Vampires Keeping Me Up At Night

Venus is sitting pretty beneath the moon tonight, and it paints a nice picture to usher in the New Year. 2009 is finally here. 2008 continued to bring me grief even today, so I'm looking forward to turning the page. It's cold and extremely windy tonight and the Harbor's party is cancelled, and rescheduled for tomorrow. Maybe I'll be in a more partying mood then. I know I didn't get much done today like I wanted to. I was summoned to court for a charged-off credit card (I've been hurt several times and couldn't work, so this is nothing new) first thing this morning. Oh, bring on the new year... It's only gonna get better. Wish me and UNIQUE luck for '09! Happy New Year everybody! Stay safe out there...

Okay, now I'd say it's about time to revel in a lil egotism here. While searching online at Barnes and Noble for vampire books to lighten the balance of my gift card, I came across several books that just made me say, "Wow." I often self-deprecate on this blog, but after browsing some of the vampire books that have been published, I was left thinking that I may have what it takes to potentially become America's next great white hope! Seriously, there's shit out there, my friends. This is just the kind of kick in the ass I was looking for. In all seriousness, I'm far from a great writer. But I believe that I'm a good writer. And while UNIQUE isn't the Great American Novel, I believe that it is a fun book to read, within an interesting series. Perhaps all this "shit" that is published annually is marketed correctly, and that's why certain writing ass-clowns have a job today. And this "shit" helps good stuff become great. (Thi

What a Sunday! It's lovingly warm outside, and the Baltimore Winter sky is beginning to look a lot like the Pacific Northwest. It's cloudy 'round here damn near daily. And the Ravens are in the playoffs! What a day... I'm two days out from a nice 5-day vacation and I've got a couple six packs of Bud American Ale, my new favorite beer behind Guinness. I've come up with a few new things to implement into UNIQUE , and I'm looking forward to this evening so that I will be able to sit down in quiet. I'm going to sleep tight, tonight. Goodnight, Baltimore!

One thing I noticed about the holidays is that simply put, they suck. My holiday cheer went out with the Christmas tree and is lying in the gutter with a dead mouse. Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but this year wasn't the delightful treat I've grown accustomed to. No, oh no! This one was full of naughty little nephews running around and generally being bad. I even caught a foot in the crotch. On Theresa's side - well, it started off nice enough, but on Christmas day it didn't end so wonderfully. But 2008 wasn't so awful. I had another great time in Chicago. The Raven's actually won 9 more games than I thought they could. And I'm still alive, kicking and pouting my way into publishing. Now we're heading to New Years and the only thing I have goin' for me is five days off. Now this is a wonderful Christmas present. Let's see, what am I going to do with all this time off? Well, I'm sure I won't leave the couch and the remote will be

Walking into the makeshift den, which was now simply a playroom and recording studio (okay, it’s not much more than a closet), Shao Kahn shouted “Finish Him!” from the Mortal Kombat II arcade cabinet. I kept the thing as a relic from my glory days. I found it in a flee market in Dundalk, and it was actually more expensive than it was worth, but that game had kept me out of quite a bit of trouble during my stay at Patapsco High. I headed to the workbench and turned on the power strip. I turned on both of the turntables, the synthesizer and mixer, and just in case things were to go well, the recorder. Flipping through some records in a box next to the stand, I pulled out Method Man’s Tical and popped it onto the left TT-1. I was working on a mix of “Mr. Sandman” for a Mid-skool tape. This was a collection of hip hop from the 90s, the stuff that we grew into men with. My wheels of steel were new Numark TT-1 turntables, and they weren’t nearly as good for scratching records like my old Tec

Disclaimer: No, this is not Santa fuckin up a random black dude. This is Santa doin his best for the Vampire Nation by chokin' out Blade! Merry Christmas everybody!

