tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5065466327359770802024-03-27T23:55:10.636+00:00Colin MulhernColin Mulhern is the author of romantic comedy novels, "Trust Me, I'm a Liar" and "Trust Me, I'm an Artist." He also blogs about writing, marketing indie publishing and anything else that comes to mind.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-3347413426735199532023-12-31T13:31:00.005+00:002024-01-02T10:24:00.707+00:00Writing Round-up and a Look ahead to 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgedOWNTOTgrwQJTzEABgz8RzS9EKhpRwf7aX7JMnW9EhujFgtnbFLKsDOxYbu83AHB2a-zABny_WhgE18Qa_WoSdtf1kpuqcjhV9kX7eZXS-9x7Ox1eOoaA5A3YCg_0VF-C1uQ2uoNBdV4PVv4d0aBOVE2MSMwmNjJVcrlW-r-lgoY1WJnNiRakR7AtYE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="607" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgedOWNTOTgrwQJTzEABgz8RzS9EKhpRwf7aX7JMnW9EhujFgtnbFLKsDOxYbu83AHB2a-zABny_WhgE18Qa_WoSdtf1kpuqcjhV9kX7eZXS-9x7Ox1eOoaA5A3YCg_0VF-C1uQ2uoNBdV4PVv4d0aBOVE2MSMwmNjJVcrlW-r-lgoY1WJnNiRakR7AtYE" width="296" /></a></div><p></p><p>2023 was a busy year writing-wise because I rewrote my first romcom in 1st person and relaunched it under a new title, <b><i>Trust Me, I'm a Liar</i></b>, then got to straight to work on book 2. </p><p>While this was going on, I was also working full-time and doing a part-time degree in Creative Writing. This is a fast-track degree, so it's a lot of work and there's no time off during the summer. Year 1 was a breeze and a lot of fun. Year 2 stepped it up a notch and then in September, I started my third and final year, which made writing <b><i>Trust Me, I'm an Artist</i></b> a big challenge to fit in. </p><p>But, I did it. Yesterday, I uploaded the final manuscript to Amazon. This is the first book I've put up for pre-order, so it doesn't actually go live until the 5th of January 2024. I thought putting it up for pre-order might spur me along into finishing it, which worked a treat. Who doesn't love a bit of totally unnecessary pressure? </p><p>Looking ahead to 2024, I've got a bit of a choice. I quite like the idea of continuing the<i> Trust Me..</i>. series, but don't really know where to take it next. Usually, all it takes is a bit of downtime and a long walk. </p><p>As for the series and sales and such, it's been a bit tricky to get the ball rolling. And so, having come to the conclusion that I know next to nothing about how to market and promote a business successfully, I have applied to Mark Dawson's SPF Foundation, which sponsors indie authors by giving them access to the two flagship SPF courses - <a href="https://learn.selfpublishingformula.com/p/launchpad">LauchPad</a> and <a href="https://learn.selfpublishingformula.com/p/adsforauthors">Ads For Authors</a>, plus a whole load of credit to spend on Reedsy services, such as professional covers and editorial services. </p><p>2024 is also the year I'll graduate with my first degree. Creative Writing with Falmouth University is amazing. When I was first looking for something like this, all of the other courses that were called Creative Writing were really just a pick 'n' mix of humanities modules with only one or two relevant to what I was interested in. The Falmouth Course is designed with creativity at the heart. Modules covered so far have involved genre writing (from horror to romance and sci-fi), writing for the stage, for TV and cinema, video games, blogs, creative non-fiction, stand-up comedy and performance poetry. It is so incredibly involved that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing for my final piece. The final piece (called The Masterpiece) is 8,000 words of creative writing with a 2,000 word supporting essay. This starts at the end of May with a hand-in date at the end of August - so that's my summer sorted out! </p><p>Other things on the horizon are the same things I struggle with every year. Should I blog more? Should I write under a new name? Should I start a newsletter when I barely have time to look at Facebook?</p><p>Usually, those things always come down to the same solution. The best thing I can do as a writer is to write another book.</p><p>So I guess it's time to take the dog for a long walk. </p><p>Happy New Year!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-15638436950030630052023-11-17T11:40:00.001+00:002024-03-27T07:18:39.917+00:00Bladdy Stoodents<p>I'm a student! Bloody hell!</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8iw7b9i00j2Fu6KOi4xb2u0nuF7M-BqaReaZuvbRNURCET_GfB7OvasNM9AYHSjBT_CFZkhRkAxXwRWnmaYRrOxuuaAjFJ-GJfK1Sff3wlxNt2c4cmZa4IKsKvagdAYacnPfOvq6zMw/s396/young.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="222" data-original-width="396" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV8iw7b9i00j2Fu6KOi4xb2u0nuF7M-BqaReaZuvbRNURCET_GfB7OvasNM9AYHSjBT_CFZkhRkAxXwRWnmaYRrOxuuaAjFJ-GJfK1Sff3wlxNt2c4cmZa4IKsKvagdAYacnPfOvq6zMw/s320/young.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Young Ones. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theyoungones/">Image c/o BBC</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I've been toying with the idea of doing a degree in Creative Writing for years, but it would have to be distance learning and the ones that were available didn't really grab my interest. The Open University, for example, is a mish mash of modules from their humanities box with only a couple of modules dedicated to Creative Writing. What I was after was something more like a Fine Art degree, but in writing, something focused on personal development rather than simply studying others.<p></p><p>In the summer, I found it.</p><p>The degree is with Falmouth University and fits my wish list like a glove. It's more like a Fine Art degree in it seems to be all about personal development and practical tasks to help you become a better writer, and not just for novel writing. It covers everything from identity and society to creative imagery, blog posting and SEO. I barely paused to take breath and applied the same day. </p><p>It's week 5 and so far, it's really delivering. As online courses go, it's very demanding - minimum 27 hours study per week and a LOT of reading, but I've still got time to read for pleasure and write my own stuff, which is also part of the course. Win win!</p><p></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-76508505052561714572022-08-23T21:36:00.004+01:002022-08-23T21:36:51.333+01:00Writing on a ChromebookI've been playing with a budget Chromebook for the past few months and have to say, a Chromebook is a pretty good choice for writing. I'm using an Acer CB314-1H which cost me a whopping £79 (thanks to a £100 cashback deal). It has a bright, crystal clear FHD screen, a fantastic keyboard (much better than my HP laptop) and it is super lightweight.<div><br /><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jVM3tn07n7jlRDnSV0AxkNYaRronrqI7w16cnXbizik2wjG82OcBFY6FOuUt85i8wKmLFSVCXOQDoxPmw8k9Utv2HzcfY9_gIgOVYdR2J6A2tclulGuS6Xn7lotFckkWEMyLEUBP0-cD5ONykEpP33r_WGZ-IuJrGrzFFav_n9XZypBPX2opT5iM/s1497/Chromebook_314_CB314-1H(T)_KV-2560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1497" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jVM3tn07n7jlRDnSV0AxkNYaRronrqI7w16cnXbizik2wjG82OcBFY6FOuUt85i8wKmLFSVCXOQDoxPmw8k9Utv2HzcfY9_gIgOVYdR2J6A2tclulGuS6Xn7lotFckkWEMyLEUBP0-cD5ONykEpP33r_WGZ-IuJrGrzFFav_n9XZypBPX2opT5iM/w550-h316/Chromebook_314_CB314-1H(T)_KV-2560.jpg" title="credit: acer.com" width="550" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As far as the keyboard goes, on first impressions, it seems that the keyboard has no delete key or CAPS lock, but both are available with help from the ALT key. It also seems that there is no way to turn the Trackpad off. This takes about ten seconds on Google to enable debug shortcuts, but to be honest, even with the option available, I rarely use. I catch my laptop trackpad all of the time, but hardly ever on the Chromebook.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The next thing to consider is software. There's Google docs. You can waste time searching the internet for alternatives, but this means enabling Linux and playing about and it's really not worth it. I managed to get LibreOffice working but it was slow and couldn't access Drive, which is where all the files are. But Google Docs is seamless, and a lot more powerful than it looks, certainly good enough to create a manuscript for ebook or publication. It can get a bit slow with large documents, but I haven't encountered too many problems and I'm working at just over 60,000 words, but for ease of use, I chop the document into five chunks. I use headings for titles which gives me a Document Outline (same as a Navigation pane and similar to Scrivener's Binder). I also use the comment pane all of the time when editing (a recent update allows you hide comments). Getting the work out is a breeze compared to Scrivener - you just download it as the format you want.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next advantage is the grammar checker. The grammar check in Google Docs is amazing and picks up things that other word processors miss. It is certainly infinitely better than Scrivener, so when I get to proofing, I'd have to export to Google Docs anyway. I do like Scrivener for drafting simply for the option of coloured labels, but I can live without it. The grammar checker trumps any bells and whistles every single time because I continually miss out words when writing. Even drafting, I tend to write cleaner, stronger copy in Google Docs than anything else. </div><div><br /></div><div>So there you go. Yes, you can definitely use a Chromebook for writing novels. It's not the best solution. Hey, given the choice, I'd love a Macbook Pro, but those are way out of my budget, and probably always will be. For now, I'm more than happy with my £79 Chrome-buddy.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-60411573612922959722022-08-22T09:16:00.001+01:002022-08-22T09:16:46.368+01:00Veggie Challenge<h3 style="text-align: center;"> It all began with a duck.</h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNQSekIWOJYWXVW-fflygqhSxsdOhOYhKnhOglTx9_rQ8ow3-ZZiw0k6LHJi_Y2lTI3fy-5nPxehqLtyzXS-fKrSxIeCRO3YGYfvSbkLGoB_REmD_mXW81CAO_zqf8SeUFSGdRKPbQGEqwS7OeEhIBATkpLzQIaVAkeqdeMA4OftDlpRWeBJ1upJO/s2628/PXL_20220424_072624478.MP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2628" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNQSekIWOJYWXVW-fflygqhSxsdOhOYhKnhOglTx9_rQ8ow3-ZZiw0k6LHJi_Y2lTI3fy-5nPxehqLtyzXS-fKrSxIeCRO3YGYfvSbkLGoB_REmD_mXW81CAO_zqf8SeUFSGdRKPbQGEqwS7OeEhIBATkpLzQIaVAkeqdeMA4OftDlpRWeBJ1upJO/s320/PXL_20220424_072624478.MP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Two ducks, actually. They appeared in the middle of a housing estate and were waddling about outside my front door. I went out to get a photo and they were really friendly. They were curious too. This messed with my mind a little. I mean, ducks with personalities. You can’t eat something that’s friendly. That's just not right.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR8tzRI3wwPCQYjslSpUDC-LMdf2ksPFcHMqQZPuwZ5ty3qF-gJN-m4qGbo2yivjo6ihd0DKS4JH5rrhXd2Lg-pXv0DdstKOVmhsoxDNOUiS5DpF8Ndgl304gCQRi-a2MsyMo24xQtK4Fsb2D2LZh5_QdzrR-uLfM-beww8WZTJkuV1FgC1Fmla-3/s3788/PXL_20220808_193126380.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2628" data-original-width="3788" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFR8tzRI3wwPCQYjslSpUDC-LMdf2ksPFcHMqQZPuwZ5ty3qF-gJN-m4qGbo2yivjo6ihd0DKS4JH5rrhXd2Lg-pXv0DdstKOVmhsoxDNOUiS5DpF8Ndgl304gCQRi-a2MsyMo24xQtK4Fsb2D2LZh5_QdzrR-uLfM-beww8WZTJkuV1FgC1Fmla-3/s320/PXL_20220808_193126380.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>But the ducks flew away and I got over them. Well, kind of. But then last week, we were on holiday in Scotland with a farm right next to us. Our back garden looked out on a field full of cows. The cows had calves. They were friendly too, and curious. They kept coming over to see how we were getting on then skipping about the place exactly like cows don’t. <p></p><p>Suddenly, I felt a bit guilty about the huge block of minced beef I’d bought for bolognese. </p><p>The thing is, I've never had much success when I've tried going veggie before. I usually fail when it comes to ordering take-away or going into a pub for something to eat. But this happened in the middle of a sober challenge that was going insanely well. I had the daft idea of doing Dry January in the summer, simply because it's more of a challenge that way, but I was so bowled over by the changes during the first month that I kept going. I ended up doing 72 days and the benefits are amazing. I lost two stone in weight, sorted out a whole load of mental health issues, blood pressure is firmly within the healthy bracket, my productivity went through the roof and I was reading more. I only broke my sober streak to see if I missed it as much as I thought. That was another shock. I was surprised to find that I couldn’t bear the taste of lager or wine. I also hated the feeling of being drunk. Something I thought I loved. </p><p>So I’m doing that challenge again. This time I want to let it roll and just see how long I can go. 90 days is the first marker. But, as it's Day 1, it seems a good idea to do a Veggie Challenge at the same time and with the same mindset - to see what the health benefits are. Why not? So I thought I'd kick off with breakfast.</p><p>Let's just say it's not a good start.</p><p>Yesterday, not realising I was about to do a Veggie Challenge, I bought a load of bacon to go with the black pudding and sausages that are already in the fridge. Unfortunately, those aren't ideal foods for a wannabe Veggie, but I was all fired up for a cooked breakfast. However, thanks to my morality wobble with the cows, I have some plant-based sausages in the freezer.</p><p>I got them out and stuck them in the oven. Twenty minutes later, they’re ready to go. Here they are, on brown bread with a squirt of tomato sauce and a side order of black coffee.</p><p>Mmmmm.... Tasty eh?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mjkWb1fgdovarp48aaSYKDgnWmet6NoBtfJTXrruyR0V0hyTtPHR4U9RInBhplLNTJbBd_qWVkJ-5onV9y2eKShJFU4WdDKn-fkb1FtpzLJJ5yFpVJ-OKibKHW8cd75K-ns1O80UnTV3NycRTzEeM_RJTNtOMj9DmvGSOd6iBzDoaqmPkdZk8M2j/s4032/PXL_20220822_071409981.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mjkWb1fgdovarp48aaSYKDgnWmet6NoBtfJTXrruyR0V0hyTtPHR4U9RInBhplLNTJbBd_qWVkJ-5onV9y2eKShJFU4WdDKn-fkb1FtpzLJJ5yFpVJ-OKibKHW8cd75K-ns1O80UnTV3NycRTzEeM_RJTNtOMj9DmvGSOd6iBzDoaqmPkdZk8M2j/s320/PXL_20220822_071409981.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Not exactly. They tasted bloody awful. The pack says they're made from peas. The experience is like eating Weetabix-flavoured cardboard.</p><p>Besides, what is the point of veggie sausages? I get veggie fingers, because they're colourful and taste like they sound, but are veggie sausages meant to mimic pork? Does that mean there's some Quality Assurance guy eating both to make sure they do? So Porky Pig is being slaughtered regardless? There's something not quite right about that. I'm not sure that meat substitutes are the way to go. </p><p>Time to go shopping.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-19471357993851981802022-06-25T09:30:00.001+01:002022-06-25T09:33:06.954+01:00Traditional vs Self Publishing: my personal experience so far<p>I first decided to make writing a career when I realised that my son’s disability meant he would always need someone at home. It didn’t seem fair that my wife would never be able to return to nursing, so in 2003 we swapped roles. I became Matthew’s full time carer, wrote when he was at school and began submitting book after book.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYOxcOPVQtxu3rSyVpJWjHWAR78cH_jf64MKtmrvqL6WjbU2LCe_dEvIZpfw9gyDIzl4SVpKmfowSGco4WMFR7hu8tWIJ6VokUeUImuPd7kn_j6yFX5bIIbhdeNBvUuu6zrOSlZ-Af_JZ9mVMc0BGMrng1qls2Q5Ysgin6TwB6r5wUA3JL5z8_HrUA=s780" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="780" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYOxcOPVQtxu3rSyVpJWjHWAR78cH_jf64MKtmrvqL6WjbU2LCe_dEvIZpfw9gyDIzl4SVpKmfowSGco4WMFR7hu8tWIJ6VokUeUImuPd7kn_j6yFX5bIIbhdeNBvUuu6zrOSlZ-Af_JZ9mVMc0BGMrng1qls2Q5Ysgin6TwB6r5wUA3JL5z8_HrUA=w380-h245" width="380" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;">image c/o seatletimes.com</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>It took five years and six novels to get “The Call” and when it came, I was ecstatic. This was it, the beginning of a new chapter! We’d be able to make a better life, buy a decent car, maybe even move out of our council house.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjndKLPUuOdB3j4ShcEDGj8tX6t236xoZ8vackGpB3sRGIHZQ8FsHELJS9uXmlTk8oLfk2_ZE7wQMUnOxqBk-EwH4o4_sWxQ66dYYmPGGzrWaeaXCFeaWj-TT25GKh926KBHceV4jIFXXoiD4glKHWRedJfF13oGqvUV5lhlWRUACASQU7B_TP2Io7A=s2872" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2872" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjndKLPUuOdB3j4ShcEDGj8tX6t236xoZ8vackGpB3sRGIHZQ8FsHELJS9uXmlTk8oLfk2_ZE7wQMUnOxqBk-EwH4o4_sWxQ66dYYmPGGzrWaeaXCFeaWj-TT25GKh926KBHceV4jIFXXoiD4glKHWRedJfF13oGqvUV5lhlWRUACASQU7B_TP2Io7A=w628-h263" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A first look at our new council house. Image: Colin Mulhern</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Things didn’t work out quite like that. The world of traditional publishing wasn’t quite what I expected.</div><div><br /><h3>Promotion</h3>The publisher offered a promotional package that included a London book launch, a professionally produced YouTube trailer, press releases, newspaper reviews and an ebook version – this was the early days of Kindle, the ideal time to break into the ebook market.<br /><br />The ebook never came out. I had to create the YouTube trailer, organise my own book launch, sort out school and library visits and contact local press.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Money</h3>The money was dire, but I had a foot on the ladder. Book 2 did rather well. It sold international rights and made it to the final three for a major YA competition. Book 3 was due for release in 2015. My career was going great, right?<br /><br />Wrong. There was no more money, the publisher cut all ties and my agent retired.</div><div> <br /><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrjq-utmKSdEznA2zD35cWloI0b0KLvn8FruwlhYRzEEOeteUzPYtjbjF3N69rNNNhin_ZhqgwBf50VxJ7FGrkJVdaYmztu3j6DvCLLcUJZXnq8pj4yfLPX1Kt3R8BzXR9cyr7gWlu5h-tOE_XTx2TxweCiXawKy7PVK6wzN4lhu6AlbsV181EJlkF" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrjq-utmKSdEznA2zD35cWloI0b0KLvn8FruwlhYRzEEOeteUzPYtjbjF3N69rNNNhin_ZhqgwBf50VxJ7FGrkJVdaYmztu3j6DvCLLcUJZXnq8pj4yfLPX1Kt3R8BzXR9cyr7gWlu5h-tOE_XTx2TxweCiXawKy7PVK6wzN4lhu6AlbsV181EJlkF=w363-h204" width="363" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: Inc. Magazine</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><h3>Moving on</h3><div>I managed to get a second agent, who was happy to represent my next four books but none of them sold. This was getting frustrating, but in real terms, it was the least of my worries.</div><div><br /><div><h3>Hitting the floor</h3>In 2015, when Matthew was sixteen, his disability got the better of him. Grief took over our lives and the world stopped.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ0rXEW7MZuvj9Q1LXq1fPQPPjn_XFIYPrI9d0ntEk88D4R8-ClNu3D1LTMStbP5_lHymSdc9oPsz6CKk8_C-kD0vFqHx964OiqNsr66iGXQzfa_hxiXA3vhNLk92bkKENahjjWoXng1VSNBVYWuz-GJ0xHei8yPOmLfMzUrbI9gi4LljTJYbXvHBd=s960" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJ0rXEW7MZuvj9Q1LXq1fPQPPjn_XFIYPrI9d0ntEk88D4R8-ClNu3D1LTMStbP5_lHymSdc9oPsz6CKk8_C-kD0vFqHx964OiqNsr66iGXQzfa_hxiXA3vhNLk92bkKENahjjWoXng1VSNBVYWuz-GJ0xHei8yPOmLfMzUrbI9gi4LljTJYbXvHBd=w489-h328" width="489" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew with his mum. Image: Colin Mulhern</span></div><br />After a long break, I set out to write something completely new, something for the younger end of the children's market that Matthew would have liked. My agent wasn't confident about the book or that end of the market, so we split on good terms and I set about finding a publisher myself. I got an offer of a deal just three days after sending the manuscript out. </div><div><br /></div><div>The deal came with all kinds of promises: promotion, movie deal, discussions with Disney (yeah, really). What I actually got was a Twitter promotion, and when the first book bombed, the entire series was cancelled.<br /><br />I was devastated. I had failed in making a better life for Matthew when he was alive, and now I’d failed in doing something in his memory. The traditional world of publishing had led to frustration, misery and depression.<br /><br />But there was another option...<br /><div><br /><h3>A brave new world</h3>I decided to dip my toe into the world of Indie Publishing (a fancy name for Self Publishing). Despite the stigma, it's a whole lot of fun. I found the whole process to be quick, simple and very enjoyable. It also meant I could write whatever I liked. So I wrote another children's book, a gothic horror for adults and a rom-com. It was like I'd found a toy shop and was playing with everything I could get my hands on. I was having a blast, but I was also a bit blinded by the Indie success stories.