Free book--last day! Sci-fi adventure

Last day to download Justice Lost for free on Amazon Kindle! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JM1XFCI

Free book--4 days left

Justice March crash lands on a parallel world. Before he can find a way home, he encounters dangerous inhabitants who want to know his secrets. Will he be able to escape, or will this strange new world destroy him?

Download here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JM1XFCI

Justice Lost is free on Amazon!

My book, Justice Lost, is free on Amazon Kindle for 5 days only. Just in time for Christmas!

Download it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JM1XFCI

Stephen King- spontaneity

I am reading Stephen King's On Writing. One of the things I read that surprised me was:

"Plotting and the spontaneity of real creation aren’t compatible." (p. 163)

So many people say to plot your story out in advance. Well, this has never worked for me. The stories that have worked the best are the ones that arose spontaneously. I'd start with a basic situation, and the characters would have to react to it and try to get out of it. It may work differently for different personality types, and for different types of writing. For example, I believe that with a mystery, you at least have to know the end. I am an INFP, and thus I like to be more spontaneous.When I go on a trip, or go on a walk, I don't like to plan where I go. When Dad asks me where I'm going, I say, I don't know. I want it to be an adventure. Likewise, don't I want a story to be an adventure? If I know what's going to happen, it spoils a lot of the fun of discovery. I want things to surprise me just as much as they surprise the reader. Plus, when characters are acting like real people, they should take on a life of their own. Do things you would not expect. This is part of the fun of writing. 

King also says, 

"Stories are found things....

Relics of an undiscovered pre-existing world....

The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible." 

I have always believed this. A story will feel real when it's not contrived. When it forms organically. The most important thing for fiction is that it feels real. Creating the willing suspension of disbelief. 

When, at least for me, you put the straitjacket of plot on a story, it severely limits creativity before you start. You want as much creativity as possible in the first draft. You don't want little logical voices holding you back. You don't want a total lack of structure either, but if you have a compelling situation, and compelling characters, the plot will basically write itself. 

stories out on their own

Sending out a story is like your kid growing up and moving away (not that I've experienced the latter). You have done all you could to give them a good start in the world, but now they have to make it on their own. You love them but you wonder if your love has blinded you to their flaws and you don't know how others will see them. But you did what you could, and it's out of your hands now. You just have to hope for the best.
Anyway. How far can I take this analogy? :)

sending stories

I sent a fantasy adventure to Cricket magazine today. No idea if I'll get it published--I do so adore that magazine. Hopefully my writing is up to the quality.
Sending in multiple stories makes me feel like a real author. Now I just have to keep writing stories, without the motivation of my writing class. And original stories, as the two I have sent in are based on worlds I have already created. 

New short story, Perilous Planet

I've published my new short story, Perilous Planet, in Spaceports and Spidersilk magazine. It's online at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/479276  and only costs $2.00. Check it out!

The story:

Everett Flynn has moved to a new planet on the Rim, far from everything he has ever known, and all he wants to do is move back to his old planet when his mom will let him. But when some kids challenge him to go into a nearby swamp, he may not get out of the swamp alive.

Reviews

It's so encouraging when I get good reviews! Justice Lost got a good review on amazon and it encouraged me to begin writing the sequel. I'm working on it now. I've had several false starts with this story. Now I really need to make this one work. But most of all, have fun with it, because that will show in what I write. 

Justice Lost screenplay

I'm working on a screenplay version of Justice Lost. So far I have completed the first three chapters' worth of scenes. I am new to screenwriting, though, so this is a very rough draft. The main thing is to keep everything visual. I think it could make a good movie; however, I ran into a part today that I did not anticipate but should have: the mindreading. How do you portray such a thing on film? I made it so that there was an 'echo-y' voice for the mindreading dialogue, but I'm not sure how to do such 'special' lines in a screenplay. I also made an internal scene that will have to be made with special effects. A lot of this can be portrayed, I think; I've seen it done. But I'm so new at this, it is all an experiment. 

Last Chance! Free book on Kindle!

Beyond the Rim will be free for 1 more hour. Get it on Kindle before it goes back to full price!

