tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20261743335592025012024-03-19T01:36:57.342-07:00Ian Martyn, Science Fiction Author Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-17444639711389193422019-07-16T00:55:00.000-07:002019-07-16T00:55:02.838-07:00Characters - where do they come from<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpl6QIOyiKzXOIyAw7-kBnDMjxd6cLshuTkFSkZEmlluSXtq1EYKsjmer-06MPwZvbeaU-WPMjieo2BokJ6shW7JnqbE6kz4OHcuwbQv6ylH40A9hpYr0OG8oZ4u5wz0NigsfitAkaGY/s1600/Brexitus+and+Secret+Garden+together.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpl6QIOyiKzXOIyAw7-kBnDMjxd6cLshuTkFSkZEmlluSXtq1EYKsjmer-06MPwZvbeaU-WPMjieo2BokJ6shW7JnqbE6kz4OHcuwbQv6ylH40A9hpYr0OG8oZ4u5wz0NigsfitAkaGY/s320/Brexitus+and+Secret+Garden+together.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me getting to know your characters and seeing them develop into fully rounded, if at times eccentric, individuals is one of the great pleasures of writing. They become friends (is that strange?). This is especially the case with the three Inspector Kirby books (I’m now working on a fourth). But where do those characters they come from? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-2v8">For the full blog - follow this link.</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-84115732400020818092019-06-26T01:07:00.000-07:002019-06-26T01:07:31.046-07:00How do you choose the settings for your stories?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1kQzsxboJjO81ZnOu2bOHbeC3-shYU236eBLB9Rl3QWWPHGx_iFP_CqmIuxxkZpZtdp_WZ-h56jbXIGPRo03xCDR1-eSiBUAOFSpc6cCcQcpLJMxpXZveDQpVYw3ui7J2KkuMhqBmgQ/s1600/All+three+puls+background+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1kQzsxboJjO81ZnOu2bOHbeC3-shYU236eBLB9Rl3QWWPHGx_iFP_CqmIuxxkZpZtdp_WZ-h56jbXIGPRo03xCDR1-eSiBUAOFSpc6cCcQcpLJMxpXZveDQpVYw3ui7J2KkuMhqBmgQ/s320/All+three+puls+background+1.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you read a book the setting is like another character. It’s important, you want to picture the characters in their surroundings, even if your version of that picture is different to everyone else. I’ve written before on how I see describing settings as a balance between giving enough information to convey something of my vision of any given place while still leaving enough room for the reader to form their own picture. It’s like I provide the outline and the reader colours it in. For the <a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/inspector-kirby-harold-longcoat-2/">Inspector Kirby books</a> this was an interesting and evolving process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-2sX">For the full blog follow this link</a> </span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-88945875170277652692019-06-12T00:43:00.002-07:002019-06-12T00:45:23.693-07:00Those pre-launch jitters - What to do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE3hVitlyBht7dlC4KBW4oONtmRBBImm4DFRsMJDCHOTEfh02UxxoKulJVfCv_nAp0KscSLNPLZ7UNTUz_O_1t3XEI_B-3xogCWdTcdF6ZvzZEYlErpKJ4xfZLZV99-RMIKqisdvTARo/s1600/Brexitus+and+Secret+Garden+togetherchimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlE3hVitlyBht7dlC4KBW4oONtmRBBImm4DFRsMJDCHOTEfh02UxxoKulJVfCv_nAp0KscSLNPLZ7UNTUz_O_1t3XEI_B-3xogCWdTcdF6ZvzZEYlErpKJ4xfZLZV99-RMIKqisdvTARo/s320/Brexitus+and+Secret+Garden+togetherchimp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My last book, Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat - A Northumbrian Mystery went down well with those who read it. There just weren’t enough of those readers. A familiar story to many out there I’m sure. It was fun to write and everyone said it was fun to read, which is great. However, it was still just one book and everything you read tells you as an indie author you need a series. Well, I’ve done it. I’ve written books two and three and the early feedback has been positive. So what now? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-2r6">For the full blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-1987851156217286512019-04-03T00:33:00.000-07:002019-04-03T00:33:53.039-07:00Story settings and the reader's mind<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk_CeIAJqxFqe3uYSUHd8SQeZVJUMBiGfySRUD5KQkewBXnax9V-J3uvKrGUK3AJhXVf9Ewpw_qexbfDkifzOe5g57mPWkBCuK8C5hQXSC4mSUjcWm6XimdoYus9NnMrV5FR-UBQQisk/s1600/Newton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXk_CeIAJqxFqe3uYSUHd8SQeZVJUMBiGfySRUD5KQkewBXnax9V-J3uvKrGUK3AJhXVf9Ewpw_qexbfDkifzOe5g57mPWkBCuK8C5hQXSC4mSUjcWm6XimdoYus9NnMrV5FR-UBQQisk/s320/Newton.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me the setting of any book if it’s pivotal to the story becomes a character in the story. The reader has to be able to see the setting in the same way they vision the characters. This means giving enough description to convey a frame work for that character/setting without being to prescriptive and depriving the reader of the fun of having their own vision of what the person/place looks like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/s3ycbY-settings">For the full blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-30056146260180900942019-02-14T01:08:00.000-08:002019-02-14T01:08:44.722-08:00Brexit and the writer - reality is stranger than fiction<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y2nbF2zitmVhMCqaZKsGbZk5t5YmgowOSTm_g01Vp_B0UBnvsw4SvJPwB53a4dLCXuUsm3N9poHHadciu1rht2Kfzr29SIWFjB8H1hFWT71NVy4OP-Xzp4jr9YlBnK0xZfUxVElAXJg/s1600/blogger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Y2nbF2zitmVhMCqaZKsGbZk5t5YmgowOSTm_g01Vp_B0UBnvsw4SvJPwB53a4dLCXuUsm3N9poHHadciu1rht2Kfzr29SIWFjB8H1hFWT71NVy4OP-Xzp4jr9YlBnK0xZfUxVElAXJg/s320/blogger2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I guess even if you don’t live in the UK you’ll be aware we’re going through something of an upheaval called Brexit. Now, before I go any further I emphasise in this post I am not taking sides, or expressing a political bias. These are my feelings, on those elected to represent us in this matter and how that relates to my own work. I am intrigued as to how these political characters and the stories they are telling compare to any of my fictional characters and my stories in general. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-2eR">For the complete blog please follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-966979802053609492019-01-08T01:01:00.000-08:002019-01-08T01:01:00.691-08:0030 things one writer learnt in 2018<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitL5G9U9O9NTwHk_ENIacIAdrH2xoZW52siH_uFTDi9fpNrCqMxOpmldXSgUZ-j-jYRyPF5G60_LrV34eFw8GArkpSLIqUSOCVwggbSGAcs5smTN6JdaRvboeRCCdvOxPw-jkMv9EHoM/s1600/ski+signs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitL5G9U9O9NTwHk_ENIacIAdrH2xoZW52siH_uFTDi9fpNrCqMxOpmldXSgUZ-j-jYRyPF5G60_LrV34eFw8GArkpSLIqUSOCVwggbSGAcs5smTN6JdaRvboeRCCdvOxPw-jkMv9EHoM/s320/ski+signs.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this time, in early January, I’m looking forward to what the new year might bring. However, it’s always good to look back at the year just gone and see what nuggets of wisdom it left behind. So here goes:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is possible to have a writing blip. It’s not that I’ve fallen out with writing it’s just that other things have been going on and the thing that’s suffered most is my blog.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How much stuff two people can stash in one kitchen.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those tins at the back of the cupboard are likely to many years out of sell-by. Our record was 2005</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You never stop learning as a writer. I’ve been back over my first book. Tempted to do the same for the rest.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can enjoy relaxing on the beach (as long as the sea’s warm, there’s a sun lounger and a taverna which brings you coffee).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get those stories out! They’re no good sitting on my/your hard drive. For me I’ve got two follow-ups to the first book I published which have been sitting there for a years. A 2019 resolution?