Luke Walker's Blog: https://lukewalkerwriter.wordpress.com, page 29
October 11, 2013
Echidna and doing a lot of work for charity, mate
Jolly news for a manky October morning. Volume 4 of Postscripts To Darkness featuring my short story Echidna is now available. You can buy it here. And something else.
A few months back, I wrote a 'story behind the book' piece about 'Set. It's been collected along with almost forty other pieces on writing speculative fiction and published here. And if that wasn't enough, all the proceeds from the sales go to charity. Epilepsy Action to be precise. So buy a copy and do something nice. And don't give me that excuse of you're not in the UK. Here's the link for the US copy.
So, go on. Buy both and tell your mates to do the same. In the meantime, I'll carry on with polishing an older book to ready it for submission.
A few months back, I wrote a 'story behind the book' piece about 'Set. It's been collected along with almost forty other pieces on writing speculative fiction and published here. And if that wasn't enough, all the proceeds from the sales go to charity. Epilepsy Action to be precise. So buy a copy and do something nice. And don't give me that excuse of you're not in the UK. Here's the link for the US copy.
So, go on. Buy both and tell your mates to do the same. In the meantime, I'll carry on with polishing an older book to ready it for submission.
October 9, 2013
Mirror Of The Nameless and Dark Recesses
I meant to post this a week ago but had other stuff going on. Better late than never, anyway. Head this way for the first issue of Dark Recesses which contains, among plenty of other stuff, a post by me about Mirror Of The Nameless.
Hope you like and feel free to let me know what you thought.
Hope you like and feel free to let me know what you thought.
October 6, 2013
Sometimes, a tree is just a tree
I read a review for Mirror yesterday which was positive for the most part (in fairness, the reviewer also had a couple of negatives) and also mentioned a few metaphors in the writing. The funny thing is I didn't intend any metaphors let alone the ones the reviewer found. This subject came up over at absolutewrite a few weeks ago - writing metaphorically and to what extent the writer wants to insert a message in their story. I've been thinking about it since, and then reading the review yesterday which metioned the same point made me consider what I write and what might be behind the blood and the screaming.
For what it's worth, I very rarely have a message in anything I write. For one, I think it's quite hard for a lot of writers to have a message that's subtle enough to not get in the way of the most important part of the the book - the story. And for two, I'm not too interested in spreading any particular message. I'm not a stroky beard type writer (despite having a beard); I'm not one for preaching at people, and I'm not a writer who thinks telling stories makes me important.
Put simply and perhaps naively, I like telling stories. That's it. The big secret in 99% of what I write. I write for the sheer joy of making stuff up and hopefully entertaining people. Whether that entertainment comes in scarying them or grossing them out or giving them time with characters they care about, it's all good to me. As long as the reader enjoys the book, I'm a happy writer.
Plenty of authors believe they have a message to spread to their readers. That's up to them, of course. It's not me, though, and I don't believe the majority of readers want to receive any message in their fiction. They want a story and characters to take them away for a few hours or days. And if they're reading a horror story, the chances are they want fictional horrors to stack up against their own horrors and say well, at least things aren't as bad for me as they are for the people in this book.
Basically, if you give me some of your time (and a few quid, of course), I'll tell you a story. Deal?
For what it's worth, I very rarely have a message in anything I write. For one, I think it's quite hard for a lot of writers to have a message that's subtle enough to not get in the way of the most important part of the the book - the story. And for two, I'm not too interested in spreading any particular message. I'm not a stroky beard type writer (despite having a beard); I'm not one for preaching at people, and I'm not a writer who thinks telling stories makes me important.
Put simply and perhaps naively, I like telling stories. That's it. The big secret in 99% of what I write. I write for the sheer joy of making stuff up and hopefully entertaining people. Whether that entertainment comes in scarying them or grossing them out or giving them time with characters they care about, it's all good to me. As long as the reader enjoys the book, I'm a happy writer.
