Fall into Books

I can't believe it's been since July that I last posted here! I guess, I might have been busy. LOL

The truth of the matter is that I have. I've been doing a lot of freelance writing and editing as well as working toward opening a bookstore in Aberdeen, Wash. And then there was a week of vacation, too.

Anyway, here's the update:

The bookstore, Harbor BOOKS & Gifts, will open Saturday, Sept. 16. The grand opening open house will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and there are lots of reasons (books) to come on out if you can. You can find out more at the website.

Like I said, I've been writing, just not on a book. I do have one in process (a good portion of the writing done) and another in planning. I plan to finish the first (the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure book, Alien Ambush) by the end of October and have it available by Thanksgiving (as it takes place over that holiday).

Our writing center, Harbor House, has an exciting array of fall offerings, too. You can see that at the website as well.

"What are you working on?"

What am I working on? I'm glad you asked. :)

These days I'm writing a lot of articles for print and the web. I've also had a few pieces in our local daily news. This includes several pieces for GraysHarborTalk.com, a couple for thekickerblog.wordpress.com, and a couple for Washington Coast magazine.

I am also working on a few books, too.

1) I have recently squeezed in time to write a couple bits for an upcoming anthology. I'm mostly collecting others' work for this project, but contributing as well as co-editing with my wife Ruth. It's called Another Load of Chicken Poop on My Sole as the follow-up to our Chicken Poop on My Sole. I have several pieces that I've edited in preparation for inclusion, but I need more stories, so if you've got something that's true; touching and/or funny; about farm life, country living, gardening or pets and can be told in 300 to 1,200 words (give or take) let me know. You could be published, too! (We hope to publish this in September.)

2) I'm working on and off on a book called If It Was a Snake It Would Have Bit You (and other things my father said and what I think he meant), too. It may take me a while as I consider it a side project.

3) I also have significant work done on the fourth Bayou Boys Adventure: Alien Ambush. It's been a couple years in the works due to some plot problems (as well as other projects), but I believe I have those worked through and I have scheduled to complete the work this fall for a Thanksgiving Release (as the story takes place during that time).

4) Finally (for now), I will be doing research in late June on what I hope will be my first full-length adult novel* titled Dead Men DO Tell Tales and writing (feverishly) over the summer. I plan to complete the first draft by November and redraft for NanoWriMo (Nov.) completing the work by the end of 2017 and publishing some time in 2018. (Yay, it be a modern pirate forensic-mystery novel, indeed. I'll say no more, fer the time bein'.)

Meanwhile, I'm at work on other projects as well including our writing center, opening a bookstore and more. I have a few signing events coming up over the summer and into the fall, too (watch for those on my Facebook page).

*I've previously written two adult novellas, The Amish vs. the Zombies and Hell, Heaven and Back.

Winter Writing Report and Update

Wowzers! I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last blogged. I'm sorry. You have every right when I do that to get on my case and ask for something. LOL

I have been writing after all, it being NaNoWriMo, you know. And I did finish the book I was working on; not a novel though. Not just that either. I wrote a piece for the winter edition of Washington Coast Magazine and wrote an article for today's The Daily World (that ended up on the front page). Plus my annual Christmas letter.

Then there's been all the Christmas stuff--shopping, wrapping, decorating. And running Harbor House.

I'll be editing this month and next as well as working on cover designs and layout towards the February release of Beyond Insanity and Another Load of Chicken Poop in April (fingers crossed, send in your short stories about farm life and country living).

In the meantime, I'll try to find some interesting things to blog about, but if I don't get to it, have a Merry Christmas. LOL

Write Right now? Ri-iiight.

I wish I could report that I'm working on a great book right now, but I can't. Most of the writing I DO get done lately has been marketing material.

And then there's the Articles of Incorporation, signage, policies, business plans, press releases, contracts and other such matter. All of it for Harbor House.

I do have works in the works, but they are on hold until after we get Harbor House open. After that I'll be there right with the other writers, writing every day.

Can't wait!

Meanwhile, we're just about set to open and you can find out all about it here.

My Wife Says This is Me. LOL. Yup.

A New Year of Hopeful Writing

Happy New Year fellow writers and readers!

It is with great anticipation that I begin 2016. I plan to have three books published this year, beginning with the novel Hell, Heaven and Back which releases on Leap Day (Feb. 29). A new cookbook (Southwest BBQ & Tex Mex) should be out in time for summer and Bayou Boys Adventure #4 (Alien Ambush) out in time for Thanksgiving.

What might you have up your sleeve?

My hope is that more writing this year will present a more hopeful future. I am quite tired, as I'm sure many are, of post-apocalyptic distopian fare. Also I am tired of angel and demon fights--especially with swords (how about some imagination folks).

Here's to a productive New Year for all. Oh, and sales, too. :)

Dialogue: Funny or Dull?

