Reddit AMAs are a lot of fun — you guys pile on the questions, and I answer those questions. And I thought, well, hey, fuck it, let’s do one here.
Here’s how this’ll work:
You go to the comment section, and you pop in your question.
Then, tomorrow morning, I’ll start answering them.
If some questions are too damn weighty to answer in a comment, I might note that I’m setting it aside to answer in a longer form blog post later.
But you can ask me anything you want.
I will endeavor to answer where polite and where possible.
Oh, and a couple quick updates —
First, I apparently have a Wikipedia entry, finally. I AM A REAL BOY.
Then, hey, Star Wars: Aftermath dropped in paperback yesterday. And the Kindle price dropped. So feel free to ignite your lightsaber and carve off a slice.
Finally! If you’re in the PA/OH/WV area, I’ll be at Seton Hill on 4/12 for AN EVENING WITH CHUCK WENDIG, which sounds like we’re going on a date together. Maybe we are. Bring flowers. I like flowers. And by flowers, I mean whiskey. I’ll be talking about stuff and signing books and possible dancing around in a negligee or something, I dunno. The event organizers were a little hazy on that point.
NOW, WITH ALL THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
Go forth and AMA, folks.
Bree Verity says:
Do you generally draft your blog posts, or are they just spewed out ad hoc?
March 30, 2016 — 8:19 AM
terribleminds says:
It’s a mix! I do both.
March 31, 2016 — 7:48 AM
Zah says:
I told my writing class to devour your words and use your wisdom for guidence, help & motivation – who was your go to for sage advice when you were a fledging
March 30, 2016 — 8:20 AM
terribleminds says:
I didn’t really have a go-to on the ‘Net because I WAS A WEE SPROGLING — but in terms of other writers, I read Stephen King’s thoughts on storytelling, I read Cemetery Dance which often had writers talking about writing, and I had friends who were going through the same problems.
March 31, 2016 — 7:49 AM
Filip Wiltgren says:
Great idea, Chuck! Here are my questions:
How do you divide your time between the business of writing (selling/submiting, marketing etc.) and the actual writing?
How are your income streams divided? How do you earn your money as a writer (ie, what part are fiction royalties, non-fiction sales, other stuff)?
How was your road from published writer to professional writer, that is someone who earns his keep by writing? Any pitfalls one should be aware of?
TIA
Filip
March 30, 2016 — 8:27 AM
terribleminds says:
Dividing time is tricky because I’ve got the shed now, and part of the deal with the shed is, once I leave it, my work time is more or less done for the day. It gives me more concerted family time, but in some ways less work time — so, the “business of writing” falls aside, somewhat. But at the end of the day, that’s okay, because my “job” is writing books, and I am best when I am doing that.
My income streams are mixed — advances at the top, then self-pub, then royalties.
The road was full of pitfalls because it’s a hard career. Creating stuff and getting paid isn’t easy. Best I can say is, bust your ass when you can.
March 31, 2016 — 7:51 AM
Curious Writer says:
Mr. Wendig, I am a big fan of your work, particularly the Miriam Black series. Would you be willing to post the query letter that landed you your literary agent? I think a lot of us curious writers would benefit from seeing it. Thank you, sir!
March 30, 2016 — 8:33 AM
Inkling says:
Hear hear!
March 30, 2016 — 5:49 PM
terribleminds says:
I don’t believe I have it anymore! I did lay out HOW I wrote it way back when — HOOK, PITCH, BIO, three short paragraphs. My agent notes that it was far from the best query she’d ever read, but it had potential, which is really what I think agents are looking for.
March 31, 2016 — 7:52 AM
terribleminds says:
Oh, and thanks for the comment — glad you like Miriam!
March 31, 2016 — 7:52 AM
Jason P. says:
I have two, if you’re so inclined to answer:
1)What’s your process for self-editing? I have a hard time with that other than the grammar aspect.
2) Besides photography, any other hobbies?
March 30, 2016 — 8:34 AM
terribleminds says:
1) I read it aloud and take notes. It’s nothing fancy — self-editing is hard and imperfect and you miss things anyway. Oooh another tip — print it out or change the font. Anything to trick your eye into thinking it’s reading someone else’s manuscript.
