Category Archives: Ideas

The muse at work

Forty Days & Forty Nights without Internet

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Could you survive without your internet connection for 40 days and 40 nights? What about your phone?

Okay, it’s not like living without food or water or shelter as too many people do in this unjust world. But for those of us that have been pampered by modern technology it’s a big ask. One that BT aka British Telecom seems to feel is reasonable, or do they mean excusable. My multiple sclerosis disability has little if no bearing.

As I type this, on Saturday February 22nd, we will be sans broadband and sans phone from Friday February 28th to Thursday April 10th.

The outlook is bleak. The meaning stark and troubling. The portents are… okay I’m exaggerating but I’m still worried. Whinge warning.

Imagine no emails, or rather over 50 a day piling up in my AOL inbox = 200 plus by the time we get back online. Forget about sending out review copies of ‘Spiral of Hooves’ or promoting the novel. Surfing social media like Facebook and Twitter will be abandoned, as will any appearances in the cyber-world.

“Get a dongle”, I hear you shout in mass cacophony, and I know that you are right. With a dongle, and a signal, we can check our emails at least. If the charges are not too massive we can do a little more… others do from their iPods, Androids etcetera, from all kinds of locations, including Internet cafes. But going out to find the right place is not the same as working from our new office in our new home, where the desktops will be, with all the software. At least I don’t have to be online to create using Scrivener… just to back the work up on Dropbox or OneDrive.

In fact blog posts, either mine or anyone else’s are a non-starter. This one will have to be posted in advance, set for public consumption on Wednesday March 5th as part of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Whether anything will appear in April is a prediction that I cannot make… the crystal ball is dim. I’m meant to be taking part in the 2014 A to Z Challenge in April, but it could be hard.

If I find time in the midst of packing, I might attempt to write the first ten posts – A to J – and schedule them to appear on time. At least I know the theme – the World of Gossamer Steel.

With that reference I know that my alter-egos will suffer too. No gaming for 40 nights is almost worse than no surfing. How will I live if my avatar is unable to stop monsters pouring through Rifts or perverting Good in Middle Earth? The Sith Empire will conquer the galaxy in my absence and Conan will be deposed.

Oh wait, they’re not real and there are others to continue the struggle.

But ordering groceries and other goods is essential. There are local shops crying out for our custom, but being disabled there are advantages in having things delivered. Maybe we can do that by dongle as well. Reminds me, have I downloaded enough books onto my Kindle?

I envisage a problem occurring when we begin ordering from a dongle – the security guys at our bank will query the purchase in their diligent way. I’m pretty sure that online banking will be tough, although not impossible. But sending money to my wife’s kids in the US will be very hard, The only consolation is that my accounts package is offline.

As a writer I have some worries but know that I can continue to scribble without the internet. In fact removing it might lead to more productive days, as well as more days exploring the real world and making useful observations. Time to bring out the parchment and quill notebook and pen. So my scribbling life will be okay, if I ignore my other insecurities…

However, for my wife there is a more real problem. All her family are in the States and staying in touch with the USA by mobile/cell phone will be extremely difficult. Her mother is elderly and poorly. She keeps falling down and she would be unable to ring. It will be very expensive phoning the States on a cell phone, even with an international service.

Ultimately life with only a cell phone becomes a major problem in an emergency. We can call for help, if there is a signal. Being disabled I feel vulnerable, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference to British Telecom; any more than it does to the British government who sees us as a drain on the system, along with other scroungers.

Whinge over. Our situation is not dire. In retrospect there are others with far greater issues. Ours are just frustrating and grrrr.

Wife says we’ll live off the land and be sending smoke signals. Maybe the pigeon can come out of retirement along with the pony. The positives outweigh the negatives. New home, bespoke design to meet our needs, fabulous location, wonderful neighbourhood. I can feel another post coming, once we have explored the immediate area and have some great pictures. Just need to find a means to post it. But here’s a taster:

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22 Pant Mawr Park, Harlech, Wales

If all goes to plan, this will be my third posting of 2014 for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. This is when we release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the logo and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.

The awesome co-hosts today are MJ Joachim, Elsie, Elizabeth Seckman, and Julie Flanders! Many thanks to all you co-hosts for your time and effort towards making all IWSG members feel welcome.

Followers to Flyers: discovering what works

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This is my contribution to the first ever Online Marketing Symposium!

