tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10806700999524056792024-03-05T05:34:52.902+00:00THE WRITER'S DESKHow to write brilliantly
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-18425217936221418852022-08-29T10:43:00.000+01:002022-08-29T10:43:15.087+01:00<p> </p><h2><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><font size="4">A short lesson on how to improve(?) your writing skills.</font></span></h2><font size="4" style="background-color: white;">When writing dialogue, don't use 'he said', 'she said'. There are so many wonderful alternatives:<br />'Help me,' she screeched. 'That's funny,' she giggled. 'My God!' he ejaculated. 'Is it raining?' he enquired. 'Come here!' he demanded. 'Go away!' he shouted.<br />Most published writers use 'he said' or perhaps 'he asked' most of the time, but it's nice to be different, isn't it?<br /><br />What about adverbs? Lovely, aren't they? And they add to your word count. Here are some examples of tautology (ie saying the same thing twice over):<br />He hissed sibilantly, she laughed merrily, he shouted loudly, she ran quickly, he ambled slowly. <br />Well, some readers are a bit thick, aren't they? They need that extra explanation.<br /><br />What about word length? Naturally you want readers to appreciate your literary skills, and short simple words won't do it, will they?<br />So get out that Thesaurus and look up as many multi-syllabic options as you can. And while you're at it, why not scrap those short pithy sentences for longer, more comnplicated ones?<br /><br />There! Isn't that better? Your 1500-word short story is now 3000 words (and totally unreadable).</font>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-71979530384414279972022-05-27T17:29:00.000+01:002022-05-27T17:29:49.910+01:00<h2 style="text-align: left;"> AN EXCITING DISCOVERY<br /></h2><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some years back </span><span style="color: #050505; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl gpro0wi8 py34i1dx" href="http://ancestry.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2Tkgurl-SRHH4sbAAwQ3K6wVjTVM4tS-JLivM9-_y8W6Tzs6TQl_Kf_uY" rel="nofollow noopener" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">Ancestry.co.uk</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and an old brown suitcase belonging to my grandmother brought the amazing discovery of my circus ancestors, in particular a famous young trapeze artist from the Victorian era. I was fascinated by the photographs, the beautiful blue and gold poster that promoted his circus appearances in England and Europe, and the worldwide newspaper reports describing his death 131 years ago and his funeral, which was attended by over 2000 people.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVYjoNuqEs5xbiWDL2lwxKtwuook21-tsMWL9QNAqBltVBFF97zGUmUI7hluD3yPUKr8vZr65qndl_XTs3RvAS6WeewhlViAKlenMd6fLRk2E7DbcHdLW_yWuJrJFz51xSzirzGzpfVnFLlSySGdjIpTiGd6mKBe-h9ROAg9WNZfzEBFV3MYQHHenhA/s605/SydneyBirdakaUna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihVYjoNuqEs5xbiWDL2lwxKtwuook21-tsMWL9QNAqBltVBFF97zGUmUI7hluD3yPUKr8vZr65qndl_XTs3RvAS6WeewhlViAKlenMd6fLRk2E7DbcHdLW_yWuJrJFz51xSzirzGzpfVnFLlSySGdjIpTiGd6mKBe-h9ROAg9WNZfzEBFV3MYQHHenhA/s320/SydneyBirdakaUna.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><p></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A seasoned performer, having trained from the age of eight, he was just sixteen when he fell to his death. His name was Sydney Bird but he was known professionally as ‘Una The Human Fly’. (In Victorian times it was not uncommon for aerialists to adopt a woman’s name – perhaps it gave audiences an extra thrill to witness females risking death forty feet above the ground, and Sydney, so young and with long golden hair, could still play the part.)</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Years later, with a dozen books already written and published, I knew I had to write about Una, and so I began The Boy Who Could Fly, in which there is a supernatural link between the real life Victorian aerialist and Jamie Bird, a fictitious descendant orphaned during the WW2 blitz of Liverpool in 1941, who is determined to follow in his footsteps.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">When Jamie runs away to join a travelling circus, I had to do a lot of research. Travelling circuses had it hard in wartime England. They lost many of their performers to the Armed Forces, to weapons factories and to the mines, becoming the Bevan Boys and replacing miners who were recruited to fight the enemy. They lost performers with even a hint of German or Italian blood to the internment camps where they remained for the duration of the war. They struggled to feed their animals on their microscopic rations. Travelling between sites at night, they had to cover their headlamps, leaving just a narrow strip to light their way in the overall blackness, and there were frequent accidents. Many circuses had to close down, never to re-open. I also researched the Blitz, particularly how it affected my home city, Liverpool, and how the newly homeless survived. And of course, as I’ve never swung on a trapeze except in my dreams, I had to extensively research Jamie’s training and eventual success as a flyer!</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had intended this book for older children and teenagers, but in fact it’s proved of interest to adults too, including those old enough to remember their childhood during WW2. I hope you’ll enjoy it. THE BOY WHO COULD FLY is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-65368040834235968022022-05-23T18:06:00.002+01:002022-05-23T18:06:51.064+01:00<p> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: x-large;">BOOKS AND THEIR COVERS - WHICH COME FIRST?</span></p><br />Ask a dozen writers about their writing methods and you'll get a dozen different answers. Some start with an interesting character, others with a situation or a crime or a location. Some start at the beginning, others write the final chapter first, some plan every chapter meticulously before they begin, others just get started and see where it leads them.<br /><br />Being a compulsive writer, my mind is usually buzzing with ideas for the next book before I've finished the previous one - rather like a chocoholic eating the last chocolate in the box and already eyeing a new unopened box.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjga2qM4mFtdhihnXtMNk-1p6w44tJqu2JxDTzl9URTjiAtls7F_q96jtZoaFnO4YcB5UjyubSBsYoHXQAUsnLkg0I9bFFjojaORb-MLBjOS4JgOE3SYOHCLuMnkCQjmmsjqVLYrdOeaJRpcDfdZ_V3tBTPCtvNLg53hXRqOysIgC9kEcdMBaEkTa4wxw/s2000/BOYWHOCOULDFLY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjga2qM4mFtdhihnXtMNk-1p6w44tJqu2JxDTzl9URTjiAtls7F_q96jtZoaFnO4YcB5UjyubSBsYoHXQAUsnLkg0I9bFFjojaORb-MLBjOS4JgOE3SYOHCLuMnkCQjmmsjqVLYrdOeaJRpcDfdZ_V3tBTPCtvNLg53hXRqOysIgC9kEcdMBaEkTa4wxw/s320/BOYWHOCOULDFLY.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />I tend to write the first three or four chapters of a new story in a rush of enthusiasm and then pause to think where it's going. And then, quite often I'll put it aside while I design a cover, which I find hard work but great fun.<br /><br />Once the cover's finished (although I might change it at some stage during the book's progress) I can get on with the manuscript.<br /><br />If you're planning to self publish with Amazon KDP, you'll have just two options: pay a professional designer to design the cover or do it yourself. If you decide to have a go, it need not cost you anything. Paintnet.com is an excellent free graphics programme (I use it all the time) and you don't need to be an accomplished artist, although you do need an eye for design and balance.<br /><br />Using a marked-out template (supplied by Amazon to the size of your proposed book) you can import images, download your choice of fonts, select background colours and a host of graphic effects. It's all free - and if you're not happy with the result, all you've wasted is your time<br />However, if the above is more than you want to attempt, Amazon supplies a number of free designs, where all you have to do is change the wordage (title, author and blurb).<br /><br />Finally, you can check out Fiverr, an international online organisation, and hire a professional designer to create your cover (prices from under £20!).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-83319113838367079692022-05-23T11:43:00.000+01:002022-05-23T11:43:10.785+01:00<h2 style="text-align: left;"> <b><span style="font-size: x-large;">How Not To Write For Mills & Boon!</span></b></h2><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A couple of decades ago I was teaching a Creative Writing class and
