Alex Laybourne's Blog, page 104

ROW80: Off the Radar, Preparing

It has been a strange week when I look back on it.

My editor returned Highway to Hell to me, I checked through it, made a few last minor adjustments and then I stepped into the world of a published author. Yes you heard it here… Highway to Hell is now available for download via Smashwords.com

Now, you may ask why am I not shouting this form the roof and trying to drum up sales? Well the answer is one I thought long and hard about. I want to do this right. I want a careful and well thought out sales approach. My main aim now is to get the smashwords 'Premium Status approval' and the paperback version up and published. That way I can attack the market from all angles.

Also, I am busy laying the groundwork behind the scenes, creating accounts and profiles at Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Wattpad, and Authors.com so that I have even more social media points of contact. Sadly, all the ground work means my actual presence on these sites has decreased the las few days, but I am almost there now to at least get back to my old level of contact and I hope to start working in some more promotion as of tomorrow.

Just to give you all a heads-up, you can read the first character introduction from Highway to Hell here on my site and the first 20% is available for download at Smashwords.

Following from another recent series of conversations that I have had and witnessed over the last few weeks, I came into the market with a price of $2.99 and will use the $.99 figure as a promotional tool etc.

For the rest, I haven't done much other writing in the second half of this week. I have managed something most days, but that too will start again from tomorrow.

Well, that is about it for this check-in my friends. As always I thank you for reading, and for sticking with me on my journey.

Thrill of the Chase

The woman ran, her bare feet slapped against the went concrete. Her eyes were wide as she scanned the dark road ahead of her for a hiding place. He wasn't far behind her now. She could hear his bellowed threats louder with each passing second.

The street was dark, no houses had lights burning, even the streets lamps didn't burn. "Perfect" She hissed under her breath. She spotted and alleyway that cut between two buildings. One an old boarded up shop, the other a house in an equally abandoned state. She had picked a great street to turn into.

Not wasting time to think about things any longer Abigail ducked into the alley and crouched down in the darkness. Allowing the stench of the dumpster to envelop her. It was there that sh crouched, waiting for him to run past. She tried to listen for his approach, but her heart beat a thunderous rhythm in her chest and masked all other sound.

"Where are you bitch?" She heard him call. He was close. "You think I'm gonna let you get away from me. Come on, get out here. Show you face." He spat. The liquor in his system was clear in the way his words slurred, and visible in the way he swayed unsteadily on his feet. He leant forward, resting on his knees, catching his breath.

Abigail closed her eyes, calming herself. She would need her wits about her. She had been stupid to go out at all, especially alone. With the recent spate of killings in the neighbourhood the streets just weren't safe anymore. The police had no leads, no clue was to who was responsible. They were a small community and if truth be told not able to handle such an event.

But still, for a young girl, a Friday night was a Friday night. Fun couldn't stop just because of a little danger could it. Or at least that was what she had told herself when she left the house.

She had gotten but half way to the club when he stepped out in front of her, blocking her path with his muscular form. Even in the darkness she could make out the tattoos that covered his body. He reeked of aggression.

"It's a bit late for a little thing like you to be out" He had sneered.

Abigail was far from stupid, the bar at the other end of the street was a known biker haunt and not the place she wanted to be taken. So she had turned and fled. He had followed her. She knew he would. They always did.

Now, hiding in the alleyway Abigail made just enough noise to get his befuddled attention and bring him into the darkness, into the stench. It was the stench of death, her own private killing fields. As he passed her, Abigail let his aroma filled her once more. Her senses went wild. Her fangs descended and she stepped out into the alley behind the man. It was a dangerous game, especially with her clan so close to being discovered, but she couldn't help it. Abigail just loved the thrill of the chase, it make the meat that much sweeter.

Expectations from the Rocky Road

As the publication date of Highway To Hell approaches I am beginning to think about everything is broader terms. This novel is no longer just a piece of my imagination, or something I am working on. It is Done. Finished. Complete. Whatever verb I choose to throw around, the end result is the same. My novel has become just that.

This means that it is now time for me to share my work with the world. What would be the point of the re-writes, the edits, the editing costs and the cover art costs if I was just going to lock it away from everybody?

Take a moment to think about this, about what it means. My work, my pride and joy is going to be put out there for other to see. Not only that I am asking people to give me money so they can read it, and am even offering it to people for reviews. These reviews will be honest opinions from people who know what they are talking about. There is sometimes incredibly fulfilling in that knowledge yet also something inherently masochistic.

Nobody expects their work to be perfect, it is not possible. Every writer has doubts about their finished product, sections or chapters that they know are weaker than the res, but we submit to reviewers none the less, knowing that they will pick up on these things. I guess that is where the fine line between bravery and insanity can be called into play.

The real thought that has been keeping me up at night is not about what others will think. As I state above it is part of being a writer that we offer our work to others. What bothers me more is the expectation I have placed on myself, and my novel. What do I really think will happen. Of course my ideal would be a spike in sales that sees me achieve world-wide fame and fortune, and enable me to quit the job I work not because I enjoy it, because there is a career or even potential advancements in it – because there aren't – but because I have a family to support and need to pay the bills somehow.

However, even I am not stupid enough to realistically expect this, no matter what people may think of the novel, one piece will not make my name, although may break it if not executed properly.

To those of you who have published work already, what were your initial expectations, and how close did you come to them? Or maybe you surpassed them. For those still on the road to those first publication jitters, what do you really think will happen once your book his the shelves. Virtual or otherwise.

Mine, I will be honest are 100 copies. It may sound like nothing to some, and a lot to ask for others, but if I can sell 100 copies of Highway to Hell, then I will know that it was a success. Maybe I am setting my sights too low, a problem I have often had, but I have put a lot of thought into this personal target, and I am happy with where it has been set

ROW80: Biting Off More Than I Can Chew

This has been a thought going through my head the last few days. Ever since my post on Autism on Monday. Granted I haven't had much time to do too intensive research, but it seems at first glance that writing a series of fiction books aimed just at autistic children will not be difficult but rather monumentous. I have check online – briefly – but not been able to find anything about other books out there that are written this way. There are plenty which have autistic characters but that is not really what I am going for.

Still, this is a subject close to my heart and not something I will drop at the first hurdle. Not at any hurdle. It is time I started making some phone calls to gather information the old-fashioned way.

Anyway, back onto my original ROW80 Goals, as the above project is something much grander in scale than can currently be confined to a single round.

Highway to Hell is still with the editor, and he has started back at work after his week off so I hope to receive it back sometime within the next week. (YAY) and we had a family BBQ – on my wife's side – on Sunday and so I get chatting with my brother-in-law who is the designer of my fabulous book cover. We discussed a few changes that I would like to consider and he said he can see to it no problem. (another YAY) Everything is coming together even if I see no real movement at the moment. The cogs behind the behind the scenes are turning nicely.

In terms of my new WIP, Highway To Hell : Trials and Tribulations stands now at Circa 14,000 words and is moving along nicely. I have averaged around 750 words a day this week and if I can keep this up the whole way then I will be delighted. I have the first scenes all planned out and have thought of a couple of nice extra bits for later in this novel and in part three that will king of bring things back on and inter-connect in a way I had not thought of before. I also have some paid writing work – freelance SEO based stuff – that I need to do, because I have to save up for my writing costs – editor, cover art etc – in some way. But that doesn't eat into my time too much.

I have kind of made my mind up to publish Highway to Hell via Createspace and Smashwords, and then investigate other potential avenues for the subsequent books, and think I have settled on a price structure also. Thanks in large part to posts on several websites including those of LM Stull and Dmytry Karpov

Autism Speaks, Autism Writes, and Autism Reads

My two-year old son has just received a preliminary diagnosis of being Autistic. We don't know where he is on the Autism spectrum, at the end of the day we don't care. We will do whatever is necessary to help him as best as can be done. He doesn't speak, and goes to speech therapy classes twice a week. He is also on the list to go to a play group tailored towards Autistic children, as well as continuing – at my insistence and our case workers agreement – to go to his regular play-group once a week.

This new event in my life has however set my mind in motion in terms of writing. It seems that I am able to draw inspiration from any form of new of development in the world around me.

There seems to be a great stigma surrounding Autism and it is one that I do not like the look of. My son cannot speak, but he will. He cannot write, but he is only 2.5 and he will. He cannot read, but he certainly will. I don't just say this because I believe in the healing power of positive thinking a la Napoleon Hill, but because I know it in my heart to be the truth.

However, to bring this post back to its original intent… my inspirational idea / notion.

I am not (yet) any form of expert in Autism or how to 'teach' and encourage children with it, however I would very much like to learn.

Is there a special style of writing that can be used to create a series of novels aimed specifically at children with Autism and other such similar conditions? I would love to write a series of children books aimed specifically at helping Autistic children lean how to both read and write, while enjoying a real story at the same time.

I have a theme all laid out, story ideas teaching them the basic values of childhood; Don't talk to strange etc. I just need to understand how to write it in the most efficient and productive way. Of course it goes without saying the eventual sales of these books will go towards Autism charities etc. Which is even more reason for me to do it right, and not just market something that I think will work, because it is not my pockets that will be lined but those of people far more deserving.

 

If anybody knows any links or can direct me towards a place / person who can help me learn what I need to know please let me know.

 

ROW80: I Am In Love Once More

Writing a novel is personal, it is authors removing a part of who they are and immortalizing it in print for the whole world to see. The ultimate level of vulnerability. Yet we do it because we love it.

After many months of editing, re-writing certain scenes and *gulps* deleting words, I have finally begun work on Book 2 of my trilogy. A novel provisionally titled Trials and Tribulations.   It feels wonderful.

That feeling of nervousness before every word, fingertips caressing the keys; fluid and gentle. The unknown unfolding before your eyes, characters growing and changing seemingly of their own accord.  The unexpected lies ahead even for the most structured of plotters. It is frightening and exhilarating, it is for want of a more apt description…. LOVE.

You can always tell someone in love because of their face. They smile, it cannot be helped, and I will never blame them for doing so. For writers I am sure it is the same. When we are working on a new project, we smile. The plot, the characters are in our minds and in our hearts. We feel them calling to us and cannot wait to get just a few more moments in their company, because we know that when it happens, everything will be fine.

As I am sure you can guess, I have started my new novel and currently – thanks to being able to salvage a lot of the opening scene for Richard from back when I had planned on making it one long novel rather than a trilogy – have circa 12,000 words already written. The opening desert scene has been completed and I am now reviving my second group and setting their tale in motion. In a way I feel sad that they will not all meet until the end of this installment, but sadly such expectation needs to be built. The only question I am asking myself is are they all going to be alive when they get there. (Okay, technically they are all already dead but you know what I mean)

Highway to Hell is still with the editors, and I hope to have heard something about it by this time next week, which will still put me on course to have everything tied up by the end of August.

Well thank you all for reading, and before I go, I would like to share a link with you. It is to an amazing short story written and edited in under 90 minutes (well if you read the article that accompanies the tale I guess it was 91 minutes) by my friend  Dmytry Karpov 

The Family That Eats Together Stays Together

Nigel Yorke sat down to dinner, his family around him; his wife Nina and their two girls Roxy and Maria. They didn't enjoy many evening meals together. The girls were teenagers, and rarely home long enough to have a conversation let alone a meal. And Nigel… well you could say that Nigel is a workaholic. But tonight was different. On Thursdays they always sat down and ate together. As a family.

Despite it all however, Nigel couldn't get his mind off work, he had been working all week on a project and was eager to apply the finishing touches  before the weekend. He never worked on the weekend.

"Girls, your mother and I were thinking that maybe we can take a trip this Summer. Up into the woods around Lake Paramount. Rent a cabin like the old days. What do you think?" Nigel asked, breaking the silence that had fallen as they began to eat.

They were a close family, always had been. But with the girls growing up and beginning to spread their wings and fly the nest Nigel was keen not to lose the bonds that held them together.

"Sounds good Dad." Roxy answered while Maria nodded her approval as she took another bite of her steak. "I loved it up there. We haven't been in years. It will be nice to go back."

"Then it's settled. I'll make some calls in the morning." Nigel spoke, before finishing his wine and releasing a satisfying belch. "That was wonderful honey." Nigel spoke once they had all finished and his daughters had cleared the table.

He rose and kissed his wife on the cheek before heading back to his office. "I won't be long. Just need to tie up a couple of loose ends. I'll help you do the dishes when I'm done." He whispered.

They lived in a large house,  paid for by the sales of Nigel's immensely populate Children's novels. He wrote fantasy stories for you children. Tweenage Fantasy was what the media had labelled it. Nigel's office was in the back of the property, overlooking the large garden.

Nigel entered the room, closing but not locking the door behind him. His children were always welcome in his office, and knew that if he was on the phone he was not to be disturbed.

Rather than sitting at his desk however, Nigel walked over to the bookcase. He grabbed a hold of the third book from the right on the second shelf, and pulled. The entire wall unit came free and revealed a hidden staircase. Without pausing Nigel descended, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Sorry I was gone so long. I hope you didn't miss me." He spoke to the naked young girl he had tied to a large metal mortuary table.

The girl thrashed on the table, her strength beginning to return as the effect of the sedative began to wear off. She was fastened by her wrists and ankles, each pulled towards its own corner. Her knees and head were held immobile by thick leather belts. She had a large rubber gag in her mouth that fastened behind her head like a belt.

"Now, where were we?" Nigel spoke to himself as he pulled on the industrial use black rubber gloves, and grabbed a pair of eye goggles. He ran his hand along the gleaming instruments that hung along the main wall of the dungeon. Each one clean and sterile. Even a serial killer has standards, or so Nigel liked to believe.

Nigel caressed each and every blade he passed, finally stopped by a large cigar clipper. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. Then, with lightning speed he grabbed his captives hand slipped her ring finger the through the hole and cut it off. The girl screamed into the gag, tears fell from her eyes, and ran down the tables slight incline where it merged with her blood and drained away into one of the two large canisters positioned beneath each ankle.

Nigel picked up the finger by the tip. He held it aloft so that the blood dipped into his open mouth. He sucked on the end as if eating a crabs leg and then threw it to one side. "You taste so sweet." Nigel whispered to the girl.

He had first spotted her in the parking lot at the local supermarket. She had been a saucy little thing, full of life and vivacity. He had killed her boyfriend first, cut his throat and bled him out. His body still hung inverted from the wall opposite the girl. It wasn't so quick for her. Nigel like to take his time. She was too beautiful to waste.

"This little piggy went to market" Nigel sang softly to himself as he ran the cigar cutter over the girls toes. Each nail painted had been painted a bright pink. He slipped the cutter over one of the toes when the sound of the bookcase being pulled back caused him to jump. He dropped the cutter to the floor.

"Dad" He heard a voice echoing down from the top of the stairs. Maria didn't wait for an answer, and her footsteps soon echoed on the stairs. The girl, upon hearing the voice began her struggles. Somehow finding the strength to scream through the gag.

Nigel moved before the girl, as if hoping to hide her from sight before Maria appeared.

"Oh a screamer. She'll taste good." Maria said as she emerged from the shadows. Mum wanted me to ask if you can cut a couple of steaks for her. She wants to barbecue tomorrow night.

"Sure thing Honey." Nigel answered, hugging his daughter as behind him the screams of the girl turned into the sobs of defeat.

Nigel was disappointed, he had hoped to keep the girl around a while longer, but then again, they hadn't barbecued for a while and she did indeed taste great.

 

 

How Far Can You Push A Hero?

I like my characters to be flawed. Not just in my writing but in what I read and what I watch. These perfect characters who are friends to with everybody, always say the right thing and Mary Poppins perfect in every way always seem two-dimensional and can never hold my interest as much as a character with… issues.

It doesn't have to be much, just as long as there is something that tells me this character is real. Even if it is just biting their nails or picking their nose. It is after all our flaws that make us human, make us unique.

The question that has been floating around in my mind recently is not about why flawed characters are so realistic or why I like them so much, but rather how far can you go with it.

Just how flawed can you make your hero (anti-hero) before you lose him. Either to the 'dark side' or just lose him in terms of readability and end up killing him off or moving him to the back of the group, his term in office served and appreciated yet ultimately not good enough to lead the readers through to the end.

I mean sure we can accept a hero who smoke and drinks, even one who swears, but where would you the reader stand with a hero who beat his wife? Or a hero who is only after himself, and if the time arises he will turn his back on those who can't keep up.  Surely being a good hero (or anti-hero) is defined by your journey and not just the eventual climax?

