Steve Vorley - Fiction Writer

One down, many to go....!

2012-02-19T21:38:00.001Z

My first novel, 'Predatory', is now finished (or as finished as it can be at this stage!) and I have submitted to some selected agents, with one in particular coming back to me quickly and asking for the full manuscript! Brilliant news and I am obviously excited, but I also have to recognise that there is a time lag between submission and decision, if I hear of the decision at all! In short, if I keep thinking about it I will very quickly go out of my mind!

So what should I do in the mean time? WRITE, OF COURSE!!!!

You know, it's a strange sensation to start 'another' book for the first time as it feels nothing like it did all those moons ago when I started 'Predatory'. As I lay in bed last night, waiting for sleep to take me to another place, I took the time to reflect why this might be.

I learnt a great deal from writing my first ever novel and therefore I am approaching this one slightly differently, concentrating on what I know worked for me and cutting out most of those blind allies I ran along in my relative innocence. My planning has been more flexible and I have got into the writing much quicker, getting the words down and worrying less about the detail at this point. I know how much it will change through the numerous revisions, so why get caught up in that now?

The story itself is starting faster and harder than the last, diving straight into the action and dragging the reader right into the thick of it straight away. The sequel will be bigger and more explosive than the first, however I am also very conscious of ensuring the two books compliment each other and the continuation of plots and characters is smooth, appropriate and believable. They need to be tied together, the latter being a development of the former and an evolution for the reader. It is a new book, not a new story. Does that sound really obvious?

I am also really keen for the pace of the sequel to be right on the money, like a roller-coaster that motors at speed, corners sharply, climbs to a crescendo before taking off and looping the loop. The balance of background information,descriptive text, plot progression and character development needs to be spot-on to ensure that the reader wants to and does keep up with what is going on, which is not an easy balance to find. But I am damn sure going to do my best!

My writing routine seems to be staying fairly similar to before, the kitchen table beckons once the kids have gone to bed! I have to ensure my discipline remains and I write every day, getting the jumble that is in my head down onto 'paper' and in some semblance of order. And I need to do this while balancing family life, a busy full time job, keeping fit (back on it since turning 34 a few days ago!!) and all those other distractions that life throws our way! I like a challenge - I must do otherwise there would be no sequel. I simply wouldn't be putting myself through it again!

This post wouldn't be complete without answering a question: why am I querying agents when I could self-publish to e-book? Well, I have debated this with many people and I have a simple answer: my goal is to produce a published version that is up to industry standard, a book that stands up on its own for being well written, a compelling story and can compete in this tough, tough market. And to go as far as I can I believe I will need guidance, advice and honest insight from those people in the know within the industry. But that doesn't necessarily mean they will want a bar of me!! Who knows? Self publishing may be the only option open to me. Nothing ventured, nothing gained and all that...

Thanks to everyone for your support. It really does feel like there are people out there routing for me to achieve what has always felt so out of reach. It keeps me going through the darker times. Thanks.

Steve

Welcome to Scott Bury, writer of 'The Bones of the Earth'

2012-01-27T20:46:00.010Z

Here I am with yet another talented author ready to answer important questions about life, writing and his book 'The Bones of the Earth'! I hope you enjoy finding out more about Scott Bury as much as I have! Great guy, great taste in jokes (see below!) and a great writer.

Hi Scott,

What else do people call you? 'That tall bald guy'

OK, I'll stick to Scott (!!)... what's your top writing tip? Organize your ideas into an outline before starting to write.

Twitter tag: @ScottTheWriter

Website: http://www.writtenword.ca

Blog: http://scottswrittenwords.blogspot.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1406500909

About You:

I've been a journalist and editor for nearly 30 years now. I have always written fiction, ever since high school or maybe even before; I have developed ideas and long chapters and sections for several novels, but I decided to finish The Bones of the Earth and publish it, then get serious about my next pet project.

What are your pet peeves (dislikes) in life?

Things that don’t work as they’re supposed to, like some computer programs and cheap electronics.

If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be?

I’d make real democracies more powerful than corporations.

You find a magic lamp, give it a rub and a genie offers you three wishes. What are they?

Perfect health for me and my family (and more, if it doesn’t strain the genie), winning lottery numbers, and one wish in abeyance for an emergency. (SV - I think that's a cheat, right there!!!)

How would your friends describe you? I’m afraid to ask!

Favourite joke?

A duck walks into a bank and asks a teller “Do you have any grapes?” The teller responds, “No. This is a bank, not a grocery store.” The duck leaves and returns 20 minutes later. It goes to the same teller and asks “Do you have any grapes?”

The teller replies “I told you, we don’t have any grapes. If you come back one more time and ask for grapes again, I’ll nail your tail to the floor!”

The duck leaves and comes back 20 minutes later. It goes to the same teller and asks “Do you have any nails?”

“No,” says the teller. “This is a bank, not a hardware store.”

The duck says: “Do you have any grapes?”

Favourite movie? Doctor Zhivago

What’s your guilty pleasure? Reading Tolkein again.

Quick fire:

Sweet or savoury? savoury

Favourite flavour of ice cream? Tiger tail

Hot or cold? Cold

What’s the best thing to put on toast? Cinnamon and brown sugar

What’s your favourite place? A snowy forest on a winter’s night.

What is your taste in music? I like all sorts of music: classical, baroque, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, many other types. It reflects in my writing in that I like to try to include elements from different cultures or traditions, that may not be found in a lot of literature.

Your book:

In one sentence, what is your book about?

A boy comes of age in the darkest of the Dark Age and is pulled into a war between cosmic forces he thought were imaginary, and along the way learns some hard facts about love.

What gave you the idea for this story?

Several different things: I read that someone had worked out that King Arthur and Beowulf died in the same year; I read Catastrophe!, which theorized that the explosion of Krakatoa in 535 caused an ash cloud that blocked the sun for a year, causing widespread famine, the fall of empires and the migration of the Avars, who nearly destroyed the Byzantine Empire; and some inspiration by Ukrainian folk art and traditions.

How long did it take you to write it? More than 5 years

Describe the process you took to write it:

On and off; long breaks for research into the period, the history of Rome and Byzantium, of migratory societies; I wrote it, put it aside for a long time, rewrote the first part, developed the second. Four drafts, then I submitted the fourth to an editor, who made changes. I changed those changes, and finally published the version now available on Smashwords, Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble and other e-bookstores.

What have people said about your writing? I’ve been told I’m a very good writer; Brenda Drake, the blogger, has said the first chapter was “beautifully written.”

How do you want your readers to feel when they finish your book? Inspired to look for more answers than they usually get.

Where can I buy it? Amazon, Smashwords, iBooks, Diesel, Barnes & Noble

What’s your next writing project?

Tentatively called Walking out of the USSR, a book based on my father-in-law’s experience in the Red Army during World War II, the taking of Berlin and his escape from the Soviets to get to Canada, his birthplace.

About Writing:

Why do you write? Because I have some stories I hope that others may enjoy reading.

What elements of your writing do you want to develop? My ability to tell a story more quickly without getting sidetracked by details or extensive description.

Do you lean towards traditional or self-publishing? Self-publishing, except for the fact that I don’t feel confident about my ability to sell books.

What three things influence you most as to whether you buy a book or not? The idea of the story, and whether it looks different from the typical stories of that genre.

Who is your favourite author and why? John Irving, because he writes about believable, realistic people,.

Will books disappear altogether in future? No. Paper is an excellent combination of storage and display media.

The best thing about being a writer is… telling a new story well.

The worst thing about being a writer is… it takes a long time, and others get jealous of your time in front of a computer screen.

Social Media:

What’s your social media mix?

I use LinkedIn, Twitter and my blog. I have accounts with Facebook and Google Plus, but I don’t use them, much.

What do you want from people you follow in twitter?

Ideas, and publicity for my books. I’d also like them to buy the books! If every one of my Twitter followers would buy a copy, I’d be over the moon!

Who would you recommend to follow on twitter? (Not me!!)

RS Guthrie, Alan McDermott, Russell Blake, Elise Stokes, Richard Sanders ... so many more. I follow over 500 people!

What is your pet twitter hate?

Time-wasting people who post statements that will prove they’re assholes. I can’t imagine what they hope to get out of it.

What is your follow / un-follow policy on twitter?

I follow people who follow me, if they’re not obvious spammers and if they have something interesting to say

Book is 'finished'... now what?

2012-01-06T11:52:00.000Z

WOO-HOOOOO! My novel is finished (well, until I need to rework some of it anyway!) and it feels great! No, it feels awesome! No, it feels.... a little daunting actually. Don't get me wrong, I am very proud of my achievement of finishing a book to the point that I think it is ready to go out to market, but I had assumed I would feel some sense of finality, and therein lies the difference. It's not the end at all; but a milestone part-way along the journey to become a published author!

A lot of hard work has gone into 'Predatory' but there is still plenty to do before it's published! But which way do I turn? There are options to explore, such as finding an agent, submitting to a publisher directly or self-publishing (probably to e-book) and each have their pros and cons. On the one hand self publishing is quicker and I would retain the control, but on the other I want to write the sequel rather than spending my limited free time marketing my book! It's a tricky one... and I keep swinging to and fro...

