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Jane Sevier is an award-winning writer, most known on Wattpad...

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:31:11 -0400

Jane Sevier is an award-winning writer, most known on Wattpad for “Fortune’s Fool,” a mystery set in 1930s Memphis. Listen to our interview with Jane as we discuss her career, historical fiction, writing tips, and psychic powers!

Movies About Writers

Wed, 16 May 2012 11:45:54 -0400

by Cristian Mihai

I’m not trying to write a top of the best movies about writers. I’m just making a list of the ones that I really enjoyed – for various reasons of course, whether it had to do with the overly tackled theme of the writer’s block, or had some inspirational scenes attached to it, these are my favorite movies about writers.

Finding Forrester (2000)

In a way, I just couldn’t start with any other movie, simply because Finding Forrester was so cute and sweet and sincere that I almost cried at the end.

Starring Sean Connery and his manly voice in the role of William Forrester, a very successful and yet reclusive writer, this movie actually has some pretty good advice on writing. And, as I said earlier, some inspirational scenes as well.

Connery’s character, loosely based on J.D. Salinger, , through a string of events, ends up helping Jamal Wallace with his writing. Jamal is black and sixteen, and just about ten different characters say it’s remarkable that he’s black, sixteen, and also a good writer. The film also stars Anna Paquin will all her clothes on and Busta Rhymes.

As I said earlier, besides the melodrama and some pretty good jokes and some bad jokes and the inevitable romance and one or two cliches about writers (like all writers are notorious drunks,) this movie actually has some good advice on writing. Much like this one:

Forrester: Why is it that the words we write for ourselves are always so much better than those we write for others? Go ahead.

Jamal: Go ahead and what?

Forrester: Write.

Jamal: What are you doing?

Forrester: I’m writing. Like you’ll be when you start punching those keys. Is there a problem?

Jamal: No, I’m just thinking.

Forrester: No thinking – that comes later. You must write your first draft with your heart. You rewrite with your head. The first key to writing is… to write, not to think!

And, of course, there’s this fabulous exchange between the remarkable black teenage writer Jamal and Sean Connery’s fantastic accent:

Jamal: Women will sleep with you if you write a book?

Forrester: Women will sleep with you if you write a bad book.

Barton Fink (1991)

Without a doubt this is one of the best movies about writers ever made. Written in three weeks by the Coen Brothers because they were suffering from writer’s block and they were struggling with the script for Miller’s Crossing, Barton Fink won the Palme d’Or and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Universally acclaimed, this movie tells the story of a young New York playwright who is hired to write movies scripts for Hollywood. John Turturro, in what is maybe the best performance of his career, reminded me, in a bizarre way, of Fitzgerald’s The Pat Hobby Stories, or any other of his shorts based on Hollywood for that matter.

I’m perfectly aware that this movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Damn, it’s even difficult to categorize. It’s a film noir, surrealistic, and whenever I have to describe it, I use one word: VERTIGO. This should do the job. It’s really worth the time.

Secret Window (2004)

I have a special relationship with this movie. I first saw the movie trailer at the cinema, and since I was very young at the time, I misunderstood what it was about.

What I understood from that trailer ended up years later as the basis for my novel The Writer (which isn’t finished, so it’s not technically shameless self-promotion since you can’t buy it anywhere.)

Based on Stephen King’s novella, this movie is not as much scary, as it’s thought provoking. To a certain level, the psychological side of this movie appealed to me more than the horror part. And, of course, Johnny Depp’s performance, who for the past ten years or so, has played each of his roles impeccably.

Secret Window tells the story of Mort Rainey (Depp), a very successful writer, who one night follows his wife into a motel, where she was engaged in some sort of extramarital sex. Of course, they divorce, and he moves to their lake house. He’s suffering from writer’s block (who wouldn’t?) and spends most of his time either sleeping or drinking.

Until one day, when a guy named John Shooter (John Turturro) pays him a visit and accuses him of plagiarizing one of his short stories. Of course, things get nastier and nastier, and Mort Rainey finds himself locked in this strange game, when he’s constantly outsmarted and harassed by this Shooter guy. Then there’s the inevitable, mind-blowing twist at the end, which you will discover on your own.

I liked this movie, mostly because I’m a big fan of Depp, but also because Stephen King is one of the few writers who actually manage to create writer characters that appeal to non-writers; characters that actually add a bit of insight into what it feels like to be a writer. Then, of course, there’s Woody Allen.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

What I admire about this movie is that it took a lot of courage. Hunter S. Thompson’s novel has a specific, hallucinatory imagery, and the story almost spirals out of control towards the end.

Those of you who’ve read the novel won’t be disappointed. A tale about addictions in its many forms, but mostly drugs, this movie stars Johnny Depp as Raoul Duke and Benicio del Torro as Dr. Gonzo, who’s some sort of lawyer, as we’re constantly reminded every two pages of the novel and two minutes of the movie.

