Ken La Salle

Climbing Maya is welcomed on Diet Soap...

2012-01-30T03:42:00.000-08:00

Last November, I recorded an interview for the Diet Soap podcast. This week, I'm happy to announce that the episode featuring my interview about my book, Climbing Maya, is available at this location:

http://dietsoap.podomatic.com/entry/2012-01-30T01_51_45-08_00

I hope you enjoy it. Doug Lain puts together a surreal mix of discussion and music and words. Be sure to check out the excerpt from his book, Wave of Mutilation, after the interview! And many thanks to Doug for having me on!

Climbing Maya to be published by Solstice!...

2012-01-23T11:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone is looking for success in their life but how can you be expected to find it if you don't know what it is?

Some time ago, as one friend was dying of leukemia, another friend succumbed to alcoholism, and I found myself unemployed, I decided to find the answer to “What is success?” If it’s different for everyone, why do we have just one term to describe it? Can it really be summed up in one word or do we need to broaden our understanding? And are the avenues of success we are so often sold – wealth, career, family – the answer to the question?

Now, I'm happy to announce that my philosophical memoir on success, Climbing Maya, will be published by Solstice Publishing.

Release dates and other details will follow...

Eorish…

2012-01-20T10:07:00.001-08:00

Someone just called my writing “Eorish.”

And I think that’s just great.

I mean, it’s funny. The mental picture when you hear the word “Eorish” is funny in itself. But I also think it’s incredibly insightful. I would never have thought of my writing that way. I would never have thought anyone’s writing could be Eorish!

But I kind of see the point. My writing comes from a negative place because I’m looking to connect with an audience and I see this as a place where we’ve all been. In doing so, however, it turns out I may be neglecting that part of life that isn’t so negative… I’m not saying I even know what that is, mind you. But I warrants some thinking, I’ll tell you that.

Sometimes, negative feedback can sting – believe me. I’ve been there! (MANY TIMES!)

But don’t think it’s not useful. There are times – and this is one of them – when it transcends criticism and takes you to someplace you hadn’t even imagined possible.

The most important thing…

2012-01-14T01:16:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, I write a monthly piece for Recovering The Self on the topic of pursuing your dreams. The unlikeliness of this is certainly fodder for much writing but today I’d actually like to talk about how this unlikely turn of events has affected my life.

No one who knew me even a few years ago would say this is my thing but, as it turns out, I’m a firm believer in following your dream. For years, I’ve been a firm advocate of finding the thing you’re passionate about and doing it. What I didn’t realize was how much the “doing it” was an essential part.

I mean, when you look at me you don’t exactly see a mind-blowing success. I’m scraping by. I’m doing my best. But I’m not what you’d call an inspiration.

And yet, when I work on my writing, when I do the thing I am most passionate about, when I pursue my dream, I find I am happier than at any other time. Today, for instance, I spent a couple hours working on the new book and walked away from it feeling elated – I mean really happy.

The new book on ethics is undeniably where my life has been leading for many years and it is clearly one way my dream can make a difference in people’s lives. I can say without hyperbole that the new book has the potential to make the world a better place. And this is what dreams do – when you are moving forward with the thing you are most passionate about and when that thing is in tune with the world, when your dream isn’t just about you but about the world as well, it becomes inspirational. As I write this book, I really feel like I’m a part of something greater.

Keep in mind, by the way, that I’ve never done anything more difficult in my life. I’ve been working on this book in one way or another most of my adult life. I’ve been developing the theories since the early 1990’s. I’ve been assembling the ideas on paper for nearly a decade. I’ve been putting together the research for over two years. And I’ve been focused 100% on the writing for four months.

Books usually take me no more than three months total, from start to finish.

And yet, I don’t mind how trying this has been because, as I say, whenever I put work into it I get inspiration from it.

And I think that happens to anyone who is in tune with their dream and whose dream is in tune with the world around them. Simply put: creating something inspirational inspires you to create it.

I encourage anyone reading this to follow their passions, no matter how difficult it may seem – especially if it seems difficult. Those things that are most difficult are bound to be most worthwhile. That’s what life is all about!

So, sometimes I just suck…

2012-01-06T15:57:00.001-08:00

I was working on the new book yesterday and…

… I should preface this by saying I had a fever. I was sick. I’m feeling a bit better now.

Anyway, I was trying to get my writing down, trying to get down another 1,000 words of the new book. After I’d finished, I went back to read it…

And it sucked.

I read it again today…

And it sucked.

And this is what I said to myself, “Don’t worry. You’ll catch it in the rewrites and you’ll make it work.” These are good words if you’re a writer and worth remembering.

This being my first non-fiction (non-memoir) book, I find myself having to learn to go easy on myself, to accept myself. I’m not always good at what I do. Sometimes, I suck.

But the brilliant thing about being a writer is, I can fix that. I can change things so they don’t suck.

And that’s okay.

A look at ethics...

2012-01-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here's why I am writing a book on ethics in one photograph.

This plastic display of plastic water bottles (in an office supply store of all places) will still be around (probably in the ocean somewhere) long after you and I are dead and, somehow, our present system of ethics doesn't tell us there's something very wrong here.

Clearly, we need a new system and I look forward to completing this book and sharing a new look at ethics soon.

Assessing and Reassessing for the New Year...

2012-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

This month's Recovering The Self article comes just in time for the New Year!
http://www.recoveringself.com/guest-blogger/ken-la-salle/assessing-and-reassessing

Expectations. Keep ‘em low…

2011-12-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

No, I’m not selling another book… just yet. I know that what this place has been for a while but I’m taking a break… for now. (I would still appreciate if you bought one of my books, of course.)

I heard some potentially exciting news from my agent the other day. I also heard some potentially exciting news from another agent about another book. I also heard some potentially exciting news from a theater about one of my plays.

… and that’s when it hit me.

Premature Expectations.

Listen, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard potentially exciting news from any number of people. I’m sure they’re all well-meaning but the thing is it rarely, if ever, pays off. Usually, if someone’s going to say “Yes,” they say “Yes.” They don’t say, “This looks great. Let me see if I can do something with it and I’ll get back to you,” or some such crap.

Vicky has been through this a time or two and has taken a decidedly practical stance. She doesn’t get excited until we see a contract, until things are confirmed, because as a writer things can go from “Hell Yes” to “I’m really sorry but things just didn’t work out as we’d anticipated” in a heartbeat.

With that in mind, I’m going to suggest we all just keep our expectations low. There’s nothing wrong with being inspired to do a little more or believing in your work and yourself – these are good things – but I’m going to try not to let myself go crazy with joy… until there’s a reason to do so.

In the meantime, I’m going to take those potentially exciting bits of news and let them inspire me to keep going for the really exciting news to come.

Holiday Shopping: A Hex Returns To Rynia...

2011-12-20T01:14:00.001-08:00

With the holidays coming, all the Rynia books are available in digital format!

The series concludes (for now) with the final book of the Sons of Rynia trilogy: A Hex Returns to Rynia

In the first two volumes of the Sons of Rynia trilogy (A Hex To Save Rynia and A Hex Beyond Rynia), Tsurtor attacked the realm of Rynia with weapons of magic and technology, scattering its defendants to the winds. How can Tsurtor be defeated when A Hex Returns to Rynia?

You can find A Hex Returns To Rynia for all e-readers:

For the Kindle (and Kindle-app): http://www.amazon.com/Hex-Returns-Rynia-Sons-ebook/dp/B005O0QHX0/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_8

For all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/90200

Holiday Shopping: A Hex Beyond Rynia...

2011-12-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

A Hex To Save Rynia witnessed the first battles in the war between Rynia and its old enemy, Tsurtor. Tsurtor launches that war with devastating effect in the second book of the Sons of Rynia trilogy: A Hex Beyond Rynia.

You can find A Hex Beyond Rynia for all e-readers:
For the Kindle (and Kindle-app): http://www.amazon.com/Hex-Beyond-Rynia-Sons-ebook/dp/B005MGFL0Q/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
For all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88008

Holiday Shopping: A Hex To Save Rynia...

2011-12-12T08:10:00.000-08:00

With the holidays coming, all the Rynia books are available in digital format!

The series begins with the stand-alone: A Hex Upon Rynia
This is followed by the Sons of Rynia trilogy: A Hex to Save Rynia, A Hex Beyond Rynia, A Hex Returns To Rynia

A Hex Upon Rynia was just the beginning. The Sons of Rynia trilogy kicks off with Tsurtor’s return, dragons, a conspiracy against the king, and a war-ravaged planet. When Hex is imprisoned back on Earth, will there be A Hex To Save Rynia?

You can find A Hex To Save Rynia for all e-readers:
For the Kindle (and Kindle-app): http://www.amazon.com/Hex-Save-Rynia-Sons-ebook/dp/B005I571HM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4
For all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82603

Holiday Shopping: A Hex Upon Rynia...

2011-12-11T08:18:00.001-08:00

The book that began the Rynia series, A Hex Upon Rynia, is now available as an e-book!

Hex is a wizard unlike any you’ve seen before. He creates living toys from twigs and brings his skates to life! When he mistakenly brings himself and a boy named Vincent to the world of Rynia, however, he’ll need to win a war to get them home again!

You can find A Hex Upon Rynia
For your Kindle (and Kindle-App): http://www.amazon.com/A-Hex-Upon-Rynia-ebook/dp/B004ZZMS24/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2
And for all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/58564

Holiday Shopping: The Incarnations of Death...

2011-12-08T08:06:00.001-08:00

Death! Just in time for the holidays!

When Robert Erwon Mitchel finds a way to kill Death, he sets off a chain of events that gives birth to a new breed of superheroes. Now it is up to these heroes - Night Stalker, Fade, and Force - to find a way to stop the insane replacement for Death, one who can wipe out entire cities at a whim and who is hunting down the scientist who killed his predecessor!

Pick up The Incarnations of Death this holiday season
For your Kindle (and Kindle-App): http://www.amazon.com/The-Incarnations-of-Death-ebook/dp/B004XJ4MNU/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_9
Or for all E-Readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/54829

Timely Holiday Shopping: The Rohan Scripts...

2011-12-06T19:51:00.001-08:00

Here's a blatant ploy in time for the holidays:

The Prophesies of Nicoli Rohano, The Rohan Scripts, were the stuff of legend and were all but lost to history… until now! The Rohan Scripts, the latest sci-fi adventure from Ken La Salle, brings you psychics and scientists, assassination plots and time paradox, with a single man flung through time and recording everything into a book of prognostication called: The Rohan Scripts!

You can find The Rohan Scripts
For your Kindle (and Kindle-app device): http://www.amazon.com/The-Rohan-Scripts-ebook/dp/B004Y752MG/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_10
And for all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/56224

Do Something Impossible...

2011-12-06T16:44:00.001-08:00

This month on Recovering the Self: Do Something Impossible! (Just click the link to check it out!)

(Yes, I know this was a short entry but - never fear - there's plenty more over at Recovering the Self!)

Holiday Shopping (now with IRONY): Vampire Society...

2011-12-04T13:37:00.001-08:00

Who can spot the irony in my suggesting you purchase Vampire Society as a gift this season?

"Vampire Society is a guided tour through the social and political evolution that opened our century. It is a love story and an indictment against our culture of consumption, answering the most important question about love: Is real love possible in the Vampire Society?"

You can find Vampire Society
For Your Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-Society-ebook/dp/B0016NACSK/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_11
For All E-Readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52031

Holiday Shopping: A Grand Canyon...

2011-12-02T15:40:00.001-08:00

Subtitled, "“How to Meet the Love of Your Life in Five Short Years… and mean it this time!”

This is for anyone curious what life was like before Vicky...

Find it for your Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Canyon-Journey-Depression-ebook/dp/B004TGSRGA/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1
Or for any e-reader: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52601

Enjoy with my many thanks!

Holiday Shopping: Evertime & Evermore...

2011-11-30T07:41:00.001-08:00

Buy some poetry for Christmas

It's real sweet but not with HFCS (pronounced "Hif-cas")

In Evertime and Evermore, playwright and author Ken La Salle collects some of his favorite poems for the first time. Some were taken from the darkest places from his life, like The Slaughterhouse (It is industry that has a reason in a world of others who wish to slaughter, themselves). Others are far more whimsical (Even organ donors have to face a little rejection. Might as well enjoy yourself a little pickle-type confection).

Pick up Evertime and Evermore

For the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Evertime-Evermore-collection-poetry-ebook/dp/B004TGV64A/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5

Or for all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52257

Death Misses this Christes... mas...

2011-11-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

Looking for goofy tales of death this Christmas? Who isn't?!

"These works by Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the morbid and even further beyond still. In Death Misses and other tales of death, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen deadly tales to keep you up at night."

Be sure not to miss Death here:
For the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Misses-other-tales-ebook/dp/B004URUWN4/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_6
And for all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/53208

Holiday Shopping: Blue Food...

2011-11-26T14:13:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for the perfect holiday gift, why not try a little Blue Food?

"The works of Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the whimsical and even further beyond still. In Blue Food and other menu items, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen tales, hilarious and deeply strange."

You can find Blue Food in digital formats:
For the Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Food-other-items-ebook/dp/B004TYYX1A/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_7
And all e-readers: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51617

Bad Day in Writer’s Gulch…

2011-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

(NOTE: When you read the part where my agent says my funny book is depressing, please keep in mind that the subject line is meant to be funny, like as in an ironic sense, and not depressing…)

There are days when writing is about conquering new vistas and scaling the highest mountains and taking names and other such crap… Then, there are days when writing is mostly about licking your wounds and regrouping your determination and not giving into the pointlessness of it all.

Welcome to that day.

It is for me, at least. Yesterday, I got hit in the face with three major rejections, of which I was ABSOLUTELY SURE that at least one would be accepted. I was ready for two of the three being rejected (not on the same day, of course) but three? Three? Come on!

The first two came from my agent. They were for my horror novel, Wormfood Island, and my latest novel, indian paintbrush. I was reasonably sure Wormfood Island wouldn’t float because it didn’t really look like her thing. (Truth be told, I really wish Northern Frights all the best because I still want to publish with them… it’s almost impossible to find horror publishers out here!) On the other hand, indian paintbrush felt like a perfect fit in my mind: ironically funny modern literary fiction, a comment on our society… hell, what’s not to like?

