Completely Mashugana (Gregory Lyons Blog)

Totally Awesome Writers #2

2010-04-07T13:24:00Z

The 'Urban Fantasy' genre is generally defined as a story set in the modern world but with supernatural elements. This can be a wide umbrella, but a lot of the best selling stuff has one other common theme: a strong, saucy female character who kicks butt. Browse the bookstore and you'll see tons of covers with hot chicks in mid-riff revealing leather carrying guns, swords, or both. I happen to like these stories when they are well done.

And for me the best is the Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton.

The series is pure awesome. It is about a spitfire of a woman torn between the love of a vampire and a werewolf. Now, before you compare Anita to Twilight or any of the others, understand that the first novel was published back in 1993. And it had way more of an edge.

Anita Blake, the Vampire Executioner, is no shrinking violet, no love lorn high school student. She is a killer. She is a wonderfully complex character - but it never gets in the way of the action. She raises the dead, is an expert with a wide variety of firearms, and prefers the direct approach to problems - shoot it or smash it. But Hamilton gives her a feminine, human side as well.

I should caveat this recommendation with this warning: Laurel K. Hamilton likes romance novels too. Sometimes her books can get a little, um, risque, which does not interest me. For me personally, the romance aspects of the books started to turn me off by about book 8 (Blue Moon) and the stories became more romance novel than urban fantasy for my taste. But the first 7 books are amazing.

Anyhoo, I was majorly influenced by how Laurel wrote action sequences with equal parts humor and horror. Characters that can crack jokes in the middle of certain death. And protagonists that just plain kick the hell out of whatever they are up against.

Try Guilty Pleasures. You can actually get the first two chapters free. Anita Blake rules.

Totally Awesome Writers #1

2010-04-06T13:26:00Z

I want to start sharing some of the writers that influenced me while I was writing. This is for two reasons. Firstly, once my book becomes a bestseller and top grossing box office smash, people can look back and realize that I did not have one original idea. Not one. I just mashed up a bunch of ideas that have been around a while in my own utterly wicked cool way.

Secondly, these people rock and you should read their stuff.

First up: Garth Ennis

Ennis is an amazing comic book writer. I was hugely influenced by his Hellblazer: John Constantine storyline called Dangerous Habits. I'll let you go to the links to check it out, but it is one of the best urban fantasy stories ever told. Ennis can mix dark humor, taut dialogue, shockingly graphic horror, and plot twists you don't see coming. He blends urban London, Biblical literature, and the occult but keeps it in the background. The focus is always on the main character, Constantine, and his messed up world view. Highly recommended.

Go read Dangerous Habits. Now.

I'm Getting Dumber

2010-03-24T14:34:00Z

Seriously. I am getting dumber. I am almost positive I used to be smarter. I sure hope I was, anyway.

I really only enjoy what Scott Sigler calls 'Popcorn Novels.' When I sit down to read I want something that moves, that grabs me, that has tension on every page. Like a summer popcorn blockbuster movie. I like novels that grab me, whirl me around, and throw plot twists and conflict at me at every turn. I want a cliffhanger at every chapter that makes me say 'I'll stay awake to finish this chapter but then I am seriously going to bed.' When I finish a novel I like to say, 'dang that was fun!'

I no longer have the appreciation or, well, intelligence to read books that the New York Times describes as important novels or novels that are very well written. Where critics say the writer has an amazing gift of language, writes prose, blah blah blah. If you don't grab me in the first few pages, heck, the first paragraph, I am probably going to lose interest. I no longer have the patience for a story to build slowly over several chapters. If someone tells me a book gets really good around page 200, or to 'just stick with it', I am pretty much guaranteed to give it a pass.

I firmly believe people can write well and write fiction that grabs you. I also think people can write not so well but still write a story that grabs you. I'll forgive mediocre writing if the story is fun.

But I cannot stomach paragraph after paragraph of a beautifully written description of a farmhouse on a summer day, the smell of the dirt road, the feel of the breeze, the history of the land, the deep emotional attachment the character has to the peeling paint on the ramshackle barn...

