Travis Lloyd offers some great tips for self-publishing success. Listen as he shares insights on self-promotion. Love this brother’s enthusiasm, as well as the title of his book, Overcoming Emotional Trauma.
Purchase his book by clicking here.
writers
“How I Wrote My First Book” with Shawnda Patterson
Here’s Shawnda Patterson telling us how she wrote her first book, The Dating Game: How To Find Yourself While Looking for Mr. Right. Love how she explains her process for independent publication.
A Day in the Life of an AP Sportswriter
Associated Press Sportswriter Cliff Brunt
“On Homecomings” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Originally published in The Atlantic, May 9, 2016.
In the summ
er of 2001, my family and I moved into the Prospect-Lefferts Garden neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. I was 25. My partner was 24. Our son was 11 months. Prospect-Lefferts Garden is a lovely neighborhood marked by quiet streets and some of the most beautiful architecture in the city. There are several blocks lined with perfectly preserved limestones and brownstones. There is a strong sense of community. Block parties are a tradition. And for those of us who fear the suburbs, Flatbush Avenue hums at the neighborhood’s border. When we moved into the neighborhood, it was predominantly black. A haircut was a two-minute walk away. Great jerk chicken was everywhere. My best friend from college lived on the same block. On Friday evenings you could find us out on his stoop with Jack and Coke in hand (which we drank that back then), watching the world go by.
Click here to read the rest of the story.
James Cameron’s Top 10 Rules for Success
I love James Cameron’s body of work. In this video, he shares his top 10 rules for success.
Why We Need More Women and Minority Filmmakers
We live in a very diverse world, so why don’t the characters in our books and films (fiction mostly) reflect it? There are a number of creatives of color (and women) doing their thing, but only a select few are being noticed by the mainstream. The link below will take you to an Indiewire.com article that speaks to the need for more women and minority filmmakers. ENJOY!
Oh, yeah! And the picture to the left was taken with writer, director and producer Ava Duvernay at a 2012 screening (at the Writers Guild of America West, Los Angeles, California) of her film Middle of Nowhere. Pictured with Ava and me are fellow screenwriters Carla Wilson and Marc Harris.
http://www.indiewire.com/article/heres-why-we-need-more-women-and-minority-filmmakers-20141002
Here’s the trailer for Ava Duvernay’s Middle of Nowhere:
Pancakes and Cartoons
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE J.A. FAULKERSON’S DEBUT NOVEL, ADINKRAHENE: FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET.
Saturday mornings used to be a time of discovery and bewilderment for me. As a young child growing up in Upper East Tennessee, I would wake up most mornings to pancakes and cartoons. As I ate the pancakes that my mother prepared for me, I allowed myself to get lost in the lives of these make-believe characters. Some of my favorites were The Flintstones, Super Stretch and Mirco-Woman, Jonny Quest, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, Super Friends, and Clue Club, to name only a few. With the advent of Boomerang, at 46 years of age, I am discovering that I’m most creative when familiar voices and tunes can be heard in the background during my writing sessions.
Some would argue that being torn between the computer and television screens causes writers to lose their momentum when crafting stories. I wouldn’t argue with that. I undoubtedly would be even more productive if I didn’t take those quick glances to see Jonny and Hadje floating on a hovercraft with Race Bannon, their bodyguard. And Lord knows Fred and Barney’s verbal volleys turn quick glances into lingering ones. But for me, hearing their voices takes me to a place where life was much simpler, less stressful.
Most of you know, I was raised by a once-poor, single-parent mother. You would think growing up in a low-income household would be more complex and stressful. But it wasn’t, at least for me. I was a daydreamer, and the Saturday morning cartoon line-ups on NBC, CBS and ABC enriched the dreams that I would have as I peered out the window of our two-story, subsidized apartment complex.
Because I am now using my time as a stay-at-home parent to more fervently pursue my writing career, I often find myself rushing to complete my daily five-page quota. Even as I write this blog entry, I worry about not reaching my daily goal. My time has been spent with you, not with the new novel that has nothing to do with my Adinkrahene series. In a few hours, I have to pick my son up from summer day camp and then drop him off at a summer academic enrichment program. As his father, I want to put him in a position to have fun during his 10-week summer break, but then start the new school year with a head of steam.
Then there’s my wife’s honey-do list. At times, working through this list can take precedence over my writing. Yes, there are times when I balk. All I want to do is write, read, and watch old, black and white science-fiction movies on the Syfy Channel. But my primary job is to take care of things around the house so my working wife doesn’t have to. You’ll have to ask her, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job, most of the time.
But I digress.
The Saturday morning cartoon line-up made living in a low-income community bearable. Because I grew up in a small town in Upper East Tennessee, I was somewhat immune to the troubles plaguing major cities like Chicago, New York and Baltimore. But drugs like marijuana and cocaine were reportedly readily available to anyone who was willing to pay the piper. Some of the kids I grew up with were even recruited by irresponsible adults to become drug pushers. As I reflect on my life now, I realize my saving grace was my acceptance of Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, followed by my love for Saturday morning cartoons and comic books.
