Category: Writing

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

My first writing prompt and my response.

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Hello,

I attempted a writing prompt yesterday, my first don’t you know, which was as follows:

‘One lazy Sunday afternoon, with the sun trying to push its way through your carefully closed curtains, your favourite mythical creature crashes through the window and pleads with you to help them with a quest. Because, naturally, you are the only one who can help. So,

Which mythical creature is it?

Why that particular creature?

And, what is the quest?’

Today in work I decided that I would attempt to write off the back of my own prompt. Just to see if it’s any good and, not being biased of course, but I believe it to be the best prompt EVER.

I would appreciate any feedback regarding this prompt. Is it good? Bad? Indifferent? I’ve enjoyed creating it so I may make it a regular thing. Anyway, here is what I came up with from my prompt.

‘Which mythical creature is it?

Dragon. More specifically, a sleep-walking male dragon named Stephanie. His owner does not believe in gender specific names and believes that any name can be given to anyone, especially a twenty-foot dragon.

Why that particular creature?

I’ve enjoyed seeing dragons in films and TV shows and reading about them as well. When creating this particular dragon I remembered how most of the dragons I had seen or read were either angry villains or bloody ‘magic’ dragons. I wanted a change and I think I’ve accomplished that.

And, what is the quest?’

Stephanie has climbed through the window of our hero’s, John’s, front room and pleads with him to help him carry a wooden chest filled with sacred scrolls to the dragon homeland. The scrolls contain spells which hide the dragon world from the human one. The spells were originally cast two thousand years ago, are beginning to fade and must be recited again in order to keep the dragons safely hidden. Without the spells, how would the human world react? The risk is too great and they need to be kept hidden.

The dragon chose John because the portal to the dragon homeland is located in Woodley, a small village where John grew up. John knows Woodley better than most and the dragon knows this as well. The dragon has watched John grow up and followed him as he left Woodley when he became fully grown. Stephanie finds that John is much like him, laid back and intelligent and a quick thinker with bags of unfulfilled potential, and sees him as a kindred spirit. John is scared for his life and agrees to go along with the quest through fear but quickly realises that the dragon could have killed him at any time and seems very nice. But, how can John sneak a twenty-foot dragon from Salford, Manchester to 10 miles away in Woodley? The dragon squeezed through a small window, what else can he squeeze through? How small can he make himself? John contemplates this and more as he sets off inexplicably with a dragon named Stephanie on a quest to save the dragon homeland.

 

My first attempt at a…Writing Prompt!

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Writing Prompt

Hello,

I’m currently doing a ‘Blogging 101’ course, which I’m thoroughly enjoying. Each day since 8th February I’ve been given a task to do that is designed to help to improve my blog (hopefully) and expand my audience (such as, following a certain amount of blogs I’m interested in, engaging more with the blogs I follow) and personal knowledge of what I can do with my blog behind the scenes (adding widgets and changing themes). Though this all probably sounds simple enough to do I have been neglecting my blog recently so it has helped me out immensely.

The latest assignment is too create a writing prompt. Now, I’ve answered many a prompt before but never actually created one. If it sounds too easy then I’ll make up a harder one next time. It is my first go after all. Alright, here it goes…

One lazy Sunday afternoon, with the sun trying to push its way through your carefully closed curtains, your favourite mythical creature crashes through the window and pleads with you to help them with a quest. Because, naturally, you are the only one who can help. So,

Which mythical creature is it?

Why that particular creature?

And, what is the quest?

Thank you in advance for those of you who take part. Go nuts with it and see what happens.

Hope to read your responses soon.

The Magic of the Blank Page.

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Hello,

 

After being quite worried that I wouldn’t be able to find an idea for my first short story of 2016, I decided to just stare at a blank page. Will I get inspiration? Will I go blind? Will I learn to hate the non-colour of ‘white’?

None of the above. It just so happens that the blank page helped me to come up with my idea. I have tried to go into the exact science of it all but I’m not smart enough and I don’t like it when my brain hurts so I’m settling on this.

The blank page is made of magic.

I can only assume the blank page has always had magical powers. Probably stemming from when it was first created whoever knows when. It somehow has the muscle to either make you start writing a story or mess with your head to the point where a simple white page could drive you insane.

I glared at the mass of white in front of me and the story sprung to mind. Just like that. No problem. My story revolves around the hero Daniel who decides to leave for work ten minutes earlier than usual. Sounds boring doesn’t it? Well, I used that question as a challenge and it has propelled my story. ‘How can ten minutes make such a difference?’ Has already pushed Daniel to sleep with the neighbor, feel sorry for her ‘boyfriend’ (or, at least, that’s what he thinks he is), call in sick for work and to help an old man with his shopping. And all within the first two hours of his waking day. I’m going to build the stories up throughout his day but my sci-fi & fantasy writing nature is screaming for me to make this become a world-saving thing. Or not. Or do I just keep it to Daniel’s world and not involve anyone else?

safety_decisions

Or do I go a completely new direction? One I’ve never written before?

