New Book Launch

I made it! My new horror novel Nanobite is now available on Amazon for Kindle. I was thinking about the process, so here's a few thoughts on it.

Writing the novel is the easy part - especially with this one. From the initial concept to the finished first draft took about three months altogether. The story seemed to flow really well, although the finished draft was somewhat different to the first ideas.

As an example, when I wrote the first few pages, I envisaged a story about the whole world being overrun by vampires, with just a few bands of survivors fighting them. About twenty pages in, I realised that what I really wanted to do was focus in on a small group of people and examine how they dealt with the situation they found themselves in. For me, this made the novel better (as attested to by the beta readers who kindly read and commented on the manuscript).

After the writing though, the hard work started. Re-read, edit, rewrite. Repeat. Consider all the beta readers' comments and incorporate those that I felt fitted the story or improved it in some way. I didn't keep track, but I reckon that almost three quarters of all the comments and suggestions received had some value and were used - some as they were, some were modified to better fit my vision of the story. (After all, it's my story and I'm in charge, right?)

Each round of editing caught less and less - the first read-through caught numerous typos and grammatical errors; by the final round of editing I only caught a few. Hopefully I caught them all.

So, write, edit, rewrite - this novel went through five rounds of editing and rewriting. Formatting came next - I did this in an evening using Amazon's excellent 'Building Your Book for Kindle' eBook. No major issues here, it's a simple process to follow.

I designed the cover myself - having taught Graphic Design for three years I was confident in my ability to realise the vision I had for the cover myself. This took a couple of evenings; it helps to have a firm idea of what you want the finished cover to look like.

Finally, uploading to the Kindle store. Again, a fairly straightforward process. Took me about an hour all told, taking it nice and steady. This is where the feelings of dread start to kick in - it's like your kid's first ever day at school - you nurture them until it's time to send them out into the big wide world on their own.

Once uploaded and published, it's time to think about kicking the marketing up a gear. I started marketing Nanobite from the minute I knew it was a viable concept; now it's released, I can concentrate on promoting it.
Except I've now got the beginnings of a plot for my next novel. Need to find time for that as well. Oh well, a writer's life is never dull.

New Cover



Okay, here's the first peek at the prospective cover design for Nanobite

 

Book Review: I Am Eternal Cowboys and Vampires by Athanasios

First off, let me say that I enjoyed this story. It's such a refreshing change to read a vampire story that isn't in the vein (sorry, couldn't resist that) of Twilight and all the other books in the current crop of teen angst-ridden vampire literature.
However, for me it was too short. Frustratingly so; I came away wanting to know more. It reads like a prologue to a much longer novel.
But that is my only real complaint. Due to the brevity, the characters are sketched in rather than fully realized; however, I found myself empathising with the protagonist. Yes, he is a killer, and all romantic notions of vampirism are stripped away; but the richness of the backdrop and historical authenticity adds a depth that makes you wonder what it would be like to exist (not live; the protagonist is very clear about this) for millennia. It also makes you wonder what effect the ennui of so many centuries would have on the mind.
There is also the beginnings of a sub-plot cleverly interwoven. The author manages to switch from dialogue-driven action in the first part of the story to a narrative voice for most of the remainder in a way that is seamless to the reader.
So, if you fancy a quick read and like vampire fiction, check this out. I really hope the author follows this with a longer novel that gives us more detail about Simon's life (or should that be unlife?).
I Am Eternal: Cowboys and Vampires

