Roland Clarke's Blog, page 57

Was Beer the end of Mother’s Ruin?

When I was growing up, I was often told that my Quaker ancestors had helped bring an end to the repercussions of ‘Mother’s Ruin’ by promoting beer.

This made some sense as the family had been involved with the brewing firm of Truman Hanbury & Buxton.

Plate 53: Truman’s Brewery, Brick Lane. | British History Online

So, when my writer friend Maureen Vincent-Northam asked me to write about those ancestors, I began wondering whether that was just a family legend, whether that would be an interesting starting-point. Was there was some truth behind the story?

Read the rest here on Maureen’s website.

How Many Spoons Can You Juggle?

As this is the first Wednesday in July, I’m talking about ‘spoons’ in my Insecure Writer’s Support Group contribution.

Most people try to juggle too many spoons, taking on too many tasks in a day. But for them the end result is probably not as bad as it is if I take on too much.

Due to my disability, I can only do one task well per day, if that. Each day I have to allocate my time and energy, or ‘spoons’.

The concept of ‘the spoon theory’ was first developed by Christine Miserandino and explained in her article far better than I can do. So read what she says, please.

Wikipedia explains that, “Spoons are an intangible unit of measurement used to track how much energy a person has throughout a given day. Each activity “costs” a certain number of spoons, which might not be replaced until the next day. A person who runs out of spoons loses the ability to do anything other than rest…” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_theory

Washing or showering, dressing, and answering emails, all use up the limited number of ‘spoons’ that I wake up with – on good mornings that’s twenty. And if I sleep badly then I start with fewer spoons. Some things, like online gaming and watching TV, use less spoons as my over-active brain switches down a gear.

However, writing requires far more than just one spoon, even when I’m producing garbage. I even use a few spoons at once as I try to do mundane tasks while thinking about book ideas. So yesterday, having washed, dressed, and checked the bank balance, and read my emails, I wanted to rest. Instead I used up another spoon researching ‘dictators’ during a book launch party, then burnt myself out writing this. (Then I rested before editing this piece and posting it.)

Moral: remember to pace yourself and be content with one thing done well.

But I’m not alone as I know quite a few writers that suffer with their health. And I’m sure some of you have juggling problems.

So how you manage your spoons, please?

*

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 other writers – aim for a dozen new people each time. 

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

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/

We also have a t-shirt now! You can purchase it here – http://www.neatoshop.com/product/IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for this July 1 posting of the IWSG are  Charity Bradford,   S.A. Larsen,   AJ,   Tamara Narayan,   Allison Gammons,  and  Tanya Miranda!  

The 777 Challenge

A few days ago, Sarah Zama at The Old Shelter tagged me for the 777 Challenge. I hesitated as I was not sure which WIP was my current one. Is it the one with the beta-readers – “Storms Compass” – or the one I am re-writing with a new protagonist and a new location – “Fates Maelstrom”?

The 777 challenge requires you go to Page 7 of your work-in-progress, scroll down to Line 7 and share the next 7 sentences in a blog post. Once you have done this, you can tag 7 other bloggers to do the same with their work-in-progress.

I decided to let the ‘excerpts’ go head to head, just like my work has to do each day – which one is more pressing/tempting/ready. There was a clear winner as the excerpt from “Fates Maelstrom” is due to be radically changed.

So here is my excerpt from “Storms Compass” which was written as Book 1 of “Gossamer Flames”:

8

Smiling again, she [Arat] strides forward. Out of the gloom the shadows form into neem trees shrouding a solitary house, a survivor of the last earthquake. At the screen, lowered voices talking Kachhi make her fears vanish into the night.

Breathing more easily, she steps into the low-ceilinged room, which is bare of furnishings. Five men sit cross-legged on the earth floor, in the low light of two oil lamps, sipping chai from a brass urn in one corner. As Chatur embraces them, Arati raises her palmed hands to her chest in an anjali mudra greeting, retaining her distance.

Let the men embrace. I need to remain serene.

*

Does that sound interesting, or just confusing? At this stage, I am not sure how “Storms Compass” will be released. There is a chance that I may work on Book 2, called “Blood Tapestry”, and work together some existing stories into a seamless plot. The resulting novel would be released, and then “Storms Compass” as the prequel setting up the main novel. Or the individual stories that make up “Storms Compass” would be released.

But I’m getting side-tracked.