What a great weekend! My little brother arrived in Baltimore and the Ravens win on Saturday blended right into Christmas with Theresa's family all day Sunday and our friend's at night. I wanted to post here over the weekend, but for the first time in a while I did not have a chance. But that's a good thing. I kept busy and stayed optimisitic throughout the weekend. Now we're gearing up for Christmas with my family and I'm finally in the spirit. I'm spending every dollar I have on everyone I can think of. And...I'm enjoying it. Weird. Now, if the Raven's win on Sunday and I get some editting done, I'll be ringing in the New Year like a madman! Also, while reading a new vampire book collection I was given yesterday, I began to see things about descriptive narrative differently. So that is something I'm looking for while doing revisions tonight and this week. There are certain times when I use words like Victorian in place of describing the characte

It's warm. Damp with large drops of rain pelting the windshield every now and then. The Crystal Method's The Winner fades into Over the Line , and I roll the windshield down. In my pocket are two white pills. I fish them out, and pop them in my mouth, downing them with a Diet Pepsi. To my left is the Patapsco River, capped by downtown Baltimore a little further to my north. Yellow street lamps guide my way on either side, and I close my eyes to inhale the watery breeze. I stop in front of an old basketball court. Just past the court is a small field that ends at the water, a stubby pier jutting out in broken planks. I remember the place from my earlier drinking days. Friends and I would come here before we were old enough to hit the bars and drink. We would drink cans of Bud and bottles of Zima and we would make out. I slip my hands in my pocket and lean back on the hood of the Mustang. Crystal Method's High and Low is on now. It's perfect and I smile. I'm happy i

A funny thing about humans - we think we're special. We gave ourselves a soul, so that we would never really die. We gave ourselves gods so that we'd truly never be alone. And for thousands of years our literary characters have benefited from this as well, and we made them worship us, too. And the reasons are easy enough to spot. Apparently Earth's the only planet with life, and dogs can't talk and fish can't walk. We inherited the universe for lack of any other intelligent life. And it shows in our fiction, especially literature. The vampire is no different. As amazing as their physiology would be - to sustain life even after death - they hold us high on a pedestal. Dracula did in his novel, and this worship of humanity continues to this day. Evander Cambio, the protagonist of UNIQUE , wants to hold onto his humanity, too. Hell, I even had to develop different species of vampires so that this was a possibility. He's a Clean Blood, a vampire from the original so

When inspiration and creativity is absent for so long, can you deduce that the story is no longer worth writing? Is there a point when an idea is simply dead? And have I stumbled into a brain-snapping grapple that I should just succumb to the pain and tap out already?! Well the short, perhaps ephemeral answer is no, not just yet. There are plenty of stories out there that exist - and popularly - in the world of novels, comic books and graphic novels that give me hope that one day my story will see the dimly fluorescent -lit shelves of bookstores, eventually. And while I do sometimes have a tinge of doubt that pinches me at the temple, usually the confidence that has kept this first book alive takes large Pacman - like bites out of that doubt. Chomp, Chomp, Chomp. Sometimes I find it curious that I spend more time and effort on posting on this blog than I do actually trying to sit down and write. I've listed in other posts the numerous distractions I have - that most of us share - b

You know, I don't get much feedback at all on my writing. Besides my significant other, I don't think anyone has ever read my novel. That's a shame. But I'm starting to wonder how I would take the criticism. I watched The Day the Earth Stood Still this past weekend and sat in awe. I love films where humanity just doesn't have a clue how to stop something so unimaginable from happening. I was much more enamored with the special effects and the cinematography, but the story wasn't so bad either. Nor was the general message, which was faithful to the original and still remains true to this day. Go figure. But while the credits were rolling, it was the first flick I've been to in a while where the people were obviously left unsatisfied. "Yo, that movie sucked," I heard above the others. I held back the "You suck" reply, figuring that this was not my film and I shouldn't take it personally. But I enjoyed it, so I did. But only for a momen

I have no idea what's in store for 2009, but I'm optimistic. I'm hopeful. I read today that, even though the the auto bailout fell flat on its face in Congress yesterday, the Treasury department will not let the Big 3 fail. And I have a few friends that have lost their jobs. But on January 1st, you have to believe in something magical, and I think they will get back on their feet. It's a new, fresh start. And with a bit of faith, and some confidence, you have to believe everything's just going to work out. American Exceptionalism may be fizzing away, but with Barack Obama soon to lead this country, I'm excited that this country may be heading in a new direction. I hope that foreign policy will be reinvented for this new globalized world and that energy technology leads our economy back to preeminence. Hopefully something inside my head will click and regardless of where I write, I will write . And maybe I'll get married . And make a son. And win the lottery

Or not, I don't care. I'm taking my last final exam. My nose is leaking like a bastard. I'm out of pills and next I have to go to work. At least I get paid tomorrow. So I was reading an issue of Wizard magazine. Nothing really gets me back into writing quite like Wizard, for some reason. I don't know if it's because there are a lot of scribe interviews in the mag, or if it's the plethora of new writers they embrace. But it's refreshing to see that some people have luck making it in the biz. I'm hoping that January will provide me the quiet lull in activity that abounds me at the moment, and I can write. Maybe something new, I don't know. Back to this final now. Ta!