When I asked her why, she said it just seemed so depressing… and I looked at my monitor and thought, “No… ironically funny modern literary fiction… a comment on our society…” In the end, indian paintbrush is the kind of book I’ve wanted to write since I first decided I wanted to be a writer. Hearing that it was “depressing” when the aim was ironically funny… that was tough.

And my day wasn’t over, yet.

Another agent had been reading Once Removed. When I emailed her samples, she replied with praise about how much she loved it. Then, she asked me to mail her a hardcopy and it felt so right. Here’s an intimate take on the DaVinci-Code-ian books, a story that displays how secrets can be so complex between two people that you don’t need to go quite so over the top.

Then, I heard back from her and, as it turned out, it was too intimate. The agent wanted something bigger and not so intimate and, again, my point was missed completely.

And I felt as if, maybe, my writing just wasn’t good enough to convey the intent I had in both cases… I still feel that way.

I’m not going to lie to you – all you writers and wanna-be-writers out there – trying to make a living as a writer sucks much of the time, especially when you’re trying to establish yourself. There are so many times I’d love to quit, but then I think about the 26 years I’ve been at it… and I know I can’t.

So, I pick myself up the next morning, dust myself off, and find myself trying yet another day…

Dynamic Pluralism – Stage One completed…

2011-11-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Climbing Maya, my book on success, was undeniably non-fiction. When I compare what I’m doing with Dynamic Pluralism, I can’t help but think of Climbing Maya as non-fiction-light. Dynamic Pluralism is so firmly entrenched in non-fiction, I worry about it coming across as boring.

It should. It’s about ethics, which is a subject we run into not just day after day but hour after hour. It’s immediate and incredibly relevant.

I’m hoping this feel subsides a bit now because I just finished the most boring part of putting this book together – Stage One: Primary Research.

Accumulating my Primary Research is just what it sounds like. I stacked a pile of books up that I felt would provide me with some relevant insight and took notes. These books included such titles as Fast Food Nation and An Inconvenient Truth, such authors as Thoreau and Kant, Sagan and Marx, such topics as general history and Greek philosophy. I cast a wide net and netted over 300 pages of notes.

Next comes even more fun – Stage Two: Follow-up Research. Now, my goal will be to take each of those articles and research them for accuracy and insight, what I didn’t know and what I might not have considered, new developments or stuff I missed. Through all of this, I never know where the voyage will take me except that I observe it all through the lens of ethics.

I’m hoping to bang that all out in about a month because the stage after that, outlining the book, will easily take me a couple of weeks. I’d love to begin writing the book in January of 2012. We’ll see.

There’s something tangibly exciting about all of this, this voyage through history and thought. It’s just damned fun and, again, this was the boring part.

Stay tuned.

Dynamic Pluralism - the first tease...

2011-11-03T12:29:00.001-07:00

For the next few months, as I work on completing my next book, I'll be posting information here to share what it is I'm working on. It's something of a spiritual sequel to my philosophical memoir, Climbing Maya. It is...

Dynamic Pluralism: Rediscovering Ethics for the 21st Century

What are ethics? What does it mean to be ethical? The question has been posed, answered, and reposed through the centuries, but after the Pragmatist movement of the early 20th century the question was deemed all but unanswerable. This is why I’ve decided to pick it up again with my next book, Dynamic Pluralism. There is an answer to the question of ethics and it’s a lot easier than you might think. As it turns out, ethics are not the same as morals and just as personal and universal as the concept of success discussed in Climbing Maya. Dynamic Pluralism takes a look back on historical events, some remote and some quite recent, to find an answer and help rediscover ethics for the 21st Century…

Loving the Dream in this month's Recovering the Self...

2011-11-02T10:37:00.001-07:00

My monthly blog post for Recovering the Self is up and ready to share and read. This month is about loving yourself and loving the dream you've chosen for yourself.

You can find it at this link.

I hope you enjoy it.

Ethics and Theater…

2011-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

I haven’t weighed in on a couple of things in a bit… so, here we go…

I stepped down from my position as Literary Manager at Hunger Artists Theater recently for one simple reason: I was lied to far too often. It wasn’t just one lie and it wasn’t just on one occasion. I was lied to for about six months, non-stop. Like someone in a toxic relationship, I kept waiting for things to change, for things to get better. I kept telling myself, “They’re supposed to be my friends. They’ll stop treating me like garbage any day now.”

Of course, they didn’t.

So, I finally gathered up my courage and dismissed the fear that I would lose if I left – I just accepted it – and moved on.

Which takes me to the subject of ethics, oddly enough.

Now, with plenty of free time, I have returned to work on my book on ethics: Dynamic Pluralism.

The first step remains entering all of my research into a central file, then indexing it. Once it’s all indexed, I’ll have a better view of the connections exist and what the central narrative will be. Then, I’ll go back and update all the research as things constantly change before finally starting the book.

It’s a lot more work that I originally (and Pollyannishly) supposed about a year or so ago.

I’ve reached 75,000 words in research alone – and I’m not finished, yet. It could total as much as 100k before I’m done. But the thing is, it’s absolutely necessary because there’s no way I could draw connections with (what is now over 650 pages of notes) if I didn’t use the index system. There’s just too much.

This is actually a very good thing because I want this book, which is something of a spiritual descendent of Climbing Maya, to be more than just a book on ethics or memoir. I want it to be one of those books with some interesting tidbit or factoid on every page, so you keep reading not just because of the central premise but also because of how it unfolds.

With any luck, I’ll be able to start writing the book by 2012, which is only two months away.

After what happened at Hunger Artists, a book on ethics feels apropos to say the least.

Comedy isn’t pretty…

2011-10-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

(Okay, so I had to steal the title. What can I say?)

Last week, after the reading for my play A Pound of Flesh & The Devil, I got into a very interesting conversation with a Literary Manager from another theater. (Quick Note: I am no longer a Literary Manager - so stop asking.) This person had seen several of my plays and had problems with them…

… and continued having problems with them, even when the conversation went into emails that lasted several days.

And here’s what it boiled down to.

When I write comedy, it’s not with the intent that it “goes somewhere”. You hear this a lot as a writer: “Where is this going?” “Where’s the forward motion?” or, my favorite “How does this serve the plot?”

Fuck the plot! The important thing is that it’s funny - and no one who ever talks about forward motion ever tells me that my writing isn’t funny. So, as far as I’m concerned, it works.

So, this is what I told this literary manager: Monty Python’s sketches didn’t go anywhere - the People’s Front of Judea didn’t serve the plot - the Marx Brothers didn’t cut jokes to keep the story moving - hell, they didn’t need a story! - and the Firesign Theatre did a lot of great work without the benefit of any plot whatsoever!

My comedies are composed of jokes hung on a silken strand of plot. Sure, the plot’s flimsy but the audience is laughing. That’s all that matters to me. Leave the audience happy; who cares if what they enjoyed wasn’t deep. People don’t always want something meaningful. Sometimes, they want ice cream!

... You can probably guess that didn’t end with a sale, but that’s okay. That doesn’t mean he’s wrong or I’m wrong. He wants something else and I want ice cream. I just need to find someone who also likes ice cream.

A Pound of Flesh & The Devil @ OCPA Studios…

2011-10-07T12:39:00.001-07:00

For those readers who have not seen one of my plays read before an audience, I hope you join me at Hunger Artists Theatre in Fullerton on 10/15/11 @4pm for the OCPA Studios reading of my comedy, A Pound of Flesh & The Devil.

This is simply a sit-down reading of the play but I assure you it’s very funny and, better still, admission is free! I hope to see you there on the 15th!

October's entry on Recovering The Self...

2011-10-05T22:32:00.001-07:00

My next Recovering The Self article is up and is titled Not Minding That It Hurts.

Read it. Share it. Enjoy it. (I hope you do all three!)

Craigslist and the end of my stand-up career…

2011-10-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, the theater where I serve as Literary Manager asked me to write and perform an introduction to a piece that was being performed. The piece was about Craigslist. I thought, “I could write a ton on Craigslist! Hell, the topic is ripe!” I considered just what I would perform and realized that this might just be my opportunity to finally make my move towards stand-up comedy.

For those of you who might not know, I’ve wanted to perform stand-up for years. Hell, every guy in my family has. The thing is, most of us… none of us are any funny. We suck. At least, that’s what I’ve told myself every time that dream pokes its head out from my subconscious. I say, “You can’t. You suck,” and push it down deep for a great dose of colon cancer later in life.

But not this time…

Until, of course, I found out they weren’t going to have me do it, after all. And the piece died a dull, quiet death.

… until now! I thought, “Hell, post it on the friggin’ blog, you lunkhead!” And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. What follows is my first piece of stand-up, which was almost performed and almost launched me into…

Welcome to ……, a celebration of everything that’s…

Wow, how to explain this…

There’s weird, which would be right about… here… and then there’s…

Craigslist started in 1995 as an email distribution list for friends in the San Francisco Bay…

Actually, I need to go back a bit. Because Craigslist might have started in ‘95 but it was founded on a rich history of want ads and really, really want ads and just plain fucking desperation that dates back well into legend.

In Ancient Greece, the marbled walls of academies were often marked profusely with requests for cheap housing, for roommates, old furniture and sex with boys. In the storied colosseums of Rome, you could find listings for gladiators who would fight for a fee, skilled handymen who would till your land for a fee - hell, they’d do anything for a fee. Ancient Rome - Modern Rome - hell, just a short drive up to Naples and I promise you won’t mind paying for gas or drinks or meth. Whatever works.

At its core, Craigslist is designed with the most altruistic of objectives. Just look at the site sometime. Sure, they have personals but it starts with Strictly Platonic relationships. You can also find real estate, roommates, and rentals.

In the personals section, you can meet the love of your life, be they man or woman. And you can look for employment.

The personals section allows you to meet other consenting adults - I could go online right now and meet a beautiful woman and do, you know, whatever I like. And I think it also has a section for resumes.

I can meet couples or groups of women - hell, I could meet men. What’s it matter? I’m an adult, right? I mean, sure. It’s not E-Harmony but sometimes you don’t want E-Harmony, right? Oh, and I think they sell used shit on Craigslist, too.

I could meet men and women and trannies and fucking crackheads fucking for - who cares what they’re fucking for? They’re fucking! That’s all that matters. Oh, and you can find car mechanics or some shit like that, too.

I can hook up with trannies who will dress like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz or The Chief from Get Smart. It doesn’t fucking matter. I can fuck The Chief from Get Smart who is dressed like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, just as long as I come up with money for blow and Courvoisier and, you know, whatever they want. My point is it doesn’t cost too much and… There are also discussion forums.

Craigslist has changed the way we meet and interact. It has altered the fundaments of society.

People used to say they read Playboy for the articles - or Penthouse for the articles - or… OC Weekly for the articles. Well, Craigslist didn’t have any fucking articles.

Craigslist dared you to tell people you were using it to find a deal on a sofa, or a new car, or a job. Sure. A job. A blowjob.

And there is a rich and storied history behind this. Sure, you can start with rags like the OC Weekly - don’t tell me you don’t know someone who turns right to the back section where the strippers are listed to see if their sister or brother or mom has found a job - but this goes even further back!

I knew a kid once. Okay, when I was a kid back in the 1970’s, shitty little newspapers featuring adult listings used to be sold in newspaper stands on the street. There were loads of them with titles like Swinger News, Lifestyles, Amigo, Freshmen, Velvet, Xcitement, Tied'N'Teased, Boink, Adult Connection, Fling, Lonely Housewives - my point is there were a lot of them. This was long before the Internet. This was when you actually had to leave your home to see a classified listing for what actually might be a real human being wanting actual sex in a sick, twisted, disgusting, possibly life endangering way - and, being teenaged boys, we were interested, of course.

But some idiot adult didn’t want us getting into them. Worse, because these papers were usually too expensive for our meager allowances to afford, they made it impossible to pry open the news rack and steal copies. They built in these metal slats so you couldn’t reach up because the metal stopped your hand from getting to the newspaper.

So, this kid reaches up into the news stand when his friends are holding the door open just three inches so he can snake his hand in - until they get spotted and run away, leaving him trapped like some kind of pervert in a bear trap.

Fortunately, Craigslist saved us from all of this. With Craigslist, you could find sluts and ho’s and pro’s of any gender, persuasion, distinction, origin, or inclination. Thanks to listings for “Adult Services” you could find anything from a massage parlour rub&tug to an actual cop dressed like a prostitute. You could spend anywhere from $500 to, you know, $40 and a bottle of Boone’s Farm and a pack of Camels and get anything. And I mean anything.

But they finally discontinued this service. I can’t really explain why. Perhaps it went against everything the Internet was intended for: Cheap sex at low, low prices.

Craigslist, however, remains. It remains with the fat guys looking for whatever long term relationship money can buy and the women who will provide them. It remains with the cat ladies who want a man who will tie her up and love the lord. It remains with the “straight” men who have built elaborate gloryholes in their garages.

You ask yourself, “Who’s the type of person to develop a website like that?” I’ll tell you who the type of person to develop a website like that is, the type of person who gets his hand trapped between two sharp sheets of rusting sheet metal.

I still have the fucking scars!

And so, I feel a certain kindred spirit with Craig and thank him for bringing us a place where you can find women who will shit on you at very low hourly rates.

Where you can find directions to a condo filled with swingers and learn all about their new interest in beading.

Where you can still find anonymous folks who will happily stick things up your butt and, no, they won’t even charge you.

And there are some weird people posting things, too.

Tonight, we celebrate the weird. We wallow in the weird. This is …

A Hex Returns To Rynia, Sons of Rynia Book Three, is NOW AVAILABLE…

2011-09-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Tsurtor has invaded Rynia and scattered its protectors to other kingdoms and other worlds. From the first volume (A Hex to Save Rynia) to the second (A Hex Beyond Rynia), the Sons of Rynia trilogy has begun. And now, the final chapter in the epic Sons of Rynia trilogy is available!

