Stuart Aken's Blog, page 173

A Sunday Walk in the Forest

A few days ago, Valerie and I took a ‘quick’ walk following a tough stint in the garden. No surprise that, as we walked one of the tracks we favour, we impulsively decided it was time to explore a faint track we’d noticed a few times previously. Track? It was more like a scramble up … Continue reading A Sunday Walk in the Forest

Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

Here’s your monthly reminder that the writing contest table has been updated. I update frequently; in fact, whenever I come across new contests. I also subscribe to a few sources for information to pass on to you here. Make sure you get your entries submitted in plenty of time, there are some spectacular prizes to … Continue reading Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

Looking for the Best Word? Tip #31

There’s help here for writers trying to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by exploring similar and dissimilar words. The series also gives language learners insights into some peculiarities of the English language. A good thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word, but not all those are true synonyms. … Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #31

NSA, by Benny Neylon, Reviewed.

This is satirical, dystopian science fiction taking a brutal swipe at the media, politicians, conspiracy theorists, security experts and the military. All of it richly deserved. The writing is good, characterisation is thorough, creating archetypes rather than indulging in stereotypes as is so often the case with books of this type. The humour is hard, … Continue reading NSA, by Benny Neylon, Reviewed.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Now that the first draft is finished, I’ve had a rest from it this week. Though, as other writers will appreciate, you never completely let go at this stage. I’ve been tinkering with the character sketches of the new players, adding some new research links, watching a bit of TV related to the subject, and … Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

6th Blogiversary + Review Survey Results

Originally posted on Reading Romances:
This month Reading Romances turns 6! =D Guess what?! It’s official! I’ve been blogging about my love of romance books for SIX YEARS (on and off, like most relationships)! And I almost forgot about it! Since it’s such a special occasion, I thought that I would share my blogging journey with…

Looking for the Best Word? Tip #30

Something a little different this week. A small insight into the British psyche and an exploration of a two-word phrase instead of a single word. There’s help here for writers trying to make their work more accessible, interesting, varied, accurate and effective by exploring similar and dissimilar words. The series also gives language learners insights … Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip #30

The Writer’s Lexicon, by Kathy Steinemann, Reviewed.

Are you a lover of words? Do you write? Is language use an issue of interest? If so, you’ll find Kathy Steinemann’s ‘The Writer’s Lexicon’ a veritable cornucopia of expressive words. A thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word. A dictionary gives definitions and, sometimes, origins for those construction blocks we use daily … Continue reading The Writer’s Lexicon, by Kathy Steinemann, Reviewed.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Whoopee! Hurrah! Gadzooks! And, yeah! The first draft of book 2 of the Generation Mars series is finished. It now stands at 112,061 words, 8,740 more than last week’s total. I actually finished this stage on Monday, but thought I’d wait till today to let you know, since Wednesdays have been my usual days for … Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

The House on Sagamore Road, by Cary Grossman, Reviewed.

The second in a projected trilogy, this deeply complex fantasy follows on from Chopin’s Ghost, taking the reader through the next twisting, convoluted maze that constitutes the story. If you haven’t read the first book, I advise you do so. However, the author includes enough detail from that first novel to allow readers new to … Continue reading The House on Sagamore Road, by Cary Grossman, Reviewed.