exciting times

Okay, back to writing-based posts… 😉

But this is exciting. To me, at least. For the moment. Although hopefully it might become at least a little exciting to you in the days and weeks to come…

I was e-chatting with a dear friend earlier, joking about this and that, and do believe I chanced upon an idea for a character who could run and run. Almost literally.

And it would include maybe a little bit of smut, being something I was told this week pulls in the readers more than my usual fiction. And will heavily feature a Zombie, being something else I was told pulls in the readers etc. Well, that and a vampire. And I’m trying to squeeze one in… 😉 So…

• smut? check
• undead? check
• vampire? check-ish

I could be good to go. 🙂

I’ll let things ferment… foment…? overnight, and hopefully sit down and write a first draft tomorrow. So long as it remains a short story. 😉 Knowing me it might not. But some new fiction. From me? Huzzah. Looks like I might be taking a break this weekend, after all.

Then I’ll need to decide whether to offer this one (and others in the potential series) for free, in the hope readers of these (hopefully) ‘popular’ stories might like them enough to stop by and try something else I’ve written? Here’s hoping.

 

 

something not writing related

Well, kind of. Not about MY writing, anyway. And with a tune. As in, singers and songwriters, and my current favourites. Five of. Thought I would share some. 🙂

Okay, so that felt a little Yoda-like. 😉

But yeah, just five, otherwise it will be too much of a good thing, although it was HARD to whittle. 😮 🙂

 

Angus & Julia Stone … http://www.angusandjuliastone.com/

Can’t say enough positive things about these two, together and solo work. Also, there’s something about them that flashes me back to my first backpacking trip across the USA in 91, which is impossible, given they were babies then. 😉

 

Keaton Henson … http://www.keatonhenson.com/site/home.php

I’m VERY new to Keaton, but heard his voice the other day and FELL. IN. LOVE. WITH IT. Seriously. He plays it slow and moody, and I’ve not deciphered all the lyrics yet, but he has that feel that I know I’m gonna fall into smiling.

 

Brandy Clark … http://www.brandyclarkmusic.com/

Yes, country-based, but I have a LONG history of lovin me some country, all the way back to the 70s when my mother regularly listened to some. Brandy is bang up-to-date with the most delicious and funny/sad story songs.

 

Tift Merritt … http://www.tiftmerritt.com/welcome/

Yes, kinda country-based, too, but this woman’s voice tickles places I didn’t know I had. So there’s that. And I’ve seen her in concert, back during my gig-going days, acoustic in front of around maybe 200 fans.

 

Harry Chapin … http://www.harrychapinmusic.com/

Last but by no means least is a blast from the past. I wasn’t aware of Harry when he was alive, but I wish I had been. These days, rarely does one pass where I’ve not been influenced by his stories, characters or heart.

 

 

3words August – day 1 of ??

And so here we are. Well, I say ‘we’… 😉

Like I posted earlier, ‘we’ are going to be inspired by one or more of the girls on vickiedoodles’ site here:

http://vickiedoodles.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-girls.html

Oh, and if you visit/link vickiedoodles’ site please keep everything appropriate. Thank you

Would you like a ‘rules’ reminder?

• I post 3words every day for the duration of the story
• ‘we’ write 100 words of an ongoing story each day
• ‘we’ repeat these two steps until ‘we’ reach the final day

Simple. 🙂

Ok, so here are the day1 3words… CONFESS – CIRCLE – CONTACT.

And part1 of my story…

 

“I know one of you did it, and I won’t stop till I find out which.”

I glared at each of the six girls in turn, forcing them into a moment’s direct eye contact, hoping one might look away, thereby confessing. But none did, and I knew I shouldn’t have expected it to be that easy.

They were sitting in a circle in the garden, while I paced around the outside of them, thinking that by forcing them to see the others it might also provoke a confession. But, again, I wasn’t confident.

“Okay,” I said. “Who wants to start?”

 

 

3words August… a headsup

I’m not focusing on this until later, but wanted to let you know what the inspiration behind this month’s story prompt will be…

Victoria da Silva has kindly allowed us to use one or more of her lovely girl doodles to be our inspiration. They can be found here:

http://vickiedoodles.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-girls.html

So, please go have a look, choose one or more or them all, and prepare to begin your story. I’ll be back with the words in around 4-5 hours, as I usually focus on them after eight, after all the stuff I HAVE to do is done.

Also, be aware that Victoria has her own challenge, and would like you to share short stories about her doodles, be they part of your August 3words or something else stand alone. Please play along.

3words August begins tomorrow

Just saying. 🙂

No doubt I’ll see you here, right?

Right?!

 

 

how brave is an agent?

HOW BRAVE ARE YOU? is the working title of the compelling and eye-opening book I have been editing for the wonderful Nicole Delacroix:

http://nicole-delacroix.com/nicoles-blog/

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NicoleDelacroix/about

It is a riveting and sexyfun read, being a somewhat voyeuristic ride through the innermost thoughts of all the kind (and kinky) souls who anonymously completed Nicole’s questionnaire. I was intrigued, shocked, amused and (yes, I’ll admit it, a little) titillated by its honesty and good-time-sass. 😮 🙂

So yes, the final run-through is now complete, and I want to thank Nicole for letting me play a part in her crazywonderful ride, and wish her & HBAY all the very best in finding an agent/publisher.

The question now is: HOW BRAVE IS AN AGENT?

If you think you know of one who might just be brave and insightful enough to be interested in an unputdownably sexy read, please get in touch. 🙂

 

 

a good day

Back to the editing ‘grind’… Although it so far hasn’t been, because I’ve loved everything I’ve worked on, so there’s that.

Then I completed the paperback upload/design for 3words Redux, so I hope to announce that tomorrow, assuming all looks good. Current cover:

And then I inserted the BE AWARE warning into TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE:

Without the bubble. So, I hope that helps. Thanks, all, for your thoughts on the same.

Oh, and yesterday I was directed towards a FABULOUS new (to me, anyway) writer, who I will be reviewing tomorrow, when I finish reading her second book. I am in awe of her writing, and emailed her regarding a couple of things, and am equally in awe of her response. She seems to be the kind of young woman I would have loved to have been twenty years ago. Well, if I’d been a woman, of course. But her style, her phrasing… well, more tomorrow. 🙂

3words Redux kindle available

Yes, that’s right – I managed to NOT focus on my EconomyEdits job for the weekend, the first two consecutive days I’ve not client-edited since I began.

Thanks for the ok, Nicole. 😉

On top of that, I actively worked on ME things. First, I tarted up all the 3words shorts that I wanted to include in the collection. Then I created an eBook. And then I began working on the paperback version (give it a couple of days – tomorrow’s busy, and I’m back on the job again :)).

Oh, and I finished reading my novel TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE. I don’t like to toot my own horn, but… Man, I enjoyed reading that. I do think the intentional typos could be an issue, though, so will be stop-gapping that tomorrow or Tuesday by adding a “WARNING: TYPOS AHEAD!” type page at the start. And then see from there.

But today is more about 3words Redux now being available on Amazon as an eBook, and can be found here:

I do like that cover. 🙂

And don’t forget – 3words August will be upon is in just a few days… so please seriously think about committing just 10 minutes a day to an ongoing story. You never know – you may love it! Obviously, I think you will. 🙂

 

 

more work in my inbox – Blood & Oil by M.A. Leibfritz

I am delighted and honoured to announce that M.A. Leibfritz has chosen me to edit her sci-fi/fantasy novel BLOOD & OIL.

Due to current commitments, work won’t begin before August 15th, but after reading and sample-editing the opening pages, I must say the story pulled me in and intrigued me, and I am seriously looking forward to working on this project.

Many thanks to Tamsin over at http://writocracy.blogspot.co.uk/ for the recommendation.

 

 

a question for readers and writers

My novel TELL ME SOMETHING TRUE is about life and writing, and how each affects or directs the other. It features an amateur / wannabe writer as its main character, and even less able amateur / wannabe writers as its lesser main characters (with non-writers also present in large numbers, so don’t worry 😉 ).

However, because they are amateur writers, I actively chose to leave in & insert some typos and tense & punctuation errors, as they wouldn’t be perfect as writers or editors of their fiction, and I thought these errors played an important part in the story. Don’t get me wrong, there aren’t thousands, despite it being a 700 page book, but they are randomly scattered.

And yet, while I’m re-reading it in paperback form, I’m now left wondering if –until this idea becomes obvious that it’s intentional, and the proliferation of wannabe writers is understood– readers will simply think the book isn’t fully edited. And, as a paid editor, I really wouldn’t want that. 😮 🙂

So, my question to you is this: which of these options below do you think I should do, and why?

• (a) Leave everything as is – if the reader doesn’t “get it” or walks away early so be it
• (b) Leave everything as is, but add an ‘idiot guide’ type feature at the start to ‘warn’
• (c) Correct all typos for the MAIN character, but leave others to “highlight difference”
• (d) Correct all typos etc for the MAIN character as per (c), but ADD the ‘idiot guide’
• (e) Correct ALL typos as it will otherwise alienate readers as amateurish or pretentious

I think I want to stand true (for the moment, at least) with (a), but if enough voters suggest otherwise I will seriously consider editing.

Plus, the more I think about it, the more I think I (and a potential reader) might benefit from a line added one the dedication page, along the lines of: “There are some intentional typos in this novel. The reason for this will become clear as you read.” ?

Thank you for your time.