Mixed emotions today.

Decided yesterday, as I am now only have 50,000 words to go to the highest peak, I would make a first bid attempt for the summit of a million words by Christmas Day. The second beyond by New Year’s Day, then mid January and last beginning of February. Yes … 2,302 words written so far over two days so in line with mid January deadline.  Even my least ambitious deadline in February requires me to average over 750 words a day, the average since I started. It will be an interesting test to see if the thrill of the chase produces poor quality work or inspired work. 

Tony Riches of the Writing Desk web site completed his 50,000 words in November as part of the National November Writing Month challenge. So if he can perhaps I should be able to do so ... I did 50,000 words when on a roll in January 2013 so here goes again to end the year as I started.

Last week I did a 2,200 word piece I felt well up to the best I have produced before. The technique I think is to mull some subject areas around for a few days and then set to and write to the topic is exhausted.

Perhaps I need something to give me a buzz as disappointment today. I did a short story entry for Costa Coffee 2013 and it took me some time to do and I even had it looked at by my friend Calvin. I knew it would be a very long shot, but there is always a small bead of hope. Looking at the six shortlisted I know my story did not fit the mainstream which the stories all appear to do.

Looking at the hit rate statistics on the Allrighters' web site a definite pattern emerges closely related to promotional activity.  One has to keep the fire stoked up to keep the hits going and this takes time I can ill afford to spend if trying to achieve difficult creative writing targets. Despite some really high hit rates connected with web contributions Ywnwab! sales remain slow. Even John Braine said short stories are difficult to get away.

Went to the Good Food Show on Friday wearing my Ywnwab! T shirt. At least one person stopped me and asked for details of the book, but I failed to conclude a sale. Shame.

Best wishes and wrap up warm for the weekend.

Alexander

Update on Progress

I realise during the last month you have all had a welcome holiday from my rambling on as I have been inactive on the web for this time. Two short breaks away, some good books to read, problems with computers ug!, and an attempt to catch up on my creative writing, including two short story completion deadlines have to be my lame excuses. I am now past 940,000 draft words.

I am about to return home after a few unexpected days away in Tenby. I met up with Eifion Jenkins today who I met at the Tenby Arts Festival. He has published following the traditional route a fantasy sci-fi book called - If you fall I will catch you – which I read last month. I may prepare a specific post on the topics raised and discussed.

I would love to say one reason I have not been active would be the heavy sales of my little book. Alas sales, as expected in my head, have not been good even with some helpful increases in web activity from three web postings. The comfort I derive is looking at others who I know have spend far more in time and money on marketing and promotion with disproportionately poor results.

I converted a MS word file with simple formatting through HTML into Kindle and other E book format yesterday. Given what I spent to get my book converted this is something I will develop to use on larger files and also look at the whole process uploading to Amazon and the other sites. I understand Kindle e books are outselling other platforms by eight to one. So on low sales volumes why bother with anything other than Kindle?

I have also provided five free copies of Ywnwab! to the British and other Libraries for posterity. Where on earth are they going to keep all these books? This as an overhead on a small print run is in my view significant.

During a visit to Bath I went into the Topping and Company bookshop http://www.toppingbooks.co.uk/ and came away pretty depressed. The front line competition from best selling authors expressed in all its might. Signed first editions wrapped up in cellophane at up to £100 each.

My front cover to Ywnwab! was called a good example of a poor 1970’s holiday brochure last week. It is certainly interesting to get a full range of comments!

I have also been commenting on a publisher’s book contents comment from a friend whose draft book I have read. He felt it is the hardest thing he has done. To me he is too close to the book to see the wood for the trees. This seems quite normal per a web post I picked up a few days later from an author who had written twenty or so books and learnt the hard way what to do.

I wonder whether there is room or potential for an e book marketing co-operative.

Best wishes to you all

Alexander

Please see two web posts below on ALLRIGHTERS activities so far ...

http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/2013/10/guest-post-whoopee-reflections-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheIndependentPublishingMagazine+%28The+Independent+Publishing+Magazine%29

Enjoy

Alexander

New blog site structure

After running the existing blog site for three months a decision has been taken by the Allrighters to split the blog into three to address different needs. Adverse comments have been made about the ease of use of the site within the navigation frames compared to other writer's blogs. 

1. The existing main diary and news blog site will be used to post general updates on progress, longer posts, short stories and comments about once or twice a month. the content will be much the same as now

2. A new comment site will contain much more regular but shorter comments and chat at some times even daily or more. The new blog site should allow you to make comments more easily than on the main web site. The two will be both linked soon to a navigation point where the existing blog is now.

Please go to - http://allrighter.blogspot.co.uk/ and sign up for a trial, you can stop receiving e-mails at any time.

3. The third site will contain longer posts made on other's web sites. These may be referred to on the first two sites above, but this third site will contain a full copy. This site is still being set up.

Alexander

Ywnwab! now available as Kindle e book on Amazon - 15 10 13

Four weeks since publishing Ywnwab!

Some milestones and emotions:-

• Lovely memories still of feeling and holding a copy and a pile of one's own published book.
• First book purchased.
• First books placed in book shops. Nice to see cover facing out on a book shop shelf.
• Copy sent to Isobel my long standing friend who said I would never write a book! A generous telephone message response. "I would like to speak to the well known writer and author of a certain book. I cannot believe it ... absolutely marvellous. So well done. I am glad I spurred you on. Many congratulations on completing a written work.  Keep going ..." Thanks Isobel.
• Proof read e books. Hoping to have a back cover.
• Long wait for the wheels of Nielsens and Amazon to turn. They have ... so hard copy is available now on Amazon. Preferred supplier is York Publishing Services Book Shop on the following link -  http://www.ypdbooks.com/short-stories/933-ywnwab-autumn-story-book-YPD00864.html
• First review.  Thank you T.
• Positive e mails exchanged with Lord Archer who provided some initial encouragement in an exchange of e mails about his prison Diary books in 2011.
• 920,000 draft words mark passed.
• As well as progress on other small short story and factual books some progress on Look! which we plan as our first long book. Current 55,000 words being self edited and some gaps being filled in for a final word count of about 60,000 words.
• Re-reading John Braine's book 'How to Write a Novel'. Very blunt to the point advice. He says word count is important.
• Once e book is available some posts will be made on other web sites about our writing experiences since 2010. Other draft posts prepared on cover design and also book review and ranking for Amazon.
• Read The Citadel by John Delahunty who was also told he would not be able to write a book. Saxon's Bane by Geoffrey Gudgion also published in September - includes some nice ethereal and spiritual writing. Started The Stone Cutters a recommendation from Mary Tod who's first self published book Unravelled seems to be selling well in Canada her home market. About to start a 'final reader's review' of draft of Turning Point by Calvin Hedley.

Current mood in some easy music - Toto africa - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMbc5746HUo

Best wishes from the Allrighters

First Book Sold

Another milestone.

Penfro 2013
Attended first book fair Penfro 2013 yesterday Sunday 15 September, quite an experience. Horrible weather so the regulars said less people than last year. However, met lots of interesting people - buyers, potential buyers, other writers, contributers for future books, publishers and book shops. Being a one book stand did not help in comparison with other trader's tables full of books.

On an awful journey down to Tenby heard Mungo Jerry Summertime and my foot started to tap. Found the You Tube version of three very hairy men in London Park Lane area many years ago. The song captures my mood well this morning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG0oBPtyNb0

The fair next Saturday is shorter and being in Tenby should have a higher footfall ... yes I am learning the lingo of selling and marketing. A "black art" my first professional editor said when I told him I had published.

I took some second hand books to fill up my table and made some quick reviews on Amazon the 100th being for Ian Mcewan's Amsterdam. I have started the two books go for every one I buy. BODOT  - Buy one dispose of two.

Could not go to a book fair and not buy. So six books to chairty!

"A wheel adventure." - Lone cyclist peddles across the world to Afghanistan, Nepal and India. 
"Penfro Poets 2013" - A little wire bound book
"The Suspicians of Mr Whicher" on second reader book table. I heard the story on the wireless a few years ago.

Ywnwab!
Ywnwab! is now up on the York Publishing Services web site for purchase.

http://www.ypdbooks.com/short-stories/933-ywnwab-autumn-story-book-YPD00864.html

I am writing this watching Click on BBC2 and the progress of phone tablet and watch technology. Attending a book fair in remote Wales seems light years backwards.

Good reading and writing this week

Alexander

Dreams arrive by white van man

Noon - 12 September 2013

Ywnwab! now printed and available to buy.

Time for a small celebration ...

Thanks to everyone who has made this possible,

from ...The Allrighters ...

and the chocolate lady!

Having slain the Ywnwab! dragon now onto tracking 
the next one -

"No one will read your writing!"

... well they have been saying this about my handwriting for the last 60 years!

If you wish you can buy a copy using the order tab on www.allrighters.co.uk. 

Have a good read.

Alexander 

Ywnwab! prepared and printed by York Publishing Services

by the target date so grateful thanks to them as well, see more at -

www.yps-publishing.co.uk

My review on Amazon of Harry Bingham's Book - How to Write

I did not intend to do so many posts this week but ...


Cover 1.00 Pretty dull. I picked this book up with a bundle of other books from my local library and having had the book unread for a few weeks I decided I must read a few pages before I return it tomorrow. I had read the web site notes on the 'Writers Workshop' and came away thinking any book of mine I submitted to them for editing would become their book rather than mine.

Harry Bingham seems to have a reasonable track record in getting his books published ... but I note with glee his comment on page 28. A similar comment I have noted from others in the literary establishment when they come up against the disciplines they push for or recommend. I always chuckle at these very human responses to other people 'telling' them what to do ... or should it be for the purists 'showing'! Anyway back to page 28.  "It worked well for me when I used it, but I'm the restless type and prefer to approach these things according to my mood and inclination at any given time." This I think sums up my whole attitude to writing and my original intention as Plan A of enjoying the writing of a million words well presented and in good English and then putting them on a shelf satisfied with my efforts. This would avoid being told by people, I may not respect, how poor my writing might be ... However, it's the worry bead of publishing as a test or mountain climb, because it is there, which is hard to overcome.

Having now received the first hard copies of my first book Ywnwab! - An Autumn story-book I feel exited, partly because I have slain the ghost of July 2010 and my friend's caustic comment and challenge "You will never write a book." Unfortunately as soon as one dragon is slain another larger one breathing hotter fire turns up ... "No one will buy your books!" This one is much harder to slay because writing and self publishing was under my control, well almost. Dragons are not usually funny so perhaps that is my answer - fun books - at least a first reader of the draft said Ywnwab! is a fun book.

In conclusion for now I do take Harry's point about writing books to please others. I will in the end do things my way but having read both Stephen King's and John Braine's books about writing I will renew for another three weeks and at least try to progress through Harry's book and will let you have more views as I do .. Another reviewer says his book is as good as Stephen Kings. I wonder ... time will tell.

Reading Delights 10 September 2013

In my obsession with my writing news last night I forget to update with news of my current reading.

An intense competition for attention and my reading time between the following, and me having a strong enough will to leave reading 30 pages a day of Never go back, until I am on holiday.

-        Never go back - the latest Jack Reacher book,

-        Not an easy day more factual special services reading - the life story of a member of the US Seals who went for Osama bin Laden and

-        The Nautical Chart - by Arturo Perez Reverte as recommended by a local writer’s group member, started this lunchtime.

All have got off to a flying start for interest and attention. The first two books one fiction and the other sanitised fact about two very hard men. I cannot say I have ever had any ambition to emulate them!

Trailing along are also:-

-        Zoo time by Howard Jacobson – I have purchased a copy to replace a started library copy as I think it is good daily medicine for a writer taken by reading two or three of the densely written pages a day.

-        The Casual Vacancy – I promised to read more pages than Fifty Shades but having read 50 pages I am not attracted when I have other more exiting books, as above, to read

-        Sweet – Ian McEwan. I usually start and stick into his books but this one I keep putting off starting again so when I do I will probably have to start again

-        Atlantis – Tony Riches. The true story on the oldest Space Shuttle. I finished reading his fiction book - Shell - about a kidnap in Kenya. Enjoyed reading this frightening book written in a smouldering style.

-        A batch of Kindle downloads. Just added an Elizabeth Jane Howard book after reading about the saga in morning paper.

Hope all your reading and writing is going as well

Played the Cleo Laine again this morning great!

Alexander

Some Reflections Monday 9 September 2013

After one thousand, one hundred and ninety seven days and nearly nine hundred and seven thousand draft words, my writing climb from a standing start on the 1 June 2010 to a small significant summit of self publishing a first book is nearly over. 

Part of a first print run of "You will never write a book!" - Ywnwab! - Autumn Story-book is in the post!

The seven stages of being an author to me are:-

1.    Think about writing √

2.    Start creative writing √

3.    Produce more and more quality writing √

4.    Present, test and print your writing √

Then if you really want to …

5.    Publish your first book √

6.    Market your first book …

7.    Sell your first book … bask in self satisfaction … and hopefully a modest amount of praise. Do not think about the cost in time and money!

If you have enough money, energy and any sparks of enthusiasm and creativity left then go on start all over again from 3 above … and again … ?

Commentary

1.    Think. Once I had my dream at 3.00 am on 1 June 2010 I did not think much before starting to write … about 70 minutes to the dawn. I have not stopped since, averaging over 750 words a day. Others seem to spend months or years procrastinating ... and may never start …

2.    A start and setting a million word writing target was key, creative elements and ideas seemed to come easily, especially after dog walking …

3.    Write on with daily and monthly word targets, self edits and restructuring …back up in both hard copy and electronic as one cannot publish something one has lost!

4.  Present writing to professional editors to secure quality assurance and gain confidence through, writer’s groups and reading widely … Like minded writing buddies and supporters internationally have been found for mutual benefit and enjoyment, and we have shared lots of jokes and laughter.

5. Self publish to avoid rejection … and of greater importance one has control over the process to get what you want … whether regarded as right or wrong by the huge literary establishment in your way between writers and readers.

6.   Market your book. Never having been a sales person this is new ground for me, but I will use – unusual writing, million words, my characters as authors, the Allrighters’ structure, silly 'T' shirts and short stories and help from the guest writers to push forward.

7.   Selling - Time alone will tell and as my self publisher says “If you only sell a few books you will have had a good time for the equivalent price of a good holiday or a few meals out with wine, beers and cigarettes.”

Genre – Have I been too hard calling myself a fantasy writer?

1.    My professional editor’s both said:-

“Although we found your writing enjoyable and interesting we had great difficulty in pigeon holing what you write about into any of the accepted genre headings.”

At last I think I may have found an excuse in the underlined last sentence of what follows, slightly out of context, thanks to Howard Jacobson - Zoo Time, page 73.

“The more a book of one sort or another was identified as surplus to cultural requirement the more of them were written. Books that no one wanted to read were running at plague proportions. If there was a book to be made you made it – and wondered who the hell would read it later.”

(Brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews allowed

– says the Zoo Time publisher’s page. The critical element being

of my own writing! )

So I propose to carry on in the old ways in hope, just pausing for a brief moment!

2.  Since 2010 I have described my long book writing as fantasy fiction. Looking back over the 1,197 days of writing I started with Gemini - a thriller - a threat to the books author and my main character Henry Cross and his family with dreams and memories, which also contains the start of the tangled family history of the Cross family. I have found Gemini in five volumes 300k words needs much more work. Sevhend? – started by (Aunt) Florence Cross, now deceased, with her dreams  and memories and those of the Allrighters’ ghostrighter Freddie, all as completed by Henrietta Jones, is to be the first long book. Fantasy, yes there is, with time travel of a kind, alternative economic social and political history, transport, energy, wars, climate and life in general … at the end of the books you will no doubt feel much happier with your current lives! I need to quantify.

3.    Looking at the short stories in Ywnwab! to quantify subjects or genre some 45% is based on factual memories and experiences of life, death, health, travel, art and buildings, nature, and writing expanded by a further 40% of general fiction, but only some 15%  of pure fantasy fiction.

 

My real twin brother Douglas is laughing at the low stated percentage of my pure fantasy in Ywnwab! as he drinks his hot chocolate and eats ginger biscuits!

I will now have to report on the content ratios in Gemini and Sevhend?

I hear Cavatina playing on the wireless in another room and recall a gem - the 1980 version by Cleo Laine and John Williams see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpv85IXdjQk

Good night to you all, enjoy good reading, writing and listening – Alexander.

Good News and July and August Consolidated Comments

Good news

..... passed writing 900,000 draft words today.
..... final proof of Ywnwab! has gone to printers.

..... cover and festival details in Wales in September are on web site under Book Tab.

..... some redecorations on colours on web site.

July and August News and Diary consolidated below with a new section five listing You Tube web links to entertain - music, Rita Hayworth dancing and a jet engine.

I shall have to tell Henry and Henrietta about living in the Elizabethan Trimefrayme being so much better, with all these bright colours and warmth, than the water colours in the cooler Calorium Trimefrayme.

Best wishes to you all - Alexander

July and August 2013 Consolidated Comments

1)   Writing

a) Ywnwab! The small 90 page book recording the background behind the Allrighters and 30 other stories and poems has gone for printing to be available by 15th September 2013. See cover within Books Tab

b)  50,000 more draft words written to a total of over 900,000 by end of August.

c)  Sevhend? restructuring well advanced.

d)  Three short stories a total of 6,600 words entered for competitions.

e)  We are considering a change of strategy. Rather than completing 1,000,000 words by Christmas 2013 Allrighters are to make a concentrated drive to complete final drafts of Cross Family Saga of over 500,000 words in nine long books – Sevhend?, Gemini in five books, Look!, Kutopia and Anatomy. Over 450,000 words already written on these.

2)    Reading – see Alexander’s 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon.

a) Unravelled self published by Mary Tod. A marriage under strain through WW1 and WW2. (http://awriterofhistory.com)

b)  Search by Geoff Dyer. A surreal journey.

c)  Shell self published by Tony Riches. A frightening holiday kidnap in Kenya.

d) Why Bipolar? The Demystification of Bipolar Affective Disorder - self published by Declan Henry. A landmark contribution to a better understanding of this area of mental illness including many stories from those diagnosed with the disorder.

e) Zoo Time by Howard Jacobson. Comic comments on writing to be put on our bookshelf along side Stephen King’s On Writing and John Braine’s similar book.

f) Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops Jen Campbell. Great as laughter medicine.

g) Love of a kind by Felix Dennis - A book of new poems written under threat of death. Florence would have loved to have used the Eric Gill illustrations in her books. 

3)   Other

a) We knew someone else must have written something similar to the Allrighters' million words. Answer to DT Saturday big crossword clue one across – English author noted for his million-word-long cycle of 12 novels. A Dance to the Music of Time which includes Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant and Books Do Furnish a Room.

b)  Another follow up book of short stories to Ywnwab! is being assembled. If you would like to become an Allrighters' guest writer and make a 1,500 word contribution to the next book please send details of how you started writing - c 300 words and a self contained story or extract from a longer book of - c 1,200 words for consideration. The Allrighters will make the final, non negotiable decision, on what to include as they are paying the costs of production and publication. We like others contributions to add variety and reality to our fantasy. Contact - alexander@allrighters.co.uk

c)  Our current reading includes a draft page turner written by a member of our local writer's group. We are over half way through the whole book waiting ... biting our nails (if we did) for the author to complete the next 10k of self editing. Just what will happen next and how on earth will the book end?

d)  In the spirit of Stephen King's advice about reading a lot the Allrighters are also quite happy to read any of your draft fiction writing ( short stories, longer books normally up to 100,000 words - in 10,000 word chunks per week) and make comments from a potential reader's perspective. There is an element of copy editing included from a fresh pair of eyes. We were told it's better to get comments from as many general readers as you can before you go into print. We cannot do a 100% edit as we do not have a first class English degree from Cambridge or an MA in Creative Writing, but then neither do most of readers of fiction books. As Bill C might have said on the subject ‘It's the story that counts,’ leaving off the demeaning word.

e) Quotation of the month: - ‘Too much bad writing has been written about good writing.’ Nicholas Heiney 2006 - The Silence at the Song's End. - 2007. (permission given)

4)   Web sites found this month:-

a) Mary K Tod - http://awriterofhistory.com - Found via Mick Rooney's web site and a book marketing plan contribution written by Mary Tod the site's author. See Unravelled above. In the site archive there are some interesting interviews with authors writing historical fiction. Browsing the site has raised thoughts in our minds about whether good fiction can be written with WW1 and WW2 as a background without a really good story as War Horse, Birdsong and Never Forget. For the awful detail a factual book written by someone who was actually there, whether embellished or not, will we think hold more credibility and interest. Most of those who were there at the front, including my father, said nothing. Richard Holmes, John Keegan, Anthony Beevor and Andrew Roberts war and history writers who have written and talked a lot, never took part in active service killing people, as far as we can see ( please someone correct us if we are wrong)   We know Winston Churchill did both! 

b)  Tony Riches - http://tonyriches.blogspot.co.uk. A wealth of  information for writers. 

5) Some You Tube clips - to entertain

a) One from the past -  Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire dancing to the Bee Gees Staying Alive   

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz3CPzdCDws

b) Izhak Perlman & Bruno Canino - Rag Time - Scott Joplin 

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Byk5qPOCc and another

c) Alla Nikitskaya plays Debussy's Golliwogg's cake walk 

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYnt3_TxVoQ 

f) Rolls Royce RB211 engine 
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM7ksfRVF70

 And finally our own landmark date:-

23 July 2013

Allrighters' web site goes live!

Thanks to good work by Peter Richards of Brush House.

A big welcome to our viewers.