Scott had the following questions for Gabriel and he was kind enough to supply the answers.

Tell me three truths about yourself and one lie.
Three truths sounds hard… I always thought three lies and a truth made more sense. Still, who am I to argue?
1. I was once wrangled into a mass bar brawl between the Ulster Scots and the Republicans in Belfast. Needless to say, my side won.

2. I spent 2 months without bathing on a bet to see if I could still maintain my string of European love affairs absent even the most basic of hygiene. Again, needless to say, I won.

3. I’ve been detained by the police over a dozen times, but never arrested and tried only once for one of those very fun, bliss-seeking crimes that writers are known for. You know the ones.

4. I once stole a horse to teach the owner a valuable lesson about the consequences of animal cruelty. There’s now a very happy farm boy with a very nice horse somewhere in Italy.

Sexiest text message you’ve ever sent or received?

I’m gonna have to go with “y do i keep liking stuf just cuz u do it to me?” It’s a fair question, and one that I enjoyed exploring the answer to quite a lot ^.^. I tried to work it into Rmnce somewhere, but the characters were having none of it. Very demanding, those two…

You enjoy pushing the boundaries when it comes to format. What the biggest lesson you’ve learned from that?

Firstly that there’s a lot that can be said simply through format, a lot of message that you can carry across even beyond the characters and plot. Secondly, at a more pragmatic level, that challenging people’s preconceptions is wildly entertaining, and that those who like it, love it. Of course, there’s a percentage of the population who hate it as well, but I’d rather see my work loved by kindred spirits than liked by everyone.

Oh, and the proper placement of commas is hugely overrated.

What’s the most fabulous thing you’ve read recently?

99 Brief Scenes from the End of the World by T.W. Grim. It’s an apocalypse book written in tiny snippets from around the world, another of those narrative experiments that went brilliantly right. I haven’t been that impressed in a very long time.

If my readers haven’t heard of you, why should they buy this book?

It’s unique and unapologetic with a message that everyone needs to hear: Namely, that the dialects of our age are anything but inexpressive It asserts itself not just as a story of love and the trials of new-found freedom, but also as a commentary on romance in the digital age. The text message format isn’t going to be for everyone, but it should be.

What one food could you live off of, if it satisfied all of your dietary needs?

Crepes. They’re a staple food for me if I can find a decent restaurant for them. If I ever get manna from heaven, it will taste like a sweet lemon crepe. Ideally it will also come with white sherry. Can you drink with manna? I don’t even know… Moving on.

Is writing a talent, a skill, or something of both?

Creating is a talent. Coming up with a concept, a story, and an approach to that story are talents; if you don’t have them, you’re just going to have to seek a new line of work. That is, unless you’re Tom Clancy. Or Clive Cussler. Or William Shakespeare… actually you know what I take that back. Maybe creativity isn’t the angle to shoot for.

Writing, the actual direct ‘putting words on a page to express something’ bit is a skill. Not a teachable skill, but one that you can and must learn through practice. I think that’s the biggest thing people don’t get, and the thing that kept me from writing for a very long time – you think of writing as something you either have or you don’t, but you really do need to sit down and write at very least 100 pages of unforgivably bad material before you can start to judge your abilities.

Finally, to crib a fascinating question from Chuck Wendig – What’s your favorite word?

Solipsistic. I will slot that into conversation at every opportunity, even if it doesn’t make sense.

Check out his newest story Rmance – Rmnce is a romance for the digital age.

It is, in short, a commentary on love in the digital age, a tribute to the great love affairs of the digital generation, romance not lost in the sea of text-speak and instant gratification, but merely obscured from the prying eyes of those too far removed from its cultural roots.

“[A] playground for your imagination.” Grizwald Grim, Grim’s Issue
Smashwords: http://goo.gl/oIMIV
Amazon: http://goo.gl/mOeqm

John and I have been talking a bit about his book lately, and I have the pleasure of having started it last night. I’ll put up a proper review later this week. I assure you that it’ll be a positive one, but for now have a look at the Q&A session we had:

Tell me three truths about yourself and one lie.

