Some of my writing is available free on a great site called Readwave. It's a place that hosts short - 2-3 minute - pieces of fiction, opinion and fact. There are currently half a dozen pieces of mine on the site. This morning I posted one relating to our future. That's 'our' in the sense of the human race, and looks at what we might do to ensure we maintain a presence on this wonderful world of ours. Please visit the site, read the 3 minute piece, and, if you feel so inclined, give the post a 'like' - You'll find a little pink heart at the bottom left of the story to do that. You can click this link to reach the story. Thank you.
Showing posts with label Online Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online Writing. Show all posts
Tuesday, 17 June 2014
Monday, 2 December 2013
November Was NaNoWriMo Month: So What?
The major
project for November was the completion of the first draft of book 3 of the
fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky. The
book stood at 111,079 words when I set out on the NaNoWriMo journey and it
ended up at 194,352 words. That’s 83,273 words during the month, though I
actually completed the book on 21st November.
I
accompanied my wife to the frozen north to visit her relatives and friends for
the pre-Xmas get-together and that took a few days out of the month. I read 4
books and reviewed 3 of them; the last one was reviewed in December. And I
completed 4 blog posts. I also wrote a couple of poems I’m intending to submit
to contests this month. So, all in all, a pretty satisfactory month’s writing.
The end
of NaNoWriMo generally leaves a void to be filled. I’ve been pretty busy with
other things, so it’s only today that I’ve started feeling the need to create
again. Lots of ideas for short stories, and there’s a novel brewing somewhere
in the back of my mind.
The 1st
volume of the fantasy trilogy was supposed to be published this month, but, as
can happen in the publishing world, a technical issue has delayed that.
No-one’s fault: just one of those irritating things that sometimes occur. Because
we’ll miss the Xmas window, we now intend to publish in Spring 2014. So, the
marketing and pre-launch activity I was expecting to participate in is no
longer necessary and I find myself with a small spell of spare time. Those
poems, stories and the novel start to beckon. And, I think I might put one of my
ebooks out as a paperback: possibly The
Methuselah Strain. There are still large numbers of people who don’t yet
have the facilities or the desire to go digital and it seems a shame to exclude
them from the circle of readers.
The pie
chart shows how my time has been spread over the month. I urge you to do
something similar, especially if you have a tendency to procrastinate; and what
writer doesn’t? Keeping a record of time spent on the various aspects of your
writing activities can be surprisingly informative and sometimes a little
alarming!
Thursday, 31 January 2013
What Is Your Greatest Strength as a Writer, and Why?
Brits, in general, are fitted with a built-in crap-o-meter that overrides
their personal pride and prevents them blowing their own horns too loudly.
Yanks, we’re told, have no such inhibitions. So, as a Brit, I’m going against
national stereotyping when I decide to tell you how great I am at…well, at
anything at all really. But I have to get the ball rolling, if I’m to get any
answers to my question. So, here goes:
I suppose my greatest strength is my ability to sit down at the keyboard,
without an idea in my head, and, during an hour or so, come up with the first
draft of a short story. Sometimes, of course, these stories come to nothing as
they stand but will work after some fiddling. Sometimes, they simply need minor
editing. Sometimes they’re completely lost causes and I toss them carelessly
into the bin, recognising that at least I’ve learned something along the route to
their creation.
As to why this should be the case for me; I’m at a loss to determine. But
I can speculate. Let’s face it, most of what a writer of fiction does is
speculation, so I should be pretty handy at that as well, I suppose.
I suspect the facility came along after I read Dorothea Brande’s
excellent Becoming a Writer and
actually engaged with the exercises. One of those is the suggestion that the
writer should emerge from sleep a little earlier than usual, go straight to the
keyboard (or pen and paper if that’s your modus operandi) and start making
marks on screen or said paper. No stopping to read emails, or snail mail, no
reading anything at all, no stopping for coffee, fags or any other artificial
stimulant (Okay, so you’re addicted and can’t face wakefulness without your
fix. Make it quick; have everything ready the night before so you’re not
spending any more time than necessary at it). You are, however, allowed a
post-sleep visit to the smallest room (no one operates well, creatively, with a
full bladder).
Initially, the writing is simply words strung together. Soon it develops
into diarist type ruminations relating to the previous day or, perhaps, a dream.
