September 1st: 10 years of writing
- At September 01, 2019
- By Niel
- In Advice, Writing
0
I’ve always loved writing, ever since I was a little boy. For years it was comic strips, then it was TV and film scripts, and in between I dabbled with writing a book, but I never got much further than a chapter or three. It always seemed like too big a task. I’d write a few pages, stop to read it, then edit it, over and over again. Eventually, I’d give up, put the project to one side and do something more manageable.
Back in the summer of 2009 I was in the highlands of Scotland, spending time at my Aunt and Uncle’s home in the picturesque countryside close to Balmoral Castle. I’d picked up Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, and was eagerly reading it, trying to learn from the Master’s experience. It’s an invaluable resource for any writer, with plenty of things to consider, but the main lesson from that book is a simple one: Read every day, write every day.
A few months earlier, I’d started writing a book, another failed attempt that didn’t get further than Chapter Three. It was about a young boy who could travel in time through gravestones.
By the end of the holiday I’d finished King’s book. I came home and vowed to put into action what I’d learned on holiday. Neatly, it was the start of September, so I began to write every day, as much as I could. I picked up the barely-started time-travel novel and began to write, resisting the temptation to stop and go back over what I’d written.
And it worked! I got further than I ever had before! And I kept going until, by the 21st of November I’d completed the first draft of Yard Boy (later renamed Sorrowline). I’d managed to average just under 800 words per day, and I’d only failed to write anything at all on three days. On Writing had shown me how to complete a book.
Of course the book needed lots of editing before it was any good, but at least I had something to edit. I knew what my book was about because I’d actually finished it.
Eventually, after several rewrites, in 2011 Sorrowline won a Northern Writers Award, which helped me to find an agent, who managed to get me a two-book deal for Sorrowline and its sequel. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t read (and chosen to follow) the advice in On Writing.
Ten years later, I’ve written ten books and counting. Writing a book is possible, it just takes focus, dedication and perseverance.
Read every day, write every day. It really is that simple.
I’ve always loved writing, ever since I was a little boy. For years it was comic strips, then it was TV and film scripts, and in between I’d dabbled with writing a book, but I never got much further than a chapter or three. It always seemed like too big a task. I’d write a chapter, stop to read over it, then edit it, over and over again. Eventually, I’d give up, put the project to one side and do something more manageable.
Back in the summer of 2009 I was in the highlands of Scotland, spending time at my Aunt and Uncle’s home in the picturesque surroundings close to Balmoral Castle. I’d picked up Stephen King’s book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, and was eagerly reading it, trying to learn from the Master’s experience. It’s an invaluable recourse for any writer, with plenty of things to consider, but the main lesson from that book is a simple one: Read every day, write every day.
A few months earlier, I’d started writing a book, another failed attempt to get further than Chapter Three. It was about a young boy who could travel in time through gravestones.
By the end of the holiday I’d finished King’s book. I came home and vowed to put into action what I’d learned on holiday. Neatly, it was the start of September, so I began to write every day, as much as I could. I picked up the barely-started time-travel novel and began to write, resisting the temptation to stop and go back over what I’d written.
And it worked! I got further than I ever had before! And I kept going until, by the 21st of November I’d completed the first draft of Yard Boy (later renamed Sorrowline). I’d managed to average just under 800 words per day, and I’d only failed to write anything at all on three days. On Writing had shown me how to complete a book.
Of course the book needed lots of editing before it was any good, but at least I had something to edit. I knew what my book was about because I’d actually finished it.
Eventually, after several rewrites, in 2011 Sorrowline won a Northern Writers Award, which helped me to find an agent, who managed to get me a two-book deal for Sorrowline and its sequel. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t read (and chosen to follow) the advice in On Writing.
Ten years later, I’ve written ten books and counting. Writing a book is possible, it just takes focus, dedication and perseverance.
Read every day, write every day. It really is that simple.
Plus Four Years
- At January 03, 2017
- By Niel
- In Highlights, Writing
0
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since my first book came out. Sorrowline was published in the UK on the 3rd of January 2013, following later in other countries around the world. It’s been an exciting four years; I’ve visited schools, libraries and festivals across Europe, and been shortlisted for several book awards.
The sequel to Sorrowline – Timesmith – came out over two years ago, so where is the third in the series? That’s a very good question, one I hope to answer in the next few days. Stay tuned.
Publication T-Plus 3 Years
- At January 03, 2016
- By Niel
- In Highlights, Writing
0
It’s three years to the day since Sorrowline came out and I became an official author. In some ways it feel like a long time ago, in other it’s just like yesterday.
I can clearly remember the excitement and anticipation in the run up to publication, I can still recall everything we did on that day. I even had a proper official launch event in a bookshop, like a real author does! It was a giddy time. Then, in the weeks that followed excitement gave way to an odd mix of satisfaction and disappointment. The world didn’t stop, more books came out, people moved on, as they should, and life returned to normal.
