stephenalix.com Blog » Writers Corner http://stephenalix.com/blog Writer/Professional Cynic Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:06:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Writers Corner: The Voice http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/08/24/writers-corner-the-voice/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/08/24/writers-corner-the-voice/#comments Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:16:19 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/08/24/writers-corner-the-voice/          Authors are the god’s to the worlds they create. Thus being god many of ones characters are created in your own image. Not to say you would ever say or do any of the things your characters say and do but they tend to (and I would argue they probably should) share your fears, hopes, dreams, and all those other nick knacks. Now I was having an interesting conversion with my wife the other day about dialogue. She brought up one of the weaknesses in my writing, that being, sometimes my characters all tend to sound the same. That is to say they seem to have the same voice, my voice.       

     I am actually slightly aware of this element in my writing. I wondered if this was truly an aspect to be concerned over. I’ve always tried to take a character, give them an underlying philosophy (hopefully one that is in conflict with the main characters) and just run with what they have to say and try to keep true to how they should speak and react to certain circumstances. Still one can’t escape the idea that no matter who is talking it’s ultimately your voice guiding these puppets along in whatever twisted scheme you can imagine. So here in lies the problem, at what point should your characters not sound like you? I would fear that struggling to have them all sound so different would not ring true to the reader. As long as they stay true to their initial characterizations then I don’t believe it should ever be an issue.          

    Its important that the entire work has a singular voice that speaks to the reader. Underneath that one singular voice is the either supporting or contradicting voices of the characters. A piece of fiction serves as a battle ground for these ideas but it can become a mess if one does not remember that you must come to a logical conclusion. One that follows the rules you set up for your little universe. Keep in mind that I am still growing and learning as a writer myself. The more I write the more I learn about the process of writing. That is probably the best writing advice anyone can give.

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/08/24/writers-corner-the-voice/feed/ 0 The err of expectation… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/06/14/the-err-of-expectation/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/06/14/the-err-of-expectation/#comments Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:28:00 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/06/14/the-err-of-expectation/  

Often writers come across the inevitable conundrum that all writers must one day face. Do you write what you know you can sell or do you write for yourself and let the publishing company worry about the consumer? Is it possible to simply write without worrying about the expectations of the reader or the market in general? Do you decide to give life to a character simply because other books have paved a way for it on the shelves? Should we spend so much of our time on such things? Do we give readers enough credit these days? 

I currently find myself halfway through a manuscript wondering who the hell the book is marketed towards. Who is going to want to read this? Its a scary thought that your releasing your new born child into a world that may not want it or know what to do with it. How many countless books were turned down time and time again simply because the publishers had no easy answer to any of these questions. Far too many books are simply created because of a recent trend in what readers seem to be picking up. This saturates the market with alot of the same leaving some of the best diamonds in the rough choking and struggling to breathe. 

Write without expectations and you may even surprise yourself.

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/06/14/the-err-of-expectation/feed/ 0 The “I hate my writing” stage… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-i-hate-my-writing-stage/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-i-hate-my-writing-stage/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 15:28:34 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-i-hate-my-writing-stage/ So here’s the latest update on my journey to finishing my second manuscript. I am on page 126 and I officially hate my writing, this story, and myself.  That tends to happen from time to time. How does one deal with this feeling? This is definitely a fork in the road and as a writer you can either a) give up the manuscript and try knitting sweaters for a living or b) take a breather, read it over, find your bearings and get back to it. 

 

Once you are knee deep in your story objectivity is almost impossible.  I really am dying to have a second pair of eyes look it over and tell me how it’s going so far.  Can the reader relate to my characters? That’s probably my biggest question right now. I wish I could divulge more of my plot but it’s just not ready for mass consumption just yet.   

 

Since we are on the subject of writing I was recently handed the greatest writing secret any writer could ever hope to be given.  I shall pass it on to you dear reader so that you may also possess this little golden nugget of wisdom. Ready? The secret to great writing…is to write 5 pages a day, every day. That’s it. So simple and yet very difficult to put into practice. I’m lucky to get out 5 pages a week let alone a day.  Does my blog count? I mean I only started this damn thing so my mind can leave my deranged stories every once in awhile and find some way to once again join the human race.   

 

So how often do you write? Do you have any great secrets you wish to share?

