Happy New YOU

Farewell, 2014! ...and, err, weird spaceman!

Well, well, well.

2015 has finally arrived. And not a day too soon, huh?

2014 was good. Hell, it was very good. I got a lot of writing done this past year, and even more re-writing and polishing, if that counts. But 2015 is a whole different story. Me, you, everyone – we have another 365 new days to make some progress and take a few steps closer to achieving our dreams...

Here's what I'm aiming for in 2015:


1. Write something new.

Yep! I've been working on the same two babies for the past few years, so it's been a while since I've experienced the adrenaline rush of putting finger to keyboard and banging out a brand new story. That's the most rewarding part of the writing process, in my humble opinion. And I DO have an idea I've been sitting on, one that builds on the space theme I explored in STARBÖARD, and I can't wait to get started on it.

For some inspiration, here's one of my favourite epic space opera themes (from Jet Force Gemini):

Click here to listen to this on YouTube

2. Read with a writer's eye.

2014 was an interesting year of reading for me, mainly because it was mostly a year of RE-reading: going back through novels I'd read long ago, and even some I'd just read recently. Funny thing – I absolutely enjoy reading a book the second time through, even immediately after the first read. When you're not focused on what happens next and learning the characters and their world, you can actually focus on the writing itself – style, voice, methods you want to emulate.

The next time you read a book you like, try flipping right back to page one and reading it again – this time with a writer's eye.


3. Help other writers grow.

Writing can be an isolating, solitary adventure – let's not kid ourselves. But even though most of our work is done alone, it doesn't mean we don't have anything to share. I've learned so much over the past 3+ years, from the publishing process, to the writing process, to executing with a purpose, I don't know how I ever managed before. This year I want to pass those golden nuggets on to other writers.

Here, and in person (hello, author meet ups!), I want to get out of my dark writer cave and help other writers GROW. Like a tree. So they can become as creative as this:

Click here to watch this on YouTube

Ah... I'm a kid again...

What about you? What are YOU aiming for in 2015? Let me know by commenting below!

While you were sleeping...

I'm back!

Yessiree, after just about eight months in exile from this blog — wandering the desert, with my head stuck in the sand, or maybe just on a beach somewhere, sunning the days away (huh? huh?) — I'm back, ready to keep all of you updated and to otherwise fill the void that is the internet with my brilliant thoughts and ideas.

Whew!

But why, you might ask. Why go away for so long? Why disappear? Why leave us?!?!?

Well, I needed a break. Plain and simple.

Blogging and writing and working and coming up with new ideas for the blogging and the writing is heavy, heavy stuff. It takes time, it takes creativity, and it takes inspiration... and at the time, I didn't have any.

But being away helped me find some. Yes! Being away from this blog, and the writing community as a whole, gave me more time to, well, live!

I got to travel to some far off places and have a few adventures of my own. I lived in Vancouver for three whole weeks for work, which meant I had a ton of time to explore the city and experience almost everything it has to offer. I also did a two week road trip along the East Coast, which had a truckload of fun times as well.

Here are the highlights (in random order):

A lazy harbour somewhere on Mt. Desert Island, Maine

A quaint book shop / cafe in Boston — excellent brunch!

An outdoor Cirque du Soleil experience in Quebec City

Coal Harbour, Vancouver. Look at that mountain view!

A Red Sox game at Fenway Park, which even included a thunderstorm!

Even flying provides plenty of inspiration

I didn't obey the warning signs, and had the hike of my life!

The Iron Man triathlon in Lake Placid, NY 

Would YOU climb down this rusted, rickety stairway?

To get to this lighthouse in New Brunswick, you might.

Lobsters? Yes, please.

Another lazy, fog-covered harbour in Maine!

A prison!!! In Kingston, Ontario

This is what lies hidden when the tide is high...

Vancouver is full of beautiful, hidden harbours

Inspired yet?

Other than working, traveling, and trying to have new adventures, I was of course, writing!

I've been working on (and completed!) I new draft of 151, which, I believe, is the best yet. Given that it was my first attempt at a full-fledged novel, and that I've re-edited, rewritten, revised, and re-re-rewritten the dang thing again and again, it will also be remembered as being the guinea pig that helped me learn how to write. *Ahem*!

Behold, the images of victory!

151 — all eight episodes, printed!

151 Beta 4.3 — bound for one of my Beta Readers to read. Plus, a portrait of the gang in Ilium :)

So that's that! Now you're all caught up.

I look forward to returning... eh, maybe once a week, to keep you all updated and share more of my experiences in the weird and wacky world of writing.

Thanks for reading!

-John

One Inspiring Blog Award: 7 Things...

Thanks to Rhiann for getting me off my butt to post something that ISN'T #ThursdaysChildren this week ;)

In celebration of this award, here are 7 things that you may not know about me...

(1) My favourite food is stuffing. I love everything about it: the taste, the texture, the melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Even the cheap stove top kind! Just DON'T tell me what's actually in it...

(2) I've seen Skyfall in theatres 4 times! I don't think I've ever seen a movie in theatres that many times (3 is usually my max, and very rarely). I hated it the first time I saw it, liked it a little better the second time, fell in love with it the third time, and by my fourth viewing, I was reciting the lines before the characters even said them...

