John J. Rust's Blog
November 3, 2015
Kindle Countdown
My sea monster thriller, "Sea Raptor," is on a Kindle Countdown deal until Thursday. Download it for just $0.99.
Sea Raptor: A Deep Sea Thriller
Sea Raptor: A Deep Sea Thriller
April 18, 2015
Can YouTube Make You a Better Writer?
So what’s YouTube good for? For me, it has become my music player. Pretty much any song I can think of is right there ready to be played, which is great for a guy like me who loves background music when I’m writing. For others, it’s the place to go to for countless videos of cats doing cute and goofy things. I’ve only ever watched one such video, and that was because I was writing a freelance article about it, and I was bored after a minute. But hey, to each their own.
What else is YouTube good for? How about helping you become a better writer.
What sort of videos can do this? No doubt there are lectures, presentations and interviews floating around YouTube featuring well-known authors talking about their craft. But those aren’t the videos I’m talking about. YouTube happens to be the home of some very entertaining and insightful movie review/critique shows. Yes, we are talking about two different mediums here, but one of the common themes these shows deal with is storytelling. What makes the plot succeed or fail? What causes a story to drag? What makes us not care about the characters?
One of the shows that does this exceptionally well is "The Nostalgia Critic." With a style ranging from sardonic to high energy to explosive ranting, the Nostalgia Critic (real name Doug Walker) has ripped apart pre-2000 movies and animated shows for the past several years. A great example of this is his review for "The Room," a laughably horrible drama produced by and starring Tommy Wiseau. It has been labeled in some circles as one of the worst movies ever! Or as the Critic calls it, an “anus of a performance.”
To go over every single aspect of bad storytelling in "The Room" would require this blog to be the length of a Tom Clancy novel. Besides, you can check it out in the link below. But one major flaw of the story the Critic brilliantly points out is the numerous scenes between the female lead, Lisa, and her mother. Every conversation revolves around Lisa saying she doesn't like her future husband, Johnny, while her mother expounds on what a wonderful man he is. At one point, the mother reveals she has breast cancer. So how does this impact the plot?
It doesn't! Lisa brushes it off with, “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” and it is never mentioned again. How many of us have learned that a friend or loved one has been diagnosed with cancer? There is always that combination of shock and fear. This was a great opportunity to see how Lisa deals with the emotional burden of falling out of love with Johnny while at the same time worrying about her mother’s declining health. Will she breakdown? Will something like this bring Lisa and Johnny back together? Who knows, because Tommy Wiseau ignored one of the basic tenants of good storytelling. Giving your characters numerous obstacles to try and overcome.
my link text
Another web series that does a great job pointing out faults and plot holes in stories/movies is "Everything Wrong With . . ." These episodes can spend ten to twenty minutes dissecting every error in big budget movies like "2012" or "Pacific Rim." Some of these errors are minor, but minor errors can be like mosquito bites. The more you have, the more annoying they become. One of the more helpful parts of "Everything Wrong With . . ." is nailing a major problems with some movies/stories, elements of the plot that just don’t make sense. A perfect example is in the episode featuring "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," where it is said that the Autobots are powered by Energon. In the movie prior, "Revenge of the Fallen," it was explained that Energon is created by blowing up suns. But as "Everything Wrong With . . ." points out, the Autobots haven’t done that for thousands of years, so how could they have enough Energon to continue living? Then we are shown a scene with the Matrix of Leadership, which, it is pointed out, was the key to activating the machine that destroyed suns to create Energon to keep the Autobots alive. But all it takes is the Matrix to bring Sentinel Prime back from the dead. So if the Matrix is the only thing needed to pump life back into a Transformer, and keep him among the living, why the hell do you have to blow up suns to make Energon?
Not only that, but couldn’t you find another way to create your energy source that doesn’t require the annihilation of an entire star system? For that matter, what did Transformers do to maintain their existence before they developed the technology that causes super novas?
These are the sort of issues you need to hash out if you want your story to be believable to the reader.
my link text
There are a host of other web series that point out problems with storytelling in irreverent, snarky and even snobbish ways. They include:
"Cinema Snob," a.k.a Brad Jones, who delivers commentary on well-known films like "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street," as well as movies beyond the realm of obscure like "Fun in Balloon Land" and "Weasels Rip My Flesh" in a pretentious, sharp-witted manner.
my link text
"Brandon’s Cult Movie Reviews," starring Brandon Tenold. This Canadian Master of Snark spends his time ripping apart B-grade, even down to F-grade, sci-fi movies from the Godzilla franchise to "Turkish Batman". And lord help you if you made a movie like "Starcrash" or "Bigfoot" that features characters walking or driving to their destination for long periods of time, with absolutely nothing happening! Brandon will just throw a fit on how this brings the movie/story to a screeching halt.
my link text
"Honest Trailers": A condensed version of "Everything Wrong With . . ."
my link text
"Atop the Fourth Wall," starring Linkara, a.k.a Lewis Lovhaug. Instead of movies, he specializes in reviewing bad comic books. Not only does he do a very good job of showing the numerous reasons why stories like "All Star Batman and Robin" and "Justice League: Cry for Justice" fail, but sometimes he even goes into the scientific inaccuracies in comics. One of my favorites is the review of "Superman: Distant Fires," an “Elseworld” tale where Earth is devastated by a nuclear war, which somehow destabilizes its molten core and, several years later, causes the world to blow up. Linkara points out the Earth’s crust is so thick that even detonating every nuke in existence would not affect the molten core, let alone blow up the entire world.
And don’t even get me started on how the hell nuclear explosions would nullify the powers of every superhuman on Earth, let alone make the Joker sane. Science fiction or not, the story still has to make sense to the reader.
my link text
Catch a few episodes, take down some notes, and you can eliminate any plot holes or other elements of your story that may not make sense. Plus, you’ll get some great laughs out of these web shows.
