Rebel Writing

What is it like to be a REBEL? Realistically, I couldn’t really tell you, but I can tell you this, Rebel Writing is different. And I’m not talking about writing out of the normal (though sometimes it occurs that way). Rebel Writing has to do with my publisher, Rebel Ink Press. Due to the name, we are called Rebel Writers, Rebels, or even Rebelers, and from what I can tell the name fits. Of course, I am far less a Rebel than a few of the others. Let me take a moment to explain.

Rebel Ink Press, for the most part, puts out Romance/Erotica books. This is not their sole genre, but it is their most popular. And from what I’ve browsed through on a few of the author’s websites, some are far more erotic then I care to mention. I, on the other hand, do not write in this genre (the most I’ve ever done was make a few suggestion in the first 4 chapters of a book a friend wrote). Beyond those suggestions and a few descriptive scenes in Jeremiah Stone and Limbus, I don’t do erotica. What I do is write Fiction in the Sci-fi/Fantasy categories. And though I’ve written one romance novel which is named ‘The Romance Novel’, it’s not a steamy adventure.

So you may ask what I’m I doing here (or there as it may be) and I answer, ‘I got lucky’. I was at a convention with my son and happened to sit down on the right bench at the right time, which is the utter and complete truth. Two days later I had an offer to become a Rebel. A month later I took the offer. And this is incredible since the owner read a total of 2 pieces of my work. That’s right, ‘2’!!! So am I lucky, hell yes. Am I thankful? You better believe it! My one saving grace I believe is that both pieces I let her read were pretty good before I let her cast her eyes on them. So, one contract signature later and wham-bam-thank you, ma’am, I’m a Rebel.

Being a Rebel, however, is not about genre’ or luck or even a skilled pen. Being a Rebel is about having a passion for writing and spending the time to express your thoughts for all the world to view, review, praise, or criticize. Realistically, not everyone is going to like what is written here, but none of us expect them too. We all do this (writing) because we enjoy it whether it’s good or bad. Granted I have a million things I need to do between home, work, family, etc… but I still invest the time, the long nights, the cramped quarters of an airplane chair, or the noise of a bar to put my words on paper. We all do. Best of all we encourage other Rebels to expand and grow or just come along for the ride. It is definitely an adventure.

Now you may ask ‘How do they do this?’ Well I had no idea (especially because I’m a solitary writer) until one day there was a call to all Rebel Writers who wanted to be in on a joint project. A number of people signed up (I did not because I was new and it was not my genre’) and all of them were set to task. The task was one person starts a story, writes the first 500 words, and then passes it down the list with each author adding another 500 words. Cycling through the list twice provides a unique story none of them could’ve come up with on their own. By the time it was in the middle of the second cycle a contract went out to the authors for their parts, but that’s not really the point. Nor is the fact that all the editing is done by the publisher, meaning there are no fees. What is truly remarkable is what this novel idea truly provides, which is an avenue for new and old authors alike to share styles, get ideas, and become a part of something bigger. It fosters a community where someone’s not afraid to ask the stupid question and one in which people are able to express themselves openly in a forum that’s wholly and completely positive in nature.

The other nice thing about all of this is the owner put her faith in all of us and our writing, so we all strive not to disappoint.

That’s what it is to be a Rebel (Writer)… and I’m proud to be one.