Hey guys. If you’ve paid any attention to my social media stuff lately, you’ve probably already heard about Fiction Unboxed. For a couple of you, this post probably wont’ hold much value, but, there are a few of you out there, that I think should pay a little bit of attention.
If you have read Choices or Alcohologist Chronicles, and there are some of you out there, you can thank (or blame) the Self Publishing Podcast.
I managed to write Choices in November because I finally decided to dedicate myself to finishing a novel during NaNoWriMo. Yes, a couple of years ago, I wrote more than 50k words, but it wasn’t a book. I finished the book, and because of the NaNo rewards, I found a book called Write. Publish. Repeat. II f you have any aspirations as a writer, at all, you should read that book, by-the-way. WPR was written by Johnny B Truant and Sean Platt of the Self Publishing Podcast, and reading and learning from the book led me to their show.
So that was basically December, and I dived in with a tentative listen to their interview with Chuck Wendig. A few days later, I had downloaded every episode of SPP (and their side show Better Off Undead.) I started learning more and more and more.
If it wasn’t for SPP, Alcohologist Chronicles wouldn’t even exist. Chris and I decided to take a web comic idea that neither of us ever had the artistic talent to draw and use the one skill we did have, words. We created it the way we did because the SPP guys (especially Sean and Dave) made it seem possible to write it our way, in pieces and chunks that fit together, chaotically, into a whole.
These guys give out a weekly shot of encouragement for writers all over the world. They built a community.
And now, they’re doing something even more awesome.
One of the things that they do, one of the things that sets them streets ahead of so many others, is write good stories and do it fast. They’ve spent a lot of time helping other writers get to that level.
Fiction Unboxed is another huge step for that.
Sean and Johnny are going to create a full length book, from concept to publication in 30 days, and they’re going to document everything they’re doing.
They’ll broadcast their story meetings, they’ll share their emails, they’ll let us all read their horrible first drafts.
It might not seem like much, but it is huge.
There is a mysticism that has been attached to writing. It is a daunting, terrifying prospect of creativity.
Because someone has told us that’s what it’s like.
Every time someone pulls the veil back on a seemingly magical feat, the world benefits.
I don’t think anyone has ever tried to do that with writing.
If you are a reader or writer, and you have been mystified by the idea of how a book is made, then this is something that you need in your life.
The guys have put together a Kickstarter to make it happen. It’s already funded. It’s going to happen one way or another. So now is a good time to get in on the goods.
Or, if you have lots of money and want to just throw it around, you can buy in the $10k level… you know… and give it to me.