I hope you are having a great season. It’s cold and wet here. I’m enjoying a regular writing schedule again after some time away from it. After all, what is being a writer if not writing!
Well the projects I was working on, namely Beach Town: Survivors [Part II] have ended up being a little longer than expected and I’m not finished yet. Yesterday I took the decision to kill off a few characters in rapid succession – quite a distress I must say. Given the story a novel would have been a possibility. It’s got a focus on two groups this time, both surviving through the day with various consequences. We can see from the fact that it’s the end of the world that it has turned people both crazy and stupid. Maybe that’s what it’s about, just people and the struggles they go through.
All that blood and guts doesn’t end there though. I hoped to release it before the end of the year but it’s quite likely to be in the new year when I release it. As always your support of the work is greatly appreciated in the form of downloading and reviewing on release. I have to finish the story and then edit. Apologies for taking longer than expected. It’s still planned to be a mini series, with Part III estimated now for a spring release.
I already have a new year goal to finish some of my work in progress novels. I’ll tell you why – because then I’ll have more stories to share with you. It’s not that they aren’t stories I believe in that has caused me not to finish, it’s simply me switching to different things and taking time from writing them. Also, I don’t publish everything, so when I have something that I want to publish I take a very different approach to it; more detailed writing and editing, more feedback, more cuts and edits etc.
Talk about writers procrastinating.
So many people want to write and following a brief post I made yesterday I believe anyone who writes a story to be a writer. Published or self published or not, you write a story you are a writer. I don’t like seeing people online getting discouraged because they share their story to find people call them aspiring writers. Sure the title of author is a little different, and published author makes you think of the big cats raking in millions. IN general though, you are a writer even if you finish just one story. Keep at it.
There’s a wide range of resources available online. The following link provides a general guide to actually starting a story:
A short poem and beautiful photo to accompany it. This stood out because it was short and sweet. This blogger has some admiral words that I encourage you to read, and follow!
I’ve seen quite a few movies since our last highlight of the week. I wrote a quick review for one of them here đ However it has to be The Little Things starring Denzel Washington. I find all the movies he’s in, when he’s a leading role are always good. When Jared Leto stars I know there’s going to be great acting too.
A film giving you plenty of food for thought. A film with twists and turns. Do we know who the killer is? Who are the police officers inside, really? You have to question the whole motive of the films direction when things like this are questioned or not clarified. I won’t go into detail here, you have to watch it. In the meantime check out my movie review for it.
Book Recommendation
I’ve been reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. So that will be the recommendation in the highlight of the week. I’m still reading but so far find myself enthralled by it. I like how it doesn’t really stand still, it is constantly moving forward introducing new things. Like many of his books, it stars recurring character Robert Langdon. Based on the ancient and extinct Illuminati group that have infiltrated the vatican with intentions of destroying it with anti-matter. It’s inventive and fresh. It was the rage when the movie came out some 13 years ago now.
Photo of the Week
I chose my own photo because it’s showing the full force of autumn with the many leaves fallen and a layer of frost.
Video of the Week
There will be something here when I have something to upload! Stay tuned because I may well do so.
When you think of publishers you probably think of all the big names, including Penguin Random House. Before we go any further you might like to peruse the complete list yourself here https://www.penguin.co.uk/classicslist
Today I want to lay out those books for you. You may find the list useful. It is also a good way to mark down which classics you have yet to read. They say ‘you should read the classics’ but in reality, the majority of people haven’t even read their own mail.
It is not a full and complete list. You will find that there are thousands of books. I will simply list some here which may be appealing to you. 25 listed.
Jane Eyre
Pride and Prejudice
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Wuthering Heights
Dracula
A Tale of Two Cities
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Moby-Dick
Crime and Punishment
Great Expectations
Anna Karenina
The Odyssey
The Art of War
The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin
1984
Meditations
Oliver Twist
Don Quixote
Les MisĂŠrables
War and Peace
David Copperfield
Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
East of Eden
You can go to a variety of sites to buy these books, including Penguin, Amazon, Waterstones and more. I recommend checking out World of Books first; they offer secondhand books at reasonable prices. I’ve bought from them before with no issues in quality.
