tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50768583760118208442024-03-19T18:25:47.624-04:00Green GatesLet's talk about writing, reading and viewing science fiction, fantasy and horror!Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.comBlogger444125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-27518096002067236132018-02-05T14:24:00.003-05:002018-02-05T14:24:57.577-05:00Who is it for?I have been thinking a lot lately about "who" do I write for? And by that I mean, the intended audience. I realized a long time ago that primarily, I write for me, myself and I, but there is always the nagging question of "who might read this?"<br />
<br />
And of course, we hope the answer is never, "Well, nobody would read this"<br />
<br />
Of course that's not the answer...don't listen to the lizard voice of doubt...but I digress :)<br />
<br />
In order to find your voice, you do want to know who might read your work. This has evolved for me.<br />
<br />
I originally suppose I thought I wanted the same people who would read <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jordan" target="_blank">Robert Jordan</a>, <a href="http://terrybrooks.net/" target="_blank">Terry Brooks</a>, <a href="http://www.georgerrmartin.com/" target="_blank">George RR Martin</a>, <a href="https://www.joeabercrombie.com/" target="_blank">Joe Abercrombie</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Eddings" target="_blank">David Eddings</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien" target="_blank">JRR Tolkien</a> and <a href="https://brandonsanderson.com/" target="_blank">Brandon Sanderson</a> to read my work.<br />
<br />
As I wrote, I realized that I do not approach the sort of writing that might be considered "literary". Oh, I might sneak in a good turn of phrase, a nice metaphor and a funny line occasionally, but I am not Ernest Hemingway by a long shot (and who is, quite frankly?)<br />
<br />
So as I wrote, and I read more books (it is imperative, in my opinion, that a writer reads way more than they write), I began to see that I was closer to the tone of <a href="http://rasalvatore.com/" target="_blank">RA Salvatore</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell" target="_blank">David Gemmel</a> or <a href="https://www.tor.com/2014/08/21/thirty-years-on-margaret-weis-and-tracy-hickman-and-the-legacy-of-mortality/" target="_blank">Tracy Hickman and Margaret W</a>eis, though I still felt (and feel) like I'm comparing myself to giants when I type that. And I don't mean to imply that these authors are not as "good" as the list above...their tone is, in my opinion, different though. A bit more action movie than grand epic (though some have some pretty grand scope!).<br />
<br />
Then I began to see the sources of my inspiration. Star Wars and specifically the Clone Wars TV show, Justice League (the animated show), Video Game trailers by Blizzard (Warcraft, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo) and Games Workshop (Any Warhammer trailer). I also looked at my subject matter and realized that I was writing for, generically, "fanboys" (and I attach no ill will to that characterization. I consider myself a huge fanboy. Maybe a sort of OG fanboy)<br />
<br />
One thing though, many of my friends had kids that were becoming young teens and I realized that those folks read things like Harry Potter. Books with some pretty dark action, but acceptable to young readers.<br />
<br />
So where did that leave me? I write for fanboys and fangirls. From 15-85 years of age. There is adult content (people die in my books) but I typically tone down the swearing and graphic sex (of course there are exceptions like "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warchitect-Grimaul-Grimoire-1-ebook/dp/B01L83J2D8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517858171&sr=1-1&keywords=warchitect" target="_blank">The Warchitect</a>" but any collaboration with Tim Green is a bit darker in tone, but also a lot more epic in scope).<br />
<br />
Now, not just any 15-85 year old fanboys/fangirls. People who like Star Wars, superheroes, World of Warcraft, Warhammer, Diablo, The Witcher and things like that...so basically I write for myself.<br />
<br />
Having decided that, and having found a tone that fits has really given me peace when writing. I picture who might be reading this, and I write things that I enjoy, but that might also please my now-specific crowd!<br />
<br />
So if you are thinking about writing, don't just think about what you want to write about, but who you might be writing for as well. Keep them in mind and get to work!Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-3094095502841771572018-02-01T09:21:00.003-05:002018-02-01T09:21:52.884-05:00Fan fictionI don't know what most opinions are about fan fiction and fan films. I know some are not considered very good, but some are just amazing.<br />
For me, if people are creating things, then it's all good. Even if they need to use the springboard of someone else's creativity to find their muse.<br />
Here's an example.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9GRYa_3gno" target="_blank">This is a short fan film</a>, an anime version of a space battle set in the Star Wars universe. It's not huge on story, but it is a great little film and it certainly gives one the sense of a larger story waiting in the wings. This little squadron of Tie Fighters seems like some deep characters of which we are only getting a quick glimpse.<br />
<br />
This version is remastered in that someone else took the original work and added music from the films. A great example of a work of fan art, put on the internet, and then made even more solid by the internet community.<br />
<br />
My review - pure awesomeness and a job well done!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9GRYa_3gno" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1164" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilB7kPObn-mdsPO7DRQyUDL2ITWsY5ahZ7lIC2b2uqdETb_MQe8J4IKQNPGe_-PZDgdRls_j_JISVowm8auFnh7JLu4q2aT5KQ6fiuqvbKywKJEum90tkbIXb-YOk3C9pBqvExW7s0zyGd/s320/TieFighter_POSTER.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
<br />
