Those Who Came Before Us

    "The difference between a successful person and everyone else isn't a lack of strength or knowledge but rather a lack of will."

      I wanted to add in a post that would inspire all of us. Something authors, readers, business owners, or anyone following their dream can take as encouragement. In whatever we do we will be faced with rejection and the key, the only key is to persevere. No matter how high that mountain may seem the only way to the top is by placing one foot in front of the other. The following list contains some famous names who wouldn't be where they are now if they gave up on their first no, second no, third no, fourth no, fifth... well you get the point. This list and other great resources can be found at 

http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2011/07/famous-author-rejection-letters/

 Famous Rejected Authors

1. John Grisham's first book was rejected 25 times

2. Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 134 times

3. Stephen King's book Carrie received dozens of rejections

4. No one wanted to publish Beatrix Potter so she self-published   
    The Tale of Peter Rabbit

5. Kathryn Stockett's The Help was rejected 60 times 

The list goes on and on but one thing we can learn from these authors, one thing they all have in common was was their relentless passion to succeed.

Great Teachers

     As writers we all love to read. I'm sure as you've started your writing career you've heard things like, "Make sure to read as much as you write" or "read all the books in your genre as you can find." By doing this we are honing our own writing and storytelling skills. We find things we like and find things we dislike. The things we like we mentally note and try and emulate, the things we dislike we make sure to avoid in our own writing. I've listed some current authors below and what I've been able to glean from reading their books. I hope this helps you along your own path.

                                                        Janet Evanovich - Dialogue

     Janet has perfected the art of dialogue. Her characters interact with one another in a fast paced and often humorous manner. She's able to clearly explain to the reader which character is saying what, without the use of "She said's" or "He spoke." If you find yourself struggling with dialogue in your own book, any of Janet's novels would be helpful.

                                                            Steven James - Pacing

     I heard Steven James speak at a conference last month and the advice he gave has proven invaluable for my own writing. Steven submerges his readers in the plot of the story, page one. He doesn't wait or take chapters setting up for what will come. He's a master at starting his books off at a sprint and continuing the race all the way to the finish

                                                             N.K. Jemisin - Characters

     In her book The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N.K. Jemisin introduces us to a solid cast of hero's, villains and other characters we're not sure how to categorize. She keeps her descriptions crisp and unique and is great at painting clear pictures while only using a few words.

   

2012 New Year's Resolution List

 

     November is already half way over, Thanksgiving is right around the corner with Christmas and New Years close behind. I ,like many of you, started January 2012 excited with the endless possibilities  the new year held. I also made a "To Do List" for 2012 of things I wanted to accomplish. (I'm a sucker for lists.) Below is the list I put together I've managed to do all of them except for one.

     If I can get 90% of my list accomplished by November, while changing careers and writing a book, I know you can too. It's never to late to achieve what you set out for in 2012. Today is the day. Nobody is going to do it for you. I hope this inspires you to get out there and accomplish your goals.

To Do In 2012

1) Take Krav Maga lessons - A few cuts and scrapes later, done

2) Go Skydiving - Trip to Peris, CA with my sister, done

3) Learn how to shoot a bow - Just got this one done with my wife for my B-day

4) Get in the best shape I've ever been in - Renewed that drive at the gym, maintaining everyday 

5) Learn how to throw knives - Never fully mastered this one but it was/is a fun learning experiance 

6) Take and Pass a gun safety course/get gun permit - Passed, my wife did better then me on the test

7) Get my third tattoo - "I must be more than I am" in Latin, along the right side of my torso 

8) Renew my motorcycles license that I've let lapse - Need to do this still, December's coming fast

     I'll post the next installment of The Beast Within on Monday, have a great weekend and stay classy.

What's to Come

     Blogging a book is a slow process and while I appreciate all the views and followers in the short time this blog has been up I can feel myself as the author wishing I could just give you the entire book. As a reader I can only imagine how you feel. With that said I've decided to give you a taste of what is to come while reading The Beast Within. Hopefully the following content will either perk your interest or spark your imagination.

     Each one of these pictures represents a theme or important point in the book that will be revealed during the course of this blog. Hope you enjoy and thanks for following. I should also note that it's not what you're thinking.

