Category Archives: Feed the Muse

Top 10 Reasons You Should Come to Dahlonega Gallery Walk Tomorrow (June 8)

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Number 1

My book event and 1977 party! NSLA_event_poster_June-8_web-1 copyFeaturing artwork by my amazing illustrator, J.B. Jones, in addition to many other talented artists at Awakening Fine Art Gallery. I still have free Millennium Falcon gift soaps to give away with purchase. And there will be an outrageously unhealthy array of free 1977 party snacks. After our event, there’s a Spoken Word open mic that’s always a good time!

But there are MANY other reasons to visit my hometown for one of our Gallery Walks (Second Saturday of every month). Here’s nine additional reasons (in no particular order)…

  • There’s my friend Grant Searcey’s gallery. I swear, I can’t walk into that place without spending money. My credit card jumps out of my purse and starts hugging beautiful creations as soon as I walk through the door. The mixed media exhibit that he created with his mother is incredible! Grant kindly gave me permission to post an image of one of his pieces here, but now I can’t pick just one. So click here and fill your eyeballs with love! (PS – Grant also created 3 pieces of licensed Star Wars art.)
  • Naturally Georgia Wine Tasting at Bleu Gallery (I love the Tiger Mountain reds! Can’t remember which one was my favorite…which means I should probably go back and taste them again.)
  • You can also mix your art appreciation with a little wine tasting at the Carriage House Shoppes.
  • But don’t get stuck in one place for too long, because you could win a raffle if you visit every gallery on the walk.
  • In addition to savoring art and wine, you might want to build your own box of chocolates at Paul Thomas Chocolates.
  • If art, wine and chocolate is not your thing (Oy! Who are you?), we also love the beer selection and the cheese slice over at Gustavo’s Pizzeria (and they have live music from 8 – 11).
  • Or there’s the P.E.I. Mussels at Shenanigans (just about everything on their menu is delicious, but we love their mussels above all else!) Oh, and they have live music on Saturday too. Tom and Juli will be playing before the Gallery Walk and Hannah Thomas is playing after. (We went to see Tom & Juli on our first date and we’ve been to their show for many dates since then.)
  • Speaking of live music, there’s nothing quite like a concert at The Crimson Moon. This Saturday, it’s Robin Bullock “Celtic Guitar God.” (During a break in the music, check out to upstairs bar and balcony. Not only is it a wonderful place, but you might have an encounter of the supernatural kind. According to a former bartender, they have a ghostly resident up there.)
  • If all this art and wine and food and music inspires you to get creative, check out Mug Me Pottery. They’re open until 9:00 on Saturdays.

So why wouldn’t you want to come to Dahlonega for one of our Gallery Walks? And why not tomorrow? Seriously?

photo credit: laverrue via photopin cc

Managing a Movie Theater in 1977

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America Theatre MarqueeBack in 2007, when I was struggling through the original draft of NSLA, NSFA, I posted a plea for information about working in a historic theater in 1977 on the Cinema Treasures website. I received lots of assistance in response to my post. (Read my original post and all responses here.)

The hilarious “70′s Flashback” comment by AlAlvarez was an incredible inspiration that sent me running back to my manuscript full of ideas. I laugh out loud every single time I read it. So I’m going to share an abridged version here in case anyone else thinks what Al wrote is as interesting and entertaining as I do.

In the mid seventies, if you were working for a theatre chain, it was all about cutting costs and not reinvesting in theatres. It was mostly about managing an unstable audience and staff in a crumbling building. Here are some memories…as a manager around 1977 that may spark your imagination:

