Deprecated: Required parameter $location follows optional parameter $post_types in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php on line 3783 Deprecated: Required parameter $total follows optional parameter $key in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/includes/class-wc-cart-totals.php on line 541 Deprecated: Required parameter $value follows optional parameter $address in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/includes/class-wc-customer.php on line 862 Warning: The magic method Automattic\WooCommerce\RestApi\Utilities\SingletonTrait::__wakeup() must have public visibility in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/packages/woocommerce-rest-api/src/Utilities/SingletonTrait.php on line 48 Warning: The magic method Automattic\WooCommerce\Admin\FeaturePlugin::__wakeup() must have public visibility in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/packages/woocommerce-admin/src/FeaturePlugin.php on line 338 Deprecated: Required parameter $value follows optional parameter $address in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/includes/class-wc-order.php on line 986 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php:3783) in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/onecom-vcache/vcaching.php on line 614 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php:3783) in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/onecom-vcache/vcaching.php on line 622 Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-content/plugins/monarch/monarch.php:3783) in /customers/3/4/3/authorcol.com/httpd.www/wp-includes/feed-rss2.php on line 8 News Archives - Colin Sinclair https://authorcol.com/category/news/ Author Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:18:15 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4 https://usercontent.one/wp/authorcol.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-CS-icon-1-32x32.png?media=1705915158 News Archives - Colin Sinclair https://authorcol.com/category/news/ 32 32 Creativity, Convention and being true to you! https://authorcol.com/creativity-convention-and-being-true-to-you/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=creativity-convention-and-being-true-to-you Wed, 07 Apr 2021 09:18:15 +0000 https://authorcol.com/?p=1196 I have a problem with the advice from the mainstream publishing/writing world. The dogma that surrounds the convention of how a book should be written stifles creativity of authors. As a writer, I want to create something that appeals to me and hope it also appeals to others. I want to write the story and […]

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]]> I have a problem with the advice from the mainstream publishing/writing world. The dogma that surrounds the convention of how a book should be written stifles creativity of authors.

As a writer, I want to create something that appeals to me and hope it also appeals to others. I want to write the story and use the words I want to use to get my tale told. I want to write it in the style of my choice.

I hear so much about: “Show and Tell”, about how long a book should be, about what kind of language to use, about not using too many adjectives, weak adverbs or passive voice… the list goes on.

I hear tell of publishers that make an author re-edit great swathes of their books, change the style, add or remove content. Why?

If I were a painter, I would paint what I want to paint, I wouldn’t like to be told that one of the subjects I may have put on my painting just wasn’t mainstream. Or the technique I used to create a mood wasn’t in line with convention? That, we would probably accept would be absurd. A painter is creating, using the tools available to portray their version of their thoughts. To be told that unless they changed this bit to red or removed that bit, it just isn’t right is, crazy.

The best painters, creators and some of the best writers bucked trends and did what they wanted to do to get their personal version of their idea on to the medium of choice.

There are literally billions of people in the world and they all are different, some will like something others won’t. Why does the publishing establishment get to say what they can consume?

Of course your book needs to be well edited, and the English needs to make sense. But really, as long as you are not spelling things wrong or using tenses that people can’t understand, then do it.

Hey not that long ago we didn’t use texting and the shortened version of the words for that medium. Who is to say what is wrong and what is right?

Not me, that’s for sure.

Do your thing and be proud of it.

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]]> A look at Historical Fantasy from an Authors point of view https://authorcol.com/a-look-at-historical-fantasy-from-an-authors-point-of-view/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-look-at-historical-fantasy-from-an-authors-point-of-view https://authorcol.com/a-look-at-historical-fantasy-from-an-authors-point-of-view/#respond Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:40:31 +0000 https://authorcolin.test-launch.net/?p=431 As mentioned in a previous blog there are many Genres in which an author chooses to write. I have here an explanation by Author Dean Jones on one of his books, he has four that are available, I have also read this book and it is very interesting to get the background on how the […]

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]]> As mentioned in a previous blog there are many Genres in which an author chooses to write. I have here an explanation by Author Dean Jones on one of his books, he has four that are available, I have also read this book and it is very interesting to get the background on how the book came about.

