F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction Author

To Be Human

Goin' Indie

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Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Goin’ Indie. (Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark , photo credit: Wikipedia)

Yeah, that’s my steely stare.

Determination.

I’m finally doing it.

Made the decision. Jumping in with both feet and my Bullwhip.

I’m going indie. And by “indie,” I mean e-books and (a little later, maybe earlier) Amazon hardcovers. Not going the route of AuthorHouse anymore. E-books. That’s the route. Check out Nathan Bransford’s post. These things are selling.

I’ve mentioned this once or twice elsewhere, but after the past couple weeks, getting a cover done, interacting with the person who will do my file conversions, going over my manuscripts and talking to those in the indie world, at this year’s PPWC (and this doesn’t even count the years I’ve been thinking about this, kinda watching how e-books “go”…), I’m not waiting another second. It has reinvigorated me, in this whole business of writing. I have four titles (one still needs some work—or might be the title I again try traditionally—but, we’re talking at least into 2014) I can publish, five if you count a Sleepwalkers e-book reissue:

  • The Uninvited. This is my whydunnit supernatural murder mystery about a troubled reporter who stumbles upon a gruesome and inexplicable mass murder in Gulf Coast Florida. This will be my first release. I was originally shooting for the end of May, but since this is my first, is my learning curve, it might actually turn out to be June. But I’m still shooting for May. So, please, stay turned—either way, it won’t be long!
  • ERO. This is my one (so far) science fiction-y, action/adventure novel. It’s about a marooned on-orbit astronaut who tries to reconstruct his life by relying on incomplete memories that place him at the very heart of the UFO conspiracy. This novel is, well, somewhat auto-biographical. It’ll be my next release.
  • Psychic. This is a companion book to Sleepwalkers. Okay, it’s the second in a considered series of three.  There, I said it. It’s actually more of a prequel (but, hey, what is Time, anyway?), and features the origins to the Man With No Name, from Sleepwalkers. I plan at least one more book to this series (it won’t take 12 years, like this one). It’s a supernatural action/adventure about a humble, guilt-ridden hotline psychic who becomes embroiled in the ultimate government conspiracy, involving JFK and remote viewers. Oh, and a really cool teenager.
  • The fourth is one that still needs lots of work, so am not going to give its title just yet, but, it’s about guy who falls in love with…ehhhh…a ghost. Of sorts. Yeah, yeah, I’m know, there have been other books about the topic, but what makes mine unique, I’m not even teasing with, because I still have some runway to ride before taking off. But, it’s not your standard, run-of-the-mill everyday ghost, we’re talking about here, and to tell the truth, I haven’t yet seen a “ghost” like this one.
  • Sleepwalkers. This one depends a lot on if AuthorHouse plans on putting it back into an e-book like they said they would a couple years ago. Haven’t even had time (there’s that word, again) to think about that yet. If can do the e-book to it, I plan on redoing the cover.

Depending on how long all this takes, I’m looking to release one book about every 3 or 4 months until I get all these out, so no real new work for me this year. ERO should come out around September/October time frame, and Psychic, November/December. I plan on pushing the Internet-y promotion as hard as I possibly can (I have some guides, but more on those, later). The Uninvited will be free for about the first three weeks or so, and this is mainly for reviews (this is a standard M.O. among the e-book community). It looks like some sites, like B&N, Amazon, have a way of setting prices (still looking into those), but at places where I can set the price, I’m looking to price it at $2.99, after the free period, but this remains to be seen, once I actually get to the upload part. But, from what I’ve read, e-books tend to sell well between the $2.99 to $5.99 range (and it’s not obvious about going right for the higher price).

So, there it is, that’s my plan. Out into the world at large. I’ll post more as I go, but I’m still cleaning up the manuscript to the The Uninvited, which, depending on a couple other logistical issues, is scheduled to be converted into all the different file formats next month (oooh, it’ll be hot off the author keyboard, like freshly baked cookies!). And while that is being done, I plan on beginning and hitting the promotions.

