2015 Academy Awards

The 87th Academy Awards ceremony has come and gone. It's been about two weeks or so since it ended and, well, I still think about it. 

Not that the awards had a profound impact on my life, but I look forward to them every year. I love watching the nominated movies and wondering aloud—usually with Chanel—who's gonna win, who's gonna lose, how's the host gonna do, who's gonna have a moment that lives forever in the pantheon of Oscar lore. But, before we got answers to those questions, there was something else.

Before Birdman won the most Oscars of the night and Boyhood walked away with only one, before The Grand Budapest Hotel was placated with a series of minor awards and American Sniper was virtually ignored, before Common and John Legend stole the night with a brilliant performance honoring Selma and The Imitation Game screenwriter Graham Moore gave a speech that reinvigorated my faith in humanity, before J.K. Simmons officially accepted the award for Whiplash we all knew he would win and Eddie Redmayne appeared more surprised than anybody that he won for The Theory of Everything...

...before all of that, there were the podcasts. 

Chanel and I did a series of podcasts leading up to and following the 2015 Academy Awards. For your convenience and pleasure, I've gathered them all below.

Enjoy.

Episode 54: Pre-Oscars Buzz

After an awkward and inappropriate opening three minutes, Chanel and I talk about the eight Oscar-nominated films we'll be watching at the 2015 Best Picture Showcase.

Episode 55: Best Picture Showcase | PART 1

Chanel and I attended Day 1 of AMC's Best Picture Showcase where we watched The Grand Budapest Hotel, Whiplash, Birdman, and Selma. We share our thoughts and crack a few jokes along the way.

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Episode 56: Best Picture Showcase | PART 2

Chanel and I attended Day 2 of AMC's Best Picture Showcase where we watched Boyhood, The Theory of Everything, The Imitation Game, and American Sniper. 

Episode 57: 2015 Academy Awards

Chanel and I tell you all about how much we loved the 2015 Academy Awards...or how much we hated them. There's only one way to find out. (HINT: Press Play)

Chatting with D.M. Pulley

On Episode 58 of The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour, I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with D.M. Pulley, author of the #1 bestselling novel The Dead Key. 

During my conversation with Pulley we covered a series of topics, including:

  • Moving to Cleveland to study engineering
  • The tension of having a job that doesn't satisfy your creativity
  • Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five
  • The value of reading comic books
  • Figuring out how to write a novel
  • Trying to create likable characters
  • Struggling to get The Dead Key published
  • Winning the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award

Of The Dead Key, here's what Publishers Weekly had to say:

"This superb novel tells the story of two heroines separated by 20 years: 1978’s Beatrice Baker and 1998’s Iris Latch, both of whom become perilously embroiled in the behind-the-scenes dirty dealings at the First Bank of Cleveland...Readers, along with the main characters, will be sucked into the secrets the bank holds and will remain guessing until the end. Fast paced, faultlessly written, and engaging, this is a page turner with a very surprising and plausible twist. There are not enough superlatives to describe this engrossing novel."

 

Professional Wrestling Podcasts

As many of you know, I love professional wrestling. I discovered as a kid and have grown up with up for most of my life. Part of the unforeseen joys of hosting The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour is it's afforded me the opportunity to have conversations with professional wrestlers, including former WWE Diva Katarina Leigh Waters (Episode 16) and the Original "Mr. Wonderful" Rock Riddle (Episode 25 and Episode 26).

I recently had an opportunity to chat with former TNA star and current Nigel McGuinness and former WWE superstar Sinn Bodhi (aka Kizarny). I also had a chat with my buddy Tim Chizmar who shared some audio from one of his latest comedy shows, which included WWE superstar Rob Van Dam stand up comedy and former WWE superstar Gangrel doing a Q & A.

You can listen to all three episodes below, so press play and enjoy...

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Topics Covered

  • Nigel's life after wrestling
  • Nigel's project L.A. Fight 
  • Martin's mom 

Topics Covered

Topics Covered

  • Tim's nudist comedy
  • WWE superstar Rob Van Dam doing stand-up comedy
  • Former WWE superstar Gangrel doing a Q & A

Chatting with Ben Eads

As many of you know, I'm the host of the weekly podcast The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour. At its heart, the podcast is intended to be a show that celebrates creative writing, storytelling, publishing, and everything in between.  

