Once more into the breach

I'm looking at the next chapter, which has already been written. Still slightly unhappy about my own tying-in of things in the previous chapter - it's rather unfinished, and though I have most of it down ok, there is still a bit of 'thought-smoothing' to do. I'm not anti-religion, just there is a point to what I'm attempting to say and, therefore, need to make sure I don't get sidetracked or dig a hole while doing it. I'm glad I'm over the 'hump in the road', which was causing me real problems, so it's really a matter of ensuring the story follows itself. I can't think of everything from the outset, so long as I cover every issue eventually. The Intrepid Four will inform me of any shortcomings, but that's the whole point: different eyes see different things. Important things.
I believe that every once in a while I will have to look back and ensure that the writing is tight and that I don't just tail off sometimes. It's part of the whole process.
Now on to the next chapter! We move into a different area within the story, though it is a logical step, given the people already there. Though this chapter has already been written, I'm looking at the opening words, trying to avoid a bit of jar. Changing scene is good. Gotta make sure it works. The next three months will be hard... enjoying it, but it sure takes a lot out of you!
I've promised myself that I'll live more after the New Year. I've made this kind of resolution before, but as I think I'm writing more easily, it's something I feel I can stick to this time.
Ain't no stopping us now, we're on the move...

Movies 'n' Popcorn

The other night I settled down with some crisps and popcorn to watch Real v Man City. By half-time I was pretty fed up - no goals, and though Real were far too good for Citeh, it didn't seem like the second half would be much better. I stopped watching and busied myself with a few things around the house. Cue five goals in the second half, all of which I missed! Bugger!
What it also means is that I've got loads of crisps and popcorn left. Well, waste not want not! So, as part of my relaxation this weekend, I've got American Gangster and Season of The Witch. I've had both dvds for a while, but something always seemed to happen to stop me watching them. This weekend seems as good a time as any to try and watch them both. Why not - and with a couple of bacardis n coke to help me along!
Lights...

So, I've sent copies to the Intrepid Four!

At long last!
Thirteen chapters have winged their way to Dave Pimm, Richard Howse, Noel Deighton and Rebecca Speight. The task of deciphering my mad ramblings has begun - and as it's thirteen chapters, upon which side of the coin of luck will it all fall?
Everything's polished to a fair degree, though not up to agent-review standard, as I always like to leave room for more. Once these guys have had a look, changes will need to be made - believe me, nothing gets past this lot. You hope the changes won't be major, but change must be made whatever it needs to be.
And then I've got to get through the whole first story - then we'll know if it's any good or not.
I'm tired and I need to think of the next step. Subsequent chapters, both written and 'not yet', await.
I now need to go to youtube to help relax, and I need some honey. That's not a euphemism - I've run out of honey for tea! Although, then again... ;-)
Goodnight x

Off for two days - yep, you guessed it...

This is my life, either writing, or reviewing my writing. Failure will hurt badly; not trying would hurt even more! So I travel on... At the end of two days, the Intrepid Four will receive their copies of 'the story so far', and I will press on with what needs to be done in the meantime.
By the way - nothing to do with this, but...
I was stopped, recently, by a young guy with 'Church of Jesus Christ' on his badge.
"Can I talk to you for a short while," he said.
"Sorry," I said. "But I am in a real hurry (I was!), but while there is famine, murder, rape and all kinds of misery going on in this world, I'm afraid, if there is a Jesus Christ, he long turned his head away from this planet!"
"So," said the young man. "If there was none of this, you would believe that there is a Jesus Christ?"
"No," I replied. "It is going on, and has been for a long time. He does nothing about it, therefore he can't do anything about it, otherwise, if he does care as much as he should, he would do something about it. He is doing nothing - nothing!" Or words to that effect.
I had to go, and left him muttering something I couldn't hear.
I've heard it all before, been a churchgoer as a kid, sang in the choir, went to Catholic schools, then experienced life outside of all that. I have no answers to the world's ills from those early days, nor do I have them from my time afterwards.
In the end, I feel it's about people. Only people have the power to change and effect change. The rest is all theory and hearsay. Just my opinion.

A review before my reviews!

Having written the final piece of this beginning, I'm now able to review what I've done before sending it out to the Intrepid Four for their critiques. I don't really expect to hear back from the guys for at least a month, maybe even longer, by which time I will need to have entered another phase in the story. I need to consider my next step in the telling of this tale and then make it.
It feels great to have got this far, as I struggled to find the right move into a delicate area that needed a strong approach. I like the scenes I've created - it's the kind of story I would want to read. It may not feel that way to others. The reviews may indicate mistakes - they have done so in the past - but I've always tried to treat them as an augmentation i.e. they are there to help so must be treated with respect and trust. They've never been destructive, which is a huge part of the process set in a positive way. Worth the wait, for sure!

Congratulations to Rich and Katie

Richard, one of the Intrepid Four, got married very recently. Marvellous photos on Facebook. I'm sure Rich and Katie will have a long and happy life together. May I wish the best of everything to you both.
See, it's not all doom and gloom on this blog lol!  ;-)   :-))))

What of the future?

