It has been so long since I have checked in with you all that I thought I would give you an update on the happenings and goings-on in my life.
I completed an adult fantasy fiction novel based upon some Welsh mythology. Once I was up to the review stage I couldn't quite consolidate my version of the characters with the characters from the myth. I decided that I needed time away from the novel so that I could come back with fresh eyes.
I began working on what I thought would be just a fun, but mostly waste of time, project that would take my mind off my novel for a while. It's a children's fantasy fiction story that I have fallen in love with. It has taken up most of my attention span and I have created a whole new world within my tiny little brain. I have been working like crazy on it, and I really think that this story is a keeper. I'm only around 10,000 words in, but I feel like I have many, many more up my sleeve.
In an effort to hone my skills as a writer I have also begun writing short works of fiction by pulling two random word prompts out of a hat each week. I have tried to follow along with other people's word prompts in the past, but never got around to writing anything worth mentioning. Because I am now running the show I feel obligated to write, and I have been meeting my self-imposed deadline with no worries. If you would like to join in, even if it's only once every few weeks, go to my Tumblr asholdfield.tumblr.com to find the word prompts. Don't forget to tweet your stories using the hashtag #AshWriteTime.
Other than the world of writing I have been getting my dog ready for dog shows (despite the fact that he did very badly in his first show, I still love him), wrapping myself up in blankets to hide from the cold, and hanging out with my cats. So, just the usual. I hope you're all well and happy :)
- Ash
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
An Accident Prone Summer - A Tale of Two Men
“Still, they got you out of trouble, the old crank handle,” the old man said, his voice quivering. “These new fangled businesses are not nearly as reliable. Still, I always cranked my car in my day.” He wriggled his eyebrows to emphasise his point and shifted in his seat, the hard wood painful on his ageing bones. His breathing was somewhat laboured. It was this damn weather, you see. Hot one minute, cold the next - unexpected for so late in the Summer. He would breathe easier if the weather would only make up its mind. His companion studied his slouched body and tried to ignore the worry for his friend that was gnawing deep down inside.
To read more, please follow the link below to my Tumblr (the home of Ash's Write Time writing prompts).
To read more, please follow the link below to my Tumblr (the home of Ash's Write Time writing prompts).
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Book Review: 'The Metamorphosis', by Franz Kafka
The Metamorphosis by Franz KafkaMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a great, quick read. It is an endearing story that will keep you thinking for hours after you have put it down.
View all my reviews
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Five Points to Ponder when Novel Planning
I find that there are a lot of overlaps between my job as a teacher and my job as a writer. I believe that, in learning how to plan meaningful learning experiences for my students, I have learned how to plan meaningful chapters for my readers. Here are five questions I feel you should ask yourself when planning a scene/chapter for your story:
1. What do I want the reader to learn from this scene/chapter?
Each and every scene in your story should have a point to it. If your reader is not learning something new, then there is no point in including that scene. You should have a clear idea of what you want your reader to learn before you start writing.
2. What do I want the character to learn during this scene/chapter?
As the writer, you need to figure out what you want your character to know, as opposed to what you want your reader to know. A great way to build tension in a story is to have the reader know something really, really important that they hero doesn't. I have been caught out before yelling at a character to look behind them. A great writer is able to craft this so seamlessly that the reader is not even aware that it is happening.
3. Am I assuming too much prior knowledge from the reader?
When I am teaching a class I always write the homework on the board, show the students which pages they have to complete in their books, tell the students what homework they have, and ask the students to repeat back to me what their homework is. And yet, I still have some students come to class telling me that I never told them what homework they had to do, so they didn't do any. Worse, some even complain to their parents that I didn't set them any homework. Argh!
My point is that, just because you mention a detail to a reader does not mean that they will necessarily remember it. Especially in the first few chapters of your book, everything is so new and different that it is all a bit too hard to take in. A sentence or two later should suffice to jog a reader's memory.
A friendly note of warning: Be careful not to go overboard with the whole jogging-the-memory thing. A complete re-hash of previous events will only bore the reader.
4. Are you sharing too much?
As a Science teacher I often find that I have to lie to my students. Not in a bad way, just in a way that prevents me from confusing them. For example, when I am teaching my Year 7's about atoms, I tell them that atoms are the smallest particles there are, and that everything is made up of atoms. This is not strictly correct, because I am deliberately not mentioning protons, electrons, neutrons, or the even smaller again quarks. It is not important for my Year 7's to know the ins and outs of atoms at such an early stage of their Science career, and mentioning them up would only confuse the poor little tykes. My Year 10's, however, are taught a huge amount of information about protons, electrons and neutrons because they can handle it.
So, are you giving your reader too much backstory? Doing so will often confuse the reader or, worse, may lead them to get bored and refuse to read any more of the story. *gasp* You need to keep it simple and drip feed the reader any important information. What your character ate for breakfast that morning can usually be left out of the narrative, for example, as it may clog up your story.
5. Do the readers have any misconceptions that you need to address?
I was watching 'Oz, The Great and Powerful', with my Mum yesterday, and a scene from the movie really stuck with me. When Mila Kunis told James Franco that she was a witch, he asked her where her brookstick was. She was confused, and he said he thought all witches needed a broomstick to fly.
When you are planning, you need to think about what misconceptions your readers may have about anything that you are including in your story. It can be really important to know this, because something a parent has told their child will often stick with them for life even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. A thorough Google search should let you know about the ideas people have about the topic you are writing about.
I hope my Five Points to Ponder help you with your novel planning. Good luck, and be sure to share anything you might be useful that you have learned along the way. Happy writing!
1. What do I want the reader to learn from this scene/chapter?
Each and every scene in your story should have a point to it. If your reader is not learning something new, then there is no point in including that scene. You should have a clear idea of what you want your reader to learn before you start writing.
2. What do I want the character to learn during this scene/chapter?
As the writer, you need to figure out what you want your character to know, as opposed to what you want your reader to know. A great way to build tension in a story is to have the reader know something really, really important that they hero doesn't. I have been caught out before yelling at a character to look behind them. A great writer is able to craft this so seamlessly that the reader is not even aware that it is happening.
3. Am I assuming too much prior knowledge from the reader?
When I am teaching a class I always write the homework on the board, show the students which pages they have to complete in their books, tell the students what homework they have, and ask the students to repeat back to me what their homework is. And yet, I still have some students come to class telling me that I never told them what homework they had to do, so they didn't do any. Worse, some even complain to their parents that I didn't set them any homework. Argh!
My point is that, just because you mention a detail to a reader does not mean that they will necessarily remember it. Especially in the first few chapters of your book, everything is so new and different that it is all a bit too hard to take in. A sentence or two later should suffice to jog a reader's memory.
A friendly note of warning: Be careful not to go overboard with the whole jogging-the-memory thing. A complete re-hash of previous events will only bore the reader.
4. Are you sharing too much?
As a Science teacher I often find that I have to lie to my students. Not in a bad way, just in a way that prevents me from confusing them. For example, when I am teaching my Year 7's about atoms, I tell them that atoms are the smallest particles there are, and that everything is made up of atoms. This is not strictly correct, because I am deliberately not mentioning protons, electrons, neutrons, or the even smaller again quarks. It is not important for my Year 7's to know the ins and outs of atoms at such an early stage of their Science career, and mentioning them up would only confuse the poor little tykes. My Year 10's, however, are taught a huge amount of information about protons, electrons and neutrons because they can handle it.
So, are you giving your reader too much backstory? Doing so will often confuse the reader or, worse, may lead them to get bored and refuse to read any more of the story. *gasp* You need to keep it simple and drip feed the reader any important information. What your character ate for breakfast that morning can usually be left out of the narrative, for example, as it may clog up your story.
5. Do the readers have any misconceptions that you need to address?
I was watching 'Oz, The Great and Powerful', with my Mum yesterday, and a scene from the movie really stuck with me. When Mila Kunis told James Franco that she was a witch, he asked her where her brookstick was. She was confused, and he said he thought all witches needed a broomstick to fly.
When you are planning, you need to think about what misconceptions your readers may have about anything that you are including in your story. It can be really important to know this, because something a parent has told their child will often stick with them for life even in the face of strong evidence to the contrary. A thorough Google search should let you know about the ideas people have about the topic you are writing about.
I hope my Five Points to Ponder help you with your novel planning. Good luck, and be sure to share anything you might be useful that you have learned along the way. Happy writing!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Read an Ebook Week - I'm giving my ebooks away for free!
March 3 - 9 is read an ebook week, and I am excited to be participating this year. For this week only I will be giving away my two children's ebooks, 'Scruffy the Christmas Bear', and 'Scruffy the Adventurous Bear' for free.
Head on over to my Smashwords page and fill in the promotional code 'RW100' in the payment section to get you free copy of my books. Alternatively, click on the book covers below to be taken to their own Smashwords page. Have a trawl through the 'Read an ebook Week Section' of Smashwords whilst you're there to find out what other awesome great reads you can pick up!
Head on over to my Smashwords page and fill in the promotional code 'RW100' in the payment section to get you free copy of my books. Alternatively, click on the book covers below to be taken to their own Smashwords page. Have a trawl through the 'Read an ebook Week Section' of Smashwords whilst you're there to find out what other awesome great reads you can pick up!
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