You look outside: It’s snowing! But look closer. Those aren’t snowflakes falling from the sky! What is it?
I could hear the sirens and smell the smoke before I could muster up the strength to open my eyes. I had been knocked out. Again. It was the second time in just under a month and I was sure my handler at Operation Atlas wasn’t going to be happy about it.
When I finally rolled to my back
and opened my eyes, there was ash floating from the sky and landing softly on
the ground all around me. There had to be two or three thick inches of ash
coating every surface within a one-mile radius.
The fire wasn’t supposed to be that big. They had told me just to take out the warehouse, but they didn’t know about the chemicals being stored in the basement. By the time they exploded, it was too late. I was thrown clear across the parking lot and knocked out cold. The fire department came, but even they couldn’t stop the flames from jumping from building to building. By the time they found me, the fire had consumed the entire block.
Luckily, I was able to stop it before
it jumped the road and spread deeper into the city.
Starting, and stopping fire… that’s
my superpower. Although, lately, it seems like more of a curse.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
You look outside: It’s snowing! But look closer. Those aren’t snowflakes falling from the sky! What is it?
What books have made your September reading list? Are any of them on the New York Times Best Seller list? Comment below and let me know, then, CLICK HERE to check out the 10 Ten Best Sellers for September and see which ones you’d like to add to your reading list!
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for September 2019!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
#1 Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
Ina quiet town on the North Carolina coast in 1969, a young woman who survived alone in the marsh becomes a murder suspect.
One thing I love to do is interview other authors. Not only does it introduce me to potential books I can add to my ‘to read’ list, but it also helps spread the indie-author love to other readers. Marketing is hard and if I can help a fellow author, I’m happy to do it. With that in mind, I’d like to welcome Matt Nagin, author of Feast of Sapphires, to my blog.
Matt Nagin, author of Feast of Sapphires, AKA Bart Schumacher (Standup Comedian)
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? My name is Matt Nagin. I do not use a pen name, but I do have a comedy alter ego, a standup comedy character, if you will, named Bart Schumacher.
Where do you call home? I live in New York City.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I am an actor, a comedian, and, when I can find the work, a college professor. Yes. I believe I became a better actor and educator over time. I enjoy very much the areas in which I work since I am passionate about them and they are connected to my overall artistic orientation.
What is your family like? I have a large family; four brothers, a nephew, thirteen cousins, many uncles and aunts etc. In addition to my parents, I’m fortunate enough to have a 99 year old grandma who turns 100 in January.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? I love watching films, particularly classic films and/or films that in some way tell an innovative story. I also enjoy traveling, since it expands your understanding of your own little area of residence, helps you get a better grasp of your particular social and cultural predilections, and occasionally even inspires creative work.
What is your greatest dream? To make a living as a writer by completing works others find meaningful.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you? I would like to be working creatively at a higher level than I am now. By this I mean I would, ideally, like to be more productive. What is stopping me, I suppose, is I get distracted easily and I have a million little obligations that keep me from focusing and completing work. I’m also a bit of a perfectionist, which, at times, can be a hindrance.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes. Lasted a year and a half. Unfortunately, she became a lesbian. It broke my heart at the time. Now it seems vaguely humorous.
What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you? Getting hit by a speeding car while walking across the street in a construction zone with an obstructed view was one of the worst things that ever happened to me. More than twenty stitches in my wrist. Glass in my arm. Ten herniated discs in my back. A number of ongoing issues with my knees. There have been a few others. A plane nearly crashing–the gas masks coming down. A boat nearly going under during a storm. Three surgeries for Crohn’s disease. The point is it has been a struggle, at times, just to persevere.
And how long have you been writing? I have been writing around 25 years, but the first five years I did not work with any level of seriousness. There have been periods where I didn’t write at all, but, eventually, I always came back to it. Of late I’ve been trying to maintain a regular schedule.
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not? To be a writer/actor/filmmaker etc. To a certain extent, I achieved my dream. This is because in pretty much all the fields I’ve pursued I’ve had at least a few accomplishments. All that being said, I still feel I have a long way to go.
Who is your role model? Most of my role models are artists with an uncompromising yet powerful vision. Examples include Stanley Kubrick, Charles Bukowski, Phillip K. Dick, Emily Dickinson, William Blake and Salvador Dali.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? Paperbacks. The presentation is generally the best. I also think the idea of a book as something really special and unique is lost when you read it on a Kindle.
What is your opinion of novellas? Novellas are a great form. I enjoy the unusual length very much. I also think it is a great way to develop characters, setting, and a compelling plot without dragging a story on endlessly. Finally, in the age of social media, where readers have very little free time, novellas make a whole lot of sense.
What is your favorite film based on a book? Barry Lyndon. It’s based on a Thackeray novel.
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Satire/Humor.
What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why? Stephen King’s “The Stand.” I have read many King books, but never actually got to “The Stand.” I’m looking forward to reading this classic.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? I’m reading the book of a friend, David Voice, “The Can Man: My Five Cents Worth,” that I’m enjoying. Kindle format. I generally don’t read much on my Kindle, but, since this is a relatively short book, it made sense.
Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? My book is ‘Feast of Sapphires.’ It is a poetry collection that aims to be illuminating in a variety of ways. I take daily experiences, or interesting phrases, or magnetic ideas, and use them as a springboard for poetic exploration.
“Feast of Sapphires,” is a compendium of poems covering topics both timely and universal. There are poems of psychic revolution, poems on social media and gun control, poems about MRI’s, gambling, and mystical storms of all varieties; then, too, on a deeper level, more than a few of these poems are about the desire to surmount the collective facade in search of a kind of truth that cannot be hyperlinked.
Located from Costa Rica to the LIRR, this metaphysical cartography of anticipation and despair is perfect for those seeking answers in the bottom of the tea, in the resonance of a thunder storm, or, even, in the ethereal high of a linguistic flight of fancy. From comedic monologues to existential reflections, from angry rants to countercultural analysis, from wily narratives to verbal pyrotechnics, this is a book that strives, in new ways, to be illuminating… CONTINUE READING
Is the above book part of a series? No. That said, it is a follow-up to my first poetry book, “Butterflies Lost Within The Crooked Moonlight,” which did fairly well on Amazon.
This highly-accessible, dynamic collection offers existential ponderings, comic situations, poetic meditations on death, musical riffs, political commentary, striking imagery and more. The 45 poems in this collection represent a range of styles and subject matter. 18 of these poems were previously published in such journals as Antigonish Review, Grain Magazine, Arsenic Lobster, Dash, Spillway, The Charles Carter, Downtown Brooklyn, and many, many more. This debut collection of poetry from Matt Nagin is sure to, as the title suggests, comment on the way even the most delicate and majestic of us tend to be drawn, willy-nilly, towards the crooked moonlight.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)?Julia Noel Goodman designed the cover. We reviewed the concept together and went through a number of iterations of it till we settled on one we thought best.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? I pick a bunch of different possible titles and go with what sounds best. I also ask friends/associates for input.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it? I created a trailer for my first book, ‘Butterflies Lost Within The Crooked Moonlight.’ Watch it below:
Also, I have videos of readings of individual poems from ‘Feast of Sapphires,’ set to imagery. One of these, ‘Regret,’ is available below:
Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantser or a plotter? I am a pantser. I go with what inspires me–allowing it to lead the way. Then I go back and edit. At times this editing is extensive. At others very little is required. It totally depends on the state of the first draft. I sometimes edit immediately after I complete the writing portion. At other times, I like to wait a few weeks till I return to the work, since I often can then see it much more clearly.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? The biggest challenge I’ve encountered with publishing is properly formatting poetry for Kindle on KDP…something that sounds easier than it is. The second biggest challenge is acquiring new readers in an oversaturated marketplace.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Not sure if I was ever specifically given this advice, but it is what I always tell others: keep at it! This is the key to success in any field, but particularly with writing a high level of self-discipline is required.
Where can your readers follow you? Please list links to any applicable websites and/or social media accounts.
Where do you see yourself in five years? I hope to have several other books published by then. Right now I have a humor book coming out in the next few months with an indie publisher, and, after that, I am looking to publish a short story collection. There are a few more books, as well, I’m at work on, so I am really hoping to get a lot of work out into the world soon.
Any last thoughts about your overall journey? It’s been a wild ride–these last few years–and I have really enjoyed expressing myself creatively and reaching out to others with my creative ideas. I’m also grateful to be doing something I’m passionate about, something that fills me with a sense of purpose. What can I say? I’m very lucky!
CALL TO ACTION: If you have questions for Matt that weren’t addressed in this interview, I invite you to comment below and he will respond here!
Remember,
#WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the
writing prompt below,
Spend 5
minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever
comes to mind,
DON’T
EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal
is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today, I am writing in my own voice. As a mom, this writing prompt really spoke to me!
Today’s writing prompt:
What do you think is the most important thing for today’s kids to learn in school?
When I was growing up, school was
all about projects, research, learning, and even discovering new things. Sure,
I was a kid so I thought of it as work… I complained about all the homework and
tests and time. Yes, it took time to get everything done. We didn’t have the
internet. We didn’t have access to unlimited knowledge at our fingertips. We
actually had to go to the library, search the stacks, and often time resort to
reading the encyclopedia to find the information we needed.
Today, school seems all about test
scores and less about actual learning. Sure, kids do gain knowledge from
attending classes, but more importantly I think they gain social skills. Outside
of the classroom, kids are often sitting with their noses pointed at either a
phone, a computer, or some form of gaming device. Kids don’t interact the same
way they did when I was younger. If I wanted to talk to a friend, I had to call
them on the phone (which was connected to the wall with a cord) and have a real-life
conversation. Today communication is done through sending photos, emojis, and poorly
written (often abbreviated) text messages. I fear that kids are losing the
social skills that are essential to a successful future. That is why I feel
that the most important thing for kids to learn in school is communication!
