Sunday, March 27, 2011

Talk it Out

Friday night was really an eye-opening night for both myself and the book. I had been spending a lot of my free time wondering what kind of climactic moments I wanted to add to the book in the upcoming chapters. While I really could have come up with these things all on my own, I like to bounce ideas off my fiance to see what his take is on them and to see what kinds of things he likes to see out of a story. The reason I do this with someone who is just a reader instead of a writer is that a reader knows the kinds of things they love about a story and what keeps them reading a book or buying the next in a series while a writer thinks more about setting, description, and tension. Also, I am always left wondering about motive with other writers, as sad as that sounds. I have to wonder why they gave me that idea... do they truly want me to succeed? Was the idea their own and it failed at one point? Are they sabotaging me? Are they going to hate me if the idea they gave me was a success and I wasn't sure to mention them in the credits? Too much paranoia. Too much to worry about.

I feel that everyone should have an "idea guy". Someone that you can talk bones with. Someone who doesn't know much about what you are writing that can give you some of their unbiased thoughts on what it is you are writing. Yes, I know that my fiance does have a bit of a bias because he wants me to succeed, but that is the best kind of bias you can find in an "idea guy". As far as the book goes, though, he is unbiased. He has no personal connection with the characters, and therefore doesn't really care what happens to them. He can be completely unrestrained with his ideas and I can be the one to take that idea and bridle it a bit. And there's no hurt feelings on his part if I take his idea and change it all around. I can tell him "that's not going to work because (this event) happens" and he just tries to come up with something else. I don't even have to use a single one of his ideas, and he doesn't get mad. I can get perspective with my "idea guy" by telling him what's going on in a story and asking him what he thinks of it and he has no problem telling me when he thinks something is overdone, or underdone in a story. I like that.

Do you have someone in your life that you consider an "idea guy"? Someone you feel completely comfortable sharing your story with that can give you ideas without giving you criticism? I hope this finds you well, fellow writers!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Publishing Can Be As Easy As Luck

Hello once again, fellow writers! Sorry it has been so long, and I have totally ventured away from my goal, but for good cause. I don't want the craziness of the other blog to leak into this, but suffice it to say that I have been rather distracted of late.

This past weekend I went to C2E2 in Chicago, Illinois, and decided to get my schmooze on. I have thought many times about making Cherry a comic book, but just wanted to meet people that I could talk to about it. I wanted to meet artists and writers and get their perspective on how the process has to begin, their advice on how to get there, etc. I got some great information out of these lovely people, and it was my plan to see Patton Oswalt ready to laugh my proverbial ass off. While my brother stood in the front of the line for seats I went outside for a pre-show smoke and a random gentleman with a pass marked "Speaker" walked out and lit up. I made a very lame comment about not seeing any wires, and we had a chuckle and got to chatting. He introduced himself as Julian and we got to talking about what we "do" and why we were at C2E2. I was telling him about my thoughts for making Cherry a comic and he seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. I gave him a short synopsis of the book, and he gave me a card. That card said "Publisher". I have researched the company. It's legitimate. He knows the book isn't finished, but he wants to see the first chapter and I am beside myself about it. On the one hand, I really want to send off the first chapter but on the other, I really want to get the book finished before I get too excited about publishing... then again, he could give me some insight into what I am doing right and wrong, and that could be great but he could also say, "Hey, this work is shit! Why did you bother sending it to me?!" and then I would probably be crushed.

The point of all this is that sometimes you luck into meeting people, which is why you should be prepared to talk to strangers because you never know whether or not that stranger is a door to other opportunities in your life. I have to make my own decision in this matter, and you would too. You could get all the advice you want but in the end it is YOUR call as to whether or not you want to trust a stranger with your baby.

My best to you, fellow writers. May this find you successful in your own endeavors.