Like Barton Fink, this movie isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It gets scary at one point, and it offers the visual equivalent of spinning around and around for twenty or so minutes.

The story it’s pretty simple. Raoul Duke, a journalist, and his friend Dr. Gonzo, go to Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race. The idea is that they also buy all the drugs imaginable to man. And, of course, they try them. The events that follow… well you can imagine what happens.

Deconstructing Harry (1997)

I have this odd relationship with Woody Allen’s movies. Match Point, for instance, is one of my favorite movies. I loved just about everything in that movie: the beginning, the whole metaphor for luck, the smart dialogue, the story, the soundtrack, Scarlett Johansson. I really recommend it if you haven’t seen it already. It’s really, really good.

You Will Meet a Talk Dark Stranger (this one’s about writers too) is one of the few movies I genuinely hate. If I could, I’d ask for my two hours back. It was dreadful, even though it featured great actors like Anthony Hopkings, Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas and many others.

But Woody Allen really gets the whole idea of being a writer. He understands the process, the quirks, the doubts and the lack of sanity. And Deconstructing Harry, featuring himself as Harry Block, a very successful writer is one of the best movies about what it feels like to be a writer ever made. The story is told through a series of flashbacks that add emphasis on the central plot of the movie, which in itself is pretty simple. Harry Block’s driving to a university to receive an honorary degree, accompanied by a prostitute, a friend, and his son.

This is a great movie, worth seeing by any aspiring writer. It offers insight into the mind of the writer, a feat not accomplished by many movies.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Another one of Woody Allen’s movies, this one is a cute romantic comedy starring Owen Wilson as Gil Pender, a Hollywood screenwriter struggling to write his first novel.

If you like Rachel McAdams, then this is the movie for you.

It was enjoyable, though not as great as to deserve three Academy Award nominations.

Basically the storyline goes like this. Gil Pender and his fiancee are vacationing in Paris. There, through a magic only Woody Allen and Harry Potter know about, Pender ends up meeting Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and many, many others.

As I said, the idea is quite cute, and, well, there’s always Rachel McAdams to look at, and it’s not the least bit boring (at least it wasn’t for me.)

The Rum Diary (2011)

As I said at the beginning of this post, this is a list of my favorite movies about writers, not that much about writers actually writing. In this one, there isn’t as much writing going on as there is drinking, but it’s worth a shot.

Based on one of Hunter S. Thompson’s novels (Johnny Depp actually stumbled upon the long forgotten manuscript of this novel during one of his visits to Thompson’s house), I gave this movie a try simply because there’s a very good female character in it.

Chenault (she doesn’t have a last name) played by Amber Heard, is a femme fatale unlike many other characters I’ve seen in movies. Well, maybe the novel version of Chenault is a bit more complex and original, but Amber Heard is simply ravishing. She’s sexual and sensual, and, sadly, that’s about it.

Oh, there are some laugh out loud scenes, there’s a lot of politics, and a lot of dialogue. And, of course, as the title suggests, rum, rum, rum. Not a great movie, but there’s one scene in which Paul Kemp, Johnny Depp’s character, says something that he has to try to write like himself, meaning that he has to find his voice as a writer.

The Libertine (2004)

If I were to try to describe this movie to someone who hasn’t seen it, I would say something like, “This is like Shakespeare in Love, only serious for a change.”

It’s a gritty depiction of the life at the court of Charles II of England, and Johnny Depp plays one of his most endearing roles yet.

This movie has it all. A controversial theme, a true artist type, the one who indulges himself in the most decadent of eccentricities, very good dialogue, a very smart ending.

It even has character arcs, which isn’t something you see often these days. The characters are well shaped, well played, and dressed accordingly to the era. For those who love a bit of Shakespeare, a bit of The Tudors, this is the movie for you. And, of course, we shouldn’t forget about the sex. There’s lots of it, but then again, if you’re watching HBO than sex shouldn’t really be any problem now, is it?

I know there are many, many more movies about writers. And there are some that are should be on the list, and maybe I’ll write a second blog to add them to the list. There are many of Stephen King’s adaptations, there’s Naked Lunch, and many others, like Capote, for instance.

Read more posts on writing from Cristian Mihai, plus check out his stories on Wattpad.

How to get over an ex-boyfriend

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:01:54 -0400

WATTPAD BRINGS YOU A GUEST POST FROM AISLING FITZSIMONS, AUTHOR OF AISLING’S DIARY:

Hello my lovelies!

First of all, I want to thank all of my Wattpad fans for your amazing comments and support. I hope you’re enjoying my Summer Diary as much as you enjoyed my first diary. Stay tuned for a new chapter and episode every Tuesday and Thursday on Wattpad.

After sharing with you 5 things I wish boyfriends would do, on my second post I’m sharing my advice on how to get over an ex-boyfriend and move on from a breakup. This is the advice I usually give to my friends and I’d like for you to share your tips as well in the comments, boys included.

1. Do not force yourself to stop thinking about him

It will drive you crazy if you do. How can you simply order your mind not to think about what used to be one of the most important people in your life?

