BLACK MARKET: An Hourlings Anthology

My writer's group has just released our 5th Anthology!

When you're desperate, does it matter where or how you get what you need?

Available from Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover Editions.

Another fine book from Tannhauser Press.

Images that Inspire

 

Quotes of the Week

You can’t be an artist and be safe.

—Francis Ford Coppola

And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.

—Friedrich Nietzsche

Write about what you know and care deeply about. When one puts one's self on paper—that is what is called good writing.

—Joel Chandler Harris

There are millions of survivors out there; make it one million and one.

—Tom Hanks

If I come up against a brick wall, I'll go and play snooker or something or sleep on it, and my subconscious will fix it for me.

—Martin Amis

Whatever you’re meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.

—Doris Lessing

Writing is a way of slowing it down and thinking, What just happened? What did it mean? What was the point?

—Zadie Smith

Revising a story down to the bare essentials is always a little like murdering children, but it must be done. 

—Stephen King

The conscious mind is the editor, and the subconscious mind is the writer.

—Steve Martin

Tuesday Tips: Not Giving a F#ck.

One of the most important tips I have learned as an author is to not care what everyone thinks.

Also known as, Not Giving a F#ck.

I encourage you to cultivate this habit, this skill, this attitude. Because it will help your writing. Especially as the last tip in 2020.

There are several benefits to this:

• It helps create your original voice.
• Accepting critiques becomes more useful.
• It armors you against one-star reviews that happen to everyone.
• It gives you the distance that allows you to improve your works.
• It shields you from negative thoughts and discouragement.
• It allows you to write a shitty first draft.
• It makes it easier to release books into the world and move on.
• It allows you to see how absurd people really are.
• It fine-tunes your bullshit detector.
• Everything gets easier, coffee tastes better, music touches you easier.

--Just remember that you are going to die one day. Wasted moments agonizing over what some stranger thinks is a waste of the life you have. Doubly so on Facebook. 

On sale for a great low price!

 

Now we know who hosed 2020...

RIP: James A. Worthington

From The Batavian:

James A. Worthington, 82 of Batavia, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2020 at United Memorial Medical Center. He was born in Silver Creek, NY on January 11, 1938 to the late Charles (Irene Ransom) Worthington. He is preceded in death by a brother Richard Worthington and sister Joyce Kelly.

Mr. Worthington worked for many years at Gerber Products in Fremont, MI. He was also a very talented painter and carpenter. Jim was a longtime member of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish and in his younger years was very involved in church societies.

Jim loved working on cars, especially with his boys and loved watching his girls play sports. He was a very hands on father that loved being with his family.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Harriet (Lang) Worthington whom he married on July 28, 1956; children James C. (Roberta) Worthington of Amherst, Cynthia (James Ponzi) Ward of Jamesville, NY, Jeffery (Grace) Worthington of Durham, NC, Ann Marie DiLaura of Batavia; brothers Ralph of LeRoy, Paul of Buffalo and Wesley Worthington of TN; 8 grandchildren, Charlotte, Clara, Sean, Alexa (Jacob), Cherie, Kimberly, Danielle, T.J. (Hailey); 2 great-grandchildren, Kasen and Jesse; two special nieces Marie DeFreze and Susan Johnson, along with many nieces and nephews.

A private Mass of Christian Burial will be held for the family. He will be laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Batavia.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish, 18 W. Main St., Corfu, NY 14036 or to Crossroads House, PO Box 403, Batavia, NY 14020. For more information please call (585) 343-8260 or to send a message of condolence, please visit www.gilmartinfuneralhome.com. Arrangements completed by Gilmartin Funeral Home & Cremation Company, Inc. 329-333 West Main Street Batavia, NY 14020. 

The Hourlings Podcast Project: Writing on Vacation

Merry Christmas!!

 

Short Film Friday: REWIND

This week we talked about Covers!

Images that Inspire

 

Quotes of the Week

When I was a young man I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures. So I did ten times more work.

--George Bernard Shaw

Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream.