One month into my debut novel release and the word success is not on my lips, yet. But I remain optimistic because there are still promotions in the pipeline. ‘Spiral of Hooves’ was released on December 9th with an online party on Facebook, which was well attended. However, there was a slight delay, of a few hours, with the book appearing on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Since then it has been promoted to my followers and friends in a low key way on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and here. But I have not spammed cyber-space. Apologies if I have been in your faces for the last few weeks. I still need to learn the secret of keeping my followers happy. Treats?

The most useful marketing tools, so far, have been the two five star reviews that have appeared on Amazon. One has even been re-used, by the reviewer, to garner additional coverage on Facebook and an online equestrian site. There are some other reviews in the wings as the novel went out to some of my journalist friends, contacts from when I covered equestrian sports. As the novel is a thriller set against the sport of eventing, the forthcoming coverage in the sports main UK magazine, Eventing, could be key to the spring campaign. Use your contacts but don’t lose their friendship.

Cover credit: Danielle Sands

Cover credit: Danielle Sands

I have also sent the novel to some rider friends, including an Olympic rider, in order to get some useful quotes, and to spread the good news about the book being out. As one journalist friend said, ‘getting the word out in the lorry park will boost sales”. With that end I intend to produce some A5 flyers quoting the reviews and the name riders, and linking to my website and where to purchase a copy. Unable to hand these out at shows myself, being wheelchair-bound, I have some good friends that will get them in the right places. Despite being stumped from pressing the flesh in person, flyers might help spread the word at the grassroots. I have no previous experience of using flyers to promote books, so I will be interested to see the results for ‘Spiral of Hooves’. Later today I will check out the other blogs and see how others have fared with similar marketing techniques.

However, when I was in the film industry we used flyers quite often, although these were usually A4 glossy hand-outs that we used at film and TV conventions, including Cannes. We attracted interest, but not as much as we needed to fund a movie. Some were used for selling short films but it is hard to say how successful the leaflets were. All the sales were via a Distributor so our production company was last in line, having paid everybody else. Flyers do work for some producers and, from my observations, it was the hook plus pitch, the cover and elements like cast that were key selling points. But the flyers mustn’t have too much information. And that has to apply with book flyers as well. What are your thoughts on flyers? No better than random advertising? Destined for the recycle bin? Another useful tool in spreading the word?

For links to other participating Blogs and information on the first ever Online Marketing Symposium! please visit here.

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Two Futures: Facts or Fiction

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What is the best way forward for this blog?

Ever since I wrote my post Eight Headless Chickens I have been wondering what the most important next step is.

The clear priority has to be our move to Wales, and – Beware Cliché – fingers & toes crossed, that is proceeding smoothly thanks to my wife and special friends, but no thanks to immediate family. By the end of February, I should be blogging from a new desk with a view of Harlech, the sea and mountains in Snowdonia.

But even with the inspiring view what will I blog about?

I have two, or is it three futures that are churning around in my mind.

  1. Facts: the simplest way forward. I continue posting my usual observations on my experience of the writing process, interspersed with thoughts on issues of the day. As a relative newcomer to writing, at least in getting published, I feel unable to offer great insights on good writing techniques. There are far better sites/blogs for that, some in my Links.
  2. Fiction: tasters of my writing. Should my blog become a means to release short fiction strategically over time?  Since the start of the year, I have been working on short stories and now have seven at various stages. They are loosely connected, in that they are set in the same world, one akin to the game Gossamer Steel, so that is their collective title.
  3. Dual carriageway: a mix of both Facts and Fiction. So when a story was written and edited it would be available, and when I was inspired to supply concrete Facts that would be the post.

Which do I choose, 1, 2, or 3? What would you the readers of this Blog prefer? Why do you tune in here to what I write?

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Of course life is never simple, especially here at Writing Wings where there are challenges.

There is another element, a Newsletter. It’s an option that I have given serious thought to. The factual blog would continue to share my thoughts and experiences as a writer, and as a retiree with MS. The tasters of my fictional worlds would continue, whether as interviews or as extracts.

However, for those of you that sign up to my Gossamer Wings Newsletter there would be treats: the tasters would become short stories for free. In that way you could see how the Gossamer Steel universe evolved. I would also be extremely grateful for your comments and feedback, as they would contribute to the ongoing story, providing an invaluable asset in developing the world.

