Tag Archives: Writing

Silent Harbinger Out Now for Free

Posted on by
Reply

One of my short stories that was originally written for a competition has now been published. If you are looking for a quick suspenseful hit of dark fantasy check it out and download the story completely FREE here.

The brief blurb for the story is here:

In mere moments they will arrive. His neck is strapped to the altar. His hands and feet chained. The villagers can only watch on in fear as the devils draw closer. Even if he wanted to scream for help, he couldn’t. But his haunted fate has led him to this moment. He just doesn’t know it.

These savage creatures have reduced the village to a blackened, broken shell. But a catalyst is coming.The Silent Harbinger will reveal all to the people of Avelline. 

Happy Reading!! And spread the word.

 

Still Kicking

Posted on by
Reply

I have been absent from my blog for a little while now. Rest assured it is only a good thing for all of those awaiting the remainder of the Valerious Chronicles. Editing on Book 2 is still underway but nearing the end. I can see a light at the end of a long tunnel. I think it’s a train!

Whilst my editor running out of red pens, I have begun writing the final book. I am well on track to have The Tyrant’s Onslaught published mid-year and The Fleet of Sinsai in early 2015.

In the hours between my day job and my real job (writing), I have managed to find the time to read some fantastic books. If I get a chance I will write up a few more reviews.

Until then I will keep you updated. Remember that you can always check the status of the next books in the Valerious Chronicles on my website. I update it on a weekly basis.

Are you editing too much?

Posted on by
3

Writers love to write. Who would have thought? Then they finish their story and have to edit. Gasps, grabs chest in panic! There are some crazy people out there who enjoy editing; some who go so far as to love it! I am convinced they are delusional.

Most of us rely on others to fix our work for us, but before that can happen we need to do the initial editing ourselves. I’ve just finished the first edit of my second book and am finding myself changing sentences as I usually do, only to change them back on the second read. I have come to realise that there are really two types of editing;

(Type 1) The Necessary: This is the editing that removes grammatical mistakes. Wrong words, bad spelling, incorrect punctuation and other things that are just plain wrong by language standards.

(Type 2) The Superficial: This is the editing that moves a word around or changes a phrase slightly to change the narrative itself. Often this will improve your work, but it is ultimately a matter of taste.

Getting your manuscript ready for submission/publication is a process of doing the Necessary editing first and fully, and then knowing when to stop with the Superficial. Most people have heard of overcooking your manuscript. And I firmly believe there is such a thing. In fact, without care, one can easily set the house of fire by leaving the editing in the oven unchecked.

This also applies to the situation where you have multiple editors/beta readers. Everyone’s tastes differ and sometimes as the author you need to take creative control and stick with what makes you happiest. I have had 6 different people read a single chapter and all want to change the same sentence to 6 different things.

Excess Superficial editing takes up a lot of precious time. Time that could be spent marketing your book or writing your next book. So the key is to know when to say enough is enough and finalise your manuscript.

If I have learnt anything it is that no matter how many times you change things, you will always look back at your own work and want to fix it. Writing is a skill that continues to grow, so it is only natural that you will feel you can write that sentence better. At some point you need to bite the bullet and give your work to your audience.

Just like buying a new TV, in 6 months there will be a better version for the same price. Six months from now your writing will have improved and you could rewrite your story to improve it. You need to eventually draw the line and finalise your story.

Watch out for the Superficial editing trap. Have confidence in your work and just get it out there. Don’t leave the oven on, nobody likes an overcooked manuscript.

Eats, shoots and leaves…and edits.

Posted on by
Reply

One day I will look back at the time I was able to walk around with no glasses and sigh. Alas, my passion for writing and the subsequent editing required is slowly making my optometrist rub his hands together, whilst shiny $100 bills float in front of his eyes.

I have been editing book two of the Valerious Chronicles over the past fortnight and am making good progress. My original intention, after having published Dawn of the Valiant, was to have the second book out by August ’14. Now, I am looking to have it out by March. Much of this depends on the ability of my beta/proof readers to get their reading done, which is why I am now slaving away to finish my first edit of the manuscript.

In my off time I have been reading Lynne Truss’s ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves’; a book I have been meaning to read for some time. I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family, and in particular anyone that does a lot of writing. Now I saw writing in any sense; for pleasure, for work, in fiction, academia and even text messaging. It gives us a humorous view of the simple rules around punctuation. I myself never truly learnt proper grammar, and to be honest I am probably stuffing it up right now! But if I manage to improve even one aspect of my writing, then it was worth reading. If I don’t, then at least it made me laugh.

