F. P. Dorchak

Speculative Fiction (New Weird) Author

Blogging

Twitter

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By GageSkidmore at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
By GageSkidmore at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons
Okay…I admit it, it’s a guilty pleasure!

Twitter seems quite suited to my personality.

Short quips. One liners. Observations. It’s a short-and-[not always] sweet way of social interaction across the planet. And you get to meet and interact with some interesting people—some of them famous—that you’d never otherwise have a chance in Hades of meeting, you know, if that’s your thing. But it’s not so much about Hero Worship as gratefulness. You can thank these actors and writers and producers for their great work that you’ve watched and followed, and that is kinda cool. Sometimes you can even interact with them.

A couple of weekends ago, I joined in on an Intruders tweet-a-thon, and I had to admit, it was fun! All you do is tweet while watching the show. See what your fellow folk are tweetin’.

Now, it’s not something I want to do all the time…when I watch TV, I want to relax, but if it’s a special event, I could get into it once in a while. Had some good interaction and played along with some funny comments from the handful of us tweeting the show.

BTW, if you haven’t heard of the  Intruders, I highly recommend it! The first episode had me a little baffled, but I like baffled, so just hang in there if you feel the same way after watching the first installment (where to watch episodes, since the season ended and they’re no longer broadcasting on their website). It’s a really cool show involving the paranormal. It’s my new X-Files replacement, and I’ve been looking! The show is based on the Michael Marshall Smith novel, The Intruders.

But, all that said and done, I think the biggest thing I’ve gotten out of Twitter is just meeting people!

There are a handful of tweeters I call “my Twitter friends,” because we’ve been tweeting since pretty close to when I started Twitter, in 2009. Yes, you can be hoodwinked, but I think, for the most part, you can get to know people over Twitter—or blogging or whatever else it is you do with social media. Even when you get to know people through actual, physical contact, how much of “you” do you show to the public, right? It’s no different. Sure, it’s easier to hide over social media, spoofing and conspiracy theories and all that, people can’t read your body language, et cetera, but I do feel that you can get a good gauge of most. Just like with anything “public,” you have to be careful and err on the conservative side. And sometimes, yeah, you may piss each other off…but it’s also interesting to see how your new friends handle these situations. The really good ones will—in some way—reach out and try to correct an intentional or unintentional wrongdoing.

And that can speak volumes to the type of people they are.

Again, spoofing and conspiracy theories notwithstanding. Just be careful out there.

Just remember we are all people out on these things, we’re not just avatars and bylines. We have real feelings and good and bad days. Deserve to be treated with respect. Consider the words you are about to send out into cyberspace before hitting the Enter key…and if you screw up, be quick to apologize and make it right…leave room open for others to do the same.

In short: cut people some slack.

None of us are perfect.

But, do have fun exploring the world through your chosen mode of social media!

Feel free to contact me at my Twitter handle of @fpdorchak

 

 

 

To Blog or Not To Blog a Novel

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By Camdiluv, from Concepción, CHILE (Colours) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons)
By Camdiluv, from Concepción, CHILE (Colours) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons)
I say “novel,” but it could just as well be a short story.

I’m going to try to make this short and sweet.

There are all kinds of advice floating around about whether or not one should or shouldn’t blog out portions of one’s work into the Internet…how it might or might not damage the success of said work, should the blogger want to publish it, en masse.

Dare I say it?

Bullshit.

To that I add: pure bullshit.

A member of the writing I belong to expressed concern about that, because that was what this member was doing…then had stopped…but was, again, considering doing. He did it because of several reasons, some of which were that he enjoyed doing it. It got him writing. He’d found an audience.

I’d say the following be my opinion, but I really don’t think it’s an isolated “opinion” anymore. Heck an opinion at all; it has become fact: As long as what you do doesn’t hurt anyone, do what you love. Do what you enjoy. There are always people out there who love serials…and those who would love to read those serials again…or in one complete form. Those who have never seen your work, so one platform or the other serves them.

Do you really think a traditional publisher is going to care whether or not you blogged about your work–if they really felt they could make millions of you?

Hell no.

Any free promotion they can get to help sell their version of your work, all the better.

Look, no trad publisher is gonna take you if they don’t feel they can make a buck off of you, period. Your blogging of your book is an antiquated issue, based upon antiquated reasoning. Antiquated reasoning is what’s damaged (and continues to damage) traditional publishing. Reasoning can be made for or against anything, but it’s all about packaging. Look at all the crap out there that’s been out there for ever, suddenly repackaged and re-promoted. Instead of bitching and moaning about what not to do, about how terrible the world is and how things “could never work,” why not spin that frown upside down, my perfectly bound friends? Anything can be sold. Just put out a little effort, for crying out loud.

And you can always, always, Indie publish (don’t even get me going about how Indie publishing merely promulgates more shitty work into the world).

