K.J. Chapman's Blog, page 17
October 15, 2019
Writing by Hand #authortoolboxbloghop
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Today’s #authortoolboxbloghop post is all about writing by hand, and why I feel it can be beneficial to the drafting process.
I primarily write on my laptop, but I tend to write by hand when I need to refocus:
1. Slows Down Thought Process
Writing by hand takes longer than typing. In turn, this slows down our thought processes, allowing us to not only take in what we are writing on a deeper level, but to take our time on the fundamentals of the craft.
2. Minimises Distraction
If I am on the laptop, I tend to flit between writing and social media. This break in flow is not good for my creativity. Writing by hand cuts out the distraction.
3. Always to Hand
I can easily slip a notepad and pen into my bag/ pocket. I rarely take my laptop out of the house. If inspiration strikes, I am always ready to hand write it down.
4. Prevents Editing as You Go
This may sound like a bad thing, but editing as you go can inhibit creative flow and be time consuming. If I edited as I drafted, I’d never get a story finished.
5. Beats Writer’s Block
Hand writing uses a different part of the brain than typing, so if I have writer’s block, I write by hand to see if accessing that part of the brain triggers new ideas.
You can check out the other #authortoolboxbloghop participants and their posts here.
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October 11, 2019
Book Review: Blood of the Dragon by Sarina Langer
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Blood of the Dragon by Sarina Langer 5/5
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My Review:
*my review is based on the beta copy.
Sarina Langer has completed her trilogy and it has been great to be able to follow not only Langer but her characters on their journey.
Story arcs for Rachael and the sub-characters have naturally been tied up (many in the exact way I wanted). *No spoilers. They really have been set in motion through book one, nutured further in book two, and cemented in book three.
The world building is still as impressive as ever, and the magic, language, and history still as rich.
If you have followed the trilogy, then this final instalment is incredibly satisfying. If you haven’t started the Relics of Ar’zac series, then you really should!
The opinions expressed here are those of K.J. Chapman and no other parties
All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman
K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review
Content belongs to K.J.Chapman
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October 10, 2019
Book Review: The Bug Out Guy by Gavin Griffiths
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The Bug Out Guy by Gavin Griffiths 3/5
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Review:
I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of what would happen in a world where technology fails, the economy crashes, and civilisation quickly becomes each man for himself.
There is humour dotted in amongst the mayhem, and the main character, Clem, has the right personality for this narrative (if that makes sense?) It’s not far fetched to see him surviving it all.
The opinions expressed here are those of K.J. Chapman and no other parties
All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman
K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review
Content belongs to K.J.Chapman
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October 9, 2019
Picture This: Episode 3
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Welcome back for another Picture This post. Please, feel free to join in with your own interpretation of the prompt. Be sure to tag me in your post, so I can have a read or leave it in the comments.
Prompt:
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My Interpretation:
I should have paid more attention to when he held my hand. That may sound silly and trivial, but looking back, it was vital.
The first time he held my hand was when I accompnaied him on his business trip to London. I thought it was sweet, walking down the road hand in hand, making a point of our love to those passing by.
But a pattern quickly was established. He took me on a mini break to Scotland and his hand never left mine. A long weekend in the Lake District. Two nights in a cottage in Cornwall. He was so much more affectionate then… when we weren’t at home.
I did notice, but I put it down to him not wanting to be affectionate in front of people he knew. I mean, he was a private man, very private it seems. Still, I should have paid more attention, but you know how those rose tinted glasses can be.
Of course, there were other signs I missed, but the hand holding thing now bugs me and taunts me, letting me know I was a fool.
However, I was ignorant until the last sign – the smack in the guts sign- the sign that finally knocked those glasses clean off my face. Well, perhaps not so much a sign as a nasty, devastating realisation.
His wife.
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October 3, 2019
Picture This: Episode 2
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Thank you for coming back for another episode of Picture This. Remember, you are welcome to join in and create your own interpretation of the prompt.
Prompt:
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My Interpretation:
I have laid the trap just as he asked. I daren’t do otherwise. I hate this, I hate this stupid cape, and this stupid game.
He calls himself The Wolf. I know him by no other name, but he must have had a mother, a real name, no matter how far he has fallen since.
The door to the cottage is flung open and he prowls down the steps snarling in my direction. “Is it done?” I nod in reply. “And they followed you?”
I nod again.
He cranes his neck as if sniffing the air. “Get inside and keep your mouth shut.”
He need not say it out loud. I know the drill. Lure them, trap them, and leave the rest to him. I also know I am an accomplice to murder, but if not them it will surely be me.
The poor lady that stopped for me when I fell at the side of the road… a little bit of vomit catches in my throat at the thought. I’m a pro at making it look realistic. She offered me food and water, and I ate it so quickly my famished stomach cramped from the sudden intake of food.
When I spun her the story of my living in the woods alone, she looked genuinely concerned. I mean, they all look concerned, but she actually offered to take me back to the city and call the police.
I cried as I jogged back into the woods, knowing she followed. I cry now as I hang my cape on the hook outside the door as a beacon in the gloom before I head inside. I cry as I burrow into my blankets and hold a pillow over my head to block out any sound other than my own heartbeat and sobs.
I will cry all night because there is never an end. For next week, The Wolf will make me do it all over again.
I went with this twist on the Little Red Riding hood faitytale as the gloom and sinister feel to the image inspired me.
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September 30, 2019
September Update
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So, September has shot by in the blink of an eye. My husband and I are another year older, my dad got remarried, and my daughter started another year in school.
Writing
I have been going at a snail’s pace in regards to my writing. Other stuff took priority this month. I’m not in a rush, so it’s no biggie. It’ll be written when it’s written, right?
