Stuart Bone's Blog, page 9
June 21, 2016
Work Station
Across the road from my parents' house, where I'm currently living, is a house that's in the process of being extended to the side and back. The work began last summer but has been on and off since then and there still looks to be a lot to do.
I only mention this as the room I use as an office is at the front of the house and, although the desk faces the corner of the room, I only have to lean to the side a little to see what's going on out of the window.
Fortunately, my concentration has got better over time and I only occasionally glance outside to see what's going on. It helps that summer is taking a long time to arrive in London this year so windows are still closed and outside noises and distractions are much quieter. In fact the only real distraction for me is when a conversation is going on somewhere within earshot. If I'm trying to write an exchange between two characters I have to wait for the conversation to end before I can continue. It's the one noise I can't work through.
I never used to be that disciplined. In my last house I was working full time and writing usually only happened at the weekend. My desk was set up in the third bedroom but, for some reason, the builders of my property decided the smallest room needed two windows and so my desk was directly in front of one of them, making it much easier to look up from the laptop and see what was going on outside. Once I'd looked up it seemed as good a time as any to go downstairs and get a coffee, and perhaps a biscuit. While down there I'd notice the washing had finished so I'd unload the machine and put the clothes on the dryer. After that, well I might as well drink the coffee downstairs. I wonder what's on the TV?
And that was my writing day over.
I would suggest to people that if you need a home office (for any job), always position your desk so that you are facing the wall. It will definitely make it easier to maintain concentration. I watch a lot of these Home shows on TV and have seen several where the house buyer wants a room with a view so that they can find inspiration to write stories or poems. Possibly the view will be inspirational but it will also be a distraction. There'll be too much time looking at that, rather than at a computer screen.
It was watching a documentary programme about Roald Dahl a number of years ago when I became aware of this. I grew up reading Roald Dahl's fantastic children's books and was surprised to see him head off to an old shed in his garden with a thermos flask. He sat down in a winged-back chair in a dark room and placed a plank of wood across the arms to serve as a desk. There, he created all those wonderful worlds and characters.
Views are great to add to a book to give an idea of surroundings, but nothing beats a plain, old wall for concentration.
I only mention this as the room I use as an office is at the front of the house and, although the desk faces the corner of the room, I only have to lean to the side a little to see what's going on out of the window.
Fortunately, my concentration has got better over time and I only occasionally glance outside to see what's going on. It helps that summer is taking a long time to arrive in London this year so windows are still closed and outside noises and distractions are much quieter. In fact the only real distraction for me is when a conversation is going on somewhere within earshot. If I'm trying to write an exchange between two characters I have to wait for the conversation to end before I can continue. It's the one noise I can't work through.
I never used to be that disciplined. In my last house I was working full time and writing usually only happened at the weekend. My desk was set up in the third bedroom but, for some reason, the builders of my property decided the smallest room needed two windows and so my desk was directly in front of one of them, making it much easier to look up from the laptop and see what was going on outside. Once I'd looked up it seemed as good a time as any to go downstairs and get a coffee, and perhaps a biscuit. While down there I'd notice the washing had finished so I'd unload the machine and put the clothes on the dryer. After that, well I might as well drink the coffee downstairs. I wonder what's on the TV?
And that was my writing day over.
I would suggest to people that if you need a home office (for any job), always position your desk so that you are facing the wall. It will definitely make it easier to maintain concentration. I watch a lot of these Home shows on TV and have seen several where the house buyer wants a room with a view so that they can find inspiration to write stories or poems. Possibly the view will be inspirational but it will also be a distraction. There'll be too much time looking at that, rather than at a computer screen.
It was watching a documentary programme about Roald Dahl a number of years ago when I became aware of this. I grew up reading Roald Dahl's fantastic children's books and was surprised to see him head off to an old shed in his garden with a thermos flask. He sat down in a winged-back chair in a dark room and placed a plank of wood across the arms to serve as a desk. There, he created all those wonderful worlds and characters.
