Category: Fiction
The Christmas Blog Series (IX) – National Novel Writing Month
In the end, neither Cyber Formula GPX nor Redline had anything really to do with the kind of racing I wrote about save for being science-fiction, but watching them definitely shaped how I wrote about motor-racing.
This year I decided to have a go at National Novel Writing Month; I decided, rather than trying to write a 50,000 word work from scratch in 30 days, to expand an idea I had abandoned by 50,000 words in that time. For what it is worth, I still failed. But the effort put into the writing I did complete during that period drove me to continue writing afterwards and now the book-to-be is sitting at around 50,000 words and may be finished in first draft form at some point in the next few months.
This, however, is not an article specifically about my writing life. It is an article about the strange way I went about task of researching something central to the project, and what I found on the way.
Absolute Liberation – A Science-Fiction Novel, Available Now on Kindle And Smashwords
Vested Interest Warning: This article is an advertisement for a novel I have written, Absolute Liberation. That said, I hate advertising as much as anyone (having done it as a job for a while) so I’m going to do my damnedest to avoid bothering anyone too much.
This is, unfortunately, the part of the blog where I try and sell you a book. Absolute Liberation has been something I have worked on almost constantly since leaving university, intended to embody my idea of what a popular SF novel should be. It absolutely could not have happened without the help of a great number of people – my family, of course. Many of my friends who put up with my continually asking them their opinions on swathes of often contextless writing. Cambridge University Roleplaying Society, whose members inadvertantly inspired the whole thing via the incredibly fun campaign Operation Deadline and an evening of board games, cocktails, pizza and Char’s Counterattack.
Flash Fiction: Friday Fictioneers Submission for 11/05/12
This is my submission for @Madison_Woods’ Friday Fictioneers challenge at madisonwoods.wordpress.com.
Again, 100 words, inspired by a photograph. This week’s is The Tragedie of Euphemia and Philomel, a Gothic romance.
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Be waiting ‘neath Mithras’ Oak when the moon is high o’er the coast road, and together we’ll away to the far Indies. Your Philomel.
O, longed-for freedom! Dreamed-of liberty! In those short sentences was promised freedom from a life ensnared in matrimony to that brute beast, the Bluebeard to whom she was pledged! That night, under Dian‘s watchful eye, she would be spirited from slavery certain to freedom ‘cross the main!
“Oh Philomel, my Romeo, my constant Troilus, fret not! Soon I, your Euphemia, who waits with anguished heart for your embrace, will come to you!” In a frenzy of passion she leapt to her window, willing Helios‘ chariot make its diurnal compass more swiftly.
Flash Fiction: Friday Fictioneers Submission for 04/05/12
Recently I discovered @Madison_Woods and her blog at http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/ - she runs a column every week where people are invited to submit very short fiction based on a photograph. As a way of keeping my creative writing up (and also encouraging some variety) I’ve decided to start taking part, so in the future, I’ll be posting a very short (~100 words) piece of fiction most weeks.
Without further ado, Shelter, a piece about two astronauts on a hostile planet.
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“Is this the place?” The walls had been stripped down and support beams lay at awkward angles. “Not like we’ve got another option.”
Outside, thick, chalk-like dust was lapping at the shutters of the shelter. The alien sky was an opaque ceiling of thick cloud marbled with lightning, pressing down on the ground to snuff out any life not safely hidden away as it rolled onwards.
“Place is abandoned. No supplies, no power. Air’s OK but something doesn’t seem right.”
“They said-”
“Could have been an error. Easy to forget things out here.”
“Just as easy to make them disappear.”
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To find out more about the Friday Fictioneers scheme, and to take part yourself, visit: http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/100-words-flash-friday-whoo-ho-omg-theres-been-an-uprising/
Fiction – Five Hearts That Beat As One [Long Post]
I’ve mentioned once or twice in my blog I’m a writer; so it was probably inevitable that I’d put some things I’d written up on here. This isn’t too long, and it’s completely free, so see what you make of it. I wrote it over the course of a couple of hours; to say anything about it beyond it’s about a man looking over his past and wondering if it was worth it would be to say too much.
Download it here: Five Hearts in PDF format.
