69 – Sex in Thrillers

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We start as we mean to go on, confirming that episode 69 is going to be very juvenile.

We update things on the writing front.

Dark Rite is actually out now, so this episode is a bit behind on that front. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Rite-ebook/dp/B00CDVZWWA/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_C5HQ

Alan talks bout how he’s just finished his latest novel in progress. The short fiction Alan talks about in the podcast has been signed off on now – he’s sold a story to Crowded and another story to Beneath Ceaseless Skies.

Dave talks about Dark Rite too. Then he goes on to talk about his new collaboration with Sean Sweeney. He’s also working on Atlantis, and his collaboration with Ryan Span under his David Debord pen name. Busy!

We talk about the nature of writing and publication and how things can be long delayed or several things land at once.

We go to talk about the nature writing in several different genres and the benefits of standalones over series.

This leads us to talk about the benefit of having several books out there if you want to succeed.

 Here’s the link to the series of guest posts Alan talks about with writers talking about what they still strive for or what they still worry about, especially about new books coming out - http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/ongoing-angst-successful-writers-conclusions/

Promo: You Suck by David Wood

We then go on talk about sex in thrillers.

We start with the historically inherent sexism in thrillers.

We should expect more from secondary characters who are only really there for sexual tension.

How much sex do we need spelled out on the page in thrillers and genre fiction?

Do you need sex in thrillers?

Do you lose something if you have a long standing character get together with their longstanding love interest?

Dave’s advice is that it’s better to anger people than bore them, so risks are worth taking.

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Episode 66- New Pulp with Bobby Nash

In this episode, David and Alan discuss "New Pulp" with Bobby Nash. We also take Random House to the woodshed for their new digital-first publishing contracts. More important, however, is the fact that Al finally bought a decent microphone. Woo hoo!


Click here for direct download

We begin by contemplating the afterlife and the torment that awaits us.

Updates on our writing. Alan is writing "long short stories" and getting ready to do a new draft of a novel. Our collaborative novel is out to beta readers. David is still working on Atlantis, a fantasy novel collaboration with Ryan Span, and plotting a super secret project.

Obligatory Russell Crowe insult.

In publishing news: Random House has started some digital-first imprints and the contracts are bad. We kick them around for a while. For more information, check out John Scalzi's post.

Random House defend their crappy contract.

*Note- after the recording of this episode, Random House made some changes to their contract. Feel free to read them over and make up your own mind.

Promo- RealmShift by Alan Baxter

Our guest is author Bobby Nash.

What is the current state of "New Pulp?" Is it still alive and well, or is it on the decline?

What is New Pulp? Can it be defined? What are the common characteristics?

Newpulpfiction.com

How has e-publishing driven New Pulp?

Story length and pacing.

Who is writing or publishing New Pulp right now?

Who are some of the "classic" pulp writers?

What's happening with Bobby's work?

Nominated for Pulp Ark and Pulp Factory awards. Other writing projects. Comics and screenplays.

Writing for comics vs writing prose.

Advice for writers- if you want it to be your job, treat it like a job!

Find Bobby online at www.bobbynash.com and look for him at Con Nooga, Tennessee Mountain Writers' Conference, and Pulp Ark.

Recommended Pulp Sites:
Newpulpfiction.com
Allpulp.blogspot.com
Coming Attractions Pulp Site

Episode 52 – Massive Hubris

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Apologies again for the slightly annoying sound in this episode. Recording issues again. This happens when the two hosts have a planet between them. The sound does improve as the podcast progresses.

We start off by talking about the constant process of ruminating on ideas for our writing during everyday life and how we grab those ideas before they’re lost.

We go on to talk about the nature of lowest common denominator publishing.

Anything He Wants (Dominated by the Billionaire) series 

This leads us to talk about the healthy or unhealthy nature of the role models these books encourage.

We move on to the poor woman who tried to restore a painting in a church in Spain.

The terrible painting restoration

We talk about this self-delusion of skills as it relates to writing.

We talk about working at your craft to get good at it.

 We then discuss the strange goings-on recently with Weird Tales magazine in connection with the book, Save The Pearls.

This is how you destroy something beautiful – N K Jemisin’s post on Weird Tales -

Google cache of Marvin Kaye’s post, A Thoroughly Non-Racist Book -

And more from Jeff Vandemeer on the whole situation -

We talk about the effect things like this have on how writers submit their work.