Despite the common advice, I think it’s important to think about what went wrong… Do not beat yourself to death about it but try to exorcise all the demons. Cry, yell, do whatever you want, but don’t try to repress all your feelings and memories.

Think about the good things and the bad things, the sweet and the bitter. This is really important. What usually happens when you force yourself to stop thinking about your ex is that even if you eventually manage to do it, the moment you see him or run into anything remotely related to him, all those feelings of love, anger, or even jealousy, rise up again. I don’t think that’s healthy.

2. Spend quality time with your friends and family

You know I had a tough time with Siobhan and Ali when I started going out with Murphy. I’m not proud of it, but I have to admit I kind of neglected them, putting them on the background of my life. I’m spending a lot of time with them now and I’m loving it. Same goes to my parents, kid brother and Granny Nora. Cherish your friends and family. They will always be there for you.

3. Take on a new activity

Ever wanted to do something but you could never find the time for it? Now you have the time and the opportunity. Take on a new class, learn a craft, do some sports, discover new stories on Wattpad, have fun!

4. Meet new people

It’s always nice to make new friends, isn’t it? This advice is especially helpful if you have a lot of common friends with your ex. Friends tend to take sides when a couple in the group breaks up and the last thing you need is to argue with an old friend because of something that doesn’t even concern him. You won’t have that problem when meeting new people, that’s for sure.

5. Start dating only when you’re ready

After a breakup it’s OK to spend some time alone and if you’re anything like me, it is almost imperative that you do. You need to figure out who you are when you’re not in a relationship.

Everyone has different timings when it comes to start dating again, so there’s not a rule for it. Just do whatever your heart tells you to do!

I want to know your advice to get over a breakup! Join me on my beChilled TV facebook and twitter @bechilledtv so we can discuss this together.

Love, Ais

Why Science-Fiction Isn’t About Aliens (And It Shouldn’t Matter Even If It Is!)

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:25:33 -0400

Wattpad brings you a guest post from Nick Uskoski:

As I write Sigma/Star, my science-fiction story, I have come across one big problem people seem to have: its genre. I can’t tell you how many times someone has commented or looked at my work and said it looks so good and they find it really entertaining and enjoyed it but…it isn’t their type of thing. And by that they mean science-fiction. There is a general assumption made by just about everybody that science-fiction involves space, aliens, and the future (and I used to make that too!). The problem with all of this is that it is…well wrong.

As an easy example of how off quite a few people are on the concept of science-fiction, I have encountered numerous readers of the popular Hunger Games series who have no idea it would be classified under science-fiction. A story set in a dystopian future environment? The way to tell that it is science-fiction is simple: it creates a timeline that could exist, but does not, while featuring a special something called cognitive estrangement.

[Image source]

A fancy-sounding term, n’est-ce pas? The easier way to put it is that science-fiction presents some sort of situation or uses science and explanations to make you believe in the world. Once you have decided to put aside your disbelief that, for example, there really is a world in which young kids are rounded up and thrown into a televised gladiator event, then the actual magic begins. For you see, science-fiction is all a lie. In fact, good and proper science-fiction is usually more real than a detective novel or a romance. The secret behind these pretty images and fancy flying machines is actually commentary on the true world. Can The Hunger Games actually being making a statement about modern society or the oppression of the government or perhaps on society’s lust for reality television? What about A Canticle For Leibowitz, which expresses the fears of a generation past when dealing with the atomic bomb? Or how about Planet of the Apes, exploring the ideas of animal testing, what it means to be human, genetic manipulation, and evolution? Did you even know these books were about all these things or did that cognitive estrangement have you passing over it without realizing?

[Image Source]

So even if there were aliens and laser beams in those stories and many others (which there aren’t) you now know that they are actually all standing in for something else. Somewhere in that book is the author’s view on an aspect of our world, and every time machine, and trans-dimensional communicator, and alien being, is actually standing in for something that we see and hear about every day.

Finally, if you find a book, any book, of any genre, that sounds interesting or looks intriguing or is engaging and enjoyable then read it! Who cares if it isn’t what you would normally read. There is no penalty on your reading record if you stop reading fantasy one day and pick up a romance novel. If it’s good, it’s good. And with science-fiction, you’re almost always going to find one you’ll like in that genre. It is such a vast and incredibly complex grouping of books that there is something in it for everyone. Do you know about soft science-fiction and hard? What about space opera?

Don’t be afraid to pick up a book just because it’s sitting in a section you think isn’t for you. Stories are stories. The best ones always combine a little bit of everything in them so if you think you’re locked into one genre, you’re mistaken. Read whatever seems interesting and forget those stigmas pop culture tacked onto the novel you’re holding. Just go for it!

