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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Just an observation...

A few months ago, at one of the thousands of festivals and celebration days in the summer, I had to wait while my daughters finished whatever craftwork they were doing at the time. While I was there, everyone heard a conversation between a couple and a woman with two children. The woman had no partner and the couple were trying to matchmake her to a friend of theirs. It was clear after 10 minutes that this guy they were describing was a self-centred, fat, balding git with a hint of paedophilia/bisexiality with his too-frequent trips to Bangkok and other dodgy Asian cities. The woman was umming and erring until they mentioned his quite 'handsome' salary. She took his number. This conversation is going in 'The Puncher', the story of some crazed idiot, roaming the streets.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Looking for 3000 hits...

Just 20 to go for 3000 hits...it's been a while since I've posted.
Slowly writing up 'Forgotten', which is about a wingless angel in an insane asylum, and putting ideas together for 'The Puncher'. These two will be short stories/novelettes to go with 'Too Dull to Die', and I'll publish it once it's done, 3 short stories in one book.
'Too Dull to Die' is a linear 'Martin Freeman'-type story, slightly absurd.
'Forgotten' is a slightly linear mixed-style story.
'The Puncher' will be strange, some stream of consciousness method mixed with the usual.
So, that's the news ATM.
Oh, and please go and read 'Too Dull to Die', it's all (yes, ALL) available to read on authonomy.com at...
 http://authonomy.com/books/48656/too-dull-to-die/
Thanks :-)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

FULL 1st novelette on authonomy.com

Full 1st novelette on authonomy.com at...

http://authonomy.com/books/48656/too-dull-to-die/

Please come and read it, only 13000 words :-)
Comment if you can, I'd like a few on the back of the book.
As you can see from the cover, it says "Too Dull to Die ...and other stories". Yes, I'm working on those .-)

Sunday, November 11, 2012

1st novelette on jottify (7 parts out of 12)

Finally put my 1st novelette somewhere, the first 7 parts out of 12 to 'wet your appetites'
http://jottify.com/works/too-dull-to-die/
Please go and have a look :-)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Waiting for Godot Stoppard influence

Yes, I knew Waiting for Godot was a huge influence on my 3 books, but I've started reading it again (not far in), and the influence is so obvious.
First, the genre. The Theatre of the Absurd...says it all really...repetitions, clichés, a sense of 'nothing'...
Second....a Tragicomedy....all books run this line, with my extra of a happy/not-so-happy ending to give a sense of closure.
Third, there are direct lines which say it all...
"People are bloody ignorant apes"....well, there ya go, in all the books...
"...we had to wait....by the tree"....two people waiting by the tree....'Man by a tree'...yet another reason why the title.
I'm sure once I go further into the play (yet again), I'll find more and more comparisons and connections, as I luv this genre. I'll keep you posted.

Friday, November 2, 2012

No news from the big competition :-(

As it says, so I guess my novelette wasn't good enough for them. I'll put the whole thing on authonomy.com next week, I'll put the link up here, and let's see what people think. When I've done the 4th book...writing it in November, then editing until it's done....I'll add the novelette to that. Maybe the 4th book won't be 50k, who knows. Will continue on, see how it goes...
Bit sad, really, just shows me that publishers and editors have expectations already written in their heads. One guy on authonomy.com said he'd been to a conference where a group of editors were read out the first sentences of 'promising' unpublished novels. The authors read out the sentences, and not one author was allowed to finish, because the editors hated them all, even after the first half-sentence!
Woolf had to self-publish, look where her work is now. I'm sure we could all name tons more who did the same.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

NaNoWrimo 2012 1st anniversary

Well, it's started again! 50,000 words in one month. I started writing exactly 1 year ago, so I guess it's my 1st anniversary! Where's the cake?
3 books, 1 novelette (waiting for news on the competition, then I'll publish it) , and a huge idea for a great new book for NaNoWrimo, 3 main characters, 1 crazy (The Puncher), 1 not so crazy (Graham the grim reaper), the other just plain nuts (The Forgiven, yes, no 2nd novelette, but a player in the 4th book). A crazy triangle.