That said, I feel like I’m at the height of my powers as a podcaster when I’m chatting with a fellow author. I recently got that opportunity when I chatted with horror author Ben Eads, author of the novella Cracked Sky (Omnium Gatherum, 2015). 

Kealan Patrick Burke, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Turtle Boy, said this about Cracked Sky:

"When a writer's work leaves you angry at yourself that you've never read it before, and filled with the determination to never let that be the case again, it's the highest form of compliment. Ben Eads is one of those writers. With Cracked Sky, I found myself at turns moved and terrified. This guy knows his horror, and pulls off the deft trick of utilizing genre conventions while simultaneously adding his own unique twists to the mix. Get in on the ground floor of Eads' work, folks. His career is destined to be a long one."

That’s some pretty high praise from a highly respected voice in the horror community, which is all the more reason why I was so excited to chat with Ben. If you haven't already listened to my conversation with Ben Eads, just scroll to the top of this post and press play...

HAPPY MARTIN DAY™ (A BIRTHDAY RETROSPECTIVE)! [UPDATED (12/9/14)]

I originally wrote this blog post on December 9, 2011, in recognition of Martin Day™ (which, coincidentally, happens to fall on my birthday). Today, on my 37th birthday, I've updated the post and, in so doing, have accounted for the years 2012 to 2014. Enjoy and have a Happy Martin Day™!    

Every year on December 9, since its inception in 1977, people all over the world have been celebrating Martin Day™.  This year will be the 37th celebration of Martin Day™ and it occurs to me a birthday retrospective is in order. So, for your benefit, I've put together a timeline of milestones in my life. So, without further ado, I present to you The Martin Day™ Birthday Retrospective®. 

Age: 1 Second (1977)

After nine months in my mother's womb, considering the world and my place in it, I decide that a comfortable sac of amniotic fluid simply isn't enough without cable television.

Age: 5 Years (1982)

While attending preschool, I find there is a bitchin' CHiPs tricycle in the playground. Soon thereafter, I learn I'm in the group of children that is too old to ride it. I learn that life isn't always kind.

Age: 8 Years (1985)

On a random Saturday afternoon, as I flip through the channels, I discover professional wrestling. It's love at first sight.

Age: 12 Years (1989)

After one whole long year of agonizing anticipation, Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, is released in theaters. As a loyal fan, with my very own $5 dollar weekly allowance, I bought the novelization of the film.

Age: 13 Years (1990)

For Easter, my parents buy me a ticket to watch WrestleMania VII at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. With the Gulf War serving as a backdrop, Hulk Hogan will there defeat Sgt. Slaughter (who lent his loyalties to Saddam Hussein) for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.

Age: 17 Years (1995)

While working as an ice cream scooper at Thrifty's, I am interrogated for four hours by a couple of loss prevention agents. During the interrogation, I admit to stealing a number of things, including money and ice cream.

Age: 18 Years (1996)

During my first year at Chaffey College, I take English 1A with S. Kay Murphy. For my first assignment, I write an essay about stealing money and ice cream from Thrifty's. Based on that essay, Murphy encourages me to become a writer.

Age: 19 Years and 2 Days (1997)

As a birthday gift, my parents take me to the Great Western Forum for my first Lakers game. The Lakers host Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. Kobe Bryant is a rookie and Shaquille O'Neal is in his first year with the team.  During warmups, I watch rookie Derek Fisher practice free throws.

Age: 21 (1999)

Having gotten a part-time job working at the Virgin Megastore, I meet Chanel Chakko, who is not only my co-worker, but, I would later learn, the coolest gal on the planet.

Age: 23 (2002)

While studying English at California State University, San Bernardino, I take the first of many creative writing classes taught by James Brown (author of The Los Angeles Diaries and This River). In so doing, Brown unwittingly becomes my personal Yoda.

Age: 25 (2003)

I graduate from California State University, San Bernardino, earning my Bachelor's Degree in English/Creative Writing. 

Age: 26 Years (2004)

While a participant at the Cal Poly Creative Writing Conference, I win First Place in Short Fiction for my story "The Night Owl." Later that same year, I will win First Place in the Inland Empire CWC Writing Contest for my short story "The Plan." Finally, in that same year, I will get my first story published ("The Black Curtain") courtesy of The Pacific Review.

