Roland Clarke's Blog, page 53

C for Confessions-#atozchallenge

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 3.

Blurb & other Episodes

Confessions dictate everyone’s future. Guesses hamper investigations.

Judging kitthoge lies mandates novel operating procedures, but quickly reveals suspects. Truths unite valid witnesses.

“Xylophagous,” yelled zetetic Archibald.

Glossary:

Kitthoge                      left-handed; awkward

Xylophagous              wood-eating

Zetetic                         proceeding by inquiry; inquiring, investigating

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Crisp as part of what could well be a Canadian – but not in 1973 Grand National.

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Cone shell (Conus species);

Distribution: tropical Indo-Pacific region;

Toxic principle: quaternary ammonium compounds and others;

Symptoms: blanching at the site of injection, cyanosis of the surrounding area, numbness, stinging or burning sensation, blurring of vision, loss of speech, difficulty in swallowing, nausea, extreme weakness, coma, and death in some cases; no specific antidote.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

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The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

B for Bodies-#atozchallenge

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 2.

[Blurb & other Episodes]

Bodies can deliver essential forensic gems.

However, interpreting Jamila’s knowledge left many nervous. Other patients queued religiously, suffering torment.

Archibald’s usual victims were xanthocomic yeggs –  zappy.

Glossary:

Xanthocomic               yellow-haired

Yegg                           a burglar or safecracker.

Zappy                          lively; entertaining

 

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Barbaro should have been my Banker

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum);

Distribution: North America, Europe;

Toxic principle: solanine, a glycoalkaloid;

Symptoms: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, trembling, paralysis, coma, death

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

*

The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

A for Archibald-#atozchallenge

“A Brilliant Conspiracy” Episode 1.

[Blurb & other Episodes]

Archibald Brewster conjectures death eventually faces grooms.

Hospital intern Jamila Knox laments. “Murder nevertheless. Obviously poison.”

Questions raised steer two unique venerers whithersoever. X-rays yield zilch.

Glossary:

Intern                          a student or trainee who works, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.

Venerer                       gamekeeper; hunter

Whithersoever             to any place whatsoever

 

Archibald’s ‘Horse of the Day’

http://www.paulaura.com/betgloss.htm

Arkle has to be first on the list, and would always be my choice on an Accumulator

 

Jamila’s ‘Daily Poison’

http://www.britannica.com/science/poison-biochemistry/Types-of-poison#ref396648

Aconite, or monkshood (Aconitum napellus); an extremely poisonous plant.

Distribution: North America, Europe;

Toxic principle: aconite and a complex of other alkaloids;

Symptoms: tingling, burning sensation in tongue, throat, skin; restlessness, respiratory distress, muscular uncoordination, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, possible death.

 

Word Links

http://www.wordfind.com/

http://phrontistery.info/glossaries.html

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/adverbs.shtml

https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/prepositions-list.htm

 

*

The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

Read more about the Challenge I set myself in my Theme Reveal:

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

For more on the Blogging from A to Z Challenge and to visit the other brave bloggers, go to the official site and this linky list.

 

 

A Brilliant Conspiracy

Blogging from A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal 2016

April and the A to Z Challenge is drawing near, so today I’m posting about the Theme I intend to follow for the Month of April on Writing Wings.

The Challenge runs over 26 days – with Sundays off for good behaviour – and each day will be based on the alphabet, from A through to Z.

In previous years, I have chosen themes that were linked to Work In Progress… and I rambled somewhat. So I wanted something different, maybe tighter and more cryptic.

So “A Brilliant Conspiracy” was born.

This is a short saga based around the following ‘Blurb’.

Archibald Brewster claims detective expertise, frustrating genius hospital intern Jamila Knox.

Luckily, muscles never obstruct progress.

Questions remain, silently taunting, until vengeance wakes xenophobia-yapping zealots.

Inspired by this mystery, I will post a brief episode in “A Brilliant Conspiracy” on every day of the challenge, from A through to Z, each one starting with the relevant letter.

Each episode will consist of one word for each of the letters of the alphabet, initially in alphabetical order. As each letter is ticked off, I will then use it anywhere in the following episodes. For instance, Day 3 will start with ‘C’ for ‘Confessions, and somewhere I will use A and B – possibly for ‘Archibald’ and for ‘but’. By the time the mystery reaches Z, all the other letters will be in non-alphabetical order. That means 26 posts, each one of 26 words.

As a bonus, Archibald will pick his ‘horse of the day’, while Jamila will assess a ‘daily poison’ – again from A to Z.

I’m attempting to concoct these cryptic episodes in advance, but it’s proving tough. So if I fail to complete this challenge, then this will be, “Another Baffling Confusion”, especially if there is no Z.

Why not go visit the others on the linky list to find out what sort of posts you can look forward to elsewhere.

