Another year as a writer - time to reflect

Well, that’s almost it for 2017.  I don’t know whether it's because I'm a writer and there never seems to be enough time, or it’s just that I’m getting older (as everyone does of course).  However, I sure someone is sneaking days out my years while I’m not looking.  Still, it’s time to reflect, which I think it’s important, especially for an indie-author.  What have I done well and what could have done better?  Where have I stepped up to the plate and where have I shirked or side stepped issues?

For the complete blog - follow this link

All those writer courses - shop wisely

Now up front I want to say I’m not against paid on-line writer courses.  I can only comment on the ones I have looked at and in a couple of cases paid out good money for.  They are full of useful content that, if you are in the right place with your writing and prepared to put in the time and effort I’m sure they can have a major impact.  However, what they are not (in my opinion) is a magic bullet.  For the vast majority of Indie-authors success will not be instant and when it comes will probably be modest.  But hey, modest is good and I’ll be happy with modest when I get there.  And yes any better than modest, I admit, would be great.

For the full blog - follow this link

Writers beware - sod's law exists

Part of my first job on leaving Uni was in the quality assurance section of a scientific organisation.  Believe it or not, before the late 1970s little of it existed.  After all everyone was doing their best so the data and reports would be fine wouldn’t they?  Answer, no.  Because if nothing else Sod’s Law operates. i.e. whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.  And one of the problems back then was that nobody understood what could go wrong – it was of course, anything and everything.  So after a few well published cases, which I won’t go into, the need for a formal system of quality assurance was established.

For me this involved, amongst other things the checking of scientific reports, both for internal consistency and against the “raw data”.  At first my involvement, essentially pointing out where people had made errors was resented.  I mean, who was I to tell a senior scientist they had made mistakes.  And this wasn’t just the odd typo, whole lines of data were transposed, decimal points were in the wrong place, thing disappeared from the records only to appear elsewhere.  I could go on.  These didn’t always affect the scientific outcomes, but occasionally they could and this was important work.  What’s more it’s not as if you could predict when or where a major error might occur.

For the complete blog follow this link

What does it take to be a writer? - Persitence

For most writers success is not an overnight event.  One of my all time, and sadly missed, writer heroes, Iain Banks, completed five or six books before being published.  He persisted.

Now I write this blog a week or so after I’ve launched my latest book.  I’ve had some sales, but not as many as hoped for.  So yes, I admit it, I’m a little disappointed.  I feel that I just need that kick start, that nudge that sends sales cascading.  The book itself is a new venture for me, being urban fantasy / detective story, written in a humorous style, rather than my usual science fiction.

For the full blog follow this link

Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat - A Northumbrian Mystery

Launching today!

Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat - A Northumbrian Mystery.

Here’s the link: http://smarturl.it/inspectorkirby1

A pair of shoes - how weird can that be?

Inspector Jonah Kirby ends up with the cases other officers don’t like to handle, the weird ones. When a young girl is reported missing all he has to go on is the pair of shoes. To Kirby it doesn’t feel right and in his experience things not feeling right often lead to things not being right. Little does he realise that his weirdness scale – weird, very weird and extremely weird – will soon need extending.

Meet Inspector Kirby

Inspector Kirby, Jonah to his friends and 'old school' to his junior colleagues, wandered out of the cottage.  He crossed the road and headed down the lane, with thorny hedge rows either side, that led to the sea.  He’d put this off for days, wondering how it would make him feel.  Still there was nothing quite like a walk along the coast with its prevailing North East breeze and the smell of salt and rotting seaweed in the air to clear the mind.  And let’s face it there was a lot to clear.

To meet Inspector Kirby follow this link

Getting into your characters - Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat

My latest project, Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat, due to be launched in a few week’s time, was great fun to write.  Possibly, because it’s a change from my normal diet of science fiction, set as it is in the present day, more-or-less.  It’s a detective, mystery story, again something new for me, although not quite that straightforward.  If you’ve read some of my short stories you’ll understand.  It’s also allowed me to play with the humour in my writing.  However, I think one of the keys to getting that part of it right was developing sympathetic characters who would play off each other.

For the full blog follow this link

What I've learnt from 4 years of blogging

Recently a site, The Digital Reader (morning coffee – 1 September 2017) picked up on a blog I wrote in 2014, 7 key things I’ve learnt from a year  of blogging.  To my pleasant surprise this has created a lot of traffic, so I assume people are interested which is great.  That got me thinking, three years on do I come to the same conclusions, what else have I learnt:

1) The first thing listed was:  Blogging does not sell books

I still hold with that, mostly.  I think this to be the case with most blogs.  However, it is possible to tailor at least some of your blogs to help promote your work.  You can discuss the subject of your work, the locations, what makes your characters interesting etc.  At least then the reader will get to know a little more about what makes you and your writing tick.  Make it interesting and If they like what you’re saying they may then take the time to look at your books.  I don’t do it all the time, I think this would get boring and there are other things I want to discuss.