2) Games. Reading. Comics. Serial murder. Cooking.
March 31, 2016 — 7:55 AM
Jeff Evans says:
re: 1 – Jaye (Wells) mentioned she’s recently tried doing text-to-speech (with a printed hardcopy to take notes on), and has found a lot of things that way as well. (Similar to “reading aloud,” it gives the writer a chance to identify where intended words didn’t actually make it on the page, where sometimes they may sneak past even in your own reading aloud)…
March 31, 2016 — 5:05 PM
Tony Scinta says:
Where are the bodies hidden?
Who are you working for ?!
What Gives You The Right To Play God ?!
March 30, 2016 — 8:41 AM
terribleminds says:
The bodies are hidden under your floorboards.
I am working for you. Don’t you remember?
I’m not God. You are.
March 31, 2016 — 7:55 AM
Rebeca says:
Ever considered writing for video games? (Especially now that certain games have been put an emphasis on dialogue and on characters). Any opinions on video games in general?
March 30, 2016 — 8:42 AM
terribleminds says:
I have written for video games and it was pretty terrible. I seem to recall having to script right inside Excel, which hurt my soul.
Video games are generally writing-last endeavors, which is unfortunate. I echo Rhianna Pratchett’s call to lead with great writers and writing.
March 31, 2016 — 7:56 AM
Luna says:
I rail against using Excel for anything other than numbers, but I work for an office environment where this crime happens freaking daily, and urgh when will it end?!
March 31, 2016 — 12:47 PM
The Hungry Dog's Lair (Martin Conterez) says:
What’s your favorite type of writing to do? Novels, blog posts, short stories, etc.? Why?
March 30, 2016 — 8:52 AM
terribleminds says:
Novels, totally. It’s my animal. I understand how to tame it.
Blog posts are fun, but that’s all.
Short stories are fucking hard for me, and honestly, they pay shit, so because they take me MORE time to write, it’s really not worth it. (For me, again.)
Comics are great, but I don’t really understand the animal yet, and do not have it tamed.
March 31, 2016 — 7:57 AM
Gregor Singleton says:
Fuck/marry/kill for your choice of authors (living/dead/fictional).
March 30, 2016 — 8:54 AM
terribleminds says:
I would fuck them then marry them then kill them.
Am I doing this right.
March 31, 2016 — 7:58 AM
Rob Kriner (@RobKriner) says:
This is awesome. Thanks for offering yourself up for the question bludgeoning you’re about to receive! Here’re my two swings:
1) Novels, comics, scripts, video games. Do you ever write in multiple formats at the same time and switch between them, or do you focus on one, get that puppy finished, then move to the next?
2) If you had to be stuck in an elevator for two hours with one of your characters who would it be, why, and would you want something else in the elevator with you (like scotch, or a machete, or a video camera)?
March 30, 2016 — 8:55 AM
terribleminds says:
I sometimes work on a novel in the morning and a comic or blog in the afternoon.
I would not want to be stuck in an elevator with any of my characters. Okay, maybe Hannah Stander from INVASIVE because Hannah knows her way around the shit hitting the fan.
March 31, 2016 — 7:58 AM
Corrie H says:
I’m struggling to add introspection to my scenes. It feels a lot like telling to me when I write it. Any tips on how to add the characters internal thoughts, dialogue, reaction, etc. effectively?
March 30, 2016 — 8:55 AM
terribleminds says:
Fold it organically into the action; have it reflect what’s going on and not be separate from it.
Telling is okay in small-to-medium doses. You can always dial it back too if it feels too on-the-nose.
March 31, 2016 — 7:59 AM
Goth Kitty Lady says:
Congrats on the Wikipedia entry! That’s a nice long one, too, very impressive.
My question: Do you maintain your website/blog yourself, or do you have someone else handle the techie end of things so you can just focus on the writing?
March 30, 2016 — 8:55 AM
terribleminds says:
I maintain my site myself, ayep. It’s fairly self-operable, though — like, it requires little from me.
March 31, 2016 — 8:00 AM
susielindau says:
As someone who has honed her first book for years and is querying (with great feedback in rejections), I’m wondering when to punt and self-publish?