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-i-hate-my-writing-stage/feed/ 0 The process… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-process/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-process/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 15:10:43 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-process/     I have successfully found an editor, my best friend Anthony, who is a writing genius. There are only two people whose advice and criticism I accept with a complete open mind and heart, my wife and Anthony.  Anthony writes like you need to breathe air. The art form is in his blood and he’s already got a body of work that someone needs to discover ASAP because he is destined for greatness.  He’s written a television pilot of his own creation, done various book adaptations, has written some very original scripts and his well of ideas never seems to run dry.  I write novels but he deals mostly in writing scripts for film and television. Why, dear reader, am I dedicating a blog to someone you don’t know?Well you should and will know him sometime in your life thats for damn sure.  Also because its the latest update on my journey to getting published. 

     I am finally in a place where I am ready to change my first manuscript extensively and for the better. When I had first finished LMBA I refused to see it, touch it, or go anywhere near it for a long time.  I had friends read it and give me various impressions and I was content with what I had accomplished. Now its been well over two years since the day I finished it and I am at last ready to return and get this puppy ready for some serious selling. The artistic stage on that work is complete and now its time for the business side of it to come to fruition. Although I am convinced that this will not be my first ever published work but it’ll be released one day and I will always look on it quite fondly. I will put up a sample chapter very soon so you can have a sneak peek at it.  

 

     As for my second manuscript its still coming along slowly but I am discovering it in such a beautiful way. I wrote LMBA in 6 months, this one is taking well over a year, perhaps two at this rate.  I remember seeing Stephen King at the New York Comic Con just one month ago. He was promoting the comic adaptation of his book series The Dark Tower. Someone asked him if he knew that a certain character was going to lose a finger. King simply replied that he didn’t know it was going to happen either, until well, it happened. This is the best illustration of what its like to write. The author is just as surprised as the reader on how a story unfolds. Once your ideas start rolling its not really in your control anymore their is a logical conclusion that must be met after you’ve set up the pieces on the chess board. Its this process that I love so damn  much.

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/the-process/feed/ 0 How to handle criticism… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/how-to-handle-criticism/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/how-to-handle-criticism/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 15:00:06 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/how-to-handle-criticism/ Lets face it; nobody likes to be told they suck. Its hard to take and even harder to admit when some ones right.  Its important to learn that there are two kinds of criticism in this world, constructive and destructive. 

 

Constructive criticism will tell you the positives along with the negative.  It will encourage you to keep practicing and tell you where you need work. This is the best kind of criticism. Then you have destructive criticism the kind that only wants to beat you down. These are people who are eitherjealous or just take pleasure in putting their dirt in your face.  Face it, anyone who chooses to express him or herself is extremely vulnerable and is left wide open for the very opinionated masses.  Its up to you how you choose to handle the things people tell you, but you must be honest with yourself, if the popular vote is that you stink then it may be true. That’s why you must find your best talent and use it.  

 

Ignore the destructive and accept the constructive. Don’t give up on yourself and keep practicing.  

 

(Okay so I just reread my post and I’m a little disgusted with all this positivity. I am a professional cynic after all. Please excuse my momentary relapse in judgement.  We will return to my regularly scheduled negativity asap.)

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/how-to-handle-criticism/feed/ 0 Discipline… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/discipline/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/discipline/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 14:57:37 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/discipline/ The hardest part about creating anything is having the discipline to follow through on your ideas and ambitions. I am reminded of the episode of Family Guy where Stewie rags on Brian for that unfinished novel he’s been working on for the last few years. I swear I wake up covered in sweat as this is one of my greatest fears as a writer.  I find myself tempted to be lazy and sitting down to write fills me with an odd sense of fear and anxiety. 

 

I am proud of myself for finishing my very first manuscript, all 240 pages of it and yet I feel that I cannot just hold onto that one victory. I have been working onmy second manuscript for over a year now and I am only on page 103.  Its a slow process and its important to have patience but part of me wants to get it over with and move onto new projects. I find myself wasting time with alot of my other favorite hobbies but none of those will truly make me feel as good as when I sit down and write a story. 

 

I love to watch movies and play video games but these aren’t the things that are going to get me out of my 9 to 5 job. I have to remember that, the next time I decide to watch TV instead working on my manuscript. 

