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Here’s a Bubble & Squeek for you. I’m going to keep on writing. There’s not much else I can do right now.
Article: On Risingshadow. The Apocalypse Has Come and Gone. I talk about where The Last Days of Salton Academy is set.
Article: On Ragnablog. The Idea That Won’t Leave You Alone. I talk about what prompted me to write a YA zombie novel when I don’t like zombies.
Article: I got mentioned on Kirkus Reviews in 13 Horror Books to Put You in the Mood for Halloween for The Last Days of Salton Academy! The fact that I got mentioned in Kirkus has me over the moon. Then, to be in such good company…
Ingress: In completely non-writing news, I got mentioned by a major Ingress character on his blog. So, that was exciting. I also was awarded a really hard badge to get: the EAW badge.
Review: Slap Happy Fun Time reviewed The Last Days of Salton Academy and really liked it – “…this is the kind of novel that you simply don’t read. It consumes you, it demands your attention just like a great novel should.”
Review: Goodreads review of The Last Days of Salton Academy – “Gothic zombie book.”
I’m about to turn in Sekrit Project Alex and begin work on the extra bits I’ve been contracted for. Then I will work on the contracted short stories. With that, I will end my year of tie-in fiction and begin a year of my new YA series.
Year-to-date stats:
Fiction words written: 174,450
Article words written: 18,300
My novels/collections edited: 11
My short stories proofed: 8
Other novels/anthologies edited: 14
Events attended: 9
Event-wise, I should have only three events left and all of them are in November.
This November is very special to me. I’ve got a forthcoming blog post to explain why. It’s a milestone. A big one.
I’m reading CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON and I have to say… Charles is an entertaining writer. His mythos inspired apocalyptic western is exactly the kind of popcorn reading I love. I think you’ll love it, too.
—
Developing Doomed Characters
A lot of people talk to me about how to write horror stories. I’ve written quite a few short stories in the genre and I’ve recently released my post-apocalypse horror novel CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON which does it’s best to mix action with the macabre.
However, the trick of creating true horror is a tough one to master because it asks the reader to become invested enough in the storyline that they care enough about the characters that they’re worried they might come to harm. Then you must convince them they will.
This is why I recommend a strategy of developing doomed characters. Basically, if you really want to sell a horror story then you had best have a selection of cannon fodder for the monster to eat which the audience cares about. It’s a simple enough strategy, right? I mean, slasher movies have been doing it for years. You have a bunch of likable or semi-likable characters and only one of them makes it out alive. Should be a piece of cake, really.
Well, yes, and no.
One of the reasons which The Walking Dead, in all its incarnations, has been so successful is they’re not afraid to decimate the cast in both surprising as well as heart-rending ways. However, it’s a series which also has suffered from killing characters which the audience cared about while sparing those they didn’t.
It’s easy to drift into a dark sinkhole of apathy where the audience for your story just doesn’t care what happens to the survivors. If everyone is rooting for Character A instead of Character C, Character A dying could make them tune out. Worse, Character C as the star makes the entire purpose of killing Character A pointless. So what’s the best strategy for making sure you keep a careful balance of development as well as risk?
My first recommendation is you should make it so the doomed characters are ones who feel like they’re going to be a major supporting character to begin with. Heck, make it so they are. You should always kill characters who feel like they have more room to grow.
If Jane, John, Jack, and Wilma go to a cabin in the woods then make it so they have a complex web of personal relationships. Jane is dating John, Jack is brother to Wilma, and Wilma is cheating on her girlfriend with Jane. The death of even one of these characters will send reverberations throughout the story which should followed up on.
Next, you should follow up on the deaths of the characters you do kill so their deaths have meaning for the survivors. A lot of novels effectively drop the dead once they leave the narrative. If you keep the loss fresh in the mind of the characters, then that will have more meaning.
It’s best to avoid making any character’s fate related to their likability. Jerks shouldn’t die any more than innocents unless you’re making a point about behavior and that may undermine the terror of death. Likewise, deaths shouldn’t be telegraphed too much either. If you can make someone look like the hero before killing them without alienating the audience, you’ve really accomplished something special.
In conclusion, it’s not just an art form to create characters. It’s an even greater art form to make a character’s death which exists to make the story scarier.
—
C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is the author of The Supervillainy Saga, Cthulhu Armageddon, Straight Outta Fangton, and Esoterrorism. He is also a regular blogger on “The United Federation of Charles.”
