First Word

Here is more grist for the rumor mill to grind out unfounded speculation and fun ... the kudos of the day go to Lizzie Olsen and her wonderful response to the speculation that, um, a conversation with a single man equals a relationship. Good for you Ms. Olsen for responding with a perfectly "smarty" answer to a stupid question. Whether or not she is or is not newly dating the incomparable Alexander Skarsgard is completely none of anyone's business anyway. Besides, her response was right on the money. Truthfully, even if they've shared a date or two that hardly comprises a "relationship." A date, a flirtation, an interest ... yes. A relationship not so much. Good God this is the same press that criticizes celebrities like Kim Kardashian for getting married and divorced faster than I got up this morning and yet is ready to put two people in a conversation off to the chapel. So, why do I care? Well, the unwanted attention and her recent appearance at the awar...

Fresh off a wonderful lunch with a colleague, I decided to come back to the office and blog about the importance and value of networking in business. My colleague has run into some serious barriers in her business. She's either been confronted with people who essentially want to pay her $20 to write an entire magazine article or $10 for a newsletter or get no business at all. First, readers and business people, do you have any idea how insulting it is to pay a highly educated, skilled professional $20 for an 800-word article? While some folks don't value writers and think we do this out of sheer passion and love for the craft, the truth is we have to eat. People pay their babysitters more than $20. So faced with either being devalued or not finding work, she was considering a move back to corporate. I decided to give her the "chin-up-young-grasshopper" talk and discuss what she could be doing to avoid the collision course with the worst-case scenario. Those of you bus...

I can hear some fans cry out in sorrow while I can hear the fans who hate the pairing of Sookie and Bill sigh a great relief under the belief that Alan Ball's influence over that couple will end. I frankly adore anything Alan Ball touches. I admired, loved and esteemed Six Feet Under as a seamless work of TV art, and I believe True Blood wouldn't have half its multiple and colorful layers if it weren't for Ball's savant storytelling genius. So with the announcement of his exit from the show, I hope he leaves behind a legacy of gifted storytellers who learned from the Yoda himself. I might not always like the direction of the show, especially in the last portion of Season 4, but I believe it was and will remain a high-quality show. I don't think the writers will want to try and put their own stamp on a tried-and-true show that is the second highest rated show in HBO history following only after the incomparable Sopranos . I am such a fan of Ball's impeccable w...

I often joke that public relations is much too much like Tinker Bell's fairy dust. You sprinkle on the dust and hope for the magic to happen. When promoting a book, you actually have to rely more on basic analytics and measurable results to understand how and where to promote the book. I've discovered over the past several years that you have to determine which promotional channel (online, print or broadcast) will produce real sales. Here is what I've found overall about each of the channels. Radio -- lots of radio guest appearances are good for cementing the brand name. Radio appearances don't typically trigger sales. They spread the word about the book and cement brand recognition. Books that go into the bookstores will profit from this name and brand recognition. The casual Amazon browser might buy a "familiar" sounding title. Don't expect your book sales to rise right after a radio show appearance. Blogs and Online Magazines and Newspapers -- blo...

I am having fun looking at all of the pretty people photographed at the Oscar parties, and I notice a photo of a rather famous guy "tugging his boys" and getting caught on film, of course. Here is the deal: fame means you better not touch, poke or touch any private parts in public ever again, because you have a sure bet someone will catch the embarrassing touch in a never-ending image. In fact, if the "paps" follow you all over town, their cameras will document your requisite trips to the coffee shop, grocery store, gym or wherever you go. And here's the one sure thing: you are bound to get "caught" touching somewhere you ought not to touch in public. Then you have the rabid fans who will courteously and to your utter shame and horror, compile a Tumblr montage of every embarrassing touch, poke or prod you ever made in public. Now I see these pictures and I think, "Good lord there 'it' is for all the world to see for all eternity." Bec...

