David Wittlinger's Blog

My many (translation:  handful) fans have been asking questions. “When is the next book coming out?” “What have you been working on?” “Will there be more Brianna books?” I’m glad people want to know these things but answering the questions always make me uncomfortable.

My first two books were rolling around inside my skull for YEARS. The basic premise and rough characters already existed before fingers ever touched keyboard. Writing those books was just a matter of sequencing and filling in the blanks–plus endless editing, of course. The third book, Reprisal, foamed to the surface not too long after The Strong One was published. Though I think Reprisal is a good book I don’t feel it leaves as strong of a feeling upon conclusion. It is, in a way, a ‘bridge’ book that moves Brianna from her ‘awakening’ towards an entirely different kind of life. The third book in the series (untitled at present) is still percolating. I have some scenes and concepts in mind as well as a few new characters. There is self-inflicted pressure to continue giving readers what they have come to expect but also a voice of caution warning me not to be formulaic. Brianna is a character people like to cheer for and I feel a responsibility to provide her with the best story I can. Coming up with that takes time.

So while I have dabbled with a chapter or two of Brianna book #3 I really haven’t made much progress. I started work on Cottonwood, a completely different book with some great characters and what I think is a somewhat unusual story line. I was a couple of chapters in and was unhappy with how it ‘read’. It just didn’t feel right. Something was wrong. I took I hiatus from that to let it ferment.

Burning with a desire to write something…anything… I just started spewing forth a story I called Cassie’s Ride. I went way outside the norm for me by writing in the first person…for a female character. Risky, right? Remarkably, I found Cassie’s ‘voice’ pretty much right away. I understand who she is and why she acts as she does. A chapter or two in, however, I wasn’t sure what the heck Cassie was actually doing. Or going to do. I had some ideas but, to be honest, I’m unconvinced anyone may want to actually read about her. So, poor Cassie got parked until she can provide me with a stronger set of reasons to commit to her.

Cassie did show me something, however. Writing in first person allowed me to consider trying that with Cottonwood. My character of Vic promises to be a very interesting protagonist. The problem with Vic is he has an important past that needs to be revealed (slowly) for the story to not only make sense but really generate tension. Trying to relay all of this information without ‘dumping’ it while writing in third person was going to be difficult. Couple this with my necessity of ‘holding my cards close to my chest’ early in the story and Vic came across as bland. Vic is anything but bland, and it is my job to make him the interesting individual that readers will enjoy. So now he may tell his story to you instead of me.

These concerns, coupled with life’s normal intrusions, are what have kept me mostly silent. Fear not, Dear Reader. Writing is always taking place, just not necessarily in the written word.

A frequent topic of discussion on writing forums is the question of how we various authors write. Other writers and readers often want to know if we listen to music, watch television, drink or do drugs as a means of enhancing our writing time. There is no single consensus on this. For myself I write in complete silence and completely sober. I need to be lucid and able to focus solely on the mini-movie taking place in my head as I relay it to the keyboard.

However, I’m not always actually writing when I’m working on a book. A large portion of my first two books, Portal To Elysium and The Strong One were created by alone time while driving for long periods as I worked at my day job. Entire conversations flowed forth during these travel times and I would often have to park on a shoulder or find an empty lot where I could stop and scribble down some of the better verbal exchanges my characters would have. Other times I would work out the details of scenes or action sequences as the miles passed beneath my tires. When I lost that job due to downsizing I had to take an office job and my writing subsequently suffered. I no longer had those empty free times to be alone with my thoughts and made-up worlds. Fortunately, as I write this I am about to return to a similar outside position and hopefully an uptick in my writing frequency will return with it.

Driving around as much as I did I listened to the radio quite a bit. I like music and have a wide range of tastes that would surprise many people who don’t know me well. Listening to widely varied channels thanks to satellite radio I’ve gleefully found new artists I otherwise may never have come across. As I listen to music the ‘mood’ it sets can often help clarify a scene I’m working on or set its tone. Rock music, particularly with a hair band/hard rock feel, has frequently inspired me to cement ideas, scenes or sequences. For example, Poison’s Sexual Thing takes me immediately to the truck chase in The Strong One. If that book were ever to be made into a movie it is the music I think would be perfect from the moment Brianna slams the truck into reverse. Trisha Yearwood’s Heaven Heartache and the Power of Love should roll during the closing credits for Portal To Elysium (the song title is perfect for that book, but alas, Trisha beat me to it). The striptease scene in The Strong One takes place with Shania Twain singing Man, I Feel Like A Woman in the background.