1. I graduated from an All Girl Catholic High School.
2. I live in Costa Rica for political reasons.
3. I have proposed to a women on the Eiffel Tower.
4. I don’t eat anything I haven’t personally gathered.

Give me a story in ten words or less.

I love micro fiction so I’m going to enjoy this one. The luxury of 4 more words than I’m used to should make this easier.

Writer’s block plagued Alan however Sarah’s stolen thoughts reinvigorated her.

You’ve just told us five stories. Why tell stories in such a concise format?

I enjoy making people think. I find the medium of a concise format to be ideal for creating pieces of fiction doesn’t give the luxury of explaining all. Giving the reader the opportunity to connect the dots or even fill in entire pieces is a great feeling.

What’s the most fabulous thing you’ve read recently?

My son wrote a story at school about being the heart of the entire world. It didn’t have zombies in it. Zombies seem to be very popular these days.

If my readers haven’t heard of you, why should they buy this book?

My writing is provocative, thought provoking, and not what you are likely expecting. It’s anything but ordinary. If you are bored of reading the same things and want to taste something spicier, then this book is what you are craving.

What one food could you live off of, if it satisfied all of your dietary needs?

Pizza, partly because it does fit all my dietary needs and partly because you could make it in so many ways. I don’t think I would want to lose the variety of taste by being locked into just one for the rest of my life.

Most interviews would ask you who your influences are. I’m going to ask who you’d least like to write like and why?

J.K. Rowling. I feel sorry for her. She got stuck in the world of children’s fiction and you could feel her trying to claw her way out of that genre by the end of the series.

I also don’t like the way she crafts her stories. Her grammer, syntax and formatting are amazing. She’s an amazing writer of prose, but I can’t stand her pace or her character descriptions.

Finally, to crib a fascinating question from Chuck Wendig – What’s your favorite word?

Liminal – I like living, being, creating in between the states most people take for granted. It’s a word that’s poorly understood but which could easily be used in so many context. It does have an unfortunate cousin “subliminal” but this doesn’t detract from my admiration of the word.

Follow John on Twitter!

Buy Unselected!

Amazon

Smashwords

Thanks for your time John!

Mentioned:

http://johnmierau.wordpress.com/
John’s Twitter

Mentioned:
Steve’s site.
Steve’s Blog
Steve’s Twitter

A color illustrated book of writing and story prompts from over twenty professional authors and over ten genres, great for RPGs.

The Book

Tome of Ideas is part genre encyclopedia, part RPG book, part writing prompt collection, and part inspirational art book. It is designed as a resource for writers looking for their next story, game masters looking for their next adventure, or anyone who simply wants to sit down and send their imagination on a journey into speculative fiction.

The writing prompts, story seeds, and adventure outlines spanning ten genres and almost two dozen sub-genres make Tome of Ideas a great read for anyone who loves genre fiction, art, or roleplaying.

Mentioned:
Michael’s site.
Michael’s Twitter
The Roundtable Podcast
Roundtable Podcast Twitter
BECOME A SEEKRIT AGENT!!!

We had the pleasure of interviewing Jim, Jon, and Kent from the Crucible of Realms podcast. Every episode they build a different world, sometimes with guests!

Mentioned:
http://www.crucibleofrealms.com/

This is the second story featuring Chuck’s protagonist Atlanta Burns (as one character opines, possibly the best name ever). Of the first one, Shotgun Gravy, I said:

Ass kicker of a story. It’s teenage revenge kinda-sorta, served up smokin’ hot. There are several gut punches throughout and it’s well worth the price of admission.

This one’s no different. I’ll cover both books for the sake of this review, because if you buy the e-book you’ll get the whole shootin’ match. Prior to Shotgun Gravy, Atlanta was the victim of molestation at the hands of her vacuous mom’s boyfriend. She relieves him of his testicles with a .410 gauge shotgun. Thanks to the help of an understanding detective she gets counseling instead of jail time.

At the beginning of Shotgun Gravy, school starts up she finds herself the object of some unusual attention. In her time away she’s become something of a cult hero. She’s approached by two representatives of the school’s outcast population to provide some protection against bullies. Toting her handy squirrel gun and more anger and attitude than any healthy person can carry, she takes care of business. The bullies lead to a gang of neo-Nazis and she wades into a perfect shit storm in an effort to save her friends and herself.

