Debut Authors and Party Atmosphere

My day started with arriving early (this is becoming a reoccurring theme, must get better time management!) at the Pop-Up Bookshop to purchase the books ready for the Debut Authors - Tanya Byrne and Louisa Reid event.

Got the new girl on the till, had to point out the deal for the day on these books not that it was a problem, everyday there are new books, new deals or the prices change. Books in hand, I sat down on the brightly covered sofa with its orange cushions and throw and took in the surroundings.

Let's say that it was orange, very ornate and in the corner of the room an artist was decorating the wall for "City of a 1000 stories". The idea behind it is to tell the story of our wonderful city through drawings and anyone can contribute when visiting the Library and Pop-Up Bookshop, have a read of the blog from the event at: http://cityof1000stories.blogspot.co.uk/

Whilst in the bookshop, a few members of the organising committee and team from Writing West Midlands came in to collect stuff for the big event that evening, Stuart Maconie and Caitlin Moran at the CBSO.

                          

As I was standing pretty, I offered to help with the loading of the boxes and props that were needed. Sara had to park at the Copthorne Hotel, which involved walking through the Paradise Forum with crowds of people while I was balancing boxes on my arms! We made it though and the car was packed. Read about Caitlin and Stuart, who are both local authors to Brum at http://www.birminghambookfestival.org/the-world-according-to-moran-maconie-3887/ or alternatively their websites http://www.how-tobeawoman.com/ and http://www.stuartmaconie.com/

Debut Authors

Next task was some relaxation with Tanya Byrne and Louisa Reid, held in the murky depths of the library in the lower ground floor, the business centre had just finished work for the day as we trundled in. The warning bells signalling closure for the library started the event at 5.30 and the announcement from the Library Staff that we will be locked in, took me back to my youth when I tried to hold off until the very last second before I left.

Tanya Byrne's book Heart-Shaped Bruise is about a 17 year old girl called Emily who writes a journal that she is not meant to have and through her words, you find out why she is in the psychiatric facility of Youth Offenders Institute. Tanya spoke about her book with passion, excitement and even though she told us most of the main plots, she saved the suspense and tension for the page turning. She answered all the questions that she was asked with a smile on her face, honesty and a love for her chosen path and this is going to come out in the book I believe. Can't wait to get stuck in. Follow her @tanyabyrne on twitter, or facebook https://www.facebook.com/tanyabyrnewrites

 

Louisa Reid's book Black Heart Blue is about two sisters stories, Hepzi and Rebecca, each tell their own story before and after Hepzi has died. Rebecca is now free from her sisters shadow, as a suffered from Treacher-Collins Syndrome, she has always been the one people couldn't talk to. Follow their story as it unravels. This book appeals to me for the two sides of the stories, the dark nature of the plot line. Find out more about Louisa at http://www.louisareid.com/ Twitter @louisareid.





PARTY TIME IN THE LIBRARY THEATRE

I walked in after finishing at the Book signing and the music was playing in the background, Reggae from the speakers mixed with acoustic guitars from two gentleman sat on chairs in the audience. The stage had a theme of someones front room, chairs placed around, tables there was books, vinyls and food/drink placed out ready.
The theme for the evening was Independence Party, the freedom from the reigns of rulers, dictatorship and personal steps towards the release of shackles. There was poetry, prose and music in the first half where eight performers from the group Writers without Borders.

We have Urdu for a poem about personal freedom from marriage, we have poetry about the English taking over the Tea Empire and we have music and dance from the belly dancer much to the embarrassment of her brother who was also on stage!
It was informal, fun and very captivating to the audience, I can see why they are asked to come back year after year to entertain the audiences.

Writers without Borders is a Birmingham based group of writers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Some have lived in England for many years and others have arrived in the country quite recently. The group includes professional, semi-professional , new and emerging writers and meets monthly at  Stageside Bar and Restaurant, Birmingham, to share their work. Here is there blog: http://wwborg.wordpress.com/

Research, Research!

All the fun begins again!

I have started to research for my new novel, but this time is all fun, fun, fun as it is a new topic to me!

Research for False Details was good as well don't get me wrong but this topic has all the excitement linked to it of looking at things fresh, not understanding fully the subdivisions between the different beliefs and understanding others personal take on such fascinating subjects.

Paganism, Druidry, Shamanism, Faerys, Magick - as you can see I could go on and on with trying to cover all the topics that I need to cover to get the overall view of all things under the Pagan umbrella.

What makes this fun, other than the fact I am learning lots of new things, I am having to read lots of literature from authors that already write, blog etc on the subjects that are close to their hearts and beliefs.

My Kindle was dusted off last week and I have downloaded e-book after e-book from Amazon after recommendations from a fantastic Facebook page, Pagan e-books for free. I can not speak highly of this magnificent resource for anything Pagan and subjects similar. Everyday the author of the page along with members of the group placed their recommendations.

Here is a link to the page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/PaganeBooksforfree
I would recommend anyone who has an interest, inkling or solid belief of anything that may be covered in this page to have a look.

Going off course, Research! Last night I read two books that covered the topic of Avalon and a fiction book related to All Hallows Eve.

Avalon I got to the second chapter which 30% of the book and I had written three pages of research in my notebook, synapses were going bonkers for the whole time. Words triggered ideas, I got images that the author described in such amazing detail leading me to think about how I can use the similar images.

All Hallows Eve covered the idea of zombies in a village, reminded me of Walking Dead but hey, still a good read as my book is set in a small village. Lots of ideas got from such a short book.

New Writing Initiative

As I sit here writing this blog, I am breaking my new writing initiative so not off to a great start!

"False Details" the novel that I have been working on recently has been finished to the first draft stage, it was a long process (6 years!) but it was fully worth it as I feel a massive sense of achievement and have accomplished something I had been dreaming about for a long time.

I know that "False Details" is only at stage 1 of the process, I have some people looking at it and editing it! I tried to edit it myself but I was not finding the mistakes as easy as someone else, the sentences made sense to me but to someone else a reader would not understand it!! 2nd Draft will obvious be an improvement due to these people so THANK YOU...

 

After a little rest period, I needed this so that I could clear my head more than anything else...I am eady to start writing again! I want to start writing again as my ideas are flowing out of my ears at the moment and if i don't do something about i will go insane or more tragically lose all the things I am thinking of! A notebook helps to the point of recording small ideas but when I go into free flow and can not control all the words as they ooze out of my brain so I came up with a little idea to capture some of them.

I will write every day for as long as feel is possible but the minimum aim EVERY day is 1000 words. 1000 words a day is nothing, I hear some of the writers say...I agree but I want this to be my minimum and to show this on Tuesday I wrote 5000 words all on one subject but on Monday I wrote 1200 on 3 totally unrelated things but I got my ideas down on paper and can come back to them and make them longer!!


Here is my inspiration at the moment for my short entries I am doing...I think of a word and then write the first things that my brain wants to that sounds like a good story...at the moment it is wonderful to write different genres, different settings, different peoples story. The only downfall is there are words everywhere and this is a massive problem as I want to write about a new word I think of so discipline is needed in abundance.

Here is a little something, I wrote so far this evening...minimal editing and it is an idea in working.

The sky darkened like the sight of the events that were about to unfold as layer by layer, the mystery is unearthed from its grave.

A small team standing around awaiting instruction and the signal to start their processes, the limited number of people from the university set in motion anticipation the find that others find insignificant.

As Stuart Bennett approaches his task for the next few hours, he took the time to look around the beautifully cared for allotments that had been produced. The years of hard work arranging and planting beds was evident throughout, the perfect resting place if there ever was one.

The recently painted wrought iron fencing blended perfectly with the runner beans and pea shoots that adorn the structure and have now reached their summit.

Beginning with the crude removal methods, Stuart can not watch this part and takes a walk. The hired digger crunches its way through the top layers ripping away the root system of the old oak tree that once stood not 50 years from the plot.

Once the top layers have been taken away the hardware shovels are grabbed and the human digging starts.

When the first evidence of the grave has been reached, the crude stops and the intricate methods starts until the prize has been found.

Stuart mans up the trowel with one hand carefully placing the other tools in their cloth carry case on the graves edge in close proximity. Starting from the centre of the gaping hole he carefully drags the soil to the edges indenting into the pile covering the bones.

All the precision is suddenly undone as the mound collapses leaving the soil to rush into a newly created hole, the grains form around the skeleton that lies beneath. Stuart glances down unable to stop the flow to see two dark eye sockets looking back at him. The clean white bones standing out against the heavy black dirt.

Stuart can now see that the burial has been planned with a casket encasing the skeleton. The excavation can now begin with the painful process of brushing away the detritus.

False Details: Update

I have now got to the point where all things are good, ticking along very nicely and a brickwall has now hit the free flowing narrative and creative word count.



I have written up all the ideas and now I trapising through the words to find things I have missed, does the story flow, does it make sense?!
Well it does to me, I keep saying but when I read it as non-writer, no it does not!!!

PROBLEM!

Here is an extract of my latest chapter written for False Details:

“M12, are you free for an immediate”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“It has come through as “The Inn”, which looking does not look like it is anywhere we know. We are trying to find out, consulting Google”

“Local knowledge it is the youth club at St Martins Church” shouted up someone with some information.

“Thank you that officer, then according to mapping shows to be part of St Martins Church, Stanton Green off the Highway close to Princes School.”

“All received. What is the job please?”

“There has been a party this evening, well not a party as such but a group of youths have gone to the youth club for the memorial of Natalie Woodman, killed a few days ago. And it looks like it has got out of hand and criminal damage has occurred, large groups are now spilling into the surroundings.”

Kenny had sat and listened to the whole exchange on his radio. His ears pricked up from the calming melodies and rifts of Joe Bonamasa streaming from his computer terminal. He spoke to intelligence this afternoon after his visit to the school and receiving such information from the teaching staff and students. He wanted to find out how he could best distribute the information across the force in case of any issues that spilled out of Birmingham South into other police areas. They suggested using the Intelligence Management System otherwise known to the officers as IMS. IMS is good for long term issues that need to be collated for a one off event that is happening that same evening not so good.

He called the Service desk, logged the conversation and asked it to be brought to the attention of the local Neighbourhood Team. Which would have been fine but they booked off duty at 10pm according to the shift pattern, it is now nearly half past 10. It was now up to response and the units to deal with.

“M12 arrived at the scene. More units required. Approximately 30 youths standing outside the premise. Very intoxicated and I don’t think the Police arriving has calmed them down.”

“Thank you for update. Other units are one minute away.”

“Blue lights and sirens may need to be switched off, silent approach.” Sergeant Blake barking orders from the comfort of his office. “I repeat no tones; do not want hostility to rise.”

Suddenly, the air was clear of two tones and the crowd moved away from the centre.

Extract from my Book

PROLOGUE

0700 hours 19^th June 2011

Officers were crammed into the smallest briefing room in the entire station, The Sam Waters Room, Birmingham City HQ Police Station. More officers entered the room which held an oval wooden table in the centre with 10 chairs around; for a normal tasking meeting this would be sufficient, with the 32 officers now present it was like a tin of sardines. All of the chairs were pushed under the desk tightly and everyone stood or leaned against the nearest wall or piece of furniture, trying to have individual conversations with the closest person was verging on impossible.

Luckily for people’s eardrums, Detective Chief Inspector Holland wandered in and then stood to address his troops for the forthcoming days work.

“Good Morning, getting straight on with things; gathered from recent intelligence linking Human Trafficking gangs to a number of addresses across the Birmingham South area, Operation Safeguard has been put in place to raid and secure a number of addresses...”