You can find it for your Kindle and Kindle-app equipped reader on Amazon.

You can find it for all e-readers on Smashwords.

I hope you enjoy all the Rynia books and look for more e-books from Ken La Salle coming soon!

Sometimes, this is what being a writer is about…

2011-09-21T10:39:00.001-07:00

Vicky and I often run into these stories: “Writer submitted to 50 publishers before becoming published!” “Amazing writer’s tale: 100 queries before finding an agent!” “Unbelievable 75 submissions before publication!”

… right.

Listen, anyone who has taken a whack at being a writer knows that getting rejected is part of the game. It’s an important part. You have to be willing to get rejected to make any headway at all.

Case in point: I’m beginning to send out my recent mystery novel, Once Removed, for representation/publication. Yesterday, for instance, I sent out 27 submissions. By the end of the night, I already have four rejections.

“I’m sorry,” Vicky told me.

But she didn’t need to be. This is all part of the process. I’m trying to find someone to fall in love with my novel. Think of how difficult it is to find the love of your life and then consider how difficult it would be if they had to read your story… and then, consider how difficult it would be if their job was to read stories day in and day out.

Part of my job as a writer is to invite rejection. I get that.

So… the welcome mat is out. Rejections welcomed here…

OCPA Studios delivers “A Pound of Flesh” to Hunger Artists Theatre...

2011-09-20T13:32:00.001-07:00

Just a taste of some PR I've been floating about...

OCPA Studios continues at Hunger Artists Theatre with the reading of an epic comedy by Ken La Salle, “A Pound of Flesh & The Devil”. “A Pound of Flesh & The Devil” will appear at Hunger Artists Theatre on October 15th at 4pm. Admission is free. For complete directions on how to get to the theater, check the Hunger Artists website at http://www.hungerartists.com/.

“A Pound of Flesh & The Devil” is an epic, historic comedy that was directly inspired by the hit film “Flesh & The Devil” with Greta Garbo and John Gilbert. “A Pound of Flesh & The Devil” skewers the historic melodrama with a 21st century twist, an abundance of inappropriate sexuality… and zombies.
Ken La Salle’s work generally tilts towards the bizarre and twisted, and “A Pound of Flesh & The Devil” fits very well in those categories. You may have seen his comedy, “The Myth of the Cubicle” recently at the OC-Centric New Play Festival at Chapman University. Other plays recently produced included “The Spunk Taste of Hell” at Sacred Fools Theater and “Persecution Complex” at Theatre of NOTE. You can find an extensive interview with Ken, along with a copy of his play “Murielle’s Big Date” on the online magazine Connotation Press: http://connotationpress.com/drama/964-ken-la-salle-drama. His books can be found in ebook format on Amazon.com (for the Kindle) and Smashwords.com (for all e-reader formats). He is represented by Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency.

“A Pound of Flesh & The Devil” will appear at Hunger Artists Theatre on September 10th at 4pm. Admission is free. OCPA Studio’s second season of informal readings has included some of the best plays by local writers. Both organizations are enthusiastic about bringing new and exciting theater to Orange County.

The Orange County Playwrights Alliance (OCPA) began on April 1, 1995 with an informal meeting in an oncologist's office in Anaheim. Since then, OCPA has become the fundamental group for playwrights in O.C., presenting staged readings and productions of plays at venues such as the Hunger Artists Theatre, the Vanguard Theatre, Rude Guerrilla Theatre Company, STAGESTheatre, Chapman University, the Curtis Theatre, and Newport Theatre Arts Center. OCPA playwrights have been produced across the United States, and have won national and regional playwrighting awards. You can find the OCPA website at http://www.ocplaywrights.org/.

Hunger Artists Theatre Company was founded in 1996 and is the first Orange County based alternative theater. Located on the east end of Fullerton's vibrant Theatre Community, Hunger Artists has transformed an industrial warehouse into an unexpected art-house gem. This intimate storefront theatre seats 50 and stages an array of alternative theatrical entertainment. The Hunger Artists have a long tradition of premiering local playwrights from Fengar Gael's "The Cantor's Tale" to Johnna Adams's "Cockfighters" and "Sans Merci". Focusing on innovative storytelling and producing thought-provoking art, The Hunger Artists pride themselves on hosting an annual playwriting festival, "Beyond Convention" to push the boundaries of traditional theater.

A Hex Beyond Rynia, Book Two of the Sons of Rynia Trilogy, now available…

2011-09-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

I’m happy to announce that the second book of the Sons of Rynia trilogy, A Hex Beyond Rynia, is now available for Kindle and all e-readers.

A Hex To Save Rynia, the first book of the series, witnessed the first battles in the war between Rynia and its old enemy, Tsurtor. Tsurtor launches that war with devastating effect in the second book of the Sons of Rynia trilogy: A Hex Beyond Rynia.

The third, and final, installment of the trilogy, A Hex Returns to Rynia, will be released in Fall 2011.

You can find A Hex Beyond Rynia at the following locations:

For your Kindle or Kindle-app, click this link to go to Amazon.

For all other e-readers, clink this link to go to Smashwords.

I thank everyone who has supported me and enjoyed the Rynia books so far and I hope you post your positive review at your point of purchase soon!

If you're wondering just how crazy my playwriting catalog has become...

2011-09-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Check out this little list... okay, so it's not a little list...

And keep in mind, that only represents half of my work!

The Rynia books…

2011-09-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

It looks like the Rynia books are doing some decent business online and, with the third book of the Sons of Rynia trilogy coming soon, I thought it might be a good time to clarify a couple of things.

The first Rynia book, A Hex Upon Rynia, is a stand-alone novel. It takes place several years before the Sons of Rynia trilogy.

The Sons of Rynia trilogy consist of:

A Hex To Save Rynia, Book One

A Hex Byond Rynia, Book Two

A Hex Returns to Rynia, Book Three

I would hate for you to get them out of order and I hope I’ve made things clear enough in the listings. If there’s any confusion, please send me a line.

And thank you!

Doing all I can…

2011-09-04T09:39:00.001-07:00

The longer I spend without a job and without a sale (be it book or play or what have you - and, no, e-books don’t count), the more desperate I get. The more I feel like I should do more. I mean, obviously I’m not doing enough, right?

So, I emailed my agent the other day and explained my situation. I explained how I have blogs and Facebook and Twitter accounts. I explained all the work I do on promoting my books and plays. I explained how I have e-books for sale to help get my name out there. And then, I explained how I couldn’t think what else I should do and asked her what she felt I should do next.

Her answer, at first, was a relief. She told me there was nothing else I should be doing, that I was doing all I could do. She said that now my fate rested in the hands of providence, luck, oh and herself.

What a relief!

But then, I got to thinking. There’s nothing else I can do? Nothing? Talk about powerless! Surely, there must be something!

I realized I was caught - I am caught in a unique position. My lack of success is not the result of me not trying. It is simply just how things are working out. Now, I have to be… and I hate to use this word… patient.

Patient.

Me.

…. Crap…

New Recovering The Self...

2011-08-30T11:56:00.001-07:00

My Recovering The Self piece is up for September. I hope you enjoy it.

This month it's about running your own race and you can find it by clicking this link.

A Hex To Save Rynia - Book One of the Sons of Rynia trilogy - available now for all e-readers!...

2011-08-23T15:49:00.001-07:00

Hey folks,

It's e-book release time again! Today sees the release of A Hex To Save Rynia, which is the first book of the forthcoming Sons of Rynia trilogy.

A Hex Upon Rynia was just the beginning. The Sons of Rynia trilogy kicks off with Tsurtor’s return, dragons, a conspiracy against the king, and a war-ravaged planet. When Hex is imprisoned back on Earth, will there be A Hex To Save Rynia?

You can find A Hex To Save Rynia for the Kindle on Amazon.com right here!
You can also find A Hex To Save Rynia for all e-readers through Smashwords right here!

I hope you enjoy it and hope you honor me with your kind reviews.

When people don’t take seriously the person you thought you were…

2011-08-22T15:50:00.001-07:00

So, I had an interview today. And I told myself, once again, that I wouldn’t lie about who I was. I’m a novelist and playwright, dammit, and I refuse to live a lie anymore!

… then, the guy refers to it as my “hobby”.

He says, “I guess you have plenty of time now to pursue hobbies like that.”

Can I just tell you nothing puts you quite in your place like having someone call your life’s dream a “hobby”? Seriously. Nothing works quite so well.

Out of the Burnout…

2011-08-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

After a month off, my announcement that I would begin writing again did not happen without a little trepidation. I mean, I’d just taken a month off. And though I’ve only experienced burnout a couple of times in my life, this time was pretty bad.

Would I be able to just pick up my workload and start writing again?

Turns out… Yes.

Nobody was more surprised than me.

I started easy, tackling some rewrites to a play and then to my new book. I finished the play and finished two rewrites to the new book, indian paintbrush. Then, I gave the book to Vicky, who proofread it. (Vicky says this is one of my best books ever, so I’m hopeful.) Then, I went back and did another rewrite according to Vicky’s suggestion.

Today, I actually started some real writing. I had put down my political comedy, We’re All Broke(n), half finished. It’s unusual for me to be able to pick up anything once I’ve stopped writing it, momentum playing such a huge part in my writing. This time, though, I picked it up and write 3,000 words today alone. (That’s a quarter of a play.)

So, it looks like things are moving along again and back on track. The adventure continues.

Stay tuned…

Check me out at OC-Centric!...

2011-08-08T06:12:00.001-07:00

In less than two weeks, OC-Centric (Orange County’s newest new play festival) opens at Chapman University. OC-Centric will feature my play, Myth of the Cubicle, along with several other fine works
.
Be sure to buy your tickets soon! OC-Centric runs from 8/19 - 8/28!

The Myth of the Cubicle by Ken La Salle – In an absurd office of drones and burnouts, a young employee sees beyond the veil of illusion and tries to awaken his fellow wage slaves.

The Math of Rejection…

2011-08-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

There must be a mathematical formula that expresses the fact that the closer someone is who rejects you, the more it hurts. Maybe RxD=P: (rejection) times (distance) equals (pain)? For instance, when a theater in Florida rejects my plays, I can deal with that. On the other hand, when I’m rejected by the theater up the street… dammmmn!

This must be universal for all art forms. Maybe it’s because you think of them as being close to you, both existentially and geographically. Maybe it’s also because you feel some shared interest. One way or the other, I have to think it’s not just me who feels this way.

Anyone else out there get this? Anyone?

CORRECTION: I just walked away and realized my math was WAY off. (I actually wrote the opposite of what I meant.) The formula should actually be R/D = P. (This way, as the distance gets smaller the sum grows.) I'm happy to see any refinements any math majors out there can provide!

Not better to burn out…

2011-08-02T02:01:00.000-07:00

Last thing I was telling you, Murielle’s Big Date was appearing in Connotation Press and I had been invited to write for the annual “Fast & Loose” show at Sacred Fool’s Theatre… oh, and I burned out horribly…

It’s been about a month…

My plan is to begin writing again, to begin rewrites on my new book, indian paintbrush. I don’t know how that’ll go. I’ll keep you posted.

Burning out is a lot like taking a hot poker and searing out that part of your mind that creates. It really takes a physical toll. For the past month, I’ve done everything I can do to stay away from writing because just the thought of writing caused me to cringe.

Now… I’m back!... provisionally…

On a side note, I have to mention what a thrill Fast & Loose was. The folks at Sacred Fools, especially David McIntyre’s production, Ben Rock’s direction, and the phenomenal cast, were all pretty damned amazing. My play turned out great but, better still, was on stage with some other amazing work. The whole experience was fantastic and I really hope they let me do it again.

That’s it for now. Time to get back on that horse…

Stopping to breathe…

2011-07-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

August’s entry for Recovering the Self is early and here it is.

I’ll be back for new updates in these parts next week now that I’ve taken a little time to stop and breathe. Hope you’re still breathing, too.

One Day You're on Top...

2011-07-15T06:32:00.001-07:00

We're halfway through the month and I've been bumped off the front page for a senior in high school - ah, humility! But you can still read the interview I did over at Connotation Press and my play, Murielle's Big Date, on this page...

Recovering The Self for July...

2011-07-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

This month, I talk about an important factor for anyone chasing their dreams: having a support system!

Hitting a wall…

2011-07-10T04:12:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s happened. I hit a wall.

After writing about half a dozen novels and over a dozen full-length plays in the past few years, after writing practically non-stop… I hit a wall.

I suppose I should explain what that means.

I had been telling Vicky for a while that I was stretching myself too thin, that I should slow down, that I was going to burn out if I kept up this pace and, well, I did. Half way through the new play, my brain just crashed and I knew that was it. I hit a wall.

So, I’ve decided for my health’s sake, that I am going to take some time off for a bit and not write any new projects (except those rare things that drop in my lap, like the monthly entries over at Recovering the Self or last week’s “Fast & Loose”). I still have lots of stuff to sell and promote, though, and I’ll still be working on that.

This also means I’ll be taking a breather from the blog. Feel free to check back, though. I shall return. In the meantime, just play nicely amongst yourselves…

Murielle’s Big Date in Connotation Press…

2011-07-01T11:09:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have never read one of my plays, Connotation Press is now giving you the opportunity. This month, Connotation Press is running my farce, Murielle’s Big Date, for you to enjoy.

They’ve also included at interview with me, wherein I discuss writing, theater, and many deep, philosophical things to be sure…

Hope you enjoy it!

Burnout is only the beginning…

2011-06-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

I like that subject line because you could easily replace “Burnout” with “Death” and it would sound like the tagline for a Roger Corman film…

I would say I’m experiencing Burnout but, in my case, it is far worse than that. I hit a wall last week and, I swear, I think I broke something. Whatever part of my psyche I use to create feels bruised and, possibly, a bit fractured.

Fortunately, Vicky is my moderating force. Whereas I would keep pushing, she has encouraged me to take some time off. We’re starting small with one week. I fought it at first but, then, you know it didn’t feel so bad. Actually, it felt pretty darned good!

