Music while you work

This post may seem to be a response to the one written recently by Seumas Gallacher on his excellent blog here but it wasn’t intended to be that way. I’ve actually been working on it for a couple of weeks at odd moments. Great minds think alike, Seumas, laddie.

Writers are visceral creatures.

They stalk the blank pages of boredom populating them with sprites of creative wonder whose sole objectives are to entertain and stimulate the reader.

However, as all scribblers know, sometimes they need a kick-start to get them in the mood. It’s well known how certain novelists sought inspiration in bottles; others have found that plunging into the depths of their own grief to be the fulcrum they need. Myself, I prefer other less harmful pursuits. My drug of choice is… music.

We have all been moved by music at one time or another: the stirring in the breast as we hear the opening notes of some great anthem; the watering eye, product of a lilting refrain; the uncontrollable foot tapping born of a syncopated rhythm; even the urge to wave a lighter in the air as our favourite band go melodic.

It’s all about emotion!

And so is writing.

That’s why they go so well together; the notes and the words waltzing majestically as black ink fills white spaces.

Yet…

Care must be taken!

You see, when we writers use music as background to our task, we are really tricking our brains into simulating certain physiological responses. Yes I am going to get all-scientific on you…

What many call the lizard brain, the amygdala, hiding at the top of the spinal chord (sorry, that should have been ‘cord’) is the beastie responsible for handling all sensory input initially. As it crouches in crotchety comfort at the base of ze little grey cells, it has only one chore to perform, which it does exceedingly well – it’s a database lookup engine!

An example:

As the first notes of the ‘March of the Swiss Soldiers’ finale of Rossini's ‘William Tell Overture’ start to sound, my amygdala does a quick double-take and pulls up a reference to a bloke dressed all in white with a black kerchief, mounted on a white stallion, at full gallop, as the voice-over yells “Hi-Ho Silver! Away!” and dredges from my memory such enigmatic words as ‘ke-mo sah-bee’ and ‘tonto’ – although the latter is more useful because I live in Spain and here tonto means stupid. But as I said, it’s all about emotion. For younger readers, to seewhat am I talking about, click here

My amygdala doesn’t stop there. No, it associates these references with the past emotional experiences related to them. Was I happy or sad when I first heard them? Why does it do this? Well, basically its job is to decide if the sensory stimuli signify danger. Yes, this is our ‘fight or flight’ motor. If there is no immediate peril, Rossini’s staccato stream is passed on to the rest of the brain where more rational, analytical actions are taken as a result. Yet that first instant response is unavoidable.

Now there are those amongst you who will not experience the same response. Seumas, for example, may be more moved by George Seaton’s original ‘Hi-yo Silver’ in the original 1933 radio broadcast that started it all – I’m too young to remember that. And shortly, May 2013 I believe, millions will associate the Lone Ranger with a monochrome figure with a dead crow on its head.

Am I rambling again? No. What I’m pointing out, in my traditional long-winded way, is that all the emotional responses are unique to each individual.

Yet the emotion will be there.

So we need to take great care when writing with a musical background.

Writers infuse their words with emotion which tickle their readers’ amygdalae (?) as well. (You’re nobody until you’ve had your amygdalae tickled, Seumas!). I’ve said this often, though not so pseudo-scientifically. Now if the music we chose is going to condition our emotions, then the words we choose will also be conditioned - ergo, ipso-facto, quod erat demonstrandum etc. (bet you didn’t know I speak fluent Rubbish?).

Not sure what I mean?

Try a little experiment…

Play this on a loop on your PC and try writing a fast-paced action scene: a challenge

So take care in what you listen to when writing! It’ll tickle your amygdalae!



PS: Seumas: was that Jennifer Anniston at the end of the video wondering if she had gone into a funeral instead of a concert?

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

An Avid Reader's Haven: Author Interview - Eric J. Gates, Suspense and Par...