Three, count 'em, three outtakes at the end!

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Episode 41- Sci-Fi Adventure with Justin R. Macumber

After a long hiatus, ThrillerCast is back! We had some audio issues during the recording of this episode so certain sections sound fuzzy. We hope you'll forgive us- it's a great interview!




Click here for direct download.

Show notes:

Dave is finally settled in New Mexico, but hasn't been getting much writing done. Alan is juggling several projects.
What do you do when a writing project feels stale?

International Thriller Writers has announced the finalists for the 2012 Thriller Awards:

BEST HARD COVER NOVEL
Joseph Finder – BURIED SECRETS (St. Martin’s Press)
Jonathan Hayes – A HARD DEATH (Harper)
Stephen King – 11/22/63 (Scribner)
Michael Koryta – THE RIDGE (Little, Brown and Co.)
Marcus Sakey – THE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES (Dutton Adult)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
Jeff Abbott – THE LAST MINUTE (Sphere/Little, Brown UK)
John Gilstrap – THREAT WARNING (Pinnacle)
Helen Grant – THE GLASS DEMON (Delacorte Press)
Steven James – THE QUEEN (Revell)
John Rector – ALREADY GONE (Thomas & Mercer)

BEST FIRST NOVEL
James Barney – THE GENESIS KEY (Harper)
Melinda Leigh – SHE CAN RUN (Montlake Romance)
Paul McEuen – SPIRAL (The Dial Press)
H.T. Narea – THE FUND (Forge Books)
Leslie Tentler – MIDNIGHT CALLER (Mira)


"Stupid Author Tricks"- is it a good idea to review someone's book and include a link to your own book? What impression does that give to readers and other writers?


Interview- Justin R. Macumber, author of Haywire.

Overview of Haywire

Parallels with contemporary thriller and adventure fiction.

Building a history behind your story.

Writing a science fiction story that appeals to a wider audience.

Writing from multiple character viewpoints.

Justin's forthcoming novels.

Writing in multiple genres.

The influence of comic books on future writers.

Justin gets the opportunity to complain about Dave as an editor.


Visit Justin's online at www.justinmacumber.com , listen to his podcast, The Dead Robots' Society, or follow him on Twitter @jrmacumber.

Episode 40 – Points Of View with C J West

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Alan talks about his novelette, The Darkest Shade Of Grey, serialised at The Red Penny Papers: http://redpennypapers.com/fiction/serials/the-darkest-shade-of-grey-alan-baxter/

Also available as an ebook:

Dave mentions Gryphonwood’s latest signing, Justin Macumber and his new sci-fi thriller, Haywire: http://www.amazon.com/Haywire-Justin-R-Macumber/dp/1470099152/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1331787469&sr=8-3


We go on to talk about the nature of libraries lending books and where authors stand on that.

This leads to us talking about libraries introducing readers to new authors and how readers who use mainly library lending can help out to keep their favourite authors in a job.

We talk briefly about the news that the US Justice Dept. is taking several big publishers to task.

Then we have a chat with CJ West, author of several books.

CJ’s website: http://www.22wb.com/

CJ’s Amazon page, listing all his books: http://www.amazon.com/C.-J.-West/e/B002BMEHJA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1331787828&sr=8-1

CJ talks about his books.

He then goes on to talk about the massive success he’s had with KDP Select, clearing over 100,000 books, given away and the impact that’s had on sales.

This leads us to talk about the behemoth that Amazon is and the risks involved with its business plan.

CJ talks about his new series.

Then we go on to talk about Point Of View, and discuss the benefits and pitfalls of writing in first person as opposed to third person and so on.

We talk about the difference in narrative length, short story, novella or novel, and how different POVs work for different lengths.

We talk about how to write well in various POVs and what bad habits to avoid.

CJ’s website: http://www.22wb.com/

Episode 39 - Going Ape!

Click here for direct download.

Alan and Dave talk about their writing life, current projects and future plans.

Dave talks about the latest Gryphonwood Press signing, Justin Macumber, of Dead Robot’s Society fame.

Then we talk about some listener feedback:

Dave responds to some feedback about Scrivener and talks about how he uses it to help his novel writing.

Here’s the ebook Dave mentions from a listener comment: http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Novel-Scrivener-ebook/dp/B004ZG7BMU

Here’s the Wordle site the listener tipped: http://www.wordle.net/  

Alan talks about how he doesn’t really get on with the writing aid applications but uses several Word documents instead.

