Category: Writing

Full or partly completed drafts of some of the stories I’ve written so far.

Getting Ready For NaNoWriMo

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Hello

Holy crap it’s only two days away. Well, for me I’ll start tomorrow as I’m busy on Thursday so it’s tomorrow. Great.

I’ve been making more notes so I can start my story without a lot of hesitation. Though the main thing I’ve gathered is you shouldn’t really hesitate at all. Just go for it. Write and write and write until the magic 50,000 word mark is hit and probably passed. It sounds a bit daunting but if I go at 2000 words a day that allows for five days out of the month for research and rest. I think I’m ready.

I did some last minute training for it as well by writing two pages, around 1200 words, for my latest pov chapter from the latest book I’m writing. Ok it not 2000 but I felt good after writing it and I’ve done 2000+ in one sitting before.

Now I think about it, at the end of November I would’ve finished writing one story and still not be finished writing the one I’m currently working on. One which I started 2nd March 2010. Hopefully after November I’ll finish that in no time and have in total three finished stories. All ready to be edited. And ripped apart. And probably changed beyond all recognition from how they started. Never mind. I’ll allow it as I love it so.

If you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo or are interested in it, go to http://www.nanowrimo.org my user name is johnrsermon (surprisingly). I’ve also come up with a first draft of the synopsis (below) for the novel I’ll be writing. Let me know what you think. Cheers.

” Title; The Searcher’s Want.

Synopsis(first draft)

For every bad thing that happens on the planet (killings, rape, illegal trafficking of any kind etc) there is always one common denominator. A demon was responsible. There are four different kinds of demon’s who perpetrate any crime on a large scale. A serial killer or a rapist will be identified but he or she didn’t kill anyone, it was a demon.
These demons are only known to those who seek to kill them. They are searchers. Who job is to search and kill them before they can do anymore harm. This has been the case for over 300 years.
The demons however, are starting to band together. They want to take over the world once and for all. But the searchers want to stop them for good. At any cost. “

The importance of making notes.

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Hello

I’ve finished the point of view chapter for the villain of my latest piece. Now all I have to do is write a chapter from our hero’s point of view. This should be easy as the whole story so far is from his point of view. However, I’ve managed to put in a lot of things which I need to convey and show my hero’s feelings about in the other three point of view chapters. This means it’s going to be harder to write this chapter than any of the others. I’ll have to make notes I think before I even begin. Great, now I’ve given myself even more work to do. Never mind though because once I start doing it I know I’ll enjoy it.

Other than the above, I’ve been working on my idea for the novel I’m going to write for NaNoWriMo(Nation Novel Writing Month).

I sat down last week to think of an idea. I had a few ideas rolling around but none of which were good enough to use. Well, not for this and not right now anyway. Then I remembered something I’d heard numerous times when reading the writing magazine I subscribe to. It was that you should always carry a note book or a way of taking notes wherever you go. This will enable you to record any ideas you have where ever you are.

So, I checked my Evernote app (which is a fantastic app to keep and store your ideas on) on my blackberry and came across a note I’d left some time last year. It was the start of a proposed short story about hunters or ‘Searchers’ as they were called in the note. I read it and immediately I’d settled on my idea. This was the one. Awesome! That didn’t take long I thought.

Since then I’ve been writing things down for the story, including something this very morning, and I can’t wait to start. I’ve got the main characters down with descriptions and some plot points and possible story arcs I can use. Let’s hope by the end of it all comes together.

For anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel, I suggest you join NaNoWriMo. It’ll get you going and hopefully lead to something great.

Right, I’m off to write down some more ideas. And later view a flat. (Fingers crossed)

Good pie

Acting on it. Feedback I mean

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Hello again

It’s been a while since I updated this thing as I’ve been in the process of looking for a new flat and subsequently moving back to my parents house whilst I look. As you may know moving home is not a thing to rush into. I’ll take my time me thinks.

Now, for the writing.

