(The Big Disrupt) Interview: The Carnage Report Talks With Jason Long, Founder And CEO Of BrainLeaf

The Carnage Report was lucky enough to catch up with Jason Long, founder and CEO of BrainLeaf, a brilliant service that helps designers and developers tackle with efficiency and ease an issue that has plagued designers and developers for years, the difficultly in controlling the scope for projects. Read this great interview where we talk about Brainleaf's beginnings, entrepreneurship, managing multiple businesses, new features, and Long's long term plans for BrainLeaf. Connect with Jason via Twitter @jasonmlong and also pay visit and sign up to use BrainLeaf and find out just how great a service it is for yourself at brainleaf.com

What inspired you to start Brainleaf?

Developers are optimists. Well, at least most of them are. And the problem with optimists is that their estimates are very often, optimistic. Telling someone that you're going to be at a meeting 5 minutes early then being 10 minutes late is annoying, but telling someone a job is going to take you 50 hours and it taking you 150 can kill a service company. So after running a web studio for a few years we realized that this was a problem that wasn't going to just go away, and that if we were going to make any money at all, our estimates had to be solid.

So we built a simple system to help us figure out how many hours projects were going to take. It was a good internal system, but needed a lot of work, and didn't have any way to reuse aspects of old projects. So after 7 years of using this system, we decided it was time to make some improvements, and maybe, just maybe everyone else would like to give their clients accurate estimates as well. Thus BrainLeaf was born.

Have you always been interested in starting a business?

From the time I was a kid, I always knew I would own my own business. It runs in the family. My grandfather owned hotels, my mom has had something like 10 businesses, and I have had 8 now (some worked better than others though). I really wish that I knew then what I know now though, but I guess that is what everyone says.

When you started BrainLeaf, what was important for you to get right first?

We still run a web shop, so my main priority was getting a system that would actually work for us. We're still making improvements every day, but starting off, I just wanted a system where I could create a scope of work, know how long things were going to take, and be able to give this to our clients to sign off on. Getting accurate scopes of work that can be reused was our phase one goal.

Our upcoming features are going to make it so much better though, and are a quick phase 2 goal set. We're working on a web-based approval process and contract management system so you can write up a scope of work, send it to your client, and have them sign off on a legally binding contract all within a few minutes. For us, this will save hours of work each week and enable us to close jobs so much faster and keep track of them so much better. We've also got a set of integrations with other tools like JIRA, Harvest, and Basecamp upcoming which we are really excited about!

Project management tools and applications has become a crowded market, what do you do to stay ahead of curve and deal with competitors?

We're not a project management system. Internally, we've used Clarizen, Wrike, and now JIRA to do actual project management, and we have absolutely no interest in competing with these guys. Atlassian does such an amazing job on everything they do. The thing that is truly missing in this industry is a way to get and give accurate estimates. Additionally, developers and designers are often sloppy with their contracts and sales, so a system that just enables them to write up their scope of work, calculate hours, and get signatures from clients, then pass it on to their project management tools is so badly needed, and that is what we do.

Do you plan to expand your service beyond developers and designers?

Yep. We've actually been contacted by a number of different groups in different industries about using our system. We want to finish up with our web-based approval process system first, but once we do, you can expect to see this system coming out in at least one other completely unrelated industry.

What advice would you give to someone starting their own business?

I feel like I could write a book on this question. I'll try to do this in a quick bullet list though.

Businesses can be grouped into two categories, lifestyle businesses and high impact businesses. A lifestyle business is something that you do because you love it. It is something that you want to do every day and must be present for all the time. For example a designer, architect, or lawyer, if you are the craftsman, is often this kind of business. A high impact business would be something that you plan on building into a system that is professionally managed and you can step away from. There is, of course, overlap, but in general you need to know what you are getting into before you get started. I didn't realize this and started a lifestyle business years ago when I wanted to do a high impact business. It took me years to understand how I needed to set things up in order to make it work the way I wanted to.

