Fiction Freebie for April, 4 Book Recommendations, and an Author Table

Freebie for April

I've decided to post a tiny bit of previously published writing each month on my blog here and my website Tyrean's Tales. 

"Guidance Counseling"

Previously published at The Drabble in November 2016. 

“A Guide to Succeed in 100 Worlds!”

The pamphlets strewn across the table in front of Ghent had a dizzying array of colors and languages that flashed across their surfaces in a blinding cascade.

Ghent closed his four eyes against them. They didn’t have a track for his chosen profession at this back-planet secondary school.

His counselor, a blue-haired Wispan, leaned over him, “Ghent?”

Ghent mesmerized her, bribed the principal with information he found in the school network, and sauntered out, re-assured of his purpose.

Perhaps even future villains needed a boost in the right direction after all.

4 Late April Book Recommendations:

1. Whale Day and Other Poems by Billy Collins - an excellent and fun poetry read that I'm currently reading (haven't finished it quite yet).

2. A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik - a hilarious, slightly dark, and excellent older YA Fantasy. Think Harry Potter, but with snark and high stakes danger lurking in every chapter. 

3. Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron - a fun, middle-grade super-powered story. 

4. The Business of Writing Short Stories: Writing, Submitting, Publishing, and Marketing by Shannon Lawrence. See full review below:

This book is the definitive work on the business of writing short stories. It has everything you need, from non-nonsense tips on writing short stories, publishing short stories, and marketing short stories. It is jammed full of information, and I recommend it for anyone who wants to write short stories successfully.

I have been writing short stories for over three decades and I wish someone had given me this book back in college, or ten years ago. I highly recommend it as a book for any student of writing, any writer who wants to make a go of it, and anyone who needs a little help going in the right direction with the business side of writing short stories. 

*Truly an excellent book and a must for any writer's shelf. 5/5

Next month, I will be reviewing: Cassadark by Alex J. Cavanaugh, The Portal by Shana Dow, a non-fiction book, and a poetry book (TBA). I am trying to read about 50% non-fiction and poetry books this year.

An Author Table

This week, I am at BBQ2U in Gig Harbor, WA at the author table. The owner of the restaurant is a patron of local artists and authors, providing us with a place to sell our wares every week in a prominent spot by the front window. I had a shift at the author table last fall, and I'm back again this week. It's good for me, since I find author events to fill me with a bit of author-social anxiety, which is akin to going to an interview when someone comes up and I need to figure out how to talk about books without being too pushy, but yet with bold confidence in the books I've written. Sitting at the author table for seven days in a row usually takes me from nervous to comfortable because it's so daily. I'm thankful for the experience and thankful to be there. I hope I sell a few books, too, or at least garner enough interest for someone to pick up a business card and go search out my books online. 

An Interview with Alex J. Cavanaugh, Science Fiction Author and Ninja Captain

An Interview with Alex J. Cavanaugh, Science Fiction Author and Ninja Captain

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Connect with other writers. This is a lonely business, and we need the support of like-minded individuals who can encourage, support, and guide the way.

 From start to finish, how long does it take for you to complete a novel? Or What's your writing process like? Slow or fast? Are you a cheetah in the drafting process and a turtle in revision or vice versa? 

Depends on the novel. This one took two years as I was a bit rusty from a very long break. I’d say between six and ten months for drafting and revisions is average. And I am no cheetah when it comes to the first draft. Takes me forever. Revisions go much faster and smoother.

How did you come up with the idea for the unique world you’ve created? (Or, who/what inspires your writing?)

The whole universe was inspired by the likes of Battlestar Galactica and other movies and shows from the late seventies. The world within CassaDark—I guess I just have a thing for desert planets. Or just characters living in desert areas. There were also a couple movies that inspired the idea behind a garbage planet that serves as a prisoner hold as well. The setting just leant itself to a place where survival would be challenging and escape a distant pipedream.

If there was one thing you could do to change the world, what would it be?  

The honest answer? If everyone knew the love of God, this would be a much better place.

If you could choose who would direct the movie of your book, who would you choose and why?

James Cameron! I want a blockbuster, a great, big movie with outstanding special effects. Who else would I choose?

If you could choose who would act as the main character in your book in a movie production, who would you choose and why?

Tom Holland. He’s the right age and would bring just the right level of awkward dorkiness to the role.

Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics, and he plays guitar in a Christian band. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

http://alexjcavanaugh.com 

https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

https://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh

 

CassaDark By Alex J. Cavanaugh

His world is unraveling…

Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by fear and doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.

