I've missed a deadline.
I hate missing deadlines.
I'm off to Venice early tomorrow morning, but I go with a feeling of incompleteness, a feeling which will nag at me as I look at Tintoretto's and sip prosecco. It can't be helped. I tried my best, but still...
I wanted to finish the rewrites on 'Waters Deep,' and I've come up three chapters short. This is partially due to including several new scenes, which meant others had to be rewritten or moved to different parts of the story. The other reason is that I'm trying to do too much writer related stuff at the same time, juggling multiple projects and my time, and having to work at a day job. It can't be helped, but it is very frustrating.
I could take it with me and finish it on holiday, but that's not fair on my wife, (who likes to see me every once in while, if only to remind herself she's married), and I like to travel light. I'll take the ipad and do a bit of research and short story work, but I don't want to lug a laptop as well (along with camera's, phones and all the leads and chargers necessary to keep things working).
I'll just have to me more organised when I get back, knuckle down and do some work.
- From the desk of AJS. Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Sunday, October 02, 2011
October Catchup
A quick catch-up on links and reviews:
A few new articles on why the printed book is doomed. The first from The Telegraph the second from The Guardian, where Lloyd Shepherd takes a more balanced view. If we are going the way of the e-book, then Julian Saunders asks, 'how much should we charge?' And The Passive Voice asks if writers can make a living wage.
Jeff Goins asks if writing at night is best, whilst Janna Qualman has three writing lives. There are 25 ways to plot your story through Chuck Wendig and Judy Black Cloud exposes writing's dirty little secret.
Tales of Terror From the Black Ship
By Chris Priestley
Great little gothic novel made up of several short stories featuring ghostly goings on on the high seas and in the sort of mist shroud port towns that feature in tales of pirates. Aimed at children with equally young narrators this is a charming book reminiscent of M. R. James tales, with a final sting in its tail (tale). Some nice little illustrations as well.
Almost Transparent Blue
By Ryu Murakami
The first short novella from the cult Japanese author. It was written in the 60s but feels a lot fresher, whilst the writing style is reminiscent of hipster Hubert Selby Jr. It doesn't really have a split, but short direct dialogue and bruising prose sure makes up for it.
Desolation Jones
By Warren Ellis & J. H. Williams III
Another work from the fetid mind of Ellis, featuring the sort of broken character that he loves to write. Jones is an ex-spook forced to live out his days in a LA, a town given over to the ageing spooks who have made it their home. Not his best, but certainly good enough to make it on to my comic book shelf.
The Burning Soul
By John Connolly
My favourite thriller writer is back with the latest instalment for Charlie Parker. This started a little contrived, as if Connolly was having to push the novel along, but about 80 pages in that all changed and the novel became as good as all the others. I have a feeling though, that the next novel needs to bring back some of the more supernatural focused bad guys.
A few new articles on why the printed book is doomed. The first from The Telegraph the second from The Guardian, where Lloyd Shepherd takes a more balanced view. If we are going the way of the e-book, then Julian Saunders asks, 'how much should we charge?' And The Passive Voice asks if writers can make a living wage.
Jeff Goins asks if writing at night is best, whilst Janna Qualman has three writing lives. There are 25 ways to plot your story through Chuck Wendig and Judy Black Cloud exposes writing's dirty little secret.
By Chris Priestley
Great little gothic novel made up of several short stories featuring ghostly goings on on the high seas and in the sort of mist shroud port towns that feature in tales of pirates. Aimed at children with equally young narrators this is a charming book reminiscent of M. R. James tales, with a final sting in its tail (tale). Some nice little illustrations as well.
By Ryu Murakami
The first short novella from the cult Japanese author. It was written in the 60s but feels a lot fresher, whilst the writing style is reminiscent of hipster Hubert Selby Jr. It doesn't really have a split, but short direct dialogue and bruising prose sure makes up for it.
By Warren Ellis & J. H. Williams III
Another work from the fetid mind of Ellis, featuring the sort of broken character that he loves to write. Jones is an ex-spook forced to live out his days in a LA, a town given over to the ageing spooks who have made it their home. Not his best, but certainly good enough to make it on to my comic book shelf.
By John Connolly
My favourite thriller writer is back with the latest instalment for Charlie Parker. This started a little contrived, as if Connolly was having to push the novel along, but about 80 pages in that all changed and the novel became as good as all the others. I have a feeling though, that the next novel needs to bring back some of the more supernatural focused bad guys.
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