What I know...

Someone once told me, after I asked them how will I know what to write about, just to write about what I know.  

It's pretty sound advice, if you think about it.  I mean, it's pretty safe to say that a pampered suburbanite teenager probably wouldn't know what it's like to mine for blood diamonds in Africa, so I seriously doubt if one did, the writing would be any good.  But, considering many young authors have found success in writing about suburbia, it's a decent assumption that's the safer bet.

There in lies the problem...

While my life is fairly amusing at times, it's barely noteworthy.  I don't drink that much, therefore I've never been drunk.  I don't smoke cigarettes or marijuana, and have never partaken in illicit drugs.  I was considered a good kid (often being mistaken as Mormon by those who had never heard me speak), so I was never invited to high school or college parties.  I had only a few friends, and have far too much respect to turn them into characters in my stories.

My experiences in that regard are extremely limited.  And, although I still consider myself book-smart, I really don't know a hell of a lot.

What I do know are my passions.  Movies, music, TV shows, and books -- comics, graphic novels, and traditional books.

Take Mild Mannered for instance.  

A little over a decade ago, I developed the concept for the series in hopes that it would be a TV show to eventually play on the same night as NBC's Chuck and Heroes.  Clearly this didn't happen.  The biggest reason it didn't is that I didn't trust the system, nor my ability to write the scripts.  I didn't trust that the show would be on the air long enough to tell the story I wanted to tell in all its intricacies, nor was I able to write scripts for television (a skill I have yet to learn, by the way).   I considered movies, either on the big screen or TV movies, but, again, my ability to write action sequences in script form is lacking, and, even if I spent the time honing them, what guarantee would there be to getting all of them filmed, seeing that I would need at least three or four films to tell the story I want to in full.  

So, book form it is!

From there, it pretty much wrote itself.  Paul Pritchard, a snarky pop culture junkie good with puzzles.  Yeah, that's me.  Not going to lie.  Thaddeus Bell, a dark, brooding violent soul wandering aimlessly alone.  Okay, that's not me, but that's an amalgamation of characters like Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Bride from Kill Bill, and the title character in El Mariachi.  These are characters I've come to love, and, with the passion for books and movies I enjoy, I came to formulate a story that I feel others would love as much as I would.

While this may not be how other authors do it, it's working for me pretty damn well thus far.  The more I write, the more I'm figuring out what works or not.  Sure, it means that I'm having to completely rewrite some of my previous and current works, but I'd rather do that than give my readers subpar work.  

From what I've heard thus far, it's working for my audience as well.

"Mild Mannered": The origin story is here!

Okay, so it's been a long time since I've posted anything, and, for that, I'm sorry.  Life have been hellishly insane the last few weeks, and now I'm just starting to reconcile having so many balls in the air, and realizing I really can juggle them to keep them afloat.

The biggest piece of the puzzle is that Mild Mannered, my debut novel, is now available on paperback and Kindle/eReader formats!  This is one of the proudest moments of my life being able to tell you all of you that fact!  It's amazing to be able to log onto Amazon and see the book there with my name beside the title.  To own either versions (or both, if you're so inclined), you can follow the link here!

Second, in lieu of the book release, I have my website WillCohenAuthor.com up and running as well!  Here, you'll find all information on me, my books, and all the news pertaining to both, such as sales, what I'm currently working on, new retailers selling my books, reviews, and upcoming events!  There, of course, you'll also find ways of linking up to my Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can keep up with my happenings via social networking.

Finally, as it turns out, I can't rest on my laurels to save my life.  What does that mean?  It means that I'm already working on the sequels!  The second book in the series, A Game of Thorns, is slated for release starting in November 2014 (I'm targeting a Thanksgiving release, but certainly before Christmas at the latest), with the final two installments being released in late 2015 and 2016, respectively (titles pending).

Thank you all for supporting me thus far with your words of encouragement, your compliments, and simply reading these posts!  It's all leading to something bigger, I assure!

