Monday, December 20, 2010

Book Trailer Contests and the Final Naked Answers...

There are a couple cool book trailer contests online. I just discovered that my trailer’s been nominated for Best Sci-Fi/Distopian over at Parajunkee. There are some cool prizes, so I’m calling upon my awesome army to go HERE to vote for CassaStar’s trailer. (Be sure to check out some of the other categories as well.) Spunk on a Stick’s Tips is also hosting a book trailer contest. Many of you have some cool trailers, so be sure to enter before December 31st.

Now for the final round of naked answers…

From Vicki Rocho - With all that manic writing, are you brushing and flossing like you should be?

I always brush and floss!

From Susan Fields - How many revisions of CassaStar did you go though?

Dozens upon dozens…

From Powered Toast Man - When you were younger did you ever worry about getting an erection when you went to the doctor for a physical?

No, more to the point, I worried about the 65-year-old doctor getting an erection…

From Talli Rolland - What has been the most helpful thing anyone has said to you about the whole publishing process - after you've been published?

Don’t stop promoting.

From Lynda Young - How'd you pick your names for your characters?

The names of the two main characters were from the original manuscript, so I don’t remember their origins. For the others, I spent an hour brainstorming unique but simple names and then matched them to characters.

From Abby Minard - How long did it take you to write CassaStar?

The first draft – almost a year! Revisions took another six months.

From Ali - Byron is a very complex man with a lot of internal history and cause & effect. How did you build him as a character? Did you model him after someone you know (or yourself)? Or did you build him layer by layer through revisions?

Byron is definitely not me! I just took the original character, created his background, and filled in other details until I felt I knew him well. Most of his layers came before I began writing the story.

From Enid - How do you find twists in a story?

I look for the shouts. (Don’t twists and shouts always go together?)

Don't forget to go HERE to vote for CassaStar’s trailer!

76 comments:

Hannah said...

oooh, I hope my revisions don't take very long! Aaaah! I hate editing. Oh well, there's always something we don't like about our "job", right?

Have a great holiday and New Year!

Bryan Russell said...

Oh yes, revision... dozens and dozens and dozens. I know where you're coming from.

Melissa Gill said...

I'll go over to Parajunkie and vote for your trailer.

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who's done dozens and dozens of revisions.

DEZMOND said...

voted! But you are already leading with 50% of votes so we may as well celebrate the victory now :)

DEZMOND said...

pS that Powdered Toast Man is even naughtier than me :)

Devon Ellington said...

I love to discover characters as I write the book. I "know" everything about them, but I find if I write down too much before I write the actual story, I lose the character. It's more like one would get to know someone over a period of time.

Best wishes to you!

Jeff Beesler said...

Just voted for CassaStar! So far you're in the lead. Keeping my fingers crossed for you, Alex!

Chris Phillips said...

It was hard to find where to vote for you because there was not a pic of the book with next to the bubble. Glad you are still whooping up.

Carol Kilgore said...

Twist and Shout - LOL. Love it. Now I'm going to vote.

Jules said...

LOL, being female never thought about you manly, men fears of doctors. Wonder if this why my Dad won't go? :D

Happy Holidays!
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

vic caswell said...

hahahahahAHHAHAAA!!!
the twists go with the shouts!
love it! :)

Carolina M. Valdez Schneider said...

You are quite the clever one, mister. You look for the shouts? Ha!

I'll go vote now.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Remember Hannah, I'm a slow typer!

Dezz, I never count votes until they are all cast! And isn't PTM terrible?

Thanks, Jeffrey!

Chris, I know - can't control that.

Jules- maybe!

Lydia Kang said...

Great answers! Twist and shout, perfect. I'll have to remember that next time I'm plotting. Maybe if I shout loud enough the twist idea will come to me??

notesfromnadir said...

Where do you find these shouts?

Matthew MacNish said...

Cool. Off to vote!

Charles Gramlich said...

My twisted mind comes up with the twists.

Old Kitty said...

I've voted!! Good luck!!! Personally I've never tried twisting AND shouting so maybe that's where I'm going wrong with my writerly ambitions! LOL! take care
x

Cheeseboy said...

Ha ha! LOL @ your doctor erection comment.

Sangu Mandanna said...

Love the doctor-erection question and answer!

I've lost track of the number of times I've edited my manuscript - dozens upon dozens sounds about right - but I do know that I have nine distinct drafts on my computer. Each one just goes through a million changes before I decide 'oh, this isn't the same draft anymore, time for a new file!'

Writing never stops.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Congrats on the nomination, having the wicked sense of humour that I have I loved the question about the 65 yr old doctor. Kept me laughing for a long time.
Thanks for the laugh.
Yvonne.

Unknown said...

"Don't stop promoting"

Brilliantly said.

Talli Roland said...

Wow, I'm impressed by my questions, particularly as I have no recollection of asking it, haha! Great answer, too, btw! :)

Lola Sharp said...

Flossing is important.

I'm gonna have the twist and shout song in my head all day now.

Merry Holidays!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lydia, it's worth a try.

Notes, with the twists, of course!

Kitty, just don't hurt yourself. And thanks for voting.

Cheeseboy, hopefully it wasn't too much...

Sangu, I have about a dozen printed copies as well.

Yvonne, glad I could make you laugh.

Talli, you've been a little busy lately!

Merry Christmas, Lola!

Jamie Gibbs said...

Cast my vote in for you, Alex :) Good luck with the contest.
Cold hands and an erection on a 65 year old physician are not a good mix...

