tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33636884605168278282024-03-14T07:50:08.839+00:00Novel MistakesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.comBlogger59125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-53201667427123122302014-01-28T16:42:00.003+00:002014-01-28T16:42:14.811+00:00Lets Get Going...Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61zjiAVlMmI/UufdpTDgI3I/AAAAAAAAASg/ocwM-YWIFo4/s1600/letsgetgoingagain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-61zjiAVlMmI/UufdpTDgI3I/AAAAAAAAASg/ocwM-YWIFo4/s1600/letsgetgoingagain.jpg" height="296" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Ok</strong></span>, so it’s been over a month since Christmas, and a lot of people
still haven’t got back into their original writing routines. I know it’s
difficult trying to maintain a routine over the holidays, so we let it lapse.
Or, at least, I let it lapse. That’s right, you heard me correctly, I fell prey
to the horrible beast known as procrastination. I’m usually really good at keeping
up a working method, but recently I’ve only been working in drips and drabs, so
please allow me to formally apologize to all my readers for my lack of
motivation and lack of blog updates.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here we are, back on track and ready to work. It’s the new year, but
late in the month which means that most people have already given up their New
Year’s resolutions, (they were too ambitious anyway). Promising to write 5000
words per day proving too difficult? Trying to write everyday only to be bombarded
with chores? Well don’t panic, it happens to all of us, but now we must get
going again. Get back into the work ethic that we recently lost, but how do we
do that? It’s a tricky question, but one I’m sure a lot of people will have
their own answer for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Personally, I’m just gonna have to sit down and force myself to write
something, anything, and get back into the literary flow. That’s the only way
forward for the likes of me. Push through the hard bit and I will prevail. I
will write my average word-count everyday, as I used to. 3 times a week I will
end my day by posting my blog for you guys to read. I will edit my previous
novel and send it to be published. These things I will do, because my
motivation is that I want to. If you are losing the motivation to get started
again, remember that you want to do it. For whatever reason, whether it’s
because you like writing, or like having the goal of completing a novel, you <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i></b>
to write. So write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tell me what you think. What are your motivations for writing? </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-8103977745712237882014-01-07T16:44:00.005+00:002014-01-07T16:45:28.827+00:00First Favourites<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0HdudDfvvk/UswuwvPYwAI/AAAAAAAAASM/o8_jr1EcEBM/s1600/roald-dahl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O0HdudDfvvk/UswuwvPYwAI/AAAAAAAAASM/o8_jr1EcEBM/s1600/roald-dahl.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing I think we all remember is our favourite childhood author.
When we are first stepping out into the weird and wonderful world of magical
text and discovering the potential of our own imaginations, we remember what
books first grabbed our attentions enough to teach us to read. For me, it was
Roald Dahl. His books have captured Children’s imaginations for decades, indeed
even my niece and nephew have begun enjoying his works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Something about his caricature characters appeals to almost all ages,
from the nasty ‘Twits’ to the kind hearted ‘James’ with his giant peach.
Somehow he keeps the stories light hearted and wholesome while indulging in the
slightly darker side of most children’s imaginations. As I write this, I can
think of two examples immediately:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘George’s Marvellous Medicine’ and ‘Revolting Rhymes’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who else could get away with writing a children’s story about a boy
trying to poison his grandmother; or a book of poetry where the heroine skins
the big bad wolf to wear as a coat, turns the three little pigs into luggage
and keeps a handgun in her undies? This is the work of a very talented mind and
it is such that grabbed my attention. Whoever our childhood favourite, we
always remember them for whatever reason, and it’s that which we must cherish.
I still curl up some nights with a cup of hot chocolate and ‘Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory’. We should make an effort to engage our children in a
similar way, get them interested in reading the same way we were, with a good
author, one who understood the mind of a child. I admit, if I were a few years
younger, (quite a few) my favourite author may well have been J.K.Rowling, and
that would have been fine, but I’m glad I got to spend so much time reading Mr
Dahl’s books, and enjoyed the worlds he created.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What was your favourite author as a child? Do you think children engage
in reading as often as they used to? Tell me what you think. Read, follow,
comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-43541664607749908192014-01-06T17:40:00.001+00:002014-01-06T17:40:25.346+00:00Help Yourself<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvAXq9NQSsk/Usrp41dErOI/AAAAAAAAAR8/6raFoL7ecMg/s1600/Self-help-books-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvAXq9NQSsk/Usrp41dErOI/AAAAAAAAAR8/6raFoL7ecMg/s1600/Self-help-books-012.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So it’s the New Year and everyone has made their resolutions, well,
except me. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore because I can never
stick to them. Some people may say that’s the point, that its tradition to make
and break resolutions. But I’m getting slightly off topic here; fact is, this
time of year, fiction sales figures take a hit. Yes some people will go out and
buy that novel they’ve been promising themselves as part of their resolution,
but most people will buy self-help books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, before anyone starts thinking I’m having a go at self-help books,
I’m not. I can give credit to two books that have helped me when I needed it.
But fact is fiction isn’t as sort after. People everywhere want to change
something about them-selves and it’s normally to do with their health. Quit
smoking and lose weight are the top of the list, so books on these subjects
walk out of the door and the money directly into the pockets of those cashing
in. I will mention one book here, simply because I know it works from personal
experience, and that is ‘Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking’. No, that’s not
Allen Carr the comedian and t</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">he only reason I mention this book is because it is the exception and
not the rule.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why do we drain our finances dry at Christmas only to do so again for
one off fads like ‘Get thin by eating dust’ or ‘Lose weight by vomiting’ (these
are just made up, obviously), when the book usually gets half-read, then
chucked to the bottom of the book case, where during spring it gets taken to
the local charity shop? It’s a complete waste of money. Why not instead, get a
book that you know you’ll enjoy, a bestselling novel, that wonderful romance,
or chilling thriller. The one you know you’ll finish because you won’t be able
to put it down? Isn’t that a better use of your cash? That way the novel
industry wouldn’t dwindle during the cold months and everyone would feel happier
than if they’ve failed the latest dieting fashion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maybe I’m, just being pessimistic, it may work for a lot of people, but
if it does, it’s doesn’t for any people I know. Let me know what you think.
Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-3586572994984630202013-12-23T16:39:00.005+00:002013-12-23T16:39:51.716+00:00Seasons Scribbles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8d-mPyxkyfo/UrhnAwKx9VI/AAAAAAAAARk/_VDFRTM3bEg/s1600/XmasScribbleTrees.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8d-mPyxkyfo/UrhnAwKx9VI/AAAAAAAAARk/_VDFRTM3bEg/s320/XmasScribbleTrees.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Does anybody else get the urge to write something seasonal this time of
year? Whether it’s a child’s story involving Santa Clause, or a Thriller set
during the crisp white winters of Ole’ London Town, thousands of people feel
compelled to write during this magical time. Now I’m not normally one to go all
gooey and sentimental over national holidays, but this close to Christmas it’s
hard not to. I love Christmas and I’m not ashamed to say it. My favourite bit
is the smell of the roast wafting through into the living room while we watch
something tacky on the telly, usually from Disney.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But when writing about the season’s holidays, whether it is Christmas, Yule,
Hanukah etc... this time of year always brings about some of the most
imaginative tales. Some of the most memorable fictions are based around
Christmas. Look at Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. How many times has that
been re-imagined? The cynics among us would say that the producers are trying
to cash in on a great idea, and they’re probably right, but that doesn’t mean
we like it any less.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are so many stories to choose from. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Dr. Seuss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘The Night before Christmas’ by Clement Clarke Moore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Polar Express’ by Chris van Allsburg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ by C.S.Lewis and</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘The Nutcracker’ by E.T.A Hoffmann are just a few of the sublime
narratives developed specifically for this time of year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know about anyone else, but I love writing about Christmas,
just trying to convey my own personal feelings from the holidays onto paper is
a joy. As with every Christmas, because it is a guilty pleasure of mine, I
shall be joining Ebenezer Scrooge in his bedroom for a night of yuletide haunting.
I look forward to it every year, but what is your favourite Christmas Book?
What’s your favourite bit about Christmas, or Yule, or Hanukah? Let me know
what you think.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, Follow, Comment and Enjoy a very Merry Christmas. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-15577589094036492152013-12-17T16:00:00.001+00:002013-12-17T16:00:29.384+00:00Worrisome Word Count<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XiM7gZLZOHY/UrBzIjLmE_I/AAAAAAAAARU/2BcQoOeq28U/s1600/wordcount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XiM7gZLZOHY/UrBzIjLmE_I/AAAAAAAAARU/2BcQoOeq28U/s1600/wordcount.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There a few different ways to measure the length of your novel as you
write it, the most common way is word count. I know some authors who count the
amount of pages, which is ridiculous considering the format changes when
published. But word-count is what a lot of publishers rely on, and it can affect
the final decision whether or not too publish.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Is it too long?’</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">‘Is it too short?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Etc...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Crime novels are usually shorter, where as fantasies tend to be longer.
The main problem is, what is the ideal length for a novel? There is no straight
answer.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are a first time author, publishers don’t really want to print a
book longer than 110,000 words. Any longer than that and it could get costly.
If you already have a good sales record behind you, then they may be ok with
extending the word count, but only because they have evidence that your books
will sell. Look at the Harry Potter series for example; The Philosopher's Stone was <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">76,944 words, but The Deathly Hallows was approximately 198,227, with Order of The Phoenix reaching over 250,000 words. When the success of the first books was apparent, the publisher knew they could make their money even with novels of a much larger size.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The main worry is, that although you may want your book to be longer or
shorter, don’t worry about it until you come to editing it. My first book was
110,000 at its first draft. By the time I finished editing, it was 95,000
words. A very decent size for anyone’s first time novel and still acceptable in
length for most publishers. I have a novel however that I have not yet edited,
and it is 65,000 words in length. I know there are to be quite a few changes, a
little cut out and a lot added in, but I’m not thinking about it until I have
finished writing my current one which is set to finish at 75,000 words. This is
only the first draft and the content, I’m sure will change dramatically.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The point to this blog is to calm everyone down about the ‘word-count’
obsession. Just write the book the way you want to. The first draft is yours;
the rest is to make it marketable, to make it ‘reader friendly’. Tell me what
you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-82231203924968858882013-12-16T15:59:00.004+00:002013-12-16T15:59:46.274+00:0050 Must Reads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8FeYZ5Atbc/Uq8hq0SLTeI/AAAAAAAAARE/T9a_iGUec4o/s1600/50-books-to-read-before-you-die-bookmark-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N8FeYZ5Atbc/Uq8hq0SLTeI/AAAAAAAAARE/T9a_iGUec4o/s320/50-books-to-read-before-you-die-bookmark-a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My bookmark is a thin piece of stainless steel, engraved with ’50 books
to read before you die.’ I will list the books on here in the order they are
listed, and see how many you’ve read. I am ashamed to say, that although I
enjoy classic novels, I have only read about 5% of them. I won’t tell you which
ones, you can have a guess. But see if you agree with the list, or if you have
some books you would recommend?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>J.R.R.TOLKIEN</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">1984<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GEORGE ORWELL</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">PRIDE AND PREJUDICE<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JANE AUSTEN</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE GRAPES OF WRATH<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JOHN STEINBECK</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>HARPER LEE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">JANE EYRE<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>CHARLOTTE BRONTE</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">WUTHERING HEIGHTS<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>EMILY BRONTE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">A PASSAGE TO INDIA<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>E.M.FORSTER</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE LORD OF THE FLIES<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>WILLIAM GOLDING</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">HAMLET<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">A BEND IN THE RIVER<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>V.S.NAIPAUL</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE GREAT GATSBY<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>F. SCOTT FITZGERALD</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE CATCHER IN THE RYE<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>J.D.SALINGER</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE BELL JAR<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>SYLVIA PLATH</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">BRAVE NEW WORLD<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ALDOUS HUXLEY</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">DIARY OF ANNE FRANK<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ANNE FRANK</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">DON QUIXOTE<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MIGUEL DE CERVANTES</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE BIBLE<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>VARIOUS</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE CANTERBURY TALES<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GEOFFREY CHAUCER</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">ULYSSES<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JAMES JOYCE</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE QUIET AMERICAN<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>GRAHAM GREENE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">BIRDSONG<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>SEBASTIAN FAULKS</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">MONEY<span style="mso-tab-count: 4;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MARTIN AMIS</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">HARRY POTTER SERIES<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>J.K.ROWLING</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">MOBY DICK<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>HERMAN MELVILLE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>KENNETH GRAHAME</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">HIS DARK MATERIALS TRILOGY<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>PHILIP PULLMAN</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">ANNA KARENINA<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>LEO TOLSTOY</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">ALICE’S ADVERNTURES IN WONDERLAND<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>LEWIS CARROLL</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">REBECCA<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>DAPHNE DU MAURIER</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MARK
HADDON</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">ON THE ROAD<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JACK KEROUAC</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">HEART OF DARKNESS<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JOSEPH CONRAD</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE WAY WE LIVE NOW<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ANTHONY TROLLOPE</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE OUTSIDER<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ALBERT CAMUS</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE COLOUR PURPLE<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ALICE WALKER</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">LIFE OF PI<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>YANN MARTEL</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">FRANKENSTEIN<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MARY SHELLEY</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE WAR OF THE WORLDS<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>H.G.WELLS</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Calibri;">MEN WITHOUT WOMEN<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ERNEST HEMINGWAY</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">GULLIVER’S TRAVELS<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JONATHAN SWIFT</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">A CHRISTMAS CAROL<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>CHARLES DICKENS</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">HUCKLEBERRY FINN<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>MARK TWAIN</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">ROBINSON CRUSOE<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>DANIEL DEFOE</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>KEN KESEY</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">CATCH 22<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>JOSEPH HELLER</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ALEXANDRE DUMAS</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ARTHUR GOLDEN</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">THE DIVINE COMEDY<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>ALIGHIERI DANTE</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: Calibri;">THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>OSCAR WILDE</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So how many have you read? How many are you intending to read? Are
there any surprises? Or possibly books you have read but thought, ‘there’s no
way that should be in this list.’ Please remember that this is not the ‘top 50
books of all time’ but the ‘50 books to read before you die.’</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These are books that demand your attention. It may be just a gimmicky bookmark
that served me well, but I am going to start at the top and work my way down.
