The Dawn is Coming... Mistral Dawn!!

I love getting the opportunity to help out fellow authors. So when Mistral Dawn asked if anyone would like to help her get word out about her upcoming release, I jumped at the chance. I love this girl (in a purely plutonic way). She is always willing to help out other authors, and she's an awesome writer herself! So it is my great pleasure to help her plug her upcoming release. Take it away, Mistral!!

 

 

 

Hey Everyone!!! :-)

 Guess what? It's finally here!!  Rainbow Dreams is now available for preorder from the following merchants:

 

Amazon

iTunes

Smashwords

Kobo

 

What's it about?  I'm glad you asked!  Here's the blurb:

 

Have you ever had a terrible secret you didn't want anyone to know? Petri does and it may get her killed. Life is hard on Upworld, especially for the residents of Under City, and it's even harder for those who don't fit in. Petri has alway been different and now those differences may cost her life. Her one hope is to leave the only home she's ever known while evading the mob that's calling for her blood. But Petri has never been outside of her sector of Under City, never mind off the planet. And the laws of Upworld forbid people like her from leaving. Will Petri overcome the odds and make good her escape? Maybe...with a little help from her friends.

Sound interesting?  Good!  And get a load of that cover!!!  It's courtesy of the FANTABULOUS Julie Nicholls!!  If you'd like to see more of her incredible work, check out her website here:

 

Artwork by JulieNicholls

 

I also want to let you all know about an Amazon Giveaway I'm running for Captivated By The Winter King.  It's free to enter!  Rainbow Dreams won't be released until April 19th, so in the meantime you can get your sexy romance fix with some dreamy Fae! ;-)

 

Enter Amazon Giveaway

 

Okay, okay, I know, enough stalling.  If you're as excited as I am about this story, I know you're all ready for a peek:

 

Rainbow Dreams Chapter One Excerpt

 

Lightning bolts of fire and ice shot up and down Petri's spine as she moved over the human man on the bed. Her short, slender body bowed with the sensations that washed over her. His lust was like a fountain of cold water on a hot day, and she was parched. It had been too long; she needed this. Desperately.

Looking down at him as she slid her body onto his straining cock, she smiled. This client had wanted to be blindfolded; he said he enjoyed the mystery. There was more mystery in Petri than most humans would know what to do with, so that was fine with her. With him blindfolded, she didn't need to be careful to keep her own eyes shut. This was going to be a good feed, and there was no way she could have kept her eyes from glowing.

The man moaned in pleasure. Being fed upon felt as good for humans as feeding did for Petri. None of her clients knew she sipped from their energy, their life force, when she fucked them. All they knew was that she was one hell of a talented dolly. A win-win for all involved.

This client was a regular; Petri had shown him many times how good it could be with her. Some of her regulars came to crave her, almost like the dream dust that was sold in the club below. They were guaranteed repeat business, and she always made sure to show them a good time. After all, that was her job.

The energy of the man's lust filled Petri as she glided up and down on top of him. She shivered. It was renewing, rejuvenating. She couldn't get enough. A few grains of dust remained on his upper lip as evidence of his earlier indulgence in some of the chemical delights that were available at Abracadabra.

It was clear her client was high long before Petri started feeding. Before she blindfolded him, she had noted the man's dilated pupils and the flush of pleasure on his face. She had no doubt the management of Abracadabra would go to great lengths to make sure he received the maximum enjoyment possible during his visit. There was a reason it was the hottest nightclub in this part of Under City.

The club specialized in hedonism in all its forms. Drugs of every description, games, gambling, and other, darker pleasures could be found within its walls. House dollies, little more than sex slaves, waited to fulfill the customers' every desire. Freelance dollies, like Petri, rented space to ply their trade as well. The house allowed it because the dollies offered the club's clientele more variety and were motivated to attract business. Once a patron had satisfied their lust, they often wandered downstairs in search of other entertainments.

Leaning down, Petri pressed her cat-like mouth to her client's lips in a sizzling kiss. Their tongues tangled as he responded, and she undulated her hips against his, faster and faster. The drugs he had consumed tainted his energy, giving Petri a pleasant buzz. She never took dust herself since it interfered with her ability to control her power, but she enjoyed the effect when one of her johns indulged. As their sex intensified, Petri drank deeper, swallowing down the man's whimpers and sighs of ecstasy as she swallowed his desire.