Warning: Many of these web series contain adult language and graphic violence. If this bothers you, don’t watch it. If you do watch it and are bothered by it, do not complain to me, because I did warn you.
John J. Rust is a radio sportscaster in Arizona, a freelance writer, and author of the sci-fi novels “Sea Raptor” and “Dark Wings,” as well as the baseball book “The Best Phillies Team Ever.” All three books are available on Amazon.
What else is YouTube good for? How about helping you become a better writer.
What sort of videos can do this? No doubt there are lectures, presentations and interviews floating around YouTube featuring well-known authors talking about their craft. But those aren’t the videos I’m talking about. YouTube happens to be the home of some very entertaining and insightful movie review/critique shows. Yes, we are talking about two different mediums here, but one of the common themes these shows deal with is storytelling. What makes the plot succeed or fail? What causes a story to drag? What makes us not care about the characters?
One of the shows that does this exceptionally well is "The Nostalgia Critic." With a style ranging from sardonic to high energy to explosive ranting, the Nostalgia Critic (real name Doug Walker) has ripped apart pre-2000 movies and animated shows for the past several years. A great example of this is his review for "The Room," a laughably horrible drama produced by and starring Tommy Wiseau. It has been labeled in some circles as one of the worst movies ever! Or as the Critic calls it, an “anus of a performance.”
To go over every single aspect of bad storytelling in "The Room" would require this blog to be the length of a Tom Clancy novel. Besides, you can check it out in the link below. But one major flaw of the story the Critic brilliantly points out is the numerous scenes between the female lead, Lisa, and her mother. Every conversation revolves around Lisa saying she doesn't like her future husband, Johnny, while her mother expounds on what a wonderful man he is. At one point, the mother reveals she has breast cancer. So how does this impact the plot?
It doesn't! Lisa brushes it off with, “I’m sure you’ll be fine,” and it is never mentioned again. How many of us have learned that a friend or loved one has been diagnosed with cancer? There is always that combination of shock and fear. This was a great opportunity to see how Lisa deals with the emotional burden of falling out of love with Johnny while at the same time worrying about her mother’s declining health. Will she breakdown? Will something like this bring Lisa and Johnny back together? Who knows, because Tommy Wiseau ignored one of the basic tenants of good storytelling. Giving your characters numerous obstacles to try and overcome.
my link text
Another web series that does a great job pointing out faults and plot holes in stories/movies is "Everything Wrong With . . ." These episodes can spend ten to twenty minutes dissecting every error in big budget movies like "2012" or "Pacific Rim." Some of these errors are minor, but minor errors can be like mosquito bites. The more you have, the more annoying they become. One of the more helpful parts of "Everything Wrong With . . ." is nailing a major problems with some movies/stories, elements of the plot that just don’t make sense. A perfect example is in the episode featuring "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," where it is said that the Autobots are powered by Energon. In the movie prior, "Revenge of the Fallen," it was explained that Energon is created by blowing up suns. But as "Everything Wrong With . . ." points out, the Autobots haven’t done that for thousands of years, so how could they have enough Energon to continue living? Then we are shown a scene with the Matrix of Leadership, which, it is pointed out, was the key to activating the machine that destroyed suns to create Energon to keep the Autobots alive. But all it takes is the Matrix to bring Sentinel Prime back from the dead. So if the Matrix is the only thing needed to pump life back into a Transformer, and keep him among the living, why the hell do you have to blow up suns to make Energon?
Not only that, but couldn’t you find another way to create your energy source that doesn’t require the annihilation of an entire star system? For that matter, what did Transformers do to maintain their existence before they developed the technology that causes super novas?
These are the sort of issues you need to hash out if you want your story to be believable to the reader.
my link text
There are a host of other web series that point out problems with storytelling in irreverent, snarky and even snobbish ways. They include:
"Cinema Snob," a.k.a Brad Jones, who delivers commentary on well-known films like "Friday the 13th" and "Nightmare on Elm Street," as well as movies beyond the realm of obscure like "Fun in Balloon Land" and "Weasels Rip My Flesh" in a pretentious, sharp-witted manner.
my link text
"Brandon’s Cult Movie Reviews," starring Brandon Tenold. This Canadian Master of Snark spends his time ripping apart B-grade, even down to F-grade, sci-fi movies from the Godzilla franchise to "Turkish Batman". And lord help you if you made a movie like "Starcrash" or "Bigfoot" that features characters walking or driving to their destination for long periods of time, with absolutely nothing happening! Brandon will just throw a fit on how this brings the movie/story to a screeching halt.
my link text
"Honest Trailers": A condensed version of "Everything Wrong With . . ."
my link text
"Atop the Fourth Wall," starring Linkara, a.k.a Lewis Lovhaug. Instead of movies, he specializes in reviewing bad comic books. Not only does he do a very good job of showing the numerous reasons why stories like "All Star Batman and Robin" and "Justice League: Cry for Justice" fail, but sometimes he even goes into the scientific inaccuracies in comics. One of my favorites is the review of "Superman: Distant Fires," an “Elseworld” tale where Earth is devastated by a nuclear war, which somehow destabilizes its molten core and, several years later, causes the world to blow up. Linkara points out the Earth’s crust is so thick that even detonating every nuke in existence would not affect the molten core, let alone blow up the entire world.
And don’t even get me started on how the hell nuclear explosions would nullify the powers of every superhuman on Earth, let alone make the Joker sane. Science fiction or not, the story still has to make sense to the reader.
my link text
Catch a few episodes, take down some notes, and you can eliminate any plot holes or other elements of your story that may not make sense. Plus, you’ll get some great laughs out of these web shows.
Warning: Many of these web series contain adult language and graphic violence. If this bothers you, don’t watch it. If you do watch it and are bothered by it, do not complain to me, because I did warn you.
