You can check out all of the past installments of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff... here.
I write fiction across multiple genres.
Q: tell me about one of your biggest professional disappointments to-date, but also what, if anything, positive that you got get from it.
I've had my share of "this close" stories. I was "this close" to
working on... The last year or so has seen a good deal of disappointments in regard to projects being cancelled or publishers vanishing/going under/not paying/etc. Even though the Edgar Rice Burroughs' At The Earth's Core graphic novel continues to sell well, the Pellucidar graphic novel adaptations were cancelled while we were working on book 2, Ghost Gal went on indefinite hiatus and off sale when our publisher passed away, Pro Se cancelled their Signature Series line, which I am part of with two titles: Freelancer (originally a recurring series of one shots) and Crimson Moon (which was originally intended to be a trilogy), Domino Lady: Threesome was cancelled, the Snow books were stalled at the publisher, anthologies sitting ready, but unpublished for years, a decade in some cases, etc, etc, etc. Each one of those stung, but I know it's part of the business.
The positive takeaway has me focusing on more novel work and original projects. After a struggle, I regained the rights to Snow and am releasing those
myself through BEN Books. So far that has been a positive, although they could be selling better. The cancellations did open up my schedule, though not in a way I wanted it to happen. Will Ghost Gal come back for a second novel? Hard to say. I hope so. I love the characters.The characters from the Pro Se line are mine so I may try them on my own down the road. The Pellucidar license has gone to another publisher so that project is dead. I am honored to have been part of ERB's legacy, even if for a short time and working with Jamie Chase was a dream collaboration. Domino Lady: Threesome is being repackaged as a trade by Moonstone instead of releasing the issues individually so that is a positive. At least they will be released.
Yikes. That is a tough one. I would read and listen to books by
actual geniuses and see how they talk and approach things. Maybe read some
genius characters in comics like Reed Richards, etc. to see how they work. Then
I'd toss all that in a blender and make something up and hope it sounded
plausible.
I tend to get bogged down in the middle. That's usually where I slow down.
Q: What is a word you know you tend to overuse?
Unfortunately.
Q: When was the last time you were bored writing? Why do you think that was?
Q: Is there any part of your work-in-progress you're worried will be confusing for readers?
Not really. I like to think my readers are pretty savvy and I try to make sure everything makes sense. Hopefully, if I do my job right, it will.
I don't have a specific number of times. I usually eat before I start or have lunch with me while writing. Bathroom breaks happen as needed. Facebook/social media/email happens on occasion because it's just too easy to switch over and check it. Rethinking, research, etc. happens as needed. Of course, once you're on the internet, you want to check Facebook. It's a vicious cycle.
Q: What are you writing today?
Oddly enough, on the day I received this question, most of my writing had been on press releases, media posts, website updates, things like that. All necessary, but also kept me away from adding words to the current novel in process. On the day I'm posting this column, I'm working on pitches for a publisher and I hope to add a chapter to the novel later.
My first novel was the early draft of what was later reworked and rewritten and became my 3rd released novel, EarthstrikeAgenda. It more than doubled in size on the rewrite and I added a lot, but the core story remained the same from original draft to finished draft.
Q: Ok I have a finished book. How do I submit it to a publisher? Do I send it in email, snail mail? Do I send it with out the illustrator, or do I include her work?
First off, congratulations. All publishers have different submission requirements. Go to the publisher's website and see what their guidelines are and follow them. If they say no email manuscripts, then don't email them your MS. This is your first test to show you can follow directions. Good luck.
I love my characters, but I also put them through hell. That
usually makes them stronger.
Q: Favorite
Michael Crichton book? Other than Jurassic Park, of course!
Airframe.
It's a tossup between Mile's O'Brien and Al Bundy. For different
reasons, of course.
Q:
Chrome vs FireFox. Which one do YOU like better?
Chrome.
I've been accused more than once of being intimidating. Who
knew?
Q: Best
Halloween TV episodes ever (not including the Simpsons or Roseanne) ... GO!
