Just a Suggestion - Beta Test (by downtownbooks)
Thanks Chris!
Squished Frog Tumblelog
Another damn microblog.
Apr 05
Mar 07
BETA TEST coming to Binghamton NY!
Two stops for me around Binghamton, NY, this month — first on March 20th I’ll be heading to the studios of WSKG radio, the local NPR powerhouse that serves up content along the entire southern tier of New York state, to be on OFF THE PAGE, the show that interviews local authors! It’ll air live at 1pm, and repeat in the evening at 7pm, so tune in if you’re in New York. I’ll post a Web address later that’ll feature the streaming online version of the interview.
Then the next night, March 21st at 6:30, I’ll sign copies of BETA TEST for anyone who wants to stop by RiverRead Booksat 5 Court Street. Can’t wait! See you there.
Dec 19
Kindle gets BETA TEST!
Fire up your Amazonian ebook readers, kids! BETA TEST is officially available for Kindle right now. (We’re working on some formating issues, but nothing that should impact enjoyment. Go forth and download.
BTW, the cost? Only $2.99. Buy it for a reader you love. Or TWO.
Dec 07
BETA TEST in the TIMES!
Okay, it’s not the New York Times, but I’m glad the Ithaca Times wrote about me and BETA TEST today, with just a week to go until the book is out. They didn’t get it all correct (book should be out before Dec. 20, and I didn’t meet my publisher through Viable Paradise), but I’m okay with some revisionist history for the sake of publicity. Go read it now!
Nov 22
Guest Blog about Characterization
The wonderful Jennifer Wylie allowed me to guest blog on her site today. You should go read all about how I “cast actors” in the roles in BETA TEST so I can, essentially, figure out who the hell they are.
Oct 31
The First Review!
I’ve had critiques galore in my life of my creative writing, but never an actual “review” — where a critic either says you’re good or bad, and that’s it, really. Well, here’s my first — and I’m relieved to say that despite some issues with my actual “skills” and ability to “write” and perhaps my mis-use of “quotation marks,” it looks like mostly Publishers Weekly liked BETA TEST! That first like has pull-quote written all over it. (Saying I have “stylishing awkwardness” is not even close to mean enough for it to work as a joke pull-quote… I’d hoped to be called “unreadable” or something close.)
Anyway, here’s the full review, which you can find at http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-9839531-1-1
Beta Test
Eric Griffith
Hadley Rille, $28 (278p)
ISBN 978-0-9839531-1-1
Griffith offers up an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale. Thousands of people around the world abruptly disappear, including Sam Terra’s mother and the woman he thought he could love. Sam seeks answers, accompanied by his obnoxious friend Melvin and his childhood pal Paulie, and gradually uncovers secrets that in other hands could have led to a deep philosophical exploration of humanity’s place in the universe. Instead, Sam’s adventures border on the absurd as he travels from New York to California to Australia while the world at large inexplicably ignores the insanity thrust upon it. The humor can’t quite hide the lack of finesse in the writing, but with the focus on escapism, Griffith’s stylistic awkwardness isn’t as big a stumbling block as it otherwise might have been. (Dec.)
Reviewed on: 10/31/2011
Eric Griffith
Hadley Rille, $28 (278p)
ISBN 978-0-9839531-1-1
Griffith offers up an unusually lighthearted apocalyptic tale. Thousands of people around the world abruptly disappear, including Sam Terra’s mother and the woman he thought he could love. Sam seeks answers, accompanied by his obnoxious friend Melvin and his childhood pal Paulie, and gradually uncovers secrets that in other hands could have led to a deep philosophical exploration of humanity’s place in the universe. Instead, Sam’s adventures border on the absurd as he travels from New York to California to Australia while the world at large inexplicably ignores the insanity thrust upon it. The humor can’t quite hide the lack of finesse in the writing, but with the focus on escapism, Griffith’s stylistic awkwardness isn’t as big a stumbling block as it otherwise might have been. (Dec.)
Reviewed on: 10/31/2011
Oct 03
Happy Author is Happy
Last week I got the first ARCs (advanced reader copies, AKA galleys) of BETA TEST. I took some pictures the minute they were out of the envelope. I’ve been copy editing my screw-ups inside the book ever since. Thanks, little red pen!
Sep 16
Finding Characters
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Trying to make a character work in a book can be hard. I’ve found myself throwing out entire days worth of writing in the past because I’d written something with a character or charaters I didn’t have a full grasp on. You know, that whole “what is their goal?” thing.
What I find helps me the most is casting my cast. In my head, that is. Generally this is easy, because I watch way too much entertainment and find it easy to put an actor in the part in my head. I can hear their voice, see their mannerisms—all stuff I actually try to leave out of the book because I’d rather the reader fill in a lot of it.
