Monday, June 29, 2009
5 Books Zombie Fans Must Read
World War Zby Max Brooks
I'm starting off with Brooks' World War Z because this book is more than just a zombie novel. It's one of the finest pieces of fiction published in the last decade or so. Really. I swear. I'm not just saying that because I like zombie books. World War Z is literature. The basis of the book is that it's a collection of stories told by survivors of a great war against the zombies. It reads real, very real. Sometimes too real. Yes, there's horror, and there's some of the humor often associated with Max Brooks (he is the son of actor/director Mel Brooks, after all), but there's also a nice touch of pathos here. The stories in World War Z aren't really about the zombies. They're about us, the humans. And therein lies the strength of this fine piece of fiction.
Book of the Dead
edited by John Skipp and Craig Spector
The oldest book listed here, first published in 1989, it's also one of the best. It's a collection of short stories about zombies, and there is some fine writing here. My personal favorite short story is probably "Like Pavlov's Dog" by Steven R. Boyett, but there's a little something here for all zombie and horror fans, including a short story by Stephen King that still gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. Truly, you need to read this if you're into zombies.
City of the Dead 
by Brian Keene
Brian Keene's name has pretty much become synonymous with zombie fiction in horror circles. He's quite well known for his novels about the walking dead. Of the lot he's written, City of the Dead is my favorite. It's about a group of humans who have found protection of sorts in a fortified skyscraper, but hundreds of thousands of walking dead outside the building are trying to break in. And these zombies aren't slow, nor are they stupid.
Cell 
by Stephen King
Cell is the closest King has come to a traditional zombie novel, though his monsters aren't exactly zombies, at least not the traditional brainless, soulless zombies. Still, they're close enough you couldn't tell the difference once you were being chomped upon. As King often does, he brings his own uniqueness to this tale, even bringing up possible terrorism which could have caused his zombie-like uprising. King fans will like this book. Zombie fans will find plenty to enjoy, too.
Monster Planet
by David Wellington
Much like author Brian Keene, David Wellington has become known as a zombie writer. He's best known for his "Monster" trilogy of books, Monster Island, Monster Nation, and the novel mentioned here, Monster Planet. This book is my favorite. Traditionalists might not enjoy this book because the fictional world Wellington has created is filled with more undead than just zombies, like mummies and even the ever-powerful liches, but there's still plenty of good reading here. Also like Keene's books, Wellington's novels tend to focus quite a bit on action and a little less on the moodiness of more conservative horror.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Dark Side of Io screenplay for sale
If you like horror and science fiction mixed, I've got something for you.In a bit of self-publishing, I've uploaded my screenplay "Dark Side of Io" onto Amazon. The screenplay is now available for the Kindle at a price of only $1.00. And in case you're wondering, yes, my screenplay "Dark Side of Io" is based upon my short story of the same name (which also happens to be for sale in my collection called "Sever" on the Kindle).
Saturday, June 27, 2009
5 Good books about genre writing, by actual authors
How to Write Action/Adventure Novelsby Michael Newton
Michael Newton is best known for his action writing in the Executioner series of books and his non-fiction writings about serial killers. With more than 200 titles to his name, he's an author you need to listen to when he offers advice. This particular book, How to Write Action/Adventure Novels, comes from the late 1980s, but most of it is still relevant today. Also, there's plenty of advice to be found here that is applicable to crime novels, thriller books and just about any genre of fiction which could include law enforcement, spies, military, etc.
On Writing Romance
by Leigh Michaels
Leigh Michaels is a romance author who has had published more than 80 books, so you might want to pay attention to her advice if you want to break into that market. And if you want to go beyond what this book has to offer, Michaels offers an online class where you can learn even more.
The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West: From 1840-1900by Candy Moulton
Whether you're interested in writing strictly westerns, or you just want to write other types of tales featured during that time period, this is the book for you. Not only does Moulton cover the basics for gunfighters and outlaws and lawmen, but she goes far beyond these stereotypes of the Old West and gets into the daily lives of the people. What kind of buggies and wagons were available? What about clothes? Food? All this and more can be found in this guide.
Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life
by Terry Brooks
If you are interested in writing fantasy, you could do much worse than listening to Terry Brooks, who has been a published novelists in the field for more than 30 years. His biggest popularity has been in his series of Shannara novels and Landover novels. In this non-fiction book, Brooks writes about what has worked for himself over the years, and he talks some about the mindset of a writer. At least his mindset. And some of it will likely sound familiar. Especially the parts about your fictional characters sometimes seeming more real than the real people you meet every day.