Lost in the haze of feeding for the first time in days, Petri didn't realize it at first when the man suddenly went still underneath her. His penis remained stiff and eager inside her, and she continued to ride it, draining his energy. It was only when the cold, clamminess of his skin penetrated the pleasurable trance she often sank into when feeding that she realized that she had gone too far. Her heart skipped a beat.

Swinging her leg over him, she clambered off his body and knelt beside him on the bed. She grabbed his shoulder, shaking him, but there was no response. He was as still and cold as death.

Petri's breath froze in her chest as she tried to suppress her rising panic. She slapped him, hard, across his face, trying to provoke a response. There was nothing. Leaning down, she put her ear against his chest, listening for something, anything. Any sign that a spark of life remained in the man. She wasn't sure, but she thought she might have heard a faint fluttering within.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and put her hands on his chest, fingers splayed. She had never done this before, but her instincts said it might work. The process of drawing energy from others had come automatically when she reached physical maturity. It was as natural as breathing to her. But reversing the flow of energy… That was something else altogether. She forced herself to focus; all she could do was try.

Reaching down into the well of energy within her, Petri tried to snag a wisp of it. It was like trying to catch fog. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated and managed to grab a small piece of the mist and tease it up, out of herself and back into the man. It flowed at a slow trickle, but it did flow. The man took a deep breath and Petri slumped in relief.

Before she could stop him, or even turn away, the man reached up and snatched the blindfold from his face. When he saw her glowing eyes, he shrieked, "Mgeni!"

Petri swore. She knew she didn't have much time. Sitting up, she sucker-punched her client hard in his stomach. The man folded over, clutching his gut, just like she knew he would. As her former client coughed and wheezed, Petri scrambled into her tight, red mini-dress and stiletto pumps and clambered out the window. She couldn't risk trying to make it through the crowded club below; she needed to be gone before the man recovered enough to sound the alarm.

 

 
Whoo! I guess she's in some trouble!  Want to find out what happens next?  Reserve your copy today so you'll get it without delay on the 19th! ;-)  Thank you all for stopping by today and for your interest in my first foray into the sci-fi genre!!  Have an awesome rest of the week!


 

The BORGman Collective

This won't be a long blog, so I hope you'll take the few minutes to read it. I try to do what I can to help support other authors, causes, charities, local area fundraisers... just to name a few. On April 30, 2016, I'll be taking part in Walk MS: Marshfield. And I would like to ask for your support.

 

 

Having been diagnosed with MS myself late last year, this is something that I am doing - not only because it's a for a good cause, but because I know personally how it has affected both myself and those closest to me. There is no cure for MS. Much of the disease is not even understood because of how randomly it effects those of us who have it. How random? Anywhere from a few months to ten years or more between 'fits' as we call them.

 

It's a waiting game, more or less. You wake up every morning and go about your day as you always do, but in the back of your mind, there's the thought: Is today the day another fit is going to strike?

 

I found out I had MS rather brutally. What started with tingling in my fingers one day, which I initially assumed had been because I had simply slept weird, spread to my palms within a day. A few days later, my left leg went dead. I literally had to drag it around. Walking was nearly impossible. It lasted for almost a month before the fit ended and I could walk normally again. For now.

 

You see, there are several different forms of MS that have been discovered. Mine happens to be Progressive Relapsing MS. The simple explanation for PRMS is that it gets progressively worse with each recurring fit. Which means the next time it hits, it will likely be as bad or worse than the last fit. Each fit leaves a permanent scar on the brain, kind of like a sick, demented 'I was here' tag. The MRI that I had done revealed that it had not been the first fit for me - it had been the seventh. 

 

So I'm taking part in Walk MS: Marshfield while I can, because the next time it hits, I may not get the use of my leg back, or worse. No one - not even my specialist, who has studied and devoted the last twenty years of his life to studying the disease and trying to understand it - knows what will happen.

 

MS is like lightning during a thunderstorm. Others like me who have MS know the lightning will strike, but none of us know when, or what will be affected. That's what makes it such a difficult disease, not only for us but for our loved ones. 

 

My wife, Nyki, has formed a team of us who will be walking on April 30, 2016 in Marshfield, WI. As I'm a Star Trek geek, I came up with our team name, The BORGman Collective (I thought it was rather clever!)

