Jacob Gowans
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Why Editing is So Important

8/28/2013

3 Comments

 
Editing. I used to hate it when I first started writing. It was something I wanted to get through in order to get to the fun stuff, writing more stories. Now I think I enjoy editing more than writing, or at least I look forward to it more because it's where the real beauty happens. It's where you take the good ideas and make them even better.

Editing is what separates the grown ups from the kids. You can't be a good writer without becoming a good editor, ESPECIALLY if you're an indie author. Sadly, indie authors are judged on a different scale than published authors. While published authors have the luxury of great editors combing their books and making wonderful suggestions, indie authors are on their own. Deal with it.

Learning to edit is harder than learning to write. It takes lots of patience, experience, and some tough love from readers who aren't afraid to hurt your feelings. As an example, I will post the original prologue to Psion Beta that was eventually cut out. I showed the first several chapters of my book to my brother-in-law who give me very good, non-watered-down advice.

Recently, in a conversation with a publishing company, I was told that one of my favorite authors no longer edits his/her work. The author delivers the scripts, asks for proofreading, and nothing more. This not only shocking but sad. No wonder the author hasn't written something I enjoy in so many years. I suppose that what happens when egos go unchecked.

I can't imagine ever reaching a point in my writing where I think I got something perfect on my first draft. I also think my fans deserve better than a half-yewt effort. (Yewt is the word I use to replace a swear word, by the way.) As I said before, editing is where you take something okay or good, and make it great or wonderful.

So, before I get too long winded, here you go. Without any changes since 2006,

The magnificent air rails that brought the world together into a global community, linking continents together with fast, cheap, and clean transportation also brought the world to its knees.  In 2036 a new strain of the flu was discovered in rural Thailand by local medical examiners that immediately caught the attention of the Southeast Asian Institute of Health.  A family of farmers was found scattered around their home, rigor mortis had frozen their facial muscles to reflect the excruciating agony they had endured before death had relieved them.  Their bloody and raw fingernails had gouged the floors, walls, and even their own skins.  Highly acidic bloody feces and pools of vomit were found everywhere.  Virologists announced to the world that the disease was a mutated strain of a flu virus that caused horrific pain as it ate away at the intestines while cholera-like diarrhea laid waste to body.  The virus had quickly traveled to the lungs, bringing rapid respiratory failure and the blessed relief of death.  The doctors’ worst nightmares were confirmed when they discovered the virus had an airborne life span of about fifteen minutes.

            What the doctors found out too late was that the virus had an average latent period of two hundred hours before symptoms began to manifest.  By then, a neighboring Thai businessman had been to Beijing and back with his wife for celebration of their 20th anniversary, unknowingly carrying the deadly virus with them.  The first reports of flu-ravaged hotel employees in Beijing came in over a week after the farming family had been discovered. Within seventy-two hours, Los Angeles, Omaha, and New York hospitals were reporting similar occurrences.  For a period of about two weeks, the epidemic was thought to be contained within the Asian and American continents, but one month to the day the Thai family was found a case turned up in Madrid.  At that point the flu was virtually uncontainable. 

Naturally, pharmacies raced to find the golden cure, a vaccine or treatment, which they did, but production was costly and took time, and the quantities were woefully inadequate.  Panic and hysteria broke out taking the face of mobs and riots on pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.  When people heard that there was something to protect them from the next global killer they stormed the plants by the thousands.  Larger corporations were forced to buy private armies to guard the plants.  Finally, fourteen months after the “Thailand Epidemic,” the smoke began to clear.  The great plague killed over six billion people, roughly sixty per cent of the world’s population. 

            In 2038, the first anomalies occurred.  Abnormally high numbers of fetuses were discovered in vivo missing vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, or pancreas.  Others had increased cranial diameters or webbed feet and hands.  However the most dramatic “anomalies” did not manifest themselves until puberty. 

            The first of these was in the case of Ivan Drovovic, a thirteen year old boy who had, up to that point, displayed no signs of prodigious intellectual capabilities.  Almost overnight, Ivan developed an interest in mathematics, and was devouring information on nonlinear dynamical systems, systematic/chaos hybrid functions, and harmonic analysis.  When his teachers noticed the drastic change, he was given IQ and mental aptitude tests.  Upon finding that his intelligent quotient had suddenly leaped 75 points, he was sent to some of the most advanced brain clinics in the world.

            Not long after the case of Ivan other forms of anomalies were discovered.  Normal teenagers suddenly went comatose and were never able to be revived.  Others became dangerously psychotic. 