On Writing
by Stephen King
Arguably the most successful novelist of all time, and definitely the most successful horror writer of all time, Stephen King is an author with tips for beginning writers that could seem to drip gold. Here King talks about what it takes to become a professional novelist, and he goes into quite a bit about his personal life, how it shaped him into the writer he is today. Fans or horror, writing and King himself shouldn't miss this book.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Other People Can't Teach You to Write
It's true. Other people can't teach you to write. Even the greatest writers in the world can't teach you to write. Shakespeare? No. Stephen King? Still, no.
They can offer advice. They can let you know what works for them. But the truth is, what works for them might not work for you.
For example, about six years ago, I broke through my writer's block by studying screenwriting. Basically, the formatting of screenwriting helped me to formulate story plots in mind mind, which helped me to get over fears of writing and publishing, etc. This won't work for everyone. To other people, screenwriting might look like more trouble than it's worth, or it just might not appeal to them for other reasons. For me, it was a huge aid.
There are plenty of how-to and self-help books out there about writing, many of them quite excellent. But the truth of the matter is, you can only become a good writer by writing. And reading, that helps, too.
Yes, it all falls on your own shoulders. Each writer is different, works in different ways and has different mindsets. Some writers can pump out 10,000 words a day and have a novel finished in a week or two. Other writers can only creep along at a hundred or so words a day, taking a year or five to finish a book. Writers are just different, despite some similarities in how we might work or write or think.
This doesn't have to mean you're completely on your own. Talking with other writers, or even joining a critique group, can help to improve your writing by giving you others' opinions about your work. Just remember that it's your writing. You're the one in charge. Advice from others can be helpful, but don't let it overrule your own visions. But don't be stubborn, either. If something doesn't work and a hundred others tell you it doesn't work, you need to seriously consider changing it. At least if you're hoping for publication.
Keep in mind, you can read a thousand books about writing, but you'll never improve your skills (and your marketability) until you actually do some writing. If you're honest with yourself, you'll be able to tell when your skills are improving. Just don't be in such a hurry. It takes time, longer for some than others.
They can offer advice. They can let you know what works for them. But the truth is, what works for them might not work for you.
For example, about six years ago, I broke through my writer's block by studying screenwriting. Basically, the formatting of screenwriting helped me to formulate story plots in mind mind, which helped me to get over fears of writing and publishing, etc. This won't work for everyone. To other people, screenwriting might look like more trouble than it's worth, or it just might not appeal to them for other reasons. For me, it was a huge aid.
There are plenty of how-to and self-help books out there about writing, many of them quite excellent. But the truth of the matter is, you can only become a good writer by writing. And reading, that helps, too.
Yes, it all falls on your own shoulders. Each writer is different, works in different ways and has different mindsets. Some writers can pump out 10,000 words a day and have a novel finished in a week or two. Other writers can only creep along at a hundred or so words a day, taking a year or five to finish a book. Writers are just different, despite some similarities in how we might work or write or think.
This doesn't have to mean you're completely on your own. Talking with other writers, or even joining a critique group, can help to improve your writing by giving you others' opinions about your work. Just remember that it's your writing. You're the one in charge. Advice from others can be helpful, but don't let it overrule your own visions. But don't be stubborn, either. If something doesn't work and a hundred others tell you it doesn't work, you need to seriously consider changing it. At least if you're hoping for publication.
Keep in mind, you can read a thousand books about writing, but you'll never improve your skills (and your marketability) until you actually do some writing. If you're honest with yourself, you'll be able to tell when your skills are improving. Just don't be in such a hurry. It takes time, longer for some than others.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
5 Solid Books on Screenwriting
So, you want to make it big in Hollywood as a screenwriter? No promises, but these five books could help you get on your way.
Screenplay
by Syd Field
This was the first book I read on screenwriting, and I'm glad of it. This book breaks down the basics, teaching story structure and formatting for beginnings. This is a great book to start with if you want to learn or know more about screenwriting. The author, Syd Field, is well known within the Hollywood system as a screenwriting guru, probably the best known of any of the screenwriting gurus since he been around for years.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting
by Skip Press
This is probably my favorite book about screenwriting, but I tend to like the Idiot's Guide books and Skip Press has a very engaging and entertaining way of writing. This book goes over the basics again, and in a simple format so that anyone can understand. The author also gives plenty of tips and strategies on not only how to write your screenplay, but on how to get it into the hands of a producer or production company. Well worth the money you pay for the book and the time it takes to read it. I highly recommend.
Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434
by Lew Hunter
Next to Syd Field, Lew Hunter is the next best-known screenwriting guru, and it shows here. This book goes beyond the basics, and covers tactics by some of the more successful screenwriters. Lew Hunter also offers several screenwriting workshops, so check out his Web site if you are interested. There's a lot to learn from this man.