Surface RT, technology, and writing

Last week, I finally took the plunge and acquired Microsoft Surface RT with the type cover.
I know, lots of people will say, 'Why didn't you buy an iPad?'
The truth is, whilst the iPad is very nice, it's not for me. I see it as a device to consume content rather than create it. Typing on an onscreen keyboard is unpleasant to say the least, for any significant length of time. I know you can buy add-on keyboards but that just adds to the price, and without Microsoft Word, I'm forced to go looking for alternate apps to work with.
Whilst the Surface doesn't come with a keyboard as standard, even buying one only takes the price into iPad-only territory, and the type keyboard is, quite simply, very good. It also feels like it was meant to be with the Surface - no clunky work-rounds or docks to connect it; it just snaps into place and away you go
Another benefit for me is not being forced to tie it to a computer and - my most hated piece of software - iTunes. Whilst it's okay on Macs, on Windows it is an abomination - slow, bulky and resource-hogging. So, no iTunes on the Surface.
It's true that Windows RT is not full-blown Windows 8. Is this a bad thing? No, in my opinion. the clue is in the previous sentence - not full-blown Windows, i.e. it's not bloated, having to support all manner of legacy software. No, I can't just install any old software from the internet - this means I can't use FocusWriter, my usual method of writing. I've not really looked for an alternative in the Windows store yet, although there appear to be quite a few. I'll post more on this when I find one I like. I'm currently writing straight into Microsoft Word 2013, the version that comes pre-loaded on the Surface RT and it is fine - quick, responsive and easy to use.
Another plus point for me was the ability to add storage. Want to add another 64GB of storage? Just slot a card in (currently around £45 for a 64GB card). Make use of Microsoft's SkyDrive cloud offering (I do)? No problem - it's there, built in to the OS. The new Windows 8.1 refresh coming soon should make this even better.
And the hardware is simply gorgeous - it feels like a substantial piece of hardware. Yes, it doesn't look as sexy as an iPad, but - for me, at least - it is far more useable.
So, in the space of a week, it has become my sole machine for writing, in fact pretty much everything, replacing the old Acer and HP notebooks I was using. I've even used it in tablet form, unsnapping the keyboard and using it for casual browsing and email. I could've probably got a new laptop for the same price but I would've been looking at non-touchscreen models. Not the best option with Windows 8.
Is it perfect? No. In my opinion, the desktop mode is unnecessary and should be stripped out. I know a lot of Windows users think the desktop and start menu are sacred, but for me, being unable to load legacy software makes it superfluous. The Microsoft Office programmes do dump you onto the desktop but other than that, I don't use it. The Windows Store could be better. Not necessarily just more apps, but useful, productive apps.
So there we have it - my thoughts on the much-maligned Surface RT. They are a fantastic device if you know what they can and can't do. For those who want full Windows 8, there are other, better options. Usually more pricey, but hey, that's how it goes. I like my Surface RT, and I'll be sticking with it. Might even persuade me to move to Windows Phone when I next upgrade, who knows.

New release

Hold on to your hats! My new collection of short stories is released tomorrow on Kindle and will be available through Amazon. I've been working hard to get it ready for release in order to coincide with the Edinburgh Book Festival.
It was fun revisiting these stories again, rewriting them to tighten up the text and update them in general.
I also had fun designing the cover. I had a few options to choose from, but this one really stood out for me. It's graphic, and communicates the essence of the tales within.

 

I also wrote a little introductory note for each story, giving an insight into their inception and creation.

There's a wealth of material inside, from  science-fiction horror, to ghost story, and a Lovecraft-esque nightmare along the way.

Not for the faint-of-heart though. Beware, there are things in here that will haunt your dreams. They may bite...

Developing plot and characters

The first draft of my latest novel, Nanobite, is racing along towards what I hope will be a satisfying conclusion. I've had several bemused looks when people ask me how it's going and I tell them that I can't wait to find out how it will end.

The usual response is along the lines of, 'but you already know how it ends - you're writing it!'

This is true only in the vaguest possible way. Yes, I do have a plot sketched out bit it's more of a work in progress than a finished document. I like to start by putting characters in a situation and seeing how they deal with it. Sometimes it follows my initial plot line quite closely; more often it deviates wildly from it.

I usually just go with the flow when this happens. I find it makes for far more fluid and believable writing and dialogue. On the few occasions where I've forced the story to stick to the plot (usually in a mistaken belief that it is essential to the story) I find I end up with stilted dialogue and wooden characters. More often than not, the scene will either be cut or rewritten.

