The fourth is a sequel to my best-regarded work, and it has a title and a cover...
...this is Push.
- D
Monday, September 1, 2014
Push
-- Working on my fourth and fifth novels.
The fourth is a sequel to my best-regarded work, and it has a title and a cover...
...this is Push.
- D
The fourth is a sequel to my best-regarded work, and it has a title and a cover...
...this is Push.
- D
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
You Like Me; You Really Like Me?
-- So...
Yours truly has been nominated for best blog/blogger in the Southern Minnesota Scene publication.
I could just say, "Vote for me!" and smile and kiss a baby and move on. But I actually want to tell you why. Sincerely
I'm a writer. Crazy. I know. You never would've figured. But there wasn't a "Best Writer" category in the mix of categories. I'm a passionate author with three books under his belt (not in a dirty way), all released exactly within one year. So, even though there's less than a dozen entries here on my blog, I feel like I'm a good writer, and being recognized regardless would mean the universe to me.
It means that at least one more person would know my name, and that would help.
Enormously.
I care about humanity, and humor, and how funny and sad and dreadful and hopeful this world can be. I'm vulgar, but I care so much it hurts. I laugh and poke fun but I cry more than anyone else you know.
And my words wear the heart on my paper sleeves.
So, that's why you should vote for me, and ask your grandma to vote for me, too.
Also, free nachos and slushies in the cafeteria.
I promise.
Vote Here.
- D
Yours truly has been nominated for best blog/blogger in the Southern Minnesota Scene publication.
I could just say, "Vote for me!" and smile and kiss a baby and move on. But I actually want to tell you why. Sincerely
I'm a writer. Crazy. I know. You never would've figured. But there wasn't a "Best Writer" category in the mix of categories. I'm a passionate author with three books under his belt (not in a dirty way), all released exactly within one year. So, even though there's less than a dozen entries here on my blog, I feel like I'm a good writer, and being recognized regardless would mean the universe to me.
It means that at least one more person would know my name, and that would help.
Enormously.
I care about humanity, and humor, and how funny and sad and dreadful and hopeful this world can be. I'm vulgar, but I care so much it hurts. I laugh and poke fun but I cry more than anyone else you know.
And my words wear the heart on my paper sleeves.
So, that's why you should vote for me, and ask your grandma to vote for me, too.
Also, free nachos and slushies in the cafeteria.
I promise.
Vote Here.
- D
Friday, August 1, 2014
Good Books & Good Beer #1
-- So, my buddy Kody and I have been reading comic books and graphic novels for a long time. He for a couple of years; me since I was born. Or at least since I can remember. We discuss them, passionately, at length. I wished that we had more people to talk about them with.
I had an idea a few months ago to do a book club, but with a twist: we would only read graphic novels (which Kody and I have accumulated in abundance), and we would only drink good beer.
Thus, Good Beer & Good Books was formed.
I decided, for book club #1, on the Crooked Pint in Apple Valley for the beer, and the first volume of the newest version of Guardians of the Galaxy ("Cosmic Avengers"), by Bendis; to add to the appeal, I set the date on the release day of the film.
It was amazing.
The absolute reason was the people. The guys (and gals) who showed up were intelligent, insightful and willing to share. I wrote up a questionnaire of fifteen questions, some silly, some serious, (one that I answered for you) and we went to town with them while snacking on appetizers and drinking -- of course -- delicious brews (and ciders).
From left: Steve, Gabe, Nick, Dustin, Me & Kody
Highlights:
-- When I asked the question about having the worst one-night-stand, everyone's heads turned instinctively to Steve. Even the people who didn't know him.
-- The quality of conversation was astounding. Some of these guys I see every day; some of them I've only met a handful of times, or once. But everyone held their own, and contributed. This is the Avengers of book clubs.
-- I don't know what it is, but people who obsess, or at least care, about pop culture are so much freer and easier to express themselves, especially amongst peers. ...And they tend to be smarter about it, too.