I have a short story coming out this coming Friday on Amazon Kindle. Please go and pre-order, or bookmark and buy on the day of release. Not a typical horror, nor is it something I usually write.
A home invasion suspense / horror short story. Where did the idea come from? Well simple, the home is our safe place and to break that is to ruin someone’s life. Granted that in this story the main characters are in a holiday cottage. This doesn’t mean it isn’t their home though. Okay blurb time:
In Our Home… where we breathe ice.
It’s been six months since prosecuting barrister Kerrie successfully put away Dean Carter for murder. However, as she lives her daily life with her husband Frank and children Daisy and Tilly, she is unaware that Dean is out, and he’s hungry for revenge.
What we witness is a very quick and brutal home invasion. Which I stress is not nice and certainly a form of horror. I put on the description that it’s a horror thriller, because I have no idea how else to describe it. Suspense, well I hope so although the actual invasion is quick and more about what happens inside.
A short story attempt. I initially planned to release under a pen name but decided against it because I’d have to put my real name in the book copyright section.
Warning đ
I stress to you all that if you consider reading this that you should be over 18 years old, or the adult equivalent for your country. This is so important. You do not want to read something that might cause you alarm, distress or even trigger flashbacks or bad memories for you. It is simple not suitable for under 18s due to the violent nature and bad language. I also want to add that home invasion movies tend to get a 15 rating, something I strongly disagree with. Due to the psychological impact of such events, whether in fiction or real, these should really be 18. I’ve seen horrific home invasion movies with rape, murder and violence and attacks toward adults and children at 15 age rating, to be left disturbed. Do not read this story. If you are desperate to read a home invasion horror by me then please have some patience because I will likely write another which is intended for a wider audience.
Don’t forget that Beach Town: Survivors is out tomorrow 25th July – with positive feedback from beta readers so far. Please go check that out and keep an eye on the page because I will run a free price promotion soon after launch.
It’s been a hot summer week. Lots has happened and I’ve been writing tons, editing a lot and preparing for an exciting release. It peaked at 30c here today so a far cry from all the heat warnings. Might I add, England could do with a heatwave, but instead the media has instilled more fear upon the masses! Just let us enjoy ourselves!
As you know I’m writing a novella called Dead Reckoning. A completely different kind of horror story than the usual zombocalypse stuff. To aim for a summer release is ambitious but doable at the rate I’m writing it. Of course I need to take account of editing which takes the longest time. Any alpha or beta readers here, then comment below if you’re interested!
I spent a few hours yesterday reading at a cafe in the sun, which was lovely. I went last Saturday too, and might just make my Saturday the day to do that! How did you spend the day?
I wish I could keep up with all your incredible writings and events but life is hectic sometimes you know? How’s things for you?
Those are the forecasts for my area. I believe it was last week that I woke up to suddenly find it was 28c. That was hot yes, but nice and tolerable.
Now… it has not been this hot for many years here and I am not kidding. I don’t remember a recent summer where temperatures have reached 30+, they peaked around 28/29 and that is all. Of course living in the North of England will be the answer, as the south has always been hotter and is also closer to the equator.
My main concern is – living with long term health conditions – is how this will affect me, and I am sure others will be a little concerned too. Excessive heat can be dangerous to people with good healthy, so regardless I will post some tips to stay safe.
Everyone thinks drinking a lot of water is good, which is true but you run the risk with excess sweating of hyponatremia. This is where sodium levels in the blood are low and cause serious issues such as: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache or confusion. Along with low blood pressure, fainting and cardiac issues in severe cases. For that reason you need to take hydration liquids that contain sodium as an electrolyte, this can be found in a lot of sports drinks or you may prefer hydration tablets or heck you might just eat sodium containing foods. Salty snacks like salted peanuts or something else can help. Also salt does provide sodium but I don’t recommend adding salt to your drink!
