On my computer I have a file called "story ideas."  There are several paragraphs of different ideas with an asterisk in front of each one.  Thankfully, I'm not short of any ideas.  As a matter of fact, if I am to use them all I've got a lot of catching up to do.  It's interesting to go back and look at the original summarizations and what they eventually morphed in to.

If you look at my list of ideas you'll notice most of them have one thing in common: The horror genre.  I haven't read horror in several years (though I'm reading "House" by Frank Perretti now) and I very rarely watch horror movies anymore, yet it's what I come up with first.  I ask this question to fellow writers:  Is horror the "easy" genre or just something certain people are drawn to?  At times I'll sit and think of other genres and I find it's so much harder to come up with what I would deem an entertaining plot that doesn't contain something otherworldly or fantastical.  Would Nicholas Sparks struggle if he set aside his love stories and took a shot at writing horror or could "A Walk to Remember" just as easily been "A Walk Through the Woods At Night?" 

I have noticed, however, that while nearly all the ideas I come up with for short stories are horror, the ideas for novels are always drama.  Perhaps it's years of watching short stories like Twilight Zone, Tales from the Crypt, Night Gallery, Outer Limits, etc. or listening to ghost stories and campfire tales that have instilled the idea that short stories need to include both a spook factor and a disturbing/shocking ending....or is horror the easy way out?

Work has been busy lately so I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like.  How wonderful it would be if within a few years I could retire from typing medical reports to typing novels.  Because of my extremely flexible schedule, the job I have takes quite a bit of self discipline.  I would imagine being a full-time writer would take even more.  I've set a goal for this weekend of 1500 words OR completion of the story I'm working on; whichever comes first. 

When I went to school to be a medical language specialist, quite an extensive portion of what I learned that year covered English.  I learned more about punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure in that year than I had in college.  I also learned more about writing from just reading than I ever did in college.  By the time I was in my early 20s I had only read probably two books.  I was always a magazine guy.  I blame my high school for that.  They had us reading books that your average teenage would have absolutely no interest in reading.  All is Quiet on the Western Front, Diary of Anne Frank, Romeo and Juliet and other literary "classics" set on turning off other like-minded, voice-changing, body hair-growing adolescents to the world of literature.  If that's as fun as reading got then I wanted nothing to do with it (while a friend was reading The Hobbit and Poe at his high school.  He loved reading.  See the connection there?). 

When I grew older and ready to give books another chance, I trusted the generation before me screaming the praises of overrated trash like Catcher In the Rye.  Thankfully it was my dad--an avid reader--who pushed on me authors like William Goldman, Richard Matheson, Robert R. McCammon, Clive Barker, and some guy named Stephen King.  I'm thankful I finally started reading.  I feel I really missed out not doing so within the first 2 decades of my life. 

Yes, this entry is written extemporaneously and comes off scatterbrained, but today that feels therapeutic.  Perhaps my brain is already starting to count those 1500 words anticipated for this weekend.

My Amazon author page is up and running with links to purchase the 3rd issue of Shadows & Light which contains my story "One for the Road."  I'd love to hear what you think of it. 
www.amazon.com/author/chadlutzke

The release of my first published story is finally here and available through Amazon.  I ask that you bear with me as I very shamelessly plug this book........a lot!  I am very proud of the story and only my wife, son, and editor have read it so I'm anxious to hear feedback.  Below are two links to purchase the book.  One of the links is for the print version you can hold, hug, spoon, and smell to your heart's content, and the other link is for the Kindle users.  If you are local to me then you can get them directly from me. 

I sincerely thank everyone who purchases either version and thank you even more if you actually read it and spread the word. 



Print:  Shadows & Light Issue 3

Kindle:  Shadows & Light Issue 3

Motivation needs to kick in today.  I haven't written in probably four to five days (save for the contest entry).  I have a deadline approaching and I'd like to beat that deadline by at least a few weeks.  Today I have the whole day off from work, so last night I set the goal of writing 1000 words today.  I'm always very passionate and motivated when thinking of things the night before I'm to do them.  Then come the next day my motivation stays in bed, the passion has a hangover, and I'm stuck literally forcing myself to get in the mood.  My motivation needs to be slipped an aphrodisiac.  Perhaps music will do the trick.