Some favorites of mine: Quantum Leap
"Boogeyman", Married… with Children “Take my wife, please”,
Buffy The Vampire Slayer “Halloween”, Castle “Vampire Weekend”, MacGyver
“Halloween Knights”, and How I Met Your Mother, “Slutty Pumpkin” are the first
to come to mind.
Q:
What scripted TV moment or scene emotionally affected you the most?
Hard to break it down to just one. Here's the first few that
popped into my head.
Receiving news of Henry Blake's death on M*A*S*H. (The finale
has several as well with the final farewells).
Young Thomas Magnum saluting at his father's funeral in
"Home From The Sea" (Magnum treading water episode).
Captain Picard’s “Let’s make sure history never forgets the
name… Enterprise” moment.
The 9th Doctor's "Just this once... Everybody lives!"
moment.
The get together after Charlie Skinner's funeral on The
Newsroom. There are some moments in there.
Oh, and how
could I forget the end of TNG's Best of Both Worlds part 1. "Mr. Worf...
Fire." My heart was in my throat until the next season started.
There are more. I'm a sucker for a good inspirational speech.
Never forgets.
Q:
You finish your latest novel, but you're WAY over the word count. WAY OVER. How
do you get it back to the side your editor wants? What are your techniques for
serious trimming on your work?
The first thing I look for are any side trips or character
moments that, while can be great, don't necessarily advance the plot. After
that, it's looking for extraneous words, adverbs, and tags that can be cut.
Gotham, Arrow (especially season 1), and Person of Interest are
the first to come to mind. Several comic books have a pulp flavor. Atomic
Blonde is pure pulp.
Q: If
you had to choose the best horror film of all time what would you choose and
why would you choose it?
Q: who
was the President when you were born?
Richard Nixon
Q: On
average, what time you usually go to bed and get back up?
Q: Has
a comic book or graphic novel ever helped you navigate a personal loss, trauma,
or setback? Which one? How? Sound off below.
Not by the content, per se, but being able to lose myself in the
story, even if only in short bursts, helped calm everything down in my heart
and my head so the healing process could begin.
At least until someone started yelling at me for reading a comic
when they didn't think I should be. That part mostly happened when I was
younger.
Q: Which version of The Joker is your favorite?
This seems like a great opportunity to share this, which is one
of my favorite things ever.
I liked the Fly as his enemy, although he's not seen so much
these days. Later, I was enamored of the mystery of the Hobgoblin and his
secret identity.
Q: I'm
sure I've asked this before: What movie(s) made you leave the theater - or at
least think about it - you hated it so much?
I've only walked out on one movie and that was Cloverfield. I
walked across the hall and threw up. I decided I did not need to go back and
watch the rest.
Q:
What SF/F movie has the most shocking/surprising death of a major character?
Q: What situation, book/author, or person turned you into a writer?
Q: Is technology a great asset or hindrance to your writing? Do you use software and/or online writing tools? Are you a down and dirty straight up writer without the help of more than a decent keyboard and word doc program?
Q: For those of you with laptop computers, do you find it better or less productive to take it someplace other than your usually working place to write? Do different environments distract or inspire you?
Absolutely. I love taking my laptop outside or to the library or a restaurant, or sometimes just to another room in the house. I find the change of scenery a definite plus.
Ideally, I would like to get about 130,000 words written by the end of September. It probably won't happen, but I'll get a good way there. I seem to stay in a perpetual state of being behind. I'm not really, but I'm also not ahead, which is where I would like to be. I still write deadline to deadline. It would be nice to have a book done early so I was a project or two ahead, but I doubt I'll ever truly be that focused and planned out.
Q: Are you joining the summer NANO? I'm thinking of doing it. maybe I can get back on track.
I don't have any plans to do NANO. It's not that I don't appreciate what NANO offers people or the help it provides, but I already do something similar to NANO all year long, not just during specific times.