Your Friend, the Satirist

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:54:12 -0400

[Image source]

Wattpad brings you a guest post from Brian K. Henry, author of SPACE COMMAND AND THE PLANET OF THE BEJEWELLED CONCUBINES:

Satire has always been one of my favorite genres, probably because I’ve always thought society is so screwed up it could do with a lot of satirizing. The satirist makes their whole project from picking out the dumbest and most outrageous things going on in the world and helpfully pointing them out to you, the reader, usually through some kind of exaggeration or new perspective. A typical satire takes some element of contemporary life and uses a skewed look to reveal just how off-kilter it really is.

America has a great tradition of satirical writing, going back to one of the U.S.A.’s first full-time writers, Washington Irving, who wrote a comedic fictionalized history of New York, and even including Edgar Allan Poe. While Poe is famous for his horror stories, he also has wickedly humorous satirical pieces, such as “The Man That Was Used Up” about a heroic soldier who’s become nothing more than a heap of prosthetic body parts.

Mark Twain is probably the most consistently satirical writer in the American canon. Almost all of his work has some sardonic, mocking quality to it. This comes out most clearly in some of his short sketches, such as “Journalism in Tennessee”. Twain’s typical wry understatement is played to good effect here. When he reports for work at the editorial offices of the Memphis Avalanche, the editor urges Twain to juice up his writing and make it more “peppery and to the point. Mush-and-milk journalism gives me the fan-tods.” But Twain soon discovers the editor’s journalistic boldness has its downside – the office is constantly attacked by a whole range of offended locals. Twain’s take on sensationalistic journalism seems just as relevant today as when it was written, with media headlines always needing to be bolder and sexier.

Another of Twain’s masterful satirical miniatures is “Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offenses”. In just a handful of pages, Twain eviscerates the writing style of this revered early American adventure novelist. His literary broadside descends from a long history of satirical putdowns of writers by their colleagues, which include Alexander Pope’s Dunciad and Henry Fielding’s Shamela.

Like Twain, Sinclair Lewis was a lifelong critic of hypocrisy and small-town, narrow-minded thinking. His novel Main Streetis the classic depiction of a stultifying, xenophobic Midwestern town. When bright and upbeat Carol Kennicott, the town doctor’s new bride, tries bringing some much-needed life to this hermetic world she’s quickly closed down by locals like the “soft, damp, fat, sighing, indigestive, clinging, melancholy, depressingly hopeful” Mrs. Bogart. Again, maybe not as much has changed since the 1920s of Main Street as you’d think. Gopher Prairie’s residents even then were up in arms about the influx of immigrants with poor English skills – but their immigrants were the pesky Scandinavian residents of the “Swede Hollow” slum.

Gore Vidal is another satirist who’s always had an eagle eye for American parochialism. His wide-ranging career includes such satirical burlesques as Myra Breckinridge, a wild experiment in gender-bending for its time. Set in a Hollywood where the glamour of its heyday is fading, the novel’s narrated by Myra Breckinridge herself, a sexual renegade and movie obsessive with her share of bombshell secrets, who upsets all sorts of gender and sex role expectations in her rampage through Tinseltown.

In more recent years, Don DeLillo has been a key, wry observer of the cultural scene. In his 80’s classic, White Noise, DeLillo takes on everything from academic absurdity to ecological concerns and the obsessive fear of death. Protagonist Jack Gladney is the highly respected inventor of the field of Hitler Studies, but is constantly anxious about his status: nervous over his inability to speak German and the necessity to constantly fend off such rival cultural disciplines as Elvis Studies. The eerie practice sessions for unspecified toxic events in his hometown, in which the residents practice laying out in biohazard suits, and the characters’ obsessions with the minutiae of daily life (Jack’s wife gives adult education classes on how to stand, sit and walk) are prescient forerunners of today’s safety-minded milieu.

America’s long tradition of satire is alive and well in the internet age. While such master satirists as Stephen Colbert and Sasha Baron Cohen have taken the genre to broad audiences in TV and film, the written word may still be the source of the most potent satire. Wattpaders have a whole bizarre world ready for satirization and lots of great writers like the ones above to take inspiration from when setting out to write their own satirical takes on our current messed up world.

Check out Brian’s hilarious sci-fi adventure on Wattpad:

When Words Fail, Music Speaks.

Fri, 11 May 2012 10:54:50 -0400

Wattpad brings you a guest post from featured writer Leah Crichton:

The one question I get asked a lot as a writer: “Where does your inspiration come from?” You may be surprised at my answer but I doubt it. In fact, you may be inclined to agree.

There are so many things about this life that give me cause to celebrate each day. My family, coffee, butterflies, lip gloss, black and white photographs, reading and of course…writing. For me, writing goes hand in hand with one other thing that I couldn’t possibly live without.

Some people say silence is golden. And that’s fine, for them. But for me, silence is dreadful. My iPod is like another limb. I’d be lost without it.

I. Love. Music.

What does my major obsession with music have to do with writing? It is single-handedly, where most of my inspiration comes from. My first novel, Amaranthine was inspired by two songs that played back to back on my iPod.

My second novel which will be featured on Wattpad, Celebrity Status has also been inspired by music.