Do what gives you joy.

It’s your life.

Live it as you want. If your work is good or meant to succeed–in however way you define it—it will.

Just ignore all the white noise out there, and do what makes you happy. Life is short. Play hard.

To “he” out there, you go, dude! Have fun and keep your audience wanting more!

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Spreading the Love—A Liebster Blog Award

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Spreading The Love!
Spreading The Love!

This past Saturday, I got up, opened my e-mail, all manner of chores needing to get done today rattling through my head, not to mention trying to fit in some novel writing time (which, realistically, rarely ever happens on a Saturday [and didn’t]—Sunday, maybe, but rarely Saturday—because I try to catch up on blogs I follow, maybe post one of my own, that kind of thing…), and find out I have been nominated for the Liebster Blog Award, by fellow blogger, Samir Rawas. This is my first blogging award, and I am truly honored! Reading Samir’s work (and his fellow Cecile’s Writers) and trading comments is often provocative, always informative, and, yeah, just plain fun, so, to have a peer award like this is, well…sehr cool. Thanks again, Samir!

This is how it works, though not sure about sticking to the fewer-than-200-followers guideline:

The Rules

  1. Post the award image on your blog. There are several varieties. Google them and find the one you like the most.
  2. List 11 random facts about yourself.
  3. Answer the 11 questions asked by the person/people who nominated you.
  4. Make up 11 questions for those to be nominated.
  5. Nominate 11 people to receive the award. They should have fewer than 200 followers on their blog.
  6. If you’re nominated, your name and/or link will appear at the bottom of this post. Follow the same script and spread the love.

11 Facts About Myself

  1. I’m far more spiritual (not religious)…philosophical…than many may think.
  2. I love iced tea, slightly sweetened.
  3. I have been my own ghost.
  4. I love comedy—Seinfeld, four!
  5. I love nature and being out in it.
  6. Most cats and dogs love me. The feeling’s mutual.
  7. I love the sound of wind.
  8. I can talk to anyone who’ll talk back. Even some who don’t.
  9. Sure, I can be a bit critical, have definite opinions about things…but, then I throttle back when I catch myself being that steamroller I can be. I mean well…but it’s the analytical part of me that jets off ye old starting block now and then….
  10. I never hold grudges…ever…but also realize some people and situations simply cannot be “revisited”; I wish them peace on their journeys.
  11. I rarely give a straight answer.

Answers to the Questions Asked

  1. Do you prefer literature or entertainment fiction? I have to admit to not reading a lot of literature, lately, so I guess I’d have to go with entertainment fiction. Or cereal boxes.
  2. Introvert or extrovert? Ambivert. I’m both. I’m always in my head, but I can extro with the best of them, should the situation call for it. You should see me when I’m beside myself.
  3. If you could promote (and succeed) in one cause, what would it be? Realizing that we all create our own realities. That creating a better life for everyone starts with each of us. Don’t blame world events…war, poverty, inequality (a recent topic I’ve been involved in)…on someone else. Those events exist because we all allow that kind of mindset and behavior to exist. From pacifist to warrior. Examine all of your own actions and thoughts, how you treat people, the movies and shows and books you read and watch. The material you write. The words you speak. The thoughts you think. The actions you propagate. Wanna world change? Look in the mirror. But do it with LOVE. Don’t hate the object of needed change, love the needed change. BTW, I’m far from perfect and have many cracked mirrors.
  4. Movies or books? Mooks? Boovies? Maaan, I love both! These questions are hard. Okay, books. Except for an exceptional movie. But, then again…
  5. Which writer’s books can’t you stand (please be honest)? I’d made a promise to myself I would never do something like this to an author in public, so, with all due respect, I must keep that promise. Es tut mir leid.
  6. What’s your favorite cuisine? All roads lead to lasagna. All of them, my friends! I knooow…I picked a food, not a “cuisine,” but you can extrapolate, right? Anyway, when I talk lasagna (I could go on for hours), I’m talking the meaty kind, not the eggplant, the soybean, the veggie versions. I feel all your non-meat-eater pain, but, sorry, none of those are lasagna…not as God intended. :-]
  7. Can you tell the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? I was a bad boy. Years ago (I’ve since learned better…), I had been working with someone, who, in my at-the-time-not-so-humble opinion, simply was not doing a great job of it. I was so pissed (can I say that on-air?), I was venting it to some at work, when out pops this person from around Cubicle Land, having heard every word….
  8. Dreamer or realist? Dreamer. People may think I’m largely a realist, but I’m always dreaming, even when punching that clock and “gettin’ business done.” I know certain things need to “be” when living life in the corporeal existence, but that doesn’t keep my dreaming at bay. I’ll be dreaming til the day I die…and beyond. In fact, I’m doing it right now.
  9. Who inspires you? In writing, oddly enough, I can’t seem to come with up anyone! Growing up and through my thirties it used to be Stephen King. For my current conspiracy action/adventure manuscript, I get inspired with X-Files reruns, but for my other work…I really don’t have an inspire…er. This question gave me real pause for thought. Huh. Dammit, Samir! Now, in life in general, top of the list is my wife (please, geeze don’t tell her…). She inspires me to be a better person, to better express gratitude (to myself as well as others), and to better feel what others are going through. See 11 Facts About Myself #9, above. She brings me down to Earth when needed. My parents also inspire me. All their words of wisdom always come back to haunt me—I mean fill my head when—oh, who am I kidding, they come back to haunt me….
  10. Favorite sport? Baseball. I’m not a gonzo fan, don’t quote stats, but love the feel and Zen of the stadium on a summer’s day, the smell of food, the murmur of the crowds, the beautifully manicured field, how far removed it is from my daily life, and, ahhh, the crack of the bats….
  11. The perfect Saturday night is…? Being with my wife, enjoying whatever it is we’re doing…whether staying in or going out…or spending it with close friends and family. Life gets so busy, working a day job and writing and chores and the gym and what have you. It’s nice to just relax with the ones you love. No judgment, just laughter and conversation and…lasagna. :-]

