Say What Pleased You Today

by Major Fri Feb 05, 2016 10:31 pm

First topic message reminder :

Will you please make this a sticky?

Sat out in the sun for 10 minutes.

by HoratioTarr Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:17 pm

eddie wrote:
HoratioTarr wrote:

Judging from the payments, yes. I was a bit gobsmacked as you tend to go by the reviews. I have 12 in the UK and 16 from the US. But clearly lots are buying without leaving a review. This novel was a bit of a bucket list thing, really. But I'm glad I did it.

That’s what I said to Ben. Even if our book doesn’t sell, we bloody did it! (And both of us are really bad at finishing anything so this will be a great moment for us individually)
We are actually really excited about the next ones to come. We have a couple of great ideas.

And you should be well proud of yourself. X

You have to cut your teeth with writing somewhere. I did mine years ago with magazines and articles for newspapers. It really is an art in itself in that you have to have good characterisation, a plot that is a page turner and a conflict to overcome. That's not a given for all novels, of course, but it's a formula that works. Cadence is very important too...it adds dynamic and rhythm and pace. Flat writing is a terrible bore. I have massive influences with Stephen King, Margaret Mitchell, Kathleen Winsor, Karleen Koen to name a few.

by eddie Wed Feb 14, 2018 9:25 pm

I’ve ordered my copy! May need you to sign it when you’re famous Cool

by Cass Thu Feb 15, 2018 12:35 am

HoratioTarr wrote:
Syl wrote:

That's brilliant, well done.
Its great to tick things off your bucket list....and writing a book and people buying it is a big tick to have.

I've yet to see the northern lights or visit the Gettysburg battlefield.

Looks great. I don’t read much fiction but I’m going to buy and download it to my kindle. The Devil’s Den is indeed a weird place even on a sunny summer afternoon.

Well done!

by HoratioTarr Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:06 am

Cass wrote:
HoratioTarr wrote:

I've yet to see the northern lights or visit the Gettysburg battlefield.

Looks great. I don’t read much fiction but I’m going to buy and download it to my kindle. The Devil’s Den is indeed a weird place even on a sunny summer afternoon.

Well done!

I had to use Google earth to get a feel for the places I wrote about. I actually 'walked' the streets of Washington DC. I had lots of help from American historians who very kindly helped me with matters from etiquette to the layout of the Penitentiary at the time of the conspirators' deaths. The book took about 6 months to write but the research took over a year. The editing process was my absolute worst nightmare. I'm sure there's still a few typo's in there.

Say What Pleased You Today - Page 7 52909?AWSAccessKeyId=1XXJBWHKN0QBQS6TGPG2&Expires=1521504000&Signature=UixCO5%2BWdRp5mGiQ9KiKWdt5%2BkI%3D

by HoratioTarr Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:07 am

Cass wrote:
HoratioTarr wrote:

I've yet to see the northern lights or visit the Gettysburg battlefield.

Looks great. I don’t read much fiction but I’m going to buy and download it to my kindle. The Devil’s Den is indeed a weird place even on a sunny summer afternoon.

Well done!

They say it has an odd atmosphere and the battle ground is reputedly haunted. The lady who helped me a lot with the technical stuff sent me two bullets from that era...one Confederate and one Union.

by Cass Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:12 am

HoratioTarr wrote:
Cass wrote:

Looks great. I don’t read much fiction but I’m going to buy and download it to my kindle. The Devil’s Den is indeed a weird place even on a sunny summer afternoon.

Well done!

They say it has an odd atmosphere and the battle ground is reputedly haunted. The lady who helped me a lot with the technical stuff sent me two bullets from that era...one Confederate and one Union.

We were there in August. It’s spectacular but also incredibly moving. I never forgot for one moment that we were walking/driving over graves. That’s amazing about the bullets.

by HoratioTarr Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:16 am

Cass wrote:
HoratioTarr wrote:

They say it has an odd atmosphere and the battle ground is reputedly haunted. The lady who helped me a lot with the technical stuff sent me two bullets from that era...one Confederate and one Union.

We were there in August. It’s spectacular but also incredibly moving. I never forgot for one moment that we were walking/driving over graves. That’s amazing about the bullets.

Oh, lucky you. The thing is, someone told me about chiggers, and that put me off. affraid

But I'd love to go.

It'll be interesting if you read the book and then let me know if I managed to 'capture' the place. I'm sure it's full of cock ups. rabbit

by HoratioTarr Thu Feb 15, 2018 1:17 am

Cass wrote:
HoratioTarr wrote:

I've yet to see the northern lights or visit the Gettysburg battlefield.

Looks great. I don’t read much fiction but I’m going to buy and download it to my kindle. The Devil’s Den is indeed a weird place even on a sunny summer afternoon.

Well done!

When I first wrote the Devil's Den section, the wooden lavvie was still there. Then halfway through the book it got torn down. Had to do a re-write!!!!! lol!

by Cass Thu Feb 15, 2018 3:20 am

HoratioTarr wrote:
Cass wrote:

We were there in August. It’s spectacular but also incredibly moving. I never forgot for one moment that we were walking/driving over graves. That’s amazing about the bullets.

Oh, lucky you. The thing is, someone told me about chiggers, and that put me off.

But I'd love to go.

It'll be interesting if you read the book and then let me know if I managed to 'capture' the place. I'm sure it's full of cock ups.

I’m looking forward to reading it. The blurb sounded very intriguing. Editing is always the hardest part. I hate it. I still ask Mr. C or my mum to proofread reports or grant applications for me as I’m goggly-eyed by the time I have finished.

Yes chiggers. A bane of living in the east. Fall and spring time was basically itching season. Still I’d take them over the scorpions and snakes and tarantulas we have here. Or the mosquitoes in Cyprus which were HUGE.

But seriously you need to go and to DC too. It’s amazing how the town has grown up around the battlefield. I had been once when I was 7, so to see it as an adult was completely different. I had forgotten how spread out it was as well. Alas there is a lot of tourist tat now too but that’s to be expected.

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