Paddy's Wanderings

Fighting Dragons on Mars

Some of my compatriots at The Creative Alliance have been discussing their writing and how much they draw from real life. Sometimes, even questioning how much or if they even should, put personal, or real life characters or circumstances/events into their fiction writing. I think it is a good question, and I even have an opinion, but no real answer.

I think it is up to the writer as to how much they draw from real life, how much of themselves they put into their fiction writing.  I think it is a personal decision of the writer, and a private one, if they so desire. How much and if they even tell folks, is up to that writer. I don't really even need to know. As a reader, I just want a good story. 

From a personal standpoint, I am not sure it is possible for me to write without having real life experiences, even to some extent people, color my fiction. That is not to say that I write about the people I know, or events in my own life or friends and families lives. No, I am not recording what people do or putting someone I know directly into a story. I am however, influenced by all that stuff.

Even my sheeple stories about the family camping, while drawing heavily on personal and family experience, are fictional. There is some truth about the places and the events but it is not all factual. In all of those types of stories, there is that added fictional element and blurring of the line. That is about as close as I will ever get. Folks will know when I write those stories that it is part truth, part funny story.

In my fictional writing, as in short stories and the blasted novel, that is fiction. Sure, some of the characters have similar traits to people I know, and to me as well, but only a tad bit. The places, well they are purely fictional as well as events. Real life will color those things, maybe shade them, but only a wee bit. I have never been to Mars,or fought a dragon, but I have done both in short stories.

That is me. What others do, well that is up to them, and their choice if they want to share their source of inspiration. I think all writers draw on real life to some extent. Some choose to share the what and the how, some do not. I told you I did not have an answer, just my own opinion on what I do.

Hockey Donuts are the Best

Last night, I got to hang out with the TCA crew in a social chat. Nothing planned, just a chat to, well, chat. Right up my alley you say.. after all, I do talk too much. Right you are! We had fun, talked about a wide range of.. stuff and that was that, so to speak..

I started on Twitter, teasing Acadia that if he was late, he had to bring donuts. For a change.. hehe.. he was a minute early! So when our good friend Nicole was late I started in about where is the donuts.. she brought brownies. Sigh.. it would have to do. We kicked off the chat talking about food.. apparently it was upper most in our minds.

Did you know, I heard that there is a lack of Tim Horton's in FLA?? How do those people survive?? Someone should jump on that, really they should. Think of the potential to bring donut mana to our friends from the land of the orange? Who knew?

I do believe we covered crazy hair, composing a jingle for the TCA(I have some thoughts on this) and other assorted, not for prime time.. things. They, as in I missed it do to the techno-tyke falling off the couch and smacking his chin..he was fine, but needed some Daddy reassurance, talked about a new promo thing. Then I just started following along and the phone rang. I have no idea what the promo is, but I am in.

*Please note, that no milk was spilled, from a bag or any other conveyance, and there was only two toenail battles in the dome. It was a quiet night in that regard.

Review: Tales from the Abyss

Welcome wanderers. Remember when I said I like to share cool new stuff and sometimes I get a chance to get in on the goodness early? Yep, I got a chance to do a preview of Tales from the Abyss by A.R. Braun and Ro Van Saint. Tales form the Abyss is a collection of two short stories by each author and is available June 1st. You can get in on the action  and get a copy by joining the hooligans list.

I got my copy and read em last night and enjoyed the collection. The first two stories by A.R. Braun were pretty dark tales, not for the faint of heart. I liked 'The Woman in Black', it had a good, or should I say creepy feel to it, and I mean that in a good way. The second two are by Ro Van Saint and I'll be honest here, they creeped me out. But thats good!

If you like you're stories dark and a bit creepy, you will definitely want to get in on the action. Me? I am going to go de-creep myself.. if I can. I also want to thank the two of them for giving me an opportunity to do a preview. I look forward to more stories!

Dark Journeys Blog Tour Going Strong!