The book shares its title with a song by a Canadian band, Marianas Trench. As the title suggests, it’s about becoming a celebrity. The first time I heard it I thought it would make a good premise for a novel.

So many musicians live on my beloved iPod. I have playlists for reading, writing, cleaning, working, dancing… breathing. Some of my other favorite bands to write by: Better than Ezra, Breaking Benjamin, Lifehouse, The Maine, Mayday Parade, Every Avenue, Hedley, Maroon Five, The Midway State, Simple Plan, Three Days Grace, The Fray, Augustana…just to name a few.

Lyrics that tell a story encompass every reason I love music. As a listener, I don’t think you can ask for much more. As a writer I know you can’t.

My favorite thing to do when I listen to music is to close my eyes, focus closely to the words and ask myself “what if?”

The song “Broken” by Lifehouse has lyrics which say: “the broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep at night, maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time.”

In my writer’s mind, I heard this and thought what if someone actually did lose time and had no idea why? The result is my current work in progress called In Time.

Inspiration is not hard to find. You just need to know where to look for it. Your iPod is a virtual vault of stories just waiting to be written. Next time you’re listening to that great song, close your eyes and ask yourself “what if?” You never know, the answer might surprise you.

Wattpad Cover-Off: "Bubble Tea Girl"

Thu, 10 May 2012 18:01:00 -0400

Which version of “Bubble Tea Girl” by Althea Liu do you like better - 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Where can I find the Wattpad meet-up page?

Thu, 10 May 2012 10:57:20 -0400

Check out our Meetup page here: http://www.meetup.com/wattpad/!

A Born Storyteller: Comic Strips, Advertising, and Novel-Writing...

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:00 -0400

A Born Storyteller: Comic Strips, Advertising, and Novel-Writing with Bill Cokas

Listen to our latest podcast here!

Aspiring novelists often don’t realize that the world is their oyster. From comic strips, to TV advertising, teaching, and creative writing, author Bill Cokas takes us through some exciting possibilities for a career in storytelling. Listen to our interview as we discuss his journey towards novel-writing and self-publishing.

Contact Bill and read his stories for FREE on Wattpad!

Plus, find out more on his website at www.margawriterville.com.

The Survivor Series: Point of Origin Wattpad Contest (May 8 to 18)

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:50:32 -0400

The Survivor Series: Point of Origin Wattpad Contest (May 8 to 18):

The winter is upon us. The Survivors are in chaos. The war is coming.

Check out the newest contest on Wattpad!

Aliens of the Deep: Dive Into An Underwater Adventure

Tue, 08 May 2012 11:20:00 -0400

Stephen Francia presents ‘Depth Charge Illuminations’, the first novel of the ‘Depth Charge’ trilogy.

Born in the country town of Orange NSW Australia, Stephen is married with three children and currently resides in Sydney. At 38 years old, he suddenly felt the need to ‘do something’ different in his life. With limitations on time and funds, he decided to pursue writing, knowing that his research and imagination could take him to places and worlds he could not travel to. Starting out on Wattpad, this journey has taken him into different genres and writing forms.

Man has been looking to the skies for years to establish if aliens exist. Unbeknownst to us, we were looking the wrong way! When Microbiologist Bill Langford sets off to open a sealed ocean CORK, the horrible truth is soon revealed. We thought that everything in the deep ocean, although mysterious, was quite normal and harmless. We were wrong! James Cameron recently went solo into the deep abyss of the Mariana Trench – he found nothing. Mankind will soon find out that there are reasons that the deep sea creatures do not like to be found.

Anyone who has gotten close to the truth about the creatures has mysteriously disappeared.

Bill Langford is also dealing with the emotional consequences of losing his wife and having to help his twelve year old daughter Selena cope with life. Like many fathers, Bill dreads the day he will have to make a decision that no father wants to make.

A relentless enemy soon shows its power to humankind. Locked in a battle of weaponry and wits, the deep sea creatures battle it out with Captain Mark Evans and his team of Marines. The enemy comes in many shapes.

And forms….

And sometimes…humans are the enemy.

Long nicknamed the ‘aliens of the deep’, these creatures have been lurking for a long, long time; waiting for the right moment to attack. Take a journey into the world you thought you knew. It’s an edge of your seat thriller that will keep you tapping the screen.

Read between the lines and you’ll find sub stories about our environment, the consequence of war, and the strong hope we hold for our loved ones.

I hope you enjoy reading ‘Depth Charge Illuminations’ as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule! Contest Winners

Mon, 07 May 2012 12:45:35 -0400

What would it be like to be a vampire or a zombie trying to blend in at school? These writers don’t need to eat brains to write vividly about the teenaged undead. Congratulations to the winners of Rusty Fischer’s Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule! Contest on Wattpad.