When I left for work it was nearly 65 degrees already and raining. Thunder was rattling the windows and set off the car alarm behind me, leaving me looking suspicious as I pulled away for work. Laughing, I rolled down the window and enjoyed the warm air and cool rain. It's amazing what a walk will do for you. Hitting the treadmill for an hour yesterday did wonders for my cold-riddled body. It got me out of the cave I call residence for now and I eventually began a Christmas list. I have an iPhone, so now I can finally enjoy buying for others. This little gadget is taking up way too much of my time. But seeing as how I'm mostly just doing nothing, it can't hurt that much, can it? Okay, I don't have any rapping skills, but things are at least looking up today. (And I'm working over 10 hours, weird...)

It's been a while since I've had anything to blog about, apparently. Christmas shopping, final exams this week and a blown final project, and I'm a year older. I haven't mustered much writing today, and I'm stuck in my hole watching The Wire. I've been doing way too much thinking lately, that's for sure. Wondering what America would be like without an auto industry. The fact that I'm still years away from graduation. And how is it that I'm just so F-ing lazy? And maybe depression really is as simple as a chemical reaction in the brain... But I wonder mostly about the State of the Publishing industry, and how much room there are for new writers. Obviously the economy is hurting everybody . And it seems time to back off with the query letters, and concentrate solely on finishing revisions of this first book. Perhaps I'll have a fighting chance when this country is climbing out of this hole that's larger than the one in my futon. Here we go agai

What a fantastic movie. I was only halfway through the book when we saw it last night, but I was very pleased. The soundtrack was reminiscent of a 90s horror movie and the cinematography was different. Blah blah all of that though. It was just a good film. BUT. Of course, I have absolute qualms with certain things about Mrs. Meyer's vampires. No fangs? What?! Sparkling sunlight? Get out... And her vampires never sleep. Never. Ever. See, that's just sad. Give 'em coffins or something, because what is worth living if you can't reset? You'd go mad! And this is sad, because I never connected with Edward Cullen after this. He was above even vampire at this point, and he lost all human qualities - which he had a few up til this point. So I shuddered a little cringe when Bella expels the word "Vampire!" Yet I do want to see it again. I was suprised that it was honestly fairly accurate. And for sure I'm finishing the book. I'm looking forward to the Twilig

I wanted to list my query here, and see what you think. I have a few versions of the letter depending on the requirements of the agent. Here is one such letter: Thank you for taking time to consider me for representation. I've read your guest-blog post today, and after reading your information and client list at Publisher's Marketplace, I wanted to contact you regarding my first novel THE UNIQUE DESTRUCTION OF AN ORDINARY SOUL (contemporary fantasy; approximately 130,000 words). If I may, a brief synopsis: Evander is an average young man looking for love and adventure in Baltimore. One lightning-wrought night he finds adventure and so much more when he meets the woman of his dreams, and quickly becomes an honest-to-god, blood-sucking vampire, as our protagonist puts it. And when a master vampire goes too far in persuading the new vampire to live under his House, Evander quickly begins to lose loved ones in a battle that eventually consumes the entire city, while the world head

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, especially with the holliday season upon us, but I haven't written AT ALL lately. Granted, I'm at the end of the semester too, but things have been just a bit ragged. The workspace I was planning has hit a snag and I'm stuck with only materials and no room to re-energize. And with the rejection letters coming in I am really not in the creative mood. That's really unfortunate. Like the recession, I seemed to have just slipped into a depression without even realizing it. I sit in front of the tube and flip, flip, flip away. I've become a freakin ZOMBIE!! Hell, I've forgotten what my gym looks like. This just emphasizes for me that I can not afford to have a television in my writing space when it's all said and done. The damn thing is pure distraction that I don't want to tolerate any more. And maybe I should give myself some space. From writing, that is. Perhaps it will be good for me. Or maybe this is just t

So I got a letter from JABberwocky today - it's my SASE envelope - and see that it's, of course, a rejection letter. I'll just add that to the Pile. Thanks for the opportunity, JAB! So now I'm scratching my head and thinking there can't be that many more agents out there left... Self-publishing is starting to sound mighty possible. Back to the query letter, I guess. I let this RL bother me for about 15 minutes. That's it, now I'm good again.

