Bard and Book Publishing http://bardandbook.com Home to Writers and Readers Alike Wed, 15 May 2013 00:56:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 On The Pace of Writing http://bardandbook.com/on-the-pace-of-writing/2160.html http://bardandbook.com/on-the-pace-of-writing/2160.html#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 00:56:45 +0000 David Sable http://bardandbook.com/?p=2160

Technically, if a football team gains three and a half yards every play, they would win every game.  The games would be boring – no end rounds or spectacular, diving catches.  Just a slow, steady move towards the goal.

My writing seems like that.  I was hoping to have my next story, Invitation to the Game (a story that revolves around two opposite characters, unaware of their needs, as Superbowl Sunday unfolds), posted by early May but I am yet a few yards off of finishing the first draft. … Register or log in to access full content

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/on-the-pace-of-writing/2160.html/feed 0 The Driving Dead by Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/the-driving-dead-by-derek-elkins/2145.html http://bardandbook.com/the-driving-dead-by-derek-elkins/2145.html#comments Fri, 03 May 2013 02:39:41 +0000 Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/?p=2145
  • The Driving Dead by Derek Elkins
  • Kindle Edition | Smashwords
  • ISBN: 9781301004737
  • Word Count: 3,914
  • Genre: Horror, Humor
  • Members Only Download Links: Only registered members can view the download link. Register for free or log in to your account.

The Driving Dead by Derek Elkins------------

What's worse than an infestation of zombies? How about zombies who can drive... New to the world of the living dead? Still hanging onto the shreds of humanity like stink on a corpse? Hey, maybe you should learn a trick or two on how to survive in your new skin. Maybe you should get an advantage over the rest of your competition. Shuffling around waiting for the living to fall in your hands is for the birds. The real up and coming zombies these days have an advantage because they've learned to embrace technology.

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/the-driving-dead-by-derek-elkins/2145.html/feed 0 Second Wave: A Trip to the Zoo by Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/second-wave-a-trip-to-the-zoo-by-derek-elkins/2130.html http://bardandbook.com/second-wave-a-trip-to-the-zoo-by-derek-elkins/2130.html#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:33:42 +0000 Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/?p=2130
  • Second Wave: A Trip to the Zoo by Derek Elkins
  • Kindle Edition | Smashwords
  • ISBN: 9781301309290
  • Word Count: 6,033
  • Genre: Horror Science Fiction short story
  • Members Only Download Links: Only registered members can view the download link. Register for free or log in to your account.

Second Wave A Trip to the Zoo by Derek Elkins------------

In the first wave, the invaders came with the snow. The rose up with their icicle teeth of death and destroyed over a third of us on planet Earth. But they weren't finished by a long shot. The survivors have fought for their own lives. But the invasion wasn't over with the first wave and the survivors aren't as safe as they thought.

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/second-wave-a-trip-to-the-zoo-by-derek-elkins/2130.html/feed 0 The Arduous First Drafts http://bardandbook.com/the-arduous-first-drafts/2126.html http://bardandbook.com/the-arduous-first-drafts/2126.html#comments Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:47:33 +0000 David Sable http://bardandbook.com/?p=2126

For me, the most difficult hurdle to overcome is starting a story.  Having done that, the next most difficult thing for me to do is naming the first character.  It is my first step of taking a story idea out of a vague “yeah, one day I need to write that” to a concrete commitment that this is Bob, not Mary.  

This is where writing can be more like laying bricks

But once the bricks are laid, we can start decorating the house.… Register or log in to access full content

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/the-arduous-first-drafts/2126.html/feed 0 Writing Dialog – Letting Characters Be Who They Are http://bardandbook.com/writing-dialog-letting-characters-be-who-they-are/2115.html http://bardandbook.com/writing-dialog-letting-characters-be-who-they-are/2115.html#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:12:53 +0000 David Sable http://bardandbook.com/?p=2115

Easter (or more aptly Resurrection Sunday) is the highest holiday on the Christian calendar.  It is also one of the two periods (Christmas being the other) where church attenders will endure the most classically poorly written dialog that writers can muster.