Look, I’m not pie-in-the-sky, I’ve been around, I’ve tried self-publishing by spending three grand, done and occasionally still do a short story or two, and even got an agent. Still, NYC didn’t think they could make any money off me. But I see and hear where e-books are going. I’m just a guy with voices in my head trying to get my work out there. My work has been termed “thinky,” sometimes jumps genres. But I try to tell stories, to show, perhaps, the way things could be, big What-ifs. I—like most every other writer out there—just like to write. For a while that passion was slowly getting snuffed out…but now I’ve found renewed passion. A new way to go.

A new…What-if.

I hope you’ll join me!

Oh…and I’m an optimist.

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The Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2013

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Pikes Peak sign
Pikes Peak sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This weekend, I am—once again—attending the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, also known as the PPWC. It started in 1993, founded by Jimmie H. Butler, and I’ve only missed two, I think. Maybe three?  Have to check that. My wife and I talked about this a week or so ago, but I owe a lot to the PPWC. Much of what I know about writing and those whom I know in the writing world I have met through this conference. My agent is from this conference. Granted, I’ve read a fair amount of craft and writing Zen, have met others from another conference, an out-of-town writer group, but I’ve attended this conference for some 20 years. I’ve learned a lot about not only the writing of fiction, but the marketing and promotion of writing. Studied screenplays and even adapted my supernatural murder mystery into a screenplay. I’ve met a lot of great people, including many well-known authors (have sat by and talked-up Bob Crais [many times, and one of THE COOLEST guys I’ve ever met in the industry, très unassuming], Jeffery Deaver [once], David Morrell, and Joe R. Lansdale [talked with him and drove him to the airport], just off the top of my head). Talking with authors, editors and agents also gives you a feel for who and what these people are. Could you work with them? Do you clash? Sometimes, you’d be surprised at your reactions, your discoveries.

I’ve also presented and helped out at the conferences.

Moderated sessions (am moderating two this year).

Run Gopher…drove people to and from airports…given them tours of the local area…set up and torn down sessions and rooms. Addressed the conference with Jimmie Butler on the passing of a good friend of ours (Moe Morris). Moe and I used to meet at a Village Inn and talk writing. Comment on each other’s work. He was a great guy who actually has an Antarctic glacier named after him (Morris Glacier, which is just below the Queen Alexandria Range, in south central Antarctica, flowing down into the Ross Sea; see photo, below). Moe always joked about having a glacier named after him, because, well, he “wasn’t important enough” for a mountain. He used to be a Navy pilot and flew to Antarctica a lot. He was married to his wife, Virginia, of 57 years, who preceded him in death by only 18 days.

Morris Glacier, Antarctica
Morris Glacier, Antarctica

So, this year, I am again going. I am moderating some sessions, but, not driving people around. I plan on just taking it all in. Getting lost in the writing world, again, for a weekend, meet all my writing friends face-to-face, and once again…dream like crazy. It’s a fun world. Hope to post about it afterwards.

Hope to see you there.

I'm Not Spending a Lot For This Muffler!

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The past couple of weeks, I’ve been going back through my supernatural murder mystery manuscript. I’d started it back in 2001, “finished” it three years later, given to a part-time writing schedule, basically about 2 hours a day, five days a week, and whatever I can do on the weekends. But since then, I’ve been trying to sell the damned thing (there’s actually a pun in there…) and tweaking it. Nine years worth of that unrelenting activity. Belief in my manuscript. Anywho, as I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve decided I’m going to e-publish it, so I’ve gotten a graphics artist fellow writer friend of mine to work the cover. She’s been a true trooper!  Karen Duvall (here’s her graphics art page) has hung in there trying her best to find the images I’m asking for for my cover design, sometimes spending hours searching for just the right thing (and I spent a couple of hours one morning, myself, also trying to find the right graphics). But in the world of free art, sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for—finding free stuff is haaard! And since I’m e-pubing, I’m trying to keep expenses down. Way down. I already went the AuthorHouse route 12 years ago, when there wasn’t much game in town, but now there is, and I’m not spending a lot for this muffler!

