The Writer and The White Cat

Sex and the Writer- Part One of Five

2012-02-12T10:16:00.004-05:00

Our sexuality empowers our writing.

Family members hate to hear writers discuss such things. Ever see a child recoil at the thought of their parents having sex? So if you're going to read this series of posts, please don't tell your family.

Our readers don't like to think about it, either. It's okay if our characters are sexually attractive or charismatic, but not you and I. We're the storytellers. We're supposed to be the trusted narrators of their stories, not vicarious participants.

"I wish they'd take writer's pictures off of their books," one reader told me. "It spoils my image of their characters."

Now that's odd, I thought. We write the stories, but they don't like to think of us in the stories. That's especially true when it comes to sex. We'll take a closer look at this phenomena in the next post.

After that, we'll explore the complex relationship between sexuality and creativity. I won't look at sterile, stilted surveys and studies, but I will be exploring why only sexually driven writers can create intensely engaging fiction. I'm not talking about creating sex scenes, I'm talking about the ability to create powerful fiction.

What about the great social fiction that has nothing to do with sex?

It might be a great topic, but it's not our topic. But to deal with the question tangentially, I don't think writers who are not intensely sexual can create great social fiction. Our creative power comes from our sexuality.

It's a complex topic, but let me start you off with something to think about- when you write your story, have you ever considered the image your reader has of you, the writer? Are you good looking- as a narrator? Are you a man or a woman? Are you powerful? Are you ruthless? Are you lonely? Remember, I'm talking about the way you come across to your readers, not your characters.

Think about it- who are you (as a narrator) to your readers? Who do they imagine you to be?

He Needs Your Help

2012-02-06T22:32:00.002-05:00

Who is he?

You don't recognize him, do you? You should. All he's asking for is some recognition.

You grew up with him.

What happened to him? Oh my, you really are out of touch for a writer, aren't you? He's a character in your latest book.

I'm afraid you've fogotten the true source of your stories. Let's try another test.

Recognize her?

Oh, no!

How could you forget her? She could use a little recognition, too. She's a character in your first book. The one that got you noticed. The one that made everyone think you could write like the love child of Jane Austen and John Steinbeck.

No? Still doesn't ring a bell?

Have you forgotten where all of your great characters and great stories can be found? I was afraid of this, so I'll remind you but don't tell anyone else or they'll end up being great writers, too.

Your childhood.

Keep it to yourself. Every great story begins in your childhood.

Think about it.

Every great character is someone from your childhood all grown up.

Really think about it. It will improve your writing. But don't tell anyone I told you.

Meet the Guy Telling Your Life Story

2012-02-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

What's that in his hand, you ask?

Why, it's your life story.

You're a writer and maybe you thought the value of your writing life would be written down by someone who investigated and contexted your personal history, the evolution of your feelings and ideas. Maybe you were hoping your biographer- and we all like to think someday we'll be successful enough writers to be written about- would have a little empathy and understanding for your life. That maybe he or she would actually care about your first kiss, your first love, the birth of your children.

Well, sure, but he's a little busy now. And he's a little amused that writers don't understand how their biographies are being created these days.

There are only two sources to look at to compile the meaning of a writer's life, he says.

First, your credit card receipts. They reveal what you actually do with your money, which, he believes, kind of says who you are. Every penny you spend reveals a little more of yourself and fortunately for him, it's actually accessible. Why listen to what a writer says or writes when you can actually see what they did, where they did it and how much they did it just by contacting Equifax or TRW. They have everybody's real history, including ours.

Ouch!

You're nervous now, aren't you? Writers create fiction, about themselves and their characters. But credit receipts don't lie. According to your biographer, they are you.

But wait, there's more.

You've been telling on you. Yes, blabbing your life away telling all sorts of things you shouldn't. Writing down the evidence of your attitudes, who your friends are and what you all are doing. Ouch again! You squealed on yourself.

It's all written down- that's what your biographer says. Why bother reading your fiction when he or she can read the real stuff. Where do they get it?

The picture's below is a clue. Yes, now you get it. Between your credit card receipts and this rendition of the details of your life you've provided to your future biographer, your fiction can pretty much be ignored. Your online life tells the world your real story.

Scandal is Good for Creativity

2012-02-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

I'm confessing- I'm the guy standing in line at the grocery store reading all the gossip magazines. Scientifically speaking, writers are natural born busybodies. And what better way to keep us wondering "what if..."

