Friday 16 December 2011

High Winds, Blogging and Fairy Dust...

Don't really mix... internet connection has been terribly dodgy all week and am taking opporunity of a bit of a lull to write a quick blogette. Didn't want you to think that I'd cut and run. I'm still working through PloWriMo and some of it is useful, so I'm going to stick with it. Also just got back into writing habit after NaNoWriMo, it kind of sucked me dry.

So my plans over the festive hols? Well, I'm going to write my 2012 goals and make sure they are laced with a touch of fairy dust but lashings of reality. And it's going to snow, so warm fire, a pile of reading books and a pen and my journal. Sorted.

Until Later...




Friday 2 December 2011

From NaNoWriMo to PlotWriMo

Well, yes as you can see, I made it! And a day early too. So I'm really chuffed but I've been lying down in a dark room since. Well, that's not quite true but I've had a bad head cold, my Man Friday is suffering from acute sciatic pain and we had to paint the lounge! The break from the daily writing has been good (if not a little enforced - having less than fours sleep a night is not conducive to the creative muse) but I am keen to get back into a routine.

So I've started to follow PloWriMo - this will help, hopefully, in the second drafting of The Dukes' Shadow, and whilst I really enjoyed writing the story I know there are yawning holes and gaps to be filled, so in preparation for the editing task in January 2012 I thought I'd see what this particular blog has to offer. I don't like watching the videos though, for one thing my connection can be a bit fickle but I'm just not a visual person in terms of learning the writing craft, reading about it and doing the exercises are much more my cup of tea...

Until Later


Friday 25 November 2011

Finishing Post In Sight

Yes, sorry I'm going to blog on about NaNoWriMo again but it's nearly all over. And it is rather all consuming. However I try to get my daily word count done in the morning so it leaves me free to do other things, which surprisingly I have found the time for. I think it's because I feel most inspired by the challenge of producing fifty thousand words (or more) in a month. I know there are some writers who say that NaNoWriMo is something must less than a novel, but 50k (doesn't it sound better in longhand?) is better than no words at all. So whilst I am fully aware that much of what I have written may never appear in the finished product (oh yes, this time there will be a finished product) then it gives me something to edit and improve on. So it's not time wasted, not for me nor all the other thousands and thousands of NaNo scribblers. So what will happen post 30th November? Well, it is the start of the silly season - someone said today that it was exactly a month until the 'X' word - so I think I'm going to spend December looking at all my other projects I've dabbled with during 2011 and decide on the next steps, write out my new writing plan for 2012 (and yes, it might look very like 2011) and outline a plan I have for the 100k in 100 days challenge which starts on 1st January! Until Later...

Friday 18 November 2011

Halfway there...


So this week I'm dedicating my blog to all those fellow NaNoWriMo writers who maybe struggling or running out of steam. It's over halfway over and things can only get easier as we approach the deadline,don't get hung up on getting it right, just WRITE!
And a poem, which I think I've probably referenced before but it seems to sum up the inspiration I need to get this draft out onto the blank screen.

The Don't Quit Poem
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, 

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 
When the funds are low and the debts are high, 
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 
When care is pressing you down a bit, 
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.


Life is queer with its twists and turns, 

As every one of us sometimes learns, 
And many a failure turns about, 
When he might have won had he stuck it out; 
Don't give up though the pace seems slow-- 
You may succeed with another blow.


Often the goal is nearer than, 

It seems to a faint and faltering man, 
Often the struggler has given up, 
When he might have captured the victor's cup, 
And he learned too late when the night slipped down, 
How close he was to the golden crown.


Success is failure turned inside out-- 

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, 
And you never can tell how close you are, 
It may be near when it seems so far, 
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit-- 
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Friday 11 November 2011

NaNoWriMo - Modus Operandi

So, it's day eleven of NaNoWriMo (National Write a Novel in a Month for the uninitiated) and I've almost caught up with the daily word count targets. I should have reached 18, 337 but as you can see from my progress meter on the left, I'm a little behind. My excuse is that I was away visiting family and attending a wedding for the first seven days and I'm quite proud that I started and have managed to catch up. It would have been so easy to just not bother.

I've tried lots of ways to structure my approach to NaNoWriMo challenge - this is my third, maybe fourth year - and this year I've returned to my first modus operandi. I wake at around 6.30 am, not naturally you understand but at the behest of my two large Italian sheepdogs who decide it's 'wakey wakey!' time. Depending on the day I will feed them, the cats and the chickens, (my Man Friday and I take it in turns - how is that for sharing the chores) make a cup of tea and return to bed.

