I Wish I Were Better

I wish I were a better writer.

I guess that's probably true of all writers, even ones who have sold millions of books. Well, except Tom Clancy who got lazy toward the end (so lazy, he didn't even write his own books).

My biggest weakness as a writer is character development. I think I did a pretty good job of that in Hammer of Thor and Agent of Artifice. But I spent years writing those books. I tried to do some character development in Book of Death, but I got too interested in the story. After that, I just sort of gave up on it. I'm not saying my books aren't good. I'm just saying that they could be better.

So I need to get better. In the three-book series I'm writing now, I have a character arc planned. But I'm into the third book and that arc hasn't manifested itself,  yet. Maybe I can fix it in rewrites.

What's your weakness as a writer. Let me know in the comments below. Make me feel better.

Self Care

As I've stated before in this blog, I am type 2 bipolar.

A type 1 bipolar is what most people think of when they think of bipolar. A type 1 cycles like a sine wave. These cycles could last months or hours, depending on the person.

But I'm type 2 so my bipolar is different.* It means I am depressed most of the time with occasional manic times.

But, the good news is, thanks to meds my former psychiatrist figured out (after lithium didn't work), I'm rarely depressed and almost never manic.

Depression is a weird thing. I know I'm depressed, I know why I feel lousy, but I can't do anything about it. I call it "the cloud." It is like a dark cloud hanging over me and I can't do anything to dispell it. Even the meds don't help. It really sucks.

So I practice "self care." One thing is, I make sure I have taken my meds. Some people with mental illness say, "Hey, I feel better, I don't need the meds" and stop taking them. But it was the meds that made them feel better. And there are downsides to the meds. Not just side-effects (one med I take makes me hungry), but I feel as if I've lost a spark I used to have. But I still take the meds.

The other bit of self care is let yourself be what you feel. If you're depressed, let it happen. Don't fight it. Do what helps you feel better. But don't self-medicate with food or alcohol or other drugs. For example, if I feel depressed, I'll watch television and try to find something entertaining or funny. Or slip in a DVD/Blu-ray of a favorite fun movie.

So take care of yourself. It's important.

How do you practice self care. Let me know in the comments below.

*The other types of bipolar are type 3 when a person is manic most of the time and occasionally depressed (pretty much the opposite of me) and type 4 when you're both manic and depressed.

Networking

Like most writers, I'm an introvert. Strongly an introvert. I'd rather stay home and read or watch T.V. than do most anything else.

But, in my corporate days, I was forced to be more gregarious. And since I've become a freelance writer and author, that has helped me. You see, nearly all the success I've had as a writer has come from networking, i.e., knowing people and talking with them. I found my publisher through another writer I'd met. I got my freelance jobs from knowing people.

Yes, this meant talking to people (shudder) and sometimes strangers. The one thing I hate about freelance writing is calling strangers and asking for some of their time. But I force myself to do it because that's part of the job.

So get out from in front of that computer screen and look for opportunities to talk to people. You never know what possibilities you might find.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? How does that affect your life. Let me know in the comments below.

Author Interview: Stephen Coghlan

Stephen Coghlan

Today we have an author interview with Stephen Coghlan. Welcome Stephen, it's great to have you here!

Hailing from the capital of the Great White North (i.e. Canada), Stephen Coghlan spends his days erecting buildings, and his nights reveling in the dreamscape. Since 2017, he has produced a myriad of flash fictions, short stories, novellas and novels, including, but not limited to, the GENMOS Saga, the Nobilis series, Urban Gothic, and has had his works read on podcasts and featured in anthologies.

Genmos

After disappearing from existence, Devlin Keper returns from his eight-year exile in order to gather his children, bio-engineered weapons known as Genmos, in an attempt to protect them from the government that wanted them destroyed.

Links for Genmos:

http://scoghlan.com/?page_id=109
https://www.amazon.com/GENMOS-Gathering-Genetically-Modified-Species/dp/194524710X/
http://thurstonhowlpub.storenvy.com/products/21740411-genmos-gathering-storms

Nobilis

When her family of intergalactic hippies are brutally murdered before her eyes, a young woman inadvertently recruits the help of a grizzled veteran turned janitor, an exiled alien princess and her indebted human husband, four enslaved children, a genius scientist with not one social grace, and a giant alien that contains her brother’s soul, in order to help her maintain her freedom and her life.

(Nobilis is still a work in progress)

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Well… Kind of, yes. I always had an idea of writing a book, and back in the early days of my youth I hammered away on an old Underwood typewriter whenever I found one, and I wasted quite a few sheaves of paper making “books” that held “stories” and full-color “Illustrations”.
Thinking on it, I might not have always wanted to be a writer, but I did want to be a storyteller.

Can you tell us a little bit more about your novels?

I have two novels coming out this year. Firstly, is Nobilis: Seedling, the debut novel in my space opera series. It’s a deep sci-fi adventure where humans are far from the dominant species, corporations control every aspect of the galactic sphere, and where a space-hippy tries to escape the most dreaded pirates with the help of some unwitting friends, and a giant, mysterious, living machine.

The second novel I have coming out this year is a sequel to my first ever published book, GENMOS (The Genetically Modified Species): Gathering Storms, and it's called GENMOS: Crossroads.