Until I get to my favourite book of all time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The picture of Dorian Gray.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But one thing that surprised me was the mention of the Bible. These are
books you must read before you die, but the Bible is a religious text, so
should it be on the list? I know there are going to be some people who will
state unequivocally, ‘YES’, but in that case, should we not also include
religious texts from other faiths in the list? That’s just my thought, what’s
yours?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-17415088736378113632013-12-13T15:00:00.002+00:002013-12-13T15:00:34.058+00:00Family Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NXi47-t2cwI/Uqsg2UTWKcI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/b1uG9fy11H0/s1600/weasleyfamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NXi47-t2cwI/Uqsg2UTWKcI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/b1uG9fy11H0/s320/weasleyfamily.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I wrote recently discussing hobbies and whether to include them in your
novel. What about families? Obviously, most characters have families, and some
stories require stronger family types than others. But have you ever written a
novel where the characters or character’s families are based on your own? I
know this is a dangerous concept, because what if someone from your own family
decides to read your novel and recognises where you got that character type
from? Will they be flattered that you’ve included them (to a degree) in your
work, or would they be insulted that you see them in a way that is unfavourable
to them?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">E.G. imagine you have a sister who loves a particular movie star, or
singer, and it’s all they talk about. And in your novel you talk about a girl
who is obsessed with someone in particular, if you’re drawing your inspiration
from that sister, isn’t it likewise that you may end basing some of the
dialogue on what they say? Isn’t it obvious that they may think you are mocking
them? It may upset her, obviously that’s not what you’re trying to do, but it
may be the end result.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the flipside though, what happens when you make up a fictional
character, completely made-up, you haven’t based it on anyone because the character
in your mind is unique, but someone you know, thinks you<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> are</i> basing it on them. You create a clown type character that is
stupid and silly and clumsy and an idiot simply for the point of the story,
when a friend of yours who you’ve asked to reads the story for feedback, gets
upset because they think you are mocking them. What do you do? Do you rewrite
the character because your friend is upset, or do you just keep it the way it
is, because you know it isn’t based on anyone and your friend needs to accept
that?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thing is you can never satisfy everyone. Someone somewhere is going to
connect with your creations, for good or worse, and if you start changing your
novel because of that, then you are never going to be happy with it. Do what’s
right for your novel, and if you do base a character on a real person, then
good luck, or don’t tell anyone.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-46460035195133771572013-12-12T15:40:00.002+00:002013-12-12T15:40:51.245+00:00Imaginative Interests<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P3p9XR8THfE/UqnY2hXPWQI/AAAAAAAAAQM/62vPocfpTcM/s1600/hobbies.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P3p9XR8THfE/UqnY2hXPWQI/AAAAAAAAAQM/62vPocfpTcM/s320/hobbies.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do your characters have hobbies; interests that set them apart from
other characters in fiction? Something weird and wonderful that endears them to
us as quirky and eccentric? What about using Past-times as a way of describing
a character’s personality? If you wanted to emphasize a boring old man, you
could possibly make him a train spotter. Some wacky woman could try to contact
the dead in their spare time. A precarious youth may have too many hobbies to
mention because they cannot settle down on anything. Hobbies are difficult to
perfect in a character, but mention it generally, in passing, and it gives the
character depth and the reader an idea to who the character is.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever given a character your interests? If you enjoy archery,
or bird watching, or even just shopping, do you give any of those traits
deliberately to your character? My main concern for this is that we end up
putting too much detail into the character’s hobby, making it quite dull for the
reader. Fantastic, so you love aquariums, and so does your protagonist, but
after you’ve described your ideal fish tank in detail, (including the colours
of each fish and the wattage to the latest water pump,) how many readers would
still be reading?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I am ashamed to say that it took me three attempts to read ’40,000
leagues under the sea’. This was due mainly to the page upon page of detailed
descriptions of the deep sea dwelling creatures that appear for only a second,
just to be described, before they disappear again. I know that authors are
trying to give a realistic view of their character, or of the location, but how
much detail is too much? I honestly felt, with the previously mentioned book,
(as good as it was, because aside from this, it is still a good book.) I was
reading an encyclopaedia of under-water occupants.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many authors I meet give their characters interests that they are
themselves interested in because it helps them connect with the character more.
This little detail helps the author get enthusiastic about what they’re writing
and allows a 50,000-100,000 word manuscript to be written with some ease. But
tell me what you think.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-27527951897691899152013-12-11T16:28:00.003+00:002013-12-11T16:28:40.502+00:00Impetuous Intentions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tiB1bk2A6Fg/UqiSfslVmCI/AAAAAAAAAP8/SBnOAY6DhdE/s1600/Impetuous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tiB1bk2A6Fg/UqiSfslVmCI/AAAAAAAAAP8/SBnOAY6DhdE/s320/Impetuous.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A day or two ago, I found myself writing my next novel quite happily.
