Tag: www.johnrsermon.com

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.

Getting back to blogging basics. Let me (re)introduce myself.

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Hello,

Back in 2012, March 7th to be exact, I published my first ever blog post. This went as follows:

‘

Well, I’ve took the plunge and created my own blog. Its use is to either:

  1. Read other writers blogs and stories and maybe have them do the same for me.
  2. Rant about stuff.

But which do i do first?

‘

Short and sweet and to the point. Well, two points. Point 2 hasn’t happened that much as I don’t tend to rant that often. However, point 1 still rings true today. I want to read other authors blogs and stories. I want to do this to try and take in all kinds of styles and genres that may help me when I come to do my own writing.

Then, there’s the maybe.

I like the word maybe. When used correctly it can invoke intrigue and suspense. Or at least, I hope it can. But, when I used it in my first blog post ‘maybe have them do the same for me’, it was used incorrectly. In fact, it should not have been used at all. Now, I very much want other authors and non-authors alike to read my stories and blog posts so I can converse with them and learn and grow when it comes to my writing. Happily, I have made that clear since March 2012 and I speak to authors regularly but not as often as I’d like. But I would like to increase the amount of people I speak to.

So, I decided to take a ‘Blogging 101’ course to try and improve my chances and move my blog forward. The course’s first assignment is to introduce myself. As you can see, I’ve already done that but I would like to do this again. If you let me. And…

Good evening,

My name is John Robert Sermon and I’m from Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK. I have been writing on and off since 2001. With more emphasis on the off. But since 2009, I started to write more and more until March 2012 when I started this blog. Since then, I have written 21 stories (3 novels and 18 short ones) and this number is growing. I would like to use this blog to share those stories and the process I go through when I write them. I would also like to read other blogs and stories and interact with other authors.

I would like this blog to help me to improve my writing and to talk to some like-minded people.

There you have it. Happy re-meet you again. Now, back to the writing.

Bye!

 

 

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!

An interesting question following some very useful feedback.

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Hello

I recently decided to put my short story ‘Do I have parents at all?’, which is about a 114 year old immortal man living in modern day Manchester, England trying to find his true calling, onto the writing feedback website www.critquecircle.com. The idea of this wonderful piece of the internet is that you have to critique other authors work to gain credits. These credits can then be used to buy a place for your story to be critiqued on their website. It’s a simple idea that has given me a lot of useful feedback over the years and has allowed me to read some brilliant prose as well. And my latest venture into the critique circle world has carried on this trend.

A reviewer by the name of ‘Fergie’ (Who is Scottish and is a brilliant name for obvious Manchester United related reasons) decided to read my little tale and provide feedback. Amongst the many things he provided was a closing comment about how he was unsure whether or not he would buy my story if it came to his attention on a book shop shelf. ‘Fergie’ was unsure in its current form if he would buy it.

This got me thinking about how important the first line of a story is and also how important the first page can be as well. If I was looking to buy a book I would read the first page and look at the synopsis before deciding to buy it so I asked myself, is the first page of my story eye catching enough to be bought?

I have to be honest and say I don’t think it is. It could be better. And using ‘Fergie’s’ and other’s feedback I hope to make it good enough. With this in mind…

What do you think? Here is the first page only of my short story and all I want to know is would you buy the rest of my story after reading it? Either way I would really appreciate your feedback. Thank you in advance if you decide to read and comment on it. If not, have a good week in whatever it is you end up doing. Bye!

‘

I have walked the Earth for one hundred and fifteen years but the questions still remain. Where is the First? We should have some kind of connection should we not? Why am I here? Do I have parents at all?

Waking up on the ground of a forest is as much as I can ever remember about my birth. Which is more than anybody else I am sure. That first year is fragmented but there is enough to piece together the story. My story. The story of my birth or my…come now brain, let us do this dance again it may help this time around.

I am born into existence and I grow, develop, and so on until eventually I am found by that rich family and raised for a while until I age too fast and spend the rest of my first year between families. Next comes another year living with various well-meaning poor families who all end up abandoning me but, with reluctant thanks to the rich, I am prepared. By this point, I am the equivalent of a ten year old boy and I find an orphanage and live there for a year through threats and the bending the owner’s superstitious beliefs.

And so, after three actual years upon the Earth and I look fifteen. Each year equals five years until I am thirty, and then I stop growing. I just stop. But why? I travel, I learn, I earn, I frighten, as the anger builds within me and I continue to ask myself why? But remember Henry, take the best parts from life and forget the rest. You promised to stop doing this to yourself! Distraction. It is an overcast Saturday night and I will use it to take my mind off things. Manchester is the best place I know. The streets and buildings are drenched in history. I love how new and at the same time old the whole place looks and feels. The night is starting to get into full swing with people everywhere and I find myself walking inside a bar I do not recall the name of and I do not care to check. I just wish I had a friend I could share this with though I made my peace with that years ago. I will live, I always do.

“Same again?” I forget his name.