<br /><br /></div><div><h3>Indie Giants</h3><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJAaFqyOZdnfhzR9s1DoJUvpadA-ORM2a4qAM0ds0Mu45tCElCtWXL9qZitI8rNyAV75Ko3UiwEwpArEhMXhUEDxFJafYyB-Dj1KeVpI7rInOl0TTgT5bSiq1XKI79sE4ug4RcmbhgAXC_9LzC-hSVjOqWJ_sdA3g7uusgyyGIVpqJ_3wxm0hh78Zy=s549" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="538" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJAaFqyOZdnfhzR9s1DoJUvpadA-ORM2a4qAM0ds0Mu45tCElCtWXL9qZitI8rNyAV75Ko3UiwEwpArEhMXhUEDxFJafYyB-Dj1KeVpI7rInOl0TTgT5bSiq1XKI79sE4ug4RcmbhgAXC_9LzC-hSVjOqWJ_sdA3g7uusgyyGIVpqJ_3wxm0hh78Zy=w208-h211" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">L.J.Ross <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-58305836">Image:BBC News</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Just like mainstream best sellers, there are some incredible Indie success stories making enough money to make your eyes water. </div><div><br /></div><div>L.J. Ross was rejected by traditional publishers. She turned to self publishing and has sold over 7 million books. Other self published giants include Mark Dawson, Michael Anderle, Craig Martel, Chris Fox, Marie Force. Oh, and there's Stephanie Hudson – a seven-figure author who made $300,000 in a single month (check out this episode of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3cOm7zn9LM&t=2442s">SELF PUBLISHING SHOW</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div><h3>Is it really the promised land?</h3><div>The short answer is no. Some of these authors spend tens of thousands each MONTH in advertising. Most are marketing strategists first, writers second. Some go as far as saying it's an 80/20 split. </div><div><br /></div><div>And where there are success stories, there are also failures. There are forums full of writers who have invested thousands on courses in marketing and advertising, then invested more into editing, cover design, Facebook and Amazon ads, only to get nowhere. The idea that if you spend enough on marketing, you'll make more in return is clearly not true. It's also worth noting that many of those success stories seem to be associated with authors who are keen to sell you courses on how you can be successful too. But why would a successful author want to run online courses if they are truly successful? Hmmmm. The cynical side of me is frowning at that one.</div><div><br /></div><div>The bottom line is that even with a good product and a bit of marketing, in reality Indie Publishing is just as risky and unpredictable as Traditional Publishing. </div><div><br /></div><h3>What kind of writer do you want to be?</h3><div>I think it all comes down to this. To ask why you write and what you really want to achieve. Do you want to work full time from home, wrestling with the ever-changing marketing algorithms? Do you want to write on a morning before work or late at night to wind down? Do you want to be truly independent or part of a team? </div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Final thoughts</h3><div>While I do enjoy the control, simplicity and speed of self publishing, and despite the frustrations I encountered in the Trad world, there is nothing like the buzz of getting "The Call." That feeling that you have written something good enough for an agent to champion, and for a publisher to agree to and invest in. </div><div><br /></div><div>And there's walking into a shop, not a local shop, but one a few hundred miles from your hometown, a place you've never been before, and right there, on the bookshelf, is a copy of your book. </div><div><br /></div><div>There really is something special about that.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr94lEKyYSM821795_AqA8t66yTU5oq55qT0XIc36X09vwR47RRxEYkg4UANPlXj8tPjahY6a8x13BUe-MKCF97r7ddHCsN-WTH-pu9I2vnqzJWIMLs1QsRfB0qMDZBf-DC6i3jugBtuWB2I2ZSPGJO-d9iBMp5Jdic63f2P7YHE2ZFWYMoJ9OUYy-/s4000/DSCF2933.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr94lEKyYSM821795_AqA8t66yTU5oq55qT0XIc36X09vwR47RRxEYkg4UANPlXj8tPjahY6a8x13BUe-MKCF97r7ddHCsN-WTH-pu9I2vnqzJWIMLs1QsRfB0qMDZBf-DC6i3jugBtuWB2I2ZSPGJO-d9iBMp5Jdic63f2P7YHE2ZFWYMoJ9OUYy-/w398-h298/DSCF2933.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLASH in my first in-store display.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8_ztidHQAFjdzcvKhG493hiUy8adcFqDKpJS-BUkxBmEh8b9KcZPTGJxfJxap4T0QzFiA0oHxbfSFPiDgbdf_EEB3_ZnMUmt75gFP_lc37VPnUspUM25IV2a_v8euG5L24c2hLTd1dRUlDgtMqE-pGZkOJtM3zxHBsAeCmGXWtLQHu4Thi52Hi29/s960/arabesque.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8_ztidHQAFjdzcvKhG493hiUy8adcFqDKpJS-BUkxBmEh8b9KcZPTGJxfJxap4T0QzFiA0oHxbfSFPiDgbdf_EEB3_ZnMUmt75gFP_lc37VPnUspUM25IV2a_v8euG5L24c2hLTd1dRUlDgtMqE-pGZkOJtM3zxHBsAeCmGXWtLQHu4Thi52Hi29/w283-h378/arabesque.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Facebook friend found Arabesque!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-12160717226347114392022-03-03T07:21:00.006+00:002022-04-18T10:45:35.942+01:00How to write like a pro: the secret formula your writing coach won't teach you.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaCrmEqINWbYylPZ5sGAWiRhZEiYhq3MTrPnzf8K_yGeV2e17LneaPgBQpUYSuC0SE3ECZxJm3DsWvvaNzn22hII3U6RFVEn44KEAIHAyjh6IFF3vYPCezjLm8ov14AFc3b9Z4BKp8v_vkpNCFJwz5yOe9npiFOvuWmfhKzIrYc9QFLi9F4HbYE4mI=s1200" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="822" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaCrmEqINWbYylPZ5sGAWiRhZEiYhq3MTrPnzf8K_yGeV2e17LneaPgBQpUYSuC0SE3ECZxJm3DsWvvaNzn22hII3U6RFVEn44KEAIHAyjh6IFF3vYPCezjLm8ov14AFc3b9Z4BKp8v_vkpNCFJwz5yOe9npiFOvuWmfhKzIrYc9QFLi9F4HbYE4mI=w206-h300" width="206" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image c/o <a href="https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/heinleins-rules-introduction/">Dean Wesley Smith</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div>In 1947, Fantasy Press released Of Worlds Beyond: The Science of Science Fiction. This was a short collection of essays by various Science Fiction authors. Robert Heinlein was one of those authors, and he concluded his guide with a list of business habits, explaining that they were: “a group of practical, tested rules, which, if followed meticulously, will prove rewarding to any writer.” and became known throughout the writing community as Heinlein’s Rules.</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Heinlein’s Rules</h3><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>You must write.</li><li>You must finish what you start.</li><li>You must refrain from rewriting except to editorial order.</li><li>You must put it on the market.</li><li>You must keep it on the market until sold.</li></ul>Many writers overlook their simplicity, but consider the fact that Robert Heinlein wrote 32 novels and over 50 short stories - perhaps there is something in his method.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Do the rules actually work?</h3>In 1981, Dean Wesley Smith was on the cusp of giving up on his dream to be a writer when he chanced upon Heinlein’s Rules. Having nothing to lose, he decided to follow them to the letter. He went from being unable to sell anything to becoming a multiple-times New York Times bestseller. He currently has over 200 novels to his name and is in demand as a ghost writer because he writes fast and delivers on deadlines. <br />Treat your writing as a business.<br /><br />Have you ever heard of a plumber with plumber’s block? Or a builder who can only lay bricks when the muse takes him? What about a car mechanic who has to find the right mental zone before attempting an oil change? This is essentially what Heinlein’s first rule is about. You have a job, so get to work. You must write.</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Avoid distractions</h3>For novelists, there is a point around the one-third mark when the honeymoon phase ends and the hard work begins. In his regular YouTube show, Author Level Up, Michael La Ronn gives advice about tackling the dreaded one-third mark and how he, after thirty-seven novels, still experiences that moment in every novel he writes. The only practical solution is to work through it: you must finish what you start.<br />Refrain from rewriting.</div><div><br /></div><div>This does not mean do not edit or polish. It ties in more with the second rule where you keep questioning your own ability. Adding extra depth, emotion and details in later drafts is fine – you must do that – but what you should avoid doing is to going back and completely rewriting or deleting previous work. Edit, polish and move on. Stop worrying.</div><div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Put Your Work on the market.</h3>Don’t worry that people won’t like it. Even the best of the best get one star reviews. It’s called taste. Besides, your book already has one fan... You! <br /><br />Don’t treat publishing as a lottery. Be strategic. Don’t send a slasher horror to a children’s publisher, or a Minecraft strategy guide to a romance publisher. If you are targeting agents, the same applies – visit their website, find out who they represent and what they want.<br /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Keep it on the market until sold.</h3>So you sent it out and it got rejected. Welcome to the club. You’re in good company.<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Carrie by Stephen King - 30 rejections.</li><li>Dune by Frank Herbert - 23 rejections.</li><li>Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - 22 rejections. </li><li>Lord of the Flies by William Golding - 21 Rejections.</li></ul><div>Even JK Rowling’s original pitch for Harry Potter was rejected twelve times. These authors didn’t give up when editors turned them down. They just moved on, fuelled determination and self belief until they found the right editor.</div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What if there’s nowhere else to send it? </h3><div>There is still another option. <a href="https://www.colinmulhern.co.uk/2022/02/why-its-okay-not-to-want-publishing-deal.html">Click here</a> to read my blog post on the alternative (and potentially lucrative) route to publication.</div><div><br /></div><div>For more details on Heinlein's rules, check out <a href="https://www.deanwesleysmith.com/heinleins-rules-introduction/">Dean Wesley Smith's guide</a>. He goes into much more detail.</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">post updated: </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">18/04/22)</span></span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-56858729168518837212021-05-03T09:28:00.006+01:002021-05-03T09:29:01.235+01:00Pulp fiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20E-NFsLmgHzupq27g17gi0ZZQYSNSsao_tCaMqOwe_0hl_ZB4FWAS7UEGVYcO7eMBvOSCdZ03noqsVJczMe8uh7FmLohD8GHa0eEKFOCYvF4ShPmqZjBkZiNgNwZaWzCY6OX2IdkfoU/s1381/pulp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="1381" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20E-NFsLmgHzupq27g17gi0ZZQYSNSsao_tCaMqOwe_0hl_ZB4FWAS7UEGVYcO7eMBvOSCdZ03noqsVJczMe8uh7FmLohD8GHa0eEKFOCYvF4ShPmqZjBkZiNgNwZaWzCY6OX2IdkfoU/w400-h313/pulp.jpg" width="400" /></a>The the harsh reality of traditional publishing is this: if books don't sell, they get pulped. In the case of Buttercup, the publisher is moving distribution companies, which means the pulping decision is pushed on them a little earlier than they'd like. They sent me an email saying they were sorry that things hadn't gone better and that publishing is a bit of a gamble at the best of times, however, for the price of postage, I can have the remaining stock. Well, if nothing else, I'd have loved a full class set, or even just a group set for my low ability readers. Unfortunately, the publisher hadn't updated my email address, so the warning sat unnoticed in an old account. I only found it by chance the other day. By then, of course, it was too late. <br /><br />It's not necessarily the end of the road though, as they have reverted the rights which means I could take the title somewhere else. I doubt that another publisher would consider it, but I could do it myself - I'd just need a new cover and internal layouts. That's easy enough as the artwork is based on my own illustrations. As for the series, I originally planned it as four books, three of which were written, the fourth was planned out in note form to bring the whole thing to a suitable end. <br /><br />However, times move on, and right now, I'm writing a different kind of fiction. Buttercup helped to get me through a difficult time. It was fun to write and I really enjoyed the opportunity to illustrate it (which ended up more work that I realised!) but for now, the whole episode is being filed under the Downside of Traditional Publishing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-60150201137540505502020-10-27T09:27:00.008+00:002021-05-03T07:18:19.849+01:00CAMP TOMBSTONE: Night of the Pickled Donut<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJvF8MEMkvoGHi1WZOXeoEBXBDg82egmiC4GEO7AgsnNY6IIUwVcQmBxQLaF9EXA6s6t8ViEc7tVwRTukf7BAhxDADlWAmQVqHDFYy5JAW0HU-Lr5HckCbKWGWVPOVtx-AUV7DoqTOV4/s1250/tombstone+cover+full-6-ebook-small.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJvF8MEMkvoGHi1WZOXeoEBXBDg82egmiC4GEO7AgsnNY6IIUwVcQmBxQLaF9EXA6s6t8ViEc7tVwRTukf7BAhxDADlWAmQVqHDFYy5JAW0HU-Lr5HckCbKWGWVPOVtx-AUV7DoqTOV4/w256-h400/tombstone+cover+full-6-ebook-small.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>This has been a fun little project. Back in the summer, I thought this story would sit in my hard drive and go no further. I wrote the original script when I had an agent. She loved it but couldn't sell it, so I thought that was the end of the road for this little story. But during the summer, listening to a podcast called the Self Publishing Show, I heard Karen Inglis talk about her own self published children's books. Until then, I never thought self publishing was an option for children's authors. The simple reason that kids don't buy ebooks and as that it the primary income for most self published authors, it wasn't a viable business.<p></p><p>But, there was something I didn't consider. The reason that self published authors make most of their money through ebooks is because the paperbacks are too expensive. The printing costs are high meaning the cover price has to be high in order to make any profit. Even just a 50p profit margin is enough to price yourself out of the market, so for many KDP authors, paperbacks are simply not worth the effort. However, children's books are shorter. Less pages = lower printing costs. This makes a huge difference.<span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p>So I decided to hold back on the illustrations and trim the story to see how it would play out. Any scene that did not push the story forward was chopped, dialogue stripped down, descriptions to the point. As far as the story is concerned, it worked wonders. The story is better paced. Tighter, faster and funnier. </p><p>The cover was a bit of monster. What looked great on computer looked terrible printed out. It took about four or five proofs to get it right. </p><p>I do have ideas for a second book, but held back from including chapter one in this book - I also made sure to give it a decent ending so the book acts as a stand alone story - there's nothing left hanging as there was with Buttercup. I'm not going to rush into book 2 though. I wanted to get this out just to get a feel for kids books on KDP. </p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-81609632211298546462020-06-22T15:52:00.002+01:002020-06-23T18:58:16.497+01:00Virus Lockdown Birthday Blues.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUf9IoBDufPBEcc22d0-IiSNOygtsirLoEIp2W8e0BIPYF0uOEYNt70o9Ma-6kTkEccjz2QCeYSz7X2XejmlBMMy5rSXXUlcR7eSjTY1vM_EkH8oLHsAe4ZI2fAY49x-LDdNY4eqkiD8/s4160/IMG_20200622_073513.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3120" data-original-width="4160" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaUf9IoBDufPBEcc22d0-IiSNOygtsirLoEIp2W8e0BIPYF0uOEYNt70o9Ma-6kTkEccjz2QCeYSz7X2XejmlBMMy5rSXXUlcR7eSjTY1vM_EkH8oLHsAe4ZI2fAY49x-LDdNY4eqkiD8/w320-h240/IMG_20200622_073513.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's t-shirt prison for you, young fella-me-lad<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Birthday blues? Nah, not really. So okay, I might have missed out on sea and sun and sangria as my surprise holiday in Spain was cancelled, but on the bright side, I got this cool t-shirt. I liked it so much, I've put it in a frame. My actual party was a very small affair - about six of us, all spaced out in my sister-in-law's back garden. A couple of cans, few shots and an afternoon of baking sun. Didn't really need Spain at all. It was fun. Different, but still fun.<div><br /></div><div>Sometimes it's important to focus on the good stuff and try not to get bogged down with the negatives. Now, more than ever, it's very easy to get wrapped up in the down side of things, and 24hr news coverage replaying the same stories, the same predictions and interviews doesn't help one bit. <span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Around mid March, the news channels were reaching whole new levels of panic. China was in lockdown, so was Italy and Spain, while in the UK, we were going to pubs and restaurants and concerts. It was like we didn't care, and yet our news readers were pretty much hailing the end of the world. I'll openly admit that it started to get to me. I couldn't shake an underlying sense of panic. All I wanted to talk about was the latest news report. In the end, my wife pretty much ordered me to turn off the TV and find something practical to do.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>So I decided to take out the downstairs toilet. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but just as the front porch was looking like a building site, I heard that all DIY shops were going to close the very next day. And today was Sunday. It was also after 3pm, which meant I had less than an hour.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, hell. </div><div><br /></div><div>Car. Drive. Park. Run inside and buy up everything and anything that could be used to complete the job, including flooring and underlay, paint, filler, glue nails, cable and a new lampshade. I got to the checkout just as they were clearing the shop.</div><div><br /></div><div>I spent the first week of lockdown trying to fix the mess I'd made. I also made the joyous discovery that the partition wall I'd taken a sledgehammer to was the only thing holding the front door up. </div><div><br /></div><div>But it did the trick. A few days away from the ceaseless doom and gloom on the news was just enough to give me a sense of perspective. It also made it easier to go back to work - our school was open for the children of Key Workers, so we were working rota shifts every few days. During the days I was at home, I manged to finish the DIY, then redecorated a bedroom and sorted out the front garden. I changed my reading habits (more on this in the next post) and redesigned my website, as well as plans for a new site and a YouTube writing channel that's been bouncing around in my head for months. I gave my work-in-progress a final copy edit and sent it out to agents (see Projects) and began planning something completely new (also in Projects). In short, I kept busy and managed to keep the news at arm's length.</div><div><br /></div><div>Going back to work full time was pretty strange. Parents are understandably nervous to send their children back, but on the whole, most of the kids have adjusted very well. We have rules and guides in place to keep to our individual bubbles but most of all, we try to keep things upbeat for those who have chosen to come in - something that would be a bit tricky if the adults are plagued by paranoia and fear. Thankfully, my break from the TV worked for the long term. That sense of dread has never really returned and being back in school, even with just a handful of kids is pretty good. I do miss my regular class though. Hopefully, things are going to open up a little more before the summer break. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-51826773982219031132020-05-02T12:18:00.002+01:002021-08-04T06:52:04.111+01:00A Horror Revival?There was a time in the 80s when every bookshop and newsagent had a healthy horror section packed with black covers and shadowy illustrations. <div><br /></div><div>Today, that is no longer the case. In most instances, the horror section has been absorbed into Fantasy and Sci-Fi, which means it's only the big names on show, while new, and event established talent is completely overlooked.</div><div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTGMi0pvkYgTvw5N1mD67yoApKqymVDd-3xG2lxWwB-Bzd9kPTchP46biSFCp82na40SEe0LcajSTBAFucrD1wfPHjGRExcaB4wXmfwwTnue5emtqVUXWB5fZpFS7SgO2b9KC26E9sNM/s1600/the-ritual.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="780" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTGMi0pvkYgTvw5N1mD67yoApKqymVDd-3xG2lxWwB-Bzd9kPTchP46biSFCp82na40SEe0LcajSTBAFucrD1wfPHjGRExcaB4wXmfwwTnue5emtqVUXWB5fZpFS7SgO2b9KC26E9sNM/w400-h224/the-ritual.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">The Ritual - I'm never going out in the woods again!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Adam Nevill is a good example. Adam is one of my favourite writers of any genre. He has won the August Derleth award three times and The Ritual had a major movie release, yet his books are nowhere to be seen - certainly not in any of my local bookstores. This all gives the impression that the audience for horror fiction is too small to bother with.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>But is that really the case? There have been some huge successes in recent years. The movie of The Woman in Black brought Susan Hill's book to the supermarket shelf. The same happened with Bird Box by Josh Malerman, and The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey - both books and their movies were incredibly successful. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, horror movies seem to be going from strength to strength, no longer relying on the slasher gimmicks of the 90s, but a deeper, more poignant horror, such as Midsommar, or the surreal powerhouse that was Mother.<br />
