Stuart Aken's Blog, page 271

The Editing Process and Why I Enjoy It.

Unlike many writers, I enjoy the editing process that followsthe white hot period of creation. This is the time when you find the rightwords to replace those that flew off the end of your fingers in the rush to getthe ideas down before they escaped into the ether. This is your opportunity toturn a banal phrase into something poetic and memorable. It's the time to hone,sharpen, tighten and close up the text to build in the pace that carries thestory forward. It's the chance to spend some prime time with your charactersand understand them better than was possible at the beginning of the story,since even the most well-drawn characters have a tendency to diverge from theauthor's view of them as they grow during the story. It's the place to do thathardest of all things every writer must do in order to succeed; to murder yourdarlings. Most writers will understand this expression. For those who don't, itsimply means that you have to examine your writing critically and decidewhether that exquisite phrase you used to describe the heroine, the scenery,the hero, is actually necessary to the story. If it isn't, you cut it out andtoss it away. Your darling infants consigned to the bonfire of vanities.
I've always held to a short but, for me, true mantra onwriting: write from the heart, but edit from the head.
I've also always placed a distance between the writing of apiece and the editing. If you can come to your work with a fresh mind,following a break without reading or thinking about it, you're far more likelyto spot problems within it. So, after the creative phase, I always lock awaythe piece for a period, the length of which is more dependent on circumstancesthan any formal programme. But when I return to it, I work methodically.Whether my method will work for you, however, depends on the type of writer youare.
I do a first read through, quickly and without stopping forchanges I see as necessary - merely marking these points as prompts for thenext read through. This first read I do more or less as a reader, rather than awriter. It re-acquaints me with the work, allows me to see whether the ideashave translated into something that will interest readers, and highlights anyglaring inconsistencies in plot, character or setting.
Next, I read through and look at those marked places, makingwhatever alterations seem necessary. As I do this, I also make any changes thatmight affect pace by removing redundancies and repetitions.I then subject each chapter, or section, to the http://www.wordle.net/check. This wonderful and simple program provides a graphic (see theillustration for this post) that highlights words used according to frequencyand is an invaluable tool for identifying overused words. I thoroughlyrecommend this free editing helper.
The next stage is the crucial one, which I advise every writerto do, regardless of genre, habit, type or experience. I read the entire workaloud, from a typed script, marking it as I go along to indicate any areas oferror, confusion, repetition, clumsy construction etc. Reading aloud makeserrors far more evident, and reading from a printed source, rather than thescreen, makes mistakes and inconsistencies far more obvious. I can't emphasisetoo strongly how important this step is. If you do nothing else in editing, atleast do this.
Once I've been through and made the changes indicated by theread-through above, I subject the piece to the mechanical spell and grammarcheck. This highlights a number of issues and, in spite of its shortcomings andinadequacies, often reveals odd things missed during the manual process.
A final read through allows me to ensure consistency inplotting, characterisation, timeline, setting and theme. I keep a spreadsheetfor the timeline, so that I know where each character is at any given time.This includes a hyperlink to each character's sketch, so I can ensure I haven'tinadvertently changed hair or eye colour or suddenly made an atheist into agodbotherer, or aged a youngster, etc. I also include phases of the moon andsunrise/sunset times on the timeline, so I can keep track of such items whenI'm describing activity or scenes.
You will no doubt note that I haven't described a sessionwhere I make changes to improve the language of the piece. That's because I dothis as I go along, as part of all the other checks and alterations.
That's it. I know I could go through the piece again andagain, and find other faults or places where improvements could be made, but Iwrite to be read and there comes a time when the piece must be revealed to readers.Some writers find this final phase the most difficult and I suspect theirreluctance to get their piece out in front of an audience is due to eithermisplaced lack of confidence or an unwillingness to let go of their child andsend it out into the world.
There are writers, particularly amongst the indie writercategory, who don't bother with even the most basic editing. Their work isreadily identifiable by its numerous spelling errors, lack of grammaticalaccuracy, inconsistencies in expression and poor story planning. It puzzles anddistresses me that readers give such writers the time of day, but perhaps Iconsider such things as correct language use, basic spelling and grammar, astools of the trade and see their lack as insults to the readers; insults that,perhaps, certain readers don't perceive as such.
So, there you have it: the process of refining the initialpiece of created fiction into a story worthy of exhibition before my readers.Yes, it's a lot of work, time and effort. But nothing worthwhile was evercreated in ease. I can only hope that my efforts produce stories that readersfind entertaining, illuminating and enjoyable.

