The novel We, The Watched takes place in a nation where it’s just about impossible to avoid the eye of a surveillance camera. But it might not be as sci-fi of an idea as you’d think.
A surveillance camera in Sydney
You’ve probably seen plenty of CCTV signs and cameras around your town, too. Starting today, I invite you to watch the watchers and share your own pics of surveillance in action on my Facebook page at facebook.com/wethewatched.
Most cameras and signs are in public spaces; please DO NOT break any laws as you are snapping pics.
Just a quick update to say that I’ve just redone the cover for my dystopian novel: We, The Watched.
New cover! Click to see it big and in all its glory.
The idea behind the redesign was to make it a bit more obvious what my book is about. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but most people do. I think the new look says exactly what to expect in We, The Watched. Please tell me what you think in the comments below.
By the way, if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, the book is on sale for the entire month of July during the Smashwords summer/winter sale. You can pick up the entire tale about struggling to conform in a surveillance society for just USD $1.50! That’s half off the regular price.
It’s hard not to like Aubrey Plaza in Safety Not Guaranteed
Laughter is guaranteed in this fun indie comedy about wanting to reset the past.
Safety Not Guaranteed, which had its Australian premiere Sunday night at the Sydney Film Festival, follows a jaded journalistic investigation into time travel.
A man named Kenneth claims not only that he can go back in time, but that he has done so once before. Kenneth needs a partner, so—rationally enough—he takes out a classified ad in the newspaper. Figuring Kenneth is crazy, a magazine reporter and two interns go after the story.
Intern Darius (Aubrey Plaza) finds herself drawn into Kenneth’s quest and realizes they share something in common: They both have been hurt by something in the past and want desperately to change it.
Mark Duplass is perfect as possibly crazy guy Kenneth—he’s sweet but beneath his innocent exterior lurks something dark. You’re never quite sure whether to root for him or to yell pathetically at the screen, “Darius, get out of there!”
Plaza, Jake Johnson and Karan Soni have great chemistry as the dysfunctional journalistic team. Plaza and Johnson, best known for their performances in Parks and Recreation and New Girl, don’t stray very far from their TV roles. Plaza plays a shrugging, sarcastic indie kid while Johnson is loud, angry and yet…somehow sympathetic. But hey, it’s hard to complain when those actors do those roles so well.
The film’s got a smart script. Unlike many comedies, Safety Not Guaranteed doesn’t feel like a series of sketches. Fitting for movie about time travel, each character’s actions and motivations are rooted in their pasts. It’s engaging not because you can’t wait for the next joke, but because you genuinely like the characters and want to know what’s going to happen to them.
Soni’s character doesn’t feel quite as well constructed as the rest of the cast. And the ending leaves a few loose ends. Yes, there is a proper payoff scene, but I couldn’t help but feel unresolved about the fates of a few of the characters.
It is impressive how much the filmmakers did with minimal budget. Speaking at the Sydney premiere, director Colin Trevorrow was quick to point out how little money was spent making the film. Meanwhile, marketing for this film seems to rely heavily on a viral Facebook campaign. But Safety Not Guaranteed never felt for a second like it was a film-school movie or other cheaply made affair.
Here’s hoping the Facebook campaign works and people go out and see it. It’s definitely worth a “Like.”
Moving abroad is something we’ve been talking about doing for years. We both had amazing, life-changing experiences studying abroad in college. We share the strong belief that you can’t really get to know a city unless you live there, and we are beyond excited to experience Sydney. We leave next month!
Whilst down under, I will continue to work as a technology reporter and simultaneously forward my creative endeavors, including a screenplay of WE, THE WATCHED and hopefully a few short stories. I’ll also continue to pitch my second novel, DIVIDED WE FALL, to the literary world. And of course I will keep the blog updated with news of my Australian exploits!
By the way, please check out my new Twitter account (@WatchAdam). I plan to use it for some quick takes on the latest music, movies and videogames, as well as news on my projects. If you’re only interested in news on my novels and other creative work, my Facebook page is probably the easiest way to stay up to date.
On Monday I typed those two words that are the goal post for any author writing a novel: The End.
Yes, that’s right. I have finished my second novel, Divided We Fall. As I mentioned last month, there is still some polishing to do, but I think it’s in good shape. I’m shooting to enter the novel in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (ABNA) contest, which begins accepting submissions next week. After that, I will begin to circulate the novel around the publishing world. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you a release date at this point because it all depends on if it’s accepted by a publisher. I’m open to self-publishing (as I did for my previous novel, We, The Watched), but I’m going to hold off until I get more feedback from agents and publishers.
For now, here’s my current tagline for Divided We Fall:
A revolutionary and a government agent try to mend their fractured nation and reconcile a broken romance.
For more updates, please keep checking back here and also my official Facebook page. Now, back to writing…