Its a freaking farm. I get it. Now make something happen. If there's a vampire or serial killer or something at this farm then trot him the heck out and get on with it.

Sigh.

I think I actually got a little dumber while writing this. Ah well.

Genius or lunatic? You decide

2010-03-16T13:54:00Z

Want to know one of the fun things about reading fiction I wrote 3 years ago? I have no memory of writing it. None. So it feels like I am reading someone else's words. The practical benefit of this is that I feel like I have a more impartial eye to find and fix errors. The totally wicked awesome part is when I read something I like. I found myself flipping to the next chapter because I wanted to see what happened next - exactly the kind of 'page turner' I want to write. So it feels good to know that I actually like some of what I wrote as a reader, not just a writer.

Now then, turning the page because I am on pins and needles to see what happens in a story that I wrote, well, that is a little disconcerting. But I'm gonna go with genius for now. Genius!

You Cut How Many Freaking Words?!?!?

2010-03-09T13:54:00Z

I finished the first full rough draft of my urban fantasy novel in the summer of 2005. It came in at 90,000 words. Not bad. I liked it but knew it needed heavy editing. So I put it aside so I could get a fresh perspective when I came back.

The draft sat untouched until January of 2010, 4+ years later. That is a lot of freaking perspective. I'd given up on it for a lot of reasons listed in posts below, but also because I knew editing was going to be painful. I knew there were serious problems that I did not want to confront because I had no clue how to make them suck less.

Then I got back into listening to the I Should Be Writing podcast by Mur Lafferty and regained my inspiration. So I read the old draft and began to edit. And I was horrified at how bad some parts were. Did I actually put a Tony Soprano character in there? Did I think I could write dialog for mafia types that was not laughable? Was I insane? And realized I had to do more than edit - I had to cut and rewrite major sections.

When all was said and done I deleted 30,000 words. One third. To put that into perspective, a typical new author novel is supposed to be between 75,000-95,000 words. Also, I need to fit my writing in between other responsibilities, so in a good week I can get three days of writing at about 1,000-1,500 words per day.

So I deleted my novel into something too small to be considered a novel, set myself back a good 6-8 weeks of rewriting, and was way farther behind that I thought I'd be.

Oh yeah. And I completely deleted the antagonist because he was a gigantic, horrible cliché.

So there I was in January with 2/3 of a first draft, massive rewriting ahead of me, and no antagonist. Good times.

But now here in March I am so glad I did it. I was dead right to go with my gut and kill those 30,000 words. They were absolutely not salvageable. And it made me go back to ground zero and get into the head of my antagonist. I spent time seeing him from just his side and not just as a foil. What did he want? What was his background? If there were no protagonist what would his plan be? Character creation 101.

And I rewrote the entire antagonist storyline, 28,000 words. Then I reworked this new villain into the main story of the protagonist. And overall I am much happier with the novel now than I was in January. In fact, I realized that some of what made me put the draft down for two years was that I knew deep down that the villain was utter crap.

My point? Killing 30,000 words was quicker than trying to fix 30,000 words. Even though it seemed crazy at the time and was an agonizing decision.

Now, finally, I have a real first draft, back up over 90,000 words with some other additional tweaks, that I'm much happier with. I need to destroy to create sometimes.

Next up: No clue. I'll figure something out.

My Master Plan

2010-03-05T14:00:00Z

So I've covered the God-awful traditional old school process of sending out query letters, slush piles, hoping for an agent, and basically trying to get lucky to get published. I explained how others have used the new media to circumvent or augment this process to the writer's benefit. But the question remains: OK Greg - what's the plan?