So, Karen came up with a really cool image, after multiple go-arounds and attempts and efforts on her part, yesterday (hope she’s still talking with me…), but I think we’ve finally come up with a great image! I’m looking forward to the Big Reveal, when I finally get everything in place. I love the feel of the cover.

Another interesting development during all this was the Jodi Arias trial. My wife and I have been watching it (me, off and on), and it is amazing to me on many levels, but I bring this up because I have a court scene in my novel that goes in a weird direction, much like Juan Martinez and the Seven Dwarfs goes off in a weird direction (and yes, I included that phrase into my manuscript). Now my court scene isn’t as belligerent as this real-life one, but it amazes me at how utterly combative the Law can get when trying to prove their side of the story. Trying (IMHO) to force witnesses to only give a “Yes” or “No,” when the answer might not really be a case of yes or no, but the “Yes” or “No” can make the witness look bad in the presentation of the case, therefore racking up points for whoever such a thing benefits. It was nice to see someone remain utterly composed (whether or not you agree with LaViolette’s side of the story). And I do mean she is utterly unflappable, not intimidated in any way by Martinez’s constant, unrelenting battering—though he, himself, no matter what HLN commentators say (most of whom I find extremely annoying), is not so (he frequently shows his anger, his frustration, and gives nasty “tone” and body language in his deliveries). I’ve never seen such composure in my life, as I have in LaViolette. I’m not going into if LaViolette is biased…just look at her composure. Incredible. Perhaps comes from dealing with lots of rage in her 36-year-or-so career. She also knows all the psychological tactics Martinez is employing—and calls him on them—and doesn’t fall for them. But I digress. I just wanted to mention this trial because of the weird Seven Dwarfs turn it took, and the trial in my novel also takes a weird turn. I have also had two actual (now retired, I believe) judges read the court-room scenes to make sure it remains true in structure and presentation.

Okay, so after I make all my manuscript redlines, get my Tax ID number, and do the rest of the logistical end of things, I will get this story out there. So, in the meantime, sorry haven’t been keeping up on everyone’s blogs, tweets, e-mails, and what-have-you, but there’s only so much time in the day!

I’m Not Spending a Lot For This Muffler!

by

The past couple of weeks, I’ve been going back through my supernatural murder mystery manuscript. I’d started it back in 2001, “finished” it three years later, given to a part-time writing schedule, basically about 2 hours a day, five days a week, and whatever I can do on the weekends. But since then, I’ve been trying to sell the damned thing (there’s actually a pun in there…) and tweaking it. Nine years worth of that unrelenting activity. Belief in my manuscript. Anywho, as I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve decided I’m going to e-publish it, so I’ve gotten a graphics artist fellow writer friend of mine to work the cover. She’s been a true trooper!  Karen Duvall (here’s her graphics art page) has hung in there trying her best to find the images I’m asking for for my cover design, sometimes spending hours searching for just the right thing (and I spent a couple of hours one morning, myself, also trying to find the right graphics). But in the world of free art, sometimes you just can’t find what you’re looking for—finding free stuff is haaard! And since I’m e-pubing, I’m trying to keep expenses down. Way down. I already went the AuthorHouse route 12 years ago, when there wasn’t much game in town, but now there is, and I’m not spending a lot for this muffler!

So, Karen came up with a really cool image, after multiple go-arounds and attempts and efforts on her part, yesterday (hope she’s still talking with me…), but I think we’ve finally come up with a great image! I’m looking forward to the Big Reveal, when I finally get everything in place. I love the feel of the cover.