“Yes please. Thank you.” I wish these two drunken men would move from the bar. You have your drinks so why are you still here? It is time for the old nudge and move technique. I am glad I committed to the gym all those years ago.

“Hey Handsome, why do you get preferential treatment?” Handsome? Wait…I know that look. She is just after a drink. Women. I have given up trying to work them out. Some say handsome, some say ugly. I do remember one young lady telling me that my light stubble and blue eyes complimented my slightly square jaw and that I must keep my hair short and messy as tall men do not suit long hair. Of all the things I have heard why do I remember what women say about me the most? “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yes. Sorry I got distracted. My girlfriend should be here any moment.” And she is gone. I must stay focused. I cannot fall behind on my schedule. I am sure the First is in Manchester. But how can I be sure? How is it possible that I have not found him, or her, after all of this time?

‘

November never ends.

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Hello

 

Alas November 2014 is done and dusted. Farewell to you. You are one of my favourite months. You make me become more focused on my writing than any other month could dream of. Over the past two years I’ve completed two NaNoWriMo’s and done my own editing challenge in the month of November. But though the calendar has moved on and tells me it’s December, I feel like you’re still around.

That’s because you chuffin are. Aren’t you?

I gave myself the task of editing my NaNoWriMo 2012 story The Searchers Want, a tale of demons and those who search and kill them to protect the earth they all live on, and initially I was well on course to complete the edit in one month. I was sticking to my plan. I was doing well. But now I find myself with two more chapters to edit but no more November left to edit them in. How did this happen?

Well, I know how it happened. Life and illness hindered my progress. Though I am very pleased to have edited around 70,000 words in a month. I can’t complain really. I’ll have the rest of the edit done by the end of 2014 at least. Then, I’ll start all over again in 2015 after a short break of probably a week. This plan reminded me of how good writing breaks can be. I have always felt fresh and invigorated when I start to write again after taking a complete break. One of the blogs I follow, a lovely blog by the name of http://rlsharpe.wordpress.com/, recently posted about taking a break (http://rlsharpe.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/writing-tip-wednesday-taking-writing-breaks/) and I am now ready for a break of my own. Once this edit is done, I’ll break and then get back to it. I’m hoping to start research into time travel theories for my attempt at a sci-fi story based on the same. I’m fully prepared for it to frazzle my mind. Wish me luck.

Right. Back to the edit. Bye!

The Edit VS Man Flu.

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Hello

 

Since last time I have been keeping to my edit plan. I’ve managed to do some editing each day and I now find myself at chapter 20 of 25. I’ll have chapter 20 read through and edited by the end of today but I should’ve had it done a couple of days ago. And here’s why…

It does annoy me that I don’t get to see my Sister, Brother in law and wild Nephew more often. But they would have to live in Sheffield wouldn’t they? No, Sheffield’s lovely and it’s their home. I just never seem to be able to get time off to sort something out. So when I heard they were coming to visit my parents and I could go up and see them that I was delighted. Awesome! I get to see them. Maybe wild Nephew won’t give me that ‘Who are you?’ look this time? Nah. Of course he did. But I got to spend time with him so it’s all good. It’s great to see how grown up he is. And once he and his parents had left to go back to Sheff-side I waved them goodbye thinking I wouldn’t see them again until Christmas.

But oh no, I wasn’t that lucky.

Because you see the wild Nephew, I’m sure it was him, left part him with me and my parents before he left. The cold and flu part more popularly known as the dreaded Man Flu. Now, I went to visit my parents this past weekend hoping that the aches I had been experiencing in the week prior would go away. That it was all a result of the exercise I’d been doing for the three days back to back previously. But alas no. As I prepared to go on the Saturday I had gotten worse. And my parents had also gotten the bug. So we all spent the weekend feeling ill together as a family. Togetherness and all that. Then, Monday comes around. ‘I’m okay to go into work.’ I say. ‘No you’re not you idiot’ says my body and head CLEARLY. I didn’t listen. Went in work, had an awful, yet surprisingly productive, day. Got home. Went to bed. Had Tuesday off work to recover. Went in today feeling a lot better but was late because I thought I’d left the water running. Which I hadn’t done. Because I’ve never done that. This now means I owe 1 hour back to my employer.

And this all means that I missed a few priceless days of editing.

I’m not too disheartened though. As long as I keep up my edit something each day plan I’ll have it done by the beginning of December. It’s not so bad actually…but Man Flu sucks. And I missed a fire alarm at work yesterday. As a fire warden, it’s always amusing to see how wrong most people get it when one goes off. Anyway…

Lovely to have you read a post of mine as always. Good Bye!

Oh editing, how I love and hate thee so.