Last night, I didn't cuddle up to watch the Oscars. I flipped the channels until I found an older movie, Sea Biscuit , that I had never seen before. I had my chips and salsa and crunched, crunched, crunched away the night. Not so many years ago, I used to look forward to Oscar night. I enjoyed seeing clips from the movies I would soon go see and supporting movies that I had seen already and loved. The last several years (and maybe it's just me), it seems like the quality and depth of the really great movies has waned. The market gets flooded with commercial vehicles and the truly fantastic films get harder and harder to find. Among the array of movies nominated last night only a small handful looked remotely appealing. I saw the movies that I had any interest in. The winner for best picture, The Artist doesn't appeal to me at all. I would have much rather seen something like Moneyball  or The Descendants win. As the big commercial films dominate the cinema, especially thi...

Here is a riddle for you: What looks uncomfortable, acts stilted, and isn't funny? If your answer was last night's Independent Spirit Awards you would be correct. I adore independent film, and many of those last night's films were on my list of favorites this year. So I decided to wile away a Saturday night plopped in front of the TV. Seth Rogen came on as host, and between the uncomfortable laughs and weak jokes, he looked miserable. Now follow this nervous assault with an array of equally uncomfortable-looking actors and actresses, and you have a terrible awards show. It was so unorganized and messy that some award recipients disappeared during it. The award announcers looked as if they were mostly in the dental chair getting their teeth cleaned, and the level of enthusiasm sparked only mere smiles on the winner's faces. Then for some reason, Michael Shannon was seated so that about every 10 minutes he got a close-up. Add to this, the so-called gift from Nokia that wa...

I can tell a self-published book from 10 feet away. The only people who don't seem to know that self-published books standout from a crowd are self-published authors. First, if you decide to self-publish, please know there isn't anything wrong with it. These days many big name authors publish their own books. It takes out the middleman and keeps the book's profits squarely in your pocket. The book becomes a bestseller and you're rich. The best way to ensure your book does not become a bestseller is to lose credibility by making it obviously unprofessional and self-published. How can you avoid the pitfalls of the self-published look and feel? Here are some tips. 1. The cover and guts should be professionally designed by a professional graphic artist . Some writers falsely believe that either a template or some design they pull out of their bag of clipart tricks will suffice. If you're going to self-publish, please hire a professional to design not only the cover bu...

Time to give you my take on the evil-doers.  The purely evil, sociopathic villain can border on a cartoon character. You do not want to paint a black character with no heart or soul or motivation for his or her evil nature. A great villain is the one that is fully fleshed out, relatable and understandable. A one-dimensional villain is actually quite boring.  What you really want is to write a great antihero.  In fiction the antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character, in some regards, is conspicuously contradictory to the archetypal hero. In some cases, the antihero is the antithesis to the hero. Some people believe the antihero could be classified as the antagonist or villain. An antihero, however, is not a strict villain and typically elicits sympathy or admiration. The antihero is sometimes the character you love to hate and love at the same time. So here are my favorite antiheroes: Rev. Steve Newlin, True Blood -- I'm not sure we can find ...

Following is the Prologue to the second book in the California Girl Chronicles series. If you would like a copy of the first book California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic, it's 30 percent off on the 3L Publishing website at www.3LPublishing.com.  My name is Brea Harper, and I am the quintessential California girl. I am blond, fabulously tall, pretty and smart. I’m a screenwriter, but often get mistaken for an actress since I live in Los Angeles among the other pretty people. My desire to write screenplays has nothing to do with fame or glamour. I love to write. Period. It’s how I express my creativity and fulfill my artistic impulses. I live in a small apartment near Hollywood with my best friend Denise, who as you might know already, is quite a live wire and loads of fun. Last I told you, she was having an affair with her boss at the software company where she works. They’re still screwing all over the building, but they see other people. Another dear and new frien...