I received some feedback from the website I use http://www.protagonize.comfor my story The End Solution. Well, to be specific, E.V.Mick who reminded me of something I’d apparently forgotten. I always liked stories that only revealed what was needed and didn’t give too much away too quickly and try to cram it all in. I at one point desired to write such a story but have as yet not got round to it. Miss Mick spoke about putting too much information in my story and making it confusing in the process. As I read back over it I could see her point. My short story The End Solution was trying to tell everything at once. I have since gone over it and made some changes which are taking it closer to being a story I want to read and not one that looks like my brain puked up all over the page. I will post it again on the site and on this blog. Thanks again Mick.

I kept on with writing my point of view chapter for the villain of the book I’m writing perspective last week. It’s getting harder but better with every word I write. This does however have me worrying a lot about missing things out. I’ve not done much recently so once I’ve signed a tenancy agreement and got myself set up again, I’ll write more of these things and of my story.

Thanks for reading and your comments are welcome.

Bye

first(of many)

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Hello

This post comes directly from my smartphone. Which I’m a little bit scared of considering how awful blackberry’s are. I’m not even sure it’ll appear on my blog. Anyway, here goes.

I’ve continued to write my chapter from the villains point of view of my latest story. Its going well. I think. Making sure it all makes sense is driving me nuts in both good and bad ways. Good, because I’m being kept on my writing toes keep the story right and villains view point accurate. Bad, because I’m constantly second guessing EVERYTHING. which actually, is a good thing. Screw it, its all good. 

The thing is, I’ve been planning this part of this story for about a year so I just hope it turns ok. 

I received some good feedback from an author on protagonize.com about my short story ‘The End Solution’. It helped me a lot so I’ll implement some changes and show you a (hopefully) improved version soon.

Right that’s me done as its taken me ages to write this on my slow ass phone. Laters

 

   

Oh how I love a challenge. Apparently.

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Howdo,

Following on from my last post, I’ve completed the secondary heroine’s point of view chapter of the book I’m working on. It was hard but I have to admit I enjoyed every minute of it.

Having already written one chapter from another point of view covering the key event in the story so far, I had something to refer back to when starting the next chapter. The next chapter and view point being from the main heroine’s point of view. One of the things I thought would scupper me was the dialogue I had to use. The main heroine is within earshot of the secondary heroine so she can hear what the main has said. But not all of it. I had to balance what she hears and what she says along with making sure the chapter flows well enough. And on top of this I had to get across the characters feelings about the whole thing. I think I managed it but I’ll go back to it at a later date.

I’ve now started the next chapter which is from the point of view of the main villain of the piece. This has started easily enough as he reacts to a lot of what the other characters in the room are saying. This means I can just copy and paste a lot of dialogue I’ve already written. Though I have to try and make sure his feelings are getting across as well using the voice in his head (not a demented one but the one we all have).

All this is challenging stuff, which I have enjoyed immensely. I’ve also decided, in the heat of loving a writing challenge and deciding to quit drinking for the month of November and needing something to occupy me, to attempt NaNoWriMo(National Novel Writing Month). This involves writing the first complete draft of a novel in one month.

One chuffing month!! Can I do it I wonder? I’ve signed up to the website now so hopefully. But I have got a lot of ideas I’d like to change into full blown stories so here’s hoping.

Ok, that’s it from me. All comments welcome.

Bye

Spam, more than one and a book you should read.

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Hello again, here’s what I’ve been up to writing wise for the past few days.

Every time I’ve been updating this little blog of mine I’ve put a notification of the update on Facebook and Twitter. So far Twitter hasn’t been my friend, and I think it’s because I’m using it wrong but I’ll address that at a later time. Facebook on the other hand has been friendly to me. I update my own status and copy this to two writing groups. One of which suggested I tag the hell out of my post’s so I can get more exposure. I did so and found that it works. Well, sort of anyway.

I’ve received several pieces of Spam to my blog which tells me that tagging works, but it might take a while for this Spam to go away and be replaced by actual human interest. I also discovered ham which is the opposite of Spam. Good, useful comments instead of bad, unuseful one’s. Simple yet affective name for them I think.

Ok. That’s Spam (and Ham) out of the way. But what about more than one you ask? Hang on….

