the new year, I’ve given myself a new goal. From this date forward, I am done working on Novellas and Short Stories.

There’s a couple of reasons why:

1.     Short stories and Novellas are quick to produce and I want to challenge myself more and not just take a quick dip in and out of worlds.

2.     For the rest of the year I want to work on ONLY Novels. So that’s anything over 50,000 words in length.

3.     I have a backlog of novels that are screaming to be written.

4.     And I want to get at least 3 full novels done this year.

Currently, I’ve been taking my written works and have put them up on Audible. Three of the titles (Right Outta My Mouth, Village Americana, Pickpocket Frankie) are narrated by me. But the majority are narrated by other very talented people. The reason for this is two-fold.

First, I know I don’t have time to narrate everything I have written. Besides, there are some stories I’ve written where I have convinced myself that I am just not the right voice for it. Second, since I started narrating in 2014, Audible Acx has had a swell of new narrators. Thousands more people have gotten into this field. A lot of them are looking for their first book to narrate. I remember when I was looking for that chance to become the voice of somebody’s story, so now I’m offering that to people who are trying to break into the industry.

Also, I’ll be moving to a different house. Which will be a big change for me and my family. And since this seems like the year for big change I figured why not have big goals.

But, dear reader, there are more titles to come in the future.

I’m putting the final touches on two novellas.

One is called The Digital Novelist and the other is called The Loop. They’re both what I’ve come to know as Sci-Fi Horror.

And they are the final two stories I’m going to include in my newest collection titled Night of Novellas. (6 novellas in all with introductions, extras and behind the story segments)

The last novella I’ll be working on before I jump headfirst into novels will be a title I call The Transcriptionists. It’s a crime thriller that came to me one day.

But, after all that, it’s Novel or Nothing, folks.

I still have a list of titles that have been percolating long enough.

THE BIG SCI- FI BOOK is the one I’m most anxious to return to, as it also ties into another title I’ve written called Thief of The Gods: An Area 51 Confession.

I’d also like to return to Mr. Dead Eyes 2. Because the audio book for the first book is in production now and it sounds great. It’s giving me new ideas of what I can put in the second installment.

I also have two spinoff sequels to Pickpocket Frankie. These two books don’t have the titular character Frankie in them. These are more focused on two big characters mentioned in the book. And those are both crime thrillers.

I also have another novel planned for the private investigator Thomas Wilker. But this will be set way before the events of Mr. Dead Eyes.

Add to that a behemoth novel I have planned that is in the genre of literary fiction. I don’t know how long it will be, but it will definitely have a large cast of characters.

So, yeah, it’s clear to me that the novels in my head are screaming for attention. And all I have to do is open the door. Why wait, right?

Remember, always set new goals for yourself every year.

And, as always, keep writing.

;)

My Writing Method

I've been writing for a long time. But I don't think I've ever described my method.

In an effort to be totally transparent, I'd like to share mine. Maybe you've come to this blog to find out who I am. Maybe you're an aspiring writer yourself and don't know how to get started. Maybe you've started a book and are stuck and are looking for an inspirational push in the right direction. Whatever the case may be, I hope this gives you a peek at my process and maybe figure out your own. Just so you know, the process can always change, and in my case it often does. It evolves. And you would be better served to know that now rather then later. So, here we go.

1. The Seed

Well, it starts with an idea. Something that gets planted in my brain that I can't dislodge. If it's completely unshakable, let's say for three to four weeks, then I seriously consider putting the idea on paper. The idea can either start from a line of dialogue, a piece of description, a unique character, or just one well-crafted scene. It also can arrive in my dreams. Sometimes they are garbled, on the fritz and I have to do some deciphering. Other times it can be very vivid and I remember everything. Wherever the idea comes from, once its planted, I am committed to caring and pruning that story tree.

2. The Title

Before, I used to not fret over title. But now I do. I like to think of the title before I even start writing. It can serve as a good placeholder should I decide to change it later. It's best to keep it short, snappy and memorable. It's an effort to describe the story, or at least one aspect of it, in one to eight words. This is still moldable, but I try not to bounce around too much with it.