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still don’t like playing golf in the rain and mud. When you see it on TV they’re always playing in warm sunshine.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes you can’t have too much of a good thing. In the UK we had a glorious summer, fingers crossed for 2019.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most of the time you can take out the word “that” in your writing – try it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beware the passive voice.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-26O">For the other 20 nuggets of wisdom (or not) follow this link</a></span></div>
Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-1299554566582129482018-11-22T02:41:00.000-08:002018-11-22T02:41:54.580-08:00That next book - to plan or not to plan?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXiDArBzPoVaUgrOPoMAiR4xyq3MwDL79BbRiRT78xpc344KBVLd9ggO69Jyonx3Z2_YssT_tPeuXljlhsaXzZ11tJ06cQ32aSw9bQ7tfdXsrf4s8Qubm5v4kXpfs5WGv9H1veyyV06Q/s1600/Planning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXiDArBzPoVaUgrOPoMAiR4xyq3MwDL79BbRiRT78xpc344KBVLd9ggO69Jyonx3Z2_YssT_tPeuXljlhsaXzZ11tJ06cQ32aSw9bQ7tfdXsrf4s8Qubm5v4kXpfs5WGv9H1veyyV06Q/s320/Planning.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First to regular readers of my blog, apologies. I know I haven’t written a post for some months now. Nothing dreadful has happened, it’s just for various reasons it’s been, and still is, a busy time (OK not all of it). I haven’t stopped writing, sometimes I think it’s the only sane place to escape to. In fact I have two more <a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/inspector-kirby-harold-longcoat-2/">Kirby books</a> waiting for proof reading completion (bit of a snag there as well) and a fourth one started, more of that later. I’m also trying to edit two follow-ups to the first book I wrote that have been sitting on my hard drive for a few years (I know, I know….). So you see lot’s going on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other reason I haven’t posted for sometime is that, to be honest, I haven’t come up with anything I thought worthy of posting. I’ve had a bit of a drought, post wise. Then, the other day I read an article extolling the virtues of planning your novel, to the extent that it implied to write a good book it was essential. I’ve written before on the pitfalls of some writing advice and I’ve always maintained take it on board, be self-critical, but in the end do what works for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://wp.me/p3ycbY-1XD">For the complete blog follow this link:</a> </span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-69640154795233693372018-08-29T02:40:00.000-07:002018-08-29T02:40:37.472-07:00The appeal of magic in writing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhThs4uV8O6QLUht2EWvSmuBYuBFR3x3GqYnbJJbl5g8LmNvjoejttlCuz2S2A85X77YjbRM6Ks29c3HuZsNGocdzMRa7MjYmAIKBXW4ng0DyybXYdzE7Nc2kS9BdUXxIuLXqgihMuso/s1600/corfe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhThs4uV8O6QLUht2EWvSmuBYuBFR3x3GqYnbJJbl5g8LmNvjoejttlCuz2S2A85X77YjbRM6Ks29c3HuZsNGocdzMRa7MjYmAIKBXW4ng0DyybXYdzE7Nc2kS9BdUXxIuLXqgihMuso/s320/corfe.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve read science fiction from an early age and always been enthralled by its possibilities. Even if man can't visit the stars in person just yet (someday I’m sure we will) we can go there in our imaginations. Eventually science will follow and get us there. However, at university I also read, as did most students of my age, the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings which led me on to more fantasy including one of my all time favourites, The Magician by Raymond Feist. And then of course every other book in that long series. For me one of the main appeals of those books has to be the use of magic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Te">For the full blog follow this link.