For the complete blog please follow this link

Indie authors - relish cross genre fiction

I enjoy my science fiction and my fantasy.  When I pick up a book (or these days download) in one of these genres I guess I know what I’m getting, I’m on safe ground.  Also, as a writer if I stick to a genre I know where I’m going with my books.  I know where they will “fit”.  This is very much the case with the Bleak books and Project Noah.  They are very firmly in the science fiction camp.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  I enjoyed writing them and from the feedback I’ve had people enjoy reading them.

The first book I published and whose sequels are written and waiting to be finalised (they occasionally nag at me to be published) is a little different.  While still very much science fiction it has an element of fantasy in that I give a “scientific” reason for the existence of Fairies (you’ll understand if you read it).

For the complete blog just follow this link

FREE - collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories

To get your FREE copy just click on the image and follow the link.

Short stories - great for both writer and reader

I remember not long after my life-long addiction to science fiction and fantasy began I bought an Isaac Asimov book without realising it was a collection of short stories.  At first I felt a little cheated.  I was, after all, looking forward to losing myself in a full length novel by my favourite author.  But hey, I was young, didn’t have a lot of money and I’d bought it hadn’t I?’  So with a little reluctance I sat down and opened it.  How wrong could I be?  This was an incredible, diverse blast of imagination.  It was like he’d had all these ideas for stories that wouldn’t make books backed up in his mind and had let rip.  There was science fiction, fantasy and the just plain weird.  Much as I enjoyed his full length scifi this demonstrated to me what a great story teller he really was.  If anything it hooked me even more into his work and I sought out more of his short stories as well as the novels.

For the full blog follow this link

FREE! Dancing with the Devil.  A collection of thirteen short stories of the weird and wonderful. Just follow the link on this page or visit my blog.

Indie author - afraid to change?

It’s daft I know.  There I am, an indie author, with books only selling the odd copy every now and then - yet for some reason I’m afraid to change things.  Perhaps part of it, as I talked about in my last blog, is the vain hope that an agent and publisher is going to come a long and wave their magic wands.  Well, that’s not going to happen and even if it does I’m still the one who is going to be making most of the running.

For the full blog follow this link

The publishing dilemma of the indie author

I recently went on holiday for a week (yes, again for any regular readers of my blog).  It was a very chilled trip to the Greek island of Cephalonia, I recommend it.  So I had plenty of time to think amongst reading, eating, boat trips, watching the world go by and the odd cocktail or two.  And for me that means about my writing and inevitably publishing because:

Here I am again.  I have a book almost ready to launch and I know I’m prevaricating.  I have sent it to eight or nine agents back in February and so far I have had a "thanks but no thanks" from two of them (and I’m not holding my breath for the rest).  I guess like most self-published authors the lure of a publishing deal is still the dream no matter how much I tell myself that I am good enough to make it as an indie author.  And I know that agents receive hundreds of manuscripts a year and at best they take on one or two new authors.  So my chances are slim. 

For the full blog follow this link

The walking writer

I’ve just returned from four days walking in the English (just in case there’s another) Lake District.  It’s an annual pilgrimage I make with a good friend of mine.  I’ve blogged before on the benefits of walking for the writer.  However, this is about as serious as my walking gets.

I know it’s beautiful, but I forget just how much.  And making the effort to climb those mountains and walk those felIs adds whole new levels to that beauty.  It seems as with most things in life, putting a little effort enhances the experience.  If you’ve walked in the Lake District you’ll know what I mean.  If you haven’t and you get the chance, go.  You won’t regret it, although some level of fitness is required.  These are no leisurely strolls.

For the complete blog follow this link

Science round-up inspiration 15

I haven't produced a science round-up blog for some time.  It’s not that I haven’t been following events and news, it’s just that I’ve had other things to blog about.  Anyway, time to put that right.  As always these are in no particular order of importance or merit they are just an eclectic mix of items that have caught my eye.

Out of this world

Pluto fly-by

NASA have amalgamated more than 100 images from New Horizons to form a video fly-by of Pluto.  New Horizons, in July 2015, became the first spacecraft to fly by the dwarf planet which is more more than seven billion kilometres from Earth.  

For the full blog and more inspiration from science follow this link

A writer on location

My latest book is out to agents – fingers crossed.  Although, I won’t be too disappointed if it’s not taken up as I will be excited to see what I can do with it myself.  Early readers have been enthusiastic and reckon it’s more commercial / an easier sell than my normal scifi.  This latest venture is a detective mystery with a supernatural / magical edge.  It grew out of several short stories centred on the main character, an Inspector Kirby.  Once again it shows the value of shorts stories to the novel writer (something I’ve blogged about before).  So, what’s this got to do with me being on location? 