Nope, still not even close...

Connor Moore's Workout

     Last post we talked about what writers and readers can do if they want a quick workout. Today we'll take this a step further and discuss an actual full body workout and one that is specifically used by the main character of my book, The Beast Within.

     Connor Moore is an active eighteen-year-old but can't always find time to go on a run or drive to the gym. His intensity and drive however won't let him off the hook that easy, so he's found a great way to workout at home and still use that aggression in a constructive way. Men's Health put together an awesome workout inspired by the TV show Spartacus. I've personally used it with great results and it's worked wonders for Connor.
     Just start off with 2 or 3 times a week. The entire workout is under an hour. If you can't get through the entire workout, its alright, just do as much as you can remember every rep or set is forward progress. Books are written and read one word at a time. The body is no different, one rep at a time.
     On Friday we'll take a break from all the exercise talk and get back to the book... promise.

http://getrippedd.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/spartacus-workout.jpg

Workout for Writers

     Need a break from your novel? Been writing for hours on end at your computer eating every writer's  four basic food groups; sugar, salt, caffeine and sugar? Here are a few ideas on how to mix up your daily routine of writing and get some exercise in, instead of another trip to the refrigerator.

1) Although helpful you don't need a gym membership to stay healthy. Crunches and Push-ups are free of charge. They also work wonders for releasing tension or aggression towards your writer's block or plot problems. 

2) You don't have to do 100 pushups a day or 200 crunches to start seeing results. Start small. Just like writing we work our way to the end one word at a time. Start with 3 sets of 10 crunches and 3 sets of 10 pushups. It will only take a few minutes out of your day plus it will start the blood pumping and synapsis firing for that great ending of your novel.

3) These exercises will tighten and build muscle but if you want the tone shape we all see on TV, your going to have to cut back on the red velvet cupcakes and cherry pie.

4) As writers we have discipline, or else we wouldn't be writers. It's time to use that discipline and start portioning. You can still eat, just limit yourself. Maybe instead of that second helping we hold it to one, halving your meal portions will work wonders for your calorie intake and cut back on the poundage. 

The following links have some great visuals on doing a proper pushup and crunch. Next post I'll give you a more of a detailed workout plan courtesy of the main character in The Beast Within, Connor Moore.

CRUNCHES               http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyd_fa5zoEU

PUSHUPS                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh00_rniF8E      (These can also be done on your knees, for a less intense pushup.)

Motivation

   
   

     Before I give you more information about The Beast Within, I wanted to provide some additional encouragement to writers. I know writing can be tedious especially when we find ourselves in the month of November and pressured to write 50,000 words for National Writing Month. Sometimes we forget to take a break and more importantly we forget to exercise.
     As a full-time author and part-time personal trainer I know it can be hard, but it is not impossible. In fact its while I'm at the gym or on a run that I'm inspired the most. It could be the lack of oxygen taking me to a near halucinogenic state but my plot and characters seem to come alive.
     I know you maybe thinking that you have enough on your plate with writing a book much less worrying about exercising, after all there aren't many authors/athletes out there right? But think about this, if you have enough dedication, commitment, resolve, and discipline to write, you can certainly find a few minutes a day to exercise. I think as writers we have a tremendous opportunity to stay active and find time to workout, because we are already one of the most disciplined and dedicated workers.
     In the next post I'll give you some tips and ideas on how to burn a few calories while taking a break from writing your book. I'll even share "Connor's", the main character from The Beast Within,  workout routine with you.

 

National Writing Month

 In light of today being the start of National Novel Writing Month or nanowrimo, I thought it would be appropriate to take a small break from The Beast Within and do what I can to encourage other writers and authors out there who are putting themselves through the beautiful torture of writing a book.   I could take hours and tell you about techniques and ideas on how to or when to write, but since you should be writing right now I'll just give you one tip that has really helped me during my writing journey. Always move forward. It doesn't matter if it's a page or a paragraph, it's a step closer to the finish.

The following websites are great for anyone who is looking for guidance during the start of their writing career or even if this is your second book and are looking for some fresh advice. Also if there is anything I can do to help I'd love to hear from you.

www.nanowrimo.org

www.writersdigest.com

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou