Ray Daley's Blog, page 77

Spreading yourself too thin

This is something I am guilty of.

I have a LOT of ideas that are either in development or just a few lines or a few paragraphs or well under way. Sometimes I find being able to sit down and write (ie:- having the desire & motivation) quite difficult.

So I’ll try to write but I am VERY easily distracted. Not to the point of ADD but I am pretty easily distracted, I find it very easy to procrastinate too. Currently in my development queue I have at least 40 stories ranging from just an idea written down to 1 line of story, 1 sentance, a paragraph all the way up what would equate to several pages.

My single worst piece of procrastination would be my Hitch Hikers fan-fic story which I’ve been working on since I was 16. And I’m 43 now. So I’ve got it bad.

I can finish stuff. My 50+ published ebooks and several flash fiction stories online are proof of that.

All I’m saying is I’m a complex individual.

I’ll just write when I can, is that fair enough?

A sneaky peak at a work in progress…….

“All The World In Wax” – here’s a little taster to whet your appetite.

All around the town, the pasters of posters were advertising the coming attraction. “Recently arrived; from Lychburg, Tn. All The World – In Wax! See how life is lived in other states!” The poster promised mysteries would be unravelled amidst a cloud of popcorn aroma and tilt-a-whirl screams.

The carnival would run for a week as it always had in the past, then quietly dismantle like a snake eating its own tail and move off during the night leaving nothing but an empty field. Nothing but a few half ripped tickets and a broken coconut shell to show anything had ever been there except the field.

(This is my attempt to channel both Ray Bradbury & Stephen King at the same time, any opinions are welcome)

IT LIVES!

I’m back!

Laser surgery over and done (well, at least for another 6 weeks) and it was probably the most painful things I’ve ever encountered in my life up this point.

And I’ve been exposed to CS Gas (many times) and fractured my ankle too.

Yesterday was really painful and this morning was pretty damn uncomfortable too.

I’m on eye drops for a week and tablets until tomorrow.

No clue when I’ll be back and writin again.

Today I……………..

Typed up my current bedside notes for “The Space Museum” which is still its working title unless I can think of a better one.

I’ve now got an artist working on a potential cover (in slow time) in the shape of one of my sisters.

The ideas that currently exist appear to work fairly well as notes that I’ve typed up, how they work when I come to turn it into chapters is entirely another matter.

I think the situation I’ve created to make my 2 lead characters the last 2 Americans alive doesn’t sound completely ridiculous or insane. I’ve already abandoned the sad “everyone dies” initial idea for my original ending, its just way too dull and a real heavy bummer to boot.

In order to improve it I created a new character and a back story of their survival which works for me.

I’m of a mind to create a timeline for the story so I can refer to it as I am writing, it’s a possibly helpful development tool which may or may not be implemented. Frankly anything I do this week before Thursday is a bonus.

“It’s been done before”

Never ever EVER Google your potential story ideas, because someone else has almost certainly suggested it before you.

Things I’ve had to abandon after Googling:-

Cosmonauts before Gagarin.

Ayers Rock Is A Spaceship.

Kubrick faked the moon landings.

Latest flash short NOW online to read!

http://www.linguisticerosion.com/2013/04/the-keepers-kept.html

The Keepers, Kept | Linguistic Erosion

And my newest flash short “The Keepers, Kept” is UP! (Oh, and currently being reworked into a novellette – possibly)

Totally not a statement of intention, okay?

I’m saying that so people don’t expect me to follow through then get disappointed if or when I can’t manage to complete what I’m thinking about.

Okay, caveat over.

On Sunday Linguistic Erosion will publish “The Keepers, Kept” on their web site.

It’s a short piece of flash fiction that tells a little bit of a story but enough to be understandable.

One of the things people have said about some of my previous shorts were that a few of them could have easily been extended into something more. The more I read over “The Keepers, Kept”, the more I started thinking that about it myself. The story does and can stand alone. But I feel like I can do more with it.

So I’m going to try. I may fail. But I’ll fail having tried. Which is better than never trying.

So far I have outline ideas for 15 specific chapters, each of which I am hoping I can make about 2000 words long or more. Which may well put me at 30,000 words – way more than anything I’ve previously written for one single story.

I’m going to try. I have no set timetable, no set amount of words per day or week or month even.

There’s no finish line as such, if I can answer to myself “have I reached the end of this?” then it’s done.

Wish me luck.

I’m gonna need it.

New release done.

Smashwords — The Time On The Island — A book by Ray Daley.

First of the new month, that means ebook freebie day.  Hope you all enjoy reading it!

Good to go

Just finished the cover for “The Time On The Island.”

Found some nice public domain clip art and coloured it in myself. I generally make all my own covers for my ebooks using the very user friendly Paint.NET program which is available for free.

Here’s a sneaky peek for all you loyal blog readers.

The book (just over 3k words long) will be up on 1st April 2013.

Nothing happens for ages and then ……….

Received an email today.

My flash story “The Keepers, kept” will be appearing on the front page of the Linguistic Erosion flash story site on April 7th.

I’ll put up a URL when it’s live.

Off to hospital tomorrow, I assume it’s just my pre-op check up to save time on the day of the actual laser surgery.

Fairly sure next months freebie will be “The Time On The Island”, I’ll work on sorting a cover over the Easter weekend.

Right, now I REALLY should type up those “Write Now” notes that have been sitting in the notepad over a month.

And it’s nice to see likes from readers and followers, I am checking out your blogs too even if I’m not leaving any comments. If you take time to read mine and I get an email telling me so then I will at least return the favour and check your blog out.

Remember if you want to read my work just make your way to Smashwords, Feedbooks, Kobo, Itunes, Barnes & Noble (their online site), Diesal, the Sony ereader site or Amazon which is the only place I am currently selling my work.

Everywhere else it’s free and always will be.

There are now over 52 titles available, at least one for every week of the year!