Publishing

Dystopian book 1 a release date has been set... more info coming soon.

Wasted Stories

Early on in the writing of the dystopian series, I had attempted several different stories. Each of them ended up in the proverbial round file. I was on my fifth or sixth attempt when I found something that worked, and I liked.  I had a vision of what this world was. I knew when it took place and roughly how the world had gotten into the dire straights the characters found themselves in, but I didn't have a story. Each attempt, I found something wrong; for example, characters weren't believable, the characters didn't fit the mold to be a lead, or in one case, I found I just despised the character.  These stories felt like a waste of time because they weren't bearing the fruit of the story I desired to tell.  

On my penultimate attempt, I wrote about a character who emerged, who I really liked, but I didn't feel like he was primary character material. He and those around him would be good supporting characters, so I decided to try it one more time. I found a pair of characters that were genuine and fun. They were who I wanted to tell this story around. As the story began to take shape, I found that the previous set of characters and my newfound mains came together, and a whole story began to take shape.  As the tale firmed up, I found that some of the characters from my wasted stories were at least mentioned as the main characters had come across them in the past.  A book of short stories revolving around that world was put together, and some of the stories were converted into short stories and included in the book. 

While these stories seemed like a waste as I scraped them, it turned out that they gave me material for the book of short stories and, in some cases, comedic anecdotes for the stars of the story. Sometimes what seems like waste is just a stepping stone into the real story.

Dystopian Novel Book 2 Playlist

1. Alabama Pines - Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
2. S.O.B. - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
3. Mud - Whiskey Myers
4. Reaper - Wild the Coyote feat. Badd Wolf
5. Save Your Soul - Joey Stylez feat. BLACKKISS
6. Warpath - Drezus
7. 7 - Frank Waln feat. Tanaya Winder
8. Creater Made an Animal - Snotty Nose Rez Kids feat. Boslen
9. Dragonfly - Shaman's Harvest
10. Long Hard Times to Come - Gangstagrass feat. T.on.e-z
11. Still Rolling Stones - Lauren Daigle
12. Sleeping on the Blacktop - Colter Wall
13. 3 Shades of Black - Hank Williams III
14. The Gunslinger - Shooter Jennings
15. Through the Valley - Shawn James
16. The Poet - Ryan Bingham
17. Last of My Kind - Jaso Isbell & the 400 Unit

Dystopian Novel Book 1 Playlist

 After some time I decided to share the playlists I listen to when writing in the dystopian novels that I am writing. You'll notice a lot of crossover with the "Crooked Line" books some of these are just good writing songs and may not specifically map to a scene. Hope you enjoy!

1. All These Things That I've Done - The Killers
2. Better Days - The Goo Goo Dolls
3. Run - Snow Patrol
4. Glycerine - Bush
5. Closing Time - Semisonic
6. Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
7. Touch, Peel and Stand - Days of the New
8. How's It Going to Be - Third Eye Blind
9. Good Intentions - Toad the Wet Sproket
10. Here Without You - 3 Doors Down
11. Careful With that Mic... - Clutch
12. Water's Edge - Seven Mary Three
13. Push - Matchbox Twenty
14. Cumbersome - Seven Mary Three
15. Santa Monica - Everclear
16. My Own Worst Enemy - Lit
17. Jumper - Third Eye Blind
18. Better Days (And the Bottom Drops Out) - Citizen King
19. Got You (Where I Want You) - The Flys
20. Broadway - The Goo Goo Dolls
21. The World I Know - Collective Soul
22. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
23. Counting Blue Cars - Dishwalla
24. Here's to the Night - Eve 6
25. The Last Pale Light In The West - Ben Nichols
26. Carry Me Home - The Sweeplings
27. Taker's Creen - Morgan O'Kane
28. Highwayman - The Highwaymen
29. American Remains - The Highwaymen
30. Outlaw Sh*t - Waylon Jennings & The .357s
31. Rescue - Lauren Daigle
32. My Hero -  Foo Fighters
33. Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys - Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson

"Crooked Line" Book 9 Playlist

1. Father of Mine - Everclear
2. Bring Me TO Life - Evanescence
3. Airplanes - B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams
4. In This River - Black Label Society
5. Careful With That Mic... - Clutch
6. I Alone - Live
7. Thunderstruck - AC/DC
8. 100 Years - Five for Fighting
9. How to Save a Life - The Fray
10. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
11. The Mummers' Dance (Single Remix) - Loreena McKennitt
12. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot
13. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down
14. Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne
15. Fight Song - Rachel Platten
16. Bite Me - Avril Lavigne
17. Thugz Cry - Bizzy Bone
18. I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin
19. Lightning Crashes - Live