Monthly Festival : Turn your book into a movie and get it seen by 1000s of people. Or garner FULL FEEDBACK from publishers on your novel and help your next draft. Or get a transcript video of your novel performed by professional actors.
My novel is essentially a family drama about estranged, middle-aged people still trapped in the damaging social dynamic of their family of origin. There is literally no escape.
What genres would you say this novel is in?
Definitely horror.
How would you describe this story in two words?
Twisted psychodrama.
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
Valley of the Dolls.
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
This is somewhat embarrassing, but probably Yes Starship Trooper.
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
What motivated you to write this story?
It started as a personal challenge to write a screenplay at a summer camp setting, which I did. From there I developed it into a novel.
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
William Shakespeare, which would be very weird.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I’m also a filmmaker. I’m passionate about creativity in general.
What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
It sounded like a unique opportunity.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Write characters you really love (or love to hate) because you will be living with them for a long time.
– The novel is about my early childhood, being bought up in council care, through to modern day
What genres would you say this novel is in?
– Memoir
How would you describe this story in two words?
– Helping Others
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
– Great Expectations
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
– Brothers in Arms (Dire Straits)
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
– The Grass Arena (John Healy)
What motivated you to write this story?
– Close friend encouraged
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
– My Father
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
– My Dog
What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
– Goodreads
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
– Don’t rush – Read through – leave it alone for 2 months, then re-visit & revise – Do the same again for another 8 weeks – Edit, Edit, & Edit – get it proof read & re-visit again
The Novel Comics is a shared universe of heroes and villains in an alternate timeline. In that sense, I hope to become, “the Stan Lee of the 21st Century.” The series takes place in a world with people who gain superpowers, the Outbreak Babies, and their struggles against the ruling Empire, The Reich. I label my chapters as “issues” for a comics style feel and will continue that trend in the Volume series. I will also release The Novel Comics Anthologies series for stories following other characters outside of the volume series.
See the back cover for a good description of the first book:
ALTERNATE HISTORY. WITH SUPERHEROES.
December 31, 1929, was a Day That Lived in Infamy. A war between extraordinary beings with superpowers ended in DEFEAT for the United States and her Allies. Darkness fell on a Golden Age of heroes at the hands of the REICH.
Ten years later, all still mourn the anniversary of the day the Reich seized control during Operation TripleReich. Life is a struggle for the Remnant States occupying the middle of the Old US.
A virus in the Chicago Zone reignites the conflict between good and evil as the Outbreak Mutineers gather to stop the plague’s deadly origins.
Join the Outbreak Babies: – Buccaneer, Clockwork, Atlas, and more- as they battle the Warlords of Reich. Their adventures stretch across the years and through the sewers, high-seas, and even a city park.
No Matter the Time or Place, their Choice is Clear:
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Bon Jovi- Wanted Dead or Alive
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Technically a series, but I can cheat)
What motivated you to write this story?
The cathartic release and escapism offered by writing is second to none. A blank word file contains infinite possibilities when I stare at the void of whiteness. It is waiting for me to create. I also have a love/hate relationship with the process. I am not a patient person by nature but had to learn to be as a writer. Every writer should learn that your stuff will always suck…at first. The first drafts are like crude blocks of stone in the hands of a sculptor. If the sculptor leaves only the inchoate form of his creation in the stone, it will never appear in a museum or be admired by on-lookers. It takes painstaking chipping away (editing) and constructive criticism from your peers to bring out the true potential.
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
George Carlin
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Aside from being a History Master’s student and searching for the esoteric mysteries of the past, my hobbies are improve acting and being a father. I am a member of the Sticky Wickets Improv Troupe (www.facebook.com/ItsTheWickets) and we perform monthly in the Shoals, AL area.
Above all my “hobby” is being the best dad I can be to my son Joel Sandlin. I got back into writing and pursuing higher education after he was born because I realized I had to set an example: I had to show my son through practice that attainable dreams can and should be pursued with smart planning and timing. Everything I do is for him.
What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
My own acting in Community Theater for the last 22 years. I have always longed for an oral performance of my written words.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
The pains of the journey are temporary, but print is forever.
A pack of various breeds of dogs set out on a mission to protect two young boys from certain danger, only to find that there is another child who must be rescued from the hands of villains.
What genres would you say this novel is in?
Adventure
How would you describe this story in two words?