Trying to think a bit further ahead I feel that my career as an author would be more solid if I had an agent and publisher behind me, arguably giving me more longevity and opportunity, although I am aware that many people would not agree with that statement! It's just how it feels to at this point in time with a debut novel sat on my PC. Agents hold the key knowledge and contacts to succeed in the literary market, coupled with the fact that I want to be put through my paces to ensure what I produce is of a quality standard.

I bet there are is good portion of you reading this who want to grab me by the shoulders and give me a shake, shouting "Wake up and smell 2012!". There are others of you who may be sitting, quietly applauding my stance. A third slice will probably totally identify with what I am wittering on about, still unsure of which is the best route to market yourselves. There are no guarantees in this world and I figure that if I am not successful in landing an agent or publisher (although my work is, of course, sheer brilliance!!) then I can still self publish quickly anyway - losing nothing but time.

Tick-tock... tick-tock... tick-tock... and here we are right back at the beginning again!!!

Here's one thing for sure: I am not at the end of the process. Yes, I have reached a great milestone by finishing my novel but there are still plenty of tasks ahead of me before the book is actually published. One approach is more short term, easier and takes more of my time post-publish. The other route is longer term, more difficult but ultimately has the potential to be more rewarding.

So here's the question I have been asking myself: are MY writing goals long or short term?

For me, it's a long term plan. If my book is good enough, which I believe it is, and I can find the right people to be interested in it at the right time (add in a pinch of luck!) then I might, just might, make it. If I can't attract an agent or publisher this time then I can always self-publish and try to, somehow, juggle everything while I get on with writing the next one. But here's how it feels: it feels like the end of the beginning.

Cleanse Fire - Blog Tour

2012-01-02T21:55:00.004Z

Ladies and gents, please allow me to introduce both an awesome author and very good friend, Anastasia Pergakis....

Known as: The Almighty Anastasia (Okay, maybe only in my head…)
Your top writing tip: Don't forget to enjoy writing!
Twitter tag: @AVPergakis
Website URL: http://avpergakis.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAVPergakis

Tell everyone a little about yourself:
I was born in 1984…Oh wait. Don't want to go that far back, huh? Well then, let's see. I'm a stay at home mom to an evil-genius three-year-old boy. He keeps me active and definitely has honed my multi-tasking skills for sure. Can't take your eye or ear off him or else there is trouble! My wonderful husband is my biggest fan. He's my best friend and soul mate. Oh sorry, got a little cheesy there for a moment - but it's true.
My life is pretty busy between raising my son, doing the laundry, writing, running my web design business, promoting my book, helping other writers, and until a month ago, I was also in school! It's crazy but I love it. I've met some great people (like you Steve!) through it all and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

You find a magic lamp, give it a rub and a genie offers you three wishes. What are they?
Oh! What an awesome question. Let me see here. My first wish would be that my two crit partners, Charlene A. Wilson and J.D. Brown have their books, Cornerstone Deep and Dark Heirloom make it to the BestSeller Lists. My second wish would be…..hrmm…this is hard! I have pretty much everything I want…so, I'd likely use all my wishes to help other people. My dream was to have my book published, and it is. I have a great family…nothing else for me really. Unless I want to go all out and have my books reach the Bestseller list too! (Which, would be awesome by the way, yes. But, it's not something I'm focusing all my energy on.)

How would your friends describe you?
Utterly insane! Seriously, they would. But they also tell me I'm a great friend, a good supporter, and a loyal fan.

Who is your hero / heroine and why?
While my husband is my soul mate and best friend, I have to give the hero title to my Dad. Yes, I'm a total Daddy's Girl! He served in the US Army for 20 years and on top of that, he's just always been there for me. He's definitely my hero.

Favourite quote?
Sing like no one is listening, Dance like no one is watching, Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, and Live like there is no tomorrow.
For fun, I recently took this and wrote a sort of "Author's Version":
Write like no one is reading, World Build like no one is watching, Promote like you don't need money, Ask for reviews like you've never been hurt, and Edit like there is no tomorrow.

Quick fire:
Sweet or savoury? Sweet
Favourite flavour of ice cream? Neapolitan
Hot or cold? Umm, warm?
What’s the best thing to put on toast? Butter
What’s your favourite place? My imagination
What is your taste in music? How does this reflect in your writing? 80's Rock/Punk Rock…most of my characters are a little bad-ass/rebels

About Cleanse Fire:
In one sentence, what is your book about?
A Special Forces team of elves, known as the Kinir Elite, have to track down a traitor and discover more than they bargained for when they find their own Commander betrayed them.

What gave you the idea for this story?
I wanted to share the story of my Dad's military career but realized I could never write it. I was afraid I wouldn't catch the depth of emotion required for such a tale. So, years later, I revisited the idea and just put a fantasy spin to it! So while the characters are elves, and they live in a complete fictional world, I still hope I captured the dedication and sacrifice a soldier makes to protect their country.
And with that in mind, I donate a portion of my royalties to Wounded Warrior Project. They help wounded soldiers and their families heal (physically and emotionally).

How long did it take you to write it?
I wrote it for National Novel Writing Month in 2009, but didn't quite finish it then. I let it sit until January 2011 when I joined an Editing Bootcamp workshop. The workshop was great and got me back into the story. I finished writing the missing chapters and edited it in another three months or so.

What have people said about your writing?
One of my crit partners, J.D. Brown, said it was "fantasy for non-fantasy readers" because my book is more…I don’t want to say realistic but can't think of a better word at the moment. It's not a 'typical' fantasy. I tend to think of it more as an action or military story with characters that just happen to be elves.

Where can I buy it?
But, you have a copy already, Steve! Oh, you mean other people? Well for the blog readers, here are all the links.
Purchase Cleanse Fire

for your Kindle at Amazon

for your Nook at Barnes & Noble
for your other E-Readers at Smashwords
in paperback at Amazon
in paperback at Barnes & Noble
in hardback at Kinir Elite Website

What’s your next writing project?
I'm working on the sequel to Cleanse Fire, title Blood Trade. Two new races of creatures come into the story (one of them being the villain!). But like Cleanse Fire, it's going to be full of action! Fight scenes, epic battles galore! It's slated to be released Summer 2012.
I also am getting another fantasy novel, Ryn's Quest, ready for publication. Hopefully in the Spring of 2012. It's a YA fantasy, and little more humorous than my other books. One of the main characters is a hyper active pink dragon the size of a cat, so, crazy things can happen there!

You & Writing:
What is your writing routine (if you have one!)?
I really don't have one. Because my schedule is so busy - and extremely unpredictable thanks to my son - I don't have a set time or schedule. I write when the mood takes me or when I have the time. It still works out in the end as what happens is that I "Bulk Write". Instead of writing 1,000 words a day for example, I'll 5,000 words in a day then not write for a few days after that, then do another 4,000 in a day. The hard part for me was realizing that writing this way is all right, that I didn't NEED to write everyday as other authors do, because this is what works for me and my family. I thought for months that I was failing as a "professional writer" because I didn’t write every single day. For me, as long as I reach the big goals on time (release dates!) then it's okay!

What do you eat and/or drink while you write?
I have to have a Pepsi - sometimes I have coffee depending on the day. And usually a snack of some sort. Again it varies on the day. Could be chocolate, candy, or chips. Basically, an unhealthy snack and I'm good! *LOL* And, my worst habit, I have to have my smokes on hand so I can step outside once in a while for a break.

Does your mood affect your writing? If so, how?
Oh yes, definitely. It doesn't necessarily stop my writing, it just changes what I write about. When I'm really happy, that's when I write the more "fun" scenes, like when the Kinir Elite had to attend a ball in Cleanse Fire. When I'm angry, that's when the fight scenes come out! Great stress reliever by the way. When I'm a little sad, that's when I get out those tear jerker scenes. Sometimes if I'm sad, I'll write a fun scene to cheer myself up. Also, when I'm angry, that's also when I'm a bit more sarcastic, so that'll come out more for certain scenes as well.

The best thing about being a writer is…
Meeting wonderful people!

The worst thing about being a writer is…
Meeting not so wonderful people… I guess? There isn't really much I don't like about being a writer. The good and the bad, it's all comes with the territory and I love every minutes of it!

Join the Kinir Brigade by signing up for our newsletter! Get exclusive deals, access to special giveaways, and inside information about the series! Join the Kinir Brigade now and receive the first five chapters in your email! And don't forget to visit our Facebook Page and Website too!

~ * ~ * ~

I’m giving away an e-copy of Cleanse Fire! Leave a comment on this post to enter into the random drawing. I'll draw the names at the end of my tour, January 31, 2012. If you want more chances to win a copy, visit our website to follow our tour! The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win!

All commenters will also be added to the drawing for a chance to win a signed hard cover. Drawing for the hardcover will be on January 31, 2012, the end of my tour.

You can also get more chances to win by tweeting or posting on facebook! Just leave a link to the tweet or post in a comment below!

**All Winners will be announced on the Kinir Elite Website on February 1st**

Writer Interview: Mark Major, Mars Rising

2011-12-29T09:48:00.000Z

I met Mark through Twitter and he kindly took me up on the offer to interview on my blog. I asked questions, he answered - simple! Want to know more? Read on...

