Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 81

Novel Research

Within Fiction Real Life Exists.

Now my crime novel Stone Angels has been signed off by the publisher and my job apart from promoting it is done, I’m now busy focusing on writing my second crime novel. If you have read my crime novella, The Funeral Birds you will be familiar with the main characters already. As I’ve already stated writing a novel will allow me more scope. I’m looking forward to developing backgrounds for my main characters, especially Granny Wenlock.

[image error]Bradwell Church, Essex

I’m one of those writers who likes to do a bit of research before I start writing. Yes, my story is totally fictional, but the world in which my characters live, work and breathe is real, or at least must be real to my readers.

In my new W.I.P there are three timelines. Granny’s story begins in 1651. Her specialist knowledge of plants and herbs along with her ability to be able to read and write put her at a disadvantage among the uneducated. Of course at this time in English history there was a war raging.

Even though it was known as The English Civil War it began in Scotland and spread throughout Britain. King Charles was the first royal to rule over both England and Scotland.

Up until now Britain had been a peaceful and prosperous country that was embracing new ideas in science, art and thinking. People wanted to change from the old ways of governing the country to a more modern way. Some wanted religious reform, while others wanted reform in how we traded but most importantly many wanted constitutional changes.

During this time of chaos when the country’s economy nosedived as the King ruled the country without a parliament for eleven years. He had raised the taxes to support his war with Scotland. This put a strain on the people who were already suffering hardships and the growing tension between the two religious parties.

It was during these difficult times while famine, disease and fear was rife as apocalyptic omens appeared everywhere two religious fanatical men stepped out of the shadows in a remote corner of Essex and began their campaign. These notorious men became known as the witchfinders as they began to interrogate women and accuse them of witchcraft. This triggered the most brutal hunt in English history.

[image error]Wise Women suffered the most.

Now I have a real sense of time and place for one of my timelines, I can begin focusing on the second. This time is more modern and is in living memory. Now all I need to do is work out how to join up the dots as I bring the distant past and present together for Dave and Joan to solve a mystery. Hopefully we will learn more about Granny Wenlock too.

Have a great week, and I’ll catch up again with you soon.

Putting together ideas

I’m lost in the English Civil War. Okay, so I’m English and I knew we had a Civil War. I knew it had something to do with Roundheads and Cavaliers and some king who was a right Charlie, but beyond that it happened a long time ago, and it never really interested me.

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Yet, here today I’ve been doing a bit of research for my next novel. Why, you might ask. Well, because I like to be different. If Joan and Dave are going to have to investigate something it might as well be completely off the wall.

Without giving too much of the new plot away, I needed to create a setting. The Funeral Birds, my crime novella which introduces my three main characters in this new book, didn’t really have a setting. I just gave places generic names.

I hope this novel will be the first of many, so I felt it’s important that I gave my characters a real place, though it’s still fictional. I’ve joined up the names of the village where I live with its neighbour to create the name of the market town where Joan and Dave live.

Granny Wenlock isn’t pleased with me. A guy called, Mr Hopkins really ticked her off with his godly zeal and his nasty attitude towards women.

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As I carefully put together my plot, I’m trying to create a timeline as I build Granny Wenlock’s background. Lucky for me where I live and the nearby city has some interesting connections to some historical events that will tie in nicely to my fictional story.

The story for my new novel crosses two timelines as Joan and Dave uncover the past with Granny Wenlock’s tale and what leads up to her death.

I was unaware that by the spring of 1645 the English civil war had exacted a terrible toll upon my country. Disease was rife, apocalyptic omens appeared in the skies, and idolaters were detected in every village. It was a brutal time and superstition was everywhere.

So with all that in mind I’ve started to build up a fascinating plotline, and can’t wait to draw up the synopsis first.

[image error]Crow

Have a wonderful week and I will catch up with you again soon. Much love and Peace.

The Basic Concept of Your Book in a Nutshell

Can you sum your book up in a sentence, or do you Hmm & Ahh your way through explaining the plot?

If you find yourself struggling to do this, then maybe you need to analyse just what your book is about other than just its genre. All books have a concept at the heart of their story.

When I first started writing I too struggled with this problem. I remember how flustered I became when an agent asked me to sum up my plot. We were in a crowded room and I knew I had only a short time before someone else would have his attention.

[image error]Can you sum it up in a sentence?

How could I sum up the heart of my novel in a nutshell?

It’s fine to ramble on about the different threads of your plot to family and friends because they have time to listen. I found that quite a few online agents and publishers ask for you to explain your novel in a couple of sentences and some up to fifty words. Can you do it?

