Gonna Be a Writer

No more fiction?

2011-08-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's been 5 weeks now since I've read any fiction. I decided as I sat down to reread a David Gemmell novel for the fifth time that I'm in a bit of a reading rut. Not that I don't like Gemmell, he's one of my favourite reads for a quiet afternoon but I'm not getting anything new.
So for 6 months-ish, or until sometime just before Christmas I'm not reading any more fiction. So far my reading list has included 2 autobiographys (Tina Fey and Stephen Fry), 1 gardening manual, a tiny percentage of a web programming manual, a guide to becomeing a freelance writer and 3 or 4 business books, mainly about sales and marketing.
I've also hit the library for some history books which are sitting on my table, a history of British Columbia and another on Napoleon.
Any other suggestions welcome.

It ground to a halt

2011-05-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

I was flying away with the novel, writing every day and then I just stopped. I realised I didn't care about my main character. I liked the story, the events, what he was doing but I just didn't give a shit about him.
Didn't like him, didn't hate him, didn't feel any pity or anything.
So I stopped.

Setting some time aside

2011-04-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

This is really helping. Working somewhere with no wireless internet and preferably with the phone off and of course a large mug of coffee helps. I found a writing group that meets up just to write. That's it. Write.
You go there, grab a coffee, say hello and then start writing. Say goodbye and leave.
I went on Saturday but the place was crowded and there was little or no chance of getting a seat. So I left and went next door where it was dead.
Just over a thousand words I think.
Today for lunch I took a half hour and hit somewhere between six and eight hundred words. This is really working.
So now ot find a favourite local coffee shop. Must have;
Good coffee

No wifi available
Preferably no cell reception
Very few customers and all of them quiet.
Oh and comfortable seats with tables the right height for laptops.

Should be easy to find.

Word count : 8,832

Keep it going

2011-04-08T10:01:00.001-07:00

It's been a slow week but it still keeps coming. I have a writing group meeting tomorrow so hopefully that will help. This is the part where it gets difficult, I think I really need to push to write at least 6 days out of 7 or I'll lose momentum.

Word count : 6998

More words

2011-03-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

The Descent is still coming along, still in that first exciting burst of a story where it has so much promise and seems to be going so easy. Wrote another page or two today.
Word count : 4903

Think that's the end

2011-03-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Descent as I may have mentioned I am writing in no paticular order. Today I wrote the last chapter or what may be spread out in parts and added to over the last few chapters. In any case what I think are the final words are now down on paper, or on a hard drive somewhere at least.

Word count : 4314, but I hope to get more done later today

The Descent

2011-03-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

I've been hit by the bug again and stuck into a new novel. I'm writing it as it comes, all piecemeal, a thousand words of the beginning, a few hundred in the middle a bit at the end and back to the beginning for another five hundred.
Current word count, 3297. I think this one will run longer than my last attempt and if the first draft gets completed somewhere in the region of 120,000 - 150,000 words.
To get there I need to get my daily count up form 500 - 800 to more 1000 - 1500. Wish me luck.

Nano time again

2010-10-26T16:56:00.001-07:00

It's almost November which means it's time to start thinking of 50,000 words in 30 days. National Novel Writing Month. Let the madness begin.

Yes, I know it's been a while since I blogged and this is a poor excuse for an entry, I'll try, really.

Writing groups

2010-07-22T19:09:00.001-07:00

Are they worth it or not? What do you think?

