Day 3 January WPF residency - First day of classes

It is so good to see these people again. We haven't seen each other in person since June. But in many ways it is like we've never left. All that is really different is the temperature outside. At the beginning of each residency we have an opening reception the night before classes in the library. It's a great time to mingle and be around our wonderful staff.
This morning we will split into groups to discuss the assigned reading and then our first module. I'll be taking the Business of Writing module. The other courses I'm signed up for over the next few days are Current trends in SciFi, Fantasy, and Horror, Red Herrings in fiction, and World Building with my mentor Scott A Johnson. Most of the nights feature thesis presentations from the graduating class and then genre parties afterwards. Busy week.


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Location:Greensburg, PA

Day 2 January WPF residency

This is why I'm glad that in the effort to save some money I fly out the day before the opening night. I did not sleep well at all last night. But at least I have some time today to get adjusted to the time difference and nap to be ready for the week. I just can't afford to have sleepless nights for the rest of this week.


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Location:Greensburg, PA

January 2013 WPF residency

I can't even count anymore how many times I've been on a plane. Some people will spend their entire life never knowing the thrill and turbulence of soaring the sky in a pressurized metal tube. A wise man reminded me recently to just enjoy the experience of flying. It's something we, as the human race, have only be doing for a short amount of time. We take for granted the simple things we have in life and should spend more time not only reflecting upon them but thanking whatever powers you believe in for your experiences, safety, and security. Yes, I'm a bit reflective. Not so much because it is a new year so much as I'm already missing my family. I'm going to be missing some important events for my family. But I knew that pursuing my passion doesn't come without sacrifice.

This will be my third residency of six in the Seton Hill Writing Popular Fiction program. One year ago, I was on my way to the first residency and unable to fully anticipate what the rest of the week would bring. Now, I'm beginning to feel like one of the old timers and excited to feed off the excitement of my classmates and especially from those just starting.
Seton Hill is such a beautiful campus. It's small compared to my undergrad but it has such a wonderful feeling. I know a lot of that is because of how excited I am about this program. I had really struggled with my undergrad because it felt like more of a chore or something large and ominous in the way of rising above minimum wage and a better pay grade. And in many ways, that is what an undergraduate degree is for. Just the necessary stepping stone to bigger and brighter prospects.



I'd like to blog about my trip because it's a form of exercising my writing muscles and because I've never been good with keeping a journal. I know there are few that really read this (cyberstalker included) but maybe some day I will look back on past posts and remember something. I doubt that my posts will inspire others. I don't blog often or deep enough for that. But I may be able to re-inspire myself on those days when I'm doubting myself.

I had someone accuse me recently of being a "wannabe author." What does that even mean? And how are they defining author? I know I don't need to take them seriously because they were just trying to hurt and defame me. I've honestly tried to figure out what a "wannabe author" really is. And the best I can come up with is something who dreams of writing but never, ever, takes the time to sit down to write. With modern copyright laws, even having a blog to write down your experiences is a form of publishing. But even if you don't put your words out there for the world to see, does that make you any less of an author? No, it doesn't. Are you still thinking about writing? Do you take the time to put down your thoughts and dreams into written form? Then yes, you are an author! Of course, this guy was probably trying to insult by meaning "published author." Well, good thing I've had a published novel for a few years now. Oh, and like I said, having a blog with your own original content is being published and you hold the copyright. Oh, maybe he meant "Wannabe New York Times Bestselling author." And how is that an insult? That is exactly what I am and what I'm working for. It's a goal. An aspiration. Thank you for recognizing that.

Writing occupies much of my time and thought. And in some cases money when you factor in tuition and flight costs to school. I started this post on the plane but then had to put it away for landing. Now, sitting in a Chili's Too, it's my writer mind that notices that the fork is metal but the knife is plastic. And I immediately create scenarios that have led to that decision and what a character would have to do to defend themselves from attack when they have a metal fork and a plastic knife. It's just how my mind works. Or how I've trained my mind. I often worry about the details of life and what will I do if my tire blows out now, or now? Or what if the gentlemen in the next table over suddenly has a heart attack? I've spent years allowing the "what if's" occupy my mind and send me into a panic attack. But now, though I still have to remind myself to do it, I turn it into a game of what would "INSERT CHARACTER" do if this happened to them? And I don't feel so panicked because I'm not only thinking about what they'd do but also writing the story in my head and debating word choice.

I love writing. I love that I'm going to school again and have the support of my family to pursue this. I love knowing that I'm going to spend a week with like minded individuals who spend hours daydreaming their stories like I do. I'm also very excited that I was assigned the mentor of my choice. Not that I didn't learn a lot from my last mentor. But I'm very excited to work with Mr. Scott A Johnson. I first met the man last year at residency in a class on developing characters. I was so impressed with the passion and attention he put into his characters that I then read three of his novels and his collection of short stories. Once I found out that I'd have the opportunity to request a mentor for the rest of the program I immediately requested him. I'm excited for his attention and determination to rip apart my thesis and to learn everything I can from him. The man is a titan. He has so much on his plate but continues to give so much back to others. It will truly be an honor to work with him.

I still have one more flight and all of tomorrow to wait until the opening reception of this residency. Pursue what you love. It will be worth the sacrifice.