Back to the 777 Challenge. So who am I going to tag? I have a feeling that this challenge has done the rounds in some form or another, so I will start with volunteers. All those that can’t do it because of a good reason, step forward now.

Just remember, we do challenges to have fun. Please enjoy yourselves, and write crazy.

Are you an avid reader?

Photo of a cloud illuminated by sunlight. ~ by Ibrahim Iujaz from Rep. Of Maldives

After months of thinking, writing, editing, and re-writing, my post-apocalyptic novel, “Storms Compass“, is almost ready for a publisher.

Well, I hope that the manuscript is ready, now that I have integrated the comments and corrections from my kind and brave beta readers, plus from my tireless editor.

Barring a few dotted ‘t’s and crossed ‘i’s, the novel is ready to face a few more brave souls. However, this time I am looking for readers rather than writers.

No writing qualifications required, just the ability to read and know whether the story works. And if it doesn’t, where have I strayed, what is missing, who did you ‘love’ or ‘hate’?

I need to discover if this manuscript is good enough to be a published book.

And if you read historical romance, don’t worry, as it’s good to have readers from outside my genres.

Hoping to hear from you, and all the best, my faithful followers.

Triple A: Author Ailsa Abraham

rolandclarke:

So many insights, so much wisdom, and a need to understand is essential, So had to reblog this interview with fellow writer, Ailsa Abraham.

Originally posted on An' de walls came tumblin' down:

I think all human beings are interesting, but sometimes it’s hard to discover the interesting parts. That’s not true of my guest today – ex-biker, shaman, Bipolar coper, expat, caravanner, author, knitter and much more. Her magic carpet brought her to a walled city, though possibly not the walled city she expected to find.

Hello Ailsa. I’m awarding you the dubious privilege of being allowed inside the walls of my world. I’m afraid it’s just me in here, so not much to see.

Rubbish, came to see you and it’s great to be here.

Part of me is now smiling. The other part is thinking: it’s nice of you to say that, but….

You’ve had your own experiences of mental health problems. Is there anything you want to tell us about them? What message do you want to give readers that might change their attitude towards mental health issues?

Yes, I…

View original 1,107 more words

What Title change? Which Book theme?

Today is the first Wednesday of June and that means this is my monthly Insecure Writers Support Group post. One problem though – I can’t remember what I was going to write about.

A few days ago, I had a brainwave so I scribbled down ‘Title change’ and ‘Book theme’ in the notebook that I use for blog post ideas.  If I don’t create a mnemonic then I use a phrase to trigger my memory, but it seems that doesn’t always work.

MORAL: Make proper notes, not cryptic scribbles.

Notebooks make more sense than scraps of paper, and I have ten notebooks on the go. (But I promise not to list them all, just say that they’re not just for writing or musings.)

Normally, I have a notebook per project – although when I was a journalist, everything went into the same spiral back reporter’s pad, until I had to start a new one.

My current project, “Storms Compass” began as a notebook for the “Gossamer Flames” collection of short stories. But now, as I edit it, it has spread into its own notebook.

My “Snowdon Shadows” series has a notebook each for the first two books – “Fates Maelstrom” and “Seeking A Knife”. NOTE: The protagonist, Welsh detective Sparkle Lodge, uses mnemonics to solve her cases, but cleverer ones than mine. Plus she has a better memory for her cryptic clues.

Some projects end up with innumerable notebooks, like my debut novel “Spiral of Hooves”, mainly because it took over thirteen years to write.

Image courtesy of samuiblue at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

But I will make odd notes on scraps of paper. Some are transferred, others are short-lived, and some are lost.

Just remember to ensure that all notes make sense, because there comes a day when the brain freezes, or in my case short-circuits.

So what did I mean by ‘Title change’ and ‘Book theme’? Best answer gets a blog spot ;-)

***

Purpose of the IWSG day: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post our thoughts on our own blog. Talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. Discuss our struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with our fellow writers – aiming for a dozen new people each time

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the June 3 posting of the IWSG are M. Pax, Tracy Jo,Patricia Lynne, Rachna Chhabria, Feather Stone, and Randi Lee!

CAPTAIN BARTHOLOMEW QUASAR

I may not blog often but there are days when I have to… or I’d never have any friends pointing a ray-gun at my head. But today I’m just having fun before I plot another murder. Anyway, my writer friend Milo James Fowler is a prolific short story writer and now he touches the stars with his anticipated first novel. So read on…

Every Day Novels is proud to announce the release of Milo James Fowler’s first serialized novel:

Captain Bartholomew Quasar and the Space-Time Displacement Conundrum

16 weeks of serial chapters every weekday – that’s 80 exciting episodes of adventure aboard the Effervescent Magnitude for only $5 USD (includes an eBook edition following serialization). Don’t delay – Subscribe today!

