All posts by Jason Fischer

The Next Big Thing

Pimping

Hi folks! Like many other writers, I’ve been tagged in the Next Big Thing meme (by three separate people on the same day, so I think the idea has hit critical mass and is about to collapse on itself like the Greek economy trying a pyramid scheme with Monopoly money). I’d like to use the opportunity to briefly plug my new book “Quiver”, which goes on sale on the 10th of December.

1) What is the working title of your next book?

My next book is called “Quiver”, and is actually a fix-up novel repurposed from four connected novellas, with plenty of new material and reworked to form one complete story. Two of these novellas have previously been published in the “After the World” magazine line – Gravesend and Corpus Christi. “Quiver” is the chance for me to wrap up the entire story in one volume, and I’m really excited to see it about to hit the shelves/ebook stores.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

I originally wrote these novellas as part of the Black House Comics “After the World” series, a set of pulp horror books that saw wide distribution in Australian newsagents in about 2009. When I was first pitching ideas for the project, I wanted to do some sort of gonzo Mad Max style piece set in Australia, but other authors had already written pieces set down under. I was advised by editor Baden Kirgan to look further afield, perhaps the US or England. One of my coworkers (an expat Pom) suggested the location of Gravesend, Kent, and the name was too perfect not to work. Baden gave me some story elements required for the overall plot, and over the course of the next few novellas we came up with a story that I’m proud to put my name to. I gave the world Tamsyn Webb – a broken teenager, a sass-mouth who is a dead-eye shot with her bow.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Here’s some key words: Young adult, zombie, post-apocalypse, horror.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I reckon Rose Byrne would do a great job as Tamsyn Webb. Um, the bloke with the face scars from Gladiator would do a good job as Simon Dawes. I’d like to put Macauley Caulkin in there somewhere, but he doesn’t really fit with any of my characters – I just want to see him in a zombie film. And I would let all my friends cameo as zombies. Me, I’d be zombie #528 – Office corpse chewing on severed forearm.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

“Quiver” is the story of growing up in a world that wants you dead.

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

“Quiver” is the first prose novel to be published by Black House Comics, who are known for publishing a diverse range of Australian comics. BHC ran a great fiction series from 2009 called “After the World”, so it’s great to see them taking on prose works and giving them the same care as the comic lines. I really get the feeling that this is a labour of love for editor and publisher Baden Kirgan, who has given plenty of local storytellers a way to get heard over the past few years (and hopefully many more).

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

It actually took a couple of years to write the whole story, and some elements of it have already seen print so this included revisions, edits, bouncing ideas between colleagues and Baden at BHC. Working in between other projects, I always found myself coming back to Tamsyn Webb’s story, so I think I was always working on it, even subconsciously.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’d like to think it holds up to the Hunger Games books, the Passage, and hopefully classics like the Stand.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

As above, Gravesend was originally my plan B, but it’s amazing where secondary opportunities can take a story. It just grew organically, and the characters are all amalgams of people I know in real life. Maybe one day I’ll tell them who they are in my book 🙂

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

I’ve been told by test readers that it’s fast-paced, compelling and that my characters drive the story really well. It’s the tale of a broken young girl, whose troubled adolescence is interrupted by the end of the world. Trapped in a barricaded town, she soon discovers that the people within are far more dangerous than the undead outside. She learns of a cure for the disease, but it might just doom them all…

So there you have it, the Next Big Thing as happening in the world of the Fisch. Given that every man and his dog has been in this meme, I’m actually not going to tag anyone specifically. If you want to play, by all means consider yourself my tagees, otherwise I’m happy to let the meme die a peaceful death. There are a swag of excellent posts out there for the reading, and I’d like to give a big kudos to my taggers, the brilliant writers Kirstyn McDermott, Alan Baxter and Zena Shapter.

If you must NaNo, don’t forget Fallow February

Meaningful Post

Ah, NaNoWriMo. That’s National Novel Writing Month to the uninitiated, a global event where aspiring writers crank out 50,000 words of first-draft during November. There are criticisms against this event by some, affirmations of its usefulness by others, and if you’re a writer you’re either gonna love or hate it already.

I won’t go into any of that here. One thing I thought worth mentioning is this – one frequent bit of writer advice is that You Must Produce. Write, write, and write some more. Work those fingers until they are bloody stubs and your keyboard the cheese grater. You can’t send out the story that hasn’t yet been written. And this is all true. When the time is right, you must apply arse to chair, and just bloody get on with it. It’s so easy to talk about writing, but if you’re serious about it, you’ll get into the hard slog when needed. It’s exhausting but worthy, otherwise why would anyone do it?