Name: Mark David Major, Author of Mars Rising

About You:

I’ve been published in several different venues including academia, professional journals, poetry magazines and newspapers for more than twenty years. Most recently, my poem “Purchased Inertia” appeared in the February 2011 issue of The View From Here Magazine. My poems have also appeared in the anthologies On the Wings of Pegasus, Patterns of Life, Visions, and Whispers as well as the German e-journal, Poems Niederngasse. Several of my telepoems are available for viewing on the Official Sovereignty Channel on YouTube. I’m the playwright of The Persistence of Memory: A Play in Two Acts, which premiered in St. Louis, Missouri in 1992. I was born and raised in St. Louis and I’m a graduate of Clemson University in South Carolina and the University of London. I lived in London for eight years but I’ve resided in Florida for the last decade. Mars Rising is my first novel. My forthcoming book is The Persistence of Memory and Other Plays.

If you could change one thing in this world, what would it be? Dinosaurs would still roam the Earth though the effects on the space-time fabric would probably be disastrous.

You find a magic lamp, give it a rub and a genie offers you three wishes. What are they? I don’t want to be shallow but let’s be honest: money, women, and more women.

What are your ambitions? My biggest, professional ambition is to complete the planned five-book series, and accompanying graphic novels, beginning with Mars Rising. I hope it will only take 10 years from start-to-finish to complete. Personally, marriage and family are the goals.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life? Probably, my mother. From the moment I was born, she filled my room with books and hoped I would develop a love of reading. It worked.

Who is your hero / heroine and why? When I was younger, it was Abraham Lincoln but now that’s I’m older it Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Strange, you would think it should be the other way around. Captain Sisko is totally awesome. Of course, Captain Kirk was a hero when I was growing up as well.

Favourite joke? What kind of wood won’t float… it’s an old and sick American joke but it still cracks me up. Hit me up on Twitter if you want to know the perverted punch line.

Favourite quote? “Don’t dream it, be it.” From the song, “Rose Tint My World”, Music and Lyrics by Richard O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Quick fire:

Sweet or savoury? Sweet

Favourite flavour of ice cream? Bailey’s Irish Crème.

Hot or cold? Hot

What’s the best thing to put on toast? Butter

What’s your favourite place? Home

What is your taste in music? How does this reflect in your writing? Eclectic, to say the least. I write best to classical music, i.e. Howard Shore’s score to The Lord of the Rings, Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Bach, Mozart, Tchaikovsky. However, I find rock and pop more inspiring for design work, i.e. The Beatles, Lady Gaga, The Call, and The Beautiful South and so on

What is the best gift anyone has ever given you? My aunt and uncle gave me a year’s tuition and living expenses to attend the University of London for my masters degree as a 1991 Christmas present. To say the least, my jaw was on the floor.

About your book:

In one sentence, what is your book about? Romans in space.

What gave you the idea for this story? My love of history and science fiction merged into a weird cocktail.

How long did it take you to write it? I thought about the concept for 10 years. I wrote the book in 5 months. It took me another 1 ½ year to edit to the final published version.

Describe the process you took to write it: I wrote almost every day for 5 months without interruption, except for frequent smoke breaks and playing fetch with my dog, Izzy, which gave me opportune moments to reflect on what I had just written and what I was about to write next.

What is the target audience for your book? 14-35 year old males and 21-35 females. Basically, the now-grown-up generation of Harry Potter and Twilight readers who are looking for more adult fantasy to read.

How do you want your readers to feel when they finish your book? I want them to feel like they can’t wait to read the next book in the series and intrigued about what is going to happen.

Where can I buy it? The print version of Mars Rising is available from Amazon and other online retailers for a list price of $11.99 including CreateSpace here: https://www.createspace.com/3640943. The Kindle eBook of Mars Rising is available from the Amazon/Kindle Store for 0.99¢ (subject to currency fluctuations) in North America, United Kingdom, France and Germany. Visit http://www.thesovereignty.com/ for direct links. The NOOK Book version of Mars Rising is available from Barnes & Noble online at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013012301.

What’s your next writing project? The Persistence of Memory and Other Plays is a collection of three plays (The Persistence of Memory, The Truth of Glances, and Song of My Childhood) that I wrote during a brief 2-year period in the early 1990s, which are being brought together in the same edition for the first time. It should be available in Spring 2012.

About Writing:

Your top writing tip: Write what you love, write for the ages, and the rest will take care of itself.

What elements of your writing do you want to develop? I would like to be better at managing tenses and grammar issues as I‘m actually writing rather than doing extensive editing after completing a draft. However, it is probably unavoidable because once you’re in a writing groove, you don’t want to stop to obsess over grammatical rules and conventions.

Do you lean towards traditional or self-publishing? Self-publishing because of the total control over the final product provided to the author.

What three things influence you most as to whether you buy a book or not? Word of mouth, back cover blurb, and genre.

Who is your favourite author and why? I don’t think I can succinctly answer that question, either. Most re-readings would be J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series but that doesn’t mean she is the best writer or my favourite writer. Certainly, Rowling’s Harry Potter would be the most loved but I could also fairly include Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, J.R.R. Tolkien, early Stephen King, and Isaac Asimov among my favourites.

Will books disappear altogether in future? Yes and no. I believe traditional, publishing businesses are already dinosaurs (though they don’t know it) and will eventually disappear all together. A thriving “print-on-demand” and eBook industry will rise in its place. People will always want printed books but the traditional publisher will go the way of the magazine and newspaper industry.

What is the best book of all time? The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury.

What is your writing routine (if you have one!)? Mainly, I just need to ensure there is a reasonable amount of free time (at least a couple of hours) available to me so I can write without interruption. I don’t write well in bits and pieces, here and there, and so on. When I’m writing, the telephone ringing really drives me crazy though I suppose I could just turn the ring setting to ‘off’!

What do you eat and/or drink while you write? Copious amounts of Dr. Pepper and cigarettes for the potent caffeine/tobacco cocktail.

Does your mood affect your writing? If so, how? Yes. If I’m angry or generally in a bad mood about something or someone, I’m more inclined to write poetry in order to vent through the writing itself.

The worst thing about being a writer is… the editing. I wish I could write things perfectly the first time but I’m afraid it’s an impossible standard to meet.

Social Media:

What’s your social media mix? The Official Website of Mars Rising by Mark David Major at http://www.thesovereignty.com/, Facebook, Twitter @markdmajor, LinkedIn, Write & Share, HubPages, and Goodreads.

Who would you recommend to follow on twitter? (Not me!!) The English actress Rebecca Mader (Lost) is not only a beautiful English rose but an total hoot to follow. Beauty, brains, and a great sense of humor, she is too die for. Follow her @bexmader.

What is your follow / un-follow policy on twitter? Excessive tweets solely designed to push other people’s tweets off my timeline, so your tweets are the only ones I can see, are frowned upon.

Twitter tag: @markdmajor

Website URL: http//www.thesovereignty.com

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mars-Rising/228990690455278

Thanks Mark - it has been a pleasure!

Introducing Michele Sfakianos!!!

2011-12-12T18:09:00.000Z

Hello folks,

Well, here it is; my first author interview! I sent out a tweet a few days ago and now have four writers lined up to feature on my blog! I’m really excited about this as not only does it give my blog an additional dimension but it is also exciting to get to know more about other writers! So without further ado….

My first victim: Michele Sfakianos

Hi Michele. Thanks for agreeing to do this! Tell me a little bit about yourself:

I am a registered nurse, Life Skills Expert, Speaker, Wife, Mother and Grandmother living in Fort Myers Florida. I am the owner of Medical Matters, offering Legal Nurse Consulting and Open Pages Publishing, a self-publishing company.

What are your pet peeves in life? My biggest pet peeve is when I find a person who does not believe in himself/herself.

What are your ambitions? To help young adults achieve overall life skills to be successful and happy in their life.

Favourite quote? Energy flows where focus goes. Anthony Robbins

What’s your guilty pleasure? Dark Chocolate

Quick fire questions - just say what comes into your head first! Ready..... GO!

Sweet or savoury? Sweet

Favourite flavour of ice cream? Chocolate

Hot or cold? Hot

What’s the best thing to put on toast? Sweet Potato Butter

What’s your favourite place? Las Vegas

What is your taste in music? Country & Pop

How does this reflect in your writing? Country brings out the down to earth tones in writing.

Your top writing tip: Write from the heart.

What is the best gift anyone has ever given you? Their time.

OK, let's have a chat about your book. In one sentence, what is your book about? Basic life skills needed by adults of all ages for everyday living.

What gave you the idea? My daughter was getting ready to move out on her own and I wanted to make sure she was aware of things I might not have taught her along the way.

How long did it take you to write it? 3 months

Wow! That was quick! Describe the process you took to write it: Starting out by writing notes for my daughter of things she needed to do when owning her own home and it blossomed into a book for all young adults.

What is the target audience for your book? Young adults (those moving out on their own for the first time) and those that have been in a relationship for a long time and now single (their significant other handled everything).

What have people said about your writing? “Practical advice for those moving out on their own.” And “a must have for all young adults.”

How do you want your readers to feel when they finish your book? Confident, encouraged and knowledgeable.