But here's my darkest secret- before it's print demise, I was the single greatest fan of the Weekly World News. Now that it is available only online, I am still addicted. It has such great headlines as "Bat Boy Found in Cave" and many other memorable news articles such as "Kim Kardashian's Butt Explodes." Don't laugh- their stories are thoroughly researched. In the interests of public service, they even have email alerts that will notify you whenever aliens land on earth.

You can see why my dream has always been to be a writer for this icon of creativity.

They tell you the things other news outlets don't. Most of you probably don't know that a volcano erupted this week in Cleveland, Ohio or that Megan Fox is a man. Or that L.A. real estate agents use predator drones to improve their business.

Also, in this week's issue, they unveil proof that not only does "Eating Causes Weight Gain," but also that "Yoga Causes Mental Illness."

So if you've got a bad case of writer's block or are desperately trying to kick start your creativity, go read the "Weekly World News." It'll change your paradigm.

Ghost Box Cover Art

2012-01-30T01:06:00.000-05:00

Over at White Cat Publications, we're currently on version 5 of the cover art for "The Ghost Box." In the next version, the ectoplasmic vapors will be coming more from inside the box. Thought you might want to see what it looks like before the final version.

And we're looking for new novels to publish, so check out the guidelines and if your work meets the criteria, send it along. We're just getting ready to announce this over at Ralan and Duotrope, but I wanted to let you know first.

New Cover Art

2012-01-25T13:37:00.000-05:00

Here's the new cover for "Tainted Blood." What do you think?

The Writing Tree versus NaNoWriMo

2012-01-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

The question is not whether you can write 50,000 words per month, it's whether or not you should.

The value of NaNoWriMo is twofold. First it brings writers together in a common project. The value of this should not be underestimated. Second, it gets writers writing. No small feat that.

It's easy to find supporters of NaNoWriMo all over the web. It's a developed and exciting community, and sometimes when you question a community movement you get hammered by its supporters, but I'll risk it.

Considering the speed of publishing today, we all feel the pressure to write faster so we don't get left behind. The market changes rapidly, especially with the advent of eBooks. The more we write, the reasoning seems to go, the more money we can make.

But in the race to be rapid, I wonder if we're sacrificing the power of our writing. The ability to create compelling, emotionally moving writing takes time and reflection to develop. It requires that we look deeply into ourselves and the people around us before we start typing.

This ability takes time to take root within us. It begins small, like a seed, and cannot be forced to grow beyond its time or it will wither and die.

I believe most writers have the ability to be great writers, but they lose their chance by writing before they think.

One powerful novel is worth ten mediocre efforts.

If you want to read an examples of a writer with mature, developed power read something by James Lee Burke. I guarantee you'll be impressed and put the book down thinking maybe it is worth it to take the time to think, really think about what you're writing before you put it to paper.

Real People Are Better than Characters

2012-01-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

Cute dog isn't it?

I love dogs- we have five of them. But none of them ride in fire engine trucks and look that clean. They fight. They trash the house if we're gone too long. They don't get along with the cats. You get the picture.

Fact is, he little guy in the picture is a fake. Just like a lot of characters.

Stereotypes are okay as a kind of short-hand for throw-away characters. They're easy to write and and easy to source. You can almost buy them online. The evil business person. The average person fighting against the system. Or my all-time favorite. The "elements re-assembled" character.

The stereotyped character draws from a list of prearranged character attributes which you can actually find in the various books that Writers Digest sells. The idea is that it's hard work to create an original character. A writer would actually have to think and everything. And you might fail. The emotional trauma of failure might be painful. The stereotyped character relieves you of that burden.

The "elements-assembled" character is a Mix-Match creation. To hide the fact that our characters are two-dimensional stereotypes, we take the character "parts" and arrange them in unconventional ways.
With luck, the patchwork characters will be considered original. This applies to character mannerisms as well. For example, instead of having a tobacco-chewing man (ugh) we write a tobacco-chewing woman (ugh) character. Isn't that creative? Isn't that original?

Or, instead of having a powerful, evil businessman, we create a powerful, evil businesswoman.

Who knew that creativity was so easy?! Switch gender roles or switch personal habits and we instantly have an original character!

