Augmented Reality

Technology has always fascinated me. Real or imagined it shapes all of our lives. It can be an engine for good or burden on society. Sometimes it is both.

Augmented Reality will, I hope, will be part of the former.

Google has produced a fascinating game call Ingress. I have not managed to get an invite to it and I doubt that I would have the time to play the game even if I did at the moment but the idea sounds intriguing. A fantasy world built on top of our own reality. Real people meeting and interacting in a physical sense. It is more than tapping on a keyboard or swiping a touch screen. It changes behaviours and it will change our world.

I think for the better.

Ingress is a new way of sharing storytelling. Earlier in my life I used to play role-playing games. Dungeons and Dragons was one. I mean the real role-playing, around the table, with real people in real time. Shared stories that helped me grow up and stretched my imagination. I hope the new wave of augmented reality gaming will do something similar in the lives of others.

It could do more.

Imagine the benefits to local economies. Local businesses able to promote their services via gaming portals. The melding of stories with local causes. The democratisation of the world via the mobile device. The expansion of free speech and express. The list goes on.

Google is leading the way. I hope other technology companies follow. This has the potential for something really special. Something good. Reality can be better tomorrow than it is today. All through the power of shared experience.

Bring it on.

Dream deep and work hard.

Patience is a virtue apparently.

That probably explains why I do not have much of it. Tomorrow is always going to be better and I can't seem to get the Earth to spin round fast enough sometimes. It is no good.

My books haven't written themselves. Strange that. After years of procrastination and blundering through life like a blind rhino I have still not managed to publish a major piece of work. It is frustrating. Life keeps getting in my way.

But I am getting there. Where ever 'there' happens to be. It won't be long folks. Keep the faith.

The good thing to take from my (almost) pathological inability to focus on a single project is that eventually, all at once, a lot of things will all be ready at the same point in time.

Critical mass.

This is the golden moment in which I will spring forth into the world of publishing and wow everyone with my creative brilliance. Hmm?

I know I will succeed as a writer. I do not give up on the important things in life. Writing fiction is my first love. It keeps me going during the dark dismal days. It gave me hope and strength when I fear the worst for my mother. I will get 'there' because I know so much about where 'there' is.  I am prepared to fight hard to achieve my goals. I have amazing abilities gained over decades of my life. I am an optimist and I refuse to give up on my dreams.

I also work bloody hard.

I want you guys to enjoy the ravings of my imagination. It would be lovely if my stories changed lives for the good. I want to make a difference. I want to be remembered with fondness.

And it will happen.

Harnessing 'Story Power'

Two things matter to me above all others. My stories and my family.

For those of you who follow my posts on a regular basis will know I have two poorly parents. Most of my free time is taken up supporting or thinking about them. My mother is especially vulnerable at the moment. I am sorry if I do not manage to post every day. Life gets in the way.

So many of us experience loss. There is so much wrong with our world and our lives. I have had to fight a titanic battle against stress over many years. I am winning. I am fighting for the lives of my loved ones too.

I want to make my life meaningful. To give it definition. There must be a point to existence beyond mere survival.

In the coming days, weeks, months or years I will be building an organisation to make that difference.

Image the resources generated globally by the entertainment industry. What if there was a game studio or a publishing house or an e-bookstore that not only served the needs of its customers but generated a substantial  amount for good causes. Cancer research would be high on my list.

I would run a commercial company with the sole aim of doing good by harnessing he power of the creative arts. It will take time to conceive properly. I am open to ideas from others.

It is early days still. I have a whole gamut of responsibilities (both personal and professional) I need the time to  think. I know that it could years for this project to get going.

But it will happen.

Creative synergy.

Words paint pictures in the mind.

I love science fiction and fantasy art. It relaxes me and quite often inspires me to write. I wish my own artwork was more advanced. One day I will share some of it with you all.

But writers are in the business of creating images. We may not determine the exact rendering of our scenes in the minds of our readers. We don't have access to that kind of telepathic control yet(!) but we can choose words and word structures that imply a certain appearance or style to a dramatic event or character. We can guide our readers through the story and make subtle suggestions.

That is how it should be. Show not tell.

But sometimes I like to team up with other creative individuals and combine my words with their pictures. It can be very effective. I often like to re-share images on various social networks. I try to give credit and encouragement to the source. If I forget the sorry. Remind me. I would like to work with more closely with gifted people of all kinds to create richer fantasy worlds. It would be fun.

I believe that we all have a responsibility to ourselves and each other to share good, positive and wholesome imagery  Words have power. They shape our thoughts. Pictures speak loudly. Put the two things together and whole worlds can be moved.

The wonderful experience of art should be shared. It should also be used for good. I am adding my words to this cause. Will you do so as well?

The nature of suffering

I sit tonight alone in my rocking chair thinking about my family.

Mum and Dad are only a few miles away. Tonight, if I let myself feel that way, they could be in another galaxy.

My mother is recovering from a serious illness. She is having trouble a the moment but will be fine. it is all part of the healing process. I know that.

It is hard for me to write fiction at a time like this. How can I daydream when my parent is suffering physical pain? I could remain silent. Instead I choose to speak about the emotions of the last year. Ones that threaten to enter into 2013

Suffering can take many forms. Physical pain is just one of them. Last year I spent too much time fighting off pain of a completely different kind.

Spiritual pain is the hardest type. I know my mother will get better. She is a strong woman and the prognosis is good for her. I know this but knowledge is only the first step in my journey to achieve my own recovery.

So I will not write any stories now. This is not fiction. Real life is a compelling tale. Mum will be okay.

I believe in happy endings.

So you want to be successful?

I have just read Mark Coker's excellent advice for budding indie writers. The link to the interview between the Huffington post and the Smashwords founder here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-henry-sterry/mark-coker_b_2594203.html

I have to say that I totally agree with his comment that the single most important thing to do to ensure success in self publishing is to, actually, write a good book.

It is pretty obvious.

Quality of the story and the writing itself is extremely important. Write something people want to read. Simple.

Quality of production and presentation is important too. I am working on this aspect at the moment. I have some way to go before I am happy I have processes in place for this. I will get there.

And then make your work available as widely as possible. Do not put all your eggs in one basket.

I would add that the old adage of 'Keeping it Simple Stupid'  is very apt one as well. Complex promotional plans are more likely to fail (and be costly) than simply producing a simple, well structured story, with interesting characters and selling it at an affordable price. (or even giving it away)

I am actually giving aspects of my story away even before it reaches its final version. My blog contains early copies of my story. I hope you appreciate and enjoy this process with me. It is rough and ready but the story will be stronger and better because of it.

You are welcome to copy my methods.

So this concludes Fisky's guide to e-book publishing success.

Get writing!

Glorious Sundays

A day of rest?

Sunday for me has always been the day I 'get stuff done.' Saturdays are for household jobs. The remaining part of the week is intended (in my mind) for writing. Sometimes I even get to publish my work.

It takes time to get things right. My day job involves checking up on other people and processes. That takes time and attention to get right too. I do not claim to find all the imperfections in my creative writing but I know I should not rush.

'Children of the Strom' has been bumping around in my head for at least five years or so. Its true origins date back to around 1994 but the project only began to take shape when I discovered an old story design (down the back of the sofa. Well almost) and thought I could do 'something good' with it.

It takes time to tell a good story.

I am now agilely publishing my book. I hope you enjoy what you find and I welcome your suggestions for improvements (or corrections!). The story is in second draft form and will be subject to further change. I am going to take as long as is needed to get it right. I do not see why I should keep it all to myself though. It can be found at.

http://childrenofthestorm.blogspot.co.uk/

It is rough and ready at the moment. A work in progress. The final version will include many more components of the story. I hope you enjoy what you find.

Sunday is a good day for this kind of thing. Resting, reading and planning for the future. What is the next step for me? Not sure, but writing is going to be central. Have a great evening.

Use word power to heal yourself

Another weekend is upon us. Another week is over. It has been a challenging time for me personally. The pressure of working and home lives have pressed in and tested my new found defences. Despite struggling at times I won through. I am glad it is Friday.

But I know that, as with any problem, understanding stress is the key to overcoming the condition. The more difficulties that get tossed in the way the more I develop methods of dealing with them. I know that my life will be amazing. I know I can win. I just need to claim that victory.

Today I arrived home feeling drained. I had a headache  I was downhearted. I could have just curled up in bed and crashed out for a couple of hours. A few weeks ago that would have been my solution.

I tried something else.

I am a writer. I know the power of words. Language shape our thoughts and our minds control so much of how our bodies react. Stress can be beaten by the human psyche. With this firmly in my mind I applied a bit of DIY psychological therapy. For a period of ten minutes or more I concentrated on generating as many positive or constructive words about myself or my life that I could. I tried to keep the list unique but I allowed myself complete freedom in choosing synonyms.

It lasted for a lot longer than ten minutes.

But the tiredness disappeared. the throbbing pain in my head vanished. I felt wonderful and the feeling lasts even now hours later as I type these words.

Try it. It works.

There are many ways to wage war on Stress. I hope this technique is useful for you.