Well there has to be a first for everything and today I recieved my first rejection for the novel from Legend Press. To be honest I was prepared and expecting it and am actually a little pleased. I realised that in rushing to make the deadline I was not entirely happy with it and now at least I have the freedom to go back and rework it before if starts its flight out into the big bad world of traditional publishing again. I have also realised that the option of self -publishing also means that rejections are not as disheartening as they once would have been, once it is ready if no agent or publisher shares my passsion for it that does not mean it will never see the light of day only that I will have to work harder to make sure it reaches those who will love my world as much as my friends have. Like so much in life it is merely a matter of faith anf belief.
Category: Research
Voices Across The Void
Do you like it?
That is the name I finally settled on for the ghost story collection. I have an amazing cover thanks to the wonderful MS Fowle via her new Melchelle Designs site and am working away on the stories themselves I have them all outlined and drafts finished on a few the others need some more filling out before editing begins.
I would have loved to be looking at Halloween as a release date but surgery has put paid to that but I still hold hopes of it all being ready in time to order copies from Createspace for family christmas presents.
Research has been not really been carried out much on this project, in some cases it has given me an excuse to lounge around watching my favourite ghost hunting programmes and most of the other research has been around looking at historical costumes for certain periods. I was thinking about my comments regarding The Woman in Black about being scared and realise that the stories I have written for this volume at least are not really scary at all, some are heartwarming, some are funny and some are thought-provoking (or at least I hope they are) but none are really out-and-out scary. I do think this is something I need to change and have at least one really chilling story in there. I do not really want to wander into the realms of horror with these stories but would love to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up once or twice. I have an idea of which story will be changed to do this and luckily it is one of the ones I had felt still needed work.
I also have one other story I am not sure about including as it got a little racy in one part I do not want to have to add an adult content tag so it will either have to be hosed down until it cools a little or removed and saved for a different occasion i am not sure about the direction I will go yet.
I will be taking my note-book into hospital with me so I can work on the stories there, my laptop is literally falling to bits and as my scrivener is not on my other halves netbook actually getting writing done will be out of the question even if I feel up to it. I am hoping in my drug fuelled state I may get inspiration for some more stories for the next volume which seems like I am getting a little ahead of myself but it is also the way my mind works.
Stalled
Despite the fact I have good intentions for the ghost story collection I have stalled on writing it. The last few days I have done some soul-searching as to the reason and I think I know why now.
I originally intended it to consist of ten stories but the idea for different stories kept coming to me then the other week I posted a flash fiction based on one of the ideas I had dismissed which everyone seemed to love and think should be made into something more. While praise is of course wonderful it made me question the stories I had chosen to put in and those consigned to the sidelines.
The solution now seems to me to cut back the number of stories to the original ten and save the rest for a second volume. Since I reached a decision on this the task has become far less daunting though I still am hovering over one or two stories and whether they should be included in this first collection. I do now at least feel I can get back to work on it without having to ignore new ideas that spring up.
To get my mind back in the right frame of mind I have been watching a few ghost films and programmes I thought I would share a couple of clips from what I have been watching.
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WIP Wednesday – Swords & Sorcery
I guess in deciding I wanted to write a fantasy many of the key elements were already decided for me. To create a world where anything was possible, the idea of magic it something that is tied deeply to my spiritual beliefs in many ways if not in the way most people expect. I am undecided whether people can weave an actual spell but I do believe much what is classed as witchcraft or sorcery can come true in some way. Imagine the girl who casts a love spell on an unsuspecting boy, will it make him fall in love with her no probably not, but the confidence the girl gains by believing it will happen and the way she now acts towards the boy might just do the trick. She will believe the spell has worked he will never have a clue and no one is any the wiser, and where is the harm. Much magic comes from the use of natural remedies for ailments, infact many of the potions you could be hanged as a witch for creating form the basis for many modern drugs both legal and those now deemed illegal.
In this chemical age many now are returning to nature to cure and restore them, many of the potions I describe in the book are real, though of course I have not written them in a way anyone could try creating them themselves after all that would be dangerous, like all cures prepared wrong they can kill as easily as heal.
