"The Word Count" Episode Two is LIVE!

Episode two of The Word Count has been posted!

The show deals with Social Media and how you can utilize tools such as Twitter and your own blog to get noticed.

Interview one this week is with the lovely and talented JAYM GATES - Publicity Manager at Raw Dog Screaming Press, Co-Editor of the upcoming Rigor Amortis anthology, as well as a boatload of other stuff I begged her to talk about like the Browncoats movie and Zinechat.

My second interview is with the equally lovely author of Seeking Eleanor, The Reign of Billie Blackwater and Bare--T. L. Tyson. She is also the host host of her own weekly Vlog each Friday.

Links are off to the right for both iTunes and the direct RSS feed. Notes to follow shortly.

Enjoy!

An Open Letter the the SyFy Channel

"Sharktopus." Really?

"Lake Placid THREE." Honestly?

Ogre. Ice Spiders. Yeti.

PLEASE stop.

Just STOP.

A third Stargate series--Starring Lou Diamond Phillips. Your star of that cinematic masterpiece of 2009 "Carny."

Lou and a Carny Freak

Oh, and you now have WWE's "Smackdown." Awesome.

I ask...no. I BEG you to go back to the days of "Farscape" and the original "Stargate: SG1."

There are a boatload of talented writers out there...I'm connected to a couple hundred of them via twitter. Get a few good writers. Create STORIES that have Science Fiction elements. Don't go for the cheap mindless entertainment. Spend the money on the ideas, the writing and the scripts. Not on Tiffany and Debbie (Sorry. DEBORAH) Gibson as headliners.

(By the way, see the two Eighties pop stars in the cat fight scene from that celluloid Emmy contender "Megapython vs. Gatoroid" HERE)

I know not every show can be like the recent "Battlestar Galactica" reboot or "Warehouse 13." I also know there is a fantastic camp-value in these movies. My partner and I watch them to make cheeky comments and laugh...something in the days of "The Great Recession"that has its own value.

But you're not even TRYING anymore.

Just saw an ad for "Mandrake" for Sunday night. Thank God football's on.

Guest Blogger for Kait Nolan today!

"Social Media and Writing" is the topic for the upcoming episode of "The Word Count" podcast.

I wrote a small piece on the site 'LinkedIn" for a guest spot on writer Kait Nolan's blog...which was posted today!

Click the link below to be redirected to Kait's site:

Kait Nolan: Action Packed Paranormal Romance

"Speak Loudly"

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Those of you who follow me on Twitter (@rbwood) may have noticed I've added a badge to my picture. It says simply: Speak Loudly.

I'm warning you now, I'm about to rant and rave here.

You were warned.

Laurie Halse Anderson has written a book called SPEAK. It's a first person novel told from the perspective of High School freshman Melinda Sordino. The novel is set during the course of her school year. Melinda is having difficulties speaking.

It is a very emotional, hard to put down, hard not to cry novel. We find out why she is considered an outcast and why, in her words, "It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis."

The book is at times brutally honest, and you eventually find out why Melinda cannot seem to speak.

So why the twitter banner? And why the impending rant?

Because some right-wing nut job wants to ban the book.

Ban. The. Book.

The "Speak Loudly" Twitter banner and the subsequent #speakloudly hash-tag are in protest of even the thought of banning a book--a WRONG and abhorrent action as suggested by an ass-hat jack wagon.

The link above (click on Laurie's name) takes you to her description what's happening with the situation. As a writer, I can't imagine what she's going through with this nonsense.

As an American who cherishes the "Freedom of Speech" amendment (and there is a REASON it's the FIRST amendment), I'm disgusted at the thought of banning any sort of writing.

In an age where our rights are slowly being whittled away by the powers that be, a line must be drawn in the sand.

We must fight for our freedoms and our rights as writers, as citizens, as a family.

We must SPEAK LOUDLY against those who work against the light.