Where can I buy it? Amazon.com; barnesandnoble.com; my411books.com

What’s your next writing project? The 4-1-1 on Surviving Teenhood

Let's talk about writing in a more general sense. Why do you write? To give others information that they might not have access to otherwise. I write to inform, encourage and inspire others.

What elements of your writing do you want to develop? I would like to develop more elegance, meaning the use of appropriate and interesting words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs to produce graceful, unobtrusive prose that will keep a reader's attention and interest.

Do you lean towards traditional or self-publishing? Self-publishing

And what three things influence you most as to whether you buy a book or not? Cover, Title and number of pages.

Will books disappear altogether in future? I don’t think they would disappear altogether because there will always be some people to want to hold a book in their hands. A book in your hand cannot crash, get a virus or disappear altogether!

What is the best book of all time? To Kill a Mockingbird

What is your writing routine (if you have one!)? When I start a book, I gather all of my research for the book and put it into piles for chapter information. Then I like to write something every day to keep the content flowing. I do not correct as I go. I make several passes on the book to correct items and add information.

The best thing about being a writer is… knowing that if I help just one person, I have made a difference in someone’s life.

And no writer can live in the modern world without social media, or so it seems! What’s your social media mix? Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Good Reads, Google plus

Who would you recommend to follow on twitter? (Not me!!) Follow people that have the same interests as you. Don’t clutter your follows with too many famous people. Follow someone that you think could provide you with information that could further your career or business.

What is your follow / un-follow policy on twitter? I will follow you if we have similar interests or friends of other interests. If you don’t follow back within a reasonable amount of time I may unfollow. Twitters’ policies are sometimes difficult to follow more people if you don’t have enough followers.

Twitter tag: @michele7962

Website URL: www.my411books.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/the411onlifeskills

Thanks Michele! It's been an absolute pleasure and I wish you all the very best of luck in future!

Steve

'Self Interview': The Return!

2011-11-17T15:51:00.000Z

Following my last ‘self-interview’ I continued to receive a few questions that demanded answers! So, here we go…

What's your favourite colour?

Tough one – depends for what: my wife looks stunning in red, the England rugby team wear white, I love cars in black (although they are a nightmare to keep clean!), I wear quite a lot of blue…. But if I had to choose one I would have to go with green. I love the countryside and it’s relaxing, fresh and thought provoking…

What do you want for Christmas?

I would love to say something along the lines of world peace or an end to poverty. If the big man in red can deliver that then great! If not I would like to indulge my inner child with the Goldeneye Reloaded game for my PS3 and relive some of my University / N64 years!!!

When you started writing your novel did you know the ending? Did it change during the process of writing?

Early on I knew how I wanted it to end and even the final line! However how the story arrived there, even down to the final chapter, changed as I was writing. Sometimes, I find what’s in my head doesn’t translate as well to paper as I’d hoped! Just got to keep rolling with the punches and working at it to get it right!

Do you have a favourite character in the book?

I have the deepest connection with Ebon, my main character. There have been times I have actually felt sorry for him due to the monumental crap I have put him through!!! I won’t say it comes good in the end but he certainly goes on an interesting journey….! I can relate to that.

Which website do you visit most often?

Aside from the predictable email and social media I also really like howstuffworks.com and bbc.co.uk/food – great sites and content! From a writing point of view I browse quite a few sites and blogs – writing.com and writeandshare.co.uk are pretty cool.

I’ve just had a thought: most often would probably be Thesaurus.com!!!

Did any of your characters take a life of their own when you started writing?

Yes. Interestingly there was a minor character called “Jim” I originally planned to be minor, but as the story progressed and the sequel planning took shape he took off in his own right! I loved that – it kept my writing fresh and helped to continue to develop the plots further.

Traditional or e-Publishing?

Great question as there is no easy answer! My first novel will be finished in the next four weeks so it’s something I have been seriously thinking about. Publishing to Kindle, iBooks etc. would be easier short term but what most people don’t appreciate is that the author also has to spend a great deal of time marketing and promoting once live. I also feel my novel would translate incredibly well to film and/or comic books and therefore if I want to pursue this then an agent would be the better route.

My thought is that I love writing. It’s my passion and therefore that’s what I would prefer to do with my spare time. In light of this I will query agents when I have finished and see what happens. I could always self-publish as a next step if nothing comes of the traditional route. It’s definitely a story that needs telling!

Do you prefer dogs or cats?

Nothing against cats but I’m a dog man. Big dogs, though, not the little yappy ones!

Who would you cast as your lead if your book became a film?

The person who I would cast as the lead would need to move audiences with extremes of guilt, grief, addiction and brutal violence. He would need to show the darkest sides of being human and yet still exhibit strength and conflicting morals.

If I had the pick I think I would cast Josh Hartnett.

Do you like Glee?

Never met him….

Do you have a soundtrack in mind for the book?

I think a mix of Pendulum, Prodigy, Evanescence, Faithless and Limpbizkit would do the trick nicely!

Stories Everywhere!

2011-11-03T13:33:00.000Z

I am writing this post whilst sitting on a train, about two and a half hours into my three and a half hour journey. I have to admit to being a habitual people watcher and while on this journey I have come to the conclusion that stories are not only about what my twisted little brain can stir up in the cauldron of my imagination, but there are also countless stories all around us. The trick is having your eyes and ears open enough to draw them in…

During this journey, for instance, I have encountered many types of people without even consciously registering who they are or where they have come from. Whether it be the bleary eyed young woman who, whilst slightly smelling of one too many the night before, kindly made me a large caffeine hit at 6:30am or the agitated ticket inspector on the train there is a story behind the scenes that brings them to that point in time.

A great example was an exasperated woman sat beside me on the phone to her mother, pouring out her frustrations that her ex-husband had called their child’s nursery and then told her lies about how their child was being bullied by the other children whilst at pre-school. The fact that she had called the nursery manager first thing to enquire about this and been told categorically that this was not the case and that her ex had been lying, trying to stir up trouble due to a recent row – the climax of the deterioration of their relationship.

What an incredible story from an overheard two minute conversation! What had happened recently to bring this on? How had they met? Why had everything broken down, resulting in divorce? How did the father feel? Was he really as irresponsible as the mother made out? What’s his side of the story? What will happen next? My goodness – you could write a story about that by filling in the blanks!!!

I guess my thoughts here are that ideas can come from anywhere. Sometimes I place pressure on myself to come up with ideas from within but actually I should be more receptive to those found without.

I, for one, will be keeping my eyes and ears open much more in future. Who knows where a best-seller could come from? Just a thought….?!

White Noise

2011-11-03T13:13:00.002Z

It is not until you step away from something that it’s impact becomes clear. I have just returned from a week’s holiday in the sunshine and I made the decision that I would cut away from all the noise and distraction of everyday life. No email, no social media, no mobile phones. No tech.

Aside from wanting to concentrate on my time with my family I believe that it is a good idea to take a complete break every now and again and I really took the time to not only relax but also use this time of peace.

Guess what? I learned something really valuable. All that ‘noise’ that competes for attention though life serves to distract us from those things that should attract our focus. Prioritising is never easy and I really got an extreme lesson in this while I was away.

Just imagine, for one moment, stripping away all of that ‘noise’ that really isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. Then go one step further and take away all the stresses, tasks and demands of work life. For me that left the three most important areas for that week: family, relaxation and time to think.

In terms of the first two the week was great – I spent great time with my kids, wife and in-laws (yes – we do get along famously!) and I did have a relaxing time which was needed after some tough months. However I kind of expected that – after all, I was on holiday!

What surprised me the most was that once I had detached myself from the white noise of life my brain went to a different level! I felt far more free to think without time constraints, boundaries or distraction. Ideas flowed freely and my mind was able to chew over them, develop them and mould into something workable, a starting point to plan in detail and then write if nothing else.

So, to my learnings. Take any opportunity to go tech free for a day or longer; I am sure you will find it invigorating and rewarding. Be prepared to temporarily cut yourself off from distractions so that you can focus on what is truly important (not just for writing but I think this is healthy for life in general).

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, give yourself the time, space and environment to think freely. Your next amazing idea may be sitting there right now. It might just be drowned out by all the other noise!

The God Illusion

2011-10-17T22:15:00.001+01:00

I'm not going to preach to you about faith, ancient texts or how you should live your life. To be perfectly honest I see that as your choice and responsibility as a fellow human being in this world and, coming from a writer of fiction, why would you believe me anyway?!

What I would like to discuss in this post is that I do feel a certain affinity with God in that I create worlds (fictional environments), beings (characters) and destinies (plots)! But that's about as far as the similarities go I'm afraid. My last attempt at growing a beard was disastrous and the closest I have come to throwing lightning was when I touched a live wire on my car battery charger! (Tip from the top: always check your switches as those bad boys can give you a hefty shove!)

One of the aspects of being a fiction writer I enjoy most is the freedom. My imagination can run riot, stretch boundaries and break the rules. Writers can create, play out, manipulate and destroy anything and anyone. Writers can enjoy the power of the Gods, wield fate with gay abandon and tinker with life as though sitting over a game of chess (or perhaps Snakes & Ladders would be a better example!) Sounds great, right? But there too lies the nub of the issue. You may have become addicted to the power of divinity but the question is this: have your readers?