The Genmos series is a cross-Canada YA action adventure series that focuses on 15 animal/human hybrids as they attempt to be recognized as living beings. Book 2, Crossroads, starts immediately where book 1 ends, and deals with cliques forming, infighting, and how to deal with a possible spy among their ranks.

What brought you to these genres?

For Nobilis, I’ve always enjoyed series where you can watch characters evolve over time. That's the entire point of Space Operas. You, the consumer, develop a relationship with each well-informed character until you feel you have to know how their lives turn out. Science fiction, meanwhile, allows the creator to explore modern day themes. I live on the Ontario/Quebec border, so I'm right in the thick of Anglo/Franco relations. In Nobilis, there are two primary dialects, and not every character has learned both. Also, I might take a satiric stance on capitalism and racial tensions.

Genmos was the first series I ever wrote, so it's kind of my first literary baby.  I actually began it because I fell in love with some anthropomorphic webcomics and thought, hey, I would love to try making a story that's half as good as what I'm reading.

Admittedly it took me years to get there, but I feel like I managed my own goal. It helps too, that I reached out to those who inspired me, and one of them has even written a forward for book 2.

What inspired you to write these particular books?

Genmos was inspired by two particular webcomics. Namir Deiter, and the Cyantian Chronicles. (https://www.namirdeiter.com/ and https://cyantian.net/ respectively) Between study breaks, during my college years, I found myself enjoying reading the online adventures, and I wished to be able to create something as amazing as the worlds that I read. Being only 18, I realized that I could tap into the feelings of my very recent youth, and, taking advantage of it, hopefully write something that would connect with YA readers. Overtime, I worry that many edits have lost some of my connection with my younger self, but at the same time I do think my added maturity has brought more depth and realism to the stories.

Nobilis, on the other hand, was created because of my love of ongoing stories where characters grow and develop. Babylon 5, Star Trek (DS9 onwards) and Robotech all fueled some part of the story telling. But, that’s not all. When I first penned the rough outline, I was going through a kind of Giant-Robot phase, (Gundam, Zone of the Enders, Brain Powered) and I wanted to really play with the dynamic of something alive, familiar, yet alien all in one. Since I was coming into adulthood, I began to make satirical jabs at corporate ownership, which, sadly, seems even more prominent now than ever to me. Lastly, I play around with language barriers. I am an Anglophone, but I live and work in Ottawa and Gatineau, so I often hear French being spoken. Sometimes, heck, oftentimes, the conversations in French are too rapid-fire for my limited language skills to follow, and I wanted to reflect that difficulty, hence why there are two separate primary languages.

Are any of your characters based on either yourself or people you know?

Yes, quite a few… I try to draw inspiration from the world around me whilst paying homage to much of what I care about. The father figures in my works are oft-idealized versions of family, or myself , while other characters have traits of those near and dear to me.

How do you react if/when you get any negative reviews?

So far I haven’t had a negative review, per-se, and that might have to do with the fact that all my work that’s been made available, had been through small presses, so every piece has been refined and edited by amazing teams of dedicated editors.

I’ve had some constructive criticism come my way, and that has been exceedingly valued. I’ve been blessed to avoid trolls, so far, which is a blessing of not being too famous.

Where can people find out more about you and your books? (eg blogs, websites etc)

Oh, time to plug my website and blog, which I TRY to keep up to date. http://scoghlan.com, which also has links to my other social media accounts. Now, to be honest, you can almost always find me on Twitter as @WordsBySC.

Are you working on anything else at the moment?

Yes, and it's taking a toll on my emotions. I had an idea to write a Gender/Cyberpunk story based on an American parolee in the near future. So, I started my research by contacting some people who've experienced the penal system first hand. 

Holy Crud, I am so happy to be Canadian. I know Canada's penal system isn't a walk in the park filled with unicorn farts, but what I heard from those who replied is far more depressing.

Do you have any advice to other authors who would like to be published?

Be willing to accept criticism. Writing is a craft, an art, and it can take time and help to create something clear, concise, emotional, and vivid. My ego stopped me from being published for over a decade until my wife slapped some sense into me when she told me that the opening to my first book made no sense.

Others had informed me of similar flaws, but I had ignored them because how Dare someone tell an artist how to hold their brush! The thing is, language is a fickle beast and must be treated delicately. If your words do not convey an idea in a way that can be understood, than no one is going to be able to follow your ideas, your characters' actions, the plot, the politics, etc.

Where do you write?

Honestly? As a father of young kids and a full time technician for building automation, the answer is wherever I am when I have a spare moment, which in turn often means… while I’m on the toilet where I can lock the door.

Hey, it gives me a good excuse if people find my writing a bit crappy…

If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Telepathy. I would love to be able to move things with my mind. I don’t need to know what others are thinking. I don’t need to fly. I don’t need an independent super-healing power… Let me be a living crane. I can do so much more supporting construction, or lifting debris off injured people, or tearing apart a burning automobile to rescue those trapped inside.

Chocolate or Ice Cream?

Double chocolate Ice Cream?

You’re in a horror film. You’re in a house and a bad guy is chasing you. Do you run up the stairs?

If I’m in the basement…

What’s your favorite music?

Metal, where you can clearly hear the singer and their lyrics. I love metal, but I’m not a fan of growls and grunts. Give me something where the vocals are clear and concise and I can understand the meaning.

Thank you Stephen! It was great to learn more about you and your writing and your novels. Good luck with your future writing endeavors!