But I would like to gently point out something that I’ve learnt the hard way. Despite all the rhetoric and chest-banging to the contrary, it’s Okay to Take a Break. I’m serious. If you write day after day, you just might burn out. Some people can and do write each day, and if that works for them, kudos. As for me, I like to take at least one decent holiday from writing each year.

I call it Fallow February. Going by the theory that overfarming a plot of land can make it barren and infertile, I like to let my mind go fallow around February-March of each year. Play video games with no guilt. Faff around with movies and books. Socialise, and just relax. DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT WRITING.

This year, I’m actually having Fallow February in November. Apart from some work with my lovely AHWA Mentorees, you’ve caught me in the middle of a luxurious stretch of Doing Fuck All. And it’s great. Earlier this year I was actually bombarded by deadlines, so I had to take a raincheck on Fallow February. The last time I tried to write, I really struggled to get into it. And that’s when I knew it was time to hang up my GONE FISHING sign (aka play lots of Skyrim).

I know this is the right thing to do, because my muses are starting to go nuts. I’m getting lots of “what if?” story ideas. The creative fly-wheels are starting to whir and hum, greased by the oil of relaxation and fired by the brand new sparkplugs I plug in once a year.

You’d have a holiday from your job, wouldn’t you? Don’t be a dickhead 🙂 Fallow February FTW!

Anywhere But Goodreads

Pimping, Reviews,

A nice reader review just landed on Goodreads for a collection I’m very proud to be in – Keith Stevenson’s tome-tastic “Anywhere But Earth”. Reader Dave Versace had this to say about my story:

“Of the rest, I am hard pressed to pick a favourite, but I will mention that “Eating Gnashdal”, Jason Fischer’s horrific vision of a post-human culture, is inventively funny and creepy.”

Thanks Dave! We aim to please 🙂 the rest of his review can be read here:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/443682008

The book itself is available from Couer De Lion and is worth every penny. Get onto it!

http://www.coeurdelion.com.au/

Ooh, lookie, it’s now on the Kindle. Considering it’s a HUGE slab of book, this is also a good option for the discerning reader. Value for money either way.

http://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-but-Earth-ebook/dp/B005Y48HZM/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1351833714&sr=8-1&keywords=anywhere+but+earth

The Echo of Midnight, and a Tusk to the FACE.

Pimping, ,

Hey folks, just a quick spot of pimpage. Issue #8 of Midnight Echo is now available for pre-order, and it’s got an absolutely STUNNING line-up. Do yourself a favour and grab the hard-copy, it promises to be a ripping read.

http://midnightechomagazine.com/midnight-echo-issue-8/

Also, over at review site Thirteen O’ Clock, Andrew McKiernan discusses the inaugural issue of Terra Magazine. The latest foray from Black House Comics is just plain fun (think early 2000AD), and I’m lucky enough to have the first chapter of my serialised novel “Tusk” therein. Of Tusk, Andrew says:

“Still in keeping with the serialised nature of the magazine, “Tusk” plumbs the Golden Age of genre fiction with something that could have come right out of an early 70s issue of Analog. “Tusk” is straight prose — with a few Rhys James illustrations sprinkled throughout — of the sort that Mr Fischer has become well known for: tight, well written, original and more than a little bit gonzo. “Tusk” is The Planet of the Pachyderms with a healthy dash of Robert E Howard thrown in. A post-apocalyptic world run by a civilisation of war-like elephants. Talking warrior elephants, no less. Who enslave humans. And they wear ‘swords’ on their tusks! Count me in! Not only are the battle scenes tremendous, but there are hints of a much deeper story developing here. I very much look forward to reading more of “Tusk” in future issues.”

Thanks Andrew! You could say that “Tusk” is the ultimate trunk story 🙂 the rest of his review can be read here: http://www.thirteenoclock.com.au/review-terra-magazine-issue-1/

It’s a whole swag of “Viral”, and right now, it’s FREE

Pimping,

A few months ago, I was part of an exciting project –  the Viral novellas. Four connected thrillers, told from different viewpoints. Now, the entire series is being released as a single title, available as an e-book on the Kindle and elsewhere. For the next few days, the book is actually free for download.

An American journalist stumbles unto a vast conspiracy, but the story of a lifetime might just kill him…

An aid worker in Kenya learns the deadly secret hidden in the vaccination program, but when he tries to tell the truth, he discovers that Africa can be a lonely, deadly place…  

A Pakistani doctor is enlisted in the hunt for Bin Laden, but finds himself swept into gunfights with local thugs, conflicts with corrupt medical authorities, torture at the hands of overzealous law enforcement and, ultimately, the storming of a fortified Abbottabad bunker in order to deliver vital inoculations to the poor of Pakistan…

A CIA Agent is tasked with taking down a Taliban commander, and has to make a series of increasingly ugly choices. The enemy has acquired a horrifying weapon of mass destruction. If he wants to stop the mass killings, the agent must make a tough call…

Here is the relevant link:

http://www.amazon.com/Viral-ebook/dp/B009TI7390/ref=la_B0030AB6BY_1_85?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351035271&sr=1-85

Last time I checked, this collection was sitting at #2 in the War category on Amazon, which is simply staggering. Many thanks to those who gave this book a go, and we hope that plenty of folks take advantage of this offer.