According to Publishers Weekly 53% of books sold are fiction. Of the Guardian top 100 books of all time, 19 are fantasy based (i.e. Harry Potter) but all of these still operate largely according to the 'rules' or 'culture' of the world in which we live. Of these Tolkien was about the most removed from our world. This suggests that actually a writer needs to show a little restraint if one's novel is to appeal to the mainstream audience (if indeed that is the goal at all).

The same can be said of characters. It is true that some of the very best characters of all time are intriguing because they are different, because we do not fully understand them, because they keep us guessing. How, then, do we empathise? How do we relate to them? Even though us writers do our utmost to make characters different and unique there still needs to be something readers can identify with and this usually gains momentum as the story unfolds. By the climax readers should therefore feel a personal relationship, love or hate, with the main characters in any given story. We have an opinion of each character and this is usually reinforced through their actions, thus we feel rewarded in that relationship. Clever, huh?!

The fate, destiny, twists and turns of plot fling the characters around, tie them in knots and generally complicate their existence to the delight and shock of you, the reader. While you are turning the pages you are in their world, experiencing deepening relationships and living through the trials and tribulations of your new found friends and/or enemies.

My chosen role in all this is to push the boundaries of how far a reader is willing to stretch in terms of imaginative freedom versus the anchor of reality. Obviously I want people to enjoy my stories and therefore they must be believable but by the same token I like introducing new and interesting ideas into my writing, taking my readers on an unpredictable and sometimes shocking journey with the characters in the fiction environment. The skill is in finding the balance to tickle the tipping point without actually crossing the line by taking things too far and alienating readers.

The analogy between the Gods and writing is very much around creating the environment, characters and interactive plots for a successful story that readers will enjoy. It is about finding the balance of all elements in the ecosystem that compliment each other and keep those pages turning from start to finish.

Thanks for reading.

Steve.

P.S. this one's for you, @AlexatSage. Thanks.

Self Interview

2011-10-06T22:12:00.000+01:00

Let's be clear about this. A self interview is not about projecting an image of myself. This is about honestly answering questions that people have sent to me. I received questions from across Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn connections and I have answered them honestly. So here goes....

Where do your ideas come from?
There are times when something just pops into my head from something I see or hear and off I go. But on the whole I start by asking myself 'What if.....' and then let my imagination run free. There are no boundaries, no constraints. Don't get me wrong - some of the ideas have no scope, have been done before or are just plain rubbish! But there may be a couple of diamonds in there that I can expand on, polish and explore to get to an exciting story. I try to find a starting point and end point (at a high level) and then explore paths to get there for each plot / sub-plot. You get the idea...

Do you believe in ghosts?
I believe there are things in our reality that we are unable to explain. I don't know about ghosts but I do ponder on the energy inside each of us (some call that a 'soul') and what happens to that when the body dies. I don't have the answers. I only try my best to keep an open mind.

How do you stay motivated?
For me it is about mindset and expectations. I am not a writer by talking about it. I am a writer because I have consciously chosen to DO IT. I try to keep priorities clear and make choices to support them. For instance do I sit in front of the TV watching dross or do I spend my time more constructively and produce something that I can be proud of? It's my choice and my choice alone. This is helped by the fact that writing is my passion and hobby. It simply makes me happy and therefore any sacrifices I make to write don't feel quite so painful!

What do you think about life?
Life is precious so live it! Don't wait for divine intervention or mere luck. You have to make things happen for yourself or time slips by all too easily. I don't want to lie on my death bed and wish I had done something that was always in my power to do.
Don't be afraid to love and share. It makes you a stronger person. People are remembered for who they are, not what they own or how big their bank balance is.
I have a pretty strict moral code I try to live by and believe we should treat others the way you would want to be treated. Be polite, listen, celebrate your successes, learn from your mistakes and stand up for what you believe in.

When and where do you write?
Probably the main challenge for writers and I am no exception. I work full time and have two young kids, not to mention a marriage! I am lucky that my wife is so understanding; my writing time tends to be after kids in bed at the kitchen table!

What part of yourself have you included in your story?
Anyone who has read my first novel would be seriously worried about me if I said I literally included part of myself in the story! You'll understand why when you read it...
I think there are elements of myself that I have included in the novel. These include my sense of loss from losing a loved one, inner desperation from a situation that felt out of my control and resulting strength from coming through the tough times. I believe there are also hints of my sense of right and wrong and how those standards can be challenged with the unexpected. I also like to keep other people on their toes through surprises!

How would you react to a bad review of your book?
I am not saying that it wouldn't smart a bit to get critical feedback... I am human after all! However, someone's opinion is their reality and therefore not only should I put my ego aside and listen but treat this as a great opportunity for me to learn and develop my craft! My gut instinct would be to ask more questions and understand so that I could work to master those challenges and prove those critics wrong next time! I can be stubborn like that.

Do you believe in destiny?
I believe you make a lot of your own luck by taking action! I concede there are coincidences that seem to defy this theory and I think there is a path for everyone - but the discovery of that path can be achieved in different ways and that is down to our own choices and actions.

A writer is the "God" of a characters life. Do you believe in God?
I agree that a writer does play God in that small, focussed story universe. It implies complete control over others and their destinies... So I guess the question is here do I believe that a greater being is doing that with me? Simply, I don't know. I like to explore the possibilities - it has even given me ideas to explore for more stories! I don't LIKE the idea I am not in control of my own life but by the same token I refuse to believe that death is the end. My brain likes evidence and data rather than pure faith so I struggle with any religion although I do try to live my life by many of the common teachings. I find religion hard to justify in this day and age but that, as is argued, is the true test of faith. At this point in my life I guess I fail that test.

Learning through reading...

2011-09-23T21:34:00.002+01:00

Before you say it: I know! I am very late to get to reading this novel and millions of people have been there before me! So I decided not to write a classic book review this time around but share some of what I learnt about the art of writing from reading this brilliant piece of work. It is interesting to note that what I take from reading a novel has evolved since making the conscious decision to be a writer....

I thought Larsson did an incredible job of building and developing his characters. Simply stunning. Not only were we drawn into the here and now but, in a subtle way, their past, their preferences, their aspirations, their problems and their view of the world. I also felt that Larsson managed to say more about his characters through their actions than simple dialogue. Powerful stuff!

I think it is fair to say that Lisbeth Salander is as far removed as possible from my own personality with her character, motivations, background, experiences, goth-punk styling and piercings (although I do have a tattoo!) but I found myself both sympathising and identifying with her closely. That is surely a sign of writing genius!

The plot and sub-plots were cleverly interwoven to take the reader on a journey. At those points when I was guessing who the killer was I smiled to myself realising that I had changed my mind a few times. I became conscious I was being led on a journey at the author's desire! I have to admit that I did guess the twist about Harriet Vanger but I felt satisfied rather than feeling I had been robbed.

I was also surprised along the way by various actions and turns which changed the dynamic of key relationships and the story. It was anything but predictable and some of the more... shocking scenes definitely added something to the story rather than being mindlessly dropped in just for the sake of it. Therefore shocking scenes need to add to the plot and have a purpose - even if the reader does not realise this until later.

Being written in Sweden, by a Swiss author, I found it interesting to learn more of the culture and observe how this impacted on the story. For example, us Brits can be a little more inhibited about sex than some other nationalities and this shone through as the story unfolded. There were other points around community, abuse of women, racism and right wing extremism that are probably hotter topic in Sweden than in the UK. I found this added textural layers to the story and gave undertone hints as to how things would turn out. Culture, therefore, is important to consider and, where relevant, give context to the story.

Finally, for the sake of this post anyway, I thought I would highlight that the environment and community Larsson created gave a sense of sadness, claustrophobia and drama around the plot that was both vivid and surprising. While reading I had very strong images of the island, cabins and countryside in my mind and yet they were also in context of the mood of the novel. Sheer brilliance.

All that is left to say is that I feel Larsson's premature death is a great loss to the literary world. His ability to draw me into his story through many working and moving parts was immense. With conscious reflection these are points that I will learn from and aim to apply in my own search for perfection. If there is such a thing.

Thanks for reading.

My first book review: The Bourne series

2011-09-16T12:58:00.000+01:00

Before I get to my first book review post I thought I would share some exciting news: my book has been printed (don't get excited - only 15 copies on A4!!!) and is now out to my readership community, or on it's way to them. I am looking forward to gaining their feedback although it was strange to finally hold my first novel in print! I have also seen it on a Kindle as one of my readers asked for the PDF and uploaded it straight away! It was very surreal!

So, onto my book review. Well, a book series review actually. Recognise this guy? No, not Matt Damon! The character Jason Bourne! Well, I have just finished reading the first 8 books of the series by Robert Ludlum and after the initial trilogy in conjunction with Eric Van Lustbader. I enjoyed the films so much that I decided to read the books.

So what did I think? Well, to start with the stories in the books and films are very, very different! If you intend to read them for the same plots as the films then you will be sourly disappointed. There was actually very little to directly relate the two which was my first surprise.

The trilogy of films were rapid fire and snappy and are titled the same as the first three books. The first three books were written solely by Robert Ludlum and were much slower in pace to the point that I found it a bit of a slog to get through them. The writing style was clearly from an earlier era that spent much more time setting up the story, describing environments and drawing out the plot which, in the long term, enables readers to identify deeply with the characters. There was some 'dormant' time where Bourne was analysed and his thoughts and feelings were explored which gave more depth to the character. Not necessarily what I was expecting!

