Showing posts with label waiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label waiting. Show all posts

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Head Asplodin'

Yesterday was pretty much filled with blizzard-force winds from 4AM - 3AM today. Right now, there's an eerie calm. It's quiet....TOO QUIET! Heh. Three degrees and snowy, but hey. It's December so what should I expect? Wrapping up the first draft of Skinners #6. It's shaping up, but there's a LOT to do in editing. Already talked about that and it comes up yet again. Welcome to MY WORLD!!

Still trying to get some business stuff done before the holidays. Technically, the holidays are already upon us, but there are still a few folks in their offices pretending to work, so I need to try and enjoy that while it lasts. Got a few more irons in the fire as far as some promising possibilities and I will let you know if anything pans out. Could be some new series or projects other than Skinners. I love Cole & Paige and don't plan on abandoning them, but a change would be nice for a while. Also, taking a small breather would allow some of the new Skinners stuff I've been coming up with to gestate into plot lines for other books. The more I write/edit #6, the more I want to do for #7 and beyond.

As far as those other projects go, I've always had interests in multiple genres. I got my start in westerns and have ideas for fantasy, science fiction and mystery. Of course, I've got other ideas for horror and urban fantasy, but that goes without saying. It's exciting to think of planting my flag in another section of the bookstores. Even for someone who's already published, the publishing industry works how it works without bothering to inform anyone like the writers (unless you're a massively popular writer who can write their own ticket, aka "not me"). So we just have to sit around for months (or years) and wait to see if we'll have a source of income next year. Ugh.

In possibly related news, I've been having these headaches for oh....about two or three weeks now. They're in my neck as well as specific spots in my skull that feel like a little knife is lodged there and occasionally twisted. Could be stress. Could be a tumor. Does thinking about a tumor give me stress? Can too much stress give me a tumor? Uh oh...I think something just popped.

Monday, October 26, 2009

What second book??

It's the day before Howling Legion is released and I'm trying to distract myself any way possible. It's either that or allow the nervous stomach pangs to grow up into something bigger. Of course, there's work to be done. Always work. I'm finishing up another project and then I'll dive into some more Skinner-ness. Also, I don't want to let October slip away without enjoying it. Halloween is this week and we stocked up on bags o' candy. We don't get a ton of Trick or Treaters, but I still don't want to be the "crappy candy" house. Plus, I like candy. As always, any kids dressed as werewolves will get extra. Hey, I don't play favorites. I just tip my hat to refined taste in costumes.

And it looks like there's no live Ghost Hunter show this year. Is that true?? I haven't seen any promos or heard anything about it. I would hate to see a cool tradition like that get shot down. It's just fun to sit and watch that stuff even if they are just jumping at spiders.

Speaking of ghost hunting, Megan and I are planning our trip to Brighton for the World Horror Convention. While we're across the ocean, we're making a big vacation of it and hitting Scotland. Being Torchwood fans, we even planned on going to Cardiff for a day to see the sights and take in the Doctor Who exhibit. Yes, there's a Who exhibit and it looks freaking great! Unfortunately, we're not made of money and need to cut down on extra train tickets and that sort of thing. We decided to use our time there for lengthier stays in London and Scotland. Back to the ghost thing, we're finding all these great haunted tours of documented sites and will be visiting as many of them as possible. I'll bring my digital audio recorder and keep my fingers crossed that the tourists before me haven't caused the spirits to find someplace quieter to haunt. Should be fun.

I've finally started in on Call of Duty: World at War. I know I'm late to the party on this one, but pulling myself away from CoD: Modern Warfare ain't easy. Mostly, I've been addicted to the Nazi Zombie levels. The single player campaign is spectacular and multiplayer is great, but I can't get enough of putting out all those glowing eyes with a few well-placed shots from a Tommy Gun.

So tomorrow is the big day. I can't be distracted for too long. Hopefully the stores will get the books on shelves and people will buy them. Uh-oh. Here comes the nervous stomach again.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Tick, tick, tock



The ticker on the side of the screen is almost down to zero. It's gotten to the point where nothing short of a time-space wormhole opening to emit a stream of party streamers can live up to all this buildup. Sure, it'll be great to go see Blood Blade on the shelves, but life won't switch over to some new flavor. If anything, it'll slowly change into something chocolate-minty (if I'm lucky).