</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-20602281135141021382018-07-18T02:10:00.000-07:002018-07-18T02:10:30.997-07:00Writers - do we worry too much a bout the writing?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQQtos2dMkEXPBM9CI8tmOmSBz92ZIrcC6DV2jBXbEkPnP9j9Yb8XPjgyWEYmRebWyhTLwpwbOiIJP9EoAZU3aAX2FwlPAjKYZ7TitHvoua7aTyaJP4p4TwqLYkgl5GD-YnPhfeM7JW4/s1600/writing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1500" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQQtos2dMkEXPBM9CI8tmOmSBz92ZIrcC6DV2jBXbEkPnP9j9Yb8XPjgyWEYmRebWyhTLwpwbOiIJP9EoAZU3aAX2FwlPAjKYZ7TitHvoua7aTyaJP4p4TwqLYkgl5GD-YnPhfeM7JW4/s320/writing2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been writing now for about nine years. I must enjoy it because, if I considered it work making the minimum wage is still an aspiration. But it’s not about the money is it? Not that I’m saying making a bit wouldn’t be nice and there’s always hope. When I began writing I paid for some editorial advice. For the first book it was great, pointing out some of the traps I guess many new writers fall into. It also educated me in the basics around construction, writing dialogue and more. For the second book it was less helpful, however what it did teach was to value my own opinion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the years I’ve taken a couple of on-line courses, read books and blogs on writing, all the time trying to improve my craft and make myself a better writer. However, what does that mean? Recently, I’ve been revising several new books, going back over my work numerous times. It has even had me looking back at my published books with an effort to improve the writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/editing/writers-do-we-worry-too-much-about-the-writing/">For the full blog follow this link.</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-2683523613459805962018-06-20T00:51:00.000-07:002018-06-20T00:51:06.099-07:00That very last (honest, I mean) revision - what I look for <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1WAf0KgZyUrmGKP1U8YeUpTq3_yrLqBcIT8wsR38bip5L6KD0sTVerBStOULZJnS00MWFZLmzxxmrPFIx-vY-T8b2ORCxqJmmKzEgPxB6kFvsD9dr6oyrrXnvcb5Tx_PzHa3vRtarwc/s1600/blogger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1WAf0KgZyUrmGKP1U8YeUpTq3_yrLqBcIT8wsR38bip5L6KD0sTVerBStOULZJnS00MWFZLmzxxmrPFIx-vY-T8b2ORCxqJmmKzEgPxB6kFvsD9dr6oyrrXnvcb5Tx_PzHa3vRtarwc/s320/blogger2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been doing a lot of revision recently. On top of finalising the second and third books for Inspector Kirby I am also revisiting my first book, for which I’ve had books two and three sitting on my hard drive for a few years now. I’m not saying I’m an expert, however, I have got into a sort of rhythm with it. I write the story quickly. I rarely go back and tinker until the whole thing is finished (unless I have a eureka moment). The first few revisions are easy and I find it fun. I’m assessing the plot, adding interest, finding better way to describe, correcting clunky prose etc. At some (undefined) point I draw the line on this and go into to polishing mode. I’ve done that for Kirby and that’s what I’m doing now to that other series, including the one I’ve published (after all it was my first book). I don’t know if doing so much revision has sensitised me however I find myself, in that last run through, obsessively looking for certain things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Qg">For the complete blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-43607852983829895172018-05-23T01:22:00.000-07:002018-05-23T01:22:45.438-07:00Ideas - where does that next great book come from?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_ruKpmzNr4ktLuhy7uq3oaEv_b-m6njmsXZncPe_Znb1X5Ocd3JRc-ET6mUEMJeBA-qeUZ_gd64g03SB9GUezYtQmxSEEd_RmQSCIlNngGH6YOHRthOkAEnJETWhwWVKs1ykbGQAjYE/s1600/Kephalonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_ruKpmzNr4ktLuhy7uq3oaEv_b-m6njmsXZncPe_Znb1X5Ocd3JRc-ET6mUEMJeBA-qeUZ_gd64g03SB9GUezYtQmxSEEd_RmQSCIlNngGH6YOHRthOkAEnJETWhwWVKs1ykbGQAjYE/s320/Kephalonia.