But, once you’ve been doing it for a short while (you need to do this every
morning for a period determined by your success or failure), you’ll start to
tap into the creative aspect of your subconscious. That’s when the magic
starts. Your characters come to life even as you name them, the story develops
out of your experiences mingled with those themes and ideas that most engage
you. And, suddenly, inexplicably, you’re writing a story. At any rate, that’s
how it goes for me.
I urge you to try it. But read the book first. There’s more to it than my
simple explanation, and a little preparation is also necessary before you
embark on this adventure. Also, Dorothea helpfully explains why it’s necessary
to do it her way.
Of course, your own particular strength may mean that you have no need of
such exercises. You may be brilliant, superbly creative, never short of ideas,
always raring to go with some new project. If that’s so, or whatever your
strength is as a writer, please share it with us. The comments box is just
below and it’s begging you to fill the space: we all know how nature abhors a
vacuum.
Next week I’ll look at weaknesses.
Thursday, 6 September 2012
What Drives a Writer?
Those of us who write, do so for a variety of reasons. I know of people
who write entirely from a desire to make money. Others are driven to write
about themselves, to tell the world about their exciting, boring, amazing,
average, fantastic or mundane lives. Many are looking to put ideas into words,
to explain to the world why things are as they are. Some are impelled by a deep
desire to put things right, to educate those they see as unaware of what they
believe to be important factors. And some simply love the idea of telling
stories; entertaining, moving, amusing, scaring, arousing or exciting their
readers.
Johnson famously said that anyone who wrote other than for money was a
blockhead. I must be a blockhead, then. Money has never been a driver for me, in
writing or any other aspect of my life. It’s a necessary evil, of course, in
the commercial world we inhabit, but, as a driver, it’s empty and unfulfilling.
So, I’m happy if my books sell. But I’m happier still if people enjoy what I’ve
written.
I belong to that last class of writers in the first paragraph. But, and
it’s an important ‘but’, I’m also compelled to write. There is deep within me
the need to write. In fact, if I don’t write, don’t create something, on a
regular basis, I feel unwell and unsettled. It’s as if my creative needs begin
to pile up and block my channels to good health. I always feel better when I’ve
written something new. So, I guess you could say that I write because I have
to. But that doesn’t mean I see it as a duty or a chore.
I love words; always have. I love the way they can be played with to
bring about so many different reactions. I hate the misuse of words, the easy
option that results in cliché. Because I love words, as a tool and a means of
expressing and conveying emotion, I also read, of course. Frankly, any writer
who doesn’t read is doing both himself and his readers a disservice. How can
any craftsman improve without input from others?
My imagination is my greatest asset; it’s a thing almost apart from me,
feeding me with ideas and characters, situations and plots almost without any
conscious direction, it seems. Imagination is what forms the core of my
stories. But, as is always the case with anything of worth, there’s more than
one component involved in the making of my tales. I have drives that are formed
from a combination of my experiences, education, up-bringing, moral stance, interests
and relationships. Those with well-developed perceptual powers will be aware
that I care very much about justice, real love, fairness, intelligence,
creativity and talent. As a corollary, I naturally loathe injustice,
superficial attraction, ignorance, destructive force and dullness. These
aspects inform my writing.
But, I write mostly to entertain and amuse my readers. I want to move,
excite, shock, scare, arouse, anger, surprise, divert, cheer, sadden, jolt,
soothe and amaze. Of course, having a proselytising nature (many of those who
know me say I should have been a teacher), I also want to educate and persuade.
In my early writing, this desire to convert readers to my point of view
overrode the entertainment in my work. It took time for me to realise that
readers of fiction don’t want to be lectured. A writer has to be far more
subtle than the preacher standing in the pulpit before a congregation willing
to swallow his message. So, I now keep the themes that drive me as just that;
themes.
I’m fortunate in that I have a clever and honest wife who quickly spots
any movement toward my urge to preach. And my writing group, made up of
talented professional writers, never allow me to get away with anything that
even sniffs of the soapbox. I remain blissfully unaware of the times I use
language that might be considered pompous or even condescending. Because I left
school at 16 with few formal qualifications, I assume that my knowledge of
English is pretty average but, apparently, I sometimes use language in a way that certain readers might find difficult. It’s not deliberate, but stems from a desire to
combine accuracy with a concise style. So, sometimes, the intervention of my
chosen critics helps overcome a tendency to use language that might otherwise
be seen as ‘clever’, never an intention but sometimes an outcome.