1. Horror Once Again by Rukawa Holmes

2. It’s Not Easy Being a Zombie by Darrell Pitt

3. Now for the Hard Part by Kimberly Connor

4. Zombie Homecoming by Zoe Aarsen

5. Deranged & Dead by Demz5luv

Rusty will get in touch this week to give you details on claiming your awesome prizes! Enjoy!

Midlister Dreams in the Age of Ebooks

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:53:20 -0400

Wattpad brings you a guest post from J. Alexander Greenwood, author of Pilate’s Cross on Wattpad:

My grandfather was a midlister. Sean McLachlan aptly describes this devoted breed of writer:

They’re not rich, they’re not famous, but they make their living by writing and they’re responsible for the majority of all published titles. They’re called midlisters, and they keep the publishing industry running.

[…]

They’re the serious professionals whom publishers rely on to produce good, marketable books year after year, spanning all genres from nonfiction to fantasy to romance to young adult. They’ve moved beyond the small press to win regular paying contracts, but they do not have bestsellers.

Robert E. Trevathan

My grandfather wrote historical fiction. Specifically, he penned Westerns. A Michigan boy who saw combat in the South Pacific during W.W. II, his true love was the Old West–a passion that was fed by his posting in Oklahoma as a base historian for the Air Force. He won an award here and there and was published by respected imprints including Tor, Avalon and Manor. As far as I know (and sadly he’s no longer around to ask) he never made a huge amount of money on any of his dozens of books and short stories. He wrote because he loved telling stories.

“Ballanger” book cover

Starting in the pulp cowboy field, as the years went on his work earned respect and praise for historical accuracy and reader-friendliness. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame a few years before his death.

I learned from him some things you can learn from any true professional writer: read a lot, write every day, edit, edit, edit and most importantly: don’t quit.

Another important thing I learned from him was the quality of discipline. Grandpa Rob awoke every morning at 4:30 a.m. and turned on his egg timer. He wrote for precisely an hour every morning.

I’ve read that the British author and red mailbox inventor Anthony Trollope did the same thing (and if he finished one of his massive novels with time to spare, he would start on another until his time ran out).

Grandpa would then shower, eat breakfast and most days head off to the gym for racquetball before he went to his job at the base. His evenings involved hanging out with my grandma, watching a little TV and reading. The only time he broke this schedule was when he was researching a new book. He would use his morning time and weekends for that.

As a child I was once startled to see him seated at a card table at a Waldenbooks in the mall. Next to a small sign that read “Meet the Author” set a stack of his latest book. He seemed to be doing some sort of lonely after school detention for grownups.

“Whatcha doing Rob?” I asked him (I called him “Rob” or “Grandpa Rob,” but mostly “Rob”).

He smiled. “Just sitting here with my books.”

“Why?”

“Trying to sell a few,” he said, ever patient at my interrogation. I don’t think he sold a whole lot that day. Nevertheless, he seemed happy to be there.

In retrospect, I wanted to be there, too. I still do.

When I finally became serious about writing a book five years ago, I put a lot of my grandfather’s lessons about discipline to work. I worked on my novel Pilate’s Cross for two years. (If you’d like to read more about the origins and inspirations for writing that book, please visit this website.) To borrow an analogy, I put the clay on the table and sculpted and re-sculpted it until I had the best sculpture I could make.

Then the hard part: finding an agent. I toiled for ages in the mines of writing query letters and researching the right agents. I earned roughly enough rejection letters (and email) to literally wallpaper my office (“nice, but too short” “I liked it, but you need to chop at least 40 pages of exposition” “You write well but we no longer represent thrillers” …ad nauseum). A half dozen agents asked to read a few chapters; another three asked for “partials,” which is roughly half the book. Two agents thrilled me by requesting a “full”–the entire manuscript.

One agent said she thought it had potential but didn’t like my narrative voice. If you ask me that’s similar to a girl saying she likes you but not the way you kiss. But that’s okay–either you turn her on or you don’t.

The other agent said she really liked the book but the way the industry was going it didn’t look like something she could rep successfully. This was 2008–the economy was on the brink of a very large, unforgiving crater. Most publishers were simply not going to take a chance on an unknown newbie’s solid (but probably not blockbuster material) thriller.

At this point, after spending two years writing the book and another two trying to sell it, I was defeated. The book–my best manuscript ever– was going to cozy up to the mediocre and terrible attempts from my youth in a despised cardboard box in the basement.

I felt I was abandoning a beloved pet. I loved these characters. This story was part of me. So, half-seriously I surfed the net to check out the self-publishing options. Nothing felt right until one day I stumbled across Smashwords, which has become the gold standard of indie e-publishing. Sure, my book wouldn’t be an actual, “physical” book, but it would be out there. People with ereaders could follow my hero’s misadventures. Why not? Beats the box.

After formatting and editing the book once more and having the extraordinary good fortune of snagging a fantastic book cover by the talented David Terrill, my orphan thriller was now a bouncing baby ebook.

It sold pretty well (as in way better than I expected), so I commissioned a print-on-demand (POD) paperback in late 2010. The paperback is now a selection of two three four local book clubs and available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and at least one brick and mortar bookstore.