Would you recommend doing all the work myself or hiring a vanity press?
March 30, 2016 — 8:56 AM
terribleminds says:
If you query and they say no, but they say no in a specific way — like, we like it but it’s not for us, or we don’t know if we can sell it, then self-publish.
Unless you really just WANT to self-publish, then fuck publishers and do it thineself.
I would recommend hiring freelancers, but not a vanity press. Vanity presses are uniformly terrible-bad-nasty-no.
March 31, 2016 — 8:02 AM
susielindau says:
Thanks, Chuck!
Do you have a good source for finding freelancers?
March 31, 2016 — 9:30 AM
Laurel Avery says:
What do I do when I read over a project I’ve been working on for a couple of years and think it sounds worse than an 8th-grade book report? Beating my head against a wall does not seem to have helped improve the prose.
March 30, 2016 — 9:00 AM
terribleminds says:
Get a third party to read it, one you trust, and see if they agree.
Or rewrite it if you like the story but not the prose.
Or trunk it and write the next thing.
March 31, 2016 — 8:02 AM
williamallenpepper says:
Born in New Hope, PA? And Star Wars ep 4 is called “A New Hope”. COINCIDENCE?
March 30, 2016 — 9:01 AM
terribleminds says:
IT IS NOT COINCIDENCE
MY FATHER WAS STAR WARS
MY MOTHER WAS EVIL DEAD
IT SAYS A LOT ABOUT ME
March 31, 2016 — 8:03 AM
Alex Stevenson says:
Ask and you shall receive
When using famous people from real life what are the limitations?
I am merely thinking of referencing them as how they are and may react in a different situation than turn Boris Johnson into some rabid chicken wielding zombie
March 30, 2016 — 9:01 AM
terribleminds says:
I do not use famous people in my work, as I don’t know if that’s legal or appropriate. It probably is when satire. In general, though, I don’t find much need to do it, so I don’t do it.
March 31, 2016 — 8:03 AM
lifewithlizsite says:
Alright, you asked for it. Here we go:
1) Do you get road rage? What pisses you off the most about other drivers?
2) Do you go out of your way to kill bugs? Are there any that make you screech and hide?
3) Are you a person who makes their bed in the morning, or do you not see much point?
4) Be honest, how often do you wash your hair?
5) Do you use (a) your computer (b) a notebook (c) cellphone or (d) all of the above to write down your thoughts for a new blog post?
Thanks Chuck!
Love & Peace – Lizz
March 30, 2016 — 9:01 AM
terribleminds says:
My father was made of pure road rage so sadly some of that has trickled down.
I do not kill bugs if I don’t have to. I rescue many. I do get carpenter ants in the shed, though, and… nyeah, they gotta go.
I do not make my bed in the morning.
I wash my hair every day.
I use my computer and once in a blue moon my phone to take notes.
March 31, 2016 — 8:04 AM
Everet says:
1. how do you determine when to stop writing each day?
2. do you write everyday?
March 30, 2016 — 9:02 AM
terribleminds says:
1. I stop when I’m done.
2. M-F, not really the weekend.
March 31, 2016 — 8:05 AM
Tony Scinta III says:
What inspires your character work?
Your characters dont feel flat on the page, they have some weight and dimension to them. They seem to argue freely withou their voices blending together. One of the difficulties that I find when writing is flipping between perspectives, mindsets and voices. Do you have any specific arts or wizardry to accomplish this?
Which devil would you recommend selling my soul to for this mystical ability?
Can you sign my son?
What media do you consume? Any podcasts, authors, youtube channels, shows or games that you want to bring to particular attention?
Do you play role playing games? Which ones and how often?
March 30, 2016 — 9:03 AM
terribleminds says:
No trick to it, really? I just watch people and absorb, and I try to figure out who they are before I put them on the page. Give them unique desires and POVs and it tends to go okay?
I will… not sign your son? I only sign body parts of those they belong to.
I consume all kinds of media. COOKIES, ICE CREAM, CAKE. Wait, that’s not media. Um. I… read books and play games and watch shows and if I went through it all here it would take forever. On YouTube I recently discovered YOU SUCK AT COOKING and find it super-guffaw-worthy.