So, I write out of an almost physical need combined with a love of words
and of the power of story to convey emotion. What drives you to write? I’d love
to know. Please go to the trouble of commenting. It’s really very easy.
Thursday, 16 August 2012
Seeking Readers’ Views on Matters of Fantasy.
Those of you who’ve followed this blog for any time will know I’m in the
process of completing an epic fantasy trilogy. I’ve written the first 2 volumes
and edited book one to the point where it’s ready for publication. Book 2 is currently
undergoing the penultimate edit and book 3 is yet to be written, though I know
where it’s heading, more or less.
So, how can you help?
Well, I’m seeking the opinions of readers on various aspects of the
fantasy genre:
My book is an adult tale, containing references and descriptions
unsuitable for those under 15 years of age. Would that concern you? (there’s no
erotic content, but there are sexual references).
The major theme of the whole work is hypocrisy in organised religion,
though this is very definitely thematic and doesn’t push the story, which is
largely character driven, with the actions of those characters resulting in the
drama and adventure of the tale.
Clearly, I’m not about to alter the theme, but I’d like to know if the
very fact of it would deter you from sampling the book.
Book 1 is 216,000 words, or around 680 pages of a standard paperback. The
other two volumes will be around the same length. Assuming the story and
characters carry this length, as a reader, does this excite, inspire, worry or
inhibit you?
Clearly, publication of such a tome is likely to be difficult to sell to
a traditional publishing house. Would you be likely to try such a book as, A, a
paperback, B, an ebook, C, both of these, D, neither, if self-published?
What sort of price would you expect to pay for such a work?
The story needs maps to allow the reader to enjoy the location of the
fantasy. I’ve drawn the main map on a sheet of A1 (approx. 60x80 cms) and had
it scanned electronically so I can produce it both in full and in parts to suit
the story as it ranges over the wide territory imagined. How would you feel
about the inclusion of such maps in an ebook? And, would you like a ‘fold-out’
map in a paper book, if possible?
I’ve decided not to publish volume 1 until volume 2 is ready for
publication and volume 3 is already underway. Would that decision help you
decide whether or not to sample the first volume? I know it’s not uncommon for
fantasy writers to start a trilogy and then abandon it before it’s finished. I
want to avoid falling into that trap and, by taking this action, wish to assure
my readers that I’ll give them the full tale.
Later in the process, I intend releasing short tasters so that readers can
have an idea of the quality of the writing and some clues regarding characters,
theme and storyline. Would you welcome such samples?
That’s it for the moment. Later on, I’ll explain some of the techniques
used in the writing, introduce some of the major characters and give clues
about the imagined land I’ve used as a setting. Watch this space.
Thank you for your help in this process.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
The Writing Week
Took a break to collect my daughter from university, where she has now completed her first year (somewhat early, as the course she is doing requires no exams, but a dissertation and a full blown photo exhibition in her final year).
Been in the garden, when the weather allowed, and entered more photographs on my Facebook page.
The writing course, under the title The Artists Way, by Julia Cameron, continues to go well, with new thoughts and insights occurring more or less daily. 7 weeks of the 12 done so far. I'd recommend this for anyone who feels in any way blocked creatively.
My birthday on Wednesday, so some small celebrations planned. One more year and I take retirement from my day job and gain the time to work full time on the writing.
Also, the annual tax return must be done next week.
How goes the writing and reading with you out there?
Sunday, 26 February 2012
The Writing Week
So, what have I been doing?
A new blog post - 7 common grammatical errors - scheduled for 15th March.
The first of a proposed series of debates, with an invitation to join the discussion. and taking the form of a chat between two invented characters. This week was on the subject of honesty and is posted below, if you'd like to join in.
8000 words of a short story written. Short story? Well, that's how it started out. I reckon there's another 1500 to go before it's finished.
But, to my regret, only 2 chapters of the NaNoWriMo novel edited this week.
There have been mitigating circumstances, with which I will not bore you.
Oh, and I updated the Writing Contests page, see the tab above if interested. That's actually quite a time consuming process, due to the research involved.
So, now, at just after 9.0 o'clock on Sunday evening, I think I'm ready for a rest.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
The Writing Week
The NaNoWriMo novel, titled, An Avenger Unseen, is now well into its next stage of editing. I've read aloud the first 10 chapters and marked these where changes are needed. Once I've completed that part, I shall go back and make all the necessary alterations.
Another blog post is finished and scheduled to appear later this month.
