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.

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.

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.

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...?"

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.