My main editor is probably getting heart palpitations from the chapters I am laying on her desk, but it’s all done for the readers. For the people kind enough to fork out their hard earned dollars for my books. For all of you out there, I am working hard to get book two ready. In the meantime go to your local bookshop and buy enough books to keep you going until March.

Writing is complete

Posted on by
Reply
English: This photo shows a bouquet of six lat...

English: This photo shows a bouquet of six latex and one foil balloon arranged into a “stacked layer” style bouquet. The foil balloon has the word “Congrats” written on it. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I finished the preliminary writing for book two in the Valerious Chronicles this morning.

Time for a drink!

Now we move on to editing. How I dread thee.

Stay tuned for more updates.

 

Review: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Posted on by
3
Cover of "The Blade Itself (First Law)"

Cover of The Blade Itself (First Law)

Say one thing about Joe Abercrombie, say he is a master of modern fantasy. I will be honest I have not had the chance to read a great deal of new fantasy. I am still working my way through piles of the classics. But having read ‘The Blade Itself’, I now realise I need to pay more attention to the new wave of fantasy authors.

Abercrombie’s writing is absolutely stand out. It is fluid and gripping, with a terrific use of both modern and old vernacular to truly paint a picture in your mind. Often I took a moment to re-read one of his metaphors or quirky descriptive phrases because they were that good! I found myself thinking, ‘God what a brilliant way to describe that.’, something I don’t do that often when I’m reading. The book is full of curse words you rarely see in fantasy writing and I sincerely believe that if used properly they really add to the story. They provide a gritty realism to the world often missed by traditional fantasy authors. So hat’s off to Joe for changing the way I think about my own writing.

The true strength in ‘The Blade Itself’ is the diversity and sincerity in its characters. Few books have twisted and uncouth characters as the main protagonists. Sure there are some great examples, but this has got to be up there as one of them now. Every POV character is flawed. But not flawed simply to have a flawed character, flawed in a real sense. Each character is utterly believable, which in a fantasy setting is not always possible.

They are selfish, frightened, mean, arrogant, and deplorable at times, loveable at others. From start to finish you are wondering whether you should be cheering for a character or hoping they plunge into an endless chasm. If Tolkien had his Fellowship of the Ring, Abercrombie has his Band of Merry Misfits.

And that is what the book seems to boil down to. I haven’t started the rest of the First Law trilogy, and do not want to give away big spoilers, but this book is a tale of gatherings. Whilst most first books in a trilogy culminate in a disaster or reveal a large looming catastrophe, this one only hints at a larger issue, but really focusses on getting the characters together. I found it unusual to flick over the last page and think to myself, ‘I don’t really know where this is going, and don’t know whose side I should be one.’ But damn, I can’t wait to read more.

There were no particular scenes that jumped out to me. If you ask me what was your favourite bit? I find it hard to pinpoint any particular event. Yet the whole thing kept me turning page after page. And there is no truer sign of a good book. If you like hard edged fantasy, go buy this book!

Rating 4.5/5

Stay on target!

Posted on by
3

Only 3 chapters to go until I finish the second book of the Valerious Chronicles. I am nearing the dreaded editing phase where I pull my hair out over changing a word or removing a sentence.

 

This time around I will be doing things a little differently and using my beta readers to greater effect. There is nothing like experience to get you on the right track and I know that after ‘Dawn of the Valiant’ I have learnt many a lesson that will make the whole publication process easier.

For all of those out there waiting for the next installment, hold on a little longer. The day isn’t too far away!

 

Giving up on a book

Posted on by
3
English: Stack of books in Gould's Book Arcade...

English: Stack of books in Gould’s Book Arcade, Newtown, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I don’t know why, but I feel a little dirty when I give up on a book. Recently I finally picked up my second hand copy of Dune and tried to read it. I got about a third of the way through and then couldn’t bring myself to keep going. This is supposed to be one of the masterpieces, one of the must reads of the genre. Yet I was bored. Don’t get me wrong, I can see its merit, and understand why it is a classic. but I decided that I only have one lifetime to get through my unimaginably high reading pile.