Here’s the Y-Writer software we mention from Simon Haynes: http://www.spacejock.com/yWriter5.html

We then talk about tracking productivity or wordcounts and whether we do or don’t use those kind of goals.

Next, we discuss what kind of music we listen to while we write and why.

Then we go ape.

Alan talks about how he was driven to rage-tweet about just how awful the Tim Burton movie of Planet Of The Apes was as he watched it on TV.

Dave reviews the original book, Planet Of The Apes by Pierre Boulle (1963), then Alan talks about why the Burton movie is so bad in comparison to such a great book.

This leads us to lament the distinct lack of story in movies these days, with spectacle always sacrificing storytelling.

Dave then talks about some listener response to his question: What are your favourite Ape/Protohuman stories.

Following that, Dave lists his own Top 10 Ape/Human Ancestor Books:

1. Planet of the Apes - Pierre Boulle

2. Neanderthal - John Darnton

3. Congo - Michael Crichton

4. The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle

5. Direct Descendant - Charles Wilson

6. Almost Adam - Petro Popescu

7. The Time Machine - H.G. Wells

8. Tarzan of the Apes - Edgar Rice Burroughs

9. Eaters of the Dead - Michael Crichton

10. Hominids - Robert J. Sawyer

Episode 038 – Heroes and Superheroes with Adam Christopher

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Dave and Alan talk briefly about where they are in their writing life, then go on to chat a bit about their favourite heroes and superheroes.

Alan’s Top 10 Fictional Characters post, as mentioned in the chat - http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2010/09/17/top-ten-fictional-characters.html

We then discuss the need among people for heroes. Even if you don’t watch movies or read comics or books, sports stars become heroes and so on.

We discuss historical heroes and the Indiana Jones type of exploratory hero. We need to admire and look up to someone and aspire to greater things.

Batman really would beat Jesus in a fight, incidentally.

Then we have a great chat with new Angry Robot author Adam Christopher, whose new superhero/alt-history novel, Empire State, is out now.

Empire State - http://angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/adam-christopher/empire-state-adam-christopher/

Adam talks a bit about his writing life and previous publications in short fiction.

We also give a mention to Emma Newman who narrated a podcast of one of Adam’s stories. Emma’s collection is fantastic, and I was lucky enough to get an early read and blurb it. You can find that here: http://www.enewman.co.uk/book-details/from-dark-places

But back to Adam. He talks about how he was discovered by Angry Robot Books through Twitter, which is a really fascinating story.

Adam mentions his short fiction published at Hub Magazine - http://www.hubfiction.com/

Adam talks about how his representation with his agent came about after the Angry Robot interest.

Then Adam goes on to talk about just what Empire State is all about.

We talk about reading habits, comics, books and others.

We talk briefly about Adam’s current and future projects, but he’s being mysterious on that front.

We talk about reading widely to be a good writer.

We have a chat about our favourite comics.

Then the great question – What superpower would we choose if we could?

http://www.adamchristopher.co.uk/

https://twitter.com/#!/ghostfinder

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Episode 37 - Catching Up and Crapping On

Click here for direct download.

In our most free-flow episode in some time, Dave and Alan catch up on writing, discuss various issues and share a few news items.

- Updates on Alan's writing- several recent sales.
- David is working on a Young Adult novella.
- David will be a guest at Balticon 2012.
- Jeremy Robinson's next Chess Team novel will be published (in print) by Seven Realms Publishing.
- Will more big press authors manage their own e-rights in the future and sell their print rights only? How can publishers give successful authors incentives to remain with publishing houses?
- Are readers forgotten in contemporary publishing discussions?
- Trends in e-reading and "gaps" in potential readership.
- In what circumstances do we still want a physical copy?
- Dave's thoughts on The Adventures of Tintin.
- New and forthcoming releases in thrillers.
- Guests coming to ThrillerCast in February.

Episode 036 - Writing Short Stories with Angela Slatter

Alan and David talk short stories and editing with award-winning author Angela Slatter.




Click here to download the episode.

We talk about stupid author tricks – Dumb tagging on Amazon.

We talk about writing short stories, the value of short stories to enhance craft and publication credits and to raise an author’s profile.