—Mark Twain

The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in shock-proof shit-detector—the writer's radar...all great writers have had it.

—Ernest Hemingway

Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. Just do it and the confidence will follow.

—Carrie Fisher

A character is defined by the kinds of challenges he cannot walk away from.

—Arthur Miller

My advice to young writers is to read. Find an author whose attitude you share and study the author’s work. Learn by imitating until you find your own voice, keeping in mind that style comes out of attitude.

—Elmore Leonard

If someone can talk you out of being a writer, you're not a writer.

—Josh Olson

I don't try to guess what a million people will like. It's hard enough to know what I like.

—John Houston

The Turning of the Tide...

Today is my Birthday.

I was born during the long night. Bonfires were burning around the world to ensure the turning of the tide. 

My wife and I went out to see the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn last night. We found the perfect place to view it as we begin a new phase in things. 

We need a new phase.

Let's hope it's for the better...

 

Merry Christmas Week!

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project: Distractions

Short Film Friday: The Speed of Time

Indie Book Talk - A Podcast that explores the expanding universe of Indie Books.

Indie Book Talk By Emma and Shelley Explore the expanding universe of indie books. Discover your next read or learn the ins and outs of indie publishing with Emma G. Rose and Shell Shearer. 

Emma G. Rose is the owner of Imperative Press Books, a publishing house that amplifies niche voices. She is also the author of contemporary fantasy and mythological weirdness, including Nothing's Ever Lost and Near-Life Experience. 

I talked about Audio Books!

 

Images that Inspire

 --Make a great zoom Background!

The Hourlings Podcast Project: The Hook

Quotes of the Week

 

I write only when inspirations strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o'clock sharp.

—W. Somerset Maugham

An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself.

—Charles Dickens

Write hard and clear about what hurts.

—Ernest Hemingway

The difference between life and the movies is that a script has to make sense, and life doesn’t.

—Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Never tell your reader what your story is about. Reading is a participatory sport. People do it because they are intelligent and enjoy figuring things out for themselves.

—George V. Higgin

If there is no feeling, there cannot be great art.

—Ray Bradbury

There is absolutely no point in writing a book unless you feel that you must write that book, or else go mad, or die.

—Robertson Davies

Writers have a rare power not given to anyone else: we can bore people long after we are dead.

—Sinclair Lewis

Details, details... The Hell is in the Details.

Today I am doing the publishing production work on my Writers Group next Anthology.

This book is titled BLACK MARKET and will be my 28th publication in Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, KDP interface. Every time I do another book in there, it gets a little easier, and the book’s set up, cover design, and interior design get a little better.

There are a thousand and one little details to manage in there to craft a professional product. The best way I have found to do it is fundamental checklists.

• Kindle Edition Checklists
• Trade Paperback Edition Checklists
• Hardcover Edition Checklists
• Audio Edition Checklists
• Post Release Checklists
• Marketing Checklists

You get the idea. There are a few that get a more significant workout.

• Cover Design Checklists
• Interior Design Checklists

These lists are LONG and grow every time I publish another book.

--One of these days, I’ll publish a book that is ALL CHECKLISTS!

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project

The authors in my writer's group have started a new thing: A weekly Podcast/Youtube show. 

We talk about writing and other random stuff. It's creative and inspiring and keeps us writing. 

--Stop in and check it out on Channel 137.

Christmas Time is Here...

 

Pinterest: Images that constantly inspire me...

I have been using Pinterest for a long time. I like a lot of things about that platform. One big thing is that there is no "Like" button. It's not a high school popularity contest. Artists and Photographers and people share content and YOU can sort it any way you like.

Lots of images inspire me there. Inspire my writing. Every day I try to view beautiful Art and Photography. It simply makes my life better.

Example: This image below is inspiring my writing this week. A tragic immortal soldier that has seen too much pain and horror. He had given up looking for redemption until she found him...

--This painting was done for Dune by Matt Griffin. It's currently my computer's desktop wallpaper.

Short Film Friday: The iMom

Images that Inspire

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project: E6 - Creating Characters

Quotes of the Week

Writers have a rare power not given to anyone else: we can bore people long after we are dead.