Always be working yourself out of a job. Nowadays, in whatever I do, I try to find ways to automate or delegate pieces of my job. As a CEO you will NEVER run out of things to do, so figure out the best way to do what you're doing, set it up properly, then get something or someone else to do it for you, and finally make sure they are incentivized and accountable for that job.

Keep your goals in mind. Every year at the end of the year for every business we review the past years goals and set up goals for the coming year. Every month we have a company meeting for every company where we do the same thing for the previous and upcoming month. Always know where you're going or you can't get there. Sometimes you have to break it down into just 'what are we doing right now', but if you don't know your end goals or intermediate goal, how will you accomplish it?

You people are always, always, always, always your best and most valuable resource. Don't forget that. Everyday find ways to make your employees hopes and dreams come true while simultaneously growing them and you will find success. At the same time, don't forget the adage 'hire slow and fire fast'. If someone isn't the right person, do them and yourself a favor and let them go right away. Don't wait, don't hope, just let them go if they're not working out.

Like I said, I could probably write a book about this, but this is a good start.

When starting a new business most people, unlike yourself, start a business in a field they have no experience in, why do you think that is?

When I first started in web-design, I had no idea what I was doing. After losing tons of money, being completely stressed out for years, and almost dying (true story) I only start and invest in businesses I know a ton about now. So thinking back on myself as a younger person, I just had no way to know what I was getting into. I didn't understand the complexity of the system, what it took to make things actually work, and how much work it was going to be. My feeling is that entrepreneurship should be taught in schools, so to answer your question, I think it is just being uninformed about what is actually involved.

Where do you see Brainleaf going in the next five years?

I want it to grow into the system that developers and designers use to scope their work and deliver those times and prices to clients. Pretty simple. There are so many features that we want to add to make that happen. Here are some of our improvements upcoming:

•  Web-based approval processes
•  change order management systems
• permissions setup for project managers, resources, and sales team members integrations into JIRA, Intervals, Harvest, Wrike, Asana, Basecamp, and other systems
• API development and release
•  feature linking within scopes
•  commenting and discussions
•  composition and page approval systems so that clients can approve work through the system
• integration into code repositories 

And so much more!

You’re involved in other businesses as well as Brainleaf, how do you find the time meet the goals and ambitions of these businesses?

Amazing people work with me. We work so hard to find the right people who are enthusiastic, innovative, and hardworking, and they drive the business. I just set the direction and create the initial workflows, incentives, accountability systems, and oversee to make sure everything is moving well. When working with these amazing people, I work every day to support them and help them accomplish their dreams in life. I wish I could say there was some magic thing I did beyond that, but it is really just that.

And finally, what’s your favourite business book?

The books that had the greatest impact on business for me were "Good to Great" and "The E-Myth". But if you're in development, I also really recommend "The Mythical Man Month".

(The Big Disrupt) TWIST: Jaron Gilinsky's Storyhunter gives unprecedented benefits to vid journos...

Check out this great interview by This Week In Start Ups with host Jason Calacanis posing questions with Storyhunter Co-Founder and CEO Jaron Gilinsky.

(The Big Disrupt) The Carnage Reports Talks to founders of Comakr Mike Bratter and Frank Woll

Could you tell our readers more about your background?

My name is Mike Bratter, I am fairly new to 3D printing but have an entrepreneurial background. I was a co-founder of an online digital design firm named CyberSight in the 1990s which was ultimately acquired.  In the 2000s I ran a real estate business that invested in land during the housing boom.  In both cases I luckily managed to get out before things imploded.  I see the 3D printing space in the earliest stages, similar to what the Internet was like in 1994 when the first graphical browser was released and I want to be part of this industry as it gains credibility.   

My name is Frank Woll and I’ve been involved in 3D modeling for real world objects since the 1990s. Primarily my work consisted of CAD modeling large boat hulls to be CNC machined for the yachting industry.  There’s nothing like the fear of a full size 150’ “print” of your 3D model starting up.  Any mistakes would be… not good. Since those early times and the advent of 3D printers and small CNC machines, prototyping right from the desk can be done to review and test shapes which has had me very excited about the 3D printing revolution.

What got you interested in doing a startup?

