Imran Writes » 2011

Words of Oomph – Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 31 Oct 2011 1 comment Tags: amazon, book, curiosity, ductwork, everyday words, flickimp, imagination, imran, imran siddiq, imranwrites, ins, inside, leicester, maria, misery, oomph, out, paragraph, pipes, rebellion, resonant voice, sci fi, scrub, scrubs, sentences, shoulders, snyder, spaceship, synder, talented author, uppers, v

About Inside Out… Keep your head down. Don’t get noticed. Or else. I’m Trella. I’m a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I’ve got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? Not like it’s all that dangerous – the only neck at risk is my own. Until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution…

Maria V. Snyder is an extremely talented author, who had captured my imagination with her novel ‘Inside Out’. Based on a spaceship with separate areas for uppers and lowers, I hope to gain an understanding of how she managed to explain a diverse world (within a ship), that I hope to achieve with my second novel Disconnect. Yes – I am currently reading this one.

Below are some words I found in the first two chapters that really struck me with some oomph and made the sci-fi element feel all the more great.

Okay… let me be clear… some words, below, you will think ‘so what’, but… they worked for me…

Vibration
Semi-darkness
Arching
Emanating
Sleek
Dove headfirst
Filtering
Ductwork
Jostled
Encompassed
Hydrophonics
Resided
Perpetually
Formfitting
Slippery
Tuned
Contemplated
Facility
Fiercest frown
Deep, resonant voice
Curiosity
Swinging
Pulsed
Flooded
Shoulders sagged
Scurried

Agreed… simple… everyday words… but they stood out for me as ‘oomph’ moments.

And the best I have saved for last. Sometimes, impact sentences are required to drive home a direct message or some clinical action. This paragraph did exactly that… and at this point, I was only 350 words into the novel.

Extract from Inside Out = The scrubs shoved. They frowned. They complained. I hated every one of them. Except Cog. No one hated Cog. He listened. Empathized with tales of misery. Made people smile.

A fantastic author who has inspired me more.

Create a Website

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 24 Oct 2011 3 comments Tags: audience, blog, blue host, bluehost, build, character building, com, conflict, create, digital arena, domain name, dozens upon dozens, elegant, elegantthemes, facebook, flickimp, fundamental aspect, imran, imran siddiq, imranwrites, leicester, nbsp, org, platforms, siddiq, site, stage 1, stage 2, Themes, twitter, wip, Wordpress, world wide web, zillion

It goes without saying that a website, as a means to promote yourself, is a fundamental aspect of being a writer in today’s expanding digital-arena. Of course, you must socialise on platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, whether you like it not, but having somewhere to place your writing progress, wip, or a general blog is key to gaining an audience. And – most of all, to let the world know you are.

My website http://www.imranwrites.com is a means for me to promote not just my writing, but also any useful advice I gain from scouring the website. I am not an expert, but if I can simplify prepositions, show-not-tell, pov, conflict, character building, as well as a zillion other things, then I feel I have contributed to the writing world.

Does my site grab your attention? Now then, how much did it cost to set this site up? £2,000? £1,000? £500? Actually, it was lower than you think…

Stage 1 – Platform to Form Site Upon

There are dozens upon dozens of platforms you can use, though I used http://www.wordpress.org

I must make clear that there is an alternative called http://www.wordpress.com, which is commonly used as it is free to do so, however, unless you pay $99 you will have a site with the domain name of http://www.imranwrites.wordpress.com

I don’t know about you, but http://www.imranwrites.com looks a tad better than http://www.imranwrites.wordpress.com [But it is entirely up to you!]

Okay… so, if you do pay $99, you can have http://www.imranwrites.com, but the hosting package (relates to Stage 2) that you’ll receive is mediocre. My recommendation is that you use http://www.wordpress.org

Cost so far = £0

Stage 2 – Hosting of Site

Every site needs a host before it is available on the World-Wide-Web

Once you have signed up to http://www.wordpress.org, you will have the option of a hosting site. There are several available on wordpress. I opted to use www.bluehost.com

Great thing was that I got the choice of a domain – http://www.imranwrites.com – perfect!

And the cost? $3.95 per month if you pay up front for 24 months, or $4.95 per month, if you pay up front for 12 months.

There is an inbuilt Live-Chat process available on the site, so if you do get stuck with the signing up, or next steps process, there is always someone available to help.

I opted for 24 months, so in total, I paid $94.8 – which works out to £59 under current currency-exchange rates.

