Tag: book

Emergence Collective · writing

Opening lines….

Joe Hallett5 Comments

I am still learning the craft of writing. As I gain some experience I look back at my earlier stories and cringe. I see a little clearer now and see some mistakes that are obvious to me now. A lot of grammar mistakes forgive me, the English language is wacked. A mix of different languages and meanings of words change depending on the situation. I feel sorry for those for who it is not their first language. My biggest blunder however is the dreaded first paragraph.

I am not very happy with the first paragraphs in most of my stories. The first paragraph should if done correctly, hook you into the story right away. Hopefully, you don’t want to put the book down after that. I struggle with the opening paragraphs mostly because when I write, I have already been thinking about the story and how it ends, but where to start? I think I have nailed it in the sequel to “Emergence Collective.” Or at least I gave it my best shot. I feel pretty good about it and I am excited to hear what people say when they read it.

art · Emergence Collective · writing

Sunday word goal accomplished! Now to play!

Joe HallettLeave a comment

Not that writing isn’t fun and all. To me, it is a lot like golf. Nice to get out, but most of the game is a series of frustrations, but occasionally you can get the ball where you wanted it to go. At least I am a better writer than golfer. (If you don’t think I am very good, you should see me golf)

My word count is finished for the day, now to ruminate on the next parts. I am getting far enough that there are some tidbits that I need to sort out to make the story flow a bit better. I am thinking of rearranging some of the chapters, but I have another important chapter to write, that I need to start tieing things together with. I know I am kind of scattered, but it seems to work for me so why fight it?

Now I get to choose what to fill the rest of my day with. I Might paint the Nuka Cola girl some more, but I’m itching to fire up the laser and work on the backlit photograph project.

writing

Recognizing a kindred spirit.

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I went to a Joh Mayor concert recently. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a concert and it was a lot of fun, even though it wasn’t my favorite artist. Got free tickets to see him, and even though I’m, not a big fan, why waste the free club seat tickets. (By the way, if you ever get a chance to see a concert or game with club seating you won’t be disappointed) The show was fine, he does what he does on stage and played the usual hit songs from his catalog. At the end of the show, before a few encore performances of fan-favorite songs he did a little monolog.

This is where I had an interesting thing happen to me. As I mentioned I am not a fan of the guy, I enjoy his music well enough, (I won’t even change the channel when he comes on) However, during his monolog,I saw something that I had never consciously saw in a performer before. His monolog was brief and was about how the fans over time has keeped the songs alive and that reinvigorates (Im paraphrasing here) his passion to create and perform. While its not specific to John Mayor or what he said,but more of a recognition of the artistic kindred spirit. I saw not a performer, but an artististic soul. I was actually moved by the sentiment, because (I know that he most like has the same script for every performance) I could feel the genuine sincerity of it. I felt the kindred spirit in a fellow artist.

I did not, have a spiritual experience at a John Mayor concert (Id likely get my ass kicked if my friends heard that) I’m metal, Im a rocker so none of that! But seriously, I felt something in myself that has that genuine need to create, for myself, but also for the joy I can give to the world (hopefully) Thats why I am here to hopefully give a little break from the mundane reality let you escape.

Emergence Collective · writing

The Devil is in the details

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I have a clear message or idea I am trying to express in the story’s (Emergence Collective) subtext. But I am so wrapped up in the story, and all of my crazy fantasies, musings, and daydreams swirl together. Some things I wrote never made it into the book, and I honestly can’t remember which parts and thoughts it made in the final. In the sequel, I am making a more considerable effort to express the big picture concepts that I wanted to convey.

The Devil is in the details. Since I’ve got past the initial 60 thousand plus words under my belt. The sequel is going much smoother, and I have a better idea of how to get my crazy notions out.

Emergence Collective · writing

Setting the mood

Joe HallettLeave a comment

Well, it’s Monday again. Nuff said about that, amright? I had a productive weekend, got some excellent writing on the sequel, and am really happy with how things are going. (Again, if I am not excited about it, it’s probably not an exciting read, right?) I got to scratch several creative itches this weekend.

                So, the environment is important to me when I am writing, and music is part of it. I like to listen to music that gives me the “feel” of the scenes or characters I am writing about. “Emergence collective” had a lot of “Lacuna coil” and “Death” playing in the background. It may not give you, the reader, the same feels as I get from my music (that I am guessing is pretty obscure to the mainstream)

I hope that the feelings this music evokes when I write translate to the character or scene I am composing and give a similar sense to the reader.

Emergence Collective · Horror · writing

Monthaversary!

Joe Hallett2 Comments

So it has been 1 month since I started this blog. I’m going to give myself Kudos for Sticking with it! I tend to start a lot of projects that I soon abandoned. Short attention span, ADD, get bored with it, all the good excuses to move on to the next thing. But here I am, still trying it. In retrospect, I should have started blogging years ago. I discovered that blogging is actually fun to do, and it has done a couple positive things for me. For one, I am meeting a lot of cool people. I enjoy the community and interactions I am having, reading other blogs, getting improvement tips. Also, It keeps me in a creative mindset. So far …. no haters. Wow.            

I started this blog primarily to promote my Book “Emergence Collective” and other writing projects. But it is also turning into its own creative outlet. So a big thank you to everyone who has checked it out, especially those who choose to follow me. Your time is precious, and I sincerely appreciate you spending some of it here.

For those who haven’t been here before or have only read a few of my posts, I suggest you check out some of my earlier posts. May I recommend my Character snapshots of  “Emergence collective.”

Character snapshot: Barney Derrick

Character snapshot: Frank

Character snapshot: Willy Winston

Character snapshot: Mark and Trina

Character snapshot: The hole

Or if you like Horror, maybe check out “Alone.” It is a quick read, only 21 pages.

Thank you everyone who has checked out my blog!

Emergence Collective · Horror · Uncategorized · writing

Write as if you are an orphan.

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I can’t remember where I heard that, but I think its harder than it sounds. Even though I write for myself, because I am compelled to, I think about who is reading it. Friends, family, strangers. But I think it inhibits the content of my writing, as I am always easing off the gas when it comes to graphic scenes of violence and sex. I, however, am an unabashed reader of those things, so Why can’t I write it? I sincerely applaud those that are brave enough to navigate those waters (as I stand on the shore looking on with envy). Maybe I will be brave enough to let loose a little one day.

Horror · writing

Work shoppin’ stuff

Joe HallettLeave a comment

I mentioned before about writing long-form vignettes (If that’s what they are called) as inspired by “Bloggin’ about Yaudi” a blog I read. So I am going to give it a go, and just workshop a little scary story idea I’ve had creeping around my noggin… I do want to expand on it, not to novel-length but flesh out more of it, but here is the gist…

Phantom Black

The beam of light pierced the veil. Like an ugly knife wound tearing a rough, misshapen hole in the darkness. The light touched a tentacle of the creature, a warm tingle drawing its attention. Confused and curious, it extended its tentacles, reaching, feeling the jagged edges of the opening. It wrapped its tentacles around it with more confusion about the nature of this new thing in its world, then examined the edges, feeling its solidity. Reaching in and gaining purchase on the inside surface, it began to pull itself through, marveling at the warm tingly, yet slight stinging sensation on its skin.

                The scientists fiddled with the device with excited banter, enthusiastic about their apparent success. The device looked like an over-engineered paint spray gun. One of the scientists adjusted a setting on the machine, causing a pleasant harmonic tone to emanate from it. The other scientist poured a black viscous liquid into a small vat attached to the instrument with tubes, hoses, and electrical connections. The first scientist starts speaking into a recorder, taking verbal notes with a shaky, excited voice. “four-thirty two hertz to four forty hertz seems to be the correct resonant frequencies to properly align the filaments. We have achieved approximately….” He looks up at the other scientist and nods his head slightly, prompting the missing information.

                “Ninety-nine point nine, nine percent.” The other scientist reads off of a computer monitor in a matter-of-fact tone.

                “Yes, right. Ninety-nine point nine, nine percent of photon absorption.” He continued, “We have found with the increased amplitude and voltage, the harmonic frequencies will correctly align the carbon nanotubes vertically; gave us an additional twenty percent efficiency.” He said, his voice still quivering with obvious exhilaration.

                Tentacles wavered through the opening, touching the air feeling the strange tingle of the light. As it pushed deeper into the new expanse, it could feel a vibration of sound emanating from inside this new space. It waved a tentacle sniffing the air, searching for the source of the vibrations. With so many new sensations, the creature grew eager and more curious. It pulled itself through the hole, sniffing and feeling.

                With their backs turned away from the black painted surface, the scientists quickly prepared their device for the new round of testing; the creature probed a tentacle towards them. The probing tentacle extended toward the sound vibrations and detected a unique sensation that triggered a biological response; Hunger.