Thursday Update

            Busy, busy, busy. That seems to be my life right now. We have finally finished “Gothic Angel,” and I managed to sneak it in under the wire for the competition. A recent Writer’s Digest article said submitting at the last minute was a major “no no.” Shit! Oh well, at least it’s in. [That’s what she…never mind]. It’s been a crazy time here. The story came out really well, but the ending still troubles me, to an extent. I rewrote it, still keeping the idea but re-working the structure and emotions. I have been told it is powerful, and I know it has brought some to tears. It will be up for sale soon. First, however, is “Mommy’s Gone Crazy.”

            We are planning the photo shoot for “Mommy’s Gone Crazy” this coming Monday, at the house we selected. I am looking forward to it, and am rather anxious to see what comes out of it. I know everyone has been putting a lot of thought into the shots, so I believe we will get some awesome pictures. I’ll try to post some pics either on fb or the blog as the shoot is happening, so watch for them Monday evening.

            I have not had a chance to edit Mommy’s Gone Crazy yet, but hope to very soon. Gothic came first because of the proximity of the competition closing date. Now that the story has been submitted, it is time to begin working on the lengthier Mommy’s Gone Crazy. More editing. Joy.

            I have been reading the Style Guide for Smashwords, an online site that will distribute your book to various electronic retailers. You need to format you work yourself, so they give you a free 72 page ms to read before doing so. I am actually enjoying it, so far, and admit that I am looking forward to formatting my own text. The Guide is very detailed, but offers many photos for those of us who are seemingly Word illiterate. Expect a cursing blog when I begin…..

            Aside from that, everything is going along pretty well. I have some new ideas that I will eventually do something with (hopefully sooner than later). Bleodsian is also in the works, so look for that to make an appearance in the early summer.

            Alright, enough for now. I’m headed off to work. Thanks for following along!

An Evening in the Cemetery

            Have you ever spent an afternoon walking through the park, only to realize hundreds of slabs of stone rose from the ground, and startling little angels glared back at you, as if in defiance of your presence? That park, you realized, was actually a cemetery, and you were on a photo shoot scouting mission. Ok, maybe your life is not as cool as mine (actually, that dead thing I found by the lake the other day has a cooler life than mine). I’ve said all that to say this: I am that guy strolling through the cemetery looking for the  right location for the “Gothic Angel” shoot. I’m that strange. Yes, I am.

            We all got together (Lady Perry, Joe and Aaron) and headed out to explore some cemeteries in the area. The first was nice and secluded, and had a very lovely section beneath a spruce (I think it was spruce). The area was good, but not quite what we were looking for.

            The second location was a very exquisite, and might I add, very creepy cemetery much closer to town. Several stones rose from the ground, their carvings and etchings harkening back to a time when death was a prominent guest in every household. Antiquity rested on the property, and it presented itself to us in its full evening grandeur. As you can see, it impacted me greatly.

We will shoot in a few days, maybe a week or so. Right now, we are getting everything together and making preparations. It is such an awesome location. The story, naturally, takes place in a cemetery, hence our location choice. I actually think I used cemeteries a lot in my writings….now I’m going to have to check on that!

Aside from that, I’m still editing “Gothic Angel.” The first read-through went well, and the worst is out of the way. The first edit is always the roughest; it’s where you get all the grammatical errors out of the way. Now, I can focus on continuity and internal issues. It is a short work, so it is not exactly a complicated matter. I’m going to try and read through it once more tonight, then allow it to make its rounds.

Well, all for now. Thanks for reading.

Not Easy Being a Writer

            I finally finished reading one Writer’s Digest magazine last night. That is the peril of taking on too many damned things! Here’s my daily reading list: I have the Writer’s Digest, where I get so much valuable information on writing/critiquing (so I won’t skip reading it); Food and Wine magazine, a publication I absolute love; my own editing; three books from other indie authors (which I said I would read and review); Two Years Before the Mast (a most excellent book, and one I read for simple pleasure); and finally, the 2012 Writer’s Market. That’s a ton of reading, and it bogs me down daily. I fall behind and then have to play “catch-up.” Is all of this for writing? No, but 80% of it is, not even counting the research I do.