Bait Dog has her playing the role of detective more than bodyguard. One of her classmates wants her to find out who’s responsible for killing her dog. The animal dragged its way home after having been badly mangled. Come to find out animals have been disappearing from that same neighborhood over the last few weeks. Her search leads her to a local dog fighting ring and against even her crippled judgement she takes on the whole operation.

I loved this story. The characters are all well written and I found myself caring deeply about all of them. I’d like to believe that the situations are over the top, but I suspect that they’re all horrifyingly realistic. The crime, bullying, drug use, and sexual abuse that his characters face are all “ripped from the headlines”. The main question I have (and even Chuck has) is “Who is the audience for this?”.

I’d let an older teen read this, but I’d want to read and discuss it with them. There’s a lot of violence, bloodshed, and strong language. Atlanta also abuses various substances during the course of the book. None of it’s “glorified”, and you see its effects on her life and her body. Still, not everyone would be comfortable with their kids reading this (and nor should they be, nothing about these stories are “comfortable”). So maybe the real audience is intended to be adults. It certainly shows its readers a vision of what some of the kids in our country are going through. I know I enjoyed it (if enjoyed is the right word). And I do want to point out that there are moments of brightness and triumph here. I laughed more than a few times and things do occasionally go right for Atlanta and her friends. Every victory comes with a cost though.

And speaking of cost, if my review has whetted your appetite at all, you have two days to get both stories at the low price of $2.99. Chuck says he’ll bump up the price this coming Wednesday. Buy direct from him and not only will you get both major e-reader file types, you’ll also put more of your money in his pocket. Go get it here!

Mentioned in this interview:

The Mustache Rangers podcast – www.mustacherangers.com
Better Strangers podcast – betterstrangers.com
Blank It webcomic – blankitcomics.com
Hardest Working Lazy Guy blog – hawolagu.com
Feeding Objects tumblr – feedingobjects.com
Your Notness tumblr – yournotness.com
Hey, I Found Your Sign tumblr – heyifoundyoursign.com
Least Dangerous Game social game- www.leastdangerousgame.com
Danny Washington and Educational Egg video and animation – dannywashington.com
Make Me Watch TV social experiment – www.makemewatchtv.com
Twitter – www.twitter.com/aric

Mentioned in this interview:

Sign up to receive a free copy of Brave Men Run!
http://crowdfundpilgrimage.info/
Follow Matt on Twitter

Every great story begins starts with a great idea. But… how do you know if your idea is strong enough to bear the weight of pen and ink? You do what we all do… you tell someone about it. You talk it through, bounce ideas around, and get some feedback. You have a discussion.

Each week we invite publishers, editors, and authors to get on the line with a writer who presents an idea on the table… an idea for a story they want to write. And then everyone digs in, asking questions, pointing out problems, and proposing solutions. Characters are dissected or dismissed, plots reinforced or torn apart altogether, and hopefully what started as an idea, becomes something more.
It becomes a story… one we’d all like to hear.

Mentioned in this interview:

The Dead Robots’ Society

Mentioned in this interview:

Literary Abominations

The Clarke Lantham Mysteries:
And Then She Was Gone
A Ghostly Christmas Present
Smoke Rings
Silent Victor

The Antithesis Progression

Dan’s Podcasting

Plumerai is

Eliza Brown – Vocals
Martin Newman – Guitars+
James Newman – Bass+
Mickey Vershbow – Drums

Mentioned in this episode:

Kickstarter Campaign

plumerai.com

1867 Recording Studio

Plumerai’s New EP

Arms and Sleepers

Ditched By Kate

From Kickstarter:

Zombie Prepper is a thrilling and immersive game that combines the real-world of disaster preparedness (aka ‘PREPPING‘) with a fictional storyline about a complete collapse of industrialized civilization via a zombie holocaust. Players can opt to play in a ‘real world‘ mode where their actual preparations factor into the game or ‘simulator‘ mode, which will offer all the fun and excitement without having to do it for real. Regardless of how you choose to play, the information tactics and techniques you use to prep and survive in the game will be based on real-world scenarios.