An Avid Reader's Haven: Author Interview - Eric J. Gates, Suspense and Par...: Eric J. Gates Suspense & Paranormal        Who wants to go in first? Thank you for stopping by to meet Eric. It looks lik e we're...

My Guest: Fleur Ferris

So far in these Guest Posts my invited participants have been writers from around the globe who have gone the Indie route. Whilst this area of the new publishing paradigm is growing, traditional publishing is still strong and many writers choose this as their way to success. This time I bring you a writer from Australia who offers all of us some very useful and interesting advice. Ladies and Gentlemen,

Fleur Ferris


Don't waste opportunities - be prepared to take your manuscript all the way

I wish I was sharing my “road to traditional publication” story, but I can’t. I haven’t completed that journey. But at the end of 2012 I met a major milestone. I signed with Literary Agent Tara Wynne of Curtis Brown Australia.

The list of milestones, opportunities and people who helped me reach this stage is too long for this post. But I thought I would share a few things I did that helped me reach this stage.  

1.       Goal setting – Decide what you want.

Two years ago I decided I wanted to write novels and publish them through traditional channels. I also decided I wanted an agent. I made this goal my number one focus, outside of family. I had already written three novels but had never actually sought publication or set publication goals.

2.       Mindset – Change your mindset and start doing what it takes to reach your goal.

Author, Rebecca Sparrow, gave some great advice one day in a brief comment after a blog post on mamamia.com.au. She said, change your mindset from, “I want to be a writer” to “I am a writer” – you have to believe it before anyone else will. The next day I started a blog and put my writing out for public scrutiny. My blog was never that great, but it changed my mindset and gave me confidence to show people my work.

3.      Improving your craft – writing and gaining feedback improves your craft and boosts your confidence as a writer. 

The confidence I gained from blogging lead to me wanting feedback on my novels. I joined a website called youwriteon.com. It’s a site where authors can exchange reviews on their opening chapters. Your work is rated and placed in a chart so you can see where you fit in the YWO talent pool. Failure to achieve Top Ten on this website does not indicate failure outside of this website. I had completed my fourth novel by this stage and had started my fifth. I uploaded the opening chapters of both. Novel #4 came in at number 17, and Novel #5 catapulted into the Top Ten. Novel # 5 ended up being a winner of the The Next Big Author Competition (run on the You Write On website).

4.       Opportunities – Look for and do things to create opportunities.

There’s a writer’s festival in Australia called Write Around the Murray. This festival hosts something called “Moment with a mentor”.  In 2012 one of the “mentors” was Literary Agent Tara Wynne from Curtis Brown Australia. I applied with an extract of my fifth novel, a synopsis and a pitch letter. I was one of five writers to gain a 30 minute interview. I was told later by the selection panel that I was chosen because of my success on You Write On and because I had written five novels.

5.       Don’t waste opportunities – Be prepared and take your manuscript all the way.

Researching Tara’s client list did not put my mind as ease. It terrified me, and at no stage did I think I could ever be on it. I needed help. And fast. Many people helped at this stage, but I have to keep it brief so can only name one. Professional editor and author, Heather Webb (Twitter: @msheatherwebb blog/website: www.heatherwebb.net/blog), edited my full manuscript and refined my verbal pitch lines. She did a superb job and I felt prepared as I headed off for my 30 minute meeting with Tara. Tara asked to read my full manuscript. Her next email went something like this: I’m gripped. I’ll call you tomorrow.  Huzzah!

I now have everything crossed for Novel #5, which will be pitched to publishers soon, and I’m writing Novel #6.  

Bio:

Fleur spent the first seventeen years of her life growing up on a wheat farm in Patchewollock, Australia. She then moved twenty times in twenty years. During this time, Fleur sometimes saw the darker side to life whilst working for Police and Ambulance Services. She now lives a more settled lifestyle on a rice farm in Southern New South Wales, with her husband and three young children.

Fleur’s varied life experiences, combined with formal studies in applied science and professional writing has given Fleur a unique insight into modern day Australia. When she isn’t weaving this through young adult fiction, reading or spending time with her family, you will find her with friends, talking art, books and travel.

