Press On – Official Site of Author Jeremy Brown

The Publishers Lunch Post for Suckerpunch

Posted on 09. Dec, 2009 by Jeremy in Press On, Publishing Suckerpunch

Pretty cool – I used to get these updates and drool over the deals while I worked on my stuff.

“Jeremy Brown’s SUCKERPUNCH, pitched as Elmore Leonard meets Fight Club, featuring a wise-cracking, southpaw heavyweight, a modern-day cage fighter trying to shake his criminal past as he works his way toward the title, to Helen Rosburg at Medallion Press, in a nice deal, by Margaret O’Connor at Renaissance (World English).”

What is Publishers Lunch?

From their website:

Publishers Lunch is the industry’s “daily essential read,” now shared with more than 40,000 publishing people every day. Each report gathers together stories from all over the web and print of interest to the professional trade book community, along with original reporting, plus a little perspective and the occasional wisecrack added in.

Suckerpunch hits shelves in 2011!

Posted on 19. Nov, 2009 by Jeremy in Books, Press On, Publishing Suckerpunch, Writing

My fantastic agent Margaret secured a deal with the great crew at Medallion Press, and Suckerpunch and Woodshed Wallace will be published in 2011!

You have one year to prepare for the jaw-busting action and neck-torquing plot twists, so get your page turning techniques trained into muscle memory.

2009 Metro Trek Adventure Race

Posted on 07. Oct, 2009 by Jeremy in Adventure Racing, Outdoors, Press On

We had a blast in the 2009 Metro Trek Adventure Race, which had us trekking, cycling, paddling, climbing, and orienteering around Kalamazoo for 50 miles in 9 hours and 18 minutes. We took 3rd place immediately after the race but the official results have us at 4th. I’ve never been good at math, so I’ll just go with 3rd.

Click here for our route.

Holy crap, Shutter Island is a great book.

Posted on 21. Sep, 2009 by Jeremy in Books, Press On, Reading, Writing

I’m about halfway through right now, and it might turn into a complete tire fire in the second half, but I doubt it. Some literary snobs might find the characters cliche and the plot formulaic, but who cares?

The characters are interesting and flawed and I want some of them to live and some of them to die, and I can’t wait to find out what happens. The foreshadowing is fantastic, with characters and locations lurking around the corners ahead and peeking out every now and then to make sure I’m still coming. No worries, you scamps, I’m on my way.

This is the kind of book that is both intimidating and inspiring to me as a writer. I read it and think, “This is incredible. Why would someone read my book when they can read this one?” Then I think, “What’s stopping me from writing something better?”

This is the first book I’ve read by Dennis Lehane so if you can recommend the next one I should read, please do.

Update

I finished Shutter Island and it was fantastic. Go get it and read it. I’ve just read A Drink Before the War and Gone, Baby, Gone, and highly recommend the Patrick Kenzie series as well.

Writing Schedules

Posted on 12. Aug, 2009 by Jeremy in Press On, Sharpening, Writing

If you’re a writer, chances are you have a writing schedule that has taken a while to pin down.

You tried getting up before work or school to write, but the words were too blurry.

Then you tried writing at lunch, but the potato chip crumbs kept falling between your laptop keys.

When you tried writing between 6:14 and 8:27 in the evening the words flowed onto the page, but you missed your favorite reruns.

Finally, you narrowed it down to this:
“I have to write on weekends, after coffee, before lunch, as long as there isn’t anything else going on.”

Break it down further:
“I have to write on weekends, after coffee, before lunch.”

A little more:
“I have to write on weekends.”

You know what’s next:
“I have to write.”

That’s it.

Make it work.

Stark Raving Mad Adventure Race 2009

Posted on 16. Jun, 2009 by Jeremy in Adventure Racing, Outdoors, Press On, Sharpening

Oh boy. Just over 6 hours and almost 33 miles of trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, and orienteering through the dunes and woods of Muskegon State Park.

There were five of us, two teams of two and me going solo, and as a whole we missed 2nd place in the solo division by a few minutes. We could look back at a dozen decisions that may have made up the time, but the bottom line is this: faster is better.

Because our speed endurance is lacking, we have a very small margin of error in our decision making. One wrong turn can mean we don’t finish on time, and while we learn something new every time we complete a race, it’s impossible to guarantee we won’t make a wrong decision in the next one.

On the other hand, it is possible to guarantee we can run and bike and paddle for 6 hours (unless we get eaten by raccoons or twist an ankle).

The only problem: I loathe running. When I played sports in high school, running was punishment. I started looking for a training method that will increase my running endurance without actually running, but I know better.

To write better, write.

To get stronger, lift.

To run better, run.

Zoom!

Meeting the Master – Elmore Leonard

Posted on 07. Jun, 2009 by Jeremy in Books, Press On, Reading, Writing

Scratch one item off the lifetime wish list: Last Thursday I went with Ellen to Schuler Books in Lansing for a book talk and signing by Elmore Leonard and his son Peter.

Peter and Elmore Leonard

It was an honor to meet the man who created Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Stick, 52 Pickup, Killshot, and so many more. He and Peter told stories about the craft and some of the characters and situations they’ve come across, and it was great to watch them convey information and answer potential questions just like they do in their novels: through action and dialogue.

And even in person, Mr. Leonard left out the parts people skip.

Sorry for Any Website Trouble

Posted on 18. May, 2009 by Jeremy in Press On, Writing

I got hit by the Martuz and Gumblar exploits, so the site wasn’t working properly for a bit. I think it’s all clear.

The good news is, now I have two names for characters who can die long, brutal deaths. Thanks Internet!

I Like Star Trek

Posted on 12. May, 2009 by Jeremy in Press On, Writing

I saw Star Trek yesterday and had a great time. My criteria for a good movie is whether or not I feel like one of the characters when I walk out of the theater, and when I left my seat I prayed for a Romulan to pop out of the garbage can. As long as it wasn’t Eric Bana, because I like that guy. If you haven’t seen Chopper, rent it today.

I don’t care about the new film’s faithfulness to the franchise – I abhor doing something because that’s the way it’s always been done and love new perspectives on old and dusty material. I read an interview with director (and genius) J.J. Abrams, who said this about his storytelling process:

“People never know what they want, though everyone says they do. If they did, nobody would ever be surprised. The truth is, what you want is a story that is engrossing and surprising. And at the end of the day, a good story is a good story, whether you’re a fan or not.”

He tells a very good story in Star Trek, and turned me into a fan.

What the What is Going on with Suckerpunch?

Posted on 20. Apr, 2009 by Jeremy in Books, Press On, Publishing Suckerpunch, Writing

The latest revision is being reviewed by my agent, and will hopefully go out to editors soon.

Back up – what the what is Suckerpunch?

Suckerpunch is the first book in a series featuring heavyweight mixed martial artist Aaron “Woodshed” Wallace, who is stuck on no-name cards for tiny organizations. Woody is trying to put his violent (and, ahem, possibly illegal) past behind him with help from his trainer and mentor, Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt Gil Hobbes.

When Banzai Eddie Takanori – president of MMA’s largest organization, Warrior Inc. – offers Woody a short-notice fight against a highly favored poster boy, Woody sees his shot at salvation.

By the time Woody figures out he’s just a pawn in a high-stakes game between psychopaths, he’s in way too deep.

Good thing he knows how to take a punch.

And give a few back…