Trey Stone's Blog, page 25

The Best Book on Writing & Book Review: Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain

I probably haven’t read as many How To books on writing as I should, but I’ve read a few and I came across this one as a recommendation for further reading from another one. They talked very highly of it and of Dwight Swain, so I figured “Why the hell not?”

First thing’s first: This is the best book on writing I’ve ever read. Hands down. If I only had to rely on one book to help improve my writing, one book to recommend to fellow writers, one book to reach for whenever I was in doubt, it would be this one. No question about it.

It covers everything. Absolutely everything. Story, plot, character development, arcs, conflicts, marketing, blurbs, you name it. And it’s written in a very approachable way. There detailed explanations, followed by (usually several) examples, and – most importantly – it’s written in a way that’s easy to understand.

Also, I felt like Swain didn’t assume that you didn’t know what he was talking about. I often find it demotivating to read about stuff that I already know, wanting to skip ahead to where I can start learning, to whatever level I feel like I’m on. This wasn’t like that. Swain presented his methods and concepts as something we all knew we were doing – but then went on to explain in detail why you need to understand why you’re doing it, and what purpose they have.

It was a refreshing take, for sure, and I had several eye-opening moments where things just suddenly fell into place.

Oh, so that’s why everyone keeps saying to do this!

On the other hand – this book is a bit long, and I can imagine some readers might find the multiple examples a bit tedious and drawn out, and there are surely other books on writing that are quicker to the point. It’s also – I realized in hindsight – incredibly old (first published in 1965) and therefore slightly dated. (I probably should have picked up on it whenever Swain referenced the typewriter, but honestly I didn’t catch it until the very end.)

Still – best book on writing I’ve ever read. Highly recommended!

Book Review: The Rats by James Herbert

This is slightly embarrassing to admit, but I’d never heard of James Herbert until I came across this book – at the same time, this is some of the most terrifying horror I’ve ever read.

I love horror, but more often than not, it fails to scare me. Sure, it’s creepy, and there’s a dark atmosphere and some captivating mystery, but it’s rarely “scary.” A lot of what is deemed “horror” tend fall into my personal categorization as “dark thriller” instead.

Not so with James Herbert’s The Rats. I was surprised that something as simple as some killer rats would have this effect on me, but it’s absolutely magnificent.

So simplistic yet so visceral and terrifying. Herbert doesn’t beat around the bush and try to sway you with fancy words – something I realize he’s been criticized for after reading more about him and his work. Instead, he just drives the stake home with terrifying scenes and horrible imagery, and I promise, they cut to the bone.

The plot took me a little while to get into and was probably a bigger issue for me than his writing style. At first I thought the book was a collection of short stories, unconnected rat encounters that simply aimed to overdo each other in their terribleness. Eventually I caught on, and from then on the book got much better.

I highly recommend this to any horror fan – like I said, I’d never heard of him before and was incredibly surprised! Looking forward to reading more Herbert books.

Book Review: Valour by John Gwynne

This is the second book in the series and boy did it just get interesting.

It picks up pretty much exactly where book one left off (book review here!), and without saying too much, let me just say that armies are gathering, wars are starting, and our protagonists are in deep trouble. Oh, and not everyone is who they seem…

I’m so invested in this now – the first book was kind of slow (at least the first half), there was a lot of confusing characters, and the writing was kind of unusual, but all of that is forgotten now. This is jam-packed with action, mystery, intrigue and epic fantasy. I haven’t read anything that felt like this since I finished the latest A Song of Ice and Fire book years ago.

Gwynne’s writing is still a bit strange here and there, but the pacing is good and the action is really well-written. I often find that fight scenes become kind of a meaningless back and forth until our protagonist becomes the obvious victor, but not here. Here it feels like it means something.

I absolutely plowed through this book and I’m excited to get started on book three as soon as possible. Knowing that the series is in fact finished (with a total of four books, the last of which I also have) is also very motivating. Can’t wait!

If you’re looking for a fantasy series full of mysterious prophecies, powerful armies, clans of giants and lies and deceit, this is the thing for you. Just make sure you get through the slow start and you’ll love it!

How To Be Creative When Living Apart

It’s been three days since my wife left – and I’m just about starting to get comfortable with it again.

For those of you who don’t know, my wife and I live in different places. Or, well, I live in a different place. For work. She lives back home, (where we both technically live), and works there.