Cost so far = £59

Step 3 – Build your Site

Once you’ve followed the specified steps on Bluehost, you’re site will be ready for you to work on.

You will be introduced to a basic template with some pre-built content, just to help you get used to the interface. However, I found the pre-built theme and many of the free theme that you can load from the internet to be… boring…I wanted something with a little ‘oomph’.

I sourced out a theme site http://www.elegantthemes.com

For a charge of $39 (per year = £24) I can have the my pick of any of the theme they currently offer. And, I can change at any time as well. The theme are funky, intuitive and very different. They help to make my website feel a little more alive. When you download a theme… you can easily upload it onto your site by using the wordpress control panel.

Cost of far = £83

Step 4 – Protect your Site

SPAM and people trying to hack sites is common practice, and any additional security to what Bluehost offer is key…if you ask me.

Within your site, you will have the option of applying Askimet – an ever-present protecting piece of kit. For a simple charge of $35, I have made my site as secure as I can. I strongly recommend this.

Cost so far = £104

Step 5 – Populate your Site

Create your own images, photographs, blog posts, stories, thoughts, ideas, etc.

Be creative and build a name and a site for yourself that shows who you are and what you can offer!

TOTAL COST to set up http://www.imranwrites.com = £104 or $166

Not bad hey?

Opening Out the Third Person Limited Narrative

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 21 Oct 2011 4 comments Tags: 3rd, alarms, all the rage, disconnect, fantasy, feelings, fi, flick, flickimp, fly, fly on the wall, game, imran, imran siddiq, imranwrites, inner dialogue, insight, joke, leicester, narrative, new chapter, novel, omniscient, particles, person, POV, sci, sci fi books, siddiq, telepathic link, third person, world wide web, zillion

I am not going to – in any way – convince you that I am an expert on Third Person Limited, however, I hope you will gain from insight I have gathered over the [Optimus Prime vocals] World Wide Web.

Third Person Omniscient is sometimes all the rage in fantasy/sci-fi books and some will head-hop regularly. I have no problem with them, as long as they are done expertly without me stopping to think “Oh, so I am not in who I thought I was.”

Third Person Limited is the opposite. Rather than head-hopping, we are rooted into one characters POV. If we choose to see from another character’s POV, then we either have a section break or start a new chapter. Simples really. The reader should now know whose view they are entering. By giving a character their portion of pages, where we feel, see, hear what they do; there is a boosted chance that the reader will engage with them.

Disconnect was written with chapters alternating between Limited Boy and Limited Girl. After some nurturing, I am ditching that, and moving to a Limited Boy novel. By not letting you read about her feelings or her inner dialogue, the reader will be caught in moments of trying to unpick her thoughts of the boy. Does she think the same as him? Or does he assume she does? By not giving the game away early, you will have to scroll/flick on to obtain the answer.

When I considered this…. alarms bell did ring for me. There are section of the novel that focus entirely on the girl’s action, and the boy is a zillion particles away to know anything of them. In fact, it would be boring and needy for her to tell him. So how could I explain those moments, if I am limiting myself to the boy?

By a telepathic link!

Joke… I would not do that.

I will try a method where we do leave the boy’s POV and we are thrust into the girl’s world (only at appropriate times), and scenes will play out. There will be no inner dialogue or thoughts. We’ll be a fly on the wall, observing her. Hearing her. But, never going into her head.

This will be a major shift in my mode of writing, and I hope to pull it off.

Do you have views of Third Person Limited, or even my brief outline of letting the reader see what is happening in the girl’s world, even though the novel focusses on the boy’s POV?

Tips from Getting Published Event

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 17 Oct 2011 5 comments Tags: agents, attendees, conflict, crime writer, editing, elevation, flickimp, harry bingham, HELP, imran siddiq, imranwrites, leicester, letter, literary agents publishers, london uk, novel, observation, page synopsis, pitch, prologue, protagonist, publishing companies, rd person, self publishing, sentences, st person, submission, submission criteria, synopsis, tips, writers workshop

On Saturday 15 October 2011, I attended the One-Day ‘Getting Published’ Event organised by The Writers Workshop (London, UK). The ever-present Harry Bingham (a great Crime writer) did a fantastic job as Chief-Presenter and Chaired the day admiringly.

I will admit that I prefer the 3 Day event – that was held in York March 2011 – because things felt less rushed and there was greater opportunity to mingle. A key observation on Saturday was the average age of attendees being rather high, so even for a 33 year old, I felt like a child lost in a bygone era. (Sorry – if I offended anybody)

Below is advice and comments gained from Literary Agents, Publishers, Self-Publishing companies and from the floor of attendees. Most of this, I already know, but stating that it has come from a professional, adds some Klout to it.

Do not include a Prologue unless it is pivotal to explain something that no other character will learn, or knows of during your novel.

Research the agent you submit a letter to. Check they deal in the genre you have written.

Do not give a life-story in your letter about yourself. If you must, then summarise ruthlessly and ensure it only details info they must know that relates to writing, ie: previously published work, writing awards,

Most UK agents prefer a one page synopsis. US agents can differ; check their submission criteria.

Do not jump from 1^st person to 3^rd person in a novel, or vice versa.

Get the elevation pitch in your letter right. Remember, can you explain in 2 sentences, your novel without giving away the ending and setting up the protagonist and the conflict they must overcome?

If you epublish/ebook, ensure you do all you can to have the novel edited and proof-read.

It can be difficult to obtain an agent after you have epublished/ebooked, unless you sell thousands of copies of your novel. Because… your track record will follow you.

Those that Self-Publish must watch out for ‘shark’ companies that charge you a lot for a measly return. Even reputable companies honestly admit that only 30% of self-publishers make back their investment. Think carefully of this approach. Do you want a garage full of books?

You must promote yourself via Social Media; Facebook, Twitter, etc. Build a fan base.

You must promote yourself and your novel at least 6 months prior to publication. Publishers do not have enough resources to organise this for everyone.

Have a website built/set-up to promote yourself, your novels and to provide a blog you update regularly. It is all about sharing what you do and what a reader can expect from you. Unless it is a personal blogging site, keep the content relevant to writing. I would not do a blog about Go-Kart Racing, unless I am writing about that subject. There are many free services out there, but the total cost for me to set this site up, with personal domain, theme, SPAM protection, etc = £180

For those worried about having their work copyrighted before they submit to an agent; your work is copyrighted the moment you type on word/or any other device.

Some agents do prefer electronic submissions rather than printed, due to amount of paper to carry, but always check their submissions guidelines.

Bad times to query an agent = Dec, April, May and October. They will read them, but it might take a little longer to reply.

Agents can get 40 letters a day. Of that, they may decide to request the full manuscript of 2-5 of them. They now have to read them, and after that, they will decide on who to take on… and even then, they might only come out with 2 publishing deals a year. So, agents are not lazy buggers with nothing to do. Imagine reading 2-3 bits of work a day, on top of reading 40 prospective clients, on top of negotiating publishing deals, on top of editing already registered clients. Phew. It is not just a gatekeeper role.

It is not uncommon for a publisher to offer a 2 book deal. If your 2^nd book does not perform well, there is a strong chance you will not get a later deal, but hopefully your agent will work with you to restrict that happening. Even the best writers can disappear off the grid when they churn out a bad book.

Most important of all – Write the Best Book you Can!! Write it, get it edited, get it read by others to point out mistakes/issues/typos you have overlooked. Do not rush the submission process. Think and do it carefully.

So… discuss… does anything here touch a nerve, or does it make your willpower stronger.

Me? I will persevere.

To Prologue or Not to Prologue

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 14 Oct 2011 8 comments Tags: backstory, blog, blogs, blogspot, blueprint, death star, dialogue, do, epilogues, exercise, firstly, flickimp, imran, imran siddiq, imranwrites, leicester, lovechild, manuscript, nbsp, need, novel, POV, prologue, prologues, protag, protagonist, rules, siddiq, sirra, sirra_girl, strider, su, them, twitter, we, why, writing tips, yoda, zillion

Often I will read a novel with a prologue, and when I read another without a prologue, I used to consider it to be the authors choice. Wrong… It is not always necessary to have a prologue, and choice rarely comes into it. What matters is the content of your novel, and that will determine if a prologue is required. I did have a prologue in The Last Strider, but on reading it back, I now realise (or realize if American) that it adds nothing to the novel and is just a waste of a page. Scrapped.

Please do visit Sirra’s amazing blog about writing tips. Her post on Prologues is recommended: http://sirragirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/where-to-start-novel.html

Why you DO NOT NEED a Prologue

Distracting from the actual story with details that are not entirely necessary. Maybe you could add those details into the novel itself, as part of reminiscent dialogue or something the character learns about their/or some other’s past.

We are not performing exercise, so need to gradually invite the reader into the plot. Do you want to sit in a car for 1 hour, or do you want to get to your location. I say get to the location!

It usually stops us meeting the main character. Okay… maybe we do meet them as an abandoned child, but let’s just get to the here and now. Remember, we can learn about their back-story when it is relevant.

Prologues can be excuses for world-setting/building. Let the reader learn in the novel. Don’t give away the entire Death Star blueprint now.

Why you MIGHT NEED a Prologue

Firstly… if you do have one… keep them short.

Contrary to what I said above, there might be an event in the past that would jar out if you placed it anywhere else in your novel. Be ruthless here… can it work later on, then leave it later on.

If your novel us from a certain POV (Point of View), and you need to give us another POV, then a prologue is ideal. Take Harry Potter, the first chapter in some cases is the POV of other characters, whilst the rest of the novel is Mr-He-Who-Shall-Not-Wear-Foundation-To-Cover-His-Scar.

Think Mission Impossible 3… We are introduced to Tom Cruise watching his wife get tortured… and then the movie plays out in terms of how did we get here. In this case a prologue could show us ‘a near’ climatic scene. Though, it better be a damn good scene that rewards the reader who pursues to read on.

Do you have view on prologues?

Are the rules of using them too strict?
Do we need rules?
Do you like to have one regardless?
Have you been told by an agent/editor to scrap it?
Have I missed anything out?

Dedicated to Write Winners

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 11 Oct 2011 6 comments Tags: amazon, burst, centuries, character, cliche, competition, competitions, contest, dedicate, dialogue, disconnect, edit, elevation, epitch, flickimp, gold prize, harmony, imran, imran siddiq, leicester, lori, michael, naming names, page critique, pitch, pitches, purple prose, realised, run on sentences, siddiq, silver prize, sophia chang, sophie, su, tate, twitter, voucher, win, winners, writers workshop

I would like to express great thanks to those that entered.

In total, I had 25 worthy entrants, much more than I anticipated.

The task set was for entrants to provide an Elevation Pitch and the First Line from their Novel/MS. To many, this was probably the first and only time that you have had to really think about summarising your story into a sudden burst of air. For those that are planning to market, or contact an agent with regards to their work, getting that EPitch right can be crucial.

In deciding the Top 3, a running theme did occur with some of the entries, that I feel is important to state. I strongly recommend that we take the time to learn the usage of commas, run-on sentences, and purple prose. Also, without naming names, there were a few pitches that rung a little cliche for me. If there is something unique about your tale, state it in the EPitch.

Now then… for those that have probably already scanned down the page and realised that they have not won… fret not. There will be more competitions coming soon.. And I may be kinder than I look by giving away a Brand-New Kindle Touch in a future competition.

The Top 3 Entrants all stood out for me with their stand-up-and-take-notice EPitches and First-Liners. In the end, I randomly picked their positions, but congratulate all of them for their submissions.

————————————————————

Gold Prize = 10 Page Critique by @Sirra_Girl

Sophia Chang

@SophTheWriter

I cannot share her entry as she did request that it should not be made public. But, I can honestly say that her voice came out within the most simplest of sentences, as well within her EPitch. Bravo.

———————————————————-

Silver Prize = £20 Amazon Cash-Value Voucher … will convert into $

Michael A Tate

@Michael_A_Tate

Pitch: The harmony that existed between the humans and gods for centuries has deteriorated, and the gods hold all the power. Disenchanted by one village’s attempts to appease them, the gods give a young man, Fredrick, the opportunity to redeem his people before the gods annihilate his entire village.

1st Sentence: Fredrick dipped his clothes into the stream, letting the glacial water lift the blood from his shirt.

———————————————————-

Bronze Prize = £5 Amazon Cash-Value Voucher … will convert into $

Lori Lopez

@fetterslopez … She entered with only 5 minutes left before the deadline.

Elevator pitch: Hosting a political function, Jon scans the crowd and sees the reason he has never found happiness, and the potential end of his aspirations, his estranged wife, a government paid assasin.

First line: She left him and he wanted to die, now she walked back into his life as if she owned it.

A huge thank you to Su - http://sirragirl.blogspot.com/ – for providing a great prize that any writer would treasure

To Michael and Lori, I will be in touch to check the payment details.

Thanks again to all that entered. Do not lose hope. There will be more competitions, and hey, arrange one yourself too.

Strong Characters

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 09 Oct 2011 2 comments Tags: character, co-habiting, dialogue, divorced, edit, editing, flickimp, gandalf, imran, imran siddiq, imranwrites, leicester, married, separated, siddiq, snape, writes, writing

We can’t all have a Severus Snape or a Gandalf in our novel, but we can try to create something memorable. Believe it or not, it isn’t just the appearance that makes the character strong, but their voice. There are certain aspects of how diverse the voice can be to make the characters breathe life other than just being words on a page.

Let’s make one thing absolutely clear. Voice is not just about speech or how emotions are conveyed. Of course, a harsh tone, a heavy breathing monologue or a high pitched man who has just been injected with toxic fluids can make a visual representation build in our minds. But voice in terms of making your characters strong is a whole bag of goodies more.

Think of Harry Potter. What is it about him that made him stand out? No, not the spectacles or that scar, but his history. Where did he come from an how did he reach his Uncle and Aunt? [Played grotesquely brilliantly in the movies]. If your character simply appears in the novel and by the third chapter we still don’t know how he ever came to be present in the dark castle or the tropical forest then the reader may assume that you, the author, also does not know. If you character has amnesia, you can not use that as an excuse for making them a shadow of a character, because they would still have some inkling of their background.

Think about yourself when you consider your character’s history.
Where were you born?
Do you have siblings?
Are you parents still married, co-habiting, separated, divorced or deceased?
Are you the rebel of your family? Or do you tow the line?
Are you talkative, an extrovert, an introvert, shy or arrogant?
What have you studied or are studying? What ambitions do you have?
What other relationships have they had? Close, married, intimate, no-strings?
Does your residence affect your behaviour?
Do you have a scar made by he-who-shall-not-be-named?

Get into their head and learn to evolve with them. Let your character shape it’s life, then run with them. If you decide they are arrogant then you’ll write arrogantly and maybe miss the trick that they did once have a true-love who harmed them. [Straight away we have a sub-plot of his reaction if he was to come face to face with her, or if he discovers that she has died as he has been tasked to investigate].

For all of my characters, I have a record card. It details the above where it matters and even a scribbled illustration of them. What I use about them in the novel is my prerogative, but it has helped me to write fluidly without taking a long gap to re-invent a character because I forgot to add that the character had seven ugly brothers [made of treacle].

Periphery characters do not need the above, by your main and definitely the one with whom the POV will rest(s), it will be vital.

I am not going to over-detail the importance of appearance. Hair colour, eyes, hair length, weight, etc. A good learning trick is to detail [in private] the appearance of our friends, family, or even people from the television. Maybe, you know someone who is perfect in every way but they have a twitching eyelid or a recurring cold-sore.

Now we move onto the behaviour aspect.
Does your character walk confidently or with a low-esteemed hunch?
Are they very focused and corporate minded, or carefree and just rolling with the flow?
Are they religious? Overly? Afraid to declare that they are not?
Do they obey a social role against what they really desire?
Do they always put the remote control in a certain location and go irate when it is not there?

Remember, put this all down on the record card. When you flick through them, you will detect the possible conflicts and unions of similarities that bring function vs dis-function.

And my final point… please let your characters evolve. It will prevent them from becoming stagnant and predictable. In the The Last Strider [my novel] you will see several forms of evolution:

Adventurous to cautious.
Weak to being prepare to take a risk.
Loyal to treacherous.
Honorable to regret.
Timid to fierce.

Make your characters believable and their strength will tear the page up and spurt out into your reader’s thoughts.

My Next 2 Months

Posted by: flickimp In: Blog 05 Oct 2011 1 comment Tags: blog, completion date, dialogue, disconnect, edit, editing, fantasy, grammar, hack, imran siddiq, london, narrative, novel, novelist, oxford, sentences, strider, the last strider, two novels, write, writing group

As you know, or then again, do not know, I am plugging away with Edirevising my two novels. The first one, The Last Strider is chugging along nicely and the completion date of Oct 15 appears achievable.

It is startling when you re-read chapter that you thought were amazing, and find they are perplexed with issues such;

Run-on sentences
Diluted Impact sentences
Poor/Wordy Dialogue
Conflicting and often Confusing narrative

…The solution is simple… change, hack and re-invent.

As soon as The Last Strider is completed, I will be jumping into another intense 5 weeks of Edirevising my second novel, Disconnect. Why do I do this to myself? Because I care about my writing.

October and November are tight months for me, but I plan to do more than just editing the above novels. Other items on the agenda include;