one of the students asked me if I would lead a session on writing for
Mills & Boon.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
I’d never been a reader of pure distilled romance, so I went to the
library and grabbed an armful of M&B plus some Barbara Cartland
for good measure, and took them to the counter. I felt really
embarrassed. ‘These aren’t for me!’ I lied to the assistant.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhmgTM2jmqZIfWj7egpOqV4NvCd5w2p__HXG1czrk__cM_XAzm99lpd_XMzJyN51qBpXEaWIAReUHQWEn232uJm2ChQoP5P7y78Itgw6oSMdjeiAcJjZ1r8XxczCWLuF21j__6HcH2ERJvBbZA0ktvv0bNMf50o31bfAnve5DCIDQ4dmpeceM6-M4Tw/s2400/TRB%20Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhmgTM2jmqZIfWj7egpOqV4NvCd5w2p__HXG1czrk__cM_XAzm99lpd_XMzJyN51qBpXEaWIAReUHQWEn232uJm2ChQoP5P7y78Itgw6oSMdjeiAcJjZ1r8XxczCWLuF21j__6HcH2ERJvBbZA0ktvv0bNMf50o31bfAnve5DCIDQ4dmpeceM6-M4Tw/s320/TRB%20Cover.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">
Anyway, the following week we had a fairly in-depth look at the
requirements for this genre. (Some of the blokes in the group had
stayed away. I hoped they’d be back the following week.)</span><p></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Meanwhile, back home, I decided to write my own M&B novel.<br />
</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
The premise was ridiculous enough. The owner of a large manufacturing
company had died, leaving the factory to his two favourite employees
(male and female, I should say – I don’t think M&B were into
anything other in those days) ON CONDITION that the two married –
and remained married for the following 5 years. </span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
I really enjoyed writing the book. In addition to the love/hate
relationship between him and her, I’d included a potential strike
at the factory, industrial espionage, domestic abuse and a mother
crippled with arthritis.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Needless to say, Mills & Boon rejected my effort. ‘You need to
focus on the two main characters,’ they said. ‘They must appear
in every scene, and every scene should affect their relationship.’</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>THE RELUCTANT BRIDE </b><span style="font-weight: normal;">is the
first book I published on Amazon, and it’s still getting readers.
Paperback £5.99, Kindle £2.38 (USA $8.91/$2.99)</span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-45363653827505471122022-05-12T10:06:00.000+01:002022-05-12T10:06:40.474+01:00<p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">THE FUNCTION OF WRITING GROUPS</span></b></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Writing is a solitary business. Your head may be crowded with characters who become like family to you, but to write well, to concentrate, most of us need to be alone. Not necessarily alone in an empty room with the door locked, but alone at a table in a coffee bar or on a vacant bench in a park, or on a solitary walk from your home to your office (complete with notebook or phone, of course, to scribble down or dictate those brilliant ideas that fly into your head - and just as quickly fly out again if you don't record them right away).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But I believe it's equally important to meet and liaise with other writers, for mutual support but also to share problems, obtain other points of view and focus on the mechanics of writing. I currently head two small groups, a mix of experienced writers and absolute beginners. I think we all gain something from them, and I really recommend that you search for one in your area. If you can't find a local group, why not start your own?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If geographically this isn't possible, there are also, of course, many online groups, some quite small and specific, others worldwide, but all welcoming new members and eager to share their knowledge and provide answers to your questions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-83323925306719121892022-05-07T10:20:00.001+01:002022-05-07T10:20:00.169+01:00PROGRESS REPORT FOR 'HOW TO WRITE FICTION'<p> <b><span style="font-size: large;">WATCH THIS SPACE!</span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5MaTA7uW4xXwq5hDnLs2gd_3QaiLLH3VtSnguoyK8l1wrn3ZwMhqHsebpddexDiiQ48QFhm8fLBknKd4zSqZNQQebtzOZ2Rpr3QSqeUDmEGYb86fxCgXGX8BvypcWDLMU4B48vh_wBI_5qJQa4_HCuHagqRrDiLvHnzmxaMz3ak3STnrEDsAIsXVpA/s1280/22218540_826103857553617_8419422267515949613_o_826103857553617.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5MaTA7uW4xXwq5hDnLs2gd_3QaiLLH3VtSnguoyK8l1wrn3ZwMhqHsebpddexDiiQ48QFhm8fLBknKd4zSqZNQQebtzOZ2Rpr3QSqeUDmEGYb86fxCgXGX8BvypcWDLMU4B48vh_wBI_5qJQa4_HCuHagqRrDiLvHnzmxaMz3ak3STnrEDsAIsXVpA/s320/22218540_826103857553617_8419422267515949613_o_826103857553617.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am revamping and extending my book for beginners</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> (How To Write Fiction, currently available as an e-book</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on Amazon)</span></p><div data-block="true" data-editor="d16fn" data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The new version will include further writing aid plus a section on self publishing and promotion. As some of you know, I've written and published fourteen books on Amazon (all as Kindle e-books, most also as paperbacks). I taught myself firstly to use a computer (as I'm not of the generation to have used one at school) and later to use a graphics programme to design my covers. It was a steep learning curve but I hope I can pass on some tips.</span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you have any other 'wants' or suggestions, please contact me.</span></span></div><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span data-offset-key="fffbg-0-0"><br /></span></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="d16fn" data-offset-key="aajcq-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="aajcq-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;"><span data-offset-key="aajcq-0-0"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Watch this space! </span></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-20697882206627247402022-05-04T17:02:00.001+01:002022-05-04T17:02:00.154+01:00<p> <b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">WHAT TO LEAVE OUT OF YOUR STORY</span></b></p><p>If you're new to writing, the danger is more often to write too much rather than too little. It makes no difference whether you're writing a 90,000 word novel or a 1000 word short story, unnecessary detail, information or dialogue will slow down, irritate, distract or bore the reader, so here are some points to bear in mind.</p><p>DIALOGUE: We all discuss the weather, or what we ate last night, or how our offspring is doing at school, but none of these things is relevant UNLESS IT AFFECTS THE PLOT, eg the weather hints at a coming hurricane which will then prevent our main character taking a ferry to Spain, or the prospective bridegroom ate a couple of dead mussels that night and therefore won't make the wedding, or a teenager will be arrested for burning down the school lab, which will explain why Dad goes on one drinking binge too many and Mum packs a suitcase, which therefore explains ......... It's all about consequences. So, cut out the small talk. Dialogue should seem natural, but every word should advance the story.