The Block

I finally met it.  The Block.  That evil, unseen villain that suddenly appears right when you are in the most intense piece of your writing, just when things are hotting up and the plot is about to be revealed at last...

I'll admit, meeting it for the first time in my life was truly an experience!  I've always been a man of many written words, able to eloquently communicate with the keys - thousands upon thousands of words just flowing like water downhill.  My first two novels were written in one year, and there was no slowing down when I started the third in January of this year.  I sped through the first 50000 words with ease, the story developing as I wrote.  And then...

Apocalypse Panel - Question 3

It's that time again!  The panel has suggested another question for its members to answer, and this time around it is:

What is the most important element in an apocalyptic story?

This is a tough one, as the obvious answer that might instantly pop to mind is the "human" element, or character.  But is this completely true?  Sure, we need to connect emotionally with the characters, we need to feel their pain, their fear, their suffering, and we need to watch them grow, develop and, most importantly, succeed and triumph!  However, there is

Less Is More

So lately I've been struggling with something, and I'm sure it's happened to all of us at one point or another - I just don't seem to have enough TIME anymore!  I'm a creative soul, so I'm always busy with all sorts of projects.  I'm currently working full time (12 hours a day), raising a family, writing novels, writing music, recording music in my small home studio, playing online poker and live poker in a League twice a month, I have this blog, five websites, Twitter and Facebook. 

The last couple of months I've found myself being stretched in all directions.  I want to keep writing on my third novel, but at the same time

Internet Access

I'm not one who usually punts companies or services, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to discuss Internet Service.  I live a few kilometers out of town, and I find that accessing the internet is not always easy!  I have tried several service providers for my internet access, all the popular ones in South Africa, however it wasn't until I came across a great company that offers SUPER pricing, FAST internet and EXCELLENT service.  If you have never heard of Afrihost, now is the time to check them out!  I have a banner link at the bottom of this page, or alternatively just visit Afrihost for ADSL options, or for HOSTING options.  No catch here, I promise!  And if you visit them via either of these links or the banner below, you are GUARANTEED 50% off your first month's cheap bill.  :)  Trust me, you won't be sorry!  I wouldn't put my good name to anything I didn't believe in 100%.

The Ultimate Reward

So I was thinking, which I tend to do from time to time, and I decided to add to my previous post about why I give away free books, instead of trying to sell them.  As I mentioned, right now it's all about building that growing fan base, about spreading the word and making friends... but in reality I am getting paid for my free books.  Not by Smashwords or Amazon.  Not by the readers who download the book.  I'm getting paid in reviews!

That's right, reviews are, in my honest opinion, the writer's greatest reward!  They surpass any form of cash payment or deposit.  They mean more than paper and coins.  They are priceless, unique and a true test of your worth as a writer, in any form!  I write this post as I have just received my second review on "December Dead", you can read it HERE.  I get really excited when readers review my books.  It means they had a reason to say something about it.  It means it had some sort of impact.  It means something... right?

So my final word on this is that if you are a reader enjoying Indie books, free or not, please do the author the extreme honor of posting an honest review!  You will make a poor penman happy, and it may just inspire him to write some more!

Love to all!

Wayne.

The Apocalypse Panel Q2 - What draws me to write apocalyptic stories?

So the Apocalypse Panel has taken off rather well - kudo's to Randy for the initiative, I'm sure it will continue to spark a lot of interesting debate and scenario building ideas!  If you're unfamiliar with the whole concept, check it out at THIS LINK.

Basically, I am part of a group of 6 other authors who debate a monthly question, posed by Randy on his website.  Each author answers the question how they see fit, and then Randy posts links back to each of our responses!  It's quite clever.  :)

This month's question is:  What draws you to write apocalyptic stories?

That's an interesting and very open-ended question.  I guess, for me personally, it's all about

Free books? You must be crazy?!?

I've been self-publishing for exactly a year today.  I got the crazy idea from stumbling across the Amazon website, seeing all these unknown authors with their pretty covers and interesting plot summaries, and most importantly all those $$$ signs next to their book titles!  Wow, I thought, this is the answer!  I've always loved writing, it's come easily and naturally to me, so why do I need to be slaving at a day job if I can become a self-published author and get my share of that pie?

So I dived in.  I wrote my first novel, as an adult, over three months while working full time.  I ran it through a buddy for some quick editing, designed my own cover, studied the submission rules at Amazon, and then KAZAAM! Published and ready to sell!  Well...

The Apocalypse Panel

Hi everyone!

A fellow, well respected author and friend, Randy Lindsay, has invited me to join a panel of authors as we discuss the idea of a possible world apocalypse.  You can view the full panel discussion HERE.

Firstly, thanks to Randy for starting this panel! I was honored to be included! I must admit that the idea of an apocalypse is something that has fascinated not only myself, but countless others since the beginning of time! It would be fair to say that the first 'recorded' apocalypse was in the Bible, during Noah's time of the Great Flood. The human race almost entirely extinguished after 40 days and nights of floods. Prior to that, we have the extinction of the dinosaurs, various Ice Ages etc etc. The earth is forever

How to Time Travel via Music

Have you ever heard a song from many years ago, and it immediately sends you back to a specific time in your life, sometimes even a specific moment or memory? The songs that have the ability to do that to you are what I call Life Songs. They are the songs that make up the soundtrack to your life. Some of them result in happy flashbacks, others do the opposite, but all of them are powerful time-travelling machines that instantly make you smile or wipe away a silent tear!

I did this last year, and I think it's an idea everybody should adopt! I made a playlist of songs that have had this impact on my life, selecting ONE song from each year since the year I was born.

How to Survive a Monday

I'll be the first one to admit that Mondays are the worst day of the week! I don't think I'm alone on that one! For me, specifically, it's the busiest of the five working days, which means it's also the longest of the five working days. All the crap that happened over a weekend usually has to be resolved on the Monday, which makes it one of those "fix-up" days. You've also come off a two day break (hopefully) so your body and your mind have just become accustomed to rest and relaxation, before you're thrown cruelly back into the blender! It's quite a challenge mentally!

However, I have worked out a game plan for surviving a Monday, and I'm sharing it with you today:

How to Train your Dragon - I mean, Wife!

Now, if you've opened this post, you're one of two things: You're either a husband/wife with a partner problem, or you're just curious to see what type of idiot would even think it would be safe to call their wife a dragon!

Well, no need to panic! I think I'll take my chances with this one!

How to Write to a Schedule

Whether you've been writing for years, or whether you are just starting out, one of the most frustrating things is starting a project that you never finish, or taking so long to finish it that by the time you have, you just don't "feel" it anymore! If you know this feeling, don't despair! I am going to share my own method of creating and sticking to a writing schedule - one that works for me, and that may just work for you too!

Back to School

So it's the first day of school again for most kids in South Africa. I have a 12-year old daughter who, unfortunately, has been shunted around from school to school over the past few years, no fault of her own! She is starting at her new school today, in Grade 7, and my wife and I dropped her off this morning. The funny thing about children is that they are tougher than we think!