<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfNlD2AuIYHiPLyi2ehNYo5WvaOtsC1mskKt57yuZ3mc9Zp3cNRFO1lnorTV64C3WCG3oWh8oh8gDfDdh91DmmtExpfjp90QKA4qBHEAXdIAYIBop45PT5L4rhSY16sF7oy986ZEWX3g/s1600/midsommar-image.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1200" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfNlD2AuIYHiPLyi2ehNYo5WvaOtsC1mskKt57yuZ3mc9Zp3cNRFO1lnorTV64C3WCG3oWh8oh8gDfDdh91DmmtExpfjp90QKA4qBHEAXdIAYIBop45PT5L4rhSY16sF7oy986ZEWX3g/w400-h166/midsommar-image.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">Midsommar - wow! Just... wow!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Hopefully, this is a good sign. I would love to see a horror revival hit the bookshops and resurrect the dedicated horror sections. The fans are still out there. The book sellers just need an incentive to cater to them. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-48433815554867571912020-01-03T13:02:00.000+00:002020-07-13T07:17:56.518+01:00Yearly roundup and a look ahead to 2020I took a long break from writing at the start of the year. The second Buttercup book had been put back to September, there were no plans for books 3 & 4 and my other attempts at breaking into the children's market had fallen short of the mark.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uveTwz4qttCS5sFfiIH4vVwHweJTn1rmSAcR7WqRQYpyMK5D0kbk8rrg8xR06HUcY3GkhRW5AFdNOmmSo7SaU0kRAdZ66puI1UZDqNVSfXkJ8fqbB3aFctOOPy0AIKLtQ25krx4XmuI/s1600/tumblr_mwu7pmaqX61rjcjjxo1_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="367" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2uveTwz4qttCS5sFfiIH4vVwHweJTn1rmSAcR7WqRQYpyMK5D0kbk8rrg8xR06HUcY3GkhRW5AFdNOmmSo7SaU0kRAdZ66puI1UZDqNVSfXkJ8fqbB3aFctOOPy0AIKLtQ25krx4XmuI/s320/tumblr_mwu7pmaqX61rjcjjxo1_400.jpg" width="193" /></a>But one unexpected thing that came as a result of writing Buttercup was it rekindled my love of classic horror. Horror is the one genre that has always been with me. As a kid, I loved horror movies. I'll never forget the impact Salem's Lot had on me, or the first time I saw An American Werewolf in London. For books, it started when I spotted the Eleventh Pan Book of Horror Stories in a newsagent on my way to school. I managed to get the rest from jumble sales. In my teens, I moved onto James Herbert, Stephen King and HP Lovecraft. My very first attempt at a full length novel was a terrible attempt to do Cthulhu-inspired horror. And right now, my favourite author by far is Adam Nevill. He's just incredible.<br />
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So during the summer, I decided to write something just for fun. I didn't have an agent and still wanted a break from children's but wanted to write <i>something.</i> So, I began playing with an idea that had been bouncing around for a few years. I also spent a lot of time studying story structure in the hope of finding where I've been going wrong in recent years.<br />
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The result is a Victorian crime-thriller with a horror twist. I spent the autumn rewriting and editing, and then the Christmas period polishing.<br />
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It still has a long way to go, and I'm not in any rush, but now as we begin 2020, I find myself in a very different, and very unexpected position. I never thought I had it in me to write adult fiction, but it's been a blast and the result is unlike anything I've read so I'm tempted to think it might even be a genuinely approach to vampire fiction. <br />
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As to what I'll do with it, I'm not quite sure. I guess I'll just have to send it out and see what happens.<br />
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Happy New Year for 2020 everyone.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-92160491254227777312019-05-22T19:56:00.000+01:002019-05-22T19:56:16.951+01:00Cover reveal<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Buttercup Sunshine and the House on Hangman's Hill</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">has a finalised cover. </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3tnCyEZqxfjn8LkLI4Gv_HZwM2iC8Xt-1cVngl7f8-d-gjHrPu-rb04Kh7olcRP9J3RQTqPwJ2IVN_sawqVm6D6pwKV3RmpTSLKU4y0CHQMqNEhagOb9ZqtgEFK4G7AMC0npqnquJBo/s1600/Buttercup+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3tnCyEZqxfjn8LkLI4Gv_HZwM2iC8Xt-1cVngl7f8-d-gjHrPu-rb04Kh7olcRP9J3RQTqPwJ2IVN_sawqVm6D6pwKV3RmpTSLKU4y0CHQMqNEhagOb9ZqtgEFK4G7AMC0npqnquJBo/s400/Buttercup+2.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Due out September, so not too long to wait.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-82926394533577658472018-07-09T22:41:00.001+01:002018-07-18T07:21:28.649+01:00Back to workI've had fun playing with authortube vids and uploading a couple to YouTube, but I was amazed at just how long the whole thing took.<br />
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1. Recording<br />
First of all is the recording itself - actually, there is a more important stage before that, but you don't realise that until you've tried recording and utterly messed it up. Then you realise that stage one is actually...<br />
<br />
1. Thinking of what you want to say.<br />
I spent soooooo long on this bit, usually because I'd go off at tangents and end up way off topic. I tend to ramble - which is why blogging suits me because I can backtrack and edit as much as I like. Once I thought I knew what I want to say, <i>then </i>it's time to record.<br />
<br />
2. Recording (again)<br />
Talking to a camera is tough. I record sound separately so I'm constantly starting and stopping both, then realising that I've forgotten what I meant to say and have to start again. Yes, I can edit and chop, but doing it every sentence is a pain and doesn't look natural. Better to have as much as possible in each take and fit them together.<br />
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3. Editing.<br />
Assuming it's all gone right, the editing is next. I use Shotcut to edit because it's open source, but I encountered a couple of bugs if I tried to cut the sound and video separately. There was one time where I just couldn't get the sound to sync with the video and had to start over.<br />
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4. Uploading.<br />
The easy part. Except I had to create a thumbnail to go with it, so that was another twenty minutes in Photoshop.<br />
<br />
All in all, doing a couple of author vids was a lot of fun but it really cut into writing time. One video took almost an entire Sunday by time I'd got everything the way I wanted and finally uploaded it. For me, that's just too demanding on my time. I work full time and like to do at least some family things on a weekend, so the remaining time I have is kind of precious. Do I want to be a YouTube star, or a writer?<br />
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Writer. Every time.<br />
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If I find a way to do vids in a shorter time, I might give it another go. But for now, I'm heading back to writing to play with my current WIP.<br />
<br />
Laters...<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-57416052010183190132018-06-15T21:47:00.000+01:002019-06-26T07:08:36.839+01:00Streaks, Deadlines and Vlogs<h3>
Streaks</h3>
I'm cutting my current writing streak short. Two reasons - firstly, it's getting way too complicated. As I said at the beginning, I've taken an old script and tried to breathe some new life into it. The book is a puzzle/treasure hunt kind of thing, and I focused so much on the puzzles and solutions that I never stopped to wonder what the antagonist's motive was, and in trying to address that, it's become a monster. The second is that it's beginning to drift away from what I want to write right now - comedy horror. This had both initially, but in trying to deal with the first problem, the central theme of the story became so much darker, which made the comic relief moments more of a distraction than a natural part of the story.<br />
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Is it time wasted? Of course not. Every sentence written makes you a better writer, and regular writing streaks increase stamina. It's all about keeping the machine ticking over.<br />
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<h3>
Deadlines</h3>
Buttercup #2 edits are underway and need to be done as soon as possible so I can work on the illustrations over the summer. Most of the weekend is going to be spent doing that. However... there's a however attached to this. which leads me on to...<br />
<br />
<h3>
VLOGS</h3>
I've been watching a few of these lately. Most are by young, unpublished writers but that doesn't make them less valuable. In most cases, they burst with enthusiasm, and that's infectious. They are often fun and honest - a real warts and all reflection of the hurdles that regular people face on their journey, and because it's done <i>during </i>that journey, it gives a better insight into the creative process than a blog or an interview written <i>after</i> the event. It's like seeing an artist's portfolio - the rough sketches are always so much more interesting because they give you a better appreciation of the final product. They reflect the struggle, the persistence and development that forms the heart of the creative process<br />
<br />
I think vlogs like these are important because they help other writers realise they are going through the same difficulties. I include published authors in this too, because when it comes to that first draft, there isn't a lot of difference between me struggling with a new idea and a young writer doing exactly the same. Experience makes the journey easier because you get to know the pattern of the game, but you still have to sit down and turn out the words. Seeing other writers in the same boat really gives you that inspirational buzz.<br />
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I keep meaning to dust off my own YouTube channel. But right now... I'm going to watch the Hobbit. I started watching this on DVD last night, then discovered our Jack has got the lot on BluRay. Now I'm going to have to start all over again as I feel cheated on quality. Laters...<br />
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<h3>
<br /></h3>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-41143413580552972352018-05-30T15:18:00.001+01:002018-05-30T15:18:47.867+01:00First reviews of ButtercupAnd best of all, they are from the target audience. Thanks to my sister-in-law Michelle for bringing these across.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcn21jY4tJ5qyaSKnxD0M1BX2UL7GOIO6Ms9RZiS7M8U0vYJiAPBaCCDs2xZVp5SiFmzVp3O15N6P_zmwpkQb0ukhazIe1-u9cWTBTE2UXLYJ-Q_umtO77YrR242pmQ0kSMXr8HsWdao/s1600/DSC_1826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1397" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFcn21jY4tJ5qyaSKnxD0M1BX2UL7GOIO6Ms9RZiS7M8U0vYJiAPBaCCDs2xZVp5SiFmzVp3O15N6P_zmwpkQb0ukhazIe1-u9cWTBTE2UXLYJ-Q_umtO77YrR242pmQ0kSMXr8HsWdao/s640/DSC_1826.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern. Buttercup Sunshine.</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-42444410184726689142018-05-28T18:22:00.000+01:002018-05-28T18:22:06.387+01:00A walk in the woodsInstead of buying Christmas cards this year, we bought a couple of memorial trees for Matthew (my son who died due to his cerebral palsy) and Paul (my brother-in-law, who died of a brain tumour). These were planted in a new woodland somewhere in Durham.<br />
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Yesterday we had a drive up. You don't get to find your actual tree, you just know that you are helping with a bit of conservation. Plus, it's a nice place to go for a walk. So, for no other reason than the memory of a canny day walking around newly planted woodland in Durham, here are a few photographs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78DZKDAGShLmC0baUuWy8WMrDrbToiGbUWV-IwDjfvD9dYjGSuT0wkmtFBlrXUsgF90ntZQQLxQ9k7WS_zipxF9XR2gCsMl2D2sAiOOhMzrUiRpGyJdnSW9vjXU0M4Dnd7RSUkYEVXpI/s1600/Phone+-++%25281640%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78DZKDAGShLmC0baUuWy8WMrDrbToiGbUWV-IwDjfvD9dYjGSuT0wkmtFBlrXUsgF90ntZQQLxQ9k7WS_zipxF9XR2gCsMl2D2sAiOOhMzrUiRpGyJdnSW9vjXU0M4Dnd7RSUkYEVXpI/s400/Phone+-++%25281640%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice place for Poppy to explore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwnEbePekrK3oBermlAuIPvs9kT3WAuLfeVZI08VaDuHv-ycfqaWhHQe-p72Q4T3QvKtgy-ozdcUjqQ7WEupr5WwIIg9kGIIVb5IZD7MrnwHR7LfcAjOSZkzoQkrl-5fn9qvoMS9t2FU/s1600/Phone+-++%25281645%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwnEbePekrK3oBermlAuIPvs9kT3WAuLfeVZI08VaDuHv-ycfqaWhHQe-p72Q4T3QvKtgy-ozdcUjqQ7WEupr5WwIIg9kGIIVb5IZD7MrnwHR7LfcAjOSZkzoQkrl-5fn9qvoMS9t2FU/s400/Phone+-++%25281645%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red hot down here. Wish I'd brought me towel and a cossie.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8pW8Z5-yfk5giBIKylYYTns6a7BS9ykFbyMDZq7sSTkcGtcVUZ99S4cgOsc2tczLg7y8KAAjBPZqIsKWME5wX2qF6Kusa8GLLYXPCjJC1V4M7wjrC_FMFIpxFtUU0XhHiFr1WTDfIeg/s1600/Phone+-++%25281641%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8pW8Z5-yfk5giBIKylYYTns6a7BS9ykFbyMDZq7sSTkcGtcVUZ99S4cgOsc2tczLg7y8KAAjBPZqIsKWME5wX2qF6Kusa8GLLYXPCjJC1V4M7wjrC_FMFIpxFtUU0XhHiFr1WTDfIeg/s400/Phone+-++%25281641%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppy found a way down to cool off.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Bf08GjsUmAwiX6Rosn9pFPyaO7ib8-RLhkN34foEwvWVn0OkjErrh2HU3uMK2_-0CX2Evt5dq6nF9O5Kn5pFDl3PlNZQbMiPMwcYby84rkwNNmEZv4dqG_SRBcnQnqy0Eg7-l6ZAToA/s1600/Phone+-++%25281646%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Bf08GjsUmAwiX6Rosn9pFPyaO7ib8-RLhkN34foEwvWVn0OkjErrh2HU3uMK2_-0CX2Evt5dq6nF9O5Kn5pFDl3PlNZQbMiPMwcYby84rkwNNmEZv4dqG_SRBcnQnqy0Eg7-l6ZAToA/s400/Phone+-++%25281646%2529.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up a steep hill and see a Wicker Man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFPJtHxWESXuwqvIMzf8W6HiZa1OztyBkNCSI2wwdkA6oOxiZYBP91OQ80Id8LypkN9pOefOtNx817w-y4mwMBhOzSfrDhLeDdprCu-WkfBymfbseDg8YEg37YQs8lGWYDIIvghuGrew/s1600/Phone+-++%25281651%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFPJtHxWESXuwqvIMzf8W6HiZa1OztyBkNCSI2wwdkA6oOxiZYBP91OQ80Id8LypkN9pOefOtNx817w-y4mwMBhOzSfrDhLeDdprCu-WkfBymfbseDg8YEg37YQs8lGWYDIIvghuGrew/s400/Phone+-++%25281651%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not scary at all. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-87082936971218803552018-05-08T22:29:00.003+01:002018-05-08T22:29:25.622+01:00First week of sprintsI'm quite happy with my first week. I ended up writing 11,000 words in 7 days.<br />
<br />
Now on first sight, that sounds pretty fantastic. Going at the rate, I could complete a Middle Grade novel in three weeks, or an adult novel in seven. But consider that when I first started playing with writing sprints, I was hitting around 3,000 words a day. If I'd continued like that I should be closer to 21,000 words per week. That would mean a Middle Grade novel in ten days or an adult novel in three and a half weeks.<br />
<br />
Of course, there's a little more to a novel than writing fast. Part of successful writing sprints is knowing what you are going to write before you get going, which means a lot of planning and pre-writing. So you have to add that into the mix - does that count as writing every day? If it does, I'm laughing, because I jot down ideas and scenes all the time. It doesn't result in word counts, and sometimes it's just doodles on paper, but it is development and creativity.<br />
<br />
The other thing about writing quickly is you get lots and lots of errors. The theory is sound - <b><i>Most of what you write in a first draft will be rewritten or deleted.</i></b><br />
<br />
But I <i>like</i> to play with sentences as I write. I usually do something called cycling, where I write a chunk, go back and edit, polish then move on. That's not possible with writing sprints. To maintain high speeds, you have to ignore grammatical errors and spelling mistakes and simply push on. And if you want to hit the magic 5000 words per hour goal, you need to switch to dictation. I've tried that with Google Docs, both in the house and while out walking the dog. With my accent the results were usually hilarious and needed more work than ever just to get them to make sense.<br />
<br />
All in all, I really like the fun and the challenge element of writing sprints, so I'm going to keep with them for now, and plan to really go for it when I start my next project. I'm going to plan in advance and see just how fast I can complete a 30k Middle Grade novel. I'd like to get a first draft in ten days.<br />
<br />
But for now, I'm going to keep the sprints for fun projects that aren't really about anything. Just writing for the sheer fun of it.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-40155755410858968052018-05-02T21:15:00.002+01:002018-05-05T20:47:33.107+01:00Streaks, sprints and word counts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG48YxQkWzki0DIUm9nViXwYNwBk9u9FbKfV08CUMruivWlRSpgtOn1zZMz5_gwcVmM-XCaR-P-6AzsVWcGharI5dY-skVQzPMp8wHJoEBJBoNYINEVtkFCdS9pbFEyo9blatWP_IRgR4/s1600/writing.fast_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="300" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG48YxQkWzki0DIUm9nViXwYNwBk9u9FbKfV08CUMruivWlRSpgtOn1zZMz5_gwcVmM-XCaR-P-6AzsVWcGharI5dY-skVQzPMp8wHJoEBJBoNYINEVtkFCdS9pbFEyo9blatWP_IRgR4/s200/writing.fast_3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Yesterday was the first of May, and I agreed with a writing friend to go for the <span style="color: blue;">#100daysofwriting</span> challenge.<br />
<br />
It all stems from my post a couple of days ago about following Chris Fox's guide to writing 5000 words per hour, but it also goes back to the writing streaks I've done in the past, where a streak is the amount of days you can go by hitting a minimum word count for each day. I think I managed 500 words per day for 53 days which isn't that fantastic at all.<br />
<br />
This time I'm taking a new approach by going for streaks of <i>sprints</i>. Sprints are small chunks of time (15 minutes for me) where I just bang out the words and track the amount written.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to blog every day because blogging takes up valuable writing time, but also because publishing word counts doesn't really make good blog material. The only function of tracking is a motivator for myself and to see on the long term if writing sprints really do help.<br />
<br />
Also, 100 days is a long time. Most of this is going to be just play - writing for the sheer fun of it. What's the point in that? Well, the fun of it! But also, it's the fun writing that creates the best ideas that I can eventually take to the next level. There's no need to keep the Nano approach just for November!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-70530410150346576162018-05-01T20:12:00.002+01:002018-05-05T20:47:48.563+01:00Scrivener pros and consOkay, so here's my verdict on Scrivener. I've spent the last couple of weeks absolutely submerged in this thing. I didn't want to simply tinker, I wanted to know the thing inside and out. To do that, I transferred my current WIP across and dove in.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Overview</h3>
Scrivener is a piece of writing software specifically designed to work to a writer's needs. Someone sat down, took a look at how they work, at how other writers work and decided to make a piece of dedicated software that can handle everything from concept notes, to research, photos, character profiles, synopses, scenes and chapters. It's got everything you can think of, and if you've got the time, everything can be customised. Clever stuff indeed.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KB3p8w3pltB4yySf_Mw8_wHn-xd4zoOgLChivnvnE-RIGhgV7LguQYkTzy8ctMdLVpII1i4fiEek6nl5nVtp4pdXJUa3VZqgZFOZ8k7XaLwVBSC3RBBbUnA2Y7gnV5H1Sso0OYigZj0/s1600/scriv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="705" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9KB3p8w3pltB4yySf_Mw8_wHn-xd4zoOgLChivnvnE-RIGhgV7LguQYkTzy8ctMdLVpII1i4fiEek6nl5nVtp4pdXJUa3VZqgZFOZ8k7XaLwVBSC3RBBbUnA2Y7gnV5H1Sso0OYigZj0/s640/scriv.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Everything a writer could wish for... isn't it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Pros</h3>