</p><p>CHARACTER INFORMATION: Some creative writing books recommend you create a CV for each of your main characters so that you know them inside out. This isn't my way, but lots of authors do it. But however you get to know your characters, do you need to download it all for your readers? Ration the details you pass on - you might be surprised how few you need to explain how someoe behaves, reacts, emotes.</p><p>SETTINGS: A friend of mine happened to spend a lot of time in an exotic setting. He decided to make it the setting for his first novel, and while there he amassed notebooks full of information about the place, the people, the economics, the history, etc. Sadly, he put so much of it in his novel that it became virtually unreadable. It's tempting to include all you've learned but you have to resist. From all those notebooks, try to extract the essence of a place. A few well chosen snippets slipped in here and there will usually do the trick.</p><p>I could go on and on - but then, I don't want to bore you!</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-4337587748971740982022-05-02T17:00:00.000+01:002022-05-02T17:00:35.266+01:00<p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> SHORT OF IDEAS? TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEEKEND NEWSPAPERS</span></b></p><p>I took the following headlines from those querky little 'fillers' that editors employ to fill the gaps on their pages.</p><p><b><i>Husband wins £25,000 for 'bereavement' after wife tricked him into believing the children he raised from birth were his, rather than the product of her affairs.</i></b></p><p><b><i>American farmer is eaten by his own pigs.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Mother ran brothel to pay for school fees.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Sex change wife murdered after husband discovered she used to be a man.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Scientists' 10-year tree experiment chopped.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Teacher shoots dead his own son in burglary.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Coma mother loses 13 years of memories.</i></b></p><p><b><i>Pub landlord's dilemma over body in the gents' toilet</i></b></p><p><i><b>French deer hunter shot by own dog.</b></i></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-53080486075868088762021-11-30T14:20:00.000+00:002021-11-30T14:20:37.498+00:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkIbUe3WfKdZ4YBJg9RUZB6iy0KE27b9aujnM0JKA0FsixnFu5iavOSAV57pZk6XguLBu4klPH_-2EVRiySrzNkDvccarR-xaJDHXK1fuwpLZcRfF5srQ6YdM2EbkyVTHNx5zs3b_kTZe/s1061/XMASBOOKSPOSTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="803" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkIbUe3WfKdZ4YBJg9RUZB6iy0KE27b9aujnM0JKA0FsixnFu5iavOSAV57pZk6XguLBu4klPH_-2EVRiySrzNkDvccarR-xaJDHXK1fuwpLZcRfF5srQ6YdM2EbkyVTHNx5zs3b_kTZe/s320/XMASBOOKSPOSTER.jpg" width="242" /></a></div> No extra words for this post - just a note that between now and Christmas I'll be giving 25% of my royalties to a local charity. <p></p><p><br /></p><p> hope you'll enjoy reading or giving one or two to someone else. You'll find more information and a 'read inside' facility on Amazon for each book.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy Christmas!<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-44145947576002161682021-10-24T20:08:00.000+01:002021-10-24T20:08:01.567+01:00<h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: x-large;">NEW BOOK COVERS</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you look at my Book Page, you'll see that my latest novel for middle grade kids, THE BOY WITH MY FACE (published June 2021), has a new cover. This will be the third. For various reasons I wasn't satisfied with the previous two (and I can't be sure I'll be satisfied with the latest one) but sometimes I just can't stop fiddling!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I've also changed both the cover and the title of another of my books. AFFAIR WITH AN ANGEL is now titled EMAILS FROM HEAVEN, and I've brought back my original drawing of Zoe, the heroine. I changed the title partly because I felt it gave the wrong impression. This is far from being the usual meet-up between male and female, and the 'Will they/won't they?' question. It actually poses a lot of theological questions - albeit in a slightly irreverent, but humorous way - and there's a mysterious twist at the end! </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">AND ANOTHER BOOK (my 15th)</span></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's still just a pile of scribbled notes, but once again it will be about Heaven and Hell - although this time the humour will be really dark, and the sins much more weighty. Don't bother watching this space - I will be having my usual battle between hunching over my laptop to churn out chapters, and the pressing demands of the house and garden.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-37787242075349416332021-10-23T11:22:00.000+01:002021-10-23T11:22:28.084+01:00<p><span style="font-size: large;">I'VE JUST FORMED A NEW WRITERS' GROUP!</span></p><p>Before Covid and lockdowns I hosted two writers' groups, each with up to ten members. Sadly, we had to disband and I've missed them so much. However, now I and my old and new friends are all double vaccinated, we have a new group which for the forseeable future is restricted to six members. Perhaps, if the time ever comes when we can raise two fingers to Covid, we can enlarge it again but meantime it's such a joy to get together and talk about our favourite subject - writing.</p><p>Our second meeting takes place next week and the main topic will be 'Settings' and how the choice of house, dwelling or habitat can trigger your creation of characters. I'm reminded of an old television programme 'Through The Keyhole' and the question 'Who lives in a house like this?'</p><p>Even in this small group, we are a mix - novelists, short story writers, children's illustrated book creators, and those still in the early stages of their writing life, and that should spark some lively discussions.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-75880357910436120782021-06-28T10:34:00.000+01:002021-06-28T10:34:03.283+01:00<p> <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>My D</b></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span lang="en-US"><b>oppelganger</b></span></span></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMtzKO2C13kP21QpzPIo-0OjfwHWm3Pd62-xX80l701nEOOoPa1yEMwPq9mCWHkKoD7uASzVc5u-qAMesUwZknBNqIu-SMrFmhjwRVZZ5_HmuXhYSIsNXWgFEm6Bpjm9Q5JCUO6iC7H7H/s1786/BOYbookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1786" data-original-width="1119" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMtzKO2C13kP21QpzPIo-0OjfwHWm3Pd62-xX80l701nEOOoPa1yEMwPq9mCWHkKoD7uASzVc5u-qAMesUwZknBNqIu-SMrFmhjwRVZZ5_HmuXhYSIsNXWgFEm6Bpjm9Q5JCUO6iC7H7H/w125-h200/BOYbookcover.jpg" width="125" /></a> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>Many decades ago, in the days
before discos, I discovered I had a Doppelganger. I was catching my
breath between dances when this girl popped up beside me. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">‘<span>Hello!’ she said.
‘Haven’t seen you for ages. How’s your poor Mum?’</span></span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Well, Mum had had a slight
cold but she was well past the sodden tissue stage. I didn’t
recognise the girl but I’d never been good at putting names and
faces together, so ‘She’s fine,’ I said.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The girl – Miriam, I found
out - went on to mention various friends we had in common. I’d
never heard of any of them but I spent so much time with my head
buried in books that I could easily have mislaid a few acquaintances.
