Picking up the running shoes.

Oh it is good to be running again.

I have not hit the track for 5 months but now I have recovered from my ear surgery I took myself down to my local cycle track and pounded along for 25 mins. I took it easy but I am pleased with the results.

Everything is clicking into place.

I can run. I can tell stories. I can earn a living and I can help people. My future is looking good for once. I do not have to worry about the limitations of the past. I will realise my potential.

Running is a living metaphor for me. I strive to improve my abilities and performance but also I relax. Life is not about fighting against insurmountable odds. At least not all the time. Some time the old adage 'less is more' is appropriate. I can achieve my ambitions but letting life flow.

Just let it all happen.

My writing is certainly flowing. I need to finish two more chapters of 'Children of the Storm' and then my first novella will be ready for editing. I am already thinking about book 2 and also my science fiction series. I am very prolific with my ideas at the moment. It is a good time.

So running and writing are going well. Things are nearly perfect.

That is (probably) as goo as it gets for anybody. I am happy with that.

Have a good weekend.

Time to write a gamebook

I have some time off work coming up soon.

My plan for my holiday had involved finishing 'Children of the Storm'. However I have made so much progress with the novella that it will be finished long before I start my break. I have to find something else to do with my time it seems.

So I am going to write some interactive short stories instead. Have a look at this tool. http://writer.inklestudios.com/ It is wonderful HTML5 application built by a company called Inkle Studios based in the UK. The software allows the creation of CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) sytle interactive fiction stories. I had a play the other day and it was amazing fun. So in November I am intending to have a go and right a story of my own using it.

Inkle studios is one of a number of companies bringing the 1980's gamebook genre back to life. They have released the first of the Steve Jackson 'Sorcery' series as a computer game. I am waiting for this one to arrive on Android so I can have a go. I remember the books as complex, and quite fun, stories. I am looking forward to see how the concept has evolved into the digital era.

So that is my vacation sorted out then. I will then have to get around to more mundane tasks such as editing (Grr!) and maybe planning for the next book in my novella series.

A writer's work is never done eh?

CYOA style movies

I often write posts about my love of the 'Choose your own adventure' series of books. I have read a multitude of gamebooks and muli-branch interactive fiction but wouldn't it be good to see them on Television?

A Choose your own adventure style movie? One written by experience screenwriters, with real actors and a top director. The viewer would watch a section of the film and then decide which subsequent scenes happened. It could be amazing if done right.

Obviously it is not something I am likely to be involved with. At least not for a long while. I am reliably told that the technology to do the multi-branching is built into DVDs. I am not an expert on film technology though. I do not own a television currently!

But maybe some of the old 'Fighting Fantasy' classics or the 'Lone Wolf' / 'Way of the Tiger' gamebooks could be re-imaged as screenplays / screen-games?

I would love to see someone try. It would be fun.

And no doubt someone else has already had a go. I would love to find out.

Interactive writing

I have previous posted about my love of all things CYOA (Choose your own adventure) But how about interactive writing as well as the reading / playing.

How easy is it is to involve readers early in the creative process. I would hesitate to release my early drafts of most of my books. I did try that approach at the start of the year but stopped when I realised it wasn't working that well. My writing was not ready for release.

I would love to give people more of an insight into 'my world'. I am not sure I would get a lot of takers though!

There are a number of companies that have started recently to produce various forms of 'Interactive' or 'Active' fiction. Agile Publishing models have been around for while too. I will think hard about writing in a way that could accommodate some of these concepts. I want to remain open minded over how I approach my work.

Who knows, it is bound to be quite fun.

So close

I am closing in on finishing my novella.

The story is entering a new phase. The plot rushes towards resolution. It is a great feeling.

It is also a challenging time. I have to cover off enough of the plot to complete the story but not to give too much away for the sake of the rest of the series. It is quite a difficult balance.

Good thing I have a plan.

Back in 2011 I dug up an old novel design. These scraps of paper form the basis for the 'Children of the Storm' plot and characters. I have been working on this story for a very long time. I re-planed the tale into four novella. The other three are gagging to be written. It is all written down.

So as soon as this one is done I will be starting book two 'Isle of the Sorcerer'. The story goes on. For now I will focus on the closing scenes of my first book. I know it has taken a while to get 'there'.

I hope it has been worth the wait

Look forward.

Navel gazing is dangerous.

At best it is a waste of time. It can be harmful. If bad things have happened in the past then they are best left there. Do not reproduce them in the present.

I try to learn from my mistakes. I deeply regret not tackling my problems with stress much earlier. I am not going to ponder the possibilities of what might have happened. I would go bonkers.

I have done many good things too. I think these memories are more useful. Even so, I need to keep moving on in my life. I am not going to bank on past results. No resting on my laurels for me.

The future is more interesting.

My life is opening up in ways I could not have dreamed of even a few short years ago. My writing is finally reaching a standard where I can hope to publish and be successful. My relationships with friends, family, work colleagues and even complete strangers are getting stronger and healthier. Life is good.

It can get even better. Sometimes we do not anticipate our own potential. I know I underrate many things I do. We should all blow our trumpets. If there is a book in each one of us then get writing!

But only view the past as a way of improving the future. That is its sole purpose.

A question of viewpoint

I have always wanted to write a first person novel.

These are quite different beasts from the third person stories I am used to writing. I have never really made a success of first person writing but I have hope.

I also love the second person 'Gamebook' genre. I would love to pen one of these as well. Again I have struggled. In this case due lack of time and space. There are only so many 'plates' I can spin at once.

It is important to view stories from differing viewpoints. Even a third person story can benefit from looking through the eyes of another character. I often write multiple versions of a scene doing just that. It can be a good way of strengthening both the story and the your understanding of the characters.

I wonder how that would work with the first person concept though?

This is the challenge. How to keep the story fresh when there is only one 'pair of eyes' seeing the action? I guess there would need to be a lot of 'thinking out loud.' I will try a small story one of these days. The best way to find out if it is for me is to have a go.

And the Gamebook will happen one day as well.

Rainy days

It just does not stop.

"...Rain, rain go away. come back another day..." That was something I used to say. Now I love rainy days.

They are the most wonderful, delight filled and generally amazing occasions that anybody could possibly want. I love being trapped in my flat. Unable to visit the pub garden or waste time window shopping. It is fantastic.

I get to write!

At the current rate of progress I will finish my first novella in under a month. I have four chapters left. I am already thinking about the production stages and starting work on the sequel. Not long to go.

Finishing is such an amazing feeling. I can put up with the dark, cold winter days ahead if I know that just round the corner I will actually get to the end of the book. That has to be something to look forward to.

This is my third attempt at getting this particular story out of my head and onto the page. That makes this feeling even better. There will be a party when I do get to the last full stop.

And then the editing begins...

Why do books have to end?

The end is in sight

Actually I had to stop myself from sounding like Winston Churchill. "This is only the end of the beginning not the..."

My book is coming along nicely. I am attempting to write a scene a day. It gives me great pleasure to complete a part of the story jigsaw for each writing session.

I am in love with my characters. I am dreading the point where some of them may end up being 'bumped off'. They are like kids. They run around in my head leaving mayhem in their wake. They don't let me sleep and I am starting to talk to myself in public now... I better get them all written so I can get some peace.

So the third draft of 'The book' will be complete by Christmas (fingers crossed) and the editing will start sometime in the new year.

It is good to see the end post in sight. In reality I won't stop with this story. It go on for a bit longer. There is books 2, 3 and 4 all sitting in my design notepad ready to be implemented. Brilliant. I am looking forward to it all continuing.

And now, back to the book!