Stuart Aken's Blog, page 279

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Tablet

Image via Wikipedia
Tablet: noun - a flat slab of stone, metal, orwood carrying an inscription, carving, or picture; a slab used as a roofing orflooring tile; a rigid card used in tablet-weaving; in Computing - a flat rectangularsurface on which a stylus or finger may be moved to position a cursor on a screen;a flat ornament of precious metal or jewellery; a small flat or compressedpiece of a solid substance; a portion of medicine or drug compressed into asolid flattish shape, intended to be swallowed whole; a cake of soap.
'Keep taking the tablets!'
'Porky Smellworthy spentthe whole afternoon carving a tablet of soap into a miniature model of theVenus de Milo.'
'Moses descended themountain, carrying stone tablets bearing the dozens of laws he'd beeninstructed to chisel into the rock, and, falling flat on his face, smashed mostof them to smithereens.'

#NaNoWriMo Progress on Day 19 = 80,518 Words

The ITIN application is now in the post to the US Embassy in London. Be interesting to see how quickly they deal with this. Though I'm glad they provide the service, as it's very costly to do it direct to Texas.
The antibiotics have finally stopped the toothache, so my sinuses are clearing: it's good to breathe freely again.
Short walk today, under grey skies. Have another once I've done this, before settling down for the last of the evening.
The challenge through NaNoWriMo is still going well, with an extra 4,800 odd words added to bring the grand total to 80,518, which is about two thirds of my target. I had one of those eureka moments today, whilst I was sharing breakfast in bed with my wife. So, I've had to do a new character profile, which involved finding a suitable picture from the web (I always base my characters on a picture, as I'm a pretty visual guy). Found a suitable lass and got the profile completed and added to the spreadsheet timeline. This new character, although entering the story relatively late in the day, has given me a real boost. I think she'll not only make the book a better tale, but will also make it possible to turn what was going to be a stand-alone into a short series; probably three.
So, looking forward to the next session, tomorrow. Hope all the other challengers out there are doing well and not getting disheartened. It's a tough task to complete this challenge, but it's worth the effort to end up with a new novel at the end.
And then begins the editing, of course.

The Wordle picture is from Chapter 22. Isla's name is very prominent, so I'll have to check that when I do the editing. Of course, the chapter is very much about her and Mel's relationship to her, so not surprising her name comes up a lot.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Stock Character

Image via Wikipedia
Stock Character: Afictional character based on a common literary or social stereotype. Suchcharacters rely heavily on cultural types or names for their personality,manner of speech, and other characteristics and are a key element in genrefiction, supplying relationships and interactions that people familiar with thegenre will recognize at once. Stock characters are ready targets for parody,exaggerating the stereotypes associated with them.So, the 'stock' criminalmay be dim and easily apprehended, the 'stock' nurse may be attractive andsexy, the 'stock' policeman not very bright and prone to uttering meaninglessjargon, the 'stock' detective able and perceptive but not successful withwomen. You get the picture.More honest and perceptivewriters tend to avoid the stock character and portray people who appear realinstead.

#NaNoWriMo Progress, Day 18 = 75960 Words

Some days go well, some go better.
So, what have I done today? Well, I'm looking just a tad more like a human being, having visited the local barber, where I had my locks shorn and, as is the way in such places, we fixed the problems in football, sorted out the local authority and generally set the world to rights.
Finally put to gether my application for an ITIN with the IRS in USA, so I won't have to pay US tax as well as UK tax on my earnings. Must post that tomorrow. Lunch, and then a pleasant short walk for air and exercise with my lovely wife.
Before breakfast, I'd done a session on the NaNoWriMo challenge and I had a second session this afternoon, turning out a total of 4,546 new words to bring the grand total to 75,960 at the end of today. Sinister threats lurk beneath the superficial idyll that our two lovers occupy. All is not as it appears on the surface and unpleasant events are afoot.
Tonight, I intend to spend the evening in front of the idiot's lantern to watch what, for me, is 'must'watch' TV. Here in UK, we have a charity night in November, aimed at raising money for disadvantaged children. Children In Need has raised more than £500,000,000 over the years, with the British public donating around £35,000,000 for each show. I shall watch, as usual, and donate what I can, as usual. It's a  great cause and a great way to bring serious issues to the attention of the public, whilst offering real entertainment from a gang of stars and personalities who offer their services free for the night. If you're able, I urge you to join me for the night and dig into your pockets to help those deserving kids out there, eh?

The pic is another Wordle diagram, this time of Chapter 21.

Penny Grubb, Crime Writer Extaordinaire, Book Signings.

PennyGrubb who I've interviewed here, and whose books, I have also reviewed, has her previous three hardback novels now issued as paperbacks. They are, of course, available from all the usual online outlets and from high street retailers. But for those who live in England, she is doing a book-signing tour of WH Smith shops, and in some of these (maybe all) the three novels are available as a 3 book deal for £15.00, which, I assure you, is a damned good bargain.

Like False Money



The Jawbone Gang











The Doll Makers











are the three titles, featuring Annie Raymond, her Private Investigator.

Signings at WH Smith as follows:

19 Nov: Beverley, Toll Gavel - 9.30 to 11.30  Hull, Prospect Centre - 12.00 to 2.00
26 Nov: York, Coney Street - 12.00 to 2.00 York, Monk's Cross - 2.30 to 4.30
3 Dec: Scarborough - 12.00 to 2.00
10 Dec Harrogate, Victoria Shopping Centre - 12.00 to 2.00

If you live locally or are visiting on the dates, pop in to see Penny. She's a lovely lady and a super writer.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Rabid

Image via Wikipedia
Rabid: adjective – raging, furious, madly violent in nature or behaviour;unreasoning, fanatical; affected with rabies; concerning the nature of rabies.
'When in affectedcountries, tourists are advised against stroking or touching stray animals incase they are rabid.'
'I was at a meeting theother night and that moronic preacher, you know the one with the loud voice andstaring eyes, was spouting his doctrine of intolerance in such rabid terms thateveryone left before he'd finished.'

#NaNoWriMo progress, day 17 = 71414 total words

The antibiotics have more or less kicked in and left me feeling much better. Had a pleasant country walk this morning after breakfast, to refresh the spirit.
The NaNoWriMo challenge has been a great motivator for me and today I've achieved 60% of my self-imposed target, completing 5,136 words in two sessions and reaching a total of 71,414 words. Much happening in the story today, with half a dozen minor characters elbowing their way into the plot; not sure whether none, all or some of these will reappear just at the moment. But they provided some fun and diversion and erected a few small barriers for my hero to overcome. But Mel's a game guy. And the heroine, Isla, is a spunky, young woman with a determined independent streak. They continue to surprise me from time to time, which is all great and keeps me on my toes.
The picture is a Wordle image of Chapter 20. It's interesting that 'Isla' appears quite a lot in this chapter. The story is narrated from Mel's pov, in first person, so his name only appears when someone calls him by it. And the 'love' and 'make' should give some indication of the romantic element here.

Writing but not Reading:

For those of you expecting to see a featured author in this spot, just a note to let you know I've finished that series for the time being. I'm working on a new series with more directed questions and featuring only those authors whose work I have read. Watch this space.


Writing but not Reading:Most readers harbour nowish to write, perhaps feeling that the ability is a mix of gift andapplication they may not possess and happy to enjoy the fruits of others'efforts. But, and here lies the shame; many writers display no wish to read,justifying their attitude with the feeble excuse that they have no time: theyhave time only to write.The output of most ofthese non-reading writers is, at best, poor, and often unreadable for any discerningreader. The idea that a craft so complex can be properly learned withoutreference to those who've gone before is, to me, inexplicable. Would a reliableplumber or electrician consider himself a skilled artisan without the rigour ofa time-served apprenticeship? Would a painter exhibit his canvasses without atleast an initial study of the masters who preceded him? Would a fashiondesigner deck her models to propel her clothes along the catwalk without firstdemonstrating an interest in the garments worn by her potential customers? Of course, the answer toall these questions isn't a firm or unconditional 'no'. But we all know that anyonewho fails to learn from those who have preceded them is destined to repeattheir mistakes. It takes a certain type of arrogant ignorance to believe thatyou can perfect a skill alone and without instruction. Such ignorance isresponsible for poorly developed characters, plots that mirror the works ofothers, and the depiction of situations identical to those already well knownto readers. It's insulting to those who'll read your work not to be aware ofwhat's already been written in the genre. Of course it's not possible to readeverything: with too many books published every year, it would require moretime than is available to absorb all that's been written in our chosen genre.But it's quite possible and, I'd argue, essential, to glean an idea, a flavour,of what's already been done.Those who have no wish toread, but who would write, do their readers no favours by their cavalierattitude. They almost invariably produce work of a poor standard. Their refusalto sample other stories, far from ensuring uniqueness, generally results inpoor versions of tales already well told. How can a writer learn to constructsentences, to bend the rules of language effectively, to express an ideasuccinctly yet evocatively, if he's never exposed himself to the work ofothers? And those who believe themselves natural geniuses are, almost withoutexception, deluded fools who merely clog up the works with their poorly madepieces. They make it all the more difficult for the real artists to be heard,drowning the unique voices with their ill-devised and poorly-executedofferings.So, if you want to write, pleasemake sure you read. Read extensively within the area in which you wish toexcel, or risk mediocrity and unintented repetition. There; that's another irritationoff my chest.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Question mark?

Image via Wikipedia
Question mark: ?The question mark is apunctuation mark that indicates that the written sentence is in the form of aquery. Its contemporary use as journalistic shorthand, or an attempt to expressa matter in different terms has rapidly reached the status of a cliché. Whilstit's occasionally acceptable to talk about a 'question mark hanging over adecision' or something similar, the constant use of 'question mark' in place ofa simple question is becoming increasingly irritating, don't you think?

#NaNoWriMo progress, Day 16 = 66278 in total.

The dentist tapped my teeth and elicited only a few howls of pain and protest, but his tests confirmed that my tooth ache was the product of infected sinuses and did not involve the need to drill large holes in the enamel. So, I was spared that particular torture today; a difficult job to drill and fill when the recipient is coughing for Britain. Time and the antibiotics will, I know from past experience, reduce the pain and sensitivity.
So, it was back home and time to add a few more words to the NaNoWriMo total. Two sessions later, with long rests between, have produced an extra 4,194 words to bring the total to 66,278, which is an average of 4,142 per day. So, still on target.
Problems are rearing their heads again for the brave hero and heroine but I've left their romance intact, for now. They have enough trouble without falling out with each other, for the moment. But it won't last. They'll have to face the reality that perfect relationships rarely exist (I include my own relationship with my wonderful wife in the rare category, since our 23 years of marriage have produced not a single cross word between us and we remain blissfully in love with each other).
But poor Isla and Mel have a few issues to deal with and life and society are not exactly helping them out here. I'm having great fun with them and look forward to each day and each new session, when I can make them jump through those hoops that they permit in their own individual ways.
Hope the rest of you doing this challenge are having as much fun as I am.

The picture is another Wordle, this one of Chapter 19, the last completed. Now, there's an illustration of the usefulness of this as a tool. See the way 'just' is highlighted. I know they use the term in their dialogue, but  when I do my editing at the end of the creative run, I'll just have to make sure I just eliminate all those unnecessary 'just's from the text, just in case they make me look daft.