—Sinclair Lewis

There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.

—Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

The creative process is a process of surrender, not control.

—Julia Cameron

You do not have to explain every single drop of water contained in a rain barrel. You have to explain one drop—H2O. The reader will get it.

—George Singleton

Ah, good taste, what a dreadful thing! Taste is the enemy of creativeness. 

—Pablo Picasso

Write as often as possible, not with the idea at once of getting into print, but as if you were learning an instrument. 

—J. B. Priestley

Write one good clean sentence and put a period at the end of it. Then write another one. 

—M.F.K. Fisher

Getting the first draft done is like pushing a peanut with your nose across a very dirty floor.

—Joyce Carol Oates

Nothing will stop you being creative so effectively as the fear of making a mistake.

—John Cleese

Show vs Tell Example

The Hourlings Podcast Project!

 

Short Film Friday: NANO

Images that Inspire

 

--It was my favorite hidden base. It can't even be seen from orbit. You'd never find it without detailed coordinates.

The Hourlings Podcast Project - Episode 5

 

-- The Hourlings Podcast Project, Episode 5, is all about Happy Hour! Tonight there was no fixed topic. We discussed the pending Zombie Apocalypse preparations, audiobooks, Santa, COVID, and other disasters! 

Tonight's contributors: 

• Martin Wilsey - https://www.martinwilsey.com/ 
• S.C. Megale - https://www.scmegale.com/ 
• David Keener - http://www.davidkeener.org/ 
• Erica Rue - https://www.ericarue.com/ 
• Jeffrey C. Jacobs - https://www.timehorse.com/ 

Books we talked about: 

• Timewars Series by Simon Hawke 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TimeWars 
• Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alas,_Babylon 
• One Second After by William R. Forstchen 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Second_After

Quotes of the Week

 

When asked, "How do you write?" I invariable answer, "One word at a time."

—Stephen King

The easiest thing to do on earth is not writing.

—William Goldman

You are what you settle for.

—Janis Joplin

You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.

—Octavia E. Butler

If you want to fly, you have to give up the shit that weighs you down.

—Toni Morrison

You write in order to change the world. If you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.

—James Baldwin

It's harder to write in the third person but the advantage is you move around better.

—Ernest Hemingway

You can’t be a good writer without being a good thinker. This is a depressing thought for a writer.

—Andy Rooney

I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.

—Frank Capra

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist, but the ability to start over. 

—F. Scott Fitzgerald

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.

—Terry Pratchett

Apply to the Hourlings!

Tuesday Tips: COVID

 

COVID-19 sucks. What it's done to the world. But writers can adapt.

• Book signings canceled. Sell signed copies from your website!
• Clean your office. Clean the keyboard. You have a good excuse finally.
• Cons canceled. Attend the virtual ones.
• Writer's Groups. Zoom meetings work great.
• Vacations canceled. Create a writer's retreat.

All these and way more can inspire you and create the time to write that you always wanted!

--Adversity makes you better. If you want it...

Get signed books from authors in Northern VA!

 It is Cyber Monday!

Lots of books available at great prices!

Also,I have STILL FALLING and VIRTUES OF THE VICIOUS Kindle editions priced at $0.99!!

That was close!

 

--Get well soon S.L.M. !!

Short Film Friday: Exile

Happy Thanksgiving, Dudes.

 

Images that Inspire

 

Episode 4: Marketing Madness

In this episode, we talk about my least favorite aspect of being an author. Marketing.

I just noticed I even cursed in this installment without thinking. 

At least it wasn't an F-Bomb!

Quotes of the Week

It doesn't matter how many great book ideas you have in your head if you can't finish writing one.

—Joe Bunting

If you can tell stories, create characters, devise incidents, and have sincerity and passion, it doesn't matter a damn how you write.

—W. Somerset Maugham

Remember we are mortal, but poetry is not.

—Patti Smith

Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. Just do it and the confidence will follow.

—Carrie Fisher

The terrible thing about being a writer is that you don’t decide to become one, you discover that you are one.

