Tag: robert louis stevenson

The entry is ready and a sequel is taking shape.

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Hello

 

Since the last time I posted I’ve finished my entry for the 1000 word, any genre, competition! Well, I could probably go over it even more but I’ve read and read and read the thing and I’m happy. More than happy, I’m WELL happy. It may not go anywhere but it’s all good practice for keeping to a word count and it will help me to prepare for my biggest ever editing challenge, editing the Town of the Mountain. I’m looking forward to that even more because…

I’ve started to write a short story for the love interest of Markus, our hero, from that very story. She was a saloon dancer and a very popular one at that but how will take to a City when all she’s ever been used to is a Town? I wasn’t sure before I started writing it but I now, after just writing whatever came to my head, have a clear understanding as to how she will cope and what her story will be with Markus and throughout the sequel. It could change but, that’s the same with everything really isn’t it? It does mean that my sequel is now taking a more solid shape and when I come to write it, whenever that will be, I’ll be able to just charge right into it with all the resource material I’ll ever need. Hopefully.

With all this going on, I almost missed that I’m close to finishing Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have to say I’m going to miss it. It’s a great story and considering how old it is, 1886 to be precise, it has travelled immensely well. If I haven’t already said it, I’ll say it again. Read it. It’s well good. Get it read.

Ok. I’ve got nothing more for now. Have a good week.

Good Pie!

 

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The villains are made. But what of the new hero’s?

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Hello!

 

As the title suggests, the villains have been created. The villains of my sequel to the Bugbear adventure I’m preparing to write that is. I found some notes from around 18 months ago that had, along with the Vampire, Gargoyle, Dragon and Demon, Giants and Werewolves as the villains for this sequel of mine. And, though writing about Giants and Werewolves sounds great, I didn’t fancy having to juggle too many bad guys at any given time. I have finished the villain’s short story that I mentioned at the end of my last post and have crafted the starts of a plan for the villains to combat the new scourge of their lives, the hunters. A plan is in motion so when I come to write the whole sequel, I can at least have a starting point.

I considered writing about the Giants and Werewolves but I’d prefer to be able to calmly create four villains than possibly botch creating six. And in the past I’ve not enjoyed creating loads of villains anyway. I’ve already got seven (so far) hunters to scribble about and I’ve decided to make three out of the four villains have vast amount amounts like them as well. The Vampire will at least have an army at his disposal. An army which can be added to at any time. And, three of the seven hunters only saw real battle at the end of Town of the Mountain, so they’re on a steep learning curve to say the least. Which is the main focus of….

My next short story. Which is already finished! It concerns the newest hero’s to this tale, three of the four hunters that survived almost being beaten to death by the hunters of the town of the mountain, who then survived a hoard of bugbears not long afterwards (for more information, either ask me or look back over my previous blog posts). The three, Jackson, Meredith and Albert, have been sent to London to tackle its Dragon problem. They engage the beast in a heated physical and mental battle before the Dragon retreats. Or so they think. These three may or may not act separately from the main hunters but I’m not quite sure yet. I’ll have to mull it over. I’m glad it all formed on the page enough so that I had a starting point at least. I’m yet to write all the character profiles so this could all go out of the window.

Anyway, in between all of this I’ve kept on reading Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson. I’m just about getting used to the language used, which is well old and with a lot of Scottish words and ways of speaking, but thankfully I can still read it smoothly enough. If I couldn’t, the book would have been out of the tram window in no time. I’ll let you know if I do. And try and take of picture of it as well.

Right then, Bye!

 

One down…and lots more to go.

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Hello

 

I finished the Bottle Imp! It was a really good story and towards the end was sending me all over the place emotionally. The ending wasn’t what I expected either. If I can write with even just a fraction of brilliance of Robert Louis Stevenson at any point in my life, I’ll be a happy man.

After that I started to read The Picture of Dorian Gray. I’m only a few pages into it but already it’s good. I’ve already gotten past the great line, ‘It is silly of you, for there is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.’ Ha! That immediately took my brain back to a Monty Python sketch. See for yourself;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxXW6tfl2Y0

I haven’t gone back to it since last week, due to a combination of a cold and forgetfulness, but I shall soon. Maybe tomorrow. Or even tonight. So far the story has already intriguing me, and after five pages no less.

In-between this and getting over a cold which threatened to derail two nights out (which it didn’t, get in!) I finished my first short story of many for 2014. A little tale about an immortal living in Manchester initially entitled, ‘I’ll live. I always do.’ It about Henry and his quest to find the meaning behind his eternal existence. But when he commits an act that leads to him finding out this meaning, is it what he had hoped for?

Probably. So far I have ended it how I wanted to the first time I started to think about it. I will be going over it again along with continuing to write The End Solution and editing some of a finished first draft of a long story of mine, The Searcher’s Want. I recall saying I was going to post Searcher’s on this little blog of mine and Solution someplace else. I will hope to do that soon and, hopefully, await your feedback and anyone else’s.

Right, I’m off to possible get an early night as my first run in over a month has knackered my out.

Bye Bye

One book down. But which one should be next?

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My continued attempts to edit two stories side by side have not been as fruitful as I thought they would be. I have been continuing to edit them but I didn’t do it for every day of last week. Which, in my head, was the plan. But I have managed to write more pages of The End Solution. It’s moving long quite nicely but I’m still no closer to finding out what the ending is going to be. I am starting to think I may have to write all of my possible endings out on paper and decide which works best. I’ve also found that I will have to go back and add in a few chapters to cover some story points I have neglected. Do I do this now or in the editing stage? I think I’ll do it now. Or maybe not. I’ll come to this decision after some careful thought. Or whilst I’m on the toilet. Or playing Pro Evolution Soccer. Or staring at the wall. Whichever way this comes to me though, I hope it is soon.

Any who, on a different subject, I finished Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (http://www.play.com/Books/Books/6-/Search.html?searchstring=dr+jekyll&searchsource=2&searchfilters=s%7bdr+jekyll%7d%2bc%7b91%7d%2b) and it has become one of my favourite books of all time. The way Robert Louis Stevenson has weaved this story is unlike anything I’ve ever read. Maybe that’s my fault (there’s no maybe about it) but it’s a bold and striking style that captivates and keeps you hooked. Admittedly it can be a bit like hard work, some of the words he uses I’ve never heard of and the way I pronounce them in my head is most likely way off and the meanings will be as well, but if you are looking for a short, sharp and engaging read, I’d go for this one.

This finishing of the book malarkey has left me with a problem….what book do I read next?

At the end of my copy of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde there is another of his tales entitled The Bottle Imp. I only found out this was in with my copy halfway through reading it when I glanced at the back of the book cover. It is an apparently sinister story which will give me time to decide which of these books I’ll read next.

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If any of you fine people have read any of the above, feel free to give me your honest opinion about which ever it may be. Or some if not all of them.

Cheers