-- I really hope I did a decent job as moderator. I knew what I wanted to do, and I feel like it was a balanced, very-often surprising conversation. But everyone was respectful, and everyone had their say. Though, if anyone else there was like me, they woke up this morning going, "Damn! I wish I would have said..." Or they were just plain-ass zombie-tired like I was.
Afterwords, we played some bocce on the outdoor court, in absolutely glorious weather.
My team ("The Blue Balls") did lose, but Steve and I put up a valiant, slightly intoxicated effort.
Steve literally threw a ball over the metal fencing. With my credit card on the line.
The Guardians would have approved.
After that, we headed over to the Burnsville Paragon theater (my absolute favorite) and bought out a row (and a half) to watch the film. The VIP seats, with their luxurious leather and ability to allow you to drink MORE beer DURING the film, are worth every damn penny.
Absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried -- seriously, a tree and a raccoon made me cry -- and it was just such a complete night. Chris Pratt naturally thrilled me; Dave Bautista impressed in a way I did not expect (he was one of the rare surprises of the cinematic summer). I can't wait to plan one again (and, no, it won't be a monthly thing -- it's just not as special that way).
Other fun stuff that happened:
-- I actually drew up an original print for all attendees. The elderly woman at FedEx Office accidentally made a TON (but only charged me for the amount I ordered), so I kinda, sorta scammed the theater to distribute them for me (just listen): I asked the kid who was taking tickets if he could give out my prints. I may or may not have told him that I work for Marvel. He said he needed manager approval. When the manager came out and was looking over my drawing (which does feature a raccoon with a large penis), I walked over, introduced myself as a man who works for a "faction of Marvel"... and he approved it. Drawings flew off the shelf, much smiling on our group's behalf commenced. That was just cool.
-- We sang Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way" on the patio of the theater, and being a group of entertainers, we kind of went all out. When we returned inside, the vibe had changed. Turns out, everyone inside was watching us. And they dug it. Like, a lot.
-- The film itself was phenomenal. Through the roof, feeling and fun. I felt like I was watching other, more pretty and talented people outside singing Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way".
-- Please share your thoughts on that super weird reveal at the end of the film. Spoilers be damned. That was just too crazy not to talk about.
All in all, a wonderful time. An absolute blast.
Stay tuned for Good Beer & Good Books... #2!
- D
Oh... and here are the questions if you want to play at home:
G O O D B E E R & G O O D B O O K S # 1
J U L Y 3 1 ST, 2 0 1 4
Welcome, true believers! (That’s a Stan Lee line; odds are, if you’re here, you know that shit.)
Here’s a little questionnaire to get the social juices flowing. Also, that’s what she said.
This will be fun, this will be serious, and hopefully someone sheds tears by the end of the day. (That will probably be me.)
‘Nuff said!
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What character do you relate to and why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the WORST, how terrible is Iron Man’s new costume? (I mean, is that a METAL MUSTACHE?!)
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Is this your first time reading a graphic novel? If so, what did you like and not like about the medium?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Peter Quill’s father is from Spartax; do you believe that there is life – intelligent life – in the universe besides Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. J’Son, an alien king from another planet, has relations with Meredith, knocks her up and then literally leaves the planet. Have you had a worse one-night-stand?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“It’s not crap, mom. I’m reading. This is reading.”
6. Peter stands up for an immigrant girl on the playground, clearly demonstrating his humanity. Have you ever done something similar?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you think that Peter’s father made the right decision by leaving Peter, or is he an ass, as Peter believes?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you think Peter’s father legitimately gives a shit about Peter and the Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Krutak: GREAT or TERRIBLE swear word? (Also, do you roll the r’s? Because I do.)
____________________________________________________________________________
10. As innovation and technology evolve, do you find yourself relating more or less to the comic book and comic film industry?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Iron Man / Tony Stark jets into literal space to escape, to get away from it all. Where is your “space”?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shit gets real now.
“A cauldron of irresponsiblity.”
“A planet of madness.”