Sometimes it's not the dialogue you write, but what you write the dialogue about. Here's an example of what I mean:

Disclaimer: This is not an endorsement of BYU or the Mormon church. Studio C is a clean comedy show produced by the broadcast students of BYU. Be advised some of their episodes are tagged with propaganda.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" a New Set of Fans, but Will it Satisfy the Old Guard?

In 1977 the first Star Wars film, then titled Star Wars, but later A New Hope, hit the big screen, Three years later we met the next installment (The Empire Strikes Back 1980) and, after another three years, the final film of the trilogy (Return of the Jedi 1983).

But there were rumors of a trilogy of trilogies.

Screenwriter/Director/Producer George Lucas did deliver the first (The Phantom Menace 1999) of a second trilogy seventeen years later. The trilogy was a prequel to the first. The cinematic quality of the second collection was much better than the first, but it lacked in several ways.

Lucas seemed to have lost his ability to write. He could tell a good story, but he couldn't tell it well. He introduced cardboard characters and delivered atrocious dialogue. Then there was Jar Jar Brinks, a matter of discussion all its own.

The second set was short on humor, so much a part of the the original films. It was all too serious.

So what can we expect from the third trilogy that Lucas once said he had no intention of making? I think we can expect a hybrid of the previous two trilogies. The best of both worlds, so to speak. Lucas set the groundwork and Disney (who now owns the rights) will blast it into hyperspace.

After I'd seen the first film in 1977 (I'd just graduated high school) we were all excited to see the second film. When The Empire Strikes Back was to open we camped out overnight for tickets. Not this time! Harrison Ford may still be able to hack the roll of action hero [he's contracted to play Han in a future film as well as Indiana Jones and Rick Deckard (Blade Runner 2)], but I'm getting too old to camp out on the cement in the cold.

Anyway...

...there's a  lot of buzz and speculation surrounding the newest film The Force Awakens, directed by genius J.J. Abrams. I have loved his films--lens flares and all. We all hope he and the Disney folks do the film up right. We all hope it works.


The trailers make it look awesome, but we all know you can't really judge a movie by its trailer any more than you can judge a book by its cover. Sometimes they fool us as Lucas did with the second trilogy.

AND, we all hope the writing will be better.

Are You a Crazed and Frustrated NaNoWriMo Writer?

Writing can be maddening. 

As much as you love it, it can drive you crazy! One moment you 'pen' what seems to be the most brilliant thing ever written; in the next moment you doubt your ability to put two compatible words together.

Then there's writer's block. When under a deadline. You stare blankly at the screen, fingers poised over the keys, but the brain doesn't command words to flow. It's infuriating!

NaNoWriMo is a lot of pressure, too.

There's thirty days to produce 50,000 words. Fifty-thousand!!! In thirty stinkin' days! HA! It's a real challenge and if you do it you can pat yourself on the back and take your bad self out to dinner.

So keep at it. Keep writing. Keep staring at the screen...until you bleed.

Books by Gregory E. Zschomler:

WORD CRIMES: Weird Al Parody Music Video

Love this video! The song is quite good, too. But...well, the whole package is awesome.

FREE BOOK from Author Donald Miller on How to Tell a Story

Donald Miller has been writing best-selling books for years and in this free eBook he tells you his little secret. It’s a 7-part story structure he developed based on hundreds of Hollywood movies. It’s easy to learn and easy to use. 

Read the eBook today and become a better storyteller. No hitch. No gimmick. Why are is he giving it away? Because the world is a better place when great people are set free to tell their stories. How to Tell a Story is his gift to you. Enjoy.

Click here for instant delivery.

Love/Hate Relationship with Writing? Read This.

Bill Cotter Become a fan

Author

10 Famous Writers Who Hated Writing

Posted: 03/27/2014 4:14 pm EDT Updated: 03/27/2014 4:59 pm EDT

Print Articleo

Sometimes I hate writing. That's not to say I hate the writing of others, though I occasionally do, and that's not to say I hate my own writing, though I often do, but rather that I sometimes hate the commission of the act of writing. I hate it when I have nothing to say, which is most of the time, or when I think I have stuff to say but the words are clogged at the nib, or when the ink flows freely but lands on the page in impotent smears, or when the words ring like bells but the sentences flop like flagstones in the mud, or when the paragraphs flare but the chapters fizzle...

To read the full article click here.