An unrelated question for you to ponder: Why do doctors leave the roomwhile you undress, since they're going to see you naked anyway?

The #NaNoWriMo Challenge Revisited.

So, what has the last weekheld for me with regard to writing?I was reading Plato's The Republic and discovered it heldreferences to a number of themes I'd touched on in the novel I drafted inNovember for the NaNoWriMo challenge. It was clear that it would help me withthe editing if I finished reading Plato's work before I started. So, this weekI finished reading and then reviewed TheRepublic . I wrote another post forthe blog, a piece about emotion in writing that will appear on 26 January.I revisited two shortstories; one a piece of erotica that I'm still unsure about placing, thoughit's a finished tale now. The other was a dystopian science fiction piece,which I'm still considering for submission. Can't make up my mind whether tosend it to a contest (there are plenty listed under the 'Writing Contests' tababove, so I've no excuse on that score) or to one of the many magazines (Duotrope, of which I'm a member,lists over 3,770 journals that take stories or poetry, so no excuse there,either).And, I finally made astart on the editing process of the NaNoWriMo novel. My first read through is asimple one, highlighting anything obvious that needs attention but withoutactually making any alterations. I've done the first five chapters so far. Ofcourse, there's a lot of work to do before it'll be ready for publication, butI'm enjoying the work and surprised at just how good some of the text is,considering the speed with which I produced this first draft. More on that as Iprogress.I've also done a littlework on various websites I visit, some of the social networking sites I belongto, and have read this month's Writing Mag, highlighting those portions I needto revisit. The current Writers' Digest is still only half read, though.So, that's the end of thiswriting week. Let's see what the new one brings.
The picture is a reminder of the summer to come; something to warm you in this cold part of the year.

Breaking News - Price Drop on Kindle Ebooks

Image via WikipediaDue to some information from a friend, who also writes, I've just discovered that Luxembourg has reduced the VAT on book to 3%. So what? Well, apparently, Amazon UK operate out of Luxembourg, so that means all the ebooks on there have now reduced in price. An excellent oportunity to fill up that Christmas Kindle with new books at even better prices.






You'll find mine at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stuart-Aken/e/B002WTJ3VE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Pay a visit and pay less for the reads; none of my ebooks is more than £2.00 now.

Read Free, My Novel Here: Chapter 1.