Allowing characters to breathe and develop their own personalities is what makes them real for me, as opposed to two dimensional cardboard cutouts.

I also find that this way of writing works really well in terms of story development. You find yourself going off on a tangent to your initial plot and exploring other themes; this invariably makes for a more realistic narrative. For me, it also makes it more fun to write.

It's that magic moment when the characters come alive on the page and start talking, almost of their own volition.

I also find that some characters take on larger roles than I originally planned; in Nanobite, I suddenly realised that I'd brought in a character from my last book, The Surgeon. Totally unexpected and initially I thought it would be a bit part. Turns out this character has become quite important, which pleased me as it gave me a chance to explore their personality in greater detail.

So there we have it, my musings on plot. I have an idea how Nanobite will end, but whether or not the story follows that idea is another matter.

The Joy of Rewrites

I've spent the last week going through my children's fiction, after deciding to republish it on Kindle. What I thought would be a fairly simple process has now proved to be a rather larger task than I originally envisaged.
I should have known better than to think it would simply be a case of proofread the manuscript and format it. That's what happens when you re-read something written between 12-15 years ago.
After one reading, it was obvious that I needed to do some fairly extensive revision and editing. I've changed as a writer in the years since these were written (hopefully I've gotten a lot better), and rather than tack together a few loosely connected stories with a longer novella, I've decided to rewrite it as a young reader novella, incorporating the shorter works into the longer one in a way that makes the story flow better. I'm also going to make some of the themes a bit more subtle - I figure that, as I'm changing my target readership from parents reading to toddlers and aiming it more towards 5-8 year olds, it doesn't need to be as blunt in its messages.
It's also my first attempt at using yWriter 5 as a writing tool. Up until now, I've been using Focus Writer to draft my manuscripts before importing into Microsoft Word for editing and proofing as well as formatting. Early impressions of yWriter are good - it appears to be quite flexible. I'll post a more detailed review when I've figured it out properly.

Inspiration

Someone asked me the other day the classic question all authors seem to get - where do you get your ideas from? What inspires you? It is the one question most authors dread, because it's sometimes very difficult to answer. For me, it can be any number of things. My current novel (Nanobite - sneak peek coming soon) was originally inspired by a word association game. I'd just published The Surgeon and was sat looking at the dreaded blank screen, trying to think about what to write next. After about an hour of typing precisely nothing, I began to play with word associations, trying to come up with something. Before I knew it, I'd written over 600 words and had a head full of potential plot lines. However, that is a new method for me. I'm really lucky in that I live in an area of great natural beauty (Scotland) and right on the coast. As a horror writer, stormy weather often features as an element of my work; and I often find that a walk or bike ride to admire the views will give me what I think of as 'micro-ideas' - elements that may fit into one story or another. I don't keep a notebook, just let the ideas bounce around in my head (my wife would say there's plenty of room, ha ha) in the hope that two or three disparate elements will combine and give me a flash of inspiration. However, I do like to take scenic pictures; these I do keep. It might be just so I can look back on a particular view and use it to try and recreate the mood it conveys; or it might be simply to use as a reference for description. I keep a scrapbook of clippings from myriad sources for this purpose - old calenders, newspapers, brochures, the list is endless really. So, that's how I get some ideas. Probably I've missed a few, it's not really a conscious process. I think most writers of fiction (whatever the genre) use a multiplicity of methods to first ask and the answer the question, 'What if...?"

1 Book Lover' s Opinion: Author Feature Neil McGowan

1 Book Lover' s Opinion: Author Feature Neil McGowan: Author Biography for Neil McGowan Neil is the author of The Surgeon, a gritty horror novel described as ‘fast-paced’, ‘nic...

Free Promotion on Amazon

Been a very busy week. Sorted out a free promotion for The Surgeon, from Fiday 28th June to Sunday 30 June inclusive. It's available for download from Amazon, five star reviews. This free promotion is to celebrate myself as featured author starting on Friday 28th on , I heartily recommend popping by this site, some very interesting stuff on their. I also uploaded a short story to Wattpad, another great site that's well worth a visit; there's a free iPhone app as well, so you can download and read stuff offline. I can see myself making good use of this, dipping into a short story when I have a few minutes spare - the Kindle is fantastic but not as practical for short periods of time - a ten minute train journey is ideal for consuming a short story, but not so good for trying to finish the latest Stephen King novel on the Kindle. The Surgeon is also available now in print format as well, via , or from Amazon. Fantastic to see my work actually in a physical print format. The Kindle version is still doing well, with five star reviews and lots of downloads, had some really nice feedback on it. The Surgeon will soon be available on other ebook retailers as well, including iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo etc. Meanwhile, I'm still hard at work on the new book, Nanobite. There'll be an exclusive posting soon of the first couple of chapters, so keep checking back in order not to miss it.

Edinburgh Book Festival

After a busy day writing, I'm now checking the Edinburgh Book festival programme. Julia Donaldson is a must for the kids, whilst I'm looking at some of the writer's workshops that are available - Val McDermid will be there, as will Denise Mina, plus many more. Should be a chance to pick up some tips from seasoned professionals; might even see if I can take The Surgeon along as well for some promotional work. Leave a comment if you're going, with details; there's a chance to win a copy of my book for the most interesting post.

Reviews

Well, The Surgeon has been out for five weeks now and the response to it has been amazing. Frome the reviews: "Nicely inventive...Extremely graphic" "Fast-paced and gripping" One of the best comments I've had though was from a reluctant reader, who said that they found it so good that they were compelled to keep reading it; apparently, it's only the fourth adult book they have ever read! That is awesome, if I can inspire people to read like that, makes it worthwhile writing. Not that I write for people, though. Even if my work never saw the light of day I'd still do it; but the fact that other people read it really takes it to the next level for me

Back to the grindstone

Well, after a few days off writing due to family commitments, it's time to get back to work. Just been checking the rough draft of my new book today (and wincing at some of the typos that have slipped in), ready to get back to it tonight. I am itching to get back to it though, can't wait to dive back into the world of vampires and technology again. Spent this afternoon researching some stuff on nano technology - found out a few things that I thought I'd made up are actually true! At least it gives the book some veracity. I always like to try and finish writing with my characters at a cliff-hanger point if possible, in order to drive momentum when I start the next session's writing; this time I've already sketched out in my head how it is going to progress. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out when I've written it - it's never usually quite how I imagine it to be; and if it is, then it usually means a fairly hefty chunk of rewriting.

NanoBite - first details

Port Seton.
A quiet town on the east coast of Scotland, not far from Edinburgh
 But something is very wrong. A cyclist has gone missing. A woman is followed home from work. A house fire claims three lives. Two teenagers are found dead, their bodies mysteriously drained of blood.
Liam Baxter and Karen Nicholls start to unravel a complex web of horror with a genetics and bioweapons research facility at the centre of it. An experiment involving genetically engineered nano-technology has gone drastically wrong, turning all those who come into contact with it into modern day vampires.

Details for my new book, NanoBite. Due out late summer/early autumn on Kindle. Keep posted for more details, sneak peeks, and other goodies.

Thank you all

Just want to give a big shout and say thank you to all those people who've taken the time to download The Surgeon and review it. It's humbling for a writer when someone reads your work, even more so when they take the time to review it and let you know how much they enjoyed it. It's still on promotion at the moment, so if you fancy a fast paced horror story, follow the link at the top of the page and give it a whirl. Not for the faint of heart though....

Busy day

Just finalising dates for a free giveaway of The Surgeon, keep watching for more details, or check out my Facebook or Twitter pages through the links for more information.
Also, the new novel is progressing really well - 20,000 words now and still developing. You know it's going well when you can't wait to immerse yourself back in that world again. The words flow, the characters seem to develop a life of their own, and the whole world comes to life, for those few hours you're writing.
I'm setting this one near where I live, although for narrative purposes I'm taking a few liberties with the layout of the town. Somehow it seems to make it seem more real to me, setting scenes in areas that I'm intimately familiar with. I'm aiming for release towards September/October this year, if all goes well. Keep an eye out for it - working title is 'Nanobite' - and it's a techno-horror set in Scotland.

Full steam ahead

Full steam ahead on the new novel, now over 16,000 words and still struggling to keep pace with the flood of ideas. I think this may turn out to be my most ambitious project yet; it's certainly throwing up plotlines all over the place!
I love it when that happens though. As a writer, having the characters come alive on the page, having them engage in dialogue that, when you re-read what you've written the next day, you think, 'Eh? I don't remember writing that!" It's nearly always good, even if you can see where some judicious editing and rewriting could improve it.
I tend to leave that until the book/story/whatever is written, then leave it a week or two, before printing and rereading (with a pencil), making notes as to where inconsistencies in plot occur, scrappy writing that needs pruning or rewriting, poor phrasing, syntax or grammar and so on. then I spend the next day/week/month (depends on the size of the piece) rewriting.
Having fun though, exploring all these little offshoots that are happening.

Weather and Technology

Change of pace yesterday. The weather was glorious, the kids were off school, and the writing I had planned to do went out of the window. So it was down to the seafront and into the park. I sat on a bench, watching the kids playing, with fingers itching for a keyboard. I began to play around with the idea of an alternative children's reading primer story, aimed squarely at adults. That idea began to take shape with characters drawn (exaggerated to the nth degree) from previous work colleagues. I couldn't wait to get writing, when I had a brainwave - I have a docs app on my iPhone!
Whilst the kids played, I spent half an hour writing the first draft of the story. Yesterday evening, I finished it off via the laptop, and tidied it up this morning. The resultant story (very short, humorous, full of double entendre is Dave Hurts His Leg. Have a read, enjoy it, let me know what you think.
What struck me though was the convenience of technology for the modern writer. Without a smartphone, the initial impetus might have been lost; or the initial germ of an idea might have become diluted by thinking about it too much before I could get to a keyboard. I know some writers are famously anti-technology, and there are others who cannot work unless they use a manual typewriter (Frederick Forsythe springs to mind) but for me it's another tool for me to use.

The Surgeon

Working on promoting my new book at the moment, The Surgeon. It’s a horror story, fast paced and very dark. It’s been out on Kindle for just over a week now and I’m humbled by the comments I’ve received about it so far, people are really enjoying reading it!

It’s great that unknown authors like myself can reach a wider audience through devices such as the Kindle. I suspect many authors are like me – I write for myself, because I feel a need to tell a story; however, writing can be a very solitary pastime, and the chance for other readers to experience my stories and more importantly, share their thoughts on it is a real pleasure. It’s the comments and feedback that really adds a new dimension to writing, so todays thought is this: If you stumble across a work by an unknown author, give it a whirl – Amazon do free previews so all it costs is a little bit of time. If you like it, consider purchasing the full book, and please, leave some feedback, either through a review or via social media – I have a Facebook page, and author page on Amazon and a Twitter feed, as well as my blog. Get in touch, let the author know how you felt about their book. I promise to respond to everyone who is kind enough to let me know their thoughts on my book, and it’s these reviews and comments that really make writing such a pleasure.

Go on, give it a whirl. Who knows, you might discover a real gem out there – I know I have.

Next book

Well, after the frenetic activity surrounding my last book, I sat this morning for almost an hour, staring at the dreaded blank page, wondering what to write. I started playing a game of 'what if?', throwing concepts around like crazy. A couple of things stuck, and I started to write. Before I knew it, I had knocked out a thousand or so words and was scribbling down possible plotlines like crazy! I've still no clear idea where the story is going yet, only that it is going, and seems to be developing itself without me thinking about it too much. It's a much more ambitious book, I think, quite a lot longer than the last - that was written in a white-hot frenzy, the first draft completed inside a month, with about six weeks for rewrites and tidying up. I'm expecting this one to take around six months to write the first draft - partly because I hope to be starting work soon and I will have less time to write, and partly because I can see the story developing in a more complex narrative structure than my first novel.
On the plus side, I've finally got around to teaching myself how to touch type; Although I slowed down to start with, I've persevered with it and am now a much faster and more accurate typist than I was before. I can't recommend learning to type properly strongly enough, it's the single biggest improvement I've made in my writing!
I've also found a couple of wonderful pieces of software that help me - focus writer is a basic text editor that allows me to concentrate purely on getting words down on paper, without being sidetracked into playing about with things like formatting or prettying up a manuscript - that can wait until later. I'm also using ywriter 5 to keep my notes all in one place - I haven't messed about with using it as a means of actually writing yet, but I will (when I get the time). Finally, the author of focuswriter also produces a gem that, quite simply, allows you to track the progress of your novel, setting a target wordcount and a daily wordcount, as well as a projected time span. It's a simple idea, beautifully executed, and you can adjust the settings on the fly.

New book

Whew! That's my new book out now, available through Amazon. Check it out, more importantly, if you like it, leave a review - that's worth more than gold at the moment.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Surgeon-ebook/dp/B00CQQH2VQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368374778&sr=1-1&keywords=Neil+McGowan

New novel

Started work on a novel that's been kicking around in my head for a while now, full of cold so sat down at the laptop and began to write. First 2000 words knocked out yesterday, looks remarkably good for a first draft. But that's how it goes sometimes, you write and polish, often needing several rewrites to knock a piece into shape; then occasionally a piece comes along that almost writes itself.

First Article

Feedback on my first article arrived today, reasonably happy with it. It was accepted with no revision required, content good, grammar, spelling and syntax perfect.

I enjoyed writing it – it was a little outside my normal area but I think this was a plus. I’ve always tried in everything I do to stretch myself. My opinion is, it is better to stretch yourself and work outside your comfort zone from time to time, thus expanding your skillset; rather than churning out the same stuff time and time again.

Rather than fall into a rut, which I think happens a lot, stretching yourself allows you to take a fresh perspective on a well-known topic. For example, rather than write about a character in the third person all the time, try writing in the first person. It forces you to externalise a lot of that character’s feelings and thought processes, which wouldn’t necessarily be a consideration in the third person. I’ll try and post a couple of examples to illustrate this in the next post.

Procrastination

I read a post via LinkedIn this morning. Basically, it was saying that sometimes procrastination can be a good thing. The article itself was talking about job hunting, but I got to thinking about how it could apply to writing as well. I know I have sat in front of an almost blank document many times and spent far too long fiddling with the layout and formatting rather than the actual content.
However, on some occasions – especially when I am finding it difficult to get the right words down on paper – I find that a little bit of ‘tarting up’ the layout, whilst letting my mind relax so my subconscious can get to work, can really help. That little bit of time spent procrastinating has often allowed me to externalise my thoughts in an order that makes sense without sounding stilted or wooden.
This is equally true for fiction or academic essays. I remember struggling over some legal concepts when I was studying law. Despite the assignment being due the next day, I decided to give it up for a while. An hour on the bike, not thinking about it, and when I got back I flew through it.

First ever article submitted

That’s my first ever article submitted for evaluation! Now I have to wait and see what feedback I get on it. Here’s hoping it’s good news.

A New Beginning

Well, this is the first day of my new career as a freelance writer. I've been writing for years, both fiction and non-fiction stuff, and have always wanted to devote more time to my writing. Now that I have moved to Scotland, and am currently unemployed, this seems like a golden opportunity to work at this, with the hopes of making it more than just a hobby.