"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."
—Muriel Rukeyser
____________________________

Getting Your Story Straight⁠ with Kenneth Atchity: Theme



Professional coaching tips to help you figure out point of view, structure, and master all the elements of story.⁠ Learn more at The Writer's Lifeline.com

Their Publishing Imprint Closed. Now They’re Bringing It Back.

In a literary landscape dominated by the biggest players, Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau are among the executives rejecting the corporate publishing model and instead starting their own companies.




Last year, after Penguin Random House shut down the literary imprint Spiegel & Grau, the veteran editors Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau pondered what to do next.
This week, Ms. Spiegel and Ms. Grau announced that they are back in business — this time, as an independent publishing house with a much broader definition of what publishing entails.
In its revamped form, Spiegel & Grau will produce 15 to 20 books a year, as well as original audiobooks and podcasts. It will also work on television and film adaptations and already has signed a first-look deal with Amazon Studios to develop projects from its titles.


Read more

Author Spotlight: Rowdy Herrington Author of Father Christmas


 


Father Christmas is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that will bring families together with inspirational holiday cheer and nostalgia for the comfort of Santa Claus.

 “A beautifully-written tribute to fathers and their daughters, mothers and their sons, and the true spirit of Christmas. It will touch your heart.”— Malcolm McDowell "This beautiful family story makes me believe in Santa Claus." — Norman Stephens, former head Warner Television, Village Roadshow 

"Herrington is a born storyteller. His skills are in full display here as he reminds us all, in the tradition of O’Henry, Dickens, and the Grimms, how the Christmas season can restore our faith in each other." — John Harrison, writer/director Frank Herbert’s Dune

Kenneth Atchity on Voices in Japan Podcast with Burke & Ben!



Ken Atchity discusses the creative process, films, language & recent book "Japanese In-Law: Words and Phrases for Day-to-Day Living" for those who’ve fallen in love w/ Japanese. Available on Amazon.



Weekly podcast episodes with half-Japanese/half-American Burke (18 years in Japan) and Ben from England (13 years in Japan) and their guests. 


CMC Pictures Announces Future Movie Projects Featuring The Meg 2


 CMC Pictures, a film company specializing in the production and foreign distribution of Chinese films, showcased its future projects including the upcoming "The Meg 2."

"The Meg 2" is the sequel to the successful 2018 Chinese-American co-production "The Meg." The original installment was directed by Jon Turteltaub, starred Jason Statham and Li Bingbing, and grossed 1.05 billion yuan in China, $143 million in America, and $530 million worldwide.

The follow-up will be directed by Ben Wheatley and may see the original cast reunited. CMC Pictures included the film in its annual showcase of upcoming movies as its key project, and will partner with Discovery to produce merchandise, develop animated content and conduct marketing for "The Meg 2."

Dealing With Your Type-C Creative Mind: Embrace Action

 



Learn more about One-on-one coaching to help understand a Type-C personality and equip you with practical tools to make yourself more productive and less frustrated with storytelling.⁠

Ken's Weekly Book Recommendation Milton Lyles The Cruelest Lie

 






The CRUELEST LIE is a gritty telling of treachery, greed, love, betrayal, and courage set against the lush background of the Louisiana bayou country. ⁠
The story centers around the deaths of three young men and the small town corruption and avarice that threatens to destroy an innocent boy setting in motion a deadly struggle between integrity and iniquity, truth and deceit.⁠

Tis The Season - NEW From Story Merchant Books! FATHER CHRISTMAS: A TRUE STORY by ROWDY HERRINGTON



Father Christmas is an unforgettable coming-of-age story that will bring families together with inspirational holiday cheer and nostalgia for the comfort of Santa Claus.

In the coal mining town of Brilliant, Ohio during the Great Depression, 10-year-old Annie O’Neill is finally allowed to stay up on Christmas Eve, bursting with excitement and wonder at finally catching a glimpse of Father Christmas himself! Though her family struggles to make ends meet, Santa Claus always leaves Annie and her siblings presents that bring joy and laughter for the whole family.

When Annie’s Father returns home from a long shift at the coal mine on Christmas Eve, Annie makes a life-changing discovery about who Santa Claus really is. As her heart wrestles with reality and make-believe, Annie’s profound discovery about the real Father Christmas will touch the hearts of people everywhere. As she gracefully releases her innocence, Annie learns the true meaning of Christmas is what lies in your heart.