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Location:Flying over Alabama

Real life psycho

So I'm sitting in the break room at work trying to read but there's a really gripping show on the History channel.  It's a special on Nazi technology.  And then I got my idea for the real psycho to blog about for my Readings in the Genre class.  And no, it's not the obvious Adolf Hitler.  No, I'm blogging about the horrible Josef Mengele, the doctor from Auschwitz, nicknamed the "Angel of Death" and user of many aliases to elude capture.  The filth that never was punished for his crimes.  As though his experiments aren't bad enough, he died never having remorse or regret for what he did and insisting that he "had never personally harmed anyone in his whole life." (quote from his son in an article in wikipedia) That to me is the definitive qualification for a psycho.

Josef Mengele experimented heavily on twins in the Auschwitz camp.  He apparently was a hereditary biologist before the Nazi regime and was given the power as the camp doctor to do what he wanted.  He'd separated the twins out from the masses heading for the chambers and be nice to them and give them candies.  And then the next moment shoot and dissect them while their bodies were still warm.   Or working on them while they were alive without giving them any anesthesia.  We've read some pretty gruesome things in this class, but Mengele takes the cake.  He's truly what nightmares are made from.  I won't scar you all with the details of his human experiments.  But it goes back to a theme I've seen discussed by classmates a number of times now.  It's frightening what a person can do when given unlimited power and authority over others.  

This guy just makes my skin crawl.  I read about a number of real serial killers and others for this class.  But there's just something about this guy that feels so much worse than most.  I just don't understand how someone can be "nice" to the kids one second and then so brutal the next.  The best explanation I can come up is that he really, truly, believed that they weren't humans at all.  Nothing more than blades of grass.

Throughout this class I've tried to find something of value to take from the real and fictional stories.  More than just what I can learn about the craft of writing.  My wife is always trying to help me see what positives can come out of such destruction.  That was kind of the tone of the afore mentioned special on the History channel.  No question, the Nazi regime was horrible.  But the special focused on the advancements for all of humanity in the form of science and technology.  Recording devices leading to our DVDs, or weapons leading to the jet engine and rocket technology to name a few.  The best I can come up about Mengele is that the rest of the world can be warned about giving someone too much power.  But I'm sorry, that's not enough.  It's disgusting that one, there are people in the world who think they can get away with anything, and two, that so many of them have gone unpunished.  Or unpunished for a while before getting caught.  Or getting caught but able to live a quiet life in prison instead of being punished the way they should be.  Oh, wait, that doesn't sound Christian does it.  Well, on this point I refuse to back down.

The Killing Joke- DC Comics

While I love superheroes, I never collected any comic books until after high school. Most of what I know about the legends of Batman and the Joker is from Wikipedia or my friends growing up. Approaching this comic in the mindset of this Readings in the Genre course I was intrigued not only in Joker's backstory but also in what he was trying to do. He's trying to corrupt Gordon. It's just like the move the Dark Knight. All he wants to do is corrupt the Batman by any means possible. He'll do whatever he can to break someone down. In the movie, all he corrupts is Harvey Dent. Batman gets close when he uses the cell phone technology to find the Joker. But in the end he leaves the power with Fox because he knows that the power is too powerful.

So in The Killing Joke we see the question I've wondered for years. How will it end? Will they kill each other? This graphic novel isn't just about trying to break down Gordon. It's proving the point that "everyone is just one bad day away from crazy." Both the Joker and Batman have horrible back stories. But we see the differences in their paths. But here's the really interesting point. The Joker was already planning on crime even before the tipping point. So it's not necessarily just about the bad day to turn someone. That's why Gordon doesn't crack. That's why he's determined to bring the Joker in "by the book." Because his mind was set before he's tortured. And it's the same with the Batman. Bruce, the man, stands back at the beginning of the novel and asks how two people who don't really know each other can the each other so much. And I think we hear regret in his voice. All the origin stories for Bruce Wayne involve a desire for vengeance. But not death. It sounds like Bruce is getting tired of the fight as Batman in this novel. But even in desperation Bruce overrides the vigilante Batman for reason. It is more important to bring the Joker in the right way.

And therein is the failing in the Joker's plan.  He doesn't understand that it's more than just the "bad day."  It's the strength of character within the person and the decisions they've made before that "bad day" arrives.  That is why the Batman cannot be corrupted.  Because as dark as his life may be, Bruce still holds out on hope.  Why else would he approach the Joker at the end of the novel and offer the hand of friendship and love to help the Joker change?

Ultimately, I loved this.  It wasn't what I was expecting.  But I'm not that experienced with DC comics as I am with Marvel.  But I thought this was a great insight into their characters and motivations.  Definitely dark in places but a fun end for the assigned readings.

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Building momentum

It's been a long journey to this point.  My current WIP is something I began thinking about many years ago.  It was the subject of my 2010 NaNoWriMo victory.  But I didn't like what I had so I scrapped most of it.  I loved the idea and premise.  Just not how I executed it.  In January 2012, I started my first term as a graduate student with Seton Hill University.  My thesis is a novel.  So, I brought out Angels of Might and Mercy as a possibility.  It didn't go over very well.  But I'd expected that because I didn't like a lot of what I had.  I like the idea of immortal beings protecting mankind but I didn't want to have such a religious tone because that limits the marketability.

After many month of rewrites, I think I have a better start.  Of the 90k words I've written, I got to only keeping 11k in the fourth attempt at starting the novel.  And this time it feels good.  Thanks to NaNoWriMo (some of the best motivation I've found) I'm up to 15500 words for the WIP which is 3950 words in two days for the competition.  I hope that the 50k word goal for NaNoWriMo will help me get further through the WIP so I can spend more time in my graduate course revising the story.

NaNoWriMo 2012 and WIP update

Yes, on top of everything else I am doing another year of NaNoWriMo. Hopefully I can get this WIP close to completion for a first draft.

Current WIP word count
13311


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