Interviews

As promised, I was on the Anthony Charles Podcast where I called into the show to promote my new book The Phoenix Blade. 

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeZr30JtrF3U%26feature%3Dyoutu.be&h=fAQGMJLbm

Here are my past appearances on the show as well.  You should check them out.
http://soundcloud.com/anthonycharlespodcast/episode-5-andrew-hess-writer

http://soundcloud.com/anthonycharlespodcast/episode-20-andrew-hess-author

The Anthony Charles Podcast is a great show that is all about helping and promoting artists of all types (Writers, Musicians, Comedians, Stuntmen, Directors, Pin-up Models and the list goes on and on.  Go back and check out all the other past episodes.  I'm sure you'll find them enlightening, and who knows you might learn something.

http://anthonycharlespodcast.com/

The Phoenix Blade

So here we are.  The official release of the Phoenix Blade was last week and have been receiving a lot of positive feedback from it. 
http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Blade-Project-Justice-ebook/dp/B00CLIH0TS/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1367851796&sr=8-1&keywords=Phoenix+Blade%2C+Andrew+Hess

http://www.amazon.com/The-Phoenix-Blade-Andrew-Hess/dp/1482052733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367851796&sr=8-1&keywords=Phoenix+Blade%2C+Andrew+Hess

I am currently setting up my first book signing event for the beginning of June in Huntington, NY (stay tuned for more details). I will also be on an episode of the Anthony Charles Podcast. In the meantime, feel free to check out my past interviews on the Anthony Charles Podcast.

http://anthonycharlespodcast.com/episode-5-andrew-hess-writer/

http://anthonycharlespodcast.com/episode-20-andrew-hess-authorpoetblogger/

I will keep everyone posted on any upcoming signings, on my virtual book tour, and will write a few new blog posts.

I would also like to encourage any writers to check out the Author Writing Club.  It is a site that helps writers promote their books with thousands of readers.

http://authormarketingclub.com/members/featured-member-books/

2013: New Blog, New Topics

Hello everyone and welcome to my first blog of the new year.  I decided this year's blog is going to be a bit different than last years.  Starting with me putting a little more of myself and my writing into the blogs and also covering a broader spectrum of topics.  So here I go into my first new topic: Karma.

Ever since I was a little kid, I always heard the saying: What goes around comes around.  When I was younger, I admit, I didn't really understand the meaning behind it.  And then I kept hearing the phrases Life's a bitch, Karma's a bitch, and Karma will come around and bite you in the ass.  I kept hearing these phrases and began saying them without comprehending the meaning. 

Karma is actually derrived from Indian cultures; especially Hinduism.  They view Karma as a means of cause and effect, but is also dependent on the will of God.  Another way to look at it is God does not punish without reason and likewise God does not reward without reason.  They say God is fair and gives you exactly what you deserve.

Now I cannot say for sure that is how life is.  But I believe in the expression you only reap what you sow.  You only get what you put into life.  Bad things can still happen to good people, but I feel they are a test of your character and will lead you to better things if handled correctly. 

So the question still begs to be asked.  Does Karma exist or is it just another expression?  That is something you need to look to yourself to answer. 

So as always, I welcome any feedback, suggestions on future topics, or any kind of comment as long as it does not put someone down.  Happy New Year.

Dreams

Ever wonder where writers get their ideas from?  They can come from anywhere or anything.  When I started writing poetry, I would be sitting at work; thinking about random things.  Sometimes I would come up with nothing, but other times I would have a great idea or remember something from my past.  When I did write, people said I went into some sort of trance.  I was staring at the wall or out a window.  After about ten minutes I was done and ready to type it up on the computer. 

My brother has his own way of coming up with ideas.  He listens to what people say and gets an idea instantly.  He comes up with elaborate storylines in a matter of minutes that would be great to see on the big screen. 