We would like to raise funds for the National MS Society, which is what this walk is for. Any donation you make goes directly to them.

 

From left to right:
DeAnna, Michael, Jhessica, Scott, and Nyki Borgman

Here is the link, which will take you to the team page:

 

http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Walk/WIGWalkEvents?team_id=483086&pg=team&fr_id=27380

 

I hope you will make a donation, no matter what amount, and help spread the word. Bloggers: please reblog. Tweeters: please blast the Twitterverse. Facebookers: please click that share button.

 

As an author, my job is to bring out the emotions of my readers. I hope I have succeeded in that endeavor with this blog. Thank you everyone.


All My Best,

Scott A. Borgman

 

What Once was Gold

I don't blog often. When I do, it's because I have something important to say. What I want to talk about today is something that, quite frankly, has been under my skin for a few months now, and I'm not going to bite my fingers any longer. It needs to be said. I know others have already talked about it themselves, because they feel the same way I do about the subject: Titles.

 

These used to be gold. If an author had an 'Award Winning' or 'Best Selling' title, it meant something special. Those were coveted titles, things that really made an author stand out. They were titles that every author dreamed of having, but not everyone succeeded in obtaining.

 

Now those titles have dulled. Why? Because authors (some, not all) have lessened them. What once was gold has become copper. It used to be a milestone to be able to add such titles to a bio. They were an immense achievement, something worthy of recognition. They've gone from gemstones to colored glass.

 

How did such things become commonplace? Simple. Instead of earning those titles, authors created their own contests for best looking covers, best fantasy, romance, and sci-fi books, etc. Such contests were nothing more than he/she-who-has-the-most-friends-wins contests. And when they 'won', they slapped that Award Winning title to their name.

They put their books up for free, and the instant that book hit #1 in the free store (not too difficult of a thing to do, since everyone loves getting something for free) they added that Best Selling title to their name.

Or they called themselves a business and after selling a single book they put the Best Selling title to their names. Why not, right? After all, they're obviously the best selling author - in their business of one. Cue the Darth Vader voice: "The sarcasm is strong with this one."

 

In doing so, such authors have lessened the worth of those coveted titles. It's a shady loophole cloaked in deceit that they willingly abuse, just so they can increase their book sales and put themselves on a pedestal - one that they build themselves.

 

In short, it's a piss-poor tactic that quite honestly, I find repulsive. It's a dishonest ploy that readers are the unknowing victims of, because those titles do draw attention. Readers are our customers, and whether they like our work or not, whether they leave us glowing reviews or not, they are to be met with nothing less than the utmost respect and held in the highest regards - not conned by using titles that were never truly earned. Because what happens afterwards is that those titles are no longer glorified as something great or worthy of seeking out like they were before.

 

Not every author does this. There are those out there who want such titles but refuse to stoop to those levels just to obtain them. Personally, I am among that (sadly, it seems an ever-shrinking) group. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to add those titles to my own bio. Those are milestones that I am striving to reach, not only for myself but as something that my family can be proud of me for achieving. But those are titles that I must earn.

 

That's what upsets me about the whole thing. I see those titles as they were always meant to be - achievements that are sought after by many, but obtained by few. They're titles that are earned through contests that are recognized by thousands, like the Reader's Favorite Award Contest that is held every year. Sure, there's an entry fee. Official contests always have one, because the awards one can receive can't be made in a few minutes on the computer or purchased in a store; they can only be obtained through the contest itself.

 

Cover image used with permission from CK Dawn

CK Dawn (www.ckdawn.com) is an author who, while I don't know personally, I am acquainted with through an author group we are both members of. I'm mentioning her and plugging her website because Cloak of Shadows won such an award.



The 'Award Winning' title she now carries wasn't obtained through some most-friends-wins popularity contest just so she could slap that title onto her name... CK earned it. And though I've never met her, I'm damn proud of her for that achievement. She's one of the authors who didn't give herself a copper title - she earned the golden one.

 

Flashy covers and well-written blurbs aside, those awards and titles are coveted by authors because they're golden. Readers are drawn to them because they've been earned. Readers don't want or deserve cubic zirconia. They want and deserve gold. The award says it all: CK Dawn is a golden author.

