COUNTING DOWN THE STORM (Temporarily Unavailable) A Novella by D. Ryan Leask
For two days the storm has taken over the city, and two people's lives. A man convinces himself that his life is worthless when his lover leaves him for another man. Alone and depressed, he allows his life to sink into the bowels of civilization. When a wife and mother discovers that her husband is having an affair she abandons logic and gives in to the perilous abyss of jealousy and revenge.
Re-Launch Tentatively Scheduled for Oct 17th:
¦Goodreads - For All E-Readers ¦Smashwords - For All E-Readers ¦Diesel E-Books Store - E-Pub ¦iTunes - For Your iPad/iPhone/Mac¦ ¦Kobo - For Your Kobo¦Sony - For Your Sony E-Reader¦Barnes & Noble - For Your Nook¦Direct From the Author - Mobi E-Pub or pdf¦
Showing posts with label #WordMongering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #WordMongering. Show all posts

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Draft #1 COMPLETE and a little fun with query letters

I don't even remember when I started working on this novel. I'm sure I have it marked down somewhere but it doesn't really matter, it was a long time ago. As some of you may know I had it pretty much done once before and then through the power of technology (read quirks) I lost over half of it. I'm happy about that actually. The story is better for it.

So, tonight at 11:42pm I wrote "The End" (actually, I didn't, perhaps I should, anyway…). I'm very proud of myself and the story I managed to puke out. At times, like tonight, it flowed out effortlessly, page after page of text and story, other times it felt like I had to drag my MC behind a bus with a chain. I'm sure I'll see those pages clearly when I edit. That is the next part.

So, if any of you want to know what my story is about, here is a synopsis:

DEATH BY PUTTS

Ed Putts is a middle of the road author, or so he believes and although his books have hit the best sellers list those around him keep telling him that is nothing overly special so he keeps plugging away. He gets paid just enough to make a living for himself in his small condo on the outskirts of the city.

One day Ed gets pulled into a meeting with his agent. He finds himself meeting with his editor and publisher as well and they drop the hammer on him. He's done. No more books, no more money, nothing. His series that he is in the middle of will just end. To top it all of a rotten contract has meant that not only do his books and characters no longer belong to him but neither does his name.

He can't write.

Although he is an established writer he finds himself having to try to start over again with no success.

Ed has made a name for himself writing a series about a suave and intelligent serial killer named Gavin Petters. Gavin Petters is Ed's portal to his own dark psychotic impulses. All of those who had supported his writing have sealed it off. It is just a matter of time before the pressure gets too strong.

A pretty, yet unbalanced woman enters his life and pushes him further down into his dark mind. When he kills her in self defense during a masochistic sexual encounter it sets off a series of events that shows him how dark he really is.

My apologies if the above is somewhat poorly written, it is late and I may have been drinking a little but hopefully it gives you an idea of what I have been doing.

WARNING: The following may contain some sarcasm :-D
So, now that I have finished my novel what am I going to do? What any first time novelist would do who hasn't done any homework, I'm going to query. I already have a list of 75 agents that I am going to send letters to, here is my standard form letter I am going to send:

Dear To Whom It May Concern:
My name is D. Ryan Leask and I have just finished writing my very first novel. As I'm sure you can understand it takes a lot of work to accomplish this feat so therefor anyone who has achieved it must truly be special as I'm sure you will see that I am.

My book is about a writer that kills a bunch of literary people who try to keep him from writing, so you'll likely be able to relate and I know this will be a winner with you for sure!

I haven't bothered doing any editing as I know that you provide such services for me when you chose to represent me, after all I am an author not an editor, lol.

I know it said on your website to send only a query letter/sample chapter but I have included the entire novel to save you the trouble of all the back and forth banter which we likely both agree is pointless.  I have one request. It said that I shouldn't expect an answer for quite some time but we both know this is just to keep those that have a really terrible novel from bothering you constantly. I have sent this letter out to a number of other agents so the sooner I hear back the sooner I can look through all the offer letters and give you an answer.  I'm certain that asking for at least a high five figure advance would be prudent.