What I did was work out how I could condense my plot down to four sentences, a paragraph, a page and a three page synopsis. Just in case I was ever asked. It took me quite awhile to work out the just the bare bones of my plot. Knowing what’s at the heart of your novel helps. Is your storyline about relationships, adversity, greed, or any of the other deadly sins?

Your book maybe a crime, horror or a romance, but it’s more than just a genre. The concept of your book is what makes it stand out from the rest. All books in a certain category share a similar storyline. This is the reason why we writers are told when suffering a rejection, that our work was similar to something else they had received.

Take your basic detective fiction, or police procedural. Think about how many books are published every day with a similar storyline and the same set of characters albeit with different names and settings.

Now you will understand why it is important to make your book stand out from the crowd, while keeping it within a recognisable genre.

So next time you’re asked about your novel sum up in a few words like a blurb. Now I’m off to start work on my next novel. I shall keep in mind what’s at the heart of my story so next time I have to sum it up I can do it concisely.

Happy Writing Everyone,

Much Love & Peace.

Good Writing Requires Concentration

For the last few days, I’ve stepped back from my writing as other jobs around my home are calling for my attention. Have a break from writing allows me to clear my mind as I begin a new project. Now that Stone Angels, my first crime novel is ready for publication on the 11th August it’s time for me to start creating new characters, settings and plot line for my next writing project.

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My crime novella, The Funeral Birds now has 15 amazing reviews on Amazon which has come quite a shock to me. The story started life as a failed entry for the BBC short story competition. This goes to show you shouldn’t throw anything away, because you never know what submission will come along in the future. My BBC entry was too short for what the publisher Demain Publishing wanted, but it didn’t take me long to lengthen the short story into the novella. I had planned to turn it into a novel as I loved the characters and plot line anyway.

As The Funeral Birds is doing so well and most of the reviews and comments I’ve received have all asked about a follow up book, it is only natural for me to think seriously about it. The only problem I can see is the tone of the novella was light and slightly humorous. I’m sure my main characters, Joan and Dave will be able to maintain their good humour as they tackle new cases. If my novel doesn’t match the tone of the novella will this disappoint some readers of The Funeral Birds?

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I know I would like to develop Granny Wenlock’s character more in the next Dave and Joan book. The novella’s size didn’t allow me to give the reader as sense of place where Dave’s detective agency or Grey’s church was in the surrounding landscape of the novella. Again, this is another area I have to be careful with so not to lose sight of the balance of give your readers what they need to know, and what is just padding.

I have already work out the plot, setting and the timeline for the novel. I even have the title, too. Though keeping to a bird theme may be a bit risky. I remember Sue Grafton in her Alphabet Series saying what started out as a great idea began to wane. It’s the same as choosing to write a certain type of genre because it pays well, rather than writing what you enjoy reading. If you’re lucky and your writing is popular with the readers you have to enjoy what you’re doing. I think bird titles may work as it adds a twist to the supernatural element within my style of writing.

Right, now it’s time to get started. Hope you all have a great weekend. Remember to keep the words flowing.

Happy writing and plotting, everyone.

It’s a person rather than a thing.

I’m busy editing the final chapters of my crime novel Stone Angels after my publisher had worked through them. Stone Angels is as close to perfect as I can get it. Of course, there are bits I will miss. That’s the tough thing about editing, we writer are always too close to our work. The relationship we have with it is like any other personal relationship after awhile you stop seeing their flaws. You know your characters so well you can speak for them and finish their sentences.

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This is where an editor come in. They are your reader, their relationship to your work isn’t personal. It is hard for a writer to let go and to see the flaws in their creation. We must have faith in others to pick up on the imperfections we don’t see if our work is to be very best it can be.

Jeanette Winterson (author of Oranges are not the only fruit) said, Don’t hold on to poor work. If it was bad when it went into the drawer, it will be just as bad when it comes out.

This means that all writing needs to be revised, no matter how perfect a writer might think their work may be. A second pair of eyes will find those little imperfections overlooked by its creator. Right now I’m off to finished reading through my edits. Later on, my husband will read through the chapters with me, before I send them back to the publisher. Russell is great a spotting things I don’t see. To him, my work is a thing and not a person, so he see warts and all.

Here’s the link to the Stone Angels book trailer.

Here’s the link to preorder Stone Angels. Thank you.

Have a great weekend. Be yourself, be careful and strive to be happy.

Believing in oneself.

We all have insecurities. No matter who we are, or where we are from. Rich or poor and whatever the colour of our skin maybe, humans by their very nature feel insecure about themselves and where they fit in to society. As children we don’t see our differences but as we grow these thing are pointed out by others around us.

