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

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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

Feedback request!

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Hello all,

This is a draft of a short story I’m working on entitled The End Solution. Have a read and I’d appreciate your feedback. Cheers

”  This attention following my unwanted rise to fame is running me ragged. They keep coming thick and fast even though they swear they mean me no harm. How can riot police scream such a phrase? I’m sure they can’t find me in here. I need to take my mind off this so I can relax and try to recover. I think it’s time to start my journal of this mess and how it all began.

Work was what it was nice, but a bore. I could do everything on my team without really thinking about it. The internet became half of my working day as a result.

“Hey! What you doin, son?” Peter said as he walked past. He did that all the time which was fairly annoying, but I’d give anything to hear those words again.

“Just looking at the latest news, kid. The End Solution is upon us.” I said in my most overacting manner. The government had decided that in order to finally combat crime, rape, paedophilia, fraud and anything else that was wrong with the United Kingdom they needed an ‘End Solution’. The government reports stated it would be ‘the perfect answer to all the fatal acts committed in this great country’. I remember being proud of my government at that point. That thought makes me feel very ill now though.

“How close are they?” Amanda had said. She was very smart and too good for the job she did. She also had the greatest body I’d ever seen. I was comfortably in the friend zone with her so I was near it a lot. That zone had its perks. I do miss those perks.

“Apparently they began testing this afternoon on volunteer soldiers who want to be the government’s new walking deterrent or ‘End Solution’. They’ll be able to locate anyone who is at a high risk of committing a fatal act and extract the chemical straight away.”

“How will they extract it?” Mark asked. He had a heart of gold and was a good friend. He was also conducting an affair with Amanda behind Peter’s back. Being a good friend and not wanting to get more involved than I already was made me keep it to myself. I’d like to see how they’re doing now but all I can see are their worried faces when I ran away.

“Doesn’t say.”

I didn’t think I’d miss them as much as I do. I know for a fact that if I did see them again, I would smell the smell and nothing else. I can control myself to a certain degree, but I can’t do it forever. It’s not a chance I’m willing to take.

That day continued as normal. The news reports constantly ran through my head. When the government first established that each person who committed a fatal act had a chemical in their blood that facilitated such an act I found it all so….intriguing. The tests they ran on the volunteers, criminals forced into it for freedom, conclusively showed that this chemical could be removed. And that the volunteers become incapable of committing a fatal act. From my desk I could see the building where those tests were being conducted and are still probably being conducted now. How would they locate and extract the chemical? Was the question that ran through my mind and it was something they never told anyone. I thought I’d be happy knowing the answer, but now that I do, I could live without it.

I left work and took the path which went right in front of the government building to go home. It’s an ominous thing to look at with its lord of the rings style two towers that seemed to glare down on people. Every so often the light would catch it and it almost looked like the towers had eyes. I continued until I saw the crowd outside its main entrance as usual. They’re always there trying to get information or complaining about the tests they were doing even though it had clearly made the country a better place. I glanced up at the windows of the smaller office building that joined the two towers together and saw my creator running wildly through the corridor. I was frozen in shock. It was all I could do.

He blasted through the main doors of the building with a wild and confused look in his eye. Hair everywhere and whatever wasn’t covered by hair was covered by blood. People were screaming and running but I just couldn’t move. I was thinking about why he was like that he’d reached me. His eyes seemed to say that he’d chosen me as he jumped and easily knocked me to the ground. Being tall and slim I could’ve dodged this, but his speed along with the look and feel of him I doubt it. When I tried to get him off me he looked me in the eye and I couldn’t and still can’t believe it. Was that happiness in his eyes? Like he was happy to attack me? Still in shock I allowed him to bite me and though it lasted only a minute I felt its effects immediately.

It felt like he was sucking and blowing on my neck. Taking blood out and putting it back in was what it was. When he jumped off me I could feel it course through my body. I had the overwhelming feeling that I was constantly drinking my favourite drink, but as I drank my thirst increased. It was as glorious as it was painful. I fell to the ground and as I got back up, the feeling changed. A distinct odour filled my nose and made my fingers tingle. It was the same feeling I get whenever I caught the smell of my favourite cake being made or meal being cooked. As people ran past, still screaming and frightened, they all gave off the same odour. I leant against a nearby pole and just took the smell in. It was like nothing I’d ever smelt before and it dawned on me that this was the smell of the chemical.

My thoughts were interrupted by a text message from Amanda. It said something like ‘RU ok? I can see people running around. If UR ok, we’re going for a drink in the usual place xx’. I genuinely thought to myself, Why not? I could have one drink and smell my friends, that has to go down as the best and worst thought I’ve ever had. As I casually strolled back through the crowd towards them standing outside work I noticed a few people directing horrified looks at my neck. As far as I could tell the blood flow had stopped but my neck and shoulder were covered. I suddenly felt weak at the knees and then it happened.

Everyone around me became irresistible and I had to suck it out of all of them. I started to run but my knees wouldn’t let me. As I slowly got towards my friends they all smelt the same but somehow completely different. The smell became more intense as I got my knees back and ran past them. The worried looks they gave me are all I have left and I think Amanda shouted after me but I’ll never know.