Secrets of Film Writing
by Tom Lazarus
As of this writing, Tom Lazarus has had nine of his screenplays made into movies. I think that, and his other experiences in film and television, more than qualify him as someone who can offer strong advice about writing screenplays. This book was excellent at giving me a new and more modern way to look at screenwriting beyond the basics.
How Not to Write a Screenplay
by Denny Martin Flinn
This author passed away in 2007, but he left behind a solid book that was backed up by his experience as a writer, director, dancer and actor. Flinn was quite well known for his Broadway work and even Off-Broadway, and he had some ties to the Star Trek crowd since he was a screenwriter for the movie "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." This particular book, as the title suggests, tells you what not to do when writing a screenplay. Lots of basic, but solid, information here.
Screenplayby Syd Field
This was the first book I read on screenwriting, and I'm glad of it. This book breaks down the basics, teaching story structure and formatting for beginnings. This is a great book to start with if you want to learn or know more about screenwriting. The author, Syd Field, is well known within the Hollywood system as a screenwriting guru, probably the best known of any of the screenwriting gurus since he been around for years.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Screenwriting
by Skip Press
This is probably my favorite book about screenwriting, but I tend to like the Idiot's Guide books and Skip Press has a very engaging and entertaining way of writing. This book goes over the basics again, and in a simple format so that anyone can understand. The author also gives plenty of tips and strategies on not only how to write your screenplay, but on how to get it into the hands of a producer or production company. Well worth the money you pay for the book and the time it takes to read it. I highly recommend.
Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434
by Lew Hunter
Next to Syd Field, Lew Hunter is the next best-known screenwriting guru, and it shows here. This book goes beyond the basics, and covers tactics by some of the more successful screenwriters. Lew Hunter also offers several screenwriting workshops, so check out his Web site if you are interested. There's a lot to learn from this man.
Secrets of Film Writing
by Tom Lazarus
As of this writing, Tom Lazarus has had nine of his screenplays made into movies. I think that, and his other experiences in film and television, more than qualify him as someone who can offer strong advice about writing screenplays. This book was excellent at giving me a new and more modern way to look at screenwriting beyond the basics.
How Not to Write a Screenplay
by Denny Martin Flinn
This author passed away in 2007, but he left behind a solid book that was backed up by his experience as a writer, director, dancer and actor. Flinn was quite well known for his Broadway work and even Off-Broadway, and he had some ties to the Star Trek crowd since he was a screenwriter for the movie "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." This particular book, as the title suggests, tells you what not to do when writing a screenplay. Lots of basic, but solid, information here.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Is Reading Dying?
Is reading dying or dead? It would seem so. Every few months there's an article online or in the newspapers about how people don't read nearly as much as they used to, or that fewer and fewer people pick up a book. But I'd argue otherwise. I think more people are reading than ever before.
How?
Reading habits have changed, especially over the last dozen or so years. Readers might not be turning to newspapers, magazines, books and other traditional printed publications as much as they used to, but I think there has been a gigantic growth in reading online. Another growing reading population are the readers who use independent reading devices, such as the Kindle from Amazon and other such devices that will be hitting the stores soon.
Of course one could argue all this reading online isn't the same. Readers aren't getting to read as good a material as they did before. Readers are reading a lot of garbage. Readers aren't learning or reading proper language when in chat rooms or texting. Maybe. Maybe all that is true, but people are still reading. And as long as they're reading, they're going to need writers.
If you're a writer, like myself, you have one big thing to worry about: Competition. Yes, there are a lot more people writing nowadays, and trying to become professionals at it. The thing to remember is that the good writing will rise to the top, will flourish. Readers will want to read the good stuff. So, get to cracking, if you're a writer. You need to work on your skills.
How?
Reading habits have changed, especially over the last dozen or so years. Readers might not be turning to newspapers, magazines, books and other traditional printed publications as much as they used to, but I think there has been a gigantic growth in reading online. Another growing reading population are the readers who use independent reading devices, such as the Kindle from Amazon and other such devices that will be hitting the stores soon.
Of course one could argue all this reading online isn't the same. Readers aren't getting to read as good a material as they did before. Readers are reading a lot of garbage. Readers aren't learning or reading proper language when in chat rooms or texting. Maybe. Maybe all that is true, but people are still reading. And as long as they're reading, they're going to need writers.
If you're a writer, like myself, you have one big thing to worry about: Competition. Yes, there are a lot more people writing nowadays, and trying to become professionals at it. The thing to remember is that the good writing will rise to the top, will flourish. Readers will want to read the good stuff. So, get to cracking, if you're a writer. You need to work on your skills.
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