S.E. Soldwedel commented on Disintegration
Haha! Yup. :D
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    S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Integration

    To my small but beloved readership,

    I’ve just updated the description and the cover for Integration. Please check it out and share it with your friends and followers!

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      S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Disintegration

      I updated the cover, today. Head over to my page and check it out.

      I’ve been thinking lately about how to make Disintegration stand out from the glut of other science fiction on Inkshares, of which there’s a lot. The publisher is replete with sci-fi and fantasy titles.

      Sci-fi has been a love of mine all my life, from the moment I discovered Star Trek: TOS via the cartoon (!!!) and worked my way back to the live action version. I was a child, but I knew it was cheesy ... but it was also endearing, idealistic and it piqued my imagination. What has always bugged me about sci-fi (in general) is that it is often sophomoric, childish, and sloppy, riddled with Deus ex Machinae, cardboard characters, cliches, and simplistic (even moronic) storylines. I could go on, but I’ve always been told that I should exercise some restraint. ;P

      I understand that mainstream science fiction has little reason to present anything but the tried-and-true because it sells (I must say that I’m so glad Joss Whedon at least got to make one season of Firefly, but just think about how superlative and wonderful that show is and how it got ONE SEASON. Yes, we got the movie, too. But gems like Firefly and Serenity are outweighed a trillion-fold by dreck). People watch the dreck. I’ve watched it. Hell, sometimes, I even enjoy it ... but I’m avoiding Stark Trek Beyond because it looks insultingly simple (albeit visually beautiful). I like the flash and glitz, the bells and whistles ... my inner Philistine can be quite pleased with pap.

      But it’s not enough.

      I am tired of Good vs. Evil. I am tired of the monolithic Bad Guy. And the Good Guys taking him (very rarely her, though I did love Alice Kreig’s Borg Queen) down. I want moral ambiguity. I want Good People who do Bad Things and vice versa. I want stories that take place in the gray area. I am not a child anymore. The world is a fucked up place and people do fucked up things. I like seeing the faults, foibles and weaknesses of the "hero." I like it when Heroes Die and Villains Live ... because, at least in these fictions, who is really a hero? Who is really a villain? It’s a matter of perspective. We’re directed whom to like. For whom to root. We excuse the questionable things done by the protagonists because we’re invested in these characters and their goals as consumers, first, and because, second, they are often analogues or avatars of the reader (I, a white man, am so fucking tired of white male heroes). I don’t need heroes who look like me. Many men with my complexion have done some pretty vile things, write very large. Most people who committed atrocities in human history believed they were right and good and morally justified. They think they are heroic. They are not my heroes.

      Yet, consider that every villain is the hero of his own story.

      That is what I think of every time I write my character Arak Matar, in Disintegration. He is a Bad Guy, sure, by most moral measurements, but he is paving the ole Road to Hell with aplomb because his intentions are quite good. He wants to save the Earth. The planet itself. His solution: get rid of those pesky, short-sighted, vile, capricious human idiots who have been raping Her for centuries.

      Darek Marseh is a grandfatherly, kind, calm figure who could probably be considered a sociopath because he has zero concern for anything but the bigger picture. People are not special. They may be useful, but they are just grist for the mill ... yet there is zero malice in what he does. His only passion is realizing his vision of what should be. Everything else is banal, including human and corren life. Except, unlike Matar, he doesn’t want to eliminate all the humans. He just wants to route them, utterly, subjugate them, weed them of the undesirables ... and begin restoring the planet to its former, beautiful natural glory.

      The ostensible Good Guys in Disintegration, the Allied Nations are, in fact, a conglomerate of military dictatorships wherein civilians have very few, if any real freedoms, and only those who live in a military-run city live anyhow close to "well" ... most everyone else fights for survival in savage badlands where animal law is the only law. Those in power don’t care about those who are not. These powerful leaders piss and moan and cry and complain when the Confederation attacks their sovereign lands and, perhaps, kills their citizens ... but these casualties are Allied citizens to whom the Allied leaders wouldn’t give the steam from their piss. (Thank you, Frank McCourt, for that one.)