Captain Quasar is out of time.

Pursued by vengeful Goobalob toll collectors, savage Arachnoid bounty hunters, and formidable Amazonians, Captain Bartholomew Quasar must do whatever he can to keep the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude out of harm’s way. All in a day’s work—except time is not on his side.

Torn from the present to relive his past, he vows to keep mistakes from occurring the second time around. But is he doomed to repeat history? Or can he erase his regrets?

Villains will be vanquished. Lives will be lost. Bonds will be betrayed. Heroes will be heroic.

Join the crew of the Effervescent Magnitude for a hilarious time-travel space adventure the likes of which you’ve never seen!

Now Available from Every Day Novels

Add Captain Quasar to your Goodreads bookshelf

Prologue

Jaw muscle twitching at untimed intervals, Captain Bartholomew Quasar gripped the armrests of his deluxe-model captain’s chair and narrowed his heroic gaze. The main viewscreen on the bridge of the Effervescent Magnitude radiated with white-hot streaks blurring in elongated trajectories as his star cruiser plunged into the depths of space at something near the speed of light.

Quasar could feel the tension in the air. It was palpable and tasted like sweat—mostly his own. The members of his bridge crew remained silent, standing at their stations and staring at the viewscreen. Many forgot to blink as their insides trembled, recoiling with a nameless fear.

They had never moved so fast in their lives.

This was the Magnitude‘s maiden voyage into deep space utilizing the recently installed cold fusion near-lightspeed reactor—an experimental propulsion system they’d picked up on the planet Carpethria. One thing was readily apparent: it worked. But how long could the ship could maintain this incredible velocity without compromising hull integrity?

Already, the ship was creaking and groaning in protest, and the helmsman—a very hairy, four-armed Carpethrian who resembled something between a sloth and an overweight orangutan—had begun to grumble that the reactor really should have been tested before this full-speed leap into the black.

But there had been no other choice. Their options at the time were either flight (and survival) or fight (and undoubtedly be destroyed). Vicious Arachnoid bounty hunters were on their tail, and Arachnoids tended to be a very hungry lot—often foregoing payment for their illicit services in favor of a fresh kill.

The Magnitude‘s first officer, Commander Selene Wan, wasn’t keen on the idea of allowing a Carpethrian to man the helm of their freshly minted star cruiser. But no one else on board knew how to navigate at near-lightspeed, and it took all four of the alien’s hands to do the job—something two humans would have had to coordinate in tandem. And that could have gotten awkward.

“Steady as she goes.” Quasar smoothed down his close-cropped blond hair and cringed as the ship released a moan that didn’t sound good at all—something akin to a whale giving birth. “How are we doing, Hank?”

“Haven’t run into anything yet,” grunted the very hairy helmsman, hands flying across the controls.

“Status report?” Quasar half-turned to regard his first officer with a confidently raised eyebrow.

Commander Wan, a tall, slim Eurasian with impeccable posture, kept her attention riveted on her console. “Proximity scanners are offline.” She swayed on her feet with the rocking movements of the ship, her sleek black hair swinging across her shoulders. “Artificial gravity is holding. Life support remains functional.” A sudden frown creased her usually furrow-free forehead. “But the reactor, sir… We may have a serious problem.”

“Elaborate.”

“It’s overheating, Captain. If we don’t decelerate, it may—” She swallowed. “Explode.”

That wouldn’t be good at all. The folks back home were depending on Captain Quasar and company to bring back loads of quartz necessary for virtually every form of technology and transportation on Earth, not to mention haute vintage time pieces. The Magnitude could not possibly be allowed to blow up.

“Hank?” Quasar faced the shaggy helmsman. “Could we possibly slow down a bit?”

The Carpethrian grunted something intelligible, followed by, “Commencing deceleration sequence.”

“Very good.” The captain nodded, glancing over his shoulder at his first officer. Everything was under control. “Status?”

She shook her head without a word. Quasar checked the console on his armrest. The Arachnoid ship was nowhere in sight, and the Magnitude had begun to slow down, but only by an infinitesimal fraction of its near-lightspeed velocity.

“Uh-Hank? About that deceleration sequence…” Quasar cleared his throat.