Exciting adventure
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
Marley and Me
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Watchers, by Deane Koontz
What motivated you to write this story?
My standard French poodle, Digby
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
My dad
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Animals
What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
I believe it is a wonderful story about dogs and children, and should be seen as well as read.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
It looks at the Cinderella fairytale from the Wicked Stepmother’s view through the eyes of a reporter. Essentially it shows there are many different sides to each story depending
on who you ask, the need to let go of prejudice and appreciate the inner beauty of a person. It is about facing obstacles and becoming a survivor instead of a victim.
What genres would you say this novel is in?
Humorous fiction
How would you describe this story in two words?
fairytale realism
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
Bourne Identity
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Baby Elephant Walk by Henry Mancini
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
No, it changes depending on my mood.
What motivated you to write this story?
I have been viewed as the wicked stepmother by my stepchildren. The way they saw accounts was very different to my own.
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
Noah
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Gardening, Charity work
What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
I have been told it would make a good movie so I thought this would give me some idea whether to go down that track or not.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Get a good editing package like Grammarly BEFORE you publish your book. Your friends will not pick up all the mistakes.
This novel is about an adventurous young Panda named Mei Meng. She travels with her parents deep into the mountains of China to escape the destruction of her habitat by human beings. When she is swept away by a raging river, she meets all sorts of fantastic animals on the journey home. Some of them want to help her. Some do not. Surprisingly, her best allies are the human children she meets along the way.
What genres would you say this novel is in?
It is definitely a fantasy. It is a children’s book, aimed at the middle-grade audience. It is one hundred twenty two pages without any illustrations. It defies classification as most children’s books are not that long.
How would you describe this story in two words?
Child explorer. If this story was on Disney Family Channel it would be something like “Panda Meets World.” Mei Meng leaves her little corner of the mountain where she lives, and becomes a world explorer. At the end of the book she even has a telescope so she can keep track of her human friends.
What movie have you seen the most in your life?
It is a tie between “Forrest Gump” and “American Graffiti.” The Forrest Gump character exemplifies the triumph of the simple man, the pure at heart.
American Graffiti has a great story line and a cast of a dozen or more actors who went on to have outstanding careers.
An example of why I like this movie: when Harrison Ford (aka Bob Falfa) drives into town in his jalopy to challenge Paul Le Mat to a race, his license plate is THX 1138. Why is that important? This is the title of the first George Lucas feature film, a science fiction classic. I probably saw “American Graffiti” ten times before I picked up on this.
How long have you been working on this story?
It took me a few months to write. I did a lot of research on interesting Mandarin names for the characters. For example, Mei Meng’s good friend is a funny snow leopard named Chun Bao, which means Silly Leopard. A scary Siberian tiger is named Di Zheng, which means earthquake. He is so huge that every step he takes shakes the earth.
Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
I’ll nominate two books. One is “The Magic Barrel” by Bernard Malamud (although it is a collection of short stories that won the National Book Award in the nineteen fifties) and “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway.
What motivated you to write this story?
I felt like writing something lyrical, fantasy-world that would go deep into mythology and have a totally sympathetic main character. It was also meant as a “welcome to the world” present for my daughter. This is not “Kung Fu Panda” by any means. It moves at a slower pace and is more emotional and mystical than slapstick. It also emphasizes the importance of the family, both panda and human.
If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
Leonardo Da Vinci. I would ask him, “How did you accomplish all the things you did in so many different areas?” Unlike Da Vinci, I write my ideas down in spiral notebooks, instead of an ornate leather bound Codex (which Bill Gates paid millions of dollars for). Maybe that’s the secret.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Being outdoors. Hiking in the hills, kayaking, white water rafting, paddle boarding. I am a fan of American college football and find the games more exciting than the usual NFL product.
What influenced you to enter your novel to get performed?
I wanted to hear different voices speak the lines of dialogue and the narration. I also hope to attract some interest for the book. At the very least I would like to find an illustrator. I would like to have the illustrations done in the style of traditional Chinese paintings. All the different animals and natural environments would allow an artist to create many interesting canvasses. If I were to engage in a little “exponential thinking” I would like to:
Have the book translated and published in China.
Have the book made into a movie for the Chinese market.
Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Inspiration can come from anywhere at anytime. Sometimes your subconscious pulls together elements from events in your own life and combines them with elements from literature and mythology. There is a flash of lightning in your head and suddenly you know what your project is about. This has been my experience.