On a walk along the coast (see pic above) with my wife, our conversation inspired another book; that will take some time to compile and write. A philosophical treatise, I'm not yet sure how I'll present it.
This morning I started on a new short story, managing 1400 words in the hour before breakfast.
And I've finally entered a short story in a contest. A 570 word piece for a flash fiction competition listed under the Writing Contests tab above.
I'm continuing to read the current book from my 'to read' list; The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, on my Kindle. And I've read this month's copy of Writers' Forum Magazine and sent a short letter for their reader's letters page. Time I entered their competition again, I think, having won 3 prizes with them over the years.
So, a reasonable week on the writing front. How did yours go?
Thursday, 31 March 2011
R.S. Charles, Author, Interviewed.
Please tell us a little about yourself, Richard.
Hi! My ‘nom de plume’ is R.S. Charles and I am a writer and novelist.
I developed an interest in language from a very early age. My mother was German and my father was Cornish, so I was fortunate enough to spend my early childhood in both Germany and England. I also lived in Paris and Montpellier in France. I consider myself to be a true European.
After an English Grammar School education, I went to University and studied French, which I subsequently taught, along with German and English, for 25 years.
Having spent 15 of those years as Head of a large Modern Languages Faculty in an inner- city Community College, I wanted to experience life outside the harness of education, so my long-term partner and I decided to buy and run a small, seaside Hotel.
We are presently living in our home town, Plymouth, England, with our two dogs and cat.
So, how would others describe me? I can be grumpy, feisty, and impatient, but also sociable and fun. Being a typical ‘Libran’, I like things to be balanced and fair. I still have a strong sense of humour, though life’s trials and tribulations have knocked it about somewhat. I am a very open person and narrowly missed out on the post of Deputy Head in my first school by naively telling the interviewing panel that fellow staff referred to me as the ‘Head of Light Entertainment’ because I made them laugh so much! I still impersonate many of them to this day.
Tell us about Whispering Palms in a few sentences.
It’s a mystery/suspense novel with a ‘liberal sprinkling of racy romance’. The intrigue takes place on a remote, paradise island where the rich and anonymous entertain themselves by interfering in each others’ lives. It’s the first novel in a Trilogy. And with such suitable ingredients as glitz, glamour, greed, lust and blackmail, all tangled up in a web of hypocrisy and deceit, readers seem to think it would make a good mini-series/soap. I do too!
How did you come to write this particular book?
During our time at the hotel, I used to sit at the Reception desk and give a running commentary on the comings and goings of guests to amuse myself and others. One afternoon, I decided to write down my observations. I sat at the computer, allowed my imagination to embellish my thoughts, turned fact into fanciful fiction, and was soon surprised to find I’d produced enough material for at least one chapter of a novel. After that, there was no going back.
If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?
I love all my characters, ranging from the English aristocrats to the enigmatic, foreign visitors who meander in and out of their lives. I couldn’t pick a favourite. I don’t really feel there is a main character. After all, “Everyone has a past and everyone has a reason to be there.”
Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?
The year is 1986 and the setting is a remote, secluded island in the Caribbean. Both these facts are of little real significance since, being so isolated, the cloistered community regards itself as merely being ‘somewhere in the Tropics’, does not take kindly to strangers or change, and chooses to continue to live by old Colonial values. It is as though they permanently exist in the 1950s, or even a time previous to that.
To be honest, I gave little thought to the actual time or place for the novel. I am a visual writer and simply imagined an opulent, old-fashioned lifestyle in a sun-drenched paradise. Perhaps the Caribbean cruise we went on in 2001 subconsciously came to the fore? It’s been my only taste of luxury…so far.
Where and how can readers buy your book?
What qualities are needed by a successful writer?
I could trot out all sorts of clichés, but nowadays, the whole notion of ‘successful writing’ in relation to novels largely depends on publishers and marketing. Some of the best writers probably aren’t ever published. Their work is still languishing in slush piles. And a good number of those who are published don’t receive enough exposure and get lost in the crowd.
Writing is like painting. You have to immerse people in what you have created. You have to appeal to someone. Different writers do this in different ways. And what appeals to one reader/publisher won’t necessarily appeal to another. All your efforts can be of little value if you don’t get the breaks, regardless of your qualities!
What is your working method?