“…Given powers ranging from minor significance to intergalactic threat.”
“But you’re right. They’re all creatures. It would seem that is what holds them together. No one else will have them. There is poetry in that.”
12. Is J’Son right about Earth and its people? (And did anyone else notice that this is pretty much how all other wars start, whether fictional or very, very real? Blam.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. If Rocket Raccoon doesn’t say, “Blam. Murdered you,” can we all consider the film a critical and commercial failure?
Yes.
14. Most of the Guardians have TERRIBLE parents. What do you think it says about nature and nurture, genetics and choice?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Are you Groot?
____________________________________________________________________________
I had an idea a few months ago to do a book club, but with a twist: we would only read graphic novels (which Kody and I have accumulated in abundance), and we would only drink good beer.
Thus, Good Beer & Good Books was formed.
I decided, for book club #1, on the Crooked Pint in Apple Valley for the beer, and the first volume of the newest version of Guardians of the Galaxy ("Cosmic Avengers"), by Bendis; to add to the appeal, I set the date on the release day of the film.
It was amazing.
The absolute reason was the people. The guys (and gals) who showed up were intelligent, insightful and willing to share. I wrote up a questionnaire of fifteen questions, some silly, some serious, (one that I answered for you) and we went to town with them while snacking on appetizers and drinking -- of course -- delicious brews (and ciders).
From left: Steve, Gabe, Nick, Dustin, Me & Kody
Highlights:
-- When I asked the question about having the worst one-night-stand, everyone's heads turned instinctively to Steve. Even the people who didn't know him.
-- The quality of conversation was astounding. Some of these guys I see every day; some of them I've only met a handful of times, or once. But everyone held their own, and contributed. This is the Avengers of book clubs.
-- I don't know what it is, but people who obsess, or at least care, about pop culture are so much freer and easier to express themselves, especially amongst peers. ...And they tend to be smarter about it, too.
-- I really hope I did a decent job as moderator. I knew what I wanted to do, and I feel like it was a balanced, very-often surprising conversation. But everyone was respectful, and everyone had their say. Though, if anyone else there was like me, they woke up this morning going, "Damn! I wish I would have said..." Or they were just plain-ass zombie-tired like I was.
Afterwords, we played some bocce on the outdoor court, in absolutely glorious weather.
My team ("The Blue Balls") did lose, but Steve and I put up a valiant, slightly intoxicated effort.
Steve literally threw a ball over the metal fencing. With my credit card on the line.
The Guardians would have approved.
After that, we headed over to the Burnsville Paragon theater (my absolute favorite) and bought out a row (and a half) to watch the film. The VIP seats, with their luxurious leather and ability to allow you to drink MORE beer DURING the film, are worth every damn penny.
Absolutely fantastic. I laughed, I cried -- seriously, a tree and a raccoon made me cry -- and it was just such a complete night. Chris Pratt naturally thrilled me; Dave Bautista impressed in a way I did not expect (he was one of the rare surprises of the cinematic summer). I can't wait to plan one again (and, no, it won't be a monthly thing -- it's just not as special that way).
Other fun stuff that happened:
-- I actually drew up an original print for all attendees. The elderly woman at FedEx Office accidentally made a TON (but only charged me for the amount I ordered), so I kinda, sorta scammed the theater to distribute them for me (just listen): I asked the kid who was taking tickets if he could give out my prints. I may or may not have told him that I work for Marvel. He said he needed manager approval. When the manager came out and was looking over my drawing (which does feature a raccoon with a large penis), I walked over, introduced myself as a man who works for a "faction of Marvel"... and he approved it. Drawings flew off the shelf, much smiling on our group's behalf commenced. That was just cool.
-- We sang Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way" on the patio of the theater, and being a group of entertainers, we kind of went all out. When we returned inside, the vibe had changed. Turns out, everyone inside was watching us. And they dug it. Like, a lot.
-- The film itself was phenomenal. Through the roof, feeling and fun. I felt like I was watching other, more pretty and talented people outside singing Backstreet Boy's "I Want It That Way".