The many deaths of the Firefly brothers - Thomas Mullen

2010-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Again another book chosen at random at the library, The many deaths of the Firefly Brothers by Thomas Mullen.
Set in the middle of the depression, just after Dillenger was shot, the two Fireson brothers are Public Enemies number 1. Known as the Firefly gang they've been robbing banks all over America before they finally get shot in some small town. The novel starts off here as they wake up in the morgue of the local police station.
This isn't the first time they'll die either, more bank jobs, car chases and shoot outs and they're getting shot all over the place. It's a pretty good read, full of bootlegging bank robbing folk heros and their ladies as they try to figure out what is happening.
Recommended : Yes, 3.5 / 5

The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger

2010-07-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

I managed to while away an afternoon ot two in the sun with a copy of the excellent The Contortionist's Handbook by Craig Clevenger. This is at last me picking books at random from the library to review and luck was with me for this one.
It follows the story of our multi named hero, an expert forger, counterfeiter or as he calls himself contortionist. He changes names and identities after each time he OD's on painkillers (he suffers from severe headaches) and does this to escape from being locked up as a suicide risk.
It's a well laid out book, kept me turning the pages with a great story.
Recommened? Yes.

The Dreamers - David and Leigh Eddings

2010-06-30T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've gotten all four books of The Dreamers from my local library. What a disappointment. I used to love David Eddings work. The Belgariad was one of my favourite fantasy series and one of the first I read. Ok, the Mallorean was a kind of repeat and then the Elenium had much the same too.
This one takes the same characters, the same jokes and a slighlty different situation. It's not comfortable and familiar, it just doesn't work. Also it repeats within the books. So we see an event and then we see it again from some one elses perspective. But it repeats the explainations and the jokes.
Instead of the second time round 'Rabbit explained what happened' we get the full explaination. And the third time round.

So disappointed. If you want to love Eddings work check out The Belgariad.

Carnegie Medal

2010-06-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Neil Gaiman won the 2010 Carnegie medal for The Graveyard Book. If you haven't read this yet and are aged between 2 and 200 I'd recommend you check it out.

And another thing

2010-04-29T14:07:00.000-07:00

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has made it to part 6 of the trilogy now. Eoin Colfer takes over where Douglas Adams left off and continues Arthur Dent's travels through the galaxy. I wasn't sure if this would be any good, could anyone really follow in Douglas Adam's shoes?
Well yes, it's very good. There are a few signs of Colfers Irish background (I'm not sure the word eejit is known so well outside of Ireland) but in the main it continues very nicely from Adams original series.
Recommend it - yes.

Views of the future

2010-03-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've just finished reading two views of the future. Number one was a classic I've been meaning to read for ages,Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The next was one of my favourite books of all time, Futuretrack 5 by Robert Westall which can be hard to find. It's one of those books I read in a library years and years ago and then spent years searching for it when the internet came about. I eventually found it in an Amazon Z store.

Both I recommend. Farenheit 451 is great view of when we give up books in favour of interactive TV, kind of where we are going with the internet, but with more censorship.
Futuretrack 5 is when we seperate the classes, give the middle classes made up jobs like racing yachtsman, or pilot (one of hundreds of pilots vy to get to fly the concorde on it's one flight per month, all the real work is done by robots or techs). The lower classes are away behind wires with inventive ways to kill themselves (Futuretrack 5 is motorcylce racing on death traps). Meanwhile the government is trying to raise a new population who will live like it's the middle ages. In comes Kitson who ends up fleeing his tech life to race motorcycles and find out the truth. Great book.

43 days and counting

2010-02-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

It's only 43 days till Script Frenzy. The NanoWrimo of scripts. Got any ideas for a movie? A play? Sitcom maybe?
Or perhaps a graphic novel?

A new book.

2010-01-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, I didn't write anything apart from a ppostcard while I was away. A new idea though was bouncing around in my head and some details for a story (a series of 8 novels) came to me as I frolicked in the sun (isn't frolicked a great word?).
The original idea came to me while driving a month ago, but since then more and more parts have dropped in. Some I don't know why. Like London, it is set in London but I'm Irish and have never lived in London (England, not Ontario). Why it is set there I do not know.
Only today the fact that it is an 8 novel series (I guessed 5) came to me. It's like this book is already written and is coming to me. Like movies coming through in Terry Pratchet's Moving Pictures or Led Zepplin in Soul Music.
So today I started to put the ideas, the plot down on paper (an Open Office document). More bits came to me.