Plenty of authors believe they have a message to spread to their readers. That's up to them, of course. It's not me, though, and I don't believe the majority of readers want to receive any message in their fiction. They want a story and characters to take them away for a few hours or days. And if they're reading a horror story, the chances are they want fictional horrors to stack up against their own horrors and say well, at least things aren't as bad for me as they are for the people in this book.
Basically, if you give me some of your time (and a few quid, of course), I'll tell you a story. Deal?
September 26, 2013
The funny thing about reviews
So far, most of the reviews for Mirror have been positive. As much as most people might think all writers would want nothing but positive ones, I'm not like that. While I'm not saying I want reviews saying something I've written is a total bag of crap and I should never write again, I'm all for considered, intelligent feedback from a reader who didn't enjoy one of my books. You really can't please everyone all the time and it's a waste of time trying to. In any case, once the book is out there, it's no longer mine. It belongs to the reader, and their thoughts are without question theirs to share.
However, I'm really happy with the vast majority of the feedback I've received and at the risk of being unEnglish, I thought I'd share a couple of snippets from reviews here. So...
"...a very original, riveting novella that combined elements of lovecraftian fiction, zombies, and an "end of the world" type of feeling..."
"...a crazy mix of Lovecraftian horror, mystery, family, love, death, zombies, worms, and fear."
"...Mirror Of The Nameless is immensely entertaining, with tons of action, violence and a palpable sense of dread and defeat, but most importantly, really interesting and life like characters."
"...The monsters (Gods) were cool - original and well drawn. The characters were equally well realized and the action was paced perfectly."
However, I'm really happy with the vast majority of the feedback I've received and at the risk of being unEnglish, I thought I'd share a couple of snippets from reviews here. So...
"...a very original, riveting novella that combined elements of lovecraftian fiction, zombies, and an "end of the world" type of feeling..."
"...a crazy mix of Lovecraftian horror, mystery, family, love, death, zombies, worms, and fear."
"...Mirror Of The Nameless is immensely entertaining, with tons of action, violence and a palpable sense of dread and defeat, but most importantly, really interesting and life like characters."
"...The monsters (Gods) were cool - original and well drawn. The characters were equally well realized and the action was paced perfectly."
September 24, 2013
In at number four
Just a quick one today to share DarkFuse's weekly newsletter which contains their bestsellers. And look who's in at number four in the novellas.
Thank you to everybody who's bought it. I'm really happy with how things have gone so far.
Thank you to everybody who's bought it. I'm really happy with how things have gone so far.
September 17, 2013
Mirror Of The Nameless published today
Today's the day. My novella from Dark Fuse is now available. Here's the bumf:
As always, I hope people enjoy it. Feel free to let me know what you thought and, more importantly, let other readers know.
As always, I hope people enjoy it. Feel free to let me know what you thought and, more importantly, let other readers know.
September 9, 2013
Where Bear came from
A few weeks ago, my short story Bear was published in a collection from JWKFiction. I wrote the first draft a couple of years ago and it ended up being a different story to the one I'd planned. I knew it'd be a short piece; a short sharp shock that would hopefully linger with the reader. And I knew what the threat was before I'd written a single word.
Well, I thought I did.
That changed and it changed early. From round about the third paragraph if I remember rightly. I knew it would be from the point of view of a little boy in bed and I knew his teddy bear would play a role. I knew the threat would be seen off by the tedddy bear. Turns out I was wrong about a couple of things and the main one - the threat - hit me within a few moments. The thought was something along the lines of there are worse things than a monster about to sneak into a little boy's bedroom. There are much worse things than make-believe monsters.
Within those couple of seconds, I had my short sharp shock nailed down. After a few edits and a bit of a polish, I'd got a nasty story with one of the most vile monsters I've encountered in my fiction. The story went out into the world and didn't find a home. I gave it a few more polishes, sent it out again and it came back to me. I expanded my potential markets, or at least I tried to. The funny thing was the number of markets I encountered that specified no children in their horror fiction was a lot higher than I might have expected. OK, not everyone wants to read about kids being threatened or hurt and that's their business, but it seems to me to be a bit limiting for a genre that's supposed to horrible, after all. Anyway, that's a topic for another day. It's enough to say I had to sit on Bear for a while before it found a home. And I'm very glad it did. I consider it one of my best short pieces and it does exactly what I hoped for. It's that short sharp shock of horror that lingers.