We did it once before, for three whole years, and then we even lived in separate countries. This time around it was supposed to only be a year, because I got a job opportunity I couldn’t say no to and we figured we could do it one more time. One year became more and now we’re 15 months in.

The pandemic was kind of a blessing for us. She came to visit me three days before the whole world basically shut down and with no planes going anywhere and much of her work disappearing, she decided to stay. We ended up having three of the best months of our lives then.

But eventually she had to go back home, to check up on some things and follow up on some work. Six of the longest weeks of our lives went by, and we debated how long we would wait before she just came back to me again. No point in sitting in two separate houses if nothing’s keeping us apart, right?

So she came back. That was this time around. And now she’s gone again.

I get into good habits when she’s not around, in a way. I spend more time writing, reading and working out, and I try to go to bed early. It might sound like I’m being super efficient, but I’m also not having as much fun. When we’re together we live, laugh, have fun, cook great food and simply enjoy ourselves. Much of that disappears without her. Which is why I don’t mind not having time to write as much when she’s here.

The day she left I looked forward to getting back into my habits (as much as you can look forward to anything when you have to part ways with your spouse for an unknown amount of time). I felt like I’d neglected my responsibilities and was ready to pick it back up. I was super motivated to crack on with things.

At the same time I felt guilty. It was almost as if I’d been looking forward to my wife leaving, so I could get more time to write and read. Of course that wasn’t the case, but the thought still gnawed at me.

I thought about it for a while, trying to understand what my emotions were actually telling me. Which is when I realized I wasn’t swapping her for the writing, I was merely filling the void of her with my creativity. All that life and soul that we usually filled our house with when we were together had nowhere to go now that she wasn’t here. So I poured it into my art.

It’s not that I work better when she’s not around, it’s just that I have to do something with the energy I usually reserve for her. And if I have something to fill my time with and keep me motivated to get up in the mornings until we meet again, well… That’s fine with me.

Book Review: A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson

I don’t know how I ended up reading Bill Bryson. I think a colleague recommended him with something along the lines of: “You just have to read him!” I think I asked why; what kind of stuff he wrote and if my friend wanted to suggest any specific book but I just got the same kind of response: “Just read him! Any book – they’re all brilliant!” Well, I tend to trust my colleagues (at least the ones I like) so I figured such an all-encompassing recommendation must be worth something.

I never actively sought out one of his books. But I ended up with this one – A Walk In The Woods – when I came across an Audible sale. Still, I hadn’t heard of the title, just the name of the author and figured, Here’s my chance!

This book is about the Appalachian Trail (a pretty famous hiking trail in America, in case you hadn’t heard of it) and Bill’s trek along it. It’s one part biographical hiking book, one part nature and history lesson, and all parts hilarious. For reasons unknown to me (either because they were never stated in the book, or because I’ve forgotten) Bill decides to try and hike the trail, and he decides to bring along his friend, Steven Katz.

Bill’s writing is very captivating, at least if you’re interested in hiking trails, the history of them and the surrounding nature. He has this kind of voice that makes me think he’d be an amazing teacher. He keeps me hooked on.

Also, the story is funny. He and Katz are definitely not used to hiking, so the fact that they decide to take on the Appalachian Trail as their first big trip is… well, it makes for fun reading.

I realize that I’ll end up echoing my colleagues recommendation: read something by Bill Bryson. Maybe start with this one, if you’re into it, but I hear there are others out there that are probably better. I know I’m definitely going to be reading more.

Book Review: Shepherd’s Watch by Counios & Gane

They’ve done it again!

Shepherd’s Watch is the second book in the Shepherd and Wolfe series, the first of which I’ve reviewed here, and it follows unlikely friends Anthony Shepherd and Charlie Wolfe who somehow always seemed to end up in the middle of trouble (but that’s probably because Charlie keeps dragging Anthony into it).

When Charlie unexpectedly shows up at Anthony’s vacation home, you know there’s bound to be a mystery right around the corner. Is Charlie just looking for some time off? Did he just miss hanging out with Tony? Or is he more interested in the strange disappearance of one of the locals?

What caught my interest with the first book in the series—and made me want to carry on with book two—is that it reminded me a lot of the Hardy Boys. I absolutely LOVED reading the Hardy Boys when I was younger, and I have very fond memories of those books (come to think of it, they might have been some of my first). So naturally, I’m very excited to read something that takes me back to that same kind of feeling.

