Friday, July 31, 2015

Editpalooza Begins Tomorrow!

Over the past four months, I have been writing at a pace I have never achieved before. April's Camp NaNoWriMo project was a novella in the Parted Veil series, which I managed to get the first draft of finished. Right about the time April was coming to a close, Jolene Haley and I were starting our first project together--Harrowed, the first book in the Woodsview Murders series. Since that time, we have eaten, slept and breathed the Woodsview stories, and are deep into the first draft of book two already, which was July's Camp NaNo project.

So for four months straight now, it's been writing, writing, writing in every spare moment of every single day.

But starting tomorrow, it's editing time. In fact, there will be so much editing, revising and rewriting during the month of August that it deserves it's own moniker--Editpalooza.

Editpalooza will be filled with laughter, tears, blood-curdling screams and a healthy dose of profanity. Jolene and I have our game faces on (maybe we'll take a picture of them), and we are ready to roll. But we don't want to hoard all of the editing fun for ourselves.

So, if you have a project that you need to edit, revise or rewrite, you should join us this month. We'll be using the hashtag #Editpalooza to chronicle our journey, and we'll be sharing some great editing resources both here and over at Jolene's site. We might even be recording a special editing-focused episode of the See Brian Write podcast (stay tuned). We might even have guests posts! 

So, if you're just coming off of Camp NaNoWriMo, or if you've got a project that needs some love, then get get ready for Editpalooza!

P.S. If you're interested in keeping up with the Woodsview series, I would recommend checking out the #WoodsviewMurders and #TeamBrolene hashtags on Twitter, where Jolene and I are constantly blathering on about everything having to do with Woodsview.

P.P.S. We're also running a giveaway! If you want to win a copy of Harrowed, some Halloween treats, or a mystery box of ARCs--sign up below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

It's Here! Get Ready to Bang Your Head to Our New Podcast: THRASH IT OUT!

Today is an exciting day, metal fans. I have been waiting to share this new since May.

My good friend and fellow writer Antony Johnston (Wasteland, Umbral, The FuseCodename Baboushka) and I are launching a brand new podcast today, one that celebrates rock and metal of all genres. It's called Thrash it Out (TiO), a show where Antony and I listen to and then discuss (in a heated fashion) a rock or metal album each episode.

While we're both self-proclaimed metalheads, our taste in rock and metal are pretty diverse, which makes for some really interesting conversations. We alternate who picks the album for each episode, so in addition to arguing about some very well known bands and albums, we'll also be exposing each other to music we might not have heard before, or at least haven't given a lot of time to.

We're coming right out of the gate with one of the most controversial metal albums of all time, Metallica's St. Anger. We've both got a lot to say about this one, although you might be surprised to hear how we feel about it overall.

You can listen to the first episode right now, right here!

You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here, and via RSS here.

In true garage band fashion, whatever support we get for this show will come directly from listeners themselves--no ads and no sponsors. If you like the show and want to help support us making more of it, we have a Patreon, where you can pledge as anywhere from $1 on up per episode of the show. Thrash it Out will run in "Volumes" of 10-12 episodes each, and the more patrons we get, the more shows we can make. [Become a patron here!].

So go forth, my metal-loving friends, and bask in the talk of crunching riffs, shredding solos, soaring vocals and and skull-shattering double bass drum beats. For we are here to celebrate that which makes us bang our heads. \m/\m/

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

The Mayhem Festival Was Amazing

So. Much. Metal.

The last time I went to an all-day metal festival was probably Ozzfest 2006, at the very same venue I found myself at Sunday--the Xfinity Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. And while the landscape of metal has changed quite a bit over that time, I'm happy to say that there is one thing that never changes--metal music is something that is best experienced live.

This year's edition of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival was headlined by legends of thrash Slayer, a band that I have seen several times over the years. But it also featured over a dozen other acts that I'd never seen before, including one of my favorite bands, Sister Sin. In fact, my main reason for attending Mayhem Fest this year was to see Sister Sin play live, as they're from Sweden, and have not toured extensively over here.