-- Please share your thoughts on that super weird reveal at the end of the film. Spoilers be damned. That was just too crazy not to talk about.
All in all, a wonderful time. An absolute blast.
Stay tuned for Good Beer & Good Books... #2!
- D
Oh... and here are the questions if you want to play at home:
G O O D B E E R & G O O D B O O K S # 1
J U L Y 3 1 ST, 2 0 1 4
Welcome, true believers! (That’s a Stan Lee line; odds are, if you’re here, you know that shit.)
Here’s a little questionnaire to get the social juices flowing. Also, that’s what she said.
This will be fun, this will be serious, and hopefully someone sheds tears by the end of the day. (That will probably be me.)
‘Nuff said!
Q U E S T I O N S
1. What character do you relate to and why?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. On a scale from 1-10, 10 being the WORST, how terrible is Iron Man’s new costume? (I mean, is that a METAL MUSTACHE?!)
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Is this your first time reading a graphic novel? If so, what did you like and not like about the medium?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Peter Quill’s father is from Spartax; do you believe that there is life – intelligent life – in the universe besides Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. J’Son, an alien king from another planet, has relations with Meredith, knocks her up and then literally leaves the planet. Have you had a worse one-night-stand?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“It’s not crap, mom. I’m reading. This is reading.”
6. Peter stands up for an immigrant girl on the playground, clearly demonstrating his humanity. Have you ever done something similar?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Do you think that Peter’s father made the right decision by leaving Peter, or is he an ass, as Peter believes?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Do you think Peter’s father legitimately gives a shit about Peter and the Earth?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Krutak: GREAT or TERRIBLE swear word? (Also, do you roll the r’s? Because I do.)
____________________________________________________________________________
10. As innovation and technology evolve, do you find yourself relating more or less to the comic book and comic film industry?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Iron Man / Tony Stark jets into literal space to escape, to get away from it all. Where is your “space”?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Shit gets real now.
“A cauldron of irresponsiblity.”
“A planet of madness.”
“…Given powers ranging from minor significance to intergalactic threat.”
“But you’re right. They’re all creatures. It would seem that is what holds them together. No one else will have them. There is poetry in that.”
12. Is J’Son right about Earth and its people? (And did anyone else notice that this is pretty much how all other wars start, whether fictional or very, very real? Blam.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
13. If Rocket Raccoon doesn’t say, “Blam. Murdered you,” can we all consider the film a critical and commercial failure?
Yes.
14. Most of the Guardians have TERRIBLE parents. What do you think it says about nature and nurture, genetics and choice?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
15. Are you Groot?
____________________________________________________________________________
Monday, July 7, 2014
What Are You Trying To Say?
-- Every
artist has his or her own themes or messages to deliver. They're trying
to say something. And even though every project they create and take on
can be drastically different, if you look closely, there are always
threads; through-lines into that person and their head and their soul.
Being the narcissist that I am, I looked at the books I've written to see if I could find a common thread. And I did. It's an ironic one, and if you actually know me as a human being in real life, it might be surprising. The biggest theme that I've seen carry though my stories so far is:
Positivity.
And never giving up.
Almost all of the characters in my stories face the worst things you could possibly face, but instead of giving up and curling into the fetal position like I feel like I would, they keep moving. They get stronger. They FIGHT. And I'm horribly jealous of them for that. But I'm glad that they exist, and I'm both surprised and not-at-all by this revelation.
And I think it's a useful tool for everyone to use. To look at their own lives and find the through-line; to rediscover what's important and what drives you.
Because I'm glad I did.
- D
Being the narcissist that I am, I looked at the books I've written to see if I could find a common thread. And I did. It's an ironic one, and if you actually know me as a human being in real life, it might be surprising. The biggest theme that I've seen carry though my stories so far is:
Positivity.
And never giving up.