Check it out right <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9GRYa_3gno" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-44959286736828365112017-11-29T10:35:00.001-05:002017-11-29T10:35:58.654-05:00<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/" target="_blank">Mary Robinette Kowal</a></span></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJORR-beQ8LAgCPmyb9cX5TET51xoJW65ho5C3w1BuoVI59idYx65pdre-HhyphenhyphenPglVQFmJ_Iv9UNxYBQOIJKvBzY2mEWZ0icZK0vfVVQwWu85dHEBWhAR0aHiLPZoHANuYqx6AWQp2YquXI/s1600/Mary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJORR-beQ8LAgCPmyb9cX5TET51xoJW65ho5C3w1BuoVI59idYx65pdre-HhyphenhyphenPglVQFmJ_Iv9UNxYBQOIJKvBzY2mEWZ0icZK0vfVVQwWu85dHEBWhAR0aHiLPZoHANuYqx6AWQp2YquXI/s1600/Mary.jpg" /></a></div>
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I felt inspired today to write a post about a fellow author who I greatly admire (<a href="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/" target="_blank">Mary Robinette Kowal</a>). Complete disclosure, I am also related to Mary (she's my cousin) but that has nothing to do with how much I admire her, other than being the reason we first met.<br />
A little history: Mary is the granddaughter of my great aunt. The whole side of the family is amazing, but that's too much to go into.<br />
<br />
We met when I was...maybe 8 or 9 (at least that's when I first remember meeting her). It's locked in my memory because she and her brother Steve introduced me to a "new game" at the time "Dungeons and Dragons". I discovered what a halfling was, and I never looked back. This fantasy world was somewhere I wanted to be. It resembled the small town I grew up in along with the woods, fields and streams but it was different and magical and amazing.<br />
<br />
I never stopped roleplaying. I also was determined to write, so that I could always spend part of my time in another world, a world where things made more sense to me sometimes.<br />
So I am forever indebted to Mary for showing me the door...like finding a magic wardrobe in a relative house.<br />
<br />
Mary and I had no interaction for many years, but then the internet came along and I was able to catch up with Mary. She was an accomplished puppeteer (I think that's the word), she married a sommelier (or maybe he owns a vineyard - either way, it's cool.)<br />
<br />
But most importantly, she also wrote! Science fiction and fantasy. And she is way, way, WAY better than I am (<a href="http://maryrobinettekowal.com/" target="_blank">that's how you win a Hugo</a>). So I started following her on all the social media I could find. She is socially conscious, funny, well read, has many cool hobbies (like making dresses that come straight out of the victorian age). Monte Cook is her personal friend (invented D&D with Gary Gygax #geektrivia)<br />
<br />
So if you haven't read any good books lately, or you are looking for a good read, check out her page, or buzz over to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_20?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mary+robinette+kowal&sprefix=mary+robinette+kowal%2Caps%2C186&crid=2LY98SV97O7DJ" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and pick one up. Follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=Mary%20Robinette%20Kowal&src=tyah" target="_blank">twitter</a> or something. My cousin is definitely living her best life. She's inspirational and interesting. I'm really proud to be her relative (I probably find a way to work it into conversations a bit too much in fact...like today)<br />
<br />
Later<br />
JGJoel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-66954870442567064602017-11-22T14:24:00.001-05:002017-11-22T14:24:15.169-05:00<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Fist_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Iron Fist</a> is taking all while to get through!!!</span></b><br />
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A little history:<br />
When <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daredevil_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Daredevil</a> first appeared on Netflix, I was instantly hooked. As a huge fan of the DD comic, the look and tone of the show really spoke to me and I DEVOURED it. Then <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Cage_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Luke Cage</a> came along and I devoured it even more! Again, I just loved the way the show felt. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Jones_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Jessica Jones</a> was a bit of a stranger to me to be honest, but I love the how and the actress is amazing. My wife and I both loved that one!<br />
Now, I know <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Defenders_(miniseries)" target="_blank">Defenders</a> is out here, and I want to get to it so bad! I loved the Defenders comics, but first I have to get through Iron Fist.<br />
Now, my fandom of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Fist_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Iron Fist</a> comics is legendary. I love the guy. I always have. And I don't hate the show, but something is keeping me from blasting through it like I did the others. I'm not sure what the problem is. It is intriguing and I like the action. It has just become a bit of a slog. Now, I will say that later episodes have gotten better and better, so it may have been an issue of a long-developing plotline, which is fine.<br />
Either way, I am a couple of episodes from finishing and then I get to dive into The Defenders!<br />
<br />
As for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Punisher_(TV_series)" target="_blank">Punisher</a>...never been a fan...but I will give it a go and we will talk about it here :)<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-6647538865505814282017-11-20T16:24:00.001-05:002017-11-21T08:21:04.848-05:00Thinking about Super hero movies today (after seeing all the posts about Justice League). Here is a random list of my favorites (in no particular order)<br />
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Watchmen<br />
Hancock<br />
Avengers<br />
Avengers: Age of Ultron<br />
Civil War<br />
Fantastic Four (the first one)<br />
Batman Vs. Superman<br />
Suicide Squad<br />
Jumper (I love superhuman movies about metahuman that don't wear tights)<br />
Chronicle<br />
Carrie<br />
Firestarter<br />
Captain America (all of them)<br />
Iron Man (all of them)<br />
Thor (all of them)<br />