Close curtains!
Plenty of fluids, avoid alcohol!
Don’t sit in a car!
Have ice ready in the freezer and cooled liquids
Have a fan that works!
Avoid the sun between 11am to 3pm
Use shade and apply sunscreen if out, wear a large summer light hat
Don’t exercise
Always carry water/fluids when walking
Don’t go into the water – like the sea or pool – alone. Follow regulations, avoid floating in the sun!
Take medications and keep a close on them
My eBook for Beach Town: Hope is now on Smashwords for free. Which means soon Amazon will drop it to free as well. Go get a free copy!
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog post today. I hope you have had an enjoyable week and are looking forward to the weekend celebrations. I read a post on social media describing someone’s writing goals on the Medium platform. I have published a few posts there myself, however my site is my main source of writing. Plus, you all get to see it! It would take a while to build up to the same amount of followers on there, so will add to Medium every once in a while.
So my motivation was sparked by that post to add my own writing goals for June. I listed 3 main goals in my notepad. I also listed 3 lesser goals. Here they are:
1) To Complete my Masters Submission for the 10th June.
As part of my law course I have to do a masters too, it is on clinical legal education and involves a critical reflective report. I have managed 2,500 words on it today taking the word count to just over 6,000. I have to write between 8000-9000 words overall. So tomorrow I will edit what I’ve written today. I am planning to have completed it by Sunday or Monday which will give me a few days to review and edit it.
2) Finish Beach Town: Survivors
The new upcoming and horrifying novella which I plan to release in August 2022. A summer release for what I think it quite the gruesome and dramatic story. I’ve managed to crank out 2,500 yesterday or more, and tonight I suspect I will be able to finish the story. There has been a lot of surprises whilst writing, namely that it is just full of bizarre twists and turns and unexpected happenings. You can see a little more about that by going to the post below, where you can also see what I hope is going to be a good cover!
I really enjoy connecting with you all here on WordPress and putting out content which is so well received. I would love to hit 600 followers by the end of the month. I don’t have that many to go and have exceeded my expectations massively this year, as I’ve gained so many great new ones and likewise discovered so many new and fascinating blog sites here.
4) To Write More About my Life
As I recently started counselling sessions I hope to be able to keep a more accurate diary of my days and to try and incorporate that onto this site sometimes. I think it will allow me to actually see where things are improving, and where things are still in need of support. Many people do this so why not dedicate more time to it?
Well that is all for now and as usual thank you for reading, if you enjoyed then like, comment, reblog and follow and share all over. Also, check out the Dawn of the Dead (1978) movie review below if you like.
I’ve managed to have a chat with yet another incredible writer. This time Sandra S. Frankowska is telling me about her writing journey and about her incredibly inspiring fantasy series! I hope you enjoy what she had to say, I know I loved every minute and thank you for taking the time to read!
S.S. Frankowska
Sandra S. Frankowska is the author of the epic fantasy series Heroes Of the Shadow. When she is not writing, Sandra is either working at the ed-tech start-up, reading, painting or rock climbing.
Some of Frankowskaâs favourite reads include The Lord Of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Journey to the Center of the Earth by J. Verne, The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, Dark Tower by S. King, Jurassic Park by M. Crichton, The Drift by C. Aufenthie and The Hunger Games by S. Collins.
Where do you live?
Recently moved out from London to a small village in Kent, UK called South Darenth.
Why are you a writer?
My passion for writing comes from my passion for reading. For as long as I can remember, I always enjoyed discovering other worlds and losing myself in them. Writing was about the same, just on the brand new levels. I plotted my series in my head long before I wrote the very first word on paper. I drew places and creatures that existed nowhere but in my mind to get them out of my head. Drawing soon wasnât enough. I painted, sculptured, and tried other forms of expressing it, but with time, nothing worked. My characters began to appear to tell their stories, and I found myself plotting it all on paper before I even realised that this was what I was doing.
Eventually, writing became a coping mechanism for me. It was a way to take a step away from the crazy world we live in and immerse myself in the new place, which only I could explore. It became a way for me to process things I found difficult to process otherwise. To express things that matters to me, that I often felt no one else cared about.
As the first chapters formed, I realised I have a story to tell. A story that I couldnât find anywhere else, and that I enjoyed. A story that I was looking for in other books, but it wasnât there. How could it be there? It was inside me this whole time.
What do you enjoy about writing?
There are many things I love about writing.
First one is plotting. I spend a lot of time daydreaming, with my mind travelling across different worlds and timelines to see how the story will develop. I treasure these moments a lot. Being able to see all of that in my head makes me to realise how gifted and lucky I am. Detaching myself from excel tables, grocery planning and paying bills to figure out how the world with dinosaurs and dragons living in one place could look like makes me feel complete. I may be physically still here, but with my mind, I can be just anywhere. Isnât human brain amazing?
Second thing I love about writing is how it makes me feel the emotions that not only are not mine but also belong to a fictional character. Yet, they are real to me. I write a scene and I catch myself smiling. I write a scene and suddenly realise that my heart is speeding up. My characters are somewhere high up and I feel dizzy. None of this happened, and yet I felt it all.
Finally, writing is self-discovery. My plot and my characters force me to ask myself questions I wouldnât ask myself otherwise. To understand the complexity of thousands of different experiences that impact the smallest decisions we take. To see how resilient and brave I am. Writing and publishing isnât an easy process. Many of us experience self-doubts on regular basis, struggles to be seen, and receive little to no support on the way. Realising how much strength you have to continue, nevertheless, should be a huge thing. It was for me. I never knew I had it until I started to write.
Tell us about your most recent works
My debut epic fantasy novel came out last year. âHeroes Of the Shadow. Blue Scar Indeabinitoâ is a first book in the 24-books-long planned series. Itâs a story of a soldier, Thomas McCartney, who was taken to another world called the Indeabinito. Itâs a world filled with mythical creatures and other humanoid races, some of which remind him of things he knew (like mermaids and centaurs), some are completely new to him.
While the Indeabinito world has a lot to offer, Thomas actually spends most of his time trying to find a way back to his home. His father is a soldier, and so is he. Taken to another world, heâs worried that people will consider his disappearance a one thing that he would never do: a desertion.
If you could write a book in a new genre, which would you choose?
Based on books that I love, my first choice to try something new, would be a dystopian fiction.
Do you have any role models or people who inspired you to write?
I rarely take people for role models (too easy to get disappointed). There are, however, authors whose art inspired me to write. The two key series that made me to write were The Chronicles of Narnia and Jurassic Park + Jurassic World. The first one, for the simple reason: I loved the idea of the portals that existed in our world and could take you to somewhere else. Exploring Narnia made me to fall in love with fantasy and limitless possibilities it offers. That was my âwhatâ to write.
Jurassic Park and Jurassic World made me to realise the impact of a good story. While I enjoyed the movies, these books carried so much more in them. Particularly Jurassic Park has this one scene that explains how systems used in the park were designed with logical error, and how simple and easy to miss that error was. Everything that happened later was just a huge consequence of one wrong assumption. The way M. Crichton plotted important messages into the world that didnât exist but felt as if it could be real, was my âwhyâ to write.
Are you working on anything at the moment?
Iâm currently working on getting my second book in the series ready to publish later this year, while also outlining book #3.
Where can people buy your books?
My books at the moment are only available on Amazon.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
First of all, you are only aspiring until you start to write. As soon as you started, you are a writer, and never let anyone take it away from you. Other than that, treat anything you hear regarding the writing process as an advice, not as a rule. Writing is an art. There is no such a thing like one size fits all. We all do it in different ways. Thatâs why our stories are unique. Try different things, experiment, but never force yourself into something that doesnât work for you.