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write this now because I’m struggling. I’ve finished revising books two and three of my Inspector Kirby series and I’m searching for ideas for book four. I’ve got two other books to revise, however, I feel I need the inspiration of attacking something new.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Pi">For the full blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-33775153998413261552018-04-19T01:25:00.000-07:002018-04-19T08:04:45.258-07:00Indie authors - is writing that series the key?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwCxZrHG-ert250AEBax22agyfcXiRd03JVNjuiFf3KbsBbp9NGyV7nepUTT7r0nBEWwMJeyEU4Dq_wPauqUYCFR80mf1KWNLvuIK-GRtNA4U8ioWSB6LamcjoiZmiBSC-sZkBUONCEc/s1600/authors2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwCxZrHG-ert250AEBax22agyfcXiRd03JVNjuiFf3KbsBbp9NGyV7nepUTT7r0nBEWwMJeyEU4Dq_wPauqUYCFR80mf1KWNLvuIK-GRtNA4U8ioWSB6LamcjoiZmiBSC-sZkBUONCEc/s320/authors2.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like most indie-authors I’m looking for the “secret of sales". How do I get the word out, how do I attract those followers I need. And yes I know it’s not all about selling, at least not for me. I enjoy the writing and I get a real kick out of people who tell me they’ve read my books and enjoyed them. In many ways I just want more people to enjoy them and if I can make a little on the positive side of expenses:sales balance sheet that would be great. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/e-publishing/indie-authors-writing-series-key/">For the complete blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-67457587018173079372018-03-21T02:18:00.000-07:002018-03-21T02:18:51.517-07:00Who and what influenced me as a writer?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGPFmFCfLF4WTipSXjarcPOtLNdmgoASc4Gp9UehA7_8NRlAIJq631cVeeOHrYd2arzGQ6L3zTfyVPOtVtE2qRdhJIb5X1vsfioVhV1pXK1_ad-ox8_a5PNBrQqUmD5o3zQUdFOdE_BM/s1600/mybooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1281" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYGPFmFCfLF4WTipSXjarcPOtLNdmgoASc4Gp9UehA7_8NRlAIJq631cVeeOHrYd2arzGQ6L3zTfyVPOtVtE2qRdhJIb5X1vsfioVhV1pXK1_ad-ox8_a5PNBrQqUmD5o3zQUdFOdE_BM/s320/mybooks.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was asked what influenced me as writer recently. At first I thought it was an easy thing to answer. I’ve said before that Arthur C Clarke’s Childhood’s End is what got me hooked on science fiction, the ending blew my teenage mind. That lead me to reading more Clarke and Asimov then authors such as Greg Bear and Ben Bova. Also, I grew up at the time of the Apollo missions and the moon landings. As a young lad, how could that not captivate my imagination? Then later films such as 2001, Close Encounters and Star Wars were taking science fiction on the screen from clunky B Movie status to the mainstream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, having given my standard answer it occurred to me that these were things that had sparked my interest as a consumer of science fiction, and later fantasy through authors such as Raymond Feist and David Eddings. However, had they influenced my writing? In terms of the subject matter, yes. I have adapted themes that those writers have explored before me (and I presume they adapted from earlier writers). As for my actual writing, perhaps much less than Imagined. They may have placed that spark, the desire to write. However, as to influencing my writing that comes later, from the authors I’ve read just before and while I’ve been writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1MC">For the complete blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-77897780093350931942018-02-28T01:32:00.000-08:002018-02-28T01:32:29.065-08:00What's wrong with a nice story?