John J. Rust is a radio sportscaster in Arizona, a freelance writer, and author of the sci-fi novels “Sea Raptor” and “Dark Wings,” as well as the baseball book “The Best Phillies Team Ever.” All three books are available on Amazon.
August 4, 2014
It's the Little Things that Matter for Characters
Any writer or reader knows that character development is critical. You can have the greatest plot in the world, but if the story is filled with bland or unlikable characters, no one will be interested in it. In order to turn words on a page or screen into real people, attention must be paid to a character's personality, history, the way they talk, the way they interact with others and the way they deal with certain situations. Without all of that, you wind up with cardboard people.
But character development does not end there. Using my latest novel "Sea Raptor" as an example, in 250-plus pages we learn many important aspects about the main protagonist, Jack Rastun. He is intelligent, tough, honorable, resourceful, confident and does not think twice about putting his life on the line to save others. Pretty much what you'd expect in an action hero.
But no hero faces danger every minute of every day. No hero spends all their time honing their combat skills or reading about every potential threat in the world. Keeping a cryptozoological expedition safe from monsters, poachers and other threats is Jack Rastun's job. But let's look at our own lives. Does everything you do revolve around your job? I believe you and most other people would say no. So why should Rastun be any different?
Most of us have hobbies or interests separate from our jobs. For me, it's going to rock/metal concerts, collecting t-shirts and ballcaps, and learning about history. Fictional characters should also have hobbies and interests in order to make them fully fleshed out. Not only that, but it gives the reader a way to relate more with that character. Not many people know what it's like to be an Army Ranger like Jack Rastun. A lot of us, however, know what it's like to be a baseball fan. With a reference to Ryan Howard, as well as growing up in Philadelphia, we see that Rastun is a big Phillies fan, right down to the Phillies boxer shorts he wears in one scene. Now a lot of readers can see something they have in common with this hero. A love of baseball, or a love of sports in general.
But it doesn't have to end there. Most people like music. A monster-hunting hero shouldn't be any different. In one scene in "Sea Raptor," Rastun gets a call on his cell. It easy enough to say, "Rastun's cell phone rang." But this can be a great opportunity to flesh out his character a bit more. So I wrote that his ringtone was Iron Maiden's classic song, "The Trooper." Now we know in addition to being a huge Phillies fan, Rastun is also a metalhead.
Next we come to what I feel is one of Rastun's most unique aspects. With his parents working in leadership positions at the Philadelphia Zoo, he had the opportunity to learn a lot about the animal kingdom. This is an area of expertise you don't see with very many action heroes. In "Sea Raptor," what was simply an area of interest for Rastun outside his career in the Army ends up playing a critical role in his search for the sea monster terrorizing the Jersey Shore. Plus, how many of us are animal lovers? How many of us enjoy excursions to the zoo? How many of us start filming or snapping pictures when a deer or javelina or even a bear pop up into your yard? Now you have an action hero who shares your love of animals in Jack Rastun.
Examples of doing little things to make characters relatable to their fans can be found in many books and TV shows. In Leslie Charteris's series "The Saint," his iconic character, Simon Templar, in addition to battling evildoers, is a lover of poetry. Tony DiNozzo of "NCIS" is a huge movie buff and makes references to various films in nearly every episode. Who out there doesn't like a good movie or throws out a quote from a film when the situation calls for it?
It doesn't take much, just a sentence or two to make a character more well-rounded. What's the ringtone on his cell phone? What sports team or band logo do they have on their t-shirt? What's the cover photo on their Facebook page? It all helps the reader see a character, even one who is a former Army Ranger that hunts monsters for a living, as a real person.
-- John J. Rust is sports director of radio station KYCA in Arizona and the author of "Sea Raptor," available at www.amazon.com/Sea-Raptor-John-J-Rust... . Follow John on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnjrustauthor .
But character development does not end there. Using my latest novel "Sea Raptor" as an example, in 250-plus pages we learn many important aspects about the main protagonist, Jack Rastun. He is intelligent, tough, honorable, resourceful, confident and does not think twice about putting his life on the line to save others. Pretty much what you'd expect in an action hero.
But no hero faces danger every minute of every day. No hero spends all their time honing their combat skills or reading about every potential threat in the world. Keeping a cryptozoological expedition safe from monsters, poachers and other threats is Jack Rastun's job. But let's look at our own lives. Does everything you do revolve around your job? I believe you and most other people would say no. So why should Rastun be any different?
Most of us have hobbies or interests separate from our jobs. For me, it's going to rock/metal concerts, collecting t-shirts and ballcaps, and learning about history. Fictional characters should also have hobbies and interests in order to make them fully fleshed out. Not only that, but it gives the reader a way to relate more with that character. Not many people know what it's like to be an Army Ranger like Jack Rastun. A lot of us, however, know what it's like to be a baseball fan. With a reference to Ryan Howard, as well as growing up in Philadelphia, we see that Rastun is a big Phillies fan, right down to the Phillies boxer shorts he wears in one scene. Now a lot of readers can see something they have in common with this hero. A love of baseball, or a love of sports in general.
But it doesn't have to end there. Most people like music. A monster-hunting hero shouldn't be any different. In one scene in "Sea Raptor," Rastun gets a call on his cell. It easy enough to say, "Rastun's cell phone rang." But this can be a great opportunity to flesh out his character a bit more. So I wrote that his ringtone was Iron Maiden's classic song, "The Trooper." Now we know in addition to being a huge Phillies fan, Rastun is also a metalhead.
Next we come to what I feel is one of Rastun's most unique aspects. With his parents working in leadership positions at the Philadelphia Zoo, he had the opportunity to learn a lot about the animal kingdom. This is an area of expertise you don't see with very many action heroes. In "Sea Raptor," what was simply an area of interest for Rastun outside his career in the Army ends up playing a critical role in his search for the sea monster terrorizing the Jersey Shore. Plus, how many of us are animal lovers? How many of us enjoy excursions to the zoo? How many of us start filming or snapping pictures when a deer or javelina or even a bear pop up into your yard? Now you have an action hero who shares your love of animals in Jack Rastun.
Examples of doing little things to make characters relatable to their fans can be found in many books and TV shows. In Leslie Charteris's series "The Saint," his iconic character, Simon Templar, in addition to battling evildoers, is a lover of poetry. Tony DiNozzo of "NCIS" is a huge movie buff and makes references to various films in nearly every episode. Who out there doesn't like a good movie or throws out a quote from a film when the situation calls for it?
It doesn't take much, just a sentence or two to make a character more well-rounded. What's the ringtone on his cell phone? What sports team or band logo do they have on their t-shirt? What's the cover photo on their Facebook page? It all helps the reader see a character, even one who is a former Army Ranger that hunts monsters for a living, as a real person.
-- John J. Rust is sports director of radio station KYCA in Arizona and the author of "Sea Raptor," available at www.amazon.com/Sea-Raptor-John-J-Rust... . Follow John on Facebook at www.facebook.com/johnjrustauthor .
January 15, 2013
Fan Fiction is NOT a Waste of Time
A few years ago a friend of mine, who I will refer to as "Terry" in order to protect the true identity of the guilty party, told me that I was wasting my time writing fan fiction.
Was Terry right?
HELL NO!
I can already hear the arguments from some of you, a few of which Terry made. You're not writing original stuff. You're not getting paid for what you're writing. This is only for amateur writers, not professionals. Isn't fan fiction written by lonely people who still live with their parents? Heh, gotta love people who think in stereotypes.
Before I go on, I should probably explain what fan fiction is for the uninitiated. These are stories based on existing TV shows, movies, books, comics and even video games written by fans instead of their original creators/authors. And yes, many amateur writers populate these sites, the most prominent being www.fanfiction.net . Nothing wrong with that. Writers have to get their feet wet somewhere and sites like FFN are a great place to do it. Every writer wants their stories read and FFN has a very, very large audience. Granted, some universes have more readers than others. You're likely to get more hits with a "Harry Potter" or "NCIS" story than "F Troop" or "Centurions." Still, you will have readers, who if they like your story can hit the favorite tab. Even better, they can give you something all writers crave. Feedback! This, I feel, is one of the most important reasons for budding writers to dive into the world of fan fiction. It is important to find out from readers which elements worked in your story and which ones didn't. Granted, many times reviews consist of just a single line saying, "This was good" or "This was bad." Not very helpful. But there are times you will have a reviewer who takes the time to give you a very good critique. Also, be prepared to deal with what are called "flamers." These are people who stalk the fan fiction world and leave scathing reviews filled with personal attacks. Amateur writers should not be discouraged by them. I find it disheartening to hear writers talk about quitting because someone tore apart their story and insulted them. If you love to write, why would you let some jerk sitting at a computer thousands of miles away who you don't even know stop you from doing that? Besides, many of these flamers are cowards who leave their reviews anonymously or disable the private messaging feature on their personal page, meaning they can dish out the smack talk, but they can't take it. Just ignore them, or laugh about it, or count how many spelling mistakes they made and shake your head.
As for fan fiction being a waste of time, one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about how to become a better writer is this:
Keep writing!
If you are a writer and you are writing a story, you are not wasting time. Writers, by definition, write. Whether you are working on a novel, a short story for an anthology or a "Godzilla" fan fic, with every word you type out, you are improving your craft. You're fleshing out characters. You're tightening up action scenes. You're maintaining the flow and pace of the story. All of which can help when you write a story for publication in a paying market. For years I struggled with writing short stories. I'm more of a novel writer, who can spend 40 to 50 chapters telling my story and developing my characters. How the hell could I do that in 3,000 to 4,000 words?
The answer . . . fan fiction. I started out writing several "Harry Potter" short stories, or "one shots" in the fan fic world. This helped me focus on what was really important for story and character development. The result? Before my first story on FFN in 2007, I had zero short stories published outside the fan fiction world. Since that time, my short stories have appeared in five different anthologies.
Fan fiction also allows you to write outside your comfort zone. I'm mainly a sci-fi/action adventure writer. But with fan fiction I have delved into other genres, from drama to mystery to even romance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But you give it a shot. I'll never forget one comedy fan fic I did in the "Harry Potter" world titled "Family Reunion." In this story, Harry wound up marrying Luna Lovegood. Many years after the final battle with Voldemort, the couple is at the London Zoo when they run into Harry's vile aunt and uncle. Who hasn't thought of how the Dursleys would react to some as "unique" as Luna? When I finished writing the story and read it over a few times, I wondered if it was funny enough. It's true, comedy is the hardest genre to write in. Despite my concerns, I went ahead and posted it, thinking, "Well, it'll either fly or it'll sink. We'll see."
At the time of this blog, "Family Reunion" has been read by more than 19,400 people, favorited by 782 and reviewed by 202. It is my most popular story on FFN. In addition, fan fiction has helped me write believable teenage characters and strengthen my writing for female POV characters, both of which have benefitted me in my novels and short stories.
You also never know where a fan fiction story can lead. While there is a lot of bias in the publishing world toward authors taking fan fiction stories and turning them into original novels, remember this. "Fifty Shades of Grey" began life as a "Twilight" fanfic. E.L. James removed all references to vampires and Stephanie Meyer's characters and next thing you know, she has a best-selling novel. Obviously, that is the exception and not the norm. Still, it might be worth the chance taking the plot of your fanfic or any original characters, or OCs, you use in the story and transfer them into your own unique work.
Finally, another reason to write fan fiction. It's fun. Fan fiction let's us come up with answers we always ask about our favorite books, movies and TV shows. What if Harry married Luna instead of Ginny? What if Tony and Ziva from "NCIS" were actually in a relationship? What if "The Transformers" movies had actual character development? Fan fiction also allows us to combine different worlds. What if Doctor Who met Captain Kirk? What if the Jedi and Battlestar Galactica fought side-by-side? What if Jack Bauer and Jack Reacher worked on the same case? The history buff in me wondered what would happen if the Nazis found a way into Narnia? Thus, the fanfic "Warpath" was born. Last summer while on vacation I suddenly found myself thinking, "Hey, when 'War of the Worlds' ended, the Martians were dead, but all their technology was intact. What if the human race reverse-engineered it?" That idea gave rise to "War of the Worlds: Retaliation," where mankind invaded Mars in 1924 and famous soldiers like Patton, Rommel and de Gaulle fought the Martians. I have also combined my love of giant monster movies with my love of military adventure novels. "Return of Titanosaurus" and "Rise of the Mechakongs" are Godzilla fanfics set against the backdrops of U.S. conflicts with Venezuela and Iran respectively. "Gamera the Defender" features the giant fire-breathing turtle in the midst of a second Korean War. Even well known authors have written and still write fan fiction, including Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries")and Cassandra Clare ("The Mortal Instruments").
Not only is fan fiction a great writing exercise, but as I said, it's fun, and if you're not having fun writing, why do it?
----
John J. Rust is the author of the military sci-fi book "Dark Wings." He has also written several short stories, including "The Art of Fear" starring the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. His fan fiction stories can be found at www.fanfiction.net under the pen name JJ Rust.
Was Terry right?
HELL NO!
I can already hear the arguments from some of you, a few of which Terry made. You're not writing original stuff. You're not getting paid for what you're writing. This is only for amateur writers, not professionals. Isn't fan fiction written by lonely people who still live with their parents? Heh, gotta love people who think in stereotypes.
Before I go on, I should probably explain what fan fiction is for the uninitiated. These are stories based on existing TV shows, movies, books, comics and even video games written by fans instead of their original creators/authors. And yes, many amateur writers populate these sites, the most prominent being www.fanfiction.net . Nothing wrong with that. Writers have to get their feet wet somewhere and sites like FFN are a great place to do it. Every writer wants their stories read and FFN has a very, very large audience. Granted, some universes have more readers than others. You're likely to get more hits with a "Harry Potter" or "NCIS" story than "F Troop" or "Centurions." Still, you will have readers, who if they like your story can hit the favorite tab. Even better, they can give you something all writers crave. Feedback! This, I feel, is one of the most important reasons for budding writers to dive into the world of fan fiction. It is important to find out from readers which elements worked in your story and which ones didn't. Granted, many times reviews consist of just a single line saying, "This was good" or "This was bad." Not very helpful. But there are times you will have a reviewer who takes the time to give you a very good critique. Also, be prepared to deal with what are called "flamers." These are people who stalk the fan fiction world and leave scathing reviews filled with personal attacks. Amateur writers should not be discouraged by them. I find it disheartening to hear writers talk about quitting because someone tore apart their story and insulted them. If you love to write, why would you let some jerk sitting at a computer thousands of miles away who you don't even know stop you from doing that? Besides, many of these flamers are cowards who leave their reviews anonymously or disable the private messaging feature on their personal page, meaning they can dish out the smack talk, but they can't take it. Just ignore them, or laugh about it, or count how many spelling mistakes they made and shake your head.
As for fan fiction being a waste of time, one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard about how to become a better writer is this:
Keep writing!
If you are a writer and you are writing a story, you are not wasting time. Writers, by definition, write. Whether you are working on a novel, a short story for an anthology or a "Godzilla" fan fic, with every word you type out, you are improving your craft. You're fleshing out characters. You're tightening up action scenes. You're maintaining the flow and pace of the story. All of which can help when you write a story for publication in a paying market. For years I struggled with writing short stories. I'm more of a novel writer, who can spend 40 to 50 chapters telling my story and developing my characters. How the hell could I do that in 3,000 to 4,000 words?
The answer . . . fan fiction. I started out writing several "Harry Potter" short stories, or "one shots" in the fan fic world. This helped me focus on what was really important for story and character development. The result? Before my first story on FFN in 2007, I had zero short stories published outside the fan fiction world. Since that time, my short stories have appeared in five different anthologies.
Fan fiction also allows you to write outside your comfort zone. I'm mainly a sci-fi/action adventure writer. But with fan fiction I have delved into other genres, from drama to mystery to even romance. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But you give it a shot. I'll never forget one comedy fan fic I did in the "Harry Potter" world titled "Family Reunion." In this story, Harry wound up marrying Luna Lovegood. Many years after the final battle with Voldemort, the couple is at the London Zoo when they run into Harry's vile aunt and uncle. Who hasn't thought of how the Dursleys would react to some as "unique" as Luna? When I finished writing the story and read it over a few times, I wondered if it was funny enough. It's true, comedy is the hardest genre to write in. Despite my concerns, I went ahead and posted it, thinking, "Well, it'll either fly or it'll sink. We'll see."
At the time of this blog, "Family Reunion" has been read by more than 19,400 people, favorited by 782 and reviewed by 202. It is my most popular story on FFN. In addition, fan fiction has helped me write believable teenage characters and strengthen my writing for female POV characters, both of which have benefitted me in my novels and short stories.
You also never know where a fan fiction story can lead. While there is a lot of bias in the publishing world toward authors taking fan fiction stories and turning them into original novels, remember this. "Fifty Shades of Grey" began life as a "Twilight" fanfic. E.L. James removed all references to vampires and Stephanie Meyer's characters and next thing you know, she has a best-selling novel. Obviously, that is the exception and not the norm. Still, it might be worth the chance taking the plot of your fanfic or any original characters, or OCs, you use in the story and transfer them into your own unique work.
Finally, another reason to write fan fiction. It's fun. Fan fiction let's us come up with answers we always ask about our favorite books, movies and TV shows. What if Harry married Luna instead of Ginny? What if Tony and Ziva from "NCIS" were actually in a relationship? What if "The Transformers" movies had actual character development? Fan fiction also allows us to combine different worlds. What if Doctor Who met Captain Kirk? What if the Jedi and Battlestar Galactica fought side-by-side? What if Jack Bauer and Jack Reacher worked on the same case? The history buff in me wondered what would happen if the Nazis found a way into Narnia? Thus, the fanfic "Warpath" was born. Last summer while on vacation I suddenly found myself thinking, "Hey, when 'War of the Worlds' ended, the Martians were dead, but all their technology was intact. What if the human race reverse-engineered it?" That idea gave rise to "War of the Worlds: Retaliation," where mankind invaded Mars in 1924 and famous soldiers like Patton, Rommel and de Gaulle fought the Martians. I have also combined my love of giant monster movies with my love of military adventure novels. "Return of Titanosaurus" and "Rise of the Mechakongs" are Godzilla fanfics set against the backdrops of U.S. conflicts with Venezuela and Iran respectively. "Gamera the Defender" features the giant fire-breathing turtle in the midst of a second Korean War. Even well known authors have written and still write fan fiction, including Meg Cabot ("The Princess Diaries")and Cassandra Clare ("The Mortal Instruments").
Not only is fan fiction a great writing exercise, but as I said, it's fun, and if you're not having fun writing, why do it?
----
John J. Rust is the author of the military sci-fi book "Dark Wings." He has also written several short stories, including "The Art of Fear" starring the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe. His fan fiction stories can be found at www.fanfiction.net under the pen name JJ Rust.
September 3, 2012
Mothman and the Jersey Devil. Do I Believe?
In the world of cryptozoology, Mothman and the Jersey Devils are two of the most sci-fi-like cryptids out there. What exactly are they? Aliens? Demons? Some other supernatural creature? It's one of the reasons I used both of them for the villians in my book "Dark Wings." Another is just my fascination with these creatures, especially the Jersey Devil. I grew up in New Jersey. I heard all sorts of stories about the Jersey Devil. One reported sighting took place at Kuser Park in Hamilton Township, just a few miles from the where I used to live.
So given all the alleged sightings of these two monsters over the years, given the fact I wrote about them in my new book, I have a feeling some of you out there are asking, "John, do you actually believe in creatures like this?"
My answer is yes AND no.
Now how can that be, you ask?
Well, for most of these cryptids, I do tend to lean more to the believer side than the non-believer side. I can't become a 100 percent believer until someone actually brings forth physical proof. Not a strand of hair, not a footprint, not some dark hump that someone photographs in a lake and says that's the Loch Ness Monster or the Lake Champlain Monster. I mean they actually capture a live specimen or they come across a body.
That makes me sound like more of a skeptic, doesn't it? So wny would I say I lean more toward the believer side than non-believer side? Maybe part of it is, being a science fiction writer, I love the idea that apemen, dinosaurs, et al might actually exist. Though that's more hope than belief. But when I look at the lengthy list of cryptid sightings over the centuries, when people collect samples like footprints or hair, when photographs and videos surface of these things, it makes me say, "Maybe there is something to this."
Granted, a lot of photos and videos are faked, and many eyewitness accounts can just be known animals that are misidentified or outright lies. Now what about the rest of them? Some of these eyewtiness accounts have come from reputable people, such as law enforcement officers. Some of them have given their accounts while hooked up to a polygraph, and passed! Then there's the one piece of video evidence that pushes me toward the believer side, at least for one crytid. The 1967 Roger Patterson film of Bigfoot. It clearly shows a large, ape-like creature walking along a treeline before heading into the woods in Northern California. I have seen several documentaries about this film, all of which attempted a variety of methods to see if it could be faked. What they found was the creature's gait and movements could not have been done by a person in a costume!
That's a pretty good piece of evidence to me, better than the Moon landing conspiracy nuts who point to an astronaut's shadow or how the American flag looks and go, "See! See! They faked it!" Still, it's just another piece of the cryptozoological puzzle, not absolute proof.
Will we ever find proof that creatures like Mothman, The Jersey Devil, Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster truly exist? Well, gorillas were thought to be mythical creatures until the mid-19th Century. The Coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, was thought to have been extinct for millions of years until a live specimen was caught off the South African coast in 1938. Between 1999-2009, more than 1,200 new animal and insect species were discovered just in the Amazon rainforest. Even in this world of instant communication, Google Maps and a population of 6 billion people, there are still many parts of this planet that have barely been explored by humans. Who knows what fantastic creatures may live in those places?
Until they're discovered, they will provide a great source of story ideas for writers like me.
"Dark Wings" is available at www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-John-Rus... and as an ebook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/102426 .
So given all the alleged sightings of these two monsters over the years, given the fact I wrote about them in my new book, I have a feeling some of you out there are asking, "John, do you actually believe in creatures like this?"
My answer is yes AND no.
Now how can that be, you ask?
Well, for most of these cryptids, I do tend to lean more to the believer side than the non-believer side. I can't become a 100 percent believer until someone actually brings forth physical proof. Not a strand of hair, not a footprint, not some dark hump that someone photographs in a lake and says that's the Loch Ness Monster or the Lake Champlain Monster. I mean they actually capture a live specimen or they come across a body.
That makes me sound like more of a skeptic, doesn't it? So wny would I say I lean more toward the believer side than non-believer side? Maybe part of it is, being a science fiction writer, I love the idea that apemen, dinosaurs, et al might actually exist. Though that's more hope than belief. But when I look at the lengthy list of cryptid sightings over the centuries, when people collect samples like footprints or hair, when photographs and videos surface of these things, it makes me say, "Maybe there is something to this."
Granted, a lot of photos and videos are faked, and many eyewitness accounts can just be known animals that are misidentified or outright lies. Now what about the rest of them? Some of these eyewtiness accounts have come from reputable people, such as law enforcement officers. Some of them have given their accounts while hooked up to a polygraph, and passed! Then there's the one piece of video evidence that pushes me toward the believer side, at least for one crytid. The 1967 Roger Patterson film of Bigfoot. It clearly shows a large, ape-like creature walking along a treeline before heading into the woods in Northern California. I have seen several documentaries about this film, all of which attempted a variety of methods to see if it could be faked. What they found was the creature's gait and movements could not have been done by a person in a costume!
That's a pretty good piece of evidence to me, better than the Moon landing conspiracy nuts who point to an astronaut's shadow or how the American flag looks and go, "See! See! They faked it!" Still, it's just another piece of the cryptozoological puzzle, not absolute proof.
Will we ever find proof that creatures like Mothman, The Jersey Devil, Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster truly exist? Well, gorillas were thought to be mythical creatures until the mid-19th Century. The Coelacanth, a prehistoric fish, was thought to have been extinct for millions of years until a live specimen was caught off the South African coast in 1938. Between 1999-2009, more than 1,200 new animal and insect species were discovered just in the Amazon rainforest. Even in this world of instant communication, Google Maps and a population of 6 billion people, there are still many parts of this planet that have barely been explored by humans. Who knows what fantastic creatures may live in those places?
Until they're discovered, they will provide a great source of story ideas for writers like me.
"Dark Wings" is available at www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-John-Rus... and as an ebook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/102426 .
May 21, 2012
Sadistic Writer, a good thing?
Recently I had the opportunity to be on Dr. Terry Lovell's radio show on KYCA-AM and talk about my book "Dark Wings." No surprise, I got asked about how I write. One of things I pointed out was that in order to be a good writer, you have to be a sadist. What do I mean by that? Basically, you need to make your characters suffer. Keep piling on the challenges, angst, disappointments and hardships. And I said this with a smile, and if I remember right, a chuckle.
Well, karma must have caught up with me, because days later, I'm watching the movie "Serenity," the wrap-up to the brilliant TV series "Firefly" (Oh, I should mention, spoiler alert coming). So I get to the point where Serenity is weaving its way through a huge battle between the Alliance and the Reavers. The pilot, Wash, one of my favorite characters, is yanking and banking and doing everything he can to shake off a pursuing Reaver ship. He flies into a large building and pulls off an incredible crash landing. So I'm relieved, thinking they've escaped danger, and grinning at Wash's line, "I am a leaf on the wind."
Then BAM! Harpoon through the windshield. Harpoon through Wash. Just like that, Wash is dead.
What!?! Are you kidding me? They killed Wash? What the hell? Next thing you know, I'm shouting profanities at series creator Joss Whedon, including, "you sadistic bastard."
But through my anger, I had to give props to Whedon for his talent as a storyteller. I would never have reacted that way had Wash not been such a compelling character. For me, Wash was the every man. He wasn't tall and dashing and muscular. He was just, well, a guy, with a wicked, sometimes biting, sense of humor, who as luck would have it, was married to a gorgeous, kick-ass space amazon, a.k.a., Zoe. You couldn't help but root for him. And that's why I had such a visceral reaction to his death.
Again, this is why being a sadist is necessary for being a writer. If you come up with a cool character and kill them off - which I have done on a few occassions - and readers start calling you a bastard, then you know you have done your job. You have pulled them into the story. You have made him or her care about a person who, let's face it, is nothing more than words on paper or on a screen.
But keep in mind, being a sadaist doesn't mean just killing off cool characters. You can't kill too many of them in a story, otherwise you risk alienating your readers. To quote another great "Firefly" line, this one from the villain Niska, "When you die, I can no longer hurt you."
Killing is quick. But you can make your characters suffer, and suffer, and suffer. Harry Potter is a perfect example. Think of everything he went through, from the death of his parents to having Voldemort targeting him to periods of alienation at school and so on and so on. And who can ever forget all the crap that happened to him in "The Order of the Phoenix." But that's what made him such a sympathetic character. So many bad things happened to Harry, you couldn't help but feel for the guy and pray something good would happen to him. When things did go well for him, like winning the Quidditch Cup in Book Three or kissing Cho Chang in Book Five, you had to give a fist pump. In my novel "Dark Wings," Major Jim Rhyne has enough problems fighting otherworldly creatures who have invaded Earth. But what happens when, on top of that, he is still coming to grips with the death of his wife, a death he blames himself for? The hero always has one main problem to overcome. Now add in another problem, and another and another. The death of Jim's wife is obviously a huge issue for him. But his grief filters its way into other aspects of his life, from his decisions on the battlefield to his dealings with a female soldier who is attracted to him.
Challenges and hardships are necessary for any character you want the reader to get behind. Who's going to be sympathetic to a character who has everything go his or her way? Boooo-ring! But throw lots of obstacles in your hero's path, and now you've made things interesting.
I will admit, making your characters suffer isn't easy. They're your creation. You care about them, you nuture them and make them grow. It's kind of like with children. You don't want anything bad to happen to them. But sometimes that love and caring needs to get shoved into a lock box so you can dump ten tons of bad on them. If you pull it off right, you may have a fan say to you, "You sadastic bastard! I can't believe you did that to (insert character name here)!
"Oh, by the way, I still enjoy your books."
--John J. Rust is the author of the sci-fi invasion novel "Dark Wings, available from Amazon or as an e-book at smashwords.com .
Well, karma must have caught up with me, because days later, I'm watching the movie "Serenity," the wrap-up to the brilliant TV series "Firefly" (Oh, I should mention, spoiler alert coming). So I get to the point where Serenity is weaving its way through a huge battle between the Alliance and the Reavers. The pilot, Wash, one of my favorite characters, is yanking and banking and doing everything he can to shake off a pursuing Reaver ship. He flies into a large building and pulls off an incredible crash landing. So I'm relieved, thinking they've escaped danger, and grinning at Wash's line, "I am a leaf on the wind."
