Stuart Aken's Blog, page 241

September and October Combined Results

The usual monthly progress report covers 2 months this time. We had reason to celebrate and decided to do so in style, since it’ll be the last for a long while. The silver wedding combined with my retirement from employment and ability to work full time as a writer called for a special break. That occurred across the 2 months, starting toward the end of September and ending in the second week of October. Added to that was a short break we took to visit my brother and his wife in the Yorkshire Dales. So a somewhat interrupted work period.

Of course, the fact that I had to stop writing the fantasy for a while meant I needed to re-read what I’d already written on our return from Santorini, before I could continue with it. I completed that re-read just in time for the month end, which is just as well, as I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo this year and using it as a deeper motivation to finish the fantasy book. (See post below, if you’re interested).
On holiday, I’d intended to read quite a lot, but the company, surroundings, events we took part in and the need for rest in between meant I didn’t read quite as much as expected. Nevertheless, I did read a few books, and reviewed them on my return. I also reviewed on Tripadvisor all the places we’d visited whilst on holiday.
So, the chart gives an indication but is not as reliable or accurate as usual. Make of it what you will.November will be dedicated to the writing of the final book in the trilogy and I’ve already written 5,700 words over yesterday and this morning. I’m aiming at 3,500 words a day, so a few more to do after I’ve posted this piece.
Once again, let us all know how you’re progressing with your writing. It’s easy to place a comment here, after all.
The chart, explained: Writing - initial creation of stories, blog posts, reviews and longer works.Editing - polishing of all written work to make it suitable for readers.Research - discovery of info for story content, market research, contests and blog posts.Reading - books and writing magazines.Networking - emails, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and comments.
Admin - story submission, blog posting, marketing, organisation, tax, and general admin tasks.Related articles No I'm Not Doing NaNoWriMo and Here's Why Dear NaNoWriMo: Day 1 And They're Off - NaNoWriMo Begins! Intro Post for NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo Comes Around Again.

(Inter)National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event aimed at getting would-be link here) and, using their help, prompts, advice and guidance, get 50,000 words down during the month. It’s run in a gently competitive manner, with word counters available to check and display your daily wordage and the total so far. There are local groups, where physical meetings and events take place, as well as virtual meetings and gatherings for discussion, encouragement and simple fun. As part of this process, the site also raises funds to help with juvenile literacy (a worthwhile cause for any writer, surely?)novelists to actually get that first draft written. The idea is that you sign-up to the site (

Last year I was too busy to take part, but the year before I’d decided to have a go, in order to kick start an idea that had been buzzing around my brain for a while. Over the month I wrote 112,242 words (click here to see the final post on that). In the end, the novel was fundamentally flawed in a way I couldn’t repair, so I abandoned it during the third edit. But the exercise was nevertheless useful in that it demonstrated that I could actually write that number of words each day, consistently. And, of course, the public element is a great motivator toward healthy self-discipline and the avoidance of procrastination.
This year, I’m about half way through writing the first draft of the third book in a fantasy trilogy (watch this space for news on the publication of book 1 – A Seared Sky: Joinings – to be published by Fantastic Books Publishing by the end of the year!). This isn’t really what NaNoWriMo is about. But, on the other hand, it is about getting the first draft finished, and that’s what I want to do. It would have been finished by now under normal circumstances, but my darling wife broke her wrist in July and that meant I had to take over quite a few of the household duties she carries out in the background without me ever having to think about them. (I appreciate that, as a man, I have a great advantage over all those Mums/wives who have to juggle work with writing and childcare). Our arrangements, by the way, are mutually agreed. I do certain things about the house and Valerie does others. But, with one arm out of commission, she clearly couldn’t do many of those things she does normally.
Now she’s recovered, almost, and able to carry on with her normal jobs, leaving me free to write at more length. We celebrated our silver wedding this year and took an extended holiday to celebrate, so I’m now spending a good deal of time re-reading what I’d already written to the point of our departure (around 116k words) so I can recall all the incidents before I continue with the tale, which will probably end up at around 210k.
So, on 1stNovember, I intend to be ready to get on with the writing and will start my counter on that day at 0 words so I can keep track of my totals for each day and for the month.
How about you? Always promised yourself you’d write that book? Willing to have a go? Here’s the linkto the website, where you register.
If, on the other hand, 50,000 words is too daunting for you, you might like to join a collaborative effort. A blog, called Grammerlyblog is hosting just such an event. But you’ll have to be very quick. Here’s their info and a link:

Grammarlyblog: We’re accepting submissions through October 25, 2013 from writers at all levels who would like to contribute to a community-written novel. Signing up with your email address will add you to the queue of authors planning to help write the novel, and Grammarly will notify you when it is your turn to contribute up to 800 words to your assigned chapter.Related articles Beware the Glitter of #NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo / Post 300. Diving Into NaNoWriMo, Cutting Out Excuses, and A Pile of Links to Help You Write Consistently Tiredness and NaNoWriMo Gearing up for NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo

Author? Books On Amazon? Did You Know…?

In common with many writers, I have books listed on Amazon. Also, in common with other authors, I attract readers by presenting links to my books on various social networks. There is, however, a real problem with this as far as Amazon is concerned. Any link will lead readers only to one specific amazon site - .com, .co.uk, .de, etc.
This means potential readers have to either do a search on the appropriate amazon site for their country, or – holds up hands in horror! – pay extra postage for the books to be delivered overseas. Let’s face it, we want readers spending their hard-earned cash on books, not postage. Of course, in the case of an ebook, readers can only purchase from their home Amazon site.
It would be really useful if a single link could enable all your readers to find you at their home site, wouldn’t it? Well, help is at hand. Such a site exists. And – wait for it- it’s FREE!
I was recently on holiday in Santorini and kept in touch through my iPad. One of my contacts on Twitter complained that a link took him to the wrong Amazon site and suggested I try Booklinker.net.I wasn’t keen to explore during my holiday and, in any case, the iPad, useful as it is, is no substitute for the desktop iMac with all my links, pictures, contacts and other settings easily available, so I decided to wait until I returned home.
A busy week later, I explored the site and discovered I could very easily set up a universal link to my Author Page at Amazon. Try it here. However, when I tried to set up links to my books, I seemed to get nowhere. This, it turned out, was due to my idiocy. But a simple exchange with the site’s helpful ‘Contact’ service soon resolved my problems. You’re presented with two screens. The first requires that you enter the link to your book from the Amazon.com site (just copy and paste). The second allows you to type in the short name for the link you wish to develop. E.g. http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Faith-Stuart-Aken/dp/1849233144/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382367245&sr=1-1&keywords=Breaking+Faith+stuart+aken  becomes http://mybook.to/breakingfaith  (By the way, you need only enter the initial link as far as the end of the unique number: e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Faith-Stuart-Aken/dp/1849233144/) I have now successfully set up universal links for all my books.
The outcome is that I can now place quotes from books and reviews on social networks and attach a single link in the knowledge that it will lead to the Amazon site appropriate to the reader. What’s more, I’ll know how successful each site is for my books as the Booklinker site does a count of clicks on each link.
It really is FREE. The site works on the basis that they get a small commission from Amazon for each book bought through the links; the author loses nothing and gains a simple and effective marketing tool.Try it. You’ve nothing to lose and a great deal to gain.

Right; now I’ve got to sort out the links here on my blog and remove all the extraneous ones to the different Amazon sites. A tedious job I’ll have to do just once but one that I expect to make life easier for both me and my potential readers. Everyone wins!Related articles Getting More Out of Amazon: Hot Tip to Increase Traffic

The Annals of Imperial Rome, by Tacitus, Reviewed.