This is what Dean has to say about his journey both to write the book and to get it to market.

The birth of Father of Storms came when I was working away in Cambridge, UK. I found I had lots of time on my hands and wanted to do something that didn’t involve drinking down the pub. So, I thought about writing a book. I had written before this, mainly short stories and poetry but nothing serious.

The story began with an idea, one which was triggered by a question I’d asked myself…what would happen if Jesus came back? Now I am not religious, I just happened to be watching a film which depicted a character with a lot of Jesus’ traits (less the beard and long hair) visiting and then helping a community.

My idea was much less sweet as I believed any returning deity would be vilified by the press to the point of character assassination. I let the idea ruminate and then when watching the video for Foo Fighters “Pretender” I got the idea for Seth, the main character of the story.

Now the idea of a Jesus type character soon disappeared as I couldn’t find the right words to describe this person plus I wanted the MC to have powers, beyond healing the sick and walking on water.

Lots of rumination followed with me tossing ideas around before I just started to write. The first chapter in my published book is pretty much exactly the same one I wrote down all those years ago. It was this that shaped the idea for Seth to a point where his attributes and principles where established in my head. One of the things most important to me is my family, I wanted this to be just as important to my MC too as if family is not worth fighting for then what is? I also wanted love to be a theme as I knew Seth would be waiting a very long time, so he needed that emotion to keep him going.

So, I now had the shape of a character, I just needed to know what he could do. As I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre I kind of took it for granted that this would be the one my book would slot into. Plus, this genre has much more scope for the fantastical and a 1200-year-old man who can manipulate the energy around him is certainly that. The energy bit is essentially because I have an interest in how energy connects us all together. I had read the Celestine Prophecy a couple of years before and the concept spoken about in this book stayed with me.

And so, the Spae were born, people who worked with the natural energy of earth. I will admit that the early drafts of their powers was a little bit more farfetched so I tamed this down slightly as I wanted it to feel more like something that could happen (I know it’s a fantasy book but I am a dreamer).

It took seven years to complete the first draft of the story, due to work and other life events, and the feeling of complete satisfaction and achievement was palpable. I was elated and believed that the hard work was now done…how wrong I was.

Editing a book is a painful and unpleasant experience but I knew it was necessary, so I ploughed on with the support of my partner, who has read the book maybe a hundred times. Together we ironed out most of the plot issues and removed 95% of the typo’s and spelling mistakes.

Having done this, I decided I wanted to publish the book immediately, after all, like they say in the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ “If you build it, they will come” so I figured, if I write it…they will buy it, right?

Erm…nope! I must admit, publishing a book is not what I expected it to be. When I began writing in earnest, I had grand dreams of becoming a traditionally published author, the next Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett. This dream kept me going through many years of writing and rewriting my novel to the point that when I finally completed the editing process I promptly self-published…

To this day I am not sure whether this was a good or bad idea, I was so impatient that I couldn’t wait the months it takes to query then wait for feedback about my book, I just wanted people to read it!

The process of creating the book was hard, editing tedious but the marketing! This now gives me nightmares, marketing a book is so much more time consuming and complicated than I ever expected.

I won’t digress into a rant about marketing but suffice to say, my advice for any new authors embarking on this writing journey is to be prepared to spend a lot of your time pushing your story to try to connect with readers. Even if you get a traditional publisher to take on your book this will likely still be the case (unless it’s a big publishing firm). As an author you will have to put effort in if you want to sell your book.

Anyway, back to Father of Storms. My first book was out there and available to buy, I ran some free promotions then found out that people have to know about your book to allow them to buy it (marketing). I used Social media to try to connect with readers but found writers all trying to connect with the very same readers I was. This meant we all ‘supported each other’ by trying to sell each other our own books. Some writers do occasionally pick up other writers books but there is a bit of snobbery in the business where traditionally published authors look down on those who self-published…I don’t know why as I have read a lot of self-published authors work and I have found some that are better than the big names you find in Waterstones or other larger book store shelves.