Fleur may be contacted at:

Twitter: @FleurFerris
Blog: flossygettingpublished.blogspot.com


We wish Fleur the greatest success with her novels. Remember the name; you will be seeing it on your local store's bookshelves soon.


Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

Extreme Reading!

Reading.

When you are asked about your hobbies and pastimes and list this amongst them, people still look at you askance. Why? It’s so passive, Dude! You know; you just sit there and turn pages, hardly any effort involved. Even less if it’s an e-book. Hey, forget that! Come do some Hang Gliding/off-road driving/downhill skiing – live a more adventurous life – experience, Dude!

And they are right.

But not why you think.

We readers of the World, we billions of readers, are too set in our ways.

Reading is a passive activity – yes, in that we don’t move a lot – physically, that is. Yet there are very few pursuits available to everyone that can take your mind to places that stir emotions, allow involvement in life-threatening pursuits, introduce you to memorable people and places that will change your whole outlook on life, that allow you to live outside your boundaries… and with NO RISK.

Vertigo, as you scale the sheer rock face alongside the hero? Just put the book down.

Anxious, as you see the speeding train near and the chains tying you to the track won’t budge? Just put the book down.

Trembling, as the assassin’s blade nears the throat of your beloved heroine? Just put the book down.

It’s controlled madness!

And there’s a whole bunch of writers out there finding new ways to make our senses tingle every minute of every day.

Excitement. Danger. Exotic places. Evil villains. Exceptional heroes. Mind-blowing tales.

So why do we insist on reading only in our comfort zones?

“I like police thrillers, so that’s all I read”

“Me, I only read paranormal stuff with vampires.”

“I like a good suspense novel. I just read these two or three authors”

And so on…

What a boring life!

Look, you have no risk. Just put the book down. Try something outside your usual fare. Just be a little adventurous… find something NEW!

Remember this:

Once upon a time, not that long ago, J. K. Rowling, Dan Brown, and even James Patterson, were unknowns. Someone discovered their books and experienced a sensorial thrill from their prose long before people bought their works just for the author name ('it’s a XXXXXX XXXXXXX so it must be good!')

Experiment and discover the new Indie authors out there and the fresh air they are bringing to your favourite genres. It’s like that moment when someone thought to put a twist of lemon into sparkling water!

Read outside your comfort zone!

Be an EXTREME READER!

This message has been brought to you by Eric J. Gates, author of a vampire novel where the creatures DON’T have fangs! And they’re Irish! What, how dare he!

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

The writer’s worst enemy

Perhaps, t'was last night’s TV; something you heard or saw,

Requiring a call, maybe, to friends, for a caw.

Or maybe it’s drinking tea; savouring the hot cup’s feel.

Could be important, see; might be a big deal.

Real interest easy to fake; when no one’s watching you.

About all you can take: the blank page, no clue.

Still there’s the dog to walk; another excuse with ease,

To family and friends you talk, ‘bout whatever you darn well please.

It’s all for a common reason; it’s really no big deal,

Nor is it a kind of treason; more like a big steal.

All efforts t’force your attention on work you have in hand,

Trying not to mention, it’s like swimmin’ through sand.

I know you see your error; I see it in your face,

Open eyes filled with terror, as you start to lose the race.

Now sit back down and breathe deep; no more procrastination,

This poem over now, so get back to your writing and stop wasting your time on useless pursuits!

-an annual post from Enrico Graffiti  (voted the World's Worst Poet).

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com 

My Guest: John Dolan

My guest this week is John Dolan, world traveller, tweeter extraordinaire, poet and writer (among other things). He’s penned a rather whimsical piece on writing for your enjoyment.

Playing A Round Writing

OK, now here’s the thing:

(And I’ve given this a lot of thought

So pay attention, will you?)

Writing is very much like golf.

