Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 83

Edit, Edit, Edit…

Editing can be tough work

The word ‘editing’ is normally enough to strike fear into the heart of many a writer, no matter how experienced they may be. A first draft is all about pouring the actual story out of you, while further edits infamously involve pulling said story to pieces and building it back into something coherent and readable.

I recently made the shift from writing to editing my current WIP and to my own surprise, have found things to be going a lot more smoothly than expected.

I’m well aware that there is still a lot of work to be done and even more aware that this post alone will likely be enough to jinx what good fortune I’ve been having thus far, but the excitement of seeing this book form before my eyes has been far outweighing the normal stress and anguish of editing and felt this rarity deserved to at least be documented.

Do you ever enjoy editing? Are you editing any manuscripts at the moment?

A Year in Haikus

Erupting from the soil,

flowers welcome springtime

and hopes of pastures new.

The sky ablaze with gold,

illuminating landscapes

to choruses of birds.

The crunch of fallen leaves,

a death with so much beauty

not marred by icy whispers.

A world in hibernation,

beneath a frozen veneer

life must bide its time.

A never ending cycle,

the crux of all existence,

a selfless quest of giving.

Spread the Word

Support fellow writers by spreading the word!

In just this last week alone, two fellow writers whose work I follow with much anticipation released new books! Mishka Jenkins and Melissa Barker-Simpson are authors, bloggers and all round nice, supportive people, so be sure and check out Prophecy of Stones and Hands of Evil; I know I certainly will.

I’ve read two of Mel’s books before and am currently working on my second of Mishka’s and so I already count myself as a big fan of both. They each have a unique voice and weave interesting stories with likable characters to draw you in.

They’re too modest to say but they both work very hard and would greatly appreciate your purchases and reviews, so why not support a writer and get an interesting story to enjoy for yourself, it’s win-win.

Legacy

A drop of human hatred is enough to tarnish an ocean of praise,

the tiniest of threads unravelling to expose a withered heart.

Dear sweet Pandora, blinded by her own ignorant humanity,

unleashed a power rivalled only by your venomous words.

A moment of frivolity dancing across your tongue,

escaping your lips and seeping into fragile minds

to spread like wildfire and destroy un-expectant hosts.

But when the dust settles I will rise from the blanket of ashes,

the frailest glimmer of hope now burning in my eyes

mirrored by the hellish core still thriving within you.

All Good Things Come to an End

The right ending is always crucial.

I am currently in the process of writing the final scenes of the present draft of my WIP. Obviously there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of editing, formatting, publishing and so on but it’s a very exciting time nonetheless.

Actually writing an ending sequence is an exhilarating yet oddly intimidating task for me however. Especially since I have known how the plot would wrap up since long before I wrote so much as a word, getting it down on paper seems daunting now. I often find myself feeling this way; specific, major plot points – including the ultimate climax – live in my head for so long that I find myself almost hesitant to actually form the scenes in words in spite of my own anticipation to progress. I suppose it’s down to a fear that I won’t be able to do justice to the clarity within my mind and this inkling of doubt is more than enough to spark off some rather annoying bouts of procrastination from time to time.

Still, I press on regardless, as my desire to share stories is far greater than any fears I may have lingering in the depths of my rather bewildered brain.

Do you picture your ending long before you write it? Do you ever worry that your words won’t do your story justice?

Life’s Butterflies

A graceful beauty born of a chrysalis

abundant in colour and charm.

Forgotten struggles from within,

unthinkable you would come to harm.

A gentle breeze upon a meadow,

lush with exquisite life.

Battles waged and warm blood spilt,

so quick are we to dismiss their strife.

But I see your scars and imperfections,

the tears you hide with practiced smiles.

A map of memories, loves and losses,

proof that you survived life’s trials.

So bear them proudly, your battle-worn wings,

it’s the bravest of creatures that stands and sings.

Your gift is a world of unlimited skies,

for it’s true that we are life’s butterflies.

What Came First: The Character or the Plot?

What comes first when you write, character or plot?

With pretty much everything that I have written, it was the plot that came to me first. Specific characters formed and gave the story life later down the line, only once I had let the idea stew for a while and started plotting. Recently however the image of a character appeared in my mind so vividly; it was truly bizarre, like nothing I had ever experienced before.

I don’t yet know exactly what story will end up forming around this character (and what’s interesting is that I think she will likely take on a supporting role rather than that of the protagonist) but I already see (as cheesy as it may sound) so much of her, from her Asian heritage to her confident mannerisms; from her dry humour to her fierce intelligence; from her name to her career; this is a character I just have to do something with in the future, however far off it may be.

Do you usually come up with characters or plots first? Have you ever been struck by a character or plot idea unexpectedly?

The Soundtrack to My Life

Sonic branches reaching,

embracing many a wayward soul.

Sweep me up on your sweet melody

and lull me towards peace

with those soothing vibrations.

Feel the pulses shatter the demons,

audio solace; visual freedom;

the constant harbinger of light

in a world full of shadows.

To the Bitter End

Would you stick with a boring book?

In a recent conversation with fellow writer and blogger, Mel, we both mentioned that we will continue reading a book – no matter if we are enjoying it or not – because once we are committed to a story we are determined to see it through to the end. This is very topical for me at the moment, as I am actually currently reading a book that I’m not particularly enjoying; I’m not hating it but I’m certainly not loving it either.

It’s quite frustrating, as I have a pile of other books I want to read and a part of me can’t help but feel I’m wasting precious reading time on a story that’s just not really for me. On the other hand, especially since this particular book is a detective novel, my curiosity is driving me on; I’ll be damned if I don’t find out ‘whodunit’.

Sometimes an ending can be powerful or unexpected enough to lift the whole story and give things a new perspective and I suppose I would want readers to give my books a fair chance, so I feel almost obliged to see a book through to the (bitter) end.

Do you carry on reading a book until the end regardless of whether you are enjoying it or not? If not, how far would you read before you decided to call it quits?

Wake Up

What will it take

for your eyes to be opened

to the chaos that thrives in our wake?

How many lives must be lost

to our greed

for the bloodshed to come to a halt?

The devil waits not by the gates to hell.

He lives in you.

He lives in me.

Wickedness whispered in susceptible ears,

hearts distorted by a blackness of spirit

rotting us from our very core.

But we have one defence that should never relent.

Love; compassion;

humanity.

Heaven is not a place on Earth,

it’s a world in which we spread only respect;

an ideal reserved for storybooks it seems.

–

I don’t often put a message with my poems but this one came from a place of true dismay, hence the simplicity of its words and meaning. There are an awful lot of things happening in the world right now that quite frankly make me feel ashamed to be part of the human race. It’s time we learned to respect each other as fellow human beings; nothing more, nothing less.