Writing – Jeffrey Messineo

A New Part of the Journey

I’m starting production on audio versions of all three of my books.

Embarking on this journey isn’t an entirely insane proposition. As some of you may know, I am a professional grade commercial and music video editor. As a film schooler, I’ve taken my fair share of acting classes (with good marks) and voiced over more than a few industrial videos.

I am comfortable with the technology and game, even a little excited, to test my skills at telling my own stories. Heck, in grade school, I was excited for my turn to read aloud. As my brother says, I like to be the center of attention.

Each of these stories has been read aloud many times, to myself and my wife, and, to be honest, I enjoy reading them.

Also, as a person with current disabilities, I have learned about helping others. I never understood that some people were unable to read a book because they can’t turn a page or hold the book or hate it because of dyslexia or can’t see it or a thousand other reasons that I don’t even know about.

Now, I understand and now I’m hoping some people can have a little respite in their lives.

Stories matter.

Anyway, I’m going to record some notes on how I do this along they way. For myself, so I don’t forget, and for you because maybe you’re bored and want to read something.

Today I recorded a test track and worked on the set up. The mic, of course. I’m using Adobe Audition for recording and editing. I’ve also worked on the proper effects, levels and all that gobbly gook to make sure I sound reasonably professional.

On a side note, once back in the day, I edited for Jordan Scott a commercial for The Roots – it promoted their new album on MTV and the like – and I added a bit of video feedback, image decay color rainbow thing to the cut. It looked really cool. In fact, when we sent the commercial for the final recording at the online suite, the post supervisor called to find out how I did it. No one could figure what I did and, to be honest, when I told them all the tech heads freaked out. They’d never heard or seen anything like it.

This is a long way of saying, sometimes I break things to make things.

Should be fun …!

Your Paper Quest – Book Inclusion & Interview

Did you enjoy California Hustle and maybe you’d like to hear me talk about the book and my process?

Luckily for you, here’s a fun video conversation below about just those very things!

I, also, answered a few questions from Your Paper Quest, here.

When Ryan and Steve reached out to tell me California Hustle was chosen and they found it “Gripping”, well, I was excited. It’s an honor to have a book picked to be a member of a book subscription and one that focuses on indie books, no less. They have a unique thing going there, so, please, take a peek and join if you are of a mind. You won’t be disappointed. The books are top notch.

With no futher adieu, here’s the vid.

My Experiment

Writing itself is an experiment and I’m coming at it from three different vantage points at the moment.

It Has Begun.

1. I’m writing a novel.

2. I’m querying a novel.

3. I’m promoting two novels.

Three stages of a novel’s lifecycle. And, these three stages force a different interpretation and relationship with the story and how it’s built, simultaneously.

Those three stages have to convince three different types of customers to become interested in each story.

Let’s start with the last in the list but the first to have been imagined. The promotion of a story. A practice in patience and persistance. Yes, writing a long project is already a test of one’s ability to push through disinterest and frustration. Well, wait until you ask the public, all 300 million of them, to care about your measely little story. Disinterest and frustration abound. How many sales? Reads and likes? Are they following? The excitement of positive reviews is tempered like your flaming sword dipped in the water of cold hard fact. The fact that you’ll have to continue to chase readers.

Don’t worry this will hold true for your entire career.

Hated dating?

This is dating.

But will the story work and pull the reader in where they can begin the journey in the first place? Let’s hope.

Promoting the story, finding all the different ways to excite interest and test the quickest of log lines. The most enticing juicy morsels. Details readers will love. Are those the gooey bits that will set the spell and encourage the reader to read? maybe.

Querying. Oh, boy. The saviest, most ruthless audience you will ever approach. The only reader besides yourself that will assess your book on whether it can save their life.

I mean it.

Your book will save their life. And your own. Working for a living means the chances taken, the risks, are real. The next time you complain about whether you get a rejection or not, ask yourself if you wrote something that another person will stake their livelihood on. It’s what you’re asking of an agent. That will follow onto the publisher.

Don’t get too high on yourself, you’re not the only one they are selling but each drop fills the bucket…

So, come to the realization: you’ve worked and worked to write something that might convince a savvy mercenary that you and your silly idea are worth throwing in with your lot. That, my friends, is the job.

Lastly, writing the novel. This journey involves convincing yourself that it is worth the effort and frustration to attack a silly story about things that don’t exist to forge beauty and truth. Or is it that truth is beauty, beauty: truth. Continue cutting, shaping and shining this jewel until someone can’t look away if they lay their eyes on it. Make the story sing the spell and you’ll have convinced yourself to finish it.

Then, you’ll do that to the story many more times. That tale will reflect not your fair visage but the grand world in your audience’s eyes through your filter.

After simply achieving the spun gold produced by the toil of demi-gods, you will pull out a single thread in an attempt to convince someone else to love it as much as you do. By winning the trust of the few individuals who guard the keep, you will use that thread to convince everyone (EVERYONE) – well people who like to read – but all the people – with better things to do in their lives than look at your embarrassing little trinket.

The long and short of it? Convince yourself. Convince someone else. Then convince a bunch more people that your bauble will give them the joy and wonder they seek.

Do it well enough and you’ve earned the right to do it all over again.

If you’ve ever climbed a mountain, you know that once you’ve reached the top, it’s kinda cool. Nice view and all. A little rest. Some water. A snack.

You climb back down.

Then you do it again if you can convince yourself that it’s worth it.

Try ’em, you’ll like it.