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What do you think is the most important thing
for today’s kids to learn in school?
What books have made your August reading
list? Check out the New York Times bestsellers for August 2019 by CLICKING
HERE!
Are
you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all
your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all
the tools I use in my writing process!
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal a planner-journal hybrid to help new and experienced writers stay organized while still fostering creativity. Track your progress with daily/monthly word count goals. Plan your writing/publishing goals, manage your to do list, never miss another deadline or appointment again, keep track of writing ideas, schedule/log social sharing and blog post ideas, keep a record of books you’re reading or want to read, maintain a running playlist, etc.
I have third degree burns down the right
side of my face and body. I’ve been in the Operation Atlas Treatment Center for
over a month and the doctors say I’ll be released in just under a week. The
average human would take months and multiple skin graft surgeries before they’d
be healed enough to leave. Not me, I heal quickly. It’s one of the many benefits
of being a metamorph.
Sure, without the surgeries I’ll
have scars, but I don’t care about the scars. I’ll wear them with pride, like a
badge of honor.
You see, I can do something not
many others can do. I can control fire, or at least I will once I get my powers
under control. I’m still learning.
Being an Incendiary is rare, but
being an incendiary with two of the three primary powers is unheard of. That’s
why Operation Atlas is taking such good care of me. I’m one of their elite.
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What are you recovering from right now?
What books have made your August reading list? Check out the New York Times bestsellers for August 2019 by CLICKING HERE!
Are
you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all
your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all
the tools I use in my writing process!
Complete this thought: “I wish an alarm would notify me whenever…”
I
wish an alarm would notify me whenever it was time to wake up and go to school.
I’m twelve years old and I haven’t been to school in almost two years.
I
miss it.
It’s
funny, when I was going to school every day, I hated it. Sure, I liked seeing
my friends and recess of course, but sitting in a class, listening to the
teacher talk all day… I can’t say I enjoyed that.
But
now, I miss it.
I
guess you always miss the things you can’t have; the things that are taken away
to early.
You
see, where I’m from, if they find out you have powers that can be useful to the
government, like mine, you’re carted away to the Operation Atlas headquarters. I’m one
of four watchmen with the power of telepathic perception. Basically, it is the ability to receive information from another mind. It’s more complicated
than that, but you get the picture.
I have alarms that wake me up, tell me when to eat, when to leave for work, when to sleep, and just about everything else. My movements are monitored and I can’t do anything out of order or without permission. For once, I’d love to sleep late, skip a meal, play outside, or just go to school.
There are times, first thing in the morning before I even open my eyes, that I forget where I’m at. I forget about the ten-foot by ten-foot whitewash room they keep me in. I forget that I’m not just another normal kid. Those first few seconds of the day are my favorite. But lately, they’ve been happening less and less. I think I’ve started to forget… forget my past, my friends, even my family.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Complete this thought: “I wish an alarm would
notify me whenever…”
What books have made your August reading list? Check out the New York Times bestsellers for August 2019 by CLICKING HERE!
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for August 2019!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
#1 ONE GOOD DEED
by David Baldacci
A World War II veteran on parole must find the real killer in a small town or face going back to jail.
What was the last thing you read or saw that really inspired you?
The
last thing that really inspired me wasn’t something that I read or saw… it was
a conversation I had while out in Los Angeles recently. I was visiting with an
old friend and we were talking, over coffee, about all the screenplays he has
written. He’s a struggling writer out in L.A. trying to make it in ‘the
industry’ and he was telling me how he reads 60+ scripts a week and has written
40, 50, 60+ scripts himself. I can’t remember the exact number. I just remember
thinking, WOW!
This
guy, in my opinion, is one of the most talented screenplay writers I’ve ever
met… yet he is struggling. It’s not easy to sell a script in Hollywood. It’s
not easy to pitch ideas and get turned down again and again. It’s not easy to
keep your spirits up and continue to be motivated to put pen to paper… or
rather fingers to keyboard. Yet, he does it. He does it every day, day after
day, week after week. He hasn’t given up and neither will I.
His
drive to keep going. His determination to continue pursuing his dream inspires
me to do the same.
Alright,
now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires in
you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing.
Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
What was the last thing you read or saw that really inspired you?
Are you an author
looking for inspiration? Take some advice from these amazing authors:
Ransom Riggs, author of Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children says, Start a collection!
Cormac McCarthy, author of ‘The Road’ says to talk to people!
David Mitchell, author of ‘Cloud Atlas’ says to explore extended metaphors!
Are you an author who is looking for ways to stay organized and on track with all your writing goals? Check out my author workbooks below. They are full of all the tools I use in my writing process!
Are you working on a manuscript, but need a little help getting organized? Check out SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK ~ An Indie Author Guide to Outlining and Planning Your Next Novel
It isn’t just for indie-authors. I have filled it with all the tools I’ve learned over the years and use on a regular basis with each book I write.
Want help meeting your writing goals? Check out JUST WRITE: The Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal
Nina Soden 