Yes, yes, I know,

You don’t actually go for a long walk

While you’re writing;

And you don’t usually do it

With other people,

And you don’t dress up

In special clothes

(In fact you can write naked

If you really want to,

Although I wouldn’t advise it).

But it is a game of the mind.

Just ask Tiger Woods:

He’s a great writer.

Wait a minute.

I think I’m confusing him

With Jack Nicklaus.

It was he that wrote

“The Eagle Has Landed”,

Was it not?

You say I need to think this through more?

Are you taking a swing at me?

Then let me sit down with my cup of tee

In the sand-trap of my imagination,

Open my heart

And try to iron all this out.

Wood that I could

Just putt into words

The hole of my philosophy.

But I fear today I am below par:

Furthermore I would hazard a guess

You perhaps think that I am very green

And that I have a fairway to go

To justify my stance.

Of course, you may be write.

Perhaps I am handicapped.

Fore after all –

Who but a fool could confuse

Golf with words?

John's Bio:

"Makes a living by travelling, talking a lot and sometimes writing stuff down. Galericulate author, polymath and occasional smarty-pants." (John's own words).

John Dolan hails from a small town in the North-East of England. Before turning to writing, his career encompassed law and finance. He has run businesses in Europe, South and Central America, Africa and Asia. He and his wife Fiona currently divide their time between the UK, the UAE and Thailand. You can interact with John via his blog Galericulate or follow him on Twitter @JohnDolanAuthor

John is the author of the 'Time, Blood and Karma' mystery series. The first book in the series, 'Everyone Burns', is published by Tention Books.

‘Everyone Burns’ is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk in paperback and Kindle formats.

John’s darkly humorous short story ‘Jim Fosse’s Expense Claim’ is currently FREE on Smashwords.com and it contains the first chapter of ‘Everyone Burns’ by way of a taster.

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

the CULL - a nice surprise

I don't normally post reviews of my novels on this blog, but in light of the comments I have made in the past regarding Reviewers (  previous blog post about reviewers  ) I was a pleasant change to see this appear on Smashwords this morning:

the CULL

Review by: Jonel Boyko http://purejonel.blogspot.ca/ 
on Goodreads, Jan. 04, 2013 :

"I must admit that when I first picked up this book I didn’t know what to expect. It looked intriguing so I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised, enjoying every word that I read. I was captivated throughout the novel by all of the suspense and mystery hidden behind the words. This book is James Patterson meets Dan Brown, while remaining entirely unique.

Gates’ writing style dictates your mood towards the story. At times he uses short, choppy sentences, making the action seem even more intense. Other times his writing is soothing. Yet again, the way that his sentences are put together brings out further compassion for the characters involved. Each section of the novel is written in a way to maximize impact, while still flowing seamlessly together. The novel also remains gripping throughout. Even the parts that are simply background information or descriptive narrative are never boring.

Based on the background of the novel there are times that medical terminology and techno-babble become very prominent. Without talking down to his audience, Gates manages to use this in a way that remains understandable to all readers, regardless of background. All aspects of this novel were well researched, from technology to medicine to history. There are many twists and additions to fact but there is no data that is completely out to left field. There are also many parallels that can be drawn with the Inquisition, creating a further link with the past. Gates also takes the preconceived notion of vampires (ie// Dracula) and gives it a never before seen twist that re-defines vampirism.

And let us not forget about the characters. Because what is a novel without well developed, interesting characters. The main characters are a pair of female Special Operatives that you cannot help but love. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Gates did not use the typical male/male or male/female pairing. I spent a great deal of time wondering “who are you” when dealing with the antagonist (aka the really evil bad guy). He remained a mysterious entity throughout most of the novel so that you cannot help but want to know more. When you finally meet him, he is just as evil as you had imagined him to be.

This was by far one of the best suspense novels that I have read in a long time. I think that I need to go and find another of Gates’ books to read to follow this one."

Thanks Jonel; glad you enjoyed the tale.