Great for outlining, plotting and researching. If you do bags of research that you need to refer to as you write, then Scrivener can keep it all under one roof. You can split the windows and have anything in either - ideal if you are redrafting or need to keep notes on screen. You can colour-code keywords, add tags and labels to folders and files. You can also track all of these. As for writing, you can work directly in the window or bring up a full screen, having everything else either faded or blacked out.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Cons. </h3>
Learning curve. Even a simple project will cause frustration. I consider myself quite IT literate, and I'm used to complex software from my time in the games industry, but I spent a LOT of time watching YouTube guides. Some things seemed just too complicated or difficult to find. Also, getting your work out of Scrivener and into something else is also a pain. What you see on screen is not what the final document looks like. It isn't very portable. You can save to Dropbox, which works fine if your other laptop runs Scrivener, but this means syncing those files (lots and lots of them). Scrivener will also back up locally, so that other laptop needs to be secure. Not good if you're using a work's machine.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Conclusion.</h3>
I want to like Scrivener more than I actually do. It ticks so many boxes, and once you get into it, isn't particularly difficult to use at all. Unfortunately, it makes playing far too easy. So when it came to actually writing, I didn't get a lot of work done. While having everything at your fingertips has its advantages, it's also a distraction. Having everything right there was like having a screen full of sparkly things when all I really need is my manuscript. I ended up compiling my document, took it into Google docs and slipped straight back into the writing seat.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMsddXOXnrgtPSZfFzcfelzWLMoFG9VCaqax2cM1OA-dxcOGbvNbHUiXScEy_1VnVSL1DAaT5yY5gKbWVb6-1bWstwGvNKBoqQn42YS_n9f4K5PjOIBVX3tjRv3zWw255CAfc2jSd9OE/s1600/full1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMsddXOXnrgtPSZfFzcfelzWLMoFG9VCaqax2cM1OA-dxcOGbvNbHUiXScEy_1VnVSL1DAaT5yY5gKbWVb6-1bWstwGvNKBoqQn42YS_n9f4K5PjOIBVX3tjRv3zWw255CAfc2jSd9OE/s640/full1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Google Docs on full screen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that for me is the acid test. When it came to getting work done, I reverted to something simple because for me, to be able to write, I need to clear out the clutter, remove the distractions and simply get to work.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">Added.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">It's less than 24 hours since I wrote this post, and I've already gone back to Scrivener to give another, last <i>last</i> <b style="font-style: italic;">last </b>go. I'm my own worst enemy. It's like having toothache - I just can't help wanting to give it a prod and a poke. At least this time, I've written a couple of thousand words.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-62411981026832761442018-04-24T19:50:00.002+01:002018-05-05T20:48:49.428+01:005,000 Words Per Hour and my move to ScrivenerI've been watching the YouTube channel of Chris Fox, a Science Fiction and Fantasy author who also wrote a great little book called 5,000 Words in an Hour.<br />
<br />
I decided to give it a go, writing in Google Docs and tracking my word count and WPH in a spreadsheet. The results are quite impressive. I don't want to give all of his secrets away, but if you are interested, take a look at <a href="http://www.chrisfoxwrites.com/" target="_blank">CHRISFOXWRITES</a> where you can download the ebook for free.<br />
<br />
I haven't broken the 3000WPH mark yet, but I find it almost impossible to write without correcting grammar, spelling and punctuation along the way. But, I <b><i>have</i></b> been knocking out over 3,000 words each day without having to sit at a my computer for hour after hour. This is important, because I work full time, have a family and I like movies, TV Box Sets and eating crisps!<br />
<br />
One other thing that has come out of watching Chris's channel is that I've become even more fascinated by Scrivener. And so, a few days ago, I started the trial and had a play. Last night, I transferred my current WIP over. This means I haven't done a word of writing today, but I'm looking forward to giving Scrivener a full working trial to see what all the fuss is about.<br />
<br />
I'll report back...<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-44876005950643043042018-04-11T18:00:00.004+01:002018-05-05T20:49:54.361+01:00Google Docs Vs Microsoft Word - the verdict<i>(Note - on recommendations, I also looked briefly at <b>LibreOffice </b>and <b>Scrivener</b>.)</i><br />
<div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Is one really better than the other?</h3>
</div>
The simple answer is no. The problem with choosing writing software, or having it recommended, is that different writers have different working habits. Some gather loads of research. Some plot to an insanely detailed degree. Some keep detailed character files. Some write scenes then shuffle them about. And some just start at Chapter One and see what happens on the page.<br />
<br />
It also depends on <b>where </b>you work. Some writers have a single desktop machine that never moves. Some have a laptop and write while watching TV or on the go. Some have different machines with different operating systems (eg PC and Mac) and work between the two. Some even write on tablets or smartphones.<br />
<br />
So, in order to find the best platform, simply playing with different word processors isn't enough. I need to nail down where I work and how I work and then find the best fit for my needs.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Where I work</h3>
Mainly, at home on a personal laptop and during my lunch hour on a work's laptop.<br />
<br />
I have worked with Word and Dropbox for years, but that means syncing my documents to a specific machine at work. If that laptop isn't available, it means logging into Dropbox and copying the files, working, then saving and copying back. Google Docs works across different machine and operating systems effortlessly. I can open a document on any device and it is ready to edit without any fuss. I also found that I really like having my documents to hand on my phone, especially if I'm sitting waiting in the car or something. I tried using Word and Dropbox apps to balance this out, but they feel clunky by comparison.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Google Docs rocked this round. </b><br />
<br />
<h3>
How I work</h3>
I like to bounce between documents and have lots of information at hand - specifically, the working document, character profiles and a working outline. Scrivener should be perfect for this, but it's just not mobile. It also feels a bit messy and quite 90s, if that makes sense. I can have multiple documents open in Word, but flipping between them isn't as fast or instinctive as Google Docs (CTRL + TAB). I can also work FULL SCREEN. This option is available in Word, LibreOffice and Scrivener, but LibreOffice leaves a button on screen, Scrivener leaves the background semi-visible and Word had the option hidden (I only found it this week, and I've had my W-2007 copy for over ten years!).<br />
<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Edit: </b>I didn't realise that Scrivener can completely black out the background. The choice is there. I've also discovered that Scrivener works very well with Dropbox or Google Drive.</span><b style="color: #990000;"> </b><br />
<br />
<strike style="font-weight: bold;">Google Docs wins.</strike><b> </b><span style="color: #990000;">After taking another look at Scrivener, I feel I should give it a fair trial and blog an update. Right now, it feels like Scrivener offers more than I realised.</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
Final manuscript</h3>
I have a particular look for my final manuscripts, and want my file to look that way from day one. Scrivener fell flat on its face as far as this is concerned simply because of the learning curve. I know it's possible to get a full WYSIWYG mode, but it's not clear how on day one, and right now, I don't want to lose hours of time trying to do something that should be right there. Google Docs is good, has lots of the features of Word and produces a great final draft, but Word gives me just a little more control over style guides. (Note, I also looked at LibreOffice here too, but it didn't sway me at all).<br />
<br />
<b>Word wins</b> - but it's a fairly close finish.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Editing</h3>
Word is the industry standard, and that's what most editors use, but I would like to really test Google Docs here. One of the best features of Docs is that two or more people can work on the same document at the same time. As one person edits, those changes appear on all open devices. That's the future, right there. Most people I know that work in Scrivener go to Word when it comes to working with Editors.<br />
<br />
<b>Word wins by default. </b>However, I have heard of one writer doing a pitch by sharing a Scrivener file through Dropbox and showing off all the research and back material. How cool is that?<br />
<br />
<h3>
Overall Verdict</h3>
<b>Word:</b> I've worked on Word for years, and together with Dropbox I thought I had a system nailed.<br />
<br />
<b>Scrivener:</b> I've played with this a few times and should love it, but I'm yet to see the magic that everyone else talks about. Ideally, I'd like to give Scrivener a full soak test of using it for a month, just as I did with Google docs. <i>Quote: Hicks in Aliens, "It's the only way to be sure."</i><br />
<br />
<b>Google Docs:</b> This really surprised me. I'm amazed at just how easy it is to use across platforms, and love the added bonus of being able to see and edit my documents on a mobile device without any fuss. I don't need to worry about saving or the program crashing either. But more than anything, for sheer productivity, Google Docs blows everything else out of the water because I can work absolutely anywhere - I can even dictate text directly into the document while I'm walking my dog.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Conclusion. </h3>