I often hear people say that in real life, anybody can be a hero… under the right circumstances. This may be true, but can it be pulled of in fiction? Especially fiction for a modern generation with modern ideals.

Could you create a character who is a racist and have him become the hero? Is it possible to shape this character so that the readers learn to like him? I am sure there is a way, blame their upbringing, blame their parents, as if often the way things get justified, but is that enough to promote not only sympathy for the character but to turn him into the hero?

What flaws do you find interesting in a character and how damaged can a hero be in your eyes before you lose faith in him?

I ask because I am dallying with an idea to take one of the characters in Highway to Hell and find that line and bring him there. I would like to see what I can make of him. For I fear he may already become one of the stragglers if I don't do something different with him, and I quite like the guy… at the moment.

 

 

ROW80: Editors, Cover Art and Delays

Well there haven't really been any major developments this week so far. I have spent a large portion of my time on Facebook…. no not farming or running a crime empire, but Networking. I created a new profile that is primarily about me as an author. Ok I will personalize it, but this is my public image profile. I also created a couple of pages, one for my novel and one for me. However, I'm not really sure how I am supposed to work with them so they aren't really doing much at the moment.

I have managed to find a way to convert my cover art into a format that can be uploaded – Yes, I am fairly computer illiterate – and as you can see it is pasted below. What do you think? It was made by my brother-in-law Eelco Wijnands

I have the basic outline for book 2 planned out in my head now, and am planning on getting started on the writing of the opening scene(s) in the second half of this week. I have in effect two plot lines in this book, running simultaneously for the majority of the novel, and then they begin to converge around the midway point, and then the final scene will see the two 'camps' come together and set things up for Book 3. …. I hope.

I wrote some of the opening scene for book two at the start of the year, when I wanted to incorporate it into Highway To Hell, before the idea spawned into a trilogy. I will read through this and see if I can salvage any of it, as the scene is still basically the same, the beginning at least.

In terms of where I stand with my goal of having Highway to Hell ready for upload onto smashwords.com, I have hit a slight curve in the road because my editor has had to take a week off.

I received an email from him last night asking my permission to take a week off to recharge his batteries. He said that if I said no he would work on. What an honest and all around good guy is he? Of course I said I had no problem with it. I don't, for many reasons. I would expect everybody to put their own health above my books, maybe I just don't have a ruthless streak, but I like to think that I am just a nice guy (pats self on back.) The second reason that I am happy for him to take a break is more selfish and I will admit it. I don't want a tired editor checking my book. I want one who is fresh and observant because I want my book to be edited well. I have complete faith in my editor and his company, and am therefore more than happy to extend my own target publication date accordingly.

I still anticipate to be read by the end of August..  now I just to decide who to use? I have now stepped back from Createspace due to their high book costs for my readers and the high shipping costs to Europe and my now investigating both Book Brewer and Lightning Source who have been recommended to me by several individuals, all fellow writers.

Facebook Page: Highway To Hell

Yesterday I raised the questions of whom to publish with, and got some helpful comments and emails from people. My eyes were opened slightly and while the answers seemed to form more questions, I am glad I learned what I did.

Today I once again want to pick your brains. Not in an Egyptian embalming sort of way but rather in search of help and advice.

I have a Facebook profile, but that was for this bizarre social contract that seems to exist which means that as soon as you find people you went to school with or have met at some point in another, you are morally obliged to 'befriend' them. Hence why I wanted a new 'professional' profile that I can use in a proper manner.

My new profile aside, I have also created a Facebook 'Page' specifically for Highway to Hell. I managed to get the cover art converted into a suitable file and got it uploaded as the page image which I am happy with.

I am still a novice on Facebook really, and am busy trying to learn how to link this page to my profile and get it visible for people to 'Like'  but that will all come in time… well the next few days I hope.

My plan is to use this page as a sort of billboard for the release of my book and also to advise people of developments after publication. I will also maybe try to run some competitions and/or giveaways through the page or have people go to the page in order to enter / win.

Do you use Facebook? How do you rate it as a tool for Indie book marketing and to what length do you go ?