(3) In addition to being a writer, I'm also a pretty good speaker. I've been in Toastmasters for about three years now and I'm always working hard at the art of public speaking. I even presented a workshop on the Art of Storytelling!

(4) I've become a minimalist. So almost ALL of the stuff that I loaded up on from IKEA when I first moved into my apartment is now gone. I appreciate open spaces, clean walls, and simplicity more than anything.

(5) I'm an obsessive compulsive dishwasher. I can't stand having dirty dishes in the sink for more than a few hours. I don't know, there's something about dishwashing that's kind of... cathartic!

(6) This summer, I was this close to getting a marketing gig in China (Beijing, to be specific). So this post would have been written in Mandarin and my next book would have been about a dystopian civilization that lives in the smog!

(7) I went about 8 years when I didn't dream. All those years in university and my first few years in the working world really did a number on my quality of sleep! But I've become better at respecting sleep, and have become an avid dreamer once again :)

I will spare anyone from being nominated this time, BUT if you'd like to join in, just plop that award pic at the top of a post and tell me 7 interesting things about you. Let's hear it!

#GUTGAA Blogfest Meet and Greet!

Woohoo! September is turning out to be THE month to be an in-progress or querying writer! In addition to #PitchMadness and #CAGI, I'm also thrilled to be a part of Deana Barnhart's #GUTGAA (Gearing Up to Get an Agent) Blogfest and Pitch Contest. The first stage of the contest is called the Meet and Greet and is a chance to do the ol' "Getting to know you, getting to know all about you..." with other amazing writers. Make sure to check out all the authors in the Meet and Greet here. And now for me!

Where's the beef???

My path to becoming a writer follows a much more Indiana Jones-ey and Don Draper-ey route than others...

I spent my university days as an archaeologist, digging for artifacts in Jordan and riding camels in the Wadi Rum. It was at university, though, where I fell in love with classical mythology, and so I try to work themes and archetypes from my favourite myths into my stories whenever I can :) Recently, I've taken to the world of advertising, and so brands, insights, and consumer behaviour have become my forte (not to mention the odd rum or two). Now if only I could figure out agent behaviour, then I'd really be onto something!

Most of my writing in the last while has been focused on YA sci-fi/fantasy, though I have a lot of heart for dystopian tales, and am really proud of the short story collection I finished. Now, on to the questions!


Where do you write?

Everywhere! I'm in love with my MacBook Air and the lightness of it helps me write wherever I need to to find inspiration. My favourite spots: the backyard patio, on the couch, and the Himayalan Java Cafe.

Source: Yelp.ca

Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?

A canoe. A miniature one, yes. But a canoe.

Favorite time to write?

After midnight. Seems to be the time when my head is clearest, and I can focus on the writing sprints that I so love to do (a bit of sarcasm there). 12 - 4 AM is optimal sprinting time!

Drink of choice while writing?

I'm a slave for coffee, the darker the roast, the better. Keeps my fingers flyin'.

When writing, do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?

When writing certain scenes, I love zoning in with a great soundtrack from a movie. My favourite soundtracks to write to are those from TRON: Legacy and Avatar (epic sci-fi, duh!!!). I don't know how I could have written a recent space battle scene without the Star Wars soundtracks to get my blood pumping!

What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?

For PERIAPSIS, a YA sci-fi/fantasy in which a boy travels to a planet in the sky, it was the discovery of the "exoplanet odd couple" Kepler-36: a star system with two planets that periodically cross orbits. Hello inspiration!

What's your most valuable writing tip?

Experiment with writing styles. When writing my dystopian sci-fi collection, IN-FUTURA, I experimented with different perspectives, structures, themes, and voice, pushing myself to try something new with each new story, and it really helped me develop my comfort level as a writer.

Thanks for meeting and greeting me, and I hope to see more of everyone as #GUTGAA carries on. Where's the beef???

New Year, New Goals

It's been quite a busy 2011! So busy, in fact, that I've had to put my writer's blog aside for a few months to focus on a few more important areas - my day job, for one, as well as my work on my startup company, TransitHub. Writing, however, was most-definitely on my radar - I've continued to submit the short stories of In-Futura to a variety of short sci-fi markets (some big news on this coming up) and have continued the planning work on my upcoming novel (more news here as well, hehe)...

What's new for the new year - 2012? For one, I've got a lot more time on my hands ;p I've left my day job in advertising so that I could focus more of my time and energy on both my startup and, more importantly, that upcoming novel. Beginning this year, I'm going to ramp up the planning on said novel - and documenting my process along the way. The wall of my apartment is already filled with storyboards and notes just waiting to be blogged about :p

So, my goal for this year? Get my first real taste of novel-writing by planning, writing, and finishing the first book in my 3 part series, hopefully within a period of 6 months. This will be something I've never embarked on before, at least when it comes to doing it with an eye towards completion. I will have to take everything that I've learned in writing the short stories of In-Futura over the past two years (including the very advice that I've given here) and expand that for long-form fiction. I'm sure I'll learn some new tricks and tactics as well, which I'll be sure to blog about here.

It's looking like it will be a very interesting 2012 - happy new year and stay tuned!