A few weeks later I still feel like I cheated on my high school exams. Why? It’s not like Frank Herbert is going to be at my next office party, leading to that whole awkward, “Oh yeah, still haven’t quite finished your book.” conversation. Well if he did show up it would be a sure sign of the Zombie apocalypse anyhow.

I know that this is a common theme with some of the classics out there. Writing changes over time and oft you can read a book from a few decades ago and feel like a drill is slowly twisting into your eyeballs. This is an inevitable thing (Not the drilling…the changing writing styles). I always use Shakespeare as an example. Most people have to study his works to really appreciate them. I myself never studied a lot of it and get lost in his works. However he will always be a master of the art.

At times I have powered through a book I did not want to read and regretted it at the end. So what is the best thing to do? Keep reading and hope that at some point the light bulb turns on and you see what it is that you have been missing this whole time. Or move on to the next book and pat yourself on the back for giving it a try.

What books have other people struggled to get through?

Writing, Editing, Writing, Editing – What works for you?

Posted on by
6
Painting The Writing Master by Thomas Eakins

Painting The Writing Master by Thomas Eakins (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Whilst the motivation is high I have been able to get a significant amount of writing done on book two of my series. The fantastic response I have had to the first book has inspired me to write like I have never written before.

 

RSI, back pain, eye strain and general madness aside, the last few months have been amongst the most productive ever. And it made me think about what has changed. Firstly my approach to writing shifted from sitting down in one or two big sessions a week and grinding out pages and pages. I have moved to short bursts, 2-4 hours at a time of writing, over a number of nights.

 

The results are significant. I am finding less writer’s block and much more thought out words hitting the page (screen). I have also adopted the ‘get something out and fix it later’ motto. In the past, I would waste time finding the exact word I was after or the perfect phrasing. I have found that by just using the first word that comes to mind, I am much more likely to find the right word with ease the next time I read over what I have written. This has dramatically increased my output.

 

I would be interested to hear what other writers are doing that works for them.

 

Have you seen that Movie? It totally sucked!

Posted on by
Reply
Jar Jar Binks, a Gungan

Jar Jar Binks, a Gungan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How many movies or TV episodes have let you down? It seems to be an ongoing trend at the moment. I am constantly hearing from friends, or reading online that people are disappointed with something they have watched. It has grown to such a state that I am beginning to wonder if it is a result of the ‘critical’ society that the internet has spawned in the last decade. It is cool to rag on a movie these days, Or to talk about how terrible a TV show is. I’ve even had conversations with people about a movie to have them complain about how bad it was, later to found out they haven’t even watched it. They simply jumped on the rolling band wagon started by an internet troll in a basement somewhere.

The crumbling state of society aside for a moment, I was having a long discussion about this with some individuals who agree that expectations are the killing factor. And expectations keep rising. Movies from the past, which have become cultural hits, are now being remade or receiving sequels, prequels and re-imaginings, at an alarming rate. (Original thought is a thing of the past you know!) As a result we are flocking to the theatres (People still do this yes?) or the internet, in order to see the next instalment.

The Hobbit is a great current example. The Lord of the Rings was accepted by most to be a fantastic adaptation and top quality set of films. However the Hobbit has seen a significant amount of criticism, especially by nerd fandom. When I spoke with individuals who complained about the Hobbit I asked them to explain their dislike. They did so and, but for some valid points, much of it seemed to me to brew down to, “but the LOTR’s was so much better in the way it did…” I then asked them, what if the LOTR’s movies were never made? What if you couldn’t compare this movie to them?

Star wars is another great example. We could argue for a long, long time about what they did wrong with the star wars prequels, but I often ask people to think about how they would feel about the three prequels if they had never seen the original saga? Jar Jar binks aside, would you give them a better rating? Would you be less critical of Hayden Christiansen’s acting? (Mark Hamill’s was just as bad really.)

Surely one of the best things about art is the fact that it is subjective and that people like to critique it. I just feel that it has become more socially ‘Cool’ to badmouth something than to say, I loved it! It is also easy to say that something sucked when you weren’t the one who made it. If you gave 99% of the people who complain about a movie the same training, budget and capacity to remake it, they would likely make something utterly unwatchable. And I feel for the people making these shows. At the end of the day one harsh word will have a greater influence on them than ten good ones.

I wonder what it would be like if, rather than foster a culture of disapproval, the internet bred a culture of talking about what we liked about these films. It would be a strange world indeed.