3. Outlining

I used to do extensive outlines. With my first book I'd spend a paragraph describing what needs to happen in each chapter. Each chapter, I thought, needs at least one conflict to overcome. But then I realized this doesn't give the reader time to breath. My first outline was 15 pages.

Then I started doing one sentence descriptions. While this may be a good start for some, for me it just bogs down the process. Then, I later find out that I've only used 20% of the outline in the actual story. And that made me feel like a story was too scripted. 

Here's an example I pulled from Pickpocket Frankie. This outline was written years ago and I have strayed heavily from it.

4. Let The Characters Talk

Here's something they don't tell you about writing. You have to disappear. What I mean by that is you have to write something that doesn't feel like it was written by you. Whenever I tackle a project, I try to remain as a causal observer. The characters often lead me to surprising revelations or unexpected twists and turns. The more I let them play, the more they are controlling the story. The more they tell me things.


5. Layout

When I first started writing, I'd focus on one single page. And that produced a lot of headaches and anxiety. There's nothing more intimidating than that little blinking cursor. Eventually, I found out that focusing on one page at a time was too claustrophobic. I needed a full perspective. So, I decided to zoom out. With this layout, I can see what I wrote before and what comes after. Again, here's an example of my writing view with Pickpocket Frankie.

6. How I Type

I use two fingers. Both my index fingers. Yes, yes, I know it's not proper writing etiquette but I don't care. This is the fastest way I can type and a way to get all my thoughts onto that page. Even with writing blog posts, I write with two fingers. It's my preferred method and I'm sticking to it.

7. Silence isn't Golden

When I first started my very first book, I wrote in complete silence from the hours of 11pm till 3am. It was a hellish work schedule, especially when I needed to be up in time for school, but these were the best hours at the time. Later on, when I started taking on short stories, I realized that silence was slowing down my progress. My characters are no longer happy with the stoic, concentrating silence of yesteryear. Now they have a rhythm. Depending on the mood of the scene, or the story itself, my characters often choose a soundtrack for their actions. And, depending on the music, the words really seem to take off. Now, I don't know which is your preferred method, but I would suggest that if you can see the story like a movie in your head, why not have a score for it?

8. Word count

I think of the word count as a budget. Before, I didn't worry about it. But now I do. I researched genres. Fantasy books are usually around 100,000 words. Thrillers: 70,000 - 80,000. Crime Fiction:50,000 - 60,000. It's okay to go a little over but I constantly want to be concise.

9. Editing and Revising

I usually rewrite and revise as I go along. I'll write two chapters. Give it a few days to cool off, then come back to it and re-read the scene. If a sentence is clunky or doesn't serve a purpose or can be re-worded in any way, then I cut and revise. I heard that Dean Koontz rewrites his books in a strange way. He revises a page of work 40 times until it is perfect. Then he moves on to the next page. And if this is a 300 page book. That's a total of 12,000 revisions. Yikes. I don't think you have to go that far. Just try to do the story justice.

10. Read it Out Loud

A story will not make sense unless you read it out loud. We all have an internal reading voice and sometimes that voice can be misleading. Sometimes it will substitute through with threw or there and their or then and than. You get the idea. The best form of revising is reading it out loud. You can even perform it like an audio book to yourself.

11. Audience

In this profession you can't just write something and expect to know how to present it. You need to know your audience. I write for an audience of one. I write with my wife in mind. She's a reader as well and has read a good majority of my work. In the scenes I try to make her laugh, gasp or even keep her on the edge of her seat. And when I read her my work out loud, it can be a real big boost to see her reacting to the story. Whoever your audience is, find a person you can trust who likes to be read to and ask them to be your own personal story observer. Ask them what they like. What they didn't like. If a sentence made sense. If a character seems too thin. It will have huge benefits in the future. Besides, your audience member might be thankful and curious to see what you're working on next. Just make sure you are writing in a genre they enjoy.