The Dark Knight trilogy<br />
Man of Steel<br />
Blade (all of them)<br />
Hellboy (all of them - even the animated ones)<br />
X-men (all of them)<br />
Wolverine (all of them EXCEPT LOGAN)<br />
Deadpool<br />
<br />
UPDATE:<br />
How did I forget about<br />
Kick Ass (both of them)<br />
<br />
Thinking about developing a GGE superhero property...possibly as a fake news site, but the fake news is about super heroes....thoughts?<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-64855618606878555932017-11-17T09:30:00.000-05:002017-11-17T09:30:34.100-05:00<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fantastic Beasts 2 - Johnny Depp's involvement controversial?</span></b><br />
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I'm seeing lots of controversial press about Depp's role in Fantastic Beasts 2. He plays the main villain (I'm assuming) Gellert Grindelwald.<br />
I have read the Harry Potter books (obviously) and seen the movies and I loved Fantastic Beasts. I'm not sure I get the controversy. At least around the casting.<br />
Depp hasn't been seen as a franchise killer in the past. He's an actor that is known for creating iconic roles. And this look? Amazing. Rowling wrote the screenplay, so I can't imagine it being anything short of amazing.<br />
I'm reminded a little of Tom Cruise's casting as Lestat a million years ago. People decried it, but he was amazing in that role!<br />
Now, if people are protesting because of reasons of Johnny Depp's character after the blow up between he and Amber Heard...well, I can hardly fault people there. I admit to not having the facts of the case (I tend to try and avoid the news in the "real world". Just too damn depressing), but if he is some sort of abusive monster, then that is heart breaking and disappointing.<br />
I don't want to belittle those reasons, but I will say that I do expect the movie to be a good one and I expect his acting will create another unforgettable character.<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-28174566802020715172017-11-16T08:21:00.001-05:002017-11-16T08:21:21.770-05:00<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/30-dc-movies-ranked-including-justice-league-150030893.html" target="_blank">This is a great list that ranks 30 DC Universe movies (click here)</a>. And I agree, for the most part with the rankings with only a couple of exceptions.<br />
First, let me be clear, I love all of these movies. Why?<br />
A) I'm a fan boy and I love the entire superhero genre. Now, don't get me wrong, I know there are various levels of "camp" that some people like more than others. And some of these are long on camp (Steel), but I don't mind some campy action. Not one bit :)<br />
B) I don't like trashing other creators' work. These are all labors of love, just like my own stuff and I would hate to land on a list of hated works. I like to labor under the notion that people out there "get me" and my art. So based on that same thought, I don't view everything as "good" or "bad" based solely on how much I enjoy it. Though I enjoy movies that other people just loathe. I always look for the gems amongst a few weeds.<br />
<br />
So, my thoughts on the list itself? I am so happy to see "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409459/" target="_blank">Watchmen</a>" listed so high! I love "Watchmen"!<br />
I would personally put "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386697/" target="_blank">Suicide Squad</a>" much higher. I love that movie so much!<br />
I might bump "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2975590/" target="_blank">Batman vs. Superman</a>" a little higher as well, and "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480255/" target="_blank">The Losers</a>"...I love that movie. I know it bombed, but I just love it, and I do know the reference material...I possess more than a few vintage "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Losers_(comics)" target="_blank">Losers" comics</a> (both the original and the Vertigo re-imagining).<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-53702130288433590432017-11-15T10:03:00.003-05:002017-11-15T10:03:44.016-05:00Find time for our creative pursuits...<br />
<br />
So anyone associated with Green Gates Entertainment also has a full time job that does not involve dragons, spaceships, superheros or vampires (unfortunately).<br />
So we, like most others of a creative bent, struggle with finding time for our pursuits - except perhaps for Green himself who seems to have unlimited energy to make his worlds a reality...just check out <a href="http://www.hauntedcavern.com/dread-hollow-2017/" target="_blank">Dread Hollow</a> in Chattanooga, TN. A complete small town built to deliver chilling and haunting experience throughout the whole year. Think of it as a horror movie you can visit where the characters stay the same but the story around them continues to evolve. How cool is that?<br />
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For me (Gates), I constantly struggle with balancing my time. Between work, family, writing and trying to stay in a modicum of good health, I find my time diminishes quickly (I also like to play music, brew beer and still make time for some epic <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG" target="_blank">Pathfinder!</a>).<br />
<br />
So here is my current plan - lately I have been balancing work, family, and exercise well. So my new plan is to set aside one hour, early in the day when I walk into my home office, and write, blog, promote, submit, etc. I have been going well for this first hour of today. Let's see how I do at keeping that going!<br />
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What tips, tricks or techniques might you have for ensuring you keep the creativity flowing while balancing your time in the "real world"?Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-91986420751527997242016-09-24T18:46:00.000-04:002016-09-24T18:49:30.538-04:00<div class="MsoNormal">
“Blue Spirit” By E. Chris Garrison<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a book that grabs the reader right off the bat and
doesn’t let go. From the very start, when the world of fantasy bleeds into our
own world, the book is suffused with a sense of wonder and a lingering
malevolence as it seems our heroine is constantly just a bit over her head.