            Of all the varying forms of delayed onset “anomalies,” none were as fascinating as the case reported December 2054, in Wichita, Mid-American Territory.  At a public high school a fight broke out between a boy and his friend, both ages fifteen.  The boy in question, later classified as NWG-***** Anomaly 14 Alpha, was angry at his best friend over a girl.  According to the official reports, blows were exchanged until some other friends arrived on the scene, and attempted to break the two apart.  They grabbed 14 Alpha from behind, and him pulled away from the young man he was fighting.  Then, without any physical contact, 14 Alpha knocked the young man backwards down the hallway nearly six meters.  Fortunately, the victim only received a minor concussion and bruised back muscles.  14 Alpha was also taken immediately to Wichita Hospital.  Three witnesses verified this report to local police, but upon later questioning each of them vehemently denied their testimonies.  The story could never be confirmed again.

Over the next thirty-one years several other incidents of similar scenarios surfaced.  A young woman, attacked at night in a park by an armed man, mysteriously blasted him five meters into the air.  He was later found by law enforcement officers with severe head and chest injuries.  A sixteen year old soccer player was racing down the field for a game winning goal, bowling opponents over without ever touching them.  Each person disappeared shortly after…

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BOARDGAMES!

8/22/2013

5 Comments

 
I. LOVE. BOARD GAMES. Love love love. According to www.boardgamegeek.com I own 96 games. Off the top of my head, I can think of at least a half dozen that I haven't even played yet. I try to play a board game a week at least. I have played games by myself, but this isn't nearly as much fun as with others. It's safe to say that board games has all but replaced my video gaming love.

What kind of board games do I love? Most of my favorites are highly interactive with great themes. Ameritrash with a Euro blend. And preferably some kind of board with figures. However, I play plenty of games without these elements. You will rarely, if ever, see me sit down to play something like Risk or Monopoly. I detest those kinds of games. Right now, my favorites are:

Descent 1st Edition - a 3-5 player, 4 hr dungeon crawl in which heroes pit themselves against the evil Overlord to accomplish their quests. Currently my all time favorite.

Acquire - a, 2-6 player 60-90 minute stock buying, money crazed, tile placement game. The kind of game that can be awesome or terrible depending on how it shakes out.

Sentinels of the Multiverse - a 60 min, 3-5 player cooperative card game in which a number of heroes battle a villain in a unique environment. A fun thematic game for anyone who likes superheroes.

Twilight Struggle - a 2 player 2-3 hour game of deep strategy to win the Cold War for either the USA or the USSR. A slow burn type of game.

Resistance Avalon - a 5-10 player bluffing game with the theme of Merlin vs Morgana. The awesomeness of this game with a fun group of people cannot be overstated. Just freaking fun.

Those are my top five games, but I have many more that I would play at the drop of a hat. I am very protective of my games. Most of them, if they have cards, are sleeved in protective plastic slips. I often laminate pieces of the games or download extra player helps to aid the players in game play.

I'm also a collector. I enjoy hunting down all the pieces, promos, expansions, etc of the games I buy so I can feel at peace that I've got a complete set. I also enjoy the interaction between players, the bantering, those moments of triumph, defeat, exultation. Board games are awesome.
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My "Bests" -- Films

8/16/2013

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In ranking movies, one of the problems I often find is that people have a wide range of how they rank them. There are several ways to do it. Institutions of film mostly look at a film's impact on the art of filmmaking. This makes sense for them, but not for me. If I were to make a list of the most important films of all time, I'd rank them much differently than a "favorite" list. Some movies that really move me or touch me may not be a technically solid film. Some of you might say, "Well, who cares about the technical aspects of a film?"

Uh... me? I sincerely enjoy looking at the way a director chooses to shoot a film. What kind of shots and cuts they use and why. As a very simple example, my daughter writes me notes and draws pictures for me. And these mean a whole lot more to me than fabulous paintings hanging up in museums around the world, but that doesn't mean my daughter's pictures deserve anything more than a spot on my fridge or a scan into my computer for preservation. Emotional value does not equal mastery of an art form, nor does technical quality equate emotional resonance.

I'm reminded of the scene in Dead Poets Society (which will make my list) where Mr. Keating has them rip out the section about what makes a poem truly great. I think there's some truth to this. Several things factor into my list: rewatchability, emotional impact/connection, technical quality, performances, and theme. Lincoln is an example of a film that I enjoyed, but really have little desire to rewatch. Although, I don't rewatch many movies often, so if I do rewatch one, it has to be worth the investment of time.

One last thing: the list changes from time to time. Even AFI has updated their list of top 100. How do you even put a handful of films you absolutely love one above another? You can't do it, really. So I don't think anyone's list is static. With that, for today, here's mine:

1. Dead Poets Society - Carpe Diem.

2. Shawshank Redemption - this movie is on most people's top lists, and for good reason. It's a wonderful film. I wish Morgan Freeman would narrate my life.

3. Rear Window - I prefer this film over Vertigo. Masterful filmmaking by a masterful director. Great premise, strong acting.

4. Hero - stunning (and I mean insanely jaw-dropping beautiful) visuals, moving story of sacrifice, haunting musical score.

