A Novel Game

A Novel Game

There are many types of fiction out there for all to enjoy. The newest of the genres, I think, is Computer Game fiction. Is it a good idea to turn a game into a novel? I know there are many examples of this, one of which is the Assassins Creed series. Where all five possibly six games have been converted into the world of words. Is this just a chance for the games production companies to cash in on their fan-base or do the fans genuinely love to read about a story they’ve already played and completed, therefore knowing the story anyway? I know with films, everyone says that there’s more story and more detail in the book but is it the same case for a game? A feature length film goes on for approximately two hours, where as a computer game can take an enormous amount of time. My brother is playing a game at the moment and has spent over 100 hours playing it. Could you get 100 hours of game-play into a novel or are you cutting out some of the story? If you’re playing for over 100 hours, could the extra stuff all be rather superfluous?

But on the flipside what about the books that were turned into games? Naturally the first that springs to mind is Lord of the Rings. The only problem there is that the books were turned into films, and the games are based on the films and not the books, so it’s not a good example. But still, if a fan enjoyed the novel enough to play the game, surely it should work the other way around? If you’ve already read the book, then you already know what’s going to happen. The difference is that you are the one making it happen. Maybe that’s the fascination with turning games into books? Maybe people want to read about the characters and how they interact without a player guiding them?

I’m not sure about the whole thing. I’ve only read one or two of these books and personally they’re not for me. What does everyone else think? Let me know. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Back in the Game

Back In The Game

I have just had a week off from working on my novel. It was planned as I knew there were going to be a lot of things that needed doing, but now I’m finding it difficult getting my head back in the game, as it were.

I don’t normally have this problem as all it takes is an early morning walk and a cup of coffee and I’m raring to go. On this occasion however, possibly due to the clocks changing and the weather behaving badly, I cannot motivate myself to go walking, or do anything else that normally helps get my mind in gear.  I know that writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration, if you believe the cliché, but I cannot push myself enough to perspire for my book. I love writing, every aspect of it, all the challenges and the rewards equally, but when Im writing, it’s like I can’t be bothered to do it. Normally if I start to feel this way, I’ll take a break for a day or two then come back fresh faced, but I’ve just come back from a break.

Do any of you come across this? If so, how do you counter-act it? I know this won’t last forever, but I don’t want to continue writing while in this frame of mind otherwise it’ll reflect in my work and read more like an obituary than a entertainment.

Let me know what you think. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Provocative Prose

Provocative Prose

Romance novels are one of the most abundant in the literary world and let’s face it; the authors of these novels must have a good grasp of the English language to tell a good romance without constantly clinging to clichés. But these entanglements are not solely relegated to the romantic genre; most novels have at least some form of relationship in them. Whether it is of the eros or agape is up to the author, but they do appear in most novels. They give a human dimension to an otherwise genre specific tale.

But how far do we go to include the human emotion? Do we only show that to characters show an attraction? Do they go on a date? Does one propose to the other? Or do we get far more provocative than that? It is allowed to have a little eroticism to interest the reader no matter what the genre. But how far is too far?

I have read historical comedies by P.G. Wodehouse where the height of romanticism was where an old woman doted upon her pet poodle, and thrillers by James Herbert Where a couple have all their kit off and the author describes the reproductive systems in detail. I enjoyed both, but were both necessary? What do you think, was James Herbert pandering to his audience using smut, or was he giving the same attention to detail to eroticism as to his gore? Therefore pushing the story along without a break in narrative? But P.G. Wodehouse doesn’t mention sex at all, or at least very little. Is this a deliberate attempt to de-sexualize the characters, and keep the mindless drunk playboy image a silly and innocent one?

Then we have all heard of, if not read ‘50 Shades of Grey’. Which I believe is read by women for the sexual thrill, and by men for the sexual tips. But what do you think? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Generating Genres

Generating Genres

One question I would like to ask other authors is why they chose their genre? Or Maybe they didn’t, maybe they were asked to write about a particular subject and found that they were good at it? I write murder mysteries, or crime novels, because that’s what interests me. I love to read a mystery and try to figure out ‘Who Dunnit?’ but I love writing them even more. I enjoy the challenge of trying to puzzle the reader and yet conclude the same story with a sense of, “Oh that’s how they did it?”

So I know why I write my chosen genre, it’s a fun and challenging one to attempt. But what about you guys? What do you prefer? Do you like to read the same subject as you write, or do your reading tastes vary from your writing tastes? I have wondered about this for some time, as it also affects artists and musicians. I’ve spoken to members of rock bands who like listening to pop, high profile rappers who listen to Mozart in their spare time and professional portrait painters who only hang landscapes in their home. I find this kind of cross-genre culture liberating. It means we are not bound by what we do; we are what we enjoy. We enjoy painting someone’s family, but enjoy looking at the surrey hills. Performing heavy metal, but listening to R ‘n’ B. Do we do this on purpose, to separate work from pleasure? Or is it that we like doing what we’re good at and enjoying what we’re not?