However, with her own sense of ingenuity and the powerful sense of camaraderie
between her and her close friends, somehow, she manages to persevere.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The most compelling thing about the book, in my opinion, is
just how real the characters feel. We see the world from the point of view of
the main character who has the same problems as many of use as she balances her
extraordinary gift with the travails of real life such as finding the right
relationship, paying her rent and holding down a job while engaging in
adventures across worlds.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It puts one in the mind of “Lost Girl” in that the
characters are real people with real problems who also have to deal with
extraordinary circumstances at every turn. The main character, Skye, is insightful, funny, a gamer, a cosplayer and
she likes to drink. She sounds like any one of my close circle of friends!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I had no idea what to expect I opened the book, but once I
started reading, I could not put it down. I wanted to know what was going on,
what would happen next, and above all, I wanted these characters, who felt like
people I knew and cared for, to be ok.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So this book is a quick read, a great ride and if there is
any weakness, it is in the brevity of the work..fortunately, there is a another
book to read!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Look for my review of “Sinking Down” coming soon!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6571BC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" target="_blank">Pick up "Blue Spirit" here!</a><br />
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Here's the synopsis of the book<br />
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<b>Book
Synopsis for Blue Spirit: </b><span style="color: #373737;">Gamer girl Skye MacLeod can see fairies, but only when
she’s tipsy. More Grimm than enchanting, some of these fairies are out to ruin
her life, wreaking havoc with her job, her home, and her relationships.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With the help of her tiny fairy friend Minnie, Skye has to protect
her vampire wannabe gamer friends from all-too-real supernatural threats only
she can see. Can she keep it together and hold fast against a wicked fairy
Queen’s plot?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blue Spirit is the first book of A Tipsy Fairy Tale series!</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-53310959420223791102016-09-04T16:28:00.002-04:002016-09-04T16:29:05.449-04:00Stranger Things, I'm sorry, I judged you too early and I was wrong.(Cue Bon Jovi's "I'll Be There For You" as accompaniment for this apology)<br />
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Okay, I owe a big apology to "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/" target="_blank">Stranger Things</a>". I said some not-so-positive things about it the other day, and I kinda wish I had not. I didn't really say anything negative, because I rarely go negative, but I wasn't exactly positive either. I'm not giving myself an excuse here, and that's what I want to talk about today.<br />
So, I will say what I do like about the show. It's a fabulous homage to the 80's, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Spielberg" target="_blank">Steven Spielberg</a>, a little<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Carpenter" target="_blank"> John Carpenter</a> and <a href="http://www.wescraven.com/" target="_blank">Wes Craven</a> and even some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hughes_(filmmaker)" target="_blank">John Hughes</a> (as pointed out by my astute fiance).<br />
So it's a really good send up of a lot of those films and it does feel very familiar. I felt, initially that it was too predictable. There was a bit of a flame war that I was mistaking familiarity for predictability, and in the end, I concede. It was a bit predictable, but kind of in the ways you want it to be.<br />
So I rarely poop on another artist's work, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffer_Brothers" target="_blank">The Duffer Brothers</a> are even from right here in NC. So I am correcting myself. Just because I saw a couple of twists coming, doesn't mean I didn't like it. One doesn't watch a Star Wars movie without kind of knowing where it's going to go (the bad guys where black, for goodness sake). So I gave myself a stern talking to, looked at the show with fresh eyes and allowed myself to be swept away for the ride.<br />
It was like visiting an old friend, or going back to your favorite amusement park from when you were a kid. The production value was high, the ending was exceptional and there will be more to come.<br />
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I will be right there watching it when <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/tv/stranger-things-producer-talks-bigger-badder-160400980.html" target="_blank">Stranger Things returns for Season 2 in 2017</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-0-2jGIHJP5R9Lo2JqT50eo4j3JX7RpWjlkX09GTAo9hrHwRQJV1AQMDZho8ZI3JwQrb1TXyhDK0FNY-4k96U9XnG36lxNzRk7d6QkMOs4FtvS40C84Fjbo3bt_La_wwQEJYnvGEFSJH/s1600/stranger-things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-0-2jGIHJP5R9Lo2JqT50eo4j3JX7RpWjlkX09GTAo9hrHwRQJV1AQMDZho8ZI3JwQrb1TXyhDK0FNY-4k96U9XnG36lxNzRk7d6QkMOs4FtvS40C84Fjbo3bt_La_wwQEJYnvGEFSJH/s320/stranger-things.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-23367927712857131192016-09-03T12:02:00.001-04:002016-09-03T12:13:29.697-04:00Getting back upChilling at my favorite pub (<a href="http://www.saintsandscholarspub.com/" target="_blank">Saints and Scholars</a>, Raleigh, NC) and reflecting on how I got here (not to the pub, to this place in life). There were some turmoil years just after "The Battle of Caerlon" was released. Unfortunately, I let it kill my Big Mo (momentum). I never stopped writing but progress slowed to a crawl and publishing, interacting with folks, all that disappeared.<br />
But I'm finally at a place where I have slowed down the race a bit, took stock of where I am, and begun the recovery.<br />