You can also visit the A to Z Facebook page where you’ll be able to see what everyone’s posting about. And there are the A to Z pinterest boards, the G+ page, and Twitter where the #atozchallenge tag rules.

See you on April 1st when Archibald and Jamila embark on their adventure.

 

Storming – a review

Time for another review – Storming by K.M. Weiland – the third novel from a writer whose website is a mine of writing gems. Her fiction writing certainly demonstrates all the craft that she mentors on her website. So on to the review:

Storming lives up to the blurb that inspired me, “Cocky, funny, and full of heart, Storming is a jaunty historical/dieselpunk mash-up that combines rip-roaring adventure and small-town charm with the thrill of futuristic possibilities.”

I was hooked from the opening, when a young woman falls from the clouds in front of Hitch Hitchcock’s biplane. Hitch is a pilot protagonist who has run away from his past, but now has to face it head-on as he tries to “save his Nebraska hometown from storm-wielding sky pirates.”

The young woman, Jael is mysterious and spunky, and tied to the pirates, which is craftily revealed. I wanted Hitch and Jael to fall for each other, but nothing is ever so easy, especially in one of K.M Weiland’s novels. I gave up trying to suss out what was going to happen next – after getting caught out in her first novel, “Behold the Dawn” [another recommended read]. She knows exactly how to make the twists pay off.

All the characters are memorable, including the supporting cast – I could really visualise the Berringer brothers. The young boy Walter adds a strong thread that kept me on the edge of my Kindle as his story weaves throughout, and he adds to the exhilarating climax.

Having read a few ‘steampunk’ novels, I relished the sky pirates and their strange weather-controlling airship, and their unusual language. At first, Jael speaks only this language and a smattering of English words, adding to the mystery of her and her people. I sensed a Slavic origin, and have my own theories, but read the novel and form your own.

K.M Weiland has written yet another novel that demonstrates that she ‘practises what she preaches’.

 

 

 

Shifting Storylines

 

It’s March 2nd and time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group monthly post.

Last month, I said, “I may be Insecure but I’m putting aside the whining and complaining – for a few days at least.” Well that only lasted a week or so, and then I spiralled into a pit of inactivity. Part of that was due to the ongoing delay in getting to the US.

And there’s the shifting sands that are my novels and their storylines.

What do you do when the comments from beta readers/critique partners/writing group colleagues/editors or whoever throw up new angles on your fantastic tale?

I attempt to take them on board – if they ring true. However, it often means another re-write and sometimes that can be radical.

With my debut novel, “Spiral of Hooves”, I had to re-work the whole timeline and some of the characters after my writers group pointed out ways of improving the storyline. It was better for the changes – I think.

I’ve just had a thorough critique on “Storms Compass”, and I can see where the fellow writer was coming from. However, I now face a major rewrite that will include adding scenes, explanations, descriptions, clarification – plus deleting whole chunks that are subplots that don’t tie in.

Do I trim frantically? Do I incorporate Book 2 to make a more rounded storyline?

So many questions. Perhaps I will put “Storms Compass” on a back-burner = bury it in my personal slush pile. I can then return, one day, to the novel I revised during NaNoWriMo 2015 – “Fates Maelstrom”. Or does that have the same built-in failings?

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The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Please visit others in the group and connect with my fellow writers.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the March 2 posting of the IWSG are Lauren Hennessy, Lisa Buie-Collard, Lidy, Christine Rains, and Mary Aalgaard! 

The Road Ahead

Apologies for the silence. I had hoped to blog about our moving plans, as we thought we were finally in a position to advance. But again we have to wait. Maybe next week.

For now, here is a link to an interview with me, just published on Tasha’s Thinkings. It was a great chance to talk about myself, my writing, and most crucially… about Star Wars.

Read on and enjoy.

TimeStorm – a review

Time for another review – TimeStorm by Steve Harrison, which my critique partner suggested that I read to see the way that the author handles multiple viewpoints.

From a writing perspective, the technique worked well. Each chapter has the POV character’s name as the title, and sometimes this is a one-off, other times it is a recurring character. I will return to those POVs as part of the ‘review proper’.

As I read this enjoyable novel by Steve Harrison, I could feel that he is – as the blurb says – “A great fan of the grand seafaring adventure fiction of CS Forester, Patrick O’Brien and Alexander Kent.” That atmosphere is captured in the telling, without feeling over-researched.

The book was inspired by a replica 18th century sailing ship on Sydney Harbour and a question from Steve’s brother, Tony: “What if that was a real convict ship?”

From that premise came this clever tale of the crew and ‘passengers’ from a convict ship swept by a storm from 1795 to 21st century Sydney. The ‘stranger in a strange land’ scenario is carefully played out, with all the characters reacting convincingly to their dangerous situation, whether ship’s officer, convict leader, or the ‘present day’ characters confronted with something more than unexpected.

