Waterstone Media

Stories Matter

The Man in the High Castle

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Hey! This is Bryce. I’m filling in for Ryan today. Partly because he is busy but mostly because of how impressed I am with Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle.

This is a quick review of both available seasons. There will be no spoilers, and I have not read the book by Phillip K. Dick… Yet. However, I have heard that the show doesn’t really follow the book.

The first season starts out with a simple premise that has massive implications: Japan and Germany won WWII. The good old US of A has been split in half. Japan took the west coast and Germany took the east. The show starts about 15 – 20 years after the war ended, but these are not the 60s we know and love. The details of how the USA lost are murky, but every time they gave me a little bit of insight – my mind was blown.

This show does so many things right. First, they introduce a single grain of fantasy in an ocean of mystery and politics. At first I thought it would overwhelm the already interesting, chuck-full plot. However, it is so subtle in the first season that you still care more about the characters than you do the mystical aspects. In season two, the fantasy/sci-fi aspects get a little more prominent, but they are put to good use.

Next, there are literally no bad guys in this show. Even the remaining American “patriots” are not clear cut good guys.  Most of the characters are fighting each other, but each character has their motivations. I enjoyed it, but at times I would find myself cheering for a complete ass. It isn’t every day that I find myself rooting for a guy with a swastika on his arm.

However, there were times in the show when I felt they followed minor plot lines a little too closely. At the time I didn’t know how they would come to a close. It made for a boring episode or two. It all paid off at the end, but a little transparency would have gone a long way.

All in all I think it is a great series. I highly recommend it. I will keep this short, but I could go on and on about the things that are awesome in The Man in the High Castle.

Bryce

NaNoWriMo and Halloween!

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Happy Halloween!

Bryce here. I hope you all have a great Halloween. I will be spending my evening watching my baby and editing my first draft. Scary right?

I wanted to talk about NaNoWriMo a little bit. Officially starting tomorrow, National Novel Writing Month prep has been going on for weeks now. This will be my first NaNoWriMo since I decided to start writing seriously. It took me a long time to finish my first book, and the one I have planned for November is an entirely different genre. I’m a little nervous.

I find it funny (and awesome) that a self imposed event with no actual accountability can carry such weight. I think that speaks to the success and widespread adoption of NaNoWriMo.

I am also amazed and comforted by the support groups and events that have come about. It seems like every week there is some writing group or a Skype session to help people stay on track. Hopefully I can make it to some!

I will keep you updated on my progress throughout the month. Ryan is working like a mad man (like always), so November won’t be much different for him!

If you are also participating in NaNoWriMo, let us know! We would love to compare progress and share war stories.

Have a spooky evening!

Bryce

The Humbling Experience of Becoming a New Author

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Hello everyone, Bryce again.

As I mentioned in the last post, I finished my first fiction novel last week. The rough draft came in at about 125,000 words. I’m incredibly proud at the moment, but I’m sure a harsh dose of editing will bring me back down shortly.

I just wanted to share a few things I experienced during the writing process. These were things that I didn’t anticipate at all. I have written 10,000 – 20,000 non-fiction books before, but the process is so different that they hardly compare.

By far, the most frustrating aspect was maintaining the story line throughout the entire book. It took me roughly seven months to complete, and in that time I had a baby and started a new job. I was a completely different person when I started the book! I managed, but it was a struggle to make sure I was writing the same story at the end as I was at the beginning.

Another interesting thing happened to my writing mindset. I no longer thought I was going to finish the book, but I wrote with every bit of passion and interest I started with. I literally thought that I would be writing the book forever. Oddly enough, I was OK with it. I was invested so much in the characters that I didn’t mind visiting them every day. I don’t view this as a bad thing, but I had to remind myself that there was indeed an end goal.

Lastly, as I reached about 80% completion, I began splitting my time looking in to publishing ideas. I researched cover art, launch strategies, Pokemon Go, key words, Amazon algorithms, and a the list goes on. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. Then I realized that my progress halted completely. I refocused my energy on finishing the book. I had to fight my urge to look too far ahead.

In the end I finished the thing. I enjoyed myself the entire way. There is nothing quite like finishing something you have written for so long. I hope everyone can experience it at some point!

I’m sure the editing will be a different story… With me luck!