What better way than to release a new book (The Warchitect), but it won't stop there. The next book in the Pendragon Chronicles is complete and being edited. The Forsaken is being polished up and Return To Glory (my first love) is about to get a complete reboot (since reboots seem to be the rage these days). I'm moving on the the third book in The Pendragon Chronicles (working title: White Ghost), a sequel to Warchitect and a couple of other new projects that are in their infancy.<br />
It feels good to be back in the game some. I have a partner who supports it and more time to work on my art than ever before.<br />
So I guess the moral, or at least what I have learned, is that it's okay to get knocked down. Just get back up. Keep getting back up.<br />
How does the Japanese proverb go? Get knocked down seven times and get up eight.<br />
Close enough for me :)Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-9461458420688056342016-09-01T08:11:00.002-04:002016-09-01T08:11:57.238-04:00Hey! We released another book! It's called the Warchitect and it's available on Amazon Kindle. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Warchitect-Grimaul-Grimoire-1-ebook/dp/B01L83J2D8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1472731851&sr=8-1&keywords=the+warchitect" target="_blank">Check it out right here!</a><br />
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And here is the awesome cover image by Danny Kelly:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbdyn2zGquf4qtCRzY6cC14zxl2NUN-V-BcvxACc903HfmNoVENhqdFhZjTKuz5gL-GRytOftkGbJ_N-7MyHfvG_hxjZBUXl61CepMbQA63VMnLV2KciLpnqwWZUQz_PlJcfzL1y4NXwj/s1600/Cover2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbdyn2zGquf4qtCRzY6cC14zxl2NUN-V-BcvxACc903HfmNoVENhqdFhZjTKuz5gL-GRytOftkGbJ_N-7MyHfvG_hxjZBUXl61CepMbQA63VMnLV2KciLpnqwWZUQz_PlJcfzL1y4NXwj/s640/Cover2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-11148484596880301592012-06-26T21:11:00.000-04:002012-06-26T21:11:40.941-04:00What's your excuse?Got a good excuse for not fulfilling your dream? Maybe you've got a couple. I know I do. Then I read a post <a href="http://www.cenedella.com/job-search/one-armed-man-knocks-out-kickboxer-june-2012/" target="_blank">like this by Marc Cenedalla</a> and I realize my excuses are pretty lame.Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-12781104540844681732012-06-18T23:04:00.002-04:002012-06-18T23:04:51.542-04:00What's Happening, Hot Stuff?Been awhile since I posted. I hate that but it's been really, really hectic in the personal life. I have been doing a bit of publicity for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Battle-Of-Caerlon-ebook/dp/B0081TATLW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340075040&sr=8-1&keywords=the+battle+of+caerlon" target="_blank">"The Battle of Caerlon</a>". I've been writing on the sequel "Lisanor" and reading quite a bit.<br />
Right now I am reading The Sentinels series by Van Allen Plexico. Loving that.<br />
I bought <a href="http://newbabelbooks.com/estore/" target="_blank">"Apocalypse of Enoch"</a> by <a href="http://www.abysswalker.com/" target="_blank">Shane Moore</a> and I can't wait to read it.<br />
I watched <a href="http://newbabelbooks.com/estore/" target="_blank">"Hemingway and Gellhorn</a>". A great movie. Inspiring and daunting. Hemingway was messed up, but also brilliant.Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-67517739855375959642012-06-03T23:15:00.003-04:002012-06-03T23:15:43.717-04:00The Avengers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, I went and saw The Avengers last weekend. I'm not sure how I didn't post about it.<br />
It was everything it should have been. I started reading Avengers comics in the mid 1970's. I consider myself an expert on how Cap, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk and Hawkeye should interact.<br />
To me, Black Widow will always be a bad guy...and Hawkeye is a bit suspect since he started out as a bad guy.<br />
Hulk is just Hulk.<br />
This movie captures the relationships so well. Avengers has always been about relationships. Cap is the leader, the soldier, but he won't leave a man (or woman) behind. Thor should consider himself above them all, but they have earned his respect. Iron Man is arrogant, but he is a true friend. Hulk has rage issues, but he's good at heart.<br />
Of course the action scenes are mind blowingly awesome. Scarlet Johansson is mega hot and the whole cast is just beautiful.<br />
What can I say, I should have known that when Joss Whedon takes over a franchise, it's going to be great. He has all the makings of the next George Lucas (except he seems to love his fans). There is action, coolness, and laughs galore. One area he needs to work on...his bad guys. In this one it's Loki. Loki is...ok. He's just not someone we love to hate. He's not Darth Vader.<br />
I'll get past that. We will certainly have another Avengers movie to watch and I personally cannot wait!Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-14057026925256941862012-06-03T23:09:00.000-04:002012-06-03T23:09:19.258-04:00Game of Thrones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I really enjoy Game of Thrones on HBO. I love the books. If you haven't read them, do it...like right now. Stop reading this post and go buy one of them.<br />
Seriously though, I find it super inspirational and immersive and interesting. I have thought this since I picked it up in 1996 and started the first page.<br />
One thing I love about the series is also the one thing that drives me crazy.<br />
What I expect to happen...that never happens. Many of the events that occur in the story are so unexpected. I think the story is going to go one way and it goes in a completely different direction. It does this in a way that makes it super interesting...I guess a lot like life. The people who should get married don't always get married. The people who should live are sometimes killed. Sometimes Brett Favre and the Vikings lose to the Saints and we don't get to see the Favre/Manning Superbowl I always dreamed of...but I digress.<br />