Age: 27 Years (2005)

I'm invited to attend The Squaw Valley Community of Writers, a week-long conference that brings aspiring writers together with seasoned professionals. I meet many great writers, including Anne Lamott, Amy Tan, Dorothy Allison, and Mark Childress. I also meet a literary agent who asked to read the novel I was working on called The Wishing Game.

Age: 28 Years (2005)

On the 28th celebration of Martin Day™, I receive a rejection letter from the literary agent I met at Squaw Valley. Not since being denied an opportunity to ride a CHiP's tricycle has life felt so cruel.

Age: 28 Years and Several Hours (2005) 

My brother, Greg, takes me to a screening of Match Point, which was followed by a Q & A session with the writer/director, Woody Allen, and the cast.

Age: 28 and 1/2 Years (2006) - Part 1

Once again, I graduate from California State University, San Bernardino, this time earning my Master's Degree in Composition.

Age: 28 and 1/2 Years (2006) - Part 2

I get my first grown-up job as an English Professor at Chaffey College. I have no idea what I'm doing, but choose to keep this information to myself.

Age: 31 Years (2008)

I am waist-deep in the writing of my novel, The Sacrifice of Timber Marlow. Upon later revisions, I would change it's title to The Sustenance of the Flesh.

Age: 33 Years (2010)

Having completed my novel, The Sustenance of the Flesh, I decide to change the title to Inside the Outside.

Age: 33 Years, 7 Months, and 3 Days (2011)

I publish my debut novel Inside the Outside.

Age: 33 Years, 364 Days, and 18 Hours (2011)

The Lakers agree to trade Lamar Odom and Paul Gasol to the New Orleans Hornets for Chris Paul. I regard this as an early-Martin Day™ miracle.

Age: 33 Years, 364 Days, and 20 Hours (2011)

The NBA, which owns the New Orleans Hornets, blocks the trade of Odom and Gasol for Paul. I regard this as the worst early-Martin Day™ miracle ever.

Age: 34 Years (2011)

For my 34th birthday, I post a silly - yet poignant - article called "Happy Martin Day (A Birthday Retrospective)!"

Age: 34 Years, 4 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days (2012)

Inside the Outside is awarded the Grand Prize in the Paris Book Festival.

Age: 35 Years (2013)

On April 5, I'm heartbroken at the news that my favorite film critic, Roger Ebert, has passed away.  

Age: 36 Years (2014)

I launch The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour with "Episode One: Origin Story."

Age: 36 Years, 1 month, 1 week, and 6 days (2014)

Inside the Outside officially becomes a #1 Bestseller on Amazon. 

Age: 36 Years, 10 months, 4 weeks, and 1 day (2014)

On November 7, I marry my best friend and favorite person in the whole goddamned world, Chanel Chakko.

Age: 37 Years (2014)

For my 37th birthday, I update a silly - yet poignant - article called "Happy Martin Day™ (A Birthday Retrospective)!"

Chatting with Joanna Penn

When I published Inside the Outside in 2011, I was full of energy and ambition. I wanted to bum rush the publishing world and make my presence known. The only problem was I didn’t quite know how to do it.

 The first thing I did was start this website, which, at the time of it's inception in 2011, was called Inside Martin (no sexual innuendo intended). Traffic, I was finding, was hard to come by. I hadn’t yet started a Twitter account and my Facebook author page had about 20 likes or so—if that.

I spent hours and hours scouring the Internet, attempting to network with authors and bloggers, hoping to gain some traction for my debut novel. Somewhere along the way I discovered The Creative Penn, which is a website for authors and publishers run by bestselling author Joanna Penn.

The Creative Penn was voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers three years running and one of the Top 10 Blogs for Self-Publishers. Like me, Joanna is an independent publisher, so you can only imagine how inspiring it was to see how successful she’d been with her books and website.

Her website alone has been recognized by various mainstream media outlets, such as Forbes, The Guardian, BBC News, The Huffington Post, Writer’s Digest, The Independent, and Wired. But, as a novelist, Joanna has also enjoyed significant success. She’s sold over 100,000 books and has been on both the New York Times and USA Today Bestsellers list.

So, back in 2011, when I was still toiling away at getting my own publishing career off the ground, I wrote a blog post called “5 Blogs Every Indie Writer Should Bookmark.” I included Joanna’s website, The Creative Penn, in the article (and I also mentioned something about her adorable “About Me” video).