Views are great to add to a book to give an idea of surroundings, but nothing beats a plain, old wall for concentration.
June 20, 2016
Hearing voices
A friend of mine has just finished reading Driven to Distraction. He told me he kept hearing my voice as he read it. I guess that's not surprising as it is written in the first person and he does know my sense of humour.
The voice of a character is very important to me. When I can hear them talking in my head, I know I've got them right.
I will detail physical descriptions of characters because, obviously, the reader has to be able to picture them; but for me the character often remains faceless. I wish I could see them in that level of detail but it's usually just a human form in my mind, but I always hear the sound and tone in their voices and I know how they think and how they feel.
Sometimes I will end up rewriting a scene or chapter or even take the book in a different direction; purely because I realise the fully-formed character wouldn't do what I planned for them to do.
I realise that last paragraph sounds a little disturbing. I don't mean characters are starting to talk to me and take over my life. They're not real...although I have felt quite sad and guilty when I've killed one off. I've also sometimes cringed at the things some of them say, even though I'm the one typing the words!
For those of you that have already met Shauna, the courier in Driven to Distraction, you'll understand what I mean.
The voice of a character is very important to me. When I can hear them talking in my head, I know I've got them right.
I will detail physical descriptions of characters because, obviously, the reader has to be able to picture them; but for me the character often remains faceless. I wish I could see them in that level of detail but it's usually just a human form in my mind, but I always hear the sound and tone in their voices and I know how they think and how they feel.
Sometimes I will end up rewriting a scene or chapter or even take the book in a different direction; purely because I realise the fully-formed character wouldn't do what I planned for them to do.
I realise that last paragraph sounds a little disturbing. I don't mean characters are starting to talk to me and take over my life. They're not real...although I have felt quite sad and guilty when I've killed one off. I've also sometimes cringed at the things some of them say, even though I'm the one typing the words!
For those of you that have already met Shauna, the courier in Driven to Distraction, you'll understand what I mean.
June 18, 2016
Working week
When I first took a break from my career in banking to write full time, I took the decision to keep regular office hours. It was something I was used to and I soon realised that writing as a career is totally different to writing as a hobby in your spare time.
As much as I love doing it I also enjoy having weekends off and switching off each evening. I think that's very important otherwise the writing can take over.
That's not to say I don't suddenly think of something during the evening or weekend but usually I'll just note the thought down and come back to it during my writing day.
The worst thing is thinking of something just after you've closed your eyes to go to sleep at night. Fortunately I do keep a notebook in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet but writing down one idea invariably leads to something else. I've brought in a rule that I will only switch my light on to write notes three times. After that I force myself to switch off.
The other thing that I'm fortunate in is having an office in the third bedroom where the door can be closed when I'm done and this really helps with switching off. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to take a year out after being made redundant from my job. I did a short story writing course and also worked on my first attempt at a novel. At the time I was living in a small, two-bed roomed apartment where all the rooms came off of a tiny hallway. To get any light into this space I had to keep the door to the second bedroom open. This was where my desk was and so every time I walked through that hallway I saw the desk and I either began thinking about the stories I was working on, or I felt guilty because I hadn't been working on them that particular day. I wasn't ever able to switch off properly. Still, it was a lesson learned.
Today is Saturday and after I publish this I will not be doing anything else book related until Monday; and that feels great.
As much as I love doing it I also enjoy having weekends off and switching off each evening. I think that's very important otherwise the writing can take over.
That's not to say I don't suddenly think of something during the evening or weekend but usually I'll just note the thought down and come back to it during my writing day.
The worst thing is thinking of something just after you've closed your eyes to go to sleep at night. Fortunately I do keep a notebook in the top drawer of my bedside cabinet but writing down one idea invariably leads to something else. I've brought in a rule that I will only switch my light on to write notes three times. After that I force myself to switch off.