Mentioned in this episode:

Kickstarter Campaign
zombieprepperapp.com
clintweldon.com
48gfc.com

Mentioned:
Follow Jeff on Twitter
View From Valhalla
Flash Pulp
Jake Bible
Mark Yoshimoto Nemkoff
Mur Lafferty
Podcaturday

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

Have a look at them and see if they appeal to you!

With season two of The Seekrit Projekt ramping up, we’re looking for the most interesting people we can find. We talk to you for thirty minutes, introducing you and your idea to our listeners. Dave and I are both seasoned podcasters and interviewers so we’ll make you sound good and guarantee you some ears to hear.

Interested? Drop a comment on the blog, email us at seekritagents@theseekritprojekt.com, or send us a tweet!

Mentioned:
NeilColquhoun.com
Follow him on Twitter!

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

Mentioned:
Synaptic Jam Productions
Podiobooks

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

Mentioned:
Glow in the Dark Radio
Alibi Jones
Mike Luoma on Twitter
Panthea Obscura

Mentions:
Ditched by Kate
Phil Rossi’s Ficton

Music for this episode provided by Ditched by Kate off of their album Stumble

Paul Lagasse of Channel 37 infamy was kind enough to send me a copy of “Invasion of the Orb Men”. I’m a huge old school pulp science fiction fan (as if my connection to Flying Island Press doesn’t make that clear) and having read some of Paul’s work at Channel 37 I was eager to crack it open (figuratively speaking).

“Orb Men” is a novella clocking in at about twenty-thousand words. It’s not exactly science fiction, so much as it is historical fiction with a pulp sci-fi feel, a touch of the political thrills, and a dash of good humor. Here’s the synopsis:

In 1952, a secret Air Force spy balloon is mistaken for a flying saucer. The balloon project’s security chief thinks the young writer who broke the story must be a communist agent — but the writer is convinced that the security guy is an alien sent to silence him! Meanwhile, a real Soviet spy is about to steal the balloon’s high-tech gyroscope. It’s up to the Air Force’s chief flying saucer investigator to sort out the mess before the writer gets arrested for espionage, the security man blows his own project’s cover, and the real spy gets away.

Paul’s put a lot of work into this story and it shows. The lead investigator, Creeger, is a well thought out and well executed protagonist and the whole story has the feel of a fifties movie. I’m not sure how he accomplished it, but I could see the scenes playing out in my head in black and white. The dialog is tight and the rest of the characters, including Creeger’s team, are believable. The most satisfying part is the ending (are the endings>) and while I won’t spoil it for you, I can say that everyone gets what they deserve.

For the meager asking price of $.99 you really can’t go wrong with this. It should give you a good taste of what Paul’s other writing is like and you don’t have to just take my word for it. You can get a free sample at Amazon or Smashwords, or get some free excerpts at Channel 37. Enjoy!

If you want your e-book, album, movie, or anything else reviewed, shoot us an email!

Mentions:
Invasion of the Orb Men (review coming soon!)
Ursula the Yellow

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

Brent’s links:

www.brentweischel.com
@bsweischel

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

The blurb from Amazon likewise piqued my interest:

The Cleaver is coming… to kill your families… and to leave your sons alive… so that they become like him.

The Cleaver has murdered O’ Neill’s parents. Ten years later, O’ Neill seeks to rise from the ashes of his childhood and take aim at the man who killed them.

O’ Neill is violent. He is unhinged. He has difficulty keeping others from becoming victims of collateral damage during his pursuit of retributive justice. But O’ Neill has also sought discipline in an ancient tradition and a secret master from the East who holds some of the answers that continue to evade the angry and intemperate young man in his quest for vengeance.

Meanwhile, The Cleaver’s trail of victims continues as he seeks an answer to only one question: Who is the Boston Connexion?

A coming-of-age story that sprawls three cities on three different continents, “The Boston Connexion” is a gritty, pub-soused, bare-knuckled-brawler of a revenge novel.