Another way of coming up with ideas is through dreams.  That has been the way I have been getting new story ideas, and from what I have read a lot of other writers get their plots from dreams they had as well.  They are usually weird and abnormal, but most dreams usually are.  Sometimes they feel too real.  Some have you portraying the main character in the dream and other times you are a spectator watching everything unfold. 

There are many more ways people can find ideas on what to write.  Taking a walk through the park, the beach, observing people's interactions with each other, interactions with family, old jokes either with friends or family, songs, poetry, reading, and the list can go on and on.

The best piece of advice I can give when it comes to searching for something to write about, is don't discredit anything.  Write any and all ideas down; either in a notebook, type it on a computer, or enter it into a cell phone.  Don't ignore the thoughts that come to mind.  Keep them and look to them when you decide you want to write something.  If you think you can expand on it then go for it.  If you can't, don't scrap the idea; keep it for another time.

Re-Writes

Rewriting is the one thing writers don't like to do.  No one likes to hear their idea doesn't work or that it should be better than what you wrote.  That's what the writer interprets it to mean when you tell them they need to rewrite a story.  That's not what it actually means.  Critics, Literary Agents, Publishers even friends and family are offering advise on how to make your story better. 

Something I learned while doing constant rewrites is the more you write and rewrite, the better your writing becomes.  I have written and rewritten my first novel several times before I was satisfied with how the story flowed.  It has been about two and a half years since the last time I worked on that novel.  I started to write the movie script based on the novel to help shop it around more and found the beginning changed as I started to write it.  The beginning to the script seemed more eye catching and at that moment I understood what others told me a while ago. 

So here I go again.  Writing my first novel over again to spice it up a little more; make it more eye catching.  For the first time, I'm not upset about it.  I look at it as a step in the right direction to improve on what I couldn't before and a step closer to making my dream come true.

Relationships

This is a little off the topic tonight but still works with being a writer.  Relationships are both a blessing and a curse.  Now before you agree, disagree or want to throw something at me, let me explain this statement.  When I was younger, (first started writing) I had a lot of relationship issues with my ex.  There were many things I needed to work on and there were about the same or more that she had to work on.  Never the less, we lived together for many years and had to deal with each other every day.  I told her a lot about the ideas I had and the dream of me becoming a writer.  There were times were she said she believed in me and a couple of times (when arguing) where she threw it in my face and told me I was dellusional.  I know it was in the heat of the moment, but there was always a part of me that thought she really didn't have faith in me that I could become a writer. 

Fast Forward to the present.  It's been nearly 5 years since my ex and I split up and now I am with an incredible woman.  She supports me and encourages me and I do the same for her.  When it comes to my writing, she continuously tells me to write even when I feel down and don't want to.  When I think of her, I have a stronger desire to accomplish more (she inspires me to work harder).

Just from that alone is a considerable difference between my old life and my current one.  But that's not why I chose this topic tonight.  I chose this because I have seen a lot of friends in bad relationships and ones that unexpectedly broke their hearts.  A lot of them have chosen to dwell on what happened and what could have been, others decided to pack up their stuff and move away and start over.  It's not me to tell you how to handle the situation.  The only thing I will say, is don't hold a grudge over what happened.  It means the relationship wasn't meant to be.  There is someone out there and the harder you look for them, the harder it is to see them.  And social media isn't the best place to vent your story to the world but if you want to talk about it, find a couple of close friends to lean on or write down your feelings about the situation.  You never know what a couple of pages of writing while you're in that emotional state can bring you. 

So as I said relationships can be a blessing and a curse.  It all depends on how you perceive it. 

Don't forget to listen to the Anthony Charles Podcast this week for my interview.
http://soundcloud.com/anthonycharlesofficial/episode-20-andrew-hess-author

And follow me on Twitter and FB
http://www.facebook.com/#!/TheRealPhoenix13
https://twitter.com/ThePhoenix1369

Friendships

I wanted to take tonight to talk about friendships both personal and professional.  When you start out in school, you think everyone is your friend.  As you progress into your later scholastic years you either have a close circuit of friends or clique, or you are part of many groups in the confines of the school.  In college you have a new set of friends.  Some are in Fraternities or Sorrorities while others find friends through classes or school clubs.  Either way a lot of the friendships you created earlier in life have either been lost in the transitions or held together very tightly. 