So I went along with it and we had quite a nice chat. </span></p><p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the next couple of months
we bumped into each other several times and I got quite skilled at
picking up clues and discussing our mutual ‘friends’. The last
time I saw Miriam I was lying on a stretcher, having given blood and
feeling quite drained, when I heard a voice from the next stretcher.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
‘Hello! Fancy meeting you
here!’ It was Miriam.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">The chances of </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-US">having
an</span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> exact
double are estimated at up to three trillion to one, and I never did
discover the identity of my Doppelganger, our mutual friend, but more
than half a century later the memory led me to write my latest novel.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
‘The Boy With My Face’ is
the story of Simon, a lonely 13-year-old who sees a photo in a
newspaper of a runaway who looks exactly like him. It’s a gripping
and emotional family mystery, full of plot twists and cliffhangers.</span></p>
<p align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">For readers of 12 years and
upwards, it’s available from Amazon in both paperback and e-book.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-7910487909495259692020-09-05T11:29:00.001+01:002021-06-01T07:39:07.610+01:00AN ALPHABET OF SILLY VERSE - LETTERS A TO D<div class="separator"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd92sKhyphenhyphenim8ZzhYQ5XVVBaRJDL72Ezb8OgqE-MBSE317crLqdI4zijaTC-FFHrhH_zI2jgj6Yp9b4-uLRl1nZ7sQIJHLPsYGM4e3It8gQ34O7O1LkXXvpNwqzF4LTZXRMHrwBM07ZQBiCw/s442/FBCentipede.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="397" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd92sKhyphenhyphenim8ZzhYQ5XVVBaRJDL72Ezb8OgqE-MBSE317crLqdI4zijaTC-FFHrhH_zI2jgj6Yp9b4-uLRl1nZ7sQIJHLPsYGM4e3It8gQ34O7O1LkXXvpNwqzF4LTZXRMHrwBM07ZQBiCw/w229-h256/FBCentipede.jpg" width="229" /></a></div><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA7qnDJkbRSgbGp1NlaHYEgkOJNx71RbNV9OTyLGU7mrB4Sk9jFQL-SPkfqINSO2__Q5KUx0CIGYGhIi3GOTKknfiZAShgVcxQ4OHud3DgsizBC-AAfCYLe9QnDycbMsfSto9fgibtoIF/s320/FBBryonyinBlackSatin.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">A Break from Novel Writing</span></h2><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Sometimes we writers need a break from short story or novel writing, and for me an escape into poetry does the trick. My Alphabet Of Silly Verse is something I put together over two decades ago - I even created the illustrations - and I had a lot of fun. There are openings for poetry nowadays - WRITING Magazine, for example, has a large central section devoted to it, plus monthly competitions - so why not have a go?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">There are 26 verses to my Alphabet - doh! - with some, but not all, having illustrations attached. I'm hoping to include them all in this blog over a period of time. Meanwhile, here are the first four:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">An albatross called Arnold, a bird of great renown,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Was spotted over Heathrow flying upside down.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">As he flapped above the runways causing chaos on the ground,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">An Air Controller shouted out 'Clear off, you great white clown!'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">We've no place here,' he angrily cried, 'for silly aerobatics.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">If only it didn't bring bad luck I'd soon cut short your antics!'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Babe in black satin, dressed in mother's clothes,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A shiny scarlet sequin gummed upon her nose.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Babe in black satin, beads hung on her chest,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Bumps of socks and handkerchiefs stuffed inside her vest.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">A centipede called Caesar was locked inside a freezer</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">With fifty chilly carcasses of beef.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">When at last he was defrosted he was somewhat maladjusted</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">And had a hundred chilblains on his feet.,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">In a dug-out west of Eden lived a daemon - don't say 'demon' -</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">Of his dipthong he was obstinately proud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">His real name was David but he wrote it D-AE-VID</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;">And perpetually spelled it out aloud.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-46950512760447283942020-08-17T16:25:00.000+01:002020-08-17T16:25:00.278+01:00SELF PUBLISHING - HOW TO GET YOUR NOVEL NOTICED - PART FIVE<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">THE ALL-IMPORTANT BLURB</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is the short account of your book on its Amazon page (or on the back cover of a paperback) which every potential purchaser reads. Amazon allows you quite a lot of space for it. 2600 characters, no less, which is roughly 500 words, and it's tempting to use the lot. But control yourself! The blurb should be a teaser, not a spoiler. It should tempt, give clues, create the book's atmosphere - but it should not be a precis. It shouldn't tell the whole story. It shouldn't give away the plot, and it definitely shouldn't disclose the ending!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Many writers find it difficult to compose, but remember it's there to intrigue, to lure, to hint. Sometimes just a few lines will suffice, sometimes you'll need a few paragraphs. There are no rules. and you may have to make several attempts before you're satisfied. Look for other books in the same genre as your own. How do their writers tackle this difficult task? Examples are probably the most direct way of learning what you should or shouldn't write. </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Here are a few of my own:</span><br />
<br />
THE BOY WHO COULD FLY<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A bomb hit Jamie Bird's house during WW2, killing both his parents and trapping Jamie beneath the rubble for hours. Half conscious, he dreamed of flying through the air on a swing with long, long ropes, and the dream comforted him.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now his only relative is an elderly great-aunt a long train journey away, who agrees reluctantly to give him a new home. There, hidden away in a suitcase full of faded photographs he discovers a Victorian circus poster depicting a young trapeze artist. When he learns that the 16 year old flyer, known as 'Una', was his great-aunt's brother, killed tragically while performing in 1891, Jamie's dreams become more frequent and obsessive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When he visits his first circus he realises this is what he wants to be. A flyer like Una. And when his great-aunt threatens to send him to boarding school he decides to run away. To the circus.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A magical adventure story for 10 to 14 year old readers.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">THE GIRL IN THE ATTIC</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A moving story about two girls, one dead, one alive. Seventy six years ago Marshbank was home to young Helen Aylsbury. When writer Abi and her family move to the abandoned Edwardian mansion the ghost of Helen longs to make Abi her friend, but how can she contact her, and how can she keep all the others away? As Helen becomes more possessive and her powers increase, accidents begin to happen. And through Abi's writing, Helen's terrible story begins to emerge.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">AFFAIR WITH AN ANGEL</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Zoe Harper is dead. Everyone tells her so. But Heaven's newest arrival has no intention of remaining there. She is 20 years old, in the throes of a new romance and has a brand new career in journalism - so new that she hasn't even collected her first month's salary.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Zoe is determined to return to Earth, regardless of any obstacles placed in her way, the most notable of these being her appointed guardian angel, Trevor, 8000 years old but still gorgeous.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But in the meantime, she’s writing her Armchair Guide to Heaven.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">For instance, would anyone on earth know you can still get a Full English Breakfast - without the risk of a clogged artery? That angels don’t have wings and are more likely to wear white jeans and a medallion than frilly white gowns? That the newly dead arrive by cruise boat, train or even flying carpet?</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">As for sex - well, Zoe is still investigating that possibility. And her sights are set on Trevor.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Zoe's experiences are by turn funny, moving and sometimes frightening, but she's not going to give up.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">CABBAGE BOY</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Nick is an unlikely hero. Almost sixteen, he longs to be taller, braver, more athletic, more popular with the girls, more one of the guys. He also suspects that he's the only one in the class who's still a virgin. Let's face it, he's a worrier, with more than a dash of OCD. At home he cleans up his messy sister's bedroom, colour codes his Mum's spice jars and his Dad's garden equipment, measures various parts of his anatomy every Sunday morning and has to have his Full English Breakfast arranged in the same order each week. Life brightens when he finds a girlfriend and falls in love with her. They've been together for four weeks and he's kissed her eighteen times, according to his notebook. But when Nick meets a strange and scary mutant and is forced to protect and hide him, his life becomes unbearable. Who can he turn to for help? Mum and Dad are busy line dancing, big sister Becca has lost interest and his girlfriend Chloe has moved on to a handsome six-footer who's captain of the school football team. As for friends, Nick doesn't 'do' friends. Or rather, they don't do him.This is a story full of humour, warmth and tragedy.It's about beauty and ugliness, about kindnness and cruelty, and about prejudice and understanding.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">THE FLOATER (Here's a really brief one for an anthology of short stories)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">A collection of eight tales of the macabre and the unexpected.</span><br style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">THE FLOATER and THE SMILE have a hint of the supernatural. DOING IT ONESELF describes a beautifully satisfying revenge. In I KNEW IT WAS YOU a man is pursued by an unlikely stalker.</span><br style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Some of the stories are dark, some humorous, others just ... odd.</span><br style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Some are for the nighttime, others might go nicely with afternoon tea.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
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26<br />
00 characters , say roughly 500 wordsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-75056176412676875472020-08-10T11:00:00.000+01:002020-08-10T11:00:06.431+01:00SELF PUBLISHING - PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT - PART FOURYOUR FINAL DRAFT - HOW CAREFULLY HAVE YOU CHECKED IT?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's easy to overlook repetitions, omissions, name changes and other clangers in your eagerness to get your book out there. These are the concern of an editor - and if you're self publishing, you may well be your own editor - so here are a few pointers:</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVb6Fg8dvAePSMABlrWU_tYUNp6J-Ts7UvsXxQWhohqSTxiHcL4p2NEKXrI_auqcLi3lGjYj_iiPvyibuEMpt-dLZ6xaIAY4dENH1NIkgJc0KOA1BAZfP1ZxwAjUwnEWDNLNAi9GY5u-5/s1600/REVISIONPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="352" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrVb6Fg8dvAePSMABlrWU_tYUNp6J-Ts7UvsXxQWhohqSTxiHcL4p2NEKXrI_auqcLi3lGjYj_iiPvyibuEMpt-dLZ6xaIAY4dENH1NIkgJc0KOA1BAZfP1ZxwAjUwnEWDNLNAi9GY5u-5/s200/REVISIONPIC.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">TIME SCALE: Check back and see if you've allowed enough time for all the events to take place. For instance, one of my children's novels was set during the school summer holiday. You might find you need to extend the holiday into October, or even November, for the story to reach its conclusion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">CHANGING THE NAMES OF CHARACTERS: It can happen to the most experienced of writers. For whatever reason, you decide part way through your story to change someone's name - quite often because you've got to know your character intimately and realise the name just doesn't suit him/her. It's more than likely that you'll miss one or two as you comb through manually. By all means do this, but also use FIND & REPLACE to ensure none have slipped through unchanged. Using Tom changing to Meredith as an example,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> select Tom, Tom's, TOM, "Tom" and any others you can think of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">TYING UP LOOSE ENDS: Have you left any of your minor characters in suspense? If a burglar tied up the Jones's cleaning lady and dumped her in a cupboard during Chapter 2, is she still there, abandoned and suffering agonising cramp?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">PUNCTUATION, SPACING, ETC, ETC: I'm almost ashamed to print this review (see below), but it was my very first book to be self-published (in 2015), and I've learned a lot since. The book (THE MYSTERY OF CRAVEN MANOR) is now a best seller and gains mostly 5 star reviews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #111111;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111;">I know it's tedious, but it really is important to proof-read your book at least three times before you submit it for publication. (For the final check, toggle Formatting Marks to catch all the above print errors). I have now made corrections - actually, 11 of them in a total of 170 pages, but enough to irritate one reader sufficiently to put a negative review on Amazon.</span></span><br />
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<a class="a-size-base a-link-normal review-title a-color-base review-title-content a-text-bold" data-hook="review-title" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/customer-reviews/RM9DR732415XI/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1508777160" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 700 !important; line-height: 19px !important; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Where is the proof reading?!?!</span></a><br />
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<span class="a-size-base review-text review-text-content" data-hook="review-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px !important;">Very good book with an engaging plot. My 9 year old really enjoyed it and so did I. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />HOWEVER, it is riddled with typos and ridiculous errors such as speech marks inverted, upside down apostrophes</span> </div>
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and double full stops! These occur so frequently that it seriously detracts from the story itself.</div>
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<span class="a-size-base review-text review-text-content" data-hook="review-body" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 19px !important;">Might have been wise to have someone proof read the book before it was published!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-90088256003595249292020-08-03T07:00:00.000+01:002020-08-03T07:00:04.663+01:00SELF PUBLISHING - HOW TO GET YOUR NOVEL NOTICED - PART THREE<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR BOOK COVER</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can't stress enough how essential this is. The wrong title, the wrong image(s), the wrong design, the wrong colours: all these can affect sales of your novel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Heavens, I've made enough mistakes myself, so I do know what I'm writing about!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2Mfmfh8JidGO8ftLMu6-gdbTNvkVxMKQ0CdZa3u8YeIoX2fb0uC63zPZn43X4Z2Dn7nHz_6mNnjrCQeeQPVyXRfbgBQZF8Wo8kRaKspsWenV2Ru_1-o5vhyjm3S20uYsJDGwxouiu1gp/s1600/MysteryCMANOR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2Mfmfh8JidGO8ftLMu6-gdbTNvkVxMKQ0CdZa3u8YeIoX2fb0uC63zPZn43X4Z2Dn7nHz_6mNnjrCQeeQPVyXRfbgBQZF8Wo8kRaKspsWenV2Ru_1-o5vhyjm3S20uYsJDGwxouiu1gp/s200/MysteryCMANOR.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's probably easiest to explain by example, so here's one of of mine that gets noticed, and one that doesn't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">THE MYSTERY OF CRAVEN MANOR. This is my most successful book, an adventure story for middle range children, and I think the following are what makes it attract attention:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">a) The word 'Mystery' in the title.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">b) The name of the house (Craven - fearful)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">c) The house in darkness, all bar a few lit windows - creates atmosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">d) The night sky, with just a few stars. (The stars were actually incorporated in the font that I chose.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These all say what's in the tin, and the whole effect is atmospheric.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqf5FuTzrmwzoBA_apTpjAqhiv376WEJ39ymx0rQNMlJ3q94fidpxi2Lx_723EwZBvTXcfQvQAaxF9_0LBZh3aDGCJjHHoKxrN8YA3IamRfVWO8ICJAOR2ukMGPJiO1ITt6wquj2O04He/s1600/jpegCharliebookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="864" data-original-width="576" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqf5FuTzrmwzoBA_apTpjAqhiv376WEJ39ymx0rQNMlJ3q94fidpxi2Lx_723EwZBvTXcfQvQAaxF9_0LBZh3aDGCJjHHoKxrN8YA3IamRfVWO8ICJAOR2ukMGPJiO1ITt6wquj2O04He/s200/jpegCharliebookcover.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ME, DINGO AND SIBELIUS</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book is one of my own favourites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's about a single, thirty-something young woman, a lowly care worker in a retirement home, still a virgin and the only one of her gorgeous all-female family who looks like her Dad.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a feel-good, romantic success story, but you'd never guess it from the title and cover.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is Dingo a dog? Is it a biography of a composer? Is it about the legal profession?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nothing explains the story. The all-black cover is not exactly inviting, the small image of a Will even less so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If I had the time and the energy I'd pull it out, design a new cover, choose a new title, and re-publish it. I did, h</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">owever, use black again (or rather, a series of darks) in THE GIRL IN THE ATTIC, but t</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">here the idea was to create mystery and atmosphere, and I hope it was effective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note: If you're publishing an Amazon, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">remember that book covers are shown as small thumbprints, so d</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">o make sure the words and images are sharp, clear and contrast well with the background.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can view all my other book covers on the MY BOOKS page above.</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(I will be posting more information about designing book covers in August, so please keep checking). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">NEXT TIME: PART FOUR - THE ALL-IMPORTANT BLURB</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-87749692410168122872020-07-27T09:24:00.000+01:002020-07-27T09:24:07.756+01:00SELF PUBLISHING - HOW TO GET YOUR NOVEL NOTICED - PART TWO<br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">CHOOSING THE RIGHT KEYWORDS</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">These are the search terms that direct potential readers to your book, and although they're not as visible as Amazon's classifications, they're equally important.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s1600/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="530" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s320/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">When you self-publish your book you can provide seven keywords (Note: each can be a single word or a phrase). Choose carefully. Remember there are literally millions of books available on Amazon. The more direct the path to yours, the better!)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">As with categories, keywords can be changed at any time, so if you're not satisfied with your initial choices, you can make a new selection. I do this frequently, in the hope of bringing my own books to the attention of new readers.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Below are some of my current choices for CABBAGE BOY, which is a humorous fantasy novel for teenagers.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z8zrMydFlj6phRadA85BDl6fuFD8HALIxoAyo_XnuR9BOu9QatKaig-cvhSG-esFb83MefO_nM-NCEIzhQK8paS2UZv8NHprIYAKchNSm4ZyTN-UDb_uhw3IuqlWq68e8ZCNGabhfim9/s1600/CABBAGEBOYFINALCOVERCS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5z8zrMydFlj6phRadA85BDl6fuFD8HALIxoAyo_XnuR9BOu9QatKaig-cvhSG-esFb83MefO_nM-NCEIzhQK8paS2UZv8NHprIYAKchNSm4ZyTN-UDb_uhw3IuqlWq68e8ZCNGabhfim9/s200/CABBAGEBOYFINALCOVERCS.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Family life - Obsessive compulsive disorder</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Teenage sex - Allotments - </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Line dancing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Mutants - DNA</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It's likely I'm still not on the best track, but I'm hoping that in a roundabout way these keywords might attract readers from the outer circle, ie parents</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">. My thinking is as follows: allotments, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">line dancing, DNA and obsessive compulsive disorder are subjects that their parents might </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">be investigating. Hopefully, they'll discover my book (either directly on Amazon books or through Google) and perhaps buy to read themselves and then pass on to their offspring. Pipe dreams perhaps?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Choosing keywords (and categories - see Part One) is time consuming and tedious, but necessary and helpful when you're in competition with so many other books (4.5 million last time I checked!)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">NEXT TIME: PART THREE - THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR BOOK COVER</span></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-80160254141516289012020-07-20T09:15:00.000+01:002020-07-20T09:15:14.219+01:00SELF PUBLISHING - HOW TO GET YOUR NOVEL NOTICED - PART ONE<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s1600/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="530" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s200/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">HOW TO CLASSIFY YOUR NOVEL</span></h2>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's easy to classify your books if you write a police procedural novel or a time travel fantasy or a conventional romance where two young people meet, hate and misunderstand each other but fall into each other's arms in the last chapter.<br /><br />But how do you classify a book which crosses over from one genre to another, or even a third - or (in the case of one of mine, The Family on Pineapple Island) can be read by parents to their youngest children, yet equally can be read by parents and grandparents for their own enjoyment?<br /><br /> There are books that defy any classification. Sometimes they are exceptional and become best sellers, but often they sink into oblivion. However, even if they fit a classification, it's still a writer's minefield.<br /><br /> If you're self-publishing via KDP, Amazon's publishing arm, take time to work through their quite comprehensive selection lists. It's helpful to select a category which at least directs readers on to the right path leading to your book. However, if it's a particularly popular category, readers might never reach your new baby.<br /><br /> Take ROMANCE as an example. There are thousands and thousands of novels in this category, listed in order of popularity, page after page after page. It's a known fact that the majority of potential readers give up on the list after scrolling through the first ten pages. So how will readers find your newly published novel? <br /><br />You can lessen the odds by choosing a sub-category, eg Romantic Comedy, or Romantic Historical or Romantic Contemporary, but these still include thousands of books already on sale. This is where keywords help (See Part Two).<br /><br /> You're allowed a second category. My novel AFFAIR WITH AN ANGEL is a sort of romance, but it's also a fantasy, as the title suggests. Check out this category (below). As you see, there are several options. Choose the one that's most specific - and if you're lucky, that may also be one where you're not competing with thousands of others. <br /><br />FANTASY:<br />General<br />Collections & Anthologies<br />Contemporary<br />Dark Fantasy<br />Epic<br />Historical<br />Paranormal<br />Urban</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It's a time-consuming exercise and you may never be completely satisfied, but the good news is that you can change your novel's categories at any time if you're not happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Interesting note</b>: The first 100 books in any category are listed as Best Sellers. I've not personally investigated but apparently there are some categories which contain fewer than 100 books. If your book fits into one of these categories it will automatically be classified as a best seller!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If you want to take this further, and have the time, check out the following links:<br /> <a href="https://www.kindleranker.com/articles/kdp-category-browser/">https://www.kindleranker.com/articles/kdp-category-browser/</a><br /><br /><a href="https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-choose-the-best-kindle-ebook-kdp-category/">https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-choose-the-best-kindle-ebook-kdp-category/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet"; font-size: medium;">NEXT TIME: PART TWO - CHOOSING THE RIGHT KEYWORDS</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet";"><br /></span></span>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-64095605276340639362020-07-13T07:00:00.001+01:002020-07-13T14:15:32.801+01:00FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS (COURTESY OF QUEEN)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GxNgmZXDaCQk76bN6kp7o6r8p7dVY1sclJzduqeapR0JdB2A30dTdp9g9gLYG3DKWSlEEjTDuMWmTS-jQ0AfuD9PVP_joVW7JmDI7K5jrTA_oFS-OU-32XphrpQZops8weHlLwxaD7W-/s1600/exercisebikewoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GxNgmZXDaCQk76bN6kp7o6r8p7dVY1sclJzduqeapR0JdB2A30dTdp9g9gLYG3DKWSlEEjTDuMWmTS-jQ0AfuD9PVP_joVW7JmDI7K5jrTA_oFS-OU-32XphrpQZops8weHlLwxaD7W-/s320/exercisebikewoman.jpg" width="265" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fat Bottomed Girls</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love all Queen's music but this is the piece I think of when I've had an extra long writing session at the laptop - sometimes up to three hours without moving a gluteus maximus.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yet after I've dragged myself away, exhausted, exercise isn't the first thing on my mind. Or even the second.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chocolate comes first, coffee second - or maybe a glass of wine. After that, even more exhausted, I throw myself down on the couch or the rug and watch something mindless on television.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I envy those writers who are blessed with an iron discipline and will set out for a five mile run or a ten mile cycle after a session. Are you one of them?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><u>Us</u>ually all I want to do when I've had my chocolate, coffee and wine is to get back to the laptop and write the next chapter -</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>OR </b> - write another blog post. And next week I'll be starting a new multi-part blog series on <b>HOW TO SELF-PUBLISH YOUR FIRST NOVEL (AND GET IT NOTICED). </b>I hope to cover as many aspects as possible, so if you have any comments or requests, please contact me or comment on this blog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-70042826043699356852020-07-06T07:00:00.000+01:002020-07-06T07:00:01.078+01:00HOW NOT TO WRITE ABOUT SEX<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s1600/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="530" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s200/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As
there was such a good response to my recent post ‘What’s Wrong
With Seniors Writing About Sex?’ I thought I’d carry on with a
bit of exploration along that track. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You may not be aware that an annual
prize has been awarded since 1993 for the worst description of a sex
scene in a novel. It’s the most notorious ‘booby’ prize in the
literary world (the worst offenders more often being male writers).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Previous nominees have included a famous horror author (Stephen King), an Oscar-nominated actor (Ethan Hawke), an Ivor Novello award winner (Nick Cave) and - surprisingly - a former Prime Minister (Tony Blair).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve put together a few of the more laughable or cringeworthy
examples. Here we go:</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
‘<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Victoria was like a deep
nocturnal forest that I strode through without knowing where I was
going, through woodland, amid ferns, under tall shivering trees, far
from any path. There were noises, puddles, odours, dampness, shapes
that vanished, treetops overhanging our bodies.’</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
‘<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He clung to her, crying, and then
made love to her and went far inside her and she begged him to go
deeper, and no longer afraid of injuring her, he went deep in mind
and body, among crowded organ cavities, past the contours of her
lungs and liver, and, shimmying past her heart, he felt her
perfection.’</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
‘<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I yearned again for the cogs of
her Iron Maiden to grind my glans around inside her like an opera
singer with a mouth lozenge.’</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This last one is more explicit, but
it did make me laugh!</span></div>
<div style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #222222;">‘<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
felt him aware of his size and weight. His care not to hurt her. She
moved to accommodate him and felt the blind probings before he
slipped inside her. He was bigger than she had remembered. She tilted
her hips and felt the weight of his balls on her... what? Small
expanse of skin between vagina and anus. Perineum – was that it?
Her mind screamed: Shut up, Lucy! You’re not doing the Cosmopolitan
crossword now.’</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You
can Google the Bad Sex in Fiction Award for more examples. These are
just a taster. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-71689663628991622882020-06-29T07:00:00.000+01:002020-06-29T07:00:07.314+01:00HOW A STORY IS BORN<br />
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">FROM FIRST THOUGHTS TO FINAL DECISIONS</span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
This month one of my short stories (All Of Us Here) won First Place and was
published in WRITING Magazine.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
I thought you might like to know the inside story of how it was
created.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
It started with a trigger dictated by the WRITING team. The first
line had to be “They weren’t like me.” After that your story
could run in any direction you chose, provided its length was no less
than 1500 words, no more than 1700 words. This allows the magazine to
feature it as a double page spread plus a pictorial heading and a
little blurb and photo of the author. (<i>WARNING: In case you're planning to enter a competition, this is a strict
rule. Never exceed the limit or fall short of the minimum wordage. If
you do, your submission will be binned!)</i>)</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNIvqzpVSFTtfNqGf6xqDuhCTYoag48YLLY40Jm3p0LEExooSK9xJ8NjYUoj2ReCagI4O-po7UKKzjtKy8XyQFbf1XIH4a9AF6rs4HHL50TU-ULoEGT_T524KBDPBgf5Ri9azg9HjYjOR/s1600/JoyandWritingMag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="952" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqNIvqzpVSFTtfNqGf6xqDuhCTYoag48YLLY40Jm3p0LEExooSK9xJ8NjYUoj2ReCagI4O-po7UKKzjtKy8XyQFbf1XIH4a9AF6rs4HHL50TU-ULoEGT_T524KBDPBgf5Ri9azg9HjYjOR/s200/JoyandWritingMag.jpg" width="198" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
At first I considered the obvious. A science fiction theme: alliens, creatures from
another universe. Or perhaps a fantasy: creatures half-human, half-amphibian, who lived in a sunken world. Then, closer to home, I thought about people from a distant part of the globe, aliens in my own country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And then I began
to think about people from the same family who had become alienated from each other.
There could be many reasons but I decided on abuse, perhaps because
it’s become so prevalent during lockdown. I thought about those who
had got away and those who were still trapped, how their
personalities might be affected, and how bitterness might arise
between them.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There had to be a meeting between them. Once I’d got that, my characters began to come alive. This doesn't happen with every story or novel, but when it does it's the most wonderful feeling. I can see them, hear them, anticipate their emotions and reactions.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When I started writing I had planned a happy ending, a new life for the last
victim. But I got to thinking of the devastating effect long term
abuse could have on its victim, how it could destroy confidence,
dissolve courage and optimism, and leave that victim still bound by
invisible chains.</span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" class="western" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So the ending was not what I originally intended, but it was the one my main character dictated, </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">and it surprised me as much as
it might surprise some readers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>(To read ALL OF US HERE, click above on the READ A SHORT STORY page. If you have any comments - or criticisms - please leave them here.)</i></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-5337337076304803672020-06-22T16:48:00.000+01:002020-06-22T16:48:01.940+01:00HOW TO WRITE DIALOGUE<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">DO ALL YOUR CHARACTERS SOUND ALIKE?</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s1600/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="530" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEish1xYdq1kTLtlw-girQ6OsSwu89n2639vHtnZ7CgL61ZOUYG_ErBPNBtvxA2BnJhcx5WJIeyWCgC5UfyJ4QU40V4PKTJbuuZfMihZS7fLj-rpERiv_nht400NnN8knUb0ogj3DgpMq1NO/s200/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" width="200" /></a>How do you distinguish one character's dialogue from
another? If you Google you'll find lots of authors and tutors giving
their suggestions. There's useful advice there and it's tempting to
apply it to characters all the way through the story but I think the
important point is to SUGGEST rather than to hammer the differences
home in every line of dialogue, which can become tedious and could
slow down the pace of your story.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On the other hand,
distinctive individual dialogue often develops as you get to know the
characters in your story, knowing them so well eventually that you
actually hear their voices inside your head!
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I thought I'd have
another look at some of my own writing and see if I could find some
examples. How about doing the same with your own work, isolating the
odd conversation from the story itself and seeing if it works? The
following, though, are mostly just single sentences.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'Delighted, my dear.
Take a pew.' This is a well-educated middle class older man.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'The guys all seemed so
juvenile, apart from the usual creepy gang of hasbeens with their
eyes on stalks.' A young woman, worldly but no longer a teenager.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'I ate half a
caterpillar once. It was sweet. Like sugar. One of those long thin
green ones, it was.' A small boy.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'That is a pity.
Because I do not think your parents will wish to entertain your
friend at this time.' An educated but non-English rather sinister
man.
</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'Child - you are a
child, are you not? Child, do you realise to whom you are speaking?'
A conceited pompous fantasy character.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'Dickheads! Fuckwits!
Arseholes! Just because a girl doesn't look like Beyonce, she doesn't
have to take that sort of crap!' An angry tearful seventeen year old
girl.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Normally it's not
really a good idea to use slang or jargon of the moment, because it
dates so quickly. Of course, if your story's set in the future you
could invent your own. Think of The Clockwork Orange (Anthony
Burgess).</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Individuality depends
on many things. A well educated, well read person will have a much
greater vocabulary at their fingertips, at the other extreme a kid
from a deprived area may struggle to find more than a few dozen
words, relying heavily on the F-word. An older person may use words
and phrases seldom heard amongst the younger generation and may - or
may not - be more polite, more tentative. Syntax - the order of words
in a sentence - may figure heavily. Grammar, dropped aitches and
gees, mispronunciation, rushed, self-interrupted or slow and
deliberate- all of these might be used, but again occasionally rather
than continually.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Dialect can be a
problem. likewise a character whose home language isn't English.
Suggest occasionally - and avoid cliches (Och aye! for a Scotsman,
n'est-ce-pas at the end of every sentence for a Frenchman. Syntax is
useful here, again used occasionally.</div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I hope this is helpful.
Setting it down has certainly helped me, making me think more deeply
about my own characters.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-16735119682534985562020-06-15T07:21:00.000+01:002020-06-15T07:21:02.102+01:00WHAT'S WRONG WITH SENIORS WRITING ABOUT SEX?<h2>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">WILL I STILL BE HERE?</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> As a magazine editor I was all too familiar with deadlines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWPzeERkdYJ8QJMFlPdmbgr7aXaSkyLMd5OgOupRzfru3WtwFUi7THg5gwH1n55KYoTzYRKRoURT-D02ix7qhDT5up2394olNrN_qfzuqnhwN_a7fs3tKFi3Lhy-XlXukz4be1QUaKeSn/s1600/ME2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="188" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWPzeERkdYJ8QJMFlPdmbgr7aXaSkyLMd5OgOupRzfru3WtwFUi7THg5gwH1n55KYoTzYRKRoURT-D02ix7qhDT5up2394olNrN_qfzuqnhwN_a7fs3tKFi3Lhy-XlXukz4be1QUaKeSn/s200/ME2.jpg" width="169" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">The monthly panic to finish an article, the frantic tracking down of an interviewee who'd wandered off before I'd obtained all the facts and figures, the photographs that had gone missing just before the final page design.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Now in my senior years deadlines have a different, more literal, meaning. I'm well aware that if I attempted an epic novel such as Wolf Hall, I might well fall off my perch before I'd completed the necessary research or written the first 100,000 words.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So, 70,000 to 90,000 words, characters as attractive and as flawed as Thomas Cromwell but with feet firmly planted in the modern world, a lot of conflict, a good sprinkling of humour and the odd sexual encounter to add spice. (What's wrong with seniors writing about sex? Comments invited.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So, I've put away any thoughts of becoming another Hilary Mantel. In the epic words of my granddaughter Katie: 'The problem is, Nana, will you still be here?'</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-40947642975345145312020-06-12T08:38:00.001+01:002020-06-12T08:38:18.380+01:00FINAL DAY FOR FREE DOWNLOAD<br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Friday 12 June - This is your last chance to order a free Kindle download of CABBAGE BOY. Tomorrow it returns to its full Amazon price.<br /><br />CABBAGE BOY, part funny, part tragic, is about misfits and mutations, and is suitable for adults and older children. If you ever felt the odd one out, the one on the fringes of the gang, you may relate to teenager Nick and his problems. (And if you enjoy line dancing, or cultivate an allotment, you'll warm to Nick's parents! I hope you enjoy it! Click on Amazon to download.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-zpJel0T_sXQMAwcIr9nVotE_8nhhgyPngAgnnPgKqnAB_FeBBWZCoHPiHmgJI3wV1TIdbC-QRvVMTqZHr1MQdiuTV9UiM9WIjdT1uLDOOn43hWD3sa7KBpfQvpfDOPZ-s_kpuHo6fOJ/s1600/CABBAGEBOYMYPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-zpJel0T_sXQMAwcIr9nVotE_8nhhgyPngAgnnPgKqnAB_FeBBWZCoHPiHmgJI3wV1TIdbC-QRvVMTqZHr1MQdiuTV9UiM9WIjdT1uLDOOn43hWD3sa7KBpfQvpfDOPZ-s_kpuHo6fOJ/s320/CABBAGEBOYMYPIC.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />This cabbage was presented to me on a writers' retreat </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">by fellow authors who had an artistic streak.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sadly, the cabbage was cooked and eaten the following night.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080670099952405679.post-32379446040731418382020-06-08T11:37:00.001+01:002020-06-08T11:37:40.875+01:00IF YOUR VILLAIN FALLS IN LOVE, CAN HE STILL BE A VILLAIN? <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Does your villain have a cruel smile, hooded eyes, terse speech? Is he pitiless? </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Okay, so he's a tired archetype.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Perhaps you've seen excerpts from old silent films? You know the scene: helpless heroine down on her knees - or maybe strapped to a railway line, the villain twirling his moustache and gloating at her predicament. It's all as black and white as the films themselves.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOaL-xTffDAOZNUxk9j4kxh7njhIAP-ncLmEzSJWYlhW2VpWtvamYAtgJviYHyeqtOjQKAQOCWlaZYkLM3kpTpkSON_oQzbTxA0QH5cV0S2ulissSWQ0UyhTfOk-8JFarxFW_UzmqWLve/s1600/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="530" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOaL-xTffDAOZNUxk9j4kxh7njhIAP-ncLmEzSJWYlhW2VpWtvamYAtgJviYHyeqtOjQKAQOCWlaZYkLM3kpTpkSON_oQzbTxA0QH5cV0S2ulissSWQ0UyhTfOk-8JFarxFW_UzmqWLve/s320/HOWTOSKETCH.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But in reality even the hardest of villains can have a soft centre, however bullet-proof its wrappings - and the search for it will engage your readers and make your story more memorable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, don't give all the goodies to your hero. Spend some time fleshing out your villain. He may have a wife or mistress - he treats her harshly, but he has a deep and tender love for their daughter; he may weep when he sees an animal in pain; he may be generous to down-and-outs; he may be moved to tears when he listens to Mahler's 5th Symphony; he may risk his life to save a drunken student being swept away downriver. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After that, give him (or her?) some small self-indulgences, weaknesses and irritations. Instead of sipping the most expensive brandy, have him eating a whole box of chocolates in one sitting; carefully smoothing his hair over that little bald patch; writing bad poetry; returning to his luxury apartment and sitting in lonely silence; worrying if that niggling ache is a bad omen or just indigestion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In other words, create a real human being whom your readers can, at least partly, identify with. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0