Another query emailed, this time to Ginger Clark at the prestigious Curtis Brown literary agency. Upon reading Ginger's page at Publisher's Marketplace, I figured she could empathize with my novel, considering her client list being profoundly Science Fiction/fantasy.

Is it ever too early to market your book? This question is retroactive to pre-publishing, too. I know very little about marketing. In fact, I guess I know nothing at all. My plan has always been, from the beginning, to get my story out there . To have people read it - that's the point to all of this. That's why this blog exists. And yet now I find myself searching for new, constructive ways to market this book. So far, I've been searching for an artist for the cover. I have it completely planned out, but I could screw up a stick figure, so I'll leave this to the pros. I'm wondering if it's too soon to design a website. Would a website even work for an unpublished work? I don't know. These are things I am looking into to help market my first novel. I've never had much use for an ego, but is self-promotion really egotistical? Or will it only hasten my prospect for publishing? Hmm.

I'm taking fellow blogger Annie Wicking's advice, and going through UNIQUE chapter by chapter. The more I think about it, the more I want to clean up the story. I want to make sure the plot is not stale, and the characters are not just fodder. My goal tonight is to shave ten thousand words, and bring the count down to about 130,000. Originally, I was shooting for 180,000 words. Wow was I way off. That would have just been too drawn out. So now the outline begins, where I will highlight the main issues in each chapter, and recycle the unnecessary paragraphs. One thing I have to mention is that reading - especially in your genre - is so very important. There have been quite a few revelations with certain books I have been reading lately, and I am beginning (after six years) to see what a good story is all about. So thanks for the advice, Annie. I have some direction now while I wait for the mail.

It's another beautifully gloomy Autumn morning, but for all I know, the birds are singing and my feet are dancing! I've just put together a proposal package for the Writers House literary agency , care of Jodi Reamer, Esq. They are a prestigious house with - in my opinion - (Mrs. Reamer's own) Stephenie Meyers topping their client list, and Laurell K. Hamilton, who I am also a big fan of. They even reside in a wonderful historic building in New York that just makes you cross your fingers even harder. From the website alone you get the feeling that something special goes on in inside this building. And I want to be apart of that. Pretty cool, right? Even without the sun today, it just feels all bright and warm. My own personal sunshine. Good lord, I have to get over myself...

I have just put together a hearty query for the JABberwocky Literary Agency , c/o Eddie Schneider. His profile listed some things that just struck a cord with me. This is the same agency that has brought us Tanya Huff and Charlaine Harris! Again, I have that warm, confident feeling in my belly that's just growlin'! So now I'm on my way to FedEX Office where I'm going to put this thing in a business envelope and send it on its way with love.

For some reason, I've opened my eyes to re-editing UNIQUE again. While reading the third book in the Sookie Stackhouse series and the 30 Days of Night novel (not simultaneously), I began to mentally dissect my own story, and came to the conclusion that there are quite a few paragraphs throughout that could completely be cut from the story. Whole scenes, as well. I look forward to tightening up the story. It will make it a lot more fresh to read, and help the plot stay focused. At approximately 240 pages single-spaced, I'm going to print out the manuscript, and go through it with a highlighter. This may help with dealing with the strain on my eyes that this PC is ever giving me... I'll be back soon and we'll see how many pages I was able to chop.

Okay. Now that I'm out of my election high, I thought I'd take a moment and write a proper blog. I have yet to hear from any of the six agents that I queried about two weeks ago. So. I'm about to send out another six queries, and I'm also in the middle of a submission for another publisher. I brought this up the other day, regarding writing genres. The vampire story usually has elements of three genres; i.e. fantasy, horror and science fiction. Now, for the most part, you can combine all of these elements, and label the genre dark fantasy. There is also a somewhat a huge dollop of sex, but it wouldn't fall under Romance. I've been having trouble finding agents that represent such a genre. So what to do? Well I plan on hitting every literary agent that lists any of these genres. Agent Query has been really helpful with searching for such agents.