I am looking forward to this one, I hope it finishes.

The Shadowleague series - Maggie Furey

2010-01-25T16:43:00.000-08:00

While I was in Jamaica I read this series by Maggie Furey, The Shadowleague. It's a 3 book series about the world of Myrial where curtain walls built by the creators seperate diffent peoples and species almost like different worlds. Except now that they're failing it's up to the Shawoleague to put it all right.
It's not a bad series, not the best I've ever read but not bad at all. A bit pessimistic with it's view of people in power and a bit optimistic on their ability to change but overall worth the read.

Recommended : Yes, perfect for lounging by the pool

holiday reading list

2010-01-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

I'm off to Jamica for two weeks of doing SFA. That's about 14 books. Ok, 10 maybe. OK, however many I'm allowed to pack. What should I bring?

I was thinking the the Riftwar Saga from Raymond E Feist but then I went and started reading it again. The Serpentwar Saga maybe. Or I could go for David Gemmell, the Wolf in Shadow and the other 2 sequels. But he did not die.... like that was going to happen. Or I could check out books form the library that I've never heard of the author before.

Or I could get some writing done.

Choices choices choices.

Extreme Measures - Vince Flynn

2010-01-04T15:11:00.000-08:00

I've been busy and haven't had a chance to check out books by not so well known writers. While in Vegas I needed a book for lounging by the pool and picked up this book at a shop in the casino.

Extreme Measures: A Thriller (Mitch Rapp Novels)

Review : Crap.

Plot : Not sure.
What is the book about : Something like women should stay home and clean the kitchen because they're too soft minded to understand the need to torture anyone that might be a terrorist.

That's pretty much it.

Looking for work

2009-12-19T09:50:00.000-08:00

I've signed up for eLance to see if I can get any work writing. Most of the jobs seem to be writing blog articles to sell products or help placement on search engines, but hell, if it's a paying job then I'll go for it.

Ok ok

2009-12-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

... I know, I haven't been blogging. I haven't been writing much either. About the only thing new is I'm reading comic books, sorry, graphic novels. I never really got into these after the Beano and Dandy. Recently though I picked up 1 - 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8.

Now to say I'm a fan of Buffy would be an understatement and these are actually pretty darn good. So good I'm going to have to be nice to Santa and hope for the rest of the set. Or maybe Absolute Sandman which has come highly recommened. Comics, sorry, graphic novels haven't been this good since Korky the Cat or Watchmen.

Nano over

2009-11-25T22:24:00.001-08:00

With getting sick and being busy, Nano just like all the other years, fizzled and died. So I will need to start on something else now. I don't have so much time at the moment but hopefully in a few weeks. Not so good.

Californication

2009-11-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Nano writing has slowed a bit but there's a meetup tomorrow and I'm hoping for it to pick up. A lot of people recommend to throw something wild and stupid at your characters in order to make the 50k words for nano and this might seem that it will turn your novel into the ridiculous. But have you seen Californication? They just keep throwing the worst at them. And Hank Moody is a model for any writers out there of course.
OK, been catching up on this recently and it rocks. Excellent tv show, but it also shows that throwing mad things at your characters works. Could even be Monthy Python.

In my spare time...

2009-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

I work fixing computers. Or is that I write in my spare time? Either was for computer repair, service or maintenance in the Lower Mainland (White Rock to Richmond or Abbotsford) try TekBusters. We also do websites.

Nano day 7

2009-11-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

This is still going well. I'm only at 4,800 words where as I should be at almost 12,000 but I'm happy with it. I just need to hit a few days where I do 2 or 3 sessions. Then I'll catch up. I'm hoping to meet up with fellow Vancouver Nanowrimos this week, further inspiration and motivation.

