Allan A. Zarbock's Blog

Excerpts!

2011-08-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the "excerpts" page from my website. As of now, I have three excerpts posted. I plan to change them several times a year.

http://aazarbock.com/AAZExcerpts.html

Cheers!

AAZ

Just Released!!!

2011-07-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

My novel Nobody is now available!

Cheers!
AAZ

What's New?

2010-10-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

I am close to finishing a fiction manuscript about a teenage American boy who just cannot seem to get a grip on life--much like the middle-aged writer of the novel. Soon I will post an excerpt. For now, I will share the cover art in its early development.

Cheers!

AAZ

www.aazarbock.com

School Year's End

2010-05-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

Another school year has ended, and the RCHS Creative Writing Club is taking its summer break. I wish you all well.

Cheers!
AAZ

Creative Writing Club

2009-10-31T10:39:00.000-07:00

The RCHS creative writing club has been producing some outstanding work. One of the best ways to improve writing and to motivate yourself to write is to become a part of a club.

Cheers!
AAZ

Delicate Balance

2009-08-16T04:13:00.000-07:00

As the summer ends and the school year begins, it is difficult to balance work and writing. I have spoken with many writers who have put projects off for years, decades even, because these writers work full-time jobs. I encourage all to keep writing daily, even if the writer can write a sentence a day and a paragraph a week. Always find time to do what you love.

Cheers!

AAZ

www.aazarbock.com

Ongoing

2009-08-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

I was nearly finished with the third draft of a novel. Just as that great feeling of accomplishment was filling me, ideas to add to the novel started to bombard my brain. What's a writer to do. Go with what he or she has, or open up a much larger world on the pages of his or her novel?

Cheers!

AAZ

www.aazarbock.com

When is it done?

2009-06-28T07:45:00.001-07:00

I have often been asked when I think a novel or even an academic essay is "done". When conducting research in college, I found a quote from Christopher Marlowe: "When the curtain goes up, the play is complete." However, even Marlowe would make changes while watching the performances of his plays. Were Walt Whitman alive today, he would probably still be working on "Leaves of Grass."

I guess only the individual writer can answer that question for himself/herself. For me, I polish the manuscript until I am happy with its shine.

Cheers,
AAZ
www.aazarbock.com

Summer!

2009-06-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

How now?

I am excited about both my summer writing projects and my summer reading materials. I look forward to being massively productive as well as having considerable fun.

Cheers!

AAZ
www.aazarbock.com

Literary Agents

2009-05-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Any thoughts or tips out there???

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Why do Writer's Read so Much?

2009-05-10T09:29:00.000-07:00

What are you writing? What are you reading? Is it important to consume books if you want to be a great writer? Your thoughts?

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Because?

2009-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

Often I am asked, "Why do you write?"

The best answer would be because I cannot get the voices and images out of my head unless I commit them to paper. No, I am not psycho. I am a writer: That is why I write. It is not what I do: It is part of what I am.

Most writers will say the same. I think. Unless, of course, I really am psycho.

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Success, Defined

2009-04-21T18:10:00.001-07:00

Good book, bad book? How does one define the success of a novel--either written by one's own hand or absorbed by one's own mind? Talk about a noodle scratcher....

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

The Real Writing

2009-04-09T18:14:00.000-07:00

I had a student give me a manuscript. He said he had just finished with it and wanted my feedback. Naturally, I was trilled to get this opportunity. The short story was interesting and engaging to say the least.

When I returned the manuscript, I had nothing but wonderful words of encouragement--all genuine. However, when I casually mentioned a bit of revising and editing polish, the student looked at me like my head was growing out of my bum. He assured me that he wrote the story exactly the way he wanted it the first time, so revising was out of the question. He then informed me that he did go through it once to check for typos.

This floored me. I didn't know what to say--which is rare for a big mouth like me. I know some writers (rare as they are) believe the first draft is the best draft and even a check for typos is messing up a masterpiece. However, I believe the real writing doesn't begin until the first draft is completed.

Cheers!

Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Writer's Block

2009-04-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

Recently, I have been asked (on three separate occasions) about how I cope with writer's block. The truth of it is, I have never really experienced writer's block. Usually, I have three to four projects going at one time. If one project loses steam, I pick up one of the others. This way, I always approach a session of writing with enthusiasm rather than the fear of breaking through a writer's block.

To quote a beloved line from the movie "Throw Momma from the Train": "A writer writes... always."

