Stuart Aken's Blog, page 301

Writing: No Words Today. What, None?

Not strictly speaking accurate, as I've made quite a few comments on various groups I belong to. But no serious writing done. A break after yesterday's marathon. Tomorrow, I must start to prepare the blog posts for the time I'll be away from the computer, so that my readers and visitors have something new to read.
Today, I went to a book launch for a writer friend of mine. Penny Grubb was signing copies of her third crime thriller; The Jawbone Gang, and gathered a good deal of interest in the Beverley branch of WH Smiths, about 12 miles from where I live.
The photograph shows some of those who were also at the event, including other local authors, giving their support for Penny. Val Woods, Linda Acaster, and Madeleine MacDonald attended and Penny actually sold some copies of her book.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Epistolary

Epistolary: adjective - of or pertaining to writing epistles or letters; in theform of a letter or letters; contained in or conducted by letters.Many novels have been written in the epistolary style: Frankenstein, 84 Charing Cross Road, and Flowers for Algernon, share the epistolarystructure. Most of the narrative comes to readers via letters or other forms ofcorrespondence instead of the more traditional storytelling style.
'The epistolary novel, 84 CharingCross Road, transferred surprisingly well, from its series of letterscrossing the Atlantic, into a stage play and a movie.'

Writing: 5764 Words Hits the Target

Last night, I had a delightful evening with my brother and his wife round for drinks. We always enjoy these get-togethers and last night was no exception. But the social evening meant we didn't get to bed until around 02.00 this morning.
So, I was up at 07:15 and my mind was full of the epic fantasy I've been writing, as a first draft, for the past few months. I was close to the end and to completing my target of 200,000 words, which I hoped would conclude this first version. Around 1,400 words left my fingertips and gathered on screen before breakfast. It took longer than usual because I had to introduce a new character and that meant devising a full character profile. Then, I needed to alter the timeline to show the various changes that had happened to the different groups of characters who form the various story threads. I needed to get this right before I could handle the denouement properly. With 83 named characters (okay, so some of them are now dead), this was a fairly complex task.
After refreshment, I showered and then it was back to the keyboard. It soon became clear that, with a bit of application and hard work, I could probably finish the job today, well ahead of the target date of 6 July, when I intend to be away from the keyboard and everything computer for a fortnight (It rests the brain and allows the creative juices to concentrate after the dilution of the rest of the year).
Two sessions, with a break for some lunch, saw a total of 5,764 words added to the rest. I have now finished. And the first draft total is 200,557 words.
That will all alter once I start the editing process, which will probably begin some time shortly after my self-imposed break. Taking a step back from the writing allows the subconscious to work on it uninterrupted by the process and will allow me to discover the flaws, deficiencies and inconsistencies. I will start with a complete read-through of both volumes, taking no notes at all at this stage. I'll then begin looking at those places where the narrative has slipped into 'telling' rather than 'showing'. Next, I'll look for descriptive elements and add, remove, reduce, or expand these depending on what I have to begin with. Metaphor and simile, and the other literary devices will be the next stage. Then I'll cross-check all dates and events and look for inconsistencies with character and place, etc. Next comes the grammar and spelling check. It's as I do each chapter at this stage that I hand the printed version to my wife. She has an eagle eye for such detail and a good memory for repetition and inconsistency. It's here that we'll hopefully find any anachronisms as well. Once I've corrected any errors, I do the final read-through, aloud, to discover any errors we've missed and to check for clunky sentences.
Only then will I be ready to send the synopsis and first chapters out to agents/publishers.
Wish me luck, eh?
The flower is from our back garden, and I took the picture a couple of weeks ago.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Quadrangle

Quadrangle: noun –Geometry - figure with four angles and four sides; Palmistry - area of humanpalm bounded by four lines; square or rectangular space or courtyard entirelyor mainly surrounded by buildings, as in some colleges and often shortened to'quad'; rectangular building or block, building containing a square orrectangular courtyard.
'Whilst in her cups, Marianne was dared by the boys, whoserooms overlooked the paved quadrangle, to walk naked from one side of the quadto the other. Fortunately for her, she was not as drunk as they believed and acceptedtheir challenge only on condition that they would do likewise.'

Blogger seems to have altered the way posts are composed and that means I've lost my little widget from Zemanta that allowed me to add all sorts of appropriate images (public domain stuff). So, it looks as though I'll have to rely on illustrations from my own photos in future. This one shows the old fort at Spinalonga in Crete, that used to be a leper colony.

Writing: 3400 Words Before Breakfast

And, I can tell you, I was ready for that breakfast, when it came. I knew I had a relatively busy day ahead of me today, with preparations for a social evening (due to start soon) and some work to do for a feature I'm collaborating with, which needed completing today. So, my early morning start found me pounding the keys and scratching my head; not an easy activity with only two hands. The head scratching arose from the fact that I'd placed a protagonist in a situation without any apparent escape. But, once I got through the skull and reached the brain, I discovered a solution, and then the fingers were flying. So, 3,400 words closer to the target. But it's becoming increasingly obvious that I'll need probably 2 or 3 further chapters to conclude, once I reach the 200,000 word target I've set.
Caught in a cloudburst this morning, whilst shopping for food for tonight, and had to stand under the awning of a local butcher's shop. He came to the door with his awning pole and threatened to push it back up so we'd leave, since we were blocking the view of potential buyers passing by. Actually, he was joking, since there wasn't a soul moving on the street. The rain was so heavy that everyone was sheltering somewhere or other.
So, that's me done for today. Relaxation with good company, wine music and food calls.

The picture is of a local seaside town called Staithes, taken last summer. Lovely spot.

Author Interview with an Anonymous Indian Writer

This spot is reserved for writers and authors who have been published, so that they may share their views on the craft with my visitors. The following, somewhat concise, interview was conducted with an Indian who wished to remain anonymous for reasons that I found valid. Refusing the label, 'writer', this individual has answered only those questions I put that the person felt qualified to answer. I find such honesty refreshing, but I understand that some of you may consider this of less value than previous, or indeed future, interviews.


Hello, I understand the reasons for your wish to remain anonymous, however, please tell us what you can about you, as a writer.
The author was born and raised in Mumbai, India. He came to the US in 1989 to New York. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
Your book has been described as a 'coming of age' novel; perhaps you'd you give us some insight into India Was One in a few sentences.
Synopsis:...Suddenly, he saw something shiny at the bottom of the abyss. He squinted his eyes to see what it was. He ran back to his binoculars and turned them to see what it was. Sharp barbed wires that separated the two mountains came into focus. He had come as far as he could in his country. But she was standing in another country. He was in South India and she was in North India... Have you ever imagined India being divided into two countries? What happens to the millions of Indians who are from South India but are now residing in North India? Kaahi & Jai were two such people who got trapped in this situation. Everything was going smoothly for them and suddenly, their world turned upside down. How will they get together? Will India become one again? Take an exciting journey with them from their college days in Mumbai to their life in the US and back to India when they find out that India is divided.
How did you come to write this particular book?
I had this idea in my mind for a long time. Finally, I decided to pen it down.
Do you have a favourite character from the book? If so, who and why this particular one?
Not really. All of them are endearing to me.
Where can people buy your book?
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Diesel, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple & Kobo.
What qualities does a writer need to be successful?
The story has to come from heart.
What's the single biggest mistake made by beginner writers?
I am not qualified to answer this as I too am a beginner and I'm sure that I've made many mistakes.
To what extent are grammar and spelling important in writing?
Very. It is the most essential tool to communicate to the reader. The reader should not get distracted by these mistakes…or even worse, turned off.
 As a writer, to what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?
It is very essential to know who your target audience is.
How long does it take you to write a novel?
This is the only novel I've written. It took me around 16 months. I started in the middle of January, 2010. It took me less than a week to pour down my initial thoughts into a Word document. And over a year to expand them.
 Is there a particular feature of writing that you really enjoy?
Thinking. To me, it was a great feeling taking a walk down the memory lane as I re-lived many moments.
Do you believe creative writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
Natural gift. Improving on the quality of  writing is an acquired one.
Do you have a website or blog where readers can visit?
Website: www.IndiaWasOne.comFacebook: www.Facebook.com/IndiaWasOneTwitter: www.Twitter.com/IndiaWasOne

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Epigraph

Epigraph: noun - superscription of a letter or book; imprint on a title page; an inscription on a tomb, building or statue; a legend on a coin; motto.
'The grave of Spike Milligan bears an epigraph characteristic of the comic's humour; "I told you I was ill".'


Nothing suitable on Zemanta, so a picture from Crete, with absolutely no connection to the word defined.

Writing: 2200 on the Half Day

Today was my half day at the office, so I was home for lunch, saw Valerie off to her bowls match (praying it didn't rain for her) and Kate off for her final A level exam (good luck). Settled down to the epic fantasy and produced 2,200 words of tension. Close the denouement now, with only 8,661 words to reach my target of 200,000. But I will exceed that, as I need more than 2 chapters to reach the conclusion. But I'm still on target to complete this first draft before I take the break from the computer.
Tonight is my writing group night, so I'll be off to the coast shortly (36 mile round trip, but it's worth it for the members of this group). On Saturday, Penny Grubb, one of our members, is having the launch of her third crime novel featuring her female private eye. The Jawbone Gang will be available to be signed by her at the local WH Smiths in Beverley if anyone wants to visit between 11.00 and 12.30. I'll be there myself to buy the book. The first two in the series were both really good reads, so I'll be taking this one with me to read under the sun.
Last cup of tea before I leave. So I'll wish you all a very good night.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Parasurama

Image via Wikipedia
Parasurama: one of my occasional 'god' spots.Parasurama is one of the many incarnations of the Hindu god, Visnu. He is supposed to have saved the world from an army of tyrannical warriors. Another legend involves him ridding the world of despotic rulers (would that that were true!). He is generally depicted as a man holding an axe.

Writing: 1330 Words of Epic Fantasy

A brief note, after a long day at the office. I love it when the subconscious works its magic as you're involved in the everyday and the mundane, as I have been all day today. But I arrived home, ate and then settled to write 1300 words of inspired prose. Would that I had the energy to continue, but I don't. But I'm delighted with the section of the story that has tripped off my fingers tonight.