Tools of the Trade

For writing my novel, I have assembled the following tools

(1) A active brain, and the ability to talk to yourself (quietly).
(2) A piece of paper, pen/pencil or electronic PDA.
(3) A PC running the following software;
(i) Microsoft Word - latest revision possible to allow REVISIONS
(ii) Dramatica Pro - novel writing software
(iii) Final Draft 7 - script and dialogue writing software
(4) A printer

My daily writing routine;

On the way into work, I commute and usually spend the morning reading either my work to date, or a book on writing and style/formatting.

During my lunch hour I would update my Word files with what I have hand written so far, and print out a new clean copy.

On the journey home I will then re-write or update the revised material.

In the evenings and weekends I will use Dramatica Pro to revise the story, and make sure it is moving in the direction I want.

Evolution of a Novel

Its hard to know where to start, where to plant the flag of reference for people to start from when looking at me as a writer or as a person.

I have always been interested in the fantastical both in films, books and art. Im sure it is the dream of everyone to have a book published, a record made or a picture painted, an accomplishment which will last beyond our days.

My background is in role-playing from which I have developed narrative elements of plot, pace, action and intrigue, but one thing that has haunted most current and recent authors is the moniker of being a "rpg" novel author. This is simply because novels that are written either based on an existing campaign or group of characters will be self indulgent, while at the same time be of very little depth.

Writing a novel will demand more than just the ability to put a few ideas together, collect scraps of memories, but my biggest lighthouse warning sign will be if anyone mentions the dreaded Dragonlance Chronicles or some-such "hack-novels".

This story evolved out of a need to have a back story to the whole campaign, to know what was really going on behind the scenes of the main stage, a glimpse of behind the creator's curtain. From this then came the Orchid. A simple story of a misfit crew and their combined troubles onboard. But the story is so much more than that.

I have a beginning, middle and an end.
I have a whole troupe of characters who surprise me, because they are living breathing people, who incidently no longer belong to the players, but have become something much bigger

I have 3 chapters written so far, and working on some more, in and out of sequence.

Diary of a Madman

An update to my book.

I already have received favourable comments from 2 sources, both of the unconnected to me or the game in question. The decision to carry on has been spurred by the fact that I have retired, temporarily, from my gaming group. It was a decision that saddened me as I had just about to start on a Serenity/Firefly campaign. Along with 4 new players, and some amazing input from the players.

It was doubly hard when I received some very warm comments from the players, especially the new ones.

Sorry, wife needs me more.

It is a temporary withdrawal which I expect to last maybe 12-18 months. Which gives me more time now to concentrate on Orchid.

Books

I have 2 blogs or journals, both with different companies for no other reason than its easier for Firefox to remember 2 different sites with 2 different passwords than to have 2 users and 2 passwords on 1 site.

Here I hope to document something about my creative side that I have been toying with for some time.

I'm writing a book. Based partly on a classic role-playing campaign I ran for almost 18 months. Like all memorable games it was spawned at a time of great turmoil within our group. And I ran it under extreme duress and pressure. While running the game (which I spent the whole week thinking about and then wrote it hours before the game), no one including myself was aware of nature of the game.

It was only after it ended that it came to a head that I had created a campaign that had personally affected every player.

I kept all of my notes and tried writing the story up in short form, but even then it came to about 10 A4 pages. Because I am due to hit a period in my life where gaming will not be possible, I started writing in January 2006 the story of The Orchid.

Of the brief 10 page synopsis, I expect there are about 10,000 words. So far Ive turned 500 of those words into 100,000 words!

My First Book of.......

I have just discovered (well, not literally, I thought of it years ago, but my mind went wandering while laying a new dining room carpet last night), that there is a HUGE hole in the market for childrens books. A hole the likes of which not even J K Rowling herself could ever fill, unless.....

Why is it when you buy children's books its usually on the line of

My First Book of Numbers
My First Book of Letters
My First Book of Animals

I think you see the pattern, well now I offer you fresh from Lawbag Productions -

My Second Book of Numbers
My Second Book of Letters
My Second Book of Animals

I think you can see the potential, and limitless scope - why limit your child, why give them the lifelong anxiety they they have just started, and actually accomplished anything.