I love Google Docs. Just love it. It's simple, quite fast (not as fast as Word) and I can use it alongside Google Sheets to track my writing targets. It's perfect for writing if you want a very simple editor and your documents aren't too big. However, I can't ignore the buzz surrounding Scrivener and I want to know more, so... the only real conclusion here is to look deeper into writing software.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-82732443058626936372018-03-26T21:21:00.000+01:002018-04-11T18:02:03.927+01:00Google Docs Vs Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii-4p8O_O6hXyDDVnTSPAC7-w22AWA8OBCXqNZhvViNBxCitO4OfXBTPblga_yas4AGJcfdpl72dO2gSg-63JGMjJjQQddhRRZD7ZktxOxDCmC6lOAr85LBGL9q4aYyfne3CMI12Aun0/s1600/wordvdocs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhii-4p8O_O6hXyDDVnTSPAC7-w22AWA8OBCXqNZhvViNBxCitO4OfXBTPblga_yas4AGJcfdpl72dO2gSg-63JGMjJjQQddhRRZD7ZktxOxDCmC6lOAr85LBGL9q4aYyfne3CMI12Aun0/s200/wordvdocs.png" width="200" /></a></div>
I've finally decided to give Google Docs a full trial - not by playing or fiddling and saying, 'Yeah, that's cool,' but by using it for the next few weeks and seeing how it goes.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Why change?</h3>
I have looked at Google Docs in the past, but felt it too difficult to give up the more advanced controls of Word - I was formatting ebooks at the time and couldn't be bothered to wrestle with something new. And really, I think that's the hold Word has - it offers <b><i>soooooo</i></b> much.<br />
<br />
But there's a lot to be said for simplicity, and <b>Chromebooks </b>fascinate me. Their whole charm seems to be one of liberation rather than limitation. But I don't need to buy a Chromebook to see what they are like, do I? I can just use Chrome on my laptop and start using Google Docs now and see how.<br />
<br />
So that's what I'm doing. Already, I've found a lot to like but I'm going to hold off putting any details just yet - it could well be the shock of the new. So I'm going to stick with it. I've switched over completely, converting everything I have to Google Doc format. For the next few weeks, perhaps a month, I'm not even going to look at Word. I want to give Google Docs a full test and report on a working trial - although it's very, very tempting to start shouting about the bells and whistles.<br />
<br />
I'll get back on this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-6202232323626263182018-03-11T20:45:00.003+00:002018-05-05T20:49:12.907+01:00World Book Day 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7cNmWGhNtnkOri4AaQQ5TmT4lQOJA6eDHdd1rtdGfv5uP2hP03rE8P4J2ArpQHIfV8D9JT7NGS7yGdDLqiwYUnHTTEcNrhcqL75AphCRvScnBA7z6fM2J7KcO7KcTuN2C_PZMJr1NMY/s1600/wbd.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc7cNmWGhNtnkOri4AaQQ5TmT4lQOJA6eDHdd1rtdGfv5uP2hP03rE8P4J2ArpQHIfV8D9JT7NGS7yGdDLqiwYUnHTTEcNrhcqL75AphCRvScnBA7z6fM2J7KcO7KcTuN2C_PZMJr1NMY/s1600/wbd.gif" /></a>Had a great day on our postponed World Book Day at school last week. We were closed due to the snow on the real World Book Day, but that wasn't going to stop us - besides, if parents have been good enough to pay for costumes or put the effort in to make costumes, then how could we let it go?<br />
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It's fabulous to see so many children dressed up as their favourite book characters, and great to hear them talk about books they love. Sharing experiences of favourite books is a big part of the day - after all, there is a point to World Book Day. We have a lot of children with reading ages much lower than their peers, and peer excitement can be a great motivator to make them want to learn, so we make a big deal of giving them time to talk to each other about what it is that makes their favourite book so fantastic.<br />
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We invited Class 5 to come down and pair up with our Class 2 kids and read to each other. </div>
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In the afternoon, one of the Year 2 girls read out a book she had written and illustrated all by herself. This inspired everyone to make their own books, so I handed out blank booklets I'd prepared earlier and everyone got to work. </div>
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We finished the day with the last couple of chapters of Buttercup Sunshine. Class 2 are the only class IN THE ENTIRE WORLD to have been an audience for it, and <b style="font-style: italic;">they loved it! </b>I'm pretty chuffed about that - it was a real buzz to read my own story to the kids I work with. Just awesome. </div>
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As you can see below, things got quite animated. Being attacked by a zombie Harry Potter has got to be the highlight of the day. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezeKGbLHBzSuk5NBWB9BlFPsO2wmHX89j5FLO4QA_2lMP9zh-urGDMYHgU-_lWnHPu4h3sTFj7gchtkEsR3WJC7pIu7Mv52vGWiSP2Y6zaq16fiMtNNYrvhfWfeY3cGxTcxVwblJwr2g/s1600/DX2MiWQXUAc2GrP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="897" data-original-width="1200" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezeKGbLHBzSuk5NBWB9BlFPsO2wmHX89j5FLO4QA_2lMP9zh-urGDMYHgU-_lWnHPu4h3sTFj7gchtkEsR3WJC7pIu7Mv52vGWiSP2Y6zaq16fiMtNNYrvhfWfeY3cGxTcxVwblJwr2g/s640/DX2MiWQXUAc2GrP.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not my real hair! I'm in disguise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0kD4GxSmCdfd-mgB0wIOwCpNyjQMOW2-dWadpYj5RXUPXyiP2Q8gBSalQJU4RfFSiOXEXSsrJp2xHbauARI0IZI8V5XKo-a2OUpeRy78nPWfYGqgQt8xUIOwFxwLUBp7_M58NKPn6UQ/s1600/DX2MiWSX0AA-581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0kD4GxSmCdfd-mgB0wIOwCpNyjQMOW2-dWadpYj5RXUPXyiP2Q8gBSalQJU4RfFSiOXEXSsrJp2xHbauARI0IZI8V5XKo-a2OUpeRy78nPWfYGqgQt8xUIOwFxwLUBp7_M58NKPn6UQ/s640/DX2MiWSX0AA-581.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being attacked by a zombie Harry Potter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos courtesy of the school's Twitter feed.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: xx-small;">Colin Mulhern</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-42378165970249814632018-03-01T08:36:00.002+00:002018-03-06T08:42:18.468+00:00Buttercup Sunshine - two book deal with Maverick<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Delighted to shout from the rooftops that </b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Buttercup Sunshine and the Zombies of DOOOOOM!</b></i> </span></div>
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will be released in September by <b>Maverick Childern's Books.</b> </div>
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They snapped it up, two days after submission and offered a two book deal.</div>
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I've been dying to reveal this cover. I absolutely love it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5LdoUAXmIp-p7C8e8LC38SP13ddKYV4jDITtyqm7UJ8n6C3SWj_liGdUxajbNucnrBB2MgENbsodGV_8xCJKZ-b8D4ouN9xCzZfJnOUM8CTEwDRDRYUyAW85uwUbADz4DdbgN3SS_Jo/s1600/Butturcup-full-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="788" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5LdoUAXmIp-p7C8e8LC38SP13ddKYV4jDITtyqm7UJ8n6C3SWj_liGdUxajbNucnrBB2MgENbsodGV_8xCJKZ-b8D4ouN9xCzZfJnOUM8CTEwDRDRYUyAW85uwUbADz4DdbgN3SS_Jo/s640/Butturcup-full-cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you've been following the story of Buttercup on this blog, from development to submission, you might know the story behind the book, and what inspired it - which makes me extra proud. Plus, I was given the opportunity to illustrate it. So it's my first book for younger readers and my first illustrated book all in one.<br />
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Book 2, <b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Buttercup Sunshine and the House on Hangman's Hill</span></i></b> comes out April next year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-506546632735977080.post-45685178421442136932018-02-25T09:53:00.001+00:002018-02-25T10:06:09.519+00:00Morrissey at Newcastle ArenaI got a bit of a surprise on Christmas morning when my wife told me, "I've got tickets for you and Dean to go to a concert in Newcastle." - Dean is my brother-in-law.<br />
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"Great. Who are we going to see?"<br />
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"Morrissey!"<br />
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Me, confused: "Morrissey?"<br />
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"You do like him, don't you?"<br />
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All of my life I've listened to punk, thrash metal and goth. But I have got a Smiths album somewhere, and once had a girlfriend who had a poster of Morrissey on her bedroom ceiling. Does that count?<br />
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"Erm... yeah. Love him. Great."<br />
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I met up with Dean a few days later. "Here, was this your idea? Morrissey?"<br />
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He gave me the same confused look. "Morrissey? I think I've got a Smiths album somewhere."<br />
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It soon became clear that the present was more the night out than the actual gig, but I wanted to get the most out of it so I started out on a diet of nothing but Morrissey for the next few weeks. Every time I got in the car - Morrissey. Every time I walked the dog - Morrissey. Lunchtimes - YouTube. I started singing the songs in my sleep. I even got his new album. By time the gig came round, I was well primed.<br />
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A few drinks in Newcastle meant we missed the support act - unless the archve footage of Ramones, James Brown, New York Dolls and a few others was it. Our tickets were for the Standing section, so we got a good view of the show - until we heard the opening chords to Suedehead and everyone went crazy and Dean spilled his beer all over my head.<br />
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The one thing that really hit me was how good his voice was. The sound in general was superb. I'm used to seeing bands that play so loud, all you can hear is distortion. But his voice... just incredible.<br />
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So there you go. I now listen to thrash metal, punk and goth... and Morrissey. Good night out. Good Christmas prezzie.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0