Interview at Inception Radio Network, Chicago

In  about an hour, I'll be talking live with Heidi Hollis at Inception Radio Network in Chicago, Illinois! You can listen live at inceptionradionetwork.com.

We'll be chatting about Mammon and the paranormal ideas, issues and themes in the book (and the world at large).


JB x

One thousand words

Okay. I'm not about to say that this is a cure-all for writer's block, but I have a theory that may help some of you fellow writers who suffer, stare at the keyboard, contemplate literary suicide and bang your heads on the desk.

One thousand words per day (or in my case, per night). Do the maths and you'll figure out how long it will take you to meet your word count goal.

Then, write.

When you start off, it can seem like a huge hurdle when you're struggling to find one quality sentence. One thousand words? Seriously?

My solution is to puke on to the screen. Yucky, I know - but it's really a truthful way of describing the process. Typing the most crappy, basic, telling-style prose, just to get the skeleton down. Then, slowly, the puke turns into something a little more appetising (which isn't hard!) and suddenly I find myself enjoying what I write, because at some point, by relaxing and accepting the crappy first draft, I've relaxed my brain and allowed creativity to flow.

A lot of the time, the 1000 words consists of dialogue and some action. Easy! The descriptive prose often comes around when I go over the first draft.

Sometimes, by the time I've done 1000 words, I'm ready to stop. At other times, I can go on and do another 500 or 1000. The point is, getting it down is important. You can work with a lump of clay, as unattractive as it may be in its original form, but you can't work with thin air.

And yes, when I miss a night, it nags at me until I make up for it. Sometimes, I'll write double the nightly word count to compensate, or the nagging goes on. Does the nagging ever end? I think this is our curse, as writers. But the creative process and final product are worth it.

What do you think, fellow writers?

The Night Writer.....ooh! It sounds scary, huh? AND IT IS!!

Okay, so I am a Night Writer. This means that basically, I can't write anything decent before 8pm. From the literary sense, I mean - I can do real job-related stuff anytime, unfortunately.

I'm off work sick with a chest infection. While I am avoiding using my voice, I'm still trying to exercise my literary one. And it's failing!

I know that around 8pm tonight, it will kick in with all the......um... (hold on, and I'll give you a brilliant metaphor tonight).

Oh, I can throw lots of 'telling' style paragraphs down, like slapping on an undercoat before bringing out the Hawker's Gold...but I just can't click on that inspired switch in my head while the sun is hanging around. Good thing I'm not living in the extreme North.

This realisation lends itself to all sorts of paranoia - WHAT IF I BECOME FAMOUS? (Ha, ha! Please excuse me for a moment while I reach for the Robitussen). A jealous rival might try to sabotage me by making prank calls at night. Or, what the night voice goes away and I'm left with...well, THIS?
 
How about you? Is anyone here a certified Night Writer?

JB

News

I'm pleased to share that I am now represented by Leonie Tyle of Tyle and Bateson Publishing. It's wonderful news and Leonie has been a strong supporter of the Ferryman Chronicles from the start. I'll post news about the series' development in due course.

Review: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott



I don't write many reviews. I do rate books on Goodreads, but I tend not to review them on the blog.

My agent put me on to this book. I've tried out some writing guides before, and found that while they had great ideas, many of them could've been found on the web for free. The difference is, that this author suggests resounding, practical ways to write. She has an alternative word for 'writer's block' that I find delightful, and optimistic. No time is wasted in her world - so much of her daily experience helps inspire and contribute to her writing. If you've read my past posts, you'll know how agitating I find the statement that 'We must write every day,' because many proponents of this don't often suggest practical ways to ensure we can do this.

Lamott recommends going away from the computer and 'filling up' by doing other things. It's probably been said before, in some other form - but she explains things in such reassuring, funny ways that it's just inspiring.

Also, she nails the experience of being a first time published author.

Five stars.

JB

It's PR, darling! Branding an author, and other interesting pastimes

All-new, value for money, always satisfied...

Why do I feel like I'm...well, you know - SELLING myself?

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One thing I have learned over the past two years, is that I am responsible for my own PR. The key word of the moment is 'branding'. I'm not unfamiliar with the idea, having worked as a spin doctor for various organisations in my post-Uni years.

So, authors must work on developing their own brands. 

So, J.B. Thomas becomes a brand. How can I make it recognisable?