—James Baldwin

You have to resign yourself to wasting lots of trees before you write anything really good. 

—J.K. Rowling

I am not responsible for the ideas and opinions that my characters express.

—William Faulkner

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.  

—Ray Bradbury

Remember to get the weather in your damn book — weather is very important.

—Ernest Hemingway

 

Tuesday Tips: Go on Vacation

I went on vacation last week. We rented a historic log cabin outside Ashville NC. It had a giant fieldstone fireplace and we had fires every morning and evening.

It refreshes my soul to get away. Go places I've never been. See new things.

On this trip, we went to the Biltmore Estate and gardens. Wow.

It was a real inspiration for writing...

It Must be Monday!

 

Time...

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project - E3 - Finding the time

SciFi Friday: Time Trap (full movie 90 mins)

Images that Inspire

 

Quotes of the Week

 I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. 

—Anne Frank

Good artists borrow, great artists steal

—Pablo Picasso

The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean.

—Robert Louis Stevenson

Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down.

—John Steinbeck

Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day.

—Norman Mailer

Write. Then write some more. And never be afraid to revise, scrap, or take criticism. That's the only way to learn…

—Maria Konnikova

The worst enemy of creativity is self-doubt.

—Sylvia Plath

You fail only if you stop writing.

—Ray Bradbury

You can't blame a writer for what the characters say.

—Truman Capote

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.

—George Bernard Shaw

Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.

—John Muir

Tueday Tips: A writers Retreat

 Get your laptop and go, unplug, no internet, or news media. Write.

FREE Short stories on Audio!

 

Planning a trip!

 

Short Film Friday: 9 to 5

Images that Inspire

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project - E2 - Worldbuilding

Quotes of the Week

As a kid, you think you’re the only one who feels so strange, so out-of-kilter with what seems to be expected of you. Then, with luck, you meet your tribe, the other ones who grew up feeling just as weird, and that’s who I write about.

--Fernanda Eberstadt

There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.

—Leonard Cohen

Write even when you don't want to, don't much like what you are writing, and aren't writing particularly well.

—Agatha Christie

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.

—Benjamin Franklin

You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.

—William Faulkner

The function of science fiction is not always to predict the future but sometimes to prevent it.

—Frank Herbert

I do not write with ease, nor am I ever pleased with anything I write. And so I rewrite.

—Margaret Mitchell

An age is called Dark not because the light fails to shine, but because the people fail to see it.

—James A. Michener

I'm a writer and, therefore, automatically a suspicious character.

—Alfred Hitchcock

 

Tuesday Tips: Five Elements of a Story

 

--Found on Pinterest.

ON SALE NOW!! Half Price!

 

Those are Ravens, not Crows...

 

The Hourlings Podcast Project - Episode 1

 

Today's contributors: 

• Martin Wilsey - www.martinwilsey.com
• S.C. Megale - www.scmegale.com 
• Jeffrey C. Jacobs - www.timehorse.com 
• David Keener - www.davidkeener.org

Short Film Friday: The Looking Planet

Images that Inspire

 

Quotes of the Week

The best work that anybody ever writes is the work that is on the verge of embarrassing him, always.
—Arthur Miller

If you are not afraid of the voices inside you, you will not fear the critics outside you.
—Natalie Goldberg

Never confuse the size of your paycheck with the size of your talent.
—Marlon Brando

Get your facts first then you may distort them as you please.
—Mark Twain

There is no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly; sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges.
—Ernest Hemingway

Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.
—Pablo Picasso

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader.
—Robert Frost

Talent is extremely common. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of the writer. 
—Kurt Vonnegut

I try to create sympathy for my characters, then turn the monsters loose.
—Stephen King

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.
—Cyrill Connolly

Tuesday Tips: 10 Types of Endings

 

Happy Election Day!

--Go Vote. Be Safe. Be Kind.

I was Interviewed on a Podcast!

 

Rerun! Nano!

 

Go Read Something Scary!

 

Short Film Friday: Dedalo

Images that Inspire