There have been many translations of this classic; the one I read was the Penguin Classics edition, translated by Michael Grant. I came across the book, which I’d heard of but not previously read, whilst perusing the shelves of a wonderful little bookshop on the island of Santorini. (You’ll find Atlantis Books in Oia, should you ever visit the island). Hardly typical holiday reading, I nevertheless read most of the book whilst lounging beside the pool on a comfortable sunbed under a hot sun.
It’s generally the case that most of our leaders here in UK are educated in the classics. I can see why they hold the odd views they often do, if Tacitus is any guide to the content of their learning.
The book concentrates on certain aspects of Roman life that other historians have largely neglected, it seems. He is obsessed with legal cases, court actions and some fairly minor infringements of Roman law. Of course, there are accounts of battles, opinions on the various Emperors and tyrants (usually synonymous) who ruled the empire during the time he chronicles. First published around 102 AD, it deals with the short period from AD 14 to AD 68, when Christianity was in its infancy, but makes reference to many earlier historical events and personalities along the way.
The Annals reports on a period of history in which leadership was largely profoundly corrupt (a bit like the present, but with added casual execution, torture and murder – so perhaps not so different). Reflecting the beliefs of his day, he accepts the idea of mortal divinity whilst decrying the actions and morals of those made divine. He also believes in the existence of the legendary phoenix, so reliance on his belief system is probably unwise.
The book is dripping with the blood of the innocent mingled with that of the guilty. Suicide, murder, corruption, deceit, jealousy, nepotism, treachery, cheating, bribery, expedience, protection of those in office regardless of worth or merit, destruction of evidence, official blindness, flattery, preferential treatment, torture of lower classes to support claims of upper classes, incredible courage and noble sacrifice are all described. The reader is filled with a sense of how frightening it must have been to live in Rome and its empire of the time.
The absence of instant communication over great distance in an extensive empire that allowed distortions of truth and downright lies, shows how rumour could cause instant death, followed by regret when truth caught up with those guilty of the injustices. If you have ever wondered how some leaders of the modern world can behave in the way that they do, this book gives an understanding of the minds of rulers and those who support them. I’m glad I read it, but, if you have children, I’d advise you to keep the text away from them until they’re mature enough to sift the right from the wrong, the good from the bad, the truth from the speculation and assumption. A fascinating but uncomfortable read and a real insight into the way in which power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Recommended.
Related articles A Sojourn on Santorini in the Sun The mockery pervading human affairs in all their aspects

Want a 10% Discount off a Kindle?

If you live in the UK and you’re thinking of buying any of the Kindles on offer through Amazon, let me know and I’ll send you a coupon that will give you 10% off the device you buy.
BUT I have only one to give away. And I’ll need your email address, as I have to forward the email I received from Amazon to you.SO, first come, first served.
Respond to me here.Related articles Amazon's Kindle Fire HDX is now available to pre-order in the UK PSA: Amazon's seven-inch Kindle Fire HDX now shipping

A-Z Guide to Santorini, Tony Oswin, Reviewed.

Going on holiday to a new place? Makes sense to me to read a guidebook first. I’d always wanted to visit the volcanic island of Santorini, outpost of the Cyclades on the edge of the Aegean Sea, and a recent celebration gave me the chance.
Tony Oswin’s guide is a POD (print on demand), so it can be, and is, updated very frequently, thereby avoiding the dated feel of some guides. He lives in the area and is in touch with changes, so keeps all those essentials up to date.
There’s an excellent précis of the island’s history as an introduction. This really sets the scene for the traveller and raises questions in the mind of the inquisitive tourist. He gives clues about the local culture, folklore, products and food and wine. The piece on getting to the island will be very useful to those independent souls who prefer to go under their own steam rather than rely on the package holiday.
His list of places of interest is extensive and comprehensive, covering all the major sites that will interest visitors.
He explains the attractions and disadvantages of the various beaches for those who love to paddle, swim, surf, or simply lie undisturbed under the sun without the benefit of any cover. He covers activities, sports, transport, money, weather, bugs, health, and gives the dates of local festivals and events.
There is information about which tavernas offer what food, which bars and supermarkets you might like to try, and what other shops you may find interesting.
In short, this is a comprehensive guide to the island. It lacks a detailed map but, as Tony explains, the inclusion of a useful map would make the book far more expensive and you can usually obtain a free road map from the car hire companies anyway. He does include plans of Fira, Akrotiri and Ancient Thera, all of which we found useful.
So, if you’re bound for the island that is now acknowledged by most as the site of the original Atlantis, I suggest you try this guide. Very easy to read and follow and full of very useful and interesting information. Highly recommended.

(If you’d like to see a set of pictures of the island, by all means feel free to visit my album onFacebook)Related articles A Sojourn on Santorini in the Sun Santorini: Five reasons to visit the beautiful Greek island Santorini - Beyond the Caldera Santorini Snapped! A Day at Sea - the Straits of Santorini - Sept. 30

That Awkward Age, by Roger McGough, Reviewed.