I hope all you fine wanderers out there have been following Jennifer like you used to follow the Grateful Dead. Come on, its a party along the way, and its out there! Slap the Dark Journeys Blog Tour sticker on your hatchback and hit the highway! There is an updated tour schedule and I will post it below with some dates added on in June.

Now then, you know what is way cool, I mean like.. totally? Dudes and Dudettes! It is a virtual tour, so if you missed the early dates, why then, hit the linkies and go back in time... I bet even Jennifer had no idea she was dancing The Time Warp. Check it!

The Dark Journeys Blog Tour

May 14, 2010: Jim – Yes, THAT Jim
May 17, 2010: Edward G. Talbot
May 19, 2010: Morgan Elektra of Trickster Moon Productions
May 21, 2010: James Melzer’s UNLEASHED
May 21, 2010: Ramblings of English with Chandra Jenkins
May 24, 2010: Paddy’s Wanderings with Patrick Pillars
May 27, 2010: Drew Beatty
May 29, 2010: Scrivener’s Circle with David Sobkowiak and Laura Frechette
June 2, 2010: Nicole Ireland
June 4, 2010: Mary Rajotte
June 7, 2010: Scott Roche
June 9, 2010: Superficial Gallery
June 11, 2010: OPEN
June 14, 2010: Slushpilehero
June 16, 2010: Jason Warden of ShadowCast Audio
June 18, 2010: The Feckless Goblin

STOP THE PRESSES!

Did you know, that while Jennifer is eating virtual rubber chicken and kissing babies as she tours the blog-o-sphere, that she is releasing new stories in the Dark Journeys Collection? NO? Well surf on over to her site and see what I am yammerin' about. I read Black Velveteen yesterday and I'll post a review shortly, but man, dude, boyo and lass, this story is awesome.

Where The Wild Toonies Are

Last night was the latest episode of The Creative Alliance Chat..

Ya know, where the crazy, creative types get together and discuss stuff. Stuff we try to do as a group. Important group stuff. But ya know.. we degenerate into silliness at certain points. Somehow, from paying in Canadian pennies and a hockey stick and something to do about relations with a bear, or was it a buffalo? it went into toonies. Oh man, I have no idea. I just know that the first thing to pop into my head this morning was something about toonies gone wild. 

I think the Canadians got it right with a two dollar coin, makes sense to me. Even if they get a wee bit on the wild side..

The real purpose was to follow up on our efforts to increase traffic into our respective sites, to expand the bubble and to help each other get our stuff out there. I believe that, in general, our efforts have helped. I know they have helped me a great deal. My blog ranking has gone from just over 18 million to under one million in just a month, the lower the number, the better, kinda like golf. Which means, that more folks are stopping in and seeing what the wandering is all about, and that is cool. And it appears more folks are going to all of the sites and checking out the cool stuff, all very cool.

The Blog Tour has been cool ~ go Jenny go! The guest blog I did with Nicole was super cool and I think we can see more of that coming down the pipe as well. I think as more of us cross post and add content to our sites, as well as to others, you the reader, will get even more cool stuff to check out. Stay tuned, and check out the cool stuff that is a goin down..

Happy Tonnie Wanderings!

The Dark Journeys Tour is Here!

Welcome to The Dark Journey's Blog Tour, step right this way...

Give it up for Jennifer Hudock, writer, podcaster, editing two anthologies, Farrago and From The Dark Side, a real creative dynamo.  I am pretty excited she is stopping in today to share her part of the world with us crazy wanderers. 

As you regular folks know, I have been collecting and thoroughly enjoying the Dark Journey's short story collection. I got a chance to talk to Jenny, ask a few questions and thought I would share a bit with y'all.

What were some of the books you read as a child?