Nano day 3

2009-11-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

At this stage I should be at 5000 words but I'm at a little over 3000. Not bothering me, it seems to bee going well. The story is writing itself and I'm finding 1000 - 1200 word chunks to be perfect writing session.
At this stage I'm reallly surprised that already characters are starting to take life and do things I wasn't expecting. A third character appeared, even though he was meant to be little more than a minor character, almost a passerby. Going well so far.

Day 1 of Nano - 1282

2009-11-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

A slow start to Nanowrimo, with me pounding out 1282 words. There was a false start and I got near 800 words before scrapping it to start again. Now I need to meet up with some fellow Vancowrimos. There seem to be plenty of meetups this year and not all are downtown. Yes.

T-2 days

2009-10-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Nanowrimo starts on Sunday. As usual I have no idea what I'll write about but I never let that stop me. Fingers crossed I'll actually make it to 50,000 words this year. Before I've faltered and died at the 15,000 - 20,000 word mark.

Just not writing at all

2009-10-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's been really busy here and all my writing has stopped completely. This may or may not be a good thing before I start on the mad rush that is Nanowrimo. I'm rereading No Plot? No Problem at the moment for inspiration.

It's hard to write

2009-10-19T13:01:00.001-07:00

I'm finding it hard again to write, the drive just stalled and inspiration is failing. I'm looking forward to these writers festivals and Nanowrimo to get it all kick started again. In the meantime, I've started a new exercise program, since the wedding I've piled on some pounds again and time to get rid of them. Of course I blog about it, The Thinner Television.

Nanowrimo

2009-10-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

With all the writers festivals on in BC in October it seems a perfect time to follow up with starting a new novel. And where better than with NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - though now International).

Will this be the year I make the 50,000 words and actually complete NaNoWriMo? I certainly hope so. In any case it's a great thing to do.

For anyone who hasn't heard of it, basically you start November 1st and try by November 30th at midnight to have written a 50,000 word novel. It's a great idea to get a first draft down. Also with message boards, meet ups both real and virtual you get to meet and chat with other writers which is a fantastic thing. I (as some one who's never managed to hit the 50,000 words in a month) recommend it to anyone.

Yay.

More choice for festivals

2009-10-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

It looks like Surrey is not the only place to get in the writing festival mood this month, Vancouver is going for it too. So many choices. You can check out more about the Vancouver one here. I have so much to go see in October

Surrey International Writers Conference

2009-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

I just found out that this is on just up the road at the end of this month. Has anyone been before? It seems to be a bit on the expensive side, but I am thinking of signing up for one of the master classes.

More about it her e.

My Mustang novel

2009-09-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

Recently I rented a Ford Mustang. It seemed like a good idea, driving from Las Vegas to LA a convertible would be the way to go. Anyway as it turned out we left the top up and the air conditioning on since it was just too hot. Anyway, the car was a Mustang. Now these are very pretty to look at, have nice big engines and a whole host of cool features, the voice activated Sync, the self dimming rearview mirror, the soft top, the nice console, leather seats and more.

The problem is that the car is a piece of shit to drive. It handles very much like a tractor, the seats burn your arse in any heat, the Sync is terrible, please oh please if I plug in my iPod, just let me use it to control the music. The nice console lights up and reflects on the window so you can't see at night, with the top down the noise is terrible, much worse than other convertibles.

So what has this to do with writing? Well my novel is like that. I added in lots of things that seemed cool at the time, but finished up with something that just doesn't work. Ford should concentrate on making a car that drives well, and I should concentrate on telling the story. No embellishments, no flashy radios, just a nice drive and a good story.

I don't think an edit will do it, it will have to be a full rewrite.

The honeymoon is over

2009-09-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back, all married and ready to get back to it. Also moved house, since I thought a wedding didn't take enough effort. I haven't written anything at all since I've been away so time to get down to some serious work.