Soon thereafter, Joanna sent me a short message, offering her appreciation. I most certainly didn’t expect to hear from her, so it was a pleasant surprise. About seven months later, I received an email from Joanna telling me she’d read Inside the Outside and how much she loved it. She then asked if I’d be interested in writing a guest blog for The Creative Penn. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. She wanted me to write an article that gave my perspective on writing dark fiction. The article I wrote was called “Violence, Brutality, and Death: Dark Fiction and Why I love It.”

Over the years, Joanna has championed Inside the Outside and, while there’s no way to quantify such generosity, I have no doubt that the success I’ve enjoyed in my writing and publishing career is due in large part to her kindness and generosity.

A few months ago, upon discovering my podcast, The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour, Joanna reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in having her on as a guest. Are you kidding me?! Of course I wanted her as a guest! In turn, she offered to have me on as a guest on her YouTube channel.

And so, I couldn’t be more thrilled that my guest this week on the podcast is Joanna Penn. Joanna and I had a wonderful conversation where we talked about her diverse international background, the effect religion has had on her life and her writing, and how important NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) was when she began writing her first novel. I hope you carve out some time to check it out, as I'm certain you'll enjoy it.

Author Interviews

So, The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour has been chugging along in 2014 and so far it's been as fun and rewarding as I'd hoped it would be when I first decided to do it. When I first began developing the show, one of the main features I hoped to have was author interviews. And, as the podcast is rapidly approaching it's one-year anniversary, I'm thrilled at both the number and quality of author interviews I've been able to do. Below are all of the author interviews I've done on the podcast up to now, so scroll down and take a listen...

Episode 37: Jake Aurelian

Jake Aurelian is the award-winning author of The Life & Mimes (& Zombie Apocalypse) of Ripper the Clown: The Autobiography of an Unconventional Zombie.  During the interview he chats about doing stand-up comedy, writing, and being a crazy clown.

Episode 35: Hal Bodner

Hal Bodner is the author of the vampire novel Bite Club. During the interview Hal chats about his days as an entertainment lawyer, how he managed to amuse drug dealers in the barrio with his peacock, and why you should never write a book on a bet.

Episode 31: Terry M. West

Terry M. West is the author of Heroin in the Magic Now. During the interview Terry talks about his early influences, the undervalued world of independent publishing, and his struggle with substance abuse.

Episode 28: Janet Joyce Holden

Janet Joyce Holden is the author of the dark fantasy novel Carousel. During the interview Janet talks about how she got her first book deal, the importance of character development in storytelling, and dealing with negative reviews. 

Episode 22 & 23: Eric J. Guignard

Eric J. Guignard is an author and editor. He won the 2013 Bram Stoker Award for his anthology After Death. During this two-part interview Eric chats about about his early struggles in independent publishing, the craft of short story writing, and the surreal experience of winning the Bram Stoker Award.

Episode 4 & 5: S. Kay Murphy

S. Kay Murphy is the author of Tainted Legacy: The Story of Alleged Serial Killer Bertha Gifford. During the this two-part interview Kay chats about writing and publishing, dealing with negative book reviews, and the story of her great-grandmother, Bertha Gifford...who may or may not have been a serial killer.

Horror Book Festival 2014

I'm going to be the featured presenter this Saturday, October 4, at the 2014 Horror Book Festival in Apple Valley, CA.  I'll be talking about vampires in popular culture in a presentation titled, "Vampires Don't Suck!"

Listen the radio spot below:

Here is an article about the Horror Book Festival in the Victorville Daily Press:

And finally, here's the flyer for the Horror Book Festival:

The Buffy Chronicles

On Episode 30 of The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour, Chanel and I debuted a new series on the show called "The Buffy Chronicles."

Those of you who listened already know what it is, but if you missed Episode 30 (or simply haven’t listened to it), it’s essentially an audio commentary series where Chanel and I will watch every single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and give our thoughts as we watch it…or, in Chanel’s case, she’ll make dirty jokes and not-so-subtle sexual innuendos about Buffy and the gang. We started with Episode 1 of Buffy, "Welcome to the Hellmouth," which ended on a cliffhanger as Buffy was in a horrible position and about to be killed by a vampire named Luke.

There are so many reasons I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but one of the big ones is how it uses the genres of horror, fantasy, and science fiction as a means of articulating social issues. A prime example of this occurs in Episode 18 of Season Three, “Earshot,” written by Jane Espenson.

