Luke Walker's Blog: https://lukewalkerwriter.wordpress.com, page 12
June 11, 2017
Ascent - where it came from
I've always thought that inspiration for creativity can come from literally anywhere other than maybe sitting down and trying to think of an idea. In the case of Ascent, part of that inspiration came from my daily walk to work.
Everyday, I pass an office building that became the building (and main location) in Ascent albeit with some substantial physical changes. It's about thirty years old; there's a lot of glass and its primary use is for the city council to conduct various types of business - pretty much the same as Greenham Place in my book. I made my fictional version a lot larger purely for the sake of drama and to have more of an area to play in, but the nuts and bolts of my pretend version aren't a million miles from the real building. Like I said, I pass this place every day which got me thinking about it without realising it. Couple that with wanting to write a tight, claustrophobic story and I had the basis for Ascent - or at least its location and setting. (And in case you were wondering, the fictional town in my book is Norwich in my mind's eye mainly because it's close enough to RAF Lakenheath to be at risk of a nuclear explosion at the base).
A couple of of years ago, I wrote a short story called 6/13 which was published here and concerns the aftermath of a terrorist attack on Los Angeles through the eyes of two men who can change that aftermath for the better. Obviously, this is an area that gives a lot of room to explore which is where a novel came in. I've always liked big events in fiction that the reader gets to view in a personal fashion. It makes it more frightening for me as the writer to see some serious shit going on with a limited number of characters rather than going all out Game Of Thrones style.
So.
An office building I pass everyday. A short story with the scope for a much larger study of the events in that story. A handful of characters. A particular setting and location.
Ascent.
Those different moments of inspiration coming together while I had little conscious idea that's what I was thinking about and I end up with a horror story I like very much. I hope you do, too.
Everyday, I pass an office building that became the building (and main location) in Ascent albeit with some substantial physical changes. It's about thirty years old; there's a lot of glass and its primary use is for the city council to conduct various types of business - pretty much the same as Greenham Place in my book. I made my fictional version a lot larger purely for the sake of drama and to have more of an area to play in, but the nuts and bolts of my pretend version aren't a million miles from the real building. Like I said, I pass this place every day which got me thinking about it without realising it. Couple that with wanting to write a tight, claustrophobic story and I had the basis for Ascent - or at least its location and setting. (And in case you were wondering, the fictional town in my book is Norwich in my mind's eye mainly because it's close enough to RAF Lakenheath to be at risk of a nuclear explosion at the base).
A couple of of years ago, I wrote a short story called 6/13 which was published here and concerns the aftermath of a terrorist attack on Los Angeles through the eyes of two men who can change that aftermath for the better. Obviously, this is an area that gives a lot of room to explore which is where a novel came in. I've always liked big events in fiction that the reader gets to view in a personal fashion. It makes it more frightening for me as the writer to see some serious shit going on with a limited number of characters rather than going all out Game Of Thrones style.
So.
An office building I pass everyday. A short story with the scope for a much larger study of the events in that story. A handful of characters. A particular setting and location.
Ascent.
Those different moments of inspiration coming together while I had little conscious idea that's what I was thinking about and I end up with a horror story I like very much. I hope you do, too.
June 4, 2017
Another good review for Ascent
At the risk of being un-British and bigging myself up, here's another good review for Ascent. Hopefully there will be more to come over time and yes, I will be bragging about them because why the hell not?
Anyway, head this way for a read. New review
Anyway, head this way for a read. New review
June 3, 2017
Ascent - published today
June 2, 2017
New review for Ascent in...
....and it's a belter.
Big thanks to Paul at The Eloquent Page for this one. And although I've said it a lot, let me say it again. Ascent is published tomorrow. See the big pic of the cover? The links are that way.
Review
Big thanks to Paul at The Eloquent Page for this one. And although I've said it a lot, let me say it again. Ascent is published tomorrow. See the big pic of the cover? The links are that way.
Review
May 31, 2017
New interview published
Got me a new interview and it's published today. You can read my rambling thoughts over this way - Interview. Ascent, Hometown, horror, writing, publishing, making stories up as a kid and all that good stuff. As always, feel free to let me know what you think either here or on the interview itself.
May 18, 2017
Ascent - The Day The World Went Away
I think I said at some point here that the soundtrack for Hometown would be A Warm Place by Nine Inch Nails simply because that piece of music which sums up grief and regret also sums up the book. While I've always thought, for obvious reasons, the Brian Eno piece An Ending (Ascent) would work nicely for
Ascent
(obviously), I'm more drawn to another NIN track. So over to a stripped down version of The Day The World Went Away which could be the subtitle of my book.
The Day The World Went Away (Still version)
The Day The World Went Away (Still version)
May 13, 2017
Hometown - cheap as chips. Literally.
Yep, Hometown is at a massively reduced price for a limited time so go nuts. Tell your friends, your families, your colleagues, total strangers, people you don't like, the dead (especially them), aliens, your pets, mythical beings...fuck it. Just do me a solid and spread the word. Ta.
Hometown link
Hometown link
May 4, 2017
Hometown - coming to BookBub
I've had word that Hometown will be listed on BookBub on 12th May, so you can get the ebook from then (for a limited time) for a discounted price. And while we're on the subject, the price for the paperback over on Amazon has been reduced. I don't know how long for so grab a copy while it's cheaper than usual.
Paperback link
Paperback link
May 1, 2017
Ascent - first review
April 16, 2017
Ascent - drafts, time and theme
Close to two years ago, I wrote this post and a few others before it while writing the first draft of the book that eventually became Ascent. I've just spent the last ten minutes scrolling through my blog to find it which took longer than I thought simply because it was longer ago than I remembered. Two summers ago which either means my sense of time passing is up the spout or I really did write the first draft back in the distant days of 2014-15. Not sure which.
Either way, here we are - close to publication date of a book that, oddly, went from christ this mess is a total pain in the arse to hey this isn't half bad i think i might have something decent with this one. As I've written another book, the first draft of a second along with detailing a new outline and fresh research for it before starting the second draft and various short pieces since that post two summers ago, it's been a long time since I looked at Ascent in any kind of impartial way. Enough time has passed for me to do that now and I have to say, I like what I see. Crowded Quarantine and I have whipped my original book into shape, streamlined it (hopefully) and I'm pretty chuffed with the finished result. Obviously I try to improve with each new book and it's probably fair to say I've done so with this one. It's a dark tale that if you wanted me to narrow down to a single word for the theme, I'd give you one of the worst of all human experiences.
Guilt.
Ascent - Amazon link
Pre-order link from CQP
Either way, here we are - close to publication date of a book that, oddly, went from christ this mess is a total pain in the arse to hey this isn't half bad i think i might have something decent with this one. As I've written another book, the first draft of a second along with detailing a new outline and fresh research for it before starting the second draft and various short pieces since that post two summers ago, it's been a long time since I looked at Ascent in any kind of impartial way. Enough time has passed for me to do that now and I have to say, I like what I see. Crowded Quarantine and I have whipped my original book into shape, streamlined it (hopefully) and I'm pretty chuffed with the finished result. Obviously I try to improve with each new book and it's probably fair to say I've done so with this one. It's a dark tale that if you wanted me to narrow down to a single word for the theme, I'd give you one of the worst of all human experiences.
Guilt.
Ascent - Amazon link
Pre-order link from CQP
