Category: Fiction

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Now the serious editing has started: I received the publisher’s editing notes on Monday and I’ve been beavering away at them ever since. Both the creation and my editing of the book were interrupted by several events over which I had no control. And my final editing session was done under pressure of knowing I’d …

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Everybody Shrugged, by Walt Pilcher: #BookReview.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

354 pps Genre Fiction/Political/Literary humour. Humour in any book is a gamble. We don’t all see with the same eyes. Whilst this novel rarely made me laugh out loud, I did smile and grin a lot, so it was a positive experience. That it managed this while dealing with such issues as government incompetence (this …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Now the WIP is with the publisher, and I’m awaiting the response, the result of their edit, the cover and design suggestions, I thought I’d review my Science Fiction activity to date. ‘Ten Tales for Tomorrow’, was self-published in January 2011. It’s a collection of mostly dark, sometimes humorous, speculative fiction. There’s variety here; everything …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress6 Comments

Well, that’s it! The book is with my publisher. At 67,269 words, it’s the shortest of my novels. But it’ll be a damned good read (not that I’m in any way biased, you understand). The final part of the editing process for me was a read-through, aloud, from a print run. Many authors neglect this …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress4 Comments

Six chapters to go, and the MS stands at 68,660 words, a record low word count for one of my novels! Thursday, I was driven to hospital by a kind and friendly volunteer from a local service that provides rides for people on such missions. I won’t bore, or distress, you with details of the …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Simon Says, by Rachel McClellan: #BookReview.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review2 Comments

A truly gothic and demonic horror story. The narrator’s voice carries all the bile, disapproval, confidence and uncertainty of the youth well. This is a short but powerful read and one to produce nightmares if read too close to bedtime in a lonely place. The conflict of denial against the reality of the situation leaves …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

An ‘interesting’ week. One I realised early was not going to be my finest hour re the WIP. Nevertheless, 27 chapters now subjected to the in-depth part of the edit that includes running the text through ProWritingAid. And chapter 28 is ready for that process, but it’ll have to wait now until I’m back at …

Continue reading Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

Dogwatch, by Karen Wolfe: #BookReview.

On By stuartakenIn Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

Love dogs? Love crime? Love humour, even if a little dark sometimes? Then this is for you. Georgie Crane is at it again; getting in deeper than she should, that is. There’s a degree of ‘woman in jeopardy’ about this comi-crime novel that lifts it above the general level of the genre. The dogs, and …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress2 Comments

23 chapters now subjected to the in-depth part of the edit that includes running the text through ProWritingAid. And Chapter 24 ready for that process, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. The MSS now stands at 71,169 words, 198 fewer than last week’s total. The work is going well, with only 16 more chapters …

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Dreams of Winter, by Christian Warren Freed: #BookReview.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review1 Comment

342 pages Science Fiction/Space Opera/Military Whilst a devotee of Science Fiction, I admit to being less than impressed by most Space Opera, so I come to this book with baggage. This is one in a series of books with the collective title ‘A Forgotten Gods Tale’ and I have no knowledge of the rest of …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress2 Comments

A somewhat slow start to the final edit before my publisher sees the book. Many time-sensitive jobs to do, unfortunately. Who said ‘retirement’ would bring a less pressured life? Anyway, I finally completed the development work on the website I’m designing for a local charity where I act as a trustee (anyone interested can find …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress6 Comments

The content edit is complete! I’ve now arrived at 71,057 words, an increase of 21,497 since last Wednesday. This means the first in-depth edit is finished. I’m resting from the process tomorrow, perhaps taking a long walk in the Forest with my wife and my camera. Then it’ll be the start of the more detailed …

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The Hermit of Blue Ridge, by Cary Grossman: #BookReview.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review, Romance

300 pages Fantasy/Paranormal. Intriguing, engaging, inspiring, fascinating and enthralling, this book is a great read. Character driven romance is relatively rare, but this book, essentially a complex and deep love story, is seen entirely through the eyes of lovers. The people on these pages are both exceptional and real. We’re treated to their aspirations, frailties, …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

More movement! The first content edit is now complete up to Chapter 25, meaning I’ve 49,560 words, an increase of 17,481 since the last report. I hope to have even greater progress to report next week, now I’ve had an opportunity to properly set-up my new PC, and dealt with the basic stuff for the …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Movement at last! Today, I completed the first content edit on Chapter 15, meaning I’ve 32,079 words in the new document for the book. I hope to have greater progress to report next week, now that I’ve completed all the work on migration of files and pictures to my new PC. Of course, there’s still …

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