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Writing Milestone: Twenty Completed Novels

6/21/2016

I completed the first draft of my latest novel, tentatively titled Riders on the Storm, a couple days ago. I'm guessing it took a while to process the fact that it was really done, which is strange given how many novels I've already written. I didn't share anything about it on Facebook until last night, and it hadn't even dawned on me until now that perhaps I might share this wonderful milestone here.

Counting collaborations, Riders on the Storm is my twentieth completed novel.

Just for fun, here is a list of them all:

Published
1. Myths of Gods
2. The Private Sector (World-Mart)
3. World-Mart
4. Aftermath (World-Mart)
5. Finding Poe
6. Cast in Blood (Revelations) -- cowrote with Jaime Johnesee and Christine Sutton
7. Cast in Fire (Revelations) -- cowrote with Jaime Johnesee and Christine Sutton
8. Cast in Shadow (Revelations) -- cowrote with Jaime Johnesee and Christine Sutton

Backlisted
9. Blood and Coffee (The Darkness and the Night)
10. Cosmic O (The Darkness and the Night)
11. Twins of Darkness (The Darkness and the Night)
12. Lust in Space (Pandora's Hope)
13. Pandora's Hope
14. Love in Space (limited printing sold on the Home Shopping Network)
15. The Hidden Valley

Never Published
16. The Nightcrawlers -- co-wrote with Erin Barker (manuscript long lost)
17. Cinderella Eyes
18. Digital Paige (good idea; just couldn't execute it right)
19. Agoraphobia -- currently querying
20. Riders on the Storm

All together, this adds up to roughly one and a quarter million words I've written in novels alone, which I think is pretty damn cool. Writing has always been the one activity that has followed me throughout my life, the one thing that has defined not Lisa the Twin or Lisa the Wife, but Lisa the Individual. No matter what has gone wrong or right in my life, the good or bad choices I've made, through the successes and failures, writing has been where I can turn to ground myself. It's also the best way I can think of to communicate the ideas constantly building in my mind. I'm an introvert, a thinker. I express myself best through the written word. Writing is a big part of who I am.

Some things I've learned so far:

Not every novel you write will be good. (You might even write a couple of stinkers.) If you write a flop, dust yourself off and get started on something new.
Write the kind of fiction your gut tells you to write. If your heart's not in it, why even bother?
The more critique you can get, the better. No one enjoys getting a list of what isn't right with his or her book, but if you take critique seriously and put forth the necessary effort to address it well, your writing will improve just as much as the story will.
Celebrate every milestone. I usually give myself a pat on the back for every 10-25k words I write. I'll often treat myself to ice cream or a nice dinner to celebrate a finished novel.
If you're an introvert like me, you might not get out much. If you can go to a writers convention, do it; you'll find that a whole new you comes out when you are among your tribe. Make connections, even if they remain strictly online. Share what you know and learn what you can from those who have more experience than you.

I mentioned in a recent blog post that this most recent novel (which still lacked a title at the time) was notably different than the bulk of my other books. The subgenres I'd chosen to work with had put me way outside my comfort zone, and I wasn't really sure at first if I was even going to be able to complete a draft. By the time the story and characters began coming into their own, however, I could see series potential. I love the world, and as difficult as it has been to write, it's been every bit as enjoyable. We'll see where it goes....

Thank you for letting me share this milestone with you! Hopefully, I'll have more news to share about Agoraphobia and Riders on the Storm very soon.

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All Sorts of Paranormal Fun

9/12/2015

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Those of you who've been following my work know I'm pretty eclectic, often shifting gears between projects, which can range from gritty realism and dark slice of life to paranormal and full-blown horror. If there is a constant in my writing, it is a reflection of the challenge I seek in making sure every piece I produce is unique in its own way.

Over the past several months, I've focused my attention on the Revelations project, managed by fellow horror author Jaime Johnesee and published through Devil Dog Press, and my self-published dramatic horror novella series, Jane the Hippie Vampire, both of which deviate--the former a little more than the latter--from my more literary works. Interestingly, I've found the mainstream hand to be more of a challenge than the literary.

Revelations has been the bigger of the challenges, however, since I share 2/3 of authorship--an even cut in each novel--with two other writers. Finding a voice that meshed as seamlessly as possible with theirs took some time, and maintaining that has required a little extra effort from all of us. All things considered, I think we've done a good job working together. The world we've built is creative and fun, and I think paranormal fans will find it right up their alley.

