As I've said plenty of times, I love writing. Every aspect of it. But there's one part in particular that stands above all others. Battle scenes.
Ever since I was introduced to such masterful films as Braveheart and Gladiator, I've had a disturbing attachment to depictions of violence. Part of it is me being a guy; we're supposed to like that stuff. But I think I might like it even more than most guys. Maybe a bit too much, actually. If I wind up going crazy someday and trying to kill you, well, you probably should have seen it coming.
But here's the thing about writing that I never knew before: it's emotional. The good stuff, the parts that make you proud, those happen because you're really getting into it. Because you can feel it. At least that's how it is for me. If I'm just cruising through a chapter, if I don't truly feel the thoughts and passions of the characters, it shows. It turns into something your eyes just gloss over. I have to feel it to make you feel it. And no scene makes me feel it quite like a bit of slaughter.
What I'm saying, among other things, is that I'm proud of my violent scenes. I enjoy going back and reading them, and I enjoyed writing them. I enjoy them so much that I'm trying to use one of them to draw in a few more readers to The Last Kinmark.
How am I doing that? Well, in my Internet travels I ran across a competition for self-published and small-press published authors. The competition is simple, upload a thousand-word excerpt from one of your battle scenes. Right up my alley. So, I signed up the other day. The prizes are pretty cool, and I hope I win. But what I really want is for people to visit that site and read my excerpt and want to read my book. I want exposure.
That's where you come in. If you haven't yet checked out my writing, this would be a great place to start. The excerpt has only minor spoilers. If, however, you have read or are reading my first book, I understand if you either don't want to reread something you already read or don't want even minor spoilers getting in your way.
But you can still help me. At the bottom of the page I'll link below, you can grade my excerpt on a 1-5 scale. You'd be doing me a big favor if you went there and did so. More points will help differentiate me from the other entrants and draw readers' eyes. It will also help me win. So, will you help a guy out? Before you decide, remember that I may or may not have deep-seated issues related to a love of violence.
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