The other thing that I'm fortunate in is having an office in the third bedroom where the door can be closed when I'm done and this really helps with switching off. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to take a year out after being made redundant from my job. I did a short story writing course and also worked on my first attempt at a novel. At the time I was living in a small, two-bed roomed apartment where all the rooms came off of a tiny hallway. To get any light into this space I had to keep the door to the second bedroom open. This was where my desk was and so every time I walked through that hallway I saw the desk and I either began thinking about the stories I was working on, or I felt guilty because I hadn't been working on them that particular day. I wasn't ever able to switch off properly. Still, it was a lesson learned.
Today is Saturday and after I publish this I will not be doing anything else book related until Monday; and that feels great.
June 16, 2016
Research
Before I began writing novels the word 'research' conjured up an image in my mind of reading through piles of books and making copious amounts of notes that may or may not get used.
I'm sure with many non-fiction books, and particularly historical fiction, that's something that still needs to be done but so far I've managed to avoid it in my novels.
That's not to say I don't do any research. In my first novel, Driven to Distraction, I really needed to find locations that I could use as a basis for the excursions that the coach party travels to. I created the entirely fictitious county of Tenhamshire but to be able to describe the places the characters visit, so that the reader can picture them in their own minds;I had to start with a real place that I could then adapt using poetic licence.
My village of Baddlesbury, the first excursion of the trip, is based on the beautiful, medieval village of Lavenham in Suffolk. I added a farmers' market and changed a few buildings and the view from the top of the church tower (which is actually based on a view of Dunstable Downs, as seen from beside the penguin enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo). I so like the village that I've returned to it in my third novel, Long Shadows, that I'm currently writing a first draft of.
Several places in my home county of Essex have also been inspirations for places in Tenhamshire; including Two Tree Island in Leigh-on-Sea, Greensted Church near Chipping Ongar and RHS Hyde Hall, which is the inspiration for the grounds at Tenham House.
My third novel features an expensive retirement home which I needed to be an old manor house of some kind. It had to have grounds too. My research for that turned out to be a particularly lovely few hours spent at Ham House in south-west London. I've added some bay windows and balconies to the back view of the house and also added a large conservatory but the outside of the house provided me with enough inspiration to create the place I wanted. They have a garden surrounded by a large hedge that has had squares cut out of it so that people can look into it. I was so taken by this that I've created a residents garden at my fictional Home with the same hedge surrounding it.
Sometimes a bit of research is necessary just for a small scene. In second novel (Nothing Ventured, out November 2016) I have a sixty-five year old couple who are trying to bring a little excitement into the bedroom. They aren't the main characters but I think their part of the story is probably my favourite. The two try lots of different things and one of them is to look through a sex toys catalogue together to see if there's anything they fancy using. It's the first time either of them have seen a catalogue like this and the scene is very amusing. Of course to write that scene I had to spend some time looking at sex toys online (and that's my defence for the items on my browser m'lud).
I think a friend of mine probably regrets texting me at that particular moment to see how my writing was going. Still, perhaps she learnt something new about love eggs.
I'm sure with many non-fiction books, and particularly historical fiction, that's something that still needs to be done but so far I've managed to avoid it in my novels.
That's not to say I don't do any research. In my first novel, Driven to Distraction, I really needed to find locations that I could use as a basis for the excursions that the coach party travels to. I created the entirely fictitious county of Tenhamshire but to be able to describe the places the characters visit, so that the reader can picture them in their own minds;I had to start with a real place that I could then adapt using poetic licence.
My village of Baddlesbury, the first excursion of the trip, is based on the beautiful, medieval village of Lavenham in Suffolk. I added a farmers' market and changed a few buildings and the view from the top of the church tower (which is actually based on a view of Dunstable Downs, as seen from beside the penguin enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo). I so like the village that I've returned to it in my third novel, Long Shadows, that I'm currently writing a first draft of.
Several places in my home county of Essex have also been inspirations for places in Tenhamshire; including Two Tree Island in Leigh-on-Sea, Greensted Church near Chipping Ongar and RHS Hyde Hall, which is the inspiration for the grounds at Tenham House.
