Neil Ostroff

Thanks for the fan! *hands you taco* I'm Athena, PM me anytime, I'd love to meet you!
          
          May I ask how you found me? And why you chose to fan me? 
          
          MR. MUSTACHIO LOVES YOU!!! :{D

I just got back from a three day trip to the casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey. I brought my laptop but got little creative writing done. I did pretty well playing at the blackjack tables and also threw a few bucks into the slot machines. It was while playing the progressive machine that my mind began to imagine ‘the what if’s’. 
          
          The jackpot was for 1.2 million dollars. What if I suddenly hit it big? What if all the right symbols lined up and bells start ringing? How would my life change?
          
          As I spun, I fantasized about buying a big oceanfront house and a fancy sports car, and taking vacations in warm, tropical climates. I imagined myself luxuriating on a hammock beside a crystal clear pool while Bob Marley thumped from waterproof speakers. I also imagined the best perk of this illusory sudden wealth; more time to write my novels. 
          
          Even as a child, I couldn’t fathom enjoying anything in this material world if writing wasn’t involved. While other kids dreamed of lying on a beach enjoying the sunshine and rolling swish of wavelets, I dreamed of lying on the beach with a pen and pad and writing books. It has always been the central focus of my existence as a human being.
          
          To not be able to write would be like taking away a painter’s ability to see. I’d be handicapped for life.
          
          As I hit the spin button on the progressive slot machine a final time and my numbers still didn’t come up, I was okay with the fact that I’m not yet spending my days immersed in complete creativity. I still have to play the game of the world for a while longer. Though I haven’t hit the big time in authordom at the moment, each day I sell more books and get a little closer. I’ll keep at it until my numbers do line up.
          
          http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com
          
          

With the exception of a few very talented people, most writers take years to hone their skills. Some writer’s like Stephen King say that a writer’s schooling is never finished. That writer’s always have something more to learn about the craft. There’s always a better descriptive phrase or character trait out there in the field of the imagination. And I do believe that.
          
          A few things that I’ve learned over the years that have helped make my stories better is blogging. I try to post every two or three days if possible. The constant pressure of trying to come up with a subject and then write a post for the world to see has honed my storytelling skills. A now famous newspaper journalist-turned-novelist once said that the daily articles she provided for her editor prepared her for the rigors of writing a full scale novel. 
          
          The other thing I’ve learned about becoming a better writer is you have to talk to yourself a lot. I mean a lot! I know it sounds crazy but a few of you will relate. Tell yourself stories during the day. Make up things about people you pass on the street. I spend a good portion of my social activities imagining things about people I see, sometimes talking out loud to my wife about the fantasy lives I’ve concocted about these folks. She’ll look at me a little weird.
          
          The last quick note I want to say about becoming a great writer is that you must write something every day. I know everyone’s heard that a million times but it’s so true. It makes you better and faster. My first novel took me three years to complete, my eleventh novel took one. And now I’m in the throes of a four book dystopian novella series that I’m planning one complete book every three months.
          
          Writing is a profession as difficult as any. You can’t take a magic pill or a single college course and learn all there is to the craft. A real writer knows this and knows with time they will only get better. 
          
          http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com
          
          

Neil, you are an inspiration. Thank you for sharing your successful strategies. 

Exposure, yes!
          
          Just another example of how the internet has changed authors and the exposure that their books are capable of receiving with a little marketing and promotion. Here is a review and blurb about me that appeared in Italy. I couldn’t even read it and had to have my step-daughter translate it for me. This was a totally unsolicited article and I thank the writer for it. http://sftech.blog.tiscali.it/2012/01/16/vendere-ebook-un-caso-su-amazon/ Also, now that it’s over, the free book promo on Kindle is resulting in paid sales. Quite a few I might add. The way I understand it, if someone downloaded the promo then the book comes up as a recommendation to their friends as a book he’s read. It also brings up other books by that author, so my other books would appear on his page. It’s a bit confusing but seems to be working. I highly recommend doing this. My Facebook Fan page is also way up in likes and my blog is nearing 50,000 hits. I’ve composed another list of all the sites I belong to and market and promo my stuff on. I’m tweaking it down to the very best places and I will post it when it’s complete. By my estimation, every time I post a blog comment it reaches an audience of about 2,000 people, so I’m becoming more aware of what I post and try to keep the boring stuff about the writing life to myself. That said, SILENT INVASION is well under way as my next release. The cover is complete and I’ve been in contact with Chris, my ebook formatter. Most of you know the history behind this book from past posts so I won’t go into detail about it. I’m going to start booking ads and sponsor space now, so I’ll be ready to go when it’s released. This has potential to be a big one because it is the first in the series of three (two are already released). If I do this properly, I could attract an audience that will read all three. 
          http://www.neilostroff.blogspot.com
          

From the moment we’re born we’re all destined to die. But what happens after?
          
          AFTER
          By
          Neil D. Ostroff
          
          For fifteen–year-old Nick Murray, death is only the beginning. His entire human life has been an illusion in preparation for the epic role his soul will play in the destiny of the universe.
          
          Nick always believed he was an ordinary kid until an unusual cardiac arrest strikes him down. Leaving behind his mother and girlfriend, his soul enters the hereafter and finds it is nothing like the fire and brimstone he’d always imagined. Incoming entities are distributed to levels according to the good vs. evil they had done in their lives. There’s only one problem, Nick never had any real human experiences. Fostered to be a celestial super hero, he must prevent the devil from damning for eternity all who ever lived.
          
          Swept up by dark adventure, Nick learns the devil has caused global war in the mortal world. The devil intends to collect billions of souls and then turn them into a massive zombie army to take over creation. Spirits intent on stopping the apocalypse insert Nick’s soul into the human body of a prominent, young army commander who lives in the future. Thrust into the center of a historic battle, he takes on almost limitless enemy forces using skills learned from this other person’s life; only to die a second time and come face to face with the ultimate adversary. 
          
          AFTER available on Kindle for $1.79:	
          http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050Q8D8U
          
          Personal author website:
          http://www.authorsden.com/neilostroff
          

Hello. I am a prolific author of dark, noir thrillers and middle grade sci/fi and paranormal novels. I graduated from Elmira College with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Philosophy/Critical Thinking. Briefly, I wrote psychological evaluations for the Elmira, NY courts. I was raised in a rural town outside of Philadelphia and have been a published author for more than twenty years. My science fiction and fantasy stories have appeared in numerous presses, zines, and websites. I have several published novels available at all online booksellers under the name N.D. Ostroff or at http://www.Neilostroff.com. I am an avid boater, gardener, and poker player when not working on my novels.