Eric Van Lustbader joining the writing team, as of the fourth book, did not necessarily change the quality of the writing but he certainly brought the style into the modern era and ploughed in the faster paced action we have all come to expect in contemporary thriller fiction. This progression was marked and interesting to note. His influence was also to split the plot and sub-plots to keep those pages turning which made the reading experience more pleasurable.

I have to confess I found elements a little repetitive within the stories such as character motivations, plot lines and movements within fight scenes but the stories were enjoyable and as the books evolved I found them progressively easier to read and the continuation of familiar characters was interesting.

So would I recommend them? Yes I would, even forgiving the tough reading of the first three. I have read better books but I have also read a hell of a lot worse! It's unusual for me to say that I prefer a film adaptation over the book, however in this case I did. But they are excellent films!

Overall, across the first 8 books, I score them 3 out of 5...

(My) Writing and Social Media

2011-09-04T21:19:00.000+01:00

Now that I have finished the draft of my novel for readership I thought, while I go through that process, I would discuss what I have learnt about social media and growing an audience with whom to share my writing journey.

First I think it is important to ensure you are clear as to your goal or purpose for using social media and stay loyal to that core motivation for as long as it remains. My goal is to document my journey, meet and network with like minded people and connect so that I may learn from others. If your goal is similar or simply to promote yourself for commercial gain then great! Just communicate through social media to meet your objective(s) and keep that at front of mind.

So, how I have set myself up? Well, as you know by reading this, you know I enjoy blogging and to support traffic towards my blog I use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. I see most volume through Twitter, Facebook is kept for those who know me personally and LinkedIn is newer to me but is showing huge potential in terms of linking to all manner of writers, editors, agents, publishers and reading groups.

Tip from the learned: don't try to manage these separately - I use TweetDeck and manage it all from one application which is easy and not as time consuming as you might think...!

Another point I learnt that has made a big difference is around who I 'follow' or try to connect with. To begin with I wasn't at all focused and just went for volume. Big mistake. I judged everything on 'numbers', made very little headway and ended up frustrated and, to be perfectly honest, a little confused. To rectify this dismal situation I stripped away all those who either weren't relevant or did nothing of value for me and that, my friends, was the best move I could have made. I then found like minded people, groups of writers and those in the writing industry and connected with them to achieve my goals. Hopefully I am contributing in some small way to help them also achieve theirs.

It's worked too - my network is now focused, stronger and much more engaging. I try to be a little different, interesting and humorous (I hope!) in order to gain some attention but the key learning is that it is the quality of the people you engage with that matters, not the quantity (in this arena, anyway).

Social media tells people something about me and therefore I only post or re-tweet those things that will add value to my audience. If I find something interesting, funny, profound or useful then I will forward it on. If not, I don't! Simple.

I guess if my 'numbers' and stats keep growing in a positive manner then I can assume I am meeting this in some way!

Thanks for reading.

Steve

My First Reader!

2011-08-23T10:31:00.000+01:00

My wife is a wonderful woman. She has supported me 100% and suffered many nights of me locking myself away while I work tirelessly on my novel of which, until recently, she knew virtually nothing about. She didn't even know the title until three weeks ago!

Back when I announced I was going to finally stop talking about writing 'my book' and just get on with it we struck a deal there and then. Heather would put up with me and the writing process if she was the very first person to read my work. I readily agreed for two reasons: one, it gave me an open licence to write without that nagging feeling of guilt and, secondly, I knew the very first person to read it would give me a brutally honest appraisal. Anyone who knows Heather knows I am not exaggerating! She may be my wife but she also knows the only way I will develop and realise my dream is to be given honest feedback that I can work with and learn from.

This was the first time in a long time that anyone had read anything I had written and to be honest I was really nervous, not only because a lot of 'our' time had gone into the novel but also because I didn't want to be told that all that time was for nothing. I was genuinely worried that I had been deluding myself and I was, in fact, a terrible novelist!

I printed off the manuscript and tried not to dash into the lounge every five minutes to ask what she thought! My wife's keen eye for detail was straight away highlighted by all the copy errors she picked up such as repeated words, spelling mistakes or other grammatical errors. Already I was surprised by the volume of mistakes she was finding so I knew the book would only improve.

There was definitely an element of surprise at some of the darker themes through the plot; she saw a different side to me that she didn't necessarily expect and I think that shocked her slightly. An interesting outcome was that my mother-in-law is part of my readership community and Heather is now a little more reticent about that..! It will be interesting to see what she makes of it!!!

Not only did Heather pull out many copy errors but she also gave me amazing feedback about some vocabulary I had used, an irregularity of one particular character action (it didn’t seem to ‘fit’) and also that the final chapter’s tone wasn’t in tune with the rest of the novel! I told you she was honest…

She is very proud of what I have achieved and thought the book and quality of writing was great. But I found that I struggled to detach my emotion from the feedback, particularly about the last (and arguably the most important) chapter that seemed to dampen her reaction to the book. I was desperate for her to come back to me and say “Wow!” and my ego struggled for a couple of hours when she came back and said “It’s really good but…”. Vanity, it seems, comes in many forms! I had asked her to be critical in her comments and yet I found it tough when she was!!!

Once I had got over myself I realised that she was absolutely right; these were changes that had to be made to develop the manuscript and ultimately give it a better chance of success. Once I removed my feelings from the equation her comments made absolute sense and the novel would improve greatly by taking the comments on board and making appropriate changes! Why else would you ask people to give you feedback?!

So what have I learnt? I have learnt that feedback is a positive thing, even if it stings a bit. People mostly give it to you in the spirit of helping, not attacking and therefore the very least I can do is remove my emotion as best I can and ask questions to really understand the issues and determine how best to resolve them. Feedback gives you food for thought and insight that, as the writer, I was perhaps too close to identify for myself.

That isn’t to say that she didn’t pay me some awesome compliments too. The one that sticks on my mind wasn’t so much about what she liked but when she said “While reading I still can’t believe you wrote this! It reads like a proper book!” And, yes, I am choosing to take that as a positive!

So what’s next? Well, I am still going through the final few chapters of her notated comments and queries, reviewing them all and making appropriate changes on the back of that. I am also reading my work with fresh eyes and questioning everything in an attempt to make further improvements. Once complete I will be getting the manuscript printed and distributing out to my readership members; a community of people that I trust both in terms of their opinion and their ability to be honest, brutally if need be. From there I am sure the need for more changes will surface and from then on… who knows?!

Edit update

2011-08-13T21:06:00.000+01:00

I stumbled across this picture last week and it made me chuckle as it reminded me of how I felt as I started to edit my manuscript, filled with anticipation and eager to get it finished. I remember that evening clearly. It was the first time I had a printed version of my 'book', a pen poised in my hand and a steaming cup of coffee to my side. Needless to say that cup of coffee was untouched and went cold. My time was quickly consumed with a much deeper task than I had given credit.

Being honest, I didn't really know how long it would take or what I would find but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't find the story to be absolutely hideous and I didn't want to tear the paper into millions of pieces. What I did find, however, was that the process of editing was neither as fun as the initial creative writing and my self-discipline had to elevate to a whole new level! In short: I found it tough going.

Happily I am now nearing the end and am a few days from going out to a readership to gain feedback. The first person to read it is my wife which is only fair given what she has had to put up with over past months plus she has an eagle eye for detail and an opinion I trust. She won't sugar coat the truth which is exactly what I need! Between this and the readership feedback I am certain I will have yet more editing and perhaps some rethinking to do. But I will keep telling myself that if I am to hone and craft a half decent novel I need to stick at it.

Thanks for reading and I'll update again soon. Steve

Sad and lonely blog...!

2011-05-20T13:22:00.000+01:00

Was I kidnapped by guerillas, taken to the Amazon where I fought my way out with nothing more than a biro and my wits? Have I been off saving the world from impending global meltdown? Or single handedly fixing broken nuclear reactors with double sided sticky tape?

Afraid not. Have I been editing the first draft of my novel? Yes! Enough? No. Then what the hell has happened...?

You could say I have learnt the hardest lesson about writing yet. I have learnt that writing takes a huge amount of commitment and sacrifice and that when you take your eye off the ball, even for a moment, those things creep back in and all of a sudden you lose days and weeks. Contributing factors: exercise (training to raise charity funds in the Manchester 10k run), DIY (all those jobs that had been 'put off'), a new kitchen fitted (major disruption!), work (the reality of increased workload and commitments) and, of course, quality time with my family.

Don't get me wrong - these are not excuses - they are the reality of life and the great learning is that what you choose to focus on becomes your reality. You have to make decisions about not only what you are going to do but also what you are not going to do; the opportunity cost, if you will. Those have been, and continue to be, my decisions and I take full accountability. But getting the balance right is tough!

Amongst all these things I have been editing; I have taken advice from some great authors, read through the manuscript cover to cover and simply made notes as I go, of which there were many more than I care to mention! The idea is that I get the story, plots and characterisation nailed down first (still not there yet) before getting too bogged down in the grammar, punctuation and wording. In my inexperienced head I am thinking that you could have the best technically written story in the world, but if the story is not compelling and people don't want to read it then what's the point? Story, plots, characters. My focus becomes my reality.