No real problems, I knew what murder was to be committed, how, when, why and by
whom. What I didn’t know, was anything else. I had started writing a novel with
no idea how it was to turn out. Worse than that, I hadn’t planned anything
properly. Any regular reader of my blog knows that I am a fastidious planner,
and write full life stories for each character no matter how small a part they
play. I like to know the history of a location before I place my characters
there.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some may call me a control freak, and as far as writing my novels go, I
may also agree, but how then did I write the prologue and first two chapters
without a chapter plan? Without any clear idea how I was going to introduce the
evidence the sleuth needs to solve the case? Without proper motives and alibis
for each character. Without, in fact, a clear idea of what characters I would
be creating? How does someone like me, who insists on loads of planning and
research before even thinking about details of a project, neglect the very bare
bones of novel writing?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think, perhaps, that my enthusiasm for the new project got the better
of me. It can happen, though not often. I got so excited about an idea I had,
that I just went ahead and began to write it. Some people may be able to write
like that and if they can then I envy them. I however must have a written and
drawn plan of attack. Does that bind me to a rigid way of thinking? Do I tie my
own hands by being so rigid? Or does my faithful method do me credit? What do
you think?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-11152814013455043952013-12-10T16:46:00.001+00:002013-12-10T16:46:38.347+00:00Written Repetition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FnhKG_bIzbo/UqdE2h5riJI/AAAAAAAAAPs/_VwP8XC-YKo/s1600/repetition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FnhKG_bIzbo/UqdE2h5riJI/AAAAAAAAAPs/_VwP8XC-YKo/s320/repetition.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the problems I’ve found with prolific authors is repetition. We’re
all guilty of it, telling that joke more than once because it got a good
reception, or cooking a meal exactly the same way as before because it tasted
so good. When an author writes a book and it gets good praise, they try and
recapture what it was that captivated the audience. Some authors write a
sequel, and although good, the series never usually lives up to its
predecessor. Other authors just continue writing stories in the hope that they
will appeal to their fan-base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We may be able to come up with one or two completely original novels,
but with several hundred years of fictional printing, most ideas have been had and to keep coming up with something new is difficult. So what do we do then?
Some authors repeat themselves, which is not what their audience wants. They
take a novel that worked really well and just change character names and/or
locations. A friend had recently told me that they have gone off a favourite
author of theirs. They did mention the name, but I forget what it was. The
author was medically trained and wrote thrillers to that effect. A disease
would break out, there’d be an epidemic, a lesser known doctor would come up
with a cure amidst falling in love with a beautiful heroine and all would be
well. The characters names would change, as would the disease and the effects
of the disease but the main staple of the story would be the same. I guess you
could say that of most genres. Crime: There was a crime, the protagonist solves
it. The end. Romance: Man and woman fall in love despite difficulty from
(insert antagonist here) and they eventually live happily ever after.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So we all repeat ourselves, but to what degree? I strongly believe that
there is no formula to a good novel, but a certain amount of repetition is
sometimes necessary to ensure that we adhere to genres, or ideas that the
audience base likes. What if there was a series of crime novels where the
crimes were never solved, would the reader be disappointed? A romance where the
hero and heroine end up hating each other? These things wouldn’t work, because
they aren’t what the reader wants. We are authors because the audience enjoys
our stories. That’s just my opinion though.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you think? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-8471205955392351322013-12-09T18:15:00.004+00:002013-12-09T18:15:51.259+00:00Novel Snob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbG7wRDJCQo/UqYIoDJ7MdI/AAAAAAAAAPc/VFbJonbHwe4/s1600/book+snob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KbG7wRDJCQo/UqYIoDJ7MdI/AAAAAAAAAPc/VFbJonbHwe4/s320/book+snob.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I talk about my favourite novels, I sometimes get called a
literary snob. That’s all well and good, but a classic is a classic for a
reason. I enjoy some of the old classics, not all, but most. Charles Dickens,
Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, even some Jane Austen. Does this mean I am a
literary snob? If that’s all I read, then possibly, yes. But it’s not all I
read. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have enjoyed novels from a wide range of authors. James Herbert’s
Thrillers are always a favourite of mine. Stephanie Meyer provided some amusing
distractions as did Charlaine Harris. Everybody has read some J.K Rowling in
their life and they became great hits for a reason. I have read some more
unknown authors such as Perry Moore and Bill Konigsberg with great surprise at
how good their novels are. These are not known as classics, but are still
enjoyable; I have spent many hours with books that are not well known and loved
them from start to finish. But because my favourites lean more towards the
classics than the more modern novels, does that make me a snob? Possibly still,
yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But I don’t mind being a literary snob, if it means I can appreciate
the wit of Oscar Wilde, the grittiness of Charles Dickens’ perfectly
proportioned prose, the pretty romance of Jane Austen and the cleverly
deceptive Agatha Christie. I am proud to call myself a literary snob, but why
all of a sudden do we need to justify our favourite reading materials? We live
our lives the way we want. We are told everyday to be an individual, yet are
chastised for doing so. For me, reading fiction is an escape from the real
world, so why do we need to excuse the personal, private little world in our
imagination? Tell me what you think.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-25108006792802707602013-12-03T16:18:00.000+00:002013-12-03T16:18:05.880+00:00Change of Perspective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLsJTLQ8soA/Up4ECZ3JtEI/AAAAAAAAAPM/W3IEbnoBBOg/s1600/change+of+perspective.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLsJTLQ8soA/Up4ECZ3JtEI/AAAAAAAAAPM/W3IEbnoBBOg/s320/change+of+perspective.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have spoken before about the use of narrative to tell a story. The
differences between 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> and 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> person narrations are too
numerous to mention. But what about, if during a series you change the
perspective as well as the narrative? Agatha Christie’s first novel, ‘The
Mysterious Affair At Styles’ was a first person Narrative from Poirot’s
faithful companion, Captain Hastings, then her second, ‘The Murder Of Roger
Ackroyd’ was also a first person view, but from a one off character called Doctor
Shepphard; the same narrative style but from two different perspectives. If we
then look at, ‘Murder On The Orient Express’, it is written entirely from a 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
person view, throwing a completely different perspective into the mix. Because
of this, it is difficult to find a formula to her work and each story is just as
thrilling as the last.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each author has their own favourite way of writing, but I think we are
also guilty of experimenting with our own writing styles, in order to find one
that not only suits us, but also the reader. The danger becomes that we may
confuse the reader. What if they pick up a book expecting it to be similar to
the one they read previously, only to find that we changed our style too much
and the reader isn’t keen? It’s always a danger, it would be very rare cases
where a writer’s style when they first start out is the best they could do, and
any change would ruin it. But what if we have been writing a while; developed
our own use of language that our audience enjoys, then try something new and
our readers don’t like it? We won’t know if we don’t try.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love trying new things. I spend most of my time writing in 1<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>
person but am now trying something in 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>. I have found it quite
liberating, not limiting myself but allowing myself to test my knowledge and
limits by adopting other methods. So don’t just change the perspective the
reader reads from, or the author writes from. Change the perspective we have on
our own writing, don’t build walls and say, ‘That’s my style’, Knock a few down
and ask, ‘Will this work?’, What’s the worst that could happen?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me know what you think. <span style="color: blue;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy</span>. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-65378829078593166582013-12-02T16:15:00.004+00:002013-12-02T16:15:34.660+00:00Books vs eBooks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R6qUsgoji2A/Upyx2lQOuXI/AAAAAAAAAO8/6d_k9cFG_Fw/s1600/book+vs+ebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R6qUsgoji2A/Upyx2lQOuXI/AAAAAAAAAO8/6d_k9cFG_Fw/s320/book+vs+ebook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have heard the question many times from all sorts of
people. All of whom want to know if buying an e-reader is worth the admittedly
large initial pay-out. When anyone has asked me, they generally want to know an
author’s perspective, but our perspective is just a varied as the views of the
general public. We cannot say for definite that one is better than the other
because the pros and cons are equally matched.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The eReader does have an initial payout equal to that of at least
10 books, (depending on what one you choose), but there are so many books out
there, modern and classic, that are free to download. On kindle for example, there