12. Mindwriting

As I've said before, I used to write outlines. But now I just write in my head first before I start physically writing. I think of the project like a movie, one where I get to watch the dailies and figure out what I like and what can be cut. After I've seen the whole thing in my head, the scenes write faster than anything before and my keyboard is smoking with friction burn.

13. Preferred Tool

I've tried pens and pencils. I've tried desktop computers. Now I only write on laptops. They're compact, lightweight and are, I'm convinced, the only thing I will ever write on.

14. Where to write

Some writers retire to a room. Something that they've set up to be the perfect shop for inspiration to strike. I've heard of two authors, Wally Lamb and Chuck Wendig, who have actually built their own private Writing Cabin or Shed. Now, unless you've got the money and time to shell out to make this dream come true, there's a universal truth you need to admit: There will never be a perfect place or a perfect time for your writing. Jack Kerouac wrote on one long scroll, Jame's Joyce wrote in a white suit, Mark Twain wrote in bed, Ernest Hemingway would write while standing up on a typewriter that would sit on his dresser.

I wrote Village Americana at Starbucks. I wrote Ye Olde Idea Shoppe in the living room of my very first apartment. I wrote my first short story in an attic. It doesn't matter the place or the time. What matters is that you actually write the damn thing.

15. How to End a Story

Believe it or not, this one still eludes me. Sometimes it just hits me. Other times I have to dig. And digging takes time. And it takes commitment. If you're willing to get your hands dirty and not let your story stagnate, I suggest you pick up that metaphorical shovel and pry it out of that deep dark hole.

16. Always leave room

Hemingway once wrote that he would never write to completion. He'd always leave, what he called, a little bit left in his story well. Enough to write something for tomorrow. My normal writing session was 500 words at a times. Now I can pound out one or two chapters if I have a good writing flow.  

17. Notes, notes, notes

When I feel like I have a really good idea but need more time on it. I keep all my notes in one file, which I call my Jumble Box. There's really no rhyme or reason to it. I just write down the title, form and something short to describe it. 

That's pretty much my entire writing process. Hope it works for you. It has for me...so far.

Until next time, keep writing.

;)

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Persistence Is Key

Nobody is going to tell you to write a book. It just never happens. What usually happens is you get an inkling about maybe kinda sorta writing a book. It starts off small. Maybe you come up with a character or two in the shower. By the time dinner rolls around, you find yourself with a plot. Then a beginning. Then an ending. The middle is your job. That's where the real work is laid out. Because if you got a killer beginning and a dynamite ending, then its up to you, and you alone, who has to hold the audience for an extended period. 

It can be difficult at times.

Little trolls plant seeds of self-doubt in your head.

Is this a strong enough beginning? Why did I put that obstacle in front of that one character? Will this even make sense?

But there is one thing to look out for if you are a truly dedicated writer. And that is Persistence.

When I first started, back in 1999, I knew that I'd write garbage. I gave myself time to write the most awful work I could. Wrote 168 pages of fiction then deleted the entire thing. I also had four or five ideas brewing. Maybe altogether I had 500 to 1,000 words to work with.

There was this old desktop computer I had when I first wrote. It was bulky, black, an Acer brand. Thing is, this computer was incredibly slow. It wasn't new either. My aunt gave it to me because she was getting a new one. My writing ritual would always start the same.

I'd take the stairs up to the attic, turn the corner, sit at my desk, turn on the computer, then pull out whatever book I was reading at the time. Different Seasons by Stephen King was always a favorite. I'd read this book because it took 20 to 30 minutes for the computer to boot up. When it was fully on, I'd open up Microsoft Office, which took another 10 minutes, and I'd start typing. There was the occasional freeze which was annoying but would clear up after 10 or 15 minutes. 

So, all told, it took me an hour of wait time each time I sat down to write. But I didn't care. If a novel is intriguing, you'll become real persistent. Wrote 80,000 words on that computer. Now I sit here and wonder how I ever had the patience. 15 years later and I've already written 500,000 words. It just takes persistence.

Persistence is key.


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