ALIEN, NOT JUST DIFFERENT.

Alien means: wholly different in nature; foreign; adverse; inconsistent and incongruous. 

I’m about to unleash the representative of an alien race into my wip.

As unlike human as I could write, he does not look like us but with grey skin, antenna or a shiny silver suit.

The challenge was to write my alien as a three dimensional character and not like a caricature.

For the sake of understanding, he will be able to communicate but it won’t be through any kind of sound.

He is the representative of the alien nation, but (in some respects) he is not the antagonist of the piece - he was invited into the galaxy afterall.

Sercq, Bullient of Easior, is not like us.

Joy is gainful and gain is joy.

I used the Corollary Laws from 10 Laws of Good Science Fiction 

·         You will never meet an alien who speaks English like a native.

·         Aliens just like us, but with little squiggles on their noses only appear in low budget TV shows.

·         We will never be able to have sex with aliens using the missionary position. (As the novel is MG, this piece of advice will not be necessary for any characters in the book;)

·         Aliens as far as they have personalities will be more likely to be aggressive and pushy. There are not likely to be kindly, friendly and caring aliens because they would not have the drive to explore space. (In this way, they will be much like us.)

·         Real aliens don’t act anything like you’d expect them to act. For instance, they will not be Nazis.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ANTAGONIST IN YOUR WIP?

TUESDAY'S TEASER - I LIKE I-BOY

I've just bought my new book so I'm keen to share a little.

Tuesday’s Teaser asks you to:

1 Grab your current read.

2 Let the book fall open to a random page.

3 Share two (2) sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.

They say it is a good idea to share the title of the book your “teaser” is from so other people can find it if the section you have posted has drawn them in to the world the author created.

I loved the blurb that reads:

As amazing as SPIDER-MAN

As electrifying as THE WIRE

A SCI-FI CRIME THRILLER that GRIPS like a VICE

I loved the premise: 

Before the attack, sixteen-year-old Tom Harvey was just an ordinary boy.

But now fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain and it’s having an extraordinary effect…

This book was written by Kevin Brooks:

"Kevin Brooks just gets better and better, and given that he started off brilliant, that leaves one scratching around for superlatives"  SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

The two sentences I am posting are from page 22 of iBoy by Kevin Brooks:

Of course, I knew I should have mentioned all this weirdness to someone. I mean, Mr Kirby had told me how important it was to let someone know immediately if I started experiencing anything unusual, and this was definitely something unusual.

Kevin Brooks is the master of the short sharp sentence and neatly curtailed dialogue. He does good things with a story arc too ;)

WHICH BOOK, AND ITS AUTHOR, DO YOU LOVE READING AT THE MOMENT?

SIX SENTENCE SUNDAY - DRAWN

In this weekly feature, participants post six sentences of their work. Like the flowers, we all hope to attract a little attention.

We also hope to get a little feedback on the work.

Thank you if you made a visit. 

Thanks again if you commented. 

Welcome if you are a new visitor, today’s list is sooooo long.  

I apologise for posting so late; Sunday don't-cha-know ;)

For a list of this week’s participants, click here.

This is a small section of the novel I work on when I forget I am supposed to be writing MG.

DRAWN is romantic fiction – currently at 25,000 words. The section below is from very near the start.

Let me know what you think!

       Darrah crawled beyond the camouflaged walls of the hide hidden in the canopy of the Great Oak Tree. She hardly noticed when the twigs scraped at her cheek, one leaving a mark just below her eye. The man had stopped on the crest of the hill, highlighted in the rays of the setting sun. Poised there, his lean frame resembled a tarroch – a tree stripped of branch and bark, hardened by the elements, carved with skill – the strength of nature itself. Although she had reached the place where the branch was thin and the danger should outweigh her need to see the man more clearly, Darrah pushed herself closer to the edge; she knew, without seeing him move, that there were only moments until he would turn and run and leave. The wood beneath her fingers crumbled, the snap registered, and yet she leaned forward to catch an unrestricted view of the runner.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I missed the second Campaigner's Challenge :(

VOICE - THE SHORT AND SQUEAKY VERSION

The way a person speaks is like their signature – individualistic. 

With only one word to make a good impression, when I meet people for the first time, or when I answer the phone, I do a lot more than let hot air pass over my vocal chords. To make sure I sound welcoming I modulate the tone and add warmth – as if I've just been interrupted in the middle of something funny.

It occurred to me that was also what I do when I write.

Voice.

THE GREATER RULE:

The shortest advice I was given on how to write with voice is: "Be yourself."

THREE LESSER RULES:

Balance vocabulary – the simplest word, that says everything what you want to say, is best.

Vary the length of the sentences so the reader feels the tension or the emotion of each scene.

Be grammatically correct, anytime you haven’t deliberately chosen to shake things up.

"A writer's voice is not character alone, it is not style alone; it is far more.  A writer's voice line the stroke of an artist's brush- is the thumbprint of her whole person- her idea, wit, humour, passions, rhythms."  Patricia Lee Gauch

WHAT WAS THE SHORTEST PIECE OF WRITING ADVICE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN?

DIALOGUE IS MORE LIKE FLAKY PASTRY

NEATLY ROUNDED DIALOGUE ;)

I spent today writing a conversation between two characters. 

This was an exercise in showing, telling and layering: dialogue is like flaky pastry.

THIS IS A DIET BREAKING DISCOVERY ;)

At some point this afternoon, while baking was happening in the kitchen, it occurred to me that dialogue and conversation are like flaky and puff pastry. 

The difference between flaky and puff pastry is the way it's made and the end result.

To make flaky pastry you spread the fat a little at a time while repeatedly rolling and folding the sheet onto itself; doing this builds up lots of thin layers of pastry. These layers fluff up or flake when baked.

Puff pastry is quicker to make as all the fat is added all at once, in knobs, or little lumps, the pastry is rolled out and the fat is randomly dispersed, when baked the pastry puffs up with lots of random bubbles.

SEE? 

Dialogue, is like flaky pastry, it needs to be crafted with care – adding a little at a time until it is built into organised and deliberate layers.

Conversation is less formal and it doesn’t matter what pops up or where.

The layers in dialogue flaky pastry (and Peder Hill probably didn’t even realise this), can be built by blobbing in the necessary information that will help:

•           Establish the tone or mood

•           Provide exposition or back story

•           Reveal character and motivation

•           Create immediacy and intimacy (build reader empathy)

•           Move the plot forward and/or increase its pace

•           Create or adding to existing conflict

•           Remind the reader of things they may have forgotten

•           Foreshadow

TASTY DIALOGUE ANYONE?

Have you joined the Book Swap?

The Guardian and Observer Book Swap: how to take part

From Friday 16 September, we'll be asking people all over the UK to join in the Guardian and Observer Book Swap. Here's how you can take part

1. Choose a book you'd like to swap

2. Stick the bookplate in the front of your book. The bookplates are free in the Guardian and Observer on 17 and 18 September or you candownload and print one out now

3. Write a message for the person who finds your book. Tell them why you love it

4. Leave it somewhere it can be found

5. Take a picture of your book in the place you left it, upload it to ourFlickr group and geotag it so it will be displayed on our map. You can also visit guardian.co.uk/books to leave your review of any book that you've swapped on our new books pages

Plus look out for the thousands of free books left all over the country by the Guardian and Observer. If you're on Twitter, please use the#guardianbookswap hashtag to swap news about the books you've found or left across the UK.

The rules of the book swap

1. You can leave as many books as you like, just make sure they are your own
2. Make sure your book is clean and in good condition
3. Don't leave inappropriate material where it can be found by children
4. Avoid places your book could be damaged by the weather
5. Make sure it won't be seen as a security risk
6. Don't leave it in book shops or libraries
7. Don't put yourself or the finder of the book at any risk

Read, rate and review all your favourite books atGuardian.co.uk/books

I read about this idea and had a John le Carre moment, I could see me sneaking through the streets looking for the right place to secrete a book in an all-weather plastic folder.


As many of the books I love are aimed at the YA reader, I've decided to swap YA sci-fi :


The Declaration by Gemma Mallery and Alien Invasion & Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky


I'm a little worried about a technical melt down at the Flickr group and geotag stage but, by tomorrow, my books will be out there trying to find themselves good homes where their new reader will keep them warm and well looked after.


HAVE YOU JOINED THE GUARDIAN AND OBSERVER BOOK SWAP? DOESN'T IT SOUND LIKE FUN?

BUILDING STRONG WRITING ONE LETTER AT A TIME :)

Active verbs are the foundation of strong writing.


Today's post is hosted by:

• the letter A 
• Active Verbs  
• Active Verb Forms 
• and the verb to practise ;)

ACTIVE VERBS STARTING WITH A:


abolish   abandon  abduct  accelerate  accuse   abscond   abuse   achieve   acquire   act   adapt   add   address   adjust  administer   advance   advise   aim   allocate   analyse   answer   anticipate   apprehend   approach   appropriate   arbitrate   arrange   arrest   ascertain   assault  assemble   assess   attack   attain  audit  avert 

Active Verbs Forms 


Simple Present:
Mortimer practises Extra Sensory Perception - ESP - in The Collective.


Present Continuous:
Right now, Mortimer is practising telepathy.


Simple Past:
Mortimer practised clairaudience in the empty auditorium yesterday.


Past Continuous:
Mortimer was practising precognition before The Staff began his patrol last night.


Present Perfect:
Mortimer has practised his telepathic skills on The Staff.


Present Perfect Continuous:
Most frequently, Mortimer has been practising clairvoyance.


Past Perfect:
Mortimer has practised all forms of ESP.


Past Perfect Continuous:
Mortimer had been practising these psychic-skills in his dorm room at night.


Simple Future (WILL):
Mortimer will practise telepathy during school hours.


Simple Future (BE GOING TO):
He is going to practise his psych-skills any time The Staff isn't around to see him.


Future Continuous (WILL):
After the others have gone to sleep, Mortimer will be practising precognition to see when The Staff is going to act.


Future Continuous (BE GOING TO):
After the others have gone to sleep, Mortimer is going to be practising retrocognition to see why The Staff has been picking on him.


Future Perfect (WILL):
Mortimer will have practised every form of ESP by day-break.


Future Perfect (BE GOING TO):
Mortimer is going to have practised his psych-skills until the deadline arrives. 


Future Perfect Continuous (WILL):
Mortimer will have been practising his psych-skills for months until they are strong enough to break The Staff.


Future Perfect Continuous (BE GOING TO):
Mortimer is going to have been practising his skills for months until they are strong enough to break The Staff.


Used to:
Mortimer used to practise ESP in the library.


Would Always:
Mortimer would always practise his psych-skills in the library.


Future In The Past (WOULD)
Fortinbras knew Mortimer would practise his psych-skills any time The Staff was busy and no-one else was around to disturb him.


Future In The Past (WAS GOING TO)
Fortinbras thought Mortimer was going to practise until he was powerful enough to break The Staff.


Active verbs will be cropping up all over, but I don't imagine I'll be using too many of the active verb forms ;)


DO YOU THINK IT MATTERS IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF THE VERB FORM YOU ARE USING?

SIX SENTENCES FOR SUNDAY

Six sentences for Sunday :) This is the shortest kind of post.

When I started working on writing in a more minimalistic style I decided to write a different story. It seemed more sensible than changing my wip half way through.

I'm in Chapter 4 (CHIPS WITH EVERYTHING) of my Sci-fi MG and loving it :) 

Mortimer makes a friend, handy when he has just made an enemy too.

Mortimer looked at the other boy. He wore the same pale pink synthetic suit Mortimer had seen on all the pupils in the facility. Tucked into black boots, belted at the waist and with a tight roll at the neck, the suit made even the thinnest wearer look like a string of sausages. This boy was no chipolata.

                 “My name is Fortinbras,” he said.

                Mortimer could see that he might have to.

200 WORD FLASH FICTION - for the first Campaigner’s Challenge

Is it Sunday? Does it feel like Sunday to you?

I’m posting early, for Sunday, because I wanted to attempt the First Campaigner’s Challenge (from the Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign), which is hosted over at Rachael Harrie's blog.

Challenges have rules, and here they are:

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title.

It can be in any format, including a poem.

Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open”  (remember that these four words will be included in the word count.)

An optional challenge is to end with "the door swung shut" (these words must also be included in the word count.)

The greatest challenge is, of course, to make your story exactly 200 words.

Camille Renshaw says: "Micro Fiction, by nature, is defiant. It defies length, boundaries, and expectations. But tight, provocative fiction requires analysis and editing. Taking an idea and distilling it into a “micro”- cosm of its original self is challenging."

If you are planning to join in the challenge, it will close on Friday, September 9th (at 11.59pm EDT,) to be eligible for a prize, click and follow the Linky’s instructions before that time!

This is my entry, it is complete in 200 words :)

“WHY DOES EVERY LET DOWN HAVE TO BE SO THIN?”

The door swung open, I held it and hoped. The scratching sounded distant, not Paul’s nails on the door. 


        I stepped forward. The door closed behind me with a chill sigh. 

        The knife the stranger tossed from hand to hand glittered in the thin moonlight piercing the overgrown bushes. I’d meant to cut them back in the summer, but we’d had better things to do.        

        “Open it.”

        Opening the door struck me as a bad option, “What if I don't?”

        “Die here. I'll find my way around without you.” 

       Passive face and dull eyes, the stranger gave me no hope. I reached behind and gripped the handle. If the catch was up, how long would it take to spin inside, slam the door and bolt it? Maybe, my calculations showed.

In and out, the slice of steel through skin shocked me. While he rubbed ruby into blue jeans, I pulled the handle and moved.

                              ***

Dizzy… smiling, I slid to the ground. I felt safe. The hardwood was behind me with its impenetrable lock.


                          
                               ***

Pale fingers dipped into the dark liquid pooling around me. He lifted my keys and shook them dry. Unlocking the door, he dragged me into bleeding darkness.

My thanks to John Ward - he suggested reading "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce. I found the story an inspiration.

On the subject of Sad Reject, I missed joining any of the 59 Campaigners' Groups.

I write MG/YA Sci-fi or Paranormal. If anyone would like to 

be my Buddy I’d be happy to be rescued from what feels like a lonely, isolation corner ;)

Let me know where your 200 word story is so I can be certain not to miss reading it.

Happy Sunday ;)

HELPING IS NOT ALWAYS HELPFUL - OOPS!

I am writing an MG sci-fi adventure in my new, minimalistic, style ;)

This week, I have spent part of my time researching human hair:

Hair is found exclusively on mammals (and this will be significant later).

It is, apparently, made mainly of the protein keratin.

Keratin in human hair forms into rope-like filaments as this structure provides its strength.

Sadly, in a series of unfortunate events (some deliberate and others purely accidental,) my MC makes an enemy.

The pungent smell of burning hair is due to sulphur compounds.

All the MC knows is that now someone wants to compound him pretty bad.

Helping is not always helpful.

ARE YOU ENJOYING YOUR CURRENT WIP?

SEPTEMBER! SEP-TERM-BER

SCHOOL, FAMILY AND BLOGGING :)

I love September, it's the time of mellow fruitfulness and the new school year. 

Don't you love school? I think it's great! School is the one place the kids can go... even when it's raining ;)

The good news is I have, finally, proved to my partner that he spends more time running his football (soccer) club than I do on the various essentials involved in my writing.

Now the bet has been won, and the pattern of my life has resumed, I will be able to write my blog posts. During the weeks I was unable to post regularly, I realised how much time I have been spending on the blog - oops *blushes ;)

Paying more attention to my work, family, and life balance, I will be posting on this blog on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Now I’m sleeping more regularly, I’ve taken to waking up with ideas that seem totally inspired. Depending on how quickly it disappears, I write down the idea, character, setting, phrase or word, convinced that in the morning I will be able to conjure them into fully-original masterpieces.

What usually happens is in the brighter light of morning my incoherent scribbles couldn’t translate into a word document let alone a Carnegie/Greenaway Medal.

Even more frustrating is when the scribbled almost-something blurs to the point where I can’t recognise it any more.

Creativity is hard to capture between commas and the odd full-stop. It is not logical, uncontrollable and wilful it hates to be tamed.

When I write, I want to see the page invaded by dramas of soap-opera dimensions – long lost family members, life-and-death situations, aliens and the paranormal.

What do you want to write?