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Justin Sloan talks about his first steps toward learning how to direct and learning about film. Learning how to direct the actor, with Nina Foch (USC instructor) Watching MOTHER, by Bong Joon Ho https://www.udemy.com/course/directing-the-actor-a-usc-course-with-nina-foch/learn/lecture/201868#overview

Justin Sloan has moved the Creative Writing Career podcast to a new 2.0 version, rebranded as CREATIVE WRITING LIFE. Enjoy! Check us out at : FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CreativeWritingLife iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-writing-life/id1488636423 With cohosts PT Hylton and Paul Zeidman. Also, check out the Creative Writing Life book - https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Writing-Life-Justin-Sloan-ebook/dp/B07YR2FMYK Want the life of a professional writer but not sure how to get there? Learn what it takes from the pros! Do you love to write, but aren't sure what to do with it? Wondering how to approach the industry, find a market, or get an in with the right folks? Stephan Bugaj (Pixar, Telltale Games) and Justin Sloan (Telltale Games, the Shadow Corps books) have come together to share advice on living the writer dream. Let them show you exactly what it takes to make it in the world of creative writing. What follows is a collection of their advice and interviews with the experts. This includes screenwriters, video game writers, and authors of books and comics. In this book you'll read interviews with writers whose credits include such titles as: • Big Fish • Batman • Game of Thrones • The Crow • Divergent • John Carter • Brave • Yesterday’s Gone • Prince of Persia: Sands of Time • Sandman Slim • Jurassic World In this book on creative writing for beginners and advanced, we cover features, television, video games, novels, and more aspects of making writing your life. Buy CREATIVE WRITING LIFE today to learn firsthand from the professionals!

Dakota Krout joins Justin to discuss his books, what LitRPG is, and how to enjoy family life while still writing often and a lot. From Dakota (Amazon): Dakota Krout - Author of the Amazon best-selling Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series I live in a 'pretty much Canada' Minnesota city with my wife and daughter. By day I'm a web developer and computer programmer, but in the early morning and late evening you'll find me draped over my computer creating new worlds and doing my best to bring characters to life. I started writing The Divine Dungeon series because I enjoy reading and wanted to create a world all my own. To my surprise and great pleasure, I found like-minded people who enjoy the contents of my mind. Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come! Find me here: DakotaKrout.com Facebook.com/TheDivineDungeon Patreon.com/DakotaKrout Twitter.com/DakotaKrout Goodreads.com/Dakota_Krout And find his other interview on the LitRPG Reads Podcast.

Evan Currie joins Justin to discuss science fiction, self publishing, and his journey as an author. Evan is a Canadian author who has been writing both original and fan fiction works for more than a decade, and finally decided to make the jump to self-publishing with his techno-thriller "Thermals." Since then Evan has turned out novels in the Silver Wings series, the Odyssey One series, and the first book in an alternate history series set during the height of the Roman Era. From ancient Rome to the far flung future, Evan enjoys exploring the possibilities inherent when you change technology or culture. For a short novella set in the Silver Wings universe, and sneak peaks at everything else he's working on, join Evan's mailing list : http://bit.ly/2lVUFJW Check out his amazing books on Amazon.

Michael J. Sullivan joins Justin to talk writing epic fantasy, world building, and his adventures in both indie and traditional publishing. After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, Michael J. Sullivan inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night. He was just ten years old and mimicking the only writer he knew at the time...Snoopy. That spark ignited a flame and Michael's desire to fill blank pages would become a life-long obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by studying authors such as Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and John Steinbeck. During that time, he wrote thirteen novels without finding any traction in publishing. Since insanity is repeating the same act but expecting a different result, he did the only sane thing he could think of and quit, vowing never to write creatively again. Never turned out to be too long for Michael and after a decade he returned to the keyboard in his forties...but with one condition: he wouldn't seek publication. Instead, he wrote a series of books that had been building in his head during his hiatus. His first reading love was fantasy, and his hope was to help foster a love of reading in his then thirteen-year-old daughter, who struggled due to severe dyslexia. After reading the third book of this series, his wife insisted the novels needed to "get out there." When Michael refused to jump back onto the query-go-round, she took over the publication tasks and has run "the business side" of his writing ever since. Michael is one of the few authors who has successfully published through all three routes: small press, self, and big five. FIND HIS BOOKS ON AMAZON. Also on such sites as B&N :) From Justin: I'm listening to Michael's THEFT OF SWORDS audiobook right now and loving it. Give it a try.

Justin sits down with Joe Solari to talk the business of writing, including when to incorporate and... taxes! Here's his course! On sale for a few days :) https://www.indieauthoralchemy.com/indieauthoralchemy/ More about Joe: Joe Solari is an author, entrepreneur, and consultant. He writes on the topics of Energy, the Environment, and on how to reduce risk in your entrepreneurial ventures. Finding that many business owners struggle with the same problems he has worked to create tools and systems to help passionate business owners professionalize their team and operations to achieve exceptional results. Joe graduated with a BFA from the School of the Art Institute and an MBA from Chicago Booth School of Business. He has been an owner, investor, partner, and operator of numerous businesses. He lives in River Forest Illinois with his wife Suze, author of the T-Shirt & Jeans Handbook, and their two sons Rowan and Vincent.

Lucas Flint shares why he loves to write superheroes, where his character powers come from, and a freebie deal if you get it quick! Enjoy :) Bait & Switch (free until April 22nd, 2018): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0788RN49V Website: www.lucasflint.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlucasflint/?ref=bookmarks Twitter: https://twitter.com/lucasflintbooks Lucas Flint is the pen name of Timothy L. Cerepaka, who writes superhero fiction under it. The Lucas Flint pen name is also published under the Secret Identity Books imprint of Annulus Publishing, an imprint devoted to publishing superhero fiction. Series: The Superhero's Son (Book 1: The Superhero's Test) The Young Neos (Book 1: Brothers) Minimum Wage Sidekick (Book 1: First Job) The Legacy Superhero (Book 1: A Superhero's Legacy)

With over twenty-five years of story and game development experience at world-class entertainment companies such as Marvel, Activision, and Lucasfilm, EVAN SKOLNICK brings a unique perspective to narrative experiences in games. An international speaker and educator, he has conducted workshops on storytelling techniques for well over a thousand game development professionals. Skolnick’s work includes projects such as Star Wars 1313, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2, The Godfather: Five Families, Over the Hedge, Spider-Man 3, Spy Muppets, and many others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two sons. Visit www.evanskolnick.com. Check out his book, VIDEO GAME STORYTELLING.

Bobby Stein of Arena Net (Guild Wars 2) joins us to talk writing for MMO video games, breaking in, and more. FROM BOBBY: I've been writing about video games since 2001 and for them since 2005. Interactive storytelling through gameplay and ambient voice-over is my passion. I currently manage the narrative team under the Studio Narrative Director. From 2007 to 2012, we focused on writing and editing voiced dialog for dynamic events and ambient scenes. Since the launch of Guild Wars 2 in August of 2012, we've shifted our efforts to evolving the narrative of the live game by working with multidisciplinary, project-based groups on the Living World story and Raids. I spend much of my time writing and/or reviewing narrative treatments and VO scripts with my team, giving feedback and creative direction on plot, characters, dialog, presentation, implementation, and gameplay cohesion where needed. I have also done light implementation of ambient narrative elements (scripting interactive props, scenes, etc.) Bobby on IMDB

David Varela joins us to discuss his career with video games such as Zombie Run, and how he made it. http://davidvarela.com/ FROM DAVID: I’m a writer, living and working in the UK. I’m also quite a practical bloke, which makes me useful as a producer of games and multimedia drama too. Being rather busy most of the time, I won’t be blogging on this site, but I will be keeping it up to date with what I’ve been doing. If you want regular updates, you can sign up for my newsletter. The trouble is, I’m normally not allowed to talk about the really interesting stuff until it’s over. This is how I create my air of mystery. Here’s a summary of the story so far. In 2009, I produced a project called Xi. It’s still one of the largest Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) ever made. For most of 2010, I was writing and producing Lewis Hamilton: Secret Life at nDreams. Now that was epic. 2011 was mostly the Pepperhood and a lot of teaching, talking and running workshops around the world. 2012 saw the surprising success of Zombies, Run!, the theatrical extravaganza that was The Seed, and 100 Hours of Solitude in Ted Hughes’ old house. 2013 was all about Samurai Siege, the Live Writing Series, and the start of an unexpected new cocktail business called Shaken. 2014 got off to an astonishing start with the release of Sherlock: The Network, which led to a whole load of travelling and award nominations. 2015 saw me writing The Trace (one of the Best Android Games of the Year, apparently) and giving a series of talks at conferences and workshops. 2016 brought the end of Shaken, a small press frenzy around Framed, writing for VR, some prototyping for Lost My Name, and more talks around the world. And 2017 has turned into a wonderful mix of education, narrative design, more prototyping, VR… and it’s not over yet.

Author Ken Lozito shares his views on craft, marketing, and the magic behind his First Colony series. Ken Lozito: Ken Lozito is the author of multiple series in fantasy and science fiction. Ken has always loved fantasy and science fiction in all forms, including books, movies (Even the cheesy 80s B movies), and games. Ken graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a degree in English and Anthropology. Being a computer hobbyist led to him working in the field of IT Security for almost 20 years. He resides in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two boys. Enjoys hiking, reading, playing with the dog, and binge-watching shows on Netflix, but enjoys writing stories most of all. You can find out more about Ken and upcoming books on his website at http://kenlozito.com Grab LEGACY on amazon today!

On today's episode, we spoke with Samuel Peralta, Chris Pourteau, David Bruns, and Sean Quigley about the Tails of Dystopia anthology. GRAB IT ON AMAZON 1984 meets The Incredible Journey in thirteen dystopian tales by some of today's most accomplished writers of science fiction. In this title in the acclaimed Future Chronicles series of speculative fiction anthologies created by award-winning author Samuel Peralta, discover tales of dark futures, tragic pasts, and a present that's run off the rails are presented in landscapes as varied as their authors' imaginations. Set in bestselling worlds fully realized by their authors, the stories of Chronicle Worlds: Tails of Dystopia unfold as seen through the eyes of animals -- tamed and feral, domestic and savage -- as they traverse a world of perdition where often their capacity for nobility and self-sacrifice transcends our own. Enter these worlds with some of the most inventive authors writing today, including USA Today bestselling authors David Adams and Cheri Lasota, Wall Street Journal bestselling authors Daniel Arthur Smith and Ann Christy, and Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award winner Rysa Walker. Dystopian deserts, post-apocalyptic mountain ranges, the medieval English countryside, the far reaches of the galaxy - in each of these and more, animals and their human companions discover heart-stopping adventure among the ruins - and you will, too. Discover Chronicle Worlds. Discover Tails of Dystopia. Proceeds from this volume of The Future Chronicles help support the charity Pets for Vets, which rescues and re-trains shelter animals and matches them with military veterans in need of a companion animal.

Author Josh Hayes from Keystroke Medium on his new Richard Fox collaboration. JOSH HAYES Ever since he watched his first Star Trek episode (TNG not OS), Josh Hayes has loved science fiction. Watching it, reading it, and writing it. Josh grew up a military brat, affording him the opportunity to meet several different types of people, in multiple states and foreign countries. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Air Force and served for six years, before leaving military life to work in law enforcement. His experiences in both his military life and police life have given him a unique glimpse into the lives of people around him and it shows through in the characters he creates. When Josh is not writing, he spends his time with his three children and his wife, Jamie. For more information on Josh and his writing, please visit his webpage: www.joshhayeswriter.com Josh is also the co-host of Keystroke Medium, with Scott Moon. For the best author interviews, news and craft discussion, visit www.keystrokemedium.com

This week Tim C Taylor joined the show to chat with Justin about writing with others, anthologies, and comparing the US and UK markets. JOIN THE LEGION! The Human Legion has sold over 125,000 copies, but is still recruiting for new readers. Visit humanlegion.com today and join the Legion for exclusive book downloads to start your journey into the worlds of the Human Legion, Revenge Squad and Sleeping Legion. Tim C. Taylor lives with his family in an ancient village in England. When he was an impressionable boy, between 1977 and 1978, he encountered several mind-altering substances: 2000AD, Star Wars, Blake's 7, and Dungeons & Dragons. Consequently, he now writes science fiction novels for a living. Find him on the web at www.humanlegion.com or @TheHumanLegion FIND HIS BOOKS ON AMAZON

Richard Fox joins us to talk Winning a DragonCon award, Audiobooks, and Military Science Fiction. Richard Fox is the winner of the 2017 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy novel, author of The Ember War Saga, a military science fiction and space opera series, and other novels in the military history, thriller and space opera genres. He lives in fabulous Las Vegas with his incredible wife and two boys, amazing children bent on anarchy. He graduated from the United States Military Academy (West Point) much to his surprise and spent ten years on active duty in the United States Army. He deployed on two combat tours to Iraq and received the Combat Action Badge, Bronze Star and Presidential Unit Citation. Find Richard's books on Amazon. Facebook (best place to reach him): https://www.facebook.com/Richard-Fox-Author-1377447982503883 Website: www.richardfoxauthor.com