So, I am continuing my path, trying to connect with readers and get my stories out to them. I have discovered new things and new people along the way all making the journey that little bit more bearable. I think I would go about things differently if I had my chance again, but I don’t regret the way I chose to go as I have learned so much.

Writing is something I love to do, it brings me the opportunity to get the crazy ideas out of my head so that people can, hopefully, be as entertained reading them as I have been writing them down.

I haven’t mentioned “Reviews” which are incredibly important for any writer especially those of us trying to establish a name for ourselves. Just to conclude I would like to say a couple of things about this subject I have learned. If you have read a book (no matter how you got it) which you enjoyed then the best thanks you can give an author is to log on to your Amazon, Apple Books, Kindle, etc. accounts and drop a few lines to let other readers (and the author) know how much you enjoyed the story.

Books take hundreds of hours to complete, a few hours to read and only a couple of minutes to leave a review…yet the review carries more weight than the rest.

Here are some of his links

Website https://deanjones.net/

Twitter @deanjonesautho1

Purchase ‘Father of Storms’

Book Depository: click here

Barnes & Noble: click here

Amazon (US): click here

Amazon (UK): click here

Amazon (Australia): click here

 

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]]> https://authorcol.com/a-look-at-historical-fantasy-from-an-authors-point-of-view/feed/ 0 An Insight into Book Bloggers by a Book Blogger https://authorcol.com/an-insight-into-book-bloggers-by-a-book-blogger/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=an-insight-into-book-bloggers-by-a-book-blogger https://authorcol.com/an-insight-into-book-bloggers-by-a-book-blogger/#comments Mon, 24 Feb 2020 14:27:35 +0000 https://authorcolin.test-launch.net/?p=428 When I first launched my book around 18 months ago I wandered into the weird and wonderful world of bloggers. What a strange place that was. I asked one I met at the time who was extremely helpful, to write something about blogging for me and here is what she has to say. This is […]

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]]> When I first launched my book around 18 months ago I wandered into the weird and wonderful world of bloggers. What a strange place that was. I asked one I met at the time who was extremely helpful, to write something about blogging for me and here is what she has to say.

This is by Linda Hill

Bloggers are a weird and wonderful bunch and each one is different, with their own unique approach to their blogs and preferred genres. However, for the most part, all bloggers have one aspect in common. We all love books and want to spread the love of books as far and wide as we can.

Every so often there is a debate about bloggers not being ‘real’ readers or not being genuine in their reviews because they are ‘paid’ to review. Neither of those accusations is true. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, but all the bloggers I know – and let me tell you, I know a lot of them – blog because they love to read. They love books. They love to share the joy in immersing yourself in another world, meeting fictional people, travelling the globe and beyond, and seeing all manner of events whilst having amazing experiences and emotions, all through the written word.

Some bloggers do have affiliate links on their blogs so that they ‘earn’ a few pence if a reader clicks through and buys a book, but they make it clear that this is the case. Receiving a copy of a book for review might be construed as being paid, but often we bloggers also purchase the same book when we’ve really enjoyed it. I have been offered payment to read and review but I’ve always declined. I want to retain my integrity. I know the majority of bloggers feel the same.

In fact, far from being paid to blog, bloggers actually pay to blog! We buy books all the time. Many of us pay for our blogs and our domain names, although it is possible to blog for free. I pay because otherwise the blog hosts can insert adverts over which I have no control. I’d hate to review a memoir, for example, concerning someone who’d suffered anorexia, only to find that an advert for slimming pills had sneaked in to what blog readers saw. Bloggers also spend money and time attending bookish events, book launches and meet ups, signings and talks. Every time I attend a bookish event in London, the travel alone costs me between £38 and £50 depending on the timings. I had to decline an event at the end of last year as the peak time trains meant a day return of £117 and I can buy an awful lot of books for that!

Speaking of time, blogging takes up a considerable amount. Aside from actually reading the book, bloggers have to prepare their posts, write their reviews, set up giveaways, research authors and their books, write interview questions, suggest topics for guest posts, find copyright free images, reply to emails, chase publicists and authors who haven’t sent promised materials like extracts (which more often than not need reformatting to fit the blog) for blog tours, set up tweets and Facebook posts, add images to Instagram and share our blog posts as far and wide as we can. Many bloggers share for one another too. I spend at least an hour a day reading posts from fellow bloggers and tweeting about them.

Personally, I don’t blog about books I haven’t enjoyed. Having recently completed the first draft of my own novel, I understand the challenges in writing 80,000+ words. No author sets out to write a bad book or one that a reader doesn’t enjoy and my view is, if I can’t say anything kind, I’ll keep my views to myself. Besides which, readers have different tastes. I love literary fiction, often when it is totally intense and character driven and little action takes place. Another reader may hate that style of writing. Personally, I’m not a fan of graphic visceral blood and gore and I find it hard to engage with fantasy or science fiction but I know readers and bloggers who love those genres.

Each post I put out takes me about an hour to put together and then I spend around another hour or so scheduling tweets, adding links to various Facebook book groups and copying my review onto Amazon and Goodreads on the day it is published. I tend to schedule tweets about my blog post a day in advance using Hootsuite, partly because I’m permanently terrified I’m going to miss my slot on a blog tour and let down the author and tour organiser. I read somewhere that a tweet needs to be seen on five occasions to have an impact in Twitter’s fast moving feed so I send out a tweet at 7AM when I think many will be waking up and reaching for their phones and tablets or on an early commute, at 9 when people have a sneaky look at social media before beginning their working day or when they’ve just got back from dropping off the children at school, 1PM as it’s lunchtime in the UK and America is just waking up, 6PM when many are again on their commute scrolling through their phones or are cooking dinner and finally at 9PM because most folk will have eaten dinner, got the children in bed and be relaxing.

Bloggers appreciate how important it is for authors to get reader feedback and to reach the magic 50 reviews on Amazon, for example. Many of us have contact emails on our blogs or can be reached through social media and there are some ways authors can help themselves get those reviews.

Firstly, I’d say an author need to engage with bloggers and other authors on social media to build up a following of, hopefully, loyal readers. I belong to a few authors’ ‘street teams’ or advanced reader teams so that I know I will always be able to read and review their books.

Most bloggers have preferred genres, so if authors are looking for reviews it’s as well to check the blogs to note the kind of books featured and see if their book fits. Also, authors need to see if a blogger has a review policy and abide by it. Mine says I’m not accepting new material at the moment and yet I still get daily requests for reviews. I’ve actually received 212 emails requesting reviews in one day, so authors shouldn’t feel offended if we don’t always have time to respond.  As well as author requests we are contacted by publicists and blog tour organisers several times a day and life can intervene in our ability to reply.

I’m lucky, I’m retired and I’m not holding down a full time job, bringing up a family and blogging at the same time so I do try to respond, although I must admit I deleted the email saying ‘Dear Madam. Here is my book for your immediate review.’ and another that simply said ‘I want to be on your blog. What do I do?’ Try beginning the email, ‘Dear Linda’ is a good place to start!

It’s better not to send mass emails to bloggers requesting reviews. Salutations like ‘Dear [insert name here]’ or Dear John Smith don’t make us feel very loved – unless, perhaps, we are John Smith! I must admit, I have found ‘Dear Book Bag’ quite amusing though.  I’d advise authors to send a simple email with a proper named salutation to a blogger they know reads their genre, outlining the book’s genre, length and blurb in the first instance and politely requesting a review. Sending an ecopy automatically can clog up inboxes and be annoying, but similarly, sending a link to Amazon and telling the blogger to buy the book and review it doesn’t help either, especially if it’s dystopian book about flesh eating lesbian zombies and we only read and review poetry!