On the other hand, this might explain why more readers are reading less. They know that writers don't actually study real people anymore, they study fictional characters. They base their law enforcement characters on characters they've seen on CSI. Or Law and Order. Or.... you get the point.

After all, "Avatar" made millions and millions of dollars for its creators, and there isn't one character in the entire movie that's not a stereotype or recycled character. So why should a writer study real people? Why try to really analyze the human condition and potential to create characters that are more compelling?

Think of it this way- movie studios and TV production groups have an awful lot more to invest in their stories. It's your mind against their computer animated graphics and music scores. Ever notice how much they spend on music scores for movies? It's because the music creates most of the mood, not the script. Their writers can't pull it off without music and sound effects.

Fiction writers don't have a choice. We actually have to make it happen in the reader's mind without music, without special effects, and without actors. Movie studios have hundreds of millions of dollars invested. Fiction writers, if we're lucky, have a decent laptop.

So we have to work a lot harder to make our readers really believe that our characters are real. We might actually have to pay attention to real people to learn how to make believable characters.

Or we could keep on turning out two dimensional characters like the dog in the picture.

Year of the Writers

2012-01-02T18:45:00.000-05:00

Sure I'm a day or two late, but I've been writing and posting the next issue of White Cat Magazine. Drop on over and check it out. As always, the magazine is free to read.

And Happy New Year to all of you out there, especially those of you who are actively involved in the blogosphere in general and writing in particular. Love you all.

2011 was a wild year for me and I made so many new friends in the writing world I'm going to have to buy Christmas and Holiday cards in bulk next year just to keep up with them.

Thank you William and Deborah Jones of Elder Signs Press for being the inspiration to so many of us to keep writing, to aim high and to make you proud of what you started.

Thanks Charles Gramlich for being the great writer and pillar of the Blogosphere that you are.

Thank you Lana Gramlich for sharing your beautiful creative work so we writers never forget that it is in the end the artist's visions that we re-create with with our words.

Thank you Mark Durfee for teaching us all that poetry today can still have musuclarity and relevance.

Nevine, thank you for revealing the twin truths that poetry can still be lush and beautiful, and that it's true origin and destination is always the heart.

Ocean Girl, your beautiful spirit lights the web whenever you right.

Bernard L., you just have to read Stephen Hunter's "Time to Hunt" and tell me why you can't be that good. Or his "Hot Springs." You might not realize it, but I'm looking for a lot out of you. You have the heart and commitment and I know it will happen.

Vesper, I was so happy to publish your story in White Cat Magazine. I got so many complimentary emails about it. Your work envelopes the reader so completely. With your narrative voice and deft sense of timing, I'm sure your first novel will be a great success.

JR Tomlinson- I'm waiting for that novel of yours. Don't let us down. Your friends know you have it in you. You have a bit of the Steinbeck in you, my friend.

Travis, I go to your blog whenever I need to read someone with a natural gift of storytelling. Thanks for being there for me.

Mr. Laughingwolf, I quit reading news blogs to learn what's going in the world. Now I just visit you for the answers.

I've got so many more thank you's to say , but I'll continue adding them during the week.

Right now, I've got to get back to writing "The White Death" if I want to have it ready for summer publication.

Steampunk & "The Ghost Box"

2011-12-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

My new book "The Ghost Box" is ready for print layout and cover design, for a release date early next spring. I don't know how many books a year the rest of you write, but two or three is quite enough for me, I think! James Patterson produces an average of 230 books per year, but I believe in all honesty that he is not a human being, but an organized work farm of alien laborers from the planet Profit.

I'd love to hear from the rest of you what your average yearly word count is.

The covers a mixture of three genres- Steampunk, Paranormal and Science Fiction. Maybe we should call it "Dark Urban Fantasy" and leave it at that.

"The White Death" is well underway, and is a mixture of Steampunk, Lovecraft, and Science Fiction. A seatbelt is required when reading the book.

Next year, though, I'm sticking with one genre category per book. How about you?

Force Majeure

2011-11-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

"Force Majeure" is another of my eBook short stories sold to bring in money to fight plagiarism anywhere, anytime by publishers who sell our work without authorization. It's the story of a new technology gone very, very bad...

Haints

2011-11-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

My short story "Haints" is now available through Kindle. As with "Electrocuting the Clowns," all proceeds will go towards getting acts of plagiarizing for profit to be treated as Consumer Fraud.