3 years ago, I publishedBreaking Faith as a paperback and on 24 October 2010 I published it as an ebookthrough Smashwords.
Those who've read the bookhave enjoyed it: some of their comments are shown below. I'd like more peopleto read the book. That is, after all, why I wrote it; to be read.
So, I'm offering thechance for everyone to read it free, here on the blog. I'm posting a chapter ofthe book each Friday until the whole novel has appeared.
The Prologue was posted on6 January. Here's a link, if you missed it: http://stuartaken.blogspot.com/2012/01/read-free-my-novel-here.html Read, enjoy, tell yourfriends. The more who read, the happier we'll be.
What othershave said about
BreakingFaith
...I couldnot believe how determined this book was to make me read it...set in the summerof 1976, it details Faith's journey from isolation, deprivation and abuse...toenlightenment...A shocking but captivating story...' Shirley Mace
I read thisbook in one sitting, unwilling to put it down, immersed in Faith's journey fromdarkness to self-knowledge. The characters drawn with a fine brush...Thedenouement is sudden, violent and completely satisfying. Mr P. F. Field
...a storyof triumphant human spirit. The novel simmers with heat, lust, decadence andsexuality...Stuart Aken is indeed a writer to watch. Karen Wolfe, author.
1
1976
Monday 9th February
'You're having me on!' Ithought one of my former lovers must be playing silly buggers.'What do you mean, Mr Longshaw?' Her voice had anedge of nervousness, almost fear, to it.'Pulling my leg. I mean you're not really FaithHeacham.' It couldn't be her.'I'm sorry; I don't know what you mean by pullingyour leg.' Her anxiety was briefly overcome by undisguised frustration. 'But Iam Faith Heacham.'I struggled to accept that Faith Heacham was onthe phone to me, of all people. But her naivety convinced me. I answered therest of her hesitant questions and, in spite of misgivings from a small warningvoice, invited her for interview.Abby tried to recapture my attention, playing thecoquette, shrugging her gorgeous shoulders and bringing beguiling movement toher breasts.I closed the mouthpiece with my hand. 'Patience.'The door from the kitchen opened and, apprehensiveat once, Abby flung one arm across her chest. But, seeing it was only Ma, sherelaxed again.'Until one o'clock, then. TTFN.''Pardon?''Ta ta for now.''Oh, I see. Good morning, Mr Longshaw.'The short call finished, I replaced the phone andwondered what had made me agree to interview this strange girl from thevillage. Abby saw my puzzled frown. 'Who was it, Leigh?'Carrying coffee mugs on a tray, Ma stumbled overAbby's polyester wrap on the floor and kicked herself free of it.'Faith Heacham.'Ma frowned at the name. 'Shilling short of apound.' Thumping down the tray in emphasis.I decided against pointing out the anachronism; Madidn't take kindly to that sort of criticism. 'I'm interviewing her afterlunch.'Abby arched delicate pencilled eyebrows. 'You'reinterviewing the village idiot?''Didn't sound like an idiot. Local, uncertain,nervous, naive but not stupid. Voice like burgundy silk, with none of thecoarseness you'd imagine. Funny, I've never heard her speak, you know. Wouldn'texpect that voice from a tiny wench like her.''Beats me why you want a Girl Friday anyway.''Answer the phone when I'm working, amongst otherthings.''Stick an extension in the Perv's darkroom and gethim to take messages.''Of course! I never thought. Merv's unique andcandid misogyny would be perfect. Work like a charm on every secretary,receptionist and potential model who called. Good idea, Abby.''Sarkey sod.'I tripped the shutter. 'Shift your lovely bum atad to the left. Beautiful.' Another work of genius captured on film.'Can't Ma take messages?''I do.' Ma's face said all she needed to on thatsubject and she left without another word.'She does. It's not just that. Takes me hours totype a letter. Paperwork clogs up my creative cogs, I'm forever running out offilm and paper, and the tax return's murder. Anyway, a good pair of legs undera mini or micro and some bold boobs in a see-through might keep those damnedreps out of my hair. Do wonders when clients visit in person.''All three of them.''Cheek. If I had some glamour here to greet them,there'd be more.''Faith Heacham hasn't got legs or tits. She's notglam. She's skinny and square. I'm glam. I've got legs and tits.' She displayedto best advantage.'And very beautiful they are, Abby. But you've allthe organisational skills of a bramble bush, and your idea of accounting is,"Any money? Yes, stroke no. Spend it". Anyway, you'd not work the hours I wantfor the wages I'm offering.'She yawned her boredom again and I prepared tofinish the session with a last couple of shots. 'Move a bit further over, honey,and don't pose. It's "Housework au Naturel." remember? You're supposed to beactually doing the hoovering.''As if I'd get involved in housework. I'm not askivvy. Anyway, if it's supposed to be au naturel, shouldn't I be completelynude?''They'd never publish it. And I'd never get you onpage three like that.''Even so, wouldn't you like…?''Of course, even if it's just for my personalcollection.'She did; leaving just the shoes to enhance thelength and shape of her legs. I repeated the poses I'd already done.The roll finished, Abby decided she'd had enough.She took my hand off the film magazine I was about to remove from the 'Blad.'That'll wait. I won't.' She dragged me into the sitting room, where UncleFred's framed sepia parents, stiff in matching gilt frames, glared Victoriandisapproval at us from the ancient oak mantelpiece. The roaring fire counteredthe ice in their stares, making the sheepskin rug yet more inviting. Abbyrested her lovely skin on the soft wool and pulled me down to join her.An hour or so later, I left her glowing inside andout, languorous on the creamy fibres. At her request, I stuck a stack ofsingles on the radiogram and wandered off as Hot Chocolate sang 'You SexyThing', appropriately enough.Back in the office, I replaced denim flares andthe psychedelic shirt Abby had insisted on removing from me during the shoot,and took the films to the darkroom for processing.Merv, however, was not lurking in the orange glowof his domain. The stockroom door was ajar and, fixated by his view through thetiny window, he didn't hear my approach. I loathed his attitude to women.'Stripping another unfortunate female?''You do it.''Merv, comparing my photography of women with yourlewd mental despoiling is like placing Velazquez in the same frame as Vargas.'He grunted. 'Seen that 'un starkers.'I peered over his shoulder, down through thewhite-encrusted skeletal sycamore to the lane end where a small, anxious youngwoman stood ankle deep in fresh snow. It took me a moment to recognize her,though she wore her usual cast-offs and was expected.'Not that one, Merv. I doubt even the doctor'sseen that little body.''I 'ave! Seen the lot. Outside it were an' all.Doesn't shave its armpits. All 'airy they was. Mucky little twat.'I left Merv his fantasy, unwilling to explore orargue and suddenly aware of the dangers of his corruption and loathing meetingwith her reputed purity. 'Depending how things go this afternoon, you may soonsee her; face to face.''Eh?''I'm interviewing her in twenty minutes.''It'll never effin' model for you!''Girl Friday, Merv.''Waste o' time. Less brains than a shagged sheep.''I'll accept your expert assessment of the sheep,Merv, but have you actually met the girl, spoken with her?''Everyone knows. Even its effin' dad says it'sthick as cow dung.''I admit he seemed determined to brand her anidiot before he sent her out to work. Anyway, I've nowt to lose by giving her ahearing. The only other two who responded were great to look at and fun in bedbut the blonde had all the mathematical aptitude of an artichoke and theredhead thought typewriter keys were arranged alphabetically.''You'll not gerrit in bed, Leigh. Never tecks itsknickers off. It'll not even teck off its coat if it knows a man's lookin' atit.'I turned him away from the window to face me buthe couldn't meet my eyes, despite our equal height. 'I want that order printedand finished, Merv. I'll deliver it after the interview.''Waste of effin' time if you ask me. It's gotnothing you want.'I left Merv to it; confident he'd do his usualperfect job. As a photographic printer and technician, he was brilliant; as aman… I shuddered.At my desk, I picked up the morning paper andwaited for Faith Heacham to knock at my door. Recalling her, apprehensive inthe snow, I wondered again how the skinny, ragged, village idiot had persuadedme to interview her.###
Of course, whilst I want youto read the book, it would be even better if you bought it. So, if you can'twait until next week's instalment, check the links below, which will take youto a place you can make your purchase, either as paperback or ebook, dependingon your preference.
            Sample or buy as any format Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stuartaken
            Barnes & Noble - Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Breaking-Faith/Stuart-Aken/e/2940011126079            Amazon paperback or Kindle To buy from USA Amazon            Amazon paperback or Kindle To buy from UK AmazonApple idevice:United Kingdom: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781849233149USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781849233149Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781849233149
Web site: http://stuartaken.co.uk
Tweet with me: http://twitter.com/@stuartaken
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StuartAken