You can buy the collection featuring Bear here. And if you like it, well, you and I will get on famously.
Ya sicko.
Well, I thought I did.
That changed and it changed early. From round about the third paragraph if I remember rightly. I knew it would be from the point of view of a little boy in bed and I knew his teddy bear would play a role. I knew the threat would be seen off by the tedddy bear. Turns out I was wrong about a couple of things and the main one - the threat - hit me within a few moments. The thought was something along the lines of there are worse things than a monster about to sneak into a little boy's bedroom. There are much worse things than make-believe monsters.
Within those couple of seconds, I had my short sharp shock nailed down. After a few edits and a bit of a polish, I'd got a nasty story with one of the most vile monsters I've encountered in my fiction. The story went out into the world and didn't find a home. I gave it a few more polishes, sent it out again and it came back to me. I expanded my potential markets, or at least I tried to. The funny thing was the number of markets I encountered that specified no children in their horror fiction was a lot higher than I might have expected. OK, not everyone wants to read about kids being threatened or hurt and that's their business, but it seems to me to be a bit limiting for a genre that's supposed to horrible, after all. Anyway, that's a topic for another day. It's enough to say I had to sit on Bear for a while before it found a home. And I'm very glad it did. I consider it one of my best short pieces and it does exactly what I hoped for. It's that short sharp shock of horror that lingers.
You can buy the collection featuring Bear here. And if you like it, well, you and I will get on famously.
Ya sicko.
September 1, 2013
The smooth with the rough
You may have noticed my blog updates aren't as frequent as they used to be. Well, hopefully someone has. Part of the reason for that is simply a lack of time. Writing time can be spent online doing a load of self-promo or blogging (which, let's be honest, is also a form of self-promo) or writing. Lately, I've been focusing on writing more than anything else. I'm about 50K into the second draft of my current book. It'll be done by around 90K, I think. That's the second draft done, not the finished book. This one has not been as easy write at all for a number of reasons. The main one is because I didn't know the story while writing the first draft, so I was telling myself it more than a potential reader. As I've said before, first drafts are always shit, but there are degrees of shit. This first draft stank, and draft two is only marginally better. It's not the end of the world, though. I can fix its problems in a third and final draft. Even so, it's occasionally disheartening to wade through a few thousand words of story and still not really know what the hell is going on or who these characters are. It's even more disheartening to have that little voice inside telling you that, actually, you've cocked up with this one and the whole book is a flawed idea from the ground up, that you'd be better off ditching it and starting something new. Put that little voice with book/story submissions and leads that end up going nowhere and writing can turn into a grind that slows right the fuck down to the point you think you're just chucking words at the screen and hoping some of them will stick.
So, what's my choice? Ditch this book? Decide all the current subs I have out are going to get flushed like a big turd? Or shut the fuck up and write? I'm a writer, right? I best get writing.
Oh, the smooth I mentioned in the title above? It's
So, what's my choice? Ditch this book? Decide all the current subs I have out are going to get flushed like a big turd? Or shut the fuck up and write? I'm a writer, right? I best get writing.
Oh, the smooth I mentioned in the title above? It's
August 23, 2013
The inspiration for The Dead Room
I just came across a great site which has a lot of photos of derelict places. This link contains shots of a hospital that was closed about three years ago and isn't looking too pretty these days. Its condition formed some of the inspiration for The Dead Room. Because of that and because the shots are deliciously ominous, I had to share the link here.
And I have to wonder what lives in those dark halls now.
And I have to wonder what lives in those dark halls now.