Brilliant! A poet with heart, soul and real wit. A poet who actually wants readers to be entertained and who understands that obscure composition acts against comprehension. Poetry is, after all, a means of communicating ideas as well as emotions, passions and impressions. 
Not generally a poetry reader, I came across this as a result of a comment made on my earlier review of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood. And I’m so glad I was introduced to it. It made me laugh, sigh, wonder and think. But, more importantly from a personal point of view, it inspired me to have a go at writing poetry; something I’ve dabbled in rarely but will now look at as a means of expressing ideas about those things that arouse passion in me.
If you’re a poetry lover, this will be for you, unless you prefer those obscure verses that require the reader to possess much esoteric knowledge or perform psychic interpretation of otherwise meaningless strings of words.
If, like me, you’ve tended to avoid poetry as inaccessible or irrelevant, then I urge you to sample this volume. It will change your mind and show you what can be achieved by a fluid and fertile mind responding to everyday events in terms that are expressive, clever, funny, touching, deeply observant and, most of all, accessible. Thoroughly recommended. Loved it! Related articles Roger McGough's stories on a plate Reading "That Awkward Age"

Guest Blogging on Writers' Village

John Yeoman, that excellent provider of information, humour and tutelage, as well as a writing contest that's definitely worth entering, invited me to guest post on his blog, Writers' Village. You can read the post via Related articles Guest post at the 'Writer's Shack' Guest post on Catherine, Caffeinated Writers' Village Contest 2013 Guest post: Why I Write Hot - And Why Women Read It by Melodie Campbell

A Sojourn on Santorini in the Sun

If you’re a regular, you’ll have noticed I’ve been a bit idle recently. Earlier this year, I retired from Santorini, site of the original Atlantis, has always fascinated us and we therefore decided to see whether it lived up to its reputation for both beauty and culture.employment, and my wife and I reached that milestone, the Silver Wedding. 25 years of marriage, happy and fulfilling, called for a special celebration and we chose to commemorate the occasion on a Greek island we hadn’t previously visited.

It’s not a cheap destination, but a place where many of the hotels cater for couples rather than families, and we felt such freedom from children would suit us for a change. Our fortnight there was wonderful. The people of the island were lovely; friendly, warm, kind and eager to serve with relaxed efficiency. The rest was definitely welcome and the various trips we made served to enhance our knowledge of the island’s history and it’s precarious geological position.
On the small island of Nea Kameni (‘newly burnt’ – it’s only 500 years old), we stood at the edge of the current live crater of the volcano and heard our brilliant guide, Kim, explain that we were now standing on probably the most dangerous place on Earth. She did add that seismological equipment meant that we, and the islanders, would however receive about 5 days notice of any eruption!
Our hotel, 28 Boutique, was within sight of the 7th century B.C. settlement of Ancient Thera, reached by a snaking narrow road up to a saddle some 290 metres (about 950 feet) above sea level. It looked challenging, so we climbed it, passed occasionally by the less energetic in hired cars or touring minibuses. Once at the site, we climbed to the centre of the ruins at a little over 360 metres (about 1180 feet). Extensive and well-maintained and presented, the remains give a good idea of life up to and including Roman times. Well worth the visit.
We took the clearly marked but less manicured footpath (more like a goat track in parts) down to Perissa, where we intended to catch a water taxi back to our resort of Kamari. High winds meant the boats weren’t sailing so we could either catch a local bus, call for a taxi from the capital, Fira, or walk back the way we’d come. We did the latter and enjoyed the trek, taking advantage of the alternative views provided by the different direction of the walk.
Another outing took us to a local winery for a tasting, an almost abandoned village and to the beautiful town of Oia, to watch the sunset amongst thousands of other tourists, many from the cruise ships that visit the island every day. I had a more important motive for visiting Oia, however. There’s a bookshop there, Atlantis Books, which I was determined to find. Glad I did. I left them a signed copy of Breaking Faith to add to their amazing international collection of fiction and nonfiction books and bought a copy of The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus, which I’ve intended to read for a long time.
We visited the Spa of theGods, overlooking the caldera, where we were massaged in a cave by two slender Greek maidens with skill and surprising strength, leaving us utterly relaxed. A luxury we allowed ourselves in spite of its expense.
A visit to the local outdoor cinema in Kamari allowed us to watch Great Expectations under a clear sky whilst drinking from the bar. A very pleasant experience.             Akrotiri, the site now considered by many historians and archaeologists to be the location of the original settlement of Atlantis, was interesting but, covered and formally directed, lacked the immediacy and intimacy of Ancient Thera.
A cruise on a local sailing boat took us to the small island of Thirassia, population 150, where we ate at the small tavern on the harbour, Captain John’s, enjoying some local delicacies and drinking local wine. We then braved the choppy seas to watch the sun as it set behind the tiny (and newest) island of Aspronissi in the caldera.
An excellent holiday and the reason for my silence over the past days.
Back home now and ready to continue with the fantasy trilogy and other projects I have in mind. So, you’ll find some book reviews appearing here in the next few days, along with character sketches of some of the major characters in Joinings, volume one of the fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky, due to be published by Fantastic Books Publishing later this year.