The Last Days of Salton Academy has been released! This YA horror novel is getting some love.
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Ragnarok Publications
It’s referred to as ‘The Outbreak,’ and it happened just over three months ago, casting the world (or at least this part of it) into a state of powerlessness and chaos. The Salton Academy has become a rare sanctuary for those few students who remained behind over fall break.
As winter approaches, cracks are revealed in the academy’s foundations as it’s discovered someone is stealing food, another is taking advantage of a captive audience, and yet others have banded together and are thinking about mutiny, even murder. One thing’s for certain — a supply run must be made soon, or everyone will starve before winter’s end.
Oh yes, and then there’s the matter of the headmaster’s son and his undead dog…
“The Last Days of Salton Academy is a dark, twisted rollercoaster of a book. Jennifer Brozek knocks it out of the park.” — Stephen Blackmoore, author of City of the Lost and Broken Souls
“If Lord of the Flies had occurred during a zombie outbreak, it would read something like this. A bloody good tale you can really sink your teeth into.” — Timothy W. Long, Author of the Z-Risen series.
“The Last Days of Salton Academy is a delightful character study which combined boarding school antics with the survival horror of a post-apocalypse thriller. The characters are fresh, the dynamics interesting, and the story engaging from beginning to end. It is a YA story I heartily recommend.” — C.T. Phipps, author of Esoterrorism and Wraith Knight
“As much as I love all things undead, what kept me turning pages wasn’t the zombie horde, but something far more horrible: the students and staff of a pretentious prep school. The Last Days of Salton Academy is compulsively readable—I devoured it in one sitting. With a cast of all-too-believable characters and a set of ever-ratcheting disasters, this novel is guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime.” — Wendy N. Wagner, author of Starspawn and Skinwalkers
Still elbow deep in the current novel. About 2/3rds of the way through. So, here’s a Bubble & Squeek for you. Plus a cat picture. Hope all is well with you.
Release: Pre-order The Last Days of Salton Academy – According to Amazon and IPG’s schedule, the book will be out on 25 Oct 2016. Yes, there will be an ebook version, too. I will be reading with Mira Grant from this book on November 17th at the university bookstore. It will be an evening of zombie goodness!
Review: New review of Chicks Dig Gaming – I’m pretty happy with this review. It’s a good one.
Review: Praise for the Karen Wilson Chronicles – It’s always good to hear when someone likes the books you’ve written. They take so much time to write and to get right. 🙂
SFWA: SFWA Speakers Bureau – If you’re looking for a speaker on something in your local area, the SFWA Speaker’s Bureau is a good place to start. Here’s my profile.
And, as promised… kitties!
August and September were strange months stats-wise because I had so much editing and travel—Worldcon, Tracon, and a wedding, spanning America, Iceland, and Finland. Now, I’m back home and I’m deep into Sekrit Project Alex
Year-to-date stats:
Fiction words written: 148,910
Article words written: 15,700
My novels/collections edited: 11
My short stories proofed: 8
Other novels/anthologies edited: 13
Events attended: 9
Event-wise, I should have only three events left and all of them are in November.
Writing-wise, I have Sekrit Project Alex and the small additional material for that. The main bulk of writing for both should be done by mid-November. Then, I have 3 contracted short stories to write and get to their respective editors by mid-December.
For once, while I am busy, I don’t think I’m burning the candle at both ends for the end of the year writing work. If I keep a steady, consistent pace, all will be well and I will have a couple of planning weeks before I start the new YA series I’m going to write.
The Last Days of Salton Academy will be released on 11 Oct 2016. The pre-order is for the novel only, but there will be an ebook version as well. Pre-order at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
It’s referred to as ‘The Outbreak,’ and it happened just over three months ago, casting the world (or at least this part of it) into a state of powerlessness and chaos. The Salton Academy has become a rare sanctuary for those few students who remained behind over fall break.
As winter approaches, cracks are revealed in the academy’s foundations as it’s discovered someone is stealing food, another is taking advantage of a captive audience, and yet others have banded together and are thinking about mutiny, even murder. One thing’s for certain — a supply run must be made soon, or everyone will starve before winter’s end.