      The Confederation, run by Marseh and Matar, are the prototypical Bad Guys, yet their citizens live better and richer, safer, freer lives than those in the Allied Nations.

      My point is that nothing is tidy. I abhor tidiness.

      I don’t want stories to be rambling, incoherent messes, but neither do I want them to be neat little things that feel forced and shoehorned to go a certain way. While I appreciate some "pure" entertainments (I watched some Winnie the Pooh the other day and it was great: "I’m just a little, black raincloud / hovering under the honey tree ..."), I also like entertainments that show the grit and shit and filth of a horrible reality. When someone wades through the sewer, I want to (not literally, mind) smell the stink upon them in the narrative.

      I want the stakes to seem real. I want "noble" and "vaunted" "heroes" to be laid low, to have to do questionable things and to either be really messed up by those choices or be made to account for them, somehow. I want "evil" baddies to have depth and dimension and to seem like real people, not flat tropes, not mere foils for the "champion" to vanquish so to seem valiant. What did Grendel ever do to Beowulf, really? Isn’t Perseus a villain? When you break into someone’s home and they attack you, whether they have hair of snakes and can turn men to stone or not, who is truly in the wrong? If you broke into some lady’s house and cut off her head, you’d probably get in trouble.

      Disintegration has many of the trappings of tradition sci-fi, but it also has significant character development and a stark realism to it that I don’t often find in genre fiction. (I am a big fan of The Expanse and I look forward to reading the books upon which the show is based ... however, even admitting that:) I don’t think I’m blustering to say that you’ve never read anything quite like Disintegration.
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        S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Lambda Scorpii

        Hey, there, my little Lambdas. My Scorpii-ons. There are only so few of you, as yet but, if you’ll spread the word, our numbers will grow.

        Please share Lambda Scorpii with your friends and family, your Inkshares networks. I’ve updated the description and renamed Chapter 1 to "Prologue" because, as mentioned, it is very much more so a prologue than a chapter.

        I added a bit more narration to the prologue as well, please check it out, highlight and comment on your favorite bits and let’s move some units!
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          S.E. Soldwedel liked an update for A Beast Requires

          Thank you.

           Those two words carry so much weight, yet they can hardly express my gratitude. The initial support A Beast Requires has received has been incredible, and I’m flailing like the muppet I am every time a new order comes in. Yes, I am a muppet, which totally explains my hair.

           A year ago I joined Inkshares. It was a different contest, and while that campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, I came away from it as a better writer, and a better human being. I met other writers from all over the world, each hoping and working towards funding their campaigns. Our backgrounds were as varied as our manuscripts, but we all shared the same struggle. Writers are an odd fellowship. We’re all fighting the same battles, waging the same war against deadlines and doubt, and sometimes we feel as if we’re out there alone. But we aren’t. We all struggle together. Writers support other writers because we know how hard it is.

           I met a lot of amazing writers last year, including my soul siblings A.C. Weston and Rick Heinz. Their support last time around carried me through to the end, even when that ending resulted in an unsuccessful campaign. I am forever thankful that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet such amazing people like G. Derek Adams, Dave Barrett, and Thomas Arnold. Trust me, there’s more, and as this campaign goes on I’ll be giving them as many shout outs as I can.

           I know this is going to be a long campaign. I know how difficult it is to constantly work at promotion, and making your enthusiasm spread like wild fire. I’m ready for it. I’ve been chomping at the bit for a second chance to put my book out there in the world. A Beast Requires is a work of blood, sweat, and tears. Seriously, this book has tasted its author’s blood.

           I know it’s impossible to do this alone, and every one of you following me is signed up to ride the crowdfunding crazy train. I’m working on some campaign goals, things to unlock as more people sign on and pre-order a copy of A Beast Requires. I already have the first goal ready, so at 100 pre-orders I will unleash Chapters 6 – 10 upon the world. Exciting, right? Well, one of my favorite combat sequences occurs in Chapter 10, and it brings on a whole new perspective in battling an ogre.