“….he said exactly the same bloody thing yesterday, why the f…” sitting at the back of the room chatting was probably not a good idea.

“…is there a problem PC Bradford? My fucking problem is that we are now a person down in 1:7 nominations. Get changed and meet me in my office NOW!” the usually calm persona was broken. DCI Liam Holland knew one thing no-one else did, they were going to be busy today and tomorrow, especially now, and another officer will be needed.

DCI Holland allowed the officers to murmur for a moment and then cracked on with the evidence presentation; this contained a map of the addresses to be raided, pictures of the suspects and video footage of some exchanges made with the suspects.

After a moment of composure, “Everyone else, good luck for today, remember you are all working towards my promotion from DCI” He chuckled to himself as he walked back to his office, recently his fast track promotion had come to a slow halt.

4 addresses were raided on the Operation Safeguard that morning, there was series of arrests for numerous offences from human trafficking, prostitution, drug possession and cultivation and evidence bags were filled from all the locations. All the addresses held links with a local gang who have targeted the quiet suburbs of Birmingham for their operation.

DCI Holland had no interest in any of these addresses; all he wanted to learn about when he called Operational Support Unit Sergeant Thompson was from 65 Winding Lane, where the intelligence was led to believe that it was a storage house for the larger cultivation plants related to the rest of the raid. DCI Holland had been using an intelligence source that had been giving information since Liam Holland was a beat sergeant on the local policing team. The source was meant to be at 65 Winding Lane and to be arrested for some minor offences.

“Address was checked, there were no signs of life in the premises. Had been lived in but not for at least a month. Following from the intelligence from the premises, we seized approximately 5 VHS recordable tapes from the living room area.”

“Good, very good. The Intel was very strong then, your team did well today with the whole series. Scene from 65 Winding Lane has been secured and forensics requested?”

“Yes, Yes, Sir, I don’t see the requirement for forensics at the address and it was not in the original notes for the address...”

“…the requirement is there, please just go along with the request and update me with the results. Thank you, Sergeant Thompson.”

DCI Holland had found from a number of the addresses checked one further residential property kept popping up and the interview conducted gave more details. This was the one address to check and this would be completed tomorrow, the address check would be completed by his team with him leading, he knew that this was going to be the big one, but he didn’t expect to find what was in store for him.

Ebooks v Publication

First of all let me start with my view point on Ebooks then lets onto the main issue in this blog.

I love to read, and I love read off a freshly picked book off my bookcase, I love to be able to flick through the pages, I love to lie back in bed or on the sofa and get stuck into a good paperback novel.

Well there it is, my whole life I have and will continue to buy books from a bookshop, Amazon or any other shop that sells a book made with paper.

I can not stand the idea that Ebooks have taken away the excitment of looking round for the next installment of whoever and whatever, you now can download the book in minutes.

I would like to point out that all these comments refer to fiction where its the excitement of waiting, and holding that book in your palms.
If I want to learn anything I will continue to search Google!



Now that has been covered onto my little conscience issue, as i have pointed out I love paperbooks.
I have been doing some research into publication and all I am reading as advice seems to be go Ebook route, get yourself established and then once your name is known to the audience move from Epubs to paper.
I dont like this idea but then I want to feel that others can enjoy my blood, sweat and tears from the past 12 months. Read my novel, get my novel, my name known to wide world.
Due to the fact I am writing a blog, shows I hope that I am not a technophobe I know that things have moved on and publication through the old routes are no longer the norm but seeing my Book in Waterstones or else where would be so much better! Isnt it!

Do I send my book to all the people I think will snap my book up first, and get rejected (I know that you have to be reject at some point and it makes you a better writer) and then if only then I am unsuccessful go Ebooks?
Or do I go straight into Ebooks?

Distractions...Joey and Bubbles!

