Stuart Aken's Blog, page 316

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Fabric

Image via Wikipedia
Fabric: noun - construction or design of a building, an animal's body, a vehicle, etc.; a building in which work or manufacture is carried on, a factory; a frame, basic structure of a building; type of construction or formation, texture; manufactured textile, woven, knitted, or felted material; a material made of chemically bonded fibres; the structural material of something, woven tissue or fibre of a textile.
'The earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, damaged the fabric of the cathedral to such an extent that part or all of the building would have to be rebuilt.'
'Whilst Jenny was happy to use man made fabric for her dress, she always wanted natural fabric, like cotton, for underwear in touch with her skin.' 

Writing Progressing

Up early again this morning and managed to complete the last of the new character profiles I needed to progress the writing. Completed 1,200 words before breakfast, which we consumed whilst watching the start of the London marathon. It's always an inspiration, with so many ordinary people doing extraordinary things, mostly for charity and even the celebrities turning out for good causes. Elle McPherson looks as good as ever on her exercise regime and even Will Young put in a creditable performance, amongst others, such as Matthew Pinsent. As a rule, I tend to dismiss celebrities, but in this event they do seem to do some real good.
Later, we took a lovely 4 mile walk with my wife in bright sunshine and warm weather. Had to rest on our return, of course - it's an essential for me. After lunch, I returned to the fantasy novel and continued with Ch21, which now runs to page 208 and has 2740 words, so not a bad day's work.
I've stuck a few more photos on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/stuart.k.allison and one of the pics I took this morning is reproduced here; a small copse surrounded by oil seed rape just off the road to Little Driffield.
For those of you who enjoy language, my Daily Word Spot is just that, a post each day with a new word defined. I'd welcome your comments on this and on any of the other stuff on this blog.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Eagle

Image via Wikipedia
Eagle: noun - A large diurnal bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, (golden eagle, harpy eagle, fish eagle, sea eagle, bald eagle); a representation of an eagle as an ensign in the Roman imperial army; a lectern made as an eagle; the Aquila constellation; a US gold coin worth ten dollars; in golf, a hole made in two strokes less than par; eagle-eyed, having keen sight.
'Tiger Woods made his eagle at the par 5 look effortless.'
'After diving swiftly into the water, the sea eagle caught a salmon and emerged with it clutched in its fearsome talons.'

Writing: Some Real Words Put Down at Last

An early start saw me completing the character profiles, so I now have 8 new characters to get to know. It's been handy that I have had other things prevent me actually continuing with the narrative as it's given me a little more time to know the new people in my story. I'll need to do just one more, as a new event has meant that one of the female characters will return to her home and a man will take her place on the journey that will form one of the three story threads of this volume.
I've managed to write more of Ch20 and complete that at page 201, with a total of 4372 words in that section.
Today, I've also prepared a new interview for the blog along with some more of the Word Spot items. Had a short walk with Valerie. Saw Kate off on the train to Coventry, where she and her friend will stay until her friend's family whisk them off to Turkey for a week on Monday. Oh, and the new characters caused me to examine and modify the spreadsheet I use for a timeline. I'd moved the files containing the character profiles, so the hyperlinks from the spreadsheet to the profiles no longer worked. I've restored them as it is really helpful to have a central place from which I can check on the characteristics of any given person in the story whenever I need to. It's so easy to change a character's eye colour, height or even gender! This is especially the case when you're trying to keep tabs on 61 named characters.
So, that's me done for now. I think I've earned a drop of the red stuff and a relaxing evening with my wife. Even if I haven't earned it, it's what I'm going to do!

The picture, topical as it is, was taken on a walk at a local beauty spot (South Landing at Flamborough) a year ago.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: A while or Awhile

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A while: noun phrase – 'The bathing beauties in their bikinis had to wait for a while until they heard the results of the contest from the judges.'
Awhile: adverb – 'After the celebrations, the politicians who'd lost the election remained awhile, hoping the press pack would have dispersed before they emerged.'