5. Watchmen - "Who watches the Watchmen?" A tale of humanity, faithfully based on perhaps the greatest graphic novel of all time. Zack Snyder's best movie to date.

6. Lord of the Rings - Can I just list all 3 movies in one? Because really it's one long 12 hour film. Extended Editions only, of course.

7. Mary Poppins - Sigh... I love this film. We need more like it.

8. Kick-@$$ - I have a love affair with this movie. The action scenes are unlike anything else I've seen. They are emotional, vibrant, and breathtaking. This movie is just WOW. It has inspired me in my writing to make action scenes meaningful instead of just fluff.

9. Cast Away - Tom Hanks has always been one of my favorite actors, ever since I saw BIG when I was a kid. This movie showcases his talent and wrenches my heart every time.

10. Warrior - I can't remember the last time I cheered watching a movie. Oh wait, yes I can, it was watching Warrior. Even if you hate MMA or boxing, give this movie a chance.

Honorable Mention: Kill Bill, Pulp Fiction, Departures, Jaws, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., The Godfather Parts I and II, Singin in the Rain, My Fair Lady.

So hit me up? What's in your top 10?
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My "Bests" -- Television

8/12/2013

2 Comments

 
I love to rank things and discuss favorites. I like learning about what other people like and why. I'm an opinionated person, and so I also enjoy debating with friends and family about our preferences and tastes. Some of my family absolutely hates this quality about me, but they tolerate it. My wife and I share similar tastes in film and television, though they're not identical. For example, my wife will enjoy putting on Angel or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, shows I enjoyed in my teenage years, but for some reason can't stand anymore. Some people think it's silly to rank things or list favorites, but I think it tells me something about another person to know what the value most in medium. A couple of disclaimers. First, I haven't seen every TV show ever made, especially stuff that aired in the 1980's or earlier. Second, I'm not including any shows that haven't finished (like Breaking Bad and Legend of Korra, which would almost certainly compete for a spot). So, without further ado, here's my list of Top Five Favorite TV shows and why:

1. The Wire - hands down, without question the greatest television show ever made. I think it's something people need to watch so they understand the problems our society faces with poverty cycles, bureaucracy, corruption, and education. Each season focuses on a different aspect of these. It will blow your mind. It's funny, sad, witty, wry, and just the best show ever made, no question, hands down. Please watch if you haven't seen it. My favorite character? Omar Little.

2. Avatar: The Last Airbender - beautiful animation, lovable characters, brilliant story arcs, excellent voice acting, and hilarity for kids and adults, this show is the epitome of striking that balance in writing and directing to make it a show for the entire family. I've watched this show all the way through twice, and absolutely adore it. Uncle Iro is probably my favorite character.

3. Seinfeld - The show about nothing. How can you not love Seinfeld? It's like a comedy sketch played out as a TV show. The jokes build on themselves. It has slapstick, situational comedy, irony, and wonderful characters. So many memorable moments and such rewatchability. Favorite chacter? Puddy.

4. LOST - The first show I ever watched that had me dying to watch the next episode. My LOST experience started when my wife and I borrowed the first season, and would stay up til all hours of the night thinking, "Just one more... just one more." I think we watched the whole season in 3 or 4 days. So many moments that touched me: Charlie's Greatest Hits, Not Penny's Boat!, "We have to go back!", the final episode, Sun and Jin, and of course, everything surrounding John Locke. Wow. My favorite character in this was definitely Jack.

5. MASH - Probably the first TV show that became a phenomenon. And for good reason. Funny, heart-breaking, poignant, and relevant. MASH did it all, blending comedy and current event commentary with genius rarely, if ever again, seen on television. It would be years before another show would reach such similar heights. How popular was this show? No other series finale even comes CLOSE to its viewership. 125 MILLION people tuned in. That's the kind of numbers only the Superbowl pulls in. Favorite character? Hawkeye.

What are YOUR favorites?
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One of the Best Things About Being a Writer is...

8/5/2013

1 Comment

 
Learning.

You have to know a little bit about everything to write. You need to know the names of things you never really thought about before. You have to grasp around in the dark for the right way to describe something. You have to stay informed on current events, but also have an understanding of history, science, and all sorts of topics.

Right now I'm doing ground research for Super Six. I intend to make this novel part dytopian, part alternative history, and part superhero. I'm really excited about it. However, the idea brings up lots of questions, such as how would the existence of superheroes over the last 130 years affect world events? How would it shape the world, which is known to be so ever-changing? That's what has me excited. I look forward to developing the idea more, and then sharing it with you.
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    I am an Author.

    And a dentist. And a husband. And a daddy. And a movie lover. And opinionated.

    My Projects:

    1. Super Six:
    -First draft finished
    2. Tale 2: Secrets of Neverak
    -Published
    4. Tale 3
    -on hold

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