Another interesting development during all this was the Jodi Arias trial. My wife and I have been watching it (me, off and on), and it is amazing to me on many levels, but I bring this up because I have a court scene in my novel that goes in a weird direction, much like Juan Martinez and the Seven Dwarfs goes off in a weird direction (and yes, I included that phrase into my manuscript). Now my court scene isn’t as belligerent as this real-life one, but it amazes me at how utterly combative the Law can get when trying to prove their side of the story. Trying (IMHO) to force witnesses to only give a “Yes” or “No,” when the answer might not really be a case of yes or no, but the “Yes” or “No” can make the witness look bad in the presentation of the case, therefore racking up points for whoever such a thing benefits. It was nice to see someone remain utterly composed (whether or not you agree with LaViolette’s side of the story). And I do mean she is utterly unflappable, not intimidated in any way by Martinez’s constant, unrelenting battering—though he, himself, no matter what HLN commentators say (most of whom I find extremely annoying), is not so (he frequently shows his anger, his frustration, and gives nasty “tone” and body language in his deliveries). I’ve never seen such composure in my life, as I have in LaViolette. I’m not going into if LaViolette is biased…just look at her composure. Incredible. Perhaps comes from dealing with lots of rage in her 36-year-or-so career. She also knows all the psychological tactics Martinez is employing—and calls him on them—and doesn’t fall for them. But I digress. I just wanted to mention this trial because of the weird Seven Dwarfs turn it took, and the trial in my novel also takes a weird turn. I have also had two actual (now retired, I believe) judges read the court-room scenes to make sure it remains true in structure and presentation.

Okay, so after I make all my manuscript redlines, get my Tax ID number, and do the rest of the logistical end of things, I will get this story out there. So, in the meantime, sorry haven’t been keeping up on everyone’s blogs, tweets, e-mails, and what-have-you, but there’s only so much time in the day!

We Talk Story, Yeah?

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English: Interesting Story
An Interesting Story (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Story.

Isn’t that what we’re really doing—writing stories, fictional or otherwise?

I read this article the other day, by Bob Mayer, and it really made me look at things differently! Bob’s got a lot to say in the post, but one of the things I came away with was that books are not the be-all, end-all. They’re a method to this madness, is all—and not the only method. Bob broke it down into three great lines (quoting from his post):

“Authors create stories and ideas.

Readers consume stories and ideas.

Everyone in between the two has to add value to that.”

What great insight!

What this means to me: I’ve been trying to get my work published through my agent by the traditionally published route. It hasn’t gone well. Over 4 years and not one sale. I never claim to be a Stephen King, Bob Mayer, James Patterson, or anyone else. I’m just little ol’ me, scribblin’ down my stories. But the point is, the traditional route isn’t working, and the traditional route is all about selling books. It’s not so much about selling stories. There’s an ever-so fine distinction there. It’s about the story and about picking different platforms, and all that goes with that. Mr. Mayer does a great job of it in his post, so I suggest reading it, but my point is that I’ve been resistant to trying the e-book only platform, having to admit to loving books, in and of themselves. I do, yes. As a reader. But as a writer, I’ve never been against any of the other platforms, like e-books. Just personally didn’t deal with them. My view has always been, if readers want to read on computer screens, smartphones, or tablets, more power to them!

So, I’m going to give this a shot. I’m going back over, for the umpteenth time in 12 years (I’ll post more about the long road in this novel’s journey once I get it out there), to my supernatural murder mystery, set in Gulf Cost Florida, and I’m going to publish it as an e-book. And I’m pretty dang sure I’m going to do it through Smashwords, but I’m still open to other ideas (I met Mark Coker last year, at the PPWC, and heard him speak; I was quite impressed with him and how he stood up to “Traditional Publisher Think,” or TPT—okay, I just made that up, on the spot, here, but feel free to use it!). And I’m pretty danged excited about it! This is a story that has been near and dear to me, on many levels, but, most importantly, it’s a story that’s important to me (or I’d never have stuck with it this far; I have given up on other manuscripts)…and one I think will entertain others, not to mention “get readers to thinking.”

So, let’s talk story, folks, and think differently about what it is we’re doing and how we’re doing it!

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