Then we have a great chat with Angela Slatter.

http://www.angelaslatter.com/

Angela Slatter is a Brisbane-based writer of speculative fiction (that’s in Australia, by the way). In 2010, she had two short story collections published, Sourdough & Other Stories with Tartarus Press (UK) (which was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award) and The Girl with No Hands & Other Tales (Ticonderoga Publications) (which won an Aurealis Award). This makes her happy.

In 2012, she will have another collection of short stories, a collaboration with friend and writing-partner-in-crime, Lisa L Hannett. Midnight and Moonshine will be published by Ticonderoga Publications. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies such as Jack Dann’s Dreaming Again, Tartarus Press’ Strange Tales II, Twelfth Planet Press’ 2012, Dirk Flinthart’s Canterbury 2100, and in journals such as Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, Shimmer, ONSPEC and Doorways Magazine. Her work has had several Honourable Mentions in the Datlow, Link, Grant Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror anthologies #20 and #21 and the Datlow Year’s Best Horror anthologies, and her stories have been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards four years in a row.

She is working on various short stories and three novels at the moment.

Angela talks about her what she thinks makes for success in short fiction, and where the short story differs from the novella and the novel.

Angela goes on to suggest ways to trim your longer fiction down into a shorter story and how to get to the essence of what you’re trying to achieve.

We talk about the nature and benefits of the Clarion writers’ program.

Angela talks about her novel in progress.

We go on to talk about the process of collaborating with another writer on short fiction.

We talk briefly about Angela’s short-term stint as editor of the Weird Fiction Review.

http://weirdfictionreview.com/

We talk about how writers can benefit from editing.

Should we use smaller ideas for shorter stories?

We talk about the renaissance of short fiction and novellas and our hope that those things continue to see a rise in popularity. We also mention how mystifying it is to us that those things aren’t already more popular.

And here’s the list of "classics" everyone should read, that Angela has put together for us:

Shirley Jackson - We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Shirley Jackson - The Haunting of Hill House
Clive Barker’s - Cabal (or Nightbreed)
Henry James - The Turn of the Screw
H P Lovecraft - The Shadow Over Innsmouth and Other Stories
Bran Stoker’s - The Judge’s House
Marghanita Laski’s - The Tower
Edgar Allan Poe - The Fall of the House of Usher
Anything by M R James (*Stephen Jones is editing a HUGE collection of M R James’ work – out in 2012 via the lovely Jo Fletcher Books (there’s a series of readings of M R James stories on youtube by Robert Powell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaDIbsN1710 and a little teleplay with Christopher Lee (hallowed be his name!) here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvkgwGGLp0k , which are made of awesome).

Find Angela online:

Angela’s site: http://www.angelaslatter.com/

Ticonderoga Publications: http://ticonderogapublications.com/

Tartarus Press: http://tartaruspress.com/

http://weirdfictionreview.com/

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Episode 035 - Special Ops and Spirits - Myke Cole Interview

Click here to download this episode directly.

Dave and Alan talk about their Xmas break.

Here are the bookshelves Alan was talking about:

http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2012/01/14/bit-bookshelf-porn.html

We discuss briefly the nature of hardcovers becoming the true artefact book that people want to collect, while the majority of reading is done on ereaders.

Then we talk a bit about our plans for the year.

We talk about the free books we still have to give away from the Xmas promotion. Get on it, folks!

Then we go on to talk about the KDP Select program through Amazon, and our concerns about it.

Then we have a great chat with Myke Cole about his Shadow Ops books – the first one, Control Point, is out any time now.

http://mykecole.com/

We talk about the inspiration for Myke’s books – military and magic, inspired by Dungeons & Dragons combined with Myke’s military and Pentagon experiences.

We go on to discuss Myke’s road to publication and gives his opinion about indie versus traditional publishing.

We talk about establishing a profile and using Kickstarter on the back of existing success.

Myke talks about his extensive planning method of writing a book.

http://mykecole.com/ 

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Episode 33- Publishing Pitfalls

In this episode, we discuss the importance of making wise, informed decisions when submitting to markets, selling your rights, and deciding how and where to publish your work.




Click here for the direct download link!

Dave is reading and enjoying 11 22 63 by Stephen King.

Alan is reading Bluegrass Symphony by Lisa L. Hannett. He recently read and reviewed The Courier's New Bicycle by Kim Westwood.

Dave recently read The Mozart Conspiracy by Scott Mariani.

Promo: Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing

Concerns and considerations when considering markets for your work.

"For the love" markets.

What's the value of "exposure?"