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/discipline/feed/ 0 Thomas Pynchon’s Gravity’s Rainbow http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/thomas-pynchons-gravitys-rainbow/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/thomas-pynchons-gravitys-rainbow/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 14:55:42 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/thomas-pynchons-gravitys-rainbow/ I spent about six or seven months reading Gravity’s Rainbow.  A work unlike most any other in the world of literature and yes it would even give Mr. Burroughs a run for his money especially with its page number running well over 700. I made it my mission in life to tackle this goliath and tackle it I did.  At times it was a book that comforted me greatly as every chapter was a massage stone of soothing word play.  Other chapters angered and frustrated me I hated the book at times. I wanted to stop and give up. Reading this book was keeping me from other books I wanted to read.  I experienced a vast network of emotions and after it was finished I was just relieved that it was over and done with. It’s been a year since that day and I do not think I can still give a coherant opinion on this work.  

 

I recall a flock of scattered images, many that involve toilet seats and fecal matter. An errogenous journey to the center of a r0cket and a long search in the night for mind enhancing drugs.   

 

       He is an author that I admire for being unafraid to bring real art to the American novel.  

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/thomas-pynchons-gravitys-rainbow/feed/ 0 You are what you read… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/you-are-what-you-read/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/you-are-what-you-read/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 14:55:09 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/you-are-what-you-read/ I’ve read many books in my short time on this planet and no matter who the author was I could always trace back my interests to certain genres that still captivate me to this very day. Fantasy, Science Fiction, Magical Realism, and various sub-genres that stem from those.  Some of my favorite authors have had a strong influence on my work simply through the way they told their stories and how they managed to inject so much without being heavy handed or cliched.


Kurt Vonnegut, Chuck Palahniuk, Don DeLillo, and Philip K. Dick have been my main influences in the last 6-7 years.  Growing up I really got into the horror genre with authors such as Dean Koontz, and Michael Crichton. At one point I made it my duty to read as many classics as I could stuff into my skull. I fell in love with the biting social commentary in 1984 and Catcher in the Rye.  Soon after I wanted to delve into the weird, the bizarre, the kind of stories you don’t normally find at the front of the bookstore. I went where few dare to tread, the drugged up mind of William S. Burroughs. He writes like a strike of lightning, randomly and with electricity.

One day I picked up a little book called Bear V. Shark by Chris Bachelder and I fell head over heels for his concept and execution of that concept.  He went on to write a more traditional but equally brilliant novel entitled U.S.! A Novel. 

My brief affair with several of Kurt Vonnegut’s books helped me to find where I wanted to go with my own writing. I wanted to write in the realm of the weird. I want to go to places that are impossible but back it up with thematic elements that over shadow its implossibility and instead hit you where it counts, the heart.

Far too many books want to hit you with scientific details to prove that what they are writing can exist in your world. Its the heart that matters most and if you can’t hit the reader there then you may as well write it all in gibberish. A fine example is Chuck Palahniuks first novel, Invisible Monsters. That story works so well because he really makes you care about this carnival of loveable freaks.

I can only write down what excites me as a reader and hopefully you will feel the same. Its important to note that one must not regurgitate or simply emulate ones influences. You should take them as inspiration but use it to create something that is your very own.

Its time to take a bite out of reality.  Hopefully it tastes better then it looks.

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/you-are-what-you-read/feed/ 0 LMBA: A Novel http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/lmba-a-novel/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/lmba-a-novel/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 14:54:13 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/lmba-a-novel/ “A mild mannered stockbroker’s life is turned upside down when a corpse shows up on his doorstep.” 

 

Interested? 

 

Would you like a sample chapter?  

 

Email me at stephen@stephenalix.com I would be more then happy to oblige

]]> http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/lmba-a-novel/feed/ 0 Boy that was weird… http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/boy-that-was-weird/ http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/boy-that-was-weird/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 14:51:14 +0000 Administrator http://stephenalix.com/blog/2007/05/30/boy-that-was-weird/ Magic realism.  

  

 I want to believe that there is some magic left in this world. No matter how ugly or distorted it is. I want bodies to disappear in thin air and dreams to come alive. Don’t give me an explanation. Don’t give me the real world. Give me magic. 

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