The 5 Minute Fiction Trifecta

One of my favorite online writing competitions is held over at Leah Petersen's website every Tuesday from 1:30 PM until 1:45 PM Eastern.

Called "5 Minute Fiction" it's pretty self-explanatory. In her words from the contest instructions:

And welcome to 5MinuteFiction. That means we write fiction. In five minutes. Shocker, I know.

The Rules

* You get five minutes to write a piece of prose in any style or genre

* You must directly reference today’s prompt:Insert word of the day here

(Note: The prompt is the word. The picture is for decoration/inspiration.)

Once a word is posted, a writer has 5 minutes to come up with a story, write it, revise it and post it on Leah's website.

The pressure is intense. The fun is indescribable. Follow Leah on Twitter: @LeahPetersen and follow the hash tag: #5MinuteFiction for details and reminders.

Why am I writing about this today? Self-indulgent reasons, really. Last night I won my third (and probably final) 5MF. I love this sort of pressure writing.

There are quite a few really great writers who participate each week. And more join in all the time. I recommend you give it a go. See what you come up with in five minutes.

So I present to you my third winning entry. There is some language and sexual content in here so be warned.

5MF Week #18 Prompt: INABILITY

They called it a ‘smart virus.’

A variation of herpes that could target specific DNA types. Read: races.

Once unleashed, it could wipe out an entire ‘targeted group’ within a generation. Maybe two.

It was the ultimate biological weapon with a one hundred percent mortality rate.

“A new sexually transmitted disease,” they said.

“Abstinence is the best way to avoid contracting the always fatal ‘super bug,” they also said.

‘They,’ apparently, were never horny teenagers.

Condoms were useless. Any sort of sexual contact. Kissing, blow jobs–even hand jobs would spread the virus. It didn’t matter.

They must have giggled to themselves when they’d first created it. Then screamed in frustration at their inability to control it.

See, what ‘they’ didn’t realize is that they’d created a real ‘smart bug.’ By smart I mean intelligent. Self-propagating. And self-aware.

They’d created the fucking Einstein of STDs.

Then ‘they’ declared war on the uber-herpes. Uber-herpes declared war back.

In three months it was all over.

As I look down from the International Space Station as the last surviving member of the human race, I try to find fitting last words. The oxygen is in the red now.

I think of Neil Armstrong and his “One small step” speech. What bullshit.

As the last tank goes dry, all I can think to say is “They…were a bunch of assholes.”

The Word Count Episode 2- Coming 26September10

Well the next episode of "The Word Count" podcast is moving along quite well!

Last night I had a fantastic chat with the dynamic and talented Jaym Gates and Wednesday I'll be interviewing T. L. Tyson. The subject this week is "Social Media and Writing"

I'd love to get your stories as well....how have things like "Twitter" and "Facebook" enhanced your writing? Who have you met online and how has social media played a role in getting your message out there?

I have to share with you all the fact that this podcasting thing is a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I'm getting the opportunity to chat with some really fantastic writers and industry professionals.

And if you haven't subscribed to "The Word Count" as of yet, there is a link to the iTunes version and the native RSS feed to the right of this article.

Come join me on my journey toward publication. I can't guarantee you'll learn anything. But it is a boat load of fun.

And don't forget to leave comments about social media below. I might even quote you in this week's show!

Update from the Weekend

"Very productive" are the two words I'd use to describe the weekend!

Got the latest versions of The Prodigal's Foole, the summary and query letter out to my crit partner for review. Finished the script for the second episode of "The Word Count" and I have interviews scheduled this week to complete the program.

I'm also working on a 'guest blogging' spot--more on that when it develops.

And it looks like I'll be entering another writing competition by this weekend.

Tidying up a few shorts and finished the outline and scene descriptions for The Haunting of Agnes Middleton House.

Seems my muse had as much coffee as I did. She was definitely working over time for me.

Back to the day job, satisfied with what was accomplished over the weekend. Now that's a nice way to start the work week!