Oh yes, and then there’s the matter of the headmaster’s son and his undead dog…
The Last Days of Salton Academy is a classic tale of horror in the spirit of Night of the Living Dead meets Lord of the Flies, featuring an ensemble cast and written by Hugo Award-nominated editor and award-winning author, Jennifer Brozek.
“The Last Days of Salton Academy is a delightful character study which combined boarding school antics with the survival horror of a post-apocalypse thriller. The characters are fresh, the dynamics interesting, and the story engaging from beginning to end. It is a YA story I heartily recommend.” — C.T. Phipps, author of Esoterrorism and Wraith Knight
“As much as I love all things undead, what kept me turning pages wasn’t the zombie horde, but something far more horrible: the students and staff of a pretentious prep school. The Last Days of Salton Academy is compulsively readable—I devoured it in one sitting. With a cast of all-too-believable characters and a set of ever-ratcheting disasters, this novella is guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime.” — Wendy N. Wagner, author of Starspawn and Skinwalkers
I’ve started drafting the new tie-in novella, Sekrit Project Alex. This novella is due in early November. It’s got a very specific style of writing to it and is a demanding subject matter—yes, fans will know if I get something wrong. Not to mention, this project has one of the most technical and interesting editors I’ve ever had. I gotta get this one right.
When I’m drafting a long project (novella, short novel, novel) I move into a “drafting lifestyle.” I don’t do my usual internet tour in the morning. I get my coffee and I begin. I usually re-read and edit the last page I worked on. This puts me into the correct frame of mind and tone of the project. Then I work until I meet that day’s word count.
This isn’t to say I don’t take breaks. I do. I get breakfast. Sometimes I look at a video. Sometimes I look at a webcomic. These are all limited time breaks to let my hindbrain gnash through whatever I’m working on. I don’t play around on social media. No twitter, no Facebook, no Tumblr. None of that until I’ve gotten my word count done.
After I meet my word count for the day, I look at my outline to see what I’ll be focused on for the next day. I think about it throughout the day and am usually ready to work the next morning.
Some days the words come easier than others. Some days, I’m done by 10am. Some days, it’s noon or 1pm. The afternoons are for everything else—SFWA duties, editing projects, blog posts, social media, etc….
For the next 2 weeks, the afternoon is for working on my flash fiction ebooks. I’m prepping them and writing the new flash fiction pieces, for eventual publication. I’m examining each piece for podcast suitability. In early 2017, I plan to have the new podcast up and running. That means I’m doing a lot of foundation and prep work now.
But through it all, I’m still thinking about Sekrit Project Alex. It is my main focus. I’m drafting. I need to have it done by mid-October so I can do one full re-write before it is due in November.
I’ve warned all my friends that mornings are sacrosanct. No visits, no favors, no nothing unless it is an emergency. Afternoons are for those things. I’m fortunate that my friends and family understand when I’m drafting a novel, everything else is secondary.
That’s basically the novel drafting life for me. Morning novel work. Afternoons for everything else. If I fail at getting word count, nothing else gets done until the day’s word count is done.
(This is a fictional blog post, written from Melissa Allen’s POV, protagonist of Never Let Me Sleep, Never Let Me Leave, Never Let Me Die, and the Never Let Me Omnibus.)
Adam finally asked The Question.
“What does it feel like to be, you know, like you?”
“Crazy, you mean?”
“That’s not how I’d put it. I mean, I know what it feels like to be afraid of the sky, of falling off the world because there’s no ceiling, but that’s not something you can be medicated for. Not really.”
“How does it feel to see things that aren’t there, hear things that aren’t said, feel things to a point where it’s all too much, or feel nothing at all?”
“Yeah.”
“Overall, it sucks. But, then you deal. You, of all people, should understand what it’s like to just deal with something you have no control over.”
It was a copout. I didn’t want to answer. I didn’t want to go into the anger or frustration or the helplessness. I didn’t want to spiral into…into what I’m spiraling into now. How does it feel to know your brain chemistry will never be considered normal? That it actively tries to sabotage you? That even when you get the pills right, eventually your brain will change and make the pills wrong again?
It sucks. It sucks so bad I don’t think about it. Unless I’m forced to.
Doc and I are going to have a lot to talk about in this week’s therapy session.
But, like I said, you deal. As broken and uncooperative as my brain is, it still has the capacity to deal with its shitty hand. I know I can’t explain it to anyone who hasn’t felt this. It’s too alien. I can’t even try. Not in this “let me fix you/it” world.