But that’s probably where the similarities end. I feel like pointing out that these books are much darker than any Hardy Boys I ever read! Don’t underestimate them and think that just because it’s about a couple of teenage boys that they’re pulling any punches. The pace is fast, the plot is thick, and the mysteries are chilling. Oh, and the characters are fantastic.

And this book is definitely going to make you carry on with the series—believe me!

If you’re looking for a thrilling mystery novel that’s going to pull you much farther in than you think, this is it. Highly recommended.

What The Hell Happened to My Writing?

I’m a man of habit. That’s not something I say lightly, it’s not just a casual saying to me. What I mean is that I’m extremely habitual, scheduled, and organized. Extremely.

I love habits. I like being organized. I like following a set program. Every. Single. Day.

It sounds boring to some people, but to me it promises efficiency. To me it means that I can trust that I get done what I want to get done. I can set deadlines for myself and know I’ll meet them.

I get up early and write in the mornings. Or edit, or proofread, or revise, depending on what project I’m working on. Then I have breakfast, go to work, come home, work out, have dinner. Whatever is left of my evening is usually spent equally on other hobbies such as reading, playing the guitar, video games or spontaneous socializing with friends (though there’s been a lot less of that recently).

Whereas most people have fallen off their usually schedules during the lockdown and everything that has happened this year, I’ve loved it. It’s been great. I’ve had time to read a lot of books, prepare my second novel for publication (any day now), write a novella, and a whole bunch of short stories. I’ve been working from home, which has given me more time and focus for everything, and I’ve managed to get in the best shape of my life (and getting better by the day).

Then suddenly, around three weeks ago, summer happened.

Summer is always chaotic at my work. Loads of people leave for vacations (or staycations rather, this year), there’s always loads of extra stuff that has to be done, and suddenly every single deadline is moved to yesterday. It’s weird, because it’s usually very quiet in the office, since no one is there, yet somehow it’s still busy.

Before I knew it, I wasn’t doing any of my usual stuff. I was sent away for a couple of weeks as well, and though I planned to take my laptop, to carry on writing, I decided against it last minute.

I knew I wasn’t going to get my writing work done. It bothered me at first. It stressed me out. I tried to figure out how to best stay on top of everything.

Then I gave in.

I knew it always worries me. Falling out of my routine is a big struggle for me. So I figured instead of falling, I’d take a big old leap away from my routines instead. Overnight.

In the past it’s made me feel anxious. I felt like I betrayed myself by not staying on top of everything, by not keeping up the production, the creative output. I felt like if I don’t keep on pushing, my motivation and inspiration will flicker out and die. I never really suffer from writer’s block, but that’s usually because I’m very careful not to ever give myself a chance to stop writing.

So this time, I did it on purpose instead.

And here’s what happened: I can’t wait to get back into writing. To publish that second book (I’m only waiting for few details from my editor and then it’s ready to go). I want to finish the novella I started earlier this year. I want to write more short stories. I want to start a new novel. I want to create MORE!

I worried if I quit; if I let myself take a break it would be difficult to get back into it. That I’d get out of shape, find it hard to go back to that strict routine. The exact opposite happened. It’s difficult to know where to start, to find enough time to do everything. There’s so much I want to do!

I’m glad I had that break and focused on getting my work done for my day job. Taking a step away was good, and I probably need to get better at doing it more regularly. But I also can’t wait until I’m back to my normal self. Because damn, I love writing.

 

 

Healthy Writing

I sat down with E.J. Dawson and talked about exercise, writing, and mental health. Check it out!

I’m going to tell you all something that should come as no surprise; I loathe exercise.

When I wake up in the morning I pour in Earl Grey tea and hope fortitude will get me through the day. I do walk my 35kg mastiff which is a challenge unto itself but that’s rostered under my “Take care of Pets” not exercise and therefore excusable.

Given we’re all trapped in our houses and even the introverts long for eye contact (who thought it would come to this?), I thought I’d seek out a professional. Someone wise in the way of regular physical activity that wasn’t smashing their head against the desk (it’s a writing activity not exercise).

Today on my blog one of the most physically fit whilst lying about his love of hiking writerly folk is here to talk about exercise, and why its important. Trey Stone is a gifted…

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Book Review: How To Stop Time by Matt Haig

Finally, another book review. Sorry it’s been a bit quiet on my end – lots of isolating to do and I’ve been kinda busy. But I had the time to read this, which I’ve been excited about for a while.

