Tag: Aly Rhodes

Youtube, Bookshop, and Falling Over!

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It really has been one of those weeks, folks!

Image Credit:-

All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated. Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing.

Facebook – General

Am pleased to announce I have set up a Youtube channel. See the link here.
Naturally the first thing I put on here was the book trailer for Tripping The Flash Fantastic! Also on here are the book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again and a video of me reading Judgement Day which I used at my recent cyberlaunch.

I hope to create and put more videos on here on a fairly regular basis. One great thing about flash fiction stories is they make great adverts for trailers and the like.

Hope you enjoy this – and watch this space, as they say! I have linked my channel to this Facebook page, my website, my Twitter feed, my Linkedin page and my Chandler’s Ford Today author page, my Amazon Author Central page, and my Cafelit author page, so you can click through to any of those from here.

I was also pleased with the way the banner has worked out as I really wanted “my” castle from the book cover for TTFF to show well here.
Definitely my marketing bit for today I think!

Screenshot_2020-10-31 Allison Symes - YouTube

Hope your Sunday has been okay. Is getting wild, wet, and windy here in Hampshire this evening. Not that I needed much encouragement to stay indoors at my desk writing away but bad weather does help there!

Have started work on the project I’m using as a kind of NaNoWriMo. I say kind of because it’s not a novel, I’ve written some of the material already, and I’m hoping to use November to get the project restructured (which it needs) and to add material to it after that. I would like to get a complete first draft done by the end of the calendar year and maybe think about submitting it come Spring 2021.

Good fun playing with my Youtube channel. I’m hoping to add material to that every week or so and it will encourage me to be creative with how I do this. That’s never a bad thing!

Have a good reading and writing week!

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Quick heads up and thanks to #AlyRhodes for flagging up Bookshop, who represent many indie bookshops throughout the UK. Sales made through Bookshop raise funds for said indie bookshops so win-win and an alternative to Amazon should you want that.

Delighted to see both From Light to Dark and Back Again and Tripping The Flash Fantastic are on Bookshop (though there is no cover image for the latter).

And don’t forget I am very happy to sign copies of either/both of my books and get them out to people in the post. Just DM me and we can take things from there.

Tripping the Flash Fantastic MediumFromLightToDark_medium-2

Pleased to say I’ve uploaded another of my story videos to my Youtube channel. Putting My Face On is a short piece (even by my standards!) that I first put on this very website back in February. Hope you enjoy. See the link here.

I hope to put story videos and the like here on a fairly regular basis. Flash fiction works brilliantly for this kind of thing and it is another way of getting a story across!

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From Light to Dark and Back Again

I’ve been busy setting up a Youtube channel and now have my first videos on it – the book trailers for From Light to Dark and Back Again, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, and a reading of Judgement Day from TTFF.

I will be putting more stories on here in due course. Flash tales work really well for trailers and naturally I hope the YT channel will draw people to this website etc as well.

Moving on from there, a big thanks for the wonderful response to my story, Finding My Feet, which went up on Cafelit yesterday. I love writing funny fairytales like this. I think they can also be a bit of a tonic at times. And boy do we need something that can cheer us a little right now. Stories, for me, are wonderful works of escapism (which is why tales about pandemic are unlikely to go down that well with me. Nothing wrong with the tales. Just not for me and that’s fine).

Stories “just” for entertainment have value and merit and even more so now, I think.

Happy reading and writing!

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One of the joys of flash fiction writing is in having to come up with so many different characters. Inventing my own people has always been my favourite bit of story writing so win-win here.

What I look for are characters who engage with me as if I’m hooked by them, then there’s a good chance readers will be! (It at least ups my chances there!).

For a character to engage with me there has to be something about their voice that draws me in. They don’t necessarily have to be likeable. I can think of a few of my characters I wouldn’t want to meet on a dark night (!) – and that must be even more true for my crime and horror writing friends!😂

I’m looking for traits I sympathise with or situations where I would ask what would I do given these circumstances. Then there are the characters who are greedy, for example, (where I don’t like them at all) but I can drop them right in it and the consequences of that greed are brought home. Plenty of stories there!

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Hope your Monday has gone reasonably well. Mine got off to a bad start when I tripped over as I was walking home from the park with Lady and her best buddie, Khaya, the Ridgeback, and Khaya’s human mum.

What was lovely was the way the two dogs came up and gave me a lick as if to say ‘we’re sure you’re not meant to be on the floor like that”. Quite right, girls, I wasn’t. Huge thanks to Khaya’s mum too.

Nothing broken but one seriously miffed author (at herself) has made sure she HAS stayed upright for the rest of the day! (And I swear I had only been drinking tea before I went out with the dog!).

Now that trip happened in a flash – and it’s true what they say about seeing things in slow motion. I knew I was going to fall, I also knew I couldn’t do anything to stop it (the most annoying bit of all) but it led me to think.

If you could take one moment of your character’s life and “slo-mo” that, what would it be and why?

Worth thinking about and I’d be very surprised if there isn’t a story idea or two in there. (And I’ve got a blog post out of a wretched fall so win-win!). Oh and I definitely wasn’t tripping the flash fantastic either!

