A Man on the Moon by Paper Aeroplane

It’s my last Friday in India. I’ve had an interesting eleven months, filled with enough images, experiences and smells (I’ll never forget those smells) to fill several books. However, this period between jobs was always going to be about the writing and I’m proud that in that time I’ve been able to prove to myself that I have the heart and fortitude to spend all my time writing. If nothing else, it has allowed me to get a lot of the gunk that fills up my brain down on paper and write two novels and edit another. They are:

Juvie. 

A YA science fiction novel.

A town stranded in the Green, isolated, ruled by the Laws of the Governors; a community reeling from pain and tragedy, where nothing is taken for granted. Not a great place to grow up, not a great place to be a “juvie.”

Ben Hewitt is missing a brother. He has stopped taking his Inhibitors. He has found the gun. Now he is scared. With only a few days until the Anniversary, the musors are after him and sinister strangers have been seen in town. On the run, unable to trust anyone, Ben must learn the black secret hidden in the heart of Greenville’s residents if he is to survive. 

Time is running out.

Stigma

The follow-up to Juvie

Life in the Enclave is hard and brutal, a life lived in squalor, the decrepit block houses cramped and unsanitary, the people slowly starving; each day is nothing less than a fight for survival. Sarah thought she understood. She is Drose, tattooed with the Stigma Servitude, her short life already mapped out and beyond her control. She is destined to finish her days either on the labour battalions or at the hands of the ‘zombie’ Stigmata Guards.

When her Grappa receives a package from the Plush black marketeer Drohodo, Sarah discovers that her life is not as simple as she first thought. Now, with only a few days left before she is made Legitimate, she must discover the truth about her peoples confinement.

What is so important inside the crumpled brown paper package that so many are willing to die for it? Who is the boy from outside the walls, who talks about Governors and life in the Green? Why are her people so despised? And what of the whispers of another city, outside the Enclave, a place where freedom exists.

Waters Deep

A YA Horror novel

Something wakes in the North Sea. Creatures from myth, best forgotten. The storm rages, and the surge bares down on the English East Coast, and in the waters the creatures follow.

Joe doesn’t like Barton, it’s small town and he’s a London boy. Lincolnshire offers him very little, and he blames his family for the disastrous move. When the storm hits, he just wants to flee like everyone else, but chance transpires against him.

The town is swamped by the incoming surge, but something worse than the icy cold sea water inhabits the hidden depths of Barton. As Joe searches for his lost father, other people are spotted in town, but if they’re not part of a rescue - who are they?

A new ongoing series of YA cryptid-horror novels

Now - the first two books are with my agent, but have not been taken up by a publisher, though he assures me there is plenty of interest. I don’t know if they will sell. Today’s market is harsh for new writers and getting anything out in print (I mean as a real paper book) was almost impossible before the upsurge of electronic publishing, now it’s akin to getting a man on the moon by paper aeroplane. If it doesn’t happen with these books, then I’ll shift attention to the new horror series and try them instead (Waters Deep is finished as a first draft, but will require another six months worth of work to be complete). If that doesn’t work then I might look at just going it alone. At least the books will then see the light of day, if only read by those who prowl the self published e-book lists.

Multiple Smallest Rooms

I suppose it had to happen eventually. Everyone told me that spending large amounts of time in India will result in stomach 'issues.' That no matter how I protect myself, eventually I will fall foul of what has been called for good reason; Delhi Belly, Ghandi's Revenge and The Rangoon Runs. I tend to have a very good constitution, but the moment my father left on Wednesday morning I knew something wasn't right. I've just spent three days on the couch and in close proximity to the bathroom. Madame Vin, soooo glad we have multiple smallest rooms, has been sympathetic to my general inability to want to do anything or go anywhere.

Anyway, with out dwelling on my darkest hour (sorry), I'm now feeling much better and a lot lighter. I've just had two great weeks of visiting India seeing places as diverse as the backwaters of Kerala (all these photos are my own work):

The tea plantations of Ooty:

and of course this place:

I'll add this photo in as well, as sunsets don't get much better than this:

I'm never going to see all of India, it's such a vast and diverse place, but I at least feel I've seen enough of India to get a good understanding of it. I really need to knuckle down and get some work done now, or else this year will have been wasted.