It's important to value your work and you should always be compensated in some way, even if it's only a contributor copy of the publication.

Know what rights you are selling when you sign a contract.

Watch out for publishers who buy rights they cannot use.

Some publishers will purchase rights they don't intend to use because they consider other formats to be "competing versions."

The Passive Voice blog- a great resource for publishing industry information, including advice on how to read a book contract.

Book Country- not a scam but, in our opinion, not a wise path to publication.

A fine line between self/indie publishing and vanity publishing?

Putting together and publishing a book is not the hard part; getting the word out and bringing in readers is the hard part, and assisted self-publishing services aren't going to help you with that.

Know the value of what a publisher or service will do for you before you enter into an agreement.

Episode 32 – Sorting Out The Civil War in Publishing

Click here to directly download this episode.



Alan talks about his Movember fund-raising effort - http://mobro.co/AlanBaxter

Alan talks about the “sagging middle” and the always difficult midway point of writing a novel.

Dave talks about his new Dane Maddock “short” story.

Promo- Dead Robots' Society Podcast

We then go on to refer back to past week’s podcast about pissing people off and this week we talk about the subject itself that was raised – the evangelists for self-publishing versus the evangelists for the traditional route.

Dave and Alan agree that we’ve got sick and tired of hearing from all the evangelists who try to convince everyone that there’s only one way to succeed.

We discuss the differences in traditional contracts and what to look out for. “Gotcha clauses”.

We discuss the pros and cons of agents and agent motivation.

We cover the question of whether publishers and bookstores are dying out.

Thrillercast Episode 31 – Ticking People Off

Direct Download Link.

We talk about our current writing projects.

Dave talks about all the Gryphonwood books that have had audio rights sold. Dave’s latest one, Quest, is available as an audiobook here: http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B0062CWYJU&qid=1320766920&sr=1-2

Dave then talks about stupid author tricks, such as joining an online forum and pretending to be a member purely to promote the author’s own books.

We talk about manners and politeness when it comes to being an author. Alan compares newbie authors to newbie martial artists.

We then talk about the recent controversy surrounding Michael Stackpole and his articles comparing in-house authors to slaves:

Stackpole's articles:

http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=2510
http://www.michaelastackpole.com/?p=2887

We discuss what Stackpole was trying to say with regards to paying attention to publishing contracts, and the danger of using such emotional language when it can obscure your point.

However, in talking about one part of the language, we don’t really address in great detail what Stackpole was saying. Dave and Alan don't necessarily agree with everything Mr. Stackpole says. The topic continues to garner attention, including this recent rebuttal by Tobias Buckell:

http://www.tobiasbuckell.com/2011/11/08/self-publishing-doesnt-mean-you-have-to-be-a-raging-fuck-wad/

We then go on to talk about the furore Alan generated with his post denigrating NaNoWriMo.

Alan’s post is here: http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2011/11/01/nanowrimo.html

Dave’s less controversial blog post on NaNoWriMo is here: http://davidwoodonline.blogspot.com/2011/10/morning-wood-nanowrimo-whats-use.html

We chat about all the pros and cons of NaNo, as we see them.

What to do when you find yourself in the midst of a controversy.

Thrillercast Episode 30 – Writing and Rewriting History

Direct Download Link

Alan talks about the new multi-media webinar of his How To Write Realistic Fight Scenes Masterclass. All the details here: http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/write-fight-scenes-masterclass

Alan talks about his current job of writing a video game narrative.

Alan talks about the new anthology, Hope, featuring his fantasy short story, Duty & Sacrifice. All profits from Hope will go to charities which help to raise suicide awareness. Get it here: http://www.kayellepress.com/books/anthologies/hope-speculative-fiction-to-help-raise-suicide-awareness/purchase-options-for-hope-anthology/

We talk about the new methods publishers are trying to avoid complaints about poorly reported sales figures for their creators.

Dave talks about the audiobook version Quest – it’s recorded and ready for a pre-Christmas release.

Promo- Mail Order Zombie podcast

We go on to talk about the nature of using history in our novels and how we approach cultural and historical events and use them.

We discuss the challenge of internal consistency in our novels and the amount of research involved, to ensure we approach our rewritten histories and mythologies from an informed point of view.

We touch briefly on cultural appropriation – is everything fair game?

We discuss the human psychology of religion and mythology, and culture, and how that needs to apply even in a completely fantasy world.