“It will take thirty minutes, Captain. Any sudden downshift in speed would tear the ship apart.”

Quasar maintained a brave façade for the sake of his crew. Such was expected from starship captains, after all. Clenching his jaw, he leaned toward Wan and whispered, “Do we have thirty minutes?”

She met his gaze, and he didn’t like what he saw in her eyes—something she hadn’t shown before when they’d dealt with the horrible Goobalobs or the savage Arachnoids:

Terror.

But now it’s time to get to know the man behind the book:

When did you start seriously pursuing writing as a career?

I’ve been writing since I was 12, but I started submitting my work for publication in the summer of 2009. I’d always thought I would pursue publication at some point—probably after I retired from teaching or turned 40. My first story was published in January 2010, and I’ve had over a hundred others accepted for publication since then. I won’t turn 40 for another year, and I’m still teaching full-time. Doesn’t look like I’ll be retiring anytime soon!

How did you create the character Bartholomew Quasar?

When I came up with Captain Bartholomew Quasar back in the spring of 2010, I was going for a mash-up between William Shatner’s James T. Kirk and Dudley Do-Right from the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (but in Quasar’s case, things seldom ever go right). He’s one of those classic pulp heroes with a heart of gold whose narcissistic tendencies often land him in hot water. I hope readers can laugh at Bartholomew Quasar and root for him at the same time. He’s ridiculous, but there’s something about his fallible nature that most of us can relate to on some level.

Are you working on more Captain Quasar stories?

I’ve written over 20 Captain Quasar tales so far, many of which are out on the submission circuit, looking for good homes. “Captain Quasar and the Ghosts of Space Command” will be published in the next issue of Perihelion Science Fiction. “Captain Quasar and the Carpethrian Call of the Wild” will be included in the B is for Broken anthology, and “Captain Quasar and the Devious Powers of Persuasion” will be in the Geminid Press space opera anthology. I’m in the middle of edits on a novella-length adventure I plan to submit for publication soon. My collection of 15 Quasar tales Starfaring Adentures…in SPACE is available everywhere eBooks are sold—and free for the taking, last time I checked.

 

Author Bio: 

Milo James Fowler is a teacher by day, speculative fictioneer by night, and an active SFWA member. When he’s not grading papers, he’s imagining what the world might be like in a dozen alternate realities. In the past 5 years, his short fiction has appeared in more than 100 publications, including AE SciFi, Cosmos, Daily Science Fiction, Nature, Shimmer, and the Wastelands 2 anthology. Find his work wherever books are sold.

Visit www.milojamesfowler.com and join The Crew for news and updates.

Plodding Towards Publication

Today is the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group post and I am flip-flopping between positivity and insecurity.

I should feel positive having completed the 100k in 100 days challenge that began on January 1st, and then plunged straight into the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, completing that as well. I may be exhausted but I’m still writing, although not as frenetically.

However, my A to Z Challenge failed as my posts were too long – details on my last blog post here. And I still shuffle my way forward over getting something published. It should be ‘best step forward’ as I am productive, but there is too much unfinished and unresolved.

And how do I get the work published? I see better writers than me self-publishing, but I lack the means to do that – starting with the health to cope. I’ve been looking around at small presses but I fear that my writing is not suitable, and my promotion skills are lacking.

Snowdon by Juanita Clarke on Duskweald

Or does “Storms Compass” fit into the new interest around novellas? I need to add an overarching plot that will weave the stories together, but the length might remain within the shorter length – and the tales have been professionally edited.

And if novellas are the future, what do I do with my plans for the Snowdon Shadows series? They will be full-length novels as they stand. Or do I trim them to the skeleton? Where do I go?

***

Purpose of the IWSG day: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post our thoughts on our own blog. Talk about our doubts and the fears we have conquered. Discuss our struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with our fellow writers – aiming for a dozen new people each time

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG

The awesome co-hosts for the May 6 posting of the IWSG are Eva Solar, Melanie Schulz, Lisa-Buie Collard, and Stephen Tremp!

Lessons learnt for next year’s A to Z Challenge

2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge Reflections

Reflecting on how I survived the Challenge is hard, but I do know that I’m wearing the T-shirt as I write – and I’m okay.

This post will be shorter than others as I suspect that you have had to read too many of my words during.

I realised as the month unfolded that my posts were too long, although I hope they were informative about ‘The War of 1812’. The research will be useful when I eventually get back to my novel “Seeking A Knife”, although I need to concentrate on the novel preceding it in the Snowdon Shadows series.