I have the luxury of usually being able to write when I want to write. There is no routine. If the creative juices are flowing, it’s time to write, even in the middle of the night. If not, forget it! As far as actual ‘method’ is concerned, I always maintain that “Whispering Palms” wrote itself. I merely had some characters and an idea. Each time I sat down to write, the characters took over, did what they wanted to do, said what they wanted to say, and dealt with the situations they had put themselves in. Most of the time, I consciously had no idea what was going to happen until I wrote it.
It sounds glib, but planning and organisation were sketchy. Knowing one’s characters is the key to gauging their reactions, behaviour, dialogue, and the outcome of their follies. Also, being a mystery novel, there was a puzzle to solve. All the clues had to be there. Readers hate random reasoning. Fortunately, everything seemed to fall into place at the big reveal. Perhaps more by luck than judgement!
A Senior Police Officer wrote to me and said he had read the novel while he was off work, incapacitated with a bad back. He openly admitted all the clues were there, but he’d failed to solve the mystery. He had one desperate question, but I won’t tell you what that was. The answer is the key to the puzzle! I have to say, however, that I am finding the sequel to “Whispering Palms” more difficult to write. Having had one novel published, the pressure seems greater. This time I have a plot and I know the ending. Getting there is not so easy!
What single biggest mistake do beginners to writing make?
Putting all you have into your first novel!
To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?
To me, any writer must endeavour to be a master of the basic mechanics of his or her own language; spelling, grammar, punctuation. It allows confidence and fluency. Relying on correction devices provided by modern computers is risky. Context and dialogue may influence style and language. “Fragment-consider revising” flashing at you is not helpful when you know what you have written is perfectly acceptable!
We all need to check spelling now and again, but if one word is spelt in several different ways, a writer should at least know which one to use. And if you leave it all to editors, they may re-write your book. BUT, we are all human. Commas are still somewhat of a mystery to me. And somehow the phrase ‘piece of mind’ found its way into the hard copy of “Whispering Palms”. Ooops!
How much revision of your MS do you do before you send it off?
I like to edit as I go, and give my work another thorough edit and check when finished. You can, however, do too much and change things for the sake of it, only to change them back again to what you originally wrote. I find working to an edit deadline quite pressurising. I made the mistake of working for long periods when I was tired. Not to be advised!
To what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?
Genre allows writers to be pigeon-holed and readers to easily select what they wish to read. It can, however, be restrictive. If we wish to sell books, should we write what we wish to write and are comfortable with, or should we ‘go with the flow’ and venture into other genres which appear to be in vogue at the time? Many writers cross genre boundaries nowadays, and some readers never explore genres they are not familiar with. They rely on their favourite authors to continually produce novels which are similar in style and content to previous work. They like to feel ‘safe’.
One of my proofreaders told me that mystery novels ‘were not for her’. (Un)fortunately, she enjoyed “Whispering Palms” so much, she forgot she was actually proofreading it!
Marketing is often considered a chore. What is your opinion on this issue and how do you deal with it?
Don’t get me started on this one! I’ll say no more!
How do you know where to begin any given story?
Just pitch in. Start at the end, or in the middle. Have flashbacks. Look into the future. Run two storylines simultaneously. The rules have gone out of the window. Who knows? The main thing is to hook the reader from page one.
What sort of displacement activities keep you from actually writing?
I’m quite lucky, I suppose. I write when I’m in the mood. Of course, everyday life interferes now and then. We have dogs to walk, chores to do, and we even socialise occasionally. I don’t really have hobbies as such. Writing has become my passion. I watch much less television now, but networking on social websites can waste an inordinate amount of time and become totally addictive.
Recently, my writing has been greatly hindered by a dodgy, temperamental computer. On days I’ve wished to write, it has refused to work, and when it felt like working, I didn’t have the inspiration. I had a new ‘mouse’, and a new ‘memory’ installed, as both were not functioning properly. And then, to top it all, the hard drive mangled itself, out of the blue, a week later. The air was blue. I hadn’t saved the last 4,000+ words I had written to a back-up memory stick, only to the hard drive. I assumed I didn’t immediately need to. The computer had just been repaired. I have lost two pivotal chapters of my sequel, which I really laboured to write. They were leading to the big ‘reveal’ and had to be ‘just right’. Eventually they were.
Unfortunately, these chapters cannot be retrieved. Professionals have tried. I still haven’t come to terms with that. All that work for nothing! It’s going to take me a while to face the challenge of trying to re-create something I was really happy with. There’s a lesson there for everyone.
Do you have support from family and friends, or a writing group?
Generally, my friends and family are encouraging. At times, however, they think I become too obsessed with what I’m doing. And they are right!
