The gods are probably laughing

Just been to sfsite, and had a read of yet another flamewar. Seems like where there is a forum there is a way. I like sfsite - there is a wealth of information there for any reader. But I get the feeling the place is shrinking. This always seems to happen where the 'live' online usefulness to the writer has begun to wane, or where the site gives the impression that it is more important than the writer, or its members. Couldn't say whether any of that is the case there. I haven't been there long enough, and I've also stayed out of discussions recently. I've seen what happens too many times when they get out of hand, and there are plenty enough dead websites around (or not!) to illustrate the future of an overbearing hand. I even had someone interrupting a conversation I was having about Tolkien, with someone sticking a link concerning Tolkien in the middle of the conversation, with neither a 'please' or a 'may I' while doing it. Arrogance defeats any argument. It also defeats any purpose.
There is a lot of bitterness at sfsite, illustrated in discussions there, that SF is not regarded as literary work both within the publishing industry and by the reading public. This appears to be reflected in fact, as SF writers tend to win SF awards, but not the literary awards these days. Probably sets the tone for the site. I always feel that sites need new members and new moderators regularly. Change helps change. Not always for the good, but usually for the good - and that's all it needs, really: change.
Anyway, enough of that. Here was an argument that centred aound someone apparently trying to bury someone else's argument by quoting some notary from somewhere, and then the other person replying that they obviously can't sustain their own argument so they have to quote someone else, thus giving rise to the idea that they don't have thoughts of their own. And it went on and on. This was by no means the longest argument I've seen there - one or two appeared to have been rethreaded in order to allow more space to accommodate them!
Now, I myself quote the odd (famous) writer or musician. Ha! I've even quoted Noel the Ultimate Proofreader. But I do it sparingly, and only in support of my own on-going journey. I ain't never gonna put someone down by quoting someone else - you know: look at me, I know more quotes and references than you, so you really should be listening to what I'm saying!
I believe firmly that any kind of artist should learn from someone. You need someone, or some thing, to refer to, that actually means something to yourself. But I also believe even more that this is all secondary to yourself. No matter how great the artist you admire, or teacher, they are not more important than yourself. You have to regard yourself as the new standard bearer, that you are the one who is carrying the baton while you have the ability, and/or the inclination or momentum.
Always give credit where it is due. Never not do this. You will create dark corners in your own mind, and they will shade things where there is no need for it.
But always stand up for yourself, give yourself due credit, and say and do what you believe in. Do it for the right reasons. Create your own world.

Closer

I haven't looked at my latest work for over a week, nor have I written anything during this time. I have been thinking about it a lot, going through a scene or two, a few words or ideas here and there in my head.
I want to look at my work, but I won't until I feel I have to. There is a difference.
I will know when I can't sleep for thinking about it. That's the usual sign. Then I look. Soon, perhaps. It will take over and I keep writing until I come to a natural end somewhere. Stephen King calls it 'filling a hole', or something like that. Not sure if that's how I'd describe it, but we all get these points of stopping, of reflection, where you look back, look forward, and see how it's all going, or gone.
Coming soon to a laptop near me!

Reflections, reflecting...

I was hoping Man United would take my mind off things today. They did, but in a slightly depressing and negative way. We were rubbish up front - that, and some sterling defensive play by Citeh, conspired to produce our first defeat of the season. If we don't start scoring then we will lose a few more. I took some stick today - I had no defence and my team had no forward line. Enough! I can't think about it any more.
As consolation, I briefly thought about picking up my latest work. But only briefly. Give or take a word or sentence, those first three chapters will be the ones landing on an agent's desk- though it will be months before I approach agents with them. Still, they are as complete as I can get them as an introduction to the rest of the story. I believe in them as a true beginning. I've spent a lot of time on them, though I know that time itself is only part of the answer. I will do nothing more on them for at least a week - unless Noel the Ultimate Proofreader comes back to me before then. Noel's enthusiasm after listening to me read parts of the beginning down the phone tells me something. But the reading of it will be the real proof. He never sees what isn't there, only what is and what can be. A professional's eye. False praise never works - except to ensure that you are never published. True praise, and true criticism, can't ensure that you are published. But they will undoubtedly help.
I feel strongly about what I'm doing. If I can't get there with what I'm doing now, then I can't see how I will get there with anything else. That may not be a true reflection of how things really are, or will be. It could be just a reflection of how I feel about what I'm doing right now. Is that how everyone who writes should feel? Maybe if it means that much, then yes it is.
Just me, reflecting...

