It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
Where am I writing wise? After a month of the A to Z Challenge, nowhere. But I knew that would happen.
Fortunately, something cool did happen.
The IWSG released its first anthology on Tuesday!
Parallels: Felix Was Here
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology
Enter the realm of parallel universes!
What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?
Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!
If you’ve never experienced RiffTrax in the theater, this is your chance. It’s hilarious and nothing beats being surrounded by peeps who get it. If you live in Tennessee, you can see it live.
Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for May! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. No snark from me, as these are all awesome.
6 -
Captain America: Civil War
Political interference in the Avengers' activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.
Directors: Anthony Russo | Joe Russo
Stars: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan Are you kidding me? Just go see it!
20 –
The Nice Guys
A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy.
Director: Shane Black
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer Great buzz and looks funny.
27 –
X-Men: Apocalypse
With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.
Director: Bryan Singer
Stars: Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Oscar Isaac Again, just go see it!
What are your writing insecurities today? Picking up Parallels? Have you ever been to a RiffTrax: Live show? And what movies do you want to see this month?
I am visiting Christine Rains today and discussing newsletters.
Don’t forget the first issue of the Insecure Writer's Support Group Newsletter goes out on February 24! Sign up HERE.
Movie Review
Deadpool
I can understand why some might not like this movie.
It’s irreverent. It gleefully crosses the boundary of good taste, much like the show Family Guy does. It’s gory and quite dirty at times.
Having said all that, I thought it was a hoot!
The story itself is a fairly pedestrian origins story but told in a way you’ve never seen before. The film is self-aware that it’s just a movie, even to the point that Deadpool makes snarky comments about actor Ryan Reynolds and the other X-Men films. It completely breaks the fourth wall, resulting in some of the funniest lines. (Example – Deadpool tells two X-Men ‘This giant house and there’s only two of you? It’s like the studio couldn’t afford any more X-Men.’)
Bottom line, if you found something appealing in the trailer, you’ll dig this film.
Rated R for a reason, this movie is for the grown up twelve-year-old in all of us.
Highly recommended!
While I Was Away…
Yes, my wife and I had a great time! Everyone should take a first class vacation at least once a year. Maybe more.
And of course, at my wife’s insistence, Mini-Alex tagged along.
I submitted an article to Geekdom House and it appeared on their site last Monday. Read Finding Child-Like Wonderand why Star Wars: The Force Awakens had it and Jurassic World didn’t.
The latest Six Strings magazine is out and it features an interview with yours truly. You can download it for free on the site or at Amazon.
Ninja News
The authors in the IWSG anthology, Parallels: Felix Was Here, have set up a website - Parallels Anthology. Articles, news, and meet the authors.
Many of you know that Sia McKye is undergoing treatment for cancer. A lot of that is coming out of her pocket, so a good friend of her set up a Go Fund Me account for her to help offset the cost. Any amount will help!
Sign-ups for the 2016 A to Z Blogging Challenge are already under way. If you have done it before, you know how much fun it is (good for you!) and if you have not, this is your chance to give it a try. You can sign up to participate HERE.
One of the most burning questions participants ask themselves every year is: "Should I have a theme?" Themes are not mandatory, but definitely fun. They let your visitors know what to expect, and help you create posts that line neatly up from A to Z. They also have an added bonus – they let you participate in a whole separate blogfest!
Three years ago, A to Z participant Mina Lobo started the Theme Reveal, and we thought it was such a great idea that we made it tradition.
Here is how the Theme Reveal Blogfest works:
Sign up on the Linky List below. On Monday, March 21, reveal your theme on your blog and give us a hint of what to expect from it. Then, once your post is up, use the Linky List to visit all the other blogs announcing their themes.
This is a great opportunity for all of you to get a jump start on your A to Z experience. You can link up with fellow bloggers, scout out and bookmark themes that you look forward to, and lure in wandering participants with your awesome theme. This way, by the time the frenzied posting begins on April 1, you will already have an audience eagerly awaiting your posts.
Sign up below, ready your theme, and put March 21 on your calendar!
Miss me? Anyone else see Deadpool? Excited about the IWSG anthology? Can you help Sia? Ready to make a map? And are you signing up for the Great A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal?
It’s time for another group posting of theInsecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
And yes! We have a new official badge. Time to ditch the lame image and go upscale. Feel free to grab it for you blogs.
Since not a lot has changed in my personal writing world since January, I thought I’d focus on some opportunities for you guys.
The Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s first newsletter goes out on February 24! Sign up HERE. (If you are a member of the monthly blogging group, you are already signed up.)