In my opinion it's not until you are in the real world that you realize who your true friends are in life.  They could be current co-workers that you have known for years and spend a lot of time with.  Others could be new business associates that you come across and find common ground to start building a friendship on.  In some cases the friends you made along your journey through school are still going strong; even hundreds of miles away.

I have found that there are some people that want to be fake friends and fairweather friends.  Fairweather friends are people that come around when it is convienent for them.  Due to social media, there are now a multitude of platforms for these people to reach out and contact someone.  I myself, am one of those people where I will message people out of convience.  It's nothing to be shameful about because we all do that now.  Each day we read social status updates of people we follow or are friends with to find something we find amusing or interesting to talk about with each other.  It helps us keep up to date on people that we do or did care about and provides us topics to talk about when we decide it is the right moment.  In a way this is good and bad (but I will leave that for another topic for the future).

Onto the Fake Friends.  Fake friends are people that are around just to use others for their own selfish benefit.  They could be people that don't necessarily mean any harm but need something (advice, venting, guidance, money, or just around for the party).  I have come to know many of these people in my life.  Some were very trusted friends that got to know me pretty well, and when they got what they needed they left.  Others releaized they weren't getting what they wanted out of the friendship and decided to depart from my life as well.  Both of those are okay and I wish those people the best in their lives. 

Finally there are True Friends.  These are the people that are there for you no matter what.  They are the people that go out of their way to help you, trust you with their lives, and are always looking out for others best interest.  I can honestly say I am someone who values those traits in friends and have a good circle of close friends that I myself would trust with my life.  I may know some of them for nearly 15 years, others that I knew when I moved away, some I worked with, and others I met as of this last year. 

Regardless of who these people are, friends are the people that make every moment of life worth living.  They share in the good times and bad.  They provide inspiration and comfort.  They are the shoulder you cry on or the people you share a great laugh with.  I want to dedicate this post to all of those close friends and family that have always stood by me.


And on a side note, I would like to also post a link to my interview on the Anthony Charles Podcast this week.  I hope you all enjoy and have a great night.
http://soundcloud.com/anthonycharlesofficial/episode-20-andrew-hess-author

Taking time to relax

I know there is a lot to discuss when it comes to writing, but I want to use tonight to talk about taking time out for yourself.  Now some of you might be thinking I can relax later when I'm done writing or when I made it big.  Others might say that's great and over indulge in the relaxation.  I know from first hand experience that both of these are the wrong thought process to have.  If you over indulge in relaxing, it becomes hazardous to your drive to succeed and in your writing ability.  On the other hand being too focused has its pit falls as well; such as being focused on one particular aspect of writing, burning yourself out, and of course it becomes a source of writer's block.

To succeed not only in writing, but in anything you do, you need to have a good balance of work and relaxation.  Take time out for yourself each day to enjoy little things.  Take me for example.  I work a full time job where I am on the road driving each day and come home to write up reports.  I have a whole night ahead of me before I go to bed, wake up and repeat it again the next day.  I choose to write the same five days I work because it is easier to get things done (I'm not saying for you to do this).  After I eat dinner, I watch a little TV and then go into my writing.  I am currently working on three different projects (a book, a movie script, and this blog).  Now I know that might seem like a lot, but I have a lot that goes through my head and sometimes it works for me and other times it works against me. 

Every night I still make sure I take the time to call my girlfriend, watch a movie or a couple of TV shows, play a video game, or just sit around and listen to music with the lights off.  I choose to do these things because they help to relax me and ease my stress from the day.  Once my head is clear and the rest of the world isn't influencing my thoughts, it is much easier for me to concentrate on what I want to write about. 