Stay tuned!  The best is just beginning!

New book announcement!!!

Okay, so between talking to a few people who may (or may not) help me with my book cover and updating a few things on my Facebook and Twitter accounts (new banner promos for Mild Mannered...sweet!), things have been a bit quiet on my end, and, for that, I apologize.

However, fear not!  I have also been busy at work with a brand new book!

It's called The Consultant.

Young M.D. Chapman has a strange affliction.  When he's out in the world, without any warning, he'll see death.  Elaborate death.  Graphic depictions of deaths -- of strangers or family members -- will play out right before his eyes, only to show they were illusions of his troubled mind mere moments later. Hoping to make his demons disappear, he turns to writing, and, at 22, finds himself to be one of the youngest best-selling horror authors and poets in the country.

However, the visions are getting worse, and they're starting to be followed up with blackout periods.  In further hopes to dispel his affliction, Chapman agrees to a consulting position on a new horror film, where he feels his haunting visions will be put to some sort of use.  That is, until a string of murders on and around the set start occurring -- in the same fashion of Chapman's suggestions.

Now virtually the only suspect in the murders, Chapman must team up with the only two people who believe his innocence -- his psychologist Dr. James Hamilton and Corinne Reid, the lead actress in the movie -- before the killer strikes again.  The problem?  How do you catch a killer if you believe the killer is you?

So far, I'm about thirteen pages in, but it's turning out brilliantly!  The book is a departure from the Mild Mannered books, where the tone is far more sarcastic and humorous, even though the book will undoubtedly be a bit darker than those books.

Unfortunately, writing on it has been slow, seeing that I'm still trying to get the first Mild Mannered book published.  As soon as the cover is finalized, it will be available for purchase online.  And, of course, after time has passed, the second book in the series will be online as well.

Stay tuned for more updates!  I can't wait to share my twisted visions with the world!

"Mild Mannered"...NOW AVAILABLE TO READ ONLINE!!!

Hey true believers!

After some minor editing, my first novel Mild Mannered -- the first installment of my four-part series -- is now available on to read FOR FREE online!

You can follow this link to Wattpad.com where I have my novel in all it's splendor are available for you now!

Have a Kindle or any other e-reader?  No problem!  Go to Wattpad.com's main page, download their free app, and enter code 28336403 to find my story and read it that way!

This is a great way to read it before it goes to publishers!  This way, you can provide feedback directly to the author.  Tell me what you like.  Tell me what you don't like.  As long as your feedback is constructive (i.e., no "You suck!  This is horrible!  What the hell is wrong with you?!?"), it will always be welcome!

Check it out now, and stay tuned!  The second installment will be up in a few days!

New email and social networking!

Since this illness of mine is occupying all my creative brain cells currently, I opted to use my smarts to make it easier for all you to connect with me!

I have created a Facebook Page specifically for my writing, where I will be sharing all my posts about writing.  Just follow the link here!  "Like it"!  Love it!  Share it among the people!

Also, I have a brand new Twitter account as well @WillCohenAuthor!  Come follow me there for all the postings as well!

Finally, my new email address is willcohentheauthor@gmail.com, which I'm using exclusively for my novels.

There will be more news to follow about where you can read my novels FOR FREE, and, since I'm now seeking a publisher, there will be news on that front as well soon, so stay tuned everybody!

2 new titles coming soon!

So, it's been approximately four days since I finished the rewrite of my novel Mild Mannered, and I figured I would give myself a rest to cease the pain in my fingers and wrists, and so I can get back to a reasonably normal life again.

The problem?  My body, mind, and soul need to create more!  Who am I to disagree now?

Therefore, while I'm giving the the Mild Mannered series some time to cool down for now, I find myself coming up with two new titles that I will begin working on in the next little while (possibly starting tonight)!

