Tag: Coffee

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Better to tell a Story or Write a Story 

In the forthcoming year there’s going to be a slight change in the way that I produce my books. Actually it’s a pretty fundamental change. Various authors have seen the benefit of dictating their books in a rough first draft before then editing. But the amount of writing produced has increased and enabled them to produce more whilst not sacrificing quality.

I have prepared for this step change by purchasing a dictation machine with software for my computer which will translate the dictation into written format. So far I have completed some tests with the device and have started training it to my Northern Irish brogue. And I have to say that first results are pretty good.

I still remembering having dictation on the computer some 20 years ago when the results made my words look like Yoda was on speed. Despite creating a whole new language, it was a disaster and I abandoned the idea of “talking” to the machines. But technology has moved on and hopefully it will move on my writing this year.


Last year I produced 2 novels, “The Darkness at Dillingham and “Surface Tensions”, both early in the year. Things got a little delayed after that but I also have my 3rd Austerley & Kirkgordon novel in the final drafts as well as a short story to go with it. There is also a totally new venture, “Dark Wen” awaiting more editing.


The thing about using dictation is that my writing habits need to change. I need quiet to dictate, so for the first drafts the coffee shops will not be so prevalent (this is a major disappointment). Even in the house it will require getting up early to dictate so as not to be disturbed. This will hopefully also fit better into the daily workings of our household but there is definitely a suck it and see aspect to it all.

The grand plan is to produce 8 books next year. This is ambitious but then we need to aim for the heights or we stay in the valleys. So look forward to more intrigue, fantasy, action and adventure, as well as some new characters, including a Scarlett O’Meara and a myriad of mythological beasts.

So this is a sign-off for this old year and hopefully bounding into the new year to bring novels aplenty!


Happy reading in the New Year and as always thanks for your interest!

Gary

G R Jordan

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Grass cutting – the easy way!

You know when you have held off buying something because of the cost. Then when you do, you realise it’s so much more efficient than the old thing. Ultimately you realise you’ve been a bit of muppet not splashing the cash. Well, I learnt a valuable lesson in grass cutting this week.

How grass cutting suddenly got easier

This week I’ve been cutting the grass (otherwise known as the jungle!) with my new mower and it has sliced the time it’s been taking to hackdown the weeds. I had perservered for a couple of years with our old one. But this week I completed the front lawn without injury, an overexcuberance of swearing, and without kicking the living daylights out of the mower.
Writing is similar. Getting a decent ebook creator has saved time and money and has freed me up to produce more writing quicker. Which is all the better for everyone. It’s also allowed me time to get stuck into a first draft I have waiting, the first book in a new series, “Dark Wen”. It’s about a detective who finds his city under a dark paranormal attack and has to leap into action against creatures and spirits he has never imagined. All being well, it’ll be available in August!
Anyway, strimmer time now. No point in perfect lawns with imperfect edges…. or maybe a coffee instead (edges can’t be that important).
If you like paranormal adventures, then you will like Austerley and Kirkgordon. Their battle against evil forces begins with “Crescendo”. Or if you want a taster of it you can download Footsteps, the first Austerley and Kirkgordon Origin Story, free.