David discusses the cultural failings of some fantasy epics where history/culture is over-simplified.

Alan takes the same point to the failings of many sci-fi stories to correctly address cultural variation.

There are several versions of the US map David mentions. Here are just a few:

This is the one Dave mentioned: http://dalewrites.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/how-america-sees-the-world.jpg

Here are a few others:

http://cdn-www.i-am-bored.com/media/80033_americasview.jpg

http://www.viceland.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1.jpg

And Alan's favourite: http://www.irintech.com/x1/images/jean/US_World.jpg

We go on to discuss the importance of taking time out from writing to have a think. Thinking is an integral part of writing and we discuss the various methods we use to step away from the writing and let our brains chew on the details.

We talk about how we organise our research in order to draw from it for the novel in progress.

The importance of doing lots of research even if you don’t actually use it all in the finished story, as it will inform what you do include.

We talk about how the research for one project can be an investment in your writing career, as it can only help broaden the writer’s knowledge in general.

We then discuss the nature of readers recognising lazy research in our work. The more successful we get, the more we’re likely to sell from our backlist and the more critically we’ll be reviewed. Our early work may not be as good as later work from a craft point of view, but our research and integrity needs to be clear from the beginning.

Here’s Sean Ellis’s new book, Magic Mirror, out now from Gryphonwood Press - http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mirror-ebook/dp/B005UHIIH0/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A24IB90LPZJ0BS

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Episode 29 - Catfights, Causes and Controversies

Direct Download Link

ThrillerCast is one year old!

Alan was recently a guest at ConFlux.

David is looking forward to the release of the Quest audiobook.

The strange and cool experience of hearing your characters interpreted by a voice actor.

Writing Fight Scenes Online Master Class- Alan will be leading this class along with Joanna Penn, author of Pentecost and host of The Creative Penn. A few spaces remain. Thursday Oct 20, 2011 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM EDT (9pm GMT). A recording with slides will be available if you can't make the live session.

Registration link:
http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/write-fight-scenes-masterclass

This is the one year anniversary of ThrillerCast! What has changed in publishing in the last year?

Industry growing pains.

Negative reactions to Amazon's publishing imprint. Conflicts over excluse digital rights. Are booksellers making the right decision by refusing to carry print versions of books on which Kindle holds exclusive rights?

Disparate viewpoints on how authors should approach this tumultuous world. Then and now- watchdog organizations and where to get advice.

The Write Agenda
-What exactly is their agenda? We don't quite get it.
-Who are they angry with and why? What did Writer Beware and random SFWA officers ever do to them? We find them confusing.
-Why don't the individuals in the group identify themselves? (Or are we just missing it on their website?)
-Why does their highlighted bestseller list seem to be almost exclusively authors from pay-to-publish businesses? Perhaps there's nothing to it, but it gives a negative impression.
-Perhaps their cause is a good one, but we're having a hard time 'getting it.'

Our advice
- If you don't want to go the traditional publishing route, you are better off avoiding pay-to-publish companies. You can hire people to do the things you can't, and you'll be better off in the long run.
-Connect with the indie community for mutual support and guidance.
-Whether it's a cause like The Write Agenda or an advice site like Writer Beware, always weigh the value of what their saying, then make your own educated decision.

Episode 28 - Setting the Hook with David Sakmyster and R.P. Steeves

Direct Download Link

This week, Alan and David discuss how to keep a reader interested from the start.

Updates:
Alan is headed to Conflux and is working on writing for a gaming project.

David was interviewed on AllPulp.


Why do some books grab you from the start and others don't?

Start the story "as close to end as possible."

The importance of a strong "hook" in the age of the e-reader.

Purchasing based on samples.

Promo- Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing

Guests- David Sakymster and R.P. Steeves

The importance of setting in an engaging thriller.

How do our guests approach "hooking" the reader?

Prologues in thrillers.

Character development and secondary characters.

David's forthcoming screenplay project with David Golemon.


Visit our guests on the web:

David Sakmyster

R.P. Steeves


And don't forget our weekly

awesome and sometimes inappropriate outtakes after the closing credits!

Episode 27 – Branching out as a writer with David L Golemon

Click here to download this episode!

Show notes

David and Alan talk about their writing life and where they’re at right now.