The Republic, by Plato, Reviewed.

Image via Wikipedia
Thisclassic, in the true sense of the word, was written by Plato some time afterthe execution of his admired narrator, Socrates, in 399BC. The supposeddramatic setting for the narrative is around 420BC.Takingthe form of a discussion between Socrates and friends, the work is aphilosophical treatise founded on the theme of justice. It touches, along theway, many other aspects of life and thought and can be seen to be a foundationstone in the building of Western thought, politics and ideas. ThatPlato wrote in an era when slavery was not only accepted but was an everydaynormality, and where women were perceived as inferior beings, permeates thetext for a modern reader. There are many places where I felt like grabbing thenarrator, and his fellow conversationalists, by the metaphorical lapels andshaking them out of their complacency over these two issues. But that is more areflection of my attitudes about these issues than of the quality of thewriting.Istarted reading this tome, which requires a good deal of concentration, beforeXmas and the season rather interrupted the serious read. But I becamedetermined to finish the book before starting on the editing of the novel I'dwritten the preceding November (NaNoWriMo challenge for those interested). Thereason was that it immediately became clear that The Republic deals with many of the themes I included in my noveland I wanted to see what this seminal work had to say on these ideas.Theideas expressed are remarkably contemporary in many cases. I was surprised byreferences to personality, character, political systems and religion that I'dpreviously considered to be relatively modern. There were times when Icompletely forgot that this book was written almost 2,500 years ago. WhatI found most disturbing, however, were some of the theories and philosophicalideas that have clearly been responsible for the way we think and live today inthe Western world. That some of these ideas have been distorted, misunderstood,partially comprehended or, in some cases, deliberately taken out of context, tojustify certain modern political decisions became clearer as I read. Iunderstood, for the first time, some of the classical references I've comeacross in life and many of the underlying reasons for our current way of lifebecame obvious. It's clear that many of our current leaders are steeped in thearguments put forward in this narrative. The teaching of the classics is, ofcourse, fundamental to the education supplied by most private schools. That itisn't generally included in the curricula of state schools is equally clear. I'mnot a lover of conspiracy theory, but it's difficult to avoid the conclusionthat there has been a deliberate policy of discouraging the reading of suchbooks as this, lest the general populace become aware of what leaders havealways known.It'simpossible to do justice to this text in the space of a simple review. I canonly suggest that those who have the intellectual stamina and the necessarycuriosity about the nature of thought and life read this book. There is muchthat the modern reader will deplore, disagree with and denigrate. The benefitof living long after the work was completed provides us with a greaterunderstanding of many things that must have been mysteries to Plato and hiscontemporaries. But the fundamentals of his thesis on politics, rule and theactions of leaders and the general populace are sound.Thosewho love the superficial and the easy will find this book indigestible butthose who like depth, provocation of the grey cells and stimulus for theimagination and curiosity will find this a singularly rewarding read. Ithoroughly recommend it.