It Took Me a Few tries to Get "Foreword" Right

Might As Well Publish It Yourself

How Rejection from a Publisher Feels

What Writer's Do

Northwest Indepedant Writer's Association Symposium

If you are planning on coming to NIWA's Symposium on Independent Publishing, registration rates go up on Monday, Jan 25th, so get those registrations in ASAP! You can find all the information about Symposium here: http://www.niwawriters.com/2014-symposium.html   We have experts coming in from all over the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking to give your career a boost, or even just looking to get started, this will be the perfect place to start. I've pasted the program below, so you can take a peek.  Program for the 2014 NIWA Symposium Saturday, February 1st8:00 – 9:30 a.m.ary 1st writing          The Mark of the Indie: Head Hopping - Cleaning up Your POV publishing    Redefining Success: Introduction to Indie Publishing marketing     Indie Marketing 101: Establishing Your Branding, Message, and Audience 9:45 – 11:15 a.m. writing          Being Your Own Fact Checker: Tips and Methodologies for Research publishing    Writer, Editor, Proofreader, Designer: The Indie Writer's Guide to Wearing All Hats marketing     A Strong Foundation for Your Career: Building a Powerful Marketing Platform   11:30 – 12:30 p.m. writing          Writing Coach: Techniques for Stronger Prose publishing    Channel Surfing: Indie Distribution Platforms Analyzed marketing     Author as Entrepreneur: Writing a Powerful Marketing Plan 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Keynote Luncheon RUMORS OF OUR DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY  EXAGGERATED (The State of Our Industry) Mark Leslie Lefebvre  Writer, Bookseller, and Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations for Kobo.com 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. writing          80,000 Words: Wrapping Your Head Around the Modern Novel publishing    Price Wars: The Great Debate marketing     Advanced Techniques: Viral Marketing   3:00 – 4:00 p.m. writing          Writing to Teach: Making Your Nonfiction Approachable publishing    Book as Product: Designing with Your Customer in  Mind marketing     Welcome to the Circus: Hand Sales and Book  Signings 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Awards Banquet  followed by Committees After-Party The stars of independent publishing shine tonight! The following awards will be presented: The Mike Chinakos Award for contributions to the industry, The Adam Copeland Award for contributions to the association, The NSQ Award of Excellence, and the NIWA Bookseller of the Year Award.  Your new Association Board of Directors will also be introduced. Following the Banquet, the new committee chairs will be hosting tables to gather your input and enthusiasm for this year’s projects. Be there to be heard! Sunday, February 2nd 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.                                  writing            Judge and Jury: How to Listen to Critiques without Writing by Democracy publishing     Basics of Book Design: Principles of Interior and Cover Design marketing     The Power of the Many: Your NIWA Membership as a Marketing Tool   9:45 – 11:15 a.m. writing          The Keeperless Gate: How Do You Know When Your Manuscript is Ready? publishing    Ebook Formatting: The Crash-Course marketing     Guerilla Marketing: Low Budget Strategies 11:30 – 12:30 p.m. writing            Point of Professional Pride: Preparing for the NSQ Review publishing    Writer as Publisher: Keeping Records, Licensing Issues, Copyrighting, and Other Ways to Keep Out of Trouble with the Law  marketing     Your Home on the Internet: Best Design Practices for Your Author Website 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Networking Luncheon By now your brain is bubbling over with brilliant ideas to bump your career to the next level. Take the time to run through your thought experiment with a fellow attendee. Get some feedback and walk away with a plan of action! 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. NIWA Author Showcase Reader, meet author. Author, meet reader! Attendees with NSQ-approved books are invited to set up shop (for additional $20 table fee) for a book-signing extravaganza and charitable funding-raising event benefiting local literacy. This year's beneficiaries are The Right Brain Foundation and The Library Foundation of Hillsboro. 4:00 – 4:30 p.m. NIWA Author Showcase Raffle Drawings Baskets donated by each author in the NIWA Author Showcase will be raffled off to a load of lucky winners, so be sure to stuff those ticket cups! Proceeds go to benefit The Right Brain Initiative and The Library Foundation of Hillsboro. Read more here! Speakers You Might Meet Our speakers include successful authors and publishing professionals from all over the Pacific Northwest. To learn more about them and the classes they'll be teaching, please check our speakers page.

NIWA has been awarded a Community Cultural Participation Grant by the CCWC funded by the Oregon Cultural Trust intended to support our efforts of promoting local arts and literacy at the 2014 Northwest Independent Writers Association Symposium on Indie Publishing.   NIWA serves writers looking to achieve professional standards in independent writing, publishing, and marketing. Whether you are strictly indie, traditionally published, or developing a hybrid of the two, discover how membership in NIWA can boost your career! Copyright © 2013 NIWA

Origin of English Grammar

Your Novel Isn't Going to Write Itself

If your New Year's Resolution is to finish your novel break it down. Write everyday. Make that your goal. A small goal, just to write, not to make a novel.

After you get into the habit of writing everyday, set a word count. Not too big at first. Say, 500 words. Don't ever stop until you reach your goal! Don't edit, don't re-read, just write. Let it flow.

Up that count when it gets to be habit. You should be able to get to 1,500 words a day by the end of February. If you can write more, great. By year's end you could have that novel done.

For more about reaching your goals with small steps read this:

http://lifehacker.com/accomplish-any-goal-by-doing-something-small-every-day-1491749639?utm_campaign=socialflow_lifehacker_facebook&utm_source=lifehacker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow