Thank you. Reading should be enjoyable. People can fall into the trap of taking it far too seriously. That doesn't mean all reading has to be fun, but even serious fiction should be a pleasure to read. That is my take on it anyway.
That’s a really intriguing chapter. You capture an odd mood of the strange and the familiar sitting together in the same space. I would certainly read more. I kept expecting something horrible to be revealed from the ghosts/visions as it kept building. You built suspense but don’t break it. I felt quite tense at the end.
Thank you. I try to do thoughtful. There is far too much horrible already out there, and the art of ghost stories seems to have been lost, disappeared into the world of horror stories, and to be honest, it has become boring. They are all the same. I much prefer to keep readers thinking, rather than presenting them with the answers.
The David Hammond character and series would definitely work on TV, and it has crossed my mind once or twice. One day maybe, but I am a long way from finding my way as a writer never mind getting any fancy ideas of taking it further.
It may sound strange, but I actually write all my stories as visualised in a television series format, it is just the way I picture the scenes before turning them into words. It will also sound strange that I do not watch television, at all, but my day job is as a TV scriptwriter. Go figure my madness.
hahah…I also don’t really watch TV. Not done so in 20 years. I sometimes watch something on Amazon - maybe a binge now and again. But TV as TV? no. It does sound strange to script for tv then not watch - not even your own work? But I very much saw your snippet as ‘telly’ scenewise.
Would you be brave enough to tackle a whole book of David Hammond? I have a proofing copy here, quite snazzy with 'Not for Resale' in a big stripe across the cover. You never know, it could be worth a fortune when I am so famous I have to fight off my adoring public with a stick. Don't feel compelled to volunteer. I don't wish to inflict my writing on anybody. I am not that cruel.
I will send you a message on Arsebook, better than having everybody gawping at it on here. Your enthusiasm is very mush appreciated, I just hope it is not dashed to dust when you read the bloody thing.
Not all of that time spent writing, and a lot of it spent rewriting, because when the first story becomes the second, you have to rewrite it, then the third changes both of those, so you have to rewrite them, and so it goes on. If there was ever a plan to it all (which there wasn't) it would have been on a par with one of your stories, only slightly more ridiculous.
15 years Wow. But essentially 2 novels per year. I'm impressed. I hope not being too nosey but has this become the job/career?
Re: planning and rewrites. I'm just finding that out. I wrote a wrapper for an anthology (so just a simple linking story) and that became a massive manuscript. And while some was good it just didn't work. So rewrote - but then realised the universe needed expanding (meaning at least 2 or 3 books). I then wanted o publish something so went back to the anthology idea...which has now become a mosaic novel (new direction for story and some cannibalised parts of my first draft). Meh...hahahahah
That has been the evening hobby that sort of kept me sane in an insane world, but now I am going to have a go at publishing and making a full time career out of it. Only an idiot would try to do so these days, but I am willing to have a go at being that idiot.
Your work is definitely capable of publishing in a book of some form or other. You just need to get that form clear in your head and off you go.
Yup, that is like saying you can walk to the moon, all you need is to get the right ladder. You need that 'tadaah' moment when it all makes sense, or in the case of your writing, doesn't make sense, but I am sure you know what I mean.
Love this! Great fun to read and was hooked all the way
Thank you. Reading should be enjoyable. People can fall into the trap of taking it far too seriously. That doesn't mean all reading has to be fun, but even serious fiction should be a pleasure to read. That is my take on it anyway.
That’s a really intriguing chapter. You capture an odd mood of the strange and the familiar sitting together in the same space. I would certainly read more. I kept expecting something horrible to be revealed from the ghosts/visions as it kept building. You built suspense but don’t break it. I felt quite tense at the end.
Thank you. I try to do thoughtful. There is far too much horrible already out there, and the art of ghost stories seems to have been lost, disappeared into the world of horror stories, and to be honest, it has become boring. They are all the same. I much prefer to keep readers thinking, rather than presenting them with the answers.
I think it works
This was a great read! Thanks for sharing it with all of us.
Been thinking of your snippet for some time. Have you considered making a treatment for a tv programme?
The David Hammond character and series would definitely work on TV, and it has crossed my mind once or twice. One day maybe, but I am a long way from finding my way as a writer never mind getting any fancy ideas of taking it further.
It may sound strange, but I actually write all my stories as visualised in a television series format, it is just the way I picture the scenes before turning them into words. It will also sound strange that I do not watch television, at all, but my day job is as a TV scriptwriter. Go figure my madness.
hahah…I also don’t really watch TV. Not done so in 20 years. I sometimes watch something on Amazon - maybe a binge now and again. But TV as TV? no. It does sound strange to script for tv then not watch - not even your own work? But I very much saw your snippet as ‘telly’ scenewise.
Would you be brave enough to tackle a whole book of David Hammond? I have a proofing copy here, quite snazzy with 'Not for Resale' in a big stripe across the cover. You never know, it could be worth a fortune when I am so famous I have to fight off my adoring public with a stick. Don't feel compelled to volunteer. I don't wish to inflict my writing on anybody. I am not that cruel.
I'd be honoured (make sure it is signed! for that big future sale). How do you like feedback in terms of style and info density?
I will send you a message on Arsebook, better than having everybody gawping at it on here. Your enthusiasm is very mush appreciated, I just hope it is not dashed to dust when you read the bloody thing.
Very good! Great pacing. I was hooked very quickly - now...what happens next? :)
Seven novels happens next, and an awful lot of reading. 😁
Ha ha! Indeed. May I ask...how long has it taken you to get to seven novels?
Fifteen bloody years.
Not all of that time spent writing, and a lot of it spent rewriting, because when the first story becomes the second, you have to rewrite it, then the third changes both of those, so you have to rewrite them, and so it goes on. If there was ever a plan to it all (which there wasn't) it would have been on a par with one of your stories, only slightly more ridiculous.
15 years Wow. But essentially 2 novels per year. I'm impressed. I hope not being too nosey but has this become the job/career?
Re: planning and rewrites. I'm just finding that out. I wrote a wrapper for an anthology (so just a simple linking story) and that became a massive manuscript. And while some was good it just didn't work. So rewrote - but then realised the universe needed expanding (meaning at least 2 or 3 books). I then wanted o publish something so went back to the anthology idea...which has now become a mosaic novel (new direction for story and some cannibalised parts of my first draft). Meh...hahahahah
That has been the evening hobby that sort of kept me sane in an insane world, but now I am going to have a go at publishing and making a full time career out of it. Only an idiot would try to do so these days, but I am willing to have a go at being that idiot.
Your work is definitely capable of publishing in a book of some form or other. You just need to get that form clear in your head and off you go.
Yup, that is like saying you can walk to the moon, all you need is to get the right ladder. You need that 'tadaah' moment when it all makes sense, or in the case of your writing, doesn't make sense, but I am sure you know what I mean.