My Guest: C. N. James

My Guest this week is writer C. N. James. When C.N. isn't to be found crouching behind oversized coffee mugs, teaching Writing at College or plucking guitar strings, he can be found producing sterling Sci-Fi. Today he brings us a fresh look at the current state of the publishing world:

C.N. James

Are Independent Authors the New Publishing Paradigm?

In music and movies, it’s always hipper to be indie. It means you have met success without a corporate blessing. It’s the spirit of individualism made manifest. Being indie allows us the freedom to explore, to push boundaries, to not have to worry about whether or not we are addressing a wide enough, all-encompassing audience.  Being indie means that in order to succeed you have to be original, innovative, cutting edge, and at times, controversial.

And finally, that same reputation is moving into the world of publishing. Sadly, this new reputation is still too new to cause massive sales, but indie books are finally gaining respect. With people like Amanda Hocking, Amy Joy, Blake Northcott, and E. L. James seeing respectable sales figures, the old-school publishing industry is taking notice. The independent and self-publishing worlds are now seen as a proving ground, not competition.  We are the minor leagues of publishing; some of us will be called up to majors, but not all. But the question is: do we want to?

The publishing companies do next to nothing to market your book; it’s still up to you. The books stores only have so much shelf space, so if you aren’t an immediate success, it doesn’t matter how awesome your book is, its shelf-life is about as long as fresh fruit. And let’s not forget how long it takes for them to release your work. You may be waiting years to see your book finally hit the shelves and an even longer time before you see any money from it.

Despite this, do we still need that validation, that corporate blessing? I think that it really depends on your goals. Everyone wants validation or appreciation for what they do. No one wants to be seen as unimportant.  Because of this, I’d imagine most indie authors would jump at the chance to sign a contract with a major publishing company. And yet, you really have to ask yourself: is it really in your best interest? If you are already a best-seller, how much more validation do you need?

What if indie became the new publishing paradigm? After all, it allows us to find our audience, publish when the book is ready, and make it available to anyone with internet access. Along with that, the indie reputation is going to continue to improve. Unfortunately, there will always be, as one author put it: “karaoke of literature,” but time will help filter out those who don’t live up to the indie label. Those that get frustrated will give up, leaving the most dedicated, the most creative, the most passionate left to push the publishing industry into a new golden age.

Amazon US link

Amazon UK link

Bio:

CN James is the co-founder of The Indie Writer’s Network and author of the thriller 'Bone Machine', a second round finalist for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, and several short stories including The Dark Room, which won honorable mention in the 78th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition for genre short story. 

He holds a Master’s Degree in English Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music (Jazz Guitar) and is currently at work on his second novel, The Armageddon Factor and a guitar method book, both of which will be available in early 2013.

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

The story behind 'the CULL' book trailer

Finally it's here!

Although the novel has been out in the wild for a couple of weeks now, as every writer knows, there's a huge list of ‘other stuff’ that suddenly acquires PRIORITY status as soon as the last words of the tale are written.

One of these is the promotional video book trailer.

I had decided to go about this in a far more professional manner this time. I searched high and low looking for someone who would generate a great, no, outstanding trailer for this novel. Surprisingly, despite visiting hundreds of trailer-producer webs, I wasn’t getting anywhere. When you come away from viewing trailers with the feeling you could have done better yourself, that’s not a good sign. Then there were to Over-The-Top efforts that looked more like Hollywood s/fx extravaganzas than promo trailers.

I knew what I wanted…

The professional feel of the Hollywood Blockbuster without the message being lost in the special effects. Remember, the objective of a good trailer is to help sell books, not drive you to the movies.

I don’t believe in coincidences!

Never have.

What unseen power may be at work behind the scenes, helping us resolve our problems at critical moments, I honestly do not know.

What I do know is that if we spent more time being aware of our surroundings, then answers abound. They are there – if you just take the time to listen and observe.

The production of the trailer was no exception.