Thanks,

Bryce

The Importance of a Mentor

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Hello everyone, this is Bryce, and I will be writing the post for today. Ryan is keeping busy, but he will return soon!

I recently finished the first draft of a fiction novel I’ve been working on for seven months.

There were many reasons why I succeeded this time. I have a child. I’m more mature. I have a supportive network of friends and family. I really wanted to create something that would inspire and entertain others. I was willing to put in the work… no matter what.

I also had Ryan as a mentor.

Would I have finished without him? Maybe. The world will never know. However, I am certain that the end product with be much better off because of him.

I’ve attempted many things, and all the great successes can be traced back to great instructors. When I earned by black belt in Shotokan Karate, I had some of the best instructors in the world.  I landed an interview with a particularly awesome company, so I turned to someone with great, proven interview skills. On a side not, I got the job and it sucked, but that is a story for a different day.

The point of this post is to stress the importance of finding a mentor. With any endeavor you might take, find someone with proven experience in the field. Be it business, fitness, finance, relationships, or anything, don’t go in alone.

Good luck,

Bryce

Welcome the Newest Member of Waterstone!

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Ryan’s Note:  Hi Everyone!  For those of you actually interested in the behind the scenes here at Waterstone, we have big news today!  Our company is growing.

When I started Waterstone last year, it was intended to be more than just my own books.  My goal was to create a home for the type of fiction that I enjoy, fiction that is exciting and moving.

I recently hired Bryce Allen, a fellow writer I met through my own experiences with martial arts.  He’s been working on a fantasy series that I think is really, really cool.  But as he’ll mention below, he’s a new father focused on raising a gorgeous little girl.  It provided an opportunity for him to join my one-person team.  Although he’ll be doing a number of odds and ends, in general he’s helping me with the administrative side of the business and keeping me on task.  This should allow me to spend more time doing what I love:  writing stories.  I’ve asked him to introduce himself.

 

Hey everyone, my name is Bryce Allen, and I have the honor of being Waterstone Media’s first employee! I will be helping with a variety of awesome projects that Ryan has in store for Waterstone Media’s future. I wanted to take a second and introduce myself to you all.

I enjoy long walks on moonlit beaches and working out every day…. Sorry, wrong blog!

Let’s get the basics out of the way. I am 27 years old and live in the Twin Cities with my beautiful girlfriend and our baby girl. I am new to the father thing, but I learn something new every day. Family life is definitely my priority right now.

I grew up in small-town Minnesota. I made all the mischief I could in High School, and somehow ended up in college. I made my way through college by arresting shoplifters for a major retailer. It provided its fair share of adrenaline rushes, but also exposed me to lifestyles I’d never experienced in my hometown.

I attended college for about six years. I was lucky enough to spend some time in France. We studied and documented Roman ruins, and it was amazing.  When I returned, I juggled different majors until I settled on political science. By some bizarre twist of fate, I actually earned a degree.

Armed with my shiny new piece of paper I set forth into the world, ready to earn millions of dollars… That didn’t immediately work, as you may have guessed.

These days, I have two primary interests: martial arts and writing.

I have been training in Shotokan Karate for roughly 15 years. It has been a major part of my life as far back as I can remember. The only thing I enjoy more than doing karate, is teaching karate. As soon as my instructor allowed it I began instructing. I currently hold a Nidan (2nd degree black belt) rank in Shotokan. Paired with my martial arts experience, fitness has been a priority in my life. I am constantly looking for new workouts to research and perfect.

Writing has also been an important part of my life. Throughout my childhood, my passion for telling stories grew. I would write for the joy of it, rarely showing anyone my work. However, as I entered college, that passion faded a little. Pressure from my peers to make money and avoid the arts contributed to my writing hiatus. I allowed myself to dismiss the art of storytelling altogether.

That is when Ryan came along. He helped to reignite my passion for writing awesome stories. Under his mentorship, I am currently working on a series of my own. This is also part of my work here at Waterstone Media.

In addition to writing books for Waterstone, I will be doing research for future projects, helping manage the administrative side of the business, and grooming Ryan’s cats. I consider myself a bit of a renaissance man.

I’ll be doing odds and ends around here, but if you have any questions, please let me know down in the comments!

Bryce