When I first started thinking about the story I’m currently writing, and running through it constantly in my head, I came up with the ending pretty much straight away. I wrote a chapter as part of the ‘Start Writing Fiction’ course I did with the Open University. This chapter has become a fully formed story within a few years. It was just about a man carrying a little girl on his back across a mud field.

The chapter concerned the beginning of the end of the story and was always going to be written from four different viewpoints. One scene happening with four chapters showing it as it unravels from four different angles. I’ve seen this done with great ease and grace by Bret Easton Ellis in his novel ‘The Rules of Attraction’. Since I read this back in 2003 or 2004 I’ve wanted to try my hand at it. Let me say this, its bloody difficult. But also bloody awesome.

My scene has the main villain squaring off against the hero and the two heroines. It’s in one room with them all interacting with each other. The villain set’s his demons upon them which they then have to fight off whilst trying to steal something from him. I’ve written one chapter, from the secondary heroine view point, and it went fine. Now I’m writing from the main heroine’s point of view and I have to keep going back and forth between chapters to make it all fit together.

I’m doing ok so far but making sure I cover everything is hard. I keep making new stuff up and after remembering what I’m doing, and where I am in some cases, I have to go back over and delete it. But it’s also very rewarding once I managed it. Reading it back is the best bit. Seeing it all fit together and play out in my head. It’s also years in making (in my head) and I’ve been waiting to write this like you wouldn’t believe. Once it’s done I’ll let you know how it went.

Right, that’s me done for now. If you’ve got any comments and/or feedback it would most welcome.

Laters

One of my favourite reasons

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Hello again

I’ve been keeping on with my story and have unearthed another thing which changes the landscape of it. This happens every so often and it reminds me whenever it does why I love to write.

The way I write has a certain amount of structure to it but I leave it open to change. By that I mean that I have an order that my story will go in roughly planned out either in my head or on paper. The current story I’m working on has a full layout on paper. Although I’ve only stuck to some of it. As I write I will always end up creating more things to add to the characters and landscape of the story along with any other part of it. It just depends when inspiration strikes I suppose. I could be writing for ages and nothing but then in one sitting come up with three idea. When doing this I will always keep to my core plot though. They’ll never change the way the story goes but they will add greatly to it and I like having to adapt to these things as I go along. Writing is creating for me so getting half way through a chapter and coming up with something I’d never thought of before about the character I’m writing about is awesome. The only drawback is I have to remember to go back through the story and add this little addition wherever it’s required.

So, for example, if I’ve found myself half way through a story and decided that for the particular part I’m writing my character needs a new skill, I’ll have to go back and potentially mention or allude to this skill earlier on in the story. This will help to set up what I’ve just written so it doesn’t just come out of the blue. It does get slightly annoying when I come up with a great idea near the end of a story (as I have currently) which now means I’ll have to go back and add back story for this particular change. It is a big idea and one that I’m proud of but one that will require potentially a whole chapters worth of words spread over the whole story. But I do love it so I’ll keep at it. Don’t you worry.

And last but certainly not least, I’m going to post a blog entry which will be the first half of the first chapter of my story that I’m currently editing called ‘The Town of the Mountain’. Your thoughts are most welcome.

Bye bye

 

Getting to the end. I can’t wait. Well, actually I could wait a little longer.

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Hello

Following on from getting myself out of the hole I was in with the last chapter of the story I’m working on, I’m now rolling along nicely. I’ve set myself a 1000 word target each time I sit down to write and its working wonders. I did this before but stopped due to a sudden bout of uncontrollable laziness and then started again because of the following article about how to write 4000 words in a day. http://www.jeremyrobinsononline.com/2012/04/05/the-secret-to-writing-4000-words-a-day/

Now, I tried to do 4000 words after reading this article and managed 2400 words(ish) but that was only because of my Xbox forcing me to continue my successful football career on pro-evo 2012 (I’m captain of Inter Milan don’t you know) and the weather being nice for once so the need for a walk took over. It’s a pretty simple method Jeremy Robinson uses and it’s given him a grand total 17 published books last year alone. He talks about working a 9-5 shift with breaks and a dinner to get the 4000 words a day done. Although I found it informative I think I’ll stick with 1000 words each time for now and work my way up. I’d read it if you ever wanted to write a great deal and struggled to find the right method. It’s good stuff.