are: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mike Wells’-Lust, Money, Murder series.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oscar Wilde’s- The Importance Of Being Ernest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">L.T. Vargus’-Casting Shadows Everywhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So the cheaper price of books generally pays for the eReader itself. The
space on a book shelf is dramatically decreased as you can hold hundreds of
novels on something about the thickness of a children’s picture book. So you
only need the one item when you take it on holiday. And how many books have dog
ears, coffee ring stains and yellowed pages? They damage easily, the spine
breaks and pages fall out or the cover can get torn and the pages wet. The
eReader is far more durable than that, and if it damages, you can re-download
any books from your eReader account at no extra cost.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before anyone accuses me of seeing only one side of the argument, what
about books? Proper, hard copy books? Yes they are bulkier, but they’ve got
something to hold onto whilst you read; something of substance you can feel in
your fingers. If you’ve only got room for a few in your holiday luggage, then
you have to be discerning in your reading habits, choosing carefully what you
want to read, and therefore allowing you to think carefully about the kinds of
books you enjoy. Yes, hard copy books can get damaged, you can dog ear the
pages when you’ve lost your book mark; underline certain paragraphs you want to
remember and bend the spine back in order to see the pages better. Its remembering
when you read through for the second or third time the things you loved about
it. And let’s not forget, electrical items break aswell. Ok so the eReader is
more durable, but when it breaks, we’ve then got to fork out for a new one. And
talking about memory, that’s one of the most important arguments against an
eReader, is the smell. The olfactory sense is the most powerful trigger for
memory. Reading that favourite old book for the thousandth time is still
special, because that odour reawakens the wonderful memories we had in those
past pages. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So what do you think? I’m still undecided, I’ll try one way, then the
other and see what I prefer, but that’s just it isn’t it? Preference. If we all
like it the same way, we might as well have chips in our heads and download
books automatically into our brains. Where’s the fun in that?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-64868219840253575212013-11-29T17:31:00.001+00:002013-11-29T17:31:09.180+00:00Sequel or Series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fryGjBeJwic/UpjO9U2S0xI/AAAAAAAAAOs/cRjwfNfPVm4/s1600/sequel+or+series.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fryGjBeJwic/UpjO9U2S0xI/AAAAAAAAAOs/cRjwfNfPVm4/s1600/sequel+or+series.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Book one of my new series is finished, well apart from the
editing bit, we’ll come to that in a couple of months. Now I turn my attention
to the next novel, but there is a question I’ve never really asked myself. I
knew I’d be writing a series, but is everything after the first story, a
sequel, even if the series is already planned out? Hard to differentiate I
know, unless there is a definition out there that separates the two, a
definition I’ve not yet heard of.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even though I’ve planned the series, there are many do’s and
dont’s about writing a sequel, and I ignore all of them. Well, to be honest, I
don’t really ignore the rules of sequential writing; I just don’t know them and
don’t care. I’ve tried writing according to the unspoken rules of the literary
world and in all honesty, I find it a bit too constricting. Doesn’t obeying the
rules of conformity contradict the point of doing anything creative? When
artists talk about the rules of perspective, do you think Picasso bothered to
follow them? The famous saying, ‘rules were made to be broken’ isn’t
necessarily true, but we can surely bend them to the limit and find out how far
we can go?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So with book 1, we’ve set our stage. With book 2, we push
the world to its edge and look over the carapace. By book 3, we’ve taken the
step over. We are always trying new things, but that doesn’t mean not to try
ones that others tried before. Just because it didn’t work for them, doesn’t
mean it won’t work for you. Give it a go, and if it fails, either keep going
until it works or try something else.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So many people are trying to copy a ‘proven’ formula for
writing, but there’s no such thing. Tell me what you think. Read, follow,
comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-53436789982341435512013-11-28T16:02:00.006+00:002013-11-28T16:02:52.530+00:00Secret Pseudonyms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGVWl6Iip-s/Updocfn76UI/AAAAAAAAAOc/kibPF1-7zho/s1600/pseudonym_demotivator_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CGVWl6Iip-s/Updocfn76UI/AAAAAAAAAOc/kibPF1-7zho/s320/pseudonym_demotivator_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The reasons for pseudonyms are varied. Some like the anonymity,
others like the security a pseudonym gives, especially if writing about something
controversial. But what makes a pseudonym? Back in the day, when female writers
were frowned upon, they used male names. But why would you use a Pseudonym and
what would you choose? I know one author who used their ‘Porn name’, you know,
when you take your first pets name and your mother’s maiden name. I would be
called He-man Bolton. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yeah, I know.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But let’s look at some of the more professional Pseudonyms.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dean Koontz<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Aaron Wolfe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anne Bronte <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Acton Bell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Emily Bronte<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Ellis Bell</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ruth Rendell <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Barbara Vine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stephen King<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Richard Bachman</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you can see, two of the Brontes used the same surname and the same
initial of the first name. So you can see they still wanted to be associated
with each other. I know there are rules within the actors union where you
cannot have the same name as someone else within the union, hence why so many
actors have stage names. But then again, some of them changed their names not
because they had to, but because it sounded better. E.g.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Norma Jeane Mortenson<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>-<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Marilyn Monroe<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">But sometimes, she didn’t want to be recognised at all, so used a secret
pseudonym, </span></span><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Zelda Zonk, among others. So when do the pseudonyms stop? Would we
invent a super secret pseudonym when the secret one is found out? We have to
them to protect ourselves, we use them to clarify to the audience what genre or
writing style to expect, we use them for any number of reasons, but one thought
has occurred to me. Do we create a separate character that the author can be?</span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-themecolor: text1;">I know it sounds strange, but if we assume another name to write a book,
can we assume another persona for that same reason? Can our alter-ego write
things that we would never dare? But now we delve into the realm of the psychosis
and I am definitely not qualified to go there.</span></div>
</o:p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
Tell me what your thoughts are. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-42719475485205808722013-11-27T16:07:00.002+00:002013-11-27T16:07:21.824+00:00Almost The End<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G-LHWQC2OM/UpYYhkmmLvI/AAAAAAAAAOM/hOj7vDX0_c8/s1600/almost+the+end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_G-LHWQC2OM/UpYYhkmmLvI/AAAAAAAAAOM/hOj7vDX0_c8/s320/almost+the+end.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are coming to the end of Nanowrimo and our novels will
soon be done. Ok, so my current novel is a day or two away for completion of the
first draft. Once I’ve finished that, my practice is to leave it for a couple
of months and then go back and edit it with a fresh mind. During those couple
of months, I would write the next novel. It’s how I leapfrog my work. Write
novel 1, then write novel 2, then edit novel 1, then write novel 3, then edit
novel 2, then write novel 4 etc...this keeps everything fresh in my head and
allows me to add or remove bits as and when they crop up. This way I can keep
tabs on where my writing is going.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But when should I leave time for novel ideas? Between
writing and editing, should I leave a week and allow myself to acclimatize? Or
should I carry on regardless? I know everyone has their own little routines, and
leaving a week between work seems like such a long time to me. I know we all
reward ourselves after we finish a novel. For me, it’s ‘Ben and Jerry’s Ice
Cream’, for others, it’s a bit of time off from the typing.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, with the novel about to finish, it is tempting to either
carry on the story, which can be seriously damaging, or rush to complete it. If
you rush to finish it, which I think we’ve all done with our first novels, that’s
where you begin to make mistakes. So rather than rush to the end, I’m taking a
bit more time and giving myself a couple of extra days to make sure I get the
ending right. The ending can be just as important as the beginning, especially
if leading onto a sequel. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But when do we get time to prepare the manuscript for
publishing? When do we do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that </i>bit? I
do that during the editing phase of my work. Once I’m happy with how the novel
sounds, then I edit the layout, and make sure it is to the publisher’s
specifications. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you do? Do you have any tips for other budding
authors out there? Let me know what you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy.
M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-16896766269613128572013-11-26T16:39:00.000+00:002013-11-26T16:39:01.168+00:00First Lines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xomqt0RDtHo/UpTOjVoq4II/AAAAAAAAAN8/MWDiF9vngQo/s1600/first+line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xomqt0RDtHo/UpTOjVoq4II/AAAAAAAAAN8/MWDiF9vngQo/s1600/first+line.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First lines are so important, they are the opening of your
tale and must grab the reader’s attention from the moment they open the book.
But what makes a great first line? It’s hard to pinpoint and I don’t think there
is a formula you can use. Charles Dickens likes to use statements, something
big and bold that tells the reader that this book is grand. ‘A Tale Of Two
Cities’ started with: </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was
the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you don’t know what the book is about, you immediately
want to find out what the author is talking about. The line continues in its contradictory
narrative for a few lines, but the first is what hooks its readers. Agatha
Christie’s first lines are, I consider, the best. She uses a well calculated,
seemingly random, description from a scene that drags its readers focus exactly
where it needs to be for the story. ‘Murder on the orient express’, for
example:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“It was five o’clock on a Winters morning in Syria.”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Doesn’t tell you much, but you know where you are and you
are now desperate to find out why you are in Syria at five o’clock in the
morning at winter. I’m sure these first lines were not found immediately, but
worked on over and over again in order to make them perfect for the story they
were telling. I know that when I write a novel, I often re-write the first
chapter, or prologue, from scratch, 2, 3 or maybe more times, until I am happy
with it. The first line gets your readers’ imaginations exactly where you want
them. Once their attention, their imagination and their thoughts are where they’re
supposed to be, you can paint the tale around them. Sounds easy, but it’s
really not. Painting the tale is no easy feat on its own, but without a good
opening line, it’s almost impossible.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you think? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-67596159926195105582013-11-25T16:11:00.006+00:002013-11-25T16:11:46.142+00:00Mourning Books<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-udA8m1tSBSo/UpN2lQZa9ZI/AAAAAAAAANs/K3dkwqWF984/s1600/mourning+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-udA8m1tSBSo/UpN2lQZa9ZI/AAAAAAAAANs/K3dkwqWF984/s1600/mourning+books.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you ever mourned a book? Not because you didn’t like
it, but because you loved it? I know I have. Do you know what I mean? When you
like a book, you finish it with a sense of ‘wow, that was good.’ But when you
love a book, you don’t want it to end. That goes for writing and reading. If
you loved writing a book so much, it’s possible that you just end up writing
continuously so that you don’t finish it, and that changes the whole story,
when it should have ended 20,000 words ago. When you’re reading, you can’t keep
it going, unless you only read a little bit a day; but that’s not possible for
me, because when I find a book I love, I cannot put it down.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So your favourite book has come to an end, and you mourn it,
because it has ended and you can never read that book with fresh eyes ever
again. You <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i> leave it for months or
years before reading it again, because there will always be things you’ve
forgotten, but what about for the writer? I know Agatha Christie loved writing some
of her books. Crooked House was one of her favourites because of the fun
mixture of characters, she was sad when she finished writing it, but she did
finish and now we all get to enjoy it. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I talk about mourning books like it’s something that
everyone does, but for all I know, I could be alone in this phenomenon. Maybe
everyone else loves it when a fantastic book comes to an end and they see it
with a head full of wonder, as opposed to my mind full of dread that I’ll never
read something that good again. Maybe I’m just being pessimistic, or maybe some
call it realistic. One person even called it romantic, to mourn a good book
because you loved it so much and now its ended. What do you think?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-3275863765012379772013-11-21T16:21:00.001+00:002013-11-21T16:21:15.426+00:00Happy Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZirRUYgB9Y/Uo4ymYU3ZEI/AAAAAAAAANc/sWveOSeZgHQ/s1600/happy+holiday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mZirRUYgB9Y/Uo4ymYU3ZEI/AAAAAAAAANc/sWveOSeZgHQ/s1600/happy+holiday.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we approach the holiday season, I am reminded of the
holidays we’ve left behind us; namely the summer holidays. When we (writers,
authors etc...) go on holiday somewhere with sun, sea and sand, do we relax as
much as we should or not? I know what I’m like, I’m always coming up with
stories that could be based in these foreign climes; taking notes about
language, culture and other foreign stuff that I wouldn’t have thought about
sitting at my desk at home. I don’t mean to presume that all people holiday in
exotic locations, maybe you like to holiday at a damp train-spotting campsite.