Writing: the Pen or the Keyboard?

Image via Wikipedia
Writers are a funny bunch. We each have our own self-imposedrules, routines, favourites and hates. I know of authors who can no more createat the keyboard than they can lay an egg. But my method of composition now dependsutterly on the keyboard. This is despite the fact that I can't touch type anduse only two fingers (not those two!) and a thumb (either will do, I'm notprejudiced). I have to look at the keyboard as I write and then glance at thescreen, with Word's spelling correction thingy open so it underlines any typosI make as I go along. I make a lot of ytops so I really should do somethingabout it. I should learn to touch type, of course. In fact, I spent a fortnight doing just that, about 700 yearsago, on a manual typewriter, and became quite proficient by the end of thecourse. Unfortunately, events jumped up and down on my ambition at the timeand, having finished the course, I never went near a keyboard again for over twoyears. By that time, I'd forgotten everything I'd learned and went back to mythree digit approach. It's not too bad; I can manage about 45 words a minute,when I'm really going. But I'd be much better off if I could touch type. Oneday, perhaps…I don't dare write in script. I was clearly meant to be eithera genius or a doctor, because my handwriting is all but indecipherable, even tome! Where did it all go wrong? The bit about being a genius or a doctor, Imean. As for the handwriting, well I have a small excuse that I was one of thelucky few who, following the end of World War II (I'm not that old that I haveany personal connection with WWI), I was part of the generation who went toschool during the continuing paper shortage. So, I learned to write, at age five,using a framed slate panel and a lead scriber. We complain about Health andSafety rules these days, but at least our kids don't learn using intimatecontact with poisonous metals, eh? I was still in the early days of thisinitial learning when I contracted Scarlet Fever. I recall the ambulance, withits ringing bell (yes, a bell, not a siren) rushing me to the local hospital onChristmas Eve. There, I spent six weeks in an isolation ward, along withumpteen other patients, of all ages and both genders, suffering othercontagious illnesses. Another six weeks off school, after I was discharged,meant I'd fallen seriously behind my fellow pupils when I returned to school afew weeks before my sixth birthday. I never caught up. So, that's my excuse forthe poor handwriting.But, in spite of my dyslexic fingers, the keyboard serves mewell. Thank heavens for the speedy ability to right wrongs there. I repairspelling errors on the fly, but never actually read what I've written until Ireach the end of a piece, no matter whether that piece is a tweet, a shortstory or a novel. Then I return to the beginning and correct, edit, replace andcut wherever necessary. Unlike many writers, I actively enjoy the editingprocess. The creative part, which I do at tearing pace, flying through theparagraphs like a demented racehorse set free from its jockey, I love. Themaking up of lives, events, lands, and all the other story elements feeds thatpart of me where the imagination dwells. In my early days, I did actually write in longhand and thentransposed the work to type on a manual typewriter; a process that took moretime than the composition, usually because I couldn't read my own writing andhad to decipher words to make sense of it. I used the less than perfect Tippexto deal with the odd typo. Later, I progressed to an electronic machine with acorrection ribbon; a real boon. But, in those days before the word processorand computer printer, any re-arrangement of a sentence involved retyping anentire page and, sometimes, an entire chapter. Publishers required pristinetext without alterations, so it could take a long time, much patience, and anentire forest to turn out a manuscript that an agent or editor would accept.Paper wasn't generally recycled back then, so the waste binoverflowed with screwed up pages. These days, we wait until everything appears perfecton the screen before committing the work to paper. But even that isn'tfoolproof: every writer understands that editing on paper is far more likely tothrow up errors than doing the same job on the computer screen. But, at least,it's simpler to correct now, and it isn't often necessary to reprint the entirework simply because of a few errors.So, I compose at the keyboard, correct on screen, print indraft and re-edit using a pen, and then I transfer the changes to the file andreprint in 'best' mode to send my work off to editors and agents. I print, asrequired by the industry, on one side only of the paper, with wide margins. Imean, what's it matter if I still use a forest to achieve this level of perfectpresentation? All that matters is that the reading professional will have no reasonto reject the piece without even bothering to read it. After all, competitionis tough out there. It's good to know that they'll have a pristine piece ofwork to view before they reject it without reading; makes the whole process somuch more worthwhile, don't you think?
A question for you to ponder: Why are you IN a movie, but ON TV?