Whew, thankfully it's over. Almost, anyway. We're hours away from real change in this country, and I couldn't be happier. Well, unless grampy wins... In all seriousness, I've put together a real nice proposal for Tor last night, and I will mail it out tomorrow. I'm really happy with the cover letter and a re-vamped synopsis. Tor does a lot for the fantasy/SciFi/horror literary crowd, and I'm quite a fan. They are one of very few publishing houses around today that accept unsolicited submissions. That's really refreshing, considering I'm having zero luck with literary agents. I have yet to find one agent that supports my genre, i.e. dark fantasy (which in my opinion combines all of the aforementioned genres). Fingers crossed!

Okay, I usually try not to post more than once a day on this here blog, but since we're just days away from Halloween (woohoo!) I thought I'd take a minute and list my three favorite Halloween vampire movies. Sure, I have a cornucopia of other films I love to watch during this spooky time of year, but hell, I write vampire stories for devil's sake. I'm gonna keep it real! Until the Vampire Hunter D is captured in celluloid, this list will do. And I have to give a shout-out to INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE. Without this film, I never get into Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and perhaps never begin writing about vampires in the first place. But this is a top 3, not a top 4. This will be boringly obvious, I'm sure. Right then, I'll begin. 3. John Carpenter's VAMPIRES Easily my favorite Western of all time. The vampires are hardcore things of legend and the gore is copious. James Woods is the man (Fuck James Woods I hear in the background somewhere...). But he

So I'm listening to the Deftones' "Change" and thinking about HBO's True Blood. Obviously I'm enthralled with the show. Of course--it is about vampires. But what I'm so enamored with is the striking relation between the book and the series. While a lot of liberty is taken, obviously, for the TV story, that's to be expected. It's all part of the medium. I could rant about the show all morning long. But I won't waste your time. I'll just tell you that the show totally has me hooked. I'm sure Charlaine Harris is proud. I think Alan Ball did an excellent job of capturing what the book is all about. And with episode 8 just airing, I hope it's cemented a place in HBO's library like the Sopranos did, or Deadwood. It's completely unique to anything else on TV, and the only other show I watch is The Shield. This is one of those shows that makes me realize why I love the Vampire lore so much. It's just spooky, supernatural, and co

What do I want to write today, dear blog? How about the fact that I may soon be back on my butt and out of school because the economy sucks and I probably won't get another school loan again? No, that's not what this blog is for. So what about the fact that neither Presidential candidate seems worth our next four years of future history? Nope, that will just give me a headache. Well then, that leaves me with talking about the fact that I've hit a creative rut the past week or so. Sure it's all been documented here, but I haven't even opened one of my stories in nearly two weeks! Jeez. Perhaps exercising will open up my blood and get the oxygen flowing back into my head. Guess I'll go for a mile or two walk tonight. With my iPod , because I'm kinda tired of thinking. I'm kinda tired of baseball, and football at the moment. I may actually be failing a class now, because I forgot the past three homework assingments. And I'm definitely tired of pushing

So today I've officially begun a project renovating the small room into an office. I'm searching for some (more livable) paint; maybe a dark beige. The blue walls and carpet just frighten me for some reason. It feels sort of like you're drowning. I've found my desk. Finally. And some dark brown book shelves. A friend is bringing by a futon for me. And tonight, I'm going to empty the room. Everything must go so I can get new carpet. Above is a picture of an office I've used as inspiration. It's uber-cozy and sleek and just plain enough. While I can't afford the badass Apple, I have found the lamp (from Target, no less). Wow, am I ever milking this thing for all it's worth. It's gloomy out, so this is the perfect project right now. I'll be back soon.