Despite my disdain for the query letter system, my end goal is the same as any writer: get an agent, get a publisher, and get my novel in bookstores. I'm just taking a different route:

Build a Plan: I need to figure out what I want out of all this. That way I can design the elements to fit the goals. This is it, by the way.
Finish the Novel: Edit it, polish it, and make it as good as it can be before releasing a single syllable.
Publish Free Content: Get my work out there for people to enjoy for free.
Precautions: Make sure I do not put anything out for free that may jeopardize traditional publishing deal (e.g. may agents do not mind if you give out free audio but will not sign if you give out free .pdf's).
Research: Learn everything about this new media from what is the best podcasting microphone to what legal steps do I need to take to protect my work.
Emulate The Masters: Study and learn from people that have done this successfully: Mur Lafferty, Scott Sigler, JC Hutchins, and more. No need to reinvent the wheel.
Free Audiobook: I've decided that I intend to record and release the book as a free audiobook to generate interest. There are other methods but I like this one.
Marketing: Try to build a strong audience/following using Twitter, Facebook, my blog, interviews on podcasts for new authors, anything.
Agent/Publisher: Hopefully get enough success that I become attractive to an agent or publisher.
Repeat: If it does not work, back to step one and try it with a new book.

That's it in a nutshell. A modified road to getting published. It gives me a little more control and its a lot more fun. I get to email and Twitter with early fans before any deal is even signed. I get to make my own audiobook. I learn podcasting. All much more fun then sending out query letters and waiting.

The odds still suck, but it'll be a wild ride

Next up: Step 2: Finishing the Novel.

How'd They Do It?

2010-03-02T15:05:00Z

So, continuing from last time, how did my favorite authors use social media to get published? Well, lots of ways.

First and foremost they ignored the hysterical screams of the entrenched New York publishing glitterati and just got their work out there. They recorded their books as audio novels and gave them out for free via Podiobooks.com. They did podcasts discussing the writing process and put them out for free. They blogged. They posted on other author's blogs. They Tweeted and Facebooked. They did interviews on amateur podcast shows about emerging authors.

Yep - they decided to build a fan base first by getting people jazzed about their work for free. Customers first - crazy, huh? Then they went to make a living on it. When they published work that you had to pay for they had a built in audience. People (like me) bought the books even though they'd heard the novels in audio form.

And guess what they maintained? Way more control of their work and how it gets out there.

I encourage anyone interested in this new media to check out all three authors' websites. Also, you really need to buy their books. Now. I mean it. They are great books.

JC Hutchins: Buy the amazing book 7th Son. I can't say enough good things about it.
Scott Sigler: Buy what you like here. I loved Ancestor, but they're all great.
Mur Lafferty: Get Playing For Keeps, a thoroughly original super hero novel. And subscribe to her awesome I Should Be Writing podcast. You'll love Mur as much as I do,

Or check them out the way I did at first - their free audio stuff. Go to Podiobooks.comand search on their names - its all good. Mur's Heaven series is wonderful, Sigler's Earthcore is gripping, and JC's 7th Son may be the best audio novel I've ever heard. They guy does 10+ separate voices - amazing.

Anyhoo, this is the new way to do it. These people have worked out the kinks. We get to follow in their footsteps. Good times!

Next up: So What's The New Media Process?

Getting Published in the Twitter World

2010-03-02T14:14:00Z

Let's start with the traditional way an new author gets published:

Write novel
Create a one page query letter to sell the concept
Mail that letter cold to a ga-zillion agents
Hope that your letter stands out from the dozens they get each day
If you get lucky, hope that your agent can convince an editor to try and sell your novel internally
Hope that the editor is successful and they agree to publish

Notice a theme? Lots of 'hope.' Not good.

This method gives the author a low chance of success and very little control. I've been in some form of corporate management for about 15 years. Let's say someone came into my office and said, 'Greg, I'd like you to invest tremendous time and resources on a project with a very slim chance of success and you get almost no control.' Who'd agree? No, in business we pick our projects carefully. I choose efforts where can I best use my resources to maximize my chance of success.

The traditional model of query letters and cold calling agents does not pass my smell test. It feels like a waste of time.

