Stuart Aken's Blog, page 241

Digging Deep, by Boyd Lemon, Reviewed.

Subtitled, ‘A Writer Uncovers His Marriages’, this piece of autobiography is a fascinating and compelling insight into the mind and spirit of an American writer.
A reader from outside the sometimes insular and self-congratulatory arena of the USA, I found this memoir accessible, moving, entertaining and surprisingly informative about more than just the author and his wives. The reader is taken deep into the lives of the subjects. All are flawed and most reflect the human condition that prevents us from learning by our own mistakes, let alone those of others. The repeated patterns of ill-advised behaviour echo the lives of so many.
That the author was the instrument of his own downfall is the superficial judgment that first surfaces. But, as he digs deeper and reveals more of his early life, it becomes apparent that he, and almost certainly his wives, suffered from the consequences of inadequate parenting. The account recalled to mind an excellent book on that topic: everyone should read ‘They F**k You Up’, but that’s a different review.
Boyd Lemon is frank, courageous and surprisingly honest about his relationships with women, treating his wives and girlfriends with the unconscious disdain engendered by the values and traditions of the far right. He loathes his job, but is too much in love with the money and what it can buy to break out of the cycle that traps him in unhappiness. Living the American Dream, he is initially blind to the true consequences of an existence led in pursuit of material benefits intended to impress his peers. Does he finally discover the reality? You’ll need to read the book to find out.
There is intimate detail here; the emotional, physical, spiritual and philosophical threads that are woven into his life are untwined and laid before the reader to inspect and examine. I suspect the act of writing this autobiography has been deeply cathartic for him. As a reader, I felt involved, intrigued, irritated, exasperated, excited, hopeful and joyful by turns. This is a ride that takes you high and low and hides none of the ugly details, whilst showing you the delights and wonders life can bring.

I’ve had the book on my Kindle for a while and finally got around to reading it as it popped up next on the list. Although unable to read it all in one go, I was driven to return to it whenever an opportunity presented itself. Anyone interested in the lives of others, curious about writers, involved in a difficult relationship, unsure of their place in the world of work, or simply intrigued by what drives individuals to make the choices they make, will enjoy this book. I recommend it without reservation.Related articles Author Interview with Boyd Lemon:

Back to Creative Writing School, by Bridget Whelan, Reviewed.

A writing manual that sets out to encourage and inspire, but that also gives the reader tools to use, examples to learn from, and exercises that will help embed the lessons. As a writer of some experience, I generally don’t gravitate toward books on basic technique. I’m pleased I made this one an exception.
Concise, witty, informed and accessible, this is a book that guides would-be writers through the skill sets and pitfalls of creative writing. Bridget Whelan’s writing style is inviting and friendly without straying into the uncomfortable intimacy that a casual approach can sometimes involve. She presents her lessons in small chunks of entertainingly written advice gleaned from experience of writing and of teaching writing students. And she provides exercises that are well thought out and manageable whilst retaining a challenging element designed to make the reader really consider what it is they are being asked to do.
Set out in 3 ‘Terms’, each split into 10 ‘Lessons’, the text takes the reader through those elements of creative writing that most matter. Whilst each subject and topic is dealt with seriously, the writing style allows her sense of humour to come through and engage the reader in a way that makes the whole easily managed.
I particularly liked her sections on humour: in fact parts of it had me laughing out loud. Her sections on horror give a real feel for the genre. The selected samples used to illustrate certain points are always clear and pertinent, showing the best, or the worst, of writing style.

This is a book that will gently and surely lead the would-be writer through the process of approaching and creating imaginative writing. I thoroughly recommend what is an enjoyable, encouraging and inspiring read. And, now, if you don’t mind, I’ll end this review so I can get on with some of the stories that are currently fighting for my attention, having been inspired by this book!Related articles Breaking news! BACK TO CREATIVE WRITING SCHOOL is out on Amazon

The NaNoWriMo Experience Fulfilled.

In common with many of my fellow writers, I started the project to complete the 1st draft of a novel NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which ought to be renamed International Novel Writing Month, except that InNoWriMo somehow doesn’t have the same cachet), is a motivational project aimed at moving the writing along.during the month of November.