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Hello

 

So, it’s NaNoWriMo 2014. Well, it is for a fair amount of people but for me it’s NaNoEdMo 2014. As in, National Novel Editing Month. I’m aiming to finish the first edit of a story I started for, and completed shortly after, NaNoWriMo 2012. And to my progress…

It’s coming along nicely. I’m sticking to my schedule and I’ve now, just this morning in fact, finished editing Chapter 11. I’m going to start Chapter 12 later today. I gave myself the goal of editing half a chapter each time I sat down to edit and, though I thought it would be a little bit too much, it’s turned out to be a manageable amount. I don’t feel overwhelmed at how much I’ve got to edit by the end of the month as the bite sized chunks I’ve concocted are just right. I am glad I’ve not changed my mind over this as I’m very happy with the world I’ve created within my story. Part of me thought I’d throw it all away. Maybe I still will. But I’m going to try and not think about that for now. Possibly.

Even though I am enjoying the edit so far, sometimes I wonder what I’m on about. By that I mean, some lines I’ve come across that I’ve written some two years ago make no actual sense to anything on this earth. Some of them looked to be the sentence equivalent of a Magic Eye picture but the opposite way round. From a distance it looks like a normal sentence, all making sense and such. But as you get closer, you realise that it’s complete rubbish! Why did I write those words in that random order in the first place? It does give me a test though, which is to try and figure out what the line should be (for now) so it fits in with everything around it. Thankfully it didn’t take me too long but I was scratching my head for a while. That’s what editing all about right?

Ok. I’m off to edit some more. I hope you all have a good week and if you’re taking part in NaNoWriMo this year that you’re on target.

Good Pie.

 

The art of moving forward without actually moving forward.

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Hello

 

Well, it has been a while hasn’t it. Two weeks by my watch but I don’t wear one so it might be longer than that. As I mentioned last time out I had been packing for mine and my girlfriend’s move from her flat into a rented house.

Moving takes up a hell of a lot of time. This is the first time I’ve moved on a bigger scale than ‘just my own stuff’ from one flat to another. You don’t realise how much stuff you have until you move do you? I don’t anyway. Bags of this, bags of that. Where did it all come from? Happily the guys we hired to help with the move were efficient and friendly so the day went well. Although it would’ve gone a lot better if I hadn’t developed a cold the night before. I had the same problem once before when I contracted a cold just before a move. Maybe I’m allergic to it? Or it could just be hard work. Anyway, the moves done and we’re all settled in.

The week after this was spent setting up new bills and getting everything sorted re: the new house and that. Houses can be big places can’t they? My girlfriend is working nights this week so when I spent my first night alone, it was eerie. Every bump was a person breaking in and I didn’t manage to get much work done. This soon passed thankfully when I realised how daft I was being and how thin the walls are, which meant I could hear both sides as they went up their respective stair cases. Thankfully that’s all I’ve heard so far. No rude noises or anything. I did however hear an argument outside next door which was intriguing. Something about a multimillionaire and not seeing someone in ages? I daren’t poke my head through the blinds to watch but I really wanted to. So far, so good really on the hole though all this has stopped my edit from moving forward.

See? Moving forward without moving forward? Moving forward in my relationship but not moving forward with my writing? You probably got it straight away but I think I only worked it out at the end of the last paragraph. With regards to my edit, I have managed to finish up to the end of chapter 6. The last part I edited was a fight scene which, only being brief as the demon Aaron is hunting/searching for only wants to deliver a message and nothing else, still reminded me how much I enjoy writing action. Dare I write a full story of just action? Doubt that’s possible but we’ll see.

Ok. I can feel my editing muscles flexing and begging to be used so, I’ll tip my hat to you wish you a very fine rest of the evening.

Goodbye!

And as I try to edit…stuff gets in the way and that.

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Hello

 

I started, and finished, editing the fifth chapter of my tale regarding searchers (hunters) and the demons they take down in order to keep the world a safer place. I didn’t intend to finish the whole of the fifth chapter but as I was editing I just wanted to keep going. I finished the first three pages on Thursday night and then the last three on Sunday morning. I thought I’d only finish a few pages this week. The chapter concerned a visit from the hero’s estranged sister.

Now, so far Aaron (our hero)’s sister is going to be used as the device that turned Aaron towards a life fighting crime. First, with the police and then as a searcher. I’m thinking that I’ll keep this in as she also helps to link nicely with Aaron’s back story and how his upbringing was. At the end of chapter four I flashed back to when he was eleven and what caused the happiest memory he has from his childhood. After this, at the beginning of chapter five, I had Aaron mention how much of a waste of time it was whenever she came to visit. This will hopefully build to the exact reason why they are estranged and what ultimately what helps to drive him to do what he does. I seem to recall a few chapters down the line that I do come to this point so I’ll make another mental note to examine this story line in more detail. I’ll have to write the whole story separately so I can slot the important parts in to the main story. And that story will have to be edited. Wonderful. The job just keeps on getting bigger.

As to the stuff and that getting in the way, me and my girlfriend have found a house to rent after months of searching and trying to find someone to rent her flat beforehand. This has meant that a lot of packing and planning has to be done, which has gotten in the way of my editing. I’m not that fussed though. I’m looking forward to moving into to the new place. It’s just, packing is hard!

Anyway, I’ve got something else I need to pack. As always I hope you have a good week.

Bye!