Then, last night, I received an email from the producer of a show this weekend in LA. The format is to write, direct, produce, and perform a series of short plays in 24 hours. I was asked to be one of those writers and, as it turns out, the show is this weekend!

As a proponent of saying Yes to opportunities, I had a real problem turning it down. Vicky, again my moderating force, stepped in and said, “Take the week off and do this.”

This is all my way of saying that if you’re in LA this weekend, I’ll be one of the featured writers at the Sacred Fools Theater production of “Fast & Loose”. Maybe I’ll see you there.

I don’t know what’ll happen in my current condition but it will be interesting, I can tell you that.

Connotation & Murielle – just a week away…

2011-06-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

One week from now, Connotation Press with run my play, Murielle’s Big Date, along with an interview with me wherein I discuss my philosophy on theater and writing and other things. Not to overstate things, I’m very excited.

As a struggling playwright, this could mean a lot for me. The exposure could get me into theaters that might not otherwise consider me. This makes my books look better because it establishes a wider platform. I like to think it even helps my agent a little with her job.

Every step up – scratch that – ANY step up is a terrific step, if only because it is so damned hard to get a step up. I’ve struggled so hard for so long for an opportunity to do what I do – while people like the Palin kid get book deals to talk about who they fucked – I am dying to finally see some reward.

If getting the play published was great, the interview was really icing on the cake. When Josh, the editor, asked me “Is most of your stuff this funny”, it was a real validation. Built into that question is the acknowledgement that my play was funny. That might not sound like a lot but it is so damned hard just to get anything read – I mean by anyone! – that I am so grateful when anyone acknowledged my skill. Hell, if I ever do make it, I’ll have to go one some kind of medication to calm me down!

So, anyway, the big day is just a week away. I know there are probably those out there who may poo-poo this as no big deal but I have to disagree. It might not be a hit show or a best seller but I think it’s pretty cool and a great step forward.

The Connotation Press Interview – aftermath…

2011-06-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

In which I wrap up my first (and possibly last) interview…

The questions are over. The interview is done.

What can I tell you? There’s nothing more cool that having something published and being asked for my opinion on things related to writing and theater. It really reinforces my love for what I do, which helps offset all the stress from doing what I do. Josh, the Connotation Press editor, did a great interview and I hope you find my answers just as worthwhile.

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part six…

2011-06-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

Getting down to the nitty gritty in my first (and possibly last) interview…

Question Six: Has the play been staged and if so, what, if anything, did you learn from it?

I wish I could really say what I’ve learned from seeing my plays performed but I get too happy just knowing someone likes me to learn anything. I’m too busy feeling the cool reprieve of not being a complete loser.

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part five…

2011-06-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

In which I get asked a really awesome question in my first (and possibly last) interview…

Question Five: Is most of your stuff this funny?

How awesome is that? Is most of my stuff this funny? Really? Can a comedy writer ask for anything more? I mean – damn! I feel like I might actually be funny! Is that possible? I don’t know but I’ll let myself believe it… for five minutes…

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part four…

2011-06-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

In which I begin to get silly during my first (and possibly last) interview…

Question Four: What is about the theater that appeals to you as opposed to television and film?

Here’s the thing. I had gone downstairs and eaten a couple of Pop Tarts after the last question. (Hmmmm, toasty, crispy Pop Tarts…) I guess I kind of lost my train of thought… I guess I kind of derailed my train of thought… But how are you supposed to say, “I’ll do anything if someone pays me” and not sound like a complete ‘tard? (Which is not to say I don’t…. I’m just saying…”

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part three…

2011-06-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

More commentary on what it’s like to do your first (and possibly last) interview…

Question Three: What is it about role playing and fantasy that helps us to deal with tough situations?

Not only did I do a lousy job at actually answering this question, I answered several other questions that weren’t even asked. But that’s what happens. Your mind goes off on tangents and things just come out! More seasoned interviewees are probably much better at this…

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part two…

2011-06-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

The continuing commentary on what it’s like to do your first (and possibly last) interview…

Question Two: Why do you think we place these restrictions on ourselves?

This question is about structure and about breaking free of rules, which is the kind of question I can get into. I have so much that I want to say about the writing process – but I don’t want to start shoveling it on too thick or I’ll sound like that’s all I think about… oh, wait…

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

The Connotation Press Interview – commentary track, part one…

2011-06-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

Next month, Murielle’s Big Date will be the featured play in Connotation Press. Going along with this will be an interview with yours truly. I’m very excited because this may be my first (and last) interview ever – so I wanted to do something a bit special.

That’s why I thought of doing a commentary track. With every question I am sent (this interview is being done via email), I’ll post a commentary for you to read.

Question One: What inspired you to write this play?

I like this question because there’s so much packed into it. There’s so many places you can go. The downside, of course, is that there’s every chance I could have forgotten by now and I’ll end up looking stupid. Fortunately, Murielle is a play very near and dear to my heart. I remember exactly what was going on inside my head so I was able to answer it with no problem… so far…

Look for the Connotation Press interview and Murielle’s Big Date in July!

A Hex Upon Rynia (the e-book) is now available for all e-readers...

2011-06-11T11:06:00.001-07:00

Hex may be one of the smartest men on earth, certainly one of its few real magicians, but that hasn’t stopped him from being alone. He can bring toys to life but his only real friend is a boy named Vincent. When Vincent sneaks into one of Hex’s magical experiments, they are both spirited away to the world of Rynia – of undead wars and stone giant usurpers, of terrifying sand creatures and a kingdom fighting for its life.

Hex is forced to take his magic to war while Vincent is rescued by a guerilla force of wizards and fighters, a talking walrus and a stick-man named Robert. Meanwhile, back on Earth, something of this magic has followed Hex and Vincent’s path back, ready to conquer a new world.

Witness a fantasy world unlike any other with topless helicopters and ice giants, violent battles and passionate love, a people on the edge of extinction with a story that must be experienced to be believed. Witness a Hex Upon Rynia!

A Hex Upon Rynia, the prequel to the entire Rynia Trilogy, is now available for all e-readers from Amazon.com, Smashwords, and wherever e-books are sold.

June's Recovering The Self...

2011-06-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

This month's Recovering the Self blog has been posted, in which I tackle the painful reality of what pursuing your dreams really means.

I hope you enjoy it.

http://www.recoveringself.com/self-esteem/down-to-earth

The kind of writing I used to do…

2011-06-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

As I close in on the ending of this new book, indian paintbrush, I’ve been telling people how much I like it because it’s “the kind of writing I used to do.” After saying this a few times, I realized that statement requires a little clarification.

Many years ago, before I wrote mystery novels and horror novels and the like simply to make a sale (and we know how well that has worked), my goal was to write books that would be unique to me. I wanted to write books that anyone I knew would say, “This is just like Ken.” Climbing Maya was like that. Of course, being a memoir it didn’t have much of a choice. The other thing I tried to do when I wrote, many years ago, was to write books from my experience that were just slightly off from that. I think of them as “one off” books because they were just one bit to the side of my life. When I wrote my first book this way, it was too unpolished and insecure to be much good. Another book, No More Blue Roses, tried to ape the styles that I admired without being true to me.

The thing I like about indian paintbrush is that it is true to me while also being unique to me. I don’t know if anyone else could write this book. It’s also a very funny and touching book, just working on it makes me feel really good about being a writer.

I am 22,000 words out from my goal of 80k. At 3k/day, I’m looking at about a week and a half before I finish it. Until then, I’m just going to enjoy it.

Shit’s just bound to happen…

2011-06-03T09:02:00.001-07:00

I decided not to bury the lead this time and get right to my advice for all my fellow struggling writers and artists out there: Shit happens, folks.

The question is: What do you do about it? What can you do about it? What should you have in your playbook when the shit comes down?

Well, I’ll tell you what I have in mind but, first, let’s talk shit.

I was supposed to have a book published this summer and that just isn’t going to happen. My publisher, through no fault of his own, had to go on hiatus, which is to say he closed down. This guy is a dedicated, hard-working guy. He’s got a great sense about what he’s doing and he’s a nice guy, to boot. There was nobody I could blame this one on. Shit just happens, folks.

I’ve been working with a local director to get a new play off the ground. We had timelines laid out. We were ready. Then, it turned out she was overextended. She had too much on her plate. Things needed to be pushed back. I can’t blame her for that; we both got caught up in it. Neither of us considered that there may be scheduling problems.

Likewise, I recently sent a couple of my books including my news book to my agent to see if she was interested before trying anywhere else. Actually, that was over a month ago. She still hasn’t read them. In this case, though, it’s because she has other pre-existing priorities. I just have to wait. Shit happens.

… or, as Spalding Gray so aptly put it, “The universe is contingent, and there is also chaos.”

Okay, so what do you do? I know it happens to others. I can’t be the only unlucky schmuck in the world, right?

Well, as simple as this might seem, all I can say is try your best to ignore it. Yes, that’s right. Look beyond the problem today is giving you. You have other projects, right? Well, make some! Be creative and create! Listen, the world is going to give you problems no matter what. You have to just move forward like it was just part of the plan and keep doing what you do.

In the case of the novel, I went back to pitching it. In the case of the director, I remembered all the other directors who were jumping to stage my work – oh, right. None! This was still better than that. In the case of my agent, I just reminded myself that she’s doing her job as fast as she can so I should be doing mine. And I got back to work.

Shit is going to happen but that doesn’t change anything. Just keep doing what you do. There will be more shit later on.

How are middle-aged children like success?...

2011-05-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

I’ve been hearing some great news from my agent recently, about Climbing Maya.

… okay, good news. “Great” would be a sale. Actually, that would be fantastic, but you get the picture.

Meanwhile, I’m also working on my new book, indian paintbrush. As often happens when writing a book like this, I was about a third of the way through the book before I realized just what it is I’m writing about. Oftentimes, I’ll have a story I want to tell but leave some things empty and unfinished before I start and allow the story to fill those things in.

In this case, I did not know what the book was about when I started. Then, I realized that it’s about middle-aged children, by which I mean people in their 40’s who haven’t grown up, still play video games, don’t have children of their own, or are generally uncertain how to function in an adult world. Two of those four things apply to me, so I know what I’m talking about.

There’s something shameful about being a middle-aged child and I find the condition epidemic among people who are about my age. When I was a child, adults acted like adults. They had solid jobs. They had children. They didn’t fart around or waste time playing video games. You knew who the adults were; it was obvious. Now? Not so much. We haven’t grown up as much as we’ve grown old.

Once I knew what I was writing about, I began to see very clear lines between this and Climbing Maya. They’re both about a search. They’re both about people trying to find their place in the world. Although indian paintbrush is a novel, it almost feels akin to Climbing Maya in a spiritual kind of way.

I should hit the halfway mark next week. I can’t wait to finish it!

Writing an indian paintbrush…

2011-05-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, the seed of a new book was planted when I saw the words “indian paintbrush”. I liked the way it sounded so much, I immediately set about contriving a plot around the idea so I could write a new book.

Now that I have an agent, I thought the smart thing to do would be to run it by her and test the marketability waters a bit. Without telling you the original story idea, I can say that she got back with me and said she already had a couple of books like it.

A couple of books like it – now there’s a phrase that will make you rethink your originality. The worst part was that the elements that were similar were obviously those I had intentionally included to make the book what I thought was more marketable. That showed me how stupid it is to try and contrive marketability. Just write your story!

Take heed, young writers: Just write your story. Fuck marketability. Okay?

With that in mind, I reworked indian paintbrush, understanding that the important story elements were drawn directly from my childhood. It is, in a way, a fictional memoir.

And once I got started, things began to flow right away. In two weeks, I’ve put down 25000 words! I should finish this thing in five weeks – well, the first draft, at least. There’s a familiar feeling with this one that assures me it may be very good. The thing is, most of the writing is happening without any effort. I’ve already pre-written most of the book in my head before I get to those points. There’s something so engaging about, I don’t want to stop writing. I wish I could write 5000 words a day!

I can’t. I’d go nuts. But it’s nice to work on something so effortless (for now, at least). Let’s hope that translates in sales.

The Incarnations of Death - now available for all e-readers...

2011-05-16T17:50:00.001-07:00

Death can never be defeated and when Robert Erwon Mitchel does just that he sets off a chain of events that give birth to a new breed of superheroes. Now it is up to these heroes - Night Stalker, Fade, and Force - to find a way to stop the insane replacement for Death, one who can wipe out entire cities at a whim and who is hunting down the scientist who killed his predecessor!

Find out what happens in The Incarnations of Death! Now available for all e-readers through:
Amazon for your Kindle
Smashwords for all e-readers
and wherever fine e-books are sold!

Good words on Good Books...

2011-05-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

With all the books I’ve been putting up all over the Internet – check the list on the side or just google me! – I felt it might be a good time to catch up with some news about the real writing I’ve been doing.

Just over a week ago, I got inspired by the phrase “indian paintbrush”. I didn’t really know what it was but it felt so evocative I knew I wanted to write about it. But what? I thought up an outline to a story and emailed my agent, the fabulous Jeanie Pantelakis – whose name I can’t pronounce but more on her later. She gave me a little feedback that told me I was going the wrong way so…

Actually, let me tell you about this because it helped me. The outline I sent was for a book about child abuse. The great thing about Jeanie’s feedback, and I think any writer should cultivate as many people as they can for feedback – agents, friends, relatives, anyone – the great thing was it made me stop for a minute and reflect. I realized that the whole child abuse thing was too much of a stretch. It wasn’t really what I wanted to write about; it was my way of saying, “My writing might not be so good but, ooooh, this should be controversial!” Today’s advice: just write what you write. Don’t overdue to make it extra juicy. It’ll come across as fake. And it did. It came across, to me at least, as fake.

I realized that what I wanted to do was something I had wanted to do for years. I’d actually done it to some small degree in my first book, My Side. (Yes, I love that title. Okay?) I wanted to write a book about my childhood, with all the richness and psychosis that went with it. The child abuse stretch wasn’t just false, because I hadn’t been abused, it fell short, because my background is way more f**ked up than that!