Bloggers love authors who share or acknowledge their reviews. A simple emoji or ‘Thanks’ in reply to a tweet or even a blog post comment makes a blogger feel their effort has been worthwhile and we will be happy to review or feature that author again. That said, we don’t expect every tweet or mention to be acknowledged as we know authors have lives to live just as much as we do.

It’s hard to give unequivocal advice and information about bloggers and blogging because we are all as unique and individual as all the authors out there hoping to feature on our blogs. Joining Book Connectors on Facebook is a good place to start as authors and bloggers support one another there.  All I can say is, keep writing and become active in the bookish world as a whole and the reviews will come. After all, bloggers want to read the books just as much as authors want us to!

 

Book Connectors https://www.facebook.com/groups/1466353170351020/?ref=group_header

You can find Linda’s Blog here: https://lindasbookbag.com

She is on twitter as @lindahill50hill

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]]> https://authorcol.com/an-insight-into-book-bloggers-by-a-book-blogger/feed/ 2 Why authors write what they write.  The view of a Dystopian Sci Fi Author https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dystopian-sci-fi-author/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dystopian-sci-fi-author https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dystopian-sci-fi-author/#respond Sun, 23 Feb 2020 13:44:42 +0000 https://authorcolin.test-launch.net/?p=240 Are Genres that authors write in a personal choice or is it just something that happens to them as the story unfurls? I have asked a few of my author friends to tell me what they have written and to give a bit of background to their stories and themselves. The first of these is […]

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]]> Are Genres that authors write in a personal choice or is it just something that happens to them as the story unfurls? I have asked a few of my author friends to tell me what they have written and to give a bit of background to their stories and themselves.

The first of these is a Dystopian Sci Fi, written by Anthony O’Brien. It is called Harvested.

Anthony says

“I believe it’s the work of an author that is of interest, rather than the author.

My latest novel Harvested is a dystopian sci-fi that reflects my inner fears. I guess the first question anyone would ask is why I wrote such a disturbing piece of work in the first place? I do have an agenda; it’s through the medium of storytelling that I express my concern for humanity, and the consequences that could occur if we continue into the future on our projected course.

I quote Elon Musk, the American business magnate, investor and engineer, who is at the cutting edge of AI:

“Artificial intelligence will crush us in the end. When it’s all over, we, the unlucky ones of flesh and blood, will always be the ones who suffer.”

Today AI is outpacing the intellectual capabilities of its creators, and we have to ask ourselves, at what point does this higher intelligence become our master? Are we in the process of creating a God or a Demon destined to rule humanity? History has taught us that the elites, the most cunning, intelligent and psychopathic control civilization. Those that oversee our diminishing resources are Gods who will decide who has and has not. AI will inherit this power.

What happens once we have depleted Earths resources? What happens if we do not make it to another planet? I throw the what if question out there, it’s liberating for me, but only when you reach the final chapters of my novel will you realize what a terrifying prospect my conclusion is to the “what if” question.

Harvested is my take on what artificial intelligence will do with humanity under the circumstances outlined above …clean up the mess perhaps? Imprisoning our minds, or letting us escape, it depends on your view, into a digital world when the flesh starts to decay. It will be the only escape from the decimation, where humanity can forget the real and the nightmares. The Earth of the future will no longer be able to sustain life.

We follow the lives of two people, Jon and Tori, scientists and resistance members fighting AI for the right for humans to survive. At this point is seems reasonable to leave you with my Amazon description: “

The year is 3716. Earth’s resources are depleted. Humanity has been forced into a 21st century computer simulation, controlled by Ikelos, AI at its most terrifying. A seedbank lost to time in the frozen wastelands of a Norwegian island is mankind’s last hope for survival. Jon Stone, a New York physicist, has been extracted out of the simulation by another scientist, Tori. With no memory of Tori or his past life, Jon must trust her as they re-enter the simulation to locate, somewhere in this dangerous, illusionary world, the island’s co-ordinates. Can they avoid the traps in the matrix, find what they seek, and return to the 38th century in time to save humanity before the final extinction?

I have read Anthony’s book and it is interesting that he has used this genre to portray his fears, and i suppose, his hopes for the world in the future.

His book can be found here.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harvested-Dystopian-Sci-fi-Anthony-OBrien-ebook/dp/B07P6N1SR1

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]]> https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dystopian-sci-fi-author/feed/ 0 Why Authors write what they write. The view of a Dark fantasy and Horror Author.  https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dark-fantasy-and-horror-author/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dark-fantasy-and-horror-author https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dark-fantasy-and-horror-author/#respond Sat, 22 Feb 2020 13:46:51 +0000 https://authorcolin.test-launch.net/?p=242 The next foray into different Genres is with Catherine Mcarthy, she grew up in the industrial valleys of South Wales where she went on to teach in primary education for almost three decades. Having been ‘shown the light’ by her mother, who had the tradition of oral story-telling down to a fine art, she quickly […]

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]]> The next foray into different Genres is with Catherine Mcarthy, she grew up in the industrial valleys of South Wales where she went on to teach in primary education for almost three decades.

Having been ‘shown the light’ by her mother, who had the tradition of oral story-telling down to a fine art, she quickly developed an insatiable appetite for all things literary.

Catherine McCarthy

Her first published novel, The Gatekeeper’s Apprentice, is a fantasy, magical adventure for middle grade readers. Still in love with some of the characters from this novel, she has since woven them into her adult fiction, and also has spellbinding plans for them in the future.

Her second novel, Hope Cottage, is a dark and mysterious family saga of triumph over adversity, reconciliation and, well…hope! Hope Cottage is a deviation from her preferred genre and was penned as a cathartic means of coming to terms with the loss of her own mother. Royalties received during the first year of publication are donated to thebraintumourcharity.org.

Her most recent publication is a collection of ten portal stories for adults, entitled Door and Other Twisted Tales. This work explores the darker side of supernatural fantasy, a sprinkle of mythology, and a twist of good old-fashioned horror.

Her current work in progress is a novel entitled The Wolf and the Favour, a dark low-fantasy tale, of how a young girl with learning disabilities strives to overcome life’s obstacles and find her own way in the world.

Having traded the challenges and rewards of teaching for the hurdles and merits of writing, Catherine McCarthy now lives with her illustrator husband in a two hundred year old cottage in West Wales amidst spectacular, story-inspiring countryside.

When she is not writing, you may find her sewing in her ‘Garden Beehive,’ or wandering the  coast path, complete with picnic, sun-cream and just enough money for ice-cream.

Here is what Catherine says about what she writes and why.

“Why I write dark fantasy and horror

 Supernatural horror, myths and legends, and dark, fantastical tales have always drawn me like a magnet. Fascinated by the workings of the mind, writing in these genres provides a positive focus for excess mental energy which might otherwise turn inwards.

Probably one of the questions I most frequently get asked is, ‘Where do your ideas come from?’ The answer is, everywhere! Some stories begin from seemingly random experiences; it’s simply a matter of not letting them go once they sprout forth.

Let me share with you some of the itches that tickled me into writing stories…

Firstly, The Gatekeeper’s Apprentice…

Whilst walking along a riverbank, I came upon a strange tree. It had been struck by lightning, and, on closer inspection, I could see the face of a hag-like woman riding a great beast in the burned wood. This led to the thought that she may once have been a great warrior, now turned dark and evil by her lust for power. Hence Corinta, Gatekeeper of Quodium, was born.

The secret to developing a story is all to do with holding on to something unusual – not letting it slip away. Instead, jot it down, even if you do nothing with it for some time.

The idea for the first story in Door and Other Twisted Tales was sprung during a long car journey. The road I travelled passed a barren wasteland, where stood a derelict building surrounded by a barbed wire fence. The location brought to mind a secret, government complex, and I began to wonder what tales might be hidden behind its benign but sturdy looking door – and it all started from there really.