See, I’m also a sucker for revenge tales and serial killers. Check and double check. So does a novel that has so much going for it in terms of my own interests meet expectations? Yes.

I suppose if I had a nit to pick with the writer of the blurb (and with the author of the novel) it doesn’t really feel like a coming of age story. Yes, we do get to see O’Neil go through stages from seeing his family killed to having the opportunity to take revenge and what happens thereafter (no spoilers). His character certainly undergoes some changes, but if I did view this as a true coming of age story it’s atypical at the very least. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

The story is told in a non-linear fashion in order to conceal some of the nefarious goings-on. The story jumps back and forth in the time stream and not always with a clear indicator of where/when you are, such as a date at the beginning of the chapter. This will bug some folks. It took me out of the story a bit the first time it happened, but I plowed right back in and was rewarded.

This story has a fair amount to say about the perils of revenge and the bond of family. It’s also an interesting look into the people and politics of Ireland during the Troubles. It was a a volatile time and the characters and situations reflect that in interesting ways. I have no idea if they’re at all realistic or accurate, but this is hardly a history book.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Boston Connexion. If action, a bit of mystery, and lots AND lots of violence is your thing, you can get it at Amazon and B&N.

Michael Bekemeyer is a writer, director and independent film maker. In this episode we discuss his most recent project, GUSH, a micro-film with all the intensity of a raging volcano.

Michael Bekemeyer’s Web Stuff:

www.michaelbekemeyer.com

Michael Bekemeyer on Twitter

Music for this episode, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival – Act One, was provided by Incompetech.com

Time passed, as it has a way of doing, and Balticon 45 came along. I saw John in the bar and found out that he had a concert. While I wasn’t able to make it, I did have the opportunity to plunk down some hard earned ducats for Sci Fi Songs. In addition I also got Books, Bytes, and Bots an EP that he’s released as a “pay what you want” deal on Bandcamp. It is there that you can find the George R. R. Martin song. Or you can listen to it here:

George R.R. Martin Is Not Your Bitch by John Anealio


My advice is to go pay for both and support this artist. Every song is a treasure trove of geeky goodness. Make no mistake, John is a good musician and a solid song writer. So while it’s evident that he loves his geek tropes, books, and movies, these songs aren’t just novelties. Either collection gets you more than just a fan having fun. I want to focus this review on Sci FI Songs though.

There are eleven cuts on this album. Two of them are instrumental and the others include vocals by John. My personal favorites were “Rachel Rosen” and “Summer Glau”. It could be because they were shout outs to two favorite SF women. Rosen is a character in “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” the inspiration for Blade Runner and Summer Glau is apparently one of Joss Whedon’s favorite actresses. Mostly though it’s because the choruses are so dang hooky. Much like he did at Balticon a year ago, he had me belting out these lyrics the very first time I heard these songs.

I’m glad John included the instrumental pieces, if for no other reason than it showcases his chops on the guitar as well. “The Return of Titus Quinn” and “Merithyn’s Promise” are both beautiful pieces. So there’s more to him than just the witty, catchy lyrics.

Just to round out my review, I wasn’t over the moon about all of the songs here. “Cylon #6″ and “Angels and Vampires” were okay. I found myself drifting away from the songs and wondering what inspired them instead of just enjoying the music. A note about that, not all of the songs had a clear inspiration. I chalk that up as not having read nearly enough Zelazny or any of Kay Kenyon or Gregory Frost’s work. For the most part that didn’t prevent me from enjoying the songs. Apparently John is just that much bigger of a geek than I am. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

I should close this review by saying that I also enjoyed “The Millennium Falcon For Christmas”. Apparently it’s somewhat autobiographical in nature, detailing his Mom’s heroic efforts in securing the much loved star ship. Who wouldn’t want a Mom this dedicated? And this is what I love about our geeky passions. They inspire us as we grow into adulthood and thanks to the writers and character John sings about, we have his music. So go buy the CD and I hope that you enjoy and are inspired by it!