The central character of Lieutenant Christopher ‘Kit’ Blaney, is – as the blurb says – “an old-fashioned hero, a man of honour, duty and principle”, but he has human failings that make him believable. For some of the chapters, he is the POV, with chapters carrying his name.

But there are other points of view (POV), with their own chapters, and this multi-POV approach keeps the story flowing, showing different facets – some of which would normally be missed out.

Each POV feeds into the evolving plot, which had me gripped. There are two main characters – Blaney, from the 18th century, and a 21st century journalist. But the other POVs with their stories and subplots, are integral to the unfolding plot.

From the first chapter, I was intrigued by one other character, wondering how he would fit in, but sensing he might return. Read TimeStorm to discover how, but I won’t spoil the crafty twist in the tail.

For those that logged on for my post last week – Why read? – there was a second lesson in this novel: How to bookend your novel, by linking the opening and ending. But explaining more would be a spoiler.

 

Why read?

It’s February 3rd and time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group monthly post. I may be Insecure but I’m putting aside the whining and complaining – for a few days at least.

Today I want to be positive and talk about the benefits of reading from a writer’s point of view. And by that I don’t mean just reading what you write, although as writers we should to do that a few times from a reader’s perspective.

For now, I’m talking about other books, not just for the sheer pleasure but for the lessons that we can learn. We can learn what works and what doesn’t from both great reads that keep us hooked from the first sentence, and from those shockers that are an endless struggle. In each novel there should be at least one lesson – even if it’s ‘make sure you use an editor’ or ‘flowing words are like magic’.

So what have I learned over the decades?

Roger Woddis in 1986 – photo by BG

When I started out on my writer’s journey, my writing tutor, the late great Roger Woddis said that my writing suffered from too much ‘purple prose’. The problem stemmed from my passion for “Lord of the Rings” and the style of J.R.R. Tolkien. I was trying to emulate him without understanding the way that he used language. However, over the decades and with many re-reads, I am learning to see the master at work. And as I read other writers, I see that a writer can effectively use beautiful language without obscuring the meaning.

The current lesson is about ‘Multiple POVs’, which is relevant since my current WIP, “Storms Compass”, tells the stories of various characters struggling to survive after a mega solar storm devastates the Earth. My critique partner suggested that I look at how Steve Harrison handles multiple viewpoints in “TimeStorm”. The POVs each have their own chapter with the character’s name as the title. Each one feeds into the evolving plot, which has me gripped – so a review will follow very soon.  There is a main POV character and the other POVs add to his story.

I could go on, giving examples from books that I have read, but I want to end by directing you to K.M. Weiland, a writer whose website is an invaluable resource, and includes many articles that refer to novels and movies as examples. For instance, I am working through my character’s arcs at present, and she gives some great examples – see: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/character-arcs-3/. This and other articles show the importance of reading other novels. The added bonus is that K.M Weiland writes novels in which she practices what she preaches, from her early novels Behold the Dawn and Dreamlander – both of which I enjoyed – to Storming, which is next on my To Read list.

And beyond that I may be delving into the real classics like Machiavelli ‘s “The Prince” and the stories in “The Mabinogion“. We can all learn from the master storytellers of the past.

So read on dudes!

*

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. We post our thoughts on our own blogs. We talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. We discuss our struggles and triumphs. We offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling.

Please visit others in the group and connect with my fellow writers.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

And be sure to check out our Facebook group –https://www.facebook.com/groups/IWSG13/

The awesome co-hosts for the February 3 posting of the IWSG are Allison Gammons,Tamara Narayan, Eva E. Solar, Rachel Pattison, and Ann V. Friend! 

 

Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil – a review

Time for another review. Yes, just a week after my last one, but then this tasty Tuck-sized treat, “Friar Tuck and the Christmas Devil“, was a novella that I had to keep reading.

This was my introduction to the world of ‘The Forest Lord’ that Steven A. McKay has created, and a perfect one at that – even if Robin Hood, the main character in the books, was only mentioned. But “Wolf’s Head (The Forest Lord Book 1)“ is now a MUST READ.

In this tale, Friar Tuck investigates a series of burglaries committed by the Devil and another fiend. The setting felt accurate and I realised that Steven A. McKay had done a lot of research for his world. But it slotted into the story seamlessly.

The plot was clever, and the Devil faced a formidable foe in the friar. Given the length, the novella couldn’t twist and turn as much as a full-length book, but there was more than enough to get my teeth into – even after Tuck had ate and drank his fill. He’s more than a well-rounded character, and for me there was a bonus in an Foreword by Phil Rose, who played the character in the great TV series “Robin of Sherwood”.

Of course, being set at Christmas there were traditions and festivities adding to the atmosphere, and Steven A. McKay even gives some additional insight into how the season was celebrated in medieval times, in his author’s note at the end.