Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On 10/05/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Mars, Progress5 Comments

It’s been a funny old week. A few unrelated events have disturbed the intended plain sailing of the rewrite. And, yesterday was my birthday. A fun day spent at the local hospital in the morning, where two lovely ladies in their uniforms probed various orifices and inserted implements of torture in an attempt to resolve …

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love of the monster, by AM Roselli, Reviewed.

On 09/05/201709/05/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Literature, Poetry, Reading, Review, Uncategorized

Poetry can be sublime, complex, evocative, tantalising, inspiring, provoking, sensual, thoughtful, engaging and many other things. AM Roselli’s poems manage to fit all these qualities. I first encountered AM’s remarkable poetry and artwork via her website, anntogether.com, to which I was directed by another friend online. I was engaged at once. This is a woman …

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The Polygamist, by William Irvine, Reviewed.

On 07/05/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

A very human story of one man’s relentless search for a way of life that will suit his view of what a man’s life should be. Culture, religion, philosophy and morality all impact on the story, which has a Muslim protagonist, Omar, living in India, where his beliefs are in the minority. There are lessons …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On 03/05/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Halfway through the major re-write, and a good many story elements yet to change. That’s the result of working as a pantster: plot develops as the story is created, and that impacts on parts already written. It’s particularly influential on the denouement on this occasion, since I had a ‘light bulb’ moment during an interrupted …

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Forces of Nature, by Professor Brian Cox, Reviewed.

On 02/05/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Nature, Reading, Review

This surprising book exudes the author’s enduring sense of wonder and delight at the natural world. Such qualities, when demonstrated by a leading academic, who is also a well-loved and respected TV presenter, can motivate and inspire. I hope many non-scientists read this book. Not an ‘easy’ read, it demands attention and concentration. But it …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On 26/04/201726/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Mars, Progress

Editing has started! So far, I’m halfway through chapter 3 with the major re-write. But, prior to that, I’d reduced the ‘story’ element of the editing notes from 20 to 12 items, and dealt with 15 of the other notes I’d made whilst writing/re-reading the first draft. I’ve also made progress on the drawing I’m …

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Perils and Pleasures of Penmanship.

On 25/04/201725/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Creative Writer, Fiction, opinion4 Comments

Writing is such an odd occupation, requiring peculiar minds combined with unusual personalities. All writers are weird; that’s a given. We know we’re strange, some of us peculiar to the point of near insanity, others merely eccentric. We’re definitely an odd bunch. But there’s a strange beauty, a wonderful schizophrenia about writing, especially when the …

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Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari, Reviewed.

On 13/04/201713/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, politics, Reading, Review

What a tremendous book this is. Subtitled, ‘A Brief History of Tomorrow’, this follow-up to ‘Sapiens’ confirms the author’s mastery of deep research combined with an intelligence that permits him to see the world as a whole. I selected this book to read now as I’m at the initial editing stage of a science fiction …

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Creating Stories, by Hank Quense, Reviewed.

On 03/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Reading, Review2 Comments

This writing manual is about making stories; the creative process and the practical work involved in getting the story from mind to page. As a fairly ancient and experienced writer, I’ve come across quite a few books about writing, so it’s difficult for an author to present something new for me. In this volume, Hank …

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NSA, by Benny Neylon, Reviewed.

On 30/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, politics, Reading, Review

This is satirical, dystopian science fiction taking a brutal swipe at the media, politicians, conspiracy theorists, security experts and the military. All of it richly deserved. The writing is good, characterisation is thorough, creating archetypes rather than indulging in stereotypes as is so often the case with books of this type. The humour is hard, …

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The Writer’s Lexicon, by Kathy Steinemann, Reviewed.

On 23/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Grammar, Review, Word Use

Are you a lover of words? Do you write? Is language use an issue of interest? If so, you’ll find Kathy Steinemann’s ‘The Writer’s Lexicon’ a veritable cornucopia of expressive words. A thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word. A dictionary gives definitions and, sometimes, origins for those construction blocks we use daily …

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The House on Sagamore Road, by Cary Grossman, Reviewed.

On 20/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

The second in a projected trilogy, this deeply complex fantasy follows on from Chopin’s Ghost, taking the reader through the next twisting, convoluted maze that constitutes the story. If you haven’t read the first book, I advise you do so. However, the author includes enough detail from that first novel to allow readers new to …

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Can’t Buy Forever, by Susan Laffoon, Reviewed.

On 12/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review2 Comments

Listed as Teen/YA romance and mystery, this is a book in a genre I wouldn’t normally read. However, I was approached by the author for a review, read the blurb, and decided to give it a chance. I’d actually classify it as fantasy romance, but that’s a personal judgment based on how I view the …

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Progress on the WIP: #SciFi in the Making.

On 01/03/201702/03/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Progress

The follow-up novel to Blood Red Dust now stands at 81,661 words, which is only 7103 extra since last week. Very poor! However, here come the excuses. Spent a fair amount of time sorting, or trying to sort, my daughter’s Student Loan issues, since she’s in Australia and the UK company dealing with this matter …

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Until Death Do Us Part, by Lynda Hilburn, Reviewed.

On 27/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review

Humour with vampires: those who love the genre will really get their teeth into this. (Sorry, unforgivable bloody pun! – And again!) This is a well-constructed short that manages to pack in the conventions of the vampire world. I love the idea of the psychologist treating vampires for their problems. This story is told from …

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