           I hope everyone enjoys Chapters 1 -5. Comment, critique, or scream at me as much as you want. All of your input is appreciated and valued.

          So thank you again for your support. I love you all. Yes, even you, Zachary Tyler Linville.

           Until the next update,

           Jay

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            S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Disintegration

            Hey, everybody! I sent out the Disintegration manuscript to my beta readers last night. I’m excited to receive their feedback. It feels great to move one step closer to publication.

            I’ll send along Chapter Three later today. If you’ve been reading the chapters as I send them, do send me a DM and let me know what you think.

            In other news, I’ve entered the current Geek and Sundry Fantasy Contest with my story Lamda Scorpii. It ties into Disintegration but, due to its setting and its characters, it fits nicely into the fantasy genre if you consider Arthur C. Clarke’s position on magic.

            Please check out Lamda Scorpii, follow it, pre-order it, recommend it! We did amazingly in the last contest, with Disintegration, and we started three weeks late. This time, we’re starting at the beginning. With your help, we can win this one.

            Excelsior!

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              S.E. Soldwedel liked an update for The Catcher’s Trap


              (Picture: Halloween night 2001)

              Hello friends, family, and fellow authors

              We are three months away from the release of The Catcher’s Trap and this humbling journey continues to fill me with joy.

              Last week Out Traveler’s editor, Brian Van Gorder, had this to say about my book: “In his fast-paced and tense first novel, The Catcher’s Trap, Ricardo Henriquez introduces us to an entirely original, richly detailed universe filled with strong, well-developed characters trying to survive their nightmarish new world. Sure, there are plenty of horrible monsters lurking on every page, but it’s the glimmers of joy found in the despair, the humor poking through the inhumane, that may just be the book’s cruelest beasts.”

              As I read his words, I couldn’t help to feel emotional and reflect on the past 15 years of my life. On October 2nd, 2001 I arrived in the U.S. like many other immigrants: full of dreams and hopes for a life of unlimited possibilities. During my first 2 years, I rented a small bedroom where everything that I owned fitted with room to spare. I worked as a waiter from noon until 1 A.M. 6 days a week while learning English by attending free adult education classes, reading children books and watching Will and Grace.

              Those days were hard. Money was not enough to live comfortably and, as time passed, I started questioning the decision of leaving my country.

              Fast-forward to August 2016. Thanks to the love and support of many, many people, today I’m writing to you, my readers; friends who either cared enough about me to pre-order a book that didn’t exist yet, or strangers who read a couple of chapters and thought they would take a chance on this weird fantasy/horror idea.

              Mister Van Gorder’s words not only made me reflect on this journey and feel thankful for all of you. They also gave me much-needed fuel to continue working on The Catcher’s Trap sequel, Worlds Walker and continue pushing to make sure my book is a success.

              So there are two things I will do in the coming months:


              1. I will start a campaign to get The Catcher’s Trap to sell 1000 copies before its release day (November 8th)
              2. I will finish writing Worlds Walker before the end of the year.


              Both goals are bold. But I feel energized and ready for them.

              If you are on this list and haven’t pre-order a copy of The Catcher’s Trap, please consider doing it.

              If you are on this list and have not check yet Worlds Walker, check it out here and consider following the project.

               

              Have a fantastic week.


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                S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Disintegration

                If you’re still getting my mail, you’ll have noticed I sent you Chapter Two, today, and Chapter One a few days ago. As the hand-off to my beta readers looms, I’d like to emerge from the writing cocoon in which I’ve been for seemingly ever.

                J-F. Dubeau imparted advice to me about how to succeed at this racket and I need to follow it. If you look at how he’s doing, you have to agree he’s onto something. He’s the author of The Life Engineered and A God in the Shed, the latter of which may become a television series or movie! How he finds the time to do his podcast, his writing, and any and everything else in his life is astounding to me, and really admirable. He’s a tough act to follow, but also proof of how winning a contest and being backed by a syndicate can really catapult a title, on Inkshares. Getting exposure and the endorsement of other authors, or the CEO, or Nerdist / Sword and Laser / Geek and Sundry ... that’ll definitely build momentum.

                In tangential news, just for the heck of it, I decided to look for an article anyone may have written about emphatic punctuation. I couldn’t find anything. (I guess I may need to do it myself).

                Sue Ranscht, one of the authors of the amazing YA book Enhanced, was an early champion of my book, Disintegration and, in her reading of my manuscript, she brought up my use of double question marks and other joint punctuation (consider this article about unconventional punctuation, not all of which I love, but some of which could be useful).

                I like using "??" when someone is especially confused. I don’t think a single question mark drives it home as clearly. As well, I think "?!" really conveys the "Are you @#$%ing kidding me?!" behind certain questions, while "!?" indicates panicked incredulity "What the @#$% is that!?" ... I think an interrobang is a bad idea because the mark itself doesn’t *visually* indicate (yes, the name does) which comes first and (as the name says), if it is "?!," what about "!?"?! ( :P ) I haven’t employed any "?!?!" but I’m not against it ... but, man, just imagine how piqued that person would have to be.

                How do you feel about singular punctuation marks? I think they’re woefully inadequate at expressing a wide range of emotion. I think reading comic books is how I came to appreciate more emphatic punctuation. Those "surprise lines" that shot from a character’s head were handy, too, but that tactic doesn’t quite work in prose. :D

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                  S.E. Soldwedel liked an update for A God in the Shed

                  Hello everyone,

                  I guess I should talk about this shouldn’t I?

                   

                  There’s a minuscule little article on The Tracking Board that talks about me and my upcoming book; A God in the Shed. Go read it. It’s fun. I’ll wait.

                  You’re back? Awesome. So what do you think? Yeah, I was a bit overwhelmed. Still sort of am. I’m not exactly wired to take compliments or bask in the glory of good news on that scale. I’d love to pretend that it’s because I’m humble and level-headed but in truth I’m just terrified of disappointment and incapable of processing success. My own issues aside, I think it’s important to know a few things about this announcement.

                  What this isn’t:

                  • The rights to A God in the Shed haven’t been sold.
                  • You’re not going to see A God in the Shed on TV any time soon.
                  • I’m not rich and famous.

                  What this is:

                  • An important step in the right direction.
                  • A sign that the rights might one day sell, which still wouldn’t mean a series would get produced, let alone distributed, but again; step in the right direction.
                  • Nic Pizzolatto is now my new best friend and can come to all my birthday parties.

                  The great Mike Mongo (Astronaut Instruction Manual) once told me; "However long you think this process is going to take, double that." and the awesome Adam Gomolin also shared this nugget of wisdom; "It’s a no until it’s a yes."

                  So I’m going to try and take it easy. Keep the day job and continue chipping away at my other projects (check out Arch-Android, the sequel to The Life Engineered, along with Too Many Controllers).

                  Thanks again for the support everyone. Go read that article again and while you do that, keep telling yourself; ’I’m part of this.’

                  Because you are.

                  JF



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                    S.E. Soldwedel sent an update for Disintegration

                    I’ve been writing since 6 a.m. I’m looking forward to delivering the manuscript to my five beta readers in just a few days. It feels good to be moving with some real momentum.

                    I know you get a lot of email, Inkshares-related and otherwise, and it’s probably difficult to keep track of the myriad projects you’ve followed, especially one like mine where the updates are seldom but ... if you can muster some of that attention for which there are a million different stimuli vying, and give some of it here ... it would be an immense help for you to spread the word that Disintegration is ... ahem ... coming together ( :P ) nicely and that it’s worth ordering.

                    We’ve been hovering just over 400 orders for a while. It’d be really welcome to break that mark and start making progress again. If you’ve ordered already, please take your belief in my book and encourage at least one other person to order a copy for themselves.

                    If you haven’t ordered, send me a Direct Message and let me know what else you need to be enticed.

                    All right, now it’s time for a nice, big, second breakfast (ham, eggs and cheese on tortillas with arugula and hot sauce, a cup of tea, some yogurt ... I wish I had some toast and cherry preserves, but I don’t) and then ... more writing!

                    like · liked by S.T. and 4 others

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