Almost all of the characters in my stories face the worst things you could possibly face, but instead of giving up and curling into the fetal position like I feel like I would, they keep moving. They get stronger. They FIGHT. And I'm horribly jealous of them for that. But I'm glad that they exist, and I'm both surprised and not-at-all by this revelation.
And I think it's a useful tool for everyone to use. To look at their own lives and find the through-line; to rediscover what's important and what drives you.
Because I'm glad I did.
- D
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
My "Review"
-- This'll be kind of a long one, so feel free to skip it unless you think talking about writing stuff and competition stuff is interesting.
So, I didn't advance this round in the 2014 NYC Writing Contest, which is kind of a bummer (and a little sketchy: out of the five stories chosen to advance their writers, only one is available to read online, and it's only a decent read at best).
How the competition works is this: they give you a character, incident and genre and you have just a few days to create a short story with those elements. It's massively fun and challenging.
You can read my entry, "The Level", here:
http://dennisvogen.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-2014-nyc-short-story-submission.html
Anyway, I spent almost $50 to enter the contest, but for a good reason: they have professionals review your story and give you criticism, advice, etc. And I just received my "review," and it... well, it makes me kinda mad.
I want to share it and see what you think. This is the EXACT e-mail, verbatim, copy and pasted, that I received:
> ''The Level'' by Dennis Vogen 898 - WHAT THE JUDGE(S) LIKED ABOUT YOUR SCRIPT - .....................This concept is disturbing and unsettling, and once the opening section takes the plunge ("I didn't mean to kill her baby"), the chase is on, so to speak; there's an instant curiosity created in the reader's mind that propels him forward. What's also well done is the succinct rendering of the back story -- The Level, what it is, how people die.//The last section is taut and leaves the reader with a strong impression...............................I like the dual narrative here. ........................ WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK - .....................On a smaller note, these symbols: ))) and ((( -- seem to mark section breaks. Standard section break symbols, unless a magazine asks for specific ones, are *** or #. Just an FYI.//The section which begins "I went to the club by myself" -- is flashback, but because it's rendered in the past tense, like the rest of the story, it's difficult to know where we are in time. In general, if a story is penned in the past tense, then anything that happens before the time of the story -- such as flashback -- should be written in the pluperfect.//The opening feels a bit ungrounded -- who is "they?" And what type of world are we in? Post-apocalyptic. It eventually fleshes out, but at the beginning, it needs to be crystal clear where we are.........................…...A few too many 'info-dump' sentences. Needs cleaning up and a percentage of content sliced off it to tighten what remains...................... <
WHAT?
I got a tiny amount of criticism, especially since I didn't make the top five.
I paid FIFTY DOLLARS for that?!
On top of that, the review (and this has happened to me before...) is fundamentally wrong on most of its levels (pun intended). I can take criticism. Honestly, I can. Most of the time. But this is ridiculous.
So I sent them an e-mail back.
Here's mine:
> Thank you for the feedback.
Of course, I have to respond to one of the odder criticisms. :)
I was criticized for using "(((" and ")))" as breaks in the story, and also criticized for not making it clear which parts were in the past or in the closer present.
But that's what the ")))" symbols are. First, they're symbolic -- like sound, or sonar waves. Second, when you see the "(((" symbol, it means it's a flashback, and the ")))" brings you back to the present tense of the story.
I thought it was fairly apparent, or at least kind of cool, but it went unnoticed and became a criticism; if you could tell me how to make that mechanism more clear, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your time. This was a really fun experience.
D <
I thought sending that back would be enough to make me feel okay about it, but it doesn't.
So, am I absolutely crazy? To be upset that I got a tiny review with almost no criticisms, yet I didn't make it to the next round? And that I paid good money to get some kind of feedback?
Your free feedback is requested below.
- D
So, I didn't advance this round in the 2014 NYC Writing Contest, which is kind of a bummer (and a little sketchy: out of the five stories chosen to advance their writers, only one is available to read online, and it's only a decent read at best).
How the competition works is this: they give you a character, incident and genre and you have just a few days to create a short story with those elements. It's massively fun and challenging.