In the episode, Buffy fights two mysterious, mouthless demons. During the scuffle, one of the mouthless demons manages to escape—Buffy is able to kill the other one, however.  In killing him, Buffy is unaware that some of the demon’s blood has gotten on her skin.

After a little research, Giles, Buffy’s watcher, tells her that she might be infected with an "aspect of the demon." Later on as she goes through her day, Buffy realizes she's hearing people's thoughts—and this is the aspect she has been infected with, as the demons are telepathic. As a result of being able to hear everyone’s thoughts—Buffy becomes acutely aware of fellow students and their various problems, anxieties, and insecurities. And, in so doing, she realizes that she’s not so different from them.

The climax of the episode finds Buffy inside of the high school clock tower where she confronts a student who is wielding a rifle. Buffy is under the impression that he is going to try to murder other students, but learns that he intended to kill himself. He’s not one of the cool kids and ultimately he was just tired of being ignored and disregarded by his peers.

Because of her recent experience with hearing other’s thoughts, Buffy tells him that the reason everybody ignores him is that they have their own problems to deal with, letting him know that, regardless of appearances, they’re all feeling the same things and are more alike than he realizes.

Ultimately, the theme of the episode revolves around the angst and insecurities that all teenagers feel and how many teens feel like it’s just them and nobody can relate. It’s an often visited theme in film and television and it resonates with us because its so true. What the Buffy writers were able to do was use the conventions of horror and fantasy to illustrate this theme in an extremely poignant manner.

Interestingly enough, the Columbine High School massacre occurred one week before this episode was originally scheduled to air, on April 20 1999. The WB ended up pulling the episode and not showing it until September of 1999, two weeks before the premiere of Season Four.  

Anyway, if you love Buffy the Vampire Slayer as much as I do, I hope you'll check out "The Buffy Chronicles."

Comics on Comics

I was recently a guest on Comics on Comics, which is a terrific podcast that is produced by the Sideshow Network. It's the show where the greatest comic minds meet the greatest minds in comics!

You can listen to my episode by pressing play below: 

I was invited to be on the show by co-host Vito Lapiccola. Vito, along with his co-host, Juan-Manuel Rocha, pits comedians and comic book creators in nerd debates, essentially breaking everything down from the creative process to the business end of comics books, movies, video games and pop culture. 

While I'm neither a comedian nor a comic book creator, I like to think I'm at least occasionally funny and I enjoy reading comic books, which I imgagine worked in my favor. I suspect that hosting my own podcast, The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour, also played a part in my invitation. 

In the photo below, that's me (left), Juan-Manuel Rocha (center) and Vito Lapiccola (right).

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The general format of the show involves Vito and Juan having two guests on the show, engaging them in a panel discussion on various comic book, movie, and general pop culture topics. The second guest who was on this particular episode was Mark Rahner. Mark is comic book writer, talk-radio host, and podcaster based in Seattle. He joined the show via Skype, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet him in person.

During the episode, we discussed the following topics:

I had a great time on the show and look forward to having an opportunity to do it again. As a podcaster myself, it was cool being on another show to see how other podcasters go about their business.  I hope you have an opportunity to listen to the episode and if you like I'd encourage you to listen to more episodes of Comics on Comics.

I also look forward to having Vito and Juan on my podcast, so you can look forward to that sometime in the near future!

Chatting With Screenwriters

Wow, did we get all the way through May without a blog entry? It appears June nearly slipped through our fingers as well. So as not to let too much time pass, here's a quick one for you about screenwriting. I don't have much to say about screenwriting myself, but a couple of my recent guests on The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour do!

I recently spoke with Katarina Leigh Waters (Episode 16) and David Congalton (Episode 20) on the show. 

Katarina Leigh Waters is a former WWE Diva and TNA Knockouts Champion. She's currently transitioning into acting, directing, and screenwriting. During our conversation, Katarina and I talk about her career in the WWE, as well as her screenplay Scavengers in Mourning. Just so you know what an amazing athlete/daredevil she is, check out this video of Katarina diving from a balcony during a match in the UK:

David Congalton is a screenwriter and his latest film is Authors Anonymous, which stars Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) and Chris Klein (American Pie). David and I talk about screenwriting, mockumentaries, and why it took seven years to get his screenplay produced. Check out the preview for Authors Anonymous:

Anyway, that's what I've been up to. Well, that and finishing up my upcoming vampire trilogy. While you wait for that, be sure to listen to The Martin Lasrapes Show Podcast Hour. You can listen on the official website or you can subscribe on iTunes. There's a new episode every week!