I did stop short of dragons though I have to be honest I was tempted. I love dragons and if it had fit with the story line I would have had one, neither will one feature in the second installment though I haven’t ruled out a dragon for the final part of the trilogy.
Please forgive the short post tonight I am feeling very tired had a trip to the dentist this morning and novacaine doesn’t seem to mix well with my back meds.
Final thing for Ms Katykins I realised the the puppy hasn’t put in an appearance pictorially since the first couple of weeks he has been with us so here he is looking all sweet and innocent.
You can also see the signs of destruction all around him from being left alone for 5 minutes while I went to the shop
The Things We Have Done To Each Other
Welcome my friends to the darker side of medieval life. The place from nightmares that could so easily become reality for numerous reasons.
The chances are you will not be alone after all torture works far better with friends to witness your pain, while you scream holding your tongue can you be sure they will do the same to avoid sharing your fate.
So many items to choose from which can inflict everything from pain to the sweet release of death you will be longing for before your time is done.
Maybe you would like to take a seat while I deal with your friends first?
Now if your sitting comfortably we can begin…..
I will just silence this nagging wench first, how dare so answer her husband back, a few days in this the saucy wench will learn to hold her tongue and not nag the poor man, after all he has every right to go to the tavern and spend his money on ale and whores if he so desires.
Now back to you and your friends, are you still comfortable there shall I adjust the straps a little make it a little snugger fit?
Now young man if you would just like to slip your leg in here, no of course it won’t hurt, well not if you confess quickly…..I shall just tighten screw just a little, now try not to scream too much we wouldn’t want to unsettle any one else before the fun realy begins would we.
Now if you would just excuse me a moment while I pop this chap outside he has got off quite lightly really all he has to do is sit there and wait for death, well yes the weather is very hot for this time of year but he won’t have to worry about being here to put up with the stench from his rotting corpse.
Right back now who is left the wench who helped you and this other young chap, hmm what shall we introduce you to first. Wench remove your top, if you don’t do it willingly it will only annoy me more, though of course this is nothing personal, just a job you understand.
There thats better.
Now don’t worry they are nice and hot don’t want you bleeding to death do we, just get a nice firm grip on those nice plump breasts of yours a squeeze and a good hard twist and pull and it will all be over…well until we do the second one.
Oh dear seems your wench has passed out there well we will pop her in here until she awakes shall we…
see that breast would have gotten in the way we will get rid of the other later then test just how bendy she is.
Just you now young man anything you would like to share yet? No well we shall see how you feel after this my assistants will just remove your trousers and help you bend over this bench, no son struggling really wont help, you are quite pretty infact we here you let other men use you as a wench that is why you get this little lovely device. Now I just twist this little bit on the end, can you feel it opening I bet your enjoying that maybe a little further, not too far dont want anything rupturing just yet do we.
Now lets see you have been sat their quite a while now maybe you would like to get up and stretch, no, ah well if you still want to sit down lets change your seat I have something special for you.
I’m sorry its what…pointy, yes, I know that should I loosen the ropes a little for you, there is that more comfortable, no you won’t die quickly but just settle yourself there while I talk to your friends again. We have all the time in the world, well I do anyway, one of you could end all this all you have to do is sign this little bit of paper, look we even wrote it all up for you.
Now back to the pretty one, another twist? No, maybe something else then we will just slide your leg through here, thats right slide it up to the knee, now i quite like this one nice and simple, made it in my woodwork class.
nice snug fit now we just turn these screw, you all hear that lovely crunching noise, it does elbows aswell if anyone would like me to demonstrate.
I don’t think you enjoyed that one, well you seem to be gibbering lets see what else we have here, don’t worry the rest will get a turn very soon. Now as you already have your trousers off this will only take a second
Yes it does look like a little guillotine, no, its not for your thumb, well you won’t be a boy much longer shall we put it that way.
Yess that is a lot of blood, I’m sorry was that you in the boots? You want to sign here you go, yes I am sure your family will understand.
Well looks like our time here is done shame I had so many things to still introduce you to maybe next time, back to the cells for you lot until its time for your walk to the gibbet.
Now would anyone else care to play?