Book One: Cast in Blood is currently reduced to $0.99, and Book Two: Cast in Fire is available for pre-order for $3.99.

Jane the Hippie Vampire will appeal to that same audience, although more of my literary voice peeks through. I consider the series a side project of sorts, a bit too far outside the box for publishers but far too unique to keep to myself. The stories are quirky yet serious, whimsical yet gruesome. Jane is a walking dichotomy--colorful and peace-loving while, just beneath the surface, dark and bloodthirsty. The stereotypical Goth girl Jane is not, and I think that's what makes her so much fun. The first episode, Love Beads, is permanently free through all major online retailers. Episode Five: Dazed and Confused, is available for pre-order for $0.99, set for release on September 30.

About Cast in Blood: An unknown force threatens Heaven and Hell, along with every soul on Earth. Three unlikely heroes join together to restore universal balance. Will their shared adversary initiate an Apocalypse before they're able to uncover the truth, or will they rise to a calling that has, from the beginning of time, been Cast in Blood?

About Dazed and Confused: In this fifth novella in the dramatic horror series, Jane the Hippie Vampire, Jane stumbles upon a small, secluded town in the Nevada desert, where the simple life seems to have its residents in a rut. When patient zero of a biological weapons test stirs up some action, Jane finds herself amidst a whole different breed of undead—and in the middle of a war zone designed to leave no witnesses behind.

So, what's on the horizon? I think I have at least a few more Jane episodes up me sleeve ... and I have a speculative novel currently brewing in my head that combines literary, cyberpunk, and steampunk. If the story comes out as I hope it will, it will be something special. I'll keep you posted!

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Writing Process Blog Hop

2/16/2014

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Yes, it's time for another viral author showcase. My thanks this time to Bryan Murphy for inviting me to participate in this most recent round. Here's how it works: one author, after receiving an invitation by another, answers a set of questions before inviting a few other authors on board to answer those same questions the following week. Those authors then continue the cycle. The questions:

1) What am I working on?

I’m currently redrafting my most recent novel, a sequel to my dystopia World-Mart, and the process has been painstaking. I’m also working on a dramatic horror novella series, for which I’ve completed two installments.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My work differs from most other horror stories in its literary slant. While literary horror is not entirely rare, I think what I write is particularly loyal to the style. I want my work to be artful without being pretentious, to send chills down my readers’ spines while also leaving them with important questions in mind—haunt them with provocative language portraying frightening concepts and imagery, but also haunt them with disturbing put pertinent issues seeded between the lines.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I write what I do because I have so much I want to say, so much I need to share, and writing is the only way I really know how to express it all. I’m the stereotypical introvert: I’m at my most comfortable sitting behind a keyboard; I feel awkward conveying my thoughts in person; and I am often at my happiest during times of silent reflection. Said reflection often results in observations I feel the need to share, and so I do it in the best way I know how. How clichéd is that? ;-)

4) How does my writing process work?

It usually begins with that big what if?—a thought or question that refuses to leave me. From there, I start seeing scenes in my mind’s eye, and with that, characters begin to emerge. Language begins to swirl through my thoughts until I’m left with a whirlwind that will only continue to grow in momentum until I face it, which of course requires that I address the intrusion and appease the muse imposing it. I move on to the next big questions: How does this issue affect these characters? What horrors might result from them? Are there any monsters of greater evils that might represent this horror? What can they do to fight it? Is said fight fruitful or futile? Why it all of that so important, and how does it relate to the world as we know it? From all of that, a story begins to emerge.

I begin writing character sketches—a page on each of my main players specifying name, age, profession, likes, dislikes, personal quirks, interpersonal relationships, and a brief history. I also write a basic outline, which is really a skeleton for the story that merely places an order to the main plot points, hidden bits of personal agenda, and literary devices I will cover. When I begin the actual writing, I tend to jump head first into the deep end. I let the muses decide upon the tone and how the story first unfolds.

From there, I write mini-outlines for chapters I know will be especially complicated while opting to let the story tell itself in others. Often, the muses will take the storyline in an unexpected direction, which requires I revise my outline accordingly and do my best to continue moving forward. I think it’s a good system. It works for me. For more about my personal process, see my previous blog posts “Building a Novel” and “We Write What We Will.”

