Category: Author

5 Writing Mistakes

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Use

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Honest Reviews

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Review8 Comments

Do you write reviews? Do you read them; perhaps use them for some idea of whether a particular book is for you? It's certainly the case that reviews are an essential element for indie writers to get their books noticed. So, as with all matters commercial, an element of fraud and cheating has entered the world …

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To Buy a Wife, by KC Klein, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Review

This novella, a mix of fantasy and soft science fiction, is a romance set in a dystopian society. Told from the points of view of the male and female leads, it manages to get inside both characters and express the experiences, emotions and thoughts of each. The book is one of a series set in …

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Short on Success?

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Prizes3 Comments

Novelist, playwright, journalist, writer of fact, or simply a 'writer'? I'll bet, whatever your specialism, you’ve at least been tempted to try your hand at that gem of creativity, the short story. I’m not going to go into definitions, since theories suggest the short story is anything from 6 to 20,000 words. For me, a …

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Featured in a New Anthology.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction8 Comments

A short while ago, I entered a short story into a contest. As usual, I then forgot all about it. A few days ago, I received an email to tell me my story, whilst not a winner, had been shortlisted and was to feature along with 25 others. It’s a collection of humorous stories written …

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The Ships of Aleph, by Jaine Fenn, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Fiction, Review

This short book is a mix of fantasy and soft science fiction that works well. It paints a picture of a world both disturbing and intriguing. I suspect that the author will, or maybe has already, feature the world in further fiction. It certainly has potential. The story moves the main character through a learning …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 12.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll look at common redundancies and a few flabby expressions. Ask the question: Can you do anything else with a question but ‘ask’ it? Of course you can: pose a question, even post a …

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A Weekend at #FantastiCon 2015.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction7 Comments

And what a weekend it was! I first mentioned it in an earlier post, find it here. This was the second fantasy/science fiction convention I've attended. Both events were organised by my amazing publisher, Dan Grubb of Fantastic Books Publishing. The first was in Hull, last year. This year's event took place in the Country …

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The Island (Part 1), by Michael Stark, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Review

This book, as the subtitle suggests, is the beginning of a story. For me, it is, as with so many 'books' in the current market, not what I understand to be a book. It's a scene setter. It follows a marketing technique that's been used in other industries for years but one I feel is …

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Launch of The Methuselah Strain in Hardback

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction

My publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing has published my science fiction novella, The Methuselah Strain in a limited edition hardback version alongside the digital version. The book, all copies of which will be signed by yours truly, is due for launch tomorrow, 24th October at Fantasticon 2015. See the previous blog post, here, for full details …

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Fantastic Fantasticon 2015:

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction

What is it? It's a different kind of fantasy/scifi/gaming convention open to anyone and everyone with an interest in these popular topics. A place to take part, rather than simply a market place (though there are things to buy for those who want them, of course). And if you're a Dr Who fan, you'll find …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 11.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice2 Comments

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve their craft. Here, I'm looking at ways to trim our writing. Readers will thank us. I'll look at common redundancies and a few flabby expressions. But, reading this post and nodding wisely won't improve your writing. Stay alert to those extraneous words that sneak into text, or they'll slide …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 10.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Word Choice7 Comments

It's been a while: my apologies. I've been rethinking certain aspects of my writing life and deciding what changes I need to make, and when and where. And domestics have been a little unsettled recently with some slightly changed priorities that have made it temporarily more difficult to get on with my writing. Next Saturday, I'll be at …

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77 Ways to Find New Readers, by Laura Pepper Wu, Reviewed.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Review5 Comments

I gained this as a free download for reasons I can't now recall, but I would have happily paid the full asking price. Not all the methods propounded in this slim volume are new to me, but many are. And it's good to have the whole collection in one place. One aspect of the book …

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Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 09.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Word Choice

Writers enjoy sharing ideas to improve the craft. So, let's chop the fat from our writing. Make it lean and trim. Readers will thank us. In this series, I'll look at some common redundancies. But, reading this post and nodding wisely in agreement won't cut it. We have to stay alert to those extraneous words …

Continue reading Cut The Fat; Make Your Writing Lean: #Tip 09.