I was 11 or 12 when I wrote my first story, I think. That was a long time ago. I started getting semi-serious about writing around 13 or 14. I sold my first story in 1992 at age 21. My first professional comic book project was in 2000 when I was 29. My first novel came out in 2005 when I was 34. I turned 46 this week (August 14th).
Q: Is writing your hobby or paying your bills?
Depends on who you ask. The IRS and I sometimes disagree on what constitutes a job. In all seriousness, right now, writing is paying the bills. It's tight, but there is money coming in for my writing. Could it be better? Oh, sure. I could always use more sales.
I write best in the mid-morning/afternoon and later at night. I used to stay up all night and write then go to sleep when the sun came up, but I can't do that anymore because of things I have to do during the day.
Q: What is the best was to get a publisher, editors. does have any helpful hints on how to get everything started. I have so many ideas just don't know where to start at?
Q: In regards to publishers, are they easy to find/contact? Secondly, is it best to write a small outline of a book first, or just write your story and submit a draft, or will the publisher decide that?
Q: If you *had* to cut one scene from your story right now, what would it be and why?
I'm still pretty early in on my current project (a few chapters in) so I don't have anything to cut yet. Usually, when cuts happen, it's character bits that don't really move the story along. If I have to lose something , that's usually where I start. I can always reuse that character bit later, especially if working on a series where I will write the character again.
Q: What was your character's last expressed thought?
Q:
What was the last line of dialogue you wrote?
“Now, what shall we do with you?”
Q:
What is the setting for your current scene?
I'm working on the Nightveil novel based on the AC Comics character for Pro Se Productions. The current scene I'm
writing takes place at the beach.
I don't think readers care. They want a good story and
experience. If we give them that, I think they will enjoy it no matter how it is published.
Q: Have you put yourself
into any of your characters?
The 2nd is a comic book character named Jack Hughes. Jack is the
partner of a character called Night Glider. Jack's origin came about when I
decided that if Night Glider were made into a TV show, they would give him a
partner so I decided to beat them to the punch and created a partner for him,
one based on me. Jack was a former cop turned private detective. Together,
Samuel Knight (Night Glider) and Jack Hughes worked for the Malice and Mace
Detective Agency (Did I mention I was a kid when I created these? I thought it
was clever at age 14) Nothing much happened with these characters outside of a
strip in the local newspaper magazine, but I still think of Jack Hughes every
now and again. Like any good character, I suspect he'll show up again.
In my current WIP, I'm striving for a fun, exciting adventure. Fun is the main tone I'm after.
Q: What about your
story's climax are you most excited about writing?
I love the final conflict and seeing the bad guy get his or her
comeuppance.
Q: How do you manage tension in your story? Do you let it
escalate then pull back, or go for the slow burn then let fly? Are you
calculated about how often tension pushes the story? Or is it all a roller
coaster ride from beginning to end?
Q: Do you write every day, seven days a week? Or do you
take weekends off to regenerate?
I try to write every day, or at least do some writing related
work every day. I plan days off when I make plans or if I am sick or if The Defenders premieres on Netflix like it does this weekend. I recently
lost a week and a half between battling a sinus infection and transporting my
parents back and forth to doctor visits and errands. Sometimes real life takes
priority over writing.
Smokey and the Barbecue
or....
Barbecue and the Bandit
Q: Chapter's title! Do
you use them in your story? I find that giving a title to the chapters is a
very powerful instrument to catch a reader!
I don't use chapter titles often. The pulp anthologies I've
worked on, especially earlier in my career, had chapter titles because the
original pulps did that. Once I realized I didn't need to title the chapters, I
stopped.
Making a living as a writer.
Q:
What's the biggest hoax you have fallen for?
That being a published author meant making great money. I blame
movies and TV. All authors in movies or on TV are rich.
There are some questions to which even I don't know the answer.