Other songs don’t apply to specific scenes but do mentally connect me with a character or even a locale. Brianna Fordham always comes to mind when I listen to Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless or The Donnas. Its the kind of music she would listen to (and does, as careful readers will note). Annie Marconi listens to big band/swing music while she cooks in her vintage kitchen. Phil Collins’ Coming In The Air Tonight always makes me feel like I’m driving a convertible with the top down on a sultry summer night. Bad Company’s No Smoke Without A Fire makes me think of dark industrial places. And so on.

So yes, music can definitely influence my writing. However, that influence has to take place prior to the actual keyboard writing phase. If I were to attempt to write with the music blaring my mind will become distracted. Part of writing is not actually physically typing or putting pen to paper; it is the process of using one’s imagination and manipulating the thoughts and ideas that make up the creative process. It is a weird, wonderful and occasionally frustrating experience.

There is frequently debate among writers as to what is more important:  story or characters. I certainly don’t believe you can have one without the other but I tend to lean towards the need for effective and believable characters more than coming up with some grand new story idea no one has ever thought of before. Let’s face it; most stories are just a version of a basic story but they are all written differently with different characters. You could have a story about a jewelry heist, for example. The jewels could be in a safe, or in someone’s bedroom, or in an armored car…or any other scenario. The setting is important but the heist could be done by any character in any of those settings. I would argue that the story becomes far more interesting if the jewels are stolen by a twelve-year-old, or a talking mouse, or an old woman with one leg. The characters have the ability to create something much more unique and interesting than mere setting.

So, about characters. The challenge for a writer is to make his or her characters interesting to the reader, but they must also be believable. Characters are typically human or have human qualities. Quirks, handicaps and flaws all help to distinguish them from a ‘Mary Sue’. I find I enjoy reading books about complex characters who don’t simply do the physical things necessary to move the story along but who also struggle internally with themselves over moral issues or personal hurdles. With my character Brianna Fordham I’ve invented someone with a troubled past who knows she is screwed up and wants to change…but isn’t at all sure how to go about it. Vic Bertoni, the MC (main character) in my in-process work Cottonwood is a man with a dark past no one knows about and struggles with the decision to return to that world as a means to give his daughter a safer place to live. Many authors prefer to write more two-dimensional characters that simply do things and only occasionally exhibit deeper personalities. I find these types of books less than engaging and often wind up not caring much if the MC succeeds or not by the end of the story.

This drive for complex characters carries over to my television and movie entertainment. As an example I will cite The Walking Dead. On the surface this show has very little to offer me. Oh sure, I like some post-armageddon survival stories (The Road Warrior springs to mind) but I care nothing for zombie stories. I do find myself drawn into TWD because of the characters. There are heroes and villains and strong and weak people. What has kept my interest and continues to fascinate is the writers’ and actors’ portrayal of the traumatic changes to the personalities of the individuals. The events–if real–would certainly change people dramatically over time. TWD depicts the effects of inconceivable trauma in a believable and fascinating way. We watch the characters we care about or loathe evolve over multiple episodes and it draws us in…cements our interest. It is quite powerful. For a writer to achieve this level of magnetism over his or her readers should be the ultimate reward.

I’m a reader as much as I am a writer. Finding little nuggets of talent in the ocean of indie authors and their books is one of the high points of Kindle ownership. I’ve been disappointed more times than I’ve been thrilled but as Stephen King once said (I’m paraphrasing) “It is better to keep kissing and get your face slapped a few times than to give up altogether”. It is usually pretty easy to see why a book is a failure:  poor editing, flat characters, nothing happens or just plain bad writing. I just failed to finish a book that awakened me to another problem:  dishonesty.