It's not long until we go on holiday which will be a welcome break given the last few months we have had. It will give me a chance to freshen up my brain, recoup and then press all my energy to finish editing to the very best of my ability. Will I ever be completely happy? Probably not, but once I have done what I can then it's time for other eyes to read it and (hopefully) give me some feedback that I can learn from and apply.

That's the plan; it's up to me to make those choices and focus!

Thanks for reading.

Steve

First Draft: Done!

2011-01-31T11:59:00.000Z

Imagine the scene: it is 1am and I am sat at my kitchen table and the laptop is lit brightly against the darker backdrop causing me to squint tiredly at the screen. A cold cuppa is sat forgotten to the side untouched, unloved. But despite the lonely scene I have a tired smile creeping across my face; my eyes are scanning the last page of what I have typed looking for obvious mistakes but this is futile as I am far too busy congratulating myself for finishing the first draft of my novel.

It didn’t feel like I thought it would. I had half anticipated to be dancing wildly across the wooden floor, deliriously delighted by achieving such a milestone, lost in a few precious moments of the total loss of inhibited self awareness.

The fact that I sat there quietly smiling, my wife and kids fast asleep upstairs, is testament to the fact that it was different.

Don’t get me wrong – I felt fantastic and I am still very pleased that I have got to this point in my writing journey. I look back at the long and frequent hours I have put in with a pride that inspires me to see this through to the final draft – and I guess that’s exactly why it felt different to what I expected: I know that there is still a lot of work to do, I know it’s not the finished piece and ultimately I am not satisfied that it is good enough. Then again I may never be…

I did allow myself to grin and stagger to bed with a floating feeling of happiness in my stomach, but my brain then refused to sleep as it analysed what needs to be edited and where things need to develop! I have been tempted to get stuck into editing straight away but I have abstained, taking some great advice of taking two weeks off to then come back to it with fresh, critical eyes!

So what does the next two weeks hold? I foresee some gaming (the PS3 is beckoning after weeks of being ignored), some exercise (sadly gone by the wayside too!) and jobs being done around the house (my wife’s patience will only go so far!).

It’s very telling to see what activities have been sacrificed for the writing of a novel!

A novel update!

2011-01-24T11:24:00.001Z

Hello fellow book lovers!

I bet you thought I had fallen off the edge of the earth, got eaten by a dragon or just lost interest entirely! It’s been nearly three weeks since my last blog so this update is a little overdue!

You will be very pleased to know that this ‘time off’ hasn’t been in vain – quite the contrary! I have been focussing my energies on actually getting down to the base task of … wait for it… writing the book!!! I found I was doing a lot of writing about writing, but the actual writing itself was suffering as a result! Ironic, or what?!

It’s been a really productive time in relation to this first novel and I am now at the very exciting stage of having only two (and a bit!) chapters to go before the first draft is finished!

I’m not going to say that I am totally happy with it – there is plenty of room for improvement and as I have gone through I also know there are some areas to cut down, others to develop and loose ends to tie up properly. Not to mention the grammar, punctuation and structure!!! Eeek!

It feels like I am a mere stones throw from a major milestone but not having done an ‘edit’ phase before (well, not on this scale anyway!) I am intrigued as to how I will find it and how it will change my story. What will I think when I read back over my early chapters? How self critical will I be?

My plan at the moment is to have my trusty notepad and pen with me, read through and really nail down the ‘purpose’ of each chapter, edit the text and also note all loose ends (explicit or suggested) that must be answered by the close of the book. Other than that… spelling and punctuation?? Or shall I come back to that in the next sweep??

So if you haven’t taken the hint already: any hints and tips would be much appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

First impressions of using speech recognition software to write…

2011-01-06T14:43:00.000Z

Well, I have managed to source some recommended software and even though I had a bit of a nightmare installing it (due to techie things like unrecognised digital signatures and .CAB files) I finally managed to get it up and running.

My first experience of dictating was positive and much more accurate out of the box than I had expected – I would estimate about 90% of the words I spoke it recognised immediately! I did start after the kids were in bed, found a quiet corner plus I don’t have a particularly strong accent (pretty standard southern English) which all probably went in my favour; but even so that’s not bad! The headset supplied has noise cancellation technology inbuilt to aid the software in accuracy too.

I then went on to ‘train’ the software for a couple of hours which also helped it recognise my pronunciation of various words and letter combinations to enhance the accuracy further – and I do think it helped both the software and my trust in it. The tutorials of how to use were good too – but it’s not hard to figure out…

Plus points:

· I can talk faster than I can type – so last night I got nearly 3,000 words (first draft) down! Obviously I will need to go back over and edit this but it's ready and waiting...!

· I can walk around while I write which helps my chain of thought and expression.

· If you have a ‘visual’ style of writing or descriptive scene you can get a flow going where you are not being drawn into punctuation or spelling corrections; you can just go with it and go back to edit later!

· The accuracy is really good although not perfect. However a major plus point is that the software learns as you use it and I can vouch for that – I corrected a few words that it mistook and it then used the corrected word the next time(s)!

· It also scans other documents stored on your PC (with your permission) to look at your writing style to aid accuracy – clever stuff!

· The other side is that if you get a bit sick of speaking for punctuation it does have an automated function for full stops and commas.

Negatives:

· It does take some getting used to and does feel unnatural at the start – I am guessing this will pass if you use it regularly but it did feel a little weird!

· It is very tempting to not trust it and watch for mistakes to correct rather than my original intention to use it as a tool for creativity.

· At the moment I would use this for first draft only – I think it is good for getting the first draft down quickly but I would definitely want to edit with the more conventional word processing methods. You can do it via speech through commands but I'm not convinced that would suit novel writing.

· The base version of this product can be sourced for about £80 on the developers own website (cheaper elsewhere online) and the different versions can price up to hundreds of pounds for full enterprise functionality. So it’s not cheap, even at entry level, and therefore poses a financial risk to simply try it out - especially if you are not sure you will get on with it!

Summary:

I think the potential of application for writing novels rests with the individual that is using it. Personally, for first draft only, I will persevere as I think it suits the visual way in which my brain ticks along and may encourage me to get less caught up in editing while I write - just let those creative juices flow and get the first draft down quickly that I can then develop and edit!

Having said that I'm not convinced this would be for everyone. I know some writers who find it works for them to sit in front of their PC and simply write, and others would like to plan meticulously to the very last detail. From what I have seen so far every writer is different so my advice would be that if it tickles your fancy or you are struggling to write with your current methodology then try it. Just be aware it is very different to what you might be used to!

So there you have it – my first review of using speech recognition software to write a novel. I’ll continue to use it and every now and again will give you an update as to how it’s working out!

Steve.

Writing into 2011...

2010-12-30T21:02:00.000Z

The Christmas festivities are over for another year, great amounts of foods have been consumed and I have both remembered and enjoyed the company of many wonderful people. The kids have had a magical time and Santa was good to us all; I guess we all somehow managed to be on the 'Good List'! Phew! So aside from deciding when my annual post-Christmas diet should commence I find myself contemplating 2011 and what it might hold.

I'm not sure if I am alone in that I tend to spend a little time between Christmas and New Year reviewing where I am up to in life generally and setting myself some achieveable goals for the following year. I am happy to say that compared to last year's review I am in pretty good shape on a personal and professional level. However the most exciting part is that instead of the internal dialogue repeating the same old 'Oh, and I must start that book...' I am now able to move to 'I have had a really positive start to the book, am well on my way to completing my first draft and now I need to...'

And you know what? I actually feel really good about myself to be able to say that. It might seem a small thing to many as I haven't even finished my first draft but it is a huge step for me to actually be doing rather than talking about doing! I am fully aware there is still a long and lonely journey ahead of me, especially if this is the path I will continue to tread, however that's fine by me. I have made the changes to the structure of my time, made some sacrifices and am still feeling good about it!

In terms of goals for 2011 I have thought about them long and hard to keep them short, achievable and simple! So here they are:

Finish my first draft by my birthday (mid-February);
Take two weeks off, away from the book completely;
Read, edit and develop over March and April to come up with a second draft by 1st May 2011. (If I am not happy with the second draft then I might need to repeat the second and third steps - time extended of course!)
Continue the literary market research and get myself into the market place and see where it takes me...!

It is easy to get giddy with your dreams but therein lies the difference between goals and dreams; goals are those achievable steps that will take you closer to your dream (the end goal!). So I have tried to keep it simple and identify those steps that get me to the point of unknown. At present I am in total control of what happens and therefore being specific is easy! But as the unknown approaches so the goals are more loose and flexible - they have to be!

I'm not going to make any bold assertions like 'I will be a published author in 2011' for two reasons: firstly as most of that is out of my control and therefore is a dream rather than a goal, and secondly because as much as I would love to be published in 2011, the numbers simply don't stack in my favour. I would rather spend time on my manuscript, learning through all stages and giving myself the best possible chance! There is a lot of luck involved assuming that my novel will be good enough in the first instance. So that's my job in 2011 - get it good enough and then see where we go from there...

