Thursday, 8 July 2010
New short story/other stuff.
Jennyemilyeffect has had two more short pieces uploaded to it. The first is a short piece of flash fiction - View from the window and back into the room. the second is cut material from the first draft of The Atlantic Connection.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Website upgrade.
Just a quick note to say that the website has had a thorough spruce up. One big change is that the short stories and other bits page is far more accessible. From a purely practical point of view it means that I am able to update it myself now instead of being reliant on some techno-nerd in another office.
The new website - go take a look!
The new website - go take a look!
Vuvuselas are irritating.
I never really liked editing. Actually, I think I described it here more than once as my nemesis. I suppose that is the case when I actually have to do an awful lot. Right now I'm working on the sequel to 'Bringing home the stars'. It must be weird for most people to read about me polishing up a sequel to a book that isn't on general release yet, but bear with me....
I wrote an entire book in between finishing the first draft of BHTS2 (There is a name for it, but as I've always refered to the sequel as this, it is easier to keep track). It's the best way to go as putting a book to one side after finishing a draft means that you can have a few weeks doing something else that distances you from the creative processes of the writing. In this way, when you do come back to it, you have a clear head and can see things that would otherwise have been missed. When I last edited a book, I hated it. I suppose that was because so much was needing tweaking. BHTS2 seems surprisingly different. Almost to the point that I'm wondering if there is something that I'm missing. I've edited some 40,000 words of it in three days, and it hasn't really needed much other than the odd typo correcting, a few word repititions ironing out and a few commas and semi-colons swapped around. There was a chapter I had forgotton to finish, but that was easily solved (I must have got distracted, written the next bit intending to come back, then forgot). It isn't a bad read so far, so I'm hoping it doesn't disappear downhill towards the end. I shall also try not to blow my own Vuvusela, as I understand quite how annoying they are.
This year has been a somewhat prolific year for writing. Long may it continue. For future reference to myself, when I'm suffering the next bout of writer's block I would like to point out that having too many ideas flooding through my head and not enough time to write them down is almost as annoying as sitting at a computer staring at a blank screen struggling to let get the words flowing. I have another book idea to start work on after I'm done with this edit. I'll let you all know what it is when I start commiting words to the page.
I wrote an entire book in between finishing the first draft of BHTS2 (There is a name for it, but as I've always refered to the sequel as this, it is easier to keep track). It's the best way to go as putting a book to one side after finishing a draft means that you can have a few weeks doing something else that distances you from the creative processes of the writing. In this way, when you do come back to it, you have a clear head and can see things that would otherwise have been missed. When I last edited a book, I hated it. I suppose that was because so much was needing tweaking. BHTS2 seems surprisingly different. Almost to the point that I'm wondering if there is something that I'm missing. I've edited some 40,000 words of it in three days, and it hasn't really needed much other than the odd typo correcting, a few word repititions ironing out and a few commas and semi-colons swapped around. There was a chapter I had forgotton to finish, but that was easily solved (I must have got distracted, written the next bit intending to come back, then forgot). It isn't a bad read so far, so I'm hoping it doesn't disappear downhill towards the end. I shall also try not to blow my own Vuvusela, as I understand quite how annoying they are.
This year has been a somewhat prolific year for writing. Long may it continue. For future reference to myself, when I'm suffering the next bout of writer's block I would like to point out that having too many ideas flooding through my head and not enough time to write them down is almost as annoying as sitting at a computer staring at a blank screen struggling to let get the words flowing. I have another book idea to start work on after I'm done with this edit. I'll let you all know what it is when I start commiting words to the page.
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Another book finished.
I've just finished draft one of The Long summer of war. 72,000 words of pure literary fiction goodness. Show me a happy-ever-after story and I'll show you a fist to face; I'm going back to writing sci-fi.
Saturday, 3 July 2010
I really fancy a takeaway; know what I mean?
The boat didn't sink yesterday evening. Actually, it floated perfectly and remained bone dry (except for the water from my wet trainers which doesn't count) all the time it was on the water. The only problem was lining it back up with the trailer to haul it out, which resulted in a nasty scrape down the keel and the fibreglass to one side. All got sanded and touched up this morning, so no problems there.
On Monday I'm off out to buy a few important-yet-necessary items. Namesly: a trailer lighting board; spare wheel; mudguards and fittings and; some kind of security device to stop some scrote from pinching the trailer. Hopefully they won't be rip-off priced.
As it's the weekend I've only written 500 words. I feel guilty for taking days off (even if they are the two days a week that everyone else gets and takes for granted). 500 words is a compromise. Hopefully by Monday 'Long summer of war' will be done and I can get on with something else, in the form of BHTS2 editing. After that I've already got another book idea ready to write (straight sci-fi this time) so I guess I'll be keeping myself busy through until Christmas.