I've been getting sicker over the last few days. Nothing too drastic, but just a growing itchy spot in my throat accompanied by a wad of mucus that's evolving into its own life form. That way, I should be nice and sick for the first Skinners signing. Of course I have to talk to someone bright and early tomorrow, which means I'll probably sound like a wino with a throat full of wet gravel.


I think my favorite new TV show so far is Lie to Me. I've liked Tim Roth in pretty much everything I've seen him in and this is no exception. It's refreshing to see something in the prime time mystery / thriller genre that hasn't been overdone, flipped over and done some more. This coming from the vampire and werewolf fan, right? Oh well.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Ticking away the moments that make up the dull day

Well, the release date is almost here and I’m a basket case. The ticker on the side of the page says 7 days and so many hours, minutes, seconds. I’ve been watching that ticker count down for months and have done a good job of not letting it drive me insane. Now, it’s getting hard to bear. It’s not the ticker’s fault, but the prospect of my work being sent into the world to fend for itself is pretty stressful. I’ll be making the promotional rounds as best I can and working hard on the series, but Blood Blade will be on shelves fighting to swim in bookstores that are flooded with vampires, werewolves and monsters in all their different forms.

I wrote this whole series as something that’s fun to read and. . .well. . .that’s it. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s plenty of angst, tortured romance, forbidden pleasures, and cuteness on the urban fantasy shelves right now. There’s a good mix of those things on the horror shelves too, so I just wrote something that I would enjoy if I picked it up in the store.

Now’s the time when people read my book and decide whether they like it or not. Some will love it because of the action or the humor or whatever else. Some will hate it because it’s not what they thought it would be or it’s not like the other series they read. Maybe they’ll like it because it just keeps them entertained for a bit. Maybe they won’t like it because it’s not their cup of tea. Maybe they don’t like tea. Maybe they prefer coffee or pop. Ok, now I’m thirsty.

My point is that I can do all the publicity I want, but it’s still a matter of people (hopefully) buying my book, reading it, and (hopefully again) enjoying it. Everyone who reads it will have an opinion of some kind. There’s nothing I can do about that. I just write stories that I think are amusing and now I need to see if anyone else out there finds them amusing as well.

This is the hard part.
I hate waiting.
I guess I’ll keep myself busy by writing the next story.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Enough with the sleigh bells already



The Great Holiday Expedition of ’08 is finally complete! That’s just a lot of fanfare for two trips taken nearly back to back. The first was the Southern Flight into the Land of Mickey which was already documented here. The most recent was the Overland Excursion to the…uhhh….Kingdom of the….screw it. We drove down to St. Louis to see the family. Sorry, I kind of got caught up there.

The wife and I had a lot of fun. Megan’s sister was very accommodating by putting us up for a few days (thanks Jenny). It was also great to see everyone else and (as always) the food was excellent. We also paid a visit to a branch of my own family tree. Hi Mom & Bob!!! This trip was done in 3 tiers. First, we stayed a few nights in a comped suite at the Ameristar Casino just outside of St. Louis. Very festive, but Santa didn’t see fit to give me the jackpot I asked for. After that, it was a cozy Christmas Eve with a Mom-cooked meal. Then, we made the city rounds to Megan’s relatives. I guess they’re technically my relatives too, since we’re married and all, but you know what I mean. On the gift front, Megan made out like a bandit with clothes and a bracelet and all that. Me? I got some electric slippers! No, that’s not the name of a progressive synth band from the mid-80’s. They’re battery operated slippers that massage your feet. Very cool. And, using some gift cards, I finally picked up a box set containing all the Led Zeppelin CDs. Before now, I’ve had to make do with every album on cassette (for the younger ones out there…cassettes are plastic squares with tape in them that play sounds when placed in a big player. The last one I had was made by Magnorocks. HA! See what I did there? Instead of Magnavox. Like the Flintstones!! Maybe I’m still loopy from all the driving). Anyway, it’s great to hear Zep again without having to delve into an electronics history museum that includes mix tapes I made in high school entitled, “Jus’ the Good Stuff” volumes one through nine.