Thanks so much for stopping by! Look forward to the next authors to participate in this blog hop on February 23:

Dan O'Brien
Allison M. Dickson
Jaime Johnesee

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Building a Novel

12/22/2013

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I finally wrote those two magic words on the bottom line of my most recent novel: THE END. Although the 60,741-word manuscript took me less than two months to draft and I’d already gone through the blissful hell of writing thirteen previous novels, I’m basking in the relief. Finally, the entire story is out of my head and on the page!

I’m not really sure if those who’ve never written a novel can understand how important—how calming—this sense of relief is, so I’d like to share a little about the process.

What drives you to write?
If you're not a writer, have you ever felt
the desire to write a book?
What's stopping you?

Step One: The idea

Either it begins with a “What if?” or a mental image, perhaps a character or a particular theme, but no matter where that first spark comes from, the seeds have been planted. They begin to germinate. What was once a vague thought becomes a limited series of events. Scenes begin to manifest. Characters become more defined. A story slowly begins to form.

Step Two: Development

Some writers skip this step, but it’s an important one for me. This is the time when all those bits of characterization, short scenes, and general ideas first find their way onto the page. For me, it begins as 1) detailed character sketches, a different page for each main character that identifies name, age, sex, occupation, likes/dislikes, recreational activities, social status, personal quirks, and 2) an initial outline of the main plot points that have been haunting me for the past days, weeks, or months. The outline is not detailed, and sometimes it lacks a specific beginning, middle, and end.

Step Three: Page One

No matter how many times I’ve done it in the past, every time I sit down in front of that blank first page, I find myself riddled with reservation, hesitance, and excitement. How will my opening sentence define the rest of this book? Am I approaching it from the appropriate starting point? Do I have it in me to pursue this story to the end (which at this point seems so far away)? Those first words eventually come, however, and page one soon gives way to page two.

My latest novel is a sequel
to my dystopia World-Mart.

Step Four: The Next 200+ Pages

Here is where the story must unfold, beginning with a solid foundation and continuing with one layer after the next of structure that must build upon itself. Move too slowly, and the story will stagnate and die; move too quickly, and all I’ll have is a skeleton that may or may not be worth fleshing out. The task feels daunting, moving forward each day with just a little more to show for it. Think of it as tantamount to taking on a mission to build a skyscraper, one brick at a time. At the end of each day, I’ve raised the walls a little higher, and yet the top of that massive building is still so far out of reach that it feels like I’ll never get there—and yet the drive to continue is so overwhelming that I have no choice but to continue.

Step Five: Getting to the End

I’ve developed my ideas, laid the foundation, and finished building the walls. Now all that’s left is the roof. I still need to take my time to make sure what I leave behind is solid, but I’m tired. Images of the finished product have been bouncing through my head like a bucketful of super-balls from hell, and I long for nothing more than to release every last one of them so finally I can rest. So what do I do? I work on that roof nearly day and night, forgetting to eat, foregoing that much-needed shower, setting aside physical health by persevering like a little Energizer bunny until I feel like I might just die. I must finish; at all costs, I must finish.

And then comes that moment that had felt so far away for so long, those final two words: THE END. Now I can relax; I’ve thwarted the insanity once again by emptying my head of all those maddening super-balls that were assaulting my hapless brain. What sweet relief! I walk away from the computer, take a shower. I throw myself into that special circle of hell by editing the damn thing—but it’s okay because my mind once again belongs to me. I’m free.

And then, sooner than I’d like, a new idea hits me, begins to consume my every thought, and I begin the process all over again. As the great Kurt Vonnegut used to say, “So it goes.”

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NaNo No-No

11/16/2013

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I guess you could say I’ve been in sort of a writing slump. Even though I did finish another novel earlier this year (The Private Sector, a loose prequel to World-Mart) the thought of starting another felt so daunting. This past year has provided many hurdles, some of which I never imagined I’d personally face. I focused on writing short stories, keeping my commitments small, and I had no plans for another novel anytime in the immediate future.

I’d noticed in a handful of reviews that there were World-Mart readers who wanted to read more about the crumbled society I’d left them with. While I’d purposely slammed them into a brick wall at the end as a social and political statement, some felt it wasn’t right that I’d left them in the dark where I had. I hadn’t considered what might happen in the aftermath, and I felt I’d shared what I felt most important.

Recently, one of my sisters read World-Mart and offered similar criticism, adding, “I wish I knew what happened to George.” That got me thinking. Was it right of me to leave readers to assume he too would soon die? What if George’s story didn’t end there?

