Tag: writing

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Genre or not to Genre?

Do you read a specific genre? If so, why? Why do we limit ourselves by looking only for books within a certain style, storyline or feel? I came to think about this because my novels tend to move across genres. Take “Crescendo!”, the first in my Austerley & Kirkgordon series. It has certain Lovecraftian throwbacks to it, so obviously it’s horror. But hang, it is set in the real world with a number of fantastical creatures and happenings in it. Ah, I hear you cry, its Urban Fantasy. Well, yes, but… It also has plenty of action and adventure in it too. And also investigators who have been described as old fashioned cop show buddies in that they can’t stand the sight of each other.

It’s hard boxing things in in real life too. Working in the emergency services, you have standard protocols and procedures but everyone will tell you there is no standard job. And in life there are no standard people. Variety and complexity is what makes life the vibrant maelstrom it is. And thank goodness, otherwise we would be board senseless by it.

Romance? Well maybe, but also fantasy and adventure

When I was writing “Surface Tensions” I was fortunate enough to have a group fund a developmental review of it. On its return to me, I was informed that it needed a serious plot change as the romance genre required a certain path to be followed. But surely the reader would see this coming? Do we really want to have the same things replayed to us. I understand seeking the same feel. I love Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series but I wouldn’t ever accuse him of simply replaying the same story even if his initial devices were similar in their instrumentation.

Terry Prachett – never simply repeating

Maybe I’m just too eclectic. I’d rather take stories in all shapes and sizes. Some I may like, some maybe not, but at least I won’t be bored into a rut. Let us all be eclectic and to the blazes with genre!

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Why I find it hard to be a woman

Have you ever wondered what your better is thinking or why? Maybe you just got to know someone you find attractive and you’re wondering what makes them tick. Understanding and writing as the opposite gender (and sometimes our own) is no mean feat. We are only armoured with our own experience. Usually some stereotypes do not do justice to the other half of the species.

Writing as the opposite gender

As a writer, I often find my female characters hard to drop into the mind-set of. In today’s PC world, there is always the temptation to hold back on certain observations about a character lest these be offensive or damaging to the self-esteem of a generation. We feel that we must portray characters as empowered and uplifting. Few interesting stories consist only of uplifted, empowered men or women.

I find it best to approach these difficult lines by simply writing how I see a character initially. Then the joy of trusted beta readers comes in, as they pick away at your misconceptions. Sometimes it’s just mere misunderstanding but occasionally our ignorance will show through. But surely it’s better to put your thoughts out there and receive correction than to harbour a misconception through this life.

Furthermore some women are not self-reliant, some men are not gentlemen and some children are wicked. For every desirable character in this world we have many more broken and battered ones, leaving them predisposed to horrible traits. One must guard against how our gender sees itself. It is better for a writer to observe and then commit to paper than try to assimilate perfect traits into what are after all, imperfect beings.

My main female character so far has been Cally, an 800 year old vamp. Guess I gave myself extra challenges there to portray a character I certainly have no personal experience of. She appears in the Austerley and Kirkgordon series, which in itself contains situations I’ve never been in. You can let me know how I did by leaving a comment.

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How to relax

Are you feeling like you are in a manic version of a game show, balancing all the pieces without letting them go crashing to the floor? It’s funny because many of us are facing that in life. My day job of being a Coastguard is at its busy season and I’m finding myself pretty tired when I find time to write. How to relax enough to concentrate on writing a book can be hard sometimes. Similarly, the sort of book we like to read to relax doesn’t always have the most relaxing storyline.

What sort of story relaxes you?

The contrast between how we like life to be and how we want our books to be can be stark. I’m often told my novels kick off at a sprint and pick up the pace after that. Messer’s Austerley and Kirkgordon are constantly on the move, battling unknown entities here and leaping through portals. It is strange how to relax we like to see others involved in physical exertion. Wimb ledon springs to mind, crowds sitting lapping up the sun with their hand-made fans while two gladiators battle it out, sweating profusely.

How to relax with dignity!

Deacon Blue in their song “Dignity” talk about quietly sailing a boat up the west coast of Scotland watching others “doing the rounds.” It’s a strange human quirk that in order to relax we like to know that others are busy. We sure are cruel sometimes. But please relax away and enjoy the horror and mess that my characters’ lives become. I’ll not tell anyone you’re being cruel!

If you haven’t tried an Austerley and Kirkgordon adventure yet then let Footsteps tempt you. Or you can find out more about the series and what’s coming next on my A&K page.

I’d love to know what sort of book you like to read to relax. Why not share your relaxing reads with us in a comment?

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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.
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Pressure

One of the things common to us all is that at some point in our life we will have been under pressure. Be it a moment that jumped up in front of us, say a bank robbery or seeing someone about to be hit by a car. Or whether it’s the slow build up of a situation which requires us to endure some sort of pain to see it through. Whatever it is, we all experience pressure.

How do you convey pressure in fiction?

When writing, especially action and adventure, or dark fantasy, there are situations where the characters are in wild moments I have never faced. One wonders how they would react. Personally, I have never looked a demon from the deep in the eye, swung from a hangman’s noose or faced strange creatures intent on taking my head off. The only way I know to generate these feelings is to drift into the characters shoes, drawing on my own reactions to horrors I have had in my own life. Not that my life has been a rollercoaster of disaster, it’s been bloomin’ good to be honest. But we all have the well of dark moments to draw from.

Sometimes people say my books would make a great movie, or that they could see it as a TV drama. I think I know why. When I write, I write describing the movie in my head. The creatures move for me, I hear the drop in the noose, I look into those demon eyes. And I then feel what comes. I don’t see words, I see pictures and then the job is to put that picture into words. The further distillation by the reader reversing the process hopefully brings the movie back to life.

Character development, making the unreal seem real

It begs the question, are my characters real to me? Only in my head, only in the movie. And that’s a good thing. I wouldn’t want a mad cap professor summoning up who knows what, an emotional father pulled from his family by every woman that walks past, or an ice cold winged femme fatale. Life is weird enough. When you put these people under pressure the real emotions come out. Hopefully then the real life heroic decisions we make or fail to make surface.

If you haven’t got it already, then you can purchase the first Austerley & Kirkgordon novel “Crescendo!”. The follow up “The Darkness at Dillingham” has just been released.

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Writing Update and a Sneak Peak at a new cover!

So last time I was explaining that Book 2 of Austerley and Kirkgordon’s adventures, “The Darkness at Dillingham” was with the editor for a final pass and should be available pretty soon. But what else am I doing?

I have a mermaid fantasy based around a Scottish Island at second draft stage. The concept is that mermaids arrive on the shores of the island causing many different reactions ranging from hate to joy, wonder to disgust. A media circus ensues and the normal island life is upset as greed and then rumour cause many to fear the creatures. Meanwhile, a young islander finds and then protects one of the mermaids causing some comedy moments as he involves a woman of his dreams. All in all it’s a fun romp with some serious tones.

I have also embarked on another urban fantasy series but this time with a female protagonist. Scarlett is a bored call centre clerk who gets involved with a race to explain the signifigance of a prized glass which seems to be wanted by evil hands. It’s early days but it is fun to have to see everything from the other sex’s perspective.

Also in the mix is an allegorical piece set in a fantasy land, a world war one ghost story and the tale of a Singaporean bin inspector. Yes, I know, how rock and roll!

But back to Austerley and Kirkgordon. Book 3, with a working title of “The Nether Lands” is first draft complete. And when I say working title, I do mean working title as so far none have made it onto the final cover. But also at first draft stage and rapidly advancing is a novella piece to accompany Book 2 and which will be available in the hardback edition of “The Darkness at Dillingham”. It’s entitled “Cally”, and guess what, it’s about Calandra. Providing a more detailed back story to the characters is fun and certainly “Footsteps” helped bring Austerley and Kirkgordon’s relationship in “Crescendo!” to life for me.

And as promised, here is a cover reveal and it’s for “Cally”. Personally I think this is one of the best covers my artist has compiled for me. Jake has really grabbed Cally’s persona for me and the essence of the story in one picture. So I’ll leave you with the cover and look forward to talking more next time!

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If you haven’t got into the joy and wonder that is the Austerley and Kirkgordon series then you can find the first book “Crescendo!” here in all formats. The “Cally” cover was designed by Jake Clarke and you can see more of his work here.

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Support of friends

In times of stress and worry about a project you need friends around you. Running a Kickstarter is no different and I have been delighted with the support friends have given me, some very unexpected. Here’s to friends!

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My Kickstarter for Crescendo!, my new novel running right here!

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