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This series has been fantastic from the start. If you like fantasy, then you should be watching. It has great action, cool magic (that is more than a little scary), dragons, zombies and wizards and all in a way that is cool and completely without camp...and if that's not enough, the steamy scenes are well worth the watching.<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-91686835291683589432012-05-29T08:48:00.002-04:002012-05-29T08:48:51.324-04:00Mid YearAlmost to mid year. Time to evaluate those 2012 goals and see how we are doing. How are you going with yours?<br />
In taking a look at mine, I got GGE Publishing launched..sort of. First story still to be published. We started "Stitch", saw "The Battle of Caerlon" published and made progress on "Return To Glory". In the personal life I have kept up my fitness goals and had lots of good family time (there is a lot more detail on those goals in my personal "goals" file).<br />
Here is what I would like to do for the remainder of 2012.<br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Finish Lisanor - The second in The Pendragon Chronicles</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Finish Rodentia - GGE's rated G story. about 75% complete.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Publish Seeds of Vyldur - The first GGE published novel.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Edit/rewrite RTG - About 50% complete</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Edit Warchitect - Underway</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Begin Stitch (finish first draft) - Underway</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Possibly publish RTG - The second GGE published work</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Begin planning more for Pantheon - A superhero style project for development next year (2013).</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></li>
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<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> So let's see how we do on those by December!</span><br /><div>
What are your goals? How are you going?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-31917246305292244952012-05-28T09:37:00.002-04:002012-05-28T09:37:52.993-04:00Happy Memorial Day!Happy Memorial Day! Today we are honoring all of those who have given their lives in service to the American armed forces, establishing and maintaining our freedom.<br />
For most of us, it is a combination patriotic celebration and glorious day off from the 9 to 5. When I was a kid, it was just another day off. There seemed to be plenty of them.<br />
Now, it seems like there is never enough of them and each one is almost sacred.<br />
What to do? How to spend this gift of a few hours where I get to be myself for a change?<br />
Well, for me, I will figure something out. My perfect day would have a good deal of writing and editing, maybe some gaming with my friends and my sons. A nice meal out of the house with my lovely wife. Maybe some work in the yard or a trip to the beach. I like to be a little productive and a lot relaxed.<br />
Here's my advice today - whatever you do, don't be too hard on yourself if you just waste the day away and a relaxed haze. On the other hand, don't be too easy on yourself either. Find something that you will be happy to tell the coworkers about tomorrow when they ask "How was your holiday?"<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-36774588925008025942012-05-19T22:18:00.003-04:002012-05-19T22:18:57.477-04:00Writing MagicI am reading "Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly" by Gail Carson Levine. I will post a longer review soon. It's a short read so it should not take me long. It includes a lot of writing exercises that I should probably take the time to do. It seems fun. I am like everyone else though, more ideas than time, so we'll see what happens with the exercises. I know it would be good practice.<br />
<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-38403884989006529232012-05-13T21:53:00.000-04:002012-05-13T21:56:35.487-04:00The Pendragon Chronicles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdM2lpVJuFtlopvsDysETqXaw26AQ_It7yNJ-yZlfejgb6xFn3_zpHXtjt8EMGFIV7py6MdzVTxRsUkvyAFp7j6rEG8lc7jhj29jmgSPRstn49Q5xiZqRgyVVFcuWF86RO1APnNfKj-MA/s1600/Bedivere.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdM2lpVJuFtlopvsDysETqXaw26AQ_It7yNJ-yZlfejgb6xFn3_zpHXtjt8EMGFIV7py6MdzVTxRsUkvyAFp7j6rEG8lc7jhj29jmgSPRstn49Q5xiZqRgyVVFcuWF86RO1APnNfKj-MA/s200/Bedivere.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
I promise not to devote this entire blog to shameless self promotion, but there will be a little. In the event that there are a few folks out there who do enjoy a new look at Arthur Pendragon's world, then it might be fun to have a facebook page devoted to the discussion of all things Arthurian.<br />
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So, here's the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/ThePendragonChronicles" target="_blank"> FB Page for "The Pendragon Chronicles"</a>, so stop by and give us a "like" and join the conversation!<br />
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And enjoy this concept image of Bedivere, drawn and colored by the highly-skilled <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MISANTHROPICJedi" target="_blank">Danny Kelly</a><br />
<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-18211132445212135702012-05-09T19:03:00.000-04:002012-05-09T19:03:35.016-04:00The Battle of Caerlon - release date (it's today)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Green Gates has officially released it's first title! How excited am I? Numb with excitement!<br />
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It's an ebook from Double Dragon Press.<br />
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"The Battle of Caerlon" is the first in the Pendragon Chronicles. (the second is 90% complete already).<br />
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This all stemmed from my idea that the Pendragon Legend needed serious updating, and not the updating that has been going on lately where writers try and tell what it was "really" like. King Arthur may have existed, who knows, but the story is a <i>fantasy</i> story. Magic, Dwarves, Monsters and all that jazz. It needs to be written for the modern fantasy readers. <i>That</i> story, the one where Arthur is a young warrior, destined for greatness as he tries to stem off an invasion and put down eleven rebel kings all while magic is crashing down onto Britannia and mucking with the world around him...<i>that story</i> begins here...<br />