August 16, 2013
Interview with Alison Littlewood
I'm thrilled to interview horror/thriller writer Alison Littlewood, author of A Cold Season and Path of Needles as well as numerous short stories published in various collections. Alison took time out from her writing and puppy training to answer my questions so over to the interview.
LW. Let’s start with introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
AL. I’m a Yorkshire lass who has always loved books, and I’ve actually been lucky enough to have two novels published over the last couple of years. I write horror and dark fantasy, and produced short stories for indie magazines and anthologies for some time before starting on novels. I’m fascinated by the mythical and folkloric, and places where the very landscape seems imbued with story.
LW. You’ve had numerous short stories published and your second novel, Path of Needles, was recently released. Do you have a preference for writing short pieces versus novels?
AL. I wouldn’t say a preference, but short stories do allow for jumping around genres and ideas and characters, which can really recharge the batteries after a long novel project. On the other hand when I’m between novels I really miss being so immersed in the journey. I’d say the two complement each other, though the one thing I don’t seem to be able to do is write both at the same time. If I do, my head just gets yanked from one world to another, which really doesn’t help when ploughing through a first novel draft.
LW. Your first novel, A Cold Season, was more of a supernatural horror story than Path of Needles (which is more a crime thriller with spooky elements). Was this difference intentional or simply the way the story developed? Spinning off that, how much do you outline your stories?
AL. It wasn’t so much intentional as what the story demanded. I was just following the idea, and I began it in the days before I got a book deal, so it didn’t really seem like a needed a strategy – fortunately, when A Cold Season was picked up by Jo Fletcher Books, they really liked the concept. I put a lot of things that scared me into A Cold Season and thought it would be fun to put a lot of things that I love into Path of Needles – mysterious forests, a hint of the magical, and some very dark and twisted fairy tales.
The answer to how much I outline stories is probably ‘not enough’! I tend to have a good idea of the opening 10,000 words or so, and I know roughly where I’m going in the end, but I discover the big bit-in-the-middle as I go along. I’m trying to get a bit better at plotting before I jump in! I’d like to think I’ll always leave room to be surprised along the way, though, as it’s great when that happens.
LW. Was being a writer always your plan for a career?
AL. I’d say it was a daydream rather than a plan. If someone had told my younger self I’d be a writer now, I think my brain would have imploded! I used to see writing as a big scary thing that other people did, and it took a long time to force myself to try it. I was in my thirties when I signed up for a local class, and if they’d been less supportive of newbies, I probably wouldn’t have been here now. On the other hand I’ve always loved books, so perhaps I’d have got there in the end.
LW. What are you working on at the moment?
AL. I’m about to get stuck into edits for book three, which will be out in June 2014. The title isn’t definite as yet but it’s a ghost story told across the generations of a family living at a rather dour Yorkshire house. It’s been a good challenge to write the sections set in the past, as I haven’t done much historical fiction before. I’ve also been working on some short stories for different anthologies, though I don’t think I’m allowed to say which ones! It’s the first time for a while that I’ve fitted in some shorts, so that’s been a lot of fun too. I’m having a really good time with the work at the moment, which is great as the words don’t always come so easily. I’m also piecing together ideas for book four, and excited about the prospect of starting on that.
LW. What’s your average working day like?
AL. I got made redundant in the same week I got a book deal, so I’ve been a full time writer since then. I used to be free to write on and off all day, though we got a puppy a couple of months ago and now I’ll go out for a good walk in the mornings and get some exercise and fresh air. The rest of the time, as often as not, I’ll be working on my laptop while the dog tries to sleep with his head on the keyboard – not so easy as he’s getting bigger, but it’s too cute to throw him off! It hasn’t done my typo rate much good though.
LW. Location and landscape features quite a bit in your fiction – what do you think setting your stories in Yorkshire adds to them in terms of atmosphere?