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrKZnOjvSLiqEXI6ah_lUSxuAezYncvTopOM_5iRsGZBUh1T_TKHvjWAmycARDoY5ZpmzO4GnM15-Imdg6h50LGNWAQLKOGrtOTbyash16KFTNr5N89oZqa-4BR3PK7U69lwcd_Skx5U/s1600/machines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrKZnOjvSLiqEXI6ah_lUSxuAezYncvTopOM_5iRsGZBUh1T_TKHvjWAmycARDoY5ZpmzO4GnM15-Imdg6h50LGNWAQLKOGrtOTbyash16KFTNr5N89oZqa-4BR3PK7U69lwcd_Skx5U/s320/machines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The prompt for this post was a film I watched recently, Salmon fishing is the Yemen. I knew it had good crits and it’d been on my “to see” list for a long time. From the first few minutes to the end I enjoyed it. It was a gentle tale, with an element of humour and even a bit of romance. There was some violence, however basically it was a “nice” (and I know as authors the word “nice” is something to be avoided) story well told.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1LO">For the complete blog follow this link</a> </span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-20647315139979057812018-02-02T01:15:00.000-08:002018-02-02T01:15:07.741-08:00Guest post - The Timelost by Chris Turner<em>Hi,</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7MZf0DS57ynotcfFU-TcnTNSjHRIP6PbmRnFiZyZgHXeXFut5a2k1bSOsSjUE69rr6s3I4gI46IvPDPaumclH7j9bMtmAHSrVxJyi6hQ5E79aT9k9bj0tf3M0EKp_JyVWmEbODN9k2E/s1600/The_Timelost+%2528003%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW7MZf0DS57ynotcfFU-TcnTNSjHRIP6PbmRnFiZyZgHXeXFut5a2k1bSOsSjUE69rr6s3I4gI46IvPDPaumclH7j9bMtmAHSrVxJyi6hQ5E79aT9k9bj0tf3M0EKp_JyVWmEbODN9k2E/s320/The_Timelost+%2528003%2529.jpg" width="235" /></a><em>This is the first time I've run a guest post. What prompted me to run this one was the combination of the written word and sound. If you follow the The Timelost link below you'll see what I mean. I haven't come across this before and found it fascinating. Anyway, I'll let C</em><em>hris tell you about it:</em><br />
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<em><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1L1">Just follow this link</a> </em>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-60135678847452284552018-01-31T00:40:00.000-08:002018-01-31T00:40:09.685-08:00Artificial Intelligence - should we be worried?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bnEicnf3rUa1_IVrgDgLxIhUGQKz9r-OSmAJoUZ5ACMRi_UQ27_7HEOFipuqv75pS6Elf6gm6HQ3qgDlUbCgQAbpXR__nZI4NHOJefnNdXUA6l4HqQsJxdWYgbNvNFMzZVt11QGorUY/s1600/Crick+canal+tunnel_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bnEicnf3rUa1_IVrgDgLxIhUGQKz9r-OSmAJoUZ5ACMRi_UQ27_7HEOFipuqv75pS6Elf6gm6HQ3qgDlUbCgQAbpXR__nZI4NHOJefnNdXUA6l4HqQsJxdWYgbNvNFMzZVt11QGorUY/s320/Crick+canal+tunnel_edited-1.jpg" width="256" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a lot in the media at the moment concerning Artificial Intelligence, some hailing it as the next industrial revolution, others as Armageddon waiting to happen. I know science fiction over the years has been full of the latter. However, as any writer will tell you a good story needs conflict and in sci-fi what’s better than man vs. machine?. I also know that Stephen Hawking is suggesting we, or at least some of us, need to get of this planet before the end of the century and find a new home before AI becomes too powerful. I just don’t see why it has to be that way. Why does it have to be the alarmist view? Although, I admit neither I nor the professor will be around at that time, mores the pity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the complete blog follow this link: <a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1KR">http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1KR</a> </span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-15071021646148382342018-01-10T02:58:00.000-08:002018-01-10T02:58:43.282-08:00A writer's resolutions for 2018<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv7okWgSf8Zm4i3GDz_Z_RzMOm79-ExUUBogbrvrQ69Bgszi0YKpUv1a5xycZ8n0FZVQKTVxpa7MdZzIyiZ9sdSaSjNHbX3aJmSlndIi1YuyyNt0ZqbPWK6A1x65yRDF2fFUPMwn3-0c/s1600/IMG_8378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTv7okWgSf8Zm4i3GDz_Z_RzMOm79-ExUUBogbrvrQ69Bgszi0YKpUv1a5xycZ8n0FZVQKTVxpa7MdZzIyiZ9sdSaSjNHbX3aJmSlndIi1YuyyNt0ZqbPWK6A1x65yRDF2fFUPMwn3-0c/s320/IMG_8378.JPG" width="212" /></a>In <a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/writing/6672/">my previous blog</a> I reflected on what I'd learnt in 2017. So now It’s time to look forward to a new year and make my writer's plans for 2018, a.k.a. resolutions. I do this every year and yes, I do look back at them from time to time. Like most of us some I have fulfilled, others have been partially met and some discarded along the way. So are they worth it? I think so. It’s a good time to re-focus, to assess what I’m trying to do, what I want to achieve.<br />
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So for 2018: <a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Ki">For the complete blog follow the link</a> </h3>
Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-69763067884590501012017-12-20T01:26:00.000-08:002017-12-20T01:26:53.467-08:00Another year as a writer - time to reflect<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGGGY61c0rB1DPwbRHPqPB8Eens8eZF8py8ok4ee_AlxON2PqbYs1oxZehZAXHHcIV6ICcrti6irL-9w_qTRgfiRTouI2nYSnljmviuoSQFv6g5cgclSVdBzYO_N48vIk_Rcn7fUa3ps/s1600/xmas1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="982" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGGGY61c0rB1DPwbRHPqPB8Eens8eZF8py8ok4ee_AlxON2PqbYs1oxZehZAXHHcIV6ICcrti6irL-9w_qTRgfiRTouI2nYSnljmviuoSQFv6g5cgclSVdBzYO_N48vIk_Rcn7fUa3ps/s320/xmas1.jpg" width="255" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/s3ycbY-6672">For the complete blog - follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-67852906115682534142017-11-29T01:02:00.000-08:002017-11-29T01:02:21.063-08:00All those writer courses - shop wisely<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEONOyA-hAizTiYxEHti4cxOe5hYlYS-Dgm13_0TsoDR6UWUjl2Wj3Zd4-jqftA8s5DCseuOI8n2u2UsH4KU4zmZB8Ccd87BXuRWUdO52YXKUAt1WT_qOZW1aA4oYHPFR2Y0CkBjR7nP8/s1600/sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="864" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEONOyA-hAizTiYxEHti4cxOe5hYlYS-Dgm13_0TsoDR6UWUjl2Wj3Zd4-jqftA8s5DCseuOI8n2u2UsH4KU4zmZB8Ccd87BXuRWUdO52YXKUAt1WT_qOZW1aA4oYHPFR2Y0CkBjR7nP8/s320/sign.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1IU">For the full blog - follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-72440801580303831742017-11-16T01:27:00.000-08:002017-11-16T01:27:13.506-08:00Writers beware - sod's law exists <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo003efrHvQqj0txbEhC533-1B0ZUPgVrDT8fLSz1qNx7KvW9NVU4a4d4r_InMx7JlwRkBk6HIwEb2d7uPb528GbRzJT-uKrmNGHYQ7OGxwwJEE60SpV5yjRjfF4f0MLsvEITvTTmxgk/s1600/canallock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwo003efrHvQqj0txbEhC533-1B0ZUPgVrDT8fLSz1qNx7KvW9NVU4a4d4r_InMx7JlwRkBk6HIwEb2d7uPb528GbRzJT-uKrmNGHYQ7OGxwwJEE60SpV5yjRjfF4f0MLsvEITvTTmxgk/s320/canallock.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1HX">For the complete blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-3143702747665511722017-11-01T01:49:00.000-07:002017-11-01T01:49:55.137-07:00What does it take to be a writer? - Persitence<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8sH_8aY6_gsvZf6Oiszr1KZWgtEOPT76mqM6YsRMfKhpRrXRxdvL_wQaX5r3nO39DqaVA9Vmq2N5Yr6UgsBnsCu8p5AOJ5UQdkQ8QIVzAlG_WFAJA3gyN3h8MUYKkEF0122nLL2s81A/s1600/scifibooks2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8sH_8aY6_gsvZf6Oiszr1KZWgtEOPT76mqM6YsRMfKhpRrXRxdvL_wQaX5r3nO39DqaVA9Vmq2N5Yr6UgsBnsCu8p5AOJ5UQdkQ8QIVzAlG_WFAJA3gyN3h8MUYKkEF0122nLL2s81A/s320/scifibooks2.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1H4">For the full blog follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-47111461145022959712017-10-23T00:54:00.001-07:002017-10-23T00:54:35.450-07:00Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat - A Northumbrian Mystery<div style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px;">