Since my post about Writers Block and not being able to write for more than 45 minutes and having distractions. I have learnt from this and have devised a plan!



I have found that I can use 45 minutes to my advantage! I do what I can in that time frame and then once I get distracted, go and be distracted.
Once this is over with Back to writing....why did I not think of this before!

I have been doing so much more now in the past few days then I have done since forever!!

But these two lovely little creatures, Joey (white) and Bubbles (Black) are the main culprits for the distractions in the last two days
They insist on sitting on my lap and flopping, wriggling to find a comfortable place and sleeping, yesterday I did no writing for 3 HOURS as they both had a go at sleeping on me at the same time!!! NOT IMPRESSED (well, OK it was very nice of them!)

I am going to utilise today and catch up with the writing that I lost out on yesterday....but first I need to check the emails, eBay, facebook.

More procrastination before I get on with it...damn it!!

Hard Working

After the weekend off from writing I am now raring to go with writing some more on the journey to finishing my book...

I wish I was in a get up and go mood but I am instead in a state of tiredness. I have done just done three late shifts over the weekend finishing last night and I do not really want to do anything except sit in front of TV and slob out!



The solution is I have scribbling away when I can some notes here and there, I have SOOOO many loose pieces of paper and I am going to write some stuff off them and see how we go.

I am actually finding things easier the more I write, I am getting into my book and the ideas keep flowing once I have written a section I suddenly have lots of brainwaves about where to take it next. But is this a FRIEND OR FOE?



Anyway enough writing on here and on with the book!

New week at work

Today is the first day back this week, shifts eh? I feels really weird starting a week at work in the middle of the week, everyone else is winding down for the week, thinking about the weekend! I am just revving up for the 5 days ahead and thinking about things I can do next week when i am off.

It was tough going today getting started was difficult especially when I have been off for the last set of working days and have the rest days as well. I was greeted by 25 emails mostly circulars about lost property and other things not relevant to me but then after deleting all of them I had 3 left! Thats a lot of junk emails wouldn't you say.



Getting the replies sent back to acknowledge was easy work then the clan started to arrive and had to have a catch up being off work for a week, lots of gossip to get!

Onwards with the work I suppose at that point, went to a meet and greet at a local community centre, had some tea, some more tea and some chats in between...well quite a few actually, today was a success on that front makes a change.

That was me sorted for the day, write the report with all the conversations I had and off home after a meeting with some of the others to change strategies etc very exciting.

I was faced with the tough cycle home, this would not normally be a problem but 10 days of no cycling has left the old legs tired and not up to standard and then there is the gale force winds but as you guessed I made it back safe and sound!

Glad its not raining yet, but at least I have that to look forward to but on the scale of this person (hopefullly)



Going to do some housework (yes men can do this!), cook dinner (I love cooking, not your typical male specimen!). Once this is completed, it is off to write some more for the book, its getting there but wish it was quicker as explained in previous blog I can only write for a period and then I have to do something else!

Am i doing enough writing??

I have always found it hard to write for prolonged periods of time, I have a blitz of 45 minutes where all I think about is the writing in front of me.

So to challenge myself to see if i can do some more, I set myself a target of 1 hour the other night and I made it to 50  minutes I just can not break this.

Is it just me or am not alone with my issue?

I have read Tim Weavers Blog on his website and he says he works during the day, gets home has dinner and puts his daughter to bed then writes from 7-11 or until he gets tired.

I suddenly lost my breath, 4 hours of writing after a normal day! I definitely don't feel I am doing enough now then.



A normal session means that I sit in the study with my notepad, a pen and the computer. I have my writing that I have completed and I read through what I have already written and see if there are any changes to be made from last nights efforts. I will then go ahead and start my new writing, pick through my notes and expand on an idea by using the notepad and pen and write to hearts content but I begin to fade at 45 minutes.

I start to mess with whatever is around, with the computer there I usually open the Internet, How can I stop this??

Is this writers block? I don't have a problem with writing though just my attention span!