Check out the trailer for Allison’s newest book – release date June 1, 2011.
Category Archives: Novels
Excellent Blog Post on Titles
Scottish romance novelist, Janice Horton, wrote a post on her blog entitled “A Working Title…?” For those of us who have a hard time coming up with a title, whether before or after we’ve created our “baby”, this is an excellent post. Janice has hit the nail on the head with the conundrum of choosing a title and included some good links, too.
You can read her post at http://janicehortonwriter.blogspot.com/
Finished reading…
I just finished reading Dying Light by Stuart MacBride. Like his first published crime novel, Gold Granite, this was the second gripping tale of DS Logan McRae set in Aberdeen.
I was so taken with his first (what can I say, Aberdeen and crime?, I’m there… wouldn’t even have to be crime… mostly Aberdeen does it for me) that I have all but his most recent one. According to Stuart’s website the books are written so they can be read in any order. However, unlike the way I write, I like to read in published order. So if I stick to that, then the next piece of his I’ll be reading will be Broken Skin.
Stuart MacBride’s website is at http://www.stuartmacbride.com/
Thousand Islands Writers Festival Workshops Cancelled
The May 7th workshops that I was so looking forward to (How to Find an Editor and Why You Need One and How to Write Effective Dialogue) have been cancelled due to low registration.
I’m sad and angry at the same time that the event didn’t get the support from the local writing community. The committee works hard all year to bring great authors in for readings and workshops for the spring and fall events.
Death Ship – yesterday’s reading
Fully charged Sony reader in my purse and Death Ship downloaded to it, I was ready for some lunch time reading yesterday. I admit for a brief moment I wondered if it was something best not read whilst eating but it was too late. I was already hooked!
Now, I’m counting the days until The Figurehead becomes available. The first chapter teaser drew me into the story immediately.
Introduced to new author
My good friend, Chris Longmuir, has introduced me to the works of Bill Kirton. I just downloaded Death Ship from Smashwords and am looking forward to reading it. He’s also included a teaser… chapter 1 of the Figurehead.
Promises to be some good reading ahead for me. I’ll report back soon after I’ve read them.
Bill maintains a website at http://www.bill-kirton.co.uk/ and a blog at http://livingwritingandotherstuff.blogspot.com/
E-Publishing (self/indie) vs Traditional Publishing – from someone who has done it both ways
My good friend, Chris Longmuir, recently put a post on her blog about her experiences with traditional publishing and self-publishing. It’s a very good read.
Check it out at: http://chrislongmuir.blogspot.com/
Thousand Islands Writers Festival
I bought my tickets for the May 7th workshops when I was out and about on Wednesday. The morning session is How to Find an Editor and Why You Need One. The afternoon session is How to Write Effective Dialogue.
Detailed information on the workshops can be found at: http://www.tiwfestival.org/?d=f1
Progress Report
Since going back to my manuscript file this past Wednesday and actually working in it (I know – pretty amazing, eh?) after successfully avoiding it for some time, I’ve managed to add 1964 words. It might have been more than that but everytime I put it down and went back to it, I changed things… found better ways to say stuff in fewer words and then added more in other places. My word count has jumped to 99347 and this is only Part 1! But there is a major purge coming so I will likely lose a good chunk of them. However, with the change in direction I’ve gone in, I could be back up to that and higher before I finish this particular segment.
The only problem I can foresee with this week’s work is I’m going to have to go back and incorporate some of the techniques I’ve learned at recent workshops into earlier portions of my WIP.
Maybe I should tell my WIP to RIP and start a totally new project?
This week’s writing
I’ve not posted anything since I wrote about the writing workshop. Since then, I’ve been busy writing whilst managing to avoid my manuscript. I’ve got three short stories completed – one of which I mailed off today to the Writers’ Union of Canada’s Writing for Children contest, one possibly will be an entry for the Scene of the Crime Festival’s annual contest, and the third just to increase my inventory of stories since you never know when you might need one for something.
Yesterday, and the day before, I worked on a re-write of a short story I did a number of years ago called Dracula’s Castle.
Only today did I open my two manuscript files. This morning it was formatting only to eliminate “Tabs”. If there are any left in either file, then they are hiding well and truly deeply. After coming home from mailing my contest entry, I actually opened the first file and found the revisions I made after attending Brian Henry’s Writing for Children & Young Adult workshop and have them (and a few more) incorporated into Chapter 1.