I rarely stop reading a book or watching a movie — not matter how bad — until the bitter end. I feel I owe the book/film that, unless it is so bad it insults my intellect. I just put down a book that I could only make a third of the way through and left a strongly negative review on. I won’t mention the title here because my review is probably punishment enough. In this instance I think my bad review was justified (and I rarely give bad reviews, because…well, Karma). I felt the writer had been dishonest. Not with facts in the story (it was fiction) but with the story itself. Let me explain.

The story was a dark thriller about a male sociopath and the nice girl he becomes involved with. The nice girl is a bit of a Mary Sue (derogatory writing term for ‘too perfect’) but she is attracted to being a bit naughty and lets herself be swept up by the male character’s charms. Things quickly turn dark as the man becomes abusive, though incrementally as the story progresses. The abuse is what excites him and part of the abuse is being sexually aggressive. The aggressive sex part Mary Sue finds invigorating; the other aspects of his mis-treatments she finds scary. She is battling the Madonna/whore complex as a lot of women do. The story is poised to be frightening yet a bit titillating as things escalate.

The author, despite being as unafraid of profanity as I am, completely avoids anything but the most vague references to the sex acts taking place regularly between the two characters. The book is not intended to be erotica; I get that. But the rough, dominant sex is a key part of what drives the two characters. The author is apparently so frightened of writing even a PG rated sex scene that I actually was unsure several times if the two characters had actually had sex. I felt…not gypped, exactly…more like I had been lied to. I’m being sold on dark, depraved activity creating conflict between two characters and at key points in the story it is as if I had gone to the fridge during a commercial, only to find when I came back I had missed a key part of the plot. You can’t sell me the rough sex if you barely allude to it.

Dishonest.

Hey, I get it. Writing sex scenes — particularly edgy ones — isn’t the fun time most people think. Its uncomfortable; its supposed to be uncomfortable. If it weren’t, the reader won’t be made to feel uncomfortable. Part of storytelling is to make the reader squirm in their chair at times, and at other times cheer…or cry…or insert-emotion-here. If you can’t be honest — if you can’t write those things that you need to use to make the reader really experience your story — then you have no business writing that sort of fiction. Our readers deserve our honesty.

I think one of the most powerful and game-changing ‘inventions’ of my lifetime has been the creation of the internet. Unfettered access to endless information was never as easy at the local library, a place that was once the frequent haunt of many of us. As a writer I have used it to my advantage and find ever-increasing ways to utilize it as I plod onward in the creation of my stories.

Useful for fact-checking and learning about things I know little about, yes. One of my biggest fears is writing about things I am barely conversant on (much of the weaponry that Brianna uses, for example). I don’t want my readers to be insulted by my trying to ‘pull one over on them’. I once read a self-published book that was pretty good except the author did not understand how a motorcycle functioned; she wrote that the rider accelerated using a pedal, when in fact all modern bikes require a twist of the handlebar grip. Such a glaring error made me wonder what other simple facts had been ignored and sullied the book for me. I strive for accuracy to the best of my ability in the details out of respect for the reader as much as I do to avoid personal embarrassment.

More recently I have begun using the internet as a tool for more than just technical details. I’ve found it immensely useful for things such as setting and characters. I play around on Facebook with picking actors I feel would be good castings for my characters but I never write with any of these people in mind. My characters visual appearances are generated much the same as their personalities; murky at the beginning but slowly coming into focus as I begin to work with them. Sometimes the physical appearance is pretty clear, but other times I struggle to see their ‘face’. I have searched online images on occasion to find ‘inspiration’; never copying a face exactly but using elements to generate a complete, clear picture of the blurry person in my head. A character I just created, Vic Birtoni, was ‘drawn’ this way. I needed to start writing him and I knew what kind of person he was in his head but was not getting a clear vision of his face. Combining several images courtesy of Google helped me flesh out (pun intended) who he was so that I could begin writing about his with clarity.