I received an unexpected phone call from a friend I’d not seen in a few years. He used to be in upper management at a Casino and we became friends when he asked me to provide some personal defence training for himself and a select group of his colleagues as a contingency measure. He knew I take a very pragmatic approach to what I teach and was so astounded at the results, he asked me to train him in more advanced stuff (such as the use of everyday objects – ice cube, newspaper, car seatbelts and a long etc, you know, the usual stuff – as defensive weapons when shove came to push!). His job then took him away from the area and our contact was limited to occasional phone calls and even more sporadic meetings for coffee.

The call was for one of the latter – yes, girls, you aren’t the only ones who meet to catch up with your friends – SPOILER AHEAD  - we Rambo types do it as well; except, if we tell you about about it, we have to kill you!

We chatted for a while: him about his projects using Intelligence analysis techniques applied to tourism; me about the latest novel (these things are all consuming, as any writer will tell you). I helped him with a few pointers from bygone days, and he in turn put me in touch with doopfilms.

My first encounter was charged with enthusiasm. Although the people at doopfilms.com are only just starting with Book Trailers, they have a twenty-year plus backstory with professional video and film productions. Their determination to set a standard in book trailer production was evidenced, first, by the fact they had created a separate company dedicated to this (doopfilms.com) and then by the boundless passion I heard from the CEO about their future plans and interest in producing a trailer for ‘the CULL’. As an example of their ‘can-do’ attitude, they asked me for a couple of copies of the paperback to use in the video, but Amazon hadn’t come through yet; they’re still in the (Christmas) post somewhere. No problem, they said, we’ll make one!

Please don't laugh - I'm a writer not a graphic designer!

They will handle requests in all sorts of formats. In my case, as I am a non-starter as a graphic designer, I told them, during a long phone call, what I was thinking regarding the concept of the trailer for this novel. That weekend I dug out, and dusted off, my state-of-the-art graphic design program (Photodraw 2000) and whipped up a (sort of) storyboard. I sent this to them and heard by return mail that they had already been filming stuff to try out the ideas I had told them earlier – what sounds good verbally, may not be as visual as you need. They emailed me some scenes and I was hooked!

A couple of days later, a text message – we have finished the filming! Next day, I receive a link and a password to check out the ‘draft’ trailer on Vimeo. I thought it was perfect – they still wanted to do more work.

They had my book even before I did!

Next morning, a new version – their attention to detail is amazing – they had modified, retouched, re-synced a load of things I hadn’t even spotted in the ‘draft’. The resultant file was large – over 60 Mb – but thanks to the Cloud, I soon had it sitting on my computer. From there it went to YouTube and my blog, as well as a few other select destinations.

They tell me they had so much fun doing this (must have been all that fake blood – at least I hope it was fake – they didn’t emulate one of my vampires from ‘the CULL’, did they?) they are in the process of producing a ‘Making of’ video to place on their web when it goes public in a few days.

Incidentally, now everyone can SEE why I insist in writing 'the CULL' as I do... it's a primitive syringe!

My conclusion and a recommendation: if you are a writer who only wants the best for your promo materials, send them an e-mail (hello@doopfilms.com) and tell them what you are thinking.

Coordinating the soundtrack with the blood drops

I will be using them again, in fact, we have already spoken about my next project, ‘Leaving Shadows’, to give them time to figure out how to recreate lightning visually in the studio.

The photos in this post are screenshots from their ‘Making of’ which they have kindly supplied. Looking forward to seeing the whole video shortly.

I'm really please with having added doopfilms to my support professionals. With others, such as SiteGround.com whose superb service has given me 100% uptime for my web this year, they take away a major portion of the ancilliary worries, leaving me to get on with what I like to do best: write thriller novels.

Season's Greetings to you all.

May the New Year bring you all you wish for!

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com

The NEW book trailer video for 'the CULL'

This is the awesome book trailer that www.doopfilms.com have produced for my latest novel.

Check it out!

In my next post, I'll tell you how this video came to be and the fantastic experience I had working with these professionals of the digital arts.

Season's Greetings to all,

Eric @ www.ericjgates.com