Month: February 2004

Can I play with madness?

Writer guy

Just breached the 35 page mark on novel number two. It’s in much better shape than last week. The search for heads down momentum continues. I’m not sure if it’s the distraction of trying to get the query letter done or if it’s something else.

There’s an old saying that the most important part of any book is the ending. There’s even a movie coming soon starring Johnny Depp based around the notion of a perfect ending, Secret Window. I disagree with that sentiment. The most important part of any book is chapter 1 and chapter last and they’re of equal value.

If chapter 1 bites, it’s hard to read any further. If chapter last sucks, less people will want to read the next book.

Thus I strive for a strong opening and strong finish. Right now the opening of the second book has potential, but I have no idea how this is going to end. Do I know what I want to happen? Yep. Will it turn out like that at all? Probably not.

Take one down pass it around

Writer guy

OK, so this was as a big a week as anything can be in the absence of something concrete happening, since all the movement was on my part.

1) At long last I have a query letter. It reads well and makes a strong case for my novel.
2) I sent out said query letter, thus increasing the audience of samhilliard.com by at least 1. Maybe even 2 or 3 if they ask other people in their office to check out the site.
3) I managed to talk myself down from a panic attack without scaring my cats.
4) I learned a lot of interesting things about a number of agents thanks to google and some other resources.
5) I saw the last real mangement type boss I had back before starting on my contractor phase. His hair is all gray now. When we parted ways, his hair was jet black with a touch of gray. It’s good to see the voodoo is working.

If this is your first night at fight club

Writer guy

After a few dozen panic attacks, the query letter to a prospective agent is now in the mail. Walking back from the post office, I had another panic attack and talked myself down ( in my head of course. They were too many old people about to talk to myself ).

Here’s three good things about where I am right now:
1)Even if the prospective agent rejects my query, I’m still ahead, because I’m one step closer to the answer I’m looking for.
2)I queried once. I’ll query again, if necessary.
3)Every writer has done something like this to get published.

Here’s the advice I got from editor person – go blog. So here I am blogging…

Butterfly Effect

Writer guy

I was looking for a good psychological thriller, and Butterfly Effect delivered. As simple as the plot is, it’s complex and deep without being needlessly complicated. A lot of films drop the ball when they try and deviate from a non linear story line, using flashbacks – forward flashes – and in the case of Butterfly Effect – sideways flashes. Never fear, not only does this tale work as it unfolds before you, the ending works too without making you want to throw your bag of popcorn at the screen and curse out the clerk who sold you the ticket.

This is a breakout performance for Ashton Kutcher. Forget what you thought you knew about him, he’s different in this film. I liked that I didn’t recogniaze any of the cast except the lead They should make more movies like that. I’m also impressed they did this movie for such a small amount of money ( the rumor is around 13 million ). Every penny went to good use here.

Timing, delivery, supporting cast? All good. It’s got the right amount of suspense with a creepy edge, dark edge.

Butterfly Effect now occupies my favorite movie of 2004 slot.