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Am working on my non-fiction book as my major project for November. It is an interesting challenge and so different from flash fiction writing but both in their way need to get their message across.

The message in any story is, for me, whether I can understand the character and what they are doing and why. If I can, then I will have read the story through to the end, as I would have had to find out what happened to said character and if any guesses I made at the start of the tale proved to be correct or not. Always a great guessing game that one!

My natural flash limit is the under 500 words kind of tale. I haven’t set out to do that deliberately. It’s just where I seem to gravitate to. Of course, for the non-fiction book I need a lot more than 500 words! Still onwards and upwards….

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Goodreads Author Blog – Book Adaptations – When They Work…

I’m sure we’ve all seen film adaptations of books that we’ve loathed (”not true to the book” etc) but what about the ones that work?

The Ian Fleming Bond books I think transferred well. Some of them have had pretty good audio adaptations too. I was sorry to hear about the death of Sir Sean Connery today who did sterling work there! Also loved his roles in The Hunt For Red October and The Untouchables, amongst many others.

A good film adaptation will bring a book to life for viewers and may even encourage them to go and read the book for themselves. A Muppet Christmas Carol is upfront about telling viewers to do exactly that right at the end of the movie.

For me, The Lord of the Rings adaptation brought to life for me The Shire etc as I had seen it in my own imagination when reading the trilogy. It remains my favourite adaptation.

I accept that not every element in a novel is going to make it to the big screen version for various reasons but what you do want is to be true to the spirit of what the book’s author intended. As long as a film does that, it is going to work.

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Twitter Corner

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THE FLU, INTERVIEWS, MUSIC AND MOODS

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Sorry for the longer gap between posts than normal.  I’ve been recovering from flu and have felt as if I have the stamina of your average wet lettuce leaf all week!  So lots to catch up on including news of an interview, my latest CFT and Goodread blogs and new posts on my Fairytales with Bite and This World and Other websites too.

Facebook – and Chandler’s Ford Today and My Interview

A busy night tonight. Firstly, my Chandler’s Ford Today post this week looks at music and moods and how I now avoid having my mood changed when writing. (It does depend on what I listen to!). I share some of my favourite pieces too and why I used Saint Saens Danse Macabre as the music for the book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again.

Secondly, I was interviewed a little while ago by fellow Chapeltown author, Aly Rhodes (aka Alyson Faye). Her Chapeltown book, Badlands, is due fairly soon (though is available now on Kindle). Her interview with me is now up on her blog and many thanks to her for hosting me. (It’s always nice when the boot is on the other foot!).

 

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Facebook – General – Catch Up posts

Not been around much for the last couple of days as seem to have a bad case of the dreaded lurgy. Am not a happy bunny when poorly.

I want to be “up and doing” as Mr Groat would say (from Terry Pratchett’s marvellous Going Postal – do check it out . I think it has one of the best openings to a book ever and I can’t say more than that without giving a major spoiler away so shan’t! It’s also the only book I can think of that gets away with more than one prologue and both are crucial!).

The one good thing has been enforced early nights have meant I have caught up with some reading. I am having a major history “fest” right now (The Mythology of Richard III, The Wars of the Roses, both by John Ashdown Hill and the updated version of The Maligned King by Annette Carson. Excellent reads all of them and if you want some “facts ” about Richard III thoroughly debunked, do start here.).

The old fashioned notebook and pen still have major roles to play in interviewing - image via Pixabay

Can’t beat the notebook and pen for quick notes. Image via Pixabay,

Tower of London Book Cover

Jennifer C Wilson’s first book. Image kindly supplied by Jennifer C Wilson

Feature Image Part 2 Jennifer C Wilson Stepping Back in Time

One of my earlier CFT posts. Good historical fiction will make you seem as if you are in that world. Image via Pixabay.

Feature Image - Pivotal History Moments - Bosworth

Another older CFTpost shows how moments in history can literally change everything.. Image via Pixabay.

A fallen knight - Richard III was the ultimate one - image via Pixabay

A fallen knight – and even his enemies acknowledged Richard III as this. Image via Pixabay. Richard III is the lead in Jennifer C Wilson’s Kindred Spirits: Tower of London novel.

Facebook – A Thought on the Muse

The muse sometimes deserves a good kick up the backside.
It should not be spoilt, pampered or given a free ride.
It needs some pushing to show up for work when you do
As working in tandem is ideal for both of you.

Allison Symes – 9th January 2018

Nobody gets their ideas right first go. Image via Pixabay.
Says it all really and applies to non-fiction equally as fiction. Image via Pixabay.
Well, why not? Image via Pixabay.
The basic necessities of the writer’s life!

Facebook – from earlier this week…

Will be really glad when this flu is finally over with. Am struggling not to feel tired all the time. I am catching up with some reading in bed though, which is about the only positive thing to come out of this week!

Having said that I did complete my CFT post for this week earlier today and that will be about mood and music. This has proven to be more apt than I thought it would be when I first decided to write it! More details tomorrow.

Am on final edits of my second book. Hope to have these done in next week or so. Feel very bad about being so behind but I must say I haven’t felt this ill in a very long time, thankfully. To everyone else out there with this wretched bug, take care and get well soon!