This thought still puzzles me, but I would love to know other’s ideas on this subject. Please read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Writing TV

Writing T.V

The differences between writing a novel and writing a script are too numerous to mention in one blog, but it is said that we cannot write one with the hopes that it’ll turn into the other. The obvious fault is when people write a novel with the idea of it becoming a TV show or film; the problem being that when we do this, we inadvertently miss certain details that help set the scene. Of course why would we need to write that the office was dark and dank when people will be able to see that fact on telly? Not only that, but the novel can often be read like stage directions, dull and lifeless. Instead of guiding the imagination in the direction you’d like it to go, you’re directing it to where you want it. Both very similar but with one main difference; guiding influences and entertains whereas directing pushes with little respect or interest for the reader.

This may sound like a lecture, but it’s not, honestly. If you want to write for TV or the big screen, or even the stage, then script writing may be more to your tastes. Don’t let anyone tell you that writing a screenplay is easy, or a cheat’s way of writing. There are many challenges that await the budding scriptwriter including timing and the aforementioned stage directions. In a novel we can paint the picture of the scene using a cacophony of adjectives, but a playwright can only use dialogue. This brings me to the unobvious fault, when people write a script hoping it would be converted to a novel at a later date. If this is done, then the opposite of what I said above could happen. Setting the scene would be in the directions, but the dialogue would suffer. The prose used by actors that should move the story forward would be forgotten or ignored, and what looks good on paper would be dreary and boring with no presence on screen.

If you would like your novel to be adapted at a later date for the screen, then write the novel first without thought for the television. Once the novel is written and edited to your satisfaction,  (and that of the publisher) then you can write the screenplay or script, adapting the story for viewing. These are just my thoughts and you may disagree. I would be very interested to hear what you have to say.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Novel Distractions

Novel Distractions

One thing all writers hate is distractions. Once we get into the flow of things; the ‘Writers Trance’ as it were, we` do not like to be interrupted. But different things distract different people. I am unfortunate that my office is also my bedroom where all my things are kept. Now the things don’t distract me, not at all, but I have two pet bearded dragons whom I love dearly, but every once in a while they get into an agitated mood, and nothing I do can pacify them. When they are like this, they like to scratch their vivarium walls and make an irritating ‘nails on a chalkboard’ noise. It’s very distracting. I stop writing to give them some play time, let them spend their excess energy and then put them back, but they still go at it. I have had them out for hours at a time and it makes no difference. They are just in that mood, so I have to leave them to it. It does mean that I cannot write, because I cannot concentrate, and the ‘Writers Trance’ becomes very elusive.

I live near Heathrow airport and have the planes flying over head constantly. Everybody who lives near an airport will tell you that you just don’t notice the noise, double glazing helps. When I am tired, I notice everything; the planes overhead, the radio down stairs, the scratching of beloved family pets and interruptions from once loved family members. These distractions rarely register and I can continue happily without disruption to my daily routine, but when fatigue sets in for whatever reason; that’s when disturbances can have an impact on your work.

My Tip: Take a break, even if it means taking a break all day. It’s hard for a writer to do that I know. But trust me, if you power through despite the distractions, then the work you produce will not be up to standard.

There is an exception to the rule. That is where the distraction is a welcome one. If you have a hobby or interest, then the odd break from routine can be good for you and you enjoy it more. You feel refreshed and ready to start work again. I love writing, cannot get enough of it. But I must break it up sometimes; otherwise I begin to go potty. (Thats crazy by the way, not toilet.) Tell me what drives you to distraction when you are trying to write.

 Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

NaNoWriMo

 

NaNoWriMo

“Oh My God NaNoWriMo is just over 2 weeks away and I’ve done no prep!” At the risk of sounding like Michael Winner; calm down, there’s no need to panic. You don’t need to plan anything if you don’t want to. I plan everything ahead of time, but that’s because it’s how I do it. You may have a story in mind that you want to put to paper, so when NaNo-thingy comes around, just start writing it. You may surprise yourself and find the story develops well on its own.

But if you are like me and have to plan everything, you do still have a fortnight to do so. It’s not the end of the world and you don’t have to rush. Relax, put pen to paper and decide on your story, your characters, your setting etc...You’ll be fine. You may realize aspects to the story you haven’t even thought of yet. If you don’t start on the 1^st November, not a problem, just start the next day, or the day after, there’s no rules or regulations to follow. Just write the novel you want to write and enjoy doing it. Because if you don’t enjoy writing it, then what’s the point? I began writing my new novel mid-September and didn’t wait for NaNo-thingy, admittedly because I didn’t know it existed. There’s no time limit, no word count and certainly no deadline, (Unless you’re lucky enough to have a guaranteed publisher before you’ve even started writing.).

I think NaNo-thingy is mainly there to help un-seasoned writers to escape that hideous monster; Procrastination! Having an idea for a story is one thing, but getting the effort to start writing can be very difficult for those who’ve not done it before. It also takes a little courage. There’s always that little voice that says, “What if no-one likes it?” and “How do I start?”, but don’t listen to them. Someone will like your book and someone else won’t. Everyone’s different like that, so don’t be offended if a romantic doesn’t like your tale of horror, or vice versa. Sorry for the heavily over used cliché, but start at the beginning, It’s where most good stories begin.

As for my casual use of ‘NaNo-thingy’ instead of ‘NaNoWriMo’, I’m not trying to belittle it in any way, I think it’s fantastic, I’m just too lazy to type the latter everytime. So tell me what you think.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Baby Books

Baby Books

I was asked what the most difficult part of writing a novel is. I imagine that it’s different for every author, but for me I would say publishing. Not the finding a publisher part, though that’s difficult enough. No, I mean getting the courage to send your creation out into the world.

For many writers, including myself, our books are like our children. I imagine it is anyway, since I don’t have any kids of my own, I can only assume. But let me talk you through why I compare them to children. The spark of an idea is the glint in the father’s eye. You develop the idea into a story, much like the embryo is developed into a child. You begin writing your book, nurturing it and watching it grow. It’s not always a smooth ride, but you’ve enjoyed the challenges and difficulties it brings, even if you sometimes hate your story, its still yours and you love it. You edit your novel, making sure it is suitable for the world outside just as you would raise your child to be a well brought up member of the same world. Just when you think there’s nothing more for you to do, something comes up and you have to take care of it before you let it go.

Eventually, this little spark of an idea is a well written, fully developed novel that you are proud of. It may not be famous, it may not be the best and probably won’t win any awards, but it’ll still surprise you. You’ve done your job, now to let it out into the rest of the world and let it do its thing. Don’t worry, it’ll still be there when you want it, and it’s still yours.

I imagine that’s the most difficult thing for parents as well. You’ve worked hard to bring up your child, and when you least expect it, there’s nothing left for you to do. They fly the nest. Letting them go is difficult, but necessary if you want them to fulfil their potential.

These are just my thoughts. Please tell me yours. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Writer's Trance

Writer’s Trance

I have touched on this subject lightly before when I mentioned my hand flying across the keyboard, but I never knew the phenomenon had a name before today. Writer’s Trance is the perfect name for it if you ask me. Often on my writing days, I go into one of these, where nothing else in the world is happening except for what my hands are doing and what words are appearing on the screen in front of me. The ‘Trance' is hypnotically relaxing. You can think of nothing else besides what you are doing and I find it very soothing. I also find that when in this state, it is when I am at my most productive.

Jon Winokur @AdviceToWriters on twitter posted an article written by Stephen King where he states that you should do nothing to disturb the Writer’s Trance, paraphrasing obviously. He explains that all reference books, thesauruses, atlases and dictionaries should all be put away while you write your first draft. Always edit after the story is told. Once you have gotten that far, then you can wait and come back to it later to edit, when the story has calmed down in your mind and you can look at it from an editor’s point of view. It was Stephen King who advised that when you have finished a story, leave it for 6 months before editing. He must know what he’s talking about, as one of the world’s most prolific and successful authors, I think his words of wisdom are wise indeed. Even if you aren’t keen on his books, you should consider his advice.

Different people have different stages in their novel creating process. Mine are simple:

1.      Get an idea.        (Without this, there’s no book.)
2.      Plan the story     (Plan everything, makes life easier in the long run, trust me.)
3.      Research             (Get your facts straight, but don’t overdo it. You’re not writing an essay)
4.      Write                    (This is where you tell your story. Say hello to Writer’s Trance.)
5.      Wait                     (Leave the story for several months. Possibly work on your next project?)
6.      Edit                       (Your story becomes your novel, making it enjoyable for other readers.)
7.      Publish                 (Now you prepare it for those big scary publishers out there. Good luck.)

I’ll expand on each of those stages at a later date. But for now, that is all you need to do. Writing the book is only 1 stage, don’t forget that. What tasks do you set yourself when you write? Do you often go into a Writer’s Trance? What do you enjoy most? Or dislike the most? Tell me your thoughts below.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Flashbacks in Fiction

Flashbacks in Fiction

A fledgling writer recently asked me about flashbacks. They were writing a novel where the story flashed to and from the present day to the recent past. I warned them against making it too confusing and impressed the importance of keeping it clear for the reader. If each chapter is supposed to be present, then past repeatedly then the author may want to think about perhaps starting each chapter with a year, date or time. We don’t want the reader to be going back to a previous chapter to re-read something just to make sure they know when it happened. That could be very frustrating.

We’ve all seen films where it is expertly done; Quentin Tarantino is legendary for throwing his viewers about in time and location. But in the literary world, this is more difficult. We have to paint the scene with words, and if a sitting room is decorated the same way in both time scales we cannot paint it any other way. A clever use of tense is used to ensure the reader knows where they are, as is a carefully placed, time-accurate adjective. Do not underestimate the necessity of accuracy of time. You cannot talk about un-employment records being at an all time low, when in fact they had never been so good. This may confuse someone who was around at the time. It’s all well and good describing the clothes people wear, but what about the kind of language they used or the attitudes they had. We think and speak very differently now as a community than we did 20 years ago. All this has to be considered.

My current novel is based 40 years ago and required a lot of research. I talked about research in a previous blog and how important it can be to a factually accurate novel. But my novel doesn’t flit to and fro; it starts in present day, then heads off to 1974 and remains there until the end of the story. Not original, I know, but it is how I wanted my story narrated. Each fictitious tale is a creation of its author’s mind and should be respected as such. Everyone tells their story the way they want, and if you go back and forth in time, then that’s up to you, each to their own preference. But if you want your novel to be commercially viable, then you must make it easy for your readers to enjoy.

Tell me what you think; do you prefer a novel that’s basically one big flashback? Or flitting to and fro? Do you like stories based in the past or perhaps futuristic tales are more up your alley? Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Alter-Ego Auto-Biographies

Alter-ego Auto-biographies

Ok, the new Bridget Jones’ Diary has been out for a little while now and has been widely publicised, so I decided to talk a little about semi-autobiographical novels. Novels based loosely on our own lives with just enough difference to try and make it interesting. Unfortunately the interesting bits are not usually interesting enough. I don’t mean Bridget Jones’ Diary specifically, since I haven’t read any of them, I cannot judge. But I did watch an interview with Helen Fielding the other day where she confessed to it being based on her own life. Her life it seems is interesting enough and she hasn't tried sugar coating or editing out any of the character's flaws, but that just happens to be the exception and not the rule. I don’t mean we cannot take subjects from our life and write them into fiction, we write about what we know, after all. But there is a difference between basing a story in the town where you grew up, and having a character that is exactly like the author with some bits added to make them exactly what the author wants to be.

This kind of narrative can be dull for the reader. A bland caricature of our idealised selves is not what most readers want, however this is fiction, and we can have whatever character we choose to write. Don’t forget that, it is YOUR story and if you want to write a story with a character based on yourself, then do. Just don’t expect your readers to enjoy it as much, they are not you. In the fiction I like to read, I like main characters to be heavily flawed. Alcoholics, drug addicts, rogues, thieves and even murderers (depending on the motive) make for fascinating reading. It is so tempting to write about a life we wish we had. I have done exactly that, though it is a story I won’t show anyone. I did it for me, just to allow my alter ego to behave exactly as I would want them to, just to get the urge out of the way and continue writing novels that my readers would enjoy.

Someone recently informed me that November is ‘Novel Writing Month’ and I was wondering how many people out there are waiting until 1^st November before starting to write their own tales? And if so, what inspired them to begin? As always, let me know what you think in the comments below. Have you written stories with yourself as the inspiration behind the main character? If so, how’d it turn out? Are you going to write in November? I look forward to reading your replies.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

2D or not 2D?

2D or not 2D?

I am a quarter of the way through my story when I realise that my main character/narrator is very 2-dimensional, or rather appears that way. In her synopsis (or brief life history) she has a perfectly good multi-layered life, but this does not come across on paper. So now I want to go back and start editing the first quarter, which goes against my usual protocol. Normally I will wait until I have finished the first draft and go back to edit a few months down the line, I find mistakes easier to pick up then. But now I’m in a quandary, because if I don’t edit the first quarter and ensure that my main character is more believable, I may have to adjust more than just the first quarter. I’m willing to do the extra work if it’s necessary to improve the story, but is it necessary or shall I spend some time over what I’ve already written and continue from there when I’m happy with it?