Using images for characters is limited to ‘inspiration’; as I said, I do not ‘copy’ verbatim some random stranger’s appearance to make my character. When it comes to setting, however, I can and do directly translate what I find into the story. Though I have been to Vineland and Millville, New Jersey multiple times, some of what I needed for locations in Brianna’s Reprisal had to be ‘found’. I didn’t want to just make up locations as it might be possible such places could not/did not exist in ‘real’ Vineland. Readers who knew the area might know this and therefore the entire story would lose credibility. I therefore added to my knowledge of the area by using Google maps and street view to get a lay of the land if you will. Though my warehouse building, power line road and house by the lake are fictitious, such buildings and locations do exist in Vineland (as do many of the street names). This adds authenticity for anyone who knows the area while (hopefully) painting a richer picture of what that area is like for the reader who has never been there.

In an upcoming Brianna book I have envisioned a scene where our heroine goes to Ukraine. I’ve never been to Ukraine nor did I have much of any idea what anything in that country looks like. Incredibly, Google has extensive street views of the country and I have been able to get a real ‘feel’ for what it is like and can now paint a reasonably accurate picture of it when needed. In the past I’d have relied on travel books and their limited photographs, most of which will depict only the areas that tourists would likely go to and not the local neighborhoods where my characters do the things they do. My characters can now travel the globe and be depicted doing so with a reasonable level of realism. Such a boon to the writer trapped in his winter domicile!

Nothing can replace feet-on-the-ground personal immersion into a place and I’m still rather reluctant to write about places I have never visited but at least these days I don’t have to worry that my ‘guesstimation’ about a locale will be glaringly wrong to my valued readers.

The Cinemax tv series Banshee is one of my guilty pleasures. I shouldn’t like it; the storylines are bizarre, the violence is over the top, the fight scenes are silly and the depiction of my home state (complete with the Amish) could not be depicted less realistically. Yet here I am, glued to the tv as I watch marathon episodes courtesy of Netflix.

“Suspension of disbelief” was coined in 1817 by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who suggested that if a writer could infuse a “human interest and a semblance of truth” into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgement concerning the plausibility of the narrative. Suspension of disbelief often applies to fictional works of the action, comedy, fantasy, and horror genres. I suppose that some suspension of disbelief (SoD) is necessary to accept and enjoy any work of fiction, since all fiction is created from nothing and, as Stephen King so aptly put it, are “lies that entertain”.

As a writer I rely on SoD to some extent in everything I create but also find it difficult to willingly apply SoD to any number of other books, tv shows or movies. Game Of Thrones doesn’t work for me; I simply can’t allow myself to let loose enough to accept medieval fantasy as a legitimate form of entertainment. Fantasy and science fiction are two genres that simply fail to pull me in. I like being brought into a fictional ‘real world’ where I recognize the lay of the land, if you will. As a result, Game Of Thrones fails while Banshee or Downton Abbey grab me and won’t let go.

It goes further than that, though. Why is it as a car geek I can watch and accept post-apocalyptic Mad Max/Road Warrior but I roll my eyes and mutter under my breath at the plausibility of The Fast And The Furious or the remake of Gone In 60 Seconds? I think the answer lies in the presentation. Mad Max and the original Gone were made before CGI took over from real stunts. Everything was done by humans and did not defy the laws of physics. Though the storyline may be imperfect what my eyes see I can justify as being outlandish but not impossible.

Yet now I must come back to Banshee, a show which is more comic book than novel. What is it that draws me in and keeps me there despite my limits of SoD? I think it is a deft blending of several elements:  very talented (and attractive) actors, well choreographed fights, steamy sex scenes, violence that is gritty but not afraid to make fun of itself and-most important-really diverse and interesting characters. It is odd that my SoD threshold accepts Banshee but draws the line at the very similar Game Of Thrones. For some people I’m sure the attraction to these two shows would be polar opposite.

My fellow author Bran Gustafson wrote a novel Coyote which had enough similar elements in its description that I decided to read it. Coyote is more like Banshee than to my own novel The Strong One. Coyote takes place in a fictional southwestern state in a town that is more old west than modern outpost. The characters are generally humorless and mostly unlikable and the mood is dark, dusty and lonely. Yet like Banshee I was able to apply SoD and became completely immersed in Bran’s made up world. Not everyone will ‘get’ Coyote. Not everyone will ‘get’ my character of Brianna and why she needs to be depicted the way I chose. As writers we have a difficult task in artfully hurdling a reader’s SoD. It won’t work every time and this can be frustrating for an author. We have to accept that everyone likes different things for different reasons.