“A beautifully-written tribute to fathers and their daughters, mothers and their sons, and the true spirit of Christmas. It will touch your heart.”— Malcolm McDowell

"This beautiful family story makes me believe in Santa Claus." — Norman Stephens, former head Warner Television, Village Roadshow

"Herrington is a born storyteller. His skills are in full display here as he reminds us all, in the tradition of O’Henry, Dickens, and the Grimms, how the Christmas season can restore our faith in each other." — John Harrison, writer/director Frank Herbert’s Dune


Steve Alten on Your California Life

Enjoy an underwater adventure like no other with sharks, sea monsters and thrills all included. Aubrey Aquino chat swith Steve Alten about this new virtual stay under the sea! 


Start at

Ken's Weekly Book Recommendation: Medusa: Heroines of Classical Greece Book Series by Scot Hines

 




In one of the most compelling tales from classical Greece since Mary Renault's Bull from the Sea and Fire from Heaven, author Scot Hines retells the legend of Medusa in a way that makes her feel like a contemporary millennial girl with very special problems.


Award winning writer/ director/ producer, Nicole Conn on KFXM Radio Talks about her New Lesbian Dating Show!

Nicole Conn... Few people are immune to the blush of new love. It’s a primary driver for all of humanity. But what does it feel like for a woman the first time she’s with another woman? What does our Lead’s first kiss with a woman feel like? First Date? First Dance? Viewers get to share in our Lead’s elation and confusion, lust and distrust, and everything in between as she discovers her authentic self and identity. And between two women, romance can multiply tenfold, creating endless scenarios for fun, mischief and romance. It’s about finding true love during a life altering transition that ups the ante.


Listen to "Radio Show 11-07-2020 with guest Nicole Conn and the Lesbian Dating Show" on Spreaker.

Pulp Today 01: The Tall Dolores

 David Avallone introduces, and reads the first pages of, his father Michael Avallone's classic 1953 novel THE TALL DOLORES.

Enter Ed Noon on the world scene. The tallest burlesque queen in the universe hires Noon to find her even taller lover, who has vanished under strange circumstances. He turns up stabbed and dead on the steps of the Museum of Natural History, and sets Noon on a twisted murderous missing diamond-encrusted trail that ultimately leads to the Statue of Liberty. Noon meets Lt. Mike Monks of NY’s Homicide Dept who will become not only a Captain, but also Noon’s greatest ally and friend over the next four decades.


Want to read the rest of the book? Available on Amazon

Steve Alten on Into Everything with Pete & Kels Podcast

Listen here

In this episode they sit down with New York Times bestselling author of the MEG series, Steve Alten! They talk about his books and his new interactive website! 

In this episode we discuss:

  • The Meg - both the book and the movie
  • The Loch and other novels
  • Steve's involvement in education/literacy for teens
  • Sea Monsters Cove
  • What's coming out next

Guest Bio:


Steve Alten is a New York Times and internationally best selling author. He has written more than 20 novels and is most well known for his MEG series, The Loch, and the Domain trilogy. He is part of the Adopt-An-Author teen-reading program used across the US.


Check out his new interactive website:
www.seamonstercove.com
You can also find Steve at:
stevealten.com
Instagram: @stevealtenofficial
Twitter: @meg82159

Q&A Session with Career Change Coach Dr. Ken Atchity

Dr. Ken Atchity, son of a war vet, has seen the rocky adjustment some troops face when transitioning to civilian life. He is a Fulbright professor of American culture, a story editor, and career consultant who has helped get over 260+ stories published. He has also produced over 30+ feature films and television shows, and written 20+ books. 

Dr. Atchity focuses on helping veterans find “fulfilling” post-service careers. He offers strategies and tactics to help you find your right career path, ready to coach you into whatever career you would love to be doing. He believes stories change the world and wants to offer all veterans a free opportunity to benefit from his experience



.

Help, we're stressed out! Election stress and anxiety in America

 Feeling a little stressed? Anxious? So are we!

Psychologist Meg Van Deusen on understanding existential stress and anxiety and how to deal with it.

Seattle's Meg Van Deusen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist, mindfulness practitioner, and the author of Stressed in the US: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More helps us deal with our feelings of stress and anxiety around the election, the pandemic ... everything!

She also fills us in on how stress is impacting different parts of the population and what role technology might play.




Stressed in the US Book Cover

Stressed in the US: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More

Stressed in the US addresses the relevant cultural phenomena that are contributing to stress in the US since the turn of the millennium, such as tech addiction, loneliness and anxiety. Meg Van Deusen talks about what we can do to mitigate this pervasive problem.

“In this compelling book, Meg Van Deusen delivers on her promise of sharing effective navigational tools to help us make our way safely across the troubled waters of our times.”