Electrocuting the Clowns- The Boyer Free Edition

2011-11-11T20:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's the David Boyer-Free Edition. All proceeds from sales of this eBook Boyer-Free edition will go toward fighting plagiarizing publishers.

"Electrocuting the Clowns" was the story Boyer plagiarized from me and then had nominated for a Stoker Award- even though he'd stolen the story! But we're making progress in the fight.

Not only has the Horror Writers Association written to Deputy Attorney General Tom Irons to prosecute Boyer under Consumer Fraud Laws and the National Writers Union spearheaded this weekend a new letter writing campaign to the Indiana Attorney General's Office, Consumer Fraud Division, but Brian Keene has brought this matter to the attention of thousands of writers who have then been contacting the Indiana AG.

So in the meantime I've begun publishing "Boyer-Free" editions of my short stories on Kindle to help collect money to continue the fight against plagiarizing publishers. Every dime goes to pay the lawyers and researchers who are helping us fight these creeps.

Consider buying these stories a donation to fight literary cancer.

Is Amazon Guilty of Consumer Fraud?

2011-11-01T14:43:00.000-04:00

I like Amazon. Love them, in fact. But can someone tell me their corporate address in case Consumer Fraud Charges need to be filed against them?

We know they're the world's largest lovable book store. Great prices. Great inventory. But guess what? Now they're a publisher, too.

They publish books.

Many fine authors publish via Amazon.

Guess who else they publish?

David Boyer, the sleazy plagiarist operating out of Vincennes, IN.

So if you're a writer, and David Boyer under one of his many aliases steals your stuff and publishes it for profit through Amazon, is Amazon guilty, too? They know he's a plagiarist and have yanked some of his plagiarized works off their internet shelves. But when he sends them a book like "Shadow Dolls" or "Mystery Indiana," they publish them without checking to see if they're plagarized.

So I ask you, if they know he's a plagiarist because they've had to take down some of his books, and they publish his new books without checking to see if they're plagiarized, are they now accomplices?

If they don't take a stand against David Boyer the Vincennes, IN plagiarist, is it because they don't mind making money off of stolen works?

Does this make them guilty of Consumer Fraud?

Who's Zooming Who?

2011-10-28T11:55:00.000-04:00

It's flattering to receive an interview request, isn't it? Say from a man claiming to be a well credentialed writer named George LaCroix or David Byron or Sean Killian. He's got a hot project. You can be in it.

Let's say it includes a spiel like this:

The book will be an in depth look into their lives and careers, as well as an insight into their profession as an individual genre, and how much the genre has changed over the course of time. I think you would make a wonderful addition to the book, and would be honored if you would agree to let me send you some interview questions via email. I'd simply send you the questions via email attachment, you'd fill in your answers, send it back via email.

Sounds safe enough, doesn't it? Kind of flattering in a suck-up sort of way.

You get a few short email questions- which you answer at length and give permission for the interviewer to use what you've written so he can make money. Where's the harm? Maybe it will get your name out in public just a little more.

What if the man interviewing you turned out to be the David Boyer- the sleaziest plagiarist in the history of copyright infringement? How would you like your name to be associated with him?

He didn't tell you who he really was when he contacted you (because he's cyberstalked and misunderstood). And sometimes he signs the contract with his pseudonym. Is it a valid contract? Sometime he signs his real name because it's too late for you, the writer- you write most of the content, you make nothing, he owns the interview and your named is smeared with his reputation.

So, really- who's zooming who?

Isn't it important to know who is interviewing you?

Boyergate Flash- Aliens Arrive in Vincennes, Indiana to Sign InterGalactic Treaty with Notorious Plagiarist!

2011-10-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

Looking Around

for

"The Great One"

The town of Vincennes, Indiana became instantly famous today with the confidential admission of a city official that an entepreneurial mission of Aliens from the Snicker's galaxy has arrived to sign a contract with the city's most notorious and prolific plagiarist.

This reporter was priveleged to interview the lead alien negotiator.

In response to my first question, "Hello, what is your name?" he responded "$@&***(^"

A thirteen year old boy with strawberry blond hair was called in to run the alien's answer through Google Voice and Language Translator, which rendered it as "I'm a good boy."

Further calibration of the Google translator gave us this version, "Where is the Great Plagiarist of Vincennes, Indiana?"

