Dearest nonexistent fans,
I am almost done proofing the second installment of the 'In Shadow' series and once I get the ebook formatted, hope to have it out in a week or two. The third book is probably a third of the way written, at least in the rough. I have hopes of releasing them all in one volume once the third book is publishable.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Still more questions you didn't ask (#5):
In this ever popular series (or so I like to imagine), I answer urgent questions from my avid (and nonexistent) fans. Such as this:
Some of your phrasing is a little, shall we say quaint, or odd, or enigmatic, or archaic mayhap; what's the deal? Is this just creative license or did you fail out of english in high school? Can't you just stick to modern english?
Thank you for that phenomenal question (you are welcome). I am a self-professed lover of old books (just check the book list on my other blog) and also enjoy watching such works brought to life on screen, in perusing such material, sometimes I will come across an archaic turn of phrase or a way of expressing something or an interesting word that sticks with me and eventually ends up in my writing. One of my greatest disappointments with modern life is the decline of our language and literary skills. Some newspapers write at a 4th grade reading level, thinking their readership too dense to understand anything else. Modern society tends to 'dumb things down' instead of asking people to 'rise to the occasion,' as it were; we are all of us special which means none of us are. Instead of trying hard, learning from our mistakes, and doing better next time, everyone gets a trophy for showing up.
I might write in prose but good writing (I am not making a personal claim here) should also be poetic in a sense: it should have a rhythm all its own and just flow from word to word, sentence to sentence; it should bear the reader whither you will on a sea of words, sometimes calm, sometimes stormy, but always suited to the narrative. My writing is not complicated or hard to understand (i.e.: Ulysses) but I do throw in an outdated phrase, word, or bit of grammar from time to time, and yes, I feel free to mix and match from any and all periods and cultures (Tolkien would have a fit, but I can't say I like his elvish poetry either, so we'll agree to disagree). I am a verbophile, I love words and phrases and dabble in them as a painter does their paints. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but it is something I enjoy and hopefully my readers (if any) have fun with it too.
Some of your phrasing is a little, shall we say quaint, or odd, or enigmatic, or archaic mayhap; what's the deal? Is this just creative license or did you fail out of english in high school? Can't you just stick to modern english?
Thank you for that phenomenal question (you are welcome). I am a self-professed lover of old books (just check the book list on my other blog) and also enjoy watching such works brought to life on screen, in perusing such material, sometimes I will come across an archaic turn of phrase or a way of expressing something or an interesting word that sticks with me and eventually ends up in my writing. One of my greatest disappointments with modern life is the decline of our language and literary skills. Some newspapers write at a 4th grade reading level, thinking their readership too dense to understand anything else. Modern society tends to 'dumb things down' instead of asking people to 'rise to the occasion,' as it were; we are all of us special which means none of us are. Instead of trying hard, learning from our mistakes, and doing better next time, everyone gets a trophy for showing up.
I might write in prose but good writing (I am not making a personal claim here) should also be poetic in a sense: it should have a rhythm all its own and just flow from word to word, sentence to sentence; it should bear the reader whither you will on a sea of words, sometimes calm, sometimes stormy, but always suited to the narrative. My writing is not complicated or hard to understand (i.e.: Ulysses) but I do throw in an outdated phrase, word, or bit of grammar from time to time, and yes, I feel free to mix and match from any and all periods and cultures (Tolkien would have a fit, but I can't say I like his elvish poetry either, so we'll agree to disagree). I am a verbophile, I love words and phrases and dabble in them as a painter does their paints. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but it is something I enjoy and hopefully my readers (if any) have fun with it too.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
An inconvenient obsession
The thing I hate most about reading a series that is still in progress is waiting for the next installment; the thing I hate most about writing is that when you have an idea, you feel like you HAVE TO write it up, right now, regardless of what else is happening in life. Not that anyone likely cares, but for those of you in the first camp, rejoice ye few, I now have a very rough draft of the second book of the 'In Shadow' series so may soon get the thing published (if I can get it edited) and have even started the third book. As for me, I'm definitely in the very midst of the second camp and unlikely to escape until the third book is written, edited, and published. I guess if I must have an obsession, it is better writing than gambling; I don't necessarily make money, but at least I don't lose it!
Monday, February 2, 2015
A slight change
I had initially only planned to write one book, but as 'Shadow of the Unicorn' looks like it will turn into an actual series, I have decided to offer the first book free (where I am able to), it may take a little while for this change to be reflected at most retailers (and at one I am incapable of making such an offer), so enjoy!
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