 

The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour

So, you may have noticed that my blog has been sort of light on blogs the last few weeks.

Or months.

Perhaps longer than that.

The truth is, I've been devoting the bulk of my writing energy to my vampire trilogy, which, if I've calculated my efforts correctly, will kick off with Book One in 2014. But, I haven't only been writing. I also started a podcast.

Chanel and I discuss all nine movies nominated for Best Picture in 2014 Academy Awards.

Chanel and I discuss all nine movies nominated for Best Picture in 2014 Academy Awards.

It's called The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour. It's the show that may or may not be an hour long depending on your perception of time and how much I've got to say! I officially launched the show January of 2014 and it's been steadily building an audience ever since. I'm really proud of the show, as I've had great conversations with writers, such as S. Kay Murphy, and writer/directors, such as Tim Chizmar. When I don't have a guest on the show, I'm usually talking with my (occasional) co-host, Chanel Chakko.

Most recently (as of this writing), I posted a great conversation with Academy Award-winning visual effects artist, Jeryd Pojawa. We talk about his film career, which includes movies such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Godzilla. We also talked about some of the directors he's worked with, such as James Cameron and Tim Burton.

Jeryd Pojawa presenting me with Godzilla egg.

Jeryd even gave me a Godzilla egg which was used in the actual movie! I've had a great time doing the show, so if you haven't already checked it out, then don't let another hour pass you by without listening to The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour!

Writing Process Blog Tour

Well I'm thrilled to be taking part in the Writing Process Blog Tour! I was invited to take part by Marissa de Luna, author of Goa Traffic. You can check out her contribution to the Writing Process Blog Tour on her website The Coffee Stained Manuscript. 

1) What am I working on?

Currently, I'm working on a vampire trilogy. Book One is called The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl and it will be published in 2014. All three books are complete, so what I'm doing now is going through and polishing them, making sure everything is as good as I can make it.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, I suppose it's probably the first vampire novel set in the Inland Empire. As far as vampire novels go, most authors tend to pay homage to the traditional vampire tropes, while also innovating their own wrinkles. That's how I've approached this project. I love vampire stories, so I've stayed true to classic elements, such as sunlight being a lethal threat. I've also added some wrinkles of my own, but I'll keep those secret until the books are published.

3) Why do I write what I do?

I'm most happy when I'm being creative, whether it's writing a novel or working on my podcast, The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour. But, more than that, I love telling stories and writing is the medium I most enjoy doing it in.

4) How does your writing process work?

When writing a novel, I tend to start with an idea that I find interesting. I might try writing a chapter or two, feeling it out, seeing if there appears to be enough fertile material to turn into a novel. Once I'm convinced the potential is there, I'll start brainstorming the story, which ultimately manifests itself into an outline. I'll outline every chapter, before starting the first draft in earnest. The outline is pliable, of course, so I will change and revise as the story and its characters evolve. 

NEXT WEEK:

Will Entrekin

Will is a Pittsburgh-based writer. He's also the founder and creative director of Exciting Press, an independent publisher of digital literature.

You can see his writing process here:

WillEntrekin.com

 

 

 

 

Keynote Address | Indie Authors Fair 2014

I was very honored to give the keynote address at the Indie Authors Fair on March 8, 2014. The invitation came from Cati Porter, Executive Director of the Inlandia Institute. I gave my speech without notes, however I'd written down what I wanted to say the day before in order to organize my thoughts. Check out the written version of my keynote address below...

Hello and welcome to the 2014 Indie Authors Fair. My name is Martin Lastrapes and it’s a terrific honor for me to be here this afternoon talking to you as a representative of the indie author community. I’m very proud to be an indie author and, by extension, an independent publisher. But, there was a time in my life where being an indie author was absolutely the last thing I ever wanted to be.

Hanging out before my Keynote Address.

When I was coming up as an aspiring author in college, the predominant ethos was that “real” authors didn’t go the route of independent publishing. In order for your work to be taken seriously, you had to be published traditionally. Traditional publishing, as I suspect many of you already know, starts with procuring the services of a literary agent. That agent will then shop your work around to publishers—in particular the Big Five publishing houses in New York—until they secure you a book deal.