"He's running late," I told him. "It's hard work creating fake identities to hide behind when you're selling stolen work. And it's time consuming when you have to lie to the authors, claim a mob of cyberstalkers is after you, tell people your computer was hacked, and even pretend it's not your fault if you inadvertantly used their stories. He'll explain it to you when he gets here."

"$$-^^^^_+!!!," said the alien.

The teenager translated, "Maybe he said goody goody?"

"Why do you want to be trained in the art of plagiarism and copyright infringement?" I asked.

The alien ambassador grew excited and waved his arms up and down while making a hooting noise. His entourage did the same. It was like they were having an extraterrestrial orgasm and quite embarassing for an earthling to watch.

"Wow," said the kid. "They're saying that there's been no theft on their world. They never thought of stealing until the Great Plagiarist contacted them with a potato powered radio transmitter and offered to scan all of earth's books and give it to them for a percentage of the proceeds when they sell them throughout the universe."

"How much do the authors get?" I asked the kid, who duly ran my request through the Google Voice and Language translator.

After my question was translated, the aliens responded with a raucus chorus of owl sounds punctuated by all of them pointing at what I think were their crotches.

"What?" I asked.

"I think they're busting a gut," said the kid.

Suddenly, I realized why it was worth it for them to travel all the way across the galaxy to consult with the Great One of Plagiarism and it made me mad. With any luck, they would take the great plagiarist back to their own planet to study.

An Open Letter to Amazon

2011-10-19T21:31:00.000-04:00

They're big, they've got money and clout and we all need their help to protect our works from plagiary for profit, a.k.a. Consumer Fraud. NEW: Here's their FAX number in case you want to send a letter of support

206-266-7010 FAX

Amazon Legal Dept. Fax

(Send Them a FAX Saying We Need Them to Contact Tom Irons, Indiana Deputy Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Division and Tell Him Boyer Publishing & Selling Books with Stolen Content is Consumer Fraud!)

Here's the letter I just FAXED them:

*****

October 19, 2011

Amazon.com
Legal Dept.
P.O. Box 81226
Seattle, WA 98108-1226

Reference File No. 10-CP-62157, Consumer Fraud Filing, Office of the Indiana Attorney General, Consumer Fraud Division. Filed with Deputy Attorney General Tom Irons, 302 W. Washington St., 5th Floor, Indianapolis, IN 46204

Dear Amazon Legal Department:

I want you to write a letter.

My name is Ferrel D. Moore and I’ve filed the Consumer Fraud Complaint cited above against the plagiarizing publisher David Boyer of Vincennes, IN. Mr. Boyer has plagiarized over 60 writers and is currently producing extensively plagiarized books using your publishing services and selling these products to unsuspecting consumers using Amazon’s storefront.

Two examples of this are his books “Shadow Dolls” and “Mystery Indiana.” In them, he has plagiarized Richard Matheson, Mr. Matheson’s son, George R.R. Martin and many others. To see the extent of his documented plagiaries, you may visit the site we prepared for Mr. Irons, the Deputy Attorney General of the state of Indiana, Consumer Fraud Division. The website address is https://sites.google.com/site/bthoughtful/

The National Writers Union, Local 1981 UAW, the SFWA and the HWA have all written Mr. Irons in support of my filing, as well as hundreds of writers across the country.

I and many other authors have filed consumer fraud charges against Mr. Boyer. We are filing consumer fraud because the laws apply. He is selling stolen works, re-packaging them under false label as his own works and then selling them to consumers across the country using Amazon’s publishing services and storefront to profit even though this leads to the “…leads to sales wherein the consumers either do not receive the good or service or the good or service is materially different than what the seller initially represented it to be.” Which is, in a word, consumer fraud.

To the best of all of our knowledge, Amazon is unknowingly participating in this enterprise. Amazon’s reputation for dealing swiftly and efficiently with such instances of fraud is impeccable.

It is for this reason that I’m asking you to send a letter of support for our efforts to treat this as consumer fraud. We, both the writers and cited organizations supporting our efforts, understand that copyright violations are involved. These avenues are, however, too expensive for the average writer to pursue, especially when the matter crosses state lines. For example, I spent over $7,000 having my works removed from his books that you and others published.

Consumer fraud is a different matter. There is no cost for a writer to file a consumer fraud complaint with the appropriate state Attorney General’s Office.