It's a challenging thought. I'm a person. Do I try to become well known in the way that someone like Obama has? I don't have millions to spend, nor do I have access to big media. And when J.K. Rowling comes to mind, all I can think of is wizards. It's hard to wrap my head around it, to see an author as a brand, as opposed to the books.

But I'm trying! My social media profile includes:
  
Facebook pages:

• Author page for J.B. Thomas
• Fan page (Ferryman Chronicles)
• Halloween Giveaway USA

Twitter account
Goodreads Author profile and discussion group, moderated by me (Writing for Young Adults) 
Mammon book trailer on my YouTube account
Amazon Author Central profile
Google Circles profile
Linked In account
Blog
Website (under construction)

These things all take time and dedication. I try to blog twice a week and list a new writing task on the Goodreads discussion group each fortnight.  It's good to try and link your blog posts to other accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook and Linked In.

I think this is how it works, but I'm still learning.

Question: 

What is your take on author branding? Should we do it, or just focus on writing? Am I right in what I am doing, or am I missing something?

And, if you have time: what are some essential items for an author website? 

Would love to hear your thoughts, sweetie darlings....

The former PR guru,

JB xx

Here we go again...should we write every day, or not?

I've discussed this idea before, but it's worth revisiting. Every now and then I come across authors who say that we MUST write every day. Some of these authors are flexible - and allow the definition of 'writing' to include blog posts, character bios, etc - but others insist that it be manuscript work.

Tonight, I've been looking over my latest work. It's obvious to me that some of this writing was done on a day when I didn't feel like writing, while another part was completed during an inspired three hours one night. The difference is incredible. The second part is much, much better, with vibrant, believable dialogue and character development. The first part is...dare I say - BORING!

I think I need to find a middle ground. I teach full time. In a high school. With some very challenging students. I'm tired at the end of the day. But to have a writing career, I need to commit to writing daily, or at least every second day. But there are some days when it's better for my writing health to back away from the computer, rest and dream a little.

JB xxx

Interview with Lara Morgan, author of the Rosie Black Chronicles (and a fellow WA author!)

I'm pleased to welcome the lovely Lara Morgan, author of the awesome Rosie Black Chronicles and a WA based writer! I really enjoyed the first book and am looking forward to reading to the sequel. You can read my Goodreads review for Book 1, Genesis, here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/202889998.

So, let the interview begin!
 
JB: What is your writing process like? Do you make a plan/outline and work from that? Or do you start typing and let the story evolve itself?

LM: There’s a bit of a divide among writers between those we call plotters and pantsers ie writing without a map, and I fall a bit between the two with a leaning toward the pantser. I generally start out making lots of fairly long notes on how I think the story will progress, who the characters are and their paths within the story and how everything might end. These notes often are written in hasty scrawl as ideas come to me so there are not always even that legible but it’s the act of writing them down that helps me crystalise what my story will be. Then I draw a plot arc on a big A5 art block. Essentially it’s a diagonal line across the page where I place dots and short descriptions of the beginning, major plots points and the end along the line in what I think might be the order of the scenes. I usually know how a book will end, in a general sense, and what the main dramatic turning point will be midway through the book. Then I just start to write. As I write the smaller details always change – sometimes even the larger one. A character will appear, or change in importance, or I’ll discover a plot point I had thought would work wouldn’t so things get very fluid and I end up with a very long, overly complicated, sometimes confusing first draft. And as I write I break once or twice to summarise the scenes I’ve written in short paragraphs then make notes again as to how the story will progress. It’s a long process and I often wish I was the kind of person who could make a detailed plan first up so I knew exactly how the story went but that doesn’t work for me. I get bored if I know everything first up and it makes me feel trapped and stymies my creative flow so I have to keep things open ended and allow the story to go where it will. After about 3 drafts it’s usually making some sense. One thing that rarely changes though is the ending. Ninety per cent of the time I have quite a clear picture in my head of how the story will end. 

JB: What is next for you now the Rosie Black Chronicles are finished?

LM: I have the third and final book in my adult fantasy, The Twins of Saranthium, to finish. It’s been languishing in the corner while I completed the Rosie books and I am over due to get that one done. Hopefully I will be able to finish it this year. After that I have ideas for more young adult books and there are two adult stories I really want to get to, but I can’t discuss any of them yet they are still in the embryo stage.
 
JB: Would you like to see the Rosie Black Chronicles made into films or a TV series? If so, who would you cast as Rosie?

LM: I would love to see Rosie on the big screen and I get asked that a lot on my blog. It is something I’m actively pursuing, though I can’t say anymore at this stage and let’s remember getting a film made can take YEARS! As to who to cast as Rosie, that is such a hard question. I’ve said in the past that Caitlin Stasey, who played Ellie in Tomorrow When the War Began, could be a good pick but I honestly don’t know, there are so many talented young women in film and TV today. I think I’ll leave the choice to future casting directors, but if any readers have a preference I’d be really interested to hear it. Let’s start a debate on my blog. Go to www.laramorgan/wordpress.com and get posting!
 
JB: Great idea! Let's get it rolling! So, which authors do you admire, and why? What was your favourite book as a teenager?

LM: Ursula Le Guin is an inspiration and I am in awe of her ability to capture the emotional core of characters and establish a scene in so few words. Octavia Butler for the scope of her imagination and characters. Harper Lee, who wrote one of the best books in the English language. Shakespeare, a genius at reflecting back at us humanity in all its facets. Tolkien, the grandad of fantasy, because he invented a whole new language and for the depth of the world of Middle Earth. And that’s just a few, give me a scroll and I’ll go on and on!
As for my teenage years, I read a lot of romance. I remember loving the novel of the film Romancing the Stone and reading it too many times to count! The Outsiders was also a favourite as was Wuthering Heights. The book that has had the biggest impact on me though has always been The Lord of the Rings. My mother read it to me when I was a child and I can still remember how afraid I was of the dark riders pursuing Frodo. I think The Ring and The Hobbit, along with the Narnia books, have been the foundation that steered me toward writing my own stories.
 
JB: Yes, I was a huge fan of S.E. Hinton too! Do you prefer writing adult fiction, or YA? If you like both equally (and I suspect you will) what are the differences/challenges?

LM: I do like writing both and I approach both in the same manner; I want to tell the best story I can and stay true to the characters. The main differences between adult and YA is the length – many publishers prefer YA to hover around the 80,000 word mark whereas my adult novels are much longer - and the complexity of plot. My adult novels tend to be more complicated in terms of including more political/socially complex ideas whereas YA is driven more strongly by character and plot. I also won’t include graphic sex or violence in YA, by which I mean you’re not going to find Game of Thrones type of scenes in them! The challenge I find for my YA writing is not to make things too convoluted. My editors are always asking me to keep the plot threads more streamline please. But l also think readers like a challenge so I can’t help throwing in as many twists and turns as I can! 

Thanks for stopping by at Dark Ink, Lara!

A Christmas Bonus!

Forgive me for boasting, but wheeee!!!! Stories for Seven Year Olds is in the top ten at Random this week. Of course, it's all down to me. Nothing to do with Jennings, Harvey or Gleitzman.....

This Week's Top 10 Bestsellers

• Overall
• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Childrens

Childrens Top 10

4

0

0

0

0

9

1

0

0

5

© Nielsen BookScan

How Did The Crow's Feathers Turn Black?

I'm happy to announce that my short story, How the Crow's Feathers Turned Black, was published today as part of a Random House Australia anthology, Stories for Seven Year Olds!

http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/linsay-knight/stories-for-seven-year-olds-9781742756622.aspx

Only two days until NaNoWriMo!

Yes, it's only a couple of days now until the big writing event happens! Between now and then, several of us will be dressing up and running around like idiots. My choice is red devil horns, cape and trident. It's Halloween!

How are you getting ready for NaNoWriMo? I'm enjoying the chance to actually nut out the story before I begin typing. A nice chance from the rollercoaster that has been The Ferryman Chronicles.

More NaNoWriMo updates soon from the DarkLight Collection Agency!

JB xxx

Defending the 'derivative'

I once read a short review of Mammon where the reviewer said that she found the book ‘derivative’. This was on Goodreads; it was not a formal review in a journal or newspaper. I assumed this woman was in her thirties. Of course, I was bothered by that because as an English teacher, I have access to a book room full of the most original books ever written, and I felt that I had a standard to maintain.

Not so. Not in the way you might think.

I’ve been teaching English for ten years. During this time, I have watched my students suffer while reading books that many adults deemed appropriate (and indeed, these books were award winners). The clue to their boredom, for those who might not have been paying attention, was the raucous applause they gave as we reached the last page. One would assume it was something to do with the narrative that displeased them. Slow pacing is the most common complaint, but I have to wonder if it had something to do with shared understandings and the assumptions that adults make about teenage readers.

Over the past ten years, I have had many kids ask me to explain common words, sayings, ideas and understandings that are presented via the written word: language that we as adults take for granted that other adults will understand. 

Guess what? Kids don’t. They don’t know the old fables, fairytales, songs and poems that were part of our mainstream culture when we were growing up. They don’t know about political, social and historical contexts that are touched upon in books. Okay, some teachers will say, ‘It’s your responsibility to fill in those gaps.’ That is quite right. However, when a teenager is reading a YA novel outside of the classroom, there may not be a suitable adult nearby to explain said concepts. So, this is where a novel’s derivative nature can be of benefit.

As YA authors, we are responsible for passing down stories and ideas to the next generation. This is particularly important for a generation that has become detached from many of the old stories, and the aforementioned ideas, sayings, etc.

Therefore, it is okay to be derivative! I challenge the reviewers who dismiss YA novels as such. Mammon is not the first to be labelled as derivative, but I am pleased that it is!

We should also remember that a good YA novel will encourage reluctant readers to pick up a book again. By filling in gaps, derivative novels can re-engage those who feel intimidated by the so-called more ‘challenging’ YA texts.

I am passing down story structures and ideas to the next generation. Archetypal characters and storylines are part of the practice of passing stories on to a new breed of readers, many of who have never heard of the old tales, fables, sayings and myths.

NanoWrimo and the terror of the first draft

Okay, so NanoWrimo is coming and I'm hoping to churn out a 50,000 word draft for my next novel during November. Previously, this would have freaked me out, but now I feel that this is attainable. I managed to nail down the first draft of Rise of the Shadow Wolf in 10 months. 

You're probably thinking: that's a lot longer than four weeks!

True, but it's a heck of a lot shorter than the three years it took me to write Mammon.

The thing is, I've learned that if you self-flagellate over every word, you will never get anything written. It's best to just vomit up what you have to say on to the page. That's right, vomit. Just chuck it up because otherwise, it will remain a bilious lump in your gut - or worse, stuck in your throat - and fester there until you go mad. Of course, what you see on the page may well be crap. But we can work with crap. We can't work with a blank page. So my advice to all the would-be NanoWrimo authors out there is: just get the story down on the page and worry afterwards about fine-tuning the structure and language. The feeling of accomplishment at getting a first draft done is MAGIC! 

Good luck! I'll report back during November with regular NanoWrimo updates! 

JB xxx

Dredd is coming!

Not long now until the 3D release of Dredd. I love Karl Urban anyway, and the preview looks...very Dredd.

Interview with acclaimed fantasy author, Marianne DePierres!

 JB: Marianne, how does it make you feel to be a popular, successful author?

MDP: I acknowledge my achievements (e.g. 15 books published etc, some awards received) but I don’t consider myself either of those things, and really, those kinds of tags can make you a little bit crazy. I write what I want, help the people I can along the way, and let the rest take care of itself.

JB: Considering the present state of technology, what do you think the future of storytelling will be?

MDP: I honestly don’t know exactly where it will go other than to say ‘electronic’ will rule eventually. After that … who knows?? I do believe, however, that the art of storytelling will never disappear. The human race needs it to make sense of their existence. Without stories we would devolve.

JB: The Burn Bright book is very original. Do you feel pressure to create in-vogue storylines that fit in with popular culture?

MDP: Thank you. And absolutely not. This was a story that took seven years to write. I didn’t even know if it was YA until I finished the first draft. The story came to me and I went with it. Never had a second thought for what was around in the marketplace. 

JB: So, in your creative process, do you prefer to use word processors or write by hand?

MDP: I loathe handwriting. My fine motor coordination isn’t great and I have a very awkward pen grip. I don’t think I would ever have finished a novel if WP’s hadn’t been invented!

JB: I know just what you mean! So, how have you found working with a publishing house? In general, do you think that publishers help writers to evolve?

MDP: I'd dread NOT working with a good publisher - the collaborate effort that goes into making your books better is quite remarkable. Good publishers rock.

Thank you, Marianne, for joining me at Dark Ink for the first of my Author Interviews!