Praise for the “Viral” series:

“Powerfully compact contemporary thrillers, well researched trek through a minefield of concussive ideas and edge of your seat action. Viral will leave you breathlessly looking over your shoulder… And ahead for what these talented writers will do next next” — David Sakmyster, author of The Pharos Objective and Crescent Lake

“Masters of plot who handle action with deft hands while drawing out characterization with a craftsman’s skill. This is an excellent book on every level.” — Nathan Meyer, author of Shadow War, Volatile Agent and Aldwyns Academy

“Viral pull the reader into the action from the first page and doesn’t let go until the last.” — Jeffrey S. Stephens, Author of Targets of Opportunity and Targets of Deception

Here, have a wee snippet of “Pigroot Flat”

Pimping,

Over at the Midnight Echo website, I’ve answered a few questions about my upcoming short story from issue #8, “Pigroot Flat”. The interview and a short snippet of my story can be found at the following link:

http://midnightechomagazine.com/2012/10/17/midnight-echo-issue-8-preview-jason-fischer/

Words cannot describe how flipping excited I am to have a story in this issue. We live in exciting times 🙂

A Synopsis Shouldn’t Have to Hurt Your Synapses

Meaningful Post, Uncategorized, Writing

Ah, the synopsis. That most painful of things, where an author has to compress a novel’s worth of organic sproutings into one or two concise pages. And oh, how we wail and gnash our teeth when called upon to do so.

“It’s just so HARD,” we say. “I don’t WANT TO.”

But here’s the truth; you have to. This is the way a publisher can a) determine your ability to get to the point b) determine that you actually have written a book with a defined beginning/middle/end c) be sold on the sizzle of your steak.

It’s a marketing document, and I don’t think they’re actually that difficult to do. Some folks I know and respect spend inordinate amounts of time on these – with all due respect, I think they’re all crazy. We’re talking weeks, even months of time. On a 1-2 page marketing document.

Here’s what I believe: if you can’t get a synopsis right in an afternoon, you need to hand in your writer card. Here’s the Fisch One-Page/One-Afternoon Synopsis Method.

1) Present tense throughout. Limited or no adjectives.

2) Three or four biggish paragraphs. The first one briefly introduces your protagonist, one or two tag-line style descriptors of your setting, and brushes over the opening act of your novel.

3) Second paragraph introduces the antagonist/conflict, and brushes over the second act of your book. Again, broad strokes, and don’t worry too much about your subplots and the nitty gritty. We’re talking how you would convince someone at a bar to sleep with your book (if that makes sense). If you bore the poor person with a detailed description of your stamp collection, you’re going home alone.

4) Third paragraph goes over your final act, and resolves everything. Don’t do rhetorical questions here: “does she survive the assassination attempt? BUY MY BOOK AND FIND OUT.” the point of the thing is, you have to tell the reader, in present tense, exactly how the conflict is addressed, and how the story resolves.

5) Connect these three biggish paragraphs with one sentence movie-style taglines, just to keep it interesting. This also proves your ability to write succinctly, and provides a bit of life to what might otherwise be a boring marketting document.

6) Close off with a pitching paragraph, something along the lines of this: ‘”Papa Lucy and the Boneman” is a complex fantasy, designed to appeal to readers of Jack Vance and Gene Wolfe. If Gilgamesh found himself on the set of Mad Max, this is the story that might result.’

And that’s IT. That’s all you have to do. Go back over it of course, tighten everything up, take out every unnecessary word, and make it as interesting as you can. If an adjective pops up, kill it dead. I maintain that you can knock one of these out in an afternoon, anything else is just an exercise in masochism.

Mentor: The Fisch-Maker!

Uncategorized

I just can’t help myself 🙂

It’s all official like, I am a mentor in the Australian Horror Writers Association 2012 mentor program. And I have two mentees that I’d like to introduce to y’all.

Given into my tender care are the following writers: Stacey Larner and David McDonald. From what I’ve seen of their writing, these folks both have a lot of promise. They’re hard-working, keen as beans, and hopefully some big things await my writer-kids. Now it’s up to me to pass on what knowledge I’ve gleaned over the years, help them get some work polished to within an inch of its life, and generally hang around, dropping wisdom like Obi-Wan Kinobi (I think).

Say hi folks, and make my Padawans feel welcome 🙂