But we need your help to stop this plagiarizing publisher and others like him. He changes his name, changes his book titles, and then publishing the same stolen works all over again. But you have his social security number, which he uses to publish these works. It doesn’t mean that every word he publishes is plagiarized. It takes time to dig into that.

In cases such as those documented on the website I directed you to, the evidence is clear.

Would you please consider sending a letter to the Deputy Attorney General of the State of Indiana supporting the principal of my Consumer Fraud filing? You are not the police force for the book world, but you are the single strongest, most respected presence in the world for the written word and we very much need your help.

Google David Boyer, plagiarist. See what you come up with.

Then write a letter, if you think the cause is just, to:

Deputy Attorney General Tom Irons
Office of the Indiana State Attorney General
Consumer Fraud Division
302 W. W. Washington St., 5th Floor,
Indianapolis, IN 46204

I’m posting this as an open letter to you on my writers blog http://thewriterandthewhitecat.blogspot.com so that the other hundreds of other writers sending letters to Mr. Irons and organizations who have done the same can see what I’m asking. There are too many of them involved to contact them separately.

Ferrel D. Moore
White Cat Publications, LLC.
33080 Industrial Road
Livonia, MI 48150
editor@whitecatpublications.com

FrankenBoyer

2011-10-15T19:35:00.000-04:00

Let me introduce you to everyone's new favorite Halloween toy. A combination of Frankenstein and Gumby. It's a futile creature doll modeled after the plagiarizing publisher David Boyer of Vincennes, IN.

The idea came to a toy manufacturer after reading how Boyer tried to stitch together past plagiarisms from real authors into a new, nauseatingly bad book. He calls it "Shadow Dolls." Why is ithis patchwork plagiarism so bad? One six year old expert think it's "the bad man" stitched them together like a blind seamstress suffering from palsey. I tend to agree. But whatever the cause of his ineptness the result is stomach pain bad.

Let's try to understand this new failure of the puerile plagiarist. Imagine if you will a plagiarist- a man with no creative skills of his own, and so low a character that he steals writings from teenagers and senior citizens alike- trying to blend a potpourri of plagiarism into a novel. The idea can barely be contained within the human skull.

Perhaps we can gain insight by reaching back into the world of fiction. In the novel Frankenstein, for example, Dr. Victor Frankenstein is brilliant but misguided in his attempts to create life. Unfortunately, it was his bad judgement to include a defective brain in his newly created creature. The results were dubious at best and should be intuitively obvious to the discerning student of human nature.

Likewise, when the pitiful plariazing publisher David Boyer of Vincennes, Indiana attempted to create a book that would be his own from multiple writer's work and not get caught, he started out with a brain issue.

Which is why, to this day, Gumby doesn't write. You see, if you write using the mind of Gumby, for sure you're going to get Pokied.

Writer Activists

2011-10-13T00:53:00.000-04:00

Activism among writers has a long and proud history. We're good at fighting for others rights. Non-fiction writers are most frequently given credit for prodding our social consciences, but fiction writers, too, have a proud history of doing the same in ways that are equally if not more forceful. Victor Hugo, Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Steinbeck and James Baldwin are good examples of this.

But what about our own rights? How well do we stack up on this front?

A.C. Crispin, Victoria Strauss and Richard C. White of Writer Beware® are personal heroes of mine for their work in keeping us informed about those who would pirate or infringe upon our rights. The SFWA, MWA and Horror Writers have shone marvelous backbone in the fight, too, as organizations that actively stand up for their members. The National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981/ AFL-CIO not only has helped me spearhead the effort to get pirating publishers to be investigated and convicted under state Consumer Fraud laws, but they also provide grievance redress.

I also want to thank all of you out there who have respectfully written to Mr. Tom Irons of the Indiana Attorney General's Office, Consumer Fraud Division to prosecute David Boyer for his theft of so many of our works, putting his own name on them and then selling them for his personal profit. You are truly friends of every honest writer out there.

But for those of you who haven't written Mr. Irons yet, why not?

If this method of using Consumer Fraud legislation against plagiarizing publishers is again successful in Indiana, then when you need a method to go after a publisher who has plagiarized you, it will be there for you, too. You will be able to file a complaint against the crooked publishing company in the state where they stole your work.

We've all got to help each other stand up to these plagiarizing publishers.

We're so good at sticking up for the rights of others, now it's time to stand up for our own rights.