March 31, 2016 — 8:07 AM
thesexiestwriter says:
Writers are often asked where they get their ideas, and I’m asked this all the time. I think it’s the wrong question, though. I get multiple “great” ideas every day. What is your process for determining which ones you will write about, and which ones go nowhere?
March 30, 2016 — 9:04 AM
terribleminds says:
I call it IDEA THUNDERDOME. I put the ideas in my head and I specifically do not write them down. The ideas that persist over days, weeks, months, are the ones who have eaten the other ideas and who deserve to live inside a book.
March 31, 2016 — 8:07 AM
mirymom says:
Do you get to read for fun at all these days? If so, what are you reading?
March 30, 2016 — 9:06 AM
terribleminds says:
I do read for fun, though sometimes “fun” is non-fiction. I’m reading a Carl Zimmer book right now about viruses!
March 31, 2016 — 8:08 AM
Fran Wilde says:
1. Who?
2. Where?
3. What?
4. When?
5. Why?
March 30, 2016 — 9:22 AM
terribleminds says:
1. you
2. in the study
3. with the candlestick
4. last night
5. I DON’T KNOW FRAN I CANNOT SAY WHY YOU ARE A MURDERER AND YET HERE WE ARE CLEANING UP ANOTHER OF YOUR DEAD BODIES
March 31, 2016 — 8:08 AM
Sam says:
When writing sequels do you ever regret things you wrote in previous books in if so what?
March 30, 2016 — 9:22 AM
terribleminds says:
Probably? I mean, books are a series of choices and you define them with publication and codify them and you can never really undo them. I can’t think of specific examples, tho.
March 31, 2016 — 8:09 AM
Michelle says:
Do you do all of your editing yourself? If not, who do you use? Can you suggest any editors? Sorry, that’s three questions.
March 30, 2016 — 9:24 AM
terribleminds says:
No, I am only the first pass person. My agent is an amazing editor, and obviously I have editors at my publishing houses.
March 31, 2016 — 8:09 AM
terribleminds says:
I will note that if you need a good freelance editor, I like Richard “Shecky” Shealy. Julie Hutchings is also a crackerjack editor by all reports.
March 31, 2016 — 8:10 AM
Shecky (@SheckyX) says:
HEY ITZA ME! (Clarification: I do copyediting, which is dealing with all the little particulate matter that gets all over the Big Picture stuff—typos, of course, but grammatical shenanigans [making sure that said shenanigans are the ones the author WANTS], consistency/coherence/continuity, blah blah blah. For story/plot/characterization, etc., you’ll want Julie or someone equally fantastic at developmental/content/story editing!)
March 31, 2016 — 9:29 AM
terribleminds says:
AN EXCELLENT CLARIFICATION
March 31, 2016 — 9:55 AM
Toni says:
Dare I suggest… an excellent edit? 😉
March 31, 2016 — 10:46 AM
mannixk says:
Who are your favorite bands or what are a few of your favorite songs? Do you ever get inspired to write because of certain songs/music?
March 30, 2016 — 9:26 AM
terribleminds says:
Man, favorite bands, that’s a hard one. And a long, long list.
That may deserve its own blog post, but for now I’ll say, I’m listening a lot to: CHVRCHES, THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, HALSEY, ALESSIA CARA, METRIC, KACEY MUSGRAVES… and it looks like there’s a new BAND OF SKULLS album out which is yay.
March 31, 2016 — 8:11 AM
mannixk says:
Thanks! That’s a cool and varied list. Appreciate the inclusion of some Canadian bands in there too. If you have never seen Metric in concert, and you get the chance, you should take it. Emily Haines is crazy entertaining.
March 31, 2016 — 9:59 AM
johnadamus says:
Do you want to have lunch next week?
Let’s say you’re a writer who’s never been to a convention before. You can afford 1, so which one do you attend, and why?
March 30, 2016 — 9:31 AM
terribleminds says:
NO.
Wait, are you serious?
The answer on lunch is yes I would like to but THE ILLNESS besieged me in such a way I may not have time, but maybe the week after.
