The Best Thing You Can Be as a Creator is Reliable

I remember when Suicide Squad was coming out, and there were reports of bizarre behavior from Jared Leto as he "tried to embody" the character of the Joker. Sending disgusting packages to fellow cast members, causing scenes, and just generally making people uncomfortable with his methods of getting into character. We've heard similar stories about actors like Christian Bale and the (sometimes extreme) things he goes into in order to truly become a role.

But you know what we don't hear about? Actors who just show up, act, and then when the director yells "Cut!" go back to being themselves. Actors who turn in a good performance, but who at the end of the day are just here to do a job without zany hijinks or bizarre rituals that make their coworkers uncomfortable. Ian McKellen, Viola Davis, Mark Hamill, and thousands of other great actors out there are perfect examples.

Sir Ian shows us how it's done.

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Lastly, to be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree!

Reliable Is Worth Far More Than Brilliant

What does all this have to do with writing? Well, authors are not immune to this bizarre behavior, grandstanding, and gimmickry. Nor are we immune to excusing atrocious actions or statements by saying, "Well, that's the price you pay for genius."

While I have tried to find the origin of this quote, my Google fu has failed me. However, the sentiment could be phrased thusly:

"There's always someone a little less brilliant, a little less shining, who can do your job. And if they're reliable, and come without the baggage, they're the one the company will pick."

But I'M the TALENT!

Reliability is the key, here. If you're hired to make a movie, the backers want to know you aren't going to hold up production for months on-end because you insisted on using crutches and a wheelchair to move around everywhere, even after the cameras stopped rolling. And if you're writing a book the publisher wants to know that you'll have a manuscript ready by the deadline, and that you won't fight tooth and nail with your editors over every minor change. They also want to be sure that you aren't going to go out and cause an avalanche of bad PR whenever you're put in front of a camera.

Being reliable goes beyond the business relationship you have with a publisher, though. It's also about releasing regular content for your readers, and providing a quality experience every time. Because it doesn't matter how many awards you won, or how brilliant your past novel(s) were; readers are fickle creatures. The best way to get their attention is to provide something that they like, and then to keep giving them more stuff like that of a similar quality. Think of it like being their favorite fast food restaurant; sure, they came for the cheeseburger of your epic fantasy series, but eventually they'll branch out to try the sci fi chicken sandwich you released, or perhaps dabble in the romantic dessert you put out a while back.

Before this metaphor gets away from me, the important thing to remember is that being an author is a job. The same way being an actor, a musician, or a dancer is a job. Now ask yourself if the way you behave would be tolerated if you were, say, a member of waitstaff, or a sales team, or a bank teller.

If the things you're doing to "perfect your craft" would get you called into the manager's office, or summarily let go from a more "normal" place of employment, chances are good you should avoid it. Just show up, do the job, do it well, and people will notice that. Publishers, readers, other authors take note of the people who are reliable, and word will get out about you.

They also take note of people who are unreliable... and word will also get out that way.

Looking For Some Reliable Reads?

If you're looking for some reads to help keep your wheels turning, check out some of the following pieces from yours truly! And if you're a fan of audio dramas like the one above, don't forget to subscribe to the Azukail Games YouTube channel where I contribute a new video every Friday... how's that for reliable?

- Waking Dogs: A World Eaters Tale: The first of my Warhammer 40K stories, this one details one of the original World Eaters awakening briefly from the haze of violence and wrath he's been lost in. And all it takes is a single moment of clarity to change his destiny forever. This tale has an audio version done by A Vox in The Void, as well!

- Field Test: My second tale of the grim darkness of the far future, it deals with an inquisitor, an ork rock, and a secret weapon. When deployed, however, it is more devastating than anyone could have imagined. This story also has an audio version, for those who want to check it out!

You should also check out the Silver Raven Chronicles, a series all about punching fantasy fascists in the back alleys of Kintargo. A chronicle of the Hell's Rebels adventure path, the current installments include:

- Part One: Devil's Night: A mysterious vigilante prowls the streets of Kintargo.

- Part Two: From The Ashes: A protest becomes a riot as the new "mayor" attempts to establish control.

- Part Three: The Raven's Nest: The burgeoning rebellion establishes a secret base.

- Part Four: Circles in Salt: The Ghost joins the Silver Ravens, striking a blow against Thrune.

More Forgotten Volumes

If you're in the market for longer books (or you just want to check out some stuff you may have missed), then you should definitely consider the following tales, too!

- Tales From The Moot: A collection of short stories from the Wereolf: The Apocalypse RPG setting, this volume contains work by yours truly, as well as several other writers. Intended to be the first in a series of similar products, it hasn't found its audience just yet.

- Old Soldiers: For folks who can't get enough decommissioned super soldiers, this sci-fi thriller will be right up your alley. It's been ten years since the end of the war, and Pollux is still trying to come to grips with everything that happened... when an assassination plot goes wrong, though, he gets what's left of his old squad together to get to the heart of the matter. Whoever pulled the trigger on this thing is going to learn they should have just let these old soldiers fade away.

- Marked Territory and Painted Cats: The first two installments in my Hard-Boiled Cat series, these novels feature the adventures of a hard-nosed alley cat by the name of Leo. The Maine coon mostly tries to keep himself out of other people's business, but trouble keeps coming down his alley to find him. Curiosity's gonna get this cat killed one of these days, but it's gonna have one hell of a fight on its hands when it tries.

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 noir thriller Marked Territory, its sequel Painted Cats, 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!