Whilst MF is reading and with clear instructions not to laugh, snort or say a word, I open my journal, pick up pen and start to write until I've completed at least 5 pages, if not more. Depending on my style of writing that morning (it is influenced both by my mood and the pen I am using) I can write about 1500 words and it takes me about 30 minutes. This is made a tad easier this year, as I have taken time to outline the premise of the novel and my characters in detail prior to the challenge and have written around 30 one sentence scene prompts.

Later that day, I will process my journal entry onto my PC using the Scrivener programme which does not offer the distractions of Microsoft Word. During this time I can add anything up to 500 words and sometimes will go onto create further scenes that have resulted from the characters actions or is an extension of the plot I had planned. I do not edit or change what I have written down that morning, merely add to it. The morning activity provides an outline, a framework within which to build the scene.

Now this may seem OTT to those of you who go straight to your PC and tap away happily, but my method works for me. And that's kind of the point - I've read a lot of advice about how to 'do' NaNoWriMo and I think the only valid one is - do what works for you.

Until Later....




Wednesday 26 October 2011

New Website Published

I'm in the publishing zone right now and have now updated my new website. I hope to add to this and make it a place where I can update my progress on all my projects, as well as here of course!
Check out Louise Charles now.

I'm also going to be away from desk now until 7th November. I have plans for my NaNoWriMo 2011 challenge (details on my website) so won't be slacking but I may not get chance to pop in here very often until I return.
Happy Writing, whatever you may be doing...


Tuesday 25 October 2011

Foreign Flavours Publication Launched

The day has finally arrived, Foreign Flavours is now available for purchase and will make an excellent gift for friends and family. Packed full of stories, articles and recipes, the foreword is written by none other than the gifted author Alexander McCall Smith and all proceeds are being donated to The Book Bus Charity. What could be better than giving twice?


Friday 21 October 2011

Website Woes

I'm creating a new website so that I can market my new publication, Reflections, and hopefully share more about my writing projects. I've always gone for the freebie options, but my previous host was so slow it really didn't provide a professional front. So I've paid for some hosting and have decided to use WordPress to design it. The only trouble is creating something new is that you have to go through a whole new learning process again. No two web design programs are the same. They may have similar functions but in order to produce what you want, feels a little like wading through mud. I was hoping that I would be able to share my new creation with you in this post, but I've given up for today. My brain can't cope with all this activity and it's time to move on to something else. Tomorrow will dawn another web creation day.

So what else have I been up to? Well, I have my outline for NaNoWriMo posted on Writers Abroad - so that means I'm committed. I'm actually picking up on the project I prepared for the 2010 challenge, but I was unable to carry it through due to a family emergency. I discovered character synopsis, blurbs, plot ideas all in a wonderful red journal I had bought especially for my preparation. And so much research, where did I find the time? I used the Snowflake method to develop the outline which has really grounded my characters, though they may well choose to change direction half way through.

And finally, Foreign Flavours, Writers Abroad 2011 Anthology is finalised and ready for publication on Monday 24 October. Hoorah!

Friday 14 October 2011

In Print and On Demand

Well, Reflections is now ready to be courted to the world. Having received my proof copy I made two changes. One was to the colour of the title on the cover. Whilst it looked great on screen, it didn't really transfer well to hard copy. The second was to justify the contents... looks much tidier and I couldn't believe I hadn't done it. So for me, hard copy proofing is a must. I now have to get it uploaded onto Smashwords and create my new website - but am being held back by my domain transfer. But never mind, it's Friday and the weekend ahead full of space for my writing projects.
(Post note: And you can find a link to my publication on the new tab above - My Publications - LouC Publishing)

Which leads me nicely onto the second part of this blog. My November writing project... yes it has to be NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). This is my third maybe fourth, time. I had to abandon it last year due to a family emergency and I shall be in the UK again for the first week of November but I'm determined to see it through. I just have to choose which project I'm going to dedicate it to. I know I should be grateful in one way but I have about four options I could use, including the one I prepped for last year... so this weekend I shall be weighing up all the options, revisiting the characters and making my choice. I think I might make them star in a kind of Strictly Come Dancing challenge, to see which one sparkles and glides across the floor and then give them marks out of ten!
Until Later...

Friday 7 October 2011

Feel Good Foreign Flavours

I'm severely behind with my own projects but I have a good excuse...

As you know, my writing group - Writers Abroad - is in the throes of producing it's second Anthology. It's called Foreign Flavours and we have selected a mixture of short stories and non fiction pieces (64 in total) to appear alongside a foreword written by non other than acclaimed author Alexander McCall Smith. It's in the final stages of production, all pieces having been edited, proofed, pdf'd and sent to authors for approval. It totals approximately 70k words and includes 27 recipes from around the world. We have even included images relating to the recipes to make the finished product 'stand out on the shelf'.