I belong to ‘on-line’ writing groups for social interaction and moral support.
Is presentation of the MS as important as agents and publishers suggest?
I think you should give it your best shot. You are presenting yourself and your work. Often, you only have one chance to make an impression. Even then, you are competing with everybody else. If your presentation is good that’s at least something in your favour.
How long does it normally take you to write a novel?
It varies. “Whispering Palms” took about a year, but I also had a job at the time. I’ve nearly finished my WIP, and that has taken about the same time. The present project has been plagued by different problems, mostly to do with technology!
What are your inspirations?
Pictures, photographs, paintings, places, people, films. I am, as I have said, a visual writer. I need to be able to see and feel what I am writing about, albeit in my imagination. Before that can happen, there will have been some sort of stimulus. I am a great ‘people-watcher’. Well, that’s my excuse for spending so much time in cafes.
When I initially re-read the chapters I have now ‘lost’, I experienced exactly the atmosphere I wanted to be immersed in. Something has to inspire a writer to find the right words to fluently create the scene (s)he wishes to convey, rather like an artist needs to find exactly the right blend of colours to produce the picture (s)he wishes to paint.
If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?
Having to use a computer! As much as it helps, it hinders. My scribble is not presentable enough, and publishers have ‘guidelines’.
Is there an aspect of writing that you really enjoy?
I really enjoy the experience of losing myself in the world of my imagination. If you can’t be where you want to be, write about it. If you are not able to be who you want to be, write about it. If you’re not doing what you want to do, write about it.
Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
I don’t want to discourage anyone, but in my opinion, we are all born to do some things well. Other things we have to work at. I spent years interviewing people for teaching posts in my department. Some candidates were extremely well qualified or had years of experience, but they weren’t natural teachers. Other candidates were less experienced, less well qualified, but had that ‘special something’. I knew it as soon as I met them. And that was not about me, it was about them. They may have needed a little guidance, but they were definitely born to teach.
Writers are the same. Some slog away and need to acquire skills to be competent. For others, it’s a breeze. Anyway, who’s to judge? If it’s what you want to do, and readers like what you write, who really knows how you got there? I doubt there’s ever been a good writer who has not been rejected many times!
What are you writing now?
I am just completing the sequel to “Whispering Palms”. It carries directly on from the last page of the first novel.
Do you have a website or blog that readers can visit?
My website, www.mymysterybooks.com has just be revamped and contains all the necessary useful links to blogs and further information. Please check it out.
Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?
A luxury mansion, surrounded by palm trees, overlooking the beach on a sun-drenched tropical island. Sound familiar?
Where do you actually write?
We live in a rambling period property, and I used to have the back bedroom, (complete with bed and cosy chairs), overlooking our lovely garden and neighbouring park as my office. But now, needs must, and it has been converted into a guest room. I’ve been relegated to a corner in the back ‘parlour’! The desk and computer fit snugly into the alcove which looks out onto an old, cobbled lane.
Thank God for my imagination!
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Edit, Almost Done
I thought I might start giving tasters of the first book. Any of you interested in reading some of that at this stage?
Been to the library to pick up some books I ordered on line. Taken rubbish and recycling to the local recycling facility. Also, selected some short stories for an anthology I intend to publish on romance, and then sought a reasonable picture from one of the online stockists to act as a cover background. Read some more of the current read - Empty Chairs, by Stacey Danson; a harrowing but inspiring book about and by a woman who suffered physical and sexual abuse from the age of 3, initiated at the hands of her own mother, would you believe?
Had a man in today, to move the Magnolia before it comes into bloom; a job too physically demanding for me. It was in the way of the proposed turning point I need to put in at the front of the house. Once I'm done here, I shall take a short walk with Valerie and then settle down to relax for the evening. Kate is out on the town with friends.
Friday, 4 February 2011
Now to the long-awaited edit
This morning, I finally cleared my desk of the gathered clutter and discovered I had no more excuses.
The Seared Sky: Joinings, the first volume of the book currently runs to 68 chapters over 661 pages in 277,000 words. There are 52 named characters roaming a landscape that emerged from my imagination, and living in societies diverse and odd, worshipping sometimes bizarre idols and deities and participating in customs alien to our modern world.
In order to know where everyone is at any given time during the three years of the complete story, I had to develop a comprehensive timeline. Using Excel, I've listed the characters down one side and drawn the dated timeline as the horizontal axis. There are phases of the moon, notes as to which chapter each action occurs in and, in the individual cells, notes about what each character is doing on any given date during the story so far.