Sorry, its not the autobiographical secret you are probably hoping for.

I wrote a lot of short stories when I was young. I don’t believe any of them were particularly good, though there are a few that aren’t terrible. I may toss them out there for free or in a collection volume some day. Though I tried several times to create a novel I repeatedly failed. Neither my stories nor my drive to write were durable enough to go the distance required.

It was quite a shock when I sat down and began writing what would become Portal To Elysium several years ago. The story was based on a fragment of a dream I had about a gateway to the afterlife. It is important to understand I was never interested in fantasy or supernatural type stories, so for me to write a full-length book version of one is remarkable in itself. The story premise had been rolling around in my head for years but it took the creation of Annie Marconi to really bring it to life. She didn’t have a name for a long time. ‘Annie’ just came to me one day and seemed to fit, so I went with it. For the purposes of the story she had to be more than just a supporting character; Annie had to be the vehicle that drove the story and delivered both the reader and Chris to the Great Moment. Originally I imagined Annie as just a girl who Chris met and guided him with no romantic undercurrents.

Annie had other ideas.

As I began developing Annie I would invent conversations between her and Chris. Their dialog is a key part of the book and the portions I most enjoyed writing. Much of their banter was created while I drove endless miles for my job. Instead of listening to the radio I would listen to Annie chastise Chris or Chris challenge Annie. I understood Chris pretty well (he has some autobiographical aspects of Yours Truly) but I had to get to know Annie. The more I worked with her the more I adored her; she was very smart, clever, funny and a hopeless romantic. It is both fascinating and befuddling that my next creation, Brianna Fordham, is so much a polar opposite (though I hold deep affection for her too). I think I developed a bit of a crush on sweet, imaginary Annie. I felt genuinely guilty when I made Chris drive her to the confession about Kyle and her tears.

I don’t think I’m alone in feeling that as a writer the characters we create are sort-of our children. We worry and fret over them, cheer for them, cry for them and generally develop a romantic connection with them. Annie isn’t real, but she felt real while I worked with her and I did fall in love with her in a way. In real life I’d never recommend getting involved with a woman so obviously damaged and confused and like to think I’d avoid her like the plague. From the safe distance as an author though it is an oddly romantic relationship. There is only one way her story could end (no spoiler, but if you read it you’ll know what I mean). My act of ‘love’ was to give her the best thing that I could. I close that book with a great feeling of satisfaction as well as accomplishment. Thanks to Annie I was able to continue on with Brianna and other yet-to-be-created characters.

(an unknown model who is eerily similar to the Annie Marconi in my head)

I wrote a dirty book.

I never set out to. When I began writing The Strong One the character of Brianna was a lost and weak soul living with a nasty boyfriend and was a bit of a drug addict. She wasn’t a stripper, didn’t curse like a sailor and the only sex scene I’d have likely written would have been a tender session between her and the yet-unnamed Brandon character after they had been trapped together for awhile. But here’s the funny thing about writing that I feel I need to explain to those of you who aren’t writers:   stories and characters can develop lives of their own and pull an author in directions they never expected. This is what happened with Brianna.

Instead of a weak Mary Sue (a derogatory term writers use for dull and predictable characters) Brianna morphed into a confused and angry young woman. Mostly she was angry with herself and her station in life and vented her frustrations via profane outbursts and acting out sexually. Though I don’t know a person specifically like her, parts of who she is I have observed in others. People like Brianna exist and for reasons I will probably never be able to explain she insisted in speaking for them. As I wrote, I could tell she was becoming something else,  careening a bit out of control on the pages just as she was in her life. The damnedest thing was this is the exact thing that made her so interesting. She smoked (something I abhor), she swore (something I do but not nearly with her frequency) and she had robust, carnal sex (something we all must begrudgingly admit has appeal). Brianna was, frankly, a mess.