Mike: I have been following the 3D printing space for a few years but just as an investor, watching stocks like 3D Systems and Stratasys and trying to keep tabs on the industry.  This past year I joined a local 3D printing group where Frank and I met and that led me to seriously think about how to get involved now that there are many low cost printer options and interest online is  really starting to percolate. 

Frank: As Mike mentioned, we met at a local 3D printing group and we both happened to have similar interest and awe at the potential this new development in technology has to offer.  I’ve always had more ideas than I can manage for products and know that there are others out there with the same desire to create better objects.  Without the barrier to manufacturing of the past, I believe a better living experience through design needs to be made available.

Can you explain to our readers what Comakr is and how it works?

Comakr is going to be an online community where 3D printing makers and 3D designers join forces to crowdsource digital files for cool and practical real world objects and products.     

The format we envision will work like this:

The best concepts for unseen products and objects will be discussed and hashed out publicly on the site and the best ideas will be  “upvoted” to the top of the page, think of how the site reddit works.  Once the crowd has democratically vetted out the favored ideas, a designer will be selected to actually work on the project.  This user could  be someone  who actively participated in the discussion of the concept or it could be a designer who bids on the project, either way the crowd will decide by vote who is chosen.

The winning designer names his or her price to design the 3D file.

The ball is then back in the community’s court to crowdfund to the designer’s designated fee.

Once the requested design fee is met the designer will then go off and create the file. The greatest thing we think about the site is going to be that once the file is released it will be available to everyone in the Comakr community free of charge.  The files from all funded campaigns will be archived so anyone who uses the site can access a digital file repository and select which campaigns they want to try out and experiment with at home or with the fancy office 3D printer.

What was the spark or inspiration behind Comakr?

Well it’s just an assumption but we think the more talented designers are holding back from sharing their 3D designs because there is a glut of free files already online for trinkets and figurines.  We are hoping that if the designer is adequately financially incentivized to share his or her creative genius we might see some really wonderful digital blueprints for truly innovative and useful 3d printed objects shared online.

Who would you say would be your main competition to your company?

Well our idea is kind of like a reverse Kickstarter so they could try to stamp us out.    We don’t see the dollar amount of what we raise for each campaign being anywhere near what Kickstarter raises though so I don’t see a financial reason for them to try and specifically compete with us.  They are more about raising money for products, like 3d printers, than digital property anyway.

What obstacles or challenges do you think may get in the way of Comakr being a success?

The biggest challenge is makers are used to downloading files for free and there is no shortage of files available online.  We also think the current 3d printing community is still very much a DIY group who likes to figure out how to design and print their objects on their own.

So far, people interested in Comakr can sign up to the site, when do you plan to go live?

Good question.  We want to have something working by February. To be honest we are bootstrap funding this ourselves so we are debating a secondary concept that may or may not be part of this site.  We can probably only afford to proceed with one idea right now so we are still trying to assess which will be more popular and interesting as a first project.   Our other idea we are calling printrr.net for now and it’s essentially a web app that 3D designers can use to sell their 3D designs and objects on their own blog or online shop. 

We would be targeting people who sell customized objects, like eyeglasses, for example which require a user to finalize their product using a customized interactive design palette.  So we would offer a platform that a single shop owner couldn’t afford to create alone and requires a software developer to create, but would be a great tool on any 3D designer’s ecommerce site. 

The thinking behind this idea is that huge sites like Shapeways require the designer to have their objects printed through them.  If we allow the designer to decide who does the printing, like a 3D hub for instance, they might be able to sell the object for less money to their customers and also increase their own profit margin since their overhead is so much lower.  They can still use the big sites to generate traffic to their work but they can use our web platform as another way to sell their 3d objects just like a person who sells products on Amazon usually has their own company website as well. 

What’s your take on the state of the crowdfunding and 3d printing industry today?

This is Mike speaking and I think there is still a lot of hype going on which at least is putting 3D printing on the radar of the average person. I see printers on Kickstarter raising millions of dollars and who knows if they will ever even be made.  I think of the saying “sell the sizzle and not the steak” when I see what is being promised right now on crowdfunding sites. I don’t see as much attention to practical uses for 3D printing but I know that is on the way.  The big issue is the printers that make objects out of cool materials like different metals cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to own so the rest of us are still being forced to make plastic cubes. 