All in all, it’s a pretty cool set of solutions to consider to a few problems I’m having with my story. This time, last week I was afraid I would not be able to write anything brand new.  Now, I’m close to finishing it. Well, a bit closer. I’m not sure what my word count should be.

Before I get back to my story, I would like to thank the many members of the wonderful and very useful writers group ‘Kboards Fantasy Author’s Group’ through Facebook. Those who replied to my question have provided some valuable feedback and ideas. Thank You.

Bye!

The joys of my own writing. For now, anyway.

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Hello,

For the past month or so I’ve been working on two things:

    NANoWriMo 2015

    Course work.

 

Both have now been completed. Well, the course has been completed for now. One assignment down and one exam to go (In April). I have enjoyed working on the assignment and I’ve learned a lot along the way but working in front of a computer all day and then coming home to…working in front of a computer is tiring and makes me hate my laptop.

This also made me absent from my blog. A thing that has eaten away at me during all the coursework that left me with a bad back and not wanting to be in front of my laptop. Oh, my laptop, I never thought I would hate the sight of you but the last few days I have. Sorry laptop (you’d think I’d have a name for him by now)

Anyway, all the time away has let me think about what I want to do with my 2016 writing wise. The first thing I thought about was finishing my NaNoWriMo story. But then I remembered that even after 50,000 words, I only around 1/3 through that story. And I need to make a lot of notes to make the story work and bring all the elements together. I worked mostly from memory with some notes but seeing how big the story will be, I might give a timeline or storyboard a try. What do you think?

What method works well when planning a large, and possibly epic, style story?

This story has been growing for years so I want it to work. But then I read the following quote:

Ray-Bradbury-quote

And I got to thinking. I want to enter more competitions in 2016 and to increase my following across my Blog, Twitter and Facebook feeds. These are my two initial goals for 2016. I’m aiming to push myself towards this by writing a short story each week. For as many weeks as I am able. Or can be bothered too if I’m honest. I do have ideas enough to write short stories with so I’m hoping that the first few will spark all the others. I’ll probably end up writing stories about people I see out and about. I’ll have to make sure to not look too creepy if I end up people watching for story ideas.

It’s good to get back into the blog writing groove. I look forward to 2016 and more of the same.

Thank you for your time.

Bye!

And…I didn’t enter the competition after all.

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Hello

So, it’s been a month or so since my last post. It could and probably should not have taken me this long to post again but here we are. After I posted on 06.06.15, I was getting geared up for a holiday to New York! For any of you who have been there I’m sure you can understand why I would be preoccupied. I went away with my two good friends Paul and Leigh for 10 nights and it was amazing. I’ll blog and brag about it another day. But for now…

The competition I was going to enter, http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/the-bfs-short-story-competition-2015/, was to close for entries on 30.06.15. Now, I was well on my way to finishing the edit for my story when the edit decided to get bigger. And then I told my girlfriend about the story and she brought up two points which I thought I had covered but as it turned out I hadn’t covered them well enough.

With all this in mind I decided not to enter the competition after all.

I did not come to this decision lightly. I knew that if I entered a story I wasn’t happy with it would have annoyed me for a daft amount of time. I will instead complete the edit and post the story in two parts on this blog and maybe www.critiquecircle.com for some more feedback. If you would like a summary of the story, please go to the following link https://johnrsermon.com/2015/06/06/finally-one-of-my-plans-is-working/ and seek out the third paragraph of that post and a summary shall be yours!

When I got back from New York! I allowed myself a few days to recover before I started writing again. When I did start again I decided to just work on my newest short story. Now, I considered starting back on the edit but the story had been rolling around in my head every time I tried to go to sleep while I was on holiday in New York! So, when I got back I wanted to try and take a full break from that so I can continue the edit with a fresh(ish) pair of eyes later on. I’ve kept up with the coming home from work and writing deal and the short story is swimming along nicely. Although, I have introduced eight more characters but I’m building the story so all is in hand. Hopefully. I will start back on my edit next week and look to change from edit to writing. Writing to editing. Week after week. And see where it takes me.

Ok. That’s me for now. I hope you all have a good week of writing and whatever else you decide to do.

Bye

Finally, one of my plans is working!

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Hello

Last time out I said that I was going to write and/or edit as soon as I got home from work whilst my work brain was still on so I made sure write and/or something every day. So far it looks to have been a success. On the editing front anyway.