Although at times the process has been tortuous to to say the least, I'm really pleased with the way it is shaping up. But it's not just been a solo effort, every member of Writers Abroad has been tasked with something or another, from reading, editing, proofing, producing images, covers, blurb, marketing strategy and being nobbled to do a radio interview! It's a team production; written, edited and produced by a group of expat writers who just happen to be extremely committed to a professional end result. And we're hoping to make a shed load of moulah for the charity, Book Bus, who provide reading opportunities to children in Africa. Members are even talking about next years production! Wipes brow dramatically... So all round a really good 'feel factor' to the whole project. Keep posted for details of publication around the week commencing 24th October, I'm hoping some of my readers will support our worthy cause.

And in the post today came my proof copy of Reflections! I've already decided to make a few changes to the front cover in terms of colour and then it's ready to hit the shelves...

Friday 30 September 2011

Yellow Brick Road of Publishing

I'm still waiting for my proof copy of Reflections, but patience is a key skill for a writer with any proposed publication, so onto the next step down the road of  SP (that's self publishing not South Park!).

I don't need to tell you that the way people read has changed the face of publishing. The practice of writing and recording in 'hard' copy has been going on since the Ancient times. One of the greatest discoveries, papyrus, gave the writers of the time new and faster ways to record and deliver information other than toiling over a slab of stone with a chisel. Now, centuries later, it seems we are going back to the 'tablet' form of writing but with a bit more savvy technology. As you know, I'm not a fan of the new revolution, Kindles, IPads, Sony Readers and I'm sure there are more - all leave me a little cold.
But as writer turned publisher, I can't dismiss the new and very popular media that many readers have turned too. That would be just too stupid and arrogant of me despite my feelings about the change. Change is omniscient, it appears in every aspect of life, including mine and if I want to ensure that my writing is read by a wide audience I have to consider the EReaders of this new world.

So my next task is to publish Reflections via Smashwords, an online distributor of Ebooks and one which provides quite a lot of good advice for the unenlightend luddites, like me. And one who has only just moved from paper and pen to PC monitor and keyboard! So I've downloaded (and printed of course) the Smashwords Style Guide and am off down the yellow brick road to find a quiet corner to read.

Until Later...

Friday 23 September 2011

The Proof is in the Manuscript...

Well, Reflections has finally been uploaded to Lulu and I should be receiving my copy for final proofing very shortly... I've decided to wait until I have seen it in the 'print' so to speak. Once I have and I'm happy then I'll share the link and upload an Ebook version to Smashwords.
I'm doing a lot of proofing and editing at the moment as my writing group, Writers Abroad is producing it's second anthology, Foreign Flavours. And through this process I am learning a lot about formatting manuscripts -  what not to do in the main. Here are just three habits that have driven me crazy! So if you are entering an anthology submission or even a short story please think of the poor editor in the back room with eyes that look like that snake from The Jungle Book... this is exactly how I look at this moment!

Firstly, don't ever use the tab key to indent first lines. As you know first line indentation is the form of presentation (except for the very first line in a story/chapter) for our craft. And if you use tabs this messes up the manuscript when it needs to be formatted into a PDF or equivalent for printing. Use the 'line spacing options' in word and set it as a form for the whole document. Then you won't have to worry about it and I wouldn't have to spend hours removing the tab spacing, manually.

Secondly it used to be the done thing to enter two spaces after a full stop. I'm not sure of the logic behind it but I'm sure it probably had something to do with the typesetting process, which is now all changed. Again this messes up the presentation but I know for some people, ahem, of a more wiser (and older) generation, do this as a matter of habit. So I forgive you...

Thirdly, please, please don't use fancy fonts, patterned 'paper', borders or colours in your submission.It not only plays havoc with the eyes, but it doesn't make the submission look any more 'professional'. Keep it Simple... as the old saying goes.

I think the key thing is to read the guidelines and follow them! I know this is like teaching Grandmother to suck eggs but it needs to be said! I religiously follow the guidelines for each submission I make and if not use the standard format that is recommended. It can be a bit tedious but it means that your story will be more likely read by a calm and open editor rather than by a frazzled one!

Friday 16 September 2011

Publish and Be Damned?

Yes, this does look a little how I feel. I'm so close you wouldn't believe it... but I'm still having problems with Microsoft Word and formatting for publication over at Lulu. Sometimes these programmes do things that you have no idea about... like four bullet points which weren't in the text or the header? Could I find out how to get rid of them - could I heck. Then I called in my Man Friday, who insists he solved the problem, but cannot tell me how. Hmm...