Sister Sin played on the Victory Records stage--the show's second stage, and I think they stole the show. While their set was no more than thirty minutes long, Liv Jagrell and the rest of the band came out with such energy and presence that they quickly turned a crowd of non-believers into a mass of headbanging supporters. They discovered what I already knew--Sister Sin is a hell of a band.


After their set, I got a chance to meet lead singer Liv Jagrell, and she was super nice. here's a pic:


I stuck around for a few more bands on the second stage, including Sworn In, Jungle Rot, and Whitechapel. I'm not a huge fan of deathcore and Cookie Monster vocals, but all the bands were heavy and brought a lot of energy to the stage.

The main stage featured The Devil Wears Prada, Hellyeah, King Diamond and of course, Slayer. Both The Devil Wears Prada and Hellyeah put on great sets, and I am definitely a fan of both bands now. I had never seen king Diamond in concert, and man, he put on a heck of a set. The theatrics alone are worth going to see King Diamond for. Here's a couple pics:



And then--Slayer. If you've never seen Slayer in concert, allow me to show you how a Slayer show begins (it's a little over a two minutes, but stick with it):



And it pretty much is non-stop metal carnage from there on out. They opened with "Repentless," a song off of their upcoming album, and then dove into a pretty eclectic set. Of course, old favorites like "War Ensemble," "Mandatory Suicide," "South of Heaven" and more were in there. I am a huge fan of Gary Holt, and this is the second time I've had a chance to see him play with Slayer, so I was psyched. I got some great pics as well:



All in all, Mayhem Fest 2015 was a fantastic show, and I've got a lot of new bands I'll be checking out after seeing them live. If the tour comes to your town this summer, I highly recommend checking it out.

Monday, July 20, 2015

CT HorrorFest Was So Much Fun!

I mentioned in my last post that I'd been waiting all year for the second annual Connecticut HorrorFest, and I'm happy to report it was worth the wait!

Early Saturday morning I made my way down to the Matrix Conference Center in Danbury, Connecticut. It was about an hour and a half drive for me, but I got to catch up on some podcasts during the ride, so that was just fine with me. The area of the Matrix Center that the con was in was huge, and it kind of flowed in a big circle. My table was right next to the panel room and the cafeteria, so I was in good position for foot traffic.


The show doors opened at 11am, and my first sale of the day was a guy named Chris who had bought the first two books in the Parted Veil series at the show last year. The fact that he came back and found me this year was amazing. I could have packed up after that and left, and the day would have been a success. But it just kept getting better.

Throughout the day, people I met last year came to the table to let me know they enjoyed the books, and to pick up the new one. And the conversations we had--about horror, music, comics--were all fantastic. I was losing my voice two hours into the show and I loved it. At some point, I started writing down the names of people who came by the table and either bought books or just hung out and chatted. So, thanks to Sara, Stephanie, Cyndi, Jonathan, KC, Mike, Georjean, Jess, Ryan, Jeanette, Alexander, Jason and anyone else that I forgot to write down. I will never be able to put into words how much your support means to me, and how inspiring it is.

My neighbor Christopher Titus was also a great guy, and he's ridiculously talented. We spent the day talking about music and our kids. I also saw my friends Jess Rougeau and Ryan Meyer, who I hadn't seen in a year (you may remember Jess was a guest on the SBW podcast).

There were some amazing cosplays, too:


Sean Fowler from the Hartford Courant came by the show to take pics and took one of me looking like a dork at my table:


You can actually see all of the pics Sean took in a gallery at CTNow.com.

And to top off the day, I got to meet Doug Bradley, the man who played Pinhead in the Hellraiser series, and tell him how much I've enjoyed his work over the years. He was a really nice guy.

So, all in all, a pretty amazing day. I want to thank Christine and Rob Caprilozzi, and all of the Horror News Network crew, for putting on another amazing show. They are a really great group of people, and you should be checking out their work and supporting them.