I’m going to take a full section for your character development. A key to a character-driven (not a plot-driven) book are the characters. First, I want to say something important. Even a great plot-driven book has well-developed characters. Plot-driven books that fail to develop characters and go on the simple merit of the action will fail to become classics. Let’s look to film to show the difference. Why does a mega blockbuster film like Avatar earn critical praise while a popcorn film like Transformers does not? It’s all about a well-developed story that contains characters we love to love. Avatar has a real story with well-developed characters so much so I remember the star character’s name, Jake Sully. Transformers has some gorgeous stars for sure, how many of you remember the hero’s name? I don’t remember a single character’s name. Think of classic literature and the characters you probably know their names. You may not even remember the name of the book, but you remember ...

If you are a fan of the HBO series True Blood (Season 5 is slated to begin June 24) then you should check out this site titled Love True Blood . From what I've been told by the site leaders and from what I've read, it's absolutely the best fan site written by fantastic writers who display their literary backgrounds with great ease and reveal all sorts of layers to this show one would never imagine. You think True Blood is all about "vampire porn" (as one friend called) then you are not really watching it from a storytelling point of view with all its metaphors, foreshadowing and juxtapositions. Read this fan site and you will have all the confidence that Alan Ball is NOT going to put Sookie and Bill back together. Not if you peel back the layers of the onion the way these literate fans have done. I've emphatically said that Eric and Sookie are soul lovers, and if you read this site and all the great information under the season redux you will notice how they...

Our new VP of Marketing, Victoria Andrew is our rock star and goddess of publicity for 3L Publishing's authors. She joined our team this winter, and I hired her because I have never seen a publicist kick major behind the way this woman does. Not only does she bring an incredible amount of energy and enthusiasm to my team, but also she is incredibly passionate about literature and publishing. When you can find someone who is just as passionate as you are about your company then you've found the ideal person. So, here is why she makes other publicists' skills dull in comparison to hers (and if you're an author what to look for in an ideal publicist): 15 Years in Publishing -- Victoria knows more about the publishing and book business than even I do. When we first started talking, she brought up refreshing ideas about how to approach the publicity side of the business from an entirely new vantage point. While I've spent the majority of my career working on magazines...

If page views and reading interest are votes then it's safe to say that my First Word readers do not liking this whole "bromance" notion on the forthcoming Season 5 of True Blood . While Eric Northman's portrayer Alexander Skarsgard has been promoting his new movie Battleship , he's been perpetuating the "bromance" notion. I think he's probably messing with us a little and the storyline will likely center around the two southern vampires on the run from the Authority and forced to endure each other's company. I will say that if Alan Ball and company are paying any attention to the fans then they can't be completely oblivious to the fact that nobody wants to see an entire season without Eric and Sookie interaction. I also know the enthusiasm sorely lacks over the idea of putting Sookie together with Alcide, who some of the "bookies" think will blend the Quinn/Alcide characters. Now here is my spin as your writer in residence. Most ...

I has been a very long time since I've watched a seamless, perfect movie, but last night I watched Moneyball on Blu-Ray and all I have to say is bravo! What a fine film. Starring Brad Pitt, whose acting chops have never impressed me in the past, Moneyball is centrally about a man, a vision and a desire to make it come true. Pitt's Billy Bean is a haunted man with a vision to change the business of baseball, and he sets off undaunted to meet the challenge. The story is absolutely about the journey, but isn't it always truly about the journey? This movie mirrors so much of what I'm working toward right now in my own life and reminded me to stay the course just the same way Billy stays the course even when it becomes plainly obvious the plan isn't working. When he asks his assistant general manager played by Jonah Hill in a quiet, resolute performance if he believes it will work, Hill's character quietly says yes. Right there! Right there is the message: BELIEVE!...

I love Eric and Sookie Lovers website (big shout out to Erika, the site administrator). A new article reposted on the site basically suggests that the forthcoming Battleship is an "art house" piece ( see article ). I hate to say this, but the trailers of the movie don't resemble something "arty" for sure. In fact, every time I've seen the trailers it looks more like Transformers Lost at Sea . I used to play Battleship with my brother when I was kid. So, I guess the preview didn't exactly fit what I expected to see. Maybe a more traditional war movie perhaps between, say, battleships? Not marines vs. aliens, which is a quirky switch up from last summer's Cowboys and Aliens , which I got dragged into seeing and wasn't particularly impressed. A bunch of old cowboys fussing over the aliens and a pretty girl. Here is what I secretly hope: that Alexander Skarsgard's quote that it's an art house movie means it harkens more toward the amazing, ...