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Rim-Evelyn-Weibel-ebook/dp/B00LR5W8QQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1408832774&sr=1-1&keywords=beyond+the+rim

Last Day!

Last day to buy Beyond the Rim for free! http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Rim-Evelyn-Weibel-ebook/dp/B00LR5W8QQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1408832774&sr=1-1&keywords=beyond+the+rim

Free book! Five days only

Today until Sunday, Beyond the Rim is free on Amazon! Be sure to take advantage of this exciting offer!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LR5W8QQ/ref=s9_simh_se_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-no-results-center-1&pf_rd_r=1P2435PKSZJCMQ6DTCTD&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1263465782&pf_rd_i=beyond%20the%20rim

After graduating from college, Devlin and Rock take a trip beyond the rim of colonized space. Light years from civilization, their pod spins out of control, and they crash-land on a seemingly deserted planet. There, they stumble on a human trafficking ring, which intends to turn the innocent travelers into slaves. Can Devlin and Rock escape, or will they face a fate worse than anything they can imagine?

Countdown

Tomorrow, Beyond the Rim will be available for free! Don't miss this limited time offer!

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Rim-Evelyn-Weibel-ebook/dp/B00LR5W8QQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1408505492&sr=1-1&keywords=beyond+the+rim

Free book!

You have a chance to buy a free book! Starting August 20, you will be able to buy Beyond the Rim for free on amazon! It will be free for a limited period of 5 days, so take advantage of this special offer!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR5W8QQ

Reviews are appreciated!

Escape from Desperation

Here is the first chapter of a book I am writing, collaborating with another writer.

Escape from Desperation

Chapter 1

  Ash steered his one-man craft closer to the mouth of the volcano, the red Portal-detector light on the console blinking. Heat crept into the cockpit, burning into his makeshift flightsuit. A fountain of fire spurted from the center of the mountain, and a spear of molten lava lanced toward his ship, the Avenger. He swerved, just missing it.

"You okay up there?" said his friend Lace through the com. "Never better. I just hope the Portal detector works."

"It should—you built it." The console beeping intensified. Ahead, all Ash could see was smoke, red-hot lava, and the shimmer of heat. Wait. Not just a shimmer. A Portal.

"I've got one!" Lace let out a yell of triumph, and he joined her, raising a fist in the air with victory.

He wasn't home yet, though. He still had to find a way through the next world to his homeworld, if there was a way at all. Even if they could never find a Portal back to City Magnificent, anything was better than this volcano-ridden, reptile-infested planet.

He plunged his ship toward the Portal in the center of the volcano. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said. "With a bigger ship to take everyone off this rock. And tell Mom I'll be back, I promise."

"I will!

"And Ash—" she said.

"What?"

"Be caref-"

The com cut off as a bolt of molten lava smashed into the Avenger. Ash struggled to keep it from plummeting into the mouth of the volcano. It nosedived, but he pulled onto the controls with all his strength. The craft rose up into the wormhole.

The volcano disappeared, along with the rocking of the ship. A hush filled the cockpit. All around, darkness encompassed him. Just a faint shade of blue, and a creak of the hull. He realized he was in water. He forced the craft to rise, fighting for every inch. He'd carefully constructed it over two years from scavenged scraps and metal he'd forged himself. Of course, he'd had to improvise, and there was no guarantee it would hold out underwater for very long.

Come on, he told it. I didn't name you the Avenger for nothing.

No matter what, he wouldn't leave his family stranded where they'd been marooned fifteen years ago, through no fault of their own.

Another crack. The hull burst open, water pouring in a curtain over his helmet and arms. Water rose on the floor, over his boots. Faint light appeared above him.

Snap-crack! The craft split in two. Ash kicked toward the crack, water devouring him. Debris scraped his arm, his back—the broken craft threatened to drag him down with it. He thrashed and kicked, gasping for what little air was left in his helmet.

Finally, he bobbed to the surface. Tore off his helmet, inhaling air into his aching lungs. He hefted himself onto a piece of wreckage floating by, exhausted. And ventured a look around. No land as far as he could see. Only ocean, stretching to the horizon. And above, a crescent moon, and endless stars spreading across an infinite sky.