Writing is not easy, but you should enjoy it. Otherwise, whatâs the point?
It was incredible to speak to such a talented author. I thank you for your continued support and for reading, so if you liked, like, comment and follow and reblog!
Writing spotlight number 2 is indie author/writer Chris. A fantasy writer predominantly on Wattpad where you can read his fantasy epic for free. I had the pleasure of talking to Christopher about his work and he wanted to sum up his writing life which is great. So without further introduction, please enjoy his story on creating his work The Search for the Eoz Potion. He had a rather philosophical and religious outlook on his work, which was different.
Everything is Temporary
Iâm not a good writer. I struggle to fill in the minor details of a story and to have them amount to any kind of larger purpose. Iâm also really bad with typos, but thatâs not relevant to this blog pistâŚI mean, âpost.â (I also have a cheesy sense of humor.)
About five years ago, I had an idea for a fantasy story. I had never written one before and didnât really even enjoy reading them much, but my kids and I had just finished the Harry Potter series and were struggling to find something new to read together. Like any good father/writer, I decided I would write one for them. This is where my problem with being a bad writer becomes important. Better, I suppose, to be a bad writer than a bad father.
Frustrated, I decided to turn to the children for help. I explained the basic idea – a girl searching in a secret world for a magic potion to cure her sick friend – then gave each child a character to help develop. They came up with the personality, backstory, physical description, and all the other details. We mapped out a basic plot diagram and then I worked on fitting all the pieces together into one coherent story. Once I was able to convince them to hold off on the giant half chicken/half penguin monster until the sequel (stay on the lookout for that one, folksâŚ), we ended up with what I thought was a pretty solid story about sacrifice and friendship that we called âThe Search for the Eoz Potion.” I have been posting it free on Wattpad here.
So that took care of the specific details of the story, but what about the second part of writing Iâm bad at, giving the story a larger meaning? This is something I always overthought as a writer, but this time around it kind of took care of itself.
About the same time that I was writing the book, I had the opportunity to learn from a man who is both a Jewish Rabbi and a Lutheran Pastor. Over the course of a week long lecture series, he taught about the original Hebrew text of some of the more famous passages from both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible including the book of Ecclesiasties. He taught us that the famous proclamation from Solomon that âeverything is meaninglessâ is better translated as everything is âvaporâ or âbreath.â The Hebrew word âchevelâ that is often translated as âmeaninglessâ is better understood, he argued, as referring to something that is temporary.
So where is the connection, you may ask. Well, I have always shied away from stories about fantasy worlds because of how complex they can be to write (again, see opening line about my writing ability), but also because as a reader myself I often found them to be far fetched and removed from reality. I preferred stories that spoke to what I saw around me, but when I would try to write them, they were too boring to even force my closest friends and family to read.
Chevel solved these problems. It gave me a better appreciation of how books that create fantasy worlds that exist parallel to our own reality can help us to better understand the world. What we experience everyday is meaningless, it is temporary, it is a vapor that exists only briefly. There is, in fact, something more. Obviously when we put it in its biblical context it means something much more complex than a simple blog post could uncover, but Iâve learned that fantasy writing is far more consequential than I ever truly appreciated.
In âThe Search for the Eoz Potion,â for example, the main charactersâ time in the âfantasy worldâ gives them a deeper sense of purpose in the âreal world.â There is a moment when one of the characters has a flashback to her life back home. She remembers the pressures her parents put on her to be the best at school, in her extracurricular activities, and in sports. She recognizes that her inability to ever live up to their expectations is crippling her, and she then comes to the following realization:
âSchool, student council, softball, none of it mattered in the Garden. She liked that. She had one goal, one thing to focus on – finding the Eoz Potion.â
psychedelicwizard 