Some characters we love. We even love to hate certain villains. Some characters are murky, and we don't know if we're supposed to love them, hate them, or feel ambiguous toward them. I believe when you create emotionally ambiguous characters that the audience is left to ponder their feelings about him or her, you have actually created a masterpiece. Most people are not black and white -- they're not all good or bad but shades of gray. As a writer when you've created a character that has so many shades and depth, it's not surprising if his or relationship to the audience becomes unclear. Do realize, though, if you create a completely unlikeable character who is supposed to be the protagonist in your story, you run the risk of losing your audience's rooting value altogether. As a writer you walk a fine line here. So, I'm going to go over the characters I've either loved, hated or just didn't know how to feel about. Bill Compton in True Blood -- comp...

Some writers are great at descriptions. Some writers are great at character development. Some writers are great at dialogue. In screenwriting in particular it's all about the dialogue (yes, action counts, too); but did you know that some screenwriters' concepts and story are so good, the producers will buy it and then hire a dialogue doctor to fix the dialogue? Yes, there is a whole profession devoted to the art of "conversation". When I read novels, the number one mistake I see or weakness is lack of differentiation with the dialogue and the voice. All the characters talk the same. They say the same things in the same way. Worse yet, they say things that no one would say aloud. Here are some great tips on writing fabulous dialogue that resonates as authentic and believable with the reader. Demographics -- yes, background and demographics counts here. Where is your character(s) from? Do they have a dialect or accent? Always "infer" the accent. Do not miss...

Just for the record, this is a rambling blog that probably goes in nowhere circles ... So, I can't say what this request was in reference to ... but suffice it to say I was "queried" about writing for this X-rate project based on my steamy and sexy writing skills as evidenced in California Girl Chronicles . I'm sort of marveling over this request a bit. I mean, yes, California Girl is sexy. Yes, the sex is steamy. Not quite sure whether it would be defined as X-Rated. I'm also a comedic writer so I guess this is a plus, too, for this project. I never imagined myself writing anything exactly X-rated so how about NC-17 or  a firm, for-real R rating? Or maybe I'm just corrupted and all blah about sex itself and I don't get squeamish about it. But hey! I do have my standards for sure. While my book is sexy it's still tasteful. So, when I think of an X-rated anything, I think the "X factor" is a little like a perfectly good Merlot gone bitter. ...

The following is a short excerpt from the second book in the California Girl Chronicles series, Brea's Big Break. WARNING: This scene uses profane language and is not for young readers. California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic is now available on Amazon in print and Kindle or can be purchased for Nook and iBook. The book releases to the bookstores in March. It is also on sale for 30% off on the 3L Publishing website at www.3LPublishing.com.  Just then I heard a rustle and turned my chair back in time to see Monica’s backside hustle out of the room and in her place, I rested my eyes on hot man-candy Johnny. He looked relaxed and had a big, open smile on his face. “I remember you,” I said brightly. “Heard you got the part of Drew. Good for you!” I chirped, admiring this gorgeous, dark-haired man with perfectly muscular arms. “Can you grab a bite with me?” he asked. “I want to pick your brain.” I sat up and looked around my desk. I had nothing pressing, so I st...

Now that Alexander Skarsgård is out promoting his forthcoming popcorn flick Battleship , which I will go see to support my favorite actor but only with my teenage son, who loves that sort of thing; he is promoting Season 5 of True Blood . I've decided he's being cheeky about the whole notion of the Eric-Bill " bromance " nonsense. First of all, he's a funny guy anyway and is constantly making jokes. Check out his low-key joke that aliens and vampires would be lovers ... yeah, right, naturally! Second, my guess is that Eric and Bill team up and have time on the run together evading the Authority. Skarsgård's remarks about having a new appreciation for Bill, I'm going to just go on the side that he's being facetious. Maybe they won't be quite as venomously at each other's throats then in the past, but I don't see the Viking sincerely bowing to the Southern schemer anytime soon. Also, I've noticed that in years past that while small spoile...