Where do you see the both industries going in next five years?

Prices of printers are dropping without a doubt and that is going to mean more widespread adoption. There are promises of affordable metal printers in 2015 which would be awesome.  Gartner says there will be over 2 million printers in homes within 3 years and most of these will cost under $2,500. Right now there are under 100,000 printers owned by consumers. Our crowdsourcing idea will really take hold when the consumer and small business owner steps in.  We are probably still a little early but it will happen.

Where do you see Comakr in the next five years?

We are starting this out on our own without any investors and want to grow at our own pace so we will be focused on what is best for the community that joins us on the journey. We want to be a really successful online 3D printing community or even an eCommerce marketplace for 3D objects and since this space is still in it’s infancy it might not mean we are primarily about crowdfunding in the future. We might become more of an incubator of ideas or an online laboratory. We want to stay flexible so whatever direction this movement goes we go can tag along for the ride.  

Connect with Mike on Twitter @3dprintingwow and sign up with Comakr here.

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(Interviews) Interviews: The Carnage Report Interviews James E. Parson

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(Interview) Barry Lyga interview: Up Close

The carnage report was lucky enough to catch up with Barry Lyga, author of I hunt Killers and below was the result.Enjoy!!!

What got you into writing?

You know, I don’t know! I’ve wanted to write since I was very, very young, but I have no idea where the impulse came from. I certainly didn’t know any writers as a child, nor were there any examples of people making a living from art in my family or neighborhood. The idea got lodged in my head at around age 7 and stayed there despite the universe’s best efforts to knock it out.

Do you have any influences over your work?

Oh, sure. Probably the biggest is Bruce Springsteen. Most people think of him as a musician or a rock star, but what he actually is, is a storyteller. In a tight little five minute song, he gives you characters, story arc, development, the whole deal.

What do you think makes the crime genre better than other genres?

I don’t! I don’t think any genre has an inherent advantage over any other one. I’ve written crime, horror, sci-fi, “realistic,” and I love them all.

Science fiction has often offered the best criticisms of modern society, why do you think that most crimes don’t really say much the society they take place in?

I’m not sure I agree with the premise of the question. I think many crimes DO say something about the society they take place in. There’s a reason, for example, that in the U.S. we have an epidemic of gun violence that doesn’t exist in other modern countries — we’ve created a culture wherein guns are not only readily available, but also in which they are seen as solutions to problems. That’s almost specifically unique to the U.S. due to its cultural background. Then you add in social pressures that make individuals think they need to shoot their way out of a problem and the next thing you know, you have bodies on the floor.

Most people can name the best book they ever read, can you name your worst?

Oh, sure, I can. But I won’t. I don’t like bashing other authors in public. I know some people enjoy it when two authors go at each other, but I just don’t like it.

Most writers find writing a real struggle, do you think this is because writers have to know where the bodies are buried in their stories?

That could be. I also think it’s inevitable when you have ego and restraint pulling and tugging at each other. On the one hand, writers have to think, “This story is worth telling.” On the other hand, they have to acknowledge, “Not everyone will love this, and I will inevitably screw up at least part of it because I’m human.” The clash of absolute faith and necessary doubt is never pretty.

Taking in to account that you have some success in an field where it’s notoriously hard to come by, what advice would you give to the young writers out there?

It’s tough to give advice based on my own success because this business really doesn’t have definable patterns or pathways to success. All you can do is write the best damn book you’re capable of, then hope for luck to break your way. In the meantime, write another one. That’s what I did.

I know it’s heavy question but being a writer who has written within the crime fiction genre, why do you think people commit crime?

Wow, yeah, heavy questions. I think there are a variety of reasons. There’s anomie theory, of course. But then there are also people who are just plain bad. Desperation, need for survival, sheer evil… There’s sadly no shortage of reasons for people to do harm to others.

While most writers (and readers) may say the number one rule of all fiction writing is not to be boring, do you think there are any rules to writing fiction?

