Who 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?"

And of course, we hope the answer is never, "Well, nobody would read this"

Of course that's not the answer...don't listen to the lizard voice of doubt...but I digress :)

In order to find your voice, you do want to know who might read your work. This has evolved for me.

I originally suppose I thought I wanted the same people who would read Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, George RR Martin, Joe Abercrombie, David Eddings, JRR Tolkien and Brandon Sanderson to read my work.

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?)

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 RA Salvatore, David Gemmel or Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis, 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!).

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)

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.

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 "The Warchitect" but any collaboration with Tim Green is a bit darker in tone, but also a lot more epic in scope).

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.

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!

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!

Fan fiction

I 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.
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.
Here's an example.

This is a short fan film, 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.

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.

My review - pure awesomeness and a job well done!

Check it out right HERE

Mary Robinette Kowal

I felt inspired today to write a post about a fellow author who I greatly admire (Mary Robinette Kowal). 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.
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.

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.

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.
So I am forever indebted to Mary for showing me the door...like finding a magic wardrobe in a relative house.

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.)

But most importantly, she also wrote! Science fiction and fantasy. And she is way, way, WAY better than I am (that's how you win a Hugo). 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)

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 Amazon and pick one up. Follow her on twitter 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)

Later
JG

Iron Fist is taking all while to get through!!!

A little history:
When Daredevil 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 Luke Cage came along and I devoured it even more! Again, I just loved the way the show felt. Jessica Jones 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!
Now, I know Defenders 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.
Now, my fandom of Iron Fist 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.
Either way, I am a couple of episodes from finishing and then I get to dive into The Defenders!

As for the Punisher...never been a fan...but I will give it a go and we will talk about it here :)

Thinking 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)

Watchmen
Hancock
Avengers
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Civil War
Fantastic Four (the first one)
Batman Vs. Superman
Suicide Squad
Jumper (I love superhuman movies about metahuman that don't wear tights)
Chronicle
Carrie
Firestarter
Captain America (all of them)
Iron Man (all of them)
Thor (all of them)
The Dark Knight trilogy
Man of Steel
Blade (all of them)
Hellboy (all of them - even the animated ones)
X-men (all of them)
Wolverine (all of them EXCEPT LOGAN)
Deadpool

UPDATE:
How did I forget about
Kick Ass (both of them)

Thinking about developing a GGE superhero property...possibly as a fake news site, but the fake news is about super heroes....thoughts?

Fantastic Beasts 2 - Johnny Depp's involvement controversial?

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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.

This is a great list that ranks 30 DC Universe movies (click here). And I agree, for the most part with the rankings with only a couple of exceptions.
First, let me be clear, I love all of these movies. Why?
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 :)
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.

So, my thoughts on the list itself? I am so happy to see "Watchmen" listed so high! I love "Watchmen"!
I would personally put "Suicide Squad" much higher. I love that movie so much!
I might bump "Batman vs. Superman" a little higher as well, and "The Losers"...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 "Losers" comics (both the original and the Vertigo re-imagining).

Find time for our creative pursuits...

So anyone associated with Green Gates Entertainment also has a full time job that does not involve dragons, spaceships, superheros or vampires (unfortunately).
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 Dread Hollow 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?

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 Pathfinder!).

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!

What tips, tricks or techniques might you have for ensuring you  keep the creativity flowing while balancing your time in the "real world"?

“Blue Spirit” By E. Chris Garrison

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Look for my review of “Sinking Down” coming soon!

Pick up "Blue Spirit" here!

Here's the synopsis of the book

Book Synopsis for Blue Spirit:   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.

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?

Blue Spirit is the first book of A Tipsy Fairy Tale series!

Stranger 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)

Okay, I owe a big apology to "Stranger Things". 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.
So, I will say what I do like about the show. It's a fabulous homage to the 80's, Steven Spielberg, a little John Carpenter and Wes Craven and even some John Hughes (as pointed out by my astute fiance).
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.
So I rarely poop on another artist's work, and The Duffer Brothers 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.
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.

I will be right there watching it when Stranger Things returns for Season 2 in 2017.

Getting back up

Chilling at my favorite pub (Saints and Scholars, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How does the Japanese proverb go? Get knocked down seven times and get up eight.
Close enough for me :)

Hey! We released another book! It's called the Warchitect and it's available on Amazon Kindle. Check it out right here!

And here is the awesome cover image by Danny Kelly:

What'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 like this by Marc Cenedalla and I realize my excuses are pretty lame.

What'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 "The Battle of Caerlon". I've been writing on the sequel "Lisanor" and reading quite a bit.
Right now I am reading The Sentinels series by Van Allen Plexico. Loving that.
I bought "Apocalypse of Enoch" by Shane Moore and I can't wait to read it.
I watched "Hemingway and Gellhorn". A great movie. Inspiring and daunting. Hemingway was messed up, but also brilliant.

The Avengers

So, I went and saw The Avengers last weekend. I'm not sure how I didn't post about it.
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.
To me, Black Widow will always be a bad guy...and Hawkeye is a bit suspect since he started out as a bad guy.
Hulk is just Hulk.
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.
Of course the action scenes are mind blowingly awesome. Scarlet Johansson is mega hot and the whole cast is just beautiful.
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.
I'll get past that. We will certainly have another Avengers movie to watch and I personally cannot wait!

Game of Thrones

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.
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.
One thing I love about the series is also the one thing that drives me crazy.
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.

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.

Mid Year

Almost to mid year. Time to evaluate those 2012 goals and see how we are doing. How are you going with yours?
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).
Here is what I would like to do for the remainder of 2012.

• ·         Finish Lisanor - The second in The Pendragon Chronicles
• ·         Finish Rodentia - GGE's rated G story. about 75% complete.
• ·         Publish Seeds of Vyldur - The first GGE published novel.
• ·         Edit/rewrite RTG - About 50% complete
• ·         Edit Warchitect - Underway
• ·         Begin Stitch (finish first draft) - Underway
• ·         Possibly publish RTG - The second GGE published work
• ·         Begin planning more for Pantheon - A superhero style project for development next year (2013).
• 
  

 So let's see how we do on those by December!

What are your goals? How are you going?

Happy 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.
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.
Now, it seems like there is never enough of them and each one is almost sacred.
What to do? How to spend this gift of a few hours where I get to be myself for a change?
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.
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?"

Writing Magic

I 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.

The Pendragon Chronicles

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.

So, here's the FB Page for "The Pendragon Chronicles", so stop by and give us a "like" and join the conversation!

And enjoy this concept image of Bedivere, drawn and colored by the highly-skilled Danny Kelly