The short story, Plague, on the other hand, came about whilst sitting in a remote woodland near the Aveyron in France one evening. Despite the fact that there were no visible buildings, or in fact any other sign of life, I heard the sound of a flute drifting through the trees. It made me think of a magical way to enchant someone, thus stemmed the story. Eventually I discovered the source of the sound, but I won’t spoil the moment.

The inspiration for the novel I’m currently writing, entitled The Wolf and the Favour, is actually very close to home – so close in fact that I see it every day. At the rear of my old cottage is a narrow lane which climbs through woodland and eventually leads to a farm. A century or more ago it was used to transport milk churns from the farm to the roadside and has long-since been disused, thus it has become overgrown. It’s a magical place though – full of wild flowers and overgrown trees and bushes where owls hoot at night and kites and hawks hunt during the day. If you stand at the bottom and look ahead it’s quite atmospheric. I imagined how it might appear to a child, a vulnerable but imaginative child, and this was how my idea for the character of Hannah came about.

So you see – ideas stem from all kinds of places, even dreams. I keep a little note-book in my bedside cabinet, so that when I have such a dream it’s to hand. I recently wrote a very short story entitled, Robin Thumb from one such dream.

So, if you want to find your own inspiration to begin writing, my advice to you is to hold on to all those little, seemingly-insignificant moments in life. Don’t let go of them. Instead, nurture them, sit awhile beside them, either at a computer or with a notepad and pen, and turn them into tales!”

If you would like to know more about Catherine her book links and social platform links can be seen here.

Book links:

The post Why Authors write what they write. The view of a Dark fantasy and Horror Author.  appeared first on Colin Sinclair.

]]> https://authorcol.com/why-authors-write-what-they-write-the-view-of-a-dark-fantasy-and-horror-author/feed/ 0 Being an Author is more about passion than technique. Well maybe! https://authorcol.com/being-an-author-is-more-about-passion-than-technique-well-maybe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=being-an-author-is-more-about-passion-than-technique-well-maybe https://authorcol.com/being-an-author-is-more-about-passion-than-technique-well-maybe/#respond Thu, 20 Feb 2020 13:40:55 +0000 https://authorcolin.test-launch.net/?p=238 Writing a book is not something everyone dreams of doing. But for those of us that do, it can seem a pretty daunting task. But when it’s there inside you, there sometimes is little choice but to just start. Since I started to write and publish, the questions I have been asked the most are: […]

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]]> Writing a book is not something everyone dreams of doing. But for those of us that do, it can seem a pretty daunting task. But when it’s there inside you, there sometimes is little choice but to just start. Since I started to write and publish, the questions I have been asked the most are:

  • How do you even start?
  • How do you know what to write?
  • How do you know you are good enough?

I remember at about the age of eight writing a Poem and it started like this;

“The hangman came to our Village
With his noose and his platform bare.”

Considering that was nearly fifty years ago I think it says something about the type of people authors are. That I can remember my first foray into writing something that long ago shows that there was a hidden need buried somewhere within, that meant I just needed to get my thoughts down on paper.

You start by writing what you “feel” what you want to express. Does it matter that you haven’t decided on a genre and don’t have a well-crafted plot? Well for some it might but I suspect for many it’s just something that doesn’t concern them to begin with.

As you begin to write you start to formulate a path, you understand what you are trying to say. At that point many will stop and having got the idea they will then plan out the story and write toward a goal. Some however will plough on till the words are exhausted, and then sit back.

I have heard from many people in the Industry that there are structures and rules about how you should write. Use as few words as possible, don’t use adverbs, use the Oxford comma. However, in my opinion your story is precisely that. It’s art, it’s your interpretation. Write what you want and enjoy the process.

The only Caveat to all that is make sure you have edited what you have written to check for spelling mistakes, tense and misuse of words. Other than that, “Hang” the technique I say and enjoy the process.

It’s your story. Own it.

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