As part of the ongoing creation, I am using Aeon Timeline to construct a Chronology into which the short stories fit. In the same universe, I also have two novellas that I intend to self-publish and release later this year so everyone can experience the world of Gossamer Steel.

Should newsletter subscribers benefit with the novellas in some way? Is having a pre-taste of the world enough? There would be other news and fictional snippets in the newsletter as well.

What about a life of crime? Have I abandoned my criminals and their victims? Never.  As well as a stand-alone psychological thriller, there is the cyber-crime novel, ‘Wyrm Bait’. This is the first of a series that has the gaming world of Gossamer Steel as its background.

Plus there is the sequel to ‘Spiral of Hooves’ that I wrote for NaNoWriMo 2013. ‘Tortuous Terrain’ the second part of the Chasseur series has to have a future as well. The reviews on Amazon and elsewhere have been five star, so I have a lot of positive thoughts looking ahead.

So what do you feel is my future? Please, gaze not into your crystal ball but into the past at what you enjoyed. What do you want next?

Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui)

Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui)

 

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On Monday I will be taking part in an exciting blogfest and sharing my experiences, so far, on marketing. Do I dare mention my past in the film industry?

What Works…

The first ever “Online Marketing Symposium!“

A blogfest with information you can use.

The event happens on Monday January 20, 2014.

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http://www.yolandarenee.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/marketing-what-works.html

Baiting The Bull

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Setting New Year Resolutions is a bad idea, and I’m entitled to say that after six decades filled with failed attempts. That is also the motivation not to make that mistake this year, so no resolutions. I promise.

On January 1st 2013 I wrote a post entitled How hard are the Three Rs. It was an attempt to look ahead at my plans and resolutions for 2013, and to reflect on 2012. I admit that even though I achieved a few of the goals – publication, an editor, new readers, and maxing two MMORPG characters – I failed at the harder tasks, like writing 100k in 100 days and getting more drafts revised.

Therefore for 2014 I have a very simple To Do List, with one item: write or edit a few words each day. In that way the ‘bait for the bull’ is less overt, and I might even get something finished, be it a novel like Wyrm Bait or a short story.

Back in December I made the rash decision to do 100k in 100 days again. My total last January-April was 15,411 and in the summer I improved that by writing 32k in 100 days. What was I thinking? Not a good idea. I knew that it was impossible with all the preparation for our move at the end of February/early March.

Perhaps, having written over 50k in November for NaNoWriMo, I had a false sense of my capabilities. At least then I had a clear outline for ‘Tortuous Terrain’, and I knew my characters plus the ending. Yes, the first draft of ‘Tortuous Terrain’ has joined the queue, and one day it will be revised.

A short story set in the fantasy world eluded to in Wyrm Bait did inspire 1,530 words over the first two days of January. But even with this post I will be behind on the challenge. And I haven’t even missed a day through ill-health.

http://goinswriter.com/my500words/

However, I signed up for My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge, which is more manageable, especially if I can count the same words for both challenges. But maybe I am misinterpreting the rules since my 1,500 word story was written over two days, so I cannot carry the surplus forward… or even future shortfalls. Does that mean that I fail again?

Unless I waffle on for another 107 words.

Therefore I will end by saying that, although I will do one or two more Spiral of Hooves interviews, I am considering changing what I blog about. Since the future priority has to be getting another novel published, and Wyrm Bait is the most evolved, I will blog more about the fantasy, cyber-crime and gaming elements that I am researching for short stories being written against the same background. Short stories are going to have to be part of my future. I may even revise some really old manuscripts.

Or do you have any better suggestions?

Which of my post have you enjoyed most?

Should I take more photos and write less?

Or do you want to taste more fiction?

Life Throws Curve Balls

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A foggy evening 01

A foggy evening 01 (Photo credit: AnneCN)

This was meant to be my first attempt at an Insecure blog having failed to do one on the first Wednesday in October or November – sorry IWSG.

Damn those curve balls, whether they be my health (MS), stress, or moving plans. They keep on coming, so I keep trying to knock them away. This is another attempt, although I should be doing my tax return.

Starting on a positive note, I managed to write 50,000 words for NaNoWriMo in November, and a week later I had typed the last word ~ ‘forever’. This was only a 60k rough first draft of ‘Tortuous Terrain’, but at least it’s something to work on. With a lot of revision, editing, and critique, I should be able to produce a fitting sequel to ‘Spiral of Hooves’, my first published novel, coming shortly from Spectacle Publishing Media Group.

