Read Read Read

My last blog entry discussed the value of planning for authors at any stage of their development. It’s a discussion that I intend to come back to and develop as my own progression continues. Even now, less than a week since publishing it I could already advance my own understanding of it (my good intention of two blogs a week is under threat already!) but today I’ll focus on another aspect of our trade – reading.

I’ve read others discussing its importance and how, if you want to improve your writing, reading is vital. Words are the tools of the job and the only way to improve, is to improve your own vocabulary. Not just individual words obviously, but sentence structure, style and all the other facets that contribute to a well written piece of prose.

There is no short cut to achieving this either. You have to do the time. If you don’t enjoy reading then why on earth are you trying to write?

So what is my approach? Well, for a start I’ve always enjoyed reading so it’s not a chore. But I have made a concerted effort recently to increase my reading list. Rather than sticking to the usual genres that I enjoy (Robert Harris and Jack Higgins would probably top my list) I’ve branched out. In the last month I’ve read sections of books I would previously never have touched. Romance (girly books) don’t interest me at all, but they are books all the same. They have been written by people as eager as I am to succeed and I can learn a lot from them. 

‘I don’t have the money to read hundreds of books!’ I hear you shout.

Here’s the thing; you don’t have to read the whole book to pick up a few pointers. Of course I still buy books – but they will always be the one’s I really want to read. For the rest I download the samples. Normally that gives you at least a couple of chapters and that’s enough. Don’t feel guilty about not buying the full version, that’s your prerogative as a consumer. 

Having said that my last two purchases have come purely from reading a sample I enjoyed unexpectedly. My ‘samples’ technique keeps me reading across a large cross section of genres and, if I want to know how the story ends then I buy it. Everyone benefits.

If you don’t have an eBook reader, then improvise. Next time you’re in a waiting room, lift the book that sits gathering dust on the table. Read a few pages; shake your head at the plot and characters. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are reading, honing your skills for when you next sit down at the lap top to share your words with everyone else. 

Who knows, maybe someone will download a sample of your work and become your number one fan?

ACR

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

We've all heard it before but it appears that, no matter how experienced a writer you are, there is one thing you cannot ignore; planning.

Since I made the decision to stop talking about writing a book and actually doing it, I have followed the blogs and social media accounts of many authors. They give aspiring authors like me valuable advice and tips to ease that struggle toward publication.

If you accept your limitations there is so much to learn but, for me, it is their approach to planning that impresses the most. As a teacher I have always considered myself an organised person (sometimes my desk at school would suggest otherwise) and always keep a small notebook handy to record tasks outstanding and ideas for lessons or resources.

But the multitude of layers that are involved in publishing a book or short story go well beyond this. For most people starting out the image in your head is so far from the reality of writing. It is far more than sitting down for an hour with a pen and page to script a masterpiece. You have to proof read, edit, re-write, proof, edit, promote (if you are an indie) and contact editors and publishers in search of the elusive deal. Without planning, and an ability to stick closely to your targets, that Number One Bestseller will always remain a pipe dream. To do this as your sole employment would be a challenge in itself so when you add a day job into the mix it certainly pays to be structured.

The best example I can use would be Imran Siddiq, whose debut novel Disconnect is the first instalment from a SciFi trilogy in the young adult market. His twitter account is full of useful advice delivered in his own inimitable style and based on his experiences in recent years. I recommend a follow. ( @Flickimp )

His view is that the hours you have available after work are the hours you must dedicate to the craft. The familiar excuse of 'I don't have time to write...' is simply not valid and anyone who wants to become a published author should make the time. He often tweets his plans that evening, and lengthy plans at that. Without them the three or four hours can quickly disappear leaving you with the same amount of to-do tasks that you started with and considerably more stress.

A scroll through older tweets reveal a spreadsheet which Imran uses to plan his week. Everything from edits to cover designing is included, providing a structure for him to meet his own deadlines. His spreadsheet has inspired me to take my own preparation to new levels and I must admit I feel much better for it. Having received a Kindle Fire from Santa at Christmas I wondered if there were any apps out there that might serve a similar purpose. There are lots, ranging from the basic free option to the incredibly expensive ones. I went somewhere in the middle and purchased Schedule Planner Pro; complete with task titles, pie charts to show how many times I neglect to write a blog entry and bar graphs to show how much I still need to edit. The OCD in me was pleased.

Is it still hard keep to every deadline? Absolutely. Do I now suddenly feel under no pressure because I keep a record of tasks pending? Of course not. But by recording what I have completed (or even partially completed) I do feel more in control.

I control my writing, rather than it controlling me.

ACR

Editing

Is there anything more frustrating than editing? I'm sure it's a question every aspiring author has asked at some stage - maybe every time they finish writing a draft of something.

But it is certainly true. I finally finished my first novel (bar the ending which I decided would be best left until I had re-read my own work) and jumped into the editing stage with relish. I couldn't wait to see how talented I was, how I was so much more talented than those other idiots I had been reading for years.

Dickens? Grisham? Fleming? Oh how I would laugh at them....then I read it.

Seriously what happened to my fantastic, flowing, intriguing masterpiece? Had it been stolen and replaced by this rubbish? I wish.

No, it hadn't and so began the process of correcting my mistakes and modifying the flaws in my style, prose and grammar. Not to mention the inevitable changes to plot line that occurred over the months of stop-start writing. I honestly do know the difference between form and from, weight and wait. I have used commas before, really. And don't get me started on semi-colons...I hate them.

But this is the craft, or so I read. This is when the real work begins and the book appears. Without it, the perfect novels we take for granted around the pool on holiday would never exist. Maybe it feels worse for me because the project I chose for book number one was so complex, or maybe this is just the reality.

But, in a sadistic sort of way, I'm actually quite enjoying it. I can see the end result in my mind. I try to use it as inspiration to struggle through despite constant temptation to start on something new, something creative that allows me to write again.

One day, when I'm rich and famous and lying at my own private pool, I'll employ someone to edit for me.

Until then I'm on my own.

The Firm & Writing Style

The novel I have been writing for what seems like years will include a lengthy trial scene. With that in mind I decided to do a little research into how other authors have approached this difficult art.

Not surprisingly, my research led quite quickly to John Grisham. Considered by many as the number one author of legal fiction, Grisham has published countless highly acclaimed best sellers such as A Time to Kill and The Firm.

Having never read a Grisham, I opted for The Firm. My decision was influenced by having already watched (and really enjoyed) the film version of A Time to Kill starring Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock so I already knew the ending. Incredibly I had never watched The Firm right through so I decided to pay my fiver and download it.

With hindsight, my decision making process was flawed. But more on that later.

So what are my impressions on John Grisham? What stood out immediately is the realisation that everyone has their own particular style, and that every type of writing is acceptable. Of course it's beneficial to pick up little things here and there from your reading but an author must stay true to their own way of putting words down on paper. Others might grumble and complain, point out mistakes and so on, but in attempting to mirror others you will lose yourself.

Grisham has developed a reputation for writing fast paced, tension filled thrillers and its easy to see why. He rarely uses a sentence longer than fifteen to twenty words, which I found interesting. At this fledgling stage of my own development I believe some of my sentences are too long. Granted, not as long as an Emile Zola one but still long! (Seriously have a read at one of Zola's fantastic short stories and see what I mean).

It's also obvious why The Firm succeeded. It's a great story with interesting, talented and yet vulnerable characters. Not only did it get its own film starring Cruise and Hackman but now it's own TV series in the States. Clearly there are some miles left in Mitch McDeere's career.

So why do I regret my decision? Simple. I’m half way through and it's obvious there will be no trial scene, which was why I started it in the first place. That doesn't make it a poor book of course, just not the one I need at this point in my research. I'll still finish it, and enjoy it. Grisham will have provided me with plenty of pointers in style and approach and, when I'm finished, I'll read A Time to Kill.

Hopefully it will have a trial scene!

Have a read at The Firm (if you haven't already) and leave a comment or two about Grisham's style.

ACR

Horseshoe Lane

Okay, after pretending to have unselfish motives behind this blog...here is a plug for my first short story. Well, the first I have published anyway.

Available on Kindle for 77p (one day I will publish on Smashwords and drive down this scandalous price!); this is a round-the-camp-fire type of scary story. The type that gets exaggerated each time it is retold until, eventually, it's a different story altogether.

**Please note, I still get the 24p no matter how much of it you change!**

 

Anyway, set in the rural idyll that is Sligo (that's in Ireland for you lot across the sea, by the way); Jack and Caroline are embarking on their annual driving vacation. Experienced travellers, they have meticulously planned their trip but, this time, maybe too much.

 

It's not blood curdling or gory, but hopefully provides the odd fright and a jump or two. As I've said before in this blog, every writer starts somewhere and this is my beginning. I know I'll write better dialogue, provide better locations and events. But I'll do worse as well.

 

If that doesn't sell it, nothing will!

 

Thanks for any downloads, enjoy and leave honest feedback.

 

What doesn't kill you, makes you cry for weeks.

 

ACR

 

Horseshoe Lane (Kindle Format) by A.C. Richards

 



The Value of Reading

I've written a few blogs recently; one on the European Championships last year, one on the Oscars and one which, well, never really got off the ground!

I guess my problem has been understanding why people blog in the first place. I have no shame in admitting that my earlier blogs were developed with one specific purpose in mind - me.

Whether that is acceptable or not is open for debate. But the bottom line is that after the first, second and third editor told me of the value of having a blog, I did it. If I wanted to get the odd job writing an article then they wanted to see examples of my work. Simples, as a furry little creature might say.

Perhaps a little background is needed here. Blogging isn't my day job! Shocked?

No, I teach. I have taught history for a while now and been a frustrated writer for even longer. When I graduated my choice of career was between teaching and journalism. I chose the former. I don’t regret it and some days I even still enjoy it. But those days are becoming few and far between.

For the last few years I have started to feel the itch to write. I have written lots of short stories - and published my first one at the end of last year. I have completed a handful of children's books while researching and writing my first novel. This is now at the editing stage and, while I'm not naive to think I will be taking early retirement from the classroom, I am hoping to give my life a new focus.

All the hard work and sacrifices I made have given me a sense of achievement which can never be taken away.

So why start another blog?

I guess there's more than one answer.

Firstly, admittedly, I aim to promote my achievements. That's not big-headed or arrogant. Maybe people will think I'm rubbish. But completing anything is an achievement and I owe it to myself to find out and blogs are a great way to interact with other writers and readers. I admire blogs of other independent writers - such as Vanessa Wester who gave me advice very early on while publishing her first novel in the Evolution series, Hybrid. (http://vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.co.uk/)

Everyone who dreams of publishing their work should first read the blogs of those who have already completed - or nearly commpleted - the journey.

But an equally important reason for a blog is writing. The best way to hone your skills is to write. And read. Like the advice Vanessa gave me, perhaps I can be of use to others. It is the most basic observation I have made during the past few years - writers can help writers. There are a myriad of questions and problems indie writers face every day and blogs can be invaluable.

I don't presume that my ramblings will be earth shattering. I'm not an expert or even anywhere near but I have started working through the process. I have faced the problems, researched the maze that is publication and came out the other side.

One day I might even sell a book.

ACR