K. Morris's Blog, page 789
February 22, 2014
About Suffering They Were Never Wrong
“About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood …”.
Those lines of W H Auden came powerfully to mind when I received a call from The National Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Children, the NSPCC, who are running a campaign in schools to explain to very young children what abuse is and how to report it. As a donor to the NSPCC they wanted me to increase my direct debit to assist in paying for Childline in schools. The Society say they are receiving an increasing number of calls from children aged around 11 which has prompted the Childline initiative in schools.
The tragedy of the situation is that many children blame themselves for the abuse or somehow try to convince themselves that it is normal. Here in Crystal Palace it is a lovely sunny day but those lines of Auden, quoted above just keep replaying themselves in my head. Terrible suffering of children does go on while we go about our daily lives. As I write this a child, somewhere is being physically or sexually abused. I can give money. I only wish that I could do more.
For Auden’s poem please visit http://english.emory.edu/classes/paintings&poems/auden.html
Basing a character on someone you know – the pitfalls
A great post on Jade’s Jungle about the dangers of basing a character on people you know.
Originally posted on Jade's Jungle:
Image courtesy of artur84 via freedigitalphotos.net
Have any of you ever based a character on someone that you know? However loosely?
On the surface, that would seem to be a brilliant solution, one less character to craft if you like. Maybe you will change their appearance, you will certainly change their name and you may embellish some of their life events to make it more interesting, but on the whole, you have your template in place.
Ode To A Troll
Not a second glance do you bestow on me as I hurry by, unassuming, heading for my lair.
Wrapped in darkness, encumbered by hate I sit fingers tapping oh so busily tapping, on keyboard spewing hate. I care not for you, my pleasure is your pain. Hatred like a stench fills the air, I am a troll ensconced in his lair.
February 21, 2014
An Act Of Mercy Free In The Kindle Store From 21 February Until 25 February 2014
My collection of short stories, An Act Of Mercy And Other Stories, is free in the Kindle store from 21 February to 25 February. To download An Act Of Mercy free please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/An-act-mercy-other-stories-ebook/dp/B00EHS74CS (for the UK), or http://www.amazon.com/An-act-mercy-other-stories-ebook/dp/B00EHS74CS (for the USA). If you download An Act Of Mercy or any of my other books I would appreciate it if you would please consider leaving a review.
Kevin
February 20, 2014
Have You Ever Interviewed One Of Your Characters – Interview With Becky From The First Time
I have published two previous posts containing interviews with characters from my story, Samantha, http://newauthoronline.com/2014/02/14/have-you-ever-interviewed-one-of-your-characters/. Today I am interviewing the leading character from my story the First Time, a young graduate named Becky who enters the world of prostitution in order to clear her debts.
Interview
Me: “What is your earliest recollection?”
Becky: “Collecting bluebells with my grandfather. I remember the sun was shining, the birds singing and I was so happy to be with my grandfather. Those memories are incredibly precious”.
Me: “It sounds as though you had a happy childhood?”
“Becky: “Yes, I was surrounded by people who loved me. Mummy and daddy doted on me. Both of them read to me, I grew up in a house full of books which is why, I guess I ended up reading English literature at university”.
Me: “much of the research into why people enter into prostitution appears to indicate that they suffered childhood abuse or some other trauma. From what you have told me about your childhood it doesn’t appear that you fit in with this stereotype”.
Becky: “You mean what is a nice middle class girl like me doing working as a prostitute?”
Me: “Not to put to fine a point on it, yes”.
Becky: “I ran up a huge credit card debt. There was no way, as a part-time barmaid I would ever be able to clear it. One of my friends, Julie worked as an escort and, in desperation I asked her to help me to enter the sex industry, as a prostitute which she did by introducing me to one of her clients, Mike”.
Me: “Didn’t you consider turning to your family for help?”
Becky: “No, mummy and daddy would have been so disappointed in me. They brought me up to live within my means, not to borrow accept for a mortgage. If you can’t afford it then you should save up for it or do without. That is there philosophy. I would have died of shame if they had found out about my debts”.
Me: “What do you think their reaction would be if they found out that their daughter was working as a prostitute?”
Becky: “they would be horrified! Christ I would die of shame if they found out, that will never happen though. I live in London and mummy and Daddy live in York”.