  • No cleaning between shows as there was only one usher budgeted at a time.
  • The cleaners quit every time we showed THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW at midnight.
  • An x-rated musical version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND stunned the crowd.
  • A seriously misinformed local cop threatens to close the theatre for letting kids in alone to watch PG films.
  • Due to the way movies were booked, Streisand’s A STAR IS BORN continues to play forever even after holding-over was unwarranted. Staff sings along to the empty seats.
  • The midnight show of THE LOLLIPOP GIRLS IN HARD CANDY in 3D turned out to be hard-core p*rn in 3D! With the little red and blue glasses to boot. The local college students pack the place.
  • At this beautiful theatre that once showed SINGING IN THE RAIN, a double feature of TORSO and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE.
  • The odor of pot smoke permeates the auditorium so strongly at the midnight show that the senior citizen matinée audience the following day comes out stoned.
  • In spite all the movies above, the locals get upset at the dirty language in SLAP SHOT and the posters for NASTY HABITS.
  • A rat has moved in under the popcorn machine and runs out to fetch whenever popcorn is dropped on the floor behind the stand. The staff have named him BEN.
  • BLACK SUNDAY is coming!
  • BLACK SUNDAY is coming!
  • BLACK SUNDAY is coming!
  • BLACK SUNDAY is coming!
  • Two weeks later – BLACK SUNDAY is gone!
  • The promiscuous stoner girl working behind the stand has been forced to quit by her mother. It turns out she is only 14 years old and working with false I.D.
  • ANNIE HALL opens and the audience watches quietly but buys no popcorn.
  • Our film buyer refuses to book Bob Marley’s reggae film THE HARDER THEY COME as a midnight show because she insists it is gay p*rn.
  • The midnight show of MIDNIGHT COWBOY comes in labeled wrong and the reels play in the wrong order with opening credits in the middle of the film. No one complains.
  • An usher finds a heart, a liver and part of a lung on the auditorium floor after the movie. Police are called and discover they are plastic replicas left behind by a local medical student.
  • A stoned-out midnight crowd falls asleep during Monty Python’s JABBERWOCKY. We have to go around waking them up after the film and sending them home.
  • The drive-in will get THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, A BRIDGE TOO FAR and THE DEEP this summer and we’re stuck with THE OTHER SIDE OF MIDNIGHT and some kiddie sci-fi flick called STAR WARS.
  • New “Light in the dark footballs” (a flashlight shaped like a football) on sale at the concession stand. You can now play football at night!
  • A new ending for EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC on week two upsets a couple who actually came back to see it again. Tumbleweeds practically roll by during the second week.
  • SENSURROUND installed for ROLLERCOASTER makes STAR WARS unwatchable in the other screen. Head office couldn’t care less.
  • The first five rows are closed in twin one due to a ceiling leak that dates back to the sixties.
  • A midnight showing of a film about VOLUNTEER JAM featuring the Charlie Daniels Band goes wrong when the good ol’ boys find themselves waiting in the lobby with men in high heels and fishnet stockings. Future showings are segregated with ROCKY HORROR people in the lobby and redneck rockers outside until the movie starts.
  • The Jolly Rancher candy bags on display do not have sell by dates but I can trace them on the inventory to 1972 without a new delivery.
  • The thin walls from the bad twinning effort make it possible to relive the light sabre battle during boring parts of NEW YORK, NEW YORK.
  • HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO in Twin One. THE HAPPY HOOKER GOES TO WASHINGTON in Twin Two.
  • A man is caught m@sturbating during a showing HERBIE GOES TO MONTE CARLO.
  • Police start monitoring the theatre roof with binoculars looking for drug dealing in the parking lot.
  • Negotiations go badly when the projection union demands a large increase per hour. The resulting contract forces the closing of weekday matinees and the resignation of the chief projectionists who no longer has a full-time job as a result.
  • A three-way fight breaks out in the lobby when three men in drag all insist on playing the main FRANKENFURTER role in front at ROCKY HORROR. I am summoned to make the all-important decision.
  • A seventeen year old usher finds a bag full of “fat naked girls” p*rn magazines in the auditorium. He delays turning them in for hours. A gentleman in a suit comes in to claim them in the evening.
  • The first showing in Twin One has sound problems. Someone stole the speakers from behind the screen.
  • The projectionist puts on reel of soft core midnight movie GUMS instead of Walt Disney’s THE RESCUERS for the first matinée of the day.
  • Six staff members fail to show up Saturday night, some calling in sick. Peter Frampton was live in concert that night.
  • Rattling in the seats of Twin Two during the movie turns out to be a crab from the nearby swamp that somehow got inside.
  • What on earth could a KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE really be about?
  • A man has a tantrum in the lobby when an undercover policeman takes his quaaludes away and flushes them down the toilet. Back-up cops are stunned by the now lacking evidence.
  • An upset woman starts screaming when her toddler comes up from between the rows with a used condom in his hand.
  • STAR WARS is back and people are starting to bring their own light sabres into the screen and we have to start confiscating them until after the movie due to complaints.
  • The midnight show fills up prematurely when someone removes the exit door hinges and lets the crowd in for free.
  • The Jujy Fruits stick to the box and need to be slammed against the counter daily to loosen them up so people refrain from doing so during the film.
  • LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR appears to be a seminal film that will become a classic with a timeless disco soundtrack and a social commentary on unfocused lives and promiscuity. SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER appears to be kid stuff that will soon be forgotten.
  • VALENTINO is coming!
  • VALENTINO is coming!
  • VALENTINO is coming!
  • VALENTINO is gone! STAR WARS is back.