Reports came to light after I was bitten that not everyone that had the chemical extracted had committed a Fatal Act. Two hundred thousand separate cases of people wrongly accused of fatal acts that had had the chemical extracted became completely different people. This quickly fuelled the world’s news. But the world showed how fickle it can be when it forgot about the two hundred thousand after the discovery of my existence when my creator was found. He eventually killed himself but only after revealing my full name and who I worked for. I always got teased about forgetting to remove my work badge when I left the building, maybe I should’ve listened.

I now know that I can accurately tell who will and who won’t commit a fatal act. I’m an ‘End Solution Warrior’. The soldier was a prototype and the ‘End Solution’ can determine who’ll commit a fatal act and deal with it accordingly. They are completely unbiased as the chemical has never ‘Soiled their DNA’. I’ve never had the chemical in my system so I’d never commit a fatal act which is why he chose me. He was the last experiment to go wrong and when he bit me I became the first one to go right which is why the government want me to return so badly. But if I do return, because I’m their property after you sift through all the rubbish that fills their reports, they will apparently make me a ‘national hero’. All I can see in being a ‘national hero’ is being experimented on no matter how they sugar coat it. I’m not turning out like my creator or the two hundred thousand.

I’ve been roaming around now for the past three months and I can walk near people, who all smell divine, and not attack them. I can only do this for six hours or so before wanting to drink them all. The footage of my family on the news pleading for me to return is heartbreaking but I just can’t as I fear their lives will be in danger. The only time I’ll be able to return is when I’m in complete control. Whatever they did to my creator, apart from the chemical thirst, has made me gain muscle and my senses are much sharper. Thinking of which, I can smell them again. How did they find me? “

The Story I’m Editing now ‘The Town of the Mountain’

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Hello

These are the first 729 (exactly) words of the first chapter of a story I started after starting another story that got bigger and bigger due to the amount of ideas I was having. I wanted to write a short story or novella just so I had a full one I could add to and mess around with. Forgive any grammatical errors but please tell me about them. If that makes sense.

Your comments are welcome.

The roar made him spin round in anticipation. It was as sickening as he was used to, but like most that have come before, the bugbear responsible didn’t appear.

There’s not much you can say about him, but the one thing most say is that he’s aware. He won’t let much get past him. He is Markus ‘Trident’ Groningen. The things he’s done whilst being so aware were and are to this day greatly appreciated by the townsfolk. This small town is located at the foot of a huge mountain that reaches beyond the clouds and the top of which has never been seen.

‘Trident’, which was the town’s and his fellow hunters nickname for him, was so called because he hunts with a wooden handled Trident with three extremely lethal prongs at its end. The considerable weight this creates doesn’t stop him from handling it with same ease as the wind would handle a stray leaf. He is six foot two inches tall and there isn’t an ounce of fat to be found on him. He along with each of the other hunters has a weapon of choice to the bugbears that ranged from gigantic in size to at their smallest man sized. None of the hunters was recognised officially as the leader but ‘Trident’ was treated as such within the five.

The hunters had only a few things in common, these included wearing the same smart shirts and cotton twill pants along with any footwear of their choosing. Eriden Grainger, who has the distinction of being the only woman hunter to date, stood at five foot eleven inch with a considerable amount of muscle herself. Though this muscle had been toned over the years so she kept her womanly figure and never strayed into the ‘manly woman’ category. I’m sure you know one of these and there not the best to look at.  She carried two pistols which matched that of any gunslinger to have ever graced the Wild West. Although I doubt many of them wore a corset. They all covered up with the standard long dark brown coat which was closer to black but patches of the coats still remained there natural color. The shirt, pants and long coat combination was standard for a hunter and it always allowed them to keep their weapons concealed from the bugbears. The bugbears knew the hunters by their clothes more so than there facial features and in some instances a bugbear has been lured by a coat being put around something that resembled a hunter from the back and lured into a trap by the coats owner.

As we join ‘Trident’ we find him doing his daily rounds. Each hunter is required to walk the distance of the forest in search of bugbears each day alternately. Bugbears came out at night which was when all the hunters were scheduled to patrol the forest in shifts. Two would go on patrol for the night and then the next night another two would patrol. The remaining hunter would hunt with the Sheriff of the town the next night then they would switch partners the next night and so on.

‘Come back in Trident. Seven times is enough for any man.  Even one as tireless as yourself.’ Stuart shouted from the edge of the forest. Stuart Pinder-Marsh carried a fencing sword at one side of his six foot muscular frame and the other side was accompanied by a great sword who’s blade stretched four and half feet and was three inches wide. It was the sharpest sword in the town and has been called a contender for sharpest in the country by some travelling blacksmiths and sword experts. His muscles are his pride and have enabled him to handle his great sword with ease just like Markus can handle his Trident. He now held the less taxing two jugs of water for him and for the now tried Markus. Marcus had reached the edge of the forest but was looking back one final time. After a few more minutes of cautious glances towards the darker parts of the forest, he turned and walked towards him. Stuart in turn held up the full jug of water which was swiped from his hand quickly.

‘Polite as usual.’ Stuart muttered.

‘I heard that.’ Replied Markus as he took a large gulp of his jug.

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.