I first heard of Matt Haig on Twitter, and when I did, I couldn’t stop hearing about him it seemed. He speaks openly and loudly about his issues with mental health and he’s sort of a pillar in the community. Also, friends were recommending his books left and right so I was happy to finally get around to reading it.

The plot probably sounds familiar: How To Stop Time is about a man who doesn’t age. Or, doesn’t seem to at least. The thing is, he ages a lot slower than the rest of us, and when we meet him it turns out he’s been alive for hundreds of years.

You can imagine the plot that develops from there, and it’s sort of a mix between a contemporary mystery and historical fiction as we look back at our protagonists former life (or should I say lives) as he tries to find his footing in the now. It’s very fascinating, and the way Haig writes about it makes it doubly so. He seems to have done his research when it comes to the historical aspects and it’s a gripping and simultaneously very interesting book.

I loved almost all of it.

Without spoiling more of the plot, what really didn’t do it for me was the ending. In one sense, it didn’t feel like there was one. The whole book just crumbled and collapsed when Haig tried to tie up the loose ends. Maybe it was just me who saw it going another way, maybe I was just expecting more, but I was really disappointed at the way it turned out.

To me, it was like Haig at done all this research, set up this historically fascinating and relevant world only to tear it a way in a few lines. And not in a satisfactory way either.

Now that I look back, maybe I started with the wrong Haig book. I don’t doubt that I’ll enjoy his other works, because after all, this is really well written, but I hope he has managed to end his other stories differently.

Would I still recommend this book? Definitely. It’s really gripping for the most of it. Hopefully you’ll have a better experience than me.

Why I Sometimes Read Books I Don’t Like

The notion of ‘getting hooked’ on a book is alien to me. Sure, there are books that I love and that I’ll happily read over and over again, but I’ve never experience that immediate “OMG, THIS BOOK!!”-feeling that some people seem to have. People talk about great opening lines and great first pages, and I just don’t get it.

I often see discussions on Twitter along the lines of “how long do you give a book before you put it down?” and I love to take part in those. I never mean to judge anyone, but it’s fascinating to me how someone can decide whether they like a book before they’ve… well, read the book.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve put books down. I’ve come across a small handful of unreadable books. Most of these were because of technical issues; formatting, grammar, and errors, things that made me unable to get to the story behind the text. And I remember one that was just… too weird. Too fleeting. I didn’t understand anything. I was halfway through by the time I realized I had no idea (whatsoever!) what was going on.

But when I start a book it can take me ages to decide whether I like it. I can be halfway through before I catch on and decide I love it, or I can get to the end only to realize that, “You know what, I didn’t actually enjoy this.”

How can people decide before they know what they’re deciding about?

I have two potential theories:

First, it could be about genre. I read a lot of thrillers, sci-fi, fantasy and horror, where a lot of the plot is based on a form of mystery. You’re very often supposed to be confused and ‘not-in-the-know‘ to begin with, until you start to pick up on things. You’re rewarded for sticking with it, and when the author knows what they’re doing it’s usually worth it.

My second theory, is that I lack the initial WOW!-factor that make many people interested in reading to begin with. If you’re used to getting hooked and feeling an instant emotional connection very early in books that you often like, then it must be easy to recognize when that sensation isn’t there. I don’t have that, even when I love a book. I’m a pretty mellow guy and my wife often points out that I don’t get excited, even about the things I really like. I don’t have any favorite things, be it books, movies, or TV-shows. I have the things I like more than others, and everything else is just the rest.

A lot of people point out that I’m wasting my time reading books that I don’t love. They’ll say stuff like, “But there’s so many books out there, why not skip ahead to one you love?”

That would be great, if I had a way to do that, but if we agree that I don’t get that initial “OMG THIS IS AMAZING”-feeling from page 1, how do I know? How do I find that book, without reading the book and deciding whether I like it or not? I’d rather read few books all the way through and maybe like half of them, than reading tons of first pages of books trying to find the perfect one.

Also, getting to the point of this whole blog: it’s sometimes good to read bad books. Or at least read books you don’t like, especially if you’re a writer like me. I see how other people do things. I see what works and ultimately, what doesn’t. I’ll know what to avoid, what traps to not fall into, and how to write better books.

Also, by sticking with it, I find some gems sometimes.