But then where will it end? Will I be forever 2^nd guessing myself? Revisiting parts here and there as I write? I fear that if this is the case then I will not finish the book. This is my conundrum, but I wonder if it’s one many authors have come across? I’ve spoken to many writers, amateurs and professionals alike, and this problem has never cropped up in conversation before. So have you had this problem? If so, what was your solution? It is my fault entirely for failing to see that my character was in need of a major overhaul. I used her as a tool to tell the tale and not as a character within the story itself. Not a mistake I’ve made before but there’s always a first time, and I’m sure I’ll make it again. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Prose Pros and Cons

Prose Pros and Cons.

We’ve all done it, I’m sure all writers have been guilty of it on more than one occasion. I know I have, and only notice when I edit the manuscript several months after completing the story. What sounds like the most beautiful use of scenic description, reads like poetry and paints a scene so sublime that Leo da Vinci would be jealous, is not necessarily the right way to write a novel. Have you ever read a novel, where a chapter starts by describing the scenery, only to find yourself reading about the same scene paragraphs later? I know I have, and it’s dull as dish water! You picked up a book expecting a tale of some sort, and instead what you get is a detailed description of watercolour challenge.

So how do you know when you’ve used too much text? Often it’s difficult to see straight away, which is why I leave my finished work for about 6 months before going back to edit. That’s when I usually notice erroneous adjectives. When reading a book, you don’t want to fumble through the prose trying to find the story hidden away do you? I try to only put in a couple of lines as and when it’s necessary so as to promote the use of imagination. I’ve spoken to some readers who don’t like this and prefer as much detail as possible in the books they read, because it helps them get a fuller picture of what’s going on, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sorry to sound like a broken record, but it always comes down to preference.

I know I prefer to use my imagination when reading because I can visualise stories while I read them with ease, not everyone can so they require a bit more detail. What about you? When reading, do you like a little or a lot? If writing, how do you notice when you’ve used too much text, or not enough? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Knock Knock Novels

Knock Knock Novels

My novel, as my readers are well aware, is a Murder Mystery, but I like to add a little humour. This isn’t essential but I find the light hearted moments, the moments that make you smile, make the book worth reading. Not that the content has to be hilarious, or that it’s not valuable without the humour, but a book without a funny side can be quite bland. A little comedy can go a long way to letting your readers connect with the author and vice versa. It shows the human moments, the episodes in life that are worth taking the time to appreciate.

Maybe your book isn’t supposed to have any comedy, for whatever reason. Maybe you don’t like the funniness in a story and find that it detracts from the tale itself. But I think humour can be a very useful tool in any book. You could be writing “The Most Depressing Book on Depression” but still have some humour in there to add a little flavour; otherwise readers who weren’t depressed would probably end up being the subject of the sequel. Equally, “The Most Tense Book on Tension” would be too much to bear without some jesting to break it up.

Again, as with most of my blogs, I believe it all comes down to preference, but I do not understand how a book can survive without any humour involved. That being said, do you like humour in your literature? If so, what kind of humour do you enjoy? Do you like books that are supposed to be funny? Or do you like serious stories with a little comedy thrown in? Do you like the outlandishly hysterical humour of Terry Pratchett, or the more subtle wit of Oscar Wilde? Personally I like them both, because they both make me laugh.

But these are just my opinions, what are yours? Let me know in your comments below. Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x

Distracting Discourse

Distracting Discourse

First I must yet again apologize to my readers. Last week I was ill and unable to update my blog. Not that there was much to update, I’m sure you lot don’t want to hear of sore throats and snotty noses. But now I am back to my blogging ways and must ask about dialogue.

I have just written a conversation between my main character and prison inmate that I really enjoyed writing. He was winding her up and she fell for it hook, line and sinker. There was a purpose to the conversation, my main character needed to figure something out for herself, and the best way to do that, I found, was to have a humorous yet purposeful dialogue between the two characters. But that got me thinking about dialogue. Is it always necessary or do we use too much? Does every conversation in a novel have to have a purpose or can it be an atmospheric tool? If you want your character to feel a particular way before an essential scene, is dialogue the best way to go? If you want someone to be angry, is it best to be provoked by another character, or will outside influences sway their emotions? If a love scene is to occur, will flirtatious dialogue lead to this scene, or will the mood be set by candle-lit scenery? Maybe the conversation is suppose to distract the reader from something that is developing?

Can superfluous dialogue be non-superfluous? By which I mean can dialogue that is not necessary to the story, not there to paint a mood and not helping to move the flow of the narrative ever really be left in? Does it always have to serve a purpose or can we get away with distracting discourse if it sounds really good? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Read, follow, comment and enjoy. M x