 

 

And honestly, it goes beyond just these titles. When I was growing up, like many kids, I played sports. Teams worked hard and did their best, because they all wanted that first place trophy. There was no 'participation' trophies to be handed out. Either you won or you lost. The winning team got the trophy. The losing teams went home with nothing. Was it harsh and cruel that those losing teams did their best and didn't get anything for their efforts? No. What it did was instill the desire to work harder, practice more, reach higher... to strive for improvement in order to obtain that which was so highly sought after.

 

But then what happened is those kids who never earned a trophy grew up and had kids of their own. Some of them remembered never winning any kind of trophy and decided that wasn't fair. So they raised a fuss because they didn't want their kids to go through the same thing. When enough of them made enough noise, along came 'participation' trophies.

I bet those parents feel real good about themselves now that it doesn't matter if their kid is good or not, they'll get something regardless. Congratulations, you've lessened the worth of such achievements. It no longer matters how well a kid plays. They don't have to try as hard, practice as much, or stretch any further than they feel like stretching, because they know that they're going to get a trophy regardless now. What once was gold has become copper.

 

Some time ago, I submitted one of my books, Province of a Thief, to Reader's Favorite for a review. It was given the Reader's Favorite 5-Star Review award. When I received it, I was ecstatic - because that is the only way one can obtain the silver seal that now adorns that book's cover. And yet, my bio does not contain the Award Winning title. That award was an achievement, and I'm proud of that achievement... but that award is not to the height that I feel honestly warrants being able to add that coveted Award Winning title to my name.

 

Am I losing out on book sales because I don't have any such title attached to my bio? Perhaps. But some things are more important than book sales. Like honesty. Integrity. Respect. You can't buy those things, no matter how much money you have or what shady tactics you use in order to give yourself those titles. When 'Award Winning' and 'Best Selling' adorn my bio and my books, they will be there because I covet those titles for what they were always meant to represent.

What others choose to lessen and obtain as copper, I will earn and achieve as gold.

 

 

Judging A Book By Its Cover

Let's not beat around the bush. We do it. When we walk through a bookstore or are browsing for something to read on Amazon, we're looking for something specific: a book with a kick-ass looking cover, because that's what attracts us and calls out to us to check out the description and maybe flip through the first few pages or read the book sample. That's what the cover is meant to do, after all - make us pause for a moment and investigate further.

 

Herein lies something that we've unconsciously programmed ourselves to do throughout the years: we've taught ourselves to quite literally, judge a book by its cover. In response, cover artists have had to push themselves to almost superhuman capabilities, because if they can't deliver a kick-ass looking cover, the author's book won't get noticed, it won't even have a chance to sell, and both will face an almost uphill vertical climb: the author trying to get his/her book noticed, and the cover artist struggling to find work.

 

How did this all begin? I'll take a guess and say that somewhere along the line, someone created a cover that completely blew other book covers out of the water. I imagine it was like the scene from Dumb and Dumber: in a room full of black tuxedos, in walks Jim Carrey wearing an orange tuxedo. Among everyone in the room, in a sea of black was a splash of orange, which stood out.

 

Today, that room of black tuxedos no longer exists. Instead, it's a room of vibrant colors that stretch from one end of the color spectrum to the other. What once stood out in a sea of black no longer does - because there is no sea of black.

 

We've gotten so used to seeing those amazing covers, that we've come to expect it. As the artists and the technology becomes even more mind-blowing, our expectations for them have increased to the point of looking for something that goes beyond superhuman and risen higher, to the point of expecting them to be almost god-like.

 

I'll admit that I put cover designers and book artists on high pedestals. I am awed every day by the covers I see designed when something new comes out, and I have the utmost respect for those people for the amount of talent they have. I have zero talent in the drawing department myself, which is part of the reason why I have such a great respect for artists. Seriously, if you ask me to draw a person, what you'll get is a stick figure with a big round head. That's the limit of my artistic ability in the drawing department.

 

There are other artists that are just as amazing with digital drawing and painting too, it's not limited to physical paint and canvas. But our expectations have become so high now that we basically require every book to have a god-like cover in order for us to stop. If not, we pass it by and move on, never bothering to even read what the book is about.

 

And here is where the real tragedy that this line of insanely high expectations has gone to now: we judge books by their covers, not by the story within. There are some absolutely amazing stories out there that are only discovered by a small handful of people. Why? Because the author is just starting out, or couldn't afford to pay for a professional artist to design that god-like cover that might increase the chance a book will be read by a few handfuls more.