Me: “Do you feel that you have a choice in prostitution?
Becky: “If I haden’t entered sex work I would have had a huge credit card debt and it would have been impossible for me to live as all my money would have gone in paying off my card. I wasn’t physically compelled to become an escort but I had no other choice given the state of the jobs market”.
“Me: “do you enjoy your work?”
Becky: “What kind of a question is that?! I hate being treated like a piece of meat. Some men are nice and, of course it’s easier if the man is polite and converses with you rather than grabbing you as soon as you come through the door, doing the deed and then throwing you out in 30 minutes or so, but no I don’t enjoy being treated as a sex object”.
Me: “Can you see yourself giving up working as an escort?”
Becky: “I’d like to but, although I hate the work I like the money. You can make thousands a month if you work as an independent escort as you don’t have to give a percentage to the escort agency. I’ve seen girls who hate the work but love the money. I’m afraid that I may end up like one of them”.
Me: “Many thanks for talking to me Becky”.
—
For a review of The First Time please visit https://cupitonians.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/the-first-time-book-review/
February 19, 2014
Show Me the Money–What’s the Skinny on Author Earnings?
A great post. Maths has never been my strong point, however the article contains some interesting statistics regarding how authors can best promote their work. My brain felt rather like mush having analysed all those stats but useful none the less!
Originally posted on Kristen Lamb's Blog:
Via Flickr Creative commons, courtesy of Tax Credits.
My degree is in Political Science with an emphasis on Political Economy. To earn this degree, I had to study a lot of statistics *UGH* and to be blunt? I agree with Mark Twain, “There are lies, damn lies and statistics.” Surveys and statistics are a science: number of participants, number of questions, phrasing of the questions, nature of the sample group, geography, etc.
Yada, yada, yada.
Astounding News: Bears Relieve Themselves In Woods
Several months ago I published a post about trolling, http://newauthoronline.com/2013/12/09/trolling-along/, (no not those mythical creatures which inhabit the Lord Of The Rings but people who lurk, on the internet spewing bile for the sheer sake of doing so).
Yesterday I came across an article in The Daily Mail entitled “Online Trolls Really Are Horrible People”, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2559860/Online-trolls-really-ARE-horrible-people-researchers-Narcissistic-Machiavellian-psychopathic-sadistic.html. According to this insightful piece (if you detect sarcasm it is, of course purely a figment of your imagination) trolls exhibit sadistic, psychopathic and other unpleasant character traits. Well blow me down with a feather I always thought that they where much maligned individuals who, at bottom are possessed of hearts of gold. Thank you Daily Mail for enhancing my understanding of trolling. I am now a wiser and sadder person for this astounding new knowledge.
Of course for any authors (or, indeed anyone who has been subjected to trolling) it is no laughing matter. Trolls lurk on Goodreads among other places and goad authors by posting deliberately inflammatory reviews and comments so as to provoke a reaction from the unfortunate author. Don’t respond, treat the trolls with the contempt they deserve, They are sad people with no life who, with a little luck will crawl back under which ever rock they have emerged from.
February 17, 2014
Update to my ‘Reviews of my books’ page
I have just updated my ‘Reviews of my books’ page to include yet another review for Samantha and also the recent review I received for The First Time.
For the reviews page please visit: http://newauthoronline.com/reviews-of-my-books/
‘Streetwalker and other stories’ free for download from 21st February – 1st March
My latest collection of short stories, ‘Streetwalker and other stories’ will be free to download on Amazon from the 21st February until the 1st March.
Get ‘Streetwalker and other stories’ here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Street-Walker-other-stories-Morris-ebook/dp/B00HLRNDP4 for the UK and here http://www.amazon.com/Street-Walker-other-stories-Morris-ebook/dp/B00HLRNDP4 for the US
‘An Act of Mercy and other stories’ promotion
Starting from Friday 21st until Tuesday 25th February, my collection of short stories ‘An Act of mercy and other stories’ will be free to download from the Kindle store.
Get ‘An Act of Mercy and other stories’ here now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/An-act-mercy-other-stories-ebook/dp/B00EHS74CS for the UK and http://www.amazon.com/An-act-mercy-other-stories-ebook/dp/B00EHS74CS for the US