Contrasting her nasty white-trash tendencies was a conscience; one so strong she engaged it in argumentative conversations. As screwed up as Brianna might be she wanted to do right by both herself and those around her, provided they were deserving; to the others not-so-much. Brianna was (and is) a conflicted human being, stumbling through life making mistakes (some of them whoppers), learning, and striving to become better. This is pretty much all of us, and so the reader can both empathize and root for her to succeed and survive.

As I was writing and later reading some of the raw and descriptive sex scenes I couldn’t help but wonder what some people would think. Do I want my mother reading this stuff? My wife? My sister’s teenage kids? Is this a work to be proud of or embarrassed by? Several times I read over the scenes I had created and a) wondered where they heck in my head they came from while b) fitfully assessing if they could-or should-be toned down for public consumption. I ultimately decided they would stand as originally written because I had to tell the truth. Brianna needed to be shown as she really was no matter how vulgar. Her story is one of growth and triumph over things previously out of her control. After 250+ pages of working with her I cared for her far too much to stifle her voice. Repulsive to some readers she may ultimately be, but it is who she is…and who I must allow her to be. Though her creation and actions may embarrass me slightly, I am dedicated to a truthful telling of her stories, warts and all. My intent is not to titillate but to accurately depict a reality that is out there. That it may be different and even repugnant to some readers is a risk that a wordsmith must sometimes embrace.

Is it dirty? Vile? Pornographic? I leave it up to you. Every individual will react a bit differently. That I, as an author, can get you to react is ultimately my goal. I hope you can respect that.

When I first decided to self-publish my work back in 2014 my only desire was to get my work out where it would be available. Computers, tablets and e-readers seemed to be taking over the industry and I decided to take both the easy way out and what I thought would be the up and coming thing. I chose to publish my books digitally via Smashwords and Amazon Kindle. It was easy to do, cost me nothing to try and I imagined dozens of computer savvy readers would stumble across my books.

Though I did sell copies via these formats I was frequently asked by would-be readers when the books would be available as traditional printed volumes. Though I confess I do prefer paper books for reading the cost and space they consume has pushed me to use a Kindle e-reader more frequently. Though reluctant at first I’ve actually come to appreciate its compact size, storage capacity and ability to purchase materials instantly. As a writer who only published digitally I felt I should support my author medium by using it. I expected that much of the world had already made the change to digital and that printed books would soon be on the way out.

Boy, was I wrong. Requests for print copies kept coming. Though originally put off a bit by Creatspace’s requirements I decided to push forward with a print edition of The Strong One. More mind-numbing formatting and fussing about trying to get the cover to work made me question my efforts. Eventually I did manage to get it all done and ordered a ‘proof’ copy to make certain it was ready for public consumption. The one thing I had not counted on was my own reaction to receiving a physical copy of my creation in the mail.

Goofy selfie smile notwithstanding, I was completely floored. I’d written and published an actual book…the Great American Novel, or something like one. Brianna was no longer trapped in a invisible digital world. She was out there now, ready to thrill, annoy and delight anyone who chose to turn a few pages. Simply amazing.

Wow. I’m an author of an honest-to-goodness book. Pretty freaking awesome, if I do say so myself.

Greetings!

I’m David Wittlinger and welcome to my blog. I have authored several fiction books that I published myself on Createspace, Amazon and Smashwords. In addition to this blog I also post on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DavidWittlingerAuthor.

I’ve always loved writing but didn’t get serious about it until my late forties. The first book I wrote, Portal To Elysium, was based loosely on a dream I had years ago. The second book I wrote (and the first I published) was The Strong One. The concept of that came about while I was still around Brianna’s age in the book. Twenty-five years later she came to life via my keyboard and is now my favorite character.

In addition to writing I love reading and films but always demand three things:  a good story, characters with depth and a satisfying ending. I strive for these things in my books and certainly hope you find them to your liking.

I enjoy feedback and interaction with my readers so don’t be afraid to post your comments or questions here or on Facebook for me to answer. Click on the contents tabs to the right to access all of my posts, and thanks for stopping by!