Letters From the Labyrinth 77
Hey there. My name's Brian Keene. This is Letters From the Labyrinth -- a weekly newsletter for fans of my work. Previous issues are archived here.
The last vestiges of the death flu are working their way out of my system. That virus knocked me on my ass the past week, and I got very little work done. Indeed, I got very little of anything done. Work on THE DOOR pilot, which is due February 19th, slowed to a crawl, so I'll be going at it heavy this week.
Yesterday was the first day I had enough stamina to actually get dressed and go outside. My nine-year old and I played Jedi vs. Sith in the backyard for a half hour. We also braved a trip into town to buy a Valentine present for his mother. Those two things pretty much wore me out.
A few weeks ago on Twitter, reader Maria suggested I do an average "day in the life" thing in this newsletter, as far as my work process goes. If I did one for this past week, it would read, "Laid on couch, wondered if I was dying."
But here is an average work day:
MONDAY THRU FRIDAY:
5am - 7am: Wake, coffee (my own blend of Sumatran and Peruvian beans), exercise (a walk in the early-morning woods or push-ups and sit-up indoors if the weather is bad), read the news (I use news aggregators rather than any one particular source), shower, and get dressed.
7am - 9am: Drive over to my ex-wife's (five minute drive). Have coffee and conversation with her while my son wakes up. Make his lunch and get him ready for school. Take him to school and then drive back home (another five minute drive).
9am - 1pm: Write. On an ideal day, that just involves writing. However, there are other things included -- updating the website, answering emails, returning phone calls, marketing and promotion, etc. On Wednesdays, two to three hours of this time is used to record The Horror Show with Brian Keene. On Friday's, an hour of this time is used to record Defender's Dialogue. As far as writing itself, i usually have more than one thing going at a time, so if I hit a wall with, let's say the current novel, I can switch over to working on a short story instead, or vice versa.
1pm to 2pm: Usually a nap on the couch, depending on the day. This is when Mary begins her work day (she ends her's at around 2am, long after I've gone to bed).
2pm to 3pm: Drive back to school (again, five minute drive), park alongside all the other parents waiting to pick up their children. This is usually when I read (I prefer Kindle these days), or play Clash Royale and Clash of Clans on my phone, or cause chaos and discontent on Twitter.
3pm to 5pm: Drive home (five minutes). Make dinner for my son and Mary, talk to him about his day, spend time with him (usually cartoons or video games or action figures or Legos).
5pm to 5:30pm: Take my son back to his mother's house(five minute drive), talk to his mom about her day, and then return home.
5:30pm to 10pm: This depends on how productive the work day was. If I got a lot of writing done during the day, then these hours are spent with Mary, doing boyfriend and girlfriend things. But if the day wasn't productive -- if somebody did something stupid online that required my attention, or if the podcast took longer to record, or if I was really in the zone with whatever project I was working on and just want to come back to it -- then these hours, or maybe half of these hours, will be spent writing, as well. If they are spent writing, then instead of doing it out in my office, I do it in the house, on my laptop, next to Mary, who is also sitting there writing, and that way, we are still spending time together.
10pm to 11pm: Bed, at some point in that hour. And then repeat when I wake up at 5am again.
Weekends: Weekends are an odd animal. I have my son every other weekend (in addition to the daily hours listed above). On those weekends, I don't work at all, because I'm lucky enough to have a job that allows me to do that. Weekends when I don't have him, I usually work from around 7am until 10am (which is when Mary usually wakes up). If she needs to work, then I'll work, as well. If she doesn't, then we spend time together.
So, there you have it, Maria. That's an "average" work week for me.
Now...as mentioned above, THE DOOR pilot is due on February 19th, and I got very little of it written last week because of the flu, so this week, I'll be cutting the nap out of that schedule, and absolutely working during those evening hours, and absolutely working six or seven hours a day next weekend, as well.
This is what goes into the sausage.
RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL is now out in paperback and ebook! Click here to get your copy!
War has come in this sequel to the best-selling novel THE LOST LEVEL.
The snake-like Anunnaki have always been a blight for the people living in the hidden dimension known as the Lost Level, but now, the denizens are fighting back. After their community is decimated and their loved ones are enslaved in the aftermath of a devastating Anunnaki attack, Aaron Pace leads a diverse group of warriors — including the bow-woman Tolia, the mighty Karenk, a baby Triceratops, and a time-displaced Ambrose Bierce — on a trek through primordial jungles, dark forests, and a sun-blasted desert while battling pterodactyls, man-eating worms, and other dangers.
Can their small band lay siege to the Anunnaki city and rescue their friends, or will they suffer the same cruel fate so many others have before them? Find out in Brian Keene's RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL.
Hardcovers of HOLE IN THE WORLD are up for preorder. HOLE IN THE WORLD is limited to 168 signed and numbered collector's edition hardcovers. $65. CLICK HERE TO PREORDER As of this writing, there are 15 copies left.
An hour ago, they were nineteen strangers on an airport shuttle, braving travel delays and a freak blizzard. Then they fell through a hole in the world. Now, they are nineteen strangers trapped in a dangerous dimension filled with prehistoric monsters, futuristic technology, and otherworldly mysteries. They’ll have to learn to work together if they want to survive and return home…but will any of them be left alive by then?
Thunderstorm Books is proud to present HOLE IN THE WORLD — a weird fantasy prequel to Brian Keene’s popular THE LOST LEVEL series.
Reminder that I’ll be signing books February 23rd through the 25th as a guest at Con Nooga, taking place at The Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, TN. I’ll have books for sale at the convention. You can also bring books from home for me to sign. As always, there is no charge for signatures and no charge for pictures and no charge to hang out in the hotel bar and share a beer and conversation.
Voting is now underway for the 2018 ABR Audio Book Listener Awards, and I’m pleased to note that the audiobook adaptation of the uncut, author’s preferred version of THE RISING — narrated by the wonderful Joe Hempel — is a finalist in the Horror category.
Voting is open to the public. If you enjoyed the audiobook, and liked Joe’s narration, consider casting a vote, as well.
Last week, I told you that The Horror Show with Brian Keene is holding its second annual 24-hour live streaming telethon to raise money for Scares That Care, a 501C(3) charity that helps children with cancer, women with breast cancer, and burn victims. STC is a completely volunteer organization. None of our staff and no one on the Board of Directors draws a salary. The money goes directly to the families in need.
The 2018 Horror Show with Brian Keene Telethon will begin at noon (EST) on May 11 and end at noon (EST) on May 12. Just like last year, it will be livestreamed across the world via YouTube. It will be free to listen to, so no matter where you live, you can participate. Our goal for this year $20,000 is 24 hours. Once again, the beneficiary will be Scares That Care. All of the money raised will go directly to the charity.
You can also attend the telethon, and be part of our live studio audience. The telethon will be held at Courtyard Marriott 2799 Concord Road, York PA 17402. You will need a ticket to be part of the live studio audience. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here. Seating is limited to 80 people. (All proceeds raised from ticket sales will go directly to the $20,000 goal). Your ticket guarantees you 24-hour admission to the telethon — come and go (and sleep) as you please. Please note that by purchasing a ticket and attending, you are granting The Horror Show with Brian Keene permission to broadcast your voice and/or likeness live on the air.
If you can’t attend but would still like to help, you can also purchase an official limited edition t-shirt commemorating the 2nd annual telethon. Shirts are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. Once again, 100% of the proceeds from t-shirt sales will go toward the $20,000 goal. Click here to purchase one in your size.
Currently Reading: WHITE TRASH GOTHIC by Edward Lee
Currently Listening: THE FINAL FRONTIER by Iron Maiden
Currently Watching: BETTER CALL SAUL
Mary had never seen BREAKING BAD or BETTER CALL SAUL, so we've been working our way through those. As amazing as those two shows are, they are even better when binge-watched back-to-back.
That's it for this week. A few reminders:
PATREON - Where I post new short stories, a serialized ongoing novel, and behind-the-scenes stuff.
TWITTER - The only social media outlet I still use regularly.
See you back here next week.