Thank you AlAlvarez! You are a gentleman and a cinema treasure in your own right!

Theatre Doorsphoto credit: Heritage Vancouver via photopin cc & Pete Zarria via photopin cc

When Resolutions & Writing Goals Don’t Work

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You may disagree with me, but I think everyone needs this friend:
Mean Girl with GunShe’s the friend that thinks you are so much smarter, more talented and ten times more amazing than your current achievements indicate. She’s the friend that will sit by you drinking wine and dreaming of better days for years if that’s what you really want to do. She would never willingly hurt you without a good reason.

However…

She’s also the friend that can be trusted to pull the trigger if you really NEED her to do it. If you hand her the gun, buy the bullets, and give her very explicit instructions on when to fire, she can be trusted to get the job done.

I am lucky enough to have this friend (though she shall remain anonymous for now).

When I tried to create my writing goals for 2013, I was stuck. Hopelessly stuck in my own messy quagmire of self-loathing because I had not finished my main 2012 writing goal. Specifically, I did not finish the re-write of my first novel before 2013. Argh!

I just can’t get past it. The current novel needs to be done and out there, but I keep failing myself:

  • I made at least 3 different resolutions in 2012 to finish my final rewrite of this novel
  • I posted a countdown on this blog – twice!
  • I even prepaid a huge sum of money for self-publishing
  • I’m only 60% through the rewrite

It’s time to pull out the big guns. As of Birthday 2013, I have one goal:

Finish the rewrite of my first novel and send it to the publisher by 2/8/1013.

Here’s how we’re going to get it done:

  • I am 60% finished
  • I am going to turn in the remaining 40% (calculated by word count) to my trusted friend on the following schedule:
    • 9,000 words on 1/13/13
    • 9,000 words on 1/20/13
    • 9,000 words on 1/27/13
    • Remaining (end of story) on 1/31/13
    • The finished product will be submitted to the publisher by 2/8/13

Here’s the most important part…Thanks to my friend (aka Book Coach), I now have new consequences for failure and a fabulous reward for success:

  • I have given my trusted (and much wealthier than me) friend access to my bank account.
  • If I fail to turn in any of my 4 assignments this month, she will donate $50 from my account to a non-profit organization that I would hate, hate, HATE to get one single penny of my money.
  • If I complete the assignment and submit the full manuscript on schedule, my wonderful man pillow and I will be going on a trip to Ireland in April or May of this year. (Woo hoo!)

Let the games begin…and may the odds (and motivation) be ever in my favor!

photo credit: Luciano Meirelles via photopin cc

Hello, Kickstarter (I Love This)

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Fair Warning:  If you do not have the time or funding to waste…errrr…invest in new creative projects, this may not be the post for you.

Creativity Puzzle

However, if you (like me) believe that the recent movement of online “crowd funding” is an exciting and energizing new horizon for creative professionals to launch amazing projects, JUMP right into this post. Come on! The water is…FULL of potential.

Tonight, we attended a screening and fundraising event for an incredibly creative and ambitious project entitled “The Nuggets”

I’m not going to ask you to fund this lovely project, because that would be weird. What I am going to say is this whole concept is rather brilliant. Is it not?

Any Tourist Board/Chamber of Commerce could make a dazzling online travel video…

Hey! You person with time and dollars to spend, come visit our lovely town. Look at this pretty place and this person who loves it here and…voila! Dontcha wanna be here too?

What I adore about this Nuggets project is the concept of a parody of those types of tourist blurbs turned into a comedy…and yet, still kind of a tourist blurb. Bravo to that!

However…I’m not here to praise one Kickstarter project, I’m here to mention the possibilities:

  • Make no mistake! It takes a serious investment to independently publish a new novel the RiGHT way…with proper editing, formatting and marketing…hello, Kickstarter.
  • It would be soooooo easy to launch a new novel the Kickstarter way. (Come on, you know you are struggling to name some of your minor characters? Why not SELL those names and quirky character descriptions?”
  • Imagine adding an “Executive Producer” credit to your writing resume. If the final product is fantastic, this could really boost your writing resume.
  • Have you ever dreamed of being a screenwriter? There are many opportunities out there for screenwriting credits on Kickstarter.
  • Would your manuscript make a perfect Lifetime Movie? Fund it!
  • Would you like to start a Creative Writing Retreat or Literary Festival? Kickstarter opens possibilities…

Those are my ideas. What are yours?

photo credit: shannonkringen via photopin cc

Fun, Fear & Loathing at Dragon*Con 2012

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All of the experts agree. The top, #1, most important key to success for any author is to KNOW THY TARGET AUDIENCE. Which is followed closely by the second most important key to success: FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONNECT TO THY TARGET AUDIENCE.

Let me introduce you to my target audience…

All of the above pictures were taken at Dragon*Con. I don’t know any of the people in the pictures. I’ve never met any of the photographers. And yet I love every person who contributed to the creation of these images with a fierce and deeply loyal sort of love.

At the same time, I kind of fear them. Standing next to all of this flamboyant, wildly-creative geekery makes me feel like a washed-out wallflower in the Star Wars galaxy of fandom. Which probably explains why I have lived in the North Georgia area for over four years, but never ventured near the annual Labor Day celebration of pop-culture geekery known as Dragon*Con….until this year. Emboldened by the pressing need to come up with a concrete marketing strategy to connect with my audience in 2013, I finally took the plunge and purchased a Saturday membership (which is just a Con-ish way to say I bought a ticket).

Ahhhh….Dragon*Con! If you’ve never heard of it or have no idea what it’s all about, I’m not going to be able to explain it. Luckily, I don’t have to. Because PBS has done all the work for me. Check out Four Days at Dragon*Con (a look inside the largest fan-run, pop-culture con in the US).

It’s fascinating. Seriously. Click on the link. I’ll wait here while you enjoy the show.

OK, welcome back. Now here’s what I learned…about myself, about the con and about Star Wars fans:

  1. This thing is HUGE. Some people tried to tell me how big this thing is, but my brain did not even begin to fathom the mind-boggling, overwhelming size and density of this event. I attended Mardi Gras in 1990. It was kind of like that, except 80-90% of the crowd is wearing incredible costumes and (as far as I could tell) no one was sloppy drunk &/or urinating in public places.
  2. To avoid being chewed up and spit out by this event, I should have studied the program tracks and a map of the hotels BEFORE the event. Since I did not do this, I wandered around feeling small and confused, snapped a few pictures, perused the vendor rooms (where I had to talk myself out of purchasing a purple lightsaber), chatted with and received kind encouragement from some awesome Star Wars folks (see items 3 & 4) and, ultimately, hid out most of the day in a Mediterranean restaurant sipping white wine and chatting with a sales representative from Premier Digital Publishing about the brave new publishing world and its opportunities for authors.
  3. There are not one, but TWO international costuming organizations dedicated to Star Wars costuming:  Rebel Legion is dedicated to costumes for the good guys (Jedi, Rebels, Princesses and even Wookies) and 501st Legion is the world’s definitive Imperial costuming organization.
  4. There’s also an international club of R2 builders!
  5. If I’m going to do this thing next year and truly make the most of this HUGE marketing opportunity that happens every year so close to my own hidden rebel base, I’m going to need:
    • A partner (or two) in crime. (Flying Solo might be a personal fantasy come true, but flying solo at Dragon*Con is not my idea of a good time.)
    • Lots and lots of glossy, pretty bookmarks &/or cards to drop all over this event.
    • A full, four-day membership (gulp).
    • Some creative way to visually identify myself as a Star Wars geek that does NOT involve (1) a metal bikini, (2) hiding inside a helmet, (3) hundreds of dollars and hours of work creating the perfect costume, or (4) being forced to APPROACH total strangers showing off their finest Star Wars gear to tell them about my book

Hmmmmm….this is where I would love, love, LOVE some help.

I know I will need to attend events with a high density of Star Wars fans throughout 2013. But I need a strategy. An action plan. Some way to draw the Star Wars fans to me and start a conversation. (Note: While I feel perfectly comfortable talking to anyone who approaches me, I’m entirely incapable of thrusting myself into another person’s path without an invitation.)

I’m in desperate need of your ideas and suggestions. If you don’t feel comfortable posting them here, please send an email to “Slayzak” using the AOL address.

photo credits: Cayusa via photopin cc, greyloch via photopin cc, sjmck via photopin cc, & Courtarro via photopin cc

Dahlonega Literary Festival is this Weekend!

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It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend here in Dahlonega, with a high of 70 on Saturday, plenty of colorful leaves still on the trees and an abundance of golden autumn sunlight all weekend long. We have local wineries with tasting rooms on the square. We have incredible restaurants. We have options to explore art, history and nature galore.

If that’s not enough enticement, this weekend is the 9th Annual Dahlonega Literary Festival. It’s free, free, FREE! Come on, you KNOW you want to come join us! Check out the full details here.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to this year:

  • Lunch with the Authors – This is a great feature of our festival. All of the authors in attendance host a table for ten at one of our amazing local restaurants. (I can’t wait to meet Karen White. Her Charleston ghost mysteries have caused me to miss sleep…but in a good way!)
  • Extravaganza at the Crimson Moon (featuring Nick Wynne).
  • Joe Morgan: Life as a Death Investigator – I met him at a book signing event awhile back and I can’t wait to tell him how much I loved his book. (Fair warning:  It is the “real deal” and not a sanitized, glamorized version of death scene investigation. Highly recommended only if you have a strong interest and a stronger stomach!)

On a personal note: Mike and I met at this festival three years ago so it will always be near and dear to our hearts. (Note: Any man who invites a writer to a literary festival for a first date is more precious than Dahlonega gold.) Since we now live within walking distance, we will be volunteering &/or attending events for the entire festival. We really, truly and fervently want this festival to continue to flourish and grow…otherwise, how will we celebrate our anniversary in years to come? If you can’t join in the fun this year, please consider supporting the festival in other ways.

photo credit: Artiom Ponkratenko via photopin cc

If it’s October, it must be…Hitchcock!!!

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October is my most favorite month of the year. Autumn is my most wonderful time of the year. And Hitchcock, that devious bastard, is my most favorite Hollywood storyteller of any year.

Seriously, Hitchcock is like the Yoda of suspense and horror filmmakers. So…when I learned that there’s a gorgeous new biopic coming out about this twisted, yet glorious man, I just about peed my pants! Check it out:

Starring Anthony Hopkins as the master? And Helen Mirren as The Queen of his heart? Are you kidding? WOW!

Do you love it? Will you go see it? Most importantly, what is your favorite Hichcock movie memory? (I’ll tell you mine if you’ll tell me yours.)

John Green: Choose Your Gods Wisely

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If you don’t follow publishing or bookselling news, you probably have no idea that BookExpo America (BEA) took place last week in New York City. Someday in the near future, I hope to be a featured author meeting and greeting my readers and my literary idols at BEA.  In the meantime, I’ll just watch this vlog from one of my most favoritest authors of all time, John Green, and live vicariously.

If you don’t feel like watching John Green “geek out” with some amazing authors, I’ll just give you this quote to think about:

In our hyper-secular world, worship is still inevitable, but it’s vital to remember that our gods don’t choose us; we choose them. I could have chosen a mob wife. Sure glad I chose [Jeffrey] Eugenides.

Help Choose My Cover Design

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Allrighty everyone, I need your assistance.  Please take a moment to provide some feedback….

As previously mentioned back on March 21st, I decided to purchase some cover art for my first novel.  Originally, this was a Wayne Dyer-inspired exercise in positive thinking.  Now I’m thinking this is going to be for keeps.

By “for keeps” I mean that I will probably use this cover for my novel’s indie-published edition.  Yep.  There’s that scary concept again.  Independent publishing.  It seems to be an increasingly inevitable step on my personal path toward writing success in this dizzy, ever-evolving world of 21st century publishing.  More on that soon. (Really and truly.  Pinky swear.)

The cover artwork was commissioned from Steven Novak, an incredibly talented, affordable and amiable artist whose services I highly recommend.  One of my best friends, a self-described “font freak” who earns her paycheck as the Design Ninja for DisplayIt, Inc, agreed to play with the title fonts.  The problem is…I’m having trouble choosing my favorite version.  The designs aren’t terribly different.  In fact, most people probably think I’m splitting hairs here, but I just can’t make up my mind and this little decision suddenly seems HUGE.  So I’ve decided to put the matter up for a vote.

Here’s a few basic things you may want to know about my novel before voting:

  • This is a contemporary, coming-of-age novel set in the summer of 1977
  • My main point-of-view character (Erika Williams) is an original Star Wars geek girl
  • Erika is the girl on the cover.  That is a Super 8 camera lofted above her head.
  • If you are not a Star Wars fan &/or have no idea why Erika is posed with that camera lofted above her head, please Google Star Wars 1977 poster.
  • It was written as a Young Adult novel, but I’m hoping it will have crossover appeal for Star Wars fans and geek girls of all ages
  • NOTE:  Erika has a bit of a weight problem.  I hate, hate, HATE it when I read a book about a girl with “weight issues” and the cover art features a lithe, skinny, perfect teenaged female creature.  Argh!  But if you insist on pictures of unrealistic perfection on your book covers, my cover art may not appeal to you.

OK, enough jabber!  Without further ado, here are my top three options.

Option A:

Option B:

Option C:

Now please cast your vote.  The poll will be open for one week (through Sunday 6/17/12).