My third novel features an expensive retirement home which I needed to be an old manor house of some kind. It had to have grounds too. My research for that turned out to be a particularly lovely few hours spent at Ham House in south-west London. I've added some bay windows and balconies to the back view of the house and also added a large conservatory but the outside of the house provided me with enough inspiration to create the place I wanted. They have a garden surrounded by a large hedge that has had squares cut out of it so that people can look into it. I was so taken by this that I've created a residents garden at my fictional Home with the same hedge surrounding it.
Sometimes a bit of research is necessary just for a small scene. In second novel (Nothing Ventured, out November 2016) I have a sixty-five year old couple who are trying to bring a little excitement into the bedroom. They aren't the main characters but I think their part of the story is probably my favourite. The two try lots of different things and one of them is to look through a sex toys catalogue together to see if there's anything they fancy using. It's the first time either of them have seen a catalogue like this and the scene is very amusing. Of course to write that scene I had to spend some time looking at sex toys online (and that's my defence for the items on my browser m'lud).
I think a friend of mine probably regrets texting me at that particular moment to see how my writing was going. Still, perhaps she learnt something new about love eggs.
June 15, 2016
Giveaway
Goodreads has approved my giveaway of 10 signed copies of Driven to Distraction (goes live at midnight on 19th June and runs until 19th July).
I've just had a check of how the ad will look. To the right of the screen it has my photo and says "Giveaway by Stuart - 207 books & 4 friends." That doesn't make me sound sad and lonely at all, does it! Why not add insult to injury and add a quote saying, "I consider my books my friends."
In all seriousness most of my friends don't have a Goodreads login. Before I published my book, neither did I. I don't really know why that is as I've found it a great website to use to see what others are reading and what they thought of books I've already read.
Perhaps it's because in my previous career as an accountant I was looking at a computer screen all day everyday and wanted a break when I finally got home of an evening.
As a writer I guess I still do spend a lot of time in front of the computer but it's a job I absolutely love doing. And working for myself I can just login to Goodreads and Amazon when I want, not just when the boss is away from her desk.
Mind you I need to start rationing the time I spend on this site, checking to see if anyone has liked my page, as I still have a first draft of book 3 to finish before starting final edits of book 2.
So, back to it then. Think of something funny...
I've just had a check of how the ad will look. To the right of the screen it has my photo and says "Giveaway by Stuart - 207 books & 4 friends." That doesn't make me sound sad and lonely at all, does it! Why not add insult to injury and add a quote saying, "I consider my books my friends."
In all seriousness most of my friends don't have a Goodreads login. Before I published my book, neither did I. I don't really know why that is as I've found it a great website to use to see what others are reading and what they thought of books I've already read.
Perhaps it's because in my previous career as an accountant I was looking at a computer screen all day everyday and wanted a break when I finally got home of an evening.
As a writer I guess I still do spend a lot of time in front of the computer but it's a job I absolutely love doing. And working for myself I can just login to Goodreads and Amazon when I want, not just when the boss is away from her desk.
Mind you I need to start rationing the time I spend on this site, checking to see if anyone has liked my page, as I still have a first draft of book 3 to finish before starting final edits of book 2.
So, back to it then. Think of something funny...
June 14, 2016
Where did this shallowness come from?
I currently have 2 adverts running to try and entice people to look at my page and my novel (preview of first chapter available).
I know this is only the start of day three but I've had no 'clicks' as Goodreads like to call it. I'm hoping once Goodreads gets around to approving my giveaway things will look up but I can't help feeling a little disappointed; like the shy kid in the playground who's watching all the other kids running around and having fun and hoping someone will take pity and ask him to join in.
My Facebook page has been attracting more attention than I thought it would but I guess not everyone on there is advertising themselves as an author. Here, we're rife; like some contagious disease.
In my author dashboard (there's a sentence opener you don't hear everyday) it says that my Blog posts are being viewed. I have no idea who by as I don't know how to look up random blog posts for other authors except by visiting their page (wouldn't that count as a 'click?' Perhaps not; I'm not the most technically-minded person in the world. I'm still getting my head around the new emojis on Facebook).
Anyway, when I first noticed that my posts were being viewed I felt an overwhelming urge to write on here, "Please like me." I have no idea where that needy attention seeking came from. I've always been more than happy to stay in the background and let those that crave attention and sympathy from friends and strangers stand out from the crowd.
But suddenly here I am; shallow, needy and desperate for a bit of recognition. I need help. Any psychologists or psychiatrists out there...please like me. Oh God; there I go again!
I know this is only the start of day three but I've had no 'clicks' as Goodreads like to call it. I'm hoping once Goodreads gets around to approving my giveaway things will look up but I can't help feeling a little disappointed; like the shy kid in the playground who's watching all the other kids running around and having fun and hoping someone will take pity and ask him to join in.
My Facebook page has been attracting more attention than I thought it would but I guess not everyone on there is advertising themselves as an author. Here, we're rife; like some contagious disease.
In my author dashboard (there's a sentence opener you don't hear everyday) it says that my Blog posts are being viewed. I have no idea who by as I don't know how to look up random blog posts for other authors except by visiting their page (wouldn't that count as a 'click?' Perhaps not; I'm not the most technically-minded person in the world. I'm still getting my head around the new emojis on Facebook).
Anyway, when I first noticed that my posts were being viewed I felt an overwhelming urge to write on here, "Please like me." I have no idea where that needy attention seeking came from. I've always been more than happy to stay in the background and let those that crave attention and sympathy from friends and strangers stand out from the crowd.
But suddenly here I am; shallow, needy and desperate for a bit of recognition. I need help. Any psychologists or psychiatrists out there...please like me. Oh God; there I go again!
June 13, 2016
Humour at sad times
Today I wrote a scene for my third novel (Long Shadows) set at a funeral. It's still a funny scene (well I think it is. Everyone else can judge about 12 months from now) and it started me wondering if there was any situation where humour couldn't be used.
I think as long as the humour is 'laugh with' rather than 'laugh at' then most situations can be joked about.
At a real life funeral there is often a lot of laughter as well as tears. There's sadness at the passing but happiness in the celebration of that life and past memories.
People tend to make jokes when they're in a scary situation as well. It somehow makes the situation seem a little more normal. "No, it's fine that my leg is trapped under the steering column and the car is on its roof. Did you hear the one about the nun in the bath?"
Illness is another potentially scary situation but again, humour can help relieve worry and tension. My recent bout of Bell's Palsy was a little scary but reading about the possible side effects of taking steroids had me laughing (albeit only on one side of my face at the time). Effects could include weight gain, a big round face and irrational mood swings. I thought My God; I've been on these for forty years!
My father's recent radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer is by no means humorous but the way the group of people in the room began freely discussing their problems with removing gas from their bowels before treatment started and how cranberry juice helped relieve the pain of sore willies might just possibly make it into a scene in a later story.
Anyway, back to my funeral scene. Do I throw someone else into the hole or not? Hmmm...
I think as long as the humour is 'laugh with' rather than 'laugh at' then most situations can be joked about.
At a real life funeral there is often a lot of laughter as well as tears. There's sadness at the passing but happiness in the celebration of that life and past memories.
People tend to make jokes when they're in a scary situation as well. It somehow makes the situation seem a little more normal. "No, it's fine that my leg is trapped under the steering column and the car is on its roof. Did you hear the one about the nun in the bath?"
Illness is another potentially scary situation but again, humour can help relieve worry and tension. My recent bout of Bell's Palsy was a little scary but reading about the possible side effects of taking steroids had me laughing (albeit only on one side of my face at the time). Effects could include weight gain, a big round face and irrational mood swings. I thought My God; I've been on these for forty years!
My father's recent radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer is by no means humorous but the way the group of people in the room began freely discussing their problems with removing gas from their bowels before treatment started and how cranberry juice helped relieve the pain of sore willies might just possibly make it into a scene in a later story.
Anyway, back to my funeral scene. Do I throw someone else into the hole or not? Hmmm...
June 12, 2016
Language
Well I set up my first Goodreads ad today. During the set up I was asked which countries I wanted it to run in. As I was selecting all English speaking countries I began thinking about how words in the same language can have different meanings around the world.
Having published this novel myself, I don't have different versions of my novel for different countries. With lots of family living in Canada I'm well aware of how sentences can be misconstrued.. In Britain we form queues, in North America they form a line up. Here we walk along pavements, there they walk on sidewalks (well I say walk, with drive through restaurants, banks and possibly even doctors surgeries there really isn't the need to get out of the car).
I keep thinking about certain passages in my novel and wondering if the jokes will travel. The main one that comes to mind is a joke involving the word 'fanny.' How on earth has that word managed to have such different meanings in Britain and the US? From front bottom to back bottom.
As we all know, when you have to explain a joke, it really hasn't worked. Still, I've had positive feedback from both here and Canada so hopefully my novel will have universal appeal.
Having published this novel myself, I don't have different versions of my novel for different countries. With lots of family living in Canada I'm well aware of how sentences can be misconstrued.. In Britain we form queues, in North America they form a line up. Here we walk along pavements, there they walk on sidewalks (well I say walk, with drive through restaurants, banks and possibly even doctors surgeries there really isn't the need to get out of the car).
I keep thinking about certain passages in my novel and wondering if the jokes will travel. The main one that comes to mind is a joke involving the word 'fanny.' How on earth has that word managed to have such different meanings in Britain and the US? From front bottom to back bottom.
As we all know, when you have to explain a joke, it really hasn't worked. Still, I've had positive feedback from both here and Canada so hopefully my novel will have universal appeal.
June 11, 2016
First ever blog
I've been reading up on blogs and what should and shouldn't go into one. Similar to the amount of advice that's out there regarding writing and publishing; there's a huge amount of data which often contradicts other pieces of advice. So I've just decided to start writing my blog and see what happens.
As a writer of humorous fiction I guess I really should try and be witty here and write something so inordinately funny that readers want to rush out and buy my first novel, Driven to Distraction.
Driven to Distraction
Well here's the link...just in case.
Comedy is an odd thing. Everyone's sense of humour is different and it can't really be measured. Two people can laugh out loud at one stand-up comic but only one of them enjoys a different one. Why do I cry with laughter watching Mrs Brown's Boys on TV and yet sit stony-faced watching Fawlty Towers?
My comedy influences that have helped shape me and my writing over the years include, comedians Victoria Wood and Frankie Howerd, writer John O'Farrell and the series of Carry On... films (Although I don't include that dreadful attempt at Columbus back in the 90s).
Well, looking back at what I've just typed, that certainly wasn't what I planned to write down. Still, I've popped my blogging cherry now. I can tick that off of my things to do list.
As a writer of humorous fiction I guess I really should try and be witty here and write something so inordinately funny that readers want to rush out and buy my first novel, Driven to Distraction.
Driven to Distraction
Well here's the link...just in case.
Comedy is an odd thing. Everyone's sense of humour is different and it can't really be measured. Two people can laugh out loud at one stand-up comic but only one of them enjoys a different one. Why do I cry with laughter watching Mrs Brown's Boys on TV and yet sit stony-faced watching Fawlty Towers?
My comedy influences that have helped shape me and my writing over the years include, comedians Victoria Wood and Frankie Howerd, writer John O'Farrell and the series of Carry On... films (Although I don't include that dreadful attempt at Columbus back in the 90s).
Well, looking back at what I've just typed, that certainly wasn't what I planned to write down. Still, I've popped my blogging cherry now. I can tick that off of my things to do list.
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