A fresh beginning

I don't make that many new years resolutions. I rarely keep them.

This year I have made solid progress with my stories. I have improved in many ways. I also know that there so much more to do.

My writing can get better. The broad brush storytelling approach I use is okay but needs more work. I need to use words more cleverly. I need to continuously push the boundaries of what I can achieve.

I am thinking of re-reading books I haven't looked at for decades. In the increasingly competitive marketplace it is important to be the best that 'you can be'. I fancy having a gander through the work of Laurie Lee or John Updike or maybe study my old favourites Arthur C Clarke and Isaac Asimov? There are so many good examples to follow.

I need to work on life away from the keyboard as well. That is another story.

So to you all, I wish you a happy, productive and above all restful new year. I hope things turn out for the best for you. Here is to 2014. Lets 'make it' a good year for us all.

The future is getting brighter.

I am not just meaning the solstice has passed.

If 2012 was dark year for me then 2013 has been the complete opposite.

I was pretty ill last year but 12 months ago I had a life changing visit to a specialist doctor and I have not looked back. This year has been simply amazing. I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think how good life is at the moment.

I also finished the first part of my science fiction series ('The Keodu Sequence') and redrafted book one in my sword and sorcery based 'Children of the Storm' These are now awaiting editing. I may promote them up to full novels next year. Lets see?

But the thing that really excites me is that 2014 has all the potential to be even better. I have conquered stress. The amazing inner strength I had need to have to survive all those years gives me reason to hope for the future. I can so much now. I want to write more stories and help more people. I will also need to test software (Day job still needed alas!)

So I hope that your year has had plenty of high points. I also wish you a happy Christmas and a wonderful new year. The future is unwritten. So get writing!

Write without self doubt

Why do we doubt ourselves?

As a writer I am plagued by this corrosive and totally unnecessary aspect of my life. I can get trapped in a negative spiral of uncertain outcomes and thoughts. Will I succeed as a writer? Am I good enough?

I am sure I not the only one.

As with many things in life, the secret to unlocking the puzzle is simply to have confidence in ourselves. I know this is true. I spent many years seriously ill solely due to the lack of belief in my own abilities. I recovered when my confidence rose. Don't think yourself into failure.

Writing is a craft. We all can learn to be good and successful authors. The old saying that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration is very relevant here. If you have a weakness in an area then simply work on it. A positive attitude will lead to amazing results.

When I close my eyes I often see images of the stories I am writing. The imagery is wonderful. My job is to convey these scenes across to others. I know I have what it takes. I believe most people have what it takes!
The ideas and concepts and pictures that occupy my thoughts demand to be express in my books. I should not worry about their quality.

And neither should you worry about your stories. Get writing!

A science fiction 'mini series' (Sharp Light)

Isn't it always the way when you are planning a simple project and it takes on a life of its own.

My short story is growing by the day.

I had originally planned 'Sharp Light' to be a simple 2,000 short piece. I want a break from my Fantasy series and get back to writing science fiction.

Well plans have changed.

I have begun to design an interactive 'Choose your own adventure' style interactive story and I am also considering whether I write a short story and then publish each scene a few days apart (and then publish the entire manuscript at the conclusion of the mini series)

It will all be free for anyone to read and play.

This will be fun to do. However the down side is that it will also delay my other creative projects. I think it is worth trying to do this project. I will not publish any of the story until the entire work is finished. It is good to be different.

So watch this space. I will cut the first words either today or tomorrow and I expect to be able to start posting early in the new year.

Do not publish until you are ready

If you do not feel ready to publish then you probably shouldn't

That is my feelings for my books.

I have nearly finished my fantasy novella and I am going to have resist with all my willpower the urge to convert the manuscript into an e-book and 'put it out there.' I need to complete my edits, get the document proofread and reviewed by an external editor and then make the corrections, more proofreading and maybe after that it will be ready.

Truth is, the longer I take the better the finished story will be.

And I think that there is too much pressure on writers to publish before they are ready. Resist!

I would love to have several full length novels or collections of novella published around the same time. It would be fabulous. It would also be commercially sensible. I am going to wait until this becomes a possibility

So sorry to everyone who wants to read my books. I will produce short stories for you all. I am a perfectionist and I will not compromise on the quality of my work.

It will be worth the wait...