Daisy Danger’s websites:

The True Life Sex Adventures of Daisy Danger

Daisy Danger’s Kickstarter Campaign

Daisy Danger on Twitter

JRD’s websites:
Flash Pulp
@JRDSkinner

Other sites mentioned:
FrogPants Studios
Relic Radio

Nobilis’ websites:
Nobilis Erotica
Nobilis’ Author Site
Nobilis on Twitter

Other sites mentioned:
Circlet Press
Coming Together
National Coalition for Sexual Freedom
It Gets Better
Alex White

Zack’s websites:
http://www.zackdaggy.com/
MothMan
The MothPod
Midnight Spookshow
Dark Worlds

Other sites mentioned:
IndieGoGo
Kickstarter
Dark Rider Studios

BEST-SELLING NOVEL TO BE BROUGHT TO SCREEN WITH THE HELP OF THE FANS

INDIANAPOLIS — May. 2, 2011 — For Immediate Release — The producers of the short film SLASHER, have launched a fan-funded campaign to raise money for this first installment in the horror anthology series Dark Worlds. Based on Zack Daggy’s best selling novel Dark Worlds: Project 31 and filmed by Darkrider Studios (Lethal Obsession, Mother’s Blood), producers of the film hope to utilize the power of the net to raise $6,000 of their budget through the site Indie Go Go. Fans that pledge to this project will receive various levels of “perks” depending on the amount that they donate. This can range from a special thanks in the film’s credits, to the actual mask worn by the “Careview Slasher.” Complete details can be found at www.indiegogo.com/darkworldsslasher.

SLASHER will be directed by Chris Jay (Lethal Obsession) and will star Beau Yotty (Unlikely Prophets), Michelle Shields (The Dark Knight) and Kelsey Zukowski (I’m Streaming Death). It is adapted for screen by Dark Worlds author Zack Daggy and Astral Audio Entertainment’s own Allen Sale. The score and soundtrack will be provided by Otto Cate of Deprogrammed Studios and Damage Vault, and Indianapolis based rock band Noctura.

“This film is a group project. There’s a lot of cogs in this doom’s day machine,”

~ Zack Daggy

“I am very excited with being part of this film and being cast as the Slasher. I grew up a huge fan of horror films, and I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to take on a role like this!”

~Beau Yotty

“I really love the character I get to play, Allison Smith. I think she is really interesting…Zack Daggy is truly a great writer and I am honored to have been asked to play this character.”

~Michelle Shields

A Film Series That’s Sure To Remind You Why You Fear The Dark…

William Rosum is a bit of a celebrity. He’s in the papers all the time. He’s the talk of the town Everyone is dying to know where he’ll be, what he’ll do and most of all… Who he’ll kill. After 55 slayings in 5 years William has earned himself a reputation as the Careview Slasher, but as he will soon learn, sometimes the price of fame can be deadly.

For media inquiries and interview requests, please email Zack Daggy at zack@mothpod.com.

About Darkrider Studios

Darkrider Studios is a full service media production and marketing company based in Bloomington, IN. They’re well known for producing such critically acclaimed films as Lethal Obsession, A Christmas Scream, Fear Fair: The Movie and Meateater. Darkrider’s experience includes but is not limited to; Television Commercials, Video Production, Still Imaging (Photography), Graphic Design, Logo Design, Internet Marketing, Social Network Marketing, Web site Design and Content Creation. Darkrider is headed up by Chris Jay, Kitsie Duncan, and Lawrence McAtee.

About Zack Daggy

Zack “The Mothman” Daggy is an Internet DJ and new media entrepreneur of wide acclaim and a cult fan base. A self-professed workaholic, Zack is the host and creator of a number of original programs including The Mothpod and Midnight Spookshow.

Born in 1985 with a rare genetic disorder that has required him to use a wheelchair, Zack’s insights on life and irrepressible imagination lead him to create fantastic worlds of suspense and horror, always shot through with humor. He wrote his first story at age seven, was nominated for a People’s Choice Podcast Award in 2008 and published his first novel Dark Worlds: Project 31 in 2009. Zack lives in Indianapolis, IN, where he dreams up twisted things for a living.

