Neal Litherland Reads "Dressing The Flesh" From His New Collection "The Rejects"

There's been a lot of disruption going on, and folks around the country and the world are staying indoors to try to mitigate the toll taken by the current pandemic. And while there are medical personnel working round the clock, scientists devising tests, and stockers and truckers are doing their best to keep the supply lines going, artists of all stripes are stepping up to help stop people from despairing. From TV shows, to video games, to books, everyone is trying to do their part to make sure there's distraction and entertainment aplenty during this particularly gray time.

And since I'm not a trained medical person, nor am I helping keep supply lines moving, I wanted to do my part to keep everyone entertained. So last night I put together a reading in my lair of the first story in The Rejects. So, without further ado, folks looking for a dark little drama should lean back, and take a listen to "Dressing The Flesh."

Also, big thanks to Dungeon Keeper Radio for hosting the video, as I'd originally intended to just upload it here to my blog, but it seems that this video is more than three times what Blogger will allow you to just toss into the middle of an article sight unseen.

And before I forget, for all those who want to make being read to more of a thing, I recommend checking out Audible gift memberships. We've got a lot of hours to fill, these days, and we may as well spend them listening to stories that take us away.

What Else Would You Like To See?

As I've said previously, things are a little up in the air at the moment. As such, my goal is to try to help provide as much entertainment for folks out there as I can. So I'm asking you what sort of content would be most helpful to you going forward?

Seriously, you all have my attention, here.

If folks are looking for recommendations and giveaways, I could add those in as features. If you enjoyed my reading, I'd be happy to do more (perhaps partnering with Dungeon Keeper Radio, if they and their audience would like to hear more from me), and to direct you all to other authors I know who are providing similar uploads. I'm also more than happy to talk about how this whole situation has changed the professional dynamics of the industry, along with giving general break downs of tropes and writing devices.

So, what sounds good? My ears are open.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Free Resources For Artists and Creators Affected By Covid-19

If I kept to my schedule, this week would have been a Craft of Writing post where I picked apart something in terms of storytelling that we should all think about, or do better. However, in light of the pandemic, I wanted to take a moment to boost the signal on a bunch of resources that will be of use both to all the creators out there, but also for those who want to support creators in these times of toilet paper bulk buying and enforced introversion.

Also, for those of you looking for something to read, my latest release The Rejects is currently free to download until Saturday! With monsters, metahumans, murder, and mayhem, these 13 strange little stories will certainly keep you distracted if you're trying not to go outside for a while.

You listening? I'm here to help.

If you are an artist whose been hurt by the pandemic, or someone who wants to help artists but doesn't know how, then go to Covid-19 & Freelance Artists. It's a big, dense list that breaks it down by state (and sometimes by city), showing you all the resources currently available to help you out.

Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

Yes. Unequivocally and undoubtedly yes.

There are some people out there who think that Covid-19 is just being blown out of proportion. That it's a hoax, or it's not really that bad, or that it's only going to affect people who are old or sick already. Even if those things were true (they're not, but let's say they are for this), the point is that this pandemic has massively disrupted the economy. And freelance artists, writers, and creators don't have an ample amount of stability to begin with, which means they've been hit doubly hard.

In a lot of situations this disease will kill them. Not because the creators got sick and couldn't afford care (though that will no doubt happen, as being a freelancer usually means you don't have a lot in savings, and you can't afford health insurance), but because the disruptions are canceling opportunities they were depending on to earn money to pay their bills.

Because you don't have a lot of alternatives when you're a creator.

Because there are a lot of creators out there who depend on convention sales, book signings, and even holding down a table at a farmer's market to reach a new audience while making sales. And while it's entirely possible to still sell products digitally (people who are practicing social distancing still need books and art, after all), you're not going to have the access to people you would have had at an in-person event.

You can compare it to the restaurants who can now offer takeout, but who can't have anyone come in to eat. Sure, they'll still make some sales, but it won't be remotely like what they would have earned had it been business as usual. And for freelancers who were depending on those earnings (many of whom haven't gotten a rebate from cancelled events, leaving them in the hole), they need to find new fans and move some books ASAP.

So if you are sitting at home, wishing you had some authors you could read and support aside from me (my info is at the end of the entry as always), I would suggest checking out some of the following folks.