Not being boring is a good start! I would say, “Be true to the story” is important, too. As soon as you start modifying your story to please some invisible audience that may or may not even read it, you’ve lost the battle.

Do you have a writing process?

I don’t think of it as a process, really — I just sit down and pound the keys. I treat it like actual work. I report for duty every day and pound away!

Final Question, what project or releases do you have lined up or in the works?

I’m working on the final book in the I HUNT KILLERS trilogy, which will be out in 2014. Also, a fun middle-grade fantasy novel, and a couple of other things I can’t talk about yet.

(Interview) Bob Mayer Up Close

The Carnage Report was lucky enough to catch up with Bob Mayer, author of 50 titles and owner of Cool Gus Publishing and below was the result. Enjoy!!!

What got you into writing in the first place?

I read a lot.  Growing up in the Bronx, I was reading all the time.  When I got off active duty into the reserves and moved to South Korea to study martial arts, I finally had some time on my hand.  I didn’t plan on getting published, I just wanted to write a story.  So I wrote my first one based on a mission my A-Team had done, and things when from there.

Do you have any influences over your writing?

Everyone I’ve read.  There are some authors who I devour such as Kate Atkinson, Larry McMurtry, Dennis Lehane and others. Actually, watching television with my wife is a great way to study story and character. As Breaking Bad goes into its last episodes, we just rewatched all the previous seasons. After 25 years of writing, my process is evolving and I really like the way they did Breaking Bad.  I highly recommend it to experienced writers. 

What would you attribute your creative talent to, nature or nurture?

Learning.  Always learning.  Always willing to try different things.  Every author I know who thinks they have it made—it’s over.

For you, what makes a story worth writing?

I focus on theme a lot more now.  I think some of the topics I write about are important.  My latest book, Nightstalkers: The Book of Truths, is about the threat of nuclear weapons.  While it’s fiction, I include a lot of fact in it.  I also explore honor vs. loyalty.  Would you have rather have an honourable friend or a loyal one?

I’ve resurrected my original protagonist, Dave Riley, and he’s joined another of my characters, Horace Chase, in Chasing the Lost. I think exploring male-female relationships in that book, and how loyalty can be manipulated is intriguing and should get readers thinking. That’s the bottom line—get the reader thinking and feeling and even questioning things they took for granted.

Many of your books are in the action/thriller genre, what do you think the action/thriller genre has over other genres?

Well, it doesn’t sell as well as romance.  I was recently the #1 seller on Kindle in Men’s Adventure and there were at least 100 romance/erotica books ahead of me. The interesting thing for me is how few writers of thrillers have any military background.  I sometimes think they have a romanticized and naïve notion of what it’s really like. Then again, what it’s really like, is 99% boredom and 1% terror and no one wants to read 99% boredom.

What sparked your interest in the military?

My father served in the Navy in World War II.  West Point represented a challenge and also, honestly, a way for me to go to college. Given the large popularity of the military and the citizens who choose to serve in the US, was there a sense in your gut that writing about the organization would be lucrative?

The military wasn’t popular when I went into it during the post-Vietnam days.  And the 90s weren’t very pro-military.  I don’t pick what I write about based on whether it’s popular.  I write what I want to. Sadly, less than one percent of our population has served in the military.

Given your extensive experience in the military and how it has seeped into your writing, can we expect a title chronicling your experience in the organization?

My Green Beret series shows what it’s like in Special Forces.  Almost all my books feature a former Spec Ops protagonist. Psychic Warrior , while science fiction, is based on a real program we did in 10^th Special Forces called Trojan Warrior.  It was cutting edge at the time and in my book I just took it a step further. Of late, you have been making a switch from military themed thrillers to science fiction, is this influenced by both genres largely driven by the use and consequences of technology?

I started in military thrillers and have always written them.  Science fiction is something I also write, although they tend to be military related. For example, the pitch for Nightstalkers is: The Unit meets Warehouse 13.  So I tend to merge the two.

How much do you research before you write?