For me and every other writer I knew, this was the dream. And in 2005, I came face-to-face with my dream when I had the opportunity to meet an actual literary agent in the flesh. You have to realize, for me that was sort of like meeting Santa Claus or Batman. I met him at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. He was leading a workshop I’d taken part in. Afterwards, he asked to speak to me. 

He told me he really liked what I’d had to say during the workshop and then he asked if I was working on anything. I let him know I was in the middle of writing my first novel and then I proceeded to give what I imagine was the worst pitch in the whole history of pitches. Even I wouldn’t have read this book and I was writing it. The agent was very nice and he could tell I was nervous, so he told me that when the book was done he’d love to read it.

I felt like I’d just won the lottery. I just knew it was only a matter of time before I saw my novel on bookshelves and went on a national book tour and did interviews on Good Morning America and spent time on the New York Times Best Seller list and attended the Academy Awards where I accepted the award for Best Adapted Screenplay because the studio who optioned my book insisted I write the script.

I finished the book two weeks later and shipped it off to New York. And then I waited for what felt like forever to get a reply. In reality, I only waited two months, but it was the longest two months I’d ever experience. Then the letter finally arrived. And it didn’t arrive on just any day—it arrived on my birthday. My birthday! Even before I opened the letter, I knew this was a good omen. I decided that I wanted to open the letter in private, so I didn’t tell anybody I’d received it.

2014 Indie Authors Fair

I got in my car and went to a nearby gas station. I sat in my car in the gas station parking lot with the letter in hand, knowing that as soon as I opened it my whole life would never be the same. In the letter, the literary agent said some very nice things about my writing and my book, before ultimately telling me that he would not be taking me on as a client. I was heartbroken and I don’t mind telling you that I shed more than a few tears as I sat alone in my car in that gas station parking lot. 

Soon enough, despite the disappointment, I decided to move forward and contact more literary agents. And, in the process, I collected more rejection letters. Many…many… rejection letters. After about a year-and-a-half of getting rejections, I decided maybe it just wasn’t a good enough novel, so I started writing a new novel.  And, after spending a few years writing it, I began querying agents. And this new novel, which I was terribly proud of, also received rejection letters. Many…many…rejection letters. 

It could’ve been that I simply wasn’t a good writer and didn’t deserve to be published…but, even if that was true, it wasn’t something I was willing to accept. But, at the rate I was collecting rejections, I couldn’t imagine ever being published...and that was another reality I couldn’t accept. The only other reasonable option seemed to be independent publishing…and that was yet another reality I wasn’t willing to accept. Of course, of those three options, the latter was the only one that offered me a guaranteed path to publication. But, I was still holding onto that fear that my work would be stigmatized, that it wouldn’t be taken seriously if it wasn’t published traditionally.

I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do and, consequently, I found myself at a crossroads.

The event that changed everything for me occurred on a Wednesday night in the summer of 2009. I went to see a stage production of the play Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It was s small production that took place in a small theater in Santa Ana. It was hardly even a theater, so much as a small concrete room with enough seats for about 30 or 40 audience members.  And there wasn’t so much a stage, as there was a designated corner of the concrete room where the players performed the play.

Giving my Keynote Address

The star of the play was an actor who’s name, unfortunately, I don’t remember. But, he was absolutely fantastic. He put on a world-class performance. I would put his performance up against anybody who’s ever won an Academy Award or an Emmy Award or a Tony Award. He was just that amazing. And, more than that, his performance affected me deeply. It was one of those truly transcendent experiences you get when you see a brilliant artist exercising their craft. But, he wasn’t preforming in Hollywood or on Broadway, he wasn’t in movie theaters or television screens. He was in a small concrete theater in the middle of Santa Ana on a Wednesday night performing for about 30 people. 

But, none of that made his performance any less brilliant. And more importantly, it didn’t make my enjoyment of it any less. I realized that night that all those fantasies I'd had about book tours and Oscars and Good Morning America had nothing to do with why I ever wanted to be a writer in first place. I wanted to be a writer because I love telling stories and all I really wanted was an audience for that. I decided that when I felt my novel was ready, I'd publish it myself. I realized that it didn’t matter how my book entered the world, just so long as it got there. And even if only one reader ever discovered it—and was affected the same way I was affected by that actor's performance—then it'd have to be worth it.

It'd have to be.