            It’s not easy to do all of the above and while continuing to write (not to mention two blogs, extensive correspondence and the organization of the team. Sometimes, story writing is the least of the things I do. People simply don’t understand. There is a lot of work that goes into a story. Readers pick it up and peruse it, thinking, “Man, this shit looks easy. I could be a writer any day of the week.” Ok, pal. Go for it! You see how easy it is to be a writer in the 21^st century. And Oh, do hold down a full time job that has you working nights, days and weekends. Try it and see!

            Am I in a bitchy mood? YES, I am! For all the trouble we endure, all the hardships of writing and editing, all the emotional rides we take in constructing the story, all the hours of labor, and intensive thought, what do we get for it? Here’s what we get: a review which says “the ending was shit,” a comment which says “try again, loser.” I don’t have the luxury of time or a team of full-time editors to take my work and lighten my load. I don’t have a staff of assistants to fetch texts, gather information or help critique an idea (hell, even create one for me). I don’t have a contract which gives me endless amounts of money so I don’t have to hold down a job. I have none of what the professional writers have. What I do have, however, is criticism! Ah, the old critique, how I love thee and loathe thee.

            What am I proving with this anyways? But, then again, no one reads this, so I could say whatever I want. Rubber baby bunkie bumber! I am Superman! “Not only could we do the weather; we could do the weather with a gorilla molesting us in the butt.” –Lewis Black (Italics mine). Random squirrel pooping on a tree limb. What time do I clock in tomorrow? SEE??

            Ok. I’m done. Too tired to continue. Noting much has changed here. No photo shoot today. Don’t know when we’ll reschedule. Going to take some pics with Joe tonight, and hopefully get something for “Gothic Angel.” Editing is nonexistent. Two manuscripts need my attention, as do the blogs. Hopefully I will have time for them.

            For the few of you who actually follow along, thank you. It means a lot to me.

The Witch House is Released

It’s been a while since I posted on here, and let me say, a lot has happened! I apologize for the silence, but if you remember, we were gearing up for the release of “The Witch House.” Alright, without further ado, here we go!

            First, we uploaded my latest short work of fiction, “The Witch House,” and it has been doing very well. The reviews I have received have been positive. No “your story was shit!” comments, thankfully. Yes, it is a sad story. Mary’s story is not a happy one; but what can be said? Read it and find out why. Here is the link:

           

“The Witch House”

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-witch-house-robert-perry/1109480576?ean=2940014334426

            I am delighted to see the story doing nicely. We have prepared for this moment, and now it has come into reality. It’s very exciting. If you have not checked it out yet, click on the link. The story is only $2.99 on bn.com!

            Second, we had a meeting on Monday night, a very impromptu meeting, but a very good one. I gave out the future assignments for the next few projects, and we discussed doors for the upcoming photo shoot. We were joined by Amber Houston (pronounced How-ston), as she will be the face of “mommy” in the upcoming cover for “Mommy’s Gone Crazy.” She has a lot of talent, and I think she will do nicely. After dinner, we drove through DeLand looking for doors for the shoot. Yes, we did. I really don’t have time to make this crap up. And now, I am quite the expert on doorknobs and panes. Not a lie.

            Today, I met with Amber on campus, and we proceeded to search out the vintage buildings for a suitable location. I am thinking a friend’s house near the campus will do nicely. Now, to make the necessary arrangements.

            It is an exciting time here. Things have exploded on both facebook, and especially Twitter. My friends list has more than doubled. I am slowly building a fan base. I know it will take time, so we are all preparing for a long haul. Hope you will hang in there as well.

            Aside from all this, I now have the edited copy of “Gothic Angel” on my desk. I guess it’s time to start that activity now. Sigh…There’s also an issue of Food and Wine on my desk; maybe I’ll read that first.