I’ve gotten back to reading books for research over searching on the internet. There’s much more detail in books. A lot is also simply based on experience.But one of my mottoes is:  people think they know a lot more than they really know.  Reality and facts can surprise people.  My books are a lot more factual than people know. 

For someone who is invested as much in the business side of marketing and distribution books as well as writing them, what do you think of the state of the industry at the moment?

People say it’s the Wild West.  I say it’s the best time ever for writers.  The playing field is level.  It’s also very crowded. Distribution is no longer a chokepoint.  With eBooks we all have access to distribution. The issue now is discoverability.

Many critics have poo-pooed the self-publishing revolution for lack of true quality in self-published releases, do you think this criticism is well founded?

Who cares what critics say? How many readers actually listen to them?  Yes, the vast majority is bad.  But NY Publishing gave Snookie a book deal. Remember, it’s not the critic who counts.  It’s the one fighting in the trenches.

There has been much talk about the effect Amazon is having on the publishing industry, what’s your position?

I enjoy working with Amazon. They didn’t exist in 1994 and publishing had plenty of time to prepare for the digital world. Especially after seeing what happened to music at the turn of the century.  But they didn’t.

Amazon is innovative and tries new things. In my dealings with them, they’ve always been honest and up front; which isn’t something I can say about my dealings with traditional publishing.  NY got complacent and is paying the price now.

Too many people are wasting time complaining and whining about Amazon instead of looking to their own business model and seeing if it works.  I can’t change what Amazon does, but I can change what I do to take advantage of the realities of current and future publishing.

Having gained success in a field where it’s hardest than most to come by, what advice would you give to someone trying to make their way in this industry?

Despite the speed of the internet, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Too many people want instant gratification.  It takes at least three books before you should even spend much energy in marketing or checking sales.  Focus on the long haul.  Most of your competition is simply going to quit.

Final question, do you have any projects lined up or in the works?

I’m finishing The Kennedy Endeavour, the second book in my Presidential series to follow my #2 national bestseller, The Jefferson Allegiance. Then a very high concept opening novel to a new science fiction series Burners. My focus now is on writing and I plan on having six new titles come out in the next year.

Nothing but good times ahead.

Connect with Ben on Twitter @Bob_mayer and you can purchase of Ben's great 50 titles on Amazon here

(Interview) Benjamin Wallace Up Close

The Carnage report was lucky enough to catch up with Benjamin Wallace, author the the 'Dumb White Husbands' series and this was the result, enjoy!!!

What got you into writing?'

I can’t recall anything specifically that got me interested in writing. It’s just what I always wanted to do. I’ve always loved books, movies, comics, radio shows—stories of any kind.  And, to me, it just made sense that anything I  enjoyed observing might be something I’d enjoy doing. I was never comfortable just being a fan of something. I always wanted to try my hand at it  as well. This didn’t work out so well for my rock star ambitions and you’re probably aware that I’m not a world famous race car driver but writing and just plain making things up was something I never stopped loving.

 Do have any influences in your writing or work?

My influences come more from outside of the literary world. I grew up watching the comedies that always make the top 100 list and they, no doubt, shaped my sense of humor. Harold Ramis, Steve Martin, Pat Proft and all of those guys probably had more influence on my writing than Hemingway or Adams did. Them and the writers of SNL from the mid-80’s to early 90’s. I should probably throw a little credit to sleep deprivation as well.

In a blog on your site, you wrote about your time spent on marketing as opposed to writing, who do you think you could redress the balance?

Hopefully, I can. We’re about to launch a new advertising agency that will specialize in book marketing. We’ve been pouring over marketing surveys and have found a lot of interesting things that lead us to believe that we’ve been   marketing books the wrong way. Authors put a lot of time into blog tours, Goodreads and social media sites for very little return. We think a mix of  traditional advertising and new ideas can take the marketing burden off of         authors so they can spend more time writing.

What do you think about the current self-publishing revolution?

I can’t remember another industry shift that popped up and started granting so many wishes and making so many dreams come true. That is from the author’s perspective, of course. I know it was bumpy for readers for a few years, but it seems that the gold rush mentality has   faded and the authors that are left in the game are those that are truly      dedicated to the craft. I think this has lead to better books and a better experience for everyone.

