Press On – Official Site of Author Jeremy Brown

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.

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.

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…

Site Revamp

Posted on 16. Apr, 2009 by Jeremy in Press On, Writing

Hey now,

I switched the site over to WordPress, because it’s super.

Jeremy

MMA on CBS, Still on Hold for Me

Posted on 01. Jun, 2008 by Jeremy in Press On, Sharpening, Writing

The MMA training is still on hold while I figure out how it will affect everything else I like to do, like everyday workouts, trail walks and biking, typing, breathing, etc. Another aspect I need to consider is whether or not it’s fair to the other guys at the gym. If they’re training for a fight the next weekend, am I doing them any good when I’m there for research?

I watched the debut of MMA on network television last night, and it while it was exciting to see the network treatment of this great sport, I’m not sure the production represented MMA as well as it could have. The fighters were all great and the commentary was smart and informative, but the dancers and some of the clowns cornering the fighters were amateurish.

The crowd booing at the slightest lack of action was also disappointing, especially during the Lawler/Smith fight. When the guy you’re facing has one-punch KO power, a little distance and feeling-out is understandable. It’s not hesitation, it’s strategy.

And after even the limited MMA training I’ve done, I marvel at the conditioning of these athletes. During last night’s event and UFC 84 last week, I found myself doing a lot less “He should just…” speculation. I was taking deep breaths just watching them try to suck air with another person’s full weight on them, working for and against submissions while throwing and blocking strikes.

The Kimbo/Thompson fight was a great example. Both men exhausted, battered, and looking like they were one solid punch away from lights out, and they each were able to dig a little deeper to bridge into a reverse, roll the other’s weight, even go for double-leg takedowns.

Good stuff, gentlemen.

They showed that the fighters and the sport are enough to make MMA a success. I hope the networks figure that out before the next broadcast.

Suckerpunch is still being looked at by publishers; hopefully some good news on that front soon.

A Different Kind of Workout

Posted on 23. May, 2008 by Jeremy in Press On, Sharpening, Writing

From what I’ve seen and felt, the only thing that can prepare one for an MMA workout is an MMA workout. I went into Tuesday’s class feeling pretty good despite a tender thumb (tweaked during my first class one week prior when I stumbled into a rack of wooden swords – if they’d been real, I’d be typing with stumps right now), and ready for more boxing drills and sparring.

Ah, surprises. We warmed up as usual, then went right into 5-minute rounds of agility and power movements:

• Footwork through a rope ladder on the floor
• Forward high jumps over little hurdles with our knees as high as we could get them
• Hopping on one foot in and out of a rope ladder on the floor
• Lateral high jumps over hurdles
• Moving laterally along a rope ladder on the floor, touching the toes of each foot inside each square
• Start over and do it all again

We did three rounds of that with 30 seconds rest in between, and I had to take a few breathers during the last round. It doesn’t feel good to let the other guys down by taking a break, but I didn’t want to dig a hole I couldn’t get out of.

Then we moved on to something I was really interested in; the instructor, Fernando Neto, an MMA fighter and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt from Brazil, showed us how to transition into an armbar from the guard when our opponent postures up and plants a foot for balance. This is the kind of stuff that will really inform my writing and give me an understanding of MMA strategy. How to set something up and execute it with all the details on where to put your hands, feet, hips, etc.

After that we sparred. I find it fascinating how two people who’ve never met can say, “Wanna go?”
“Sure.”
“I’m Dave.”
“Jim.”
Then they touch gloves and begin to kick, punch, choke, and crank each other. When it’s over, they touch gloves again and say, “Nice work.”

It’s honest and real, and incredibly refreshing. There are no facades, at least not for me. I don’t have the energy to spare for it.

Driving home, one week after the first class that left me barely able to dial a phone, I felt great. A few tweaks here and there, but the long Memorial Day weekend should be ample time for those to heal.