It's amazing how many distractions I have at the moment. Regardless of my complete lack in finding a suitable writing desk (wow, am I really this high maintenance?) one thing after another blocks me from getting a good day of writing in. The World Series is so far sub-par. School is bordering on monotony. And Direct TV put up a hell of a fight in fixing their mistakes that consumed an entire week of inspiration. (Let me just say that it feels great to have Comcast back.) And where the hell did Autumn go?! It went from sunny and 60s to frigid goddamn-cold overnight! At least I'm getting some quality time in with my girlfriend (definitely under the covers). Blah, blah - I'll be writing tonight.

Today is chilly, easily the first sweater-weather day of the season. I'm still searching for a desk, and once this is done (hopefully tonight) I can place it in a dimly lit corner of the office and get back to writing. With classes in Mid-term, I've put the story on the side. But now that we're heading back into a lull, and with the weather turning, I can start mailing out queries. There really isn't a single book that I'm fascinated with at the moment, too. This is perfect writing time. Speaking of queries, the other day I must've mailed at least four queries via Yahoo! Yet to get a "We're sorry" from a single one yet means that the weekend looks good... I've been reading a lot of ghost stories lately, and this makes me want to write something just for Halloween. Some short stories to put up on the site. I had this idea for a story of a vampire who is also a Horror Host on a TV station in Baltimore in the '80s.

Do you ever listen to a song and just get high? Yeah, music plays a pretty big role in my life, and my iPod s always in my pocket. It's absolutely in everything I write. Sometimes it feels like I'm even writing scenarios around a particular song. Or maybe my entire first story is about music. The protagonist is a turntablist, at least, who never quite got the hang of the guitar. I'm beginning to understand why I'm holding on so dearly to this first story. After this one, the world is different. There is no more music to be made. Or I'm sure nobody wants to create any. After this first story, the world is dark and it's a polar opposite from the amazing and vibrant world we know today, which, I'm not necessarily sure we appreciate. It would be so easy for the world to be wiped away. Today is sunny, warm and I have "Let it Die" by the Foo Fighters beaming in my ear. It's a good day for writing. It's a good day...

It's that time again, the most perfect time. Autumn is a most special season, but spring has always been my favorite simply because it removes the residual emptiness and cold of winter. It redresses the trees (I'm a big fan of trees, for some reason), grass turns green, the warm air fights back against the bone-chill cold. The world becomes alive again. But nothing can match the beauty of autumn and Halloween. The leaves turn many shades of reds and browns and orange and yellow and fading greens. Jack-o'-lanterns lit with candles on porches. Yards with cornstalks and pumpkin-head scarecrows. Even the evening sky turns a silvery purple and the stars look brighter. People notice the full moon more. First fires in the hearth burn warm and cozy. And the TV is alive with the death of horror movies. It'll give you cold chills, honestly. The buzz in the air is palpable. 👻 Do you ever get the feeling that you're not cut-out to be a writer . I get the feeling more and more

So is there anything to this feng shui stuff? At least regarding a special area set aside for performing work. Sometimes I find it difficult to write, and I wonder if this has anything to do with how I write. Currently I use a laptop that sits on a box I never unpacked from my untimely move to Chicago. And I sit in a whole that used to be my futon. (I kicked said whole after the Ravens' loss to the Pats last season.) To say I'm comfortable would be an utter lie. I'm miserable, in fact. And often I'll step away from the computer, or rather push the box away from me, and sit somewhere else and watch TV. I need a dedicated writing desk and accompanying chair. Preferably not facing the television. I really need to create a comfortable writing space that I can sit inside and concentrate and treat writing like a job. And I'd even get some homework done once in a while... I never imagined I'd become so high maintenance. But here I am, possibly coming up with another e

So I'm in a lull between classes because my Anthropology teacher doesn't want to teach today...again. And all I can do is think about writing. I want to rush home, turn on the laptop, and pull up one of my stories--hell, I don't even know which one--and write. Create. Add to the universe which is constantly unfolding nearly every single day I open the clamshell. I was watching the news earlier and the milk crisis in China was being discussed, and it gave me ideas to add to my story. I'm finding inspiration in every nook and cranny. And I don't even need synthetic "optimism" to barrel through it, either. This is great! Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna sleep through this next class (computer info...blah blah if you ask me!) to keep the creative juices churning in my soggy, gray brain!