Pat Tillett said...

Great answers Alex!
I'm wearing my little "I voted!" badge...

Golden Eagle said...

Those are a lot of revisions! Shouts--I love finding new ones!

I voted for you. :)

Southpaw said...

I too want to know how to identify shouts! :)

Colene Murphy said...

Whoo! Great answers!! This is fun! I like Q&A stuff! Going to vote....NOW!

Karen Lange said...

Have a wonderful week, Alex!

Nicki Elson said...

Thanks for the tips on the trailer contests. I'll go vote for CassaStar right now. And you should also be happy to know that I'll erase your last naked answer from my memory forever. Yeah.

Unknown said...

What awesome answers (and great questions, too!). Loved that you ended with twist and shout. Too funny!

Lindsay said...

Great answers. And six month revisions... I've been there!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Jamie, you said it!

Thanks, Pat!

Thanks, Golden.

Thanks, Nicki. Sorry, did that song get stuck in your head?

Thanks, everyone!

M Pax said...

lol on shouts.

Voted for your trailer. :D

Ellie Garratt said...

I've voted! Thrilled to see you are way out in the lead ;)

OMG, I've just read Powdered Toast Man's question!!!

Denise Covey said...

I cast my vote Alex. Wonder who for? Looks like you're on a winner there! Enjoy!

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

I voted, Alex, and you're way ahead!!!

Monti
NotesAlongTheWay

Bob Sanchez said...

Don't stop promoting, but be wise in how you do promote. I've seen various outfits offering promotional services that while technically legitimate, aren't worth the money.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thanks M Pax!

Thanks, Ellie. And yes, his question was out there!

Thanks L'Aussie and Monti!

Bob, so far I've been lucky - I've not paid a dime for promotions! Don't intend to, either.

Unknown said...

I loved the Cassastar Trailer. You totally deserve to win!

*runs off to vote*

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Cool answers. Thanks :) Heading on over to vote.

RaShelle Workman said...

Hi Alex - I love the advice to never stop promoting.

And, it's always good to brush and floss. LOL

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Wow, you're way ahead in the voting, Alex. Great trailer.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thank you, Tessa!!

Thank you, Lynda.

RaShelle, I don't want to give the dentist an excuse to 'pick' any longer than he has to!

Thanks, Susan - and that's good news.

Anonymous said...

LOL! I can relate to the dozens and dozens of revisions. Going through one more right now. Drafts and revisions are time consuming the first time around but become easier for the sequels. Good luck with your next book. LOL! part deux ... Powered Toast men should have known better to ask.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

I going to vote. Hope it's not too late.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

What an eclectic bunch of questions. I’ve enjoyed both the questions and the answers in this series and I’m sorry to hear it’s the last round. Now I’m off to vote. Good luck.

Jemi Fraser said...

Fun answers - loved the shouts :)

Off to vote...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Teresa, I have no idea when the voting ends.

Thanks Jane and Jemi - and glad you enjoyed the Q&A. Yes, they were odd!

Michael Di Gesu said...

Just voted... 77 percent! Congrats Alex...


Michael

N. R. Williams said...

Great questions. I'll check out the trailer.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, fantasy author

Kelly Polark said...

Great questions/answers!
I voted and you are WINNING!!

Vicki Rocho said...

Relieved to hear about the flossing...and I'm definitely going to keep my eye/ear out for the shouts!

Copyboy said...

Good luck with the trailer award. Wow!! only a 1 1/2 years of writing to come up with a novel? Creative and fast you are.

Unknown said...

I do the twist,I do the twist ;)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your trailer nom!

Unknown said...

Great answers and I hope you trailer does well because it's awesome!
CD

Angela Ackerman said...

Congrats on the nomination!

Angela @ The Bookshelf Muse

Jeremy [Retro] said...

all the best... and zoinks on the doctor questions...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Gideon and Kelly, thanks!

Copyboy, it didn't feel like 'only' at the time!

Thanks everyone.

Susan Fields said...

Okay, I feel better - I was starting to wonder if I'm the only one who goes through dozens of revisions. Six months, though? I'm already at a year of revising and still not done.

I'm off to Parajunkee to vote...

Ella said...

Great naked response; I'm off to vote. Love the shout comment!

Hart Johnson said...

Voted! And never say it's the last time you are getting naked... you need to keep the faith, my friend...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Susan, I bet you were faster with the first draft though.

Thanks, Ella!

Hart, I'd say I might be willing to get naked for you, but that just sounds wrong, you know?

PK HREZO said...

Hey, Alex. Just voted for you. Looks like you're at %80! Well deserved. :)

Luna said...

I enjoyed the questions and answers! Oh, and I stopped over and voted. You are rockin' the contest! Awesome trailer by the way...:)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Pk and Jamie, thank you!

Abby Minard said...

Love the answers! Hope your trailer wins!!

Unknown said...

Voted for you. Congrats on the nomination.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Oh my, I can't read past PTM's question and your response. I am laughing too hard (no pun intended) right now. You handled (no pun intended) that one very well, Alex. xo

Missed Periods said...

You must make your dentist very proud!

Congrats on your nomination. On my way to vote.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Thank you Abby and Lois!

Robyn, I am to please and cause chortling.

Thanks, Missed!

Patricia Stoltey said...

I voted for your trailer, Alex. Good luck!

Hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and a great new year.

Amie Kaufman said...

And once you've found the shout, and you're twisting, you shake it baby, right?

I love Q&A sessions, they always give a real feel for the blogger. Thanks!