Two years later, in the summer of 2011, I officially published my first novel, Inside the Outside. Within about a week of its publication, it was on Amazon’s Best Seller list. The reviews that came in from readers and critics were overwhelmingly positive. By 2012, Inside the Outside began winning awards, including the Grand Prize in the Paris Book Festival. I saw my picture in the newspaper and I started getting invited to speak at high schools and universities and libraries and even prisons. Readers all over the world began discovering my book and today some of my most enthusiastic fans are in Canada and France and Italy and England and Ireland and Australia.   

Meeting new friends after Keynote Address

Just this past January, Inside the Outside officially became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon. It was also #1 on Barnes and Nobles' horror list and it was #2 in horror in the iTunes Book Store—Stephen King was #1 there, so I can live with that. I remember looking at the list and seeing Stephen King at #1 and me at #2 and I had this fantasy where he was looking at the same list and wondering, “Who the hell is Martin Lastrapes?”

Even being here today and having the wonderful honor of being able to speak to you all was made possible because I decided to become an indie author. It was without question the best decision I ever made and I’ve never spent one moment regretting it. And the true beauty of independent publishing is there is no reason that anybody in this room can’t do the same thing I did. Because of independent publishing, these opportunities are available to all of us.

I want to thank you all so much for listening to my story and, from the bottom of my heart, I want to wish you all nothing but the best of luck with your writing careers.  Thank you.

Inlandia Literary Journeys: Interview (VIDEO)

Inlandia Literary Journeys is a video series produced by the Inlandia Institute and The Press-Enterprise. Watch the interview below, then go a little bit below-er and read how it came about.

HIGHLIGHTS:

@ 3:29 I discuss independent publishing

@7:40 I discuss the genesis of Inside the Outside

@ 14:49 I read Chapter 18 of Inside the Outside: "The Inland Empire"

In 2006, Heyday Books of Berkeley published Inlandia: a Literary Journey Through California’s Inland Empire, which is a wonderful anthology that showcases poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and other literature about the Inland Empire. I picked up a copy of the book in 2007, while I was working on the first draft of Inside the Outside. As a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire, I was overwhelmed and inspired by the rich literary history of the community. I decided that I also wanted to contribute to the history of Inland Empire literature, so I wrote "Inland Empire," which became Chapter 18 of Inside the Outside.

I had no publishing deal in place and wasn't sure if Inside the Outside would ever see the light of day. I liked to imagine, however, that not only would my book one day be published, but the folks behind Inlandia would discover my love letter to the Inland Empire inside of it.

In 2007, the Riverside Public Library and Heyday Books worked together to create the Inlandia Institute, as an offshoot of Inlandia's success. The Inlandia Institute endeavors to recognize, support, and expand literary activity in the Inland Empire with the goal of deepening people’s awareness, understanding, and appreciation of this unique, complex and creatively vibrant area. They envision "an inclusive and collaborative enterprise that promotes writers with a regional voice and that stimulates a greater awareness of the area’s diverse literary, artistic, and cultural heritage."

For the last two and a half years, since publishing Inside the Outside, I've worked very hard to ingrain myself within the literary community of the Inland Empire. A large part of that effort has always been fueled by the initial inspiration I got from Inlandia, so I was thrilled when my friend and fellow author, James Brown, told me that Cati Porter of the Inlandia Institute asked him to put us in touch. Cati is an acclaimed Riverside poet and editor, as well as the Executive Director of the Inlandia Institute.

She told me they were planning a Self-Published Authors Faire and asked if I'd be the keynote speaker. I couldn't say yes fast enough. A few weeks after Cati and I spoke over the phone, we met in person for the first time at an author eventin September 2013 at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library in San Bernardino. That was the last time we spoke, until about a week ago, when she sent me an email to update me on the progress of the Self-Published Authors Faire, as well as invite me to do an interview for Inlandia Literary Journeys.

So, on Tuesday morning, at around 10:30am, I arrived at The Press-Enterprise headquarters. I was about a half-hour early, so I sat in my car and read a couple of comic books (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 and Batman: The Court of Owls, if you're curious), until it was time to go inside. Soon thereafter, I found myself sitting down with Cati Porter, John Bender, and  Orlando Ramirez in the Inlandia Literary Journeys studio.

It was such a terrific honor and I look forward to collaborating with the Inlandia Institute for years to come.