Writing well-developed characters is a true talent. When you write well-developed characters, your canvas of imaginary friends and foes comes to life. People "buy" into the idea of them and emotionally invest in them. They talk about them as if they were a friend or neighbor or associate. The first time someone talked about my heroine Brea Harper in California Girl Chronicles like she was a girlfriend, I was somewhat taken aback, but then I realized this reader had made the necessary emotional investment in this character. So, how do you create well-rounded, interesting characters that readers will invest in? Here are some tips on how to do develop your characters. Don't rush anything -- many new writers will not only hurry through their story-telling process, but also try and force their characters to life. What does this mean? They will try and develop the character by telling the reader all about the person in a paragraph through description. When you first intro...

Today is really a day to celebrate love. So, I thought it would be fun to post my favorite lovers from both page and screen. Here are my favorite lovers and why I love to love them. Eric Northman and Sookie Stackhouse -- yes, of course they are my favorite. They are the two lovers you long to see together in both the TV series and books. In both the books and series, the minute they lay eyes on each other, the sparks the fly. I think in the TV series they spend more time staring at each other with lust in their eyes (and there is a another phrase for that ... but I'll be polite, it's Valentine's Day). The natural chemistry between Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) and Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman) cannot be tamed. Even when Sookie is supposed to be with Bill Compton, we're still secretly wishing she would get on with Eric Northman already. The very first "real" kiss on the porch is electric in Season 4. When they finally kiss, my heart nearly jumped up ...

When I started the process to promote California Girl Chronicles , I was swimming in a new area (for me as an author). It is my first novel. I've written three non-fiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. I am learning some powerful and amazing lessons I want to share with other authors, writers and readers. When the reviews began posting on Amazon, I had two very malicious reviews post initially about the book not only saying some very nasty things about my talents, but also questioning the authenticity of the other positive reviews as genuine, because the supposition was this book is so bad how could anyone say anything great about it? Well, these hateful individuals didn't even put their names on their spew, which of course, led me to question their motivations. None the less, I took the opportunity to reflect on the book and since I was ready to do another print run, I seized on the idea to strengthen the book not because two haters said I should, but because I beli...

Another fabulous review of California Girl Chronicles appeared on Cook Travel Write :  California Girl Chronicles: Brea and the City of Plastic , written by Michelle Gamble-Risley, is a must-read for those of you who need a fun (and very sexy) escape.  This story draws the reader right in to the indulgent escapades of Brea Harper, a blonde bombshell who embodies the classic idea of the California girl – at least externally.  Brea is certainly no Cher Horowitz from  Clueless , who we all remember as the gum-smacking, hair-twirling valley girl that said “like” every other sentence.  Brea is smarter than your average bear, and is determined to show her talent as a screenwriter when she moves to Los Angeles.  This is where the fun really starts.  While Brea may have a one-track mind when it comes to her career, she seems to lack this discipline when it comes to her men, causing her love life to become nothing short of tangled and complicated.  A...

The incomparable Alexander Skarsgard in the famous sweater. See that "turquoise" sweater Eric Northman wears throughout at least three episodes on True Blood ? A single reference to that sweater caused a firestorm of hits on this blog. A sweater shot my friends! A reference to the steamy list of butt shots also caused a slight flurry, but it was that sweater that tipped it. I had no idea that Mr. Sweater was so popular. An argument event erupted over whether or not it was blue or turquois. Truth is, on the commentary on Season 3, Alexander called it "blue" and then changes it to "turquoise". I will bow to the idea that the man who actually physically saw and wore it knows what color it really was. By the end of the sweater's guest starring role, it was ruined and covered in fake blood. I'm thinking whoever actually owns the sweater now could sell the thing on eBay or an auction house for a pretty good sum of money. Fans love that sweater, and o...