 

In a sea of color now, its a crap shoot. And for those just starting out or on such a tight budget that they can't afford to pay for advertising, which like anything else is really the only way to reach masses of potential readers... even with a god-like cover, it's difficult at best to get noticed - no matter how good of a storyteller you are.

 

So what is the point of all of this? Why go over any of this? To illustrate, let me provide a few images. I'll use my first fantasy book as the example, as it's gone through several cover changes from when I first published it to what it looks like today:



Original cover
 

 



First redone cover

 

 



Second redone cover (artwork by Mat Sadler)

 

 

 

Looking back, I see that first cover and I think "oh my God, that was horrible!" And then I look at the second one and think "well, that was better than the first one, at least." The last one I still love to look at. It's gorgeous. The artist who created that has more talent in the tip of his pinky finger than I have in my entire body.

 

I had submitted the book to Reader's Favorite last year for a review, and when it came back, I admit there were some tears, because the reviewer gave it a glowing 5* review, and I was given - along with the review - a sticker that I could add to the cover image to show it, which I did. This is the cover today:

 

 

 

 

 

Why show that off? To brag that Province of a Thief received a 5* review award? To get you to say "Holy shit, that is awesome!" and open up a new window to pull the book up on Amazon and discover that it's gotten almost a dozen more 5* reviews from readers on top of that?

 

No. It's to make my point. You see, except for some edits that I've put the book through to fix a few typos and make some minor changes (because I'm overly critical of myself and I strive for perfection, even knowing it's an impossible task but I shoot for it anyway), from that first book cover to the current one - the story has not changed.

 

When I first started writing as a career, I couldn't afford to hire a cover artist. So I designed the cover myself, using (you probably guessed it already) Word. Yes, I know... go ahead and shake your head in disbelief, it's alright. I was a newborn to the whole published author scene then. It took time to learn there was more to this thing than just writing.

 

Obviously that first cover needed to be changed. My sales (or rather, lack of) clearly showed that, so I spent a bit of money and found a stock photo that I liked, and along came cover #2. The title font and how it was displayed wasn't exactly a good choice, but it was a better image than the first. Still not good enough, however. Luckily tax season came around and with a bit of my return I looked for someone to redesign the cover again. I was lucky enough to come across Mat, who designed the cover at an affordable price and made it look like that first cover was done by someone with no drawing ability whatsoe... oh wait - it was, haha.

 

But through those redesigns, the story within didn't change. And that is the main point of all of this. The covers didn't change the story. Had I kept that first cover, I would still be waiting to get an actual sale from the book.

 

Covers need to be attractive. Everyone will agree with this. But they do not change the story within. When we're looking for something to read, we're not reading the book descriptions. We're looking at the cover image. And if it doesn't leap out at us, we're moving on to find one that does. That's the problem. We've become too reliant on the cover images. We've let them dictate our choices, and don't even bother to take a few minutes... a few minutes... to see what a book is about.

 

Not every author can afford to hire a cover artist or book designer. It's a simple fact. So they do their best to design their own covers using GIMP, Photoshop, (I use GIMP myself to create my Twitter images... that at least I have a greater ability in doing) or some other program to create book covers themselves. And then they cross their fingers and hope their skills are good enough that the cover will catch enough eyes and they'll make enough pocket change to be able to afford a professional artist/cover designer for their next book, or to redesign that one.

 

We've become a society that judges based on what we see. So let me end this with one final book image and a quote from one of the books in my Exiled trilogy, because they drive home my point:

 

 

 

 

 

"It is not what you see on the outside, but what lies on the inside that matters."

 





Starting off 2016 with a BANG!

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season that was filled with good food, time spend with friends and family, and memorable moments. I know I did!

 

With the holidays over and the new year having arrived, I'm starting things off with a bang. I'm getting back to my current work in progress, the 4th and final book in my Tal'Avern Chronicles. But besides that, I've got two things to announce.

 

First, my Facebook Author Page hit 500 likes the other day, which is an amazing milestone for me, as I still kind of consider myself in my infant years as an author, having only been doing this for going on 5 years now.