Having got rid of the ghostly bullet points I'm now trying to upload the finalised document and have made sure that the page layout is exactly how it should be for uploading to Lulu specifications for the size of book I want. So whats the problem? An additional Table of Contents (Index in any other land) has appeared as have additional blank pages and the first letter of each title has disappeared?

But in my defense, I'm tired and hot - it's still in the high thirties here in Italy and the heat is now wearing a bit thin as are my brain cells. So I'm going to set my self a deadline for publication by Wednesday 21st September. Why then, I hear you ask. Well, it's the first day of Autumn and I happen to like the number 21, no logic to my decision at all, but then with all this formatting stuff, that doesn't seem so strange...

Until Later


Friday 9 September 2011

As Easy as 1,2 3?

Continuing with my journey to publish my collection of short stories, Reflections I'm here to report of a very frustrating end to the week. Having finalised the cover last week, I very naively thought that the rest of the project would be easy. And it's not as if I haven't done this before.

The next stage I've been working on is formatting the short stories into one Word document that will be used to create a PDF. This will be the proof that will be used to create the final product so it needs to be perfect.
I've worked out the 'style' I want to create with Title Headings, Fonts, Line Spacing having thought long and hard how it will look in a printed book. Keeping it clear and simple has been my main aim, which I hope is reflected in the final production.

But my main bugbear has been what I thought would be an easy task. Page numbering. Yes, I know it is easy... usually. But I don't want the numbers to start until page 5 and the air has been blue this afternoon, when several times I thought I'd cracked it only to find out that pesky numbers 2,3 4 and 5 have crept in. What about number 1 you say? Well that's easy, missing out the first page, cos Word gives you the option 'different first page'. I think it has something to do with section breaks (don't ask) but I promise I'll get it fixed and let you know how I did it. Unless of course, one of you clever lot know the answer?
Until Later...


Friday 2 September 2011

Back To Business

I'm sorry it's been so long, but the weather really has been stifling and my brain a little puddle on the floor. So apologies over, lets get back to business.

Thought I'd share with you the quasi final image for my book, Reflections. I say quasi, cos if you all comment saying you hate it, I shall change it!
I've been using two pieces of (free) software. The first is FastStone Image Viewer. This piece of kit allows you to do lots of things which images. The particular thing I wanted to do was to change shape (the original was wider) and apply an effect, this time it was a kind of watercolour effect. My main aim was to make it look less like a photo.
The second programme was Scribus, which is like a kind of desktop publishing software which allows you to produce an image which you can you can customise and add text to and be of sufficient quality to reproduce, online or hard copy. I'm not the most creative sort when it comes to 'arty' kind of stuff, so it has taken me some time. But, I have learnt some new skills, which hopefully will come in handy in these days of self publishing.

So I've used a substitute for PhotoShop or Quark Express but I needed the two bits of free kit to get the effects I wanted. I have priced these more 'professional' programmes and unless I get picked up for a three book, multi moolah deal, with a chunky advance, I don't think my coffers could stand the strain...

I'm planning to finish the editing of the collection today, so report back next week on publication dates... nothing like a deadline to get one moving!

Until Later...

Friday 12 August 2011

WEATHER (AND OTHER THINGS) STOP PLAY


Apologies for not keeping up with the blog. There are a number of reasons, but I'm sure you're not interested in excuses..

The blog isn't the only thing that has suffered from this temporary interruption. After six months I failed to meet my goal of subbing four short stories a month. :(  But in my defence, I have been working on my own publication of short stories, Reflections and although I haven't got much further with the cover, I have almost edited sixteen short stories. So that's almost four months worth, well, that's how I square things anyway. My goal is to have it ready for publication at the beginning of September, so next week I need to get the cover someway decent and that's priority numero uno. Snapping at the heels are  my Penny and George series and the first editing of  'The Morning Gift' which is very raw to say the least. But having checked the writing goals I set myself at Writers Abroad at the beginning of January, I'm quite chuffed to find that I have actually made quite a lot of progress!

So how is the writing month of the silly summer season, going for you? Of course, depending on where you are - it may not be summer, my mate in Dhaka has monsoons! But where ever you are, I hope that you are writing...
Until Later,

Friday 29 July 2011

It's All About Style

Having decided on the image for my cover (and spent the week looking at more images for the Writers Abroad Anthology) I've been doing some editing and deciding on the form of presentation for 'Reflections'.
Now, I'm sure you will agree, my granddaughter here has plenty of style... well, at this age who doesn't? Style is just as important for a book, self published or otherwise. There are a number of decisions to be made and as I'm the writer and publisher, I have to make them! I have concentrated on four specific issues.