“Pilate’s Cross” cover

It was through book clubs that I learned that the editor I hired for Pilate’s Cross let me down. When you write and rewrite your work as often as any author who does the proper amount of work on their manuscript can, you run the risk of becoming “copyblind.” You literally stop seeing the things that stand out as mistakes to the first-time reader.

To be candid, there are a few typos that should never have made it into that first book (though they are corrected in the ebook version and are also being fixed in a revised paperback version). One book club reader absolutely took me to task for that. She was actually very rude about it, but that doesn’t excuse the mistakes. There was also a factual error about the Catholic Church that earned me some much-deserved snickering. Writers, I implore you: Get a serious, professional editor for your work. If you can’t afford to hire an editor, ask a teacher or a trusted friend (or two) to look it over. They will catch your mistakes, and you’ll thank them for it.

Despite nice reviews, I often get the old “don’t quit your day job” look. One friend dropped the big one on me, saying (not unkindly) “But won’t this self-published thing ruin your chances at a real publishing contract?”

And boom…there it was. I can call myself an “indie author” all I want, but there are still those who will always equate me with self-published hackdom because I didn’t wait my turn. I picked myself, as Seth Godin would say.

I can’t look back now. I am what I am – self-published. There are of course stories of self-published authors who beat the odds and made it big, including the ebook sensation Amanda Hocking. I need to write a lot more books (with a broader market appeal) to aspire to even a tenth of that level of success. However, the success of indies like Hocking make it a little more acceptable to go your own way.

I muse about what Grandpa Rob would think of all this. I have to think he would have at first counseled me to stick with the traditional route–no matter how long it took. But knowing him he would’ve made his own out-of-print stuff into ebooks and seen firsthand that the times had changed.

Would I take an offer from a “big” publisher now? I’m not making huge money–not even worthy of the title of “indie midlister” yet–but I do have freedom and get to keep far more of my book profits than I would with a publisher.

Yet…the thought that I shot myself in the foot tasks me.

I get some comfort when I think of a scene from The Late Shift, a book and film about the “Late Night Wars” when Leno and Letterman battled it out to succeed Johnny Carson:

One of the more fascinating details is when NBC offers Letterman the “Tonight Show” in a few years, which is the same strategy that NBC did with O’Brien to keep him around. Letterman is obsessed with the prestige of getting the “Tonight Show,” but as a friend tells him sadly, “They are not offering you the Johnny Carson ‘Tonight Show’. It’s gone forever. They’re offering you damaged goods. They’re offering you the Jay Leno show…it’s leftovers, it’s shoddy.” (source: RaisetheHammer.org)

Is that the case with big publishing now? I don’t know. Is a major publishing contract “shoddy” goods? I hope not, but I know it’s not my grandfather’s publishing industry. It’s just not the same show anymore.

I did my first book signing in 2011 and had a book launch event at the Kansas City Public Library for my second book earlier this year. I’ve also been lucky to have my Wattpad/Shelf Unbound 2011 Short Fiction Award-winning short story “Obsidian” featured on Wattpad. It has brought me a huge amount of recognition and encouragement. I even started a small publishing imprint, Caroline Street Press, to help indie authors.

“Pilate’s Key” cover

My next book, Pilate’s Ghost, will be out as an ebook and paperback in October. Again, Like Grandpa Rob, I’ll be manning a card table–chatting with whoever will listen about the beloved characters I refused to abandon. I may even sell a book or two. Perhaps it will help me become a midlister someday.

I should be so lucky.

About J. Alexander Greenwood

J. Alexander Greenwood runs a small public relations firm and Caroline Street Press, an independent publishing imprint in Kansas City, Missouri.

Alex previously worked as an actor, newspaper editor, college instructor, radio talk show host and vice president of Kansas City Public Television.

A fan of suspense, thrillers, mystery and horror, he has written two novels in the John Pilate Mystery Series: Pilate’s Cross and the just-released Pilate’s Key. Alex is working on Pilate’s Ghost, a new book in the series. He is also writing a novella for the upcoming multimedia tablet application What the Gardener Saw.

His short story, Obsidian, won the Shelf Unbound Magazine/Wattpad Short Fiction Award in 2011 and the WritingRoom.com short story award in April 2010.

Margaret Brown, Publisher of Shelf Unbound said of Obsidian: “This story impressed us with its originality, evocation of eeriness, and overall suspense. It stood out as a well-crafted piece of short fiction.”

Alex resides in Kansas City, MO with his wife and daughter.

More information about Alex and his work is available at his website: PilatesCross.com or on Facebook keywords “Pilate’s Cross.”

Wattpad Cover-Off: "The Viscount's Daughter"

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:00:00 -0400

Which version of Caitlyn Duffy’s “The Viscount’s Daughter” do you like better - left or right?

Listen to our podcast - Write What You Know: Legal & Crime...

