Author Guest Post with Diane Hatz, Rock Gods and Messy Monsters

Rock Gods & Messy Monsters is one woman’s search for herself among the blood-soaked walls, dangling body parts, and alien-hatched explosions inside Acht Records.

Welcome to one of the October 10th stops on the blog tour for Rock Gods and Messy Monsters by Diane Hatz with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post

Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means there is no additional cost to you if you shop using my links, but I will earn a small percentage in commission. A program-specific disclaimer is at the bottom of this post.

Author Guest Post

On writing

When I began writing Rock Gods & Messy Monsters, it was, to put it bluntly, boring. Understanding several techniques all authors should know took a while. The manuscript was simply a bunch of words, and the story was flat.

First drafts are notoriously bad for the vast majority of writers. They’re the lump of clay you’ve dug up from your mind and tossed onto your workspace. It’s the raw material you can sculpt into your masterpiece.

When I first started writing my book, I thought it might need a little editing, but not the four or so massive rewrites it eventually went through. I didn’t realize I would go through the pages word by word, sentence by sentence, until they sang with the melody of the story.

I had gotten a master’s degree in creative writing, but I didn’t understand the craft until I sat down and wrote for a while. The two biggest lessons I learned were viewpoint and the concept of showing, not telling. Understanding viewpoint is relatively easy, so I was baffled that I’d never learned it in a class. All it means is that the character can only do what anyone can.

For example, suppose your main character Sally is standing on a cliff looking out to sea. In that case, you can’t write “John walked up behind Sally” because Sally doesn’t have eyes out the back of her head. It’s a simple concept yet has profound effects on writing.

The second technique I began to grasp was the concept of showing, not telling. It’s a little more complicated, and I’m still working on perfecting the method, but it means you show your reader. You do not tell them. My first drafts tend to have a lot of telling.

For example, it’s better to avoid “Jack was angry.” That’s telling. A better approach is to write something like, “Jack gripped his cocktail glass so hard that it broke.”

The most surprising – and pleasing – aspect of writing Rock Gods & Messy Monsters was finding my voice. I did four or five major, rip-them-up rewrites, and the words started to sing around the third or fourth one. A rhythm emerged from my writing, and I knew I’d found my voice.

I believe the only way to develop your writing style is through writing. I think many ‘experts’ overanalyze the concept of an author’s voice. Your unique voice will come through when you develop your characters well. They might then write the story for you.

So keep writing, no matter what!

About the Book

Rock Gods & Messy Monsters
by Diane Hatz

Published 1 September 2022
Whole Healthy Group LLC

Genre: Absurdist Fiction, Satire
Page Count: 213
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Rock Gods & Messy Monsters is one woman’s search for herself among the blood-soaked walls, dangling body parts, and alien-hatched explosions inside Acht Records.

It’s the 1990s. Alex arrives to work at Acht, her improbable blonde hair streaked stress magenta and anger black. Her first duty is to wipe blood off her boss’s walls, to clean up his blood vessel explosion. It goes downhill from there.


On the surface, Rock Gods & Messy Monsters is a story about life inside an entertainment company. A cast of comedic characters exemplifies the inner workings of Acht, where power and greed mask incompetence.

A series of escapades involve Alex, a hard-working, lower-level employee desperately trying to get promoted. When she does, she realizes her dream is a nightmare. Corporate executives are busy working with aliens to manufacture a half-human, half-robot superstar. At the same time, one of the doubly-named Senior Senior Executive Presidents attempts to overthrow the Deity in charge.

Underneath and between the lines of exploding body parts and brain extractions, Rock Gods & Messy Monsters is a cautionary tale. It reminds us that our dreams can be illusions, and learning who we really are takes courage and a commitment to self-love.

Amazon US | Amazon CA | Amazon UK

Excerpt

When the crowd had been taken to that final point where sight and sound and all other senses are so overwhelmed they overload and prepare to shut down, the music stopped. Everyone teetered off balance as the room was hurled into darkness. Weena swooned and fell to the ground, her weight creating a tremor that nearly felled the clonebot. The spotlights came on and slowly focused on the Y1K. Through the silence came a beat, softly at first, but growing louder and louder, the sound of a bass drum. Through the heartbeat of the sound came a guitar, three chord simplicity, bringing rhythm to the beat. Heads bobbed unconsciously as a bass guitar and drums joined in, creating the simple rhythms and infectious sounds of early rock and roll.

Without warning, the clonebot’s head jerked upright and his eyes bolted open, staring directly at Weena sitting on the floor. She fainted backward, her mouth agape and close to falling off. The man machine slowly began to clench and unclench his tightened fists, twist and turn his stiffened wrists. The music grew louder with each movement the Y1K made. He raised his hands toward his face and looked down at them, his expression blank and uncomprehending. He turned his head right, then left, stretching, focusing, learning how to use his muscles and move his limbs.

The lights intensified and directed their rays solely on him while the music reached an earsplitting level. The clonebot blinked, then involuntarily raised his arms over his head, his fists clenched and interlocked as he assumed the essential Roger Daltrey rock stance. The music built and built until the robot forcefully lowered his arms and opened his mouth, his diaphragm exploding.

“Mama,” squeaked the next international mega super rock star.

About the Author

Diane Hatz worked at major and indie record companies, managed a band, and freelanced as a music publicist. She is co-founder of The Relay, a fanzine on The Who, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She’s attended thousands of concerts.

Diane has a Masters in Creative Writing and is currently focused on writing fiction. Her book Rock Gods & Messy Monsters is currently available from most online retailers. Her substack “Next Draft with Diane Hatz” is a newsletter for creatives looking inward. And some writing stuff.

During her sometimes-surreal career, Diane founded the nonprofit Change Food, worked to shut down factory farms, organized & spoke at major TED/TEDx events, and executive produced The Meatrix, a Webby Award winner. She has studied with many spiritual teachers, including The Dalai Lama.

In late 2020, after 30 years living in downtown Manhattan and the East Village, Diane moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. When not at her computer creating, you can find her hiking, road tripping, or breathing in all the beauty the Southwest has to offer.

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Giveaway Alert!

Diane Hatz will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.