So, after reading this article it’s allowed me to push on with my story and I’ve gotten to a part where I’m writing an action sequence. A sequence which leads onto the beginning of the end of the story (which I already have written out in my head and notebook) our hero and his true love are racing to stop the big bad…baddy and are stopped themselves by a soon to be former friend who wants them dead. I’ve started it and because the story is from the first person perspective of the hero I need some ideas of how to put the fight across as well as possible. I have a few myself but what do you think? How should I get it across? Your thoughts are always welcome.

Well that’s my writing exploits for the past few weeks. Till next time

New discoveries and stuff.

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Hello

Well like I said the last time this one will be longer. Maybe only by a bit but still…

I’ve finally managed to get out of the hole I’ve been in whilst writing the latest chapter of my latest story. It’s about a man who is the apprentice to the leader of his city. He will eventually take over from him as is the way of the leaders of the past and the law of the city itself. The leader has some secrets and has done some horrible things in his time. Can the apprentice uncover all the leaders’ wrong doings before he leaves him a city in ruins? And who is the leader’s mysterious daughter Meredith?

That’s a short version of the synopsis as I’m very happy to have come up with such a story and if you like I can tell you more. Anyway I’ve was stuck in ‘explain as much back story as possible’ mode to set up the dramatic and already written in my head ending for months. I kept thinking of new things I needed to explain or add in that my mind began wonder if I’d ever get out of the bloody chapter I was in. It had the potential to be a twenty page monster but I’ve gotten myself out with all relevant information given.

Well hopefully I have though I need to spread the back story out over the rest of the book but I’ll do that in editing. Ah editing, I thought I’d never get there with this story. I’ve made it so full of stuff that I almost forgot to explain the why’s and where’s and who’s of it all. I both like it and hate it the process.

Also, which is better do you think, short and sweet descriptions or long and sour ones? (Sweet? Sour? Whatever) I’m tending to use both but I might change it in the glorious land of editing. Your thoughts are welcome.

I came up with the wonderful (and long overdue) idea to follow other writer’s blogs so I can gain more ideas and help. I’ve found two so far that I recommend. The first is http://www.thecreativepenn.com/ from the author Joanna Penn. Its focuses on the whole process of the writing and editing of your book to getting it published and the marketing side of things. She is very passionate about giving as much information as possible to aspiring writers and gives a lot of hints and tips. She gives you a free download, author 2.0, which gives a lot of advice on how to use web 2.0 technologies to get your work published.

The second is http://goinswriter.com/ which is by author Jeff Goins which looks at his love of writing and how to stay creative. He answers questions like how do successful writers make a living? Why do writers write? And many more which all give detailed help for aspiring authors. He also gives you a free download called ‘The Writers Manifesto’ which is by far the best summing up of why writers write I’ve ever read. I’d have a look if you can.

Right that’s it for now, till next time.

 

short but sweet. Next time won’t be.

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Hello again

I’ve been away for the past week and haven’t done much writing so this entry will be short but the next one will be back to normal.

The writing I did manage to do was editing my short story for the competition mentioned in my last entry. I’ve added the finished product to protagonize at the following link Since when did you care? and would like your views on it please. I’m happy and still proud of what I’ve written and may take the idea further. I had another idea about a toy dreaming he was human, thinking it was real, but then realising it wasn’t but that is for another time. I came up with that on a beach in Barcelona. Thinking about it again I’m not sure I like it.

On a beach in Barcelona a? is what you just thought or thereabouts. Maybe. I spent 12th-19th June in Barcelona and it was awesome. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a quality getaway who would also like to discover new things. I’m not going to go into anymore detail as that’s not what this blog is about but give me a shout if you’d like more info and I will. Cos I’m good like that.

As always any comments on any of my work or any suggestions are most welcome.