Author: Tom

A Scotsman who lives in England. An ex-Serviceman (23 years), ex-Retail (25 years). From 2007 - Creative Writer and Artist.

Reading and Writing – Part 2 of 2

On By TomIn General, Insight, Novel1 Comment

In keeping with the advice given by many successful writers, I have become a firm believer in leaving a piece of writing to one side. Stephen King is one such writer who suggests this idea in his book ‘On Writing’. Glasses and pen

The idea, short story, chapter or entire first draft can be left in a drawer, tray or on file on a computer, but the important thing is that it is left alone. You the writer, will come back to the piece at some stage down the line and see it differently. It may be days, weeks or even months, but having already experimented with this theory – I know it works for me.

I have now reached a point where a short story is not released for public consumption until I have written at least three drafts – spread out with a week between each. Does that sound like a chore? Perhaps it is, but what if you manage to have at least three or more ideas on the go at any one time, as I constantly seem to do? That is where I believe it works.

Apart from short stories, I have my thriller ‘Hawk – A Manhunter’ patiently waiting for my return. I have reached the end of a second draft with it and haven’t revisited the manuscript for weeks now. I have taken the precaution of writing passages in a notebook when ideas come to mind so I have fresh new scenes to include in the next draft.

My new venture is ‘Discovering Amsterdam’ which was born from a suggestion by my very good friend and fellow writer Carmen. Yes, the same person who is acknowledged in the cover of my first novel, ‘10 Days in Panama’.

Glasses - Amsterdam‘Discovering Amsterdam’ will be a romantic novel which looks at the relationship between Dan, a British writer/journalist and Crystal, an American Fashion Designer. The plot will see them meet in Amsterdam, having been in touch by email for over a year. Crystal is eager to trace her European ancestry and Dan is her sidekick in the quest.

During the project they will visit many of the wonderful museums found in Amsterdam and through their eyes so will the reader. Well, that’s the theory anyway. I have a basic knowledge of Amsterdam and it’s main museums but I will be double-checking any factual information with more than one source – plus another visit.

Thank you for reading – and a special thank you to anyone who managed to follow both Part 1 and Part 2 of this session.

Reading and Writing – Part 1 of 2

On By TomIn General, Insight, Novel

Glasses and penProfessionally made business cards, a new look for my website, followed by a new look for my blog and I feel ready to continue with my other projects.

In January 2013, I was invited to join the fledgling site ReadWave. Before getting my feet wet, I dipped my toes in by reading some of their short stories. I was entertained and on the basis that I read to be entertained and I write to entertain – I signed up.

I’ve since watched the site grow from strength to strength and have been impressed, not only by the abilities of the guys at the helm, but by their attitude. Many people produce an idea and ask for feedback – and the guys at ReadWave do likewise. What makes them stand out is that they act on the feedback they receive. They also keep their subscribers up to speed on any developments. Keep up the good work Simon, Raoul, Rob and team!”

If you read short stories or you write them I strongly recommend a visit to ReadWave. It’s easy and more importantly FREE to join. What will you get from it as a reader? You will find some great stories covering a wide variety of genre. What if you’re a writer, even an aspiring writer? You will gain immediate, constructive feedback and a following of faithful fans. 

Glasses - Men are from MarsWhat else am I reading, apart from short stories? In order to create the most realistic relationships for my next two novels I’ve just started reading the best-seller, ‘Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus’ by John Gray.

Did I just say my next two novels? Yes I did.
The first is my thriller about an ex–SAS soldier-turned vigilante. In a nutshell, he goes back to his native Glasgow, he’s not happy with the justice system and he does something about it. The working title is ‘Hawk – A Manhunter’.

A few weeks ago after much deliberation I accepted the challenge from a good friend to write a story about a particular European city. A short tale that was experimental in nature has evolved into something much more. From humble beginnings, ‘Discovering Amsterdam’ is now building into a credible story and will become a novel. There will be more about it in the second part of this two-part post.