I am reading every word aloud, as this is the only real way to spot errors and find clumsy sentences. A glass of water to hand, music playing softly to exclude other external interference, and specs perched on the bridge of my nose, I go through page by page and excise the unnecessary, expunge the pompous, delete the inappropriate and murder my darlings in the hope of producing something readers will actually want to read.
So, if you wish,come with me on this journey. I might, from time to time, elicit your help, opinions, encouragement or comments. But I'll keep you informed of the progress.
I started the exercise this morning and have so far completed 2 chapters. So, another 66 to go. Wish me luck; I'm going to need it!
Thursday, 30 December 2010
How Should A Story Begin?
Image by pobrecito33 via FlickrAs a reader, do you like your stories to begin with a bang, or do you prefer a slow build-up, perhaps a question to be answered, some mystery introduced? As a writer, do you hook readers or do you tempt them, tease them with small tit-bits of information, make them so involved with your characters that they feel compelled to continue to read?
It's generally considered, by those who are supposed to know such things, that the best way to persuade a reader to travel through the first paragraph and beyond is to engage their interest. And, logically, that makes sense, of course. But it's the how of this that interests me. It comes down, I imagine, to the type of book you're reading or writing. The action book needs to grab the reader at once, posing some threat or challenge that must be faced and resolved by the hero. The love story requires that the reader cares about the heroine and is quickly engaged by her potential lover. The literary story can begin more slowly, more deliberately, with fascinating language and images presented in words well chosen. The crime novel employs the body in the library, or the detective about to embark on a new mystery.
So, this is a matter of horses for courses. I write in many genres and always try to engage the reader with the main character(s) as early as possible. I want readers to care what happens to the people in my stories. If I can introduce an air of menace, intrigue, mystery or simple desire, to fit the story, then I feel I've gone a long way to keeping the reader interested. Some writers, especially when they begin the craft, try to tell the reader too much in one go and drown the reader in facts, forgetting that they can be shown these things as the story unfolds.
So, I ask you; what do you prefer to read as an introduction to a new story? What's your approach as a writer to the beginning of a new tale? Please comment and let others know whether your response is as reader or writer.
Thank you.
Thursday, 23 December 2010
Is The Best Fiction Plot Or Character Driven?
Image via WikipediaFollowing on from yesterday's post, about character development, I'd like to explore how writers develop stories, and discover from readers whether they prefer plot or character driven tales.
All my fiction is character driven. I've tried writing from plot – I once wrote 80,000 words of a thriller in longhand and binned the whole thing because I didn't connect with any of the characters. If I couldn't connect, how could I expect my readers to empathise?
Although fiction is no more than a mirror to life, it deals with relationships more than any other aspect of living. Relationships are the lifeblood of social life and inherently dependent on the nature of the characters involved. It seems to me, therefore, that a book that pays little attention to character development is less a reflection on real life and more a narrative on imagined actions. There can be little depth in such fiction, surely? In order to create a work with any real meaning, isn't it essential for the writer to get into the skin of his characters?
There's a gender factor here, of course. And I understand I'll inevitably offend some people when I suggest that action novels are popular amongst the male readership because a lot of men are emotionally immature. Do you agree? The hugely successful genre of 'romance' is frequently vilified, mostly by men, for being too sentimental. Whilst I've read romance which falls into that category, I've read a great deal more that deals honestly and in depth with real emotion and depicts thoroughly imagined people travelling through events that test and question them. In fact, I'd say that the most satisfying reads I've enjoyed have been, in one sense or another, in the romance genre.
Plot driven fiction is generally action led; the Bond books, war stories, much science fiction, westerns, are all the sort of escapist fiction where little effort goes into the true natures of the characters. In these stories, stereotypes are often considered good enough to carry through the action. As long as movement is rapid and compelling enough, it takes the reader through the story without allowing time for the pause that might raise the questions; why is he doing this? What motivates this person? Does he have any finer feelings? But these questions are often of little interest to the readers of such books.
I realise, of course, that there are romances where action takes a front seat, in the same way as there are novels with intricate plots where character provides the momentum. But I've tried, here, to form the basis of a discussion by making a few suggestions.
Now it's your turn. Please comment and let me know your take on this topic. I'd be interested to know whether you're making your contribution as a reader or a writer, by the way.
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