 Dr. Vincent Atchity, President and CEO, Mental Health Colorado

About the Book

Seventy-five percent of Americans are moderately stressed. Seventy-five percent of Americans are lonely. More than 33 percent of us sleep less than six hours a night. In addition, 77 percent of us use social media daily and 81 percent of us own a smartphone. Why are these statistics important? Because loneliness, sleep-deprivation, social media use, tech use, and even gut-imbalance—which the Huffington Post refers to as “the modern plague”—are all causes and results of stress. Stress is the reason for at least 75 percent of today’s doctor’s visits, costing the US billions per year in employee absenteeism, accidents, and illnesses. 

9/11, climate change, a historic economic crisis, numerous mass shootings, an inordinate amount of school lockdowns, a foreign attack on our election, a politically divided country, tech-induced anxiety and addiction, and information overload: since 2000, these unique-to-our-time phenomena have created a petri dish of stress in the US, causing a host of emotional and physical ailments.

Here’s the problem: while the well-researched, psychological theory on attachment tells us that secure attachments to each other and to our nation create resilience to stress, our current American culture is creating barriers, not pathways, to human trust and closeness. Stressed in the US: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More investigates current, cultural phenomena that are causing a convergence of increased stress with decreased interpersonal connection from an attachment theory perspective.

Dr. Van Deusen explains why and how our relationships are breaking down at a time when we need them the most. The good news? As a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and mindfulness practitioner, she offers insights and solutions to a complex, pervasive problem.

• Restorative practices protect us
• Nature calms us
• Mindfulness connects us 

Dealing With Your Type-C Creative Mind: Anxiety

 


For all storytellers—novelists, screenwriters, journalists, nonfiction writers, and children’s book writers.⁠

Learn more about One-on-one coaching to help understand a Type-C personality and equip you with practical tools to make yourself more productive and less frustrated with storytelling.⁠⁠

curiouser & curiouser Podcast: Stressed In The U.S. With Dr. Meg Van Deusen



 Listen to the episode here!

I loved getting to speak with licensed clinical psychologist and author Dr. Meg Van Deusen for this podcast episode. I read Meg’s book — Stressed in the U.S.: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More — recently, and boy was it timely given the current state of our nation and our world! I was so glad to get to chat with Meg to dig a bit more into some of the themes of her book and share them with you here in this conversational format.  

Obviously, stress and anxiety are nothing new to our culture, but during her years treating patients Meg realized there were some themes she was seeing again and again. She wanted to dig more into those themes and issues, and the result is this book.

She gives some helpful context as to WHY we as a nation might be experiencing so many of these issues, and also shares some things we can do to reduce them in our own lives. That’s one of the most important things about the book: you’ll be left with practical tips you can incorporate right away to help you feel more grounded. She shared many of those tips during our conversation for this podcast as well, so listen up! (If you want to dig deeper into this topic after listening to this episode, be sure to grab a copy of Meg’s book as well!)

Stressed in the US Book Cover

Stressed in the US: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More

Stressed in the US addresses the relevant cultural phenomena that are contributing to stress in the US since the turn of the millennium, such as tech addiction, loneliness and anxiety. Meg Van Deusen talks about what we can do to mitigate this pervasive problem.

“In this compelling book, Meg Van Deusen delivers on her promise of sharing effective navigational tools to help us make our way safely across the troubled waters of our times.”

 Dr. Vincent Atchity, President and CEO, Mental Health Colorado

About the Book

Stressed in the US Book Cover


Seventy-five percent of Americans are moderately stressed. Seventy-five percent of Americans are lonely. More than 33 percent of us sleep less than six hours a night. In addition, 77 percent of us use social media daily and 81 percent of us own a smartphone. Why are these statistics important? Because loneliness, sleep-deprivation, social media use, tech use, and even gut-imbalance—which the Huffington Post refers to as “the modern plague”—are all causes and results of stress. Stress is the reason for at least 75 percent of today’s doctor’s visits, costing the US billions per year in employee absenteeism, accidents, and illnesses. 

9/11, climate change, a historic economic crisis, numerous mass shootings, an inordinate amount of school lockdowns, a foreign attack on our election, a politically divided country, tech-induced anxiety and addiction, and information overload: since 2000, these unique-to-our-time phenomena have created a petri dish of stress in the US, causing a host of emotional and physical ailments.

Here’s the problem: while the well-researched, psychological theory on attachment tells us that secure attachments to each other and to our nation create resilience to stress, our current American culture is creating barriers, not pathways, to human trust and closeness. Stressed in the US: Twelve Tools to Tackle Anxiety, Loneliness, Tech-Addiction and More investigates current, cultural phenomena that are causing a convergence of increased stress with decreased interpersonal connection from an attachment theory perspective.