Bigfoot Still Angry at David Boyer- Revisiting a Little Known Story

2011-10-08T01:21:00.000-04:00

Bigfoot Needed a Ride to Vincennes, Indiana

But Developed Engine Trouble Along the Way

I was hot on the trail of another David Boyer exclusive by getting the scoop on why Bigfoot was traveling across the country to see the famous plagiarist in his home town of Vincennes, Indiana. We were half-way through the wilds of Ohio and the hairy hominid was hurrying to reach the border before sundown. I had to run to keep up with him. Being ten foot tall, his stride was enormous.

The seismic simian had just astonished me by stating he wanted to be a writer.

"Had you thought of basketball instead?" I said as we crested another of Ohio's annoying hills. "There's lots of money in basketball for a guy your size."

"Bigfoot no punk yeti! Bigfoot aim big. Be famous writer like Stephen King."

His words rumbled across the open land like thunder and his eyes were red-yellow and fierce. I resisted the urge to look down and see if he really did have big feet.

"Why are going to see David Boyer?" I asked and added, "Could we sit down on a stump or something? I'm out of breath."

The gentle giant stopped and looked at me apologetically. "Sorry," he said. "Bigfoot no fit in car. And cheap foreign flying saucer crap out over Toledo."

We found a stump large enough in diameter to support his behind and a log for me to sit on. He sat down rather quietly for a creature weighing over twelve hundred pounds. And in the afternoon sun, he actually looked dignified except for his face being completely covered with fur and those huge teeth. Perhaps by email I'll suggest he consider cologne as a wardrobe accessory as well.

"So," I repeated, "why are you meeting with Mr. Boyer?"

"Bigfoot need help. Have writer's block," he said, casting his eyes toward the ground. "Can't write worth beef jerky."

"Wait, David Boyer to help you? He's a terrible writer. He told me so himself in an email."

"But he no have writer's block. He writer lots of books. Bigfoot have writer's block."

I stood up and walked over to my new friend.

"You don't need to go see Boyer," I said. "I can tell you why Boyer doesn't have writer's block."

"You can?" he said, with a huge smile and a mouthful of blocky teeth. "You make Bigfoot very happy."

"Sure," I said. "His own fiction was so bad it was hard to get published, so he just started stealing other people's work and publishing that under his name or one of his aliases. Most of his work is stolen. That way he didn't have to deal with writer's block. You see? He was a publisher. Writers submitted their work and he just stole their stories. That's in addition to stealing from writers on StoryMania."

Bigfoot said nothing for a few minutes, then he stood, beat his chest and howled.

"What? What?" I yelled in a panic.

"Bigfoot put story up on StoryMania."

Uh-oh, I thought

Call to Action for All Writers- Please Write the Indiana Attorney General

2011-10-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

I'm asking for your help.

The Attorney General's Office of Indiana is looking at whether or not to shut down a crooked publisher named David Boyer of Vinncennes, Indiana by using Consumer Fraud regulations. These can carry criminal penalties as in the case of David Caswell. Boyer steals other writers works (take a look at the size of the partial list of victims on the left hand side of B-Thoughtful's blog - it's over double that now and she's still updating her database) and illegally sells them to consumers claiming he wrote them. He steals our stuff and sells it illegally, claiming he is the author.

Remember, like all publishers and or writers, he is operating as a business. A shoddy, tawdry business, but subject to business and Consumer Fraud regulations nonetheless. Let's get them enforced. If it works in Indiana, we can expect similar decisions by AG offices across the country. If they're not on board, we take the campaign to them.

In the past, the only recourse a writer had was to file an expensive, time consuming and ultimately unproductive lawsuit against creeps like Boyer who them claim they're bankrupt. Help me change that. Tell the Attorney General's office for the State of Indiana how important it is for this plagiarist publisher to be subject to the same penalties as any other crooked business. We want him pursued under Consumer Fraud regulations at their cost, not ours. He's defrauding consumers by selling them our stuff with his name on it.