When I was a child we lived in a tied cottage. Tied cottage in Britain means a dwelling owned by an employer that is rented to an employee. If the employee leaves their job they may have to vacate the property; in this way the employee is tied to their employer. The cottage came with my father’s job at the mill. One year when it was my birthday, I invited a school friend to my birthday party, but she turned up her nose, saying ‘No, because you lived in a dirty house full of rats.

[image error]The cottage is the grey building. The big house was next door. My father is fixing the family car.

Understandably she wasn’t my friend anymore, but it stays with me. When my parents got divorced my mother, sisters and I had to move out of our home and this left me feeling insecure. As a child, I never believed it was possible for someone like me to one day be the owner of my own home. That to own a house meant no one could take my home away from me again. It hasn’t always been an easy ride for me. When my own marriage broken down, I feared losing my home again, but this time I had a young son to take care of as well. I received a letter from my building society, (now a large bank) to say that I wasn’t in a position to continue with the mortgage. A visit to the bank about the letter left me feeling very anger after they messed me about. I went to another bank in the same street. The lady manager sat me down, and I showed her the letter and explained my situation. She told me, ‘You can do this. You don’t need anyone’s else help. Now you go back to your building society and made demands on them. You’ve always pay on time, and never fallen behind on your payments.’ I did what she told me to do. I thank the gods that they were watching over me that day and sent me to her. Blessed are strong-minded women.

[image error]My parents taking their first holiday away together. It was to be their last together too.

I’m proud of what I have achieved through hard work and long hours of overtime on low pay. I had basic school education, but my love of books and my need to learn has carried me forward. Unable to afford books of my own the library gave me all I needed. Though, believing in oneself can’t be learnt from books, only though experiences.

As a writer, human insecurities makes for a great read. Most plots are based on our insecurities and weaknesses. whether that be crime, romance, family sagas etc. To experience our own insecurities gives us the ability to write about them with compassion and understanding whoever we are, or whatever colour our skin may be.

Much love and peace to you all.

How does an unknown writer find readers?

I’m busy trying to think outside the box. I need more readers to buy my books, but how to I find them in a crowded market? Word of mouth is the best way to advertise your book as readers tell their friends and family how much they enjoyed it. Of course, the pandemic has brought a stop to all my plans for spreading the news of my three books. I was hoping to have a launch party.

Now I’m standing on unfamiliar ground, I’ve taken to Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to spread the word. I run two Facebook groups. One is a writing group called For Writers Only, who write without fear of rejection. It’s known as the Clubhouse by its members and is a private group. The clubhouse is a place where writers can share their news of successes and rejections as well as submission call outs and other publishing news. The second group I run is open to the public and is called The Clubhouse Bookshop. The bookshop is open to anyone who wanted to advertise their book. I’m hoping to increase its memberships so more people get to hear about member’s books.

My short story collection, “Days Pass like a Shadow” is now available on Amazon in both paperback and as an ebook. Between the covers are thirteen dark tales covering the theme of death and loss. At the centre of every story is a beating heart. For the reader to make the journey to that centre, along the flowing veins of the words, all they need is a few minutes during a lunch break, or at the end of the day. The reader will be introduced to a rich and diverse collection of characters – a gardener, a serial killer, a time traveller, a sleepwalker and many more.

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“On the Streets of Kabul”, which is set in Afghanistan, a soldier faces a life-threatening situation while searching for his missing comrade and childhood friend among the narrow alleys. “Perfect Justice” finds a secretary planning a murder. “Shelved” takes a reader into the unusual librarian’s office, while “Burning the Midnight Oil” has a son uncovering the truth about his dying mother.

So put your feet up, relax with a cup, or glass of your favourite beverage and let’s begin with “The Meetings”…

Here’s a link to Days Pass Like A Shadow book trailer.

Why not be a writer?

Have you, or did you really think hard about what being a writer means?

Put to one side all romantic notions of sitting under a palm tree on some distant shoreline, chilled glass in hand, after delivering your finished MS, or being on the bestseller list, with adoring fans begging you to sign your autograph on a brand new, unread hardback copy of your latest novel. These are all just fantasies that Hollywood dreams up. In reality most writers have to write several novels before having one that comes anywhere near to being a bestseller. My dear friend Ivy Lord, (aka Maggie Ford) showed me a print out of her sales in one quarter she had sold over 34k books, but is her pen name familiar to you, or did you have to look her up?