- Lauren Jankowski: With a long-running series filled with shapeshifters and deep magic, a solid choice for any fantasy lover.

- Alice Liddell: This author has a wide selection of fantastical fiction that boasts a little something for every taste out there if you're looking for an escape.

- Brendan Detzner: Specializing in the unique, the weird, and the dark, Brendan's work is more than a little underground, but that's all the more reason to dig it up for yourself.

- K.M. Herkes: Middle-aged superheroes and worlds on fire... what more do you need to know?

- Clinton J. Boomer: Author of The Hole Behind Midnight, Clinton is better known for his RPG work. If you haven't read any of his fiction, though, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

"You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It" Tells An Uncomfortable Truth

For those of you who haven't come across the article A Dirty Secret: You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It by Lynn Steger Strong, go read it. Now. Because this glimpse into the uncomfortable truth about what it means to be a jobbing pen monkey in the world we live in is the barrel of the gun that more aspiring writers will need to stare down before making the decision about whether or not to pursue this career.

Can you get wealthy as a writer? Absolutely. Will you? The odds don't look good. Worse, if you don't already have the money you need to buy the time, space, publicity, and access, then you're often trying to place in a time trial with a broken leg.

Because much as we might wish otherwise, there ain't no magic spell for a bestseller.

Strong Tells It Like It Is

If you haven't read the article, let me sum it up for you. Exploring your talent and refining your process takes time, energy, and room to grow. Those things all require dedication, and money to pay your bills while you perfect your craft. And most of the time the people who have those resources already are either born into privileged lives, or they already have an iron in the fire that's covering their day-to-day expenses that lets them write.

As author and retired Marine Corps Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee said on a panel we were both on recently, "I just put in my time at this easy gig called the U.S. Marine Corps, and when I retired decided to write books in my spare time. It's so easy, I don't know why everybody doesn't do it!"

Once I get out of here, I'm gonna start writing books. See if I don't.

While his statement was clearly a joke, Brazee hits at the core of the issue; if you don't have some way to keep the lights on and food in the pantry, writing a novel is a piss poor way to plan for your future. And he's far from the only person I've met through the convention circuit who tells that story. I've met authors with several series who still depend on a spouse's job for income or insurance. Some authors still live with their parents, or have union jobs during the week to help make sure their books are the potatoes instead of their meat. And so on, and so forth.

All of my income has been from writing in one shape or form for the past decade or so, but I'm not shy about pointing out that were my own situation different there's no way I would be doing what I do now.

My Story

When it comes to jobbing writers, my income puts me squarely in the "successful" category when compared to a lot of my fellows, though it's still low enough to qualify me for most government aid programs. And though I've worn out my share of keyboards to earn that bread, I never would have even had the chance if not for a whole slew of advantages I got out of the gate.

The first was coming from a family well-off enough that they didn't tell me to give up and get a real job.

For example, my family had enough money to get me into good schools, no matter where we had to live (given that my father was in the military while I was a child, so moving around a lot came with the territory). And when I slipped academically, they could afford to get me tutors and extra help, ensuring that I understood the material I was being taught. Books were plentiful when I was younger, and I was allowed to devour whatever sort of material I could get my hands on. When I wrote stories for fun, or for school, they were treated seriously and I was never discouraged from pursuing that path.

As I grew older, and my desire to be an author grew from a childish fancy into an actionable plan, I had a lot of other advantages rise up to support me. I got scholarships that helped me pay for school, and when I needed to go back after dropping out the first time (not a great plan if you can avoid it, for all those considering this course of action), my family could afford to pay out of pocket for me to finish my degree. And as a post-graduate birthday present, my parents even paid the remaining student loan I'd been paying on that was still outstanding.

Because I could go to school without worrying about covering my expenses (I had several part-time jobs, but I didn't pay rent, my parents fed me, and often gave me extra gas money and helped me with car repairs), I had the flexibility to start writing professionally before I'd even graduated. That low-pressure start with places like local newspapers and magazines, as well as online write-for-hire work, meant that once I had my degree in-hand I'd basically reached the point I could work from home without needing to apply for traditional jobs. More importantly, my family kept providing me a place to stay and an environment that helped me stretch as a writer as long as I needed it.

I got my own place a little under a year after graduating, but that extra added time to build my CV, make connections, and pay off debts (owning my own car, improving my credit score, etc.) was a serious boon when I went out on my own.

Hustle Every Day

End of the day, it beat the hell out of robbing banks.

Now, none of that is to say this has been an easy road to walk by any stretch of the imagination. I've had to downsize my living situation more than once when clients changed their rates, or when sales took a tumble. I've got a stack of rejection letters that I could paper my apartment with if I printed them out and dedicated a weekend to the task. Several holiday wish lists have had the rather embarrassing, "Well, I was sort of hoping to get a new work laptop, since my current one is trying to eat any manuscript I open on it," entry on them. I've persevered, built up my client list, and refused to give up.

With that said, I can also attest that it's a lot easier not to give up when I was allowed to build up my savings, when I started out with no debts weighing me down, and when I know that, deep down, I have a safety net that will catch me if something truly terrible happens and I need a place to go. And, as Strong points out, very little of what I earn at the end of the year is from book sales. In fact, running the numbers from last year, they didn't even make up 10 percent of my total, pre-tax earnings (though that number does go up if we include profits from RPG adventures and supplements as well as books).

That's something that often gets lost in the shuffle. For a lot of writers out there, your royalties are going to be the icing, not the cake. And if you're planning on subsisting just off the icing, you are in for a very uncomfortable experience... if you even have the support necessary to reach the starting line. It's not pretty, and it's not fair, but it's often the truth of the situation. And it really is one reason that so many writers have similar voices... because they had to come from similar backgrounds just to be able to afford to do what they do.

That Said, You Should Totally Do It Anyway!

Now, with all of that doom and gloom out of the way, and even acknowledging the position I'm in, I tell you this with all my heart. Write anyway.

Seriously. Because we have more tools available to us now than ever before. We have greater abilities to find our audience, and to make our mark, than previous generations could ever fathom. And while finding time for your craft is hard, especially if you have to do it after class or between shifts, there are resources out there to help you. It won't be easy... but it is something you can do if you're willing to pick up the knife.

And even if you miss, what do you gain by not taking a stab?

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

"If I Ever Became an Evil Overlord" Should Be Required Reading

So, I feel a little remiss that I haven't talked about this topic before. I thought I had, but I can't seem to find any references to it in the archive aside from talking about the "Why Didn't They Just" clause. Since I have realized this gap exists, let me fill it by telling you what I would do if I ever became an evil overlord.

If. If is good.

"If I Became an Evil Overlord"

If you've never heard of this list, you need to stretch your minds back to the earlier days of the Internet, when television was still something you had to schedule your life around rather than watching what you wanted on-demand, and dial-up was the standard of the time. The primitive year of 1990 is technically when this list had its origin, as an outgrowth of discussions around villain tropes pointed out in a skit on Saturday Night Live. The conversation jumped genres and fandoms, and several years later grew into the document referred to by many as the Evil Overlord List, or its more formal title The Top 100 Things I Would Do If I Ever Became an Evil Overlord.

For those keeping track, the list has far more than 100 entries.

Careful... you could get lost in there.

Whether you're just writing lieutenant bad guys for your characters to oppose, you're creating the big antagonist, or taking the plunge and making the evil overlord your main character, this list is full of things you should either avoid, or use very sparingly. From, "My legions of doom will not wear face obscuring helmets, thereby making it harder for plucky do-gooders to masquerade as my minions," to, "I will only hire bounty hunters who work for money in order to prevent noble warriors and those who hunt for the thrill from doing something stupid at the last second."

Seriously, this list is solid gold, and more folks should internalize the points that it makes.

Smart Villains Will Make or Break Your Story

In case you haven't looked around recently, the villains are what a majority of the fan base seem to fall in love with... often to the point that truly compelling villains are brought back from the dead, or given heel/face turns so the fans can actually root for them for a while (the Punisher is a prime example of this).

By contrast, though, stupid or shallow villains (barring comedic examples or satire), are often one of the big things that your audience won't forgive. Even if they really like your protagonist, or the story you're telling, or the world you've made, people demand more from their villains. People expect them to be relatable, understandable, compelling, or just viciously smart in a way that forces the hero to up their game.

And if your villain just drops one bad decision after another... well, your audience might drop your book as a result.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!