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<a href="http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-967-9" target="_blank">Check it out here</a>!<br />
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Here's the synopsis;<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: justify;">Britannia is shattered by war. Rome has withdrawn, leaving the island kingdom in ruins. Eleven Rebel Kings have elected King Lot as High King in direct opposition to The Council of Kings. The Council has elected Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon- the former High King- as their Dux Bellorum, or War Duke. Arthur has assembled a force of the land’s mightiest heroes into The Pendragon Legion and has taken the field against the rebel kings. Meanwhile, King Lot, his own forces comprised of Uther’s greatest generals, has allied himself with the darkest of magic in his bid to defeat The Pendragon Legion and become Britannia’s High King. The ensuing war pits fathers against sons and brothers against brothers as the battle between good and evil threatens to engulf all of the land.</span>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">So go check it out at <a href="http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-967-9" target="_blank">Double Dragon Press</a>. If you aren't crazy about it...I apologize, but it's the legend as I see it. Full of war, blood, magic, sex, betrayal and all that makes drama interesting. </span></div>
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-80195431907884514782012-05-05T10:44:00.000-04:002012-05-05T10:44:00.498-04:00Cinco De MayoI will be doing some editing today for a story written by a good friend and a great writer, <a href="http://walterrhein.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Walter Rhein</a>. The soundtrack will be the new album "Dry" by my good friend <a href="http://www.johnnyblackthorn.com/JB/Home.html" target="_blank">Johnny Blackthorn</a> (just released - pick it up!). And the drink? The perfect Margarita, of course. Today I will eschew the cheapo margaritas I normally make and go for a more traditional recipe. Here's one I snagged off of Yahoo (the source of all information)<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The Recipe:
The Perfect Agave Margarita</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Ingredients</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Kosher salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2 lime slices or wedges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">1/4 cup tequila blanco<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2 tablespoons agave syrup (nectar)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">2 tablespoons fresh lime juice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Preparation</span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Pour some kosher salt into a small dish. Rub 1 lime slice over
half the rim of an Old Fashioned glass (if you prefer your Margarita on the
rocks) or a coupe glass (if you prefer it up). Dip rim of glass into salt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Combine tequila, agave syrup, and juice in a cocktail shaker; fill
with ice and shake well. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with second lime
slice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-52568524892499529682012-04-30T13:19:00.001-04:002012-04-30T13:20:36.284-04:00Who's a good writer?Here's a post that's probably been pontificated on at least a million times.<br />
What makes a good writer?<br />
Ok, you have to be able to formulate a good sentence. You have to be decent with grammer and you should be able to spell a little. <br />
It's more than that though, right? I know plent of folks who can formulate the perfect sentence, grammatically, but that doesn't make them a storyteller. I guess it should also be noted that many of my favorite storyteller's play pretty fast and loose with the grammatical rules anyway.<br />
So what is it?<br />
Here's some background. Got another rejection today, this one from an agent. Rejection letters are something that happen pretty regulary. I write to please myself. Tim (Green) sees it the same way. Not looking to impress anyone too much, however, we love some of these characters and stories and would like to share them. It's not about money, fame, celebrity or any of that. We want to share our stories with like-minded people and maybe entertain them a bit in the process.<br />
So we write, we publish and sometimes we submit. Why not try some traditional avenues as well, right?<br />
Sometimes we get accepted and sometimes we get rejected. This happens to the best of them. Tim Burton gets ideas rejected all the time. So it shouldn't bother me...right?<br />
Well, it does bother me. I don't know why. I go through stages from "to hell with you, <rejector>. You wouldn't know a good story if it crawled up your pants leg and bit your dangling participle!" al the way to "We are the suckiest writers ever and should just go bag groceries for a living so our lack of creative energy won't poison the rest of society." And finally, I come back to "Soldier on, Bastards" (to borrow a phrase from Paddy and The Rats).<br />
So what makes a good writer? Can it be "ensured" that you will be good? Lots of folks come out of programs granting a Masters in Creative Writing. Are all of those people then Masters? Do they get published to wide acclaim (I don't think so, but I have no data). Here are some facts on my favorites authors.<br />