On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each secret reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

Release date – April 6, 2022

$16.95, 6x9 trade paperback, 226 pages

Science fiction - Adventure (FIC028010) / Space Opera (FIC028030) / Space Exploration (FIC028130)

Print ISBN 9781939844842 / EBook ISBN 9781939844859

$4.99 EBook available in all formats

Links:

iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH

Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859

Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark

Four Sentence Stories Workshop Notes and Extra Prompts

Four-Sentence Stories

 If you viewed my Four-Sentence Stories Workshop with QuaranCon 2022, you might have seen me get a bit nervous a few times, but I kept going and taught the class mostly as I meant to. 

If you haven't seen it yet, it's here:

 

Either way, I thought I could reiterate some of the points of the class briefly here and add in a few extra writing prompts if you are interested.

What are 4-Sentence Stories?

• Exactly what they say they are: stories in four sentences. 
• Part poetic brevity, part fiction, these stories force focused word choices.
• Always include a character, a problem, and an ending/hint of resolution
• Yes, this can be done.
• Yes, they can be fun to write.

Why write 4-Sentence Stories?

• Explore characters
• Explore ideas
• Fill the creative well
• Play with words
• Focus on sensory words, active verbs, or another area you want to work on. 

Example of a 4-Sentence Story:

This is one of mine, but there are many more to be found in Jessa Forest's newsletters and at online markets which I will link at the end of this post.

Solution by Tyrean Martinson

Gilly touched the railing of her childhood home.

Painful memories lodged like splinters under her skin.

She could change that.

The match caught easily on the gasoline-soaked wood.

What happens if you don't follow the 4-Sentence Format EXACTLY?

If you have too few sentences, consider it a win. 

Consider rounding it out, or leave it as, if you are satisfied.

If you have one or two too many, consider it a win. 

You wrote. You finished a super short story. You conquered the blank page. 

OR you can play around with the words or grammar and try to tighten it to four sentences. 

The point is: enjoy the writing. Have fun with it. Overcome the blank page and play with words!

Writing Prompts to Use:

• Put your character in a white room and show what they do there.
• Put your character at the edge of a cliff, top of a castle tower, underwater, trapped in a spacesuit that’s running out of oxygen and show what they do there. 
• Take away the sense of sight and make your character rely on sound, smell, taste, or touch for the duration of a four-sentence story. (This forces a focus on writing other sensory description.)
• Take a character you already know and put them in a weird or impossible situation. Dump Athena into a modern fast-food chain and see what she does.
• Something came over the horizon. 

Questions to ask yourself after writing the story:

• What did I learn about this character?
• What did I learn about this character's dilemma?
• What did I learn about the ending/hint of resolution in this story.

What can I do with a four-sentence story?

• Query them. There are markets for four-sentence stories, markets for hint fiction, and markets for micro-fiction. 
• It is true that most of these markets are non-paying markets, but you can build up your writing resume and your ability to query by starting with these.
• Use them in a newsletter as a free giveaway.
• Use them at an author table as a free giveaway. 
• Collect them and print them in a collection.  

Markets for Four-Sentence Stories and Super Short Fiction:

Four Sentence Stories https://www.foursentencestories.com/

The Drabble http://thedrabble.com/

Nail Polish Stories (hint fiction of 25 words)

https://nailpolishstories.wordpress.com/ 

A Story in 100 Words http://entropy2.com/blogs/100words/ 

Make sure to read all of their submission guidelines first!

And please note, these editors are volunteering their time and they are all decent people. They don't accept every story, but they will give yours good consideration.

More Uses and Examples

On Medium:

https://discoveringawritersvoice.com/4-sentence-story-practicing-creativity/

Most of Jessa Forest’s newsletters: https://jessaforest.com/

Flicker: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry by me.

Also, these can be used as a drama/improv exercise or as a group storytelling exercise with friends, family, or in classrooms.

Many thanks to Quarancon and all those who make it possible for hosting this workshop!!!

What's next for this workshop?

I'll be teaching a Four-Sentence Stories Workshop again in May with Creative Colloquy! I'll be sure to freshen up the material, use different examples and prompts, so if you did attend this one, there will be more to explore! Please join me there by going to here to sign up: https://www.creativecolloquy.com/all-events/four-sentence-exercises-to-boost-creativity-and-sensory-description

Quarancon 2022

 Quarancon started in 2020 as a free online fantasy and SF convention because we were not allowed to go out and have fun at in-person events. Now, two years on, the convention is still going, and it started on April 7th.

There are lots of panels with fantasy, horror and SF authors from all across the world. It runs from 7-11th April 2022. You can find the full schedule here, and all of the panels will be streamed via YouTube etc.

I have two events this year with Quarancon: a reading, and a workshop.