 

I wanted to show my appreciation, so I am holding a Giveaway. If you haven't had a chance to read my work, I write in two genres: Fantasy (geared toward the YA crowd but definitely books that adults will (and have!) enjoyed, and Paranormal Romance, which lean more to the adult crowd due to some strong language and steamy romance scenes that are mixed in with the action, suspense, and all that good stuff :)

 

Rather than repeat what I've posted on my Author Page, I'll simply provide the link to the page, so you can read the nuts and bolts of the giveaway (prizes, rules, etc):

 

www.facebook.com/saborgman

 

 

That's one announcement. The second one is in regards to my latest release, The Exiled Trilogy: Collector's Edition, which bundles all three books in the trilogy together into a single volume to bring you the complete story. So here's the exciting part: the individual books of the trilogy are $2.99 each, while the Collector's Edition is normally priced at $5.99. Basically, it's priced as a buy two get the third one free type of thing. HOWEVER...

 

From Jan. 8 - 14, the Collector's Edition (digital only) is going to be on a special promotion.... for $2.99.

 

So in essence, it's a buy one get two free deal. You'll be able to pick up the ENTIRE TRILOGY in it's Collector's Edition for the price that a single book in the trilogy normally costs.

 

I know, crazy right? Well like I said, I wanted to start the year off with a bang. :) Here's the link to the book's Amazon page:

 

http://hyperurl.co/c6ltbq

 

The promo is scheduled to begin at 12 PST on the 8th for US readers. UKers, you'll be able to snag the CE a bit before then, of course.

 

In the meantime, while waiting for the promo to begin, feel free to check out some of the reviews from the individual books and perhaps read through some of the samples from the books (I love that Look Inside feature!!)

 

So head over to my Author Page, give it a 'like', and check out the giveaway post. If you agree with the rules (make sure to read them!) and want a chance to win, pop in a comment. I jokingly suggested excited people to comment with 'omg omg omg omg me me me me!' rather than just a simple 'me' in the comments. Several people actually have posted 'omg omg me me me' comments, hahaha. I got a good laugh out of it, so thank you for the enthusiasm :)

 

And don't forget, Jan 8 - 14, The Collector's Edition will be at a special promo price of $2.99, so when it starts, snag your digital copy!

 

I would like to add as well, not just for my books but any author's books, if you enjoy the story that you read, please take a few minutes to leave a review on the book's Amazon page. Reviews are the lifeblood of digital books, and every author is grateful for each and every review their books get, including me.

December Donation Drive

Back at the beginning of December, when I released The Exiled Trilogy: Collector's Edition, I had made a promise. I feel very strongly about giving back, and about doing what I can to help make our world a better place. With the amount of negativity that surrounds us every day, I think doing such things is becoming more and more critical.

 

I'm no multi-billionaire that owns 5 houses, 8 cars, a yacht, a plane... I honestly don't really have anything one would probably consider 'extravagant.' And yet, the 1% flaunt their wealth and spend it on getting more and more shit to make themselves look like they're better than everyone else. Because they have money, they have to show it off. I'm sure there are a few people that pop in your head right away that fit the mold.

 

Now, not all of them do this. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are two people I will mention who donate their time and quite a bit of their money to a lot of different charities and organizations. I personally look up to them both, not just because they're two of my favorite actors, but for everything they do to help make our world a little bit brighter for others.

 

As for me, I'm more than willing to give what I can when I am able to help make other's lives better, even if it's something small that will help put a smile on a face, or help to bring joy to their lives - if only for a little while. Because that's what life is about. Not what we can get, but what we can give, what we can do for each other.

 

I had made a promise that through the month of December, for every sale of my new release on Amazon, I would donate half of the profits to a charitable institution, along with at least half of the profits I would receive from pages read from all of my books through Kindle Unlimited.

 

While there were few sales of the Collector's Edition, and the pages read didn't amount to a significant amount (it was the holiday season after all, which certainly played a role in the low numbers) I gave my word - and I keep my word.

 

I took the liberty of snapping a few photos showing the sales and pages read:

 

 

 

 

 

And then as promised, I went and made the donation. It wasn't much, but every little bit helps to make wishes come true.

 

 

To those who made a purchase and those who upped that page count by reading any of my books through Kindle Unlimited, thank you. While I may have made the decision to donate half of my profits, you are the ones who deserve the praise, because you made it possible. The amount doesn't matter. Yes, I wish the donation would have been higher, but what matters is that the donation will go to helping grant wishes and putting smiles on the faces of children fighting against life threatening illnesses.