I had a go at this in 2011 and completed over 110k (the official target for the month is 50k), but ditched the result due to an insurmountable flaw in the plot. This time, I used the motivational aspect to hurry me through the final half of the 1stdraft of book 3 of my fantasy trilogy. I expected to add about 110k to what I’d already written. But, as so often happens when you write by the seat of your pants, the story took a slightly different turn from that expected and came to a natural end a little earlier. In the end, I had only to complete another 83k words, and I did that on Thursday. The book now stands at around 194k words.
So, my NaNoWriMo experience is complete for this year. This doesn’t mean the book is finished, of course. In fact, it’s only just begun. The real work will come in the editing, which I’ll start in a couple of weeks, once I’ve done other stuff that will let me come to it more or less fresh.
But there’s no doubt that this publicly undertaken exercise does wonders for self-discipline and motivation. At the rate I was writing before November, I’d have been completing the book by the end of December. A worthwhile effort, I think. I’d definitely encourage anyone to have a go. And for those would-be writers who have difficulty completing anything, this is an ideal exercise as it encourages you to just write, without ever stopping to edit along the way.

I strongly advise writers to try this. Too late for this year, of course. But next year might be the time you finally get that novel actually written instead of just talking about it.Related articles Day 22 - NaNoWriMo: Have you developed your own voice? Just Say No To NaNoWriMo: Part 25 ways to survive the NaNoWriMo homestretch NaNoWriMo Tip #15: Listen to the Advice of the National Book Awards Nominees

NaNoWriMo Progress into the Third Week.

The first draft of volume 3 of A Seared Sky: Convergence, is going apace. I started the NaNoWriMo process when the MS was at 111,079 words and it’s now at 181,684 words, which means I’ve averaged 3922 words a day so far during November.
Believe it or not, I’ve lived a life at the same time. It hasn’t been easy, turning out this number of words each day, but the public nature of the target does concentrate the mind and helps prevent prevarication and distractions. I know that, once this draft is finished, I’ll have some serious editing to do. But the story, the essence of the novel, will be complete. I’ll have all the twists and turns in place, all the characters where intended, and all events covered.
Along the way, I’ve had to introduce new characters, of course. I made this easier for myself by creating a list of possible names for future use before I started on book 1. I also have a character template and a collection of around 1,000 assorted photographs of people, so I can hang the description onto an image of a real person. I find this helps me develop the character more fully. Some events have occurred quite unexpectedly, as characters take on more importance than I originally envisaged or as favourite characters get into situations it’s impossible for them to survive. I don’t like killing off characters, but it has to be done, of course.
And now? Well, my guess is that around 20,000 words will complete the book. I’m working on the denouement, putting each of the three groups of individuals into those situations that will close their parts in the story. There’ll inevitably be a few loose ends, with a cast of over 90 named players, but all the main characters will end up with a satisfactory conclusion to their specific tales.
I’m looking forward to the appearance of book, Joinings. FantasticBooks Publishing are currently waiting for their designer to complete the cover design. And the book should be available before Xmas. I’m excited about the publication, of course. But, for the moment, I’ll continue to use NaNoWriMo as a way of ensuring that volume 3 gets completed. At least those who buy volume 1 will then know that they won’t be let down by an author failing to complete a trilogy; something that happens far too often, unfortunately.

Watch this space for further news.Related articles Halfway Through NaNoWriMo2013 NaNoWriMo Has Me - Part 2 Halfway into NaNoWriMo and I'm Rebelling NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo

Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Vol 4, Reviewed.

Collections are often a mix of good with poor, but this anthology of prize-winners and near misses is actually quite consistent in terms of quality. It features the top 3 prize-winning stories along with 17 shortlisted entries to the 2011 contest. As an entertainment, it provides a series of interesting reads.

There are a few too many urban grit stories for my personal tastes, but that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the offering. Interestingly, many of the stories are written in the present tense, a technique that lends urgency and immediacy to the tales.
Just one of the stories (I won’t name it) was disappointingly peppered with typos and grammatical errors, but one out of twenty is pretty good, I suppose. It does, however, cause the reader to wonder why it made the short list. In general terms, the selection does give some idea of what judges might be looking for when faced with selecting winners for short story competitions. Unfortunately, such hints are notoriously unreliable, since each set of judges seems to have its own ideas of what is or isn’t desirable in short fiction. And even the same judge can change opinion from contest to contest, so very little help to be found by reading the winners.
For the writer who may want guidance about such entries, however, it is clear from the anthology that a degree of literary merit is valued over formulaic or genre specific approaches. Good use of language, well-developed characters and interesting themes seem to win over plot-driven and fast action tales.