The first is Suicide Watch.  This is one I started working on right around the time I finished the first version of Mild Mannered, which is a departure from the superhero noir genre I've been occupying so much of my time in.  Originally conceived as a dark romantic comedy, Suicide Watch follows the events as young British law student Linus Weatherton is hospitalized for attempting to kill himself, and graduate student Hillary Bennett is assigned to watch over Linus while he's under house arrest.  While Linus insists he did not attempt suicide, Hillary naturally doesn't believe him at first...until a series of events and clues begin to allude that Linus may have been the victim of an attempted murder.

The second book is tentatively titled Indestructible.  This will be an on-going series (meaning I don't know how many installments it will be) about a hermit who moves from town to town, saving people with his strange abilities to not get harmed and to regenerate limbs, which allows him to accomplish dangerous fetes.  However, the man harbors dark secrets, and is constant search for answers as to how he gained these abilities.

When any of these titles begin production, I will let you know.  Stay tuned!

Origin Story: Inside the world of "Mild Mannered"

Who doesn't love a good comic book?

Whether you've picked up an actual comic or graphic novel, or enjoyed the big-screen adaptations that make billions of dollars at the international box office, it's hard to deny that these brightly-colored costumed heroes, from Superman to Dick Tracey, are compelling and immersive.  

Each character is not one, but two people, trying desperately to find the balance between the two worlds they inhabit.  Peter Parker is a wise-cracking teenager, just trying to find his footing in life, while Spider-Man is a web-slinging masked vigilante for justice, protecting the good citizens of his fair city great and small.  Bruce Wayne is a billionaire playboy with serious mommy and daddy issues, while Batman is masked detective sworn to bring down criminal masterminds who would see his beloved Gotham City burn.  

But what happens behind the scenes?  What happens when you strip them of the costumes and put them in the shadows of society, where the world at large doesn't know they exist?

Welcome to the world of Mild Mannered, a four-part novel series written by new author Will Cohen.  

Originally envisioned as an hour-length comedy/drama, described as "Chuck meets Heroes", Mild Mannered looks to give audiences a chance to see the world of superheroes through the eyes of a man hired to assist costumed vigilantes on different missions.  What would it be like if the world of Batman was seen exclusively through the eyes of Alfred?  The world of Superman through the eyes of Jimmy Olsen?  After years of evolution, the scope became grander, the tone became darker and less satirical, and the story a bit richer.

Our protagonist is Paul Pritchard, a recent college graduate recruited into the Wyndham-Hart Group, an undercover government-funded company that protects "persons with powers" while utilizing their talents to protect the country from criminal masterminds and those hellbent on murder and chaos.  Hired as a "liaison", Paul offers his keen observation skills and deductive reasoning to help the operatives he's put under to restore order to the world, while keeping the world abroad in the dark about the existence of superheroes and villains.  

Giving additional perspective is Thaddeus Bell, a man constantly on the run from Wyndham-Hart, whose survival instincts often lead to lives being lost violently.  Bell wrestles with his conscience, trying to convince himself he's not a monster while he does his best to stop the world from crashing down around him at the whims of madmen -- many of whom he has histories with -- and pursuing the elusive and mysterious Chapter Zero.

Unlike the typical comic book or superhero film, Mild Mannered is more grounded in reality, taking a modern noir approach to storytelling than what would be expected of this genre.  The tone is more adult -- brutal violence, sexual content and strong language are all included included -- and meant for mature audiences.  Much like Alan Moore's brilliant graphic novel Watchmen, which saw costumed superheroes faced global war and reality rejecting them, Mild Mannered will show these type of heroes getting raw and real.

Despite the fact the tone has become darker than the original intentions, Mild Mannered still has its humorous moments.  Paul is much like Peter Parker -- smart, sardonic, quick-witted, and has the propensity for weave pop culture references into the most common of scenarios.

This four-part series is currently in the workings, and will be shopped around to publishers soon.  Updates on publication will be announced as more information comes.