On Monday I'm off out to buy a few important-yet-necessary items. Namesly: a trailer lighting board; spare wheel; mudguards and fittings and; some kind of security device to stop some scrote from pinching the trailer. Hopefully they won't be rip-off priced.
As it's the weekend I've only written 500 words. I feel guilty for taking days off (even if they are the two days a week that everyone else gets and takes for granted). 500 words is a compromise. Hopefully by Monday 'Long summer of war' will be done and I can get on with something else, in the form of BHTS2 editing. After that I've already got another book idea ready to write (straight sci-fi this time) so I guess I'll be keeping myself busy through until Christmas.
Thursday, 1 July 2010
Captain's log, additional
When I say 'tonight' as in the last post, I'd like to point out that I'm not in the same time zone as the server. That means that when it says it is Thursday, I'm already in Friday. Hello from the future, and all that.
Insert post title here.
A lot of today has been spent writing 'Long summer of war'. I want it done by the end of the coming weekend; I'm not too far off. Then it's back to BHTS2 and doing a second draft.
When I wrote BHTS2, everything quickly went up in the air. I found out that I had agent troubles, and what had seemed like a sure sale on 'Bringing home the stars' had faded away as charlatons of the publishing world had meddled and messed. Fast forward on a few months and things are a different story. 'Bringing home the stars' has been printed and awaits the official release date to go on general sale. Deals are being done behind the scenes to ensure that it appears in high street bookstores and more besides. Once all that is sorted, then it is on to the promotion itinery. A part of me doesn't know quite what to expect, whilst another part is secretly quite excited.
It makes it all the more important to have BHTS2 done. A first draft is a major milestone, but it is only a part of the way towards getting a book bublished. I need a proper title for a start ('Twinkle little star' is the James Pattersonesc title I have in mind). Then there is the 'heavy edit' as I call it which is the first pass through the book, seperated by a little time from the creative process of writing it. Usually I have to work at translating some of the hastily typed paragraphs into understandable English. At times it is almost amusing as to what the hell was I trying to say? But a second draft is a good refinement, and it gets closer to publishing quality. I usually give Zoë the second draft to read, and she makes notes then I go to a third draft to refine yet further. Usually, this is the first draft that publishers and agents get to see. I think that's important, as rushing stuff out to these people kind of deadons the impact when you need the impact. I'd rather they saw a polished product than one that, like my old school reports, could be described with the phrase "Nice work, but must try harder" (do Teachers the country over have a book of stock phrases to use on reports?).
I'm also finding that I need to get out of the house more. I think when you spend so much time locked to a keyboard in an office typing away, it's easy to get cabin fever. This last week I've only made it as far outside in the main as the back garden to repair my new boat. But it's a start. I get to take it and put it on water tonight for the first time. Let's hope it floats. Given the recent hot weather, let's hope that there is water at the reservoir to float it in.
When I wrote BHTS2, everything quickly went up in the air. I found out that I had agent troubles, and what had seemed like a sure sale on 'Bringing home the stars' had faded away as charlatons of the publishing world had meddled and messed. Fast forward on a few months and things are a different story. 'Bringing home the stars' has been printed and awaits the official release date to go on general sale. Deals are being done behind the scenes to ensure that it appears in high street bookstores and more besides. Once all that is sorted, then it is on to the promotion itinery. A part of me doesn't know quite what to expect, whilst another part is secretly quite excited.
It makes it all the more important to have BHTS2 done. A first draft is a major milestone, but it is only a part of the way towards getting a book bublished. I need a proper title for a start ('Twinkle little star' is the James Pattersonesc title I have in mind). Then there is the 'heavy edit' as I call it which is the first pass through the book, seperated by a little time from the creative process of writing it. Usually I have to work at translating some of the hastily typed paragraphs into understandable English. At times it is almost amusing as to what the hell was I trying to say? But a second draft is a good refinement, and it gets closer to publishing quality. I usually give Zoë the second draft to read, and she makes notes then I go to a third draft to refine yet further. Usually, this is the first draft that publishers and agents get to see. I think that's important, as rushing stuff out to these people kind of deadons the impact when you need the impact. I'd rather they saw a polished product than one that, like my old school reports, could be described with the phrase "Nice work, but must try harder" (do Teachers the country over have a book of stock phrases to use on reports?).
I'm also finding that I need to get out of the house more. I think when you spend so much time locked to a keyboard in an office typing away, it's easy to get cabin fever. This last week I've only made it as far outside in the main as the back garden to repair my new boat. But it's a start. I get to take it and put it on water tonight for the first time. Let's hope it floats. Given the recent hot weather, let's hope that there is water at the reservoir to float it in.
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