Author Archives: Guy Anthony De Marco

NaNoWriMo Conclusion & Fictorian News

Here we are, the very last moments of NaNoWriMo are ticking away. How did you do? Are you pushing yourself to crawl over the finish line mere minutes before the end of the show? Have you blown past the 50K word count all the way back on November 3rd? Did you only write 5,000 words?

Well, if you did any of the above, then CONGRATULATIONS!

The point of NaNoWriMo is not to write a 50K novel in a month. Surprise! The real goal is to help you to develop a writing habit. If you wrote 5K words a couple of hundred words at a time, then you’re golden. Even if you wrote a measly 100 words a day every day, you’re on your way to developing a writing habit. If you can continue to increase your wordcount up to 200 words a day, that is a complete 60,000 word novel in less than a year. In fact you can have every Sunday off if you wish.

No matter what your wordcount, I am proud of you. If you wrote a single word, that’s one word closer to writing “the end” at the end of a novel. Try to keep writing a little bit each day when November is in the past. Next year try to beat this year’s record. Now you have some writing goals!


And now for a bit of Fictorian news. You’ve seen my name on a lot of articles in the last couple of years. For 2017, you’ve seen my ugly mug at the bottom of almost thirty posts, around three times the number of articles each Fictorian is required to upload.

It’s with a bit of sadness that I announce my retirement from the Fictorians. I’ve enjoyed writing some fun works and doing some of the back-end maintenance on the website, but I feel I need to concentrate on my writing and on new opportunities like being on the board of a venerable writing institution that’s been around for over a hundred years. I’m also in an MFA program that requires a lot of writing, so that also has to take precedence.

I’ll still pop in every so often as a guest poster, so I won’t be disappearing. In fact, my next post is already uploaded and ready for going live on December 25th. I wish all of my readers well and I hope you decide to say hello on my website (http://www.guyanthonydemarco.com) or over on Facebook and Twitter (links on my website). Also, if you see me at a convention, please stop and say hello.

I’ve had a blast working with all of the folks here on the Fictorians, and I hope you continue to stop by and support their continued efforts. I know I’ll still be reading every post and promoting them on social media.

Take care, my friends!

 


 

About the Author:DeMarco_Web-5963

Guy Anthony De Marco is a disabled US Navy veteran speculative fiction author; a Graphic Novel Bram Stoker Award® nominee; winner of the HWA Silver Hammer Award; a prolific short story and flash fiction crafter; a novelist; an invisible man with superhero powers; a game writer (Sojourner Tales modules, Interface Zero 2.0 core team, third-party D&D modules); and a coffee addict. One of these is false.
A writer since 1977, Guy is a member of the following organizations: SFWA, WWA, SFPA, IAMTW, ASCAP, RMFW, NCW, HWA. He hopes to collect the rest of the letters of the alphabet one day. Additional information can be found at Wikipedia and GuyAnthonyDeMarco.com.

Meet the Guest Fictorians: Author Tonya L. De Marco

Author, model, and professional cosplayer Tonya L. De Marco contributed several articles for the Fictorians over the years after attending the Superstars Writing Seminars.

Fictorians: What are you drinking today?
Tonya L. De Marco: Coffee, coffee, and more coffee.

Fictorians: What have you done for the Fictorians?
Tonya L. De Marco: I’ve written 3 articles as a guest poster.

Fictorians: What genres do you prefer?
Tonya L. De Marco: I mostly prefer writing speculative dark fiction. I’m very in touch with my dark side as you can see if you’ve read my other articles and most of my published work so far. Taboo subjects are also very near and dear to my heart and I often incorporate that into my writing, often along with some type of erotic flavor. I’ve struggled to keep to a PG-13 guideline in the past. I also write non-fiction articles which have been published with Fictorians and in magazines.

Fictorians: What’s your current project?
Tonya L. De Marco: I’m currently working on a short story submission with a deadline of November 30th. It’s a little bit steampunk, a little bit science fiction, and the story involves cats.

Fictorians: What can we expect to see from you in 2018?
Tonya L. De Marco: You can expect to see more articles, more short stories, and hopefully a novella or novelette. I’m trying to learn to draw out my muse when I need her and not just when she want to be heard. Another goal for 2018 is to become a member of more professional writing organizations. I’m currently a member of The Horror Writers  Association.

Fictorians: Besides writing, you’re also a costume designer and professional cosplayer. What was your last project?
Tonya L. De Marco: My last project was designing a dress for an Elvira-inspired cosplay.The dress was very challenging and I learned so much making it! I did a combination of 2 different patterns and my own design elements in drafting the pattern. For the bodice of the dress, I also did a built-in corset for the first time. I see more cosplays I an use this pattern (or a modification of it) for in the future!

Fictorians: What was the last convention you went to and how did it go?
Tonya L. De Marco: I’ve just returned from a convention in Arkansas. I’m not going to name the convention because there were serious issues and possibly fraud associated with at least the promoter. What was wonderful was how all the volunteers, cosplayers and vendors all rallied around each other for support. I feel like I’ve got a new family from the experience.

Fictorians: Where can we find more about you?
Tonya L. De Marco: Mostly on social media and at plenty of conventions across the country. Make sure to check out the “about” section on my Facebook page which I will be updating again shortly.

Tonya L. De Marco – Published Cosplayer/Model and Author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VintageSteamtrunk (page name is Cosplay Tonya)
Member: Horror Writers Association
Website: http://tonyaldemarco.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosplay_tonya/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Tonya-L.-De-Marco/e/B00I38RNI8/

Fictorians: Anything else you want to say?