Cheers,
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Why are We Doing This?

2009-04-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a question I get hit with many times a day in my English class. Ultimately, I can answer this question, but the answer I give really only applies to me. It is truly up to the individual to find value in literature. Many who look down upon literature really do not understand literature. I can supply the understanding, but I cannot force one to accept it and, in turn, embrace literature. For instance, I can tell one how broccoli is good for one's health, but I cannot force it down one's throat. Thus, it is the same with literature: Literature is good for one's mental health, but I cannot force literature into one's mind.

Keep in mind that literature goes far beyond the mere reading of stories and poetry. Literature is the study of every aspect of human existence throughout history. Furthermore, literature is the study of the evolution of human thought throughout the ages. Therefore, if one cannot understand the importance of such a study, what can a humble English teacher say? The best I can do is to open one's mind to a much larger world to explore.

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Shadow Warrior

2009-03-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to an outstanding book written by Darryl Caldwell--martial artist and author. For anyone interested in the true warrior path, this is a must-read book.

http://riposte.org/shadowwarrior?sid=em&tid=dc

Cheers,
Allan A. Zarbock
http://www.aazarbock.com/

In "Real" Life

2009-03-26T03:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, one of my high school students who is working on writing a novel asked me for some tips on writing "sword" action. She explained that she had watched countless movies and even thumbed through a few martial arts books and magazines. However, she just couldn't bring the sword to life on the pages of her manuscript. Well, the writer in me quickly turned to the longtime martial artist who also resides within me. I simply gave her a link to a martial arts supplier that went directly to the page displaying bokens. At first, she thought it was a joke, laughing as she walked away--with the link. Two weeks later, she wasn't asking me for writing tips, she was asking me for sword techniques. Finally, she understood that even fiction writing has its conception in real life.

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Plots

2009-03-24T16:57:00.000-07:00

A plot, a plot, a plot to kill the king....

When I was a college student, I asked a professor if she had any suggestions, regarding the study of plot. I had a college text in mind, but she did not miss a beat when she suggested that I study Shakespeare. I immediately knew that my professor had placed me in the hands of the master.

Recently, I passed on the same advice to one of my high school students who is working out a manuscript. The student claimed, "I hate Shakespeare. What does that crap have to do with sci-fi and fantasy?" However, I soon realized that the student never really understood Shax's work. To make a long story short, the student began to read the plays and view the DVDs. Shortly into the student's study of Shax, he and I began lengthy discussions on the complexity and brilliance of Shax's plots.

I am amazed at how much I actually learned from Shax and my high school student.

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

Show, not Tell

2009-03-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

Oftentimes as writers, we are told to "show, not tell." Even in the world of academic essay writing, I have had teachers tell me "show, not tell" (without their knowing what that phrase really means). As I build a career as a writer, I hear the same phrase from various "sources." However, very few people who use this phrase truly know what "show, not tell" means. The phrase itself is illogical simply because it is not a literary or rhetorical "rule," nor is it true to the art of writing. As writers, we know our craft, and we know, more than anyone, when "we" should "show" or when "we" should "tell" our readers. Ultimately, we create a balance of "showing" and "telling," saving the more important details for "showing" and the lesser details for "telling." We know that far too much "showing" makes our text read like sappy fluff and far too much "telling" makes our text read like the back of a shampoo bottle. Again, we the writers, must decide how we want to deliver our stories.

Cheers!
Allan A. Zarbock
www.aazarbock.com

In the mind of the characters

2009-03-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

I recently read a few articles that bashed some new books. The main criticism I encountered was aimed at the mind of the characters. I tend to read to connect on a deeper level with characters--a level that goes beyond the mere physical. Therefore, the attack--"The character is too meditative"--shocked me. Books are of the mind--are they not? However, the modern critics seem to expect a novel to read like a screenplay. What are they thinking? I am certainly confused.

Cheers!
Allan
www.aazarbock.com

Settings

2009-03-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

I really get impressed with a "living" setting: a setting so powerful that it becomes a "main character." Recently, I have been reading and studying Edgar Allan Poe. My genres of writing are not similar to Poe's in any respects, but I love his mastery of establishing a living setting. Often times, his settings are more dynamic than even his characters.

Cheers,
Allan
www.aazarbock.com

Midgard and Beyond, Literary Creations

2008-06-16T17:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all!

My goal here is to connect with writers and readers. Share with me what you have written or something you have read.

Cheers!

AAZ