Author: Mala Naidoo - Page 5 - Mala Naidoo's Book World

The First Draft

When a story takes hold, leaving you sleepless, daydreaming… the first words trickle in, you write them, and you can’t stop going back, creeping back to your laptop or journal to write a bit more. When the writing bug bites, it’s there to stay, calling you wherever you are.
There’s an excitement, a thrill, the adventure behind closed doors… just you and your characters. With each line, you get to know more about them, then it’s almost as though the characters lead you into their stories.

The first draft is an exhilarating experience even if you have written a few books. You can’t stop thinking about it, you wake up at 3 a.m. with a jolt of inspiration, and if you don’t write it down, it’s gone… I have had a few lost… gone… but a 3 a.m. journal, a gift from my daughter, is safely ensconced on my bedside table, close to my reading lamp, capturing the late night unexpected bouts of inspiration that intrude upon restless sleep – not even a blaring alarm clock can do this on any good day!

Starting out

Starting out as a writer, I had two stories competing for attention. Thinking that this might be the one book I will write, I merged the stories, hooked them as plot and subplot. Across Time and Space pulled and tugged at intrigue, unexpected encounters, crime, romance and human rights issues.

Discovery

From that first draft of my first book to the first draft of my fourth book (locked in editing as we speak), my process has morphed along the way. While being between a plotter and pantser, I moved from laptop screen drafting to handwriting some chapters in a journal.

This sped up the drafting time, I was writing by hand with speed, more naturally than the words that filled my little laptop screen as I tapped my way forward. I then started writing in my little journal, my second arm, traveling with me wherever I went. No backspacing, just scratch and keep going… forward… ideas gushed, building up at a faster pace.

The benefit

Having a chapter crafted by hand gave me so much more to work from and editing, stage 1 began as I typed up the manuscript. I noticed the difference from those chapters that went from head to screen from a basic ‘pantser plan’ to those chapters that were handwritten – less cleaning up and more ideas emerged and flourished to grow the plot.

As each handwritten chapter was completed, the digital chapter was typed no longer than a day later. The ideas are fresh, too much of life and its distractions have not happened in twenty-four hours or less, (fingers crossed) so there’s no fear that distractions will play havoc with the handwritten chapter, all that happens is a bit more spit and polish.

Am I converted?

I can’t quite be sure on that but I have stacked up on the journals that I feel comfortable writing in – the easily portable type, the ‘anywhere journal’ when inspiration strikes, even at 3 a.m.

How about you? Do you write from head to screen or are you a paper and pen person first?

Please share your thoughts in the message box below.

Happy Reading, Happy Writing.

Tell your remarkable story today to touch a life or many lives through storytelling.

Truth Reloaded

In telling stories, writers draw from values they either ascribe to or find abhorrent.

Are stories purely to entertain or do they serve a purpose beyond plot and characters? Grand narratives are timeless because they showcase society in all its grandeur and dismal failings.

Living today, in what is so much a constructed, fake, flawed world – fair enough perfection does not exist and my own take is perfection in imperfection, we should continue to be passionate about truth – in the books we read, the news we hear and spread. We want to read the sequel or the next book in a series because we want to know more, the truth, the outcomes…

Whether it is the writer’s intention or not, the truth is at the core of the narratives we read. In a previous post, I included thoughts on why we crave the truth.

The need to know is as necessary as the air we breathe, ignorance is bliss is a temporary state of bliss, soon, regardless the loss incurred, the truth will be pursued. The female protagonists in my novels hunt down the truth or live, at first, in a temporary state of ignorant bliss, but soon the gnawing urge to know the truth seeps in, in whatever shape or form it might appear.

For what it’s worth

One cannot be true to what one believes or to who one truly is, if being part of the zeitgeist is prioritised in life – is risking the joys of an authentic life, being comfortable in your own skin, worth the group affiliation? Narcissism guides the exclusivity individuals create while drowning a sense of what is just. A shared humanity is crushed, elitism (as in vanity, not the cha-ching) separates and invites unjust notions of difference. Prizing individuality over falling in with the clique can lead to social isolation, so is it the choice of the brave-hearted alone? – this shapes the thinking reflected in art and literature – the higher purpose in storytelling.

Perfection in Imperfection

Now back to ‘shades of truth’

The energy and time taken to justify an untruth can be used (truth be told) to benefit the lives of all around us.

Politicians and the media are often starved of a good dose of the antidote to the truth to face up to and fess up to the agendas they serve (often aligned to those who hold perceived power) and the mistruths they engender. Truth is valued over empty promises, no matter how deeply buried and ignored, it drips back wreaking havoc which could have been prevented early on, with the plain old truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth saving the day.

Oprah Winfrey’s inspirational Commencement Speech at USC, 2018 sends a message to new graduates, (and the world at large) upcoming journalists, to accept truth as we see it, hear it and so should we report it. But is it as easy as that? What halts truth? Fear? Popularity?

Truth often pays a hefty price when the lid is lifted, it incurs cynicism and attack in the need to sweep its halo under a rug.

No matter how difficult or painful in the moment of revelation, owning up to the truth, perpetuating the truth ultimately leads to a stress-free glorious life, bringing a peaceful night’s sleep with it. Good mental health rests on truth, understanding, and compassion.

Go speak your truth, be who you truly are, nobody defines you, forget being cliquish, it destroys relationships and is often perpetuated by an egotistical leader. Meryl, Marcia, Grace, and Patience, strong fictional women in my novels, Across Time and Space, the sequel Vindication Across Time and Souls of Her Daughters with a forthcoming saga, face the truth with dignity, speak their minds and try to make the world a better place. They are flawed characters, but truth helps them grow and at times trip up. In their fictional worlds, they make art mirror life.

What’s your take on speaking your truth, standing alone, avoiding the pseudo-elitism of cliques, how will you live with truth, understanding, and compassion? We all need a good night’s sleep, right?

Be a truth seeker, tell your story, set the record straight.

Story Ideas

As writers, students, readers, we often hear, ‘where do all these ideas come from?’

There is no short answer to that question. Write what you know is not a mandatory ingredient to write well, to pique your readers’ interest.

Drawing from universal life experiences to create your work of fiction shapes characters and situations. At the heart of the story is the writer’s passion to either showcase a better world, expose the ills of the world or present hope in dark situations.

Thrillers can be inherently dark but genre in contemporary writing morphs into what the story becomes, often crossing more than one genre.

Crime Fiction will reflect the elements of the genre, as would Romance – what good would these be without a dead body, missing person, corporate embezzlement or terrorism etc. Crime Fiction without investigation is, for me, like eating apple pie without the apples. Imagine romance without lovers? While these might be diverse genres, the point of commonality is conflict.

Conflict keeps the reader, hanging on, will there be a resolution or does the tension mount, will the character I’m rooting for, be saved, loved, killed or elected etc?

To deny that conflict is a significant aspect of life (as much as we abhor it – oh the drama of life!) while creating a perfect world with perfect characters would no doubt be like having a dose of ‘soma’ as in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

In creating characters, the potentially ‘good’ characters that are fraught with conflict, are truly memorable ones. They represent the reality of life through fiction – a point of reader connection. Shakespeare’s mastery on the creation of the ‘good wayward’ character, is timeless, and there are many such writers who create unforgettable, quotable characters.

How do you imagine and create your character ideas? Where do they come from?

Observations of people in the bustle or stillness of life, the man sitting on a park bench or train alone, lost in thought – Who is he? Where does he come from? Why is here? Why is he alone? What is he thinking?- A story idea prompt is wherever you are in your day.

Turning to the works of influencers of the craft will create inspiration for story ideas:

To quote Stephen King, ‘You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.’ attests to ‘Reading a lot and writing a lot,’ as essential for generating ideas, developing and enhancing your writing style.

Reading gives the composer a storehouse of ideas to draw upon in creating a new, unique story world that readers connect to.

Keep reading, keep observing the hive of life, learning about new ways of thinking and behaving, story ideas abound around us.

Writers Block you say?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…it was the spring of hope…we had everything before us (A Tale of Two Cities– Charles Dickens)

There’s much on the social and political landscapes, history in the making, story ideas can be a fusion of the past and present, to shock, delight, inform and move your reader.

Continue reading “Story Ideas”

Do You Feel It?

No pain, no gain, no compassion, did the book you read make you feel, did it create a connection? Did you feel the fear, pain, joy, laughter, hope, and love or perhaps just one, maybe two of these emotional triggers through the characters and events in your book?

‘In a dark time, the eye begins to see’ ~ Theodore Roethke

Some of the greatest artistic expressions emanated from the seat of pain, ‘a dark time’. Sylvia Plath’s Ariel comes to mind, her suite of poems on life and pain.

Emotion brings art to life, inviting the beholder to stop, listen, and absorb, to feel the pulse of the writer’s being.

In a dark time, challenges and struggles turn the eye and ear inward. Stop… still yourself from thought and action – listen and connect to your internal landscape. When writing grows from such a place, compassion is born through created events and characters.

Emotion, regardless of whether it’s negative or positive, draws us in, more so when love and understanding emerge through the connection. We are emotional beings. While Descartes said, ‘I think therefore I am’ (Cogito, ergo, sum) – it can be said, ‘I feel, therefore, I connect’ or ‘I feel, therefore, I understand, appreciate…’

Giving in to the emotion-feeling the pain to redefine your world (pixabay image)

Stories should build connections, to validate the reader by bringing characters and their challenges to life. When readers leave a review on the connections the writer’s prose created for them, this provides valuable feedback and acknowledgment.

Here’s an extract from my latest novel, Souls of Her Daughters when the realization of where her life is at, comes crashing down on the protagonist… too much has happened, the past and present collide…

Grace walked around the hospital grounds, confused, lost in thought on the uncertainty of life. Visions of what her mother would have done came to mind. She walked to her car, sat back in the seat and sobbed for all she had lost in her life, and that poor Mrs. Beresford lay dead for the better part of a day, waiting for someone to claim her – Grace understood the pain of loneliness.

Loss and loneliness are sadly, but realistically universal. With the protagonist feeling the emotional weight of both, in a single moment, empathy is elicited and might perhaps connect with the reader, offering solace that we essentially are not alone in what we feel.

Emotional connections whether through song, literary fiction or a life-size painting, draw us in by the intensity of the emotion expressed.

Alternately, there are light-hearted moments in the novel, to lift the weight of the struggles the protagonist and the women around her undergo. The blurb concludes, ‘A timeless tale of every woman’s story…’ Timeless on the struggles and celebrations of life, of women from different cultural contexts and professional backgrounds but nonetheless women with collaborative fighting spirits.

Tapping into the essence of our humanity through any art form, is a way forward, to capture the moment in its rawness, to allow us to walk away from the wars of the world, to look at the pleasure and beauty of life, to let the time of struggle pass. Appreciation and compassion are bred from challenges – how do you know the dark side, if you have not felt it? So too, characters’ lives should represent life through art to make fiction sing with timelessness.

Souls of Her Daughters captures the dark side of life, but the positive emotions swell in the relationship between mothers and daughters. Amidst tears, there is laughter, the reality of the experience of life. I hope you read this tale which will leave you with the message – never deter telling the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

I leave you with this timeless TED message from Susan David, that encapsulates the essence of Souls of Her Daughters, on embracing your emotions in its truth.

Please leave your thoughts in the message box below or sign up to receive future posts, free book offers, and the occasional newsletter.

Cover Story

The adage ‘never judge a book by its cover,’ is a questionable one, in the world of publishing.
Writers and publishers agree that a professional cover is the first point of reader attraction. The successive triggers that consolidate interest are, genre, blurb, knowledge of the author’s body of work etc.

When is a cover visualised?

Most often the inspiration for a cover emerges during the writing process, or at the end of the first draft (this is pretty much my experience).
Some writers have a vision for a cover from the conception stage when the story idea strikes, and they stick with it. Others might see the initial perception for a cover morph over time, in consultation with the designer, or an epiphany might trigger a new wave of creative thought.

Creating a book cover should be a collaborative effort with the professional expertise of a cover designer

What decides the choice and layout of images on a cover?

Plot, character, and setting have a huge part to play.
A metaphor that hits the nail on the head is effective in creating curiosity to lead the reader in. It’s subtle and insightful.

My debut novel, Across Time and Space, captures the evocative landscapes of London and Florence, with the protagonist in the foreground, her assailant centre-ground and the landscapes she traverses, in the background. While this is the main plot, the sub-plot, is not represented, to avoid cluttering the cover. There is a definitive reading path, depth in the placement of images from the foreground all way to the villa in Viareggio, seen in the background. The colour choice represents the Tuscan setting.

With the sequel, Vindication Across Time, the theme had to be maintained. The crime in the first book, Across Time and Space is played out in Book Two, in Florence, with the justice department, and media issues that arise. This cover has a Florentine backdrop, with the Ponte Vecchio in the background, and representation of the courthouse, in centreground. The face of the protagonist, Meryl, in the top left corner, is at the centre of the drama that unfolds. The male figure in the bottom, right quadrant, is mysterious, leaving the reader guessing who he is, (if you read Across Time and Space, you would have a pick of male characters to speculate upon) and what role he might play in Meryl’s world. Colours play their part in creating meaning, the word, ‘vindication,’ in red symbolises the significant unveiling of truth in this novel, the losses incurred in pursuit of truth. The dark suit of the male protagonist implies, he might be sinister or harbouring a hidden secret. The top half maintains the Tuscan setting, while the bottom half is enclosed by a dark building – the seat of justice, where truth, lies, and deception are acted out.

There is a visual shift, to reflect a new story, a different saga. This cover is a metaphoric representation of characters and events. Green for renewal; fragility and beauty are emblematic through the butterfly image. Dark and light through the colours of the wings, imply situations encountered, and the personalities of a mother’s daughters, two wings, with different colours on one butterfly.

The Rain – A Collection of Short Stories reflects the metaphor of rain in its physical, emotional and psychological ramifications on the lives of characters. Dark tones, with the glimmer of light with the female protagonist foregrounded, suggest the mood that pervades the stories. The image in the bottom right-hand quadrant is that of a hut in the title story.

Flick through any online retail bookstore, and a plethora of covers compete for attention. A cover catches the eye – title, author, blurb are the next attraction and selection.

Covers tell a story, a summary through images.

Well-thought-out covers guide readers’ personal perceptions, speculations, and curiosity, asking, ‘what story does this book tell, will it entertain and ‘move’ me?’

Seek the expertise of a cover designer and discuss the vision you have for your cover.

What’s your book cover choice? Share your ideas in the comment box below.
Sign up today for a free e-Book.

Where to go for writing support?

Often writers feel alone while tapping out the stories that come tumbling out of imaginative worlds with a benevolent muse guiding the next brainwave.

Writing starts out feeling like a lonely affair and the actual writing will always be a lone love affair with your writing tools – however, the number of support communities available to writers is phenomenal. Facebook groups with experienced authors and authorpreneurs abound.