According to my ticker, there’s less than a month until the release of Skinners #1. I’m still very nervous, but in a good way. Some of our holiday gift cards were for Borders and Barnes & Noble, so we were wandering through the books and picking stuff out. Naturally, I drifted toward the fantasy / horror / sci-fi sections and wondered how the hell my book would keep afloat amid so much competition. Not only is there a lot of other stuff out there, but it’s a lot of great stuff! I guess I’ll just have to wait and see. I’ve already got my first signing lined up (as you can see in the newly-added section above the blog posting). Also, the local newspaper will be reviewing Blood Blade and interviewing me. I’m nervous about that as well, but they’re usually kind to a local boy like me. No matter what, I’m sure my stomach will be in a constant knot until release day. After that, it’ll probably be in several knots.

Friday, October 24, 2008

5 Stages of Waiting


Here’s another process that’s very important to being a professional writer: Waiting.
You come up with your ideas, write them and edit to hit some deadline or a window of opportunity for submitting it somewhere. That’s a whirlwind of work, creation and refinement also known as “the good stuff”. The waiting comes when you must deal with the rest of the world.

And I’m not referring to those fortunate writers who submit something and have to wait through a whole weekend or two before they get their deal. That’s great if it happens, but it’s not the norm. It’s more like earning your salary by winning the lottery. And that’s nothing against the talent of those quick-dealers. The whole system is generally very slow and any writer will tell you that you have to wait for any results whatsoever. Wait a LOT.

While I’m waiting to hear back from submissions, I’ve found I go through some pretty basic stages. These held up when I waited to get a short story published in a small press magazine, to get an agent, and now to get a book (or series) published. Maybe some of this seems familiar to some other writers out there. For those of you new to the craft, it’s something to look forward to. After all, in the immortal words of GI Joe, “Knowing is half the battle”. And if you’re one of those folks who got your huge contract in less than eight months, good for you. I do hate you, though.

Stage 1: Denial – “This time it’ll be different! I’ll send it in and the first person who’s lucky enough to read it will trip all over themselves to give me a deal! I’d better be ready for the landslide that’ll follow this one. Should I subscribe to Publisher’s Weekly so I can read the awesome news before it hits the news stands?”

Stage 2: Bargaining – “Come on! It’s been what, three weeks? I haven’t heard anything so that’s gotta be good. That editor must be wondering if I can truly handle following through on the amazing idea I showed them in that proposal. I can handle it! I swear, if I get my chance with this, I’ll run with it! I’ll RUN like the WIND!! Who am I talking to? It doesn’t matter. The forces of good will carry my desire and happy thoughts to where they need to be. I can’t doubt for one moment that this is gonna happen or I’ll jinx it. Oh, shit! Did I just jinx it? No. I can DO THIS!!!”

Stage 3: Anger – “Damn it! It’s been three months!! Freaking editors are always on vacation. Freaking system doesn’t even move. What the hell is going on out there?! I should stomp into whatever break room they’re using to suck down their coffee and show them my GENIUS!!!! This is ridiculous! If I had the crappiest office job imaginable I’d never have to wait this long to get results from handing something in! I crank out more starlight from my printer and they take a month off for ONE HOLIDAY!!”

Stage 4: Depression – “It’s been over six months. I’m not gonna hear anything. Honestly, what did I expect? Those editors have either tossed my submission away like the garbage it is or they’re laughing at it. I think that telemarketing firm is hiring. Maybe I’ll try that.”

Stage 5: Acceptance – “Eh, screw it. I did the best I could, so I just need to wait for something to happen. There’s not much else for me to do. Actually, I’ve got an idea for something else. Maybe I’ll try that.”

Unfortunately for my wife and anyone else who has to deal with me (a big sorry goes out to my agent who still returns my calls and answers emails from every one of these stages), I may go through this cycle several times while waiting for one submission. If this sounds familiar to anyone out there, at least I’m not alone. That’s the problem with not working in an office. I don’t get to gripe to fellow co-workers.