A moment of truth

So then, I've been up to Noel the Ultimate Proofreader's house in Newcastle, complete with box of chocolates for his wonderful wife Chris (who gave me a scolding for doing this!) and with a disk containing the prologue and first two chapters, and some other chapters.
For me it's a moment of truth, as I feel that this is where I really need to dig deep and determine whether all of the plans I've made were good ones, and whether my writing has come up to scratch.
I'm not going to do this right now, though. I'm going to wait for a few days and give my brain a rest and just let it all sink in. What I've done and what I'm going to do.
I passed a comment to Noel that I was unsure whether the ending of the prologue led well enough into the first chapter, or that the first chapter began well enough after the ending of the prologue.
Noel said: 'Give your agent something to do, Peter.' Which made me laugh. If only!
I always feel I have to cover everything and leave nothing to chance. That's why I'm not going to do anything for a while in order to give Noel an opportunity to read what I've done and come up with his own observations.
I'm pleased with what I've done so far, packing in a lot of information into these initial chapters, telling virtually nothing and showing a lot - at least, I think so, which is where this rest will come in handy. I'll see things more clearly when I go back to it.
I really do wonder how long it will take me to write this story, and how far into it should I wait before sending the beginning off to agents.
There, I'm getting ahead of myself again. Stop it.
Now, where's that CD I just bought?

A taste of Peru!

I was talking to a couple of friends in Ocean Road, South Shields, when some rather lovely music drifted towards us. As one, we all stopped talking and began to listen to the band playing live in the street between The Ship And Royal and The Criterion pubs.
The music reminded me of Santana, with its bongo drums and clear melodic guitar - though it had a gentler feel.
In the end, I couldn't resist and I went over. Yep, they did have CDs for sale, so I bought one. Andean Lounge it's called and cost me ten quid. Worth it if it is as good as the live stuff. The band's name is Kalx, and the album was mixed in Newcastle, would you believe, at the Diablito Studios.
The first track is called Grito Del Diablo - Scream of the Devil. Nice!
I'll let you know what the album's like as soon as I've heard it.

A glance back

Looking back over my blog, it's apparent that I've had rather little to say in terms of information, or education, for anyone involved in the writing world. Apart from the lucky few :-), I really have no idea who has read my blog. No idea, either, whether they found it interesting enough to read further than the first page.

Given that that's the criteria just about any agent would use to determine the publishability of someone's work, the phrase 'Must try harder' springs readily to mind.

However, there is a reason for that: I'm writing my latest work and can't find much inspiration beyond that to do little more than howl at the moon because of my perceived errors, or report now and again that all is well and my writing is progressing and that I'm getting on with it.

Looking at Solvey's, Rich's and Maria's blogs, it's great to know that there is no let up in true quality, and that whatever their levels of success, they really don't need me. I say that without any kind of ego attached, or that I wish that they did, or I hope that they do and all that. I'm actually getting on with my latest work, happy that I really don't need to think about them, or worry about them. They will be published and sell millions without my input. Maria's already there! I will be a reader when it hits the shops. It's great to know that.

I guess I'm really only worried about myself.

I glance at sfsite now and again, but say nothing. I glance at Litopia (solvey is a winner of the short story comp, you know! rich will be, too, I'm sure). I glance at critters. I'm a non-forumite forever, I believe. For my own sanity ;-) Then I check out bedtime story (dead, almost buried), and read everyone's blogs. My own blog, I just report my progress.

I'm only concerned with my latest work. That it is happening feels good - brilliant, in fact. I just wish that I could say more, share it even. I can't, though. Under wraps until it's well forward.

I will write it out to the end of the first book. There will definitely be a second, and hopefully a third. Gotta get the first one done, though. It is happening. No other projects can get in the way.

I'm glad I'm not worried about anyone else getting published. You only have to read their blogs to see they're going to make it. So I'm really only worried about me. And glad that I am. I can just get on with things. I've got no excuses for failure!

A look into the future

As you know, I've spent a lot of time at the beginning of my latest work, looking at it from different angles and deciding which is the best way to begin. Writing it all out has been a new and learning experience as I had a lot of information already to hand. It feels like I'm not having to try too hard to write it all out in full. Slightly worrying, but if that is the effect of planning, the premeditated thought, then maybe that's how it will be throughout.
However, I do know that at some stage I'm going to have to call a halt and take stock as to where I am with it all. I do have some chapters already written from a while back, which seem to fit neatly after the new chapters I've done for the beginning. That is a real positive.
However, regardless of how many chapters I've done, and how many fit together, I'm going to have to stand behind the prologue, look down the line, and see if my story is going in the direction I've planned. And if not, decide if it's the best way to go, or whether I should attempt to change things to make it go where I planned.
This is on top of simply looking at what I've done thus far and checking that the writing is as good as it can be.
Anyone writing a book should do this on a regular basis. There should be no greater critic/editor/proofreader/reader than yourself. You have to develop an eye for problems in your own work. Not just problems, either, but positives, good things.
It's difficult when it's all such a subjective process. So, you have to become objective about your own work. Not simple.
One of the best ways of achieving this is to put your work down, close it all up, and leave it. Not just for a day or two, but for at least a week, maybe two. Enter it in your diary, or your computer reminder system. If you think of anything during this time, then think about it, properly, but not deliberately (let thoughts happen, don't force them) and write anything from this on separate sheets of paper. Then, at the end of that time, go back to your work. You will have removed yourself sufficiently enough to view your work with a little less subjectivity, and I promise this will help you look at things in a better light.
It doesn't take long to begin writing, or amending, and for you to become subjective again, so don't worry about that - you do want to be published, after all!
That's how I do it.