Some things can’t be “fixed.” Only understood, categorized, combated, accepted, or mitigated.
I live by the clock, but I survive by the pills.
It helps that my family understands. We all have our own problems. Adam is agoraphobic because of where he grew up. Carrie has the prejudices of her deformity. We all know what’s really out there, trying to get it. We all have the nightmares of our time in the lab. Hell, all of us have been shot. Not many adoptive siblings have that experience to bond them. So we understand when any of us flinches at a car backfire.
But, we still have walls. It’s why Adam asked The Question. It’s why I’m thinking about it now. It’s why I’m sure he’s agonizing over his stupidity at asking. It’s why Carrie will come see me later tonight to see how I’m doing. There’s understanding. Then there’s understanding.
Yeah. It sucks, but you deal until you can’t deal anymore. At that point, either you break or you get help. Sometimes both. Sometimes the help can mend the break. Make you a little bit better.
Right now, I’m dealing with it as best I can. It’s all I can do.
#holdontothelight – Support for PTSD and mental health issues
One of the things I really wanted to do while I was in Finland was play Ingress—unique captures and hacks FTW! Ingress is a wonderful game to help you find neat sights and hidden gems in a new city. Plus, you get to meet awesome people.
Tracon helped us set up a Project Isthmus sponsored Ingress meet up in Kalevankangas Cemetery. I also got in touch with some of the locals (Agents Cthulthist and pimpelipom) to spread the word to the local Ingress players who weren’t at Tracon. 27 local players showed up and a good time was had by all.
The Husband (Agent Morgyan) set up a crossword puzzle with a passphrase that the agents had to solve and then find me somewhere in the cemetery—I was hiding with Morgyan running around capturing portals—to give me the correct passphrase. The first two RES and ENL players to show got prizes of very rare (1st place) and rare (2nd place) load out cards. Everyone who played received a Project Isthmus bio card. Everyone who fully completed the puzzle received a limited edition, uncut Project Isthmus bio card.
Agents who joined us: AdrianGajewsky, Arisep, Cthulthist, eimink, Ekyttis*, Fixied, FoxingDemon, Golug*, HeterTheMoth, Jalermo, JherekCarnelian, Jovee, Kaustinen2*, Limlaith*, Marjaananen, Meepu, Molter, MrJ007K4, Mryy, Pantone268c, Penguinone, pimpelipom, Stahi, vieru2002, Xitay, z3r0x, ZeroScripter… and, of course, GaanEden (me) and Morgyan.
* = Won one of the rare/very rare load out cards.
The RES came out in force and were generous to a fault with their swag. I can’t wait to show my locals the awesomeness we were given for sponsoring this meet up. It was a good day.
After the meet up in Kalevankangas Cemetery, we headed to a pub to drink and celebrate where I had the best pear cider I’ve ever had, Somersby pear cider. I managed to get Flint on Hangouts to give everyone a wave and they were pretty excited about that. Me, too.
The best thing, though, was after the meet up, I was told that it gave the two factions a chance to talk and they are going to start up a First Saturday meet up. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. As a final bit of joy for everyone who came out to meet us, some agents may show up in a forthcoming Project Isthmus story in passing. 🙂
Jennifer Brozek is a multi-talented, award-winning author, editor, and media tie-in writer. She is the author of Never Let Me Sleep and The Last Days of Salton Academy, both of which were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award. Her YA tie-in novels, BattleTech: The Nellus Academy Incident and Shadowrun: Auditions, have both won Scribe Awards. Her editing work has earned her nominations for the British Fantasy Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and multiple Hugo Awards. She won the Australian Shadows Award for the Grants Pass anthology, co-edited with Amanda Pillar. Jennifer’s short form work has appeared in Apex Publications, Uncanny Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, and in anthologies set in the worlds of Valdemar, Shadowrun, V-Wars, Masters of Orion, Well World, and Predator.
Jennifer has been a full-time freelance author and editor for over seventeen years, and she has never been happier. She keeps a tight schedule on her writing and editing projects and somehow manages to find time to teach writing classes and volunteer for several professional writing organizations such as SFWA, HWA, and IAMTW. She shares her husband, Jeff, with several cats and often uses him as a sounding board for her story ideas. Visit Jennifer’s worlds at jenniferbrozek.com or her social media accounts on LinkTree.