While other kids were hanging out on the street on Saturday mornings, I was either watching shows like Super Stretch and Micro-Woman, or reading Richie Rich comic books. I also was getting into the habit of reading the Christian bible daily. At the time, I didn’t know these activities would lead to me wanting to become a professional writer. I was more concerned about going on an imaginary journey with the characters I saw on screen or read about in my comic books.
I even received cartoon fixes during the week. I still remember those days when I would come home from school to watch shows like Space Giants, Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker. There was also the after-school specials on ABC that offered up inspiring stories about living life purposefully and responsibly.
The Saturday morning cartoon line-up introduced me to quirky characters. Some of the most quirky ones were George Jetson and Fred Flintstone, as well as Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. These characters are now considered icons because they were introduced during a time when life was, well, much simpler and less stressful. We didn’t have computers connected to the World Wide Web then. Our color television sets, with metal clothes hanger antennae, were our only conduits to the outside world.
The Saturday morning line-up fueled my imagination, my love for writing novels and screenplays. When I went on these journeys with these imaginary characters, I felt like I was right there with them. It was great being there with Jonny Quest on a mission in a South American rain forest. It was also great being there with the mouse Jerry as he outsmarted the cat Tom for the umpteenth time, or hearing the dog Droopy say, “You know what? I’m sad.” These characters, and others, gave me an appreciation for showing not telling, as well as how to take your characters through a series of complications before reaching the climax. That’s not to say, I’ve mastered these skills. The road ahead is long, steep and winding. I just want to be as creative as I can be so you can use your five senses to fully embrace the literary meals I have prepared, and continue to prepare, for you.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE J.A. FAULKERSON’S DEBUT NOVEL, ADINKRAHENE: FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET.
Opportunity Knocks
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE J.A. FAULKERSON’S DEBUT NOVEL, ADINKRAHENE: FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET.
After completing ADINKRAHENE: Fear of a Black Planet, I was torn between revamping one of my old novels or starting a new one. I ultimately decided to start from scratch. But now that I have more time to dedicate to my writing, I must once again display the same kind of discipline that enabled me to become a published novelist.
Fortunately for me, I have 21 pages of an unfinished screenplay to work from. Like all screenplays, it was written in the third person, in the active voice. The writing style is short, choppy, to the point. The biggest challenge for me, however, has been staying true to the story that I was trying to tell through the screenplay. I just have to avoid the temptation to write, well, short, choppy and pointed prose.
Short, choppy and pointed is great for screenplays, but not novels. When you’re writing a novel, you have to use the canvas of the reader’s mind to paint the settings and establish distinctive moods with your play on words. More importantly, the reader should be able to see your characters for who and what they are. Some will be perfect, others imperfect. They will also have mannerisms that are uniquely suited to them.
When I was a full-time employee, I used my hour-long lunch breaks to create content. Yes, there were days when I wanted to put the project down and just savor my lunch. There were also days when I wanted to chat more with my co-workers. But I knew if I did that, I would never be able to type that last sentence, or share my published novel with the world. I was on a mission: publish a 50-100,000-word novel by the end of May 2014. I achieved that goal, and I have been satisfied with the opportunities that have opened up to me as a result.
In June 2014, I appeared on TV One’s Newsone Now with Roland S. Martin. I enjoyed chatting with Roland about my life as a stay-at-home parent. But I’m not going to lie; it felt good when he introduced me as “Novelist Jeffery A. Faulkerson.” Even though I didn’t get a chance to publicize my debut novel, Roland’s introduction was a recognition of my hustle.
Next up is the National Black Book Festival in Houston, Texas. This event has been on my radar for years because it is one of many places where authors like myself get a chance to interact with new readers. These new readers will have questions about my novel, and I will count it a privilege and honor to be there to offer detailed responses. And if members of the Adinkrahene Nation (i.e., purchasers of my novel) are present, I look forward to collecting input for Book Two: Fear of a Beloved Community and Book Three: Fear of an Alien Presence.
As I lay the foundation for the writing of these books, I feel the need to study the writing of iconic writers. I am currently reading Octavia Butler’s Kindred. It’s a science fiction masterpiece that has the main character time shifting from Butler’s present to the antebellum South. I’m loving this piece, especially after reading Rom Wills’ The Sankofans novella. Butler’s novel is intriguing, and, at times, I have a difficult time putting it down.
My current project has nothing to do with science fiction. It’s a sports drama. Like I said before, my initial intent was to complete the screenplay, submit it to an agent, and then pray he would be able to pitch it to one of the Hollywood studios. I guess at the time I feared success. The only thing I did in 2013 to promote my story ideas was participate in a pitchfest event at the Screenwriters World Conference in Los Angeles, California. Don’t get me wrong; reciting memorized loglines and summaries for prospective buyers is great practice for making sales. But during my brief conversation with some of these buyers, I knew I sounded a lot like Charlie Brown’s teacher. I should have realized right then and there that my story ideas were better suited for the people, and the quickest way to get the same to them was through self-publication.