Writing the posts and updating/amending them as I went along took too long, and left me with too little time to visit many other bloggers, even some of my regular haunts – apologies.

Those I did visit regularly and enjoyed were:

Tasha’s Thinkings – an example of how to do A to Z and have fun

Alex Cavanaugh – the Ninja Captain is always worth visiting but how does he do it?

Magic Moments – an Indian perspective from Pratikshya Mishra, often looking further East

if I only had a time machine – Second World War insights

The Old Shelter – information that I never knew about Roaring Twenties America

Insecure Writers Support Group – succinct and insightful; and one of the guiding lights

There were other blogs that I dropped by, but not on a regular basis like these. Over time I intend to visit some more, but at the pace I do things it will take a few months. (My wheelchair goes faster than my fingers or my mind.)

So inspired by the way that others approached this challenge, and encouraged by the way that it has been organised, I am now looking forward. Next year I will plan better, and choose a short post theme – letters of the alphabet.

Just kidding. Not sure what I will do but will be something easier for everyone, especially passers-by. Suspect that the window-shoppers take one look and run.

For more reflections by other blogging survivors, visit here.

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

Z is for Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was the 12th president of the United States, serving only 16 months in office from March 1849 until his death on July 9 1850 from acute gastroenteritis.

Taylor was born near Barboursville, Virginia to a prominent family of planters who migrated westward to Kentucky in his youth. He received only a rudimentary education but was well schooled in the frontier skills of farming, horsemanship and using a musket. In 1808, he left home after obtaining a commission as a first lieutenant in the army.

In 1810, he married Margaret Mackall Smith, and they went on to have six children. Their second daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor, would marry Jefferson Davis, the future president of the Confederacy, in 1835.

During the War of 1812, Taylor successfully defended Fort Harrison in Indiana Territory from an Indian attack commanded by the Tecumseh. Later that year he joined General Samuel Hopkins as an aide on two expeditions: the first into the Illinois Territory and the second to the Tippecanoe battle site, where they were forced to retreat in the Battle of Wild Cat Creek. Taylor moved his growing family to Fort Knox after the violence subsided.

In October 1814, he supervised the construction of Fort Johnson, the last toehold of the U.S. Army in the upper Mississippi River Valley. A few weeks after the death of his commander, Brigadier General Benjamin Howard, Taylor was ordered to abandon the fort and retreat to Saint Louis. Reduced to the rank of captain when the war ended in 1815, he resigned from the army.

Official White House portrait of Zachary Taylor by Joseph Henry Bush, c1848

He re-entered it a year later after gaining a commission as a major. Taylor’s status as a national hero as a result of his victories in the Mexican-American War , won him election to the White House despite his vague political beliefs. His top priority as president was preserving the Union, but he died before making any progress on the status of slavery, which had been inflaming tensions in Congress.

Further Information:

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/zachary-taylor

http://www.biography.com/people/zachary-taylor-9503363

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Taylor

Of course I could have chosen Brigadier General Zebulon Pike, who led the Pike Expedition as a Captain in 1806-7, and for whom Pikes Peak in Colorado is named. The same Zebulon Pike that led the American troops at the Battle of York, where he was killed (My letter Y.).

And finally, there is Reverend Zephaniah Wendell, the youngest brother of Talcott Wendell, my fictional memoir writer from the War of 1812 in “Seeking A Knife” – the beginning of this journey back in time.

PREVIOUS A TO Z POSTS

Details on my 2015 A to Z theme and a linked list of posts can be found on my A to Z Challenge page, which also has a linked list of my 2014 posts.

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, at Tossing it Out, the A to Z Challenge is posting every day in April except Sundays (we get those off for good behaviour.) And since there are 26 days, that matches the 26 letters of the alphabet. On April 1, we blog about something that begins with the letter “A.” April 2 is “B,” April 3 is “C,” and so on. Please visit other challenge writers.

My theme is ‘The War of 1812’, a military conflict, lasting for two-and-a-half years, fought by the United States of America against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, its North American colonies, and its American Indian allies. The Memoirs of a British naval officer from the war is central to my novel “Seeking A Knife” – part of the Snowdon Shadows series.

Further reading on The War of 1812:

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng

http://www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-war-of-1812-stupid-but-important/article547554/

http://www.shmoop.com/war-1812/

http://www.pbs.org/wned/war-of-1812/essays/