The new book, indian paintbrush, it like Jean Shepherd with anger issues in the ‘70’s. I’ve written 10,000 words so far and it’s a lot of fun.

Meanwhile, back to my agent, Jeanie. You know what I love about her? She makes me sound just like a real writer! I may be accused of false modesty here but, as I said to a friend, “I never thought of Climbing Maya as a great book… Okay, I thought of Climbing Maya as a great book but I never thought anyone else would!”

Jeanie makes Climbing Maya sound like the kind of book I hoped it could be and, shocking as it might sound, could actually be! Check this out: What do we strive for and why? Why are some people driven to take care of the world and all its problems and others are content living under a bridge? Those going through lay-offs, career changes, lifestyle adjustments such as having children, health crisis, or coming back from serving overseas and facing employment with handicaps (both emotionally or physically), and persons forced into early retirement will relate to this memoir. Yes, it is true. This is his story…

This book I always thought of as “my book on success”, which is to say not much, turned out to be much more than that. I am pleased and proud at the same time and I get it. This is what having an agent is like. She makes me feel like selling Climbing Maya isn’t a matter of if but when.

Here’s what’s cool. I’ve been working my butt off for the past few years and now I can look around and smile. I like that.

The Rohan Scripts - now available wherever fine e-books are sold!...

2011-05-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

The Rohan Scripts, Ken La Salle’s new novella about time travel and thrills, psychics and scientists, is now available for Kindle, iBook, Nook, and all e-readers for the very low price of just $2.99!

Get yours now! You can find it on Amazon.com. You can also find it at Smashwords. And you can find it wherever find e-books are sold. (If it's not solf there, the other books are not fine!)

The Prophesies of Nicoli Rohano, THE ROHAN SCRIPTS, were the stuff of legend for their uncanny accuracy and were all but lost to history… until now!

THE ROHAN SCRIPTS, the latest sci-fi adventure from Ken La Salle, brings you psychics and scientists, assassination plots and time paradox, with a single man flung through time and recording everything into a book of prognostication called: THE ROHAN SCRIPTS!

When the fabled ROHAN SCRIPTS mysteriously appear, they plunge a group of psychics headlong into the vortex of time. Working with physicist, Harris Feller, the psychics use the Rohan Scripts to create a prophesied time machine and when they use it the incredible energies and paradoxes of time travel reach into the past with an icy precision to snatch Nicoli Rohano and send him flinging through time. Now psychics and physicists alike must use the talents and devices at their disposal on an adventure through time itself to save the one man who can tell them how to make it all end with a book he is foretold to write, THE ROHAN SCRIPTS!

Just the Tip…

2011-05-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

I had a rather interesting day, Saturday.

You can read more details on the One Path blog, but it began at the OC Food Bank where I got all beat up and continued at a job interview where I got a contract job for, at least, the next six months. (Income is a good thing.)

We ended the night with a show. My show, Persecution Complex, was a part of an evening of short plays at the Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood called Just the Tip.

Our friend, Jeff, joined us early for a stop at Starbucks – after the day I had, I needed caffeine! By the time we got to Hollywood, well, we were very early. We decided to do a little sight-seeing, driving up and down Sunset. That was fun and relatively stress-free. Okay, I was a little nervous about my play. I always worry that, when it comes to my work being part of a collaborative effort, mine won’t be as good. I imagine ooohs and aaahs about everything else and dead silence with mine.

We got back to Theatre of NOTE early and I met with the producer for a little pressing of the flesh. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s good to get together with people, meet them face to face. I knew I wanted to work with this theater again, after all.

Jeff and Vicky and I took our seats and the show began…

It started off strong and I immediately began to worry. I knew that my show was very simple and easy and the work being performed was far more edgy and sophisticated. Yikes! But it was fun and we enjoyed every minute of it.

Surprisingly, my show was the finale. Persecution Complex is about a guy who gets jumped by a gang of mobsters every time he considers breaking up with his girlfriend. This simple premise was made lots of fun by the little touches the director put in – and a ninja, which I thought was awesome. Also, the actors were fantastic. What’s not to like? They made my work look brilliant.

I didn’t get to meet the actors after but I sent the producer and director a grateful email to forward along. After the show, the three of us hit our favorite LA eatery… PINKS! Because we’re pigs… and we didn’t get home until 2:30am!

What can I say? It was an awesome day from start to finish.

New Writing Gig: Recovering The Self...

2011-05-05T12:20:00.000-07:00

I start a new writing gig this week, guest blogging each month for the Recovering The Self site.

Recovering The Self, as you might know, is the magazing that published my piece last year called Little Victories. Now, I'll be appearing over there each month with new words on the journey of making your dreams come true.

This month's piece is on learning to say "YES". I hope you enjoy it.

A day without rejection letters…

2011-04-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

I’ve come out “Pro-Rejection Letter” in the past, so I’ll try not to repeat myself.

The fact is, however, that yesterday passed without a single rejection letter. Not one. And why does this bother me? Right now, I am actively submitting seven novels and nine full-length plays to agents, publishers, theaters, and the like. If you consider that I sent out just two submissions for each of those last week (and I assure you, the number was much higher), that means that I sent out 32 submission. So, you’d expect one rejection, right?

Nothing.

So, what do rejection letters do? They give you the go-ahead to move on, for one thing. Let’s say I submitted book #2 to a particular agent and had yet to submit five others. A rejection letter would tell me to start considering what to send next, and this is crucial because you only have so much time. I’m only going to be alive and with enough energy to beat my head against this wall called “writing” for so long. I want to get as much out there while I can.

What else do rejection letters do? They tell you that your stuff is getting through. There are plenty of agencies who are just too busy to respond to submissions they don’t want to represent. I understand this. They’re being pounded by submissions from every yokel with a keyboard. Sure. I’d probably want to get some distance, too. Yet, when I don’t hear anything, I wonder if the address (email or otherwise) is working. I wonder if I’m wasting my time. This is actually bad for the person not responding because folks may give up and they’ll miss what might be a good book (or whatever). It sucks for everyone involved.

Mostly, it sucks for me. I want to know that what I’m doing is having some impact, weak or strong. There’s a literary manager at a theater up in L.A. who sends me honest critiques of my work every time I send him something. It’s only about a paragraph long and, so far, it hasn’t been what you would call “glowing”. But the thing is, I know he’s read my work. I know there’s a shot. And I have to think that it helps him, too. After all, how much “this sucks” can you bottle up?

So, what do I do with all the non-responders? I give them what I call a “three-month window”. If I don’t hear something in three months, I figure it’s time to move on and send them something else. I figure this is a good amount of time, as the folks who don’t respond usually tell you to give them at least 8-10 weeks. This keeps things moving for me and everybody’s happy.

… well, not exactly “happy”. I spent the entire day yesterday hearing nothing from nobody. It’s enough to drive a person crazy! Rejection letters tell me I’m working. They tell me I’m doing my job.

It’s a strange way of looking at it but there you are.

Great theater: past, present, and future…

2011-04-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

While I’ve got a few minutes between book releases – and you can check those books out at https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KenLaSalle - I thought I’d share some news on some plays…

Vicky and I saw Panndora Production’s WELL at The Empire Theater in Santa Ana this weekend. And it kicked ass. It’s playing until May 15^th; you really should see it.

On May 7^th, we’ll be seeing Just The Tip at Theatre of NOTE in LA, which opened April 22 and runs until May 21. Check it out if you’re in the LA area. I have a personal connection to this piece as it is a show of short plays and mine, Persecution Complex, is among them. From what I’ve heard, they’ve really made it a lot of fun (which is not to say it wasn’t fun on the page, as well, by the way). I can’t wait to see it.

The future theater news deals with a play I just finished, which I’m calling N*****s a*d F*****s. In case you’re wondering about the asterisks, it’s a play about moving beyond taboos and into reality. This is the kind of piece I’ve been working towards for a while, so I’m very proud of it. I’m already working with a director on ideas for readings and getting it out there to make theaters interested in production. This is a first for me because I’m not working with OCPA. In fact, they’re not involved in any way. It feels like someone (could have been me) cut the umbilical cord. It feels good.

… we’ll see what happens…

To the person from Blizzard who is reading like gangbusters...

2011-04-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note:

I've noticed someone from Blizzard Entertainment reading this blog with some interest. Just so you know, I would LOVE to work there! I'm an experienced writer and hard worker - and not normally this forward as you can imagine.

Please contact me or leave a comment so I can get back to you!

All the best (and how I miss my days of WoW)... Ken

How can you help Ken La Salle?...

2011-04-21T11:37:00.001-07:00

Many of you know me as Ken La Salle, the writer, the playwright, the legend – but did you know I also have books available online for Kindle, Nook, iPad and other e-readers? It’s true. You can find my word on Amazon, Smashwords, and other popular sites for digital books.

You may be asking yourself at this point, “How can I help Ken La Salle sell more of these books?” Good question. To answer this, I’ve assembled a simple, 5-step process below with ways that you can help me sell my books online. Only one of them costs any money!

Step One: Buy a book!

That’s right. If you have a Kindle, a Nook, Sony Reader, iPod Touch, iPad, iPhone, or another e-reading device, you can purchase my books at the following sites:

At my Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004U6OFQ0

Or from my Smashwords page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KenLaSalle

There are plenty of books to choose from in many genres and styles. Each are reasonably priced with some as little as $2.99!

But what if you don’t have an e-reader?

Step Two: Tell your friends!

There are many ways to tell your friends. You can…

A) Tell your friends. Yes, simply telling a person you know verbally is often a great way of spreading the word about my books.

B) Tell other people as well. Got a minute? Tell the person next to you about this great, new writer who is Ken La Salle.

C) Email your friends. Yes, the power of email is in your hands. Right now! Use it! Just forward this message – or selected bits (such as Step One) – to everyone you know. Heck, even if they don’t have an e-reader, they may know someone who does.

D) Lastly, you can deface public property. ... wait... no...

But what else can you do once you’ve told your friends, you ask?

Step Three: Keep telling!

There are plenty of ways to keep getting the word out. They’re cheap and effective. You can…

A) Post a link to my books on your blog. (Just as I'm doing here!) Yes, web logging (or “blogging”) is something all the kids do today and you hardly ever catch herpes. If you don’t have a blog, start one! Start up a “Books by Ken I Love” blog at Blogger.com. Heck, it’s free!!! Once you post my books on your blog, their search engine results will increase and raise visibility. It’s like putting the book in the front of the book store! (By the way, you could also print out the book covers and leave them at the front of book stores…)

B) Use Social Networking. If you have a Facebook account or a MySpace account or an account on any number of other social networking sites (heck, dating sites count too!), you can post a status update telling people about my books. You can post the link. You can even post your undying love… though that’s kinda creepy.

C) Twit her. No, wait… Twitter! Yes, the power of Twitter is in your hands, etc. etc. (And yes, it’s FREE!) Tweet about my books. It’ll give you something to Tweet about!

D) Lastly, have your friends do this as well! Yes, the more my books appear online – either their names or their links or anything about them – the higher my books go up in search engine results, which means more visibility for my books!

If you still have some energy left, and would like to help some more, you can!

Step Four: Some more!

There are even more ways you can help get the word out on Ken La Salle’s great books! You can…

A) Use Amazon’s “LIKE” button. Yes, you can “LIKE” all of my books, even if you haven’t read it, because you “LIKE” me!... You do “LIKE” me, don’t you?

B) Use Amazon’s SHARE buttons. You can share the book via email or on Facebook or Twitter with just the press of a button! Be the first kid on your block to share all the books!

C) Use Smashwords to get the word out! Each of my Smashwords listings includes buttons for sharing on Facebook, tweeting on Twitter, and a great deal more besides! Help get the word out with Smashwords!

D) My books are listed on other sites as well! Run a google search and find them. Then, LIKE them! Or share them from there! You can’t share enough, don’t you think?

You’re probably thinking, at this point, that you can’t possible do any more… But you can!

Step Five: Lie a little if you have to!

When all else fails, lie for me! Even if you haven’t read the books, you can say you have in many creative and innovative ways! You can…

A) Join Goodreads (it’s FREE at Goodreads.com) and rate my books. The higher they’re rated… you guessed it, the better I’ll do! Haven’t read them, you say? Don’t worry. I promise they’re good. You can even include a review and say, “It was good, just as Ken promised!”

B) Go back to Amazon and review my book there as well. You can say “I Loved It!” or “Sweet!” or even “I would kill any public official for a chance to read just one more book by Ken La Salle”… although you probably shouldn’t tell anyone I told you to do that last one…

C) Review my books on Smashwords!

D) You can even… no, branding my name on your forehead might be going just a little too far…

And that’s it!

It’s that easy!

New books are coming out all the time so please help where you can. I can’t do any of this without your help and without the help of everyone you know. That’s right. I’m going to need thousands of people to keep this going – so forward this on to everyone you know, whether you like them or not. Get the word out!

I THANK YOU!

Evertime & Evermore - now available on Smashwords for all e-readers...

2011-04-20T12:58:00.001-07:00

In Evertime, my love was lost upon a fallen shore...

and here I wait, awaiting Evertime and Evermore.

In Evertime and Evermore, playwright and author Ken La Salle collects some of his favorite poems for the first time. And now it is availble for all e-readers from Smashwords! (Just check out the link on the side of this page!) Some were taken from the darkest places from his life, like The Slaughterhouse (It is industry that has a reason in a world of others who wish to slaughter, themselves). Others are far more whimsical (Even organ donors have to face a little rejection. Might as well enjoy yourself a little pickle-type confection). Either way, many are accessible and enjoyable for any reader.

Death MIsses and other tales of death... now available on Smashwords for all e-readers...

2011-04-20T08:11:00.001-07:00

Just a note that my collection of horror and hor-larious tales, Death Misses and other tales of death, is now available for all e-readers, just check out the box on the side!

These works by Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the morbid and even further beyond still. In Death Misses and other tales of death, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen deadly tales to keep you up at night.