I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2011! All I ask in return is that you keep your fingers crossed for me!

Happy New Year!

Talking the good talk....?!

2010-12-20T10:49:00.000Z

I was having a conversation with one of my colleagues and an interesting topic came up which got me thinking. There is some fairly good and inexpensive speech recognition software on the market at the moment, one of which is getting particularly good reviews, and I started to mull over these applications in terms of writing (rather than the business usage that we were talking about).

If you are anything like me then you would be able to say that your typing is 'fairly' quick, not without more mistakes than you care to mention and generally slower than the pace your brain likes to move along at. In fact when I am writing I can see the scene in my mind, as if a movie is rolling in my head. As a starting point I transcribe what I 'see' and then go back, build out further, edit and even re-write parts in order to get to a point where I am happy (well, as first drafts go anyway....?!).

So my here's the question: would it be any better, quicker or easier for me to narrate what I am wanting to write over my current method of typing?

On the plus side I might be able to push up my session word count and get more 'down' for first draft, thus getting to my goal more rapidly. I might be able to reduce the temptation to sneakily edit on the hop (which I have to confess I do!) and thus stay focused on the story and plot rather than final punctuation, structure and spelling; I could do that later. It might enable me to keep the rhythm flowing more fluidly rather than the stop-start way I am working at the moment...?

On the other hand I do have some reservations: Will it be as accurate as the vendor claims? How long will it actually take for me to set-up and 'train' the software? Will it actually work for me or does typing actually help me in my writing by slowing down my train of thought? I just may not get on with this way of working, bin it off and go back to typing....?

It's an interesting debate and I would welcome any comments, opinions or shared experiences either here, on Twitter or via e-mail.

Thanks!

Steve.

The darker side of me...

2010-12-15T21:05:00.008Z

I always knew this novel was going to have some darker elements to it. The very concept of what makes up the base plot was never going to make for a hand holding stroll in a meadow followed by a champagne picnic! Themes such as the exploration of addiction battling morality, self-loathing against the desire for power and murder are not what I would consider the most light and airy of topics, albeit interesting and immersive to explore.

What has surprised me is the measure of how dark the novel has become. As a person my character is positive, energetic and driven, combined with a strong moral code in the way that I choose to live my life. I like to think that I am a thoughtful, polite and professional individual with a strong belief that family values, good friends and hard work are the key to achievement and happiness which, to me, are a measure of success. I tend to stand up for what I believe in and therefore as my story continues to unravel I am continuously surprised by the contrast between my core values and that which I am creating.

There are themes, actions and interactions which, if in the news or real life, I would most probably baulk at and criticise heavily. However through writing this story I feel involved and almost sympathetic towards what is going on, sometimes defending and justifying what I would normally abhor! I honestly believe that when my friends and family read the novel they will question as to whether this genuinely came from inside my head! At times the story is lonely, pained, brutal, twisted and downright gruesome - not adjectives that would normally be associated with me..... I don't think anyway!

So where does this come from? Is it some sort of sanity pressure valve for my subconscious psyche? Does this help to balance my character for the existence in every day life? Is it fantasy at some deep level that I am not consciously aware?

I'm not convinced it's any of these things. I think as a writer I simply pay more attention to that which is alien to me, thereby honing in on detail and creating a more explicit narrative. Being shocked at my own content should be seen as a good thing as I can attempt to reflect that emotion in my writing and hopefully give additional edge and drama within the story. I guess that's the beauty of writing - you are free to explore new things, be someone else, bring your deepest and/or darkest thoughts to life. The freedom of expression is gifting me (as the writer) as many, if not more, surprises than the readers! Now that I was not expecting!

Writing about writing momentum....!

2010-12-08T21:13:00.000Z

I am back again after a few days away from what I would consider to be my normal routine of writing, blogging and social media and I have to admit that all of a sudden feeling a little more removed than I would like.

A mixture of snow, feeling ill (thanks for those germs, kids!) and work deadlines took over for a few days and I am sitting behind my PC reflecting on what I can learn from this and apply as I move forward in my writing quest.

My normal 'routine' generally looks something like this: I scribble notes and thoughts in my notepad on my commute to work, I get in early and do the social media bit, work all day, get home to spend time with my family until the kids' bed time and then I get cracking either writing my novel, blogging or both. What I find about having a routine is that it's easier to maintain the discipline and momentum of writing, thus making progress (even if just a little) each day.

Now it would be a slight exaggeration to say that this happens every day as life has a habit of getting in the way every now and again! But as a rule it seems to work for me, supported by the fact that I am able to average a chapter draft every two days if I keep at it. Not bad.....?!

Having now had a total of six days away from all this I am feeling a bit thrown, a bit lost. I know full well it is all about throwing myself back into it and getting back to the routine; nevertheless I am finding it tough,even though I spent my journey this morning recapping over where I am up to and plotting where I am going to take the story for the next 1000 words or so. Strange, huh?

So, what have I learnt? Simply put, find a routine that seems to work for you and stick to it if you possibly can. Be self disciplined or another week / month / year will just 'slip by'. Chip away each day (even if it's only a little) as this will keep the momentum going. Finally, when (not 'if') you do get derailed get back to it and just write, even if the next day you realise what you wrote last night was utter rubbish! Getting back to the routine is more important for me in this case...

Thanks for reading. I needed to write this post to give myself a kick up the arse and simply get on with it. Right, where'a my notebook gone....?!

Music and Writing

2010-12-02T10:28:00.000Z

Even though I have written 'stuff' before I am learning as I go with writing a novel. I have been looking at all sorts of resources and advice and there are definitely common challenges to all authors but there is also a part of me that doesn't just want to blindly follow what those before me have done. I want to find what works for me as an individual.

So here's something I have noticed: MY mood has a direct relationship with how well I feel I have written a particular scene. If I am feeling pumped up and full of energy my action sequences seem to be better. If I am feeling a little low my ability to write about guilt, inner discussion and the self loathing of my lead character seems to come more naturally. You get the idea...

I have therefore started to do something in preparation for the type of material I am going to write next which (I think) has had a positive effect: before I write and to help me get into the 'zone' I listen to the type of music that will help me 'choose' my mood.

For example: for action or fast paced scenes I listen to Pendulum, The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers or something similar with strong, fast bass lines. For the more startling / horrific material I listen to something along the lines of Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Lunatic Calm or Monster Magnet. If it's inner pain / guilt / sadness Evanescence works; if it's urban set Timbaland, Gnarls Barkley or Jack Johnson; if it's more tender and emotional I quite like Newton Faulkner or David Gray; upbeat style Groove Armada, Jakatta, Royksopp or something of the house genre....

I am guessing that it does depend on your taste in music - mine is quite wide ranging so I have a good range to choose from. And while listening to the music I start running through the scene in my head which is also great for ideas and detail.

If you are like me, in that music does have a direct effect on your mood and emotional state, then this could be good for your writing. Or maybe I am just weird....!

Writing and I - a complex relationship!

2010-11-30T08:29:00.000Z

Without a doubt the written word has always been more natural for me than crunching numbers and my imagination likes to run riot at any given opportunity! That coupled with a healthy obsession with escapism results in some fairly wild ideas that seem to run like film through my brain - whether I am reading or writing.

There are plenty of excuses to not write, many of which I have used, but only one reason to write; sheer passion. Maybe this is naive, but I don't believe you can write successfully if your sole motivation is fame and money - for me they are the result of true talent. I am on the journey to see if I measure up in terms of talent - not bank balance! Don't get me wrong, the dream is to become a full time author but first thing's first - let's get something published in the first place!!

The novel I am writing has surpised me in a few ways - it's darker and a little different to what I thought I would end up writing, it is bloody hard work to keep going and in my quieter moments (of which there are few!) I do question whether I can actually call myself an 'author'. Some might say that if you are not published you are not, others might say that if you put pen to paper you are. Me? I say that it's nothing more than a label and if you have the inner will and resilience to complete a novel you can call yourself whatever you bloody like!

My personal conclusion: do what feels right, carve your own path and be who you want to be. No one's going to do it for you so stop talking and do it!

There endeth my sermon....!

My Opening Blog!

2010-11-28T19:52:00.000Z

Welcome to my first Blog!

There are two things I would like to share with you; the first being why I have written this in the first place and the second why I chose to set up a blog rather than a website.

The purpose of this blog is to share my journey of becoming a published fiction author as I am currently writing my first fiction novel. It is hard work and I continually beat myself up but writing is where my heart lies - whether I am any good at it remains to be seen and I am sure there will be plenty of judges along the way!

My promise to you is that I will share my successes, my challenges, my learnings, my frustrations and hopefully some community conversation so that we all might communicate, collaborate and enjoy. If nothing else you may get a chuckle or two from visiting....!

So why a blog over a website? Well, truth be told I didn't really know the difference between the two when starting to look into all this so I took some advice from some trusted friends and colleagues. I started by trying to build a website for free but found the set-up was a bit more cumbersome and static - so to change or add content was quite a bit more work. I wanted something that I could update easily and frequently and a platform that would arrange things in time order - preferably with a bit of automation. The thing that really influenced my decision was that blogs are found through search engines much more effectively which would encourage people to visit. Oh, and did I mention it's free? No brainer, then!

Enjoy!