As a child, I was always at the library. I grew up in a really small town, so I would walk to the library and take out as many books as they would let me. Fairy tales, fantasy. My earliest favorites were the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, as well as Judy Bloom's Super Fudge books. Around the time I turned 11 or 12, I started reading Stephen King, and then migrated into comic books because of Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

Jonathan Carroll is one of my absolute favorite authors because though he tends to write urban fantasy, it is very real. One of my all time favorite books is Carroll's Bones of the Moon. I'm also a huge fan of Holly Black for the same reason. Neil Gaiman is an obvious favorite because he has such diverse style, and his fiction carries me away.

What is Dark Journeys and why are you doing a self published collection?

The Dark Journeys Short Story Collection is a handful of short stories I have written over the last five years. I decided to self-publish them because I shopped them out traditionally to dozens and dozens of markets, but was turned down over and over again. I plan to compile the entire collection into one volume once I hit twelve, and publish it with a special edition bonus story for lucky 13.

Why did you decide to podcast Goblin Market? future plans for Goblin Market?

I decided to podcast Goblin Market because I liked podcasting from the first minute I discovered it. Spoken word storytelling has always appealed to me, and there is just something about sitting down and listening to someone tell you a story that makes me feel giddy and almost childlike.

I am currently just one episode away from wrapping up the podcast, and once that's finished, I will be editing the draft and making changes. I plan to put it up for sale electronically and in print eventually. I am also working on the sequel right now, Jack in the Green, which I hope to start podcasting this summer.

Why do you write what you write?

This is a really hard question. It's like asking the sky why it's blue. In truth, I write stories I want to read.

You also freelance, where do you do that and why?

I have been freelance writing for just over three years. I currently write for four different online blogs: RealTVAddict.com, Vivastic.com, NiceDwells.com and Robodustrial.com.

I write freelance because it allows me a sense of discipline as a writer, and it helps me express myself creatively. It also lets me choose my own work schedule, which is so important when you do anything creative. If I am struck with inspiration, it's so much easier to drop what I'm doing and focus in order to get the idea down on paper.

What kind of poetry do you like, fave poets, etc?

I love all kinds of poetry, from Chaucer and Rosetti to Bukowski and Kerouac. There is something so beautiful about poetry, capturing a moment in time in so few words, yet conveying it in a way people can identify with.

I used to be more free spirited, believing you didn't need to rhyme or structure the words in order to resonate with readers, but when I was in college, learning how poets used structure to not only form their poem, but sometimes add hidden meaning made me think twice. Now, I love to read rhyming and structured poetry more than free-verse, though I do love poetry no matter what form it comes in.

Where have you been published?

I have been published in Strange Horizons, The Book of the Dead Anthology, eMuse, The Watershed and a few others. I also have two stories to be published in upcoming Library of the Living Dead Press anthologies, but have no details right now about the publication dates.

~

I want to thank Ms. Hudock for letting us into her world a bit today,for doing the blog tour and stepping into my little corner of the wandering way. If you want to know more, see more and experience more, well then.. there is a whole bunch o' stuff at her website.

Remember, post a note in the comment section and get your name thrown in the virtual hat to win a copy  of a Dark Journey's story! As a matter of fact, I have the latest story burning a hole in my eReader, so I think I'll go open that up this morning and enjoy.

Happy Wanderings!

Special Guest Blog ~ Nicole Ireland

Welcome to ye olde blog, we have a special guest! That's right fellow wanderers, so be on your best behavior for this post. I'd like to introduce you to Nicole Ireland, fellow member of TCA and all around cool cat. You'll see a link over there in the blog roll to her site, but you can click here too.

Nicole is a writer, from Maine, and does some pretty cool stuff. She also happens to be an Examiner and does a neato column on American Idol and Lee DeWyze. Good stuff!

We were chatting the other night at The Creative Alliance and thought it would be cool to do guest blogs on each others site. With that in mind, Nicole and I chatted a bit about what we could write about, and we came up with Stephen King. This is a topic we could write all day on, so we are giving you our two perspectives. Here is her post on Stephen King...