  • Font - Style and size. We all have our favourite fonts and some work better on the printed page than others. One of my reading 'bugs' is a book with a font that is too small. Often it means I won't persevere. I just hate seeing all that text crammed onto a page. So Garamond 12, maybe 14 is the choice made.
  • Headings - as this is a book of short stories, the all have a title and I've spent some time looking at the different heading styles in words. I've veering towards something that is a bit more flouncy than the text but readable. As it's a black and white production, colour is a no-no so the font might be something more fancy like Bradley Hand
  • Spacing - Double spacing is fine for editing but a little too much white space for a publication. Equally single spacing seems a little cramped at times. So 1.15 seems a good middle ground which won't waste paper but will make the reading experience a little more pleasurable
  • Page Numbers - I like them, so they are going in. And there will be a contents page with the titles of the stories which will be linked to the page numbers, so not an option really.


Other than that the old adage KISS comes to mind... more on the cover next week.

Until Later...

Friday 22 July 2011

Reflections

Self Publishing a book is made much easier these days, especially with the help of sites such as Lulu and Completely Novel. They both offer affordable Print on Demand solutions which allows you to create your book as you see fit. Having chosen the stories I want to include (making sure that I don't breach any copyright with published pieces), chosen the title - 'Refelections' -  I now have to think about the design and format.
I'm very strongly influenced by the 'look' of a book, even with authors who are familiar to me.

On the front of the Time Travellers Wife for instance, we are 'shown' the main plot visually by the shot of the bottom half of a young girl standing by a pile of clothes. Not that you know this is the plot at the beginning, unless you've read the blurb on the back. That's my second influence - if it tells me that the story has a beginning, middle and end and a couple of interesting characters who are going to share their story then I'm almost reaching for my purse. I don't take note of any critiques or adulation's from newspapers or other authors. The joy of a good read is a very personal, subjective one and I'm not influenced by what someone else thinks (or has been paid to think).

I've been scouring some of my own images as a source of inspiration and I have come across a couple of photo's which may just fit the bill but it doesn't end there. A good book cover will draw the reader in through the colour scheme, its title, the author's name, all which have to be set in a design which is pleasing to the eye. It's this kind of detail I like about the self publishing process at the same time as feeling a little nervous. I don't have a 'team' I can discuss ideas with or be told that something doesn't work. So I may well just use this blog as my 'testing plate' and hope that if I really do make a dogs dinner of things, someone will shout out before I press 'publish'.

Until Later...

Friday 15 July 2011

WILTED WRITER

This portrays a little how I feel this week, not only writing wise but any other activity which means moving, however slightly. We have been exposed to a heatwave here in Central Italy . Temperatures out in the full sun have regularly exceeded 50 degrees and I kid you not. We moved our temperature sensor out into the full sun (the rear of our house where we 'live' faces south, so sun from 11 til dusk) and this is what is has recorded.  
Family and friends who live in the UK can't understand why I complain about the heat when it's cold, grey and wet over there but there are balances in everything, including the weather. The only place I feel comfortable is by the shore edge, where I can dip in and out and actually it's much cooler. Luckily the beach is only a fourty minute drive so we've spent two afternoons there this week. And, thank heavens, because it's still July, there aren't a million bodies out there squirming like fat little worms so the sun can reach creases that really shouldn't be be put on show. So this is probably the first bit of real writing I've done this week. 


But it's not that I've been slacking. I've used the cool office (when I can find space between two large dogs) to start designing the cover for my short story publication, with the working title of 'Reflections'. I've been playing around  with images for the Writers Abroad Foreign Flavours Anthology. I've been reading, analysing how certain writers construct their chapters, scenes and points of view. And I've been people watching on the beach, behind a pair of dark shades, making up stories about couples and families and those funny men who stand like statues at the waters edge, watching all the bottoms wiggle by covered in a variety of ways - or not!


And this afternoon I was rewarded with some feedback on two short stories I'd submitted for a competition. I wasn't placed - Iain Pattison was a runner up, so what hope did I have - but the feedback was very positive and to quote...


Overall, your work is excellent. You need merely to address some trivial points of restructuring and enhancement, as I have suggested.  (Even excellent work can be perfected!)


So not a bad end to the week and the temperature is dropping and there's a cool(ish) breeze. Lots of catching up to do... Until Later,




Friday 8 July 2011

World Building Fun


One of my challenges this year is to write something out of my traditional 'comfort zone'. Not that I can ever claim to be comfortable with my writing, it bleeds me dry most days. Anyway, encouraged by a fellow Writers Abroad member Nicola (published as Nina Croft and a star at the paranormal romance genre) I decided to try out writing in the fantasy genre.