Wed, 02 May 2012 16:02:00 -0400

Listen to our podcast - Write What You Know: Legal & Crime Thrillers with Mary E Martin

Why are writers always told to write what they know? Listen to our discussion with Mary E. Martin about how her years of legal practice in Toronto and her art interests have influenced and inspired her writing career. Find out more about her legal thriller “The Osgoode Trilogy,” art-world mystery “Trilogy of Remembrance,” and more about her current projects.

What if Superheroes were Real?

Tue, 01 May 2012 14:27:07 -0400

Wattpad brings you a guest post from Darrell Pitt, author of The Steampunk Detective and Diary of A Teenage Superhero:

How would you feel if you saw a man flying across the city skyline?

New Yorkers were recently faced with this issue when a marketing company set up some remote controlled figures to fly over the city of New York to promote the movie Chronicle. It must have been an eerie sight. After all, flying people are not something you see every day of the week.

The power to fly would be astonishing in itself, but what would it be like to have a range of superpowers like Superman or Green Lantern or Captain America? Would you use those powers for good? Or would you use them for evil?

Power like that can be intoxicating. You probably recall the scene in Spiderman where Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben says, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s not too surprising that the idea is not new. Many writers have expressed similar sentiments. Among them, John Acton, a British Lord wrote to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887 saying, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

Peter Parker learns about responsibility the hard way.

That’s an interesting idea – great men are almost always bad men. Is that why so many politicians are so poorly regarded? Is that why movie stars and singers and powerful business people so easily fall from grace? Is it because their powers are so great and yet we see them to be all too human in their failings?

In 1986 Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons released their groundbreaking comic book series Watchmen. In this series (and the movie of the same name) we are faced with an alternative Earth where superheroes are real. In fact, not only are they real, but they are just like you and me. Except for one person – Doctor Manhattan – they don’t have superpowers and are driven by desires far more complex than justice and freedom.

The characters from Watchmen.

Some of them are insecure. Some are psychotic. Others are vigilantes working with the government. Still others operate so far beyond the law they are more like criminals than the evildoers they pursue.

The movie Chronicle follows a similar concept. In it, three ordinary teenagers receive strange powers and we get to see how they deal with their amazing abilities. Do they use them for good? Or do they become their own version of a super villain? You’ll have to see the movie to find out.

Suffice to say that super powers don’t necessarily make us better people.

How would you feel if you encountered someone with the ability to fly? Or someone who had super strength? More than likely you might feel a little afraid. Probably very afraid. There might even be laws to control people with such power. They might even be automatically regarded as villains.

In my book, Diary of a Teenage Superhero, I explore the ideas of giving a group of teenagers, super powers. They mostly choose to use their powers for good, but they could just as easily use their powers for their own ends. In the sequel, The Doomsday Device, we see our heroes as they are drawn back into the clutches of The Agency. I’m currently working on the third book in the series and it’s due to be released sometime later this year.

The cover of the sequel to Diary of a Teenage Superhero - The Doomsday Device.

What will happen to Axel and Brodie and Chad and their friends? Will they continue to fight for truth and justice? Or will they be corrupted – possibly even consumed – by power? There’s one thing I will tell you. There are tough times ahead for our team and not everyone is going to survive the journey.

Until next time, good luck and happy reading.

Contact Darrell and check out his stories on Wattpad!

And the Ping Pong Champions Are...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:02:00 -0400

Last week, we tested everyone’s ping pong skills in our first ever Official Sweet & Sour Suit Pong Tournament!

The “amateurs” played hard to win the Sour ping pong tournament, while the best of the best fought it out to claim the title of Wattpad’s first Sweet Suit Pong champion.

Congrats to Tony, who beat Justine to take the Sour crown!

Our best players, Amos and Yash, faced each other in the Sweet Pong Championships.

A round of applause for our Lead Designer Amos, who won the title of Sweet Champ & ultimate ping pong player at Wattpad.

Next time, maybe we won’t let Amos play with us!

Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule!

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:06:19 -0400

Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule!:

In Rusty Fischer’s ”Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule!” zombies and vampires wander the halls among their unsuspecting human peers. What would it be like to be a vampire or a zombie trying to blend in at school?

It’s the last day to enter the Vampires Drool! Zombies Rule! Contest on Wattpad!

Pac-Man Stress Balls

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:44:00 -0400

We know studying engineering can be really stressful, so we gave our departing co-ops at Wattpad a little present: Blink, Inky, and Clyde!

Clyde

Inky

Blinky

"Suit Up!" Day at Wattpad HQ

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:03:00 -0400

We don’t always suit up, but when we do, we dress with swag.

It’s the last day at Wattpad HQ for 3 of our engineering co-ops (we wish you all the best, Yash, Tony, and Ayush)! We threw them a special farewell party with an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch, our very first “suit up” day, and the championship match for our Sweet ‘n Sour Ping Pong Tournament (photos coming soon)!

What should we do for our next theme day at Wattpad HQ?

P.S. Check out Yash’s Suit Up poem