However, my 2013 NaNo effort will have to join the queue behind four other novels needing revision, although it might jump the queue a bit if the demand is there, and if other efforts are deemed unworthy of revision. And that is where I am in a quandary, and where I am Insecure. Where do I go from here? What do I tackle next? How can I improve my editing process, which with ‘Spiral of Hooves’ took at least a decade?

I look at the speed of others when it comes to producing finished books, and I marvel… and I shudder. Most of my Facebook writing friends are completing a book a year, sometimes as many as five. Some are even producing short stories as well. Although my health is a drawback, I am retired with more time, supposedly, than many of my colleagues.

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What do I give up doing? Linking with the digital world, by checking emails and social media? Learning my craft, by reading other blogs? My only escape, gaming?

Or do I set tighter deadlines? Or do I chill out and tell myself that at sixty I still have time? Or maybe I must accept that in the next life I will start trying to be a writer earlier.

It’s not straightforward when I find it easier plotting a new novel, even writing that first draft, than editing. I even have a sequel to the sequel churning around in my head… ever since I read a blog about writing a series, which suggested that one write the first and have the synopsis of Book 2 and of 3 in the wings. Great when I have two series in the pipeline ~ the Chasseur series (Spiral of Hooves++) and the Gossamer Steel series (Wyrm Bait++).

The solution is out there somewhere, but for now I will stop being a lone wolf howling at the moon, and stop baring my soul here so I can go edit ‘Wyrm Bait’, the next novel crying out for an audience. It’s already had at least two drafts, several critiques, and a professional edit.

Time to get the red pens out.

Is that the best solution? Or have I dismissed a better one above?

November

November (Photo credit: Cape Cod Cyclist)

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Liebster Award

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Surprises are great to receive, well as long as they are special like this one. Recently I received a Liebster Award nomination and I am very grateful to my blogging friend Jennifer Chow. This nomination inspires me to keep this blog going, even though there are days when I am ready to quit. Don’t we all have those down moments?

Although I have seen blogs that have received the Liebster Award, I was not fully aware of what it entailed or how it had come about.

Jennifer’s friend and nominator, Evelyne Holingue says, “Liebster comes from the German verb Lieben, which means to love. Liebster is the superlative form of the adjective lieb, which means kind, likeable, lovely. As a noun liebster also means sweetheart and boyfriend. Ah the complexities of the German language! As I understand it, the Liebster Award is like a little gift from one blogger to another.”

The Basic Rules are:

1. Write a post about the nomination and link back to the nominator’s site.

2. In that post, explain the meaning of the award and answer the questions given to you.

3. Create questions for your nominees.

4. Nominate 5 blogs with fewer than 1000 followers.

5. Contact nominees and let them know that you have nominated them.

6. Post the award button on your blog.

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The Questions to me:

    Do you remember your first blog post?

It was back in 2011, when I asked “How Green Are The Squirrels?” on the first Blog page started with my wife, The Duskweald. Since then the site has changed and this site, ‘Writing Wings’ has appeared – in May 2012 – and evolved. The squirrels blog was more about our home, lifestyle and dealing with the squirrels who were digging up our tomatoes, than about writing.

Why are you blogging?

Too keep my brain active. On ‘Writing Wings’ I try to focus on blogging about my writing journey, the ups & downs, but also about things that inspire or annoy me. Lately I have been trying to interview some of the characters in my first soon-to-be published novel, “Spiral of Hooves”.

    What do you like best and least about blogging?

I enjoy being inspired to write short pieces that are a change from my novel-writing; even the interviews are a break. I can spend a day or two focused on a piece, and then have it published online in a short time. However, I hate feeling the need to write a blog every week or more often. It is worse when there are other things impacting on my life, whether it’s health issues or just other assignments – like the Course Assignment from last week, to design a computer game. But that might make an interesting blog post, sometime soon.

    What blogs do you like to follow?

I tend to follow blogs by other writers, whether they are ones by authors giving invaluable advice or by writers setting out on their journey, like me. We are always learning, however much we already know or have had published. I also follow a few sites by avid readers, mainly in the crime and fantasy genres. However, if I find a blogger who writes about inspirational topics then I will follow that site.

Harlech Castle

Harlech Castle (Photo credit: BrotherMagneto)

What would you like to share with your readers that they might not know about you?