Short Term Offer

Just to let you know, I recently - i.e. today, answered a query on LinkedIn relating to how an ebook could be offered free. To illustrate how it's done, I produced a coupon for my anthology Ten Tales for Tomorrow, which allows the user to download the book free from Smashwords in any ebook format. Thought I should share that with the readers of my blog. So, if you want to take advantage just use the code - SC28Q - when you go to this link
 http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stuartaken
and select the book. Just enter the code and you'll get the book free. But this is only available until 1 February. If you wait any later, you'll have to make me much richer by paying the regular price of $0.99 or £0.65. You have been warned!

Writing, Reading, Blogging.

Image via Wikipedia
So, the first week of theNew Year is over, done, gone. And what have I achieved? Well, I've updated myWriting Contests page, which takes a bit of work and time. I've written threelengthy posts for the blog, the first of which has appeared and the next ofwhich will appear on Thursday. The free read for the novel seems to be meetingwith some good reaction; Chapter 1 will appear on Friday, now that the Prologuehas featured.I've completed my 'ToRead' page on both Goodreads, and on my blog here; see the tab above. Adeliberate exercise aimed at getting me to stick to my intention of reading anaverage of 1 book a week. Of course, I haven't finished the book I was alreadyreading, but Plato's The Republic is hardly a quick read. And, incidentally, isthe reason I haven't yet started to edit the novel I wrote during the NaNoWriMochallenge in November. Having come to this book late in life, I wish I'd readit 35 years ago. It contains so many of the themes I use in the novel that I'vedecided I need to finish reading it before I start on the editing. So, that'sthe priority task now.Watch this space: I'll bedoing a short run-down like this each Sunday.

Read Free; My Novel Here.

Prologue of Breaking Faith.
A little over 3 years ago,I published my first novel, Breaking Faith, as a paperback, through YouWriteOn,an Arts Council sponsored publisher. On 24 October 2010 I published it as anebook through Smashwords.Those who've read the bookhave enjoyed it: read some of their comments below. I'd like more people toread the book. That is, after all, why I write; to be read.So, I'm offering thechance for everyone to read it free, here on the blog. I'll post a section ofthe book each Friday until the whole novel has appeared. Here's the first part,the Prologue. Read, enjoy, tell your friends. The more who read, the happier we'llbe.
What othershave said about
BreakingFaith
...I couldnot believe how determined this book was to make me read it...set in the summerof 1976, it details Faith's journey from isolation, deprivation and abuse...toenlightenment...A shocking but captivating story...' Shirley Mace
I read thisbook in one sitting, unwilling to put it down, immersed in Faith's journey fromdarkness to self-knowledge. The characters drawn with a fine brush...Thedenouement is sudden, violent and completely satisfying. Mr P. F. Field
...a storyof triumphant human spirit. The novel simmers with heat, lust, decadence andsexuality...Stuart Aken is indeed a writer to watch. Karen Wolfe, author.