To find out and for the complete blog follow this link

Why as an author I love to blog

I don’t deny that I started blogging as a way to build a profile as a writer and thereby promote my work, although not in a “buy my book, buy my book” sense.  I also hope that for those that read my blog it helps you as authors, or that you at least find it interesting and hopefully at times thought provoking.  Then yes, maybe you'll buy my books.

However, blogging has delivered a personal bonus I didn't anticipate in the beginning.  Why as an author I now love to blog is how it makes me think about issues that relate to my writing.  Also, not just think but about them but write them down in a hopefully coherent and succinct way.   It’s this that then often finds its way into my fiction.

For the complete blog follow this link

Science fiction and the human tribe

As a science fiction writer I’m always imagining what the future might hold for us human beings. I imagine us travelling to the stars and new worlds.  It represents an almost unlimited opportunity for a species that has always had a thirst for the new, exploration, pushing the boundaries.  In scifi land we think of global societies or even multi-global societies.  However, what history tells us, along with what is happening in the world today, is that that may be incredibly simplistic or just plain wrong.  That human beings will never feel comfortable living in some form of global society.

For the full blog please follow this link 

It's tough being an indie author?

The question mark in the title is deliberate.  That’s because although it may be tough to become a successful indie author, it’s not tough to be an indie author.  There are pros and cons and perhaps what are overlooked are the consequences.  Let me explain:

The Cons

You are on your own.  Yes, you can pay for services (and I would advise you do, at least for some of what you need).  However, all the drive and motivation has to come from you, from the desire to first put finger to keyboard to going out there, running a marketing campaign and finding your audience.  You, unless you are very lucky, are the only one investing time energy and money in making your book a success.

When it comes to those services you may wish to use, editorial, proof reading, book covers, marketing etc. all those have to come out of your own pocket up front on (at least for most indie authors) the hope that you will have pay-back in time.  Oh, and that time may well be several/many books down the road, if you’re lucky and you keep at it.

Like it or not a lot of the reading public will view your books as an inferior product.  It is a view that I believe is changing, albeit slowly.  However, I feel it is a view still promoted by many in the traditional publishing industry, which is natural I guess as it can been seen as a threat to their livelihoods.   There are authors who have overcome that perception and are successful.  However, it is a battle I believe indie authors face and we do not always help ourselves (see consequences).

For the full blog follow the link :http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1tw

Science fiction- how it works

I have recently returned from a ski holiday.  We’d just boarded the plane taxied out when they announced the need to have something checked.  We taxied back and then were told there would be a twenty minute delay.  A groan echoed around the aircraft.  The fact that we were all sitting in a metal tube that in a short space of time would fly us a distance that a few generations ago would have taken weeks to complete was irrelevant.  Also, that it would be at an altitude that is inconsistent with life in normal circumstances, while sipping our drinks and watching moving pictures on hand held devices was forgotten.  All this had me thinking of our relationship with science and technology and the science of science fiction.

For the full blog, follow this link

Science Round up Inspiration 14

As anyone who has read my science round-ups in the past will know I peruse a number of sites on a regular basis.  These are fascinating in their own right, however, as a scifi writer (and even if you’re not) I believe they are a great source of inspiration.  I know I haven’t done one for a while so I thought it was about time.

I normally start with items from beyond our planet and then come down to earth.  In this round-up however I will concentrate on efforts to solve some of the pressing issues that face us here on good old terra firma.

Trapping CO2 and turning it into stone.

While I fully support all efforts to reduce our global output of CO2, progress in setting and complying with any limits that will reduce the amounts we send into the atmosphere is painfully slow.  So to my mind we have to look at other ways of reducing CO2 in the atmosphere.  Researchers have succeeded in turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into solid rock.  They inject volcanic basalt rock with pressurised liquid CO2, chemical reactions then trigger the transformation.

This at least gives scientists another option for capturing and storing the excess CO2.   It might even be possible to scale up the process to take significant levels of carbon out of circulation.

For the full blog please follow this link

One writer's resolutions for 2017

I do this every year and yes looking back I don’t always follow all my resolutions.  However, at the beginning of the year it’s not a bad idea to review what you did last year (my last blog) and think of what you might like to change / achieve / try in the coming year.  For me writing them down, whether you call them resolutions or not, makes them more than just a passing thought.  So here are mine for 2017

Finish and implement the Slight Edge.

I mentioned this in my 2016 round-up.  It’s a book by Jeff Olsen which is all about doing to those small things consistently over a long period of time that will make a big difference.  Also not giving up on them.  Obviously there is more to it than that, after all it is a book.  However, I admit that over the holidays I have let it slip.  For me it’s all about my profile as a writer and of course selling more books.  I need to decide which of those “small actions” are the ones that are going to make the difference and then stick to them for long enough to tell if I’m right.  At least if I follow the advice I will be taking positive steps and not just letting things drift.

For the complete blog follow this link