AL. I started on A Cold Season when I was commuting across the moors to Saddleworth, and that landscape – bleak, beautiful and forbidding – definitely began to shape events in the book. Path of Needles is set closer to home and uses some of the kinds of places I love, particularly the deep dark woods! I never really thought about setting each of the books anywhere else. I like to use places I know, and I often try to set short stories in places I visit. When you can experience a place and soak up its atmosphere and find out about its stories, the myths and legends that have arisen there, I hope it adds a richness and depth to the work.
LW. How important do you think it is for a new writer to have an agent?
AL. I recently signed with A.M. Heath, and it’s good to know that someone’s going to be navigating the business side of things for me. I didn’t have an agent when I got the book deal, but things get complicated quite quickly! I was fortunate in that someone at TTA Press, who knew my short stories, recommended that my publisher looked at my novel, and so things just fell into place. I imagine that was pretty unusual though, and I’d been immersed in the short story markets for a few years before then and gone out and met people at cons and so on. A lot of the big publishers won’t look at unagented submissions, so they would be pretty essential in that scenario. Every writer seems to come at it from a different route, though, so it isn’t a case of having to do things a certain way.
LW. What do you do in your free time?
AL. I like photography, and I’d love to take the time to develop my technical knowledge and skills, though it’s having to take a back seat at the moment. I do try and set the time aside to read, too. Other than that, just at the moment it’s all puppy training, puppy cuddles, and trying to stop him eating the house!
LW. Which writers do you particularly admire? And are there any books you wish you’d written?
AL. I love Neil Gaiman’s work, and adore Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods – well, all his novels, really. Joe Hill’s work is terrific too; I loved NOS4R2 and Horns. Stephen King is – well, the king. Graham Joyce is wonderful, and Sarah Langan’s novels are dark, gritty and chilling. As for books I wish I’d written – one of the early ones I really admired, though it isn’t a genre novel, is Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda. It’s so touching and meticulously researched and incredibly clever. Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes is great – I love books that give the impression the writer is having an absolute ball writing them! I recently read Westlake Soul by Rio Youers, and that’s absolutely terrific.
Alison's site is over here and she's on Twitter at Ali__L. And while you're at it, check out the anthologies she's featured in here.
LW. Let’s start with introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself and your work.
AL. I’m a Yorkshire lass who has always loved books, and I’ve actually been lucky enough to have two novels published over the last couple of years. I write horror and dark fantasy, and produced short stories for indie magazines and anthologies for some time before starting on novels. I’m fascinated by the mythical and folkloric, and places where the very landscape seems imbued with story.
LW. You’ve had numerous short stories published and your second novel, Path of Needles, was recently released. Do you have a preference for writing short pieces versus novels?
AL. I wouldn’t say a preference, but short stories do allow for jumping around genres and ideas and characters, which can really recharge the batteries after a long novel project. On the other hand when I’m between novels I really miss being so immersed in the journey. I’d say the two complement each other, though the one thing I don’t seem to be able to do is write both at the same time. If I do, my head just gets yanked from one world to another, which really doesn’t help when ploughing through a first novel draft.
LW. Your first novel, A Cold Season, was more of a supernatural horror story than Path of Needles (which is more a crime thriller with spooky elements). Was this difference intentional or simply the way the story developed? Spinning off that, how much do you outline your stories?
AL. It wasn’t so much intentional as what the story demanded. I was just following the idea, and I began it in the days before I got a book deal, so it didn’t really seem like a needed a strategy – fortunately, when A Cold Season was picked up by Jo Fletcher Books, they really liked the concept. I put a lot of things that scared me into A Cold Season and thought it would be fun to put a lot of things that I love into Path of Needles – mysterious forests, a hint of the magical, and some very dark and twisted fairy tales.
The answer to how much I outline stories is probably ‘not enough’! I tend to have a good idea of the opening 10,000 words or so, and I know roughly where I’m going in the end, but I discover the big bit-in-the-middle as I go along. I’m trying to get a bit better at plotting before I jump in! I’d like to think I’ll always leave room to be surprised along the way, though, as it’s great when that happens.
LW. Was being a writer always your plan for a career?