About Allen Sale

Allen Sale is the voice and creator behind Astral Audio Entertainment, a volunteer-based audio drama group and podcast creation engine. Entertaining people through engaging story lines, insightful interviews with many of today’s creative artists, and an eclectic mix of music; he has been behind the mic since 2007.

Scott Roche said the other day that he hated list posts because they are over used and usually pretty pointless. Well I’ll grant him that, but he also told me to post about blogging issues. So I blame him. You should, too.

You may very well ask “Why is my blog so 90s?” But my guess is you already know. Or that little voice of the inner blogger is quietly whispering at you all the things you have failed to take care of up until today. Things you have been putting off that you just know you should have squared away a long time ago.

And for those of you who have bound and gagged that little voice, I’ve got a very large plaquard: YOUR BLOG STINKS. IT ISN’T A SEEKRIT!

So let’s start with the basics. Repeat after me….

My blog is stuck in the 90s because:

1. I never bothered to take down “Just Another WordPress Blog” as my tagline.

Why does this make your blog so horrible? It flags you as a Newbie. Burn! If it was me, and really it is, I’d walk away from your blog in a heartbeat. Why should I read it if you don’t bother to update it?

2. I have never added my name, header link, or copyright information to the footer of my site.

Which basically makes it hard for someone reading to the bottom of your page to contact you or shoot back to the top. Remember if it takes more than two clicks you run into the ADD attention span wall. Chances are you won’t get any further action from that reader. And that would be me Stumbling off to something else.

3. I have never updated that Twitter bird icon that came with my theme, so it still goes to the theme creator’s Twitter feed.

So, yeah. Great post. Great theme. And now the reader thinks that all you do with Twitter is talk about your ten latest themes? So how’s that workin’ out for ya’?

4. I am still using the DEFAULT theme that came with my WordPress install.

And live with the original plumbing in your kitchen? Pulllease. Do me a favor and just delist your blog now. It isn’t going to attract anyone for its ‘professional’ look. Everyone who’s anyone knows the default WordPress theme back to front. Changing the hexadecimal color in the .CSS file so that it looks purple instead of blue or white is NOT fooling anyone. It practically screams “Last updated in 2001 1990!”

5. I am going to put this with all the other how-to’s and tutorials in my bookmark list and do it tomorrow. First Thing. never, ever, but never look at it or follow it. Again.

And really? What better way to never increase your follower count. After all, excuses are for the future forward thinkers right? As in “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

So make some changes

Not everyone has 8 to 10 hours to sink into their blog. After all, most of you are busy working and writing and raising little authors. Still, if you are in any one of those categories I just ticked off [har har…look I made a pun] then you have some easy fixes you should be making.

Do any one of those changes, and you are ahead of about 70% of your fellow posters. And sometimes, that is enough.

About Allison D. Duncan

Allison D. Duncan has been blogging since 2001. Her blog can be found at http://allisondduncan.com. The site if full of tech news, reviews, podcast info, and how-to’s! You don’t want to miss out as she has guest posts from Self-publishing A-listers as well as day to day advice for the average blogger.

Allison also runs a podcast called BlogsAloud, offering this week’s best blog posts through audio reproduction. You can listen by going to http://BlogsAloud.com.

This morning I just finished The Hidden Institute by Brand Gamblin. He supplies a brief synopsis:

Cliffy is a child born on the streets of a Neo-Victorian world. When he witnesses a murder, the nobleman presumed to be guilty offers him a very unique bribe. If Cliffy will keep his silence, the nobleman will introduce him to the Malcolm Rutherford Holden Institute of Regentrification. There, Cliffy will learn to walk, talk, and act like a nobleman, so that he may infiltrate high society. But that type of fraud is punishable by death, and when Cliffy uncovers a plot to assassinate a head of state, he’s hunted by more than just the aristocracy.

The podcast, available both at Brand’s site and a wickedawesome site called Podiobooks, is free and runs fifteen episodes of twenty to thirty minutes each. He reads his own work, and while the narration is a little deadpan, his voice brings the characters alive. The music and sound effects used in between chapters add atmosphere to the production even if they run a bit long for my tastes.