On April 9th, I'll be reading from Liftoff, my sci-fi novella which I wrote, had professionally edited, and published in 2020. Imagine an American teen trapped inside a movie theater which turns out to be an alien spaceship during liftoff, add in a cute alien dude, a high stakes space-chase, and some fist fighting, and you have Liftoff, the first book in The Rayatana Series. If I have time, and there aren't many questions, I might also share a bit from Dark Blade, my ongoing Kindle Vella series. The reading link for Youtube.

On April 11th, I'll be teaching a workshop entitled originally Four Sentence Exercises to Boost Creativity and Sensory Description which the organizers cleverly renamed Four Sentence Stories to Boost Creativity, and I am hugely thankful for the rename. The workshop is essentially what it says it is. I'll talk about micro-fiction and using it to keep the creative well full and to build writing skills. The workshop link on Youtube.

I highly encourage you to join me, but also join in by check out all of the events at the con. It's free, fun, and I've already seen some panels I'll be revisiting to watch again.

Authors and publishers to watch for: Damien Larkin, Jessa Forest, and L. Diane Wolfe.

IWSG April: Audiobooks, News, and Writing Samples

 

Many thanks to the Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh

and the co-hosts for this month's hop:

Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and Kim Lajevardi!

OPTIONAL April 6 question - Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

This is a timely question. The answer is yes, just recently. Liftoff is new for audiobook. I think the most challenging aspects for me were: 

1. Deciding on a platform. I went with ACX. It seemed simplest and most cost effective.

2. Deciding on a narrator. That was tough. Avelina McRines did an excellent job with all of my oddly named characters and places. 

3. Not letting personal life stuff get in the way of the final bits of releasing it. Actually, my personal life did take precedent, otherwise it would have been out in December, but it did come out in March.

Liftoff for Audible

NEWS

My church's podcast has been going well and is on Spotify, RSS.com as well as at our website, if you want to give it a listen. We have been working on a Lenten Journey through the Gospel of Mark.

Small Steps of Improved Health: I have been going to the gym and I would love to say my health has improved by leaps and bounds, but it is improving in small steps, and it is steady, so that is all good.

The Rayatana 3 is my main writing focus for April. I hope to have a revised version finished and prepped for my editor by the end of the month.

Dark Blade: Forged is my secondary focus. It's coming out on Kindle Vella and the first three episodes are free to read. 

I put out a query for one of my "trunk" books and I applied for an exciting part-time position for next fall, and the process for both of these made me take a close look at what I have accomplished, instead of what I haven't accomplished yet. Listing out what I've already finished was kind of wonderful and I recommend doing that if you feel stuck in a rut. 

In addition to all that, I got a temp job as a reading instructor for the summer. I'm looking forward to talking books with students online! :) My tutoring business has been small and I haven't had the energy to grow it, so for me, this is a growth and continuation of doing something I love (and actually get paid for doing). 

QUARANCON - THIS WEEK

Quarancon is a free, online writing conference for speculative fiction authors. The creators of the conference live in the UK, but the authors and publishers who are taking part are from around the world. April 5-11, as an attendee, a reader, and as a workshop teacher.  

Here's the "I look serious about a fun workshop" picture.

To join my Zoom Room for the workshop.

To attend the workshop on Youtube.

To find out more about the whole conference.

I'm not the only writer from IWSG involved in Quarancon.

L. Diane Wolfe is moderating a panel.

Damien Larkin is a panelist.

Also, a writer I know from IG, Jessa Forest, is moderating a panel and reading. 

CASSADARK

Our Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh has a new book out!

The award-winning series continues… CassaDark -

@alexjcavanaugh

iTunes– https://tinyurl.com/fs9nw8s2 Amazon– https://tinyurl.com/3e5tcdbu B&N– https://tinyurl.com/aupm8wst Kobo– https://tinyurl.com/fsj4tumj

CassaDark

By Alex J. Cavanaugh

His world is unraveling…

Bassan’s father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he’s being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he’s paralyzed by fear and doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan’s special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar’s people. One problem though—it’s a prisoner planet.

On Ugar, he discovers things aren’t so straightforward. As each secret reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can’t find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar’s people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

Release date – April 6, 2022

Trade paperback, 226 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, LLC

Science fiction – Adventure (FIC028010) / Space Opera (FIC028030) / Space Exploration (FIC028130)

Print ISBN 9781939844842 $16.95 / eBook ISBN 9781939844859 $4.99

Links:

iTunes – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id1574189874

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0982FL3SH

Barnes & Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940164947033

Kobo – https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844859

Scribed – https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844859&language=0

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58461762-cassadark