Author JR Handley joined us to talk about his military science fiction, writing in anthologies, and collaboration. Although, actually... JR Handley is a pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. He is a veteran infantry sergeant with the 101st Airborne Division and the 28th Infantry Division. She is the kind of crazy that interprets his insanity into cogent English. He writes the sci-fi while she proofreads it. The sergeant is a two-time combat veteran of the late unpleasantness in Mesopotamia where he was wounded, likely doing something stupid. He started writing military science fiction as part of a therapy program suggested by his doctor, and hopes to entertain you while he attempts to excise his demons through these creative endeavors. In addition to being just another dysfunctional veteran, he is a stay at home wife, avid reader and all around nerd. Luckily for him, his Queen joins him in his fandom nerdalitry. His web page is www.jrhandley.com. Find his books on Amazon. Find his work on audfans.com

This week we had Monica Leonelle on the show! Monica Leonelle Monica Leonelle is USA Today bestselling author best known for her young adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance series, Waters Dark and Deep. Monica started reading young adult books when she was seven and never managed to grow out of them. She LOVES Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games, The Mortal Instruments, The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and more! Monica also writes about indie publishing at ProseOnFire.com. Her most recent nonfiction series, Growth Hacking for Storytellers, has helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success. She’s also the creator of the Breakout Author Masterclass. Before becoming an independent author, Monica led digital marketing efforts at Inc. 100 companies like Hansen’s Natural and Braintree. She’s been an avid blogger of marketing and business trends since 2007. Her ideas have been featured in AdAge, The Huffington Post, the AMEX OpenForum, GigaOm, Mashable, Social Media Today, and the Christian Science Monitor. Monica lives in a very, very old, 3-story home in St. Louis, MO with her husband and adorable westie, Mia. It possibly has ghosts. And definitely has a secret passage. To find out what she’s up to and get access to her latest fiction updates, exclusive giveaways, advanced review copies, and more, sign up at MonicaLeonelle.com Find her books on Amazon!

Author Jason Pinter joined us to talk writing Thrillers and Running a Publishing Company Check out his links and posts! https://strandmag.com/six-of-the-best-political-thrillers/ https://therealbookspy.com/2017/08/15/the-castle-five-questions-with-jason-pinter/ https://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Mark-Audiobook/B002V0JZ3A/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srImg?qid=1504193279&sr=1-1 Jason Pinter is the bestselling author of five novels in his Henry Parker thriller series, which have over one million copies in print worldwide and have been published in over a dozen countries, as well as the Middle Grade adventure novel Zeke Bartholomew: SuperSpy. He has been nominated for the Thriller Award, Strand Critics Award, Barry Award, RT Reviewers Choice Award, Shamus Award and CrimeSpree Award. Two of his books—The Fury and The Darkness—were chosen as Indie Next selections, and The Mark, The Stolen and The Fury, were named to The Strand’s Best Books of the Year list. The Mark and The Stolen both appeared on the ‘Heatseekers’ bestseller list in The Bookseller (UK). The Mark was optioned to be a feature film. He is the Founder and Publisher of Polis Books, an independent publishing company he launched in 2013. He was named one of Publisher Weekly’s inaugural Star Watch honorees, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for The New Republic, Entrepreneur, The Daily Beast, Medium and The Huffington Post, and been featured in Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, MediaBistro, Mystery Scene and more. He was named one of the top writers on Twitter (@JasonPinter) by Mashable and the Huffington Post, and his articles and essays have been covered in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CNN, The Atlantic, Boston Globe, New York Observer, Baltimore Sun, Salon and as far as Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald. He was born in New York City in 1979 and currently lives in Hoboken, NJ with his wife, their daughter, and their dog, Wilson.

Author Glynn Stewart discusses his science fiction / fantasy series. Glynn Stewart is the author of the Castle Federation and Starship's Mage space opera series. Writing managed to liberate him from being an accountant before he lost all personality, and he now lives in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife and their demanding cats. Check out his recent book with Terry Mixon - HEART OF VENGEANCE And one of my new favorite books, STARSHIP'S MAGE, with over 300 amazing reviews.

Justin and Kevin discuss the eclipse, genre hopping, and editing techniques. Lots of good fun!