I know <a href="http://www.stephenking.com/the_author.html" target="_blank">Stephen King</a> has a degree in English. <a href="http://www.jkrowling.com/" target="_blank">JK Rowling</a> majored in French and The Classics. <a href="http://www.joeabercrombie.com/author/" target="_blank">Joe Abercrombie</a> studied Psychology. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Brooks" target="_blank">Terry Brooks</a> majored in English Literature and has an advanced degree in Law. <a href="http://georgerrmartin.com/life/" target="_blank">George RR Martin</a> - degree in journalism. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Jordan" target="_blank">Robert Jordan</a> had a degree in Physics.<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._R._Tolkien" target="_blank">J.R.R. Tolkien</a> was, primarily a linguist. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E._Howard" target="_blank">Robert Howard</a> was basically a well-read, self taught prolific writer who piled up rejection slips for years before becoming successul. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Leiber" target="_blank">Fritz Leiber</a> studied philosophy, but was a Shakespearan actor from the time he was a child, thanks to his parent's acting troupe.<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Jacques" target="_blank">Brian Jacques</a> attended the school of Hard Knocks basically. No formal training as a writer, but lots of life experiences to draw from. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._A._Salvatore" target="_blank">R.A. Salvatore</a> majored in Communications and English. <a href="http://www.williamking.me/about/" target="_blank">William King</a>, while his bio is vague, seemed to gain his writing expertise through work as a game designer. <a href="http://sabrepunk.com/about-nathan/" target="_blank">Nathan Long</a> seems to have developed by trial and error, becoming first a screen writer before moving into novel. <a href="http://sabrepunk.com/about-nathan/" target="_blank">Ed Greenwood</a> is a librarian who has been writing stories since he was a child. D&D gave him the outlet for a world he had conceived years earlier. <a href="http://sabrepunk.com/about-nathan/" target="_blank">D.A. Adams</a> has a Masters in Writing but will be the first person to tell you that he thinks it is not necessary for writers. <a href="http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/" target="_blank">Mary Robinette Kowal</a> (my cousin by the way...I'm a shameless namedropper) is a legendary puppeteer (like works for Jim Henson productions) and a voice actor (actress?) who also happens to be a kick ass writer.<br />
So what do these folks have in common? Creativity, sure. Great storytelling ability, obviously. But what makes one better than the other and is there a path one could set out on, today, to end up at the same place as this list of folks. Some richer than others (King, Rowling), some with more work under their belt (Jacques) but all prolific, well-loved storytellers with books deemed "acceptable".<br />
Not all are flawless at grammar. Not all have the credentials of a great education in writing.<br />
I suspect they just had a story to tell, so they wrote it. Then they submitted it, again, and again and again. In some cases, it might have been accepted on the first try and gotten a huge advance. In other cases, it might have taken so long it seemed like a fools errand. But they kept going. Of course there are persistent people who feel like success continues to elude them.<br />
So what's they key? I don't know. I don't have it. I suspect a lot of these folks don't know what it is either. I am sure in many cases they know what it isn't.<br />
Puzzling. Felt cathartic to write about though.<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-18161389110160860752012-04-21T09:53:00.000-04:002012-04-21T09:54:10.538-04:00Genre Fiction (it's what I am all about)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEvV_XF0LrVjOnpLPrkcGSweuX8dBKj9phivlKMIn7kC0oWFPm8DZlBIB_WRQDPzd_XUKrfPUX_WmeTxJr_Uj8_MEeEGGzoibrwsGrVOOVzbdzhhMZgi-vuLOQ7ewumu9CzZyBLy9PH1D/s1600/200px-HanSolo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEvV_XF0LrVjOnpLPrkcGSweuX8dBKj9phivlKMIn7kC0oWFPm8DZlBIB_WRQDPzd_XUKrfPUX_WmeTxJr_Uj8_MEeEGGzoibrwsGrVOOVzbdzhhMZgi-vuLOQ7ewumu9CzZyBLy9PH1D/s200/200px-HanSolo.jpg" width="151" /></a></div>
Discovered <a href="http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue%2012/Themecangenre.htm" target="_blank">a great post today</a> on Genre Fiction as art! This is near and dear to my heart (since I am all about genre fiction). Then again, maybe art is not what I'm after in the strictest sense. I think GGE considers itself more of an entertainer, but art can show up in the strangest places I suppose. <a href="http://fmwriters.com/Visionback/Issue%2012/Themecangenre.htm" target="_blank">Read the article</a> and let me know what you think.<br />
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<br />Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5076858376011820844.post-20680856865749574582012-04-19T22:53:00.000-04:002012-04-19T22:53:17.977-04:00DerivativeI'm not sure what's so bad about "derivative" fantasy worlds. I guess what I write is "derivative". See, I was really excited a few days ago, I saw an editor who sounded like someone I would love to work with, but then I read that he did not fantasy worlds that were "derivative in any way".<br />
I <i>like</i> derivative. I mean, I read original fantasy worlds, but sometimes it's cool to see a fireball, and elf, a dwarf, a dragon and all that jazz. Dwarfs hate elfs, magicians aren't great in combat, trolls burn, ogres are super tough but not all that smart.<br />
I guess these are tropes of fantasy as originated by Tolkien and then perpetuated by D&D, but I enjoy them.<br />
I am reading a D&D graphic novel and it is everything D&D was when I was a kid (IDW Publishing rocks by the way). In addition, I am playing a game called "Legend of Grimrock" and it makes me feel the same thrill I used to feel around a gaming table.<br />
I like reading Warhammer fantasy books and I enjoy some D&D novels. I used to love Salvatore, but it got a bit repetitive, but I still recommend him to people who have never read his stuff.<br />
So, what's so bad about derivative? Can't you tell a good story and be derivative?<br />
When I think derivative, I think Westerns. They have all sorts of common elements, but people love them. Couldn't we do the same thing with fantasy?<br />
I don't know, but I think I will continue being a bit derivative while applying my own touches. It works for me. I guess that's my art. We'll see where it goes.Joel Gateshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14789505064892760028noreply@blogger.com0