But while there, do you switch off, or like me do you keep your brain ticking
over with novel ideas?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If I’m correct, then when do we actually get a holiday? When
do we get time off? It’s not like working for a company where one would receive
paid holidays, time off comes at a cost. We earn from our writing, if we stop
writing, even for a week, then we lose part of our earnings. I don’t mean that
we have to be typing the story out, I’m including just thinking about the story
in this situation. All the planning, the research and the editing are part of
what we do, to truly have a holiday, we must refrain from doing any of it.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If any of you are reading this that are not writers, then
you might think that switching off completely is easy, but I’m sure I speak for
most professional writers when I say we can’t switch off. It’s what we talk
about most of the time and think about all of the time. So going back to the
original question, when do we writers get a holiday? I’m sure there are those
of you out there who can manage it, and if that’s true then please let me know
your secret, I would love a holiday where I don’t see the scenery and write
down its effects so to accurately describe it in my next novel.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me know what you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy.
M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-69939113831200361272013-11-19T16:18:00.005+00:002013-11-19T16:18:49.370+00:00Food for Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xvUBqJUUxWY/UouPSo2Pu_I/AAAAAAAAANM/8nFEe3TFTMs/s1600/foodforthought.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xvUBqJUUxWY/UouPSo2Pu_I/AAAAAAAAANM/8nFEe3TFTMs/s320/foodforthought.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hear many people describe certain foods as the food for
the gods, or brain food. The diets of writers are as varied as the writers
themselves. Different things work well for different people. Maybe when you
smell certain aromas it produces an imaginative effect that allows you to
create more easily? Maybe when your body craves a kind of vegetable, and you
provide it, you can concentrate more on the subject? There’re all sorts of
things that diet can have an effect on, why can’t writing be one of them as well?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I find that if I eat a lot of stodgy food, my mind and body
become very slow and sleepy. Pork pies, steak and kidney pud, scotch eggs, I
love ‘em all. But I try not to eat them while I am writing as I find it limits
my capacity to concentrate. Coffee is a hard one for lots of people, as the
cliché is always a caffeine fuelled writer pulling their hair out. But the
cliché does have some basis in truth; we do this more than any artist or
musician. But I have to start the day with 1 or 2 cups of coffee, after that its
decaf all the way. I find it’s the smell of coffee that has a stimulating
effect and not the caffeine.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I eat as much fruit and veg throughout the day as I can,
because my mind is clearer and I can write with greater ease than if I pump
myself full of sugary snacks. On the flipside though, if I’m on a deadline and
have to work into the night, chocolate works wonders. The sugar keeps the synapses
firing but not for prolonged periods of time like caffeine does. You then go
into a sort of sugar coma and have to stop what you’re doing because your brain
just can’t function properly, by which point you eat more chocolate.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ok, I may just sound like I am paid by Cadburys to
advertise, but honestly I’m not. I’m only promoting chocolate for its medicinal
properties ;-). I have heard some people say that macaroni cheese is great for
writers and others say that peppermint tea is superb for concentration, but you
are never going to know if you don’t try it. See what works for you, and don’t
be afraid to try new things.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let me know what you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy.
M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-63688675527856203012013-11-18T15:32:00.001+00:002013-11-18T15:32:11.854+00:00Fashionable Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xs957LYSGQE/UooyaQVJL7I/AAAAAAAAAM8/sSO5l1_82jU/s1600/fashionable+fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xs957LYSGQE/UooyaQVJL7I/AAAAAAAAAM8/sSO5l1_82jU/s320/fashionable+fiction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One thing I have noticed is the literary bandwagon. Do you
know what I mean? I mean that when an author does very well and their books fly
off the shelves (which we all hope and pray will happen to our own novels)
everybody seems to want to read that kind of book. And that’s all you see
people on the bus or train reading. Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles did very
well after <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Interview With The Vampire’
came out at the cinema, and then again after the release of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘The Vampire Lestat’. For a while everybody at
the staff canteen were reading books with ‘Anne Rice’ emblazoned upon the front
cover.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then it was ‘Harry Potter’, then ‘Twilight’ and all sorts of
others in between. Quick question though, do people read the books because
Hollywood decided it’s good enough to turn into a movie, or does Hollywood only
make movies out of the books that we consider good enough to read? Which comes
first, the chicken or the egg? The parasite or host? The book or the movie? I
try to read a story before I watch it on the big screen, just so I can get an
idea of the tale from the author’s perspective before the director rips it
apart to make it more movie friendly.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not only do these books do very well from movie exposure,
but tales from the same genre also get an increase in sales. Look at ‘Twilight’,
Stephanie Meyer’s title has hit box office records, but other stories involving
vampires and humans falling in love have also done very well from it. ‘The
Vampire Diaries’ is one example of this. Before anyone starts shouting at me, I
know ‘The Vampire Diaries’ was written first, but it doesn’t detract from the
fact that the novels (although good on their own) did well from the other vampire
movies. The same can be said for the fantasy genre when the ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Lord
Of The Rings’ films came out, other magical novels with wizards and dragons
cashed in on the success.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My point is, are fiction genres fashionable? Are some them
in one season and out the next? I always thought that genre was personal taste,
but when you look at the reading habits of individuals against the exposure of
massive movie corporations, the similarities speak for themselves.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you think? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-11546569225234716342013-11-14T19:15:00.003+00:002013-11-14T19:15:33.668+00:00Blagging Blog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jCNaKUKoYs/UoUhKl0KyOI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Vks5rtCve1Q/s1600/blagging+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3jCNaKUKoYs/UoUhKl0KyOI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Vks5rtCve1Q/s320/blagging+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So writing a blog isn’t the easiest thing to do. Every day,
or week, or month depending on how often you update it, you must find something
to write about. If you’re writing a blog about a specific subject, like I do,
(writing, in case you didn’t guess) then the subject matter can be very limited.
Most of my blogs have deliberately been about writing novels, because that is
what I enjoy doing, but today I am briefly blogging, about blogging.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some people use their blog as a diary; others update it like
statuses from a social networking site. I just write about writing, and I never
plan what I’m gonna say. I may think about it for a moment and wonder, </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Should I blog about that?”</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But it is never orchestrated, and I very rarely edit. I
leave the professionalism to my novel writing, and the blogging is my chatty
way to impart wisdom/say stupid stuff. I love blogging; it means I can leave
the spell check and grammar check alone and just let go. It is very liberating to
write without too much care about whether a publisher is gonna like it or not.
