Story Hack

First off, let me just say thank you to everybody for reading Oasis. And of course for your astute typo catching.

I knew the ending would not be everyone’s cup of tea, but hey, what book ending is? For me, it kept in with the pulpy flavor that I’ve wanted Oasis to have. After all, Oasis was inspired by my favorite pulp authors: Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan/John Cater Of Mars), Robert E. Howard (Conan) and Kenneth Robinson (Doc Savage)

I’ll be sending emails to a few of you to see if you’ll let me use your comment on the Oasis web site.

So what’s next for Oasis?

It’s pretty simple. I’m going to go through and clean up some of those pesky typos. I’m going to make some minor edits to the story, nothing major, I just want some parts to flow a little easier. There’s a chapter I think I’d like in the first third of the book. After that - I’m seeking publication. If I can’t get a publisher fairly quickly, I’ll be self-publishing via CreateSpace.com. In any case, my goal is to make sure by the end of the year you can all hold a beautifully printed copy in your hands.

By the way, If I end up self publishing, here’s what the cover will probably look like.

So what’s next for StoryHack?

In the meantime, the fiction here will not stop. First up, you’ll see a piece of the first novel I attempted to write. After that, I’ve got a couple of short stories that I need to get out of my system. Then who knows? Perhaps more serial novel goodness.

Author’s Note: Happy Independence Day! This is it, folks. Last chapter was twice as long as a regular one. This one is about four times the usual length. I could have split it into two or three chapters easily, and I probably will do that for the paperback version, but I figured since I told you guys I’d be wrapping things up today, I’d go ahead and serve up the whole enchilada.Enjoy, and then have a safe and happy weekend.

At The End Of The Tunnel

Darkness and a loud ringing in my ear.

And a throbbing pain in my shoulder.

I rolled to my left and scrambled to stand.

The doctor was shouting something. I couldn’t quite tell what it was – the ringing was still too loud.

I stumbled over the doctor’s thrashing leg and fell sideways into the desk. It hurt, but it kept me from falling all the way to the floor.

The doctor kept up his frenzied shouting.

I couldn’t be positive, but I think he was saying, ” Read the rest…

OK. All of you have to wish me happy birthday in the comments. Or else you may never know how Oasis ends. BwahahahahaHAhaHA!

All right, I put up a website for Oasis. Go check it out and let me know what what you think.

www.ZombieNovelOasis.com

I also need some reviews of Oasis to put up on that site. So if you’s like to help me out, please leave your review in the comments here, or email it to reviews AT storyhack.com

[Author's note: Wow. 60 Chapters. Can you believe it? And only one left to go... If this is the first time you've seen Oasis, you're probably better off starting with Chapter 1: The Last Shift.]

Underground

It’s just natural to just take something when someone else hands it out to you. Sales people use this tactic to get you holding a pen, thus making it more likely you’ll sign a contract.

I had just grabbed the stupid canister without thinking. The doctor had distracted me for one second, which was all the time he needed to pull the gun.

I scolded myself for not being more careful around a man that I knew couldn’t be trusted.

The doctor motioned down the hall. “Let’s Read the rest…

I was waiting in the car the other day, and I thought to myself, “Self, you should be doing something other than sit sitting and staring out the window.”

And then I thought, “All right then, what should I do? What does the world need?”

And then it came to me. “There just isn’t enough zombie poetry out there.”

So I whipped out my notebook and began to scribble.

My head filled with thoughts of an epic poem detailing the struggle of the last survivor as he fought his way to safety only to have him fail just steps from his goal. Unfortunately, this is all I could come up with.

Lame Zombie Limerick
by Bryce Beattie

A zombie is something undead
That doesn’t eat butter or bread

It just wants to bite
Your face off, all right

Won’t stop ’till its shot in the head.

[Author's note. Oh boy! Only 2 more chapters left! Will Corbin survive? If you've never read Oasis before, start with Chapter 1. And don't you worry, when Oasis is over, I wont leave you high and dry. I've got lots of stuff planned.]

The Bombs

Beth opened the door to come in and the doctor brushed her out of his way.

“What’s his problem?”

I stood up. “Not sure, but it doesn’t sound good.”

She tossed a small pile of clothes on the bed. “The water’s out.”

It sank in. I was sweating, but my blood froze. Without water, we’d die within just a few days. Plus, it’d cause a frenzy in here.

“I know. That’s why the mad doctor just took off. He said it ‘wasn’t supposed to happen yet.’”

She stepped closer. “What does that mean?”