As far as waiting goes, the simple truth is that you gotta do it whether you go through these stages or any other sort of ritualistic torture. Cry, whine, howl, work, shrug, it doesn’t matter. In the end, you’ll still be waiting. Of course, every so often, the waiting is worth it. And when it is. . .it’s REALLY worth it.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Interesting news

Just found out that the publication date for the first SKINNERS was moved from November to February. When my editor called and told me this, he said it was "interesting news". Undoubtedly, that was to soften the blow before I freaked out at having to wait an extra couple of months. It's as if he thought I was over-anxious or chomping at the bit or something.

Huh. Maybe he reads this blog.

Yeah, I tried to keep my cool, but I was freaking out. Then again, there's more than my anxiousness to consider. Apparently, there are other books coming out in November written by some fairly well known people. One of them is some dude named Dean Koontz. I don't know. Some of us still haven't healed from the slapstick turn of events at the end of Tick Tock. Other than that, I suppose he is pretty good.

Seriously, I don't mind stepping back to let the heavy hitters take the holidays. In fact, I'm grateful that someone actually cares about a good time to release a newcomer like me. My wife will have to shoulder the burden of putting up with me bouncing off the walls for a while longer. Then again, as long as I'm writing, I'm sure I'll be bouncing off the walls about something or other.

Now, when November rolls around, I can focus on what's really important. Gears of War 2!!!!

Monday, May 26, 2008

Work...Duty...Work...Mario

My wife is out of town over Memorial Day weekend, leaving me to my own devices for a few days. Should I hit a few strip bars? Maybe take on a road trip? Nothing so exciting for me. I couldn't go with her because I need to work on editing a ghostwriting project while also putting stuff together for a new series proposal. Of course, I'm sprinkling a healthy dose of gaming in between work stuff.


I've recently re-discovered Call of Duty 4. I got it when it first came out, played through some of the single player campaign and was blown away by it. I played some multiplayer, but was blown away pretty quickly there too. . .by snipers who had me scoped out the second I took more than two steps in any direction. Well, stuff happens and I got distracted and it fell to the wayside. I finally got back into it and now I can't stop. I'm not that great at it, but it's still fun to watch my many deaths on the Kill Cam. So far, my favorite is when I get caught in an air strike. Seeing that bomb drop with my name on it is always good for a laugh.


Also, Dr. Mario FINALLY came out on Wii Ware. Puzzle games are especially addictive for me and I've been waiting for this one since I first signed on to the the Wii Shopping channel. Say what you want about the Wii or casual gaming in general, but seeing my Mii doing stuff from dropping pills on dancing viruses to driving a go Kart against Luigi and some bubble dude is just cool. Ok, so maybe "cool" isn't the word I'm looking for, but it's fun. Seeing my little virtual guy perform a trampoline routine in Mario Olympics still cracks my wife up. I'm tellin' ya...cheap thrills. That's the key to happiness.


On the work front, I just sent off a proposal and sample pages to my agent for a new series. There's plenty of uncertainty in writing as a career, but sending new stuff off is exciting. It could snag me a million dollar contract. It could turn into nothing. Maybe it'll be a modest sale or maybe it'll set me up for life. Maybe it's an idea that I'll look back at and cringe in a year or two. I think it's a solid idea and the pages turned out really well, but that's only a part of the process. There's also timing, catching the right editor in the right mood as well as a little dumb luck. I'll keep my fingers crossed.


Then again, maybe I should uncross them. I'd probably die a lot less in Call of Duty that way.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Not exactly nothing, but close


So, for all the 1 or possibly 3 people who read this, you may have noticed there’s not a lot of writing talk going on. No real news on that front at the moment. I’ve told other new writers that waiting is a huge part of the process and this is one of those times. That’s not a bad thing, but it just. . .is.

Let’s see. What’s happening? At the moment, I’m taking a few days off in between other projects. Just finished one and will start another tomorrow. My wife will be leaving town on business next week (ONE of us has a steady job at least. Heh. My little Sugar Mama). That will give me plenty of time to focus on my next project, which is a ghost writing gig that should be fun.