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Growing up in Maine, I was inundated with stories about Stephen King. To my young mind, he was the ultimate celebrity and Mainer. I was in complete awe of him and what he did for a living.

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I read my first Stephen King novel, but it was around ten or eleven. While his novels may seem like heavy reading for a young child, I was advanced when it came to reading, and I was easily bored by books that catered to my own age group, so I picked up The Stand, much to the consternation of my parents. And to say my life was changed forever would be an understatement.

There were many times throughout my teenage years that King's writing helped me to escape from the things in my life that I had little control over. His writing allowed me to meet new people and explore new places that I would never have been able to experience otherwise. The Shining, Salem's Lot, Pet Cemetery and Christine were favorites.

As I've grown into adulthood, my fascination with Stephen King has not diminished. If anything it has only grown because I'm an author trying to find my way in the literary world and if there is a shining example of success, it is Mr. King.

To me, Stephen King is more than just an author. He's someone that other Maine residents can look up to. He gives us hope that we can accomplish anything as long as we're willing to work hard and not give up.

King also sets an example for other Mainers hoping to make a name for themselves. He shows that you can be a famous without being pretentious like so many celebrities are. King lives his life just like so many other Maine residents. I know people who have gone shopping at Bangor Mall and bumped into him, and he acts like is a normal, everyday Joe.

The greatest quality that I feel that not only Stephen King but his wife Tabitha possess is their kind hearts. They help out fellow Mainers through the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, and the town that I live in, Lebanon, was the lucky recipient of a $30,000 check that helped purchase a new 2009 Ford Expedition that, equipped with several live-saving devices, is currently helping our volunteer rescue squad save lives and make a difference in our community.

To say I was touched by their generosity would be an understatement. As a small town girl who idolizes those who truly aim to help and make a difference, Stephen and Tabitha are role models that I look up to and aspire to be like.

Dark Journeys Blog Tour Announcement

I have some exciting news to share, with you, my fellow wanders. My friend, Jennifer Hudock, poet, writer, podcaster and creative dynamo extraordinaire is going on tour! And the best part? She is going to be stopping in here at ye olde blog! I am excited, this is so cool. You can drop by her site for up to date tour info and the links to where she will be stopping by along the way. Here is a partial list of the start of the tour..

Here is the May Schedule

May 14, 2010: Jim – Yes, THAT Jim
May 17, 2010: Edward G. Talbot
May 19, 2010: Morgan Elektra of Trickster Moon Productions
May 21, 2010: Ramblings of English with Chandra Jenkins
May 24, 2010: Paddy’s Wanderings with Patrick Pillars
May 27, 2010: Drew Beatty
May 29, 2010: Scrivener’s Circle with David Sobkowiak and Laura Frechette

See me there.. on the 24th? Ok here is the deal. I would ask you, my readers to stop in here on that day. I would also like you to visit Jenny's site as well, and I would encourage you to follow her on tour. Each place will have something different. A podcast interview, or maybe a written interview, perhaps some crazy stuff, each stop on the tour should be different. What do you get? Well then.. you get to meet Jenny and take a peak at her creative endeavors and get a peak at the site your visiting. All of these sites are way cool.

But there is more. I will post an update next week just before we go live on the 24th. So if I do the math correctly, there will be three posts for this tour from me. Here is what I am going to do. If you post in the comment section on any of the posts, or all three if you like, then I will put your name in the virtual hat for a prize. If you post a reply on all three, get your moniker in the hat three times(that is the max folks, so no spamming to get a leg up).

What you win. If the virtual hat pulls your name, I will give you one of her short stories from the Dark Journeys Collection. Your choice! So then, I'll need an email when you post, it asks for that ya know.. and I will contact you and how you can go claim your prize! Just one winner in this contest.

So.. any ideas for questions? Anything you always wanted to ask but were afraid to? Post those in the comment section or anything you would like to see..

Did I say I was excited yet??