One of the monthly features is an article from an IWSG member – and Chrys Fey needs your articles! If you’d like to submit an article for consideration, please follow the instructions below: Who Can Submit: Insecure Writer's Support Group Members Topic Ideas: Your number one writing, publishing or marketing tip; a motivational pep talk or inspirational story; a snippet about something you used to be insecure about but overcame or an Aha moment you had about writing/publishing. Length: 200 words or less How to Submit: Send a DOC attachment to Chrys Fey at ChrysFey(at)yahoo(dot)com
Put “Member Article” in the Subject Line. Deadline: March 2nd (Next IWSG Day) NOTE: Chrys needs a member article for our first newsletter coming out February 24th. If you’d like to be considered for that issue, please send your article to her no later than February 17th.
Most of you saw the cover art and synopsis of the IWSG Anthology on Monday. Releasing this spring, Parallels: Felix Was Here features the ten winners from last fall’s IWSG Anthology Contest.
But guess what? We’ll be holding another contest this year as well! Which means another opportunity for blogging and Facebook members to submit a story.
And we’re going to let you guys decide the genre. So, keep watching the newsletter for details!
Now, go visit others on theIWSG listand encourage them!
Love Triangle: coffee, tea, and juice, by Toi Thomas
Alex, thanks for having me today. As we writers and bloggers know, our fuel of choice makes all the magic we create possible whether it’s coffee or tea, we can never have too much of it. But what about the oddballs- I mean, rare exceptions where the person doesn’t like tea or coffee. I find that these people tend to like juice or soda (water doesn’t count, we all need water at some point).
When working on my latest novel, It’s Like the Full Moon, a contemporary romance, I begin to think about the nature of writers and their fuel of choice. In my book, my main character Rebecca gets caught in a love triangle and I think I may be caught in one as well. While it seems that most writers have a kind of love-hate relationship with coffee and tea (they love one and hate the other), I find that I crave them both at different intervals.
When I’m in the zone, honing in character and plot development, tea is my drink. When I’m exhausted but know I need to write, coffee gives me the boost I need. Sometimes, however, when I’m milling about the draft stage, sweet juice keeps me going. What can I say, I just can’t choose one. But at least I’m not stuck in Rebecca’s shoes. Please enjoy this sample and check out my book, released under the pen name Glorie Townson.
“Whenever she was at home alone she tended to drink juice; when spending time with Virgil they drank coffee, and when she was with Paul they, of course, drank tea. With a furrowed brow, Rebecca shook her head to snap herself out of her trance. She thought to herself, This is not the time or the place to be having this particular breakdown.”
Here are the upcoming theatrical releases for February! As always, descriptions courtesy of the IMDB. Snarky comments by me.
5 –
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen's classic tale of the tangled relationships between lovers from different social classes in 19th century England is faced with a new challenge -- an army of undead zombies.
Director: Burr Steers
Stars: Lily James, Lena Headey, Douglas Booth, Matt Smith I might be in the minority, but I’m about zombie’d out – especially PG-13 zombies.
Hail, Caesar!
A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.
Directors: Ethan Coen | Joel Coen
Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes Coen brothers, so could be great, or it could be the Ladykillers all over again.
12 –
Deadpool
A former Special Forces operative turned mercenary is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopting the alter ego Deadpool.
Director: Tim Miller
Stars: Morena Baccarin, Ryan Reynolds, Gina Carano, T.J. Miller Holy chimichanga – this looks funny as hell!
26 –
Gods of Egypt
A common thief joins a mythical god on a quest through Egypt.
Director: Alex Proyas
Stars: Gerard Butler, Abbey Lee, Courtney Eaton, Geoffrey Rush Doesn’t look great, but then again, this is the director who brought us The Crow and Dark City.
What’s your writer insecurity today? Submitting to the newsletter? Have a genre in mind for the next IWSG Anthology Contest? What’s your love triangle? (If you can state it in public!) And what movie catches your eye this month…?
Thanks again to all who participated in the Lost and Found blogfest on Monday.
They claimed it was one of the worst movies ever made. I won’t argue that. The star of the film also wrote, directed, and produced it. (That’s never good.) Before it began, we were warned that not only had the man never seen a film, he’d never interacted with other humans, either.
The storyline (if you can call it that) centers around a man and his fiancé who is cheating on him with his best friend. And it doesn’t take place in just one room. (The best part was the random shots of San Francisco.)
There was also nudity. Believe me, the lead had no business being nude. And they were long scenes. Despite the gratuitous boob shots, I longed for those scenes to end.