Brand describes the book as neo-victorian, so imagine a world penned by Charles Dickens with a dash of “Clockwork Orange” and a hint of steampunk. That will put you in the right frame of mind. Class warfare, gritty sci-fi elements, and some unique dialog serve to paint just enough of the world to hang a story on.

The real strength of that story is in his characters. Cliffy, Dizzy, Whister, and the rest are all well developed and interesting. You get a decent view of the world around them, filled with danger and intrigue for those who strive to rise above their station, but this is really Cliffy’s story and the focus is on him. While the book is a short one, and the podcast is over almost before you know it, his transformation from street rat to gentleman is believable and fascinating.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast. I particularly liked the ending, which I won’t give away, but it gave me warm fuzzies. If I had one criticism it’s that I would have liked to see more of Cliffy’s growth and interaction with others at the Institute. If J.K. Rowling can get six or seven doorstops from Hogwarts, Brand should be able to get another ten thousand words or so from the Institute of Regentrification. Note, this is not a failing so much as it is me approaching him with my porridge bowl and asking for more.

If you listen to and enjoy the podcast, as I did, you should go to Amazon and pick up the paperback or e-book versions of the story. I plan on buying my copy from him in person at Balticon!

We want to have him on our podcast to talk about his Kickstarter campaign, but as it’s going to end in eleven days I want to go ahead and point you to it, because a) it’s AMAZING and b) I want to make sure that people have some time to check it out. I’d hate for the clock to run down on this before we have him on.

Seriously, watch his video:

Now, go to his kickstarter page and back this, now. He wants to raise five g’s and needs to raise fourteen hundred more dollars in eleven days. Never fear, I’ll be putting my money where my mouth is, but the way this works is, if he fails, we all lose. So, I’m asking you to give too.

Like anything else in the creative space, there have been wild successes and utter failures. To define wild success, I’d say any kickstart that more than doubles its goal is pretty wild. I’m aware of one that very nearly earned ten times its two thousand dollar finish line in thirty days. There are others that likely disappear without so much as a whimper.

I wish I could tell you why some work and some don’t. I suspect that much of it revolves around community. If you’ve already laid down the time necessary to have people around you willing to back your plays and you’re smart about the goal and the premiums AND you’ve done due diligence in making a good video or taking good pictures of what you’re trying to accomplish, that will put you well on your way. If you fail in any of those areas, I suspect your kickstart will fail. You also have to, as with anything else, promote yourself and have others promote for you.

To that end, here are some projects I feel are worth you looking at. Some of them are fully funded, but don’t let that stop you. Check out the premiums and decide if it’s worth your money. Enjoy and let us know about your fund raising efforts and those of others we should have a look at.

We live in interesting times, where actors with some cache and others who are building careers (and Mr. Spiner may be a bit of both here) are looking to the internet to add to their quiver. I can’t say that I blame them. With the success of Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog and The Guild, I think we’ll see more people going in this direction. Personally I’m hoping for some horror or maybe some good straight science fiction.

Are there any web series out there that you watch?

A San Francisco based raconteur, Davis has been on my personal radar for a while now.  He started up a blog this month and is also on Twitter. While he may appear to be a fresh face to teh internets, I can assure you, he’s been around the block. I have ultimate confidence that the stories and posts you’ll find there will be alternately funny and touching and always interesting.

So follow Davis, subscribe to his blog, and if you do, tell him we sent you! If you run across something you’d like us to share, follow us on Twitter, send us an email, or leave a comment on the blog.

Help us cut through obscurity like lighthouse through pea soup fog.

How will we do that? One way is to have you on our podcast. We’ll be doing short interviews with creators from all disciplines, talking about their projects, new or old, that they want to get the word out on. Whether your project is “seekrit”  because it’s new or because you just haven’t been able to cut through the noise, we want to have you on.

If you have a press release, or would like to write or have us write a blog post illuminating your latest creation, that’s also an option. Our staff consists of talented writers with years of experience in the blogging and fiction writing realm. Finally, we’ll also be building a crack team of seekrit agents, bloggers and podcasters, who can go on site to interview creators around the world.

If you’re interested in joining us, either to be interviewed or to come on the team as an agent, email us at seekritagents at theseekritprojekt dot com.