The perfect writer's room

It's time for another post.

It's all back to work after a nice relaxing holiday and unsurprisingly writing is still as difficult as ever. I'm still plugging away at Part Three and though I'm about 75% of the way through it's still taking its bloody time. Hopefully I'll be done by end of February.

As I'm sure most people do at the beginning of the year, when you have to start getting up early again , I've been thinking about where I'd rather be. Understand that I do enjoy my day job, hell I love my day job, but still in 5, 10, 15 years time where do I want to be when I'm a massive writer? (Massive sales wise, I plan on keeping in shape)

I don't know when New England became a writer's haven in people's minds (or is that just me?). Maybe it started with Stephen King who writes often about writers and / or Maine. Maybe it was before that. Maybe it's been used so many times that you can't help but picture the ideal that these books, TV shows and games (Alan Wake has a beautiful setting) portray; life imitating art imitating life, perhaps.

Now understand I've never been to New England but what I picture is probably far from reality. I see a place with mountains and trees. The weather behaves, there's hot weather in summer and suitably cold weather in winter and it Snows On Christmas Day By Law. There's all the amenities you could want while at the same time you can have all the peace and quiet you need to write too. The water is clear, everyone's friendly and your house is nice and big and you have your own writing office.

Ah, the office. A desk of course, with a space for the laptop, a space to scribble on paper and space for a printer for inbetween. There's bookshelves, a sofa, a seat and a window with a view. And maybe even a window seat (I'm all about sitting). And room to pace, of course, I'm a pacer (when I'm not sitting, or keeping in shape). Oh, and a skylight for those rainy days when you need to feel glad that while everyone else is out going to work, you are a writer and you don't have to go out unless you want to. Bliss.

In the end, it appears I'm talking about Stephen King's house. If you're reading this, Stephen, give it to me.

Anyway, as part of my new thing, books what I have read.

This month I have read (in no particular order):

Entangled By Cat Clarke - a friend of mine who has written a very entertaining book. I found it enjoyable hampered only by the fact that I'm not and never have been a teenage girl. This meant I can't tell the difference between normal teenage girldom and being a right bitch.

Mr. Shivers - also very enjoyable, some great scenes and a gripping premise but went on just a little too long. That aside, I look forward to reading more of him.

My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - a brilliant debut novel. Very moving and has some great descriptions and is all round a great book. The author is 28, damn her!

and

I'm currently reading Catch-22 which so far is strange and at the moment doesn't really have a story. Hmmmm....

Anyway, that's it from me.

Thanks for reading.

Season's Greetings and such

It's time for another blog, and a Christmas one at that.

I continue to write over the festive season and I am currently working my way through a printed MS of the novel and adding any details I see to be missing. Should hopefully have it all done by the first week of the new year.

There's little else to report otherwise. Stories of the short variety are in the wind with magazines and I got (and spent) my first author payment.

I came across an interesting blog entry recently regarding mistakes amateur authors make when trying to approach an agent, mistakes supplied by actual agents. Now, I think myself pretty read-up on the subject but a few of these mistakes surprised even me.

For this month's blog book, I am currently reading The Braided Path, a massive book and so good for Christmas, a time when I know I won't be moving around much.

That is all.

Back to writing.

Kids

My short story, Kids, is now available on Electric Spec!

Hurray!

You can read it here.

Enjoy!

Backwards Writing More No

As the title suggests I am no longer working backwards through the novel.

It was a great exercise and meant that the energy I have working on the beginning of the novel was this time applied to the end of it but there comes a point in the middle where it's just the same as the old-fashioned method. So now I'm back to writing it from the front as nature intended.

There are fewer things I'd like to change about the beginning so progress is going rather quickly and I'm still hoping to have things finished by the New Year.

Other than that, things are moving along. Me and the Electric Spec editors have finished going over Kids and it should be ready for publication on 30th November. You lucky things!

Magazines have practically been queuing up to reject Promises at the moment but I think it's one of my best stories so I'm persevering with it. I think it's the length that puts people off, a problem I'm all too used to (snigger).

I've also added the facility for comments on this blog (at least I think I have) so do get in touch if you feel the urge to do so. I've read a few blogs in my time that get rather whiny if people don't comment but I'm not one of them, so comments are not compulsory.

And for a little added fun I shall also include what I am currently reading each month. So today I am currently reading 15 Miles by Rob Scott as well as working my way through The Walking Dead comics, which I've read many times before but still enjoy. I'm loving the TV series at the moment and enjoy being surprised when they do something different from the comic just so long as they do That Thing At The End Of Issue 6. (Or was it 5?)

Anyway. Less blogging, Grey, more writing.

Thanks for reading.

You wait forever for one bus...

And then two come along at once!

This is an emergency bulletin as in the past week not just one but two magazines have accepted my short stories. For money! Some people out there have liked my stories so much that they're willing to reach into their pockets and give me some of their own hard-earned cash. Fantastic! Money, if anything, is a good way of keeping score of where you're at as a writer (and buying meals at GBK) and I've been told at work that being paid money now puts me under the label of 'professional writer'. This does give me a warm, glowing feeling.

So at the end of this month, (30th November) if all goes to plan, you will be able to find my short story Kids in the latest issue of Electric Spec. Hurray!

And

In late 2011 my short story The Old Factory Award will appear in Abyss and Apex Magazine. Hurray again!

And to remind you all that No Longer Living can be found on Tales of the Zombie War, which is also great.

Anyway, I really should get back to writing.

Update

It's been a long time since I've blogged but it seems since I've last checked this site out the number of followers has increased 300% to four people! So I can't leave them contentless!

Things have happened since last I blogged. I have changed job into something a little more lucrative with more responsibility and a lot more creativity. I've moved in with my girlfriend and have my own writing room (which is also the guest bedroom) and No Longer Living has been published for the second time on Tales of the Zombie War. It even has comments on it including these little beauties.

"Woah, chilling story, some of the best writing I have seen on the site."

"Ah…damn…you killed it man, excellent work."

and

"Wow… Awesome. Totaly felt the fear and guilt of toby for being around his zed wife. This is one of about 4 stories on here that pulled me and i just had to finish."

All of which were encouraging to read.

The novel continues. And continues. And continues.

I have a proper draft of Part Three now and I'm currently trying out the novel process of working through the thing backwards to see if that works as I try to tie things up and iron out the last few creases in the story. Hopefully still on track for finishing it at the end of this year!

Oh, and there's also the possibility of another short story being published soon but I'm waiting for confirmation. Once I know, you'll know. I promise.

Anyway, enough gassing. Maybe I'll try to post once per month, see how that feels.

Back to work.

Step by Step

This week, I’ve been working on the second third of Part Three. It’s doing well, so far. I know what I want from each chapter and it’s now a case of writing it.

The main difficulty, however, is in the character interactions. At so late in the proceedings, I now have a tight cast of characters with a lot of complexities and history behind them. This means a lot of things to remember, a lot of complex emotions and having them all clash together in a way that works but doesn’t result in the characters tripping over one another and getting in the way of the story like they would do if this was real life.

Needless to say, I’m enjoying writing it. I love challenging myself like this. This book is going to be great.

Speaking of great books, I am enjoying Kraken.

Back to work.

Hurray!