You’ll find out exactly what happens when Death misses and what lengths he’ll go to fix that.
You’ll meet a scientist who has overcome death, though it might overcome him.
You’ll encounter a man who can hear souls no matter where they are imprisoned.
You’ll learn for yourself the incredible secret of Stewart Rollings Mott.
You’ll find out just how much it costs to buy spiritual enlightenment.
You’ll witness the birth of a new kind of creature, one who sheds light.
You’ll find out when peeling isn’t quite enough for one man.
You’ll accompany one helpful soul who is looking for a way out.
You’ll know the terror that goes with an itch that is… just… out… of… reach…
You’ll read about a very helpful car that even gives you your keys.
You’ll sink inside the dreams of the dead.
And you’ll learn exactly why dead… ain’t.

Death Misses and other tales of death is a guided tour across the graveyard – but it’ll only bite you in the wallet a tiny bit.

A Grand Canyon now available on Amazon and Smashwords...

2011-04-20T07:55:00.001-07:00

For anyone who has faced the pit of despair, author Ken La Salle understands what that’s like. His own divorce and other events in his life drove him to the edge of the Grand Canyon. In his new book, A Grand Canyon, La Salle tells about the events that drove him there and what happened after he turned away from despair and self-destruction. A Grand Canyon has now been made available on Amazon and Smashwords for all e-readers: Kindle, Nook, iPad, you name it!

Author Ken La Salle has written over a dozen novels and his plays have been performed around Southern California, but his most personal work remained hidden until now.

In September 2002, Ken left his home and drove to the Grand Canyon to kill himself. The only life he'd ever known was little more than a shambles. He'd lost his wife and now he realized that he really couldn't live without her. All that was left was depression, booze, and guilt - with a running start and a jump over the edge, he would end it all.

Ken's story is filled with dysfunctional families, love found and lost, breakups, breakdowns, and his attempts to end it all. It's the true story of a man lost without love and too destroyed to think he deserves love. But the most amazing part of the story isn't what set him on the road to the Grand Canyon, it's what happened... afterwards...

“I had to put all of that behind me if I was going to move on with my life. The best way for me to do that, as a writer, was to put it all down in writing,” La Salle said.

Ken La Salle will soon see other collections and novels available in digital media. He is represented by Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency.

Vampire Society now available on Amazon and Smashwords...

2011-04-19T08:59:00.000-07:00

Vampire Society is a novel that shouts “LIAR” in the face of Ayn Rand. For those who have searched for a novel that counters the philosophy of selfish destruction, this is that novel. Vampire Society has now been made available on Amazon and Smashwords for all e-readers: Kindle, Nook, iPad, you name it!

Three kids leaving high school are faced with a world they'd hoped never to encounter. "You think you got any chance once you get outta here? You're nothing but grist for the mill, that's what you are! They'll feed off ya! They'll suck out everything you got and leave you dry." With these words, their eyes open to the Vampire Society in which they live.

Vampires live only to feed. Driven by their urges and desires, they are the ultimate consumers. And the Vampire Society is one that puts the Vampire on a pedestal.

Abby Ayrnes, the daughter of migrant workers, grows up knowing the price the vampire society demands. On either side are the angel and devil of the vampire society. Nathan West's admiration and desire drives him to be selfless. But it's Arthur Silvada, taking whatever he wants, who Abby finds she loves.

Vampire Society is a guided tour through the social and political evolution that opened our century. It is a love story and an indictment against our culture, answering the most important question about love: Is real love possible in the Vampire Society?

“The problem with Rand’s philosophy is that it leaves us in a wasteland, both emotional and philosophical. It tells us that our selfishness will be rewarded when, in fact, nothing is left but scorched earth,” Ken La Salle, the author of Vampire Society, said.

Ken La Salle will soon see other collections and novels available in digital media. He is represented by Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency.

Blue Food and other Menu Items now available on Amazon and Smashwords...

2011-04-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Blue Food and other Menu Items, Ken La Salle’s first collection of short stories is now available on Amazon and Smashwords. This combination brings this short story collection to a wide variety of the most popular e-readers: Kindle, Nook, iPad, you name it!
You can find Blue Food through either of the following links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Food-other-items-ebook/dp/B004TYYX1A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1303157999&sr=1-1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/51617

The works of Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the whimsical and even further beyond still. In Blue Food and other menu items, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen tales, hilarious and deeply strange.

You’ll be introduced to Blue Food and find out why it never seemed to catch on in America.
You’ll meet Bigfoot’s Older Brother and find out just what it’s like to set Bigfoot up on a date.
You’ll be learn about how the dead make the best matchmakers, even if they can be a bit unconventional.
You’ll see for yourself just what the Problem With Swings is.
You’ll read about how saving earth might be just the thing for a little girl with Muscular Dystrophy.
You’ll be warned about Bobby’s Brother and his unusual habit.
You’ll know just how to stop an invading horde with the proper use of pizza.
You’ll delve into the mind of a madman whose madness is often served on a cone.
You’ll read from the lost book of Houston with a story about when Jesus met the Soothsayers.
You’ll encounter a strange married couple who would rather stay together if they can avoid killing each other.
You’ll witness a great new game show: What’s My Afterlife!
And you’ll finally find out the secret behind pheromones.

“These are all fun stories and the digital format makes reading them a breeze, anywhere,” the author commented. “With its low purchase price, it’s the perfect collection for someone who just wants a good laugh.”

Ken La Salle will soon see other collections and novels available in digital media. He is represented by Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency.

Things fall apart… and then they don’t…

2011-04-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

I recently learned that Alive Theatre did not pick up Sometimes We Find Our Way for their 2012 season. After the reading we did, which was just amazing by the way, it came as a real disappointment. I had that feeling so familiar to me, “What do I have to do to get something to happen?”

It came as even more of a shock after what happened with Wormfood Island. It really felt like everything for this summer had fallen apart.

… and then, I heard from a film-maker up in L.A., who wants to adapt my play to film. Granted it’ll be a short film, but she wants to option my work and include me in the development of it.

Opportunities aren’t always easy to see. Many times, they’re hidden from us completely. That’s why, as writers, we’ve got to get out there wherever we can, whenever we can, however we can – do it with optimism and confidence, knowing that the next opportunity may be around the next corner. That’s why we’re out there, because you never know which corner.

What’s been happening recently…

2011-04-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

I know I haven’t written anything in a while. This place has become ad space for my books and I appreciate anyone who has gone down to Amazon to pick one up. But more than that has been happening of late and I thought I should talk about it.

Basically, I’ve seen my life as a writer dovetail a bit into – and this will probably come as no surprise – that of a bookseller.

Here’s what happened…

After Northern Frights went on hiatus recently, which meant demise (if temporarily) for Wormfood Island, I knew I’d need to develop some kind of revenue stream – something to bring in a little bread, you know? Being nothing if not prolific, I realized that I was sitting on a trove of short stories and books that have simply been gathering dust. Worse than that, it occurred to me that I’ve been sending out submissions on nearly ten books. For those of you who know the pain in the ass submitting one book can be, imagine it tenfold! Ten books is just too many. I decided I should take a couple of those as well and publish them digitally.

The plan was simple. I’d publish via Amazon’s Kindle and Smashwords. Quickly, I learned that “simple” doesn’t enter into it. Getting the formatting right for these things is a skill-set I did not have but one that I had to quickly pick up. So, I got my first five books up on Kindle and then submitted them to Smashwords, where the formatting is still pending approval. And that takes me to now… waiting…

I have a much higher respect for professional publishers now, believe me.

In the midst of this, Vicky decided I needed a new desk: a “writer’s desk”. The desk I had previously been working on… for well over 20 years… was a little thing I picked up from Target lo those many years ago… It was wee but it fit and I was used to it. Here’s my advice to you: If you have a workspace that works for you, do not allow anyone to change it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – even if your wife is telling you that it’s broke! Now, I’m in this new desk, this “writer’s desk”, and everything feels weird. The desk is huge and intimidating – and I’ll probably feel like I fit in it after I actually have a book published but I really should have waited. This is not to discount Vicky’s incredible thoughtfulness; I just shouldn’t have allowed her to do it.

What this all adds up to is that my life as a writer has detoured a bit. Mind you, I’m still a writer but the thing is I haven’t done any writing in a couple of weeks. That’s weird.

More digital books will soon be on their way, which should make room in my life for new books. That’s good, too, because Vicky just finished proofreading my new mystery novel, Once Removed. So that’ll be going out now.

The work never ends…

Death Misses and other tales of death... now availble on Kindle...

2011-04-06T12:30:00.001-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that my next Kindle (and iPad Kindle app) book, Death Misses… and other tales of death, is now available from Amazon for just $2.99. You’ll find the pitch below and I hope you’ll find it soon on your e-reader. (Yes, iBooks and Nook and other formats will also soon be available.) If you know anyone with an iPad or Kindle, please share the news!

These works by Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the morbid and even further beyond still. In Death Misses and other tales of death, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen deadly tales to keep you up at night.

You’ll find out exactly what happens when Death misses and what lengths he’ll go to fix that.
You’ll meet a scientist who has overcome death, though it might overcome him.
You’ll encounter a man who can hear souls no matter where they are imprisoned.
You’ll learn for yourself the incredible secret of Stewart Rollings Mott.
You’ll find out just how much it costs to buy spiritual enlightenment.
You’ll witness the birth of a new kind of creature, one who sheds light.
You’ll find out when peeling isn’t quite enough for one man.
You’ll accompany one helpful soul who is looking for a way out.
You’ll know the terror that goes with an itch that is… just… out… of… reach…
You’ll read about a very helpful car that even gives you your keys.
You’ll sink inside the dreams of the dead.
And you’ll learn exactly why dead… ain’t.

Death Misses and other tales of death is a guided tour across the graveyard – but it’ll only bite you in the wallet a tiny bit.

A Grand Canyon, One Man's Journey Through Depression...

2011-04-04T09:59:00.001-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that my next Kindle (and iPad Kindle app) book, titled A Grand Canyon, One Man’s Journey Through Depression, is now available for just $4.95. (You can find the link to your right as well.) You’ll find the pitch below and I hope you’ll find it soon on your e-reader. (Yes, iBooks and Nook and other formats will also soon be available.) If you know anyone with an iPad or Kindle, please share the news!

Author Ken La Salle has written over a dozen novels and his plays have been performed around Southern California, but his most personal work remained hidden until now.

In September 2002, Ken left his home and drove to the Grand Canyon to kill himself. The only life he'd ever known was little more than a shambles. He'd lost his wife and now he realized that he really couldn't live without her. All that was left was depression, booze, and guilt - with a running start and a jump over the edge, he would end it all.

Ken's story is filled with dysfunctional families, love found and lost, breakups, breakdowns, and his attempts to end it all. It's the true story of a man lost without love and too destroyed to think he deserves love. But the most amazing part of the story isn't what set him on the road to the Grand Canyon; it's what happened... afterwards...

Wormfood Island moves off the table for now...

2011-04-02T07:10:00.000-07:00

Very few literary careers move in a progressively upwards direction, from base to summit. Most take detours along the way.

And so it is that I have the following bad news to report. Northern Frights Publishing is going on hiatus, temporarily shutting its doors as it weathers some difficult times. What this means to me is that the publication of Wormfood Island is no longer a certainty, in any sense. It is now off the table.

I know that quite a few of you have been looking forward to the publication of Wormfood Island. Believe me, so have I. This is sadly one of the truths of artistic endeavors: bad things happen. With this news following so closely on the heels of signing with an agent for Climbing Maya, it may still sting distinctly of whiplash but I feel compelled to believe that good things still do happen. As a matter of fact, with other writing by Ken La Salle coming out digitally and more theaters looking at my work with interest, I find I can face this change in plans regarding Wormfood Island with a tempered sort of optimism.

This is only a change in plans and it is temporary. I have gone over a few options regarding where to go next with the novel and will be pursuing those. In the meantime, a new book (Once Removed) is almost ready to go in front of agents and publishers. In this writer’s life, hope springs with each new project.

I want to thank all of you who have believed so strongly in me and in Wormfood Island. Your faith and enthusiasm always make this trip more worthwhile. Northern Frights has been nothing but decent and encouraging in a business too often filled with slimeballs and I hope that, despite this setback, we do ending up working together again.

There’s surely more to come and I’ll let you know when it does.

This kind of news can be especially useful to any other writers out there: Change happens. It’s not always convenient and it doesn’t always work out the way you want. In order to be in this kind of life, however, it’s a truth you need to accept and embrace. Stability is found behind a different kind of desk.

Remember, everything changed in just one week. Who knows what next week will hold?

Evertime & Evermore, a collection of poetry...

2011-04-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that another short collection, titled Evertime and Everymore, a collection of poetry, is now available for your Kindle (or iPad’s Kindle app) for just $2.99. You’ll find the pitch below and I hope you’ll find it soon on your e-reader. (Yes, iBooks and Nook and other formats will also soon be available.) I've included the link to Amazon here as well as in the list to the right. If you know anyone with an iPad or Kindle, please share the news!

In Evertime, my love was lost upon a fallen shore...

and here I wait, awaiting Evertime and Evermore.

In Evertime and Evermore, playwright and author Ken La Salle collects some of his favorite poems for the first time. Some were taken from the darkest places from his life, like The Slaughterhouse (It is industry that has a reason in a world of others who wish to slaughter, themselves). Others are far more whimsical (Even organ donors have to face a little rejection. Might as well enjoy yourself a little pickle-type confection). Either way, many are accessible and enjoyable for any reader.

I’m Coming Out…

2011-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

I spent most of yesterday coming out.

Perhaps, I should explain…

I have spent most of my adult life living a lie. Rather than living as Ken La Salle, writer, I have lived it as a marketing professional. I went from one marketing job to another until I was laid off two years ago. During this laid off period, I applied for one marketing job after another with nobody – but nobody – so much as considering me. Meanwhile, I also used my ample free time to work harder at my writing career.

As it turned out, Marketing was the “Plan B” my mother had told me I should have if I was going to pursue any artistic endeavor. “You should have a Plan B,” she’d say. What I didn’t realize, though, is that Plan B took over my life. Rather than being the riskier Plan A, I played the part of the safer Plan B. But it turned out Plan B was never safer. Plan B laid me off and left me out in the street. And, while it might sound as though I blame her for suggesting Plan B, I assure you that I don’t. I blame myself for listening!

