Friday feeling

Hello France and Thailand! Statistics tell me where people view, but not who views. That would be interesting.
My wife is reading my 2nd book 'Bethlehem Fiasco'. She loved the 1st 'Man by a tree', and she said about the 2nd that "I'm sure there are some people who would be entertained by this"...I guess the dark humour is catching...hopefully. maybe she should start writing too.
Met a man on the Metro yesterday who spoke AT me for half and hour.
Met a Japanese businessman on the Metro today who stood right in front of me, even though there was plenty of space in the carriage. I guess he was missing the crowds.
Met a man on the tram...actually, no, I didn't. It was empty. Old joke: "You're not a tram driver." 'Oh yes I am.' "Okay, then turn left here."

Need inspiration?

Everyone says music inspires you to do wonderful things. Well, just found out what helps me write a book...concept albums! Stories in their own right, really. Just take the mood, and off ya go! When I was writing 'Man by a tree', I was listening to 'The Raven' by the Stranglers, not really a concept album, but the album clings together in a dark, sinister way. For my 2nd, 'Bethlehem Fiasco', well, I wrote it so fast there was no time to listen to anything! It's just a bundle of fun, created from the buzz of the 1st. The 3rd...well, I have time to ponder, what with lots of things to do which are more important. Found a concept album which will help bring out 'The Rage of Atlantis'. Just wrote a cracking first line. The album's 14 years old, that's all I'm saying :-)

1st reviews on Amazon!

Yesterday I received my first reviews, for BOTH books on Amazon. It was a great feeling to finally have someone's opinion on that website. I've received a few on Goodreads, but Amazon is a store, it's important. It was an important step.
My request is that if anyone can put a review on ANYWHERE after reading one (or both) of my books, then please do! Reviews can only help people know what's inside those covers...mmmm...so long as they're GOOD reviews, guys and gals :-) And they should be, I've only received good comments so far...

Productive time...advice

Well, this is the last day of a 6 day holiday here in Hungary, and I haven't been very productive on the writing side. Done many family things, been quite ill with the amount of food that 'had' to be consumed, but writing...completed two essays for pedagogy, but nothing much else in terms of 'fun' writing. Working on the screenplay for 'Bethlehem Fiasco', you never know, you might see a cartoon or movie or play about it in the future. Will work on 'Man by a tree' screenplay later, plus the 3rd book, which is looking complicated...plus my thesis, plus exams...Oh, advice?...do what you can. Write a little every day, throw it away the next :-)

Sales & Self publishing

Well, I wouldn't say it was going well, but there are people out there in the world with their own printed copies of 'Man by a tree' and 'The Bethlehem Fiasco'. Self-publishing without bookshop distribution and any marketing is difficult. Once I can get a review somewhere, anywhere, then things might pick up. As it is, I celebrate EVERY  sale, eat something 'special', watch a video, have a drink, try something new. Went to Aquaworld the other day, did 5 Kamikaze slides, for example. Ate a huge bowl of cornflakes last night. Someone, somewhere out on the surface of this planet is now waiting for their copy...:-)

Writing - advice 2 - Action & Dialogue

Here's advice number 2: Action! Visual the book. Can you see the things you describe happening? Can you see the movie of your book? If not, then try again. And dialogue, the all important dialogue. I've read many books where the description and action were fantastic, only to be let down with unrealistic dialogue which no one would ever say, or dialogue which was just 'info dump', perhaps the worst misdemeanor in writing. The 'info dump'...where the writer tells the reader something WITHOUT including them in the process of exploration! The reader sleeps...

3rd book look

Book look...some people have commented on how my books look. They say they look too much like 'high literature'. Well, the 1st is green, with a picture of trees, the book is rather like being lost in a forest and you try to find your way through the trees. The 2nd is sandy coloured, with a picture of a barren desert, as the book is rather like walking through a hot empty place alone, frightened to turn the next page. And the 3rd, well, it's blue...
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