In his song Lose Yourself, rapper Eminem tells us that we only have one shot to blow (up). I don’t know what the future holds for me. I honestly can’t tell you if my writings will “blow up” one day, make J. A. Faulkerson a household name. All I know is I can’t be concerned with such nonsense. Offering up stories that resonate with you, my loyal readers, is paramount. And if you keep meeting me halfway by purchasing one of my products, I’m certain a new generation of Americans will understand the importance of co-existing.
Thank you for your support.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE J.A. FAULKERSON’S DEBUT NOVEL, ADINKRAHENE: FEAR OF A BLACK PLANET.
Django Unchained, Or The Spark That Moved Me
By now, many of you have seen the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained. I have watched it several times, and my admiration for the story, and the actors that brought it to life, continues to grow. But what you need to know about Django Unchained is it is the spark that moved me to write ADINKRAHENE: Fear of a Black Planet.
You see, Django Unchained is a story that casts a black man as the protagonist (I know, I know, Marc H. Django the hero didn’t kill Candy the villain, but he did get his woman back.). In an era where black men are rarely the ones saving the day, we have to tip our hats to Tarantino. He ran against the grain because he seemingly knows that we contemporary African Americans are still salty about the way our ancestors were treated. You could even argue that our ire is intensified even more when we see and hear Republican politicians and Conservative thought leaders attacking the gains that this country made during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. For some strange reason, these unenlightened Americans want their White American brethren to think something was taken away from them when this piece of legislation was passed. They’re wrong.
For this reason alone, I will be using this series of books to skewer the Republican Party. I assert that the Republican Party has been co-opted by the Corporate Cabal (i.e., White ruling class), and members of the Corporate Cabal have sold their souls to the demonic Satarian Empire. How else would you explain the GOP ‘s insensitivity to African-American challenges and concerns? The Devil must be making them do it. I just hope the unenlightened become enlightened through the reading of my words.
There has been talk that racism and discrimination are things of the past just because America elected its first, black president. Yes, electing Barack Hussein Obama as the leader of the free world is, and always will be, a good thing, but that doesn’t mean we’re now judging people by the content of their characters. If anything, the cracks in our unity are becoming more evident, and they are becoming more pronounced because GOP leaders don’t want to relinquish control of the plantation. But they have to relinquish control because we African Americans, like Django Freeman, will never again pick cotton…without compensation.
I still remember seeing an elderly, white woman dragging her husband out of the theater during Django Unchained’s opening weekend. This was done within the film’s first hour. She obviously was taken aback by the level of violence that Django, a black man, exacted against the bigoted, white slave owners. I readily agree that Tarantino’s brand of violence left little to the imagination. But why should it? We African Americans know that slave owners and Jim Crow criminals exacted a similar kind of violence against our ancestors.
In ADINKRAHENE: Fear of a Black Planet, I give you a cast of altruistic black characters that have been chosen by the one, true God to rebuild what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called the Beloved Community. But I counter their altruism with Black-Out, a black militia group that is committed to avenging the deaths of our fallen African and African-American ancestors by any means necessary. By pitting the Adinkrahene Reparations Management Syndicate (ARMS) against Black-Out, I hope you, the reader, will be able to see why all of us – red, brown, yellow, black and white – have been called to become Progressive agents of non-violent change.
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Self-Publishing Made Easy with John Locke
About three months ago, I downloaded crime novelist John Locke’s ebook How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months. However, I put it down soon after the purchase was made because I wanted to put the finishing touches on my debut novel, ADINKRAHENE: Fear of a Black Planet. But now that ADINKRAHENE is available for online purchase, I have started reading it again.
I would give anything to sell a million copies of my ebook or paperback. But to do that, in the words of John Locke, I have to identify my audience and then speak to it. While I have identified my audience (i.e., enlightened humans of all hues), I realize now that I haven’t had enough thought-provoking conversations with its members. I plan on doing more of that in the future.
I am looking forward to diving deeper into Locke’s book, and making his system my own. Like all self-published authors, I believe in my product, that it speaks to a generation of Americans who see how the color line is being used by the Corporate Cabal to divide and conquer members of the middle and working classes. But more than anything, these enlightened Americans see how Africans and African Americans are being scape-coated so the white ruling class never has to fully atone for the sins it committed, and continues to commit, against persons of color. A hard pill to swallow, I know. But these types of conversations must occur if we ever hope to build a beloved community of equals.
I have read samples of John Locke’s crime novels, but I have yet to purchase one. He’s a gifted writer, and I encourage all of my followers to visit his website to see all of the other products he has queued up for purchase. While I opted to purchase his nonfiction offering to gain a better understanding of his self-publishing system, I’m also smart enough to know that I also need to study his storytelling. People aren’t just buying Locke’s books because he’s looking kind of cool on the cover to the left. They’re buying his books because of the content, the way he tells his stories.
Stay tuned. After I finish reading John Locke’s wonderfully crafted ebook, I will share my thoughts and impressions in a future post.