Hiatus

2009-08-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

I'm tying the knot on Monday so I won't be posting for a week or so. Time for a small break where I spend my time singing...I'm getting married in the (Monday) morning....

Privacy and apple

2009-08-11T08:32:00.001-07:00

I just set up a new MacBook Pro, a change from my regular PC. I was amazed by what all information Apple not only asked for, but insisted upon. Microsoft with all their bad reputation as the evil megacorp were never this invasive. Apple demand all your info; name, address, email, phone number, what you do, what you're using this computer for.

Before the computer would start up I had to fill out all this information. I was tempted to create a new hotmail address just for this process. Something like none_of_your_business_apple@hotmail.com.

What do they use all this for? From the last time I bought an iPod (one of the very early models), they use it to send you a half dozen newsletters (think spam) a week. Also, the new iPod wouldn't work until I registered it and again gave Apple all my information. Their 'free' apps (the Remote App for the iPod Touch) wouldn't work until not only had I registered with iTunes, but also registered a credit card.

New MacBook Pro - oh my god, love it.

Apple's demanding to know what colour underwear I have on - very unhappy with.

New Writers - not doing so well

2009-08-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't got round to picking up a book for this yet. We're packing to move house and the library at 4 blocks away is just too far. Instead I've been reading the better half's copy of Girlfriend in a coma. I'm not sure I'm such a fan of Douglas Coupland though I've read a lot of his books because herself is such a fan. To me it all seems a little too much overage teenager in search of truth. I think I just prefer Zen and the Art.
This one though seems much better. The idea of getting a letter from your girlfriend who is in a coma for 17 years asking you to wait for her has so many possibilities. Wish I'd thought of it first. So well established writer again. Recommened? So far (and I'm about ha;f way through) yes.

Another opening paragraph

2009-08-06T14:16:00.001-07:00

This is from a few years ago from an idea I quite liked but somehow could never finish. Does it hook you in or is the tone all wrong?

In the village of Little Strangling, something happened every ten years that caused uproar. A child disappeared. In all the years that this had happened, none were ever returned. As you would expect, as in every other village children disappeared to be found quite often around tea time, food being the greatest aid in any search for a missing child. In Little Strangling though, every ten years since 1706, every July a child went missing and never returned.

Moving house...

2009-08-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

I am told is one of the top three stress inducers out there. It also severly cuts down on writing time. Instead of surrounding myself with ideas and paper, I'm surrounded by lists and boxes. The great questions I might answer in writing have been replaced with that other great question - where is the packing tape?

Back to the grindstone

2009-08-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

It was a long weekend here (why are they never long enough?) and I was away sailing and not writing at all. Time to get back to it, maybe it's time one of my characters got in a boat? The weekend off seems to have helped the stalled novel though and I'm ready to dive back into it. Wish me luck.

To start again or not?

2009-07-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

So the novel I've been working on for a while now has slowed and slowed and almost stalled. About 30,000 words of disjointed first draft and it's stopping. Of course at this time, while driving yesterday, four characters jumped at me with their life story and a new novel almost seemed to write itself.
This has happened a few times, where a current project stalls and I get another 'great' idea and start fresh. Should I? Or should I continue to slog away and seek inspiration by continuing to schedule writingt time and work on what I've started?
Should I try and fo two projects at once? If there's anyone out there (and if there is anyone who reads this blog) - HELP.

It's hot outside

2009-07-30T13:26:00.001-07:00

... so I've been hiding in coffee shops with my laptop trying to write in their air conditioning. It's almost like a romantic idea of a writer, sitting in cafes by the Seine, discussing art, history, politics and matters of deep philosophical thought. Of course it's really sitting in the back of a busy starbucks, no where near France, since they provide a) air conditioning b) large coffees and c) free wifi.

It's still hard to write in the heat, my brain slows down like a troll in a Terry Pratchet book. Not so many words today. Maybe I need some one to discuss matters of deep philosophical thought.