<b>Launching today!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFivA9HM9HieZeJTd5wWhn8uTSe7g606M7q5NCEzPSMis2kDyCAYPO-rU9QSMsMkH2hCMyr8HWaH25CBOf-tmX1E5r57mmszS79UKwAwb_nSLlH-yukcnWfNw4HMDIxMsZP4mDv0b4jRU/s1600/Kirby_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFivA9HM9HieZeJTd5wWhn8uTSe7g606M7q5NCEzPSMis2kDyCAYPO-rU9QSMsMkH2hCMyr8HWaH25CBOf-tmX1E5r57mmszS79UKwAwb_nSLlH-yukcnWfNw4HMDIxMsZP4mDv0b4jRU/s320/Kirby_Final.jpg" width="213" /></a><b>Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat - A Northumbrian Mystery.</b></div>
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Here’s the link: <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsmarturl.it%2Finspectorkirby1&h=ATN-BnhPyBykPHNhqVBP2Sc3NgN2cz3LAiNpD1lNeYK5xVCwu00dA83Pa5UNM8a0IguK1LXr2e35QpdK0uV0I9XLH-IJ6wXLeGZfSbiWhAtRQBiv8s4B3HzC7ApNNn8Pu92frc8pBBMih6PIaFZKNWNkWTOrMVN3jkySjbTnushXi8tSAThS2NRJOzYT2ErBzSH81FXE3mrmJHafzJFuYD4UYZsh1rd-CF0es7S666KcubcGFb3HqpeUJn3H1tZaTXQAiLEv_3nAjDnTuZgcLf8x3z30V30jZ4CtN1wbi1tgNF22Iz4UosjsGOPpJA" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://smarturl.it/inspectorkirby1</a></div>
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<b>A pair of shoes - how weird can that be?</b></div>
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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.</div>
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Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-30589609047237678522017-10-18T03:41:00.000-07:002017-10-18T03:41:29.315-07:00Meet Inspector Kirby<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWH1HgVq1XxvRnYDb5Ibu4m-ahBdlgE5jFJQ40QnWQSiuHKBgXA1ra5MZbraLg6VGGn_YPlDt1i_IiUTQHyN1Zx3tewEate5Gxl6X2DQR6rHAK0iAqWgMQQmvjMEYcnEnpfC4O-p0A1M/s1600/Kirby_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIWH1HgVq1XxvRnYDb5Ibu4m-ahBdlgE5jFJQ40QnWQSiuHKBgXA1ra5MZbraLg6VGGn_YPlDt1i_IiUTQHyN1Zx3tewEate5Gxl6X2DQR6rHAK0iAqWgMQQmvjMEYcnEnpfC4O-p0A1M/s320/Kirby_Final.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1G6">To meet Inspector Kirby follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-9354395481143639532017-09-27T23:59:00.000-07:002017-09-27T23:59:11.259-07:00Getting into your characters - Inspector Kirby and Harold Longcoat<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1A3Zh48HMD4txnQzrERyLiUrLSvW27XnoEUIDCb_croCmy0-rhSBP0kG-VkKqj9RJ9fjzIrc9NKr29MKSHjRrWaNWOwTI-CrWvd3BfdSHENVmmkksflyTzdq_XqH9uMvbZ6e5-CbIoY/s1600/Kirby_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1A3Zh48HMD4txnQzrERyLiUrLSvW27XnoEUIDCb_croCmy0-rhSBP0kG-VkKqj9RJ9fjzIrc9NKr29MKSHjRrWaNWOwTI-CrWvd3BfdSHENVmmkksflyTzdq_XqH9uMvbZ6e5-CbIoY/s320/Kirby_Final.jpg" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Fd" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the full blog follow this link</a>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2026174333559202501.post-89127401729623647522017-09-06T01:28:00.000-07:002017-09-06T01:28:40.339-07:00What I've learnt from 4 years of blogging<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOnkR8j_i28UC_9hNULAtyi1YXgYVKYPyI7HWn1KDEVkWc9SEs4ZAs6cKSBC0ceqwmgFA6eQFK2X9zGRmKT-0IRtCzXV2ZOZ0E663JcPUJS_ZXY9TypxO7wgmuUtjGtKmP539FbXrTH4/s1600/blogger2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOnkR8j_i28UC_9hNULAtyi1YXgYVKYPyI7HWn1KDEVkWc9SEs4ZAs6cKSBC0ceqwmgFA6eQFK2X9zGRmKT-0IRtCzXV2ZOZ0E663JcPUJS_ZXY9TypxO7wgmuUtjGtKmP539FbXrTH4/s320/blogger2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently a site, The Digital Reader (<a href="https://the-digital-reader.com/2017/09/01/morning-coffee-1-september-2017/">morning coffee – 1 September 2017</a>) picked up on a blog I wrote in 2014, <a href="http://www.martynfiction.com/blogging-2/7-key-things-blogging/">7 key things I’ve learnt from a year of blogging.</a> 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:</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) The first thing listed was: Blogging does not sell books</span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://wp.me/p3ycbY-1Eh">For the complete blog please follow this link</a></span>Ian Martynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02071070813861300949noreply@blogger.com0