I can't wait for next year!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Come See Me at CT HorrorFest this Saturday (7/18)!!

I have been waiting an entire year for this. Connecticut HorrorFest is this Saturday!!!! 

Come out to an awesome horror con at the Matrix Conference Center in Danbury, see some horror icons, and hang out with me!

As both a lifelong horror fan and a horror writer, this show feels like it was made specifically for me. My pals over that the Horror News Network put on one heck of a show in their first year, and this year's is shaping up to be a monster (pun intended).

Two of my favorite horror icons of all time--Doug Bradley (Pinhead from Hellraiser) and Felissa Rose (Angela from Sleepaway Camp) are part of an all-start roster of horror gusts that also includes Gunnar Hansen (Leatherface), Warrington Gillette (Jason Voorhees) and Michael Jai White (Spawn). There will be signings, panels, a costume contest--and me!

I will be at CT HorrorFest selling print copies of all three books in the Parted Veil series--Courting the King in Yellow, Lovecraft's Curse and Lovecraft's Pupil. In fact, this show is really the big debut for Lovecraft's Pupil, which was released on March 31, 2015. 


For those that buy all three books, I'll be giving away a print called "The Uguborth" that depicts a scene from Lovecraft's Curse. My friend and local Springfield artist Mike Valade created the print, and it's amazing.


I cannot overstate how much fun I had at last year's show, and this year is going to be even better. So, if you are anywhere near the Danbury, Connecticut area this weekend, please come out to the CT HorrorFest! Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and you can get them over at cthorror.com. The show starts at 11am and runs through 8pm. I'll be there all day.

I hope to see you there!

Monday, July 13, 2015

ConnectiCon Was Amazing!

Hanging out with my buddy Jason
What a weekend!

My Secret Identity show partner Matt Herring and I spent two full days at ConnectiCon this weekend, and we had a absolute blast. ConnectiCon is a show we've been going to for years, and the first show we ever "covered" as part of the enthusiast press when we started Secret Identity back in 2006.

It's amazing to see how ConnectiCon has grown from a small, anime and gaming-based show to a huge multi-genre show over the past decade. There was truly something for everyone at this show, from TV celebrities (George Takei, Amber Benson, Tony Todd) to well-known voice actors (John St. John, Kari Wahlgren, Phil Lamarr) to a who's who of webcomic creators, cosplayers and online media personalities.

Matt and I began our weekend by hosting a panel on starting your own podcast, and that really set the tone for the whole show. The group that turned out for our panel was wonderful, and the rest of the weekend was spent talking about podcasting with people who visited our booth. I had some of the most creatively inspiring conversations I've ever had and I met some really fantastic people who I'm sure I'll be keeping in touch with as they start creating their own podcasts and sharing them with the world.

I want to say a huge thanks to all of the staff at ConnectiCon, and to ConnectiCon President Matt Daigle for making us feel so welcome, and putting on one heck of a show. I cannot wait to go back next year!

Oh, and what trip to a convention would be complete without some pics of the amazing cosplays that were going on this weekend? Check these out!






Saturday, July 11, 2015

The New STAR WARS: EPISODE VII Video is Wonderful and Inspiring

I was getting ready to head out for ConnectiCon this morning and I figured I'd catch up on some of the news out of San Diego Comic Con. Last night, a new production vido from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII was released, and it actually brought me to tears:



Now, as a lifelong Star Wars fan, of course I was excited to see Mark Hamill, Peter Mayhew, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford on a Star Wars set again. But what got me so emotional was to see the love that those involved have for this project, and the pure imagination that is being displayed in every detail of what we've seen so far.

My favorite part of writing is creating characters and worlds, people and places that readers get to know and explore over their time with a story. I think this video really captures that feeling of creative excitement, and of making something you can't wait to share with others. It made me want to write the second I was done watching it.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Come See Us at ConnectiCon This Weekend!!


My Secret Identity co-host Matt Herring and I will be at ConnectiCon in Hartford, CT all weekend! We'll both be doing panels, selling books and just hanging out.

I'll have print copies of my podcasting book Making Ear Candy with me, and anyone who buys one will get a free Mo Stache print!



You can find us in booth OMS-6 on the exhibition floor, right across from artist alley. Here's a couple of maps of where we'll be:



And don't forget the podcasting panel that Matt and I will be doing Friday morning (10:40am in the Goliath Room [MR14])!!!

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

See Brian Write--Episode #30: Enrica Jang and Harrowed

In the thirtieth episode of the See Brian Write podcast, my friend and the EIC of Red Stylo Media Enrica Jang joins me. We talk about her NaNoWriMo Experience, working in comics as well as prose, and her new anthology project, 27, A Comic Anthology.

You can listen to the entire episode right here in the player below, or head over to soundcloud.com/seebrianwrite to download the MP3. You can also subscribe to the podcast with these feeds:

RSS: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/44741447-seebrianwrite/tracks

iTunes: itpc://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/44741447-seebrianwrite/tracks



Intro
Announcing Harrowed!

Interview
Enrica Jang
redstylo.com
twitter.com/red_stylo
twitter.com/EnricaJang

27, A Comic Anthology Kickstarter
www.kickstarter.com/projects/RedStyloMedia/27-a-comic-anthology-inspired-by-musics-infamous-2

NOTE: If you are a writer and want to be on the podcast, either email me (brian@seebrianwrite.com), or DM me on twitter: twitter.com/seebrianwrite. I am now scheduling new interviews!

Monday, July 6, 2015

Panel Alert! I'll Be Hosting a Podcasting Panel Friday July 10th at ConnectiCon!

Matt and I at ConnectiCon 2014
ConnectiCon will always have a special place in my heart, as it was the first hometown show Matt and I did when we started the Secret Identity podcast almost ten years ago. Both our show and the con have grown so much since then, and every time we go back there now, it's like a reunion of sorts.

I'm especially excited to head to ConnectiCon this weekend, because I'll be hosting a panel about starting your own podcast with my show partner Matt Herring. Not only will we be talking about our experiences over the ten-year run of Secret Identity, but I'll be sharing a lot of the podcasting advice and resources from my book Making Ear Candy. I'll also have print copies of Making Ear Candy available at the show.



The panel will be on Friday, July 10th at 10:40am in the Goliath Room (meeting room 14). Here's where you can find us on the map:


You can find out all about ConnectiCon and get tickets at www.connecticon.org. I'll be posting our booth information for the weekend as soon as I have it. If you're in the area, come by the show and say hi!

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Back at Camp and Ready to Rock!

I seriously have no idea where May and June went. Okay--I have some idea, but I still can't believe we're already into July! And that means it's Camp NaNoWriMo time again!

I am bringing some serious writing momentum into camp this month. If you've been following me on Twitter, the blog or listening to the podcast, then you know I have been working with the amazing Jolene Haley on HARROWED, the first book in our new YA horror series, The Woodsview Murders.

HARROWED actually was born during the final week of April's Camp NaNo event. Jolene and I had been talking about working on something together, and Jolene made it happen. Ideas were kicked around, and by the time April was done, we were thousands of words into the first draft of HARROWED.

Our work on that book had been going all all through May and June, and we are finishing the story now, with an eye on a September release.
Jolene handed out these awesome HARROWED flyers at ALAAC15.
SO, our Camp NaNoWriMo project for July is going to be book two of our Woodsview Murders series. As we were writing book one, we were jotting down plenty of ideas and plot points for the next book (and the one after that, and the one after that), so we have a pretty good idea of where things are going.

I really like the idea of writing the first two books back-to-back. The characters are so fresh in our minds, because we've never left them. And like any good slasher sequel, things will be even crazier this time around.

Stay tuned for Camp NaNo updates, and get ready for some really cool stuff we'll be doing as we lead up to the HARROWED release!

You can follow all the HARROWED fun on Twitter by checking out the hashtags #WoodsviewMurders and #TeamBrolene.