New Writers

2009-07-29T11:41:00.001-07:00

So I was thinking about people judging a book by it's cover and I'm as guilty as any. I tend to read books that are by authors I know and like, or that have been recommended to me. I rarely if ever step outside of this list.

This isn't so good for new writers, since if no one has heard of you then who is going to buy your book and recommend it to anyone? On this blog I'm going to try and review a book a week, which comes from outside of my usual sources. I'll pick a book at random from the library or bookstore and give it a go. If you have a book you'd like me to review, drop me an email. I don't promise to be nice, but if I can find a copy I'll at least try.

Since I don't have a random book this week, I'm going to review the last book I read. It's ouside of the fantasy and adventure sections of the bookstore I usually stick to, though it was recommended to me by herself. It's also been a bestseller and there's a movie version which isn't what I'm trying to achieve here, but here goes anyway. The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd. This was a really enjoyable novel about the coming of age of a young girl in South Carolina.

Running away from her father in search of clues about her mother who died when she was very young, our hero Lily Owens breaks her nanny out of jail who was in there mainly for being black while wanting to vote. She ends up in a town miles away and living with a group of African American women who, as the title might suggest, keep bees. Here she discovers life etc etc. It's a growing up novel.

The story is really well written and the author brings characters to life against the backdrop of small town racism, catholism and the search for family.

Recommended? Yes

Review - On Writing, a memoir of the craft by Stephen King

2009-07-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned this book already on my first ever post. It's the writing manual from Stephen King, except it's not so much a manual as his life story with writing and his ideas on it. It's a very interesting read.
From his early days of piling his rejection slips on a nail to when he sold the paperback rights to Carrie. The question "where do you get your ideas from?" is answered along with the "where should I write?" and "how often?".
It's not a manual but a fascinating look at writing from one of the most successful writers out there and if you're just a fan of Stephen King this should be on your bookshelf. If you want to be a writer then this is a core text. Like him or not, he knows what he's talking about (and I am a huge fan of his Dark Tower series).

Opening paragraphs -

2009-07-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

Never judge a book by it's cover, because really, most authors don't have any choice in what the cover looks like. The best a writer can hope for it for some one to open the book and read the first few lines. So here is an opening paragraph from a novel I started 3 or 4 times in different ways but it never worked out. All comments (except the ones advertising moving a rich heiress's money from Nigeria - I never got my cheque for 3 trillion, think it's a scam) are welcome. Does it hook you in?

The first bomb sailed over the barrier and into flames on the side of an articulated truck. The Argos banner on its side lit up, and the Corolla beside it veered right to avoid the sudden fireball. Another car was already in that lane, so there was a smash. And a roll. Worthy of any action film, the Corolla went spinning through the air. Behind them, an unlucky sales rep in a BMW slammed on his brakes but couldn’t stop on time, and six cars behind him didn't stop fast enough as they all slammed into each other. The road was completely blocked. Meanwhile, the driver of the Argos truck drove another quarter mile before noticing something was wrong. He never should have given up the coffee. Morning wasn’t the best time.

It's all about attitude

2009-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

I was going to sign up for a blog as wannabewriter (and the gmail address to go with it), but I was beaten to it. Instead the power of positive thinking slapped me aside the head and said don't be a wannabe, be a going to be. So here it is, the blog of gonnabewriter.

I've been writing on and off for about four years, a few short stories, one completed novel and a lot of half starts at novels. These got to between 400 and 40,000 words before petering out to nothing.

But that's all changing. This blog is about my commitment to make it. To GET SOMETHING PUBLISHED. I've been getting down to it and setting time in my schedule and writing at least 1 hour a day, 5 days a week. Strangely, as all those writing manuals promised (most recently the excellet Stephen King's On Writing), by sitting down ready to write the muses struck.

So hi, welcome to my blog. Pull up a chair, leave a comment. Or email me, I got that gonnabewrite at gmail email address.