Contingency Writer: The New Adventure Writer’s Blog

Retaining the same URL as before, I have decided to change the name of this blog to “Contingency Writer” : Spur of the moment contemplations, reviews, and wondrous tales.

As I tend to post quaint poems, various other literary pieces, and the occasional photography highlight, on a spur of the moment basis, I thought this would be a most fitting revision. And there are already numerous “adventure writers.” It didn’t hurt to innovate a little.

I would also like to welcome one who is new to the WordPress blogosphere, a friend and skilled programmer: the contingency coder.

 

The Cuban Sandwich (et frites)

On November 8th, 2009 I made one of my first posts, and it was about a Cuban Sandwich. Yet I had never thought to take a picture!

The remedy for my terrible grievance is finally here:

For your viewing pleasure, the Cuban Sandwich. Mustard, meat, pickles, cheese… some seem to be unlikely combinations, but they work so well. The finger making its debut in this photograph was used to prop up the sandwich. It’s intentional. Not one of those, “whoops! Stuck my finger in the photograph again!” moments.

Bon appetit.

Adieu.

 

The Pruning Process

On Friday I posted my “first detective serial” which I had planned to publish, and which was in a very rough form. After gathering second opinions, I’ve decided to prune that piece of writing and let another branch flourish in its stead. In other words, I’m keeping the pages I’ve written for future reference, but I won’t be publishing that particular piece. It was an experimental thing, and it was fun working on it. Now that that’s out of the way, I can get onto what I really want to publish.

Breakfast Delight: Pancakes with…

…dark chocolate, whipped cream, and vanilla bean maple syrup.

These pancakes have the perfect balance of vanilla maple syrup, as well as the option of whipped cream and special dark chocolate from the famous Pennsylvanian chocolate factory (*hint, hint*).

Not only did the pancakes taste great, they also were very quick to make. The pancakes were  the freezer variation (made from scratch would have been the best option), which was the most efficient option, time-wise.

It’s a writer’s breakfast! At least for this author.

Antagonist Theme & A Return to Literary Things

Over the past year, the Adventure Writer’s Blog has transformed from a conglomeration of reviews, musings,  and photography, to a place where I primarily discuss my writing endeavors. I hope to do some more of that soon, once there are further developments in the publishing process and in my others works. It’s slow-going at the moment, and I’ll likely begin making more queries soon, as well as starting a serialization project that I can self-publish.

In other news, after Protagonist Rising, I developed another short track of music which I’ve deemed the Antagonist Theme. It’s very short, and very gritty in terms of tone, heavily relying upon guitar and bass. I find that while I’m taking a short break with my writing, I can continue to express through my music. I may also use this theme for a movie project I’ve begun with a friend.

Below is the video in question:

Secure Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7_9IgSCOU

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

It’s been quite some time since my last DP Photo Challenge entry. Today it’s the full version of a photograph which I posted sometime last year.

A cake with my name on it. Literally. The white frosting is in the shape of a fleur de lis, accompanied by the French national colors. The cake was designed by a local bakery. Why the French theme? Of all the ethnicities that run through my family, French is at the top, followed by English…

No, I did not eat it all… just a majority.

Post A Day 2012: Hiatus

I have made the decision to remove the PostADay2012 and Photography Challenge 2012 widgets.

I feel that having them up, while only posting a few times a month, is inappropriate, and casts a negative image on the blog – focusing on the lack of activity, in light of what could be a very productive goal.

After the immensely successful and fun PostADay2011, I would love to get back into the swing of things. However, that does not seem to be a possibility now. I have not even had the chance to post reviews, as I had been hoping to.

Engaging in scholastic pursuits, contacting literary agents, and developing a marketing strategy for my novel, paired with various other daily occupations, makes for a full plate. That’s not to say I don’t have the time to publish a daily blog, simply that I do not currently have the focus, and I believe that blogging demands a deal of attention.

I will continue to make posts and the occasional tweets for the Adventure Writer’s Blog on an occasional basis, until such a time that I may post on a daily basis.

Thanks for reading!

Adventure Writer

 

Delectable Burger

As this photograph was merely displayed as eye-candy for my Make That A Triple Stacker: Manuscript Completion post, I thought it might deserve a slightly better introduction than “Not quite like writing, though much more delectable.”

It had been a long time since I last visited Chilis, and I decided to make a visit, if only to have my favorite southwestern eggrolls. For the main course, I had a set of sliders, which were good, albeit quite salty (I suspect this may be attributable to the bacon bits). I snapped a quick picture with my Kodak Easyshare, arranging the plates and silverware slightly. It wasn’t the best lighting conditions, or the most carefully composed, but I thought it turned out quite nicely.

Query Craft: Step One

The novel is complete. By all means this is a great relief, and now the journey continues in its publication.

“Taking each element of the book and compounding it into a few compelling sentences may be a challenge, but it is one I relish!”

Having decided to forego self-publishing in preference for traditional means, I find myself in need of a captivating hook for my story. The name, Labyrinth of Cosa Nostra, may raise an eyebrow but the catch must raise awareness.

The 2012 Guide to Literary Agents has been a fantastic resource in formatting the query letter, avoiding various greenhorn faux pas, and, without which all prior would be rendered ineffective, identifying particular agents of interest.

My novel is a rollicking, fast-paced adventure that is stripped down of unnecessary embellishments, yet remains an artful piece of literature. Suspense is the key element, as each chapter renews the reader’s interest with further complications, almost in the fashion of a serial. Characterization becomes more involved as the story proceeds, deepening relations between guests to the world of LoCN and its denizens.

Characters span a variety of cultures, as the novel absorbs the whole world in its conflict. There is Jake, Michelle, Lucio, Domenico, Inahka, Chun, Izo, Owen, Renfort, Kabu, Cніr… despite their numbers, they each hold a great significance in the scheme of things, and some even garner some extra spotlight with appellation repartee (for example, Cніr means snow. She is also a cold character).

Taking each element of the book and compounding it into a few compelling sentences may be a challenge, but it is one I relish!

(“The Labyrinth of Cosa Nostra” Novel ©2012 Zechariah Barrett - All Rights Reserved)

The Spiritual Journey in Writing

This morning I sent out a message to those who have shown an interest in my novel, proclaiming the most important acknowledgement. The official name of the novel (Copyright ©2012 – All Rights Reserved) is disclosed.

8/15/2012 – 1:00AM (E-mail)

Praise be to God, I’ve completed The Labyrinth of Cosa Nostra, my long awaited (I have long awaited finishing it!) novel, at a little past midnight.

It’s been a fantastic journey, but it won’t stop here. Now I must go back and make revisions, maybe flesh out and abridge some portions, and identify all the nitty-gritty errors. Then it’ll be time to find an agent, get published, and worry not about its future.

I trust in God for this novel because I feel a great conviction to write for Him. I believe that I was guided by His Holy Spirit in my writing, that I may glorify Him through this work like many writers before me: C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkein… those who held to the truth of His Word and expanded the Church’s ministry through the world of fiction. It was an amazing feeling, having the words flow through me like they did. It’s reminiscent of my duet play, 400 Years of Silence, which I felt Christ gave me in the course a study hall period, and may soon expand upon.Above all else, through every bit of the process, in every minute of my life, I want to keep God fully involved and wholly in control. Prayerfully considering every step I take. For in it I may bring great glory to the one who sent His Son to die for me.

This is my prayer: that in my thinking, saying, writing… in all my doing, to glorify the One who made me.