Reading
I had the pleasure of beta reading Sarina Langer’s Blood of the Dragon. I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for a review, but just know it is a fantastic 3rd book in the trilogy.
I am still reading Girl Online by Zoe Sugg, and my hope is to finish it in a week or so, and then get another novel under my belt before October is out.
Blogging
My Picture This series has officially started. It is bizarre to think that this is the last blog series of the year on Writerly Bookish Stuff. It ends on November 27th, and then I have some Christmas related posts to get us through December.
The final instalment of my First Draft series coincided with #authortoolboxbloghop, and I am pleased with how the series panned out. I hope you found some of my experiences useful.
What’s Next?
October is the final month of #authortoolboxbloghop this year. (Returns in January). I shall be posting October’s post on Monday 14th October.
I have some more posts planned for the Picture This series. Remember, you can join in and create your own interpretations of the prompts if you wish.
Finally, I do plan to write at least another 2k of Zombies and Budgie Smugglers. It might not sound a lot, but it’s progress in a busy month of adulting.
Thanks for journeying through September with me.
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September 24, 2019
Picture This: Episode 1
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Thanks for joining me for my last blog series of the year, Picture This. This series is all about picture prompts, writing inspiration, and short stories.
Each week, I will share a stock photo and write a short story inspired by it. You can join in if you wish. Just tag Writerly Bookish Stuff, so I can have a read.
Prompt:
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My Interpretation:
Half the world has been destroyed and we are about thirty minutes away from extinction. They said a war in the twenty first century would end this way… they were right.
If they push the button that’s it for the world we know. We saw what happened to the southern hemisphere ten years ago. In thirty minutes, we’ll see the rest of humanity wiped out. No country is going to back down, no country will let the other win.
Hundreds of beams of light dot the night sky, flying toward the ground with such speed that they appear to have a comet tail. This is it. Civilians scream, pray, pointlessly run in every direction.
“They’re not missiles!” my squadron leader calls, trying to calm the furore, but his voice is muted by the noise of panic.
“Then, what are they, Sir?” I ask.
He shrugs and licks the sweat off his top lip. “God knows.”
The flying lights disperse through the night sky like rockets, leaving just one hovering above us. As it draws closer, the light spreads like sheet lightning until I have to shield my eyes with my forearm.
After what feels like an eternity of blinking away spots in my eyes, the light forms a shape in the sky… an angel shape I know how crazy that sounds. An outline forms with the clear shape of outstretched wings. The longer I look, the more it forms a solid humanoid shape and descends to the ground not one hundred yards from our convoy.
“Cease,” says a silky yet authoritative voice.
“Who are you? What are you?” my squadron leader asks the vision before us. I say vision because the creature – human – is andogynous in apppearance yet stunningly beautiful. So beautiful.
“I am a Messenger. You know us as angels. And we have been sent to clean up your fucking mess.”
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September 17, 2019
First Draft: Leave It Be
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This #authortoolboxbloghop coincides with the final episode of my First Draft series. This final instalment is all about what to do with your first draft when you write those monumental words… The End.
My advice is to leave it be. By that, I mean to put it away out of sight and forget about it (well, almost).
Some writers head straight into the editing process, but this doesn’t work for me. I have compiled some reasons why leaving your manuscript to brew for a little can be so beneficial.
A Well Earned Break
Writing is hard. If it wasn’t, everyone would be doing it. When I have finished an entire first draft, I know I have earned a breather.
Besides, writing the last part of your manuscript can feel like being on a runaway train; getting absorbed by the ending and ploughing ahead with momentum. We could all do with getting back to reality with family, friends, and our own thoughts.
Fresh Perspective
Coming back to your manuscript with fresh eyes is a brilliant thing. It helps with editing (knowing what the sentence should say and what it actually says are two different things), and you can critique yourself easier when you have detached yourself a little from your work.
A Chance to Start Something New
I don’t mean to dive head first into another story (unless that is your process, of course). I simply mean that it is useful to start thinking/note taking about a new story. A little bit of distraction is good for me. I feel like a month or so of a new story seems to help when I go back to my old one. It also breaks the monotomy.
You can check out the other #authortoolboxbloghop participants and their posts here.
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September 16, 2019
The Final Blog Series of 2019
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This sounds ominious considering it is only September, but fear not, the final series will start on September 25th and run for 10 weeks until November 27th. That leaves me free in December for Christmassy goodness.
The final series, that will be called Picture This, is a picture prompt related series as you, the readers, requested.
I will find 10 pictures that spark inspiration in me and write short stories based on them.
I hope you stick around for the next series. Feel free to join in and share your stories with me.
Also, please note that I will be sharing posts for #authortoolboxbloghop every 3rd Wednesday (excluding Nov and Dec). These posts are writing experience related.
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September 11, 2019
First Draft: The Ending
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This post has been on the back burner a long while. I actually wrote tips for a satisfying ending when I did the vote to ask my readers what series they’d like to see on Writerly Bookish Stuff. When the First Draft idea came out on top, I put it on the aside to include in the series… finally, here it is.
Tie Up Loose Ends
There needs to be some sort of conclusion to the conflicts that presented themselves during the narrative. Unresolved conflicts is highly unsatisfying for the reader.
Believability
The ending has to arrive naturally as a result of the story arc. You must not force the ending you want on your narrative or you will have unsatisfied readers.
Cliffhanger After Conclusion
A cliffhanger is not a conclusion. A cliffhanger is another story spur that carries the reader further on with the narrative i.e. into the next book. It cannot take the place of concluding certain conflicts to the story so far, even if the main arc is still ongoing.
Know When to Stop
This can be tough. Knowing when to start the beginning of the end is ultimately a gut instinct. Be aware if starting new conflicts that you have time to resolve them or if they can be part of the longer arc into subsequent books.
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