I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) before, and with sound reason. Some years ago, I’d written 50,000 words in one month, and it was an exhausting experience I hoped never to repeat. However, the closer it got to November 1, the more World-Mart began to eat at me. It did need a sequel, I decided, and NaNoWriMo was going to help me along with that.

Logging 50,000 words by November 30 isn’t my priority. I’m neither exceptionally young nor exceptionally healthy, and I don’t plan on ignoring those factors. Still, I’m writing, even if it’s 500-1000 words per day. I’m holding to my own personal goal: write this book, and in a timely manner that fits my limitations. I’m currently at 19,100, and the month is half over. Still, NanoWriMo has given me the kick in the pants I needed to tackle this new project.

The author "stats" dashboard is a great resource. It keeps up not only on your word count but also estimates the average word could you'll need in order to reach 50,000 words by November 30. Even more, if you've been straggling (like I have) it will estimate the date on which you'll reach that goal at your given pace. That alone is a surprisingly effective incentive to add at least a little progress each day, even if 50,000 words by the 30th s a bit beyond your current reach. It's definitely helped me.

So, World-Mart fans, the aftermath is coming, and I’m writing it with you in mind. It’s not going to be finished in a month, but hopefully it will be worth the wait.

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Pardon Me, but Have You Seen My Eyeball?

10/29/2013

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Tactful Juxtaposition in Horror

When you think about what scares you most in a horror story, what is the quickest to come to mind? Chances are, your mind’s eye will impose images of what should, under any normal circumstances, be the most unlikely of suspects. Children giggling, clowns smiling, dignified noblemen, perfectly sculpted topiary …the list goes on when it comes to imagery that, with just the right touch, goes from innocent or distinguished to downright terrifying. Place the giggling children in an otherwise empty haunted house; put a bit of blood on the clown’s suit; give the nobleman fangs; see the topiary move behind the protagonist’s back. It’s the dissonance between expectation and realization that creates the best kind of horror.

This holds true just as much with use of language as it does with use of imagery, which is why Gothic horror is (in my humble opinion) especially thrilling. While the necessary components—stormy/foggy weather, a castle or castle-like structure, a supernatural element, a maze (either literal or metaphorical) and a protagonist being pursued by some kind of monster—are dark and atmospheric in and of themselves, it is the language that seals the deal. The mesh of high literary form and supernatural evil works against a person’s sensibilities in the same way the giggle of a child possessed by pure evil might; it works much like dramatic irony, so effective because of the incongruence of elements.

Consider any of a number of passages written by the master of Gothic horror, Edgar Allan Poe. For an example, I’ve pulled a random stanza from his timeless classic, “The Raven”:

Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
‘Wretch,’ I cried, ‘thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!’
Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’

Look carefully at the language here. It is simple yet elegant, while uncommon and still fluid. Poe uses “Seraphim” and “angels” to raise (ironic) demonic imagery. He uses “nepenthe,” legendary and illusory, instead of using “forget” alone. Consider his use of alliteration: “swung” and “Seraphim”; “foot-falls” and “tufted floor”; “hath lent thee” and “has sent thee”; “nepenthe and thy”; “quaff” and “quoth.” These careful choices add an elegance to Poe’s words that make them all the more chilling.

I once conversed with another horror writer who insisted Gothic horror was, in his own language, “pretentious.” That word has stuck with me ever since. Pretentious. I must beg to differ. Gothic horror is sophisticated. It is complex. It contains a level of brilliance that might not be appreciable to fans of superficial horror—slash and dash, blood and guts, and such—and that’s okay. Literary is not everyone’s cup of oleander tea. With that said, I’ll take Gothic over gore any day.

It’s just scarier—in my humble opinion.

This blog post is part of Coffin Hop’s countdown to Halloween. There are tons of prizes up for grabs, so make sure to check out the many other participating authors’ blogs by going to www.coffinhop.com.

Also be sure to take a look at Coffin Hop’s benefit anthology, Death by Drive-In, the proceeds of which will go to the literacy program, Lit World.

What is your favorite kind or horror? Leave a comment for your chance to win a signed paperback copy of my Poe-inspired Gothic horror, Finding Poe, or an electronic copy of Death by Drive-In. Winners will be announced precisely at the stroke of the witching hour on Halloween ... unless the evil clown gets me. *insert evil laugh*

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5 Things I’ve Learned in the Past 5 Years

8/1/2013

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When I received my first publishing contract in 2008, I felt as though I’d found a golden ticket. I wasn’t just a writer anymore; I’d graduated to the elite club of authors. Back then, I would have signed just about anything to see my name in print, an all-too-common story among newbies. I didn’t know any better, and I thought I knew what I was getting myself into. I assembled a blog, made connections, and felt a sense of loyalty to the publisher, which prompted me to publish my next several more works exclusively through that company.

Since that first contract, I’ve learned quite few useful tidbits about wading through the ever-growing sea of publishing. Who’d have thought there was a learning curve to being an author? Most everyone learns a little more about the craft of writing with each successive work; what I hadn’t anticipated was what I’d learn about the craft of being an author. Much of the following will seem like no-brainers to those who've been at this for a while, but for the rest of you, here are some of the gems I had to learn the hard way:

Do you know what rights you're
signing away? Make sure you do.

1. Understand every clause in your contract before you sign it. If you don’t understand something, hire a lawyer or someone equally qualified to explain it to you. Know what rights you’re signing away and make sure you have a closed-ended timeframe to the publisher’s stake. Similarly, make sure there is a clause that explains in no uncertain terms how you can reclaim the rights to your work(s)—and “out of circulation” clauses don’t count; a publisher can claim your book is in circulation because a single, used copy is floating around on Amazon. If you don’t cover these two bases, the publisher can hold your work indefinitely.

2. Don’t agree to major changes you feel uncomfortable making. 9 times out of 10, the editor is going to be right. S/he likely has much more experience in the business than you and, therefore, has a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t. With that said, editors are sometimes wrong. I once agreed to a change I didn’t want to make, fearful that the publisher might drop me if I didn’t acquiesce to its every whim (stupid, stupid), and the negative reviews for that story ended up highlighting that one aspect I hadn’t wanted to add. The moral of the story: if it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it—even if it means losing a contract. You’ll regret it later if you go ahead against your gut.

3. Don’t spread yourself too thin. While promo is a necessary evil, don’t join every social networking site you can find or you’ll end up accomplishing nothing. A big part of social networking is making meaningful connections. If you try to be everywhere at once, you’ll find yourself nowhere. Few of us find that perfect balance between connecting with readers and pimping our books. I’m still working on that one myself, but I’ve met some really neat people in the process.

4. The tighter and more grammatically correct your story is, the less opportunity you give editors to change your hard-crafted prose. This is one I grew to learn after that fateful change I relayed in #2. I knew my writing back then wasn’t a contender for the Great American Novel award. I also knew my grammar was good but not stellar. I went back to school and significantly improved both. I (and the editors I’ve worked with) have been much happier ever since.

Just in five years, the difference in my
writing is like night and day. This is the
first novel in my erotic horror series.

My publisher wanted to turn it into a
romance, which might not have been
the best idea. It has a good story line,
but it also has its flaws.

5. Write what you feel passionate about, not what you think will sell. I got my first break in erotic romance. I’d been following the blog of a literary agent I thought might someday be interested in me, and when she advertised a call for erotic short stories, I jumped at the chance to show her what I could do. I had no experience in romance, but I’d heard there was money in it. Seemed like a win-win situation to me. Unfortunately, I’m more of a literary/speculative/horror girl, and I found myself writing in a genre I wouldn’t normally read. I ended up with a nice list of publishing credits under my belt, even a book sold on the Home Shopping Network, but nothing I could use to sell myself in the genres I actually wanted to write.

Bottom line: don’t worry about the bottom line, at least not yet. Be true to yourself. Network with people you’d want to hang out with, if given the chance, outside the Internet. Steer clear of editors and potential peers who would see you as nothing more than a means to their own end. Write what you’d want to read. If you don’t, you’ll only end up wasting your time and energy forever chasing that golden ticket.

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Too Bad, So Sad

6/9/2013

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I’ve touched upon this before, and with mixed response, but I must have another word on the subject. It never ceases to surprise me when a reader somehow feels cheated when finishing a dystopian novel that ends on a less-than-happy note. I understand that genres evolve to a certain extent, but to base one’s dystopian rubric on what one experiences in reading, say, The Hunger Games, is faulty to say the very least. Let’s take a look at a few of the most influential classics, the dystopias that truly define the genre:

Planet of the Apes: Ulysse escapes Soror with his primitive lover and child, offering the readers hope that all will be well, only to return home to find Earth has become the same hell he escaped. The couple in space who had the message in a bottle—again, hope for the human race—only end up throwing another disturbing monkey wrench into the works (yes, pun fully intended).

The point: Apes merely “ape,” and everything the readers see in the ape society represents humanity’s progress put eternally on hold; we only hold ourselves back, and when we fail to reach our potential, society as a whole pays for our failings.

1984: Lovers Winston and Julia are discovered together by the Thought Police and are taken to the Ministry of Love for torturous, brainwashing “re-education.” They both betray one another during interrogation, and then suffer their greatest fears in Room 101, Winston nearly having his face chewed to ribbons by rats before having the horror differed instead onto Julia. Their love dissolves—actually transforms into contempt—as a result of their experiences, and both re-enter society as selfless drones who live to serve and love “Big Brother.”

The point: If we submit to group thought, essentially allowing others to think for us, and do not exercise our rights as individual human beings, we will lose all that makes humanity so exceptional and diverse.

Cat’s Cradle: Ice-nine, a frozen chemical that turns all liquid it comes into contact with into more ice-nine (which stays frozen even in high temperatures), falls into the ocean via the crash of a plane containing the frozen body of a dictator who had committed suicide by ingesting the chemical, and all of the oceans in the world freeze over, ensuring the extinction of virtually all life on the planet.

The point: The most selfish and ignorant of humankind will be the downfall of us all.

My point: There is a reason many of my works end in tragedy, and sometimes it takes a little brainpower to figure out why. I know some people read to escape and some people read to think, but those in need of escapism have no place picking up the good majority of dystopian works. When I read reviews that show contempt for the dark ending in my dystopia, all I can think of is, You obviously have not read enough to know what you’re talking about. Go back to your YA dystopia, the sugar-coated kind, and leave the real literature to the big kids. And, should you decide to pick up a novel that follows the classic dystopian trope, don’t complain if you leave without that warm and fuzzy feeling. It’s meant to stimulate your brain, not fulfill your escapist needs.

It's blunt and it's not nice, but it's also true.

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Happy Birthday, Edgar Allan Poe!

1/18/2013

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Edgar Allan Poe was well known for his critical reviews of other authors, and to pay homage, I’ve decided to offer a critical review of what I believe to be one of his most provocative short stories, “The Pit and the Pendulum.” While Poe’s reviews were often scathing, I felt it more appropriate to celebrate his birthday with something a bit more praiseworthy and analytical.

In “The Pit and the Pendulum,” Poe uses hellish visuals to portray the irony of religious justification for torture and death. His unnamed protagonist first describes his physical response to the “inquisitorial voices” sentencing him to death. His senses fail him before he falls into a mild hallucinatory state, at which time one must consider the possibility that Poe is using his common tool, the unreliable narrator. This works to the benefit of the story, however, allowing one to regard the entire work as an opinion piece.

The narrator describes,

I saw, too, for a few moments of delirious horror, the soft and nearly imperceptible waving of the sable draperies which enwrapped the walls of the apartment; and then my vision fell upon the seven tall candles upon the table. At first they wore the aspect of charity, and seemed white slender angels who would save me: but then all at once there came a most deadly nausea over my spirit, and I felt every fibre in my frame thrill, as if I had touched the wire of a galvanic battery, while the angel forms became meaningless spectres, with heads of flame, and I saw that from them there would be no help.

Here, the seven candles represent the Catholic pontifical high Mass, which is commonly associated with the Pope. It is in the above passage where he makes clear his intentions in writing this story. When he describes the candles as “angel forms [that] became meaningless spectres, with heads of flame,” he juxtaposes the holy with hellfire, a visual that will prove to be a recurring theme throughout the work.

The narrator falls into a fugue state, which he can only compare to death. Poe writes,

I had swooned; but still will not say that all of consciousness was lost. What of it there remained I will not attempt to define, or even to describe; yet all was not lost. In the deepest slumber -- no! In delirium -- no! In a swoon -- no! In death -- no! Even in the grave all was not lost. Else there is no immortality for man. Arousing from the most profound of slumbers, we break the gossamer web of some dream. Yet in a second afterwards (so frail may that web have been) we remember not that we have dreamed.

The narrator’s inability to define or describe his experience represents the unknown and the uncertainty of what lies beyond death. Through his perceived encounter with those sanctified by the Catholic Church, our protagonist loses his faith in the divine. He further exemplifies this ironic event in his confusion over what exactly he has encountered: “In the deepest slumber -- no! In delirium -- no! In a swoon -- no! In death -- no! Even in the grave all was not lost. Else there is no immortality for man.” By claiming, “Even in the grave all was not lost. Else there is no immortality for man,” the narrator is defining the moment in which he feels forced to question the afterlife. He compares the encounter to a dream immediately forgotten upon waking, bringing death to a strictly physical level and abandoning any spiritual connection. He elaborates upon this sentiment when he soon thereafter describes the experience as “some token of the state of seeming nothingness into which [his] soul had lapsed.”

Illustration courtesy of MacFran:
http://macfran.deviantart.com/

Poe cleverly offers a sense of confusion over the narrator’s unreliability when he comes upon a brief moment of clarity. He describes, “I brought to mind the inquisitorial proceedings, and attempted from that point to deduce my real condition. The sentence had passed, and it appeared to me that a very long interval of time had since elapsed.” Here, he recalls his sentencing, but also questions the state in which the shock of that sentence had imposed upon him. He exemplifies this by adding, “Yet not for a moment did I suppose myself actually dead. Such a supposition, notwithstanding what we read in fiction, is altogether inconsistent with real existence; -- but where and in what state was I?” By specifically referring recorded experiences of death as “what we read in fiction,” he denies any supernatural connection to said experiences. His additional observation that it might be “altogether inconsistent with real existence” fortifies the idea that there is a clear divide between his perceived and actual occurrences.

The narrator, upon gaining full consciousness, finds himself in a pitch-black dungeon, which he describes as difficult to gauge in shape and dimension. This, of course, works as a parallel to the indeterminate size and shape of our universe (which remained an enigma at the time of this story’s creation), his imprisoned world suddenly reduced to the same level of uncertainty. He clarifies the nature of his prison, however, after again falling unconscious and waking to find the dungeon lit just enough for him to gauge his surroundings. He describes it as “a wild sulphurous luster” with an “origin of which [he] could not at first determine.” By describing the vague light source as having “a wild sulphurous luster,” he incorporates sensations most often associated with Hell, and by adding that the origin was one “of which [he] could not determine,” he makes clear the ethereal ekphrasis intended.

When Poe introduces the pendulum, he provides an interconnection between time and death, insinuating the finiteness of all life. He describes the pendulum as “a painted figure of Time as he is commonly represented, save that in lieu of a scythe he held as a casual glance I supposed to be the pictured image of a huge pendulum, such as we see on antique clocks.” By meshing the traditional images of (pendulum) and death (scythe), he alludes to the association between the two; both are inescapable and both play against one another in the eventual mortality of all humans. Many attempt to diffuse their fears over the two through faith, but again, perception and reality do not always go hand in hand.

Poe further alludes to this connection when his narrator describes, “there had been no perceptible descent in the pendulum.” Like watching a child grow or a person age, the perception is not one that can be viewed in one moment to the next. One might as well attempt to watch the grass grow. Old age creeps upon us all, and youth falls to the wayside before it can be fully appreciated. Death, as inevitable as it is, often seems distant until nearly the moment it strikes. Most of us think little about our mortality, or the finality that may come with death, until we’re forced to, as Poe’s narrator exemplifies, “For the first time during many hours, or perhaps days, I THOUGHT.” It isn’t until the pendulum has nearly reached him that he is able to ponder both its implications and his possible escape.

Poe returns to allusions of the battles resulting from the Inquisition when he brings the rats inhabiting the dungeon to the forefront. The narrator describes,

I had not counted in vain upon their voracity. Observing that I remained without motion, one or two of the boldest leaped upon the frame-work and smelt at the surcingle. This seemed the signal for a general rush. Forth from the well they hurried in fresh troops. They clung to the wood, they overran it, and leaped in hundreds upon my person.

Notice the choice in language here: the “general rush” and the “fresh troops.” Poe clearly depicts war through the garish guise of vermin warming a man on the brink of death. Still, his narrator survives, patiently waiting for their assault against his flesh to weaken also the ties that bind him, only to describe the horrors that ensue:

I had scarcely stepped from my wooden bed of horror upon the stone floor of the prison, when the motion of the hellish machine ceased and I beheld it drawn up by some invisible force through the ceiling. This was a lesson which I took desperately to heart. My every motion was undoubtedly watched. Free! I had but escaped death in one form of agony to be delivered unto worse than death in some other.

Image courtesy of Ryan Russell.
Click on image for more information.

