UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
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Live Event with Steve Robinson - here - NOW
Hello everyone, I hope you are not all out in the sun instead of joining in. In fact I hope Steve and Lorraine are here.Remember you can click 'Newest' and refresh to get the best from our own unique slant on a live chant.
Have a good one Lorraine, and thanks for playing Steve!
Hi everyone, looks like we're on :)Just one note, please please use the spoiler codes if you're going to spoil :)
Welcome to everyone... and Steve... Steve, you there?
Ok, I lied. Click the little bit that says 'Date' to get the message box up the top
My pleasure, Simon. I'm in my cabin. Thought that would be appropriate and the weather's so good tonight. I'll probably get eaten alive by the mozzies.
Must warn you all... am having internet problems :/
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Hi everyone, looks like we're on :)Just one note, please please use the spoiler codes if you're going to spoil :)
Welcome to everyone... and Steve... Steve, you there?"
Hi Lorraine. Thanks for organising me. :o)
Who's here already?Edit - my English sucks tonight !
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Just the two of you ;)"Ooooh nice !
Hi Steve, When in the writing phase, how much time do you spend writing each day? I am a relatively new writer and find some days I can write tons and other days I spend a few minutes before giving up!
Jonathan
I'm here Lorraine and Steve but Goodreads keeps telling me it's 'over capacity'.
Steve, while you're here, instead of sending me another message, please can you hit "reply" for each question you answer?
Lots of people on-line Lorraine.....
I am here lurking but have my Ozzie family over so won't be able to participate too much x
Philip (sarah) wrote: "I'm here Lorraine and Steve but Goodreads keeps telling me it's 'over capacity'."Good idea. I'm such a novice!
No problems Sarah, they're all rushing to come on here !!!Hi Jonathan !
No problems Em x
See. I just replied to the wrong question.Hi Sarah!
Jonathan wrote: "Hi Steve, When in the writing phase, how much time do you spend writing each day? I am a relatively new writer and find some days I can write tons and other days I spend a few minutes before giv..."
Hi Jonathan. I don't set big targets. I have an absolute minimun of just 750 words. Sometimes I'll write a couple of thousand, others less, but 750 minimum gets a book plotted, written, edited and released in a year. Actually 500 gets that done too, but I like a bit of a cushion for off days/weeks.
Ann wrote: "I’m here but as this is my first Goodreads live discussion may make mistakes!"Me, too. :o)
Thanks Steve :) Your reply was perfect :) And timely ;)Hubby's got a question for you: he wants to know how you approach a story - do you know the ending and work towards it, or do you imagine the story as you go along?
Hi Steve and Lorraine - I'm here! Supposed to be working so you'll have at least three quarters of my attention...
Hi Rosemary ! Thanks for popping in !
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Thanks Steve :) Your reply was perfect :) And timely ;)Hubby's got a question for you: he wants to know how you approach a story - do you know the ending and work towards it, or do you imagine th..."
I didn't with In the Blood. Literally made most of it up as I went along, but at 165,000 words for the first draft I had to cut so much - hence the outtakes on my website. Since then I've learnt to plot better, so I do now pretty much know the ending before I begin. It's good to have an idea of where you're going, but it's also good to let your characters narrate for you sometimes.
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "No problems Sarah, they're all rushing to come on here !!!Hi Jonathan !
No problems Em x"
Hi Lorraine!
Ann wrote: "How far back have you traced your own family history Steve?"Hi Ann. Not far at all. I'd like to someday, but I got into genealogy when I started writing and I've not had much time for anything else since then.
Steve - I thought that you handled the jumping between different times in "In the Blood" very well - when you were writing them, did you write them alongside each other, or did you work in one time for a while, and then swap back again? I guess what I'm trying to say is did you write them separately, or together!
So what were you writing before you got into genealogy and wrote In The Blood... you mention on your website that you've been writing since the age of 16 (if I remember well)... What kind of things have you been writing about?
Rosemary wrote: "Steve - I thought that you handled the jumping between different times in "In the Blood" very well - when you were writing them, did you write them alongside each other, or did you work in one time..."Hi Rosemary and thank you. Good question. It's been one of each so far. I wrote the past scenes as I came to them with ITB, then had to do a lot of swapping about and I ended up blocking them together a bit so we weren't jumping back and forth so much. With TTG, I wrote the entire past narrative first, which I think worked because it was a story within itself really and JT just helped to bring it out.
Ann wrote: "Why have you made Jefferson Tayte American?"That is a good question Ann!
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "So what were you writing before you got into genealogy and wrote In The Blood... you mention on your website that you've been writing since the age of 16 (if I remember well)... What kind of things..."Writing first. I was into C.S.Lewis and Tolkien big time and I wrote a fatasy book for 8-12 year olds when I was in my 20s. Took me about 7 years, picking at it off and on. It didn't get anywhere and I can see why now even if I couldn't at the time.