I hope this has been of some help to you.  Here is also a link that might help reduce stress.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot

2 Years of near silence

I felt like I lost everything.  The one in a million idea I thought would give me everything I ever wanted in life, was gone.  Months of work went down the drain when we had to factory reset.  I was devastated and didn't think I would ever be able to come up with another idea like that again.  It took me two years before I was able to come up with anything else to write about.  One idea stuck out in my mind, but could never do anything with it. 

By 2008, my life took a drastic turn for the best (although I took it as the worst at the time).  My relationship ended with my ex and I moved back home to Long Island.  I had to start over from scratch with my life.  I moved back in with my parents, my job botched my transfer and I was without a job. 

There was one brightside to the situation.  There was a desktop computer at my parents house that had an A Drive.  I was able to work on the Phoenix Blade again.  I pulled up the file for the first time in two years.  There was only two feelings that ran through me.  Happiness to see my work again, and anger at how my writing once was.  Somehow I managed to improve my writing ability during those two years and one failed attempt at writing a different story.  But now I felt rejuventated.  I had my original writing idea back in my hands; ready to be remodeled to my current writing style.  I felt alive again.  I felt like a Phoenix.

Setbacks

It's something everyone comes across.  The official definition says:

noun

an unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; something that is thwarting or frustrating. I for one can honestly say that is a very true way to describe the feeling you get when faced with a setback.  There have been quiet a few setbacks throughout my journey as a writer and I am sure I will face many more.  My first literary setback happened in 2006 (shortly after I started typing up the Phoenix Blade).  I was using the desktop computer at my apartment and kept finding a virus attacking the computer.  It would take complete control of my system and send a hundred or so pop up windows.  I couldn't even write anymore without having to close out a dozen extra windows on the computer.  My ex and I tried to run anti-virus software, but nothing seemed to work.  We had no other choice, we had to reset it back to factory settings.  I was able to save my work to a floppy disk prior to erasing everything from my computer.  After the restoration, we still had issues and eventually had to get a different desktop.  There was another issue that was unexpected.  The new computer did not have an A Drive which meant I could no longer work on the Phoenix Blade book.  I was crushed and couldn't remember everything I wrote previously.  I didn't want to start it over again either.  I had no other choice at the time.  I left the Phoenix Blade novel behind for years.

The Beginning pt1

When writing anything, you should always start with an idea and then work on your beginning.  So that is exactly what I'm going to do.  I don't want to bore you with the random childhood memories of how I started writing crazy imaginative stories in fifth grade and how I took part in the Creative Writing Club before school that year, but that's where it began.  Unfortunately I cannot remember much of that time or the stories I wrote.  To be honest there's not much I can remember from my childhood in regards to writing other than creating my own newspaper in sixth grade and selling it for a quarter (I've never been one to take No or you can't do that without coming back with a heavy response).

The next time I decided to write anything was after four years of wrestling in various backyard wrestling promotions on Long Island.  I was injured numerous times and knew I couldn't go after my dream of being a Pro Wrestler.  I was told by my doctor that the bottom of my spine was twisting pretty bad and was not advised to continue any kind of wrestling.  It crushed me that I was told I shouldn't wrestle again.  There was so much more that I wanted to do; more that I could contribute.  But in my mind if I couldn't be a wrestler, I didn't want to be part of it at all. 

So I started college in 2001 at Farmingdale University and tried to find a different path I could travel down; hoping to find a new career or dream to throw myself into.  As I sat in my english class I decided to write the ending to my wrestling life (the ending I wished would have happened).  I figured it woudl be a good and healthy way of dealing with things I could not control in my life.  I wrote every day during my breaks between classes and every night when I came home from work.  I included everything I could that legitimately occurred before writing what I wished would have happened.

It took another four years before I decided to attempt another book, but you'll have to wait for the next installment for that one.