You can read my entry, "The Level", here:
http://dennisvogen.blogspot.com/2014/02/my-2014-nyc-short-story-submission.html
Anyway, I spent almost $50 to enter the contest, but for a good reason: they have professionals review your story and give you criticism, advice, etc. And I just received my "review," and it... well, it makes me kinda mad.
I want to share it and see what you think. This is the EXACT e-mail, verbatim, copy and pasted, that I received:
> ''The Level'' by Dennis Vogen 898 - WHAT THE JUDGE(S) LIKED ABOUT YOUR SCRIPT - .....................This concept is disturbing and unsettling, and once the opening section takes the plunge ("I didn't mean to kill her baby"), the chase is on, so to speak; there's an instant curiosity created in the reader's mind that propels him forward. What's also well done is the succinct rendering of the back story -- The Level, what it is, how people die.//The last section is taut and leaves the reader with a strong impression...............................I like the dual narrative here. ........................ WHAT THE JUDGES FEEL NEEDS WORK - .....................On a smaller note, these symbols: ))) and ((( -- seem to mark section breaks. Standard section break symbols, unless a magazine asks for specific ones, are *** or #. Just an FYI.//The section which begins "I went to the club by myself" -- is flashback, but because it's rendered in the past tense, like the rest of the story, it's difficult to know where we are in time. In general, if a story is penned in the past tense, then anything that happens before the time of the story -- such as flashback -- should be written in the pluperfect.//The opening feels a bit ungrounded -- who is "they?" And what type of world are we in? Post-apocalyptic. It eventually fleshes out, but at the beginning, it needs to be crystal clear where we are.........................…...A few too many 'info-dump' sentences. Needs cleaning up and a percentage of content sliced off it to tighten what remains...................... <
WHAT?
I got a tiny amount of criticism, especially since I didn't make the top five.
I paid FIFTY DOLLARS for that?!
On top of that, the review (and this has happened to me before...) is fundamentally wrong on most of its levels (pun intended). I can take criticism. Honestly, I can. Most of the time. But this is ridiculous.
So I sent them an e-mail back.
Here's mine:
> Thank you for the feedback.
Of course, I have to respond to one of the odder criticisms. :)
I was criticized for using "(((" and ")))" as breaks in the story, and also criticized for not making it clear which parts were in the past or in the closer present.
But that's what the ")))" symbols are. First, they're symbolic -- like sound, or sonar waves. Second, when you see the "(((" symbol, it means it's a flashback, and the ")))" brings you back to the present tense of the story.
I thought it was fairly apparent, or at least kind of cool, but it went unnoticed and became a criticism; if you could tell me how to make that mechanism more clear, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your time. This was a really fun experience.
D <
I thought sending that back would be enough to make me feel okay about it, but it doesn't.
So, am I absolutely crazy? To be upset that I got a tiny review with almost no criticisms, yet I didn't make it to the next round? And that I paid good money to get some kind of feedback?
Your free feedback is requested below.
- D
Saturday, March 8, 2014
My Everything
-- I'm a writer, and a bartender.
Someone at the bar today asked me what I "actually did" outside of work (which I "get" all of the time), and I told them that I'm a writer and I'm a dad. And they said, "Whoa. So you never do anything." And I thought about it. I haven't had a vacation since I was in high school; I've had a child since I was 21 years old. I don't get vacation time or any benefits or much above minimum wage, so it makes sense. I work. A lot. And hard. Even when I clock out, I don't go home and shut it off. I work some more. Make sure my kiddo is fed and well. Make sure my mind is, too. Write some inadequate words to describe the human experience. I mean, it's not much... except, it's kind of everything. It's why I get so frustrated with people who are late, or just don't care. I don't absolutely love everything that I do; but I have enough respect for others to aim to try.
So, in retrospect, the answer to that question is, "What I actually do is everything. And anyone who asks that question is probably doing nothing."
