Waterstone Media

Stories Matter

How Graphic Novels are Changing my Life

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As many of you know, I love stories. It’s this love of stories which has always drawn me to writing, but it also makes me an avid consumer. I love movies and books and TV shows, and there’s always far more available than I have time to consume. It’s a great problem to have.

If there’s one way I’ve been a failure (and there’s actually been many ways – this is just the one I’m pointing out today), it’s been that until recently, I’ve not given comics and graphic novels enough of a chance.

When I was younger, I was always interested in comics as an idea, but I never was interested enough to figure out how to buy them. As a boy growing up in very small town in the 1980’s comics weren’t accessible. The small local library didn’t carry them, and I didn’t know how to convince my conservative parents that I should be reading comics and they should bring me places hours away where I could buy them. Complicating the fact was that none of my friends were comic fans, so I couldn’t rely on them either.

As I got older, I looked down on comics. They always struck me as something for kids, and I didn’t have time for kid’s stories anymore. It wasn’t until Watchmen (the movie) came out, that I decided to give comics and graphic novels a shot.

I fell in love. On one hand, they’re much easier reading than the huge novels I tend to read. You can speed through them, or better yet, page through and enjoy the brilliance of the artists who work on them. I’ve read the entire Akira series, Watchmen, Sandman, and a handful of actual comics, Batman and classic Spider-man.

Here’s what I love the most: when an amazing writer, like Neil Gaiman or Alan Moore, can use short, evocative prose that perfectly matches the artwork of a talented artist. It creates an emotional response beyond what words and pictures can easily say alone.

I’m hardly an expert on graphic novels. I’m only just getting started, and there’s much to discover. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.

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 stories we tell

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I can’t help it, but I’m obsessed with the idea of stories.  I believe that all of us are impacted by stories, probably more than we realize.

I look back at my own life and I think of my stories.  Some of them are funny, stories from college parties, wedding adventures, and traveling around the world.  Some of them I hold close to my heart.  The woman who I thought was the love of my life that left me, the friends I’ve lost over the years, the violence I’ve experienced.  Some stories are the ones we tell our families and friends:  how I met my wife, the story of how I found my career.

All of these stories define who I am as a person today.  The stories we tell are literally who we are.  Over the years they twist and bend to shape our perceptions of reality.

I think this is why I’ve always loved fiction so much, because it tells stories that mean something to us.   It doesn’t need to be life-changing, although I think the very best fiction is.   I’m a huge fan of fast-paced spy thrillers, not because of their emotional impact, but because I can lose myself in the worlds they create.  I like fantasy and sci-fi because I love to ponder the questions the writing evokes.  Stories change us, and it’s a honor to be sharing my stories with you all.

Thank you,

Ryan