I’m not arguing with this one! Image via Pixabay.
Well, let’s do so by writing lots of stories! Image via Pixabay.
I read three stories from From Light to Dark and Back Again. Many thanks to Dawn Kentish Knox for the picture!
Many thanks to Finian Black, children’s author, for taking this photo.
At the Book Fair earlier this year, looking forward to Winchester Discovery Centre event. Image by Allison Symes

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

One thing reading history soon teaches you (whether you read fiction or non-fiction) is how vital it is to keep a sense of perspective. (Something Thomas More failed to do with his “history” of Richard III – and Shakespeare even more so).

I’ve also come across some jaw-dropping leaps of “faith” when someone is trying to sum up a person. Charles Dickens in his A Child’s History of England roundly condemns Mary Stuart for being a murderess. He also condemns Elizabeth Tudor executing Mary Stuart. Okay, Charles, just WHAT was Elizabeth meant to do then especially with Parliament hounding her to have the sentence carried out?

Oh and out of interest he does write about Victoria’s early years on the throne. No criticism whatsoever that I could make out! Was he after a knighthood I wonder? (He should have had one of course but not for this particular book! I’ve always seen this as proof every writer has one bad book in them. The clever bit is trying to ensure it never sees the light of day!).

So how does that affect my fiction writing? All of this acts as a warning bell to me to make sure I am telling my character’s story, that they are not over-embellished (there is a place for ham villainy, it’s usually in the panto. Oh yes it is….😁) and to ensure the perspective shown is a reasonable one, at least from the character’s viewpoint.

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Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again

Dark stories, light ones, or those that fall somewhere in between? I love them all and, of course, From Light to Dark and Back Again, has them all in! You have to write what you write. I don’t think, for example, you can write “funny” to order. What should happen is you write a story and your natural humour comes through your characters. It reads more naturally that way too.

Stories are magical and inspire other stories. Image via Pixabay.
The writer’s desk. What do you hope will emerge from yours this coming year? Image via Pixabay.
Escape with a good book. Image via Pixabay.
Some of Shakespeare’s sayings in popular use now. Image via Pixabay
What are the changes your characters seek to make? Are you showing your characters doing this rather than telling us? Image via Pixabay.

Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again – Interview by Alyson Faye/Aly Rhodes

Lovely to be interviewed by fellow flash fiction writer and Chapeltown author, Alyson Faye (aka Aly Rhodes), on her blog tonight. Her book, Badlands, is out in Kindle format now and will be out in paperback. As with all Chapeltown books, it has the distinctive frame around a central image.

Meanwhile, it was lovely for this questioner of other writers to be on the receiving end, so thanks again, Aly!

A checklist can be useful for quizzing your characters. Image via Pixabay.
I really liked taking part in the Prose Open Mic slot at Swanwick this year. Image via Pixabay

Goodreads Author Programme – Blog

I don’t know about you but my reading moods tend to be one genre at a time, then I switch to another for a while and so on.

At the moment my reading list is mainly history (non-fiction), but almost inevitably when I want a change from that, I’ll go to something almost diametrically opposed to it. (Probably humorous fiction, knowing me and then it’ll the usual crime fest with appropriate body count etc!).

I see all of this as immersing myself well and truly in the world of books and that does have benefits to my fiction. Ideas cross-pollinate, influences that lead to good story ideas can come from almost anywhere (so reading widely really means just casting your imagination’s net out that bit further, which is rarely a bad thing!).

So whatever you are reading enjoy it! Who knows what ideas it might inspire in you for your own writing? (All I know is you’ve got to be open to the prospect of ideas coming in!).

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Fairytales With Bite – Music and Moods

I talk about music and moods in my latest Chandler’s Ford Today post.

What role does music play in the fictional world you’ve created?  Is it music as we would understand the term?  Are any of your peoples particularly for or against music on religious or other grounds?  Can anyone use music to influence the behaviour of others (and, yes, I am thinking about the Pied Piper of Hamelin story!).

We have our own history of great composers in different fields of music so what would your world’s equivalent be?  Is classical known but rock not?  Or is classical the big unknown or only for the elite?

Conducting the night’s business. Image via Pixabay.
My latest CFT post. Image via Pixabay.
Setting the mood classically perhaps. Image via Pixabay.
Let your stories have impact. Image via Pixabay
You can almost feel the mood from this picture. Image via Pixabay.
How does music influence you and your characters? Image via Pixabay

This World and Others – Character Tastes – Music

My latest Chandler’s Ford Today post is about music and moods and how the former can affect the latter.  I take care what I listen to now as I don’t want my writing affected by what I’m relaxing to!

What are your characters’ tastes in music?  Musical tastes can be used to designate class (or lack of, you decide what’s appropriate here!).  What would win other characters’ approval or disgust?  What does everyone listen to in your created world?  What do they avoid?  Is there any crossover with the music we know and love/hate here?

Is there an  underground music movement (especially if the mainstream is tightly controlled by the authorities)?  Music has always had its rebels (Beethoven and Mozart were there long before punk rock!) so how would your world show this?  Do they get away with their rebelliousness?