Category: Uncategorized

This Halloween Was No Trick

Post author By Tom
Post date November 2, 2021

How was your Halloween? Mine was pretty good. My littlest had her first trick-or-treating extravaganza ever. She’s four now, which means she wasn’t really able to go trick-or-treating last couple years because of Covid. But she went last weekend and she made the most of it.

It was a mixed experience for me. I’m a big fan of Halloween, as some of you could probably guess. I’ve been catching up on my horror movies and so on.

There were a ton of people out there. That’s what made it a mixed bag for me. I don’t like crowds, not unless I’m the one standing up in front of them. (Then it’s totally okay.) But I just don’t do well with big groups of people these days. And there were a lot of people out. So frankly, I was pretty uncomfortable most of the night.

On the other hand . . .

It felt great. My heart was full. Honestly, I absolutely enjoyed and savored so many different people out together in the nice weather having a good time. Most people handing out candy were on their driveways, enjoying the evening. It was such a shift from the last couple of years.

I hope you were able to either pass out candy or have some yourself. I hope you had a good time. I hope the world was kind to you. That’s the thing about Halloween and those of us who love it. We love the scares, we love the ideas and the dressing up and the black lipstick and the skeletons and everything else. But in my experience, there are no more friendly, or approachable, or kind people in the world than fans of Halloween and horror. I don’t know if there’s a cause and effect relationship there or not, but most horror people I have met over the years I’ve been singularly cool.

I hope you had a wonderful Halloween, and Sarah would like you to know, it’s always a good time to trick or treat.

Take care,
~ Tom

P.S.
If you have avoided my horror stories thus far, let me recommend Those We Bury Back. It’s a quick read about a haunted house, inspired by some real events. Not scary, it’s more of a creeper, and I promise you a happy ending. Check it out here today.

Tags crowds, halloween, horror, those we bury back

Uncategorized

When? Now.

Post author By Tom
Post date October 21, 2021

This image is a composite of all the pages of my first comic book, Beckett’s Last Mixtape, which will be launching soon on Kickstarter.

I spent a lot of money on this. I don’t know if anyone will want it.

But I’ll have a comic book based on one of my favorite characters from Party.

Totally worth it.

It was worth it when I blew thousands of dollars to produce Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 stage play for Chyro Arts Venue.

It was worth it driving to the tiny, antique town of Jerome with my wife a few weeks ago. Just for a few hours. (We found a great place for breakfast, and great place for fudge!)

That thing you want to do? Do it. Start today if you haven’t.

Dammit all, this is our only shot! Seize the day and all that. I don’t mean go skydiving or get a second mortgage to afford that European trip (although both of those are legitimate and entirely up to you).

That thing that sets your hair on fire. Do that.

You’ll be happier, and the world around you will be better for it.

Don’t wait.

Take care, be safe,
~ Tom

Tags beckett's last playlist, comic book, encouragement, graphic novel, inspiration, kickstarter, party

Uncategorized

How To Forge Your Own Joy

Post author By Tom
Post date October 12, 2021

What image comes to mind when you read the word “forge?”

It’s probably not someone lounging on white sand beach, sunning and smiling.

Work in a forge is dangerous. It’s hot, heavy, sweaty work. It takes an enormous toll on the body. It takes a long time to learn. They don’t just “let” people into forges to make stuff. You have to be trained.

It’s not easy.

When looking back upon the times I consider most joyful, they came at the expense of hard work.

At age 45, completing a 13.5 hour crucible event conducted by retired Navy SEALs. That took months of mental and physical preparation, and I bawled when it was over (in the car — I’m not cryin’ in front of those guys!). It was one of the most joyful moments of my life.

Writing and staging a one-man show in my backyard for 120 people over two nights, for free. (And the standing ovation my actor got on opening night.) We spent ten weeks rehearsing that show, never mind the time it took to write. A pivotal moment in my life, utterly filled with joy.

Writing a novel (or two, or three), trying to get an agent, selling a book for the first time, bringing it to market, and doing a launch event at my local bookstore. That journey took more than twenty years. And was a complete joy.

There’s no Joy Fairy flying around bestowing joy in your life or mine.

There are happy accidents and twists of fate that can certainly bring a smile to our faces. Sure. There’s joy in “simple things,” like the giraffe I saw at the zoo today who was leaning over its enclosure to eat landscaping trees. We are almost close enough to touch. A simple, joyful moment.

I’m not dismissing those. Not at all.

But if you’re seeking the hard-core stuff . . . those highs of triumph and joy that make you momentarily immortal . . .

That takes work. Laborious, draining, sweaty work.

We forge real joy.

And it’s worth every drop of sweat.

Work for it.

Are you on Medium? Be sure to follow me there for more writing advice and life encouragement!

Tags encouragement, forge, inspiration, joy, writing

Uncategorized

Keep Your Notes – They Might Form a Book Someday

Post author By Tom
Post date May 26, 2021

I love all the kids in my debut novel Party, of course. And there is a little bit of me in each one of them. But I feel the most for Morrigan. My heart breaks for her.

I think it’s because she was based on a character I created who was an imagined child of mine.

Yeah. True story.

This is a mockup of promo material for the film version of Party, now called Butterflies. That’s Morrigan…and if you’ve read the book, you know that’s about how her night ends!

I was dating someone and got to thinking about what our kids might be like. I smiled as I thought about it, and started writing a short little scene. In the scene, our kid — an only child, by the way! — was a teenager. A girl. And she and I were on our back patio having a conversation.

As happens often when I write, I lost track entirely of the story and just surfed the wave of inspiration. I felt invigorated when I was finished, and CTRL+HOME’d back to the top of the doc and started reading.

My jaw slowly dropped.

Our kid was in bad shape. I didn’t even know I was writing it like that. Far from being some tender, bucolic scene of heartfelt emotion, the scene was dark and broody and kind of unpleasant.

Worst — I didn’t come off too well in it.

That was the day I knew the relationship wasn’t going to go the distance. I was right. (Thankfully for both of us.)

So Morrigan was in many ways the first character to come to life in Party. When I had the idea to throw a bunch of dissimilar kids into a situation and see what happened, I knew the girl in that scene was going to be a part of it.

None of the actual words in that scene ended up in the published novel, but that’s her, no question.

Morrigan just wants to be seen. In particular by her dad. I know that feeling from both sides of it now. I try to remind myself of what happens to kids who get dismissed by their parents, and work harder at not letting that happen in my house.

Morrigan’s a good kid at heart. She really is.

In this homework assignment from an English class, it’s clear the student has very specific ideas about Morrigan….

I’m excited to see where she ends up in my new serialized novel, FADE INTO YOU, in which I pluck the characters from Party and plant them into the world of Zero – early 1990’s Phoenix in stead of early 2000’s Santa Barbara. She won’t be exactly the same — none of the characters will — but she’ll still be Morry, that sassy little brat who desperately seeks a connection to people.

So desperately it gets her into trouble from time to time,

But then, that’s where good stories come from, isn’t it?

If you’d like an e-book copy of PARTY, just head to my author website and I’ll email you one right away!

And if you want to learn more about the exclusive serial FADE INTO YOU, head over to patreon.com/tomleveen.

Talk to you soon,
take care,
~ Tom

Tags fade into you, fiction, morrigan, novel, party, patreon, teenagers, writing, young adult literature