International emails of support to the Attorney General of Indiana are also very important. Show him that writers of the world are you united in their common goal to protect writers. The email is listed below.
Here's where to send your respectful but firm letters and or emails of support and be sure to include the File Number File No. 10-CP-62157:

Tom Irons

Consumer Protection Division,

Office of the Indiana Attorney General

302 W. Washington St., 5th Floor

Indianapolis, IN 46204

email: Tom.Irons@atg.in.gov

If we don't act together to convince the Attorney General to shut down the creep David Boyer of Vincennes, Indiana you might be next on the list. And if he keeps getting away with it, how many more people can steal your work and get it away with it? Send an email, send a letter or call and leave Tom Irons a respectful but firm message that we need his help. If you're a member of a writer's group or writing organization, ask them to write, too.

If we can get the Romance Writers of America behind this effort, this guy will go down. If the SFWA gets behind us, this guy will go down. That goes for the Myster Writers of America and the HWA, too. Anyone who knows anyone in those organizations, please ask for their support in this letter writing campaign. They know how to get out the troops. I've already contacted the National Writers Union.

So now I'm asking you personally to help by contacting Mr. Irons.

Let's put a stop to writers having to spend a fortune defending their rights when it's really not only about copyright violation, it's about Consumer Fraud.

October Edition of White Cat Magazine

2011-10-02T02:35:00.000-04:00

The October Edition of White Cat Magazine is now out. I'd like to thank all of the many writers who contributed to it. And for those that didn't make it into this issue- please submit again!

Lady Killers

2011-08-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

This year at Conclave I'll be making a variety of presentations including "Werewolves of Michigan," "Michigan's Most Haunted," "Secrets of the Emerald Tablet" and "Using Female Assassins & Secret Societies in Your Novel." Of these topics, I think Female Assassins will be the most well attended.

The last ten years have seen an explosion of female assassins in both print and movies. The movies have been particularly generous in this regard- "Kill Bill," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Aeon Flux" and "Ultraviolet" come to mind immediately. There's a reason for this, and it making use of this trend can really ratchet up the tension in your novel. And if you use it right, there's a big chance you will have better luck selling your story.

Think of it this way- a lot money is spent by the entertainment industry on stories involving female assassins and secret societies. So why haven't you included one or the other in your own fiction?

The Ghost Box

2011-08-17T09:58:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I find it hard to pay attention to daily life while I'm writing. Phone calls go answered, emails ignored, friends and family thought of in passing but sure to be there when the story is finished. The world stops for us while we write. Everything is on hold except the story.

The last year has been like that for me. On top of starting White Cat Magazine, I finished writing two novels- "Tainted Blood" and "The Ghost Box." which are now in the edit process. They're both a bit dark and wild. In "Tainted Blood," mercernaries track an ancient werewolf through the cities of Detroit. A great deal of this sort of thing occurs unnoticed in the streets of Detroit, especially during hockey season.

"The Ghost Box" is the novel I wrote after seeing artist James Baxter's painting "Incident at Track 13." I was writing a ghost story at the time, saw the painting of what looked to be a Civil War alien abduction, and suddenly saw how to blend my story with that imagery to make a suspense novel revolving around aliens, ghosts and a paranormal investigation gone bad. It's based on a true story. Okay, maybe not, but after living in that world as I wrote the novel, it seemed more real than daily life.

You see, it's tough staying in touch with the real world when you write this kind of stuff. Then again, writers live most of their lives in the worlds they create; we just visit reality every now and then to drop off our laundry.

Market News

2011-08-16T14:00:00.000-04:00

Editor Charles P. Zaglanis opened his new company “Edit Assistance” this last week to provide a variety of of editorial services to those of us writers who need constructive input and developmental editing. He and his staff are accepting submissions from both published authors and non-published writers.

Although Mr. Zaglanis is best known for his work at Elder Signs Press and Dark Wisdom magazine, he is also highly respected for his skills as a writer. His story “Isle of Dreams” in the anthology “High Seas Cthulhu” is a masterpiece of dark fiction.

Firms like Edit Assistance have an interesting place in today’s competitive writing world, where the output demanded of us requires that we keep a faster pace than in the past. Many publishing houses have reduced their level of editorial control, and expect more of this to be handled by the individual writer.

But the faster we work, the more mistakes we make and the more editorial input we need. Bestselling authors realize what developing writers don’t: it helps to hire professionals. Professional writers need professional help. If developing writers ever want to be professionals, they can get a leg up on the competition by hiring someone to polish their manuscript. A polished manuscript capturers an editor’s eye, believe me.

So we should welcome Mr. Zaglanis’s help. We all need it.

I wrote this in approximately three minutes. Look for the mistakes. Let me know what you find.