Writing - A Bit Done

It would have been great to report that I had finished the character studies and written a couple of thousand words, but....  Early this morning, the new printer arrived. I have spent much of the day installing that on my own desk computer and the laptop. It took longer than it should because I wanted to make sure I got it right first time. The print quality from the laser is brilliant. I bought a Brother in the end and it is a good machine and promises to produce some good work for me.
My keyboard, a wireless device, suddenly decided to devour the batteries without any warning, so I had to go and buy some new ones. Got some rechargeables at the same time so I won't be caught out again. That trip to town took out some of the day, as did my visit to the loft to store some boxes. Also recharged my Kindle. The battery has lasted 6 weeks or so and I've read five books on it in that time, so it looks to be doing well.
Still suffering the CFS, so plenty of rests today.
But, to the writing: I completed another of the new male characters, so just the 3 ladies to do now. And I've prepared more posts for the blog, so not a complete waste in writing terms.

The picture is a little further from home this time; a clifftop scene about 80 miles north of home, near a tiny place called Port Mulgrave.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Dabog

Image via Wikipedia
Dabog: noun – another of the occasional 'god' entries. This is the name of a Slavonic sun god (worshipped in the Balkans and south Russia). As with so many pre-Christian deities, this one, after Christianisation, was changed into a diabolic entity. So, a god with positive aspects for the former pagans was changed to a figure representing evil by the Christian authorities who were trying to impose their own beliefs on the people. So, nothing new there, then.

Crazy Bookshelves.

Came across this and thought it might amuse those who actually own and read books.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/melismashable/20-insanely-creative-bookshelves
Enjoy.

Writing: a Slight Pause for Some Character Development

It has been a long day. The morning saw me working on Ch20, which is now to 3370 words and page 199. But I reached a point where, due to story development, I needed to conjure 8 new characters. I generally start such profiles with a picture (I have over 1500 on file, collected at random from the internet during searches for other things). These are classified into the two genders and split into age groups and hair colour, simply to make the filing more manageable. I also have a list of names I made up when I started writing the fantasy. Having settled on 8 names and decided on the mix of genders (5 male and 3 female in this case), I selected the pictures and then began the profiles. So far, I have 4 of the males done. The morning will see the others fleshed out and ready to join the adventure.
Meanwhile, I've been out to town, walking, with my wife. Collected currency for Kate for her holiday in Turkey, and sun tan cream and a new shower head. The fun I have when shopping! Don't know how I cope with the excitement. Also brought the Writing Contests page up to date. It now contains over 130 links to various competitons - if you're interested in such things, take a look under the tab above.
Of course, as I'm still recovering from the current spell of CFS, I've had to rest a few times and will do so again when I've finished this post; that'll be me for today.
And here is a local picture for you.

Author Patricia Mitchell Lapidus, Interviewed.