How does it feel?

I was watching America's Got Talent tonight. Having a laugh at Leonid (who I found very entertaining, but impossible to place in any kind of category), a thought occurred to me: 'What would people think of my latest work? How would they regard it?'
The thought had occurred to me ages ago, actually. It's the writer's job to persuade the reader of its merits, so I didn't dwell too heavily on it at the time.
A funny one. My subjective opinion would always hold anything I've done in a sympathetic light. Now that I've begun to write the story proper, and I understand where I'm going with it, I feel I have enough information to go on in order to gauge some kind of public (hopefully!) perception. It's probably evident that I'm enjoying what I'm doing and that's the reason I'm thinking in this way. I don't really want to get ahead of myself with anything I'm doing, but it was a thought that seemed worth exploring.
Music has played a hugely important part of my life, as it does in yours, I'm sure. One of my favourite songs from way back is 'Off The Wall'. I can't listen to it enough times to be sick of hearing it.
I don't mind saying that I believe that this is a serious story. It opens that way and continues in that vein mostly throughout. But there are lighter moments, too, and hopefully with the darker shades will provide a very fruitful contrast whenever they occur.
Yeah, at this early stage, off the wall would seem a valid description. This may still be true of it later, although I do hope that there would be a lot more to add to this description than that. But, for now, off the wall is good.
I've added Off The Wall to the Crawfish video. I wonder what Elvis would have thought of Jacko at his height. He was always complimentary to other acts, but I'd have loved to have heard his opinion.

Great Expectations

Taking Maria's lead, I had a quick look back at what I like to read. And it really was a quick look, as my head is full of thoughts for future writing.
Once again, I found myself amazed at how similar are the writing styles of Great Expectations and The Lord Of The Rings. To me, they could have been written by the same person. The attention to detail is immense. Fabulous works, both. So similar, yet from such different times.
But would they be published today? I wouldn't have a clue. Time moves on and the writing world moves with it. Different wants, different needs.
Koontz and Banks have that touch.
Lots to look at, lots to read later, as that's as far as I can go. I've set them all aside.
A note to myself: study the masters; don't try to become them. Stand on your own.

Accessibility

I remember when Sword was first rejected. Six times in a row from the first six sendings-off to agents. I got some great replies, with compliments on my writing and bits of advice. But ultimately all said 'no'. Boy did it hurt.
'Never mind,' I told myself. 'Keep trying. Someone will want it.'
No they didn't. I got a barrowload of rejections. The most-used reason was 'I can't find a market for it.' The hurt never lessened. Sword now lies in a drawer.
I've since written other things - short stories, the beginning of a short story series, and I've plans for a children's story, although nothing written on that front yet.
Everything has been set aside, though, while I write my latest work.
Once again, I will not entertain rejection. The most important lesson I learned was that without the market, you will be lost. You must have some kind of unique selling point, and you must have market appeal. I'm not writing it from a marketing angle - for me, that would be literary suicide, and a soulless venture - but I do have an eye on the market. Hopefully, I will be proved right. At this point, I don't believe that I'm wrong. And I believe in what I'm doing, and really enjoy the feeling of it all unfolding before me. The more modern style allows me to write quicker, and the chapters (so far) are smaller than Sword. Is that significant? Possibly another confirmation of my new style. Getting there...

The mind is an amazing thing

Having finished the first two chapters, give or take a word or two, I started looking at the third chapter.
Incidentally, I was always leaning towards a prologue and a first chapter with these first two pieces. When I read the first page of the second chapter down the phone to Noel the Ultimate Proofreader, his immediate reaction was that this sounded more like a first chapter. So, it seems I was right: prologue and first chapter.
The prologue does bother me a little: I like it very much, and it establishes a beginning way into the past while introducing three of the people in the tale. Hmmm, but does it detract from the first chapter? Does it reduce its effect, somehow? A question for later, with a fresher outlook, as they both exist and my thoughts are a bit too subjective right now.
Back to this next chapter, I became a bit anxious - I hadn't really got a next chapter to hand, and was unsure as to what it should be. To the point where I couldn't think of one.
I began to look through my notes. Inspiration was needed.
Suddenly, there it was: three quarters the way down a page I had drawn a line. Underneath, and continuing on the next page, were some notes about a passage that needed to occur near the beginning of the story. I knew about it, and sometimes thought about it now and again, but had put it to one side while I began the beginning. It seems to be a perfect fit. I won't know until later, but it feels like it.
Amazing how you can think of something and not realise why you thought of it. Is this why I couldn't think of a following chapter? Because I had already thought of it? Perhaps there is no better way forward in the story and that's why I couldn't think of another one.
Writing life!