Prologue
I had to wait when I wentto collect bread and milk from our village store. The owner was serving the manthat Father called 'the Devil's Henchman'. He said some really dreadful thingsto her but she laughed as I had never heard her laugh before. When he left theshop, she frowned at me.'What d'you want, girl?''Father says Leighton Longshaw is evil, MrsGreenhough. But he was making you laugh.'She twisted her mouth into an ugly shape andsighed. 'Your good-for-nothing father's a hypocritical fool, girl. And you'rejust a fool; plain and simple.' She smiled as if she thought she had saidsomething clever. 'What do you want?''Father says I'm to tell you I start work at theDairy next week and can he have a bit of credit until I get my first wages,please? We've run out of sugar for his tea, you see.'She almost threw a bag of sugar at me. 'You'll payas soon as you've got your wages, girl. Though, God knows what sort of job anidiot like you's going to get.'I bowed my head, as Father had taught me, and tookthe bag back home. On the way, I passed a cottage with the door open. There wasa thing I had never seen before in the far corner of the room. It had movingpictures on it and I was so surprised to see this that I actually stopped andwatched to see if it was true. It was only a few seconds before the man wholived there saw me.'Bugger off, cretin.' He started to shut the door.His wife came and peered at me. She frowned. 'Oh,it's only that Heacham girl. She can't help it, George; probably never seen atelly before, livin' with that ne'er-do-well father of hers. Shouldn't yell ather; she's simple.' She turned to me, her face firm but not unkind. 'Off yougo, Faith, there's a good girl. It's not nice to peer into people's houses, youknow.'As I moved away, Leighton Longshaw walked past mein the street. He was a tall man with the happiest eyes I have ever seen, a mopof dark hair and a beard. And he smiled at me. Smiled. I remember because noone ever smiled at me; people generally scowled. Because I was schooled athome, by Father, and lived outside the village in an isolated cottage, I had nofriends I could ask about why this bad man should smile at me so nicely. When Igot home, I mentioned it to Father but he warned me to have nothing to do withhim.'Keep well away from him, girl! Evil beyond yourworst nightmares. That man's trouble through and through. You better not havedone owt to encourage him or I'll have to scourge you, girl.''I just passed him in the street, Father.''Make sure that's all you ever do with LeightonLongshaw, girl. Now get my tea.'I never argued with Father, of course. But I didthink the man's smile had been kind and friendly. It was such an unusual eventfor me and it left me feeling the sort of joy I only knew when I was up at thetarn; swimming or watching the birds flying. I very much wanted to experienceit again.
Now, of course, whilst Iwant people to read the book, it would be even better if they were to buy it.So, if you can't wait until next week's instalment, check the links below,which will take you to a place you can make your purchase, either as apaperback or an ebook, depending on your preference.
            Sample or buy as Ebook: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/stuartaken
            Barnes & Noble - Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Breaking-Faith/Stuart-Aken/e/2940011126079            Amazon paperback or Kindle To buy from USA Amazon            Amazon paperback or Kindle To buy from UK AmazonApple idevice:United Kingdom: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/isbn9781849233149USA: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781849233149Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/isbn9781849233149France: http://itunes.apple.com/fr/book/isbn9781849233149Australia: http://itunes.apple.com/au/book/isbn9781849233149Germany: http://itunes.apple.com/de/book/isbn9781849233149Austria: http://itunes.apple.com/at/book/isbn9781849233149Belgium: http://itunes.apple.com/be/book/isbn9781849233149Bulgaria: http://itunes.apple.com/bg/book/isbn9781849233149Cyprus: http://itunes.apple.com/cy/book/isbn9781849233149Czech Republic: http://itunes.apple.com/cz/book/isbn9781849233149Denmark: http://itunes.apple.com/dk/book/isbn9781849233149Estonia: http://itunes.apple.com/ee/book/isbn9781849233149Finland: http://itunes.apple.com/fi/book/isbn9781849233149Greece: http://itunes.apple.com/gr/book/isbn9781849233149Hungary: http://itunes.apple.com/hu/book/isbn9781849233149Ireland: http://itunes.apple.com/ie/book/isbn9781849233149Italy: http://itunes.apple.com/it/book/isbn9781849233149Latvia: http://itunes.apple.com/lv/book/isbn9781849233149Lithuania: http://itunes.apple.com/lt/book/isbn9781849233149Luxembourg: http://itunes.apple.com/lu/book/isbn9781849233149Malta: http://itunes.apple.com/mt/book/isbn9781849233149Netherlands: http://itunes.apple.com/nl/book/isbn9781849233149Norway: http://itunes.apple.com/no/book/isbn9781849233149Poland: http://itunes.apple.com/pl/book/isbn9781849233149Portugal: http://itunes.apple.com/pt/book/isbn9781849233149Romania: http://itunes.apple.com/ro/book/isbn9781849233149Slovakia: http://itunes.apple.com/sk/book/isbn9781849233149Slovenia: http://itunes.apple.com/si/book/isbn9781849233149Spain: http://itunes.apple.com/es/book/isbn9781849233149Sweden: http://itunes.apple.com/se/book/isbn9781849233149Switzerland: http://itunes.apple.com/ch/book/isbn9781849233149
Web site: http://stuartaken.co.uk
Tweet with me: http://twitter.com/@stuartaken
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StuartAken

