My Next Book

I keep getting questions from many of your about if I am going to come out with another book in the near future. As I have written here before, I am hard at work on my next novel, which right now is set to come out sometime in early 2011 (a more specific date will be available later in 2010).

And now, to answer some of your questions about the book:

Will it be a sequel to Shadow House? No, this will be a completely different story.

Will any characters from Shadow House appear in this book? No, but I have been toying with the idea of bringing one character in particular from Shadow House back in a later novel.

Will this be another horror novel? Yes, but also with a little bit of a SciFi twist to it.

Will there still be paranormal things in this book? Absolutely. I just can't get away from the stuff...

Will you ever right anything for kids? I actually have a young adult novel idea waiting on deck to work on once I am done with this next novel. Details will be coming on that in the future.

What is the plot of the book? Nice try, but that is not going to be revealed quite yet. I will tell you that the book revolves around a mysterious character known as the Purple Man, but that's about all I am saying right now. Don't worry, though, the book will be worth the wait!

Reading a Book

There are many lenses through which a reader can perceive a book. Before I started my venture into the formal study of literature in college, I think I was aware of only one of two lenses I used. Education should bring about a certain level of self awareness, so now I very actively employ the use of a wide arsenal of lenses when I read. One of my favorite lenses, by the way, is the "fun" lens. With the fun lens I turn off everything else and just read for pure, good ol' fashion fun. Sometimes this is the best cure for too much intellectualism in my life.

I have had varying forms of feedback from my first book, Shadow House, which has been great to receive. By far the biggest thing I get is questions. I think some people wanted me to explain everything in the end of the book, and I don't. I was well aware of the fact I was leaving some dangling threads, and it was an active decision on my part. Oftentimes I have found the stories that leave some unanswered questions just don't leave me anytime soon. The stories that answer everything are quickly forgotten. These stories with things left unresolved give my mind something to chew on -- they haunt me.

A very valid way for reading these types of stories is for the reader to fill in the blanks themselves. Yes, imagination is a beautiful thing. I personally have found this filing in of what is referred to as "white space" to be a very enjoyable and satisfying activity. 

Some ways of reading text can be dangerous if taken too far. Deconstructionism can be applied to any text, and it can provide very interesting and useful conclusions (i.e. Shrek). Deconstructionism can, though, be taken too far to the point even that words are meaningless and there is no frame of reference in anything. This is when dangerous waters are navigated where everything (and yes, I mean everything) is relative and communication itself breaks down. 

I could go on about different lenses through which a reader can read, but there are whole books dedicated to this subject and I am trying to keep this relatively short. Remember to read responsibly, using your brain (at least to a certain extent even if you are reading for fun).

I Need More Note Cards!

Everyone has their own methods for prewriting. One of my favorite "tricks" I got from a screenwriting book I read a long time ago when I was just a high school student. I don't remember the name of the book or the author, but I do remember his genius piece of advice.

After I get to know my characters (at least the main ones) and have somewhat of an idea about my plot, I begin to put different events in the plot on note cards. I divide the note cards into several stacks or portions of the plot. The genius of the note cards is as I find holes in my plot, it is simply a matter of inserting some note cards to plug them up. If an area of the plot seems rough, I can rearrange the cards to smooth out the flow. By the time I am done with these note cards I usually have a monster stack held together with paper clips and rubber bands.

As I work further, I add details to the backside of each note card. If I don't have the back of each note card filled before I start writing, I know then that area of the plot is thin and I need to flesh it out more.

With note cards I can also try out alternate endings if I am just not sure how I want things to play out. Of course, a lot of times the characters take control and change things about the plot, so I can adjust to this easily by tearing up old cards and writing new ones.

The problem I am facing right now is a shortage of note cards. This new book I am writing is taking up a lot of cards so far and I am down to less than ten blank cards left (after I bought a few packs at the store a while ago).Of course, I looked at the stack of note cards I wrote for Shadow House, and it is pretty hefty. When I go to the store I think I will stock up quite a bit more since this plot is becoming much more complex.

My Next Book

I am busy at work on my next book, which (baring a huge catastrophe) is set to come out sometime in early 2011. Right now I am neck-deep in plot, plot, plot but that means things are moving along just fine. The characters for this book are amazing to write about so far, especially since the main character is female instead of a male main character like in Shadow House. I still do not have a proper title for the book, so for now I will just refer to it as my next book.

You may or may not know, but I have a fan page on Facebook. If you are on Facebook but are not one of my fans, there is a link on this blog where you can become one. On my Facebook page I have already started to place (maybe hide) a few clues about this new book of mine. Just to make sure everyone understands a few things about this book, since I have been so vague in this post up to this point: yes the book is written for adults or older teens like Shadow House was, the book will still have a paranormal theme like Shadow House, this new book will have more action than Shadow House does (including chases, more characters, and more locations).

I am hoping early 2011 is not too long for people to wait. It has been surprising the amount of interest in Shadow House, as well as the amount of interest in if I will be writing more books. Trust me, I am only getting started. I have at least several more I know I want to write, and by the time those are written I am sure a dozen or so more will have come into my head.

Zombies and Angels

I keep hearing from different sources that either zombies or angels are the next "hot" thing in the book world. From what I have read most of the angel stories are in the paranormal romance genre that has become so popular seemingly overnight, especially with the success of Twilight. Some of the zombie books have romances in them, but so far I have not heard of a romance between a human and a zombie (that might actually be interesting).

It is so interesting that when one book series (or even book) has success, everyone jumps on the bandwagon of "me too." Back when it seemed the world held its breath for every new installment in the Harry Potter there were many books trying to tout a young wizard or something of the like that was to take the place of J.K. Rowling's series once it was over. Of course a real "replacement" was never found. I don't think Rowling was writing Harry Potter in the shadow of another book (she had influences, though, as I have written here before).

So what's my point? Be original. That doesn't mean you can't give a new spin on an old tale, but do all books need to be about zombies or angels right now? Do we all need to be writing about more vampires and their romantic dealings with humans? Do we need one more school of magical creatures?

I am a huge believer of writing what I feel. Maybe everyone is feeling zombies and angels, or whatever the next trend will be. I have my doubts this is true, but then again I have been known to be wrong now and then.

A Wonderful Night

Last night was the big night, the Shadow House launch party here in Salt Lake City. We set up shop at the historic Armstrong Mansion near downtown. The mansion was the perfect setting for a wonderful evening.

It was interesting how many people who showed up had haunted experiences of their own to share. Apparently Shadow House has struck a cord with some. I have also heard from several people that they have been having trouble sleeping at night after reading Shadow House. In a way that is a high compliment, although I genuinely hope people can get enough rest to function the following day.

Several people asked if Shadow House is a one-time deal, or if I am working on writing anything else. The truth is more is to come, a lot more, so much that I wish I had more time to get it done and in front of readers. I am hoping the next book is ready for early next year -- that is at least the goal I have right now (now all of you can hold me to it).

So the launch party was wonderful. I really appreciate the overwhelming support of fans who showed up, including those who brought friends and family members. I hope everyone enjoys reading Shadow House, and I really am looking forward to delivering the next book (you'll see why soon enough).

Stephen King

I have friends who are very into Stephen King. They read all of his books and essentially worship the ground he walks on. I have read several books by Stephen King and definitely respect him as a very capable writer. A while ago, on the advice of someone, I read a copy of On Writing by Stephen King. The book is part memoir and part advice for aspiring writers. While it was interesting to get to know Stephen King a little bit better, what really interested me was his philosophies on writing. I have read hundreds of books, I have read probably hundreds of academic literary critical pieces, written dozens of papers, and read numerous articles and interviews with writers about writing. Everyone has their own take or opinion on how writing should be done. Some things about writing are subjective, but some people take that too far.

As far as my impression of Stephen King's philosophies I was honestly shocked how much I agreed with him. There were quite a few points I found myself vigorously agreeing in my head with what Stephen King put on the page, so much I cannot even remember all of the points I agreed with. When I started reading the book I honestly thought there would be a few points I would agree with and that would be that. I was fully prepared to take those few points and learn something from them.

I did not agree with every last thing Stephen King wrote. He is a man, as am I, and I don't really agree with everyone on writing. It is a subject that is very dear to me and one I have very strong opinions on -- that I fully acknowledge. There are few people I have spoken to or read their philosophies and have agreed with as much as Stephen King.

The biggest point I agreed with was that good fiction needs to be character driven. When I start with my stories, one of the first things I do is get to know the main characters really well. Over time the characters become real to me. As I start to write the characters sometimes argue with me, or they do whatever they want and ignore my plans. I had one character in particular when I was writing Shadow House who at first seemed very nice, but then as I progressed in the story he began changing his behavior. I soon realized the character was not who I thought he was and watched as he did things I never imagined him capable of doing. This may sound strange to some people, but this is my process of writing. From what I read and understood this is similar to the process of writing Stephen King goes through.

I admit I finished reading On Writing in two days time. After reading the book I have more respect for Stephen King, not only as a writer but also as a person.

Party Time

So here is the official invite for the Shadow House launch party. I originally wanted a design that looked kind of like a Victorian Ouija Board, but the design just wasn't in the cards. Oh well, this one turned out wonderful so no regrets.I really like that it looks like the old seance posters from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. And so everyone knows, you are more than welcome to bring friends and family or any Hollywood producers you may know...

More to Come

 

When I told my wife that I was going to finally do what I had been talking about for the longest time (that is, write and finish and publish a book) she gave me one word of advice. My wife was worried that the process of writing a book and seeing it through to the finished stage would be a learning process -- and she was right. Because of this concern and because she had heard for years some of the ideas I have for books, she told me to not use one of my best ideas first. The idea was to get my feet wet using an idea that was not too advanced and not too dear to me, that way I would be able to do the better ideas the justice they deserve. 

And so I pursued the idea I had for Shadow House. I have written other books, but never finished them all the way and certainly did not publish them. I always felt like I wasn't ready to really write those books, and now I can see clearly that I really wasn't up to the level I needed to be to properly execute such stories. Writing Shadow House has really helped with my level of ability, and so I am moving on to some of my other ideas. As much as I love Shadow House, I am really excited to see my other stories come to life (as well as the characters in them). I have even toyed around with the idea of bringing at least one character from Shadow House back in a future book, but that is not for sure right now.

I am a huge multitasker, as my wife can attest. As a result, I am currently mulling four different book ideas, all of which I know I want to see the light of day. I am not crazy enough to write all four at once, but I am trying to figure out how to do them quickly while still doing a quality job each book deserves. Impatience is something I am grappling with. That, and I often wish sleep were not such a necessity. Yes, I am attached to my work and yes, I am extremely anxious to share more of my stories with all of you.

Shadow House is Gaining Steam

In the short time Shadow House has been in wide distribution it is gaining quite a bit of interest. The book has been picked up by so many resellers in the book distribution channel that I have lost track of how many web stores it is available on. The book is now available worldwide, and I have been getting hits from all over the world for my blog here. I have also had the benefit of some fans of mine posting wonderful reviews of the book, for which I am extremely grateful. I'm not sure I really understood when I got the flash of genius that turned into this horror book just what exactly was going to happen. Tonight I was just made aware that Shadow House hit #23 on Amazon's Kindle store for ghost and haunted house books. I guess a lot of people want to read about a guy living in a haunted house, being tortured by the unknown as he tries to figure out what to do. We have also run some Facebook ads, which have burned through their clicks in about no time. All of this is leading up to the official launch party for Shadow House, coming up on March 18th at Armstrong Mansion. I cannot wait to meet some of my fans who have made all of this possible. I know many of you are not in the Salt Lake City area or even Utah and so can't make it to the party. Hopefully soon I can travel to some other locations to meet more of you, including Arizona, where quite a few fans have made known their presence.

Cryptids in Utah

I have lived in Utah for about ten years now, but I still am finding out things about the place that surprise me. As I dig further into tales of cryptids (undiscovered or legendary animals) in Utah I am surprised by how many stories exist here. Being that Utah has a lot of desert landscape, I ignorantly thought not many legendary animals would exist in the state. I have read up on the strange sightings of the Jersey Devil in New Jersey, unusually large wolves (that may or may not walk on two legs) in the Great Lakes region, and Chupacabra sightings centralizing in Texas but spreading across the nation and the world.

When I was younger, I spent at least of few summer family reunions on Bear Lake. Apparently there have been quite a few sightings of a monster in the lake, somewhat similar to the Loch Ness Monster but not. You can read more about this Bear Lake Monster and see video from Animal Planet on it here. It goes to show that wherever humans are, strange, inexplicable animals will be seen. Are these creatures real or merely the figment of peoples' imaginations? It is possible some could be real creatures (for example, gorillas were thought to be imaginary until their discovery in the early 20th century) while others are the product of peoples' fears, need for attention, or the misidentification of known animals.

Now that I am finding out more about the cryptids here in Utah, more stories will be coming in the future. Does the Bear Lake Monster exist? I'm not really sure, and like with other cryptid stories I'll let the reader decide.