"In the morning sun.  You've got to turn yourself on.
And what you're runnin' from.  Just might be saving you." ~Brant Bjork

Via a Facebook page that I am part of concerning writing, I was recently made aware of open submissions for an ongoing writing competition.  Three winners will be chosen.  All winners will receive varying amounts of monetary compensation as well as publication in an upcoming anthology with a handful of well established writers, including one that I was very familiar with and had read one of their books years ago (Ramsey Campbell). 

The contest is held in two separate parts with a weeding out process.  Part 1:  In 150 words or less you send out a synopsis of your story with the first paragraph or so.  You can divide the 150 words anyway you want.  Part 2:  If your synopsis/story beginning makes the next cut then you have another month to send them your entire story to be entered into the final contest.

A lot of writing contests are pay-to-enter, but this one was free.  When I heard about the contest I was immediately interested, and over the next day or two I contemplated entering but had nothing prepared that wasn't already sent out (save for the 4 stories completed that are still missing in the house somewhere).  The deadline for the first part of the contest was June 30.  I decided I was going to come up with a synopsis of a story that I had never written and the first one or two paragraphs and submit them, which I did. 

Submitting into the first part of the contest puts me in an awkward position if accepted because I have no actual story yet, but it's a challenge and one that I'm not scared of.  If it's not accepted it's really no big deal, as I really enjoy the synopsis and plan on finishing it regardless of my success in the contest.

Here's hoping my idea is not viewed as a weed but kept around for the next round to establish some healthy roots.  I'm prepared to starting watering it if given the okay. 

In my newest story I get to mess with a lot of dialogue.  It's been fun and is actually proving to flow fairly easy for me.  Perhaps it's because I'm such a talker.  I can talk all day.  If given the chance, I'll fill your ears with nostalgic tales of yesteryear and the sound advice learned along the way.  After 23 years of my wife being my main audience, I often hear "I know, honey" followed by a completely butchered, half-recalled rendition of said story.  If she doesn't remember the ending then what's the harm in repeating it?

Some of my favorite films are dialogue driven.  "Tape," "Prince Avalanche," and "Spring Forward" are a few that come to mind.  Action movies have bored me for years.  I'd rather relax and listen to well-written dialogue spouted off by believable characters.  I know that makes me part of a much smaller crowd, and I'm okay with that because the payoff is both unpredictable and satisfying.  Perhaps I'll find one day that dialogue is my forte.  Here's to talking and telling!      

I recently listened to a podcast called "Fiction School."  The three hosts went over how fast each of them write.  Two of them would write a rather quick first draft knowing they would always go back and fix it, whereas the other person wrote just like I do; slow but with the intent of making this a one draft only.  I fix things along the way, carefully choosing my words.  Obviously I give it a day or two, read the whole thing again changing small things here and there, and look for inconsistencies or areas where perhaps I didn't convey an idea as well as I thought I did, but for the most part, when I write the last sentence the story is done. 

One of the hosts talked about how freeing it is to write fast knowing you can always go back.  I understand how that could be very liberating, but I'm not sure I know how to do it.  There's always that lingering sentence I just passed that I know full well needs to be tweaked, and will I remember to reconstruct it later exactly the way I want it written right now?

This new story I'm working on has a deadline of the end of next month.  Honestly, I have plenty of time.  I know exactly where the story is headed right down to the last sentence.  It's just a matter of writing it and making it sing.  The other night I tried writing fast paced and I found myself at a standstill.  After a paragraph nothing would come out.  I'm not sure if it's because I was deliberately trying to change something that didn't feel natural to me or if perhaps I genuinely had writer's block. 

I like the idea of summoning a first draft so quickly and remodeling it later, but then again perhaps it's just not my style.  That's what my wife says anyway: "Write like you."