In spite of the lean towards urban grit and present tense, I enjoyed this collection and happily recommend it.Related articles Prestigious Bristol Short Story Prize Now Open

This NaNoWriMo Lark.

We’re a little over a third of the way through the challenge to complete 50,000 words in the month of November. Those of us who’ve grasped the nettle, begun to climb the greasy pole, entered the race, and any one of a number of clichés you care to attach to the venture, are well into the project.
Me, I joined in order to concentrate my mind on a specific task. I’m currently writing volume 3 of a fantasy trilogy. Volume 1 is due to be published by Fantastic Books Publishing before the end of the year. Look out for news of that event here and on the social networks I dabble in. I started off the NaNoWriMo challenge with a MS at 111,079 words and I expect it to be around 210,000 when complete. Though, that is a moveable feast, of course. Who knows how long a book will be whilst actually writing it?
Does it work? Well, here’s the evidence. In the 17 days prior to my summer break, I averaged 1,566 words a day, which, I know, isn’t actually a bad result. When I returned from holiday, I re-read the words already strung together on the page and joined NaNoWriMo to see if I could up the ante. In the 11 days so far covered, I’ve averaged 3,835 words per day, something over double the earlier rate. I think that speaks for itself. But it only worked because I set myself a very specific target. I was, and remain, determined to complete the first draft before the end of November. That way, I can take December off as a rest period from the fantasy and start on revision and editing in the New Year with some distance between creation and the more detailed work of honing those words.
Now, this is obviously working for me; concentrating the mind and disciplining me to work consistently because I’ve publicly declared my intention. That doesn’t mean it would work as well for every writer, of course. For some, the very idea would be anathema. For others, the thought of having to write a minimum number of words each day would actually paralyse their creative spirit. And for yet others, existing commitments would render the challenge insurmountable.
But, for those who have the ability, need and freedom to accept the challenge, I suggest you have a go. This year’s too late, of course. But perhaps consider it for next year. It’s a superb way to defeat that curse of all writers; the temptation of procrastination. When that target beckons and you know all your peers are going to be able to measure your output at the end of each day, it has a remarkable effect on your self-discipline.

I’d be fascinated to learn the experience of others who’ve tried this challenge. Place your comments below and let’s see what secrets emerge from the revelations, eh?Related articles 30 Questions To Ask Yourself During NaNoWriMo-Day 7 Lessons on NaNoWriMo 2013 NaNoWriMo Tip #6: Don't Think Like an Editor (Yet) Project NaNoWriMo: It Has Begun NaNoWriMo Day 9: Writing Marathon 2013

Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan, Reviewed.

Blood Song, the first in a fantasy series titled Raven’s Shadow, takes the reader on a trip through the intricacies of a world of wars, interfaith conflicts, intrigue and battle. The societies, geography and political structures developed by the author are all very believable.

As regular readers of my reviews will know, I care deeply about character in fiction. This book does not let the reader down. The characters, and there are many, live. All are flawed in their own ways; all are individuals. No stereotypes here.
For reasons I won’t bore you with, I was unable to read this book in a short time. The extended time period was nothing to do with the book but only reduced my enjoyment in the sense that I found myself impatient to get back to it as soon as I was able. The story certainly held my attention.
This is a book that will suit those who like their fantasy to involve battles, unusual friendships, a background love story, minor references to a form of magic and details of fights and weapons. But it has an added theme that interested me a great deal: the book examines religion and its association with various gods. It analyses faith and hints strongly at the lack of validity in many claims made by religions. This is done through story, rather than through the less attractive type of proselytising sometimes evident in books that touch on religious matters. So, it’s thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
I found I grew more and more attached to the main protagonist as he fought his way through the many barriers placed in his way. The pace is good throughout and description is generally limited to those aspects that require explanation. There are many evocative scenes and a great deal of variety in location and setting, making the journey both interesting and engaging.

I enjoyed the read. It’s a long book, typical of the genre in the sheer volume of words and pages. Good value for money. I recommend it to all who love fantasy and suggest those who have so far avoided this genre might try this as an introduction to how good such storytelling can be.

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