This genre is quite like any other because you can make a lot of it up. I have 'written' three novels, all historical and in varying states of completion. The research for this kind of thing take some time and whilst you can play around the edges, you really do need to create the world that was. This week I've been creating a whole new world all of my own! I've found it immensely satisfying, I suppose largely because it has allowed the child in me to surface once again. Always one for making up tales, mostly ones that got me into trouble one way or another, I've forgotten how good it was to really let your imagination loose, without constraints or experiences. Whilst I suppose much of the world I have built must relate back to something that I know - that old nugget that nothing is original comes to mind - a lot of it is made up. I'll give you some examples:

My world is Tasosia and it's a world of dryads, fauns, trolls (oh yes) and talking animals. My main character has been called Xanthe, but I'm thinking of calling her Ayla, which means moonlight. This change of heart came about because my world has three moons about which I plan to write a short novella, this first one is called Wolf Moon. Tasosia has to have its villains and these link to the three moon phases, each dominated by an evil warrior Empress (I can't think of the female version of a war lord - war lady sounds silly...). Ayla is the last of her species with special powers but she has been trapped on Earth since she was little and knows nothing of her life on Tasosia until regression therapy takes her there...

Does it sound daft? Probably. Do I care? Not at all, I'm having such great fun. Will it be a good read? I hope so and if not I've learnt, yet again, a whole deal more about the craft of writing.
So my plans for the weekend? I'm off to visit Tasosia to have a chat with Ayla and find out what is going to happen to her... Until Later,

Friday 1 July 2011

JUNE JACK IN THE BOX

I used to love a Jack in the Box, though my granddaughter was scared stiff of them. I suppose they can look a bit weird and the surprise isn't always a welcome one. I'm sure there has been a horror movie or two made about them. What a shame that film makers have to take something so innocent and make it so frightening. As you can tell, I'm not a fan of the horror genre, a little bit of Gothic is fine... Anyway I digress.
I've subbed four short stories this month (hence my June award with Write1Sub1):

  • Writers Village Competition (which cost £10  for two but you do get a critique in return so I'm interested in how this will be managed)
  • Creative Writing Ink 
  • A Very Short Story
In terms of my 80 thousand words in 80 days challenge, I'm running a little behind. I came to a dwindling end with The Morning Gift at 56k - but there are loads of gaps which I know will appear in the editing, so I'm not so worried about that. It has now gone for a little bit of rest and marination before I bring it out to rewrite. Now on with my synopsis for the fantasy novella... so this weekend I'll be doing a bit of world building - how exciting!

Friday 24 June 2011

It's All in the Title

It's quite critical isn't it, having a good title that lures the reader in. I'm not sure that I'll be reading this one although it did make me giggle. Having decided last week that I would publish a selection of short stories and flash fiction through Lulu, I've spent some part of the week mapping out the book. I've selected stories of all kinds of genre, from crime to historical to humour and  some more contemporary stories. My dilemma for this weekend is to think up a suitable title.

There are two things that attract me to a book, one is the cover and the other an engaging or intriguing title. I used to read the last page of a book before I made my mind up, my reasoning being that if the ending was good then I'd be more likely to want to read the book! This horrified my Man Friday and I've since been able to kick the habit. If I like the cover and title I will then go to the 'blurb' on the back cover but I never take any notice of reviews - it's such a personal thing. I found this out when I had a go at writing a couple of book reviews  and was honest in that Northern fashion that has so often got me into trouble. It was okay if I liked a book, but the comments that came spitting back at me if I didn't made me realise that opinions are fine but best kept to myself.

So, back to my title. I found a couple of fun sites which generated titles but none of them were relevant. I even found one that generated names for bands which was... different - The Aromatic Bumheads? Do you think you'd buy some music written by this band? As you can see, I've gone way of course and apart from 'Louise Charles' Anthology of Short Stories' which is hardly inspiring, I've come to a brick wall. Perhaps it's the heat, or lack of grey brain cells, but I'll mull things over with a glass of wine in hand, it usually helps.
Got any ideas?
Until Later....

Friday 17 June 2011

PUBLISH AND BE DAMNED?

As some of you may know, I've been meeting the challenge (yes another one, aren't I brave?) set by Write1Sub1. Since January I've written - or edited- and subbed four stories. These can be anything from 250 - 5000 words. Some of them have now been around the block and then some. A few of them have made longlists and even shortlists and a tiny weeney number have been placed. I'm getting a bit bored with the re-cycling now, especially those which I'm submitting maybe for the fifth or sixth time, so I've been considering - voice drops to a whisper - Self Publishing.


Now, self publishing is not new to me but neither do I have a wealth of experience. Through my connections with Writers Abroad, I was responsible for pulling together and publishing, via Lulu, our first anthology. We made a small sum which we donated to charity and we're doing the same thing this year, but with a more robust marketing strategy.
Why did I chose Lulu? Well, I did look around and it seemed to be the most straight forward, had the option of a reasonably priced ISBN and we also had a member who had used it and could be my mentor - thanks Marit! And to my surprise I really enjoyed the process. It was not without its stresses and strains mind you, the deadline for publication fell slapbang in the middle of a family crisis when I had to return to the UK but hey, Self Publishing will travel.
So I was thinking of picking some of the more 'well thumbed' stories and compiling a book in the same way. I'm not after a shed load of money if you've started thinking along those lines, I'm a writer remember! But all of these stories (I think) have been critiqued, polished and carefully edited under the auspices of my WA crew and I'm pretty confident that they are not 'bad' stories. Just not winning competitions. And the markets for placing short stories are getting less and less, so why not just publish my own book, even if it may only be family (and the odd friend) who might purchase it out of purely charitable purposes (remember, the poor writer bit?).

My weekend dilemma then will be to publish or the stories damned to a bottom drawer.
Until later...

Friday 10 June 2011

HALF WAY TARGET

Well, it's day forty one of the MYWYN (or 80 thousand words in 80 days). As you can see from my progress meter, I'm slightly ahead of myself. Not a usual position for me to be in, I'm usually chasing my tail to keep up, but this week I've found it difficult to keep my characters quiet. And who am I to complain?  It feels good to have reached the top of the mountain but from now on it could be all downhill. Let's hope not.
The story is set in Medieval times, and is about a Viking warrior and a girl (well, what did you expect?). Of course there's a lot in between but I'm not about to spill it all here, after all I want you all to read it when it's published - yeah right, I can dream big.

This week I had to write a fight scene and like many of you I would imagine, I've never been in battle so I wasn't sure how to go about it. And I'm a girl. We don't do any of the pretend fighting stuff with wooden swords and plastic guns. We practice singing in the mirror with a hairbrush mike and play at 'shops'... don't we? Anyway I digress.
One thing I am sure about is that it will need lots of work when I come to edit the finished draft. But what struck me is how I'd be lost without the internet and without Google.
As I live in Italy I don't have access to the libraries like I used to in the UK. Even if I didn't live in the sticks and had access to one here, my Italian isn't good enough (no way near) to utilise any reference section they might have. So I have to rely on what is available in the deep, dark chasm of the World Wide Web . It's amazing. I just typed in 'how to write a fight scene' and came across thousands of links to blogs, articles, pictures and books depicting fights and fight strategies.
The power of access to information has also been evident in my quest to write in the Fantasy genre, another challenge I've set myself.  I have spent many a delirious hour - and more - looking at world-building, naming characters, developing a language and weaving in animal heroes and villains. It's just never ending.

Trouble is I could spend many more hours happily being distracted, but that won't get the story written, so I'm going to have to put a curfew on my surfing activities.

Until Later...

Friday 3 June 2011

SHORT OR LONG STORIES

Or maybe somewhere in the middle?
Like many writers, especially amateur ones like me, I've been honing my authoring skills by writing short stories. I chose to do this for many reasons:

  • On the face it of it short stories seemed to be an 'easier' option. In reality this is so not true!
  • I wanted to develop my characterisation and dialogue skills and I think short stories allow you to do this
  • There are many different markets to target including competitions, anthologies not to mention the on-line opportunities. However, recently I get the feeling that this market, particularly for womag writing, is reducing
  • I had the vague notion that if I could write a short story, I could apply those skills to writing a chapter of a larger piece of work. To date, the jury is still out on that one
I find writing short stories quite hard. By short story I mean up to 3000 words, which seems to be the average figure given though there are some guidelines which specify longer. For me a short story should be one that can be enjoyed in one sitting, whilst waiting for an appointment or a fairly short train/bus journey. 
I find it hard because I either overwrite, which means that by the time the word count is reached I've only just got into the tale, or I underwrite. The second is much easier to manage because it can usually be formed into a  piece of flash, with more opportunities to place.

Having said that I've actually had quite a good week in terms of short story success, not only did I discover one of my short stores had been shortlisted but I had an email from the Creative Cafe Project to say they would be publishing my submission 'no edits required' and a rather nice 'no' from an editor but inviting me to submit other pieces of work for her to see.

So I'm in a bit of a dilemma in terms of my planning, which I so wish I could just be cool about. Should I continue to struggle with developing complete short stories or spend more effort in letting the stories develop into longer pieces and be happy with the bits of flash in between? 
Decisions, Decisions....