I’m currently in the throes of editing my story for the http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/the-bfs-short-story-competition-2015/, which is due to close for entries on 30.06.15. Now, I had already written my story and have slowly but surely over the last three been editing it into something I am close to being proud of and close to entering into the aforementioned competition. This editing has been done in small doses, maybe two or three pages at a time, but it is working. As for the other story I am writing, I’m going to put that on pause until after this one is all done and dusted and entered.

So, to the story at hand. To sum it up, it centres on an immortal man who has been roaming the earth, learning and earning as he goes, and is now searching for the meaning of his existence. Surely an immortal man cannot just come into being and wander around aimlessly? Well, that is really what he has been doing and his frustration has been given plenty of time to grow. In fact it has grown to the extent that he will break his one, self-imposed law, to try and finally find what he is looking for. But when he does find it, will it turn out to be all he has ever wanted?

Currently I’m a bit in limbo about that question. I could give him everything he wants but should it be that easy? I’m thinking it shouldn’t be so straight and clean. I am close to answering this question though. I might just flip a coin. Both endings I have in mind are as good as each other but I am a little bit biased towards one. But along with that I another little thing I have to get ironed out.

Due to my immortal man having walked the earth for 114 years he has become polite and well spoken. This means I have decided that he cannot use I’m when he should use I am. And all of the other contractions that people use in everyday life. Do you know how frustrating it is to think that you’ve gotten rid of all the I’m’s only to find there are about five more you’ve missed when you edit it again? And every edit seems to bring up more! Easy now. Calm yourself.

Well, I have successfully wound myself up. I’m going to get…I am going to get back to the edit.

Goodbye

The run is done and a plan is made!

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Good day to you all!

Following on from my post circa 07.05.15 (https://johnrsermon.com/2015/05/07/the-training-and-the-writing-combined/) I completed the Manchester 10k run in 49.09! I was just hoping to do it in less than 54 minutes, which would beat my time from the previous year. So I was overwhelmed, wait that’s a bit much, what else can I say? Well happy! That’ll do. With my time of 49.09. Although it does mean I’ll want to beat it next year. Can’t wait till next year now and the target I want to beat. Three cheers for targets! How I love/hate them so! For a few more details and a few pictures go to https://johnrsermon.com/2015/05/13/my-week-in-pictures-well-some-of-it-anyway/.

Okay. I have made a plan, which I have kept to so far, to do some writing or editing as soon as I get home while my work head is still on. This has worked wonders in the past and it’s seen my productivity increase and my overall mood rise. See, this way, when it gets to the evening and I’m relaxing and don’t really feel like writing, I’ll know and can smile about having written or edited when I got home.

The amount I write or edit has depended on what part of the story I’m editing or am about to write. I have completed the second edit for my story to enter into the http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/the-bfs-short-story-competition-2015/ short story competition. It is well on its way to being enterable (is that a word? I doubt it but the squiggly line hasn’t appeared underneath so I’m fine with it). I have also moved along my western yarn. Last time out our hero had just stood up to someone who the rest of the town would dare not stand up to. This has led the villain of the piece to confront him. Our hero has realised that this is the turning point in his stay in the latest town he has wandered into. Will he stay or will he go? Only time will tell.

I have mentioned before but I do pretty much have this story mapped out in my head but I’m now not sure if our hero will in fact be our hero. Could he live with himself he just left and doomed the town to further punishment on top of the punishment they are already having to deal with? I don’t know. I’m considering that he just might and this western of mine may jump to a different town. Initially I was unsure about writing a story without any real notes or preparation being made. Now however, I’m starting to think I might write all my stories this way.

Well, as always, thank you for reading and have a good week.

Bye

The Training and the Writing combined.

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Hello again,

My training for the Manchester 10k run on Sunday 10th May (https://www.greatrun.org/great-manchester-run) is going very well. I’m quietly confident I can improve on my time from last year of 54mins. I also have the added incentive that if I don’t beat my friend then I have buy him a trophy. I think this has made me run just that little bit faster considering I know how he can pull these things out of the bag. I don’t think he’s done a lot of running recently but I bet his best run ever will be on Sunday. Here’s hoping my training will pay off.

Along with my training, I’ve been moving along with my writing and editing.

I’ve taken up walking to work to help pay for a holiday to New York, which is at the end of June. This ends up leaving me, after walking to and from work at a total of 100 minutes, with the overwhelming sense of ‘can’t be arsed’ mode when I get home. I’m moving myself, albeit at a slow pace, away from this and have been editing and writing whilst tired. I was worried that my tiredness would make me write and/or edit below my own standard and I’d have to do it all over again. Meaning I’ve wasted my time. But my editing is coming along well. I’ve got till the end of June but I’m hoping to get it done by the end of May and get my story entered into the http://www.britishfantasysociety.org/the-bfs-short-story-competition-2015/.