Hard question as ‘Writing Wings’ as a site is riddled with home truths, as well as an About Me that tries to fill some of the gaps. Some of you might be unaware of my link to North America, beyond the fact that part of my education was at a British school north of Montreal. While there, I went on a white water expedition, the first known descent by ‘white-men’ of the Beaver River in the Yukon. By linking to my wife’s Duskweald site, you will know that she is from Idaho, USA, and her family are there and in Utah. Don’t you?

If money, job and family weren’t an issue where would you live and why?

Ever since I gave up my landed-immigrant status in Canada – yes I should have mentioned that one – I’ve had an urge to go back and live there. Visiting Idaho with its mountains, made me want to stay, but with my health that would be a non-starter. Mountains though are not confined to North America. We have them in the British Isles. So having resolved the money issue, retired and received the blessings of the family, we are moving to North Wales next spring. There we will have fresh air, the sea, a castle and Snowdonia. And there are ways for the family that count to visit.

  Have you learned more from your successes or failures?

The failures feel more prominent at times so I suppose they are the strongest lessons. But every twist and turn in life is part of the learning, and none are more important. It’s the overall experiences that we gather as our life quest unfolds. A perfect opportunity to point you all to the poem “Ithaca” by C.P. Cavafy.  This inspirational article on “Ithaca” also links to Sean Connery reading the poem, with music by Vangelis. Inspiration for a game perhaps, or at least a blog post.

    What is your idea of a day lived to its fullest?

An inspirational day spent outdoors with my wife, enjoying the majesty and richness of nature, preferably in the mountains or by a tumbling river. Ending with a fine, light meal watching “Lord of the Rings”. Then getting up next day refreshed and inspired to write thousands of words.

    What one key message do you want your readers to take away from your blog?

That it’s never too late to start doing something that you really feel the need to do. In fact, start before it slips away and you regret the lost time.

Do you prefer the book to the movie or the movie to the book?

I tend to prefer the book, but a clever film-maker can capture the essence of a book and give it new life. “Lord of the Rings”, for instance, is my all-time favourite book but Peter Jackson and his team managed to create an image of Middle Earth that resonated with me. However, a film can never have the depth of a book as it is restricted by cinema time. When done well the two media complement each other. Remediation has been happening since the first stories were told, then written down. Words, paintings, tapestries, films and now video games all combine to create a rich milieu.

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On to my Questions:

Why did you choose your Blog name?

What are your aims and ambitions in writing a Blog?

Where do you find your inspiration?

What do you like best and least about blogging?

What inspires you to follow another Blog?

What is your favourite book and favourite movie?

Is a book always better than the movie? Can they be compared?

What is your best quality?

Where have you dreamed of living and why?

Are you always learning from life?

What one key message do you want your readers to take away from your blog?

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My Nominees:

1. Another writer’s journey, one-step ahead of me. Vikki is one of my inspirational Municipal Liasons for NaNoWriMo: http://the-view-outside.com/

2. The author of one of my recent best reads, “Oracle”, J C is the fighter-writer that keeps me plugging on: http://jc-martin.com/fighterwriter/

3. Elizabeth is a versatile writer tackling non-fiction, short stories and now a novel. Always thoughtful words: http://elizabethducie.blogspot.co.uk/

4. Ailsa is an author, biker, knitter and shaman, which means there is never a dull moment… just plenty of fun: http://ailsaabraham.com/

5. Nicole’s adventures in Science and Science Fiction are informative and entertaining. A prolific reader and knowledgeable about science:  http://nicolepoweleit.wordpress.com/

Finally, although Jennifer Chow had told me all she knew about Liebster, I Googled the Award and found this interesting link: http://lorrainemariereguly.wordpress.com/2013/05/02/the-liebster-award-the-official-rules-my-first-blog-award-and-a-few-personal-secrets-revealed/

I haven’t abided totally by these rules – sure some of the nominees have 1,000+ followers – but I feel that variety is meant to be the spice of life. If I have nominated you, then you might want to try your own version of the recipe.

Here then is one version of:

The Official Rules Of The Liebster Award

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)

3. Answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. Provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

6. Create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. List these rules in your post. (You can copy and paste them from here.)

Once you have written your post, and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

The post adds that you can nominate someone who already has been given this award, as long as they have less than 1000 followers/subscribers.

Until next time this is the Silver Scribbler signing off and getting in his wheelchair.

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