As for a convention… eessh. Boy that’s tough. I assume you mean specifically a WRITING CONFERENCE? Because genre conventions are a different animal.
Best writing conferences I’ve been to: Surrey in Vancouver, and Pikes Peak Writing Conference.
March 31, 2016 — 8:13 AM
Laura Quirola says:
Hold the phone.
There’s a Writing Conference at Pike’s Peak?! How did I not know this! Off to Colorado!
April 1, 2016 — 9:27 AM
Cara Bristol says:
Congrats on your Wikipedia entry. So, here’s my question: How did you get listed on Wikipedia? Did you contact somebody there? Or did you just draw enough notice that they decided you were worthy of mention?
March 30, 2016 — 9:41 AM
terribleminds says:
I did nothing to create it — someone has to do it independently. I guess I finally just hit a certain temperature on the thermometer?
March 31, 2016 — 8:13 AM
Kai says:
Yup. Anyone can add anyone, bar themselves, and all statements need to be backed with citations 🙂
April 2, 2016 — 1:42 AM
Amber Fallon says:
What is your quest?
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite food?
March 30, 2016 — 9:45 AM
terribleminds says:
1. ice cream
2. ice cream
3. ice cream
March 31, 2016 — 8:14 AM
thesteveoftime says:
Did anything make you hesitate to write for the Star Wars universe, or were you ready to go without needing any convincing?
March 30, 2016 — 9:46 AM
terribleminds says:
It was me that asked, so no hesitation. Now, though, there is a certain subset of SW fandom — small, but noisy! — that gives me pause.
March 31, 2016 — 8:14 AM
tuppencecowley says:
Do you find yourself with much time/inclination to read outside SFF these days, and has that changed in the years you’ve been writing professionally?
March 30, 2016 — 9:48 AM
terribleminds says:
I try to read MOSTLY outside SFF, because I do not want my work to be a human centipede of genre regurgitation and defecation. I like a lot of non-fiction.
March 31, 2016 — 8:15 AM
Kai says:
I have a couple 🙂
If you could collaborate on any project and with any writer what and who? 🙂
What would you tell new writers is the most important thing – like the sort of thing you’d put on a meme, rather than whole blog. I’ve created some of your best quotes as memes before, but I’d love to hear your ‘must tell the newbies before going off to being made into food’ sort of answer 😉
March 30, 2016 — 9:56 AM
terribleminds says:
I think Stephen Blackmoore and I would collaborate like bad-ass motherfuckers. Brian Keene, too.
As to what’s most important for new writers? FINISH YOUR SHIT. Too many new writers don’t finish their shit. Completo El Poopo.
March 31, 2016 — 8:16 AM
Kai says:
🙂 Thank you.
I’m really enjoying all the answers.
April 2, 2016 — 1:43 AM
Jeff Leyco (@jeffdoesthings) says:
Thanks for doing an AMA! Always love it when a writer I respect answers questions!
1. How much do you plot out your novels before you write them? i.e. Do you go in with a loose outline, no outline at all, or do you have every detail figured out?
2. What question are you sick of getting?
March 30, 2016 — 10:01 AM
terribleminds says:
1. I am a pantser by heart, a plotter by necessity. I always outline, though every novel demands a different level of outline.
2. I am not sick of getting any particular question except maybe EXPLAIN YOURSELF TO THE JUDGE, which is less of a question and more of a command.
March 31, 2016 — 8:16 AM
Jeff Leyco (@jeffdoesthings) says:
You’re the best! 😀
March 31, 2016 — 1:06 PM
Sehen Gamhewa says:
1) What should I call you? Supreme Emperor of the Overlords, Lord Chuck, Darth Mookie, Darth Atlanta?
2) What do you think of this: You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club-Jack London
(or in my opinion, a @_12#?!#$# bazooka, an AK 47, and 7 grenades.)
A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be god – Sidney Sheldon
3) Are you a plotter or a pantser, or a hybrid?
4) This is stupid. Do you write on paper or on some electronic, magical device that makes you write gold?
5) Do you have a Twitter or a Facebook account?