Q: I am a
new author, do u think it's best to sell book on amazon or in person
Why not both? Don't limit yourself to just one avenue for your books. Sell through Amazon because that has world-wide reach, but also sell through your website, through signing events, conferences, anywhere you can sell books, try it. They may not all work, but some may surprise you. The one thing to remember, no matter what methods you use to sell your books, as the author, you will have to promote your work. That's how people will find your work. Amazon has a great reach, but your book is just one of millions and it is easy to get lost in the sea of titles on Amazon. It is up to you, as the author, to get the word out about your book so potential readers/purchasers can find it.
Most of my titles on Amazon have the option to read a sample chapter. Some publishers do that, others don't. Personally, I like the previews. I also share sneak peeks through social media, my website, and Patreon (patrons get a bigger peek). Does it help? Maybe. I don't have hard data one way or the other, but I do know that people notice because I get asked questions about the work in progress because I talked about it on social media.
Q: How will your protagonist's job affect the plot?
Abraham Snow wants to catch the person who shot him and left him for dead. That act ended Snow's career. His obsession with closing this last case has kept him from getting on with his life. He can't let it go.
Q: Do you know what will be the last thing readers "see" at the end of your story?
Q: I don't believe in writer's block, but I do believe in fear that can paralyze the fingers. What are your tricks to get over the blank page and get the ball rolling on those rare occasions when you're uncertain or concerned about the project at hand?
I don't either. Whenever I don't know what to do next or the blank screen is mocking me, I simply start writing. It doesn't matter what it's about. I just pick a character and start following him or her on their way. It may not be anything to do with the project at hand, but it usually frees up the clutter and gets my writing motor running so I can get back to the project I am
Q: Are you a thesaurus junkie? Do you sweat over every word choice, then change it again anyway?
Not really. I have a thesaurus on the shelf next to my desk and I've used it a time or two, but I don't sweat over every word, especially not in the first draft. That's when my goal is to simply get the story down.
Q: How much do you read? Some authors read a book a month while writing, others don't read at all (aside from research) while writing. Where does your reading habit fall?
Q: Fanfiction: liberating exercise or waste of time?
Do you enjoy writing fan fiction? Then it is not a waste of time. You can learn your craft writing fan fiction. As long as you understand that you can't sell it or make any kind of profit off of it, but do it for practice, sure, fan fic is fine and dandy. No writing is a waste of time if it makes you a better writer.
Q: You have a great idea for a story but the subject matter is something of which you know very little. How do you overcome the doubts of making the story and characters plausible, especially when you feel other writers having the direct experience you lack stand a greater chance to write the story successfully and with
Research. Start with on-line research. Then, with that as your base, reach out to those who have experience and see if they are interested in talking to you.
Q:
Have you ever considered adapting your story into a comic/webcomic/graphic
novel?
Q: Do
you think the moon landing was faked?
No.
Q: As writers, sometimes it's a combination of weather, health
or family issues, and our surroundings that drives us ahead or stalls us a bit.
Aside from completely closing yourself off from the real
world, how do you
control your environment and influences enough to stay on track with a story?
Not as well as I'd like. Currently, I am caring for two ailing
parents and a brother. While none of them are completely dependent on me, there
are a lot of interruptions during my day for various things plus cooking,
cleaning, running to the store, etc. I have to schedule my writing time around
those things. I'd like to say I have it under control, but that would be a lie.
My productivity has declined noticeably. I just have to figure out how to work
around the chaotic schedule.
Q:
What prose novels have you reread several times?
Q:
I'm curious - how big is your book collection? Include your e-books as
well.
Counting comics, easily around 2000. Without comics, 600 or 700,
I'd guess.
Q: Would
you promote another writer's work to your network?
I do it all the time.
Q: If
your life was described by one song what would it be?
Dream on.
And I think that is a good place to stop for this round of Sometimes I Get Asked Stuff… Do you have any questions you’d like me to answer? Post them here as a comment or send them along to
Also, please sign up for my mailing list. Drop me an email at bobby@bobbynash.com and I'll happily add you to the list.
If you’d like to check out my work, you can find my books at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, Smashwords, Books-A-Million, BEN Books, Patreon, and more.
Thanks for listening to me ramble. Let’s do it again soon.
Happy reading!
Bobby
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