Considering this was a film about human behavior and interaction, none of that rang true. Characters flip-flopped radically. Scenes were random and made no sense. It was the rough draft of a poorly written story. And all of it made worse by a lead who couldn’t act his way out of a wet paper bag. Which just gives Mike, Bill, and Kevin lots of fodder!
Don't go into The Room unless you're armed with RiffTrax!
And of course, a few pre-movie screen shots for you!
Kung Fu Panda 3 Review
Another solid entry in the Kung Fu Panda series.
Villain Kai breaks free from the spirit world, Po’s panda father appears, and Po must learn the art of Chi to save China.
The story doesn’t break much new ground. It still manages to be an enjoyable and very funny ride though.
The animation is stunning. The spirit world scenes are amazing.
Just good family entertainment. Recommended.
Last week, I watched the movie Kingsman for the first time (yes, yes, I'm late to the party, fine). If you haven't seen it, suffice to say it's a spy movie, with most of the usual themes you tend to associate with spy films.
Anyway, there's a scene in the middle where the spy's mentor shows him their “armoury”, a bit like the part in every Bond film when JB goes to visit Q, and gets his exploding jock-strap.
The mentor shows the spy a poisonous pen, a shoe with a hidden knife, a lighter which is also a grenade... Then they get to the shelf with a bunch of tablets and phones.
“What's special about them?” asks the spy.
“Nothing,” says the mentor.
It's an elegant turn-of-phrase; funny in context, but also quite poignant. I guess it's a very human reaction that something we use every day becomes mundane, even though the capabilities of a smartphone would've had you burned as a witch just over a century ago, and would've probably made you a super-spy in the 1950s.
For those of us towards the fantasy end of fiction, this isn't too big a concern. The stuff that we write about, largely, can never exist by definition. For speculative fiction authors, though, I'm curious – have you ever written something fictional that turned out later to be real? Do you ever think about this as part of your writing?
Ethan Fox is an author of urban fantasy fiction, and has recently published his debut work, The Scissors and the Sword. It's available HERE from Amazon, in both Kindle and Paperback formats.
Also, BUY NOW at a special introductory price! This offer expires very soon, so check it out quickly if you want to take advantage of it.
The IWSG Anthology!
Here’s the cover and details:
Parallels: Felix Was Here, Anthology
Print ISBN 9781939844200
eBook ISBN 9781939844118
Science Fiction/Alternate History
Enter the realm of parallel universes!
What if the government tried to create the perfect utopia? Could a society linked to a supercomputer survive on its own? Do our reflections control secret lives on the other side of the mirror? Can one moment split a person’s world forever?
Exploring the fantastic, ten authors offer incredible visions and captivating tales of diverse reality. Featuring the talents of L. G. Keltner, Crystal Collier, Hart Johnson, Cherie Reich, Sandra Cox, Yolanda Renee, Melanie Schulz, Sylvia Ney, Michael Abayomi, and Tamara Narayan.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will expand your imagination and twist the tropes of science fiction. Step through the portal and enter another dimension!
Ninja News
Our very own Annalisa Crawfordgathered third place in this year's Costa Short Story Award. She won for her story Watching the Storms Roll In. Visit her site for pictures of the awards ceremony. Way to go, Annalisa!
Out this week! Assassin’s Heart by Sarah Ahiers
Multiple versions available at Amazon and find it on Goodreads
Monday Music Moves Me
Hosted by Xmas Dolly. Forgive me if I screw up the theme this week.
I’m hooked on several albums right now – new Megadeth, Dream Theater, Serenity… But since I reviewed Baroness-Purple last week, I decided to post one of their songs. Again, just good, solid rock. Nothing scary – promise!
Lost and Found: The Valentine's Edition/Question of the Month
This time, we are joining Michael at A Life Examinedand doing a combination question and blogfest.
What love did I lose and find again? Not the love of a woman. (No sir, I suckered her into marrying me before she came to her senses.)
My love of playing music.
I’ve played an instrument since I was young and even minored in music in college. But once I graduated and moved on with my life, I forgot about it.
Then, several years ago, my wife purchased a guitar for me. I’d always wanted to play one and after a few months of trial and error and one month of lessons, I became proficient enough to play a whole song. After years of being away from music, it was awesome.
Now I play in a Christian band, and it’s the most amazing thing ever. That I can create something that will inspire and move people – what more can an artist ask for?
Writing is fun and I’ve enjoyed where that path has led me. But music is my true passion. And I’ll not let it go again.
What about you?
Yes, one very full post!
Have you seen The Room? (The bad RiffTrax one, not the Oscar contender.) Catch Kung Fu Panda 3? Ever written anything that became real? Excited about the anthology? Ready to give Baroness a listen? And what love have you lost or found…?