Then BAM! Harpoon through the windshield. Harpoon through Wash. Just like that, Wash is dead.
What!?! Are you kidding me? They killed Wash? What the hell? Next thing you know, I'm shouting profanities at series creator Joss Whedon, including, "you sadistic bastard."
But through my anger, I had to give props to Whedon for his talent as a storyteller. I would never have reacted that way had Wash not been such a compelling character. For me, Wash was the every man. He wasn't tall and dashing and muscular. He was just, well, a guy, with a wicked, sometimes biting, sense of humor, who as luck would have it, was married to a gorgeous, kick-ass space amazon, a.k.a., Zoe. You couldn't help but root for him. And that's why I had such a visceral reaction to his death.
Again, this is why being a sadist is necessary for being a writer. If you come up with a cool character and kill them off - which I have done on a few occassions - and readers start calling you a bastard, then you know you have done your job. You have pulled them into the story. You have made him or her care about a person who, let's face it, is nothing more than words on paper or on a screen.
But keep in mind, being a sadaist doesn't mean just killing off cool characters. You can't kill too many of them in a story, otherwise you risk alienating your readers. To quote another great "Firefly" line, this one from the villain Niska, "When you die, I can no longer hurt you."
Killing is quick. But you can make your characters suffer, and suffer, and suffer. Harry Potter is a perfect example. Think of everything he went through, from the death of his parents to having Voldemort targeting him to periods of alienation at school and so on and so on. And who can ever forget all the crap that happened to him in "The Order of the Phoenix." But that's what made him such a sympathetic character. So many bad things happened to Harry, you couldn't help but feel for the guy and pray something good would happen to him. When things did go well for him, like winning the Quidditch Cup in Book Three or kissing Cho Chang in Book Five, you had to give a fist pump. In my novel "Dark Wings," Major Jim Rhyne has enough problems fighting otherworldly creatures who have invaded Earth. But what happens when, on top of that, he is still coming to grips with the death of his wife, a death he blames himself for? The hero always has one main problem to overcome. Now add in another problem, and another and another. The death of Jim's wife is obviously a huge issue for him. But his grief filters its way into other aspects of his life, from his decisions on the battlefield to his dealings with a female soldier who is attracted to him.
Challenges and hardships are necessary for any character you want the reader to get behind. Who's going to be sympathetic to a character who has everything go his or her way? Boooo-ring! But throw lots of obstacles in your hero's path, and now you've made things interesting.
I will admit, making your characters suffer isn't easy. They're your creation. You care about them, you nuture them and make them grow. It's kind of like with children. You don't want anything bad to happen to them. But sometimes that love and caring needs to get shoved into a lock box so you can dump ten tons of bad on them. If you pull it off right, you may have a fan say to you, "You sadastic bastard! I can't believe you did that to (insert character name here)!
"Oh, by the way, I still enjoy your books."
--John J. Rust is the author of the sci-fi invasion novel "Dark Wings, available from Amazon or as an e-book at smashwords.com .
May 8, 2012
Radio Interview
Getting folks in the media to read your indie book or just talk to you about it is not easy. I can't tell you how many press releases and notifications I've sent out and have not heard anything back. Still, you have to plug away, because sooner or later, someone will be interested in your work.
That happened today. Radio talk show host Dr. Terry Lovell, "The Professor of Freedom," did read my book, and he did like it. So guess who's going to be on his show? That's right, me. Tune in on www.kyca.info Wednesday 5/9/12 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, 7 p.m. Eastern Time as I talk about my sci-fi book "Dark Wings." I'm already visualizing questions Dr. Lovell might ask and my responses to them. You have to go into this prepared.
That happened today. Radio talk show host Dr. Terry Lovell, "The Professor of Freedom," did read my book, and he did like it. So guess who's going to be on his show? That's right, me. Tune in on www.kyca.info Wednesday 5/9/12 at 4 p.m. Pacific Time, 7 p.m. Eastern Time as I talk about my sci-fi book "Dark Wings." I'm already visualizing questions Dr. Lovell might ask and my responses to them. You have to go into this prepared.
April 20, 2012
Interview on "Dark Wings" up
Exciting day! My first interview regarding my book "Dark Wings" is now up for the world to see. I have to thank writer Lisa Haselton for giving me some time on her blog. Check out the interview at http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandintervi... .
By the way, I came across this really cool quote from the great Ray Bradbury when it comes to writing.
"Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer."
That quote dovetails into advice I've heard from other writers. How do you become a better writer? You write. You write and write and just keep writing. Like with anything else, the more you do it, the better you'll get.
Have a good day, all, and, to purchase my book "Dark Wings," go to http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-J...
You can also get it as an e-book at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... .
By the way, I came across this really cool quote from the great Ray Bradbury when it comes to writing.
"Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he'll eventually make some kind of career for himself as a writer."
That quote dovetails into advice I've heard from other writers. How do you become a better writer? You write. You write and write and just keep writing. Like with anything else, the more you do it, the better you'll get.
Have a good day, all, and, to purchase my book "Dark Wings," go to http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-J...
You can also get it as an e-book at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/... .
April 17, 2012
First Interview for "Dark Wings"
Perseverance does pay off. As an independent author, getting publicity for your book can be hard. You send out one notice after another to various media outlets, and don't hear anything back. That may make you think, "Why am I bothering?" Well, finally all those releases paid off. This Friday, 4/20/12, my interview with writer/reviewer Lisa Haselton will appear on her blog, http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandintervi... . The bulk of the interview concerns my new military sci-fi book "Dark Wings." Very much looking forward to this. My feeling, if one person wants to interview me on my book, there are others out there who will, too. If you want to buy "Dark Wings and read about a Delta Force major fighting creatures that resemble Mothman and the Jersey Devil who have invaded Earth, go to http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wings-Mr-J... , or for the e-book, go to www.smashwords.com/books/views/102426 .