I've been reading a blog by literary agent Nathan Bransford for a couple of weeks now. He may be my best hope of finding an agent, as he seems ready to take on anything (If well written, of course). And while I've been busy writing future volumes for the series, I've also been letting The Unique Destruction of an Ordinary Soul marinate. This Sunday I'm going to shun the television (thank god the Ravens are on Monday night) and refresh the story as best I can. I'm sure there are plenty of patches I can sew on, and there are some remissions I've been meaning to execute. Regardless, I began a new query letter that I will send in a week or so.

So class is in full swing. In Anthropology, I began to see things in the same light as my characters. We're learning about the Masai people of Kenya, a tribe of herdsman and their many wives. They are primitive. They live by their traditions, even as the high-tech society around them collapses in on their world. And for vampires, I begin to feel like they would view us in the same light. As advanced as we may be today, for the sake of my fiction, the vampires inherit the throne of top billing on Earth, as their technology takes them to the stars and beyond in a post-apacolyptic world where mankind has fully relinquished their control of their society. And what's bittersweet is that I'm taking Spanish...and enjoying myself. I should've taken this stuff in high school, but I've always been an underacheiver. I long to take Japanese, however. But wow I don't have the determination for that just yet. I'm a year away from graduating with my first degree, and I alr

So I haven't exactly stayed on course with writing Book 2. Actually, I've been simultaneously writing books 3, and 4, and even 5. My only shame so far has been my incessant copying of Kevin Leahy's translation of Hideyuki Kikuchi's style. And I'm not outright plagiarizing his work--far from it, actually. But I pretend sometimes that I'm writing the next Vampire Hunter D, using the poetic and sometimes even silly dialogue as my muse. Regardless of my seemingly lack of creativity, I'm simply writing what comes to me. Much like I explained in a letter to Mr. Kikuchi-san. One thing that I may have to come to grips with is that eventually, while I'm writing these volumes, I will have to put down the books (like my Hollywood post) and use whatever imagination I have of my own to develop the next series of books.

Today I realized that it's the one-year anniversary of beginning the second book in the After Man series. I also realized that it should have been completely written in that past year, and yet for all of my intentions, I have only nearly 30 pages. So while I am in the midst of query-dropping, book 2 ( WE INHERITED AND UNIMAGINABLE WORLD ) will become my new priority. I may be absent here for a couple of weeks. It's time to buckle down and do this. I'll see you soon.

It looks like it's been a while since I've last blogged. I guess I have nothing special to say. Sort of in a lull, if you will--regarding writing and creativity. Maybe it's from movie overload. This past week I've seen Hancock and The Dark Knight, which just gave me cold chills. I thought I was above the hype, but I was absorbed in it. It surpassed the hype. Mr. Nolan knows how to make a movie. And Hancock was great, just fun. It was a comic book superhero movie done right. And before this there was a trailer for Watchmen, the cult-favorite graphic novel. I read it years ago, and while I thought it was pretty good, I'm not so sure about its creator, Alan Moore. Personally, I don't get the guy and his anti-American comic industry sentiment. But then, I've never been employed at Marvel or DC, so what do I know. Anyway, the film actually looks interesting. I bring these movies up for one reason. While watching them I actually feel grateful for good writing. I c

Well we had a blast in Chicago. In fact, it turned out way better than expected. Sunburns, bloated bellies and lots of great memories are mine for the keeping. However, my smile was soon turned upside-down. At least for a few minutes. In fact, when I saw the self-addressed envelope, I barely even winced. You see, as soon as we returned from Chicago, I received the rejection letter from Mr. Bialer. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't believe that I would receive a phone call from him while in Chicago. I have a plan. I won't let it bother me...too much, and I'll continue sending queries nearly daily. Maybe I'll flood the editorial offices over at Dark Horse with submissions. Or perhaps I'll go straight to TOR. I believe it will be easier to find a publisher than perhaps it would be to get a literary agent. Or maybe not, we'll see. But for right now, I'm going to get back into writing book 2. I'm having fun...