A Peek in a Notebook
Years ago when I first left school I went to Art College instead of taking A levels we had just moved towns and it seemed like a good idea at the time. In hindsight it was wrong but there was one experience which made the failure worth the lost years. That was the college trip to Paris. As a city I hated it wander off the tourist paths and you found dirty grubby streets, we even had our own adventure walking through the red light district trying to get back to the youth hostel from one gallery but that is a story for another day.
My best memory of that trip was a little obscure looking gallery filled with the most amazing treasures…Monet’s paintings. I was fascinated by Monet for two reasons. First of course were his wonderful paintings, I loved Impressionists but especially Monet. To stand before the sheer magnitude of his canvas’ to see each individual brush stroke up close was breath-taking. For me I think it was the first time I truly understood the meaning of the word genius. But it is the second reason that is the focus of this post. It is the fact he created and grew and entire garden just so he could paint it. He planned the views, the colours, the layout all so he could paint his visions. And in a lesser way this is how I view my note books. They are my garden starting out as ideas, seedlings planted some to grow to maturity some plucked away. I thought it might be fun to share a few picture of the note-book I use for my novel.
These are early pages after all I don’t want to give too much away lol. I started off with collections of images…no thats not true. I started off with the idea I had idea’s about how certain characters would look and act and I searched out images which fit what I envisioned. 
I scrawled on around and even over certain images taking notes of the parts that fit with what I wanted, asking myself questions, working out what research I needed to do to find the answers I needed.
I saw those early scribbles as the first tentative brushstrokes or the skimming of charcoal on paper providing an outline for what I wanted to create.
As you can see these early pages become more and more filled with my looping scrawl as more thoughts come to me.
You will also see I love to doodle on the pages as I think. It has been a long time since I took the time to practise my drawing skills maybe in time if I put in a little more effort as I doodle they will be worth looking at once more.
You can also see on these first pages the skeleton for the novels structure just a quick note in chapter form of the novels timeline. It held it most of the way with obviously more details and a few changes in later versions.
I did lose track of myself on the occasional page where my terrible scribbling become too confusing to read myself later but as the note-book was only ever meant for me to see I did not think it neccessary to worry about nice neat flowing handwriting but as the book continues as the note-book begins to contain facts and ideas for actual use then it does get better. no point having a great line if you can’t read what it was. 
Someone else made a comment to me that one day if I ever got published people would want to see my note-books and I laughed. Maybe if that day ever came it might be wise for me to destroy them and pretend they never existed rather than disappoint with my terrible drawings and appalling writing but I don’t think I could ever do that. Disorganised as they are this is how my ideas have grown, the pages where my characters were born and took their first breaths I don’t think I would ever want to part with them.
I didn’t want to carry on further into the note book afterall pages of text are no where near as amusing as scribbled pictures and random notes but I hope you enjoyed a little peek into how my mind works. Maybe in writing this I have learnt a lesson myself not just about realising myself how I work but also that spending a few extra minutes when writing in my note-books would not only ensure I can read my own writing but one day might make me feel more comfortable about sharing more from them.
Do you use a note-book or are you a straight to computer writer? If you do what is scribbled in the margins of yours?
Clinging to the flagpole
I think you can tell a lot about people from their photos, not just those they star in but the things they chose to take photos of so on this page I want to share some of things that interest me. This pic was taken at Warwick Castle at sunset last year in December. The thing I was most proud of during my visit was I overcame my fear of height enough to climb up the ramparts although there is a pic of me clinging to a flag pole at the top of the highest one. Will find that and post it at some point lol
Well as promised I dug out the picture of me on the tallest tower of Warwick Castle desperately clinging to the flagpole trying to steady my nerves to look over the edge. While it is never possible to fully research everything about a subject I do think where you can you should. With this repeating through my head I set off up the stairs to the uppermost reaches of the ramparts. Now first let me say I gained a new respect for those soldiers and peasants who were forced to ascend these steps to defend the castle or deliver supplies. Fair enough the people were a lot smaller, but those twisting staircases are enough to make anyone dizzy at normal speed with their tight turns. As you can see from my face, not the most flattering photo, my fear was genuine. But I have to say after a few very deep breaths I did make it over to the side. The views were spectacular, and it really did give me a better idea about what it would have been like ascending those towers and overseeing your kiingdom. 
Paula Acton 