I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Sincerely,







Author of Death By Putts

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Dear, Sad Neglected Blog:

I'm so sorry, I have been sadly neglecting you but I have been really busy, writing flash fiction (all of which can be found at Alphabet Wine) running my own flash fiction contest, 3 For Thursday, which is now starting to take off, and preparing for NaNoWriMo.

It has been a very long time since I paid any attention to you but honestly you are in my heart.  You see I was sick for almost a week, then I went to a far off place that had hardly any internet.

I know, I know, that's hardly an excuse.  Would you forgive me if I wasn't paying you any attention because I was writing?

Yes?  Oh… only if I was working on something publishable, darn.  Well no, I haven't, but I will soon, I promise.  Starting on November 1st.  This time, I will succeed with NaNoWriMo, I am going to attend some events and get support from others, both in person and from my Social Networking buddies on Twitter and Google+.  I already made a circle of NaNoWriMoers to keep in touch with.

What am I going to write?  Well, Blog, I am going to solidify my comedy sci-fi adventure I was working on before I got distracted.  I know, I have already written some of it and that's cheating, well, I am going to start over, I don't like what I have.

What is that Blog?  Will I still be doing flash fiction?  Of course I will, but I am really going to focus on my other writing, I may even start up the #6amWriters again and see if I can coax all my #WordMongering buddies out of hiding.

Well Blog, I sure do hope you accept my apology, I promise to keep you up to date on my NaNoWriMo progress and goings on.

I missed you,

Sincerely,

D. Ryan Leask

P.S. Thanks for Reading

Friday, June 3, 2011

My WIP

Originally this blog post was going to be about specific tips to uploading your e-book to smashwords & amazon.  I have decided to put off that post until I know for sure that everything has gone perfectly for all of the outlets Smashwords sends to.  I'd hate to give bad information so instead I am going to tell you about the wierdness that is:

Death By Putts

My current WIP.

It all started with a cheeky idea I had, write a book that no publisher/agent or possibly editer would want.  I write books about killing people, best way to achieve this is by killing them.  The MC of the story would then have to be a writer.  I'm a writer, hey look at that, I could fashion the character around myself, a few changes (my MC does not have a family) then try to figure out how I may be without those changes.

That was kind of my starting point.  The story goes that a semi-successful writer (makes just enough money to live without having to work  a day job), who has a long series of stories based on a serial killer named Gavin Petters suddenly gets dropped by his publisher after they aquire a christian publishing house run by coincedentally a Gavin Peters.  He has used a pen name for all of the books and the publisher had managed to get ownership of the name.  His agent and even his editor help to seal his fate of never being able to write another book under that name again.

Unsucessful and getting continuously screwed by his former publisher and even his lawyer he has no one to turn to except the grand-daughter of his cleaning lady, Ming.  Not only does she turn out to be a big fan of his work but also has a perverse sexual desire for the main character.

The story is interlaced with works written by the MC, Ed Putts (see why he writes under a pen name?) both from his Gavin Petters series as well as other attempts.  He uses writting to try to divert his anger and sexual frustrations, starting by writing about murdering his agent, publisher and editer.

Ming plays with his mind and his sexual desires leading him to attempt to prove to her that he is as much of a man as Gavin Petters.

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This story is chunky and weird so far but I think it will work once all of the bits are put together.  Currently Ed is writing a bit where he is actually going to kill Gavin Petters, who just happens to come to Calgary after his random murder matrix sends him there.  Ming is kind of the loose end in all of this.  Her character is far more complex than I originally intended, and far more dangerous.  She scares me.

I also want to portray Ed as a Putz and lighten things up but it is just getting so dark I don't know if I can do it.  Over all Death By Putts is turning out to be a very, very strange write that I can barely control. 

I'm at almost 22,000 words so far. (Thanks #WordMongering on Twitter)

Thanks for Reading

D. Ryan Leask