The plan was to finish work on 'Stigma' this week but that all got pushed back when I had to spend inordinate amounts of time in the bathroom. Instead I'll start tomorrow with the hope of getting it finished by the end of the week and picking up 'Waters Deep' next week. This leaves me two weeks to get it going before I jet off to Australia for some well earned R&R.

Sounds Like a Dr. Who Character

Just a quickie. My father arrives in Chennai tomorrow and we're doing a few tours around the old subcontinent. Plan to spend a little bit of time on the backwaters of Kerala, visit the mountains to the south of us at Ooti (sounds like a Dr. Who character) and finally visit the Taj Mahal and see what all the fuss is about.

I'm doing re-writes on 'Stigma,' based on comments from my Beta readers and realised I need a better pay off at the end of novel. This will take up until the end of March, then I'll pick up 'Waters Deep' and write a first draft.

In the meantime, here's a little piece I wrote called 'The Pros & Cons of Being a Writer,' which has been published on the blog The Feckless Goblin which is looked after by the nice Mr. Kinsella who keeps the rather cool Weaponizer website.

A Little More Explicit

Two of my beta reader have got back to me now, so I'm going to start making a few changes to 'Stigma'. These will be mainly areas of the story where I need to perhaps be a little more explicit with an idea or concept. I want to get this complete by the end of next week so I can get a first version out to my agent. Once it is out I plan to pick up a new project that I have mentally titled 'Waters Deep.' This is what I'll work on for the next six months, so expect lots of watery, flood-ey, sea-ey based links here.

In the mean time I've been working on short story that seems to have died and which I'll file away until I'm in a better place to write it, a humour piece entitled 'The Pros and Cons of being a writer,' which I hope to place with a website soon and a short film based on holiday videos made last year in NYC and my love of Woody Allen. You can see the video below:

A couple of good links I've found recently for writing. The first is the Electronic Literature Volume 2 (I assume there is a vol. 1, somewhere) which has a selection of new form writings where the electronic and written word intersect. I find this interesting because, as we move towards ebooks overtaking actual real world items, the barriers between the written word, film, music and visuals are going to fall down. I haven't seen any ebooks yet that makes use of such experimental forms, but I bet someone is working on them as I type.

The second link is to Ambiance. This is an audio service that allows you to listen to the music of every day life. When deep in writing I find I can only listen to music without lyrics and therefore listen to a lot of jazz, blues and experimental sounds. Ambiance might be useful for when I want to visual a scene and want some kind of audio trigger. I'll try water for 'Waters Deep,' and let you know how it works.

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McSweeney's 29 by Various - I must admit I'm a sucker for cool jacket design and beautifully tooled, well finished books. This is the main reason I like McSweeney's Quarterly Concern (which still has no subscription service in the UK that doesn't include paying more in airfare than the actual books). Most of the works in McSweeney's 29 left me a bit a cold. I think they're a bit too American for my taste and some of the references are lost on me (I have a vague idea who Hilary Duff is, but have never seen Lizzie McGuire, which I think is a US kids show). However, Roddy Doyle's piece 'The Painting,' is well structured and seems effortless even when it obviously isn't, and Brian Baise's opening work is a good meditation on misplaced anger. The rest however didn't really do anything for me. 

The Small Stuff

Working on bits and bobs at the moment. 'Stigma' has gone out to beta readers and whilst I've had one return already, I'm not expecting the others back until next week. I've got several things on the go that I'm trying to get into a state so that I can pick one of them up after I finish any re-writes on 'Stigma'. I want to get input from my agent on these, as at the moment I'm thinking it's only worth working on projects if they are commercially viable. I know that this sounds a little like selling out, but to be a writer full time you need an income and at the moment I don't have one. If the 'Juvie' series gets published I'll still need several more works published before I get anywhere close to that.

The small stuff is a short story idea that doesn't seem to want to go anywhere and I might just forget about, an amusing essay on 'The Pros and Cons of Being a Writer,' that I might send out to a writing blog, two novel concepts and I've also got this weird comic book idea I want to do, but I need to hook up with an artist.

My father is coming out to India a week tomorrow and we plan to do a little more travelling. I want to see the Taj Mahal and Delhi (because I don't think you've seen a country until you've been to the capital) and visit some of the countryside south of Chennai. After that it's Australia and New Zealand.

Covered in Bloody Goo

As of yesterday I finished the first reading version of ‘Stigma.’ This is different to a first draft which is just a rough cut. This version has gone through several iterations and is the first version that I allow to see the daylight. It comes into the world innocent, covered in bloody goo and incapable of making a good cup of coffee; but it’s a start.

The novel (a term I can now really use) goes out to beta readers. These are the dear people who get to see the first version and let me know if all the effort has indeed been worthwhile. I’ve sent them a list of question, or elements to take into account when reading the book. They tend to be things like:

• Story - does it engage you as a reader? Did you guess where it was going before reading. Is there anything that does not make sense to you?
• World Building - does the setting seem real? Can you imagine it, smell it, understand how it works? Does anything not seem convincing.
• Characters - do they seem real, are they sufficiently involved in the underlying concept of the story? Do they evolve over time and grow. Have they any flaws - too simple, their actions don't make sense, are they contrived?
• Language - does it scan and read correctly? Did you find yourself stumbling over any of the sentences or paragraphs? Did you have to re-read sections of the book for it to make sense? Does the language fit the reading material?
• Spelling / Grammar - Doesn't matter how many times I re-write errors always slip in.

The beta readers are a great help to me as they are the first audience, the opening night jeerers if you will. They give me the confidence to send the book on to my agent and ultimately publishers.

All being well, they should get back to me within the next couple of weeks. In the mean time, I’ve been putting a lot of links to other writers essays and advice on Twitter. I’ve put some of these below because I know that not all of you indulge in the blue bird, plus it makes it easier for me to find them in the future. Enjoy.

• "Submerging the 'I'" by Chuck Palahniuk http://bit.ly/gZm5Me
• Is my novel really any good? And other writing pre-occupations http://bit.ly/fdnPRQ by Ziggy Kinsella
• New blog post http://12books12months.com/2011/01/30/writing-routines/ by Ali George
• 20 authors and their unique writing rituals: http://bit.ly/e4Zlid
• Write Like A Pro http://is.gd/JYw2eQ
• MIND MELD: The Future Of Publishing http://t.co/7lnwp8Q Some very interesting predications for writers! 

Postcards and Chocolate Boxes

Happy new year to you all. 


I hope 2011 finds you well and you're not too worried about the demise of the Earth and all its inhabitants next year (if you're not familiar with 2012 Mayan prophecies, sorry I've just given away the ending to the Earth's story).


I am currently in the UK and enjoying it immensely. After a debacle in getting here involving snow, cancelled planes and frozen trains we attempted to follow our planned route as much as possible to see family and friends, taking Christmas in the Midlands, Hogmany in Edinburgh and a weeks holiday in Dorset. I'm currently in Durweston, a small hamlet in Dorset living in the sort of thatched cottage that would make anyone not from this country talk about postcards and chocolate boxes. I'm catching up on work by making a few changes to 'Stigma', getting it into a position for one final push when I return to India at the weekend. I'm also thinking about the next project - a lot.


I have a little over six months left in India, which is time enough to write one more novel. I'm thinking of sticking with YA and a new series. More news when I've fired up the grey cells and got them to go over several ideas.


So - If you're still on your Christmas holiday enjoy it - you haven't got long left. If you're already back at work - no fear. We get to do it all again in 360 days.


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River of Gods is a sci-fi novel set in the not too distant future that instead of dealing with the West turns its attention to Asia. As I’m currently living in India and I’m starting to see the differences in culture and thinking, it acted as the perfect accompaniment.

India is a land divided by religion, ethnic diversity, quality of living and inbuilt historic legacies. It has seen rulers come and go, empires crumble, it’s ruled and been ruled over; but always India remains. RofG takes this diverse land and includes modern technology, arm races and avatars, climate change, modern business practice and politics into a story that at heart is about finding your place.

Seen from the point of view of several diverse characters their stories intermingle to reflect the complex relationship evident in India. No one character is the lead, each has their part to play to bring the ideas and context to the fore. The writing contains the heavy scent of heat and spice, exotic but never so alien as to be misunderstood. Starting slow it builds into a technological thriller. It also has several intriguing gadgetry that work in context and never distract from the story.

If I had one complaint about the novel it’s the incomplete job that appears to have been done in the final edit. There are several areas that could have been improved. However, this does not detract from an interesting take on a culture unfamiliar to many.

What Cool Air Feels Like

With 'Juvie' finished and back with my agent I need to turn my attention to work on the second book in the series, 'Stigma.' Before I do that however, we managed to fit in a small break to a part of India called Kerala. We stayed on a lovely Cardamon plantation up in the mountains where I was reminded what cool air feels like. We also spent a night on a boat travelling the back waters and ate large prawns from the sea.

Pictures are here.

When travelling like this I pack light. A pen and a small moleskin notebook and an iPad are my only writing tools. As I try and write every day I need somewhere to jot down ideas. I prefer to work on shorter pieces whilst holidaying as I don't want to start ripping apart a novel when I should be relaxing. Every year I write a small Christmas story to give to friends and family. I was able to start it whilst watching the kingfishers diving into the dark water. I'll edit it later this week and get it out before I return to the UK. Check your inbox.

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A quick 'how is everyone?' to friends back in the UK, particularly Scotland, where they have been having some very unseasonable early snows. I hope everyone is well and warm.

More Than a Pencil

I'm close to finishing the next draft of 'Stigma', but I've changed tools to complete it. 

One of the reasons I've always been attracted to writing as an art form is the fact that you need nothing more than a pencil and piece of paper to create.  Of course in this day and age, with computers, slates, smart phones and all the other electrical peripherals available, I would be a fool to rely just on paper. That said, I've always used simple word processing packages such as Pages (Apple) or Word (Microsoft) to write. Now however, (and perhaps this has something to do with being abroad for a year and paranoid I'm going to loose some work) I find myself relying on software 'solutions'.

This month then (or until the free trial expires) I'm testing Scivener to see if it meets my needs. I chose Scrivener due to a recommendation from William Gibson on Twitter (@GreatDismal) and the fact that the next project will be quite research intensive and have multiple characters that I need to keep track of. I'll let you know if I keep it on or revert back to Pages next month.

For keeping all my research notes together I use Evernote. This is a simple interface that I have on both macs, my Iphone and Ipad, so I can always review any note I make and add things on the run. I use a similar folder structure as my writing folder on the mac so I can match research to ideas. I also use Instapaper (again across all devices) as a way of trying not to get too distracted whilst writing. Anything I want to read later I save via a simple browser button and then try and remember to sync before I go out. If it's something I want to share with a wider audience I post it to twitter, again via a simple browser button interface.

Finally, I always have a small moleskin notebook (plain pages) and a good pen on me, because tech always lets you down eventually.

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This blog is now also being hosted by The Guardian on the Literary Edinburgh pages. There are some interesting and established writers on board. Guardian Edinburgh Beatblogger, Michael MacLeod describes it as:

"The Literary Edinburgh blogosphere page aims to showcase some of the city's blogging writers. I've been in touch with authors, poets and scriptwriters across the city to find out what they blog about."

I look forward to being a part of the bloggers on board and finding out what fellow writers are up to.

A beginning, a middle and an end - In that order

The first version of 'Stigma' is now complete. The book has a beginning, a middle and an end - in that order, because I find that's best. It has a host of characters, a setting, narrative ark and themes. Beginning Monday, next week, I'll start the first rewrite. This is where the fun bits starts as the themes that became more obvious close to the end of the book can be extrapolated and explored across the whole story. Traits in the characters likewise can grow and the sci-fi elements that get created can be refined and made more integral to the novel. All in all, I'm pleased with it. It feels part of the 'Juvie' universe, but at the same time a book in its own right. It also leaves a fascinating story element to cover in the third book.

Today I'm going to reduce the amount of open info points I have from around the net. The problem with having 'always on' internet access, an iPad with RSS readers and a computer that downloads pod casts automatically, means I end up with all sorts of things that I never actually get to watch, read or listen to. So today I'm going to kick back and look at:

• The Guardian Books Podcast - useful for finding out what is happening in the world of literature.
• Intelligence Squared - podcasts and video of interesting debates and arguments 
• BBC World Book Club - interviews with writers
• Vincent - An app from the VG Museum all about Vincent Van Gogh that I never got around to watching.
• Open University - A talk on Cyborgs and cybernetics and talks on the creative writing process.
• Plus the numerous RSS feeds and website I have a daily look at (Boing Boing, Guardian, Gaiman, Ellis, TED, Wired etc etc etc).

Should keep me busy.

I also have the inkling for a short story, that I might get around to starting.

As it's raining, I'm not going anywhere.

Still Working Away in the Heat of India

I’m still here in Chennai, India, and I’m still beavering away on book two in the ‘Juvie’ series. I’m probably about a week or two away from the first full typescript. This isn’t the first draft as it contains lots of mistakes, ideas, concepts and notes that need to be fully explored. Only when I start a rewrite of the typescript will I get anywhere close to a full first draft, which all going well should be just before Christmas.

Already ‘Stigma’, as book two is called, has changed focus once, replaced the main character and introduced new concepts into the second half of the book that need to be incorporated back into the first half.

Apart from the writing I’ve been catching up on all that reading I’ve been promising myself. This includes:

The Fry Chronicles: Lovey, national treasure, voice of the establishment. Stephen Fry is all of the above and so much more. I read his technical reviews, his regular tweets, his books and watch his shows. I remember him from the early days of stand-up (which this autobiography covers) to his more recent sell out nights at the Royal Albert Hall (where I finally got to see him, live). He writes better than anyone I know when it comes to ‘passing on a story,’ and whilst sometimes he can be just a bit too ‘lovey’ in this book, it's still worth reading.

Kraken: Mieville is one of my favourites and I was looking forward to this book which has been reviewed as a tour de force and ‘fun’ work after the serious and hidden depths of ‘The City & The City.’ It is indeed lighter, but I found it slowed down by Mieville’s own use of language. I often found myself rereading action passages to understand what was happening, plus I had to reach for the dictionary twice. This worked well in his other books, but here it slows the pace slightly. Very much like a wordy ‘Neverwhere.’

To Say Nothing of the Dog: A time travel comedy that takes it cues from Jerome K. Jerome. Winner of both the Hugo and Locus, this is a slow building, light novel that pitch perfectly picks up on the language and mores of the 1890s. If anything it made me want to read some of JKJ’s work.

Now back to writing.

Read this week:

The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

Kraken by China Mieville

To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

Travels Over, Work Required

I'm back in India after a week in London. I had a great time, walking around Hyde Park in glorious end of summer sun:

Seeing the Dave McKean exhibition at the Pumphouse Gallery, entitled Hypercomics. The full set of photos can be seen here:

I met my new niece, Orla, who didn't talk much, unlike this man, who did.

And then we went to a wedding in sunny Eastbourne:

And now I'm back at work.

I'm going off line for a few days as I've got to review the line edited version of 'Juvie' and put together a full synopsis for 'Stigma' as my agent is at the Frankfurt book fair next week. That means lots of work and concentration which is going to be interesting since I'm ever so slightly jet lagged and plan to move into a new apartment this weekend. 

This blog should also be appearing somewhere 'new' soon. I'll let you know details as soon as I hear more.

Right, now - work.