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).

5 Good books about genre writing, by actual authors

How to Write Action/Adventure Novels
by 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 1840-1900
by 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.

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.

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.

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.

No. 34 - Lisey's Story

by Stephen King

Started: June 23
Finished: July 5

Notes: Continuing my recent theme of horror novels, I thought I'd turn to the master of the genre.

Mini review: I don't think I've ever felt this way about a King novel, but I was really glad to be finished with this one. The payoff is pretty good in the end, but good God, getting there takes forever. Really, a good hundred, if not two hundred, pages of this could have been cut away and I don't think I would have missed it a bit. Still, it's King, so it wasn't total garbage. Just long-winded to the point of sometimes boredom and oftentimes frustration; I kept wanting the story to move along, and instead it would get caught up in reminiscences or back story.

10 Reasons There Ought to be a Constitutional Amendment Banning Flip Flops

Health reasons: Feet spread disease. I read it somewhere so it's got to be true. Probably hoof and mouth disease or something to do with fungus. Your feet are a danger to everyone around you. And they can't be safe for your ankles, either.

Stank: Feet stink. It's that simple. No one wants to smell your nasty old feet. Get some shoes on, for crying out loud. And socks.

The gross-out factor: Guess what else? No one wants to look at your ugly old feet, either. If God meant for us to look at each other's feet, he would have put them higher on the body so we could all see them without looking down. Maybe underneath the chin or someplace.

Etiquette: Wearing flip flops, at least in public, is just bad manners. It shows one's lack of respect for fellow human beings. It shouts to the world, "Hey, look at my big, nasty-looking feet!"

Religious reasons: Flip flops are not mentioned in the Bible. Nor are they in the Koran or any other holy books recorded throughout all of history. Sure, sandals are mentioned, but sandals aren't exactly the same thing as flip flops. Besides, people back in Biblical times didn't know any better, and they probably didn't have any other choices, at least in warmer climates. So, since flip flops aren't in the Bible, God must not like flip flops. It should've been the 11th Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Wear Flip Flops.

Economic development: Getting rid of flip flops would boost the economy. How? Because people would have to buy real shoes, not those plastic pieces of crap they get from the $5 bin at Wal-Mart.

Foreign relations: The United States would get along better with the rest of the world if there were no more flip flops. Because I said so.

Domestic relations: Americans would get along better with one another, too, if there were no more flip flops. The reason for this is that we wouldn't have to look at so many ugly, smelly feet. That would put all of us in a better mood.

National security: Flip flops are a threat to the country. To all countries. They ... uh, well I don't know what they do, but they're dangerous! They can kill! Remember President Bush had a shoe thrown at him? What if that had been a deadly flip flop? One shudders to think of it.

Education: If kids and college students weren't allowed to wear flip flops, then they would retain more of what they learn in school. How, one might ask? Because the knowledge they pick up in the classroom would no longer drain out the bottom of their feet. Proper shoes would help to hold in all that information.