(My goal is to someday eliminate all the “gazing” and “smirks” and other things from dialog attribution… I’d rather the words the characters say tell you what their face looks like. But it’s hard, because I also have an inner-Spielberg that wants to make sure the characters do EXACTLY WHAT I SAY.
Stupid characters.
Anyway.)
Which brings me to the leads in BETA TEST. Because the two main characters are not Hollywood household names. They’re my friends.
The main character of my book, Sam Terra, got his start in my head because I was picturing my friend Dan. He is a big guy in every sense of the word and not exactly who you picture as the leading man who’ll save the day in a big action-adventure (and I’d apologize to Dan for saying that, but he would probably be the first to point it out while at the same time calling me by his favorite nickname for me, “Professor Grandpa,” so he can suck it.) That’s what I wanted—I wanted to cast against type. At the same time, Sam doesn’t have Dan’s personality at all. Sam is pretty quiet and reserved. Dan is pretty much the opposite.
I wanted the femme fatale of this book to also not be the usual willy type with perfect boobs and legs up to her neck and perfect in every way for a Maxim shoot. That’s now who Sam would fall in love. Instead, he likes Molly, an extremely short chick with blue hair. And I based Molly on Polly, another good friend of mine who might also be my distant cousin, and who happens to be married to Dan.
(I hate to tell Dan but when BETA TEST the movie gets made, I expect the lead role will go to Jorge Garcia from LOST and ALCATRAZ. Sorry, dude.)
You get extra points when you read this book and can tell me what characters I based on Jack Black, a young Steve Buscemi, and Marisa Tomei.
Aug 21
Jul 05
Jun 23
Episode 026! Nuts n’ Apples!
Episode 026! Nuts n’ Apples!
Listen in on two guys who say plenty when they have nothing to talk about. AGAIN.
[Warning: Where did the bad words touch you?]
Fun: Ass donuts. English accents. Peanuts (not pistachios). Community on NBC. iPad chi.
Crud: Musical sell outs. Verbal Ticks. Apple’s corporate douche baggery.
Links:
What the f is a tuffet?
Music courtesy of RoyaltyFreeMusic.com
Recorded over Skype using MP3 Skype Recorder.
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May 26
Episode 025! Turn Nuggets o’ Wisdom!
Once again, we barely have any topics to discuss, and still manage to blather on for over thirty minutes. Thirty minutes of comedy GOLD, people.
[Warning: Swearing in front of children.]
Game of Thrones (good): Uncle Floyd. Ann Bah-Humbug Davis. Windows Phone 7 (really?). Skype totally worth 8 billion bucks. Brady Bunch repeats. CCH Pounder. Louis C.K. Olivia Munn.
Crown of Thorns (crap): Skype outages. Skin tags. Turd-hu-en. Facebook addicts. Soylent Green vs. Enfamil. Cousin Oliver. TV Networks showing shows out of order.
Links:
Which Direction Should I Wipe? (Because it’s important to know.)
One-Man Show (New York Magazine article about Louis C.K.)
Music courtesy of RoyaltyFreeMusic.com
Recorded over Skype using MP3 Skype Recorder.
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Apr 07
Episode 024! Lifting the Discourse UP!
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Go behind the scenes to learn that we don’t put these stupid podcasts together in a timely manner, AT ALL.
Also, lots of baby noises. Some not from Joe and Eric.
When we say “tunic,” by the way, we mean “loincloth.” We am not smarts.
[Warning: Even we are shocked at our language. SHOCKED.]
Loverly Stuff: Uh…. we got nothing. Everything sucks.
Hateful Things: NYTimes paywall stupidity/cost; comment anonymity. I Am Number Four.
Music courtesy of RoyaltyFreeMusic.com
Recorded over Skype using MP3 Skype Recorder.
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Mar 03
Episode 023! Web:AOL::Facebook:Web!
Once again, Eric is forced to defend Facebook from Joe’s scurrilous accusations, which are probably all true, so they both feel dirty. So very, very dirty. Plus, some poop jokes.
[Warning: We’ve not been cured of cursing by the magic of Charlie Sheen. Yet.] Things worth caring about: Corn on the cob. Paul McCartney. Sid & Marty Krofft shows like Lidsville. Things worth punching in the face: Facebook algorithms. Facebook taking over the Web. Charlie Sheen. Playing devil’s advocate. Gabrielle Anwar’s dietician. LINKS!
Music courtesy of RoyaltyFreeMusic.com
Recorded over Skype using MP3 Skype Recorder.
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Rate us on iTunes. Leave a comment. Flowers in the Dirt rules.
Feb 11
Ah the relaxing sound of rushing water. Not so much, when it’s a canine releasing her entire bladder onto the brand new dog bed.