Procrastination can be disguised.  You can fool yourself into believing that what you're doing is not a waste of time.  I've got this down to an art form.  It takes me a minute to realize it once I'm engaged, but then, like a smack to the face, it confronts me and I can no longer continue with the masquerade. 

For example, I just finished two stories; one is being published at the end of the month and the other is pending approval.  I have a 6-week deadline for another story that I'm hoping will make it into yet another anthology toward the end of the year, another story for another later deadline, and soon after I'm toying with the idea of starting a novel.  Normally, of course, one would get out the word processor, notebook, laptop, or what have you and commence to writing, but me...I call on my procrastination to distract me but in a guise that appears to look like my procrastination is serving an important purpose.

Allow me to summarize.  Instead of writing, I'm researching.  I'm looking into marketing, networking, other places to submit future stories (stories that aren't done yet, mind you).  The knowledge is helpful, yes, but at this point it is not necessary.  Heck, I was even toying around with the author page options on Amazon, and a book with my name in it isn't even out yet.  I do the same thing with my hobbies.  Instead of painting I will research other paintings, or the subject of which I am painting.  Instead of writing a song, I'll jump on youtube and watch others play songs.  This can often kill the original inspiration and I will find myself not even partaking in what I was so excited to start in the first place. 

A lot of effort goes into my non-effort, and here I am telling you about it instead of writing.

So I've been watching this show on Netflix called The Writer's Room.  Each episode concerns a different popular show (Breaking Bad, Dexter, Parks & Rec, etc.) and interviews with the writing team of each show including the main character.  Lots of behind-the-scenes trivia is revealed, and we get to see an inside look at how these writers work and where they come up with their ideas.

There are very few talents that I have where I personally feel I am genuinely good at it.  I can be praised over and over about a painting or playing guitar but through the praise I'm just thinking to myself:  "They don't know what they're talking about.  This thing stinks.  It's a fluke if anything!"  Sitting in a room with others tossing around ideas and coming up with a genius pot of entertainment stew is one of those areas I would love to get a taste of.  I feel it's perfect for me and that I could be a substantial contributor holding my own and providing my own special ingredients.  

I'm OCD which causes me to over think and over analyze everything to the point where I can annoy myself.  Sitting in a writer's room where I could shine with others would certainly redeem this curse.  In the meantime, I will continue to write solo (with the exception of a dash of co-authoring here and there) with the hopes of gaining at least a pinch of recognition with a hungry little reader base.

I'll let you chew on all those cooking references while I finish my lunch break.

Last night I listened to a podcast featuring an interview with bestselling author, Yvonne Mason (www.indieauthoryvonnemason.com).  Yvonne has a very unique story that I'm not going to even attempt to cover in this small blog; however, I will touch on one area.  At the age of 52 Yvonne found herself in an extremely trying time of her life.  Instead of wallowing in it she went to school, got a degree, and nearly a decade later is putting out her 9th book; the first one not being published  until her 50s.  My grandmother didn't get her diploma until she was well into her 60s.  My dad didn't get involved in ministry until his 60s where he lived in Mexico as a missionary; traveled to Egypt, Jerusalem, Africa, and Greece.  Recently I read an article where an elderly man had just finally gotten his first book published.  I don't recall the man's age exactly but he was old, old; 80 to 90+. 

I'm 44.  I've always wanted to be a published writer and am now finally taking the steps needed to make that happen.  I hope one day people will be able to take a look at the later years in my life and use them as an example of what you can do no matter what your age.  Yvonne believes that you should never reach a point where you feel like your time is over so you cease doing anything you've dreamed of doing in the past, but that you should pursue what your dream is regardless of your situation or age.  Despite what society may deem as "success", failing is an impossibility.  If you're doing what you can to succeed then you are succeeding.  You are winning! 

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." ~Isaiah the prophet

"Time keeps on slippin' into the future."  ~Steve Miller

"Time is on my side" ~Mick Jagger