Patricia Mitchell Lapidus, a writer and a poet, is retired from two careers, one as a high school English teacher, and one as a social worker teaching parent skills and life skills to teen families.     Trish has published a memoir of her life in a community of spiritual hippies, Sweet Potato Suppers: A Yankee Woman Finds Salvation in a Hippie Village, the second edition of which is due out in 201l.  She has published poems in a number of literary magazines, including Green Hills Literary Lantern, Off the Coast, and Peregrine.  She writes articles for ezine@articles and for hubpages.  She maintains several blogs related to her writing and her family.  Swamp Walking Woman, a modern mythic fairy tale, and Gideon's River, a novel about family relationships, are available as eBooks and as soft cover paperbacks.  Red Hen's Daughters, her first book of poems is about farming life in the 1950s, the many questions a child asks, and about the transition to modern living.      Trish lives with her husband in New Haven, CT, where she hikes the beautiful trails of West Rock Ridge State Park, writes, and gives workshops at the New Haven Public Library.  She is an encourager of writers and, in her writing, a strong advocate for children, for parents, and for the dignity of all persons.      She has a Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary English from the University of Maine and a Bachelor's degree in English from Indiana University.       Trish uses the tools of Scientology in life and in her work.  Tell us about Gideon's River in a few sentences.
Gideon's River is a novel about the relationship between a timid mother and her angry son.  This story explores a common family drama we could call "the bully and the wimp" as it has come down through the generations.  Although traditional religion and modern therapies don't seem to have answers, the family does find hope in a surprising way.
How did you come to write this particular book?
In my work with families as a social worker I witnessed a lot of unhappiness.  It always struck me that people who clearly loved one another couldn't seem to refrain from hurting and alienating the very ones they needed most.  Also, as I took young mothers or couples to receive counseling, I found they often felt these "helps" didn't help.  I began to research the issue and found a sense of truth I wanted to share in story form.
If you have a favorite character in your novel, why that particular one?
I have quite a few favorites, but I'd say Gideon is the winner for me—because he won't sit still and let life run over him.  He insists on participating.  Of course, he gets himself into scrapes, but his efforts charm me and will charm the reader.  The novel is quite populated and there are a number of subplots that counterpoint Gideon's story.
Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?
The novel is set along the Susquehanna River north of the Catskill Mountains in rural NY where I worked.  The town of Little Bridge is created from familiar landmarks.
How can people buy your books?
My books are available as soft cover paperbacks on amazon.com and as eBooks through smashwords.com or through eBook readers.
What qualities make a successful writer?
Love of words, of communicating with words, would be top.  Then, a great passion, such as my passion for helping children to live confident lives.
Who will be interested in reading Gideon's River?  
Anyone who enjoys a good story about relationships and personal growth will like this novel—especially parents who are still raising children and young people who are emerging from family into a separate identity.  This book is also for anyone who wants to take a rather long look at the history of family life.
To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?
Not too important at first.  And you can always hire a proofreader later or ask a friend to read your work.  My advice to writers is not to worry about grammar and spelling while they are writing the first draft and making revisions, only later when it's time to polish.  Then you'll want your work to look professional.  No distractions of typos and such.
How do you know where to begin any given story?
I didn't know.  I tried several beginning.  Finally I let my editor show me the true beginning.
 How long does it normally take you to write a novel?
Full time, I wrote Gideon's River in about a month.  But I still had a lot of work to do to get the whole story fleshed out and organized.  Sadly, most authors must market their own books and this can slow down the writing of the next.
Who or what inspires you?
Other great writers.  In the case of Gideon, I look at other novels about young boys—Oliver Twist, Tom Sawyer, Harry Potter.  Tom Sawyer exists largely outside social foolishness.  That is his function, to see and show social assumptions for what they are.  Oliver and Harry begin in a certain amount of distress.  Oliver, whom we first meet in a dismal Victorian orphanage, is found and rescued by his rich grandfather.  Harry's existence in the home of his aunt and uncle is every bit as bleak, but he, too, is saved by prior pedigree, because his parents were magic and he has magic in his genes.  What we love about Harry is his confidence—in spite of his raising.  Gideon, like these boys, is in trouble, and Gideon works out his salvation without prior pedigree.
If there's a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?
I have a hard time keeping track of what information I have already given my reader and what I have withheld in order to create tension.  I have to make a time line of the plot.
Is there any aspect of writing that you really enjoy?
I love how the characters come to life and make decisions.  For example, Gideon's friend Cody does something highly unorthodox to save Gideon.  I never felt I decided that.  I just watched the kid go and do it and I was shocked—but it worked!
Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?
Probably some gift but certainly can be acquired.  If you want to write, you have the gift and all you need is some skills.
What single piece of advice would you give to writers still hoping to be published?
Be confident in yourself and your vision—and never give up!  Very few writer are successful early in their careers.  Mostly spend a lot of time finding the right actions to outlets.
What are you writing now?
I'm writing another novel set in Little Bridge and using some of the same characters.  Though, I have little time for it because of the marketing efforts, which are not all terrible chores, since I love giving speeches and workshops, writing articles, and so on.
Do you have a website or a blog that readers can visit?
Yes.  Readers can find out more about my work at www.fictionforfamilies.wordpress.com and at my recently acquired web page www.patricialapidus.com   For a wider look at my life and activities www.swampwalkingwoman.blogspot.com
Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?
I'm fortunate to have a quiet apartment with a computer where I can stand up—and a husband who flunked retirement and loves to volunteer at a local detox center.  We are good friends, and yet I do love being left alone to do my work.