Here, one might find a correlation between the assumed all-seeing eyes of God and the narrator’s torturers: “My every motion was undoubtedly watched.” The pendulum ceases as soon as he slips from his binds, and he anticipates a new level of suffering to replace the old. The “lesson which [he takes] desperately to heart” compares to the canonical “lesson[s]” anyone might derive from any given religious text.

When the torturers are finally revealed, the narrator describes “Demon eyes, of a wild and ghastly vivacity, glar[ing] …in a thousand directions where none have been visible before, and gleamed with a lurid luster of a fire that I could not force my imagination to regard as unreal.” The description here is more ethereal than it is earthly, turning men into demons, meshing the imagined with inescapable reality. Those trusted with the position of punishing the condemned are no better than those deemed the heathens they have sentenced; human and demon become one in the same. Poe ensures his message is clear by describing his torturers as “most demoniac of men,” and by transforming the stone walls of the narrator’s prison as “burning iron” ever closing in on his protagonist.

When he rouses from his imagined hell, the protagonist realizes “the fiery walls rushed back” and he is still on the battlefield, fighting alongside General Lasalle of the French army, driving those fighting for the Inquisition into submission. This reversal of roles here is key to the story. By shifting the narrator’s hell into reverie, Poe merely shows that he portrays one side of a complicated story. More importantly, he illustrates the atrocities that might exist due to something as menial as a difference in belief. The enemy is always the demon, and his domain is always Hell, and it is only human nature to dehumanize he whom one currently fights against.

Works cited by link:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01347a.htm
http://www.literature.org/authors/poe-edgar-allan/pit-and-pendulum.html
http://macfran.deviantart.com/
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/edgar%20allan%20poe

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Joshua Cook: "It Takes a Village to Write a Book"

1/18/2013

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It Takes a Village

I get asked one question in interviews and while talking to readers a lot. What advice do you have for other writers? My answer is usually to keep trying and never give in to haters. That really is the best advice I can ever give. If you give up, you will never accomplish anything.

There is another little bit of advice that is just as important. What is this magical little bit of advice? It takes a village. Yep. It’s that simple. Just remember that you can’t do it on your own.

When I first started thinking about a Zombie A.C.R.E.S. project, it was a comic series idea and not a book. After having issues with artist after artist, I decided my best path was to bring Zombie A.C.R.E.S. to life through short stories. My thinking was since writing is such a solo project (except for the characters and voices in your head), I won’t have to rely on an artist or anyone else to bring my dream to fruition.

Man was I wrong.

I have said many times that last year and a half has been trial and error, with error being the more prevalent of the two. One of the biggest errors I have made was trying to do everything on my own. Sure, writing the stories was mostly me, but even that was a group project at times.

Even today there are some things that I try to do on my own, but I have to step back and ask myself, ‘Is this going to result in the best final product?’ In many cases the answer is no, so I proceed to find someone to help populate my village.

AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga)

In a world where corporate greed is allowed to run wild, Roslun Global has become the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. As head of this juggernaut of a company, Richard Roslun wields unheard of global power. To obtain and hold onto this power, Roslun is willing to do anything, including killing innocents.

When Richard Roslun realizes what he must do to save everything, his sights become set on a young girl named Alice. When Alice’s mother returns home from work with an infection, all hell breaks lose in Alice’s fragile world. Alice and her sister Georgia are hiding as death is literally banging on the front door when the unthinkable happens.

A second outbreak tests the love between Sam Ashe and and his fiancé Heather. Sam is a horror geek who has always been obsessed with zombies. When his fantasies become a reality, the man inside him will have to rise to the adventure ahead.

Fate brings Sam and Georgia together in the mission to save young Alice. Will love be enough to fight off the undead and stop pure corporate greed?

Find AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga) on Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Paperback, and many other online retailers.

About the Author:

Joshua Cook was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, late in 1977; and this where he has spent most of his life. There have been short bursts throughout his life where he has spread his wild oats to other parts of the United States, though.

Briefly Josh lived in Arizona and a brief – dark – time in Indiana and Ohio. Finally he landed in Washington state. He now calls Washington home where he lives with his girlfriend and dog.

This is where he created the growing fan favorite web site ZombieACRES.com, which spawned its first book in 2012. After many years of writing non-fiction, news, and various other articles, Josh decided to poke around in fiction – and loves it.

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Joshua Cook: "It Takes a Village to Write a Book"

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