6) Darth Mookie, could you give us some tips to use the Dark Side within us to funnel our ideas into magical best-sellers? Or at least, tips on how to get ideas and inspiration.
7) And lastly, Great Overlord, how do you get ideas (it’s not stupid, like, do they just appear like magical unicorns, or do you use stuff from your surroundings, mix it up, and then get the magical unicorn?) and when you do, after editing, in the final draft, how different is the idea (generally)? Could you, Oh Great Overlord, give me an example? —Question 7
A humble fan of the Supreme Great Overlord, or Darth Mookie, or the Photoshop Master…
Yours truly…
March 30, 2016 — 10:04 AM
terribleminds says:
42
March 31, 2016 — 8:17 AM
Sehen Gamhewa says:
Very well then Lord 42!
March 31, 2016 — 8:37 AM
Cheyenne says:
How to you begin an outline for a longer, more complex story? What do your outlines usually look like?
I’m a pantser by nature. I tend to “just write” whatever’s in my head- problem is, I frequently change my mind, go back, change the story, re-write, and then the process starts over again. So I need advice on outlining and sticking to it, I guess.
March 30, 2016 — 10:24 AM
terribleminds says:
My outlines are rarely fit for human consumption, except when they have to be (i.e. a publisher wants to see it).
There’s no advice really for outlining — except you gotta find which variant works best for you.
LOOK HERE:
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/10/06/how-to-outline-during-national-plot-your-novel-month/
March 31, 2016 — 8:18 AM
Mariah Avix says:
How did you convince yourself that your voice is worth sharing?
March 30, 2016 — 10:27 AM
terribleminds says:
That is a terribly profound question and I do not have a good answer for it. Yet.
March 31, 2016 — 8:19 AM
Mariah Avix says:
I’m not sure if this is disappointing or reassuring.
March 31, 2016 — 6:04 PM
awriterrunsthroughit says:
I second the query letter question (far above) and also want to know – when you plot your books, do you storyboard – or what is your method for moving around scenes so that they flow correctly within the larger story?
March 30, 2016 — 10:37 AM
terribleminds says:
No storyboarding, really — mostly for me it’s just an outline that I tweak.
March 31, 2016 — 8:19 AM
Laura J. Quinn says:
This may be too open-ended, but generally, I lack privacy to do my writing. My day-job believes in an open-office floor plan, meaning there are always people basically rubbing shoulders with me. And at home, I live in a tiny space that’s mostly occupied by my toddler.
How would you handle the lack of quiet and privacy? Have you had to deal with that (before you got the battle shed)?
March 30, 2016 — 10:53 AM
terribleminds says:
I used to sneak away and steal time. Lunch time at day-jobs. Night-time or early-early-early mornings when no one else was awake at home. I had to get the shed though as I do this full time and could no longer brook persistent distractions.
March 31, 2016 — 8:20 AM
melorajohnson says:
Do you have any tattoos and if so what/where are they?
March 30, 2016 — 11:08 AM
terribleminds says:
NO INK ON ME.
My father once told me that tattoos would be how the police would catch me if I ever had to “do something” that I would “regret.”
March 31, 2016 — 8:20 AM
glenavailable says:
Lol. That’s a relief!
March 31, 2016 — 5:20 PM
Kim says:
Thanks for being so generous with your time. I love that I never know what direction you are going in except that it will be direct and whatever!
My first novel I did the best I could on everything. I only obtained a few readers and reviews. I give it a four or five. I’m finishing up a historical novel and will do my best. We’ll see. No plans except to query.
If I didn’t spend time on social media I’m certain I could also write blog posts or magazine articles, or opinion essays, maybe to make a cent or two. I did want to make an income on this. Is that far fetched because I’m a nurse and not an English major?
However, actually I’d like to write more books because I think I almost have it. Should I stick with that and let the cosmos have at it?
I am most certain I’m at that fork in the road. I do believe in myself but am not overly quantified.
Suggestions?!
March 30, 2016 — 11:11 AM
terribleminds says:
It is never far-fetched to want to make money off writing.
You should stick with what you enjoy, because the things you enjoy will be more interesting for others to enjoy, as well.
March 31, 2016 — 8:21 AM
Luke Matthews (@GeekElite) says:
One of the things I struggle with the most as a new writer, especially self-published, is finding a balance between needing to communicate with certain people and not wanting to be the spammy asshole.
By way of example, I recently contacted the writer/curator of a series of articles for a major website that collects book deals on a regular basis, and posts them for their readers. I asked if they include self-pub stuff, the author said yes and asked if I had one to contribute, so I sent in my book with a thank you. SInce that e-mail, it’s been quite a while – and two more articles in the line I’m submitting for – and my book hasn’t yet been included.
My dilemma is this: Do I bug this person again, and risk coming across as the needy self-pub spammer? Or do I just leave it alone and pray? I don’t want to get lumped into the stigma surrounding author-publishers, but I also don’t want to just leave myself hanging. Situations like this – ones where I’m worried about following up with someone because I don’t want to ruin any goodwill – come up fairly often.
How does one find that balance, especially when there is a new author/self-pubber stigma to try to avoid? Is there a shortcut, or do I just have to err on the side of extroversion and dial it back as I get negative responses?
March 30, 2016 — 11:31 AM
terribleminds says:
I don’t think it would be weird to follow-up with that person in a polite and professional way.
As for being spammy — mostly I try to keep it to a minimum because I am increasingly aware that DIRECT SELLING works only in small quantities and to live, I need to move books in larger quantities, which requires far more than just me yelling about my book.
March 31, 2016 — 8:22 AM
C. B. Matson says:
1) From reading your earlier books, posts and stuff, I understand that you write at about 1,000 words/hr. How the bloody blazes do you do that?
2) Are you ever going to update the Appearances schedule on your web page?
March 30, 2016 — 11:42 AM
terribleminds says:
1) practice, and also, trucker meth
2) NEVER okay maybe soon
March 31, 2016 — 8:23 AM
Kent says:
What is your writing process like? Yes, I know that’s the topic of THE BLOG, but give me the cliff notes version. Do you have set stages that you go through? Or is it different every time? Do short stories have their own process?
Also, what is your favorite hard liquor? Thanks!
March 30, 2016 — 11:44 AM
terribleminds says:
The process is, I have an outline, then I sit down and write a novel off that outline, and I write 2000+ words a day starting in the morning until the book is done, and then I weep and I drink and the book gets sent to agent/editor and it gets run through the intestinal tract of the editing beast and then I weep and I drink and eventually it ends up in someone’s hands where they give it a one-star review on Amazon.
My favorite hard liquor is a thunderdome match between gin and bourbon.
March 31, 2016 — 8:24 AM
Janet K Smith says:
Hi Chuck – will you be coming back to the Surrey Int’l Writers Conference in Canada any time soon? I met you there in 2014 and at the time didn’t appreciate your true fucking awesome way of turning even a hamtastic casserole into a walk on the wonderfully weird side. Now I’m a fan. Reading your books, reading your blog, kicking my ass for missing my chance for, is worship too much? Do you write on Absinthe?
Cheers, Janet
March 30, 2016 — 12:06 PM
terribleminds says:
I don’t know! I’d love to. They talked about how all their authors get invited back but, I dunno if maybe I offended someone there because nobody has invited me back yet. 🙂
I have never written on absinthe. I write on a computer, silly.
March 31, 2016 — 8:25 AM
Janet K Smith says:
So glad to hear you’d come back to us ‘cuz SiWC just got back to me and said they absolutely intend to invite you back. Hopefully its soon!
Cheers, Janet
March 31, 2016 — 4:49 PM
pulplives says:
Did you ever reach a point in your early days when you seriously wanted to give it up? Be like, “There is no fucking way this shit is ever going to be more than a hobby, and it’s a hobby that seems to make me insane, and I might be generally more healthy mentally if I took up woodworking or engineering or something equally useful that I have absolutely no interest in, and fuck it.” And if so, how’d you get past that shit? (If that has never happened, please disregard this line of questioning and continue to entertain us with prose and descriptions of ham-tastic Frankensteinian cuisine.)
March 30, 2016 — 12:11 PM
terribleminds says:
I reach that even now, sure. It’s normal. You get past it by considering quitting and then your brain says HEY BUT HOW ABOUT THIS STORY and then you go and start writing it without even meaning to. You don’t stop because you can’t stop.