Dr. Van Deusen explains why and how our relationships are breaking down at a time when we need them the most. The good news? As a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, and mindfulness practitioner, she offers insights and solutions to a complex, pervasive problem.

• Restorative practices protect us
• Nature calms us
• Mindfulness connects us 

'The Meg 2' Finds its Director With 'Rebecca' Filmmaker Ben Wheatley


Warner Bros. is going back in the water for another bite.

Warner Bros. is going back in the water for another bite.

The studio has set filmmaker Ben Wheatley, whose updated version of Gothic tale Rebecca debuted this week, to direct the sequel to its 2018 giant shark thriller hit, The Meg.

Much of key talent from the first movie is expected to return, including Jason Statham, who is said to be creatively involved. Jon and Erich Hoeber wrote the most recent draft working off an initial draft by Dean Georgaris (all three shared credit on the intial outting). Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery are back as producers.

Meg starred as Statham as a shark expert who fights tooth and nail against a giant prehistoric shark called a megalodon. Jon Turteltaub, known for the National Treasure movies, directed the movie, which proved to be a worldwide hit, chomping its way to $530.3 million globally. The movie, an adaptation of the novel by Steve Alten, was a Chinese co-production and saw Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson and Ruby Rose round out the cast.

Catherine Ying, Li Ruigang, E. Bennett Walsh, Gerald Molen and Randy Greenberg are exec producing.

Wheatley is a British filmmaker with a penchant for the dark and satirically skewed. He has racked up awards for his horror and crime movies such as Sightseers and Kill List, with each directorial outing working its way up the budgetary and acting ranks. He generated buzz for the 2015 dystopian thriller High Rise, which starred Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons, and followed that up with action comedy Free Fire, which starred Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer. Wheatley reteamed with the latter for Rebecca, which also stars Lily James and Kristin Scott Thomas, and is one of Netflix’s big movies of the fall season.


Read more at The Hollywood Reporter



 

Ken's Weekly Book Recommendation: Silence Her by Doug Fetterly

 





An idealistic journalist's daring activism puts her life on the line after she publically takes on corruption and the FDA.



In Conversation with Hollywood Film producer, Author, Literary Agent & Screenwriter — Ken Atchity.

The Entertainment Engine weekly podcast is providing helpful tips and information on navigating the entertainment industry across; Music, Film & TV for new bands, artists, actors, songwriters, and creatives.
 
 

With more than fifty years’ experience in the publishing world and over thirty years in entertainment, Dr. Ken Atchity (PhD Yale) has been called a “story merchant”—writer, professor, editor, producer, and literary manager. He’s launched hundreds of books and films, including New York Times bestsellers and Emmy-nominated documentaries, making over 200 films and television deals-with every broadcaster and every studio in Hollywood, and many independent film companies as well, including; HBO, Universal, CBS, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Paramount, NBC, Discovery, Regency, and Fox 2000 Pictures.

Getting Your Story Straight: Point of View

 


Professional coaching tips to help you figure out point of view, structure, and master all the elements of story.
⁠Follow Ken's series on IGTV @storymerchant

A Great Jason Statham Movie Is Finding Lots Of Love On Netflix


Jason Statham has been a regular fixture on our screens for over two decades now, but in the last few years, he’s enjoyed the most box office success of his career, largely due to his involvement in the Expendables and Fast and Furious franchises. Before that, the 53 year-old reigned for a long time as the king of the B-level action movie, churning out a series of formulaic genre flicks that were never anything less than watchable. But his career has really reached a whole new level as of late.

While a scene-stealing supporting role in Paul Feig’s Spy revealed a superb comic talent hidden underneath the rough exterior, Statham has tended to rely on his unique blend of gruff charisma to sell his personal brand, and it’s worked wonders for him. As a former competitive diver that represented his country at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, the Snatch star is obviously no stranger to the water, either, and that experience came in pretty handy when he headlined 2018 blockbuster The Meg.

National Treasure director Jon Turteltaub’s giant shark movie isn’t designed to engage the brain, but as an enjoyably preposterous piece of big budget entertainment, it definitely does the job. Jaws it most certainly isn’t, but it nonetheless ticks all of the boxes that you’d expect from a PG-13 effort armed with a budget of $150 million and populated almost entirely by recognizable but hardly A-list actors.

Audiences seemed to get a kick out of it, too, as The Meg wound up earning over $530 million at the box office, and a sequel is unsurprisingly said to be in the works. Netflix subscribers are loving it just as much as well it seems, as the enjoyable slice of mindless escapism is currently the ninth most popular title on the streaming service across the entire world today, with tons of people no doubt digging all the thrills it has to offer up.


Read more