So this is why I got discouraged. It is why so many writers get discouraged. I mean, why freaking bother? But there was really no other option, so you sent your query letters, attended local writing workshops, and tried to network at writing conventions. And a massive percentage of us failed - good and bad writers alike. So I gave up and left my novel collecting dust on my hard drive.

Then I discovered Mur Lafferty, Scott Sigler, and JC Hutchins. And my world changed.

These authors are at the forefront of the changing media dynamic. I'm sure there are more, but these are the three I found and followed. They had the exact same frustrations as I did with a single exception. They are way smarter than I am. Like Einstein compared to, well, to me I suppose.

Anyhoo, they decided to ignore the traditional publishing method and use emerging social media instead. Instead of going through layers of agents and publishers to reach their audience they decided to go directly to their potential audience. And their approach horrified old school publishing.

They decided to give stuff away for free.

Next Up: How'd They Do It?

Getting Started: Build a Web Page

2010-03-01T14:37:00Z

Its ironic. I manage software developers by day, brilliant people who design software for the US military. We swim in C++, Java, .Net, and real-time weapon systems hardware/software - but I know squat about building a simple website. I did not even know where to start.

I knew I wanted it simple. I just needed a place to begin some basic communication with anyone who might get interested in my work. I wanted this built before I published anything. Once I get stuff out there I wanted a place where people could go to become a fan, learn more, etc. You know, to begin building my legion.

I just needed a few basic features:

A blog
A place to post free written work
A public email
A way for people to 'follow' me
Cheap or free

So after a bunch of research, I went with GoDaddy. I won't bore you with everything I looked at - self hosting, free design software, Blogger, Wordpress, templates, blah blah blah. At the end of the day Godaddy worked for me. It was cheap to buy the Gregorylyons.net domain ($20 or so) and, more importantly, they had a very easy to use web template tool called Smart Space. Within 30 minutes I had gregorylyons.net live, a basic website that had colors I liked, a blog, a place for posting Word docs, and an email. All for $4.99 per month.

So now I can link to the blog through Facebook, Twitter, and anything else I use to promote my writing. People can subscribe to the blog and I can use that to communicate. If I post a new piece of writing or what have you I just blog about it and anyone subscribed gets updated. I can manage a whole lot of communication for five bucks a month.

There are other options but this one worked for me. Check it out here:

GoDaddy SmartSpace

Next up: how to use the web to get published.

2010: The Quest to be Published

2010-02-24T13:32:00Z

Well, this is the year I finally dedicate myself to getting my urban fantasy novel published. I intend to blog about the journey a few times a week just for fun. Read along if it amuses.

I have a pretty loose definition of what 'published' means. I am not thinking of a big New York book deal, agents, and options for the movie rights. More like getting my stories out there where others can enjoy them for free. I'll consider that a success. I'd get a kick out of just knowing that some strangers read my stuff and enjoyed it. If something more comes from it then all the better.

I'm not a complete idiot though. I'm also taking steps to allow for the big book deal since that's the dream. There's a way to do it - I've learned from the success of others like Mur Lafferty and JC Hucthins (more on their pure awesomeness later). I'll explain it as I go.

I am a project manager by trade so I have broken this into a series of steps. The first is the get a website up where I can point people in case they gain interest in my work. As you may have surmised by now, this is it. Ta-da!

Next I wanted to get a place where I can post some of the smaller, funny things I write that I only share with friends. I've done that on this site under 'stuff I done wrote' back on the Homepage (button, top left of screen). Check out the entries there - I'm sharing them for free in the hopes of introducing myself to the interwebs.

Anyhoo, this is the start. Next up? Some thoughts on how I intend to get my work into the hands of my future adoring fans. Don't expect the traditional tale of woe involving hundreds of rejected query letters. I intend to bypass that process and use the interwebs to get right out there. I am following in the footsteps of some pioneers in this new media publishing method - I'll share what I've learned, mistakes, and all the rest.

Thanks for tuning it - more to come.

Greg