- D
Someone at the bar today asked me what I "actually did" outside of work (which I "get" all of the time), and I told them that I'm a writer and I'm a dad. And they said, "Whoa. So you never do anything." And I thought about it. I haven't had a vacation since I was in high school; I've had a child since I was 21 years old. I don't get vacation time or any benefits or much above minimum wage, so it makes sense. I work. A lot. And hard. Even when I clock out, I don't go home and shut it off. I work some more. Make sure my kiddo is fed and well. Make sure my mind is, too. Write some inadequate words to describe the human experience. I mean, it's not much... except, it's kind of everything. It's why I get so frustrated with people who are late, or just don't care. I don't absolutely love everything that I do; but I have enough respect for others to aim to try.
So, in retrospect, the answer to that question is, "What I actually do is everything. And anyone who asks that question is probably doing nothing."
- D
Friday, February 21, 2014
My Thank You
-- Okay. Alright. Wow.
Now that the dust is settling, I absolutely have to give you my sincere thank you letter. It's long-winded, like everything I do. Mercifully, Facebook will condense this so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. But I hope you do.
If you haven't heard, we raised enough money to release my next two books through Kickstarter, "Flip" and "Us", thanks entirely to you. You have no idea what this means to me. And I love you all.
And I keep saying that you have no idea what this means to me, and that I love you all, but you really have to understand why. So I'm going to tell you.
After I released "Them" and we raised the money to self-publish it, I felt good. There was and is still so much work to do, and so much more that I want to do, but I felt proud and felt that I was on the right track.
So, when I started my second fundraising event to make the second and final book, I thought it would be a slam-dunk. A natural progression. A next step.
And it flopped.
Hard.
I wasn't even close.
And I'm already an anxious and melancholy person, but it hit me pretty hard. This kind of stuff -- art -- is hard enough to do in groups, as a team. Alone, it's almost impossible. And having support and then losing it so quickly hurt. It honestly depressed me. Since I was a little kid with a stupid bowl cut, I've been using and misusing words with heartfelt passion and with a conviction that made me just know that this is what I wanted to do.
This is what I'm supposed to be.
So, after it failed, I didn't really know what to do. So I just stopped doing stuff and tried to figure out what to do next.
Nothing.
This part will be ironic to anyone who's read "Flip": yeah, I may have mixed feelings about religion and fate, but I do believe that things happen for a reason. And I had to fail then because something else was coming.
Still defeated, I went to bed on November 1st. Since I can remember, even as a little kid, I've always wanted to write a book about dreams but I could never break the story. I couldn't figure it out. But sometime in the middle of the night on November 2nd, I did. I broke it.
November just coincidentally happens to be National Novel Writing Month, where thousands of writers around the world try to write a whole story in just a month. So I decided to try, too.
If "Us" would have gotten the money it needed, I never would have tried this. I would have put all of my focus on it and "Flip" wouldn't exist. But, instead, it does exist.
And I thank the sky every day that it does.
It changed things. It took me out a box that I could have been packaged in. It stretched me, and it hurt me, and I wouldn't change it for anything.
And then people started saying nice things about it. People I don't know. People I know closely.
And I figured out that I wasn't ready to finish the first thing I started until I wrote this thing. And that's when the Kickstarter idea kicked in.
And now, with everyone rallying behind it and supporting it and really just kicking ass for it, it's done. The next stage can begin (and all the work's on me, so you can relax now). And it is all thanks to YOU.
Honestly. Seriously.
It is all thanks to you.
THANK YOU.
And I thank you from the bottom of a heart that I think is secretly big, but in all honesty you all probably know how big it is.
Because it's big enough for all of you nuts.
Special thanks to Kody Kile, Lora Mays and Matt Mays, Elizabeth Ferguson, Justin Schoeben and Magan Marie Schoeben, Cathy Lola Kleven, Lydia Siefken Fitzgerald, Stacy Scherer, Peter L. Vogen, Nicole Sublet, Jill Hanson, Nicole McDonald, Cat Havumaki, Poly Mendes, Blair Warnemunde, Bekah Fitz, Jackie Daugherty, Amy Kielmeyer, Krista R Baker, Wayne Zbytovsky, Eliana Hutchison and everyone else who supported me in this big, dumb dream.