            Alright, back at it. Remember to check out “The Witch House.” If you need to download the free Nook app, it’s located to the side of this blog.

The Witch House to be Released March 12th!

            Well, it’s official: “The Witch House” is up for sale on March 12^th! I spent all day yesterday putting the finishing touches on the document, uploading the cover art and tying down all the loose ends. March 12^th it will be up for sale on bn.com. Just look under the e-books (or Nook books) tab and search my name, Robert Perry. Oh, and feel free to purchase it. ;)

            I am really excited to have reached this moment. The first experiment has come to fruition. We all worked so hard on this: Lady Perry and myself editing (and me writing); Joseph working on the photo selections; and Aaron putting all the artwork together. Several months of labor will be completed on the morning of the 12^th! Will it sell? Will it be successful? I can’t say right now. All I know, however, is that this team pulled it off. We all did amazingly, and now it is time to sit back and see what our Lady Witch will do.

            Such exciting times right now! Aaron is working on reading Bleodsian; Joe is putting together some works for “Gothic Angel”; and we are editing both “Gothic Angel” and “Mommy’s Gone Crazy.” I’m putting out a call for female models for these works. If you are interested, let me know via my facebook page or my email address (accantoallatomba@yahoo.com)

            I have read through both the above mentioned documents, and they are good! Two more edits and they, too, will be ready for bn.com. It will take some time, however, as there is still much work to do. We have no cover art for either, as of yet. I am working on lining up two models so far, and am considering “roping in” a few more.

            I have not had a chance to read any of the magazines or do any research for agents. Time is escaping me at the moment (well, it’s not like I’m not busy!). Hopefully I’ll get to that later today.

            Well, that is all for now. Remember to look for “The Witch House” on March 12^th. Tell your friends also!

Monday Update

            I set out to begin my latest work, “Gothic Angel,” today. And I finished it today. That’s freakin’ amazing! No, really, that is amazing. I don’t usually finish a story in a week, let alone one day. Granted, it’s only a few pages; but still, it’s done and now I have only to revise it.  The story came off really well. It needs some work, but the foundation is good. Sometimes it’s easier to simply write while in the mood, and correct later. Just get the foundation down, then revise it later.

            Here’s a sneak peak to the story: it deals with a youth who goes to visit his girlfriend at a secluded spot, at a select time. He is apprehensive she won’t appear, and brings along his bottle of Jack just in case. He is delighted when his “angel” arrives, and she gives him her greatest gift.  It’s a beautiful gothic love tale about love lost and regained. As is customary for my works, wait for a punch in the ending! Sorry, that’s all you’re getting.

            I’m glad it’s out of the way. It was fun to write, but I need to have it ready by the 31st for the Tom Howard/John Reid Short Story contest. If I can get if finished quickly enough, I will hopefully get it to the March 15^th Writer’s/Editors network 29^th annual contest. That is my goal, anyways.

            I have a lot on my plate, that is for sure. I’m also looking for an agent. A recent article in Writer’s Digest has prompted me to search out an agent for my writings. How it works is that you find an agent, and they search out a publishing house on your behalf. Yes, there is money involved; but what doesn’t cost money today? I will let you know how I progress. I would like to have one secured by the fall, if such is possible and everything works out to my advantage. Let’s hope!

            Finally, I’m editing ”Mommy’s Gone Crazy” now. I have covered about fourteen of the 32 pages. I have to say I am pleased with it so far, though I can see it will need some attention. When you are writing, you lose yourself in the work. It is very easy to make contextual mistakes and allow for errors in continuity. I do not have many of these, but at times the word choice is a little weak. Since I left grad school I feel my vocabulary has plummeted. Where’s that Thesaurus?

            Well, that about sums it up for now. Things have been busy for me, but pretty boring on here. I’ll get a comical blog up in a day or so. Hang tight, and thanks for reading!