Author of the Storms of Magic, The Savage Earth, and The Deadlock Trilogy
Writing the Lights Out 25 –
I really liked this post by John L. Monk and this post by Kristine McKinley . I’m a giant productivity nerd, so I love hearing about how others are doing it. Inspired by their transparency, I thoughts I’d share a few techniques I have recently put in place to help my own productivity.
Three tips that have helped me become more productive of late:
1. Have a production calendar.
2. Overlap projects.
3. Plan for the worst.
Pines by Blake Crouch
Platform: Â Paperback (Amazon)
Small town with a secret! As you probably know, this is one of my favorite sub-genres, and Crouch does a wonderful job with it here.
Non-spoilery synopsis: A Secret Service agent gets in a car accident while in Wayward Pines, Idaho. Bad things ensue.
Spoilery synopsis: Watch the trailer below. This book is being made into a star-studded TV show and it will air on Fox this fall. It looks beautiful, but the trailer gives away A LOT of the book. You have been warned.
Born Standing Up by Steve Martin
Platform: Digital (Oyster)
I love memoirs that focus on a particular time period or subject rather than jamming a full lifetime into one book. This one is all about Steve Martin’s experiences as a stand up comedian. It tracks his journey from a young man learning the performance ropes at Disneyland all the way through his decision to walk away from stand up forever. Martin is a great writer and this book has a lot to say about art, comedy, and the evolution of a performer.
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
Platform: Digital (Humble Bundle)
It’s the 1880s. The Civil War is still a thing that is happening. Seattle is a wasteland contaminated by a strange gas that kills people and then brings them back as zombies. The gas can also be used to make a popular (and valuable) drug, so airship pirates frequent the nearly abandoned city to harvest the gas.
So, you know, the usual.
Priest strikes a wonderful balance of action, big ideas, and small character moments. This book is only six or so years old, but it is already considered by many to be a sci-fi classic. It’s steam punk at its finest.
Also, Priest is a fellow Eastern Tennessean. Â Represent!
The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson
Platform: Digital (Oyster)
Annie and Buster Fang kids had weird childhoods. Their parents were performance artists, and they often involved their children in their strange public spectacles. Which is to say that Annie and Buster spent their time creating bizarre scenes at shopping malls. Now the kids are grown up and their relationships with Mom and Dad are rocky at best. But the performance art may not be over yet.
This is book is so strange and wonderful. It’s hard not to use the word quirky, though I will try. It has a bit of a Wes Anderson vibe, which I consider to be a good thing. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year. Go check it out. (Please and thank you).
In a strange coincidence. Kevin Wilson is ALSO a fellow Eastern Tennessean. Go southern literature!
It’s been an exciting week.
Regulation 19 was free on Amazon last weekend, and some book deal sites posted about the promotion. The number of downloads exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t be more pleased.
So, if you are one of those people who picked up the book during the free period or the subsequent 99 cent sale, welcome! Hope you like the book!
Today, I sent A Place Without Shadows, the Regulation 19 sequel, to some early readers for feedback. This trusted group consists of friends, writer colleagues, readers who enjoyed Reg 19, and (most importantly) my wife. It’s an exciting time. I feel like the weird little monster I’ve been secretly raising in my basement has finally been unleashed on my nearest and dearest. (Or insert your own less creepy analogy.)
So, what’s next? Will I rest on my laurels? YES! Laurels are super comfortable! But, while I’m laurel-resting, I will also be working.  I’m giving my early readers a nice leisurely month to read the book. And I’m going to try my best not to obsess about it during that time. I want to put my mind on other things so that I can come back to the book with a fresh perspective in August.
Here are some of the things I look forward to doing now that A Place Without Shadows is temporarily off my mind:
And then, when I get the feedback from my early readers, I’ll get back to work on A Place Without Shadows so I can get it out into the world in September.
Remember John L. Monk? He’s the author of Kick , one of my favorite books I read so far this year. He’s been nominated for an eFestival of Words award for best Horror Novel.
For those of you who have read Kick, go vote for it here!
For those of you who haven’t read it, I have good news for you, too. Kick is on sale for 99 cents – but only for the next 18 hours (as of this writing)! So don’t dawdle, my friends. Get it here!
Writing the Lights Out 24 – The first draft of the Regulation 19 sequel, A Place Without Shadows, is complete! Now the real work begins.