David mentions the release of Callsign Queen. http://www.amazon.com/Callsign-Queen-Zelda-Novella-ebook/dp/B005MLJ6G6

David talks about his lack of focus in writing direction – the problem of having too many genres and idea directions in his head. David wonders if he has writer's ADD, and is it a problem to work on several projects at once.

Alan talks about how he works on many projects, but usually one at a time.

The importance of re-reading work when you’ve had a break from it.

Mur Lafferty’s “I Should Be Writing” podcast promo. www.ishouldbewriting.com

Then we chat with thriller and multi-genre author, N Y Times bestseller, David Lynn Golemon.

David Golemon talks about the Event Group books and their inspiration.

The latest book is Legacy - http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Event-Group-Thriller-Thrillers/dp/0312580797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316222595&sr=1-1

We talk about multiple characters in stories.

We talk about the importance of realism in characters and the need to kill main characters sometimes to ensure readers are always engaged and under suspense. Otherwise it’s just Red Shirt syndrome. “Real life is death sometimes.”

We talk about the personal impact on the writer of these character deaths.

David talks about how his and his family’s military background has influenced his writing.

We go on to discuss David’s new book, The Supernaturals - http://www.sevenrealmspublishing.com/products.php?product=The-Supernaturals . David talks about why he wrote a ghost story.

David talks about his move to Seven Realms to publish The Supernaturals and his position on small press.

This leads David to talk about how publishing is changing and the nature of mainstream press compared to small press, and the state of the book.

David also mentions the possibility of starting a new pulp magazine for horror and adventure stories, including graphic stories with great artwork. You heard it here first!

What scares David Golemon?

David Golemon – pantser or planner?

David talks about the great American historical novel he really wants to write.

Find David at www.eventgroupfiles.com

And yes, throughout the interview there’s the repeated sound of a dog. We have no idea why...

Episode 23 – Keeping It Real

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We talk about the nature of research in fiction.

The blog post Alan refers to regarding research:

http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/2011/07/21/fiction.html

We talk about making sure the real things in our novels are correctly represented in order to not upset the readers who would know. And to add realism for the people who wouldn’t know.

We talk about the duty of editors to fact check the work of their authors.

We discuss the importance of beta readers to proof and fact check.

The importance of research, especially travelling to places you’re writing about in order describe them well.

The beauty of modern technology, like Google Earth, to help us with our research.

And, in a shameless plug, if you want to get your fight scenes right, read Alan’s short guide to writing convincing fight scenes, Write The Fight Right, available for only $1.99 - http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/write-fight

And Dave’s new Dane Maddock book is out – Quest. http://davidwoodonline.blogspot.com/2011/07/friday-update.html

Episode 20- Books You Want to Be Buried With

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In this episode, we talk about which books are so important that you can’t even die without them, let alone live without them.

Many people gave us their answer and we have a chat about several of the selections, so have a listen and see who says what. Some pretty interesting answers crop up. Plus, we have one special guest who rings in on the subject- Justin Macumber, one of the hosts of the Dead Robots Society Podcast!

We won’t list the guests or books here, so not much in the way of show notes for this one, but we do end up discussing a broad range of awesome books, some in detail. Enjoy!

Episode 18 – Getting Noticed as a Writer

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In this episode we talk about the nature of getting noticed as a writer and what are the best methods of developing a career and income as a writer.

Alan and Dave talk about short fiction sales.

Then we go on to discuss the process of short story writing. What’s involved in making a short story good and how it differs from writing longer fiction.

Alan talks about Cat Sparks, her short fiction success and her transition to novel length work.

http://catsparks.net/

We talk about self-publishing short stories on Kindle as a way of building a broader base of available work.

Alan talks about the Dead Red Heart anthology from Ticonderoga Publications and the joy of being part of something bigger, in the form of an edited anthology.

http://ticonderogapublications.com/tp/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=126:dead-red-heart&catid=77:dead-red-heart&Itemid=97

Alan talks about making his short fiction available on his Dark Shorts page after its initial publication.

http://www.alanbaxteronline.com/dark-shorts

Is it better for authors to put as much work out there as possible to get noticed, or work on their profile directly? Lots of work or a lot of online noise? Or both?

Readers expect to know a bit about authors, so an online presence is essential. But an author needs a decent body of work as well.

The sudden, massive success story is not the norm! We mention Amanda Hocking and J A Konrath as examples.

The long tail and how good writing will endure. The legacy income.

Do we devalue our work if we give it away for nothing?

Feel free to comment or email with your thoughts!