“My name is Matthew and I used to collect taxes.  I was actually selling out my people to Rome!  Can you believe it?  Then one day, Jesus called me and I decided to leave it all and follow him.”   Perhaps this was proclaimed by a middle aged man who always regretted not taking high school drama wearing a brown bath robe from Kmart.… Register or log in to access full content

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/writing-dialog-letting-characters-be-who-they-are/2115.html/feed 1 Foreshadowing And Other Tricks http://bardandbook.com/foreshadowing-and-other-tricks/2109.html http://bardandbook.com/foreshadowing-and-other-tricks/2109.html#comments Sat, 30 Mar 2013 19:12:55 +0000 David Sable http://bardandbook.com/?p=2109

Anton Chekhov, a Russian playwright is famous for his gun.  In different ways, he is known to say, “If you put a gun on the wall in the first act, it better go off in the second or third.”  It is the definitive statement of foreshadowing – putting something in the story that is a clue to be picked up later.

I played with this idea with Mr. Reynolds Makes His Case.… Register or log in to access full content

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/foreshadowing-and-other-tricks/2109.html/feed 0 Mister Reynolds Makes His Case by David Sable http://bardandbook.com/mister-reynolds-makes-his-case-by-david-sable/2097.html http://bardandbook.com/mister-reynolds-makes-his-case-by-david-sable/2097.html#comments Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:02:56 +0000 David Sable http://bardandbook.com/?p=2097
  • Mister Reynolds Makes His Case by David Sable
  • Kindle Edition | Smashwords
  • ISBN: 9781301002597
  • Word Count: 7,178
  • Genre: Fiction: Contemporary; Fiction:Short Story
  • Members Only Download Links: Only registered members can view the download link. Register for free or log in to your account.

Mister Reynolds Makes His Case by David Sable------------

Darryl Reynolds, somewhat intoxicated, has a point. In times of vulnerability and need, the God people unquestionably worship was simply a no-show. Worse, this God becomes the impetus and justification for manipulation and abuse. A chance meeting in a bar with Mr. Downing gives Darryl an opportunity of a lifetime – to show the world once and for all the grand deception and definitively make his case. David Sable’s most thoughtful work to date explores the ever-posed dilemma after every human disaster: Where was God? Far from the an intellectual debate of two talking heads, this story brings forth the pathos and emotions set forth when grappling with the nature of evil, abuse, love and ultimate isolation.

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/mister-reynolds-makes-his-case-by-david-sable/2097.html/feed 0 First Wave: Snow Day by Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/first-wave-snow-day-by-derek-elkins/2081.html http://bardandbook.com/first-wave-snow-day-by-derek-elkins/2081.html#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:46:29 +0000 Derek Elkins http://bardandbook.com/?p=2081
  • First Wave: Snow Day by Derek Elkins
  • Kindle Edition | Smashwords
  • ISBN: 9781301682713
  • Word Count: 6,052
  • Genre: Horror, Short Story
  • Members Only Download Links: Only registered members can view the download link. Register for free or log in to your account.

First Wave: Snow Day by Derek Elkins------------

They came with the snow. They came for us. Roger, left alone in the middle of a blizzard, thought he had a leisurely day off of work. He had no idea he'd be spending the day fighting for his life against the things that came with the snow. The first wave was meant to weed us out.

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/first-wave-snow-day-by-derek-elkins/2081.html/feed 0 Bard and Book is now on Twitter http://bardandbook.com/bard-and-book-is-now-on-twitter/2075.html http://bardandbook.com/bard-and-book-is-now-on-twitter/2075.html#comments Sat, 16 Mar 2013 21:02:41 +0000 Anthony Horvath http://bardandbook.com/?p=2075

The move was inevitable.

So is your next step… you know what to do:

Follow on Twitter

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]]> http://bardandbook.com/bard-and-book-is-now-on-twitter/2075.html/feed 0 Amazon’s War on Lightning Source http://bardandbook.com/amazons-war-on-lightning-source/2057.html http://bardandbook.com/amazons-war-on-lightning-source/2057.html#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:33:17 +0000 Anthony Horvath http://bardandbook.com/?p=2057

It appears to me that Amazon is in an undeclared war with Lightning Source (henceforth, LSI).

Before there was Bard and Book, there was the publishing endeavors of Athanatos Publishing Group.  I was set up pretty early with LSI and fairly well pleased with the arrangement.  My titles could be picked up anywhere–chiefly, though, they were purchased by Amazon.

No sooner did I get involved in publishing did I observe that Amazon liked to shift things around and change them up. … Register or log in to access full content

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