 If there were changes you could make to the publishing industry, what changes would you make?

Can we tone down the snippy remarks from both sides? I could do with less snooty comments from the traditional publishers. And the indies need to drop the David and Goliath bit. After that we’ll all meet in the middle, shake hands as authors and marketers and figure out what works best from both sides to start connecting readers to great stories.

 What do you think of the use by authors of social media as it has been less than communication and more about selling?

This is one of things I was talking about in regards to our wasted efforts. Only   4% of readers have ever bought a book because of something they saw on Twitter. But, I’m going to say 132% of my timeline has become tweets about books. You can find readers on Twitter but it’s by being social and not blasting ads at them. That’s how you lose readers. We should keep social media social. It’s better for everyone that way.

Would agree that the internet has made marketers of all of us ?

Absolutely. With Facebook we finally get to present our friends with the perfect version of ourselves. We selectively share the message and photos of our life to help craft the world’s opinion of us. Except for the people that play    Candy Crush. They don’t give a damn what anyone thinks or who they annoy.(And I’m as guilty of that as the next person).

Do you have a particular writing process?

I’m what some people call a putter-inner. I outline pretty extensively and then I blaze through a bare-bones first draft as fast as I can. The second draft sees the addition of description and grown-up sounding sentences. Then it goes to my proofreader and my wife. They’re both great at finding things that don’t make sense I’ve tried writing a lot of other ways but this is the way that works best for me. It also helps if it’s dark out. I’ll usually hit a stride right when it’s time to go to bed, because my muse either hates me or loves coffee.

How do you fight procrastination, the scourge of  every writer?

I trick myself. There are a lot of things I like to do. I like to draw and I’ve convinced myself that I can draw things people like. When the words aren’t flowing, I’ll stop and draw something. Sure, I’m still procrastinating, but it makes me think I’m being productive. The fear of not moving forward frustrates me and makes me procrastinate even more. If I can convince myself  I’m getting something done, I avoid that downward spiral. I’m also pretty easy to trick.

What do you prioritize, character or plot?

My ideas almost always start with plot but the characters take over quickly.  My plots aren’t really unique. Few are. What I enjoy is taking a genre story and placing ill-equipped characters in the middle of them. Sure, I could write a regular zombie story with all kinds of awesome violence, but I find it a lot more fun to write a regular zombie story and throw three bickering suburban  dads in the middle of it. Their perspective is going to make it a lot more   interesting and unique than just another retelling of the Walking Dead. Funnier, too.

Most people can name the best book they have read, can you name the worst?

I hesitate to because I think that every book has an audience. That’s what makes the self pub revolution great. Readers can find the kind of book that speaks to them even if it doesn’t speak to anyone else. For years I went looking for funny books. There was Douglas Adams,  Christopher Moore and a few others but it was really hard to find funny novels. It turns out that funny is hard to market, so publishers didn’t really put a lot of funny fiction out there.

            

But that’s not what you asked and I won’t flake out. I wanted to start reading  Harry Turtledove’s alternate history books. I started with World War: In The Balance. I tried to read it several times and then just gave up. I couldn’t get past the writing or the story and the alien race probably had a Deux Ex Machina generator on their ship. I’m sure he’s great. I’m sure the book is fine. It just wasn’t happening for me. It’s really too bad that a bad book can’t be enjoyed on the same level as a bad  movie.

  Final Question, what are you working on now?

I’m finishing up the Dumb White Husbands vs Zombies story that I began as a serial this summer. After that it’s a sequel to Post-Apocalyptic Nomadic Warriors. That’s been a long time coming and folks are starting to get pushy. We’re also looking to launch the book marketing agency, Monkey Paw Creative, soon. Those are the main things, but I’m always playing around with something or other on my Facebook page and Twitter and   dumbwhitehusband.com and ... okay, I’m starting to act like a kitten with a ball of yarn, but, you have to trust me, it’s all fun stuff. If it wasn’t, what would be the point? 

Connect with Benjamin on twitter @BenMWallace. Check out and purchase Benjamin's best selling work at Amazon Here