Organic Change or Stability in English?

Language, they say, withsome justification, is organic. And, in common with organic structureseverywhere, it must grow, develop and experiment with variations, or die. Manyof the world's small languages have disappeared, often because their speakersand users refused to adapt to the changes imposed by the developing world.English, considered the most widely spoken language on this extraordinary planetof ours, has some champions who would subject it to the sort of purity thatwill ultimately suffocate it. On the other hand, there are those who stretchthe meanings of words until they become meaningless.
To be a useful method ofcommunication, language needs to maintain some stability. A common example ofthe changes imposed on English in the relatively recent past concerns the word 'wicked'.Initially stemming from the Old English 'wicca' or the female version, 'wicce',and then evolving into 'witch', this word was initially all about badness andmalevolence. Though, even as early as the 17th century it could betaken as meaning 'playfully mischievous or roguish'. Last century, it took onthe exact opposite meaning and came to convey the ideas of 'good, brilliant,wonderful' in the mouths of youth.
At the time, I recallbeing disturbed by this reversal of meaning, which appeared to have the effectof turning communication upside down and causing confusion. But the period ofbewilderment proved short and it was soon evident that context would make theintended meaning clear, often depending on who was actually using the word. Itcontinues today to have the meanings of both 'bad' and 'good'. As such, itought to be an obstacle to comprehension but, except in the most clumsy cases,its meaning is generally obvious from its usage.
Had we employed the samesort of language police as the French have for centuries, the new meaning ofthe word would have been prevented and the language made poorer by its lack.English, because of its global appeal, is not only able to absorb such changesbut actually seems to welcome them. We are blessed with a wide vocabulary withmany words borrowed, stolen or high-jacked from other languages. This gives us,as writers, the ability to express our ideas with some niceness (I use the wordin its sense of 'accuracy'). If we wish to express an idea for which there's noreal English word, we can employ one from a foreign language, knowing that inmost cases it will be both understood and accepted. So, to express the ideathat a girl is in a state of romantic attachment to a man she intends to marry,we call her a 'fiancée', borrowing the term from our cousins over the Channel.And, is there an English equivalent for that wonderfully expressive Germanword, 'Schadenfreude'? (For those who don't know, it means enjoying, in amalicious way, the misfortune of another.)
Our common language,evolving from influences of Latin, early French, ancient Greek, the dialects ofthe Norse invaders, Celtic and Germanic origins, has borrowed words from allover the world. The days when Great Britain ruled a vast empire ensured that wecollected many exotic words from lands as diverse as India, Tasmania, Borneo,Argentina, China and Egypt to mention but a few. With the development of theearly United States of America, when peoples from all over Europe mingled withthe native populations they eventually displaced, many more words were absorbedinto the growing language.It's said that English, asused worldwide, now contains over one million different words. That's one hugemine from which to excavate the words you need to express your ideas withclarity and exactitude.
So, this is a plea forflexibility harnessed to sensible and accurate usage of language. Metaphor andsimile encourage writers and readers to expand their understanding of languageand, providing such linguistic expeditions don't remove the reader from arecognisable landscape, they can act as a means of broadening horizons for all.
It really would be wickedof you not to indulge in the full splendour of our common language to make yourwriting as wicked as you can, don't you think?
A question for you toponder: Why do folk say they 'sleptlike a baby' when babies wake up so often?