tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post3078386789960583756..comments2023-05-14T21:11:23.699-04:00Comments on CHEESEBURGER BROWN: Story Wallah: The Secret Mathematic - Chapter FourCheeseburger Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-75975642744212017762008-01-18T19:38:00.000-05:002008-01-18T19:38:00.000-05:00I own them all, unfortunately half my collection h...I own them all, unfortunately half my collection hasn't arrived yet, it left lulu in early november...Tolomeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384928311920896699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-90840112987453454522008-01-18T16:55:00.000-05:002008-01-18T16:55:00.000-05:00I betcha there will be, Teddy.And for those intere...I betcha there will be, Teddy.<BR/><BR/>And for those interested, the current collection of Mr. Brown's works can be had for purchase all in one <A HREF="http://cheeseburgerbrown.com/Books.html" REL="nofollow">convenient location</A>!<BR/><BR/>(Simon doesn't mind shilling for the Burger.)<BR/><BR/>And the Darth Side PDF is a free download. How can you beat that?!<BR/><BR/>I'm pleased to say I own all four of what I will call the Burgerverse Books: Simon of Space, Hot Buttered Something, The Bikes of New York, Sensible Flying Shoes. And all well worth the purchase price. If you go to the page linked above and check out the specific book link for <A HREF="http://cheeseburgerbrown.com/publications/Simon_of_Space/index.html" REL="nofollow">Simon of Space</A>, it has an attractive front page with reader reviews and the iconic Jeremiah.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06946639624660520997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-43335185694070646162008-01-18T16:16:00.000-05:002008-01-18T16:16:00.000-05:00So, if this is going to turn out to be a novella t...So, if this is going to turn out to be a novella then, I assume a dead-tree version will be available? It seems to me there are enough books under the name CBB that there ought to be a boxed set by now.<BR/><BR/>TRHTeddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06429915965397673079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-72427051203339083622008-01-18T10:43:00.000-05:002008-01-18T10:43:00.000-05:00Dear Dan,The novel project I've been mentioning is...Dear Dan,<BR/><BR/>The novel project I've been mentioning is <I>The Flying Dollar</I>, which was supposed to start rolling in February after <I>The Secret Mathematic</I> wrapped.<BR/><BR/><I>The Secret Mathematic</I>, however, has turned into a larger project with an uncertain timeline so the debut of <I>The Flying Dollar</I> has been pushed back accordingly.<BR/><BR/>Also, for those of you who enjoyed my brother's contribution, here are some links to a couple of other projects on which he and I collaborated:<BR/><BR/><I>Space Attack!</I> (3 minute animated short)<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://mfdh.ca/movies/space-attack/art/MFDHca_SpaceAttack.mov" REL="nofollow">QuickTime</A><BR/><A HREF="http://mfdh.ca/movies/space-attack/art/MFDHca_SpaceAttack.wmv" REL="nofollow">Windows Media</A><BR/><BR/><I>Pan 4.3v2</I> (3.5 minute ambient electronica music video)<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.thesyntaxerrorproject.com/media/SE-Pan4-3v2.mov" REL="nofollow">QuickTime</A><BR/><A HREF="http://thesyntaxerrorproject.com/media/SE-Pan4-3v2.wmv" REL="nofollow">Windows Media</A><BR/><A HREF="http://www.thesyntaxerrorproject.com/media/SE-Pan4-3v2.m4v" REL="nofollow">iPod</A><BR/><BR/>Yours,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-16229211810148743952008-01-18T09:55:00.000-05:002008-01-18T09:55:00.000-05:00Moksha, If I remember correctly. We are indeed re...Moksha, <BR/><BR/>If I remember correctly. We are indeed reading the stand alone novel now.<BR/><BR/>THE DanimalDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657614872089173887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-24218392727843870302008-01-17T21:41:00.000-05:002008-01-17T21:41:00.000-05:00listening to the music it occurred to me that it'd...listening to the music it occurred to me that it'd sit very well as the backing to an opening montage in a movieTolomeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16384928311920896699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-41899664421840974662008-01-17T14:46:00.000-05:002008-01-17T14:46:00.000-05:00Wonderful chapter..and excellent musical accompani...Wonderful chapter..and excellent musical accompaniment. Bringing others into a multi-media collaborative like this is very appealing. My cousin was supposed to produce charcoal sketches of my gren story...but he's yet to do anything with it. I thought his unemployeed status would help me out in this respect....but I guess I forgot to factor in the fact that he's unemployeed because he's uber-lazy. So...here's to family members like Mr. Cat who actually produce beautiful art ;)<BR/><BR/>As I mentioned to you before (in an email that simultaneously insulted and praised) your writing is improving at a noticable rate. I have to beleive that you will be "noticed" in the near future. And though the previous internet publication will probably be a hurdle to overcome, I see your major issue being the very thing that makes them so appealing to geeks like us...namely the interconnectedness of the story. As a publisher, I'd have a hard time knowing where to begin. Optimally, SOS (as a stand alone story) gets published and folks turn to the shorts for more info. But outside of that, publishers may have a hard time pushing the entire Burgerverse rather than one packaged story. You mentioned a while ago that you were working on another novel that could stand by itself. I think that's wise. <BR/><BR/>One way or the other, though, I'm certainly enjoying the rideMoksha Grenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10585999080521869550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-10243042041547556152008-01-17T10:50:00.000-05:002008-01-17T10:50:00.000-05:00As a hopeful comment, there are other published au...As a hopeful comment, there are other published authors who do what you do, and still get published. An example is Brandon Sanderson, who posted 1st draft chapters of Warbreaker as they were completed. Interestingly, his agent's major worry was not that a book already posted on the internet would not be published, but that the roughness of his drafts would be mistaken for his final work. So I do think you can find publishers who "get" what you're doing here, and will publish these stories along with all the new imaginative material your brain has yet to bring to your attention.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17680056990468177565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-57669520943831408362008-01-16T21:41:00.000-05:002008-01-16T21:41:00.000-05:00Also, I can vouch for Mark that I didn't tell him ...Also, I can vouch for Mark that I didn't tell him to say that. Given that he's the only Burgerphile who's ever met me, I guess that's the best endorsement I can hope for here!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-79438948830774921372008-01-16T20:54:00.000-05:002008-01-16T20:54:00.000-05:00Ladies and Gentlemen, The Cheeseburger Manifesto.B...Ladies and Gentlemen, The Cheeseburger Manifesto.<BR/><BR/>Bravo.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-15371650147957093602008-01-16T19:08:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:08:00.000-05:00Dear Mark,I certainly didn't mean you weren't doin...Dear Mark,<BR/><BR/><I>I certainly didn't mean you weren't doing everything you could to promote yourself.</I><BR/><BR/>Oh, I know, eh? Did I sound like I was pouncing? I didn't mean to. I guess I just have pent-up anxiety on the subject.<BR/><BR/><I>...they'll say, "We can't use anything you've already put on the web,"...</I><BR/><BR/>You know, I've got to figure that anyone in a position to really do something big with my stuff would have to <I>get</I> what I'm doing here, and appreciate it. In other words, if what I do here is seen as an obstacle, I don't think that's somebody I'm going to get into bed with in the first place. I've made those sorts of compromises before (<I>q.v.</I> the failed TV series, independent film production, et al), and it doesn't seem to turn out.<BR/><BR/>You make a great point about the perspective shift that comes about with the Internet.<BR/><BR/>Historically, what a publisher offered a writer was a pittance and the ability to finance a run of books and advertise their availability to get the writer's words in front of thousands of eyeballs. In the unlikely event that they struck gold, this might turn into millions of eyeballs and a more reasonable quantity of money.<BR/><BR/>Today, I can get my words in front of thousands eyeballs without much help, and I can even wring a pittance out of it.<BR/><BR/>Any publisher who wants to make their case would have to demonstrate to me that they can do what I can't, which would be to turn thousands of eyeballs into millions and a pittance into some actual cash. Since striking that kind of gold is pretty hit or miss no matter what size your market, what they've have to sell me on is their ability to stack the deck in that game. And if someone's going to play you in a game, they're probably going to have to believe that what you offer somehow helps stack that deck. To make a convoluted point: if somebody wants to bet on me, that means they already think what I've got is going to fly. And what kind of chump would toss out a stacked deck over a trifle?<BR/><BR/>If a publisher believes in me, and believes in the value of my storytelling, I can't imagine they'd toss the baby out with the bathwater just because drafts have been posted on the Web. Somebody that shortsighted isn't somebody I want to be defending my work to.<BR/><BR/>Naturally, I can compromise.<BR/><BR/>If a publisher looked at my stuff and said, "Hey, this guy can tell some stories! Why don't we contract him for an exclusive work?" that's a deal I'd consider.<BR/><BR/>But sending away my crafted dreams with SASE and everything formatted according to spec in order to wait for prolonged judgement from on high, keeping it all secret in the meantime...<I>nope</I>. It's not for me. I like telling stories too much. I can't sit on all this. I'd just up and do something else, instead.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-84551909697613682102008-01-16T18:26:00.000-05:002008-01-16T18:26:00.000-05:00Jesus H. Pop on a Christ-sicle stick!I certainly d...Jesus H. Pop on a Christ-sicle stick!<BR/><BR/>I certainly didn't mean you weren't doing everything you could to promote yourself.<BR/><BR/>I guess because I first started writing and dreaming of one day being published many years ago, when folks didn't have a cheap way to publish their own work (Internet), I'm still in the mindset of writing, revising, revising, revising, and revising some more, and then submit it to someone and see what happens.<BR/><BR/>I just worry that if SOS does bring you interest from major publishers/film companies, etc. that they'll say, "We can't use anything you've already put on the web," and you'll turn around and realize you have no more ideas. Or, at the very least, that a major chunk of the Burgerverse will never appear anywhere but here.<BR/><BR/>That's all. You're kicking butt. I know how hard it is to write a story in serial format, and I don't do it as well as you. Perhaps I'm just thinking of myself, because my story ideas are so few and far between.<BR/><BR/>In closing, in my best beer-slurred speech... I love you, man.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-22050585004481889602008-01-16T16:22:00.000-05:002008-01-16T16:22:00.000-05:00Dear Mark,I can't help thinking you shouldn't be g...Dear Mark,<BR/><BR/><I>I can't help thinking you shouldn't be giving this stuff away...</I><BR/><BR/>Dude, if you've got a plan of action I'm all ears.<BR/><BR/>To me it's always seemed best to focus one's efforts, to it seems to me that trying to get published is practically a full-time job. So I figure I can either focus on <B>(a)</B> <I>writing stories</I> or I can focus on <B>(b)</B> <I>trying to get stories published</I>. It seems nonsensical to concentrate on <B>(b)</B> when you don't have all your <B>(a)</B> ducks in a row. After all, what are you trying to get published if you haven't any time to write stories?<BR/><BR/>Given the constraints of my life, my finances, and my maximum possible energy expenditure, I've come to the conclusion that <B>(b)</B> is somebody else's job. I hope they're good at it. I hope they work cheap. I hope they apply soon.<BR/><BR/>I've enlisted a half-dozen such potential helpers over the past few years, including an American literary agent and a Hollywood producer, all of whom put their earnest all into scoring meetings with publishers so they could convince them to put yours truly into print. In each case this sort of thing was exactly their bag -- it was their day job, they had contacts in the industry, they knew the talk and spent the time to press the flesh. And yet, the results have been universally disappointing.<BR/><BR/>I figure that if American professionals can't get a burger in edgewise, what possible hope do I -- a chronically busy amateur dorkish Canadian -- have? The conservative answer: nearly none.<BR/><BR/>Sometimes it even feels like my dear old familiar Web is against me: I can't get a mention on Boing Boing to save my life, I haven't been Slashdotted since 2005, and self-promotion is deeply frowned upon in other popular venues like MetaFilter. I had a few Internet folks step forward to volunteer to do interviews and help me with promotions in exchange for a free copy of a book or two...only to have them reneg, disappear or just plain fail to mail me back (kiss my sharries, Biz Stone!).<BR/><BR/>American media aren't interested in me because I'm Canadian. Canadian media aren't interested in me because my publisher is American.<BR/><BR/>How the devil is a hardworking idiot like me supposed to get <I>noticed?</I><BR/><BR/>Take this blog for example. The Web is full of advice about how to get your name out there and bring in fresh visitors, and while I won't claim I've run the gamut of self-promotion I've certainly been consistently chipping away at trying to establish a brand and a reputation. And yet traffic to my blog is barely double what it was a year ago -- that's <I>something</I>, I guess, but it's nothing to write home about, and certainly not the sort of breakthrough I need to broaden the audience.<BR/><BR/>It can be discouraging sometimes. I read all the time about people bitching and moaning about how they'd love scifi that doesn't insult their intelligence, that they mourn the decline of reading, that they love finding websites with original and fresh content that isn't trying to bilk them out of their money or personal data. And yet...they don't seem to be following the links. They don't ever get here. They complain, then move on to the next snappy headline on Fark.<BR/><BR/>But, like I said, I don't put 110% (as the sports expression goes) into promotions. I simply can't. I already put everything I've got into writing the damn stories, and what's left over is barely sufficient to fuel a marriage, a family, a demanding full-time job and any kind of social life. There's simply no conceivable way I could devote more energy to this mission.<BR/><BR/>...Unless I wrote fewer stories, of course.<BR/><BR/>The problem with <I>that</I> is that writing stories is the part I love. I'm shitty at any other part, because I lack zeal for it. I hate schmoozing. I have a poor record at it, too. I hate looking at the submission guidelines for magazines and recognizing that there isn't a damn story I've ever told that would fit the bill, unless I craft something custom for them to reject, which seems to me a worse waste of time than the lottery.<BR/><BR/>It's not only that I love it. It's also that I still suck, and I figure the best way to suck less is to write more. I can't ever find a good time to sit back and just whore what I already got because what I already got isn't good enough for that.<BR/><BR/>Don't imagine I don't give time to mulling over the possibilities. Don't imagine it doesn't cross my mind to just throw in the towel and take up a more rewarding hobby, like watching hockey on TV or being a charismatic alcoholic (or both!). Don't think I don't ask myself several times a week, "Am I wasting my best energies beating a dead horse only a handful of dedicated readers even remotely give a shit about?"<BR/><BR/>So...any bright ideas?<BR/><BR/>In reply to your second question, the review copies have already gone out. The final edition is being layed out as I type.<BR/><BR/>Dear Simon,<BR/><BR/>I'm glad you're enjoying the crack I'm so addicted to: interleaved stories. I love that delicious mix of familiarity and anticipation you get when you get to follow a story that you already have backstory on -- when the bits of pieces of the storytelling are just touches on top of an established bed of shared knowledge.<BR/><BR/>I just re-watched <I>The Last Crusade</I> on the weekend. I simply adore that bit where they find the painting of the ark on the wall in the cavern under Venice and John Williams brings in a hint of the Ark Theme from the first movie. Else: "What's this?" Indy: "Ark uh tha Covenant." Else: "Are you sure?" Indy: "Pretty sure."<BR/><BR/>And yes, I did pine for Claire Danes when I was teenaged, watching <I>My So-Called Life</I> and wishing I was better looking than Jordan Catalano (does memory serve?) so she'd notice me right through the television glass.<BR/><BR/>Oh crap -- I have more comments to respond to but suddenly boss is getting all uppity about me doing shit for <I>him</I>. Better get on that. I'll be back to the thread in a few hours.<BR/><BR/>Love,<BR/>Cheeseburger BrownCheeseburger Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01384136287767500794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-65110086253735433552008-01-16T14:38:00.000-05:002008-01-16T14:38:00.000-05:00Thanks for all the comments, guys! Composing the m...Thanks for all the comments, guys! Composing the music was a lot of fun, and I'm really glad it was enjoyed. :)<BR/><BR/>- Isosceles_CATAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-9524451337704962642008-01-16T12:40:00.000-05:002008-01-16T12:40:00.000-05:00I'd lend my voice as well.I can see it now....[beg...I'd lend my voice as well.<BR/><BR/>I can see it now....<BR/><BR/>[begin dream sequence [CBB in a conf room with a major publisher (MP) - cigar smoke everywhere]]<BR/><BR/>CBB - Thank you, Sir. The offer is very generous. However, you have to use my Burgerbloggerverse cronies for the voicework on the audiobook/drama<BR/><BR/>MP -You drive a hard bargain CBB ..SOLD!!!!<BR/><BR/>THE DanimalDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01657614872089173887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-44445917733311507182008-01-16T11:09:00.000-05:002008-01-16T11:09:00.000-05:00CBB - Sheik's voice would be great as a narrator. ...CBB - Sheik's voice would be great as a narrator. And, no, he didn't ask me to say that.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-23794181861123340702008-01-16T11:08:00.000-05:002008-01-16T11:08:00.000-05:00Teddy, upon a re-read, I see that my effusive prai...Teddy, upon a re-read, I see that my effusive praise of your chess conclusion might have made my comment seem disingenuous. It was late and I was tired, so I might have emoted a little more than usual. That was all. No poke-funnery (or fun-pokery?) intended. I liked your conjecture.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-87680057746876011822008-01-16T10:46:00.000-05:002008-01-16T10:46:00.000-05:00For the overture, I enjoyed everything, except a s...For the overture, I enjoyed everything, except a short sequence from 3:43 - 3:50. That short transition there felt forced and shallow. But then I particularly liked the theme that came just after it. All in all, interesting sound, with minor tones that matched the story, not just melancholy, but exploratory as well.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17680056990468177565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-78174402234551471902008-01-16T00:48:00.000-05:002008-01-16T00:48:00.000-05:00teddy, that's genious. Of course, this is the che...teddy, that's genious. Of course, this is the chess connection. Whoa.<BR/><BR/>Great music, by the way. Makes it more cinematic, if that's possible.<BR/><BR/>I recall listening to some other works by your brother way back in... was it SOS? Can't recall.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-48930705300013843262008-01-15T23:20:00.000-05:002008-01-15T23:20:00.000-05:00That's infuriating Teddy, you know that don't you?...That's infuriating Teddy, you know that don't you??<BR/>;)<BR/><BR/>I quite liked the soundtrack accompaniment to my second reading of the chapter. Seems like it captured the tone perfectly. I'll have to have it playing in the background for future chapters. Nice job, Cheeseburger's brother!Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06946639624660520997noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-91225010509787601332008-01-15T21:03:00.000-05:002008-01-15T21:03:00.000-05:00Teddy: got what? Drago loved her inappropriately...Teddy: got what? Drago loved her inappropriately, after all.<BR/><BR/>CBB, if you ever need someone for voice work, I'd love to volunteer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-77120414425078726392008-01-15T21:02:00.000-05:002008-01-15T21:02:00.000-05:00Sounds great. Less filling.Wait a minute.Seriousl...Sounds great. Less filling.<BR/><BR/>Wait a minute.<BR/><BR/>Seriously, tell Fries/Cat this is good. A real orchestra would make it sound even better. This reminds me of some of the 2's Complement work that echoed Simon's journey... very contemplative, with some dark complexity (pardon me; I've just been reading up on wines so my ratings may be mixed up).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-10361239162819621792008-01-15T19:17:00.000-05:002008-01-15T19:17:00.000-05:00OOOOOOOOH! Good song...what else have you got? T...OOOOOOOOH! Good song...what else have you got? The American Consumer in me demands "Burgerverse: The Soundtrack". Maybe a couple of audio readings of some of these stories would be cool too. Blind people shouldn't be missing out on!<BR/><BR/>Intriguing. This explains the erotic nature to the chess dreams...<BR/><BR/>OH! OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH!<BR/><BR/>I'VE GOT IT!<BR/><BR/>teehee...but I won't tell...<BR/><BR/>TRHTeddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06429915965397673079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-32326075821698818122008-01-15T16:58:00.000-05:002008-01-15T16:58:00.000-05:00I didn't even see the overture link before reading...I didn't even see the overture link before reading the chapter. Sorry. Will listen at home.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08722639974320971726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16435271.post-70362956076968015952008-01-15T16:56:00.000-05:002008-01-15T16:56:00.000-05:00I listened to the music as I read this part and it...I listened to the music as I read this part and it really complemented the story. The music is very much the "movie music" or like that of some of my favorite Sci-fi/horror TV shows. It gives the story a "X-files" type feel.<BR/><BR/>Now that I think of it, I could imagine the case of Drago being investigated by Skully and Mulder. Of course, unlike the X-Files, there is a good chance that we'll actually get to find out what it's all about.<BR/><BR/>It is a bit odd (and, I guess, explanatory) that the Zorans have nude pictures of their dead teen sister/daughter all over their tent. It makes me wonder what Dragana was into before she had an unfortunate encounter with a land mine.<BR/><BR/>As always: Bravo sir. Bravo.SaintPeterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02064605142705446251noreply@blogger.com