The worst part of trying to project into the future is that part of your thinking that turns into the negative. What on earth do you do if/when the rejection slips come at you?
It can take months, a year or two, even, to realise that it isn't going to happen. What a horrible thought. I shivered at it and banished it to the 'just make sure it doesn't happen' file. And made a mental note not to go there again.
The Intrepid Four and Agents: that's where it will be decided, not in a loosely-conceived future scenario I haven't yet reached.
I must stay positive!
I'm not far off mailing my readers this beginning. We are well into the story now, and it's starting to open out. I now have to decide the movement after this. I've got lots of notes, so I'm not at any kind of loss. Every time I've written a chapter I've worried about its validity, then it has found its place and my previous thought processes have been proven correct. Got to trust that.
At some place at, or before, the midpoint, I must decide the positioning of other flashbacks - I've placed one already and I believe it works 'in context'. A snap decision worked out, which proved once again that creative influences will always find a way and worrying is really counter-productive. There are not many flashbacks, and they have top reasons for being there.
Patience and time. The future will take care of itself, so living in the moment will be beneficial if I continue to do that.
Just a little rain must fall... upon us all...

Nearly there...

Just have to finish this smallish piece, then it's on for my own review and send it off to the Intrepid Four. About a week, I feel. I tried to write tonight, but it didn't happen. Still, I'm off Thursday, so I hope to get things moving in that direction. Subsequent chapters seem to leap at me from my notes. I need to be careful which ones I write next and in which order they appear in the story itself. The flashbacks, and the new narrative device I've thought of, must be strategically placed. And blow me, but I've also had another idea, so I've got some thinking to do once the guys get their copies. Lord knows when they'll manage to get back to me, so I've got to step on the gas in the meantime with the rest of what I'm doing.
No buts... just get on with it!

Casting Light Upon The Magic

I remembered MG Harris, writer of the bestselling The Joshua Files book series, saying how her agent, Peter Cox, had advised her not to cast light upon the magic. I went back to her website to check whether I had read her right, and, sure enough, there was Most Glamorous Harris' quote, along with a comment from Dave Pimm (solvey) and from myself. Top advice, and when you read MG's thoughts on her website, you will see that they rarely, if ever, contain information on her work-in-progress.
Looking back over my own blog, I wondered if I'd been as discreet. I've spoken lots about my stuff, but not to the extent that I reveal much at all. I did, once, quote a small piece at Halloween, but took a whole chunk out of it as it was too sensitive to leave in. And if anyone asks me what I'm writing, my stock line is that it's a ghost story set in Newcastle. And so it is, with loads of... lol, no you don't! Peter Cox is right: if you have any magic at all, it should happen inside the book. I'm trying to conjure up something, but sheesh! this is the hardest thing I've ever done!
My readers know what I'm up to, though. How else can I deliver, if they don't know what I'm supposed to be writing? There is a team behind me, tapping me on the shoulder, jabbing at my words and pointing the way ahead. Without them I'd probably be lost and end up who-knows-where with it all. This is magic, too... magic that can be shared...

The Influence Of Music

I've known for quite a while that I probably wouldn't write anything worth reading without music. Music influences your thoughts and mood - it influences your life. I'm always searching, looking up new (to me) musicians, artists, putting the odd comment up if I feel I should.  Some artists are incredibly talented and I keep going back to have another look/listen.
I did try to learn acoustic guitar and also piano. I was a better piano player, but I didn't have the application those days and me and musical instruments drifted apart. I'd never have reached the level of some who are youtubed here, so maybe it's just as well.
I've listened to, and watched, so much music lately. It has helped me enormously when it came to channelling my thoughts and focusing my mind. Youtube is a regular haunt of mine, and sometimes I post the odd toon on Facebook if I think it merits an airing.
I couldn't say whether musicians and writers have the same creative outlook - music is certainly the more accessible medium audience-wise. Still, why should I even attempt to analyse that? Just enjoy it, enjoy the moment. It's wiser, perhaps, otherwise how can one relax and take in what is being performed.

Progress

Everything has been progress, really. It's the process of writing this first book that has been painful, though I'm going to put that down at this early stage to the switch from epic fantasy to science fantasy. I know I wrote A Brief History Of Tim, which held a more modern style, but that was based on the original book, so I had a 'helpful' influence there. Here, it's been a battle of styles and structures. I've kind of come out of the other side smiling, and I'm not surprised why: the story so far has taken shape. I've actually stopped worrying, too, which has to augur well for the creativity side of things. So I think, anyway.
There are places and scenes I have yet to visit and interpret. I've made notes, so I know where I'm going. Some of the scenes I won't/can't do until the first book has been done, as I will need to look back and choose where to put them. I don't want to show some of this yet, as I'd like it to be a future surprise, an addition, if you like, which will enhance the narrative. I need more time to develop this idea, but as it's new to me, I'm going to let it grow for a while.
So, 14 chapters, give or take, some of it new to the Intrepid Four, most of it not. But the layout and continuity is more concrete and, hopefully, fluid. Concrete? Fluid? Told you I was nuts!

Soliloquy it's taking so long

I have a piece to write that leads into another chapter. Introspection from the hero. The ensuing chapter has already been written. There is editing to complete before I can release 'the story so far' to the Intrepid Four. Not long now!
There are 20,000 words typed up in this first part - and I'd guess therein about a fifth of the first book has been told, rather than half. But I'm not stopping and I have to say I'm pleased with what I've done.  :-)