On the Skinner front, I received the cover copy not too long ago. That’s the description that goes on the back of the book for those who were wondering. There were parts of it I loved and parts I wasn’t crazy about, but I couldn’t really think of anything that was any better. Since I believe you shouldn’t bitch unless you’ve got something better up your sleeve, I let it be. Then, the more I looked at it, a few things popped into my head and I eventually wrote out a second draft and sent it to my editor, Peter. What followed was a frantic day or two of me wondering why the hell Peter wasn’t getting back to me when he was probably just in meetings, working with someone else or just taking the day off. I, of course, responded by sending a few increasingly panicked emails and followed up with a phone call. See what waiting does to some people? In my own defense, I wanted to make sure I was in time to change stuff before it got set in stone or whatever other medium they use. Along with the cover art (which is un-freaking-believably great), the cover copy is what prompts lots of people to buy a book in the first place. It’s important and I wanted to make sure the (hopefully) better version made it on there. Finally, Peter shot me a quick email telling me to take a breath and there was no problem changing it.

Drama, huh? Well, on my end anyway. Normally, working on my own is fine. Sometimes, though, I get a little stir crazy and these things happen. I’m sure I’m not the only one and Peter’s eyeballs must know just how to roll when he gets the occasional string of frantic emails from me about stupid crap that takes all of three minutes to fix.

This leads me to another topic that’s been driving me crazy. Since the whole copy thing blew over without incident, I’ve fixed upon something else to worry about. When Skinner comes out, will it be any good? Will ANYONE read it? It goes on from there, but you get the gist. More typical crap from someone with too much time on his hands. See, this is why I likes me video games so much. I can’t obsess about this kind of garbage when I’m lining up head shots or trying desperately to beat the Rock Band guitar career on Expert (I’m stuck on the last set and doubt I’ll ever beat the Outlaws song.)

So that’s it for now. Just a big verbal treadmill. A whole lot of running, sweating and wheezing without moving an inch. Except for the copy, because that really was important. And then…all right. I’m done now. Breathe.

That’s better.

Monday, March 17, 2008

The grind

It's one of those times where things are in the works, work is being done, and hopefully deals are being made. Unfortunately, that results in me clicking away at my keyboard while I hear nothing at all from the outside world.

No news is good news, right? I guess it's better than bad news, but I'd prefer to hear SOMEthing. For all I know, I could be in line for a huge contract. Or, maybe I'm next in line to get axed by a publisher. Maybe none of that's happening and it's just business as usual. Ugh. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Just keep working and hopefully something will pop.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Draft...6? Something like that.

It's been a while since I've actually been able to do some work on the first book. All the business with the cover stuff has gotten me amped up to dive back in and get this puppy out there! Thankfully, my editor was ready to oblige by sending me the first batch of edits for the manuscript. If he's reading this...WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO MY BABY!!!???!??

Just kidding, Peter. Heh.

Seriously, I'm quite fortunate to not only have a great cover but also a great working relationship with my editor. There are some changes to be made, nips and tucks to be done, but it's all for the good of the book and it's turning out well. . .great. (Repeating word choice was one of the sticking points I need to work on)

Anyway, I'm putting that together and messing with other crap that needs to be done. The publishing date is sometime in December. Even though it's getting closer every day, it feels SO FAR away right now. I know I'll be nervous as hell when it does get out there, but at least it'll be out there and that will be great. . .no. . .good. . .ehhhh, see what editing does to me? And this is BEFORE I start getting nervous and crazy.

This is what happens without editors

I'm Marcus Pelegrimas, author of the SKINNERS series. Here you'll find various ramblings about movies, video games, TV, and...oh yeah...those books I write. If there's anything you'd like to discuss, just let me know. I try to update whenever the mood strikes me, so feel free to leave comments. There may be some occasional foul language, but anyone who's too easily offended probably doesn't read my stuff anyway.

Free Stuff

Here's how it goes. As usual, I've got my truckload of promo covers from EOS Books. I'll be going to some conventions, so I hope to see you there and I'll gladly sign your books. If you can't make it to a con, just email me your name, address and any inscription so I can send you a signed cover.


BONUS ---> If you would be so kind as to write up a review for any or all Skinners books and publish it on a site like Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or any other major review site, I can send you something extra. I made up some bookmarks (which I'll sign) and I've even put together some Shimmy's VIP passes (which I'll also sign). Can't guarantee the passes will get you into a real strip club, but I think they look pretty cool. Send me a link to your review along with your name, address and inscription, and I'll get these out to you as well.