WIP First Draft Complete!

On 28th February I announced the start of a new novel and revealed I’d completed the first chapter at 1,725 words. It was on 26th March I updated progress with words reaching a total of 48,079. And on 4th April I let you know I’d completed 70,169 words but had run into a constructional problem …

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More Words and A Problem

The WIP continues apace. Or, at least, it was, reaching 70,169 words yesterday, and completing what I like to call the ‘first phase’. Of course, this isn’t just any old book. It’s a work of fiction, but written in a novel way (pun intended) that requires some specific presentation elements. (sounds rather more grand than …

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The Words Continue to Flow

On 28th February I posted a piece about the start of a new novel. I’ve now reached, and even passed, a sort of landmark on the road to completion of the story. I’m up to page 125, 48,079 words in total, which is probably a halfway mark for the book. Of course, there’ll be changes …

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The Words Have Escaped!

I decided last year to spend time away from creating fiction. Why? Like all human faculties, although the creative function benefits from use, it also sometimes needs rest to be refreshed.So, what did I do? I wrote a few posts for a platform called Medium. You can find those here, if you’re curious. I also …

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Why That Title? – War Over Dust.

Titles for novels can cause authors much soul-searching. Ideally, we try to give potential readers clues about content, theme, style, and storyline. Not easy with so few words to play with. The best titles are revealed as obvious choices once a book’s been read, so this series is largely for those who’ve yet to read …

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Why That Title? – Blood Red Dust.

Titles for novels often cause authors a good deal of soul-searching. Ideally, we want to give potential readers clues about content, theme, style, and storyline. Not easy with so few words to play with. But the best titles are revealed as obvious choices once a book’s been read, so this series is largely for those …

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Why That Title? – Convergence.

Titles for novels can cause authors a good deal of soul-searching. Ideally, we give potential readers clues about content, theme, style, and storyline. Not easy with only one to maybe a dozen words to play with. But the best titles are revealed as obvious choices once a book’s been read, so this series is largely …

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Why That Title? – Partings.

Titles for works of fiction can cause authors a good deal of soul-searching. Ideally, we want to give potential readers clues about content, theme, style, and storyline. Not easy with only one to maybe a dozen words to play with. Of course, the best titles are revealed as obvious choices once a book’s been read, …

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Why That Title? – The Methuselah Strain.

Titles for works of fiction often cause authors a good deal of soul-searching. Ideally, we want to give potential readers clues about content, theme, style, and storyline. Not easy in anything from one to maybe a dozen words. Of course, the best titles are revealed as obvious choices once a book’s been read, so this …

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#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 31/May/22

East Lyn River, Lynmouth. Today’s the last of my daily ‘natural beauty’ pictures. However, I’ll post one each week under the title ‘#Saturday Scenes’. Sometimes with words, sometimes as a stand-alone picture. But I’ll always welcome your comments and shares (the buttons at the foot make it easy to do that, and the more people …

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#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 27/Mar/22

Today, my mother would’ve been 102 years old. Unfortunately, she was killed in a traffic accident at the age of 44. A gifted painter, she never had the opportunity to demonstrate her skill and her eye properly. In her early life, she won a scholarship to a top art school in London. Unfortunately, her parents …

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#Words and #PictureOfTheDay: 12/Mar/22

To reach this place we take a path diversion leading to a valley carrying the brook that forms this pool above a small waterfall. We cross a bridge, a slab of solid stone, across what once was a small stream but now is no more than a depression leading to a dry, steep sided former …

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10,000 Comments on My Blog!

Is 10,000 comments some sort of milestone? I don’t know. But it seemed worth celebrating, so I thought I’d put up a photo of my published books in a stack. The picture in the background is of a modern sculpture depicting a man reading. I came across it in a park in Lyme Regis, Dorset.Do …

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And Another 5-Star Review of ‘An Excess Of…’

5 Star review from Mojgan Azar December 21, 2021 An Excess of … Stuart Aken’s “An Excess of” is a story about human nature and the conflicts we hold within each of us. The journey takes us from the deck of a sinking ship to the sands of a strange shore and deep into the …

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My Publisher’s View of my Latest Novel

I thought I'd share my publisher's view of my latest novel 'An Excess Of...' with you. I love a succinct summary of my creative work. An Excess Of Stupidity Proved Too Much For This Climate CampaignerFantastic Books Publishing Author Stuart Aken has deserted the far reaches of the universe and the fantasy lands of his …

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