March 31, 2016 — 8:26 AM
james orion says:
If there were an apocalypse of some kind, what kind of apocalypse do you think you would survive best in? Zombies? Total war? Aliens? AI uprising? Plague (assuming you were a survivor of the plague). Ancient killer bees unfrozen from alien-induced cryogenic sleep set free to swarm the planet? etc… you name it.
Bonus question: what apocalypse, if any, do you think we are in the greatest threat from in our lifetime?
March 30, 2016 — 12:14 PM
terribleminds says:
I think I’d do okay in a zombiepocalypse. I’m a good shot and I have shovels.
The real apocalypses we’re dealing with are environmental. Climate change, antibiotic resistance, etc.
March 31, 2016 — 8:27 AM
Robin Claire says:
There are great questions here, and I want to know the answers to most of them. I don’t have anything different to add except to say that I would like to know your answer regarding outlining (in particular with the Miriam Black series). I tend to be a pantser and then my rewrites are mind-boggling. I’m worried that starting with an outline will keep me from completing the work as I will get dragged down into the details during a time period when I need to plow ahead and let the muse take over.
March 30, 2016 — 12:20 PM
terribleminds says:
You give yourself a set time and framework for an outline — a few pages, then stop.
March 31, 2016 — 8:27 AM
Ed says:
Hi Chuck
My question is what are your thoughts on Deus ex machina’s. Theoretically all stories have these in as all stories are essentially a mystery until a reader has completed the book.
Is it the way in which information is presented to a reader more important than when it is presented (IE – how early in a book should a set up start).
I wish you all the best with your coming “Hamathalon”.
March 30, 2016 — 12:40 PM
terribleminds says:
HOW and WHEN matters. My review on the game FIREWATCH talks about the order of revelation mattering.
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2016/02/17/firewatch-what-it-tells-us-about-storytelling/
March 31, 2016 — 8:28 AM
Steven Spohn (@stevenspohn) says:
If you were a superhero with any power you could imagine and an asteroid was hurtling towards Earth at 5,000,000 miles per hour, do you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and if so, does the color blue really taste like whiskey?
March 30, 2016 — 12:40 PM
terribleminds says:
yes
March 31, 2016 — 8:28 AM
Price says:
Your blog introduced me to Storium when it hit Kickstarter and I’ve had a lot of fun with it since, so here’s some questions about it:
How’s the game world for “The Auction” coming along?
Any thoughts on Storium’s progress since KS and its recent public launch?
Any plans to adapt any of your other works into Storium worlds?
Do you find the time to play any Storium yourself with everything else you’ve got going on?
If so, what kind of games do you like and what’s your style as a player and/or narrator?
March 30, 2016 — 1:27 PM
terribleminds says:
The game world for THE AUCTION is gone, I believe, and it is replaced with BLUE BLAZES.
I think Storium is hella rad and the progress has been audience-facing and focused and really great.
I have no plans for Storium — not because of desire, but sadly time. And to be clear, I have no plans OUTSIDE the BLUE BLAZES, as that’s coming.
March 31, 2016 — 8:29 AM
J. Parrish Lewis says:
What was the first thing you ever wrote when you decided you wanted to write something that wasn’t a school assignment or some lovelorn letter to your unrequited love? Go way back for us, if you will, and see if you can recall a snippet of text from that piece. I’d love to know, just because it’s fun to see how a fantastic writer once was right there at the beginning, possibly writing crap. I know in my case – although I’m not saying I’m a fantastic writer – when I was a 15-year old with zero creative writing experience, I decided to write a novel. It lasted two pages and I still have that piece of drivel somewhere in a dusty box in the garage. A murder mystery, no less.
So what was yours?
March 30, 2016 — 1:34 PM
terribleminds says:
I wrote a comic book when I was a wee tiny person where PAC-MAN fought the Xenomorphs from ALIENS. I don’t know who let me watch the ALIEN movies that young, but they did, and there I was.
I also wrote a lot of fan-fiction in jr high and high school.
March 31, 2016 — 8:30 AM