I looked straight at her and shrugged. “It means he knew this was coming.”

She tilted her head. “Yeah, but why…”

“Wish I knew.”

She closed the distance with a final step and threw Read the rest…

A long, long time ago I mentioned that I had purchased three books on writing. This was the third. I just forgot about writing this review.

I learned about Techniques of the Selling Writer from Randy Ingermanson’s “Writing The Perfect Scene,” which happens to be a great introduction to many of the topics covered in this book.

This book has affected my writing style probably more than anything else I’ve read.

This book not an easy to follow method to writing a novel, nor a “paint by numbers” system. It is a scholarly model your fiction can follow so that:

1. Other people understand what you write
2. Readers can’t stop reading what you write

There’s a ton of great stuff in here.

Let me just put one quick excerpt. The author has been talking about the “middle” portion of a work and how tension should be rising. Of course one way to increase tension is through action. Swain (the author) includes a letter that an editor (of various pulp magazines) wrote him. It’s kind of a “Pulp Writer’s Manifesto.”

Warning: Strong language ahead.

“…I give you, in conclusion, an editorial communique I once recieved from my old friend Howard Browne, who now makes fabulous sums of money in Hollywood, but who at the time was riding herd on a chain of pulp magazines.

“Herewith, Mr. Browne:”

I’ve got an assignment for you, keed. I want 25,000 words a month - one story - that is ACTION! The type of yarn, for instance, wherea group of people are marooned in, say, a hilltop castle, with a violent storm raging and all the bridges out and the electric power gone and the roof threatening to cave in and corpses falling down the stairs and hanging in the attic and boardscreaking under somebody’s weight in the dark (”Can that be the killer?”) and flashes of lightning illuminating the face of the murderer only the sonofabitch is wearing a mask that makes him look even more horrible, and finally the girl has been given into the safekeeping of the only person who is absolutely not the killer - only he turns out to be the killer, but he has taken the girl where no one else can get to save her and you damn well know he is raping her while everybody stands around helpless. Do these stories in the style Burroughs used to use; you know, take one set of characters and carry them along for a chapter, putting them at the end of the chapter in such a position that nothing can save them; then then take another set of characters, rescue them from their dilemma, carry them to a hell of a problem at the end of the chapter, then switch back to the first set of characters, rescue them from their deadly peril, carry them along to the end of the chapter where, once again, they are seemingly doomed; then rescue the second set of characters… and so on. Don’t give the reader a chance to breathe; keep him on the edge of his goddam chair all the way through. To hell with clues and smart dialogue and characterization; don’t worry about corn. GIVE ME PACE AND BANG BANG! Make me breathless, bud!

“What more can anyone say? What more could anyone want to?”

This probably isn’t a good book for casual writers or folks who aren’t good readers. Its a book with lots of information that requires you to think about what you’ve just read. It just isn’t worth the time unless you’re serious.

Lest there be any confusion, it’s not all about pulp writing. In fact, the above citation is rather unique in that way.

And it’s about time for me to start reading it again.

Techniques of the Selling Writer

[Author's note: All right, folks. I think there's only 3 chapters left. We'll see how fast I can get through the final few twists and turns. If you've just learned about Oasis, start with chapter 1.]

Rest & Recovery?

I gasped and opened my eyes. It felt like my head was finally above water after someone had held it under too long.

“Don’t do that!”

Two red shoes were on the foot of my bed. They were being worn by a young man sitting on a nearby chair. His eyes were big and he pretty much looked like he had seen a ghost.

“You trying to scare me to death?”

I pushed up on an elbow. “Well, good morning to you, too.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. “Wow. You’re… how are you?”

“Would you Read the rest…

Part of my real job requires me to go to West Yellowstone on a semi-regular basis. About ten miles out of town is a place which my father has always referred to as “the fountain of youth.”

Every time I go to West Yellowstone, I stop at the fountain of youth. While stopping, I often talk to other visitors. A great many of them also refer to it as the “the fountain of youth.” So many people just can’t be wrong.

There you have it. I have done what the conquistadors could not. I have located the fountain of youth. It’s on Highway 20, just on the Idaho side of the line. There is a sign that says “Howard Springs Wayside Area,” but now you know the truth.

And speaking of youth…

Yes, I know I’m a mooch.

July 1st is my birthday, and if you have the means and desire you’re welcome to buy me something off of my Amazon wish list. Of course, no hard feelings if you don’t.

At the very least you need to visit and leave a “happy birthday” message (On July 1st, not now…)

And tell a friend about Oasis…