I look forward to your comments, as ever.Related articles Chasing Santorini Sunsets Sunshine in Santorini Santorini: Five reasons to visit the beautiful Greek island Boats, donkeys and a volcano - Kamari, Santorini, Greece Santorini - Beyond the Caldera

Building a World from Scratch.

Writing fantasy generally requires the invention of a world different from the one in which we live our daily lives; especially epic fantasy. I’m currently writing volume three of such a trilogy. So, how did I go about developing the world where my story takes place?
The first consideration in fiction has to be ‘theme’. As always in such tales, the basic underlying theme is good versus evil. But there are other ideas layered over that. I’m fascinated by the continuing discussion whether religions rely on what seems like self-delusion to persuade the faithful to join and remain in their ranks. Another aspect of life that intrigues me is the duplicity of our attitude to nakedness. And the way that power is given, often voluntarily, to those who least deserve it has always baffled me. So, these themes are also explored in the books.
Primarily, of course, it’s a story, an adventure story with romantic elements, and a means to entertain my readers. I’m thoroughly enjoying weaving the tale. We all love stories; have done since the very beginnings of language.
Before I could ‘invent’ my world, I had to develop systems of history, politics, religions, customs and traditions. I considered how my characters, in their separate societies, would dress, where and how they would live, what would occupy them and how they would make their various ways through the world. I developed ideas on the evolution of villages, towns and cities. I invented names for these places and the characters who would inhabit them. Names that had to follow some sort of logic in formation, of course. I researched travel by sea, river, horse, camel and on foot. And then I studied some geology and geography so that I could devise a realistic map for my world.
Maps and fantasy are almost inseparable. I wanted mine to do more than locate the places featured in the story; I wanted the map to be a central part of that story and an item of interest in itself. I drew it on a large (A1 – 34x23 inches for those who don’t know) piece of sugar paper in ink, with a drawing pen. I gave it some relief, so that there are mountains, plains, deserts, forests, rivers, seas, islands and lakes. I wanted to make this a real place in the mind of the reader, so it had to be as real as possible to me first. And, I confess, I borrowed from our own beautiful Earth to arrive at a credible outline of my lands.
Once drawn, I populated it with the names I’d made up, checking each on Google to ensure none of the chosen names belonged to anyone else or meant something inappropriate in a foreign language (there is a story that Julie Andrews’ book for children, The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodlescaused her some embarrassment when she was told that ‘whangdoodle’ had a rather obvious and obscene meaning in Australia. I’ve been unable to discover any truth in this, and suspect it’s apocryphal, but it still serves as a warning about the use of unknown words.).
All this work took time and all had to be done before I could write a word of the story. Over the period of time it took to complete the preparation and development, the map turned, as hoped, from off-white to a shade of parchment. A little damp here and there installed stains and a few folds creased the map so that it now looks like a piece of ancient cartography that has undertaken several journeys. I added a compass and a rule in kilometres and miles so that readers can appreciate distances. I’ve reproduced it here for you to explore, if you wish.

Only after all this preparation did I begin to think about writing the story. But that’s for another post. It will come, as will some character sketches, to whet your appetite for the first volume, which I hope will be published later this year. Meanwhile, the third volume is growing, standing at 111,000 words as I compose this post. That means I’m a little over half way through the first daft of the final book. Books one and two are ready for publication.Related articles The Place of the Map in Fantasy. Can You Help? Character Development is Good for You. The building blocks of writing. "The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles."