Chris Ord's Blog, page 5

Becoming - promotional video

A short promotional video for 'Becoming' put together by Jake, Will, Jools and myself. It was a real team effort. We hope you like it.

Where it all began

Our band rehearse in the new building where my old high school used to stand. Returning each week is harrowing and wonderful. I still hear Tommy Thain's voice echoing in the corridor and tremble at the horror of A level Business Studies. Then the music starts and I'm reminded of friendships and special memories forged for a lifetime. And of words. The first time I realised their power. Sitting in Mr Hannaford's class, exercise book open, a blank page staring. A new world waiting to be created. Words were my freedom and escape, but you never forget where it all began.

Sobriety

It's ten years this month since I last drank any alcohol. People often ask me why. I just did. It felt right at the time. I was 36 and could see myself heading towards the edge. I saw others who'd fallen already. I didn't want to be like them.I worked out that I've saved close to £30,000. More importantly, I feel fantastic, free and in control. That's why it works for me. It isn't about denial, it's about freedom, and overcoming something that had a hold. I know it's not for everyone and I don't judge. It's about self knowledge. Most people can take or leave stuff, but not me. I'm all or nothing. Know yourself and know your enemy. Ten years ago I conquered mine.

Coping with rejection

Being creative is rewarding, but you have to be resilient and get used to rejection. You get it a lot. Everyone does. You have to learn from it, be more determined, not let it destroy you.You remind yourself that rejection can be for many reasons. Agents and publishers are out to make money. It's their job. Livelihoods depend on them selling books. They want something that is marketable. They want to minimise risk. Sometimes you are the proverbial square peg, just not what they're after. It is understandable. You have to keep at it, hoping one day you'll fit their requirements. They are gatekeepers to a particular mainstream market. They know their stuff. You have to respect that.You find yourself searching through the rejections looking for the better ones, those that aren't just bland, standard rejections, those with something more personalised and positive. You do get them. Some take the time and trouble to give nuggets of feedback. Often it's just a few choice phrases that can make all the difference.I've had a few disappointments recently, but positive disappointments, the ones that give you hope. I was delighted when an agent requested my full manuscript. However, they've decided not to take it on. It felt like a huge blow, but they stressed that they ask to read very few full manuscripts, 'only the best.' It wasn't the quality of the writing, but that the story wasn't right for them and not what they were looking for. They didn't feel passionate about it. You hear that a lot. I had another yesterday that said my submission 'stood out from the many we receive' but none of their agents were looking for books in that genre at this time.Of course it hurts, but you don't give up. You have to keep believing in what you do. You write because you love it, and you hope that somebody else will love it too. That is all you can do. One of my manuscripts is progressing well and if all goes to plan it will be published by the end of the year. In the meantime I'll continue sending out submissions and getting those rejections. One day it will happen. One day it will all come true.

We're getting there

I gave up contractual labour last year. My goal was to write a novel. It's something I've always wanted to do, but I realised the promises of some day were empty. It was time to just do it.I'm now 8 months into my project. I gave myself a year to achieve my goals so I have four months on the timeline to go. As ever the time has gone faster than I imagined, but I've written over 250,000 words in that time, and many are promising. One of my drafts has gone through a series of edits, been road tested by a few folk and I'm happy enough with it to take it forward to the next stage. I'm meeting a professional editor soon to help me achieve that.I'm working on another book now. I'm really excited about it. The story is my best so far. I just need to tell it well. So far so good. 15,000 words written, another 65,000 to go!So what of the next four months? My plan is to get the draft of book one ready to unleash. The pieces are slotting together and I will get there. Eventually. As many of you know the creative world doesn't always move quickly. It's often a lonely world where you set your own goals, tasks, and motivation. We're our own bosses and often the worst ones. But something drives you on, it's something you feel compelled to do. While the hunger and desire to create is there you keep going.So for now I will endeavour to keep hitting my daily word target on this latest piece of work. One word at a time. Small steps begin the longest journeys.

Every journey begins with a single step

Some of you will be aware that I am leaving my current job in a few weeks. A number of people have asked me - "So what are you going to do?" Time to fess up I suppose. I've decided to stop fighting my existential crisis and embrace it.I am going to write a novel.It is something I have always wanted to do. I have taken several things from the events in my life in the past couple of years:1. Your loved ones are more precious than anything2. Our time in this form is painfully short, but it can be marvellous if you make it3. The future starts now, here, in every moment. So don't wait for things to happenI appreciate it might appear a risk, but it is one I have planned and costed. In the past couple of years I've been blessed to meet and work with a number of inspiring people. Those who live by creativity, imagination and wit. Those who make their own structure and follow an uncertain, but often exciting path. Many of those people are on here and reading this now. Thank you for your inspiration.Sometimes you reach a time in your life when you think if I don't do this now I will never do it. Thankfully, I have a wonderful partner and family who support me in my madness.What if I fail? Of course, we all have our own perceptions of what success might be. For me the only success is that I take that first step, make the journey, learn from it, and enjoy it. I have no idea where it will take me and that's part of the fun.I'll keep you posted folks!

Ramblings on writing #2

I finished chapter one of my new book this morning. I've taken a bit more time, but for good reason. Firstly, I thrive on routine and the holiday broke my stride. I'm also being more cautious. That stems from both the good and the bad. The more you do, the more you learn, and this is a learning process. You have to try to get better and part of that is about feeding the lessons of the old into the new. The downside is the tension between writer and author, the creative and commercial. I love the world of writing. It is creative, challenging and rewarding. The commercial side is different. I am discovering every day that it can be brutal, and unforgiving. The more you discover the commercial the more you fight to stop it infecting the creative. Try as you may, it does, but you have to start from the point of doing what you love. You have to overcome the fear. You have to believe in what you do.I read a post the other day that said if you do it for the coin then it isn't art. An extreme stance, but one most creatives are sympathetic to. So the lesson I'm sharing today is a simple one. Be careful. Be cautious. Try to be the best you can be, but don't let the commercial cripple you.

Ramblings on writing #1

It's almost 11am and my two youngest boys are still in bed. It's a training day at school today so they have the pleasure of my company, and we're off to see my mum.It's back to the writing for me tomorrow, and I'm keen to get started on something new. I took a break from the long form writing for a while and wrote a couple of short stories before the holiday. It was a different discipline and I think you need to give yourself time to develop new ideas. I'm coming to realise how important the story is, and how those ideas need to be strong. Perhaps a great novel is nothing more than a good story well told.Iceland was a truly inspirational place and it is has given me not one, but two ideas. One is an adaptation of something I had already developed, the other is something very new. It's interesting where the inspiration comes from. I saw some breathtaking sites, and heard some dramatic sagas when we were away, but it was actually something small and fairly mundane that planted the seed which has since grown into an exciting scenario.That's how I begin, with a scenario and a couple of characters. Nothing more. Occasionally, I have a killer opening line, but that changes every week as I write. For those of you who are aspiring writers out there, for what it's worth my advice would be to move beyond the story board approach. You really don't need to have the whole story mapped out before you begin. That approach becomes a barrier and obstacles are the last thing you need. You will come across many of those in the process and you need to try and remove and overcome these not create more.Your goal is to write, so just start with an idea and let it flow. Your imagination will do the rest. You won't like everything that comes out. That's fine. Don't be too hard on yourself. Just keep doing it. You will write several versions, you will amend, adapt, move in other directions. That is part of the fun of the process. It is a creative journey of discovery. Once you've finished then park it for a while. Come back with a fresh pair of eyes a few weeks later. Patience and resilience are important.Good editing is vital. Make sure you are happy with what you've written before anyone else sees it, but rest assured it will change further. Let go of your ego. Write for yourself and enjoy it. If you think of all those eyes that might see it at the end you will cripple yourself with fear and self-doubt. The most important thing I tell myself every day is 'No-one need ever read this.' That sounds perverse in a way, but it is liberating.Above all, create your own world, tell it with passion, and be true to yourself. Find your own voice. A good story well told, that is all.