Wednesday 1 June 2011

MAY MARIONETTE

As we approach mid year, I'm rather chuffed to say I'm still meeting the challenge of Write1Sub1 which I signed up to at the beginning of the year. I have this peculiar habit of signing up to challenges, some of which I know that I shall never rise to in a million years. But this one, for now, is proving to be successful.
So this month I've submitted four short stories to the following markets

  • Yeovil Literary Prize (not a hope in hell but one has to try)
  • Writing Magazine (750 word competition
  • Pill Hill Press Anthology
  • My Weekly News
And I'm still meeting the challenge of 80 thousand words in eighty days , though I'm still on catch up and I've finished the second edit of The Promise.  My last challenge for this month was to submit three stories from the Penny and George series to WA - I've managed one but had some great feedback and shall pick this up again in June...lets hope the flames are flying across the page!

Until Later...

Monday 30 May 2011

BLACK HOLES

Monday Meditations
I've finished the second edit of The Promise! Yippee! Well, it would be but it's left more questions than answers and there are large gaps, scrawls and scribbles throughout the eighty thousand words and 270 pages length worth.
At first I felt relieved, but I've suddenly realised how much work I have got to do! When am I going to learn that writing is never about what you first put down on paper, but about making sense out of what you've got left once you've visited it several times with a red pen!
My most burning question right now is how to handle a large gap in time. The story is divided between events that happened in 1945 and twenty one years later... when a promise is finally delivered. I have made reference to the intervening years through dialogue with the two characters but it doesn't feel right at the moment.
It is so obvious to me now that this needs careful handling but how? There is a huge gap in time rather like a  huge black hole! Do I fill in all the blanks? Do I start from the beginning chronologically or start from the end and work backwards? Do I try and emulate Kate Mosse who handles this so well with chapters from each timeline interwoven. I need to sit and mulch this over a little more and hope that it all becomes clear and if not, that a kindly fellow writer and reader of this blog, might help point me in the direction of the exit to the black hole!?
Until Later...

Friday 27 May 2011

MUSIC WHILE YOU WRITE?



Do you listen to music while you write? I sometimes have the radio on but it gets lost in the background and I never really 'hear' it. This week, however, I decided to try something different. I've been trying to catch up on my   80 thousand words in 80 days commitment and as you can see from my progress metre, I'm not doing too bad. Last week I was stuck on 12k and I've almost doubled that. 


I decided I'd play some background music to help focus my mind. I'm writing a story set in medieval times, Vikings and all that brings, so Lady Gaga didn't seem very appropriate. Neither really did Eliza Doolittle, or Jamie Cullum - all my favourites. I love opera too, but I find it distracting while I'm working because I either find myself trying to translate it if it's in Italian (and badly at that) or I find myself with my hand clasped to my chest 'singing' (Simon wouldn't label it so) at the top of my voice.
So I chose to listen to some Baroque music. Just what is Baroque music I hear you say - or more likely you're much more cultured than I am and don't need me to tell you. Well, according to Wikipedia, Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1750. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era. The word "baroque" came from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning "misshapen pearl" - something I found quite poetical. I chose this form purely because I didn't think I'd find any Viking music, but I'm sure someone will put me right on that...


So I've been listening to Bach, Handel and Mozart and I must say it had a pleasing effect, I kind of felt relaxed yet in my writing groove and the fingers have been flying all over the keyboard. Whether the words make any sense when it comes to reading them is yet to be discovered!


Until Later...

Friday 20 May 2011

WRITING ENERGY

 I've had a house guest, my father, and the distraction is not an unpleasant one. For various reasons his stay with us is quite... different. Anyway, I think he's enjoyed it and relaxed and will find the strength to come again soon. My writing has not taken a back seat, far from it, but I've used the time I had to do different things. Mainly editing, which has been time well spent. After all, a book doesn't get written the first time round, not the second and possibly not the first.

That's right, I've been doing BIG editing this week. I wrote a draft novel (80,000 words) for NaNoWriMo 2009 entitled The Promise. It is set in Italy, WW2 and the story is about a POW who falls in love with an Italian girl. Last year a fellow WA member kindly critiqued the first three chapters for me and since then it's been gathering dust. This week two things spurred me on.
The first was signing up to an online self-editing course. This has provided me with a method to get started and hopefully continue.  I've spent a few hours each days looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes, with checklist and critique to hand, and I feel excited about the story again. .
The second opportunity was a visit to the local POW camp in Servigliano, where the first part of my story takes place. I'm not sure why I haven't been before, but it seemed the right thing to do. There isn't much left to see but our guide, Giuseppe, was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable he managed to create an environment in which I could see my characters. I know it's not always possible to visit the settings we writers use to place our story but this was definitely a good exercise for this story.

I now feel more energised to re-write this story with my knowledge gained over the last eighteen months and the expert advice from my WA pal, and my characters have been chattering on all week. I sure hope they stay around!
Until Later