No, I'm not from Chicago, but it has become a second home in the past few years. My girlfriend and I - along with her friends - are flying into O'hare tomorrow evening for a few days of baseball, Chicago dogs and pizza, and the obvious tourists things, like the Hancock building and Sears Tower, Lincoln Park Zoo and Grant Park, along with plenty of alcohol with some Blues music. And probably rain... What do I have to do to get a sunny day in Chicago? I have never been to a prettier city with such crappy weather that seems to change its mind with every other breeze. Regardless, I'm sure it's going to be a great time. Now I just have to find the time to write. This is the new progression as of late that I am going through. I'm beginning to take writing seriously. More seriously, I should say. George Carlin just passed away (rest in peace, old man), and I watched quite a few things on him yesterday. All of a sudden I became a little more interested in characters . Liste

My girlfriend and I were driving around in a new Mini Cooper today. I was really excited for her as she finally got to test drive the car she's wanted for a long time now. I laughed as she fumbled her way around the car's controls, flipping the wipers on, front and back and leaving them on while simultaneously messing with the heated seats while turning down the AC to nipple-arousing temps; and generally forgetting why she was driving the car in the first place. And while this made me very happy, there was something else on my mind: an envelope on the kitchen table at home. My query is in the mail tonight, on its way to Mr. Matt Bialer in the Big Apple. I have had this literary agent in mind for some time now (his list of clients is quite respectable). Afterwards, I was reading some things from a couple of writers, and I feel like I made a great decision. There was not one indecent quip mentioned in regards to Matt on the internet. All in all, I feel really happy with my submis

For the past few years, since departing sometime in late '04, I have planned a return back to school to obtain an ever-elusive degree in English or Literature or Journalism. The fact is I will never be satisfied with whatever success I may inherit due to writing without earning an education like most Americans. And for that matter, the aforementioned success may turn out to be very minimal without this education. It is turning out that these two things are hand-in-hand. I have always been very distractable. It would make sense for me to turn the Orioles game off, tell my lady love I'll call her soon and set my phone to vibrate, and keep my head in my laptop where I can concentrate ever more with getting this first novel and my query letter perfect. My perfect. I'll know when they are perfect, and as of this moment, they are not perfect. Far from it. But I never do that. And this upon the heaping pile of school work I will soon be knee deep in worries me that I am still not

As stated previously, I am a vampire fanatic . If it is vampire-related, I will usually purchase it, watch it, collect it, enjoy it, and once in a while loathe it. But never once in my life have I ever believed that vampires exist. At least not certainly in the fictional, undead vampire. And don't even get me started on those fake-ass Psi vampires... But Eric Nuzum took a quest to find real, undead vampires. Right now I'm reading about this journey in his book The Dead Travel Fast--Stalking Vampires From Nosferatu to Count Chocula . While reading this book, I'm starting to reconsider my self-proclaimed vampire fanatic title. While I have not yet finished the book (hey, I'm reading three novels, too) I cannot ruin it for you, but I'll tell you this: I will never be fanatical enough to drink my own blood! This book is wonderfully written and researched extremely well. Honestly, I have probably learned more about the vampire with this book than I have with the cadre

Since leaving Diamond I have had this rekindling of love for comic books, more notably Marvel books. A long time ago I started a fan-fiction story based on Blade. Obviously, right? Well, I recently dusted off the file, and I have begun a query letter for submission. I read this article in a recent issue of Wizard mag, and it just got me all warm and fuzzy and excited to do it. The worst thing that is going to happen is that I get a rejection letter from the big M. Quite a few years ago I was lambasted by Mr. Valentino of Image for my desire to write about vampires in comic books. According to him the genre was over-saturated. Well, not in the Marvel Universe, I hope. On top of this, I am beginning to send agent queries en mass this week. Fun stuff.

Well, hello. This is my first blog. Not sure how I even started this thing, but we'll see what happens anyway. I suppose I started this blog to find a literary agent. My first novel, The Unique Destruction of an Ordinary Soul has been finished for some time now, though I am constantly revising it. Just for the record, I have received at least four rejection letters. So I'm on my way. It would be my pleasure to share with you online some of that first story. This upcoming week I plan on mailing queries to at least two agents I believe could fit the bill nicely. Just to tell you a little bit about me, I am a pretty big vampire fan. I suppose I've been so since I first watched The Lost Boys. Or perhaps it was my mother's affinity for Dark Shadows, who knows. And since high school I've been writing vampire things in one way or another. Whether or not I could ever sustain a living on writing alone is absolutely trivial. I just want to create a universe for these vampire