EDIT: apart from that I've written lots of snippets and part stories about all sorts of things.
Steve wrote: "Writing first. I was into C.S.Lewis and Tolkien big time and I wrote a fatasy book for 8-12 year olds when I was in my 20s. Took me about 7 years, picking at it off and on. It didn't get anywhere and I can see why now even if I couldn't at the time. "Do you think you might give it your magic one day or is this book not meant to be?
Hi Steve - I'm interested to know typically how many times do you redraft, and how long does that process take you?
Ann wrote: "Why have you made Jefferson Tayte American?"Yes, good one Ann. I was asked this in a recent interview for a blog in the US. Part of it was definitely to appeal to the US market. Another was I think because of my own roots (my unknown GI grandfather). When I had the idea I also thought it would be interesting and add to the 'fish out of water' situation. And maybe Tayte's not all that American after all. His mother had an English accent.
Hi Steve! Congratulations on all your success! When you wrote In The Blood did you know then that it was going to be the first of a series of novels (Jefferson Tayte) or was it originally intended as a stand-alone work?
Just a reminder to move on to next page when we hit 50 posts - don't know about you, but I tend to forget !
Lorraine - Lover of Jellybeans wrote: "Steve wrote: "Writing first. I was into C.S.Lewis and Tolkien big time and I wrote a fatasy book for 8-12 year olds when I was in my 20s. Took me about 7 years, picking at it off and on. It didn't ..."No, I think that was very much a learning curve. If you want to write a full length book, I think you just need to do it at some point and not worry about whether it's any good. Finishing it will show you that you can do it and that's a great thing to know when you start out on the next one.
Alex wrote: "Hi Steve - I'm interested to know typically how many times do you redraft, and how long does that process take you?"Hi Alex. It varies with me a lot really. I write a pretty tight first draft and edit a bit as I go. I don't like to feel I've left anything untidy behind and editing a previous days work gets me going again. It's a great way to get over a block, too, but not to the point that you get bogged down and don't move the story forward. That said, I'll typically do at least 5 or six drafts. That's how it was with TTG. ITB was probably double that because I had to cust so much and when I started it - well, I'd just started writing and you very much learn the craft as you go to begin with I think.
Stuart wrote: "Hi Steve! Congratulations on all your success! When you wrote In The Blood did you know then that it was going to be the first of a series of novels (Jefferson Tayte) or was it originally intended ..."Hi Stu. I always planned it as the first in a character series because I knew my main character would eventually have to resolve his own problems at some point. It's tricky trying to plot parts of another story within each book and there's no going back to change things is there. Still, I like a challenge.
I very much admire the way you organise not just your work but the way you conduct yourself! I have alot to learn from you mate! On a side note, I just wondered whether you have read The Holy Blood, Holy Grail - that was the first book that really got me interested in historical investigatory work and I was wondering what you made of it.
I have a question, but I think Janet should ask her question first as they're kind of tied together :)
Ann wrote: "Why did you publish in kindle form first. Unlike many Indie books yours is well edited and formatted."I wanted to go mainstream, but they wouldn't have me. :o(
I got an agent with it and she sent it out. It did the rounds with publishers for a year and that was it. It gathered dust for another year and then one day I was in ill in bed (had been for several days) with bad food poisoning (dodgy duck) and I was online a lot and the Kindle was getting more and more popular, so I thought, what have I got to lose and gave it a go.
Now I'm indie and proud of it! :o) Can we get T-shirts printed?
Stuart wrote: "I very much admire the way you organise not just your work but the way you conduct yourself! I have alot to learn from you mate! On a side note, I just wondered whether you have read The Holy Blood..."What a nice thing to say, Stu. Thanks.
I've not read it. It's the book that Dan Brown was accused of pinching ideas from wasn't it? I'll have to check it out.
"Indies do IT by themselves"on your teeshirt then!
Do you think you'll always write genealogy related things, or will you surprise us with something totally different one day ?Me hoping you'll get an excellent horror book out one day :)
Sorry to be late. I would like to know if you have decided where book no 3 is going to be set. UK or USA or even both. Thanks.
Have you already decided on JT's parentage? or is it still developing in your mind as you write each book?
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Steve will chat with us on Tuesday 24th of July, for our next live event. This will be a great opportunity for all of you to ask him any question you might have about his books and his writing. The updates on his author thread have made us feel involved with the building of the cabin, the writing and even the pushing of the “Publish” button, but surely there’s still something you’re dying to ask him ?
Whether you want to participate or simply lurk, you are all welcome. Chat will start at 7.30 pm UK time. See you there !
***IMPORTANT NEWS***
Steve has kindly offered to send a copy to one of the members that will participate in the live event. Any member who asks a question will be entered in a draw to win a copy of To The Grave. Draw is expected at the end of the month, when the final copy is approved.