11 Questions for my Nominees

  1. Do you prefer hiking or biking?
  2. Do you prefer electronic tablets (not “stone”—I just know someone’ll go there) or hardcopies?
  3. What would you do with a sickeningly large sum of moo-lah?
  4. What is your favorite childhood memory?
  5. If you were to play a musical instrument (still answer if you actually do play one), what would it be, and why?
  6. How do you feel when you look at a blank wall?
  7. Do you kill spiders…or relocate them?
  8. What do you see as Humanity’s greatest challenge?
  9. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done (keep it legal)?
  10. If a train leaves a station at 12:03 p.m., and you start walking toward it 5 minutes later, half a mile away, what kind of animal do you see yourself as, and why?
  11. If you were to have a gravestone, what would you put on it?

11 Bloggers I Nominate Are:

  1. Shadow and Substance
  2. Seeker of Truth
  3. Abominations
  4. Saturday Morning Post
  5. Thinking Banned Thoughts
  6. The In-Between
  7. Sisters of the Quill
  8. Chiseled in Rock
  9. Wine And Roses From Outer Space
  10. I’m Just Sayin
  11. Belle Grove Plantation

Why I Blog

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One of the members of a writing group I belong to asked:  why do some of us blog and how does it affect our writing?

First and foremost, I do it because it’s writing and communication-both of which I love! When I went to college and had to do a paper, I loved to sit before an empty sheet of paper (yeah, when I went to college, we didn’t have the ubiquitous lap- nor desktops). To me it represented limitless possibilities, and I couldn’t wait to fill it!

I feel a deep, inner drive to communicate. Growing up, one of my family nick-names was “Motor Mouth.” Yeah, I was (and still can be) quite talkative and can strike up conversations with pretty much anyone who’ll talk back. My blog title reflects that.

I do not post blogs because I have to, to create followers nor a readership nor a platform, though I understand the need for all of that, and that posting does, indeed, further those goals. Writing of any kind is a deep, inner, communicative need for me. Is it brought on by some past or future reincarnational issue?  Who knows.  All I know is that whether through genetics (my mom is a writer/poet/editor), I just have to scribble things down on paper and on electronic media. Can’t help edit everything damn thing I see (cereal boxes, signs, books). And I post blogs because it’s simply yet another form of writing, and (if you missed it) I love writing!

It’s a journey.

Blogging is a short, extremely immediate form of writing, instantly available to the world. As I’d mentioned in a recent post, I’ve discovered my posts are literally read all over the world (as I’m sure all blog posts are).

How cool is that?

In blogs, there are no extra-personal editors–just you–so readers get to see the writer first-hand, no  middle-folk.

And blogging’s friggin fun! It’s whatever’s important at the moment! From the gut! Shootin from the hip! As my mantra goes (if you’re gonna have a mantra…), I truly believe all forms of writing helps all forms of writing. It helps you write quicker, more succinctly. Don’t know about the rest of the blogosphere, but that’s what I strive for, anyway.

I also try to approach things differently, attack issues from a different POV than I see normally posted elsewhere. But that’s how I’ve always operated: trying to show another way things could be.  I don’t intentionally try to stir up controversy, but inherent to what/how/why I write, that is inevitable. I look at it this way: so many out there are so free with dispensing their own views on everything from religion and politics to diets and whanot, why can’t I also be afforded the same respect, courtesy, and right? I’m not saying anyone has to believe as I do, but I do ask that within everyone’s personal belief systems each questions what they believe…perhaps consider that something else might be going on in the background…that not everything is at it would outwardly appear.

To be tolerant of other views.

There you go.  Feel free to comment your reasons for posting–and enjoy it!