Want to thank To The Bone Reviews for recognizing That Which Should Not Be. Here’s the link.
Where Do I Get My Inspiration
Continuing from the Goodreads Q&A
Tricia:
Hi Brett!
Where do you get your inspiration? Do you draw bits and pieces from people you know and observe, or just entirely make them up? Do you write with music or with silence?
Can’t wait to read your book, it looks really good.
Thanks!
Answer:
Hi Tricia! The inspiration question is kind of a hard one to answer. I find inspiration in everything. For
That Which Should Not Be, I had an idea to write a book in an older, Gothic style than most of the ones (particularly a book called House of Leaves) I had been reading. In a larger sense, I drew inspiration from the classic horror writers, most notably H.P. Lovecraft and Bram Stoker. For the stories themselves, it varies. Sometimes crazy things just pop into my head (scary, I know) and I try and find a place to fit them into the story. Sometimes I have read something in the news or something about history and decide to use that for inspiration. Other times, I take things that my friends have said or experienced and bring that in. So I guess the short answer is I draw inspiration from everything.
I can write in any conditions. One of the reasons I started writing is because I like to watch horror movies, but I felt like I was wasting my time. I felt like if I was writing while watching the movie, I was being productive. I do less of the movie watching these days (now that I take all this more seriously), but I do listen to music. All kinds really.
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Posting the Questions and Answers from my Q&A
I am going to start posting the questions and answers from the Q&A I am doing over in the Authors & Readers Group on Goodreads. Join us if you can, or add your comments here. Here’s the first!
Question from Marianne:
Hi Brett, That Which Should Not sounds pretty scary, what attracted you to write ‘horror’?
And I am assuming Crimson Tide is the name of a football team, and is that American football or the kind of football we play here in the UK? Actually, I don’t know why I am asking because I’m not really a football fan, but I am curious about that name ( sounds very bloody!), so please don’t worry about answering that ;o)
Last question, when do you find time to write????
Cheers!
Answer:
Hi Marianne! I have always wanted to travel to the United Kingdom. Can I sleep on your couch? I’ll start with the Alabama Crimson Tide and then move on to that boring writing stuff. The University of Alabama is the state university here in, you guessed it, Alabama. Our American football team is the center of our universe. (Our stadium holds over 100,000 people.) To give you something to compare, we are the Manchester United of American college football. We’ve won 13 national championships, more than anyone else, and will be playing for #14 on January 9 against the LSU Bengal Tigers in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Louisiana (think World Cup final). The name the Crimson Tide comes from a game played in 1907. Our colors are Crimson and White. On a play that won a particularly important game, a sportswriter who was at the game wrote that Alabama washed over its opponent “like a crimson tide.” People started calling them that, and the name stuck.
As for horror, I have always loved it. I think it started back in the 80s. I had a laser disk of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. I used to watch that thing over and over and over again. I like to be scared. I like stories about good and evil. In a funny way, I think I like horror for the same reason I like Harry Potter. The real world often lacks magic. Everything is so cold and scientific these days. But in horror, there’s still that mystery. I love that.
I write whenever I can. I work a full time job as a lawyer. Like most writers, I can’t (yet?) make a living off of my writing, but maybe one day. I try and write at least one single spaced page of text a day. That just means everything takes longer. My publisher really wants me to finish my next book, but there are only so many hours in the day . . .
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Lovecraft eZine Giveaway of My Book
Just wanted to remind everyone of the giveaway that the Lovecraft eZine is doing for my novel as well as three other Lovecraftian works. Click here to learn more.
Filed under Give Aways
Q&A Continues Over on Goodreads! Ask Me Anything!
Come join us! We will be going all weekend.
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/740176-q-and-a-with-author-brett-j-talley
Filed under Uncategorized
Free Music Friday — Hero’s Song by Brendan James
A beautiful and haunting song about the horrors of war.
Filed under Music
Obviously, The Lord is With The Crimson Tide
I mean, take a look at these clouds. Looks like a rolling tide to me.
Ask Me Anything!
Q&A is live over at Readers and Writers. Here’s the link. Mash me.
Filed under Interviews
My Thoughts on Bad Reviews
I’ve been pretty lucky with That Which Should Not Be that it has not had that many bad reviews. I can count them on both hands at this point. (I’m sure they will increase, but at some point, that’s just a sign that you are successful. Haters, as they say, are gonna hate.) People ask me how I feel about them. It’s a good question. Back in the old unpublished days, I would have thought I would hate them. But in reality, I kinda think they are funny. One of my favorite negative reviews contained the line, “I’m sure that Talley thought he had a brilliant story on his hands, and truly he would have if he had only written it differently.” Ouch. So I’ve learned a few things from negative reviews, and I want to share them with you.
- If you are an author, just get ready. They will come, no matter how good your book is. That Which Should Not Be has 45 Five Star reviews and 19 Four Star reviews. It also has a Two Star and a One Star review. It is going to happen. The Great Gatsby has 28033 One Star reviews! And it’s one of the best books ever written! So build a tough skin.
- If you are writing a review, quit being such a jerk. Authors, particularly Indie authors, are going to read your reviews. If you don’t like a book, that’s fine. If it has problems, point them out. But remember that in most cases, the authors really did pour themselves into that book. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it on the Internet.
- One last thing for reviewers—make your ratings reflect what you write. I know that you think your opinion is really important, but most people are not going to read it. But your ratings may be noticed and certainly will be factored into the overall rating. Don’t be one of those people who either give a book one star or five stars. It shouldn’t be all or nothing.
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Don’t Forget, Q&A With Yours Truly Starts Tomorrow!
Just a reminder that I will be on the Writers and Readers Goodreads group all weekend answering questions. Check out the group here and be thinking of good questions.
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Amazing! Sugar Plum Fairy by P.Tchaikovsky – Glass Harp LIVE
I try and share as much neat stuff with you guys as I can. A friend turned me on to this today, and in the spirit of Christmas, I thought I would pass it on to you. People have such amazing talents.
Filed under Music
Win a Copy of That Which Should Not Be!
The inimitable Lovecraft eZine is giving away a copy of my book, That Which Should Not Be, along with a couple other excellent Lovecraft themed works. You should check it out. If you win, I will even sign it for you. And if I know you, I will write sweet nothings about how you are the meaning in my life. The inspiration, as it were. Click me!
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Random Funny Post of the Day — Commercial Fails
“So I’m not sure what these McDonald’s commercials are trying to do. They’re pointing out how smart you, the customer, will be for saving money on the dollar menu, yet they’re comparing this level of intelligence to spending 10 seconds of awkward silence figuring out a pet name for your girlfriend and finally coming up with ‘sweet-tea’ and then ‘sweetie’.”
Remember, I am trying to be funny by stealing funny. Anyway, click me.
Filed under Humor
Author Q&A with Yours Truly on Goodreads!
This weekend of Dec. 16th-18th, I’ll be the focus of a Q&A group discussion in the Goodreads group, Writers and Readers. Basically, you can ask me any question you want and I am contractually obligated to answer it, more or less. Wild, huh? So join the Writers and Readers group and come pepper me with questions! The event invite, which I think you can see even if you aren’t in the group yet, is here.
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Beware The Shadows 