AL. I’d say it was a daydream rather than a plan. If someone had told my younger self I’d be a writer now, I think my brain would have imploded! I used to see writing as a big scary thing that other people did, and it took a long time to force myself to try it. I was in my thirties when I signed up for a local class, and if they’d been less supportive of newbies, I probably wouldn’t have been here now. On the other hand I’ve always loved books, so perhaps I’d have got there in the end.
LW. What are you working on at the moment?
AL. I’m about to get stuck into edits for book three, which will be out in June 2014. The title isn’t definite as yet but it’s a ghost story told across the generations of a family living at a rather dour Yorkshire house. It’s been a good challenge to write the sections set in the past, as I haven’t done much historical fiction before. I’ve also been working on some short stories for different anthologies, though I don’t think I’m allowed to say which ones! It’s the first time for a while that I’ve fitted in some shorts, so that’s been a lot of fun too. I’m having a really good time with the work at the moment, which is great as the words don’t always come so easily. I’m also piecing together ideas for book four, and excited about the prospect of starting on that.
LW. What’s your average working day like?
AL. I got made redundant in the same week I got a book deal, so I’ve been a full time writer since then. I used to be free to write on and off all day, though we got a puppy a couple of months ago and now I’ll go out for a good walk in the mornings and get some exercise and fresh air. The rest of the time, as often as not, I’ll be working on my laptop while the dog tries to sleep with his head on the keyboard – not so easy as he’s getting bigger, but it’s too cute to throw him off! It hasn’t done my typo rate much good though.
LW. Location and landscape features quite a bit in your fiction – what do you think setting your stories in Yorkshire adds to them in terms of atmosphere?
AL. I started on A Cold Season when I was commuting across the moors to Saddleworth, and that landscape – bleak, beautiful and forbidding – definitely began to shape events in the book. Path of Needles is set closer to home and uses some of the kinds of places I love, particularly the deep dark woods! I never really thought about setting each of the books anywhere else. I like to use places I know, and I often try to set short stories in places I visit. When you can experience a place and soak up its atmosphere and find out about its stories, the myths and legends that have arisen there, I hope it adds a richness and depth to the work.
LW. How important do you think it is for a new writer to have an agent?
AL. I recently signed with A.M. Heath, and it’s good to know that someone’s going to be navigating the business side of things for me. I didn’t have an agent when I got the book deal, but things get complicated quite quickly! I was fortunate in that someone at TTA Press, who knew my short stories, recommended that my publisher looked at my novel, and so things just fell into place. I imagine that was pretty unusual though, and I’d been immersed in the short story markets for a few years before then and gone out and met people at cons and so on. A lot of the big publishers won’t look at unagented submissions, so they would be pretty essential in that scenario. Every writer seems to come at it from a different route, though, so it isn’t a case of having to do things a certain way.
LW. What do you do in your free time?
AL. I like photography, and I’d love to take the time to develop my technical knowledge and skills, though it’s having to take a back seat at the moment. I do try and set the time aside to read, too. Other than that, just at the moment it’s all puppy training, puppy cuddles, and trying to stop him eating the house!
LW. Which writers do you particularly admire? And are there any books you wish you’d written?
AL. I love Neil Gaiman’s work, and adore Neverwhere, Stardust, American Gods – well, all his novels, really. Joe Hill’s work is terrific too; I loved NOS4R2 and Horns. Stephen King is – well, the king. Graham Joyce is wonderful, and Sarah Langan’s novels are dark, gritty and chilling. As for books I wish I’d written – one of the early ones I really admired, though it isn’t a genre novel, is Peter Carey’s Oscar and Lucinda. It’s so touching and meticulously researched and incredibly clever. Little Hands Clapping by Dan Rhodes is great – I love books that give the impression the writer is having an absolute ball writing them! I recently read Westlake Soul by Rio Youers, and that’s absolutely terrific.
Alison's site is over here and she's on Twitter at Ali__L. And while you're at it, check out the anthologies she's featured in here.