My current story that I’m writing has also been moving along nicely and I’ve written my first action scene. Now, you must understand that as I huge fan of westerns I am almost always dreaming up of shoot outs and action sequences based in that genre. But somehow, when I came to write my first ever shoot out, it’s was something completely new. Something I have never thought of before. And something I am now quite proud of. I have always thought the way a cowboy would introduce himself in a film or book would be in his first shoot out. Showing the world, or in this case the small town, exactly what he is made of when it came down to defending himself. In my hero’s first gun fight he’s defending the honour of a horse and in turn standing up for the whole town, who have wanted to do such a thing for years. A henchman to the main villain, named Bronco, is scaring a horse by shooting at its legs. Cue our hero to save the day by showing him exactly how good of a shot he is. This is first act that will set up the rest of the story. I’m looking to push the pace faster and faster from here and build up to an almighty showdown involving everyone who is able to fire a gun in the town. I may even include the women. It could turn into the western equivalent of a Royal Rumble or a Battle Royal. Or possibly Battle Royale? I’m not sure. But as always I’ll keep you informed.

Right, all this talk of progress is making me hungry. To write and eat. So…

Good bye!

Just a little progress and schedule to keep.

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Hello

So, I have continued to edit my short story for the latest competition I’m entering and have yet to use the notes I have found or relocated (as mentioned in https://johnrsermon.com/2015/04/09/from-the-lost-to-found/) This is solely down to my new found like of writing my stories without many or indeed any notes. Although, it is slightly comforting to know that I do have notes available if they are required. You know, when I start to cry because instead of editing my story I end up rewriting to whole thing, not knowing what the main points of the story are of the top of my head, and missing the deadline!

I do not however, have this problem with my latest story.

Again, as mentioned in my last original post linked above, I have started to write a Western without any notes to start off with. I’ve had this story swimming around in my head for years and it’s pretty much fully formed. And as Westerns are my favourite genre of film I thought, why not now to get it all down in story form? I’ve moved this story along slightly and have now started to focus on the villains of the piece. I have decided, as I write this post, that this story is only going to be taking place over the course of two weeks (probably, maybe) and I’m enjoying having that time scale to mind. I only usually have a time scale as I go along and it can vary throughout. This time I’m hoping I stick to it.

But I need to get in a routine. I’m not making much in the way of progress.

I have signed up to take part in my third successive Manchester 10k run. A run which takes place 10th May and my running pack with my number and such has just arrived. I haven’t run 10k in ages and I haven’t really got that much time to work my way up to it. Yesterday I ran 8.5k and it took me 50 minutes. I’m hoping to do the Manchester 10k in 53 minutes so I’ve got some way to go. I’m feeling good about it though, but I’m not liking how it’s affecting my writing. I think this is more down to my own attitude as opposed to my running. I have been more tired, tireder, tired more, tiredish? But this should not push me away from writing. I might even write down a schedule and stick to it.

With that in mind, I’m going to make my first attempt at it. Or not, depends how tirederised I am.

Thanks for reading. Bye

From lost to found.

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Hello

In my last post I had lost my notes to go along with the story I’m editing for the 5000 word story competition www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk are holding. Now, I had given up all hope of finding the elusive note book/pad/chunk of paper that had all the notes I had made for said story. But, as I got home from work one day, satchel rubbing against my shoulder as it had done for the whole 50 minute walk, I threw it off myself and onto the kitchen side and proceeded to go through my usual routine. I took everything out that I needed for the remainder of the evening, wallet, iPod, lip balm and keys, before chucking the bag under the stairs. My evening carried on well enough but then, as I was walking to the bin of all places in my kitchen, I remembered. I have one more note pad! Oh satchel, how I like thee quite a lot. Turns out the notes I needed had been coming with me to and from work since for ages ago.

Though I’m not sure I’m happy I found them.

The notes have been useful. My story is about a group of immortal men and women who have struggled, one since the dawn of time, to comprehend their existence. The notes I had made cleared up exactly why, initially anyway before rewrites, the immortals are around and when and how they were born. Now that I know this, I don’t think I want to use my notes any more. Though they scream at me from one floor down, under the stairs, like Harry Potter having a nightmare, I’m useful! I am not to be ignored! Well, he may have screamed that at some point. You never know. I’m going to leave them where they are until I need them. I have finished my first edit and I now know that I’ll need to shuffle the story and add more things in. I’ll end up making a whole new set of notes I can smell it.

And another thing that has happened since I last posted. Whilst writing my latest story, a western that was initially about a guy who wanders from town to town doing whatever he wants but in an anti-hero kind of a way without saying to many words (remind you anyone?) has changed a lot since I first came up with it. He’s speaking a lot more and has already been shocked to his core by the first person he meets in his latest town of call. I’m writing this story without notes and thankfully it hasn’t held me back. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.

Okay. Well, as much as I love writing this post and all that, my back hurts so I’m going to bed.

Night Night and thanks for reading.