 

So for that, you have my deepest gratitude and thanks. It truly means a lot to me to have been able to make the donation with your help.

 

 

All My Best,

Scott A. Borgman

Fighting Writer's Block

I've had a few different jobs over the years, from my first job working at a movie theater when I was 16, to working in Collections for a year before I went to college, to working in the grocery industry for about twenty years after college. Though each of those jobs differed, they all had something in common - there was always that one employee... You know, the one who seemed to be ungodly slow, or somehow found a way to screw up even the simplest of tasks that I would end up having to either correct or completely redo.

 

I'm sure we've all got at least one story of a co-worker (either past or present) who comes to mind at the idea that we could talk about. Of course, in those situations, something can be done about them with some means of disciplinary action.

 

At least with those other jobs, there was a small sense of satisfaction when the problem was dealt with. Either said worker was disciplined, their work improved, or in some cases, they quit or were fired. And then there's my current job - the last job I hope I'll ever have. The one that, unlike my previous jobs, means so much more to me than being 'just another job'.

 

It's not handing out tickets, or calling people over past due bills, or stocking shelves. It's writing stories with the sole purpose of delighting and entertaining others. The hours are long, and the work is hard... harder than I ever imagined it would be when I dreamed of being a writer when I was little... but I love it nonetheless.

 

However, the job came with a catch: another employee. One who couldn't be disciplined. Who couldn't be fired. Who couldn't be persuaded to quit. One who would just come in whenever he wanted to, stay for however long he felt like it, and whose only purpose during his shifts was to annoy, harass, and keep me from getting a thing done.

 

I knew about him, even when I was little. We've all heard of him. He goes by the name of Writer's Block, 'WB' for short... or some other nickname that authors refer to him as, usually proceeded by an F-bomb or some other colorful word.

 

WB's most prolific 'skill' is coming to work when we least expect him to. How he's able to sneak in undetected, authors have no idea. We just look up and see him standing there. This is typically followed by "Oh, shit..." or some other colorful phrase.

 

He's also varied in his skillsets, which allows him to be the most annoying co-worker possible. For some of us, he can completely block our creative flow. For others, he'll change that flow in ways that when we finish a chapter, a scene, or even a few paragraphs, it just doesn't work for us. It doesn't flow the way we want it to... it doesn't feel right. And while we struggle to fix it, he sits back and laughs as he marvels at himself for how well he does his duties.

 

He's frustrating. Annoying. Hell, he's an complete ass. But we're not entirely powerless against him. We have our own weapons to fight him with. After all, if you can't beat him... turn the tables and piss him off instead. Give him a taste of his own medicine, fellow authors!

 

The first and probably one of the most used tactics is to simply save your work, get up, and walk away. Perhaps pour yourself a drink. You could sit down and read a book, watch a movie, or my personal favorite - turn on a game and blow shit up for awhile. I prefer games with explosions in them, or FPS shooters, something where you can see your target and think "There he is... take that!" *Headshot against another player (if playing in a multiplayer game) or explosion following which brings a sense of morbid satisfaction*.

 

Then there's the Rocky tactic. *queue Eye of the Tiger music* Keep fighting, don't back down... eventually WB wears down and Rocky... er, you the author, will come out on top and knock out WB for the count. Granted, he'll come back for a rematch someday, but the immediate victory shall be yours. Wave your Championship belt in his face and go back to working on your next great novel. 

 

Another tactic is the Evasive Maneuvers. If he's annoying a particular scene, leave it behind and move on to another scene - come back to it later. This one's easier for some than others. I can't use this particular tactic myself, since my writing style is specific: write from beginning to end, no deviations or detours. So personally, I'm left with the Rocky and the Blow Shit Up tactics, though I do like to mix it up and throw in the Read A Book and Watch A Movie variations just to keep him guessing.

 

So the next time WB clocks in for a shift, if you've been frustrated to no end with this part-timer who comes with the job and won't ever quit or get fired, remember: he may be an annoying ass, but that doesn't mean you have to sit down and take his abuse, hoping he'll get bored and leave quickly. WB doesn't usually work like that. He's a troll. Don't Feed the troll.

 

Blow Shit Up, Read A Book, Watch A Movie, Be Rocky, and use Evasive Maneuvers. He may be able to defend against some of them... but chances are, one or more of those tactics will work.

 

Write on, fellow authors!