Tonya L. De Marco: Thank you very much for the interview, it’s been an honor. Also, if you’d like to see me at a particular convention as an author, a professional cosplayer, or both, please tell the convention programming staff you would like to see me there as a guest. You can send the above links if they ask for them. Thank you!

Happy Thanksgiving

Here we are again, another Thanksgiving holiday that someone tucked into the NaNoWriMo month. Who made this schedule, anyway?

You can be sitting at 2300 words, 49999 words, or 250K, but note that it is a good thing to take a bit of time off to visit with family, watch some sportsball on the telly, and enjoy a nice meal. NaNoWriMo is a “nice to do” thing, not a “must”. So go ahead and take a bit of time off to enjoy yourself if you can.

The Fictorians are thankful for things like family, friends, enjoyable things like writing stories, attending conventions, etc. We’re also aware and have good wishes in our hearts for those who are serving in the military, near or far; those who are alone or are struggling with a mental illness; those who cannot afford to feed themselves beyond simple sustenance; and others who may be in a low point.  We ask that you think of others and try to bring some real holiday spirit to boost the end of the year. Volunteer somewhere, pick up an errant tin can and toss it in the trash, be polite to others even though everyone is frustrated from all of the early Christmas shopping deal trips. Reach out to someone you haven’t heard from them in a while.

If everything is prepped and you’re waiting for guests, feel free to jot down a few words towards NaNo. Just understand that there are more important things, so don’t neglect them just to reach an arbitrary goal for something that is transitory.

Peace and health to you and yours from all of us at the Fictorians.

Things to Eat and Drink During NaNoWriMo

If your brain is working overtime and your creativity is starting to wear thin, consider what you’re eating and drinking. Both activities have a remarkable influence on creativity, stress handling, and overall brain function. Here are a dozen things to consider ingesting beyond a cup of coffee when you’re trying to get your mental muse in gear.

  1. Water
    Starting off with what to drink, we’ll begin with something that makes up around 80% of your brain. Making sure you’re hydrated can boost mental flexibility by 14% (and it’s the least expensive on this list!)
  2. Green Tea
    Besides a jolt of caffeine, green tea has an amino acid called theanine that can reduce creativity crashing.
  3. Alcohol
    There’s a reason why so many writers drank alcohol, and it wasn’t always talking to their publisher. Alcohol reduces executive thinking, relaxes the body, and is known to increase creative thinking. The problem is you shouldn’t drink it while driving or in excess, so no going to any NaNoWriMo write-ins with a jug of moonshine.
  4. Fish, especially non-farmed Salmon
    The amino acids and Omega-3 oils help to increase the size of the hippocampus. Fish is brain food, so it makes a good meal and can build the gray matter. Try not to get fried fish though, as that can decrease the good stuff and add calories.
  5. Egg Yolks
    Egg yolks contain choline, a nutrient that is crucial to creating some neurotransmitters that boost memory and brain speed. Yolks also have a good dose of Omega-3 oils.
  6. Popcorn
    Popcorn is a good snack unless you soak it in the tasty but not healthy stuff like heavy salt, butter, oils, or ranch. My favorite was popcorn dipped in yellow mustard (sounds weird, but is surprisingly delicious and addicting.) Whole grains help regulate glucose, and the additional B6 and B12 vitamins can boost concentration.
  7. Pumpkin Seeds
    Halloween is over and you’ve made a pile of pumpkin seeds in the oven? Good for you! (If not, add it to your list for next year’s NaNoWriMo!) Pumpkin seeds make a great snack because they contain zinc, an essential mineral that boosts memory and critical thinking. For some folks, they can also act as an anti-depressant and boost your mood.
  8. Berries
    Berries are brain food, plus they’re tasty and healthy for you. Some of them, like the tiny blueberry, have lots of antioxidants. Berries have nutrients to help maintain communication between brain cells and to promote survival and growth of new neurons.
  9. Seaweed
    Seaweed-based snacks (or even a meal of sushi) contains tyrosine, a nutrient that promotes abstract thinking.
  10. Avocados
    Avocados or dips like guacamole enhances blood flow and oxygen to the brain, so feel free to order up a delicious bowl to share with your writing buddies.
  11. Walnuts
    Since walnuts look like miniature brains already, you shouldn’t be surprised to see them here. They contain lots of neuroprotective compounds like melatonin, antioxidants, and those familiar Omega-3 oils. Studies show they increase cognitive performance and inferential reasoning skills.
  12. Dark Chocolate
    I saved my favorite for last. Dark chocolates contain flavanols, a nutrient that increases the blood flow to the brain by dilating blood vessels. There’s also a little jolt of caffeine and the mineral magnesium, which releases serotonin and endorphins.

Now that you know what to eat, add some of them to your Thanksgiving feast this year and get a few extra hours of writing instead of falling asleep with the tryptophan blues.

 


 

About the Author:DeMarco_Web-5963

Guy Anthony De Marco is a disabled US Navy veteran speculative fiction author; a Graphic Novel Bram Stoker Award® nominee; winner of the HWA Silver Hammer Award; a prolific short story and flash fiction crafter; a novelist; an invisible man with superhero powers; a game writer (Sojourner Tales modules, Interface Zero 2.0 core team, third-party D&D modules); and a coffee addict. One of these is false.
A writer since 1977, Guy is a member of the following organizations: SFWA, WWA, SFPA, IAMTW, ASCAP, RMFW, NCW, HWA. He hopes to collect the rest of the letters of the alphabet one day. Additional information can be found at Wikipedia and GuyAnthonyDeMarco.com.