You can choose to actively engage in these forums or lurk a while until you find the courage to ask a question or respond to someone’s question. There are local groups such as Writers Around Australia created by Lisa Braun and Tina Bonett who generously share posts and ideas. The New South Wales Writers’ Centre to keep up to date with advice and events. The Professional Association I find immeasurably beneficial is ALLi based in the UK, established by Orna Ross with a team of talented and experienced authors, with a worldwide membership.

The Platform for Building Authors and Authorpreneur Mastermind by the Winsome Media Group, established by Juliet Dillion Clark is inspirational and provides valuable advice on how to grow your author platform to get noticed to drive sales.

An excellent inspirational forum to enhance your speaking skills (as authors we are inclined to be introverts) and seek speaking opportunities to add another stream of income to your job as a writer, is Big Impact and Income Speakers under the helm of Amondarose Igoe. Here you will find inspiration and support to build confidence and grow your author business – both Winsome Media Group and Big Impact and Income Speakers are US based.

The SPF community established by author Mark Dawson is a great sharing and advice UK forum with worldwide membership. Women Writers Women’s Books is a supportive, informative network of authors created by Barbara Bos. BooksGoSocial Author’s Group run by four dedicated administrators offers advice to authors through sharing ideas and is great for marketing your books.

Following a range of podcasts and signing up for webinars allows authors to connect with developments in a rapidly changing publishing landscape.

I religiously follow The Creative Penn, ALLi and SPF Podcasts and select topics from a range of presenters on other forums as the need arises – quite often I might add! Smart Author podcasts with Mark Coker from Smashwords publishing platform offers solid advice for authors starting out. So you want to be a writer (Australia) with Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait covers a range of topics from local to global writing and publishing trends.

Digital publishing platforms that are providing excellent services to authors are Draft2Digital with a range of great features for new and established authors. Kobo offers distribution to Canada and the Netherlands. KDP is a prominent publishing platform from the dawn of eBook publishing. (2007) – the choice is vast, you eventually find your comfort zone and work with your chosen publishing platforms. Reedsy, UK based, provides a range of vetted services as does ALLi from editors, to cover designers and Reedsy provides an advanced formatting book service. For an Australian based formatting/cover design service go to WorkingType.

For POD, IngramSpark and CreateSpace/KDP provide excellent platforms to get your print book out into the world.

There are many more services and professional author bodies available, after trying them you eventually settle on your ‘favourites’ because you can’t possibly follow all. Being selective ensures you are not doubling up and eating into your writing time, the most crucial aspect of your writing career.

There’s an oasis of supportive networks out there, reach out and you’ll be amazed at the wealth of advice you will receive.

I hope you find the platforms I respect and trust beneficial for you on your writing journey.

Happy Writing!

What’s In Your Writing Toolshed?

A few months ago, towards the end of October 2017, this post detailed my definition of the essential steps to writing and publishing.

Today’s post includes what works for me in organising, writing and editing my book.

Organisation – Planning, Preparing, and Reminders

Having to juggle many things the tools that work efficiently for me are:

Evernote – I include my timeline of ‘to do things’, from chapter deadlines, my professional development reading, research and reminders for podcast and webinars I should follow. The added benefit is that an email reminder can be set to ensure I am aware of what’s coming up. This is an organisational tool that would benefit anyone with an overloaded weekly or daily schedule.

iPhone notes – My ‘on the go’ note making when the creative muse beckons without warning! This is then emailed for a quick inclusion into my work in progress.

Writing Software

After writing my first two books exclusively on Word, which I still use on a daily basis, I tried my hand at Scrivener. Its an amazing tool for planning and writing your draft in one place. It has all a writer needs from a word count feature at the bottom of the chapter, as you write (this helps keep your eye on your number of words per writing session as you go) , files and folders for everything from research, character profiles and a whole lot more. It’s not the easiest to navigate as a newbie to the tool so I purchased, Scrivener Superpowers: How to Use Cutting Edge Software and am finding my way through new discoveries of the magical properties of Scrivener every day! If you’re a plotter this is your ‘to-go-to’ writing tool and it serves you just as well if you’re a pantser. I write on Scrivener, save it in Word for polishing up and editing before the professional edit and am in the process of moving the edited manuscript back to Scrivener. The Scrivener app is available for your iPhone and iPad too!

Self-Editing Software

It is recommended that you give your draft a thorough check before the professional edit to eliminate ‘unknown’, ‘unseen’ errors.

These are three editing tools I find useful:

Grammarly

Hemingway Editor

Prowriting Aid

Why use all three?

Each has its unique way of alerting the writer to ‘creative mishaps’ from missing words, sticky sentences, overused words or lengthy sentences and good old proper use of punctuation and grammar and more!

While you might not agree with all suggestions, you are made aware of what might obscure meaning for your reader.

The writer needs an objective ‘third eye’ – while technology is a godsend, the human eye is essential if the ‘sense and meaning’ of the writer’s lines are to be interpreted as close to the writer’s intention.

More on the blog in future posts on new discoveries that are working for me.

Happy writing! Happy Reading!

Please share what works well for you and your preferred tools of the writing trade!

Rear View, Front View

We hear and read much about goal setting with the onset of a New Year.

The rear view must be kept in sight to negotiate the lift-off to the front view, to minimise errors and risks that need refining − that backward glance reminder is significant as the new year begins

https://youtu.be/W7LeO7bfpgU

Looking back on the not so distant past year, its exit makes it a rapidly fading memory as we are caught in the fountain of eternal fireworks that kick-starts the New Year if we linger on the threshold of the New Year, we might not move forward fast enough.

With everything in life, we get better at it when we do it over with a new spin, a new attitude and a passion to achieve the best we can.

We are human after all, we can only get better with a little effort and skill.

How do we keep the rear view in focus while running to the front view?

– Make a list of your past successes
– Make a list of some past shortcomings
– Match them against each other
Now decide what is worth pursuing and what should be culled. Work at culling first and shutting down that rear mirror. Pick up the shortcomings that need attention – make them a priority, review, add-in, refine and polish. Repeat the cycle a few times. Once this is defined as the way forward, look at the new front view, you want to see, and advance at a speed and pace that is comfortable for you.

Continue reading “Rear View, Front View”

So you want to write?

Why not?

You will enjoy the process of creating the story you have always wanted to write.

What’s holding you back?

Fear and Time?

Counteract fear by writing the best story you can. Temper your inner critic, the belief that you’re an imposter in the craft – avoid this or you become your own worst enemy. Trust your desire to write and turn to the supportive person in your life who will allow your light to shine.

Find time in your day to get down as many words as you can. Do it consistently to keep yourself inspired to go on to complete your novel. Fifteen minutes a day is better than not writing at all.

Will you be a pantser or plotter?

Would you meticulously plan scenes, with graphs and maps etc or let your creative energy lead you with just the basics planned out for your novel? There are various schools of thought on being a pantser or plotter. I’m somewhat hybrid on that. Mental planning with a few scribbled thoughts here and there make me more a pantser than a plotter.

Challenges that could occur

Shut the door as you write, as Stephen King advises in, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, ( I gained the courage to finish and publish my books drawing from the advice in this book), until you are ready to tell the world.

Once you begin to tell others, be prepared for either cynicism or support. The cynics are not worth your time – leave them to their cynical worlds and do what you have to do – write the best story you can!

Writing is an emotional process that often dives into a point of long-held pain or passion. When dubious eyes, lopsided smiles, and tongues that doubt, disturb your orbit, it’s time to turn them down or off.

Consistent writing, turning to influencers of the trade and reading books on how to write well or listening to podcasts on writing and signing up for webinars on the craft is the way to pay your way forward in your growth as a writer.

No story is not worth telling if your aim is to enlighten or connect with your reader or you know what you have to say will make a difference- write that story.

And there’s more…

Writing the story is not all you have to consider, you should then research traditional and self-publishing options and find your best fit. Know your genre, research writers in the genre you want to write in and carve your approach, your own style. Once the final product, the actual book, with a professional cover, professional editing, blurb, author biography, ISBN, date, publisher, and place of publication etc are in place, the marketing of your book begins. Whether you opt for traditional or self-publishing, the onus is squarely on your shoulders to market your book.

Don’t put off writing your book. Now is the best time.

It took me several years to finally master the fear to turn to my beta reader to have a look at my work.

We need more stories, stories that speak of angst and optimism and stories that make us laugh out loud, hold us in suspense, evoke disbelief or leave us in meditative contemplation.

We need stories that remind us of our essential humanity.

Write your book today. Publish it in 2018!

Don’t you know yet? It is Your Light that lights the worlds – Rumi

Does this resonate with you? Please share your thoughts in the message box below.

What have you done with your days?

It’s the summer of December 2017. Eleven months of the year are done and perhaps not quite dusted yet as we tie up loose ends to set us free for the holidays.

Do you take stock of the year in your business of life? Do you tick off all that you have achieved and create another list of goals yet to be achieved?

The final month of a year is time to step back, think over and set the bar further for a host of things that will drive your passion into the next year.

Continue reading “What have you done with your days?”

Are You Grateful?

Every day should be Thanksgiving.

Kindness, Thankfulness, and Generosity in equal parts, blended together, is the alchemy needed for harmony and peaceful coexistence.

The words, ‘thank you,’ ‘I give thanks,’ ‘I’m grateful for,’ send out good vibrations to both the messenger and recipient of these encouraging words.

Let’s take a look at wise words on moments of gratitude.
Continue reading “Are You Grateful?”

Leading Lines

How often have we heard that first impressions are lasting? Does the same apply to the opening lines in novels?

An attention-grabbing opening to a novel, not the head-standing, acrobatic, high energy stuff but a carefully crafted opening is a sure-fire way to spark the curiosity of the reader to continue reading.

Leading the reader in without saying too much by judiciously leaving out some essential details elicits intrigue for the reader to pursue the tale to its conclusion. The reader should discover aspects of a character’s world by being invited to be part of the journey. Those discoveries do not have to be palatable to the reader. A favourite character might reveal a side of their personality that perturbs the reader. The unexpected sustains the intrigue. In the real world, perfection is an illusion, to quote Alexander Pope, to err is human, to forgive divine. I fondly recall the podcast with Sevgi Yildiz, coordinator of the Sydney Bookclub, who said she ‘threw the book’ when her favourite character from her reading of Across Time and Space was not as saintly as she had wanted her to be. Emotional connections are indeed what keeps readers wanting more.

A sequel carries a known backstory but it should also be satisfying to read on its own without knowledge of the first book. Without summarising the first book, the opening lines should invite the reader in with glimpses into what went before which puts all the pieces of the larger plot puzzle together.

Opening lines of a book often take several redrafts to ensure that the right balance is achieved that leads to a natural flow from the first book into the sequel.

This is a skill that improves with each book written after several self-edits before the professional edit is solicited.

Continue reading “Leading Lines”

Tools of the Writing Trade

My writing career started in a somewhat circuitous way with writing stories for an audience of one for many years until a story emerged that ran through to become my debut novel, Across Time and Space. It was then that the decision to publish emerged with some coercion from those closest to me.

My journey was a cart before the horse situation as all that I am about to outline to you happened after my debut novel was in the process of being published by a publisher.

It is for this reason that I decided to write this post to pass on what needs to be done, in the initial stages, before the process of writing begins.

As a writer, aspiring writer or fully-fledged published author we all need additional writing tools to sharpen the craft for an enjoyable and less stressful writing journey.

What do you do? Where do you go to set yourself on your merry, enjoyable writer’s journey?

Here are a few questions:

Before you begin writing:

do you have a plan for your writing journey?
are you following influential writers?
are you reading extensively into your preferred genre?
are you attending book festivals and conferences?
have you started creating an online presence?

Before you publish:

If you self-publish you should consider all of these and if you are going the traditionally published route some of these steps have to be undertaken as marked by my asterisk

do you have a Goodreads reader/author profile?
have you set up your Amazon account and author profile in the countries you hope to sell your books?
do you have a Kobo account?
do you have an iBooks account?
do you have a Draft2Digital account to have it all done for you?
do you use Ingram Spark/Createspace/Smashwords or all publisher/distribution channels?
do you belong to writing organisations online or groups in your hometown?
do you have a Facebook Page/Meta where you create an engaging presence?
do you have a Twitter/X Account?
do you have an Instagram account?
do you have a website or blog site?
have you started blogging and have an engaged audience?
if you are self-publishing, do you have a freelance editor and cover designer enlisted?
have you bought your ISBN for your book?
have you registered your title?
have you lodged your book with the National/State Library (Australia)
if your books are in public and school libraries- have you registered for PLR and ELR?
do you have proof-readers?
are you able to enlist legitimate (ARC) reviewers?

While you are writing

What software do you use?

do you do a handwritten first draft?
do you use Microsoft Word to type up your manuscript?
have you sourced other software to write and format your manuscript?
would you dictate your novel? do you have the software for your audio needs for dictation?

After you’ve published your book:

How do you market your book?
Even if you are traditionally published – you have to do your own marketing. The onus is upon you to get your book out there.
Will you have a ‘live’ book launch or will you have a Facebook or website launch of your book?
Will you be open to giving talks to aspiring writers?
Will you engage the media?
How much will you invest in marketing your book? Consider the ROI and check all options.
Do you want your books in bricks and mortar stores only?
Do you have print and eBooks published?
Have you considered creating an audio version of your book?

After my roundabout entry into writing and publishing, I am trying new tools for my third book and will report back in a few months on how I fare with my new researched tools.

I encourage you to continue pursuing your writing dreams and hope you can take something away to begin your writing journey.

The world will be a dreary, sad, isolated place if our stories were not written and shared. – Mala Naidoo

Please share where you are in your writing journey and what works fantastically well for you in the comment box below. If you are thinking of starting out, let’s begin the shared conversation today.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Do We Need Migrant Literature?

The world is a melting pot, an ever-increasing paradise of voices that need to be heard if tolerance and understanding are to reign for peaceful coexistence.

Migrant literature, while evident through powerful voices, needs new sounds to add to the colourful history that should be shared if we are to live side by side.

Knowledge is necessary to foster understanding and compassion to move us closer to our innate humanity. Living in international communities in the 21^st Century is a goldmine of multiculturalism that offers rich insights on culture and values.

What better way than to extend understanding through the literature we read and write. This could be a work of fiction, a non-fiction book, or a blog that creates connections to our neighbours near and far.

Literature is and should continue to be a vehicle that dispels ‘otherness’ or the ‘outsider’

Continue reading “Do We Need Migrant Literature?”

Are you particular about dates?

When I ask ‘Are you particular about dates?’ – I’m not referring to the dating game or romance.

Here’s my reason for asking.

I recently published Vindication Across Time as the print version late in September to coincide with my father’s birthday.

The digital version on Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, BN will be released next week on my mother’s birthday. It’s up for preorder on these sites now.

I can hear you ask, ‘Pray do tell us more!’

Some of the themes reflected in Vindication Across Time – the pursuit of truth and justice is a value I grew up with. The truth no matter how painful had to be acknowledged and implemented.

Lies were severely admonished in my childhood home regardless of any perceived justification for stretching the truth.

Truth and lies are dominant in the novel as in different versions of the truth. The bearers of fake truths are soon discovered and good karma visits those who steadfastly adhere to the truth. My understanding is that there is only ONE truth. If a man has been gunned down, there might be one person directly responsible and others who helped expedite the heinous act.

Justifications offered for why this happened does not remove the truth that a defenseless man was gunned down in cold blood. The next truth to be served is that justice must prevail regardless of individuals’ motives and challenges.

There, in a nutshell, is why the print version of Vindication Across Time was released on my father’s birthday as an acknowledgement of his respect for truth and justice.

What about my mother made me choose to release the Kindle and eBook versions on her birthday next week?

The expression of culture and values through strong female characters in Across Time and Space, led to greater nuances of imperfect lives in Vindication Across Time. This is where my mother’s love, compassion, and strength shaped these ideas.

Continue reading “Are you particular about dates?”

Are you a dog with a bone?

In my world being a dog with a bone is sometimes needed to get the job done.

Persistence pays.

By the same token, I am aware how utterly annoying the person who is always a dog with a bone can be … gnawing at issues or situations for self-aggrandisement. They gnaw at the issue or situation with dogged intent. Is it with a power-laden agenda to prove a point and claim a hubristic victory?

An ego trip might well motivate a dog with a bone syndrome (my definition) hence such characters are quick at the ready to prove a point, make a statement or perhaps just want to be heard. A sad dog with a bone.

This excessive gnawing suggests self-obsession, the ‘look at me’ need.

You will find this character type in my novel, Vindication Across Time, or can you identify characters in literature you’ve read, where such attributes are identifiable?

How about some of these characters?

-Shakespeare’s Duke Orsino in Twelfth Night – hankering after love:

If music be the food of love, play on/ Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting/The appetite may sicken and so die.

– Shakespeare’s King Lear in the play by the same name, desirous of hearing how his daughters love him:

… which of you shall we say doth love us most. That we our bounty may extend.

A vain ploy, albeit by an aging king and father, to ‘buy’ profanations of love.

Note the positions of power in each of the above, male, duke, king, etc.

But what about the humanitarian goal-focused dog with a bone? What defines this person?

#courage
# resilience
# hope, authenticity, and determination
# achievement
# embraces challenges
# wants the best things in life for self and others

Shakespeare’s Cordelia, King Lear’s daughter, says:

I love your majesty according to my bond, no more no less.

This girl tells it like it is! She speaks from the heart in her truth. She stands by her truth like a saintly puppy with a bone, she is prepared to forgo her part of her inheritance from her father’s kingly estate in:

Nothing will come of nothing.

This is an admirable quality which has been included in my novel, Across Time and Space. Who is it?

Meryl?
Marcia?
Ben?
Andrei?
Michael?

I leave you to decide.

But while pursuing these noble intentions, individuals/characters might walk all over those who support and promote them by becoming consumed by their goals, to the point of frustrating others with their exuberance, self-centred, and misfired passion.

So how does one or one’s crafted character become a pleasant goal-focused dog with a bone?

# have a purpose that will also benefit others
# know when to take a break from the bone of self-promotion – in other words, give the jaw a break.
# consult with peers and others and share by being an active listener.

Where are these characters in literature?

How about Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet? He knew he could no longer prevent Romeo from wanting to marry Juliet, so he dutifully got them married.

And the upright, Atticus Finch, in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird who was relentless in proving the African American, Tom Robinson, innocent of the allegation by Mayella Ewell and her father Bob.

The dog-with-a-bone fictional characters make interesting case studies and create engaging plots with perhaps a moral lesson.

A valuable, and historic determination is Martin Luther King in:

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality… I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. ~ Martin Luther King

Be a dog with a bone or craft such characters but know when to give the gnawing a rest. Craft characters who echo tireless values that promote change for a better world, or expose the dark side through characters who invert goodness.

Some valuable motivational quotations to guide your characters’ actions:

I hope you enjoyed this and encourage you to comment and share your views on characters who have had an impact on you. Please share your thoughts in the message box below.

Continue reading “Are you a dog with a bone?”

Literary Life Lines

There has been a lot of interest this past week on a previous post, here on why characters and quotations from literature are often remembered long after the book has been put down.

Thank you for the comments, I’m delighted that you found educational or personal clarity and have selected a few more literary life lines in this post.

Literature that speaks to the human condition echoes through time when emotional connections are formed.

Love, despair, fear, envy, passion, hatred and kindness guide our motivations in the choices or decisions we make in life.

Students of literature are often expected to engage in critical appreciation of texts.

Values, culture and language, events or situations motivate characters’ actions and in turn, motivate readers’ reactions eliciting a new wave of interpreting ideas. And so the chain of literary discourse begins…

Reading for life connections and intellectual stimulation

Continue reading “Literary Life Lines”

Bookshop to Bookshelf

Bookshops still hold magical fascination with their multiple shelves laden with the artistry of wordsmiths who have crafted stories and histories that are timeless as the works of Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and a multiplicity of contemporary writers spanning many decades through to today.

The reader is transported into a world of heartbreak, love, crime, mystery, suspense, science fiction, fantasy, memoirs, how-to books and histories of generations past and predictions of the future. This is just the tip of the iceberg in the bounteous valuable books that grace our libraries and bookshops.

My own fascination with books started with having a mother who is an avid reader and a maternal uncle who was eager to share his prized books from his stained glass, antique bookshelves that ran along four walls of his room. They were majestic and mysterious, a mini bookshop in a study.

Anna Karenina, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol are fondly remembered as books that had cloth covers, were well-worn and difficult to return to the gracious lender, once read.

Hours spent lost in a bookshop brought cherished delight to my introverted world that was fascinated by faraway places. I mentally marked my next purchase and saved every nickel and dime, counting my ducats each night like Shylock, but eager to have the money saved for the next great read. I loved birthday presents that were a few bobs here and there rather than an aliceband or cardigan which held no value in my world of books other than to keep my hair out of eyes when reading or keeping me warm on that winter afternoon when I remained riveted to the story.

Pennies saved to buy my beloved book is a tale I am bound to tell to the end of my days. Pennies wisely saved and wisely spent.

The treasured purchased book was safely carried home, my name was proudly etched with a fountain pen, in black ink, in the most artistic font (so I thought) I was able to create in the words, This book belongs to…

Some sad tales of those cherished books were those lent out that either never made their way back home to my bookshelf or were unrecognisable in their dilapidated returned condition. I mourned the loss of and injury to my book pals.

Bookshops must never be forgotten nor cast aside, they should be the place where parents and grandparents take their young ones to, for the experience of a life time – the look of a cover, the feel of the pages and the words that bring endless delight whether read alone or read to by a melodious voice – these are memories that never fade.

A bookshop is a peaceful sanctuary of silent voices waiting to be heard.

Teaching children to save a bit of pocket-money to buy their favourite book inculcates a lifetime love of reading. Taking children to a bookshop to choose a book they want to read and then add to the beginnings of their book collection is an opportunity every child should have.

Spread the love – no age restriction applies if the content is appropriate!

Happy Reading! Happy Sharing!

Share your bookshop experiences in the message box below.

Why a sequel?

Do writers plan to write a sequel? Why are sequels so popular?

Sometimes they are planned and sometimes they grow from the first book for a host of reasons.

We live in an age where we are desirous of connections for the long haul, we want more as we book our Netflix favourite series into our private calendar time-slots; we crave more when we connect or are moved by a story and its people.

We desire more of what we enjoy, what we look forward to. Connections with people and places make us reluctant to leave. The story is anticipated as an after work or relaxing weekend read. It’s locked in and beware the unsolicited ringing of the telephone or doorbell! Solitude is non-negotiable!

For the writer, unfinished matters in the first book lead to the second book which unveils new situations and hidden aspects of characters and situations, sometimes shocking or expected and satisfying.

Picking up reader feedback from the first book while the sequel is being written is significant in ensuring that favourite characters are not destroyed or killed off too early, reader and writer satisfaction is imperative.

In the writing of my debut novel Across Time and Space, the sequel began to emerge by the end of the penultimate chapter, there was more my characters had to say, there was more that had to be revealed. The intrigue of the first tale created expectations that needed further exploration. Relationships needed to grow.

Truth and deception were left skulking in the shadows at the olive grove in Viareggio in Across Time and Space and these ghosts came calling for more.

This made me restless to dive into the sequel, some cautioned ‘not so soon,’ others begged ‘when will it be ready?’ The process became an organic growth –an obsession to take the story to where it was leading me. Hence the birth of the sequel, Vindication Across Time.

Cover Design- Working Type Studio- Luke Harris — What will be lost, what will be gained when the dark forces of human nature obscure truth and justice?

Will this become an Across Time series?

The question we are left with is, ‘what are we keeping hidden from view in the hope of leading or appearing to lead a happy and by anyone’s definition, a ‘normal’ life?’

Coming to terms with our ghosts as something of the past rather than defining our present worlds is significant in Vindication Across Time.

Whose ghosts will be exhumed in this tale of love, loss, hope, and patience?

Have you read, Across Time and Space?

What are your thoughts on book sequels and television series, what do you anticipate in Vindication Across Time?

Please leave your comments in the message box below.

Announcement of Title

The joy of writing over several weeks and months is finally seeing the artist’s impression in the cover design of the story that has emerged from, and lives in the writer’s imagination.

The much-anticipated sequel title to my debut novel, “Across Time and Space,” set for a spring release, depending on where you reside in the world, is :

VINDICATION ACROSS TIME

“Across Time and Space” is available at a discounted price while stocks last. Contact me through the website for availability.

Please share what you anticipate in, “Vindication Across Time”, in the message box below.