The Mountain and The City Coming to Audiobook

Thanks to ACX, I can officially say that my first audiobook goes into production starting Monday. Sometime by Christmas you'll be able to listen to The Mountain and The City: The Complete Saga in its entirety.

The book will be voiced by the talented Victoria Smart, @smartvic on Twitter, and if what I've heard so far is any indication, it promises to be a unique and emotional ride, a real performance rather than a simple reading. I'm probably anticipating this project more than anyone else, because I'm looking forward to being able to experience one of my novels without having to look at the actual text, which more than anything becomes a regret-fest: "Why did I put that comma there?" "Did that dialogue really need a character tag?" These are the things that clench my stomach and ruin my afternoon, and if it sounds a little excessive, all I can say is, A) it probably is and B) that's fine, and I hear you, I do, but I can't do anything about it. Audio has a great way of wiping all that aside by making it real. Hearing an actor perform your work is usually equal parts terrifying and exciting, but in the rights hands it can lean joyfully toward the exciting. Thankfully, I found the right hands.

I'll update when there's an update. Until then.

The Word Tank

In the months since the saga of The Mountain and The City came to a close by becoming a real, live book, I've been working on some things.

I started off by returning to my film roots with "The Scapegoatist", an unpublished novel I decided would make a better screenplay. A little digging through this blog would turn up some mentions of that story, along with an excerpt of that previously doomed book. Before the paint had dried on that one I jumped into a second screenplay, this one no less dark, yet a change of pace in that it's a period piece. More on that in the future.

The other major project I've been involved with is launching www.thewordtank.com. I'll let the press release speak for itself:

New York author Brian Martinez has teamed up with Naples film and literary manager Bruce Barone, Jr. to form a start-up aimed at aspiring writers. Dubbed The Word Tank, they offer a full-service gateway for editing, polishing and selling spec scripts as well as other forms of writing.

Combining the artistic with the commercial, the pair believe they offer what their website refers to as a “unique industry perspective” to the screenwriter who wants to enjoy success yet maintain their artistic edge. In some cases they may even help the project find a home. As a writer himself, Martinez has some insight into the ups and downs of the creative process. “I know what it’s like to have a manuscript locked away in a drawer because it’s not right. I honestly believe everyone has a story in them, but the process of getting it out isn’t always an easy one.”

Barone, CEO of Barone Media Group, a public relations, media and design company, says the project came from both a love of scripts and a hard look at the marketplace. “We realized there were all these script services promising fame and fortune instead of focusing on the writer’s work. We wanted to focus directly on their needs and find a way to take their work to the next step.” Their site even offers editing and formatting services to ensure the end product is as professional looking as possible. Barone adds, “If the work is excellent, the doors will open.”

Much has been said of the difficulties in being picked out of the slush pile, from tired interns to over-saturation of the market. Martinez, no stranger to the perils of authorship, explains. “If someone picks up your story, you have five minutes to impress them, tops. So the question is, what will you do with that five minutes?”

The duo invites writers of all kinds to visit their website, www.thewordtank.com, where their blog offers weekly tips and thoughts on all aspects of writing and selling stories.

The Word Tank was formed in 2013 by Bruce Barone, Jr. of Naples, Florida and Brian Martinez of Long Island, New York. It offers services for beginner and intermediate writers to sharpen their scripts as well as market themselves to potential buyers.