My message to you today: The hell with Plan B! (It would be stronger but I’m trying to keep this blog “ad friendly”… not that it has paid off so far…)

Yesterday, I finally came out in public not as the marketing professional so many had known but as Ken La Salle, writer!

And it felt good. I mean, really good. To finally be able to tell people “this is who I am”… it was nice.

Nobody should live in the closet. Nobody should have a Plan B. Only now do I realize that. Take your chance. Don’t make the mistake I’ve made. Go for it all the way. Don’t hedge.

And enjoy it, because that’s who you are.

Vampire Society, now available for Kindle and iPad Kindle app...

2011-03-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that my novel, Vampire Society, is now available for your Kindle (or iPad’s Kindle app) for just $5.95. You’ll find the pitch below and I hope you’ll find it soon on your e-reader. (Yes, iBooks and Nook and other formats will also soon be available.) I've included the link to Amazon here. If you know anyone with an iPad or Kindle, please share the news!

Three kids leaving high school are faced with a world they'd hoped never to encounter. "You think you got any chance once you get outta here? You're nothing but grist for the mill, that's what you are! They'll feed off ya! They'll suck out everything you got and leave you dry." With these words, their eyes open to the Vampire Society in which they live.

Vampires live only to feed. Driven by their urges and desires, they are the ultimate consumers. And the Vampire Society is one that puts the Vampire on a pedestal.

Abby Ayrnes, the daughter of migrant workers, grows up knowing the price the vampire society demands. On either side are the angel and devil of the vampire society. Nathan West's admiration and desire drives him to be selfless. But it's Arthur Silvada, taking whatever he wants, who Abby finds she loves.

Vampire Society is a guided tour through the social and political evolution that opened our century. It is a love story and an indictment against our culture, answering the most important question about love: Is real love possible in the Vampire Society?

Sullivan Maxx and the lesson: Do not assume…

2011-03-29T16:52:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, I started a relationship with Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency that I did not realize would last for some time. It may even turn out to be profitable.

I had sent my sci-fi mystery novel, With Eyes to See. The agency was swamped so it got put off a little bit… and a little bit… and a little bit. When it was reviewed, it wasn’t quite a fit.

So, I sent them another book. Not quite a fit.

Another book. Not quite a fit.

Why did I keep sending books? Because tenacity is the writer’s clutch. You gotta keep grinding it until… okay, I know you’re not supposed to grind a clutch but let’s say, for this one, grinding helps. Anyway, I was tenacious. I also knew they liked my stuff because they kept requesting to read the entire book. That’s gotta be a good sign, right?

Cut to a few months ago. I had sent them everything I had. Everything! I knew I’d have to wait a while before I could submit my next mystery novel, Once Removed, so I pondered what I could do to keep myself in their minds even if I knew I didn’t have a chance. Then, I saw a little note, almost a footnote, that they entertained non-fiction. I had yet to submit my philosophical memoir, Climbing Maya. I knew it would be a longshot but I figured I’d try anyway.

As it turned out, it wasn’t a long shot. Not at all, as you can see from this web page.

My point here is you should never assume anything. I assumed all that time that they wouldn’t be interested in the one book they took a liking to and, had I continued in that assumption, I would not now be signed with the agency to represent my book. Keep at it. Remain open to possibilities. Remember, if you’re in this tempest we call art then you’re in it. Like it or not. As they say, when you find yourself falling, dive.

It worked for me.

BLUE FOOD and other menu items…

2011-03-28T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am happy to announce that a collection of my short stories, titled BLUE FOOD and other menu items, is now available for your Kindle (or iPad’s Kindle app) for just $2.99. You’ll find the pitch below and I hope you’ll find it soon on your e-reader. (Yes, iBooks and Nook and other formats will also soon be available.) You'll find the link to Amazon in the list to your right or you can just navigate to it by clicking here!

The works of Ken La Salle range from the bizarre to the whimsical and even further beyond still. In Blue Food and other menu items, Ken La Salle treats you to a dozen tales, hilarious and deeply strange.

You’ll be introduced to Blue Food and find out why it never seemed to catch on in America.
You’ll meet Bigfoot’s Older Brother and find out just what it’s like to set Bigfoot up on a date.
You’ll be learn about how the dead make the best matchmakers, even if they can be a bit unconventional.
You’ll see for yourself just what the Problem With Swings is.
You’ll read about how saving earth might be just the thing for a little girl with Muscular Dystrophy.
You’ll be warned about Bobby’s Brother and his unusual habit.
You’ll know just how to stop an invading horde with the proper use of pizza.
You’ll delve into the mind of a madman whose madness is often served on a cone.
You’ll read from the lost book of Houston with a story about when Jesus met the Soothsayers.
You’ll encounter a strange married couple who would rather stay together if they can avoid killing each other.
You’ll witness a great new game show: What’s My Afterlife!
And you’ll finally find out the secret behind pheromones.

Blue Food and other menu items is a little taste of craziness to lighten the soul – and it’ll only lighten your wallet a tiny bit.

Going Digital…

2011-03-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

Digital is the new frontier, my friends. It’s like the moon before NASA or healthy Indians before Columbus… except, of course, for the fact that many, many people have gone there before me.

Never mind that! The time has come to start getting serious about ones and zeroes.

I had started this move once before with Vampire Society, my philosophical exploration into love and values… which no publisher in the world wanted to touch. Okay! Fine! If there’s one thing I’m learning about the pioneers into digital publishing, it’s that stinky publishers don’t know everything! Hell, they don’t even know most things! They only know some things – and something they don’t know is just how good my writing is.

So, I put it on Kindle, where I would show the publishing world just what they’re… what they’re…

You see, two things happened at about the same time. Kindle put Vampire Society on hold because of some changes in DRM options that I had to select and, when I missed that email, I just sat back and watched nobody buy my book. I’ve spent a good long time feeling pretty shitty about myself, I’ll have you know, only to find out that Kindle was waiting for me to select one radio button. Stupid Kindle!

Now that I’ve found out, I’m back in the digital driver’s seat. It takes some getting used to but, starting next week, you’ll start seeing collections of my work on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, and just about everywhere digital books are sold… well, most places. I still have a lot to learn.

Alive Theatre – Sometimes We Find Our Way…

2011-03-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night was the reading of Sometimes We Find Our Way at the Alive Theatre in Long Beach. For a full run-down on how fortunate I was to have Vicky by my side , please check out our blog, One Path. In this space, however, I would like to tell you about what it meant as an artist.

How opportune that the name of the show was really the theme for the night. Sometimes we actually do find our way. As an artist, I so often feel lost, as if things will never work out. I guess that comes with being an artist but it also… well, sucks.

And so it was that Sunday night I knew I wouldn’t get any sleep. I could see every move as an actor and playwright as leading up to the reading and I knew that everything was at stake with that one event. I knew that if I made one single mistake, my entire life would crumble around me. And I also knew I was a fraud and a sham and a loser who never deserved anything good or decent, no happiness or fulfillment or… The entire night was like that. All the way up until morning. Vicky insisted that I take a nap the next afternoon and I think I got about an hour of sleep. Perfect.

The reading started at 8pm and Vicky and I arrived at 7pm… way too early. So, we waited in the car a bit… I couldn’t believe I had wanted to get there so early. For the next half hour, minutes seemed to crawl by. Once 7:30pm came along, though, things were moving. I’d gone in to meet Scott Lennard – who looked way cooler than I could ever dream of doing – and we had set up. Vicky waited inside as I corralled people from the street. (The working space where we were at is a little hard to find.) I greeted people, one by one, on the street and sent them inside where they were welcomed by Vicky. We were working really well as a team last night.

When 8pm rolled around, I went inside, some introductions were made, and we began. Somehow, I had filled the little space with people, an audience of 19. Reading before them were Karen Wray (stage directions), Sonja Berggren (Max), Stephanie Schulz (Heather), and myself. Stephanie and Sonja are both accomplished actresses in their own right and I… am a writer. So, why did I decide to read with them? Well, once upon a time, I was an actor. And, quite obviously, I knew the character in the play intimately. I knew all of the notes and beats of the performance. I knew how it had to be done. I just had to be sure I did not screw it up.

So, of course, my throat went dry the minute I started. I was immediately grateful for the water Vicky had given me.

As I listened during the parts where I was not “on stage”, I heard the audience’s response. It was everything I expected. They were attentive during the drama and laughing at the jokes. They were really part of the experience and invested in the lives of my characters. The performance was everything I could have hoped for.

Then, the Q&A session began. I’m not going to go into too much detail about it except to say that I knew what my friends would say. Of course, they would say they loved it. It was the Alive Theatre people who had my attention and to listen to them talk about it with such a mixture of joy and excitement was truly amazing.

This reading was part of their selection process for the plays they would soon produce. There are 27 plays being read and only about three will be chosen. So, my odds are not great. But as a writer, they never are. The thing we do flies in the face of odds. Writers laugh at statistics.

You take the experience for what it is, if you’re lucky enough to do so. I have been. For now, the work continues…

10K (no, not kilometers)… and other nightmares…

2011-03-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

I hit the 10k mark in the new book this week. I’m not entirely sure of the name, yet, but I can tell you that it is a horror novel about the media. (The phrase “goes without saying” comes to mind.)

Now that I’m at the 10k mark (10,000 words that is), I have forwarded what I’ve written over to my official lab rat for… testing. See, the idea is this: many agents and publishers use the first 10k (sometimes less) to get a feel for your book before requesting the whole thing. That means your first 10k has to really be worth it to catch someone’s interest. I use my lab rat to see if those 10k are going to cut the mustard. I figure if I catch on soon enough, I can fix anything fatal right away. (Mind you, for my last book, my lab rat didn’t read the first 10k until I was nearly finished with the whole book.)

I’m writing this book a little slower than the last, at a fairly leisurely one-thousand words/day pace. This is much slower than my last book. Why? To be honest, I’m tired. In the last year, I’ve written three books and over a half dozen full-length plays. I’ve been cranking out product like a machine and it has really caught up to me.

The nightmare scenario is looming over my head, of course. With only two unemployment checks remaining (give or take), I still haven’t been able to find a job in my chosen field (marketing). This week alone, I was turned down for another job because I was overqualified. I wanted to ask them if they could tell the employers who said I was under-qualified, hoping it might balance things out… but I didn’t. If I don’t find a job soon – or, better yet, sell something – I’m really screwed. I’m a little old to be working retail. (Therein lies the real nightmare: too qualified to return to a marketing department but not too qualified to greet at Walmart…)

I guess my point is that I am out here swinging in the face of adversity and a whole lotta crap. You should be, too. It may be easier to make excuses but the sense of pride you feel is not nearly the same.

Reading before the Reading…

2011-03-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Last night, I went to the rehearsal for next week’s reading.

(Oh, let me get this out of the way real quick: Monday, March 21^st @ 8pm. Alive Theater in Long Beach. Hope to see you there!)

This is a very exciting experience for me. I get to work with two of my favorite actresses in the whole world. Sonja Berggren played my mother (well, my character’s mother) in my first play. She’s got this really solid, rooted quality to her that makes her very believable. It’s a quality that, as an actor, I can really lean my performance against and, as a writer, I find anchors the show. Stephanie Schulz has acted opposite of me in my shows and shows we’ve acted in, playing everything from my lover to my girlfriend to my ex-wife. Everything she does, she does well… well, I mean, on stage.

I’m already hearing through the ether, “What does all this have to do with a writing blog?”

Good question. You see, my background originates in acting. I was an actor long before I was a writer. If it wasn’t for acting, I would never have started writing plays. And this play, Sometimes We Find Our Way, is one I could easily see myself acting in – so being able to be a part of Monday night’s reading is very exciting for me. Not only do I get to step back into my actor’s shoes, I get to do it with a piece I wrote!

It was only after we started getting close to last night’s rehearsal did I remember how strange it is for the actor Ken to work with the writer Ken. I’ve performed in readings (and staged readings) of my own work before. I’ve found that I can’t necessarily be both people at the same time. Actor Ken has different priorities than Writer Ken.

So, when we started last night, I realized that it was almost as if someone else had given me the script. Having written it three years ago, that seemed like an eternity. To put that into some context, I’ve written over a dozen full-length plays since then. If there’s an emotion distance between two projects you write, imagine how much there since between a dozen! But I think that helped in a way. I was able to work as an actor without worrying so much about the words. I just kinda said, “Well, this Ken fellow seems to know what he’s doing. I’ll trust him.”

Part of being a playwright is being involved with your work, from the writing to the submitting and on up into the readings and productions. Sometimes, folks have things in hand and don’t need you but you should always be there when they do. No matter how many years have passed since you gave birth to them, they’ll always be your baby.

Working for your audience…

2011-03-13T13:40:00.001-07:00

One of the pitfalls I’ve often seen beginning writers run into is that they forget someone very important when they’re writing: the audience.

Make no bones about it, as a writer you are creating a product and the consumer of that product is your audience.

Oftentimes, writers will justify inconsistencies by explaining how they serve the character. They’ll justify a boring story by explaining how it serves the plot. They are filled with explanations, because this is where most of their energy is expended. Rather than create a better product, they so often create explanations as to why their product isn’t better. They feel an incredible need to serve their characters and the story and this and that and the other rather than serving the audience.

The difference between a beginning writer and a writer who is starting to figure things out comes with this shift to the audience. The audience does not care what you are trying to do with a certain piece of writing. They could care less what you’re trying to create. If your product is not something they’re interested in – if it isn’t entertaining – they won’t buy it. And it doesn’t matter how many explanations you can come up with.

At the end of the day, your customer is the audience. The only way they’ll buy your product is if you are making a product that appeals to them. Call that “selling out”. Call it “consumerism”. Get up on your high-horse and complain about how Joyce didn’t have to worry about an audience or creating a marketable product – but he did. Just as you must do.

It is within your power to make the product your way and put your stamp on it. You don’t have to make crap. In fact, fewer customers will buy it if it’s crap. But it has to appeal to them, interest them, entertain them. They have to want it.