No editors or proof readers, and the only critics are you guys. If you don’t
like it, you read something else. Simple! It’s a fantastic way to say what you
want, when you want and how you want, but what if you become a professional
blogger? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you somehow make money out of blogging on a regular basis
because a lot of people read your blogs, do you start to pander to your
audience? Do you change your writing style to suit them? Do you start using
spelling and grammar checks? Do you lose the free form flow of your narrative
and therefore your early audience who enjoyed your individual way of expressing
yourself? I’m not sure, but I hope I don’t fall into that trap. If people want
to read my writing, (that in itself would be awesome) when it is polished and
perfected, then they can read my novels. If they want to read my work when its
raw, rough and bashed out on the keyboard in a matter of moments, then they can
read my blog. But I don’t expect the two to be similar, and I hope my readers
don’t either, otherwise they could be very disappointed.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What do you think? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-86445733838616045732013-11-13T16:53:00.004+00:002013-11-13T16:53:51.469+00:00Family Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WjCsz1TKDos/UoOucgX15aI/AAAAAAAAAMc/2w_uLdHzVWA/s1600/family+fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WjCsz1TKDos/UoOucgX15aI/AAAAAAAAAMc/2w_uLdHzVWA/s320/family+fiction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My brother has been writing a book for almost ten years now,
and is currently in the process of editing it. He has a full time job elsewhere,
a part-time social life and a very active interest in computer games, (Sound
familiar?). He wants me to read through his work once he has completed it. He
has a belief that the dialogue in his manuscript is superb, which is possibly
true, but no-one has read it yet so it cannot be confirmed. What sounds great
in our heads isn’t always the case when on paper. The main problem being that we
understand what we want the dialogue to mean, so know how it is supposed to
sound, but will other people know what you are trying to say?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the hardest things for an un-published author is
getting people to read their novel. Obviously the first people who read their
book will be friends and family, and friends rarely ever want to hurt someone’s
feelings. So first-time, un-published authors think their work is good enough
to send to agents and publishers, when in fact it still needs work. Once rejected
a few times from said agents/publishers they tend to put the book in a draw and
forget about it, so the kindest thing would be to give honest, constructive
criticisms. Then we hit another problem, authors are as sensitive about their
manuscripts as artists are about their art. That is who we are, artists that
are never satisfied with their own work. So we keep trying. I’m sure all
authors will say that even when their book is published, there are one or two
pieces they would like to change, but that is personal criticism.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we are writing, we have little time for reading, and no
time for anything else, let alone judging somebody else’s work, especially when
criticism is rarely appreciated. So what can we do? When approached by a member
of the public who asks if we can read their work, do we? We should, as I
believe all up and coming authors should be encouraged. But do we have the
time, and will it be worth it? That sounds bad I know, but what people want is
for us to read the book they’ve spent so much time and effort on and to tell
them it is fantastic and doesn’t need to change. That is never the case. I know
that when I’ve finished reading my brother’s book, he will sit and listen to
any constructive criticism I give, but he won’t like it. Are we too sensitive
about our work? Do we need to listen more? Or should we listen to our instincts?
What do you think?</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-85462864194608661972013-11-12T15:52:00.001+00:002013-11-12T15:52:10.782+00:00Fan Fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2PSlZSAAsw/UoJOAEYDVdI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Jduf57aBhlQ/s1600/fanfiction.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T2PSlZSAAsw/UoJOAEYDVdI/AAAAAAAAAMM/Jduf57aBhlQ/s320/fanfiction.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Fan Fiction</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fan fiction is usually young people writing stories
about their favourite TV shows and computer games. Now I have mentioned in the
past that I am not keen on novels based on TV and games, but fan fiction is a whole
different story. When professional writers try to change their style to suit a
storyline already written, it can come across as clumsy. But when an
inexperienced writer, or young writer, tries their hand a creating stories
about their favourite things, the most amazing tales can come out. Ok, so they’re
not the polished gems you’d pick up in a book store; the grammar is awful and
spelling is atrocious, but look beyond that and you’ll find wonderful
imaginations spurned into working by the shows they watch and games they play.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">These authors of tomorrow are starting out in the wonderful
world of writing, and nothing can stop them. They will inherit the empire we
leave behind and all we can do is help them. If the younger generation only
wants to write about one particular show, then encourage it. As long as the
story they write is original, they will use their imaginations and from that
will spring whole worlds that we of the “slightly more experienced” generation
could never have thought of.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I called us “Slightly more experienced” as I don’t believe
there could ever possibly be a fully experienced writer, and there definitely
is no such thing as an expert writer. But as we continue to concentrate on our
craft, the young ones will be learning to appreciate it, through their own
interests, and I can’t help but look forward to what this new batch of writers
will produce and how much they could teach us. This is an exciting world where
anything can happen, with only pen and paper. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Everywhere, I see people
belittle the works of fan-fiction as not real fiction, but that is nonsense as
any writer worth his/her salt would tell you. Anything written from the
imagination is a work of fiction, even if facts are twisted to tell a story,
its fiction. Even if the world ended because a purple unicorn rode a rainbow to
the milky-way and farted the earth into darkness, that’s still fiction; and it
would take a massive imagination to come up with it. Don’t mock fan-fiction, it
inspires the novelists of tomorrow.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tell me what you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363688460516827828.post-41959880594945696492013-11-11T15:43:00.002+00:002013-11-11T15:43:06.709+00:00Writing What I Want<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGr_ZHHCzcM/UoD65AcgNLI/AAAAAAAAAL8/M4NZEvpBfX0/s1600/write+what+you+want.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VGr_ZHHCzcM/UoD65AcgNLI/AAAAAAAAAL8/M4NZEvpBfX0/s320/write+what+you+want.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue;">Writing What I Want</span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So now I can to write about anything I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i>, but what do I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want</i>
to write about? That is one of the hardest questions a writer asks themselves.
It’s easy to say that you write about what you’re interested in, but how do you
go about writing it if you’ve never done it before? Maybe you are a sci-fi fan,
but when you try writing sci-fi, you find a lot of it doesn’t make sense. Same
with fantasy, it doesn’t ring true somehow. Maybe you don’t know how to plan a
murder, or to write someone’s biography. Perhaps you want to write non-fiction
on a specific subject, but don’t know what points to emphasize.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here’s what you do, get the imagination going and write it
anyway. So what if sci-fi doesn’t make sense, does it have to? Fantasy doesn’t
ring true, because it is fantasy, not reality. If you want to write about a
specific subject and don’t know how to go about it, or what points to emphasize,
write it anyway. You’ll make the points you want to make. It’s your book, it’s
your work, it’s your imagination. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you want to know about factual elements to add to your
book, then do some research, but don’t be bogged down by facts; they can
detract from the story. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Too much detail = not enough tale.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Anyone heard that before? I know readers who like their
novels to be filled with factual content, but not at the cost of the story. Let
yourself go when you write, because until it’s published, it’s only you who’s
going to be reading it, so you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself.
Writing what you want to write is a very freeing experience so give it a go. If
it’s not for you, then stop. Simple, what have you lost? Nothing, so pick up a
pen and see what happens. Let me know what you think.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09783903475829441103noreply@blogger.com0