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In today’s publishing world to get to the top of the Amazon list you need to be able to sell 3000 books a day. Can you imagine how much marketing you need to do to keep those sales ticking over. First you need to write, edit and rewrite a book which readers want to buy. Remember this book will need to be well edited and written because bad reviews will destroy any chances you may have to keep your readers coming back for your next book and the one after that. It doesn’t matter whether you’re published by a publisher, or self-published the quality of your book is all that matters to your reader.

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The key is to keep your readers coming back for more, but first you need to find them. Spike Milligan, comedian said, ‘I thought I’d begin by reading a poem by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine.’

I guess what Spike is saying is when marketing we writers need to start reading books written by friends, in hope that they’ll return the favour by reading and reviewing our books. The only problem I see here is down to personal taste. Though my writing style is dark, I don’t enjoy reading books that have extreme violence or gory details. I go for chilling dark tales, which play with the mind. We writers need to match our style of writing to the readers who will enjoy our books in hope of a fair, honest review.

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Something else, we writers need to think about too. We are not the only ones dreaming of having a bestselling novel. Since the dawn of computers it is far easier for anyone to produce a manuscript and dream of being a writer. How many people do you think dream about becoming a reader or a reviewer? Remember these are few and far between, yet this is our market.

What all books need are readers and reviewers. A book only becomes a bestseller when enough readers and reviewers tell others how much they enjoyed it. This is the point I’ve reached. How do I get enough readers wanting to read my books. My Funeral Birds crime novella has sold 44 copies since it released on 28th February. My collection of short stories Days Pass Like a Shadow has sold five since it’s release on 2nd June and my crime novel Stone Angels has had 13 preorder sales and is due for release on the 11th August. As you can see I’m no where near selling 3k a day, but I’ve only just had my books published this year.

So what is my plan of action now. I’m going start looking for authors who write the same sorts of books as myself and start reading them. Of course there’s no guarantee that they will return the favour or like my books.

Let me know in my comment box whether you’ve had any good results by becoming a reader and reviewer of other writer’s books.

Publicity Shots and Book Trailers

I’ve been rather busy over the last few days trying to think outside the box as far as marketing my three books. I checked out a site that’s supposed to connect authors to readers, but as you can imagine this comes at a price. It saddens me to think that there’s always someone out there ready to make money off other people’s dreams.

[image error]Stone Angels

This has set me on a new challenge. If I can teach myself how to write to be published, then I can teach myself to market my books without spending large sums of money. Most books these days are advertised using book trailers, so I made three. These are simple slideshows. For the first one The Funeral Birds, I used some royalty free clip art, as I felt the tone of my novella leant itself to a slightly humorous cartoonish slideshow. For my collection of short stories, Days Pass Like A Shadow, I decided to show a picture for each of the thirteen stories and add a question to reflect each tale. For my dark crime novel Stone Angels, I decided to illustrate the blurb in a series of cleverly selected pictures.

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To make the slideshows I used the Microsoft Photo program in Windows 10. It’s a simple easy program with plenty of options and with the added bonus of having music and special effects too. I found it was easy to upload onto the internet too.

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As my writing style is dark and I love anything Gothic from fashion to architecture my husband and I went to a local cemetery to do a photo shoot. I’m normally the one behind the camera so I do find it uncomfortable to be in front of it, but I needed some new pictures. Lucky for me my husband is a patient man and was willing to spend all day if necessary to get the right shot.

Have a great weekend and we’ll chat again soon.

Days Pass Like A Shadow

Within the pages of “Days Pass like a Shadow” are thirteen dark tales covering the theme of death and loss. At the centre of every story is a beating heart. For the reader to make the journey to that centre, along the flowing veins of the words, all they need is a few minutes during a lunch break, or at the end of the day. The reader will be introduced to a rich and diverse collection of characters – a gardener, a serial killer, a time traveller, a sleepwalker and many more.

[image error]A collection of short stories by Paula R. C. Readman

“On the Streets of Kabul”, which is set in Afghanistan, a soldier faces a life-threatening situation while searching for his missing comrade and childhood friend among the narrow alleys. “Perfect Justice” finds a secretary planning a murder. “Shelved” takes a reader into the unusual librarian’s office, while “Burning the Midnight Oil” has a son uncovering the truth about his dying mother. So put your feet up, relax with a cup, or glass of your favourite beverage and let’s begin with “The Meetings”…

Here’s a link to a book trailer for Days pass like a Shadow

And if you would like to read the book please click on this link for Days pass like a Shadow

Also included in the collection is the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival/ Writing Magazine overall winning short story, Roofscapes. Roofscapes was the inspiration for my novel Stone Angels which is now available to preorder on Amazon. Here’s the link, Stone Angels