If they don’t, you’re only writing for yourself.

Day off…

2011-03-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Vicky created this rule for me, which we call the “Day Off” rule. Apparently, I have to take one day off each week or I’ll drive her crazy. (Which just means I have to do it some other way…)

The day off we’ve chosen is Sunday, not because we’re religious or because it’s “God’s Day”. Screw him, it’s my day! We chose Sunday because that’s the day the NASCAR race usually falls on and the 7% of me that is park Redneck needs that, apparently.

So, today’s my day off and I can’t help but feel as though I don’t deserve it.

This week, I wrote 5,000 words in the new book… and that’s pretty much it. It was a very slow week. Why do I need a day off from that? Honestly. I wrote a thousand words each day, which was a total writing time of about an hour each day. That’s it. I’m supposed to take a day off for that?

No, I don’t count getting submissions out or preparing for the readings next week or blogging or any of the “business of being a writer” because none of that was “new material”. It wasn’t really measurable on my wall of guilt.

Still, here I am with a day off in which I am not allowed to work in any way.

Okay, wait. There’s one exception. Yesterday, I printed a copy of the new book, Once Removed, for Vicky to proofread. She gave me the teensiest binder imaginable and said, “Put the book in this because I don’t want to haul about a huge binder.” The binder she gave me was about half an inch thick. The book itself was about half a foot thick.

So, she gave me another binder – a bigger binder – so I’ll be punching holes and putting the book in the binder today. This will be really helpful because it will be the first time someone will read the book outside of myself. And I can’t really judge my own work. It usually comes down to “awesomely great, tremendous, could be better, you suck”. I need something a bit more consistent.

Mind you, she won’t start reading it until tomorrow… f*cking day off…

The Life of a Playwright is Tough…

2011-03-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

Wallace Shawn put it best, I think, when he said these words. I can only add, “And writing novels on top of that ain’t too smart, either.”

Presently, I find myself walking through an exhausted haze trying to force myself through the motions every day. My main reason for this, I know, is guilt. I don’t have a job and I know most of society would view me as “lazy” because of that. But just look at how lazy I’ve been:

I just finished a new mystery novel, which Vicky will begin proofreading this weekend.
I started my next novel already.
I have two play readings coming back to back in about a week.
I’m putting a lot of effort into starting a new reading series with a local theater.
On top of that, I spend about an hour each day working on getting submissions out. In fact, I have about 140 snail mail submissions waiting to go.

My point, I guess, is that a whole lot of work goes into the possible hope of making even a little money. But I keep at it. People tell me I have “momentum”, though I couldn’t tell you what that means because I’ve been working on writing for a quarter of a century and I haven’t made a cent at it in all that time.

… Sorry. As I say, I’m fairly exhausted and this often results in negativity. If there’s one thing I know is that you’ve got to keep hammering away and hammering and hammering. You can’t get disappointed. You can’t give up even a little. You have to be relentless.

The life of a playwright is tough. If you’re not ready for that, do yourself a favor and find something else.

Reprinting yourself out there…

2011-03-03T10:26:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, I saw something that caught me by surprise. A friend of mine who blogs had started a new blog where he was posing reprints of his original blog.

In case you missed that, let me repeat. He was taking his original blog and reprinting it in a new blog.

I saw this and my head exploded.

As a writer, I’m constantly looking for ways to get more exposure. One way is by getting more books out. Another way is by getting more plays out. Another way is by getting printed in magazines. Another way is by tweeting and using Facebook. And yet another way is by blogging. Heck, I’ve been blogging since 2004. I know about blogging.

But to see someone start a new blog that took no more effort than to repost old blogs? Genius, I tells ya!

I was on that bandwagon faster than you can say, “Hey, Ken. There’s a bandwagon. Want to get on it?” I started a blog on Salon called Catching up with Ken (yet, still appears by the bland name Ken La Salle’s blog – gotta look into that) and have been reposting things from the early days.

Already, I’m seeing more traffic and interest and the best part is that I don’t have to invest a lot of time. This is going to come in really handy later this year when Wormfood Island comes out and for spreading the word about later developments.

This might all sound very self-serving and, I admit, on a certain level it is. But part of your job as a writer is to get yourself out there in whatever way you can. I’ve taken this and I’m going to run with it.

We’ve got a fun couple of months coming…

2011-03-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

(You may see this all over the place – or wherever I can post it. It’s important.)

March marks the beginning of a busy few months for my artistic growth and only a short lead-in to what will be a busier summer, I’m sure. Now, I know I’m blessed with quite a few people in my life who are looking to support my endeavors so let me spell it all out here so we know where we’re at.

March 21st. Monday evening, March 21st at 8pm, Alive Theatre in Long Beach will be considering my play, Sometimes We Find Our Way, for their 2012 season. The way this works is they’ll be holding a reading before an audience. They’ll be doing this for each show they’re considering and my show will be read that night. The cast will include the wonderful Stephanie Schulz, the incomparable Sonja Berggren, and myself in an inexcusable act of ego. My guess is that the best crowd stands the best chance.

I’m hoping you can be there to help me. The reading will be located at what the theater calls "The Farm". I won’t lie; it’s more on a “theater annex”. It’s a little hard to find off the street and parking is kind of a bitch (let's hear it for Long Beach street parking). But the theater is encouraging writers to bring an audience and if I could get a full-length produced that would certainly help me out quite a bit.

April 22 – May 21. Theatre of NOTE will be producing my short play, Persecution Complex, as part of their “Just the Tip” late night showcase. Persecution Complex is an insane look at relationships and neurosis and mobsters, oddly enough.

Of course, I’d love if you could go… but, and this is important, if you feel as though you need to choose between the two shows, I’d rather you go see Sometimes We Find Our Way. That is a full-length show up for consideration for a full production and that’s where I need the support. Mind you, if you can go to both, I would just love that. Heck, I certainly plan to go to both. But if you need to choose, I just wanted to let you know which way I hope you choose.
I’m including bit of information below to help you out.

This is Alive Theatre’s web site. This is their calendar. Look me up on March 21.

This is a map to their location. Actually, it’s a street-view as well, to give you an idea what it looks like. (Don’t be scared. There’s a theater in there. I’ll probably be waiting outside until the show starts to wave you in.)

And here’s the web site for Theatre of NOTE.

Thanks to all my incredible supporters through this crazy time. You’re all the best.

Rewrites – Checking your work…

2011-02-24T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last night, I finished the new play after a very long day of writing. Not only did I go in slightly less prepared than I like to be but I actually had to tear off the ending and go again because it just didn’t ring the bell like I’d hoped it would. I was bushed.
Today, the sun came up and I went out cycling. I feel like a million, well, a hundred bucks! Time to get to work!

… oh, right. Rewrites.

Now that I’ve finished one new book and one new play, it’s time to get those wrapped up before I move on to the next big thing. The only problem is that rewrites are… well… they’re so BORING! UGH!

Rewrites are my second least favorite part of writing. (First least? Rejection letters.) For those not familiar with rewrites, all I can tell you is that it’s the writer’s equivalent to “checking your work”. Do you remember “checking your work”? In math class, so you didn’t blow the tests?

Yes, of course, it’s necessary. When you are in the heat of writing – okay, when I am in the heat of writing, I do tend to forget things. I leave out all the things that bore me, which also happen to be things readers find interesting: weather, clothes, setting. You know “things that paint the picture”. I just want to find out whodunit, dammit! Going back, though, allows me to flesh things out better than I did the first time.

Then, of course, there’s the corrections aspect. I make a lot of mistakes – A LOT! I’ll probably only catch 50% of them in the rewrite process, which is why I’m so grateful to have Vicky to do my proofreading for me. She can catch another 40%, easy. The last 10%, well… nobody’s perfect, you know?

Lastly, there are all the things you didn’t think of. I mean, things that never occurred to you. I have gone back in to books to realize whole scenes that I could put in to make it better.

Okay, so we’re in agreement. Rewrites are important. Rewrites are necessary. Rewrites are there to help us make our writing better.

… but … do I gotta?

Okay, so I was wrong…

2011-02-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I posted my ambitious writing plans for the remainder of February. I then threw away those writing plans.

The truth is I was actually keeping to that schedule very well. This evening, I came very close to the end of the new play and was ready to wrap it up tomorrow.

That was when intelligence – that foul and bitter dreg – kicked in. In all honesty, I just felt like the new play wasn’t cutting it. A graphical representation would be something like a straight line. It was boring. I didn’t like it.

I ended up cutting about two thousand words and throwing them completely away. I need something to wrap this play that will be dynamic and different and… I haven’t a clue what that might be.

Which brings me to today’s lesson: Deadlines are made to be broken.

It’s more important that you create good work than to stick to some arbitrary schedule you’ve set for yourself. Yes, goals are good but stay flexible. Be ready to change things.

I’m hoping to finish this new play in the next two days but if I can’t do it, that’s just how it goes. I’m more likely to sell a good play than one I finished quickly, you know?

The best time to write…

2011-02-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

How does this sound: This month I’m going to finish writing one book, write a full-length play, and start writing another book.

This is the best time to write, when you’re positively burning with energy and the vitality of your craft.

This thought occurred to me this morning as I got ready for me “day off” (the one day each week that I don’t work for the sake of my own sanity – this blog entry does not count). I considered the week that passed. I finished the first draft of my new mystery novel, Once Removed, and drafted the first act of a new theatrical comedy, Early Psychological Experiments on Humans.

With seven working days left in the month, my plan is to complete the play, then go back and make my first pass at rewrites on the novel. (This is when I generally consider all the difficult writing done. After that, it still needs polishing and proofing but it is for all considered finished.) After that, I’ll do my rewrites on the play.

By this time, I’ll probably be looking March straight in the eye. I don’t care. Because I am burning with ideas for my next book. It will be an audacious return to horror, which I’m really looking forward to. If you think Wormfood Island is audacious when it comes by later this year (by Northern Frights Publishing), you’re going to love this as well. I may only get a few pages written in the last hour of the last day of February, but it will get started.

Believe me, there have been plenty of times when I have sat in front of a keyboard with absolutely nothing to say. Forcing your writing during a time like that is a chore. It’s dismal. That’s what has me so excited about the period I’m currently experiencing, when I can sit down and write and write and write… and actually like it. Think about that for a minute. Wow!

This is what I love...

2011-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

I found myself in San Francisco this weekend caught completely by surprise at having the best time of my life. It really snuck up on me. There I was, surrounded by beautiful women (Vicky), fellow writers who wanted to know what I thought, actors who admired my work, great food, funny conversation… It was simply amazing.

Then, I came home.

And I realize that real life never stops. I realize that this wonderful ride has to end at some point. I do.

In fact, let me drip a little more reality in before getting back to the wonderfulness so you know I’m not completely full of shit. I have only a few more unemployment checks remaining. In the past five months, I’ve applied for over 70 jobs – 70 that I’ve kept track of – with no response. Zero. Not a phone call. Nothing. For some reason I do not know, my career as a marketing professional appears to have come completely full stop. I will very soon have to take anything I can get: Costco, Target, whatever. I’ll have to do it or lose my home. I know that.

On top of that, my last book (Sleepwalker) received nothing but yawns and disgust from all the agencies and publishers I sent it to. Things are not looking great for me as a novelist.

So, why the hell am I so upbeat?

You know what they say: There’s no talking to an idiot.

No. Wait. That should be: Hope springs eternal.

I just finished my new mystery novel, Once Removed. Not only is it a lot of fun, it is a more sophisticated blend of romance and mystery and family drama. It takes my books to the next level. The next book I write will be another horror novel, my third. Hell, I never thought I’d write my first! The concept, which I won’t get into now, is far above a lot of stuff I see out there. It is really good – and I was certainly not a fan of my own horror writing when I began and now I’m saying that. It will take me to that next level.

I’m getting better. I can feel it. Maybe it’s because I just spent a weekend in San Francisco with people who admire my work; I don’t know. It could also be the fact that I now spend an enormous amount of my time writing. You know, like a writer.

Check this out. I just finished the first draft of Once Removed in just over a month. Tomorrow, I’ll start working on my next play. Next week, when I finish the play, I’ll go back and work on rewriting and polishing Once Removed so it’s ready to submit to agencies and publishers. Then, I’ll do the same to the play. Then, I’ll start the next book. This will all happen before April!

That kind of schedule would have been unthinkable for me as recently as two years ago. I am now living and thinking – functioning – as a writer. And, yes, it will all be snatched out of my hands when my unemployment benefits run out in April.

It sucks.

That said, I want to get as much out of it as I can. Yes, this year, I want to write two more books. I also want to write a sequel to Wormfood Island when it comes out. I want Wormfood Island to sell well enough to justify a sequel. I have four more plays in my mind, ready to spring forth. I can do all this this year, easily, if I get the opportunity.

I am looking for that opportunity. I am looking for part-time writing jobs, temp writing jobs, contract writing jobs – hell, I’ll take all kinds of part-time jobs if they give me the opportunity to write.

I am ready to take that next step in my life.

Next month, I have a play being considered for full production in the 2012 season of an LA theater. In April, I have a short play being produced in Hollywood. This sounds like a dream and it kind of is. Sadly, it is not yet the kind of dream that makes money.

And it all comes down to money.

…

This weekend, when asked how I kept up this momentum of mine at the age of 45, I replied, “It doesn’t take any talent or skill. All it takes is blind stupidity. Think of any other job out there and imagine pursuing it for 25 years. Now, imagine someone saying that if you just got a little better they’d pay you. It wouldn’t happen. And yet, here I am.”

I got a bit of a laugh and, to some degree, I believe that.

But, you know, what I didn’t admit was the incredible love I have for what I do, the amazing thrill that comes when I finish a project, get an audience to laugh or to cry, create a book someone just can’t put down. It is an unbelievable experience and I feel fortunate to simply have made it this far.

Now, I want to go just a little farther.

(Yes, I know I'm posting this on both of my blogs but it's one of those things that really transcends both subject matters. This is my life and my love and my path - and it's Vicky's too. Vicky is an enormous part of it. Nothing makes me happer than seeing this through her eyes. I am very lucky.)