Hopefully, someday, I can be the kind of person you can be proud to say, "I knew him when...!"
And if you want to donate any spare change until the last day, this Monday, February 24th, here's the address:
https://www.kickstarter.com/
- D
Now that the dust is settling, I absolutely have to give you my sincere thank you letter. It's long-winded, like everything I do. Mercifully, Facebook will condense this so you don't have to read it if you don't want to. But I hope you do.
If you haven't heard, we raised enough money to release my next two books through Kickstarter, "Flip" and "Us", thanks entirely to you. You have no idea what this means to me. And I love you all.
And I keep saying that you have no idea what this means to me, and that I love you all, but you really have to understand why. So I'm going to tell you.
After I released "Them" and we raised the money to self-publish it, I felt good. There was and is still so much work to do, and so much more that I want to do, but I felt proud and felt that I was on the right track.
So, when I started my second fundraising event to make the second and final book, I thought it would be a slam-dunk. A natural progression. A next step.
And it flopped.
Hard.
I wasn't even close.
And I'm already an anxious and melancholy person, but it hit me pretty hard. This kind of stuff -- art -- is hard enough to do in groups, as a team. Alone, it's almost impossible. And having support and then losing it so quickly hurt. It honestly depressed me. Since I was a little kid with a stupid bowl cut, I've been using and misusing words with heartfelt passion and with a conviction that made me just know that this is what I wanted to do.
This is what I'm supposed to be.
So, after it failed, I didn't really know what to do. So I just stopped doing stuff and tried to figure out what to do next.
Nothing.
This part will be ironic to anyone who's read "Flip": yeah, I may have mixed feelings about religion and fate, but I do believe that things happen for a reason. And I had to fail then because something else was coming.
Still defeated, I went to bed on November 1st. Since I can remember, even as a little kid, I've always wanted to write a book about dreams but I could never break the story. I couldn't figure it out. But sometime in the middle of the night on November 2nd, I did. I broke it.
November just coincidentally happens to be National Novel Writing Month, where thousands of writers around the world try to write a whole story in just a month. So I decided to try, too.
If "Us" would have gotten the money it needed, I never would have tried this. I would have put all of my focus on it and "Flip" wouldn't exist. But, instead, it does exist.
And I thank the sky every day that it does.
It changed things. It took me out a box that I could have been packaged in. It stretched me, and it hurt me, and I wouldn't change it for anything.
And then people started saying nice things about it. People I don't know. People I know closely.
And I figured out that I wasn't ready to finish the first thing I started until I wrote this thing. And that's when the Kickstarter idea kicked in.
And now, with everyone rallying behind it and supporting it and really just kicking ass for it, it's done. The next stage can begin (and all the work's on me, so you can relax now). And it is all thanks to YOU.
Honestly. Seriously.
It is all thanks to you.
THANK YOU.
And I thank you from the bottom of a heart that I think is secretly big, but in all honesty you all probably know how big it is.
Because it's big enough for all of you nuts.
Special thanks to Kody Kile, Lora Mays and Matt Mays, Elizabeth Ferguson, Justin Schoeben and Magan Marie Schoeben, Cathy Lola Kleven, Lydia Siefken Fitzgerald, Stacy Scherer, Peter L. Vogen, Nicole Sublet, Jill Hanson, Nicole McDonald, Cat Havumaki, Poly Mendes, Blair Warnemunde, Bekah Fitz, Jackie Daugherty, Amy Kielmeyer, Krista R Baker, Wayne Zbytovsky, Eliana Hutchison and everyone else who supported me in this big, dumb dream.
Hopefully, someday, I can be the kind of person you can be proud to say, "I knew him when...!"
And if you want to donate any spare change until the last day, this Monday, February 24th, here's the address:
https://www.kickstarter.com/
- D
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