But with the advantage of three-year’s hindsight I can appreciate the moment more now than I did at the time. Fear and anxiety got in the way (as it often does) stopping me really enjoying the sense of achievement that goes with publication. But I was already focused on the next book, trying to cement my career as a writer. The last thing I wanted was this to be just a one-off. Three year later I have two books in the wild and two more completed and in the long sausage-making machine that leads to publication. It’s a long game all right. But it’s nice to look back down the road on days like this and appreciate the adventure, and where it’s taken me.
Sorrowline featured in Guardian Top 10 list
- At November 14, 2015
- By Niel
- In Events/News
0
I was thrilled to read that my first novel, Sorrowline, was mentioned in Rhian Ivory’s top 10 books set in the past and the present article for the Guardian. Here’s what Rhian said:
I love and am quite jealous of the unique idea at the heart of this book: you can travel through Sorrowlines, the channels that connect every gravestone with the date of the person’s death. Why didn’t I think of this first? This beautiful and sensitive way to explore time travel takes Jack, the protagonist, back to 1940s war-torn London, with his then-teenage grandfather, Davey. However Jack’s time travelling hasn’t gone unnoticed, there are dark forces lurking in the wings, the Dustmen. I read this book to my 11 and eight year old and we were all completely hooked by the unique concept, the strong characters and the fast-paced plot. Thank goodness it is part of a trilogy.
Rhian is also an author and has a new book out called The Boy Who Drew the Future.
Go Brazil!
- At June 18, 2014
- By Niel
- In General
0
Some people love football. They love everything about it! The highs the lows, the… er, goals. People who love the game enthuse about their favourite teams, arrange their entire lives around watching it on the TV, debate it with fellow fans. They’re obsessed, passionate supporters.
Then there’s me.
Hate is a strong word I rarely use, and I wouldn’t go so far as to use it against football. But my interest in it runs to a big fat zero. Yes, I was one of those guys waiting to be picked for the school kick-about. Yes, I’m short sighted and could never kick the ball in the right direction. Yes, I’m not very good at football, all right! I’ve had good reasons to dislike it from an early age.
But right now football is pretty hard to avoid. There’s some sort of competition going on in Brazil that seems to bring out the flag-waving nutter in the nicest of people. But it’s not the only thing to get excited about in that part of the world: Sorrowline is soon to be published in Brazil, and here’s the cover!
It’s using some of the elements from the UK cover by James Fraser but with a new twist. It’s interesting how each new territory has their own take on the cover. Here’s a comparison of the original UK version, then Germany, Thailand and Brazil. Even the title is different! I think my favourite is still the UK one, with the German comic-book approach coming a very close second.
So if you’re like me and not the biggest fan of the beautiful game then there is an alternative: spend the summer learning a new language! Might I suggest German, Thai or Brazilian Portuguese?
When is the Movie coming out?
- At May 31, 2014
- By Niel
- In Opinion, Writing
0
Since I became an author there are some questions that have come up again and again. They’re often to do with the writing process, how and when I write, where the ideas come from, how I got published, that sort of thing. But there’s one question that has nothing to do with creating books at all: “When is the movie coming out?”
I’d like to think this is a compliment on my visual writing style, or maybe it’s to do with the fast action scenes or Sorrowline‘s big climax that would probably translate quite well into a film. But I think the question has more to do with the general expectation for books today than with my personal writing adventure. We’re so used to modern children’s novels being turned into huge blockbuster franchises that it seems like the expected – the only – path they can take: write a children’s novel (preferably a series of novels), sell the movie rights, make a fortune, become momentarily famous, then step aside for the next big thing. Franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia spring immediately to mind but this is hardly a new phenomenon, it dates back to the early days of cinema. Disney and most other studios have been at it for years! So the expectation that this is the norm is understandable.
If I’m honest I’ve hoped for this too, as I’m sure almost all authors do. Yes, a book is a self-contained world and it doesn’t need to be made into a movie to exist, but movies, even bad ones, bring the books they’re based on to a much wider audience. It’s basic economics: an author’s career is much more secure if there’s a movie or two based on their work. It can allow an author to keep doing the thing they love to do: write. And that’s not a bad thing, is it?
But the movie world is a notoriously fickle beast and many books are optioned by production companies and studios but never get much further than that. They sit on a shelf waiting for the right conditions to blossom. I’ve had this happen to me with an animation TV series I developed a few years ago. I sold the option to a Canadian production company, we negotiated a contract and I was to be Executive Producer and Story Editor! It all sounded too good to be true! And it was. The option ran for three years. In that time we had a few meetings, we did a bit of development work, but not enough to really get things moving. The option expired and that was that. It happens every day. But not to me. This was a potentially life-changing moment! We’d even started making plans to move to Toronto for the duration of the production! So when it almost happened again with Sorrowline I was a little bit more cautious – but it’s hard to keep my excitement in check!
Interest in the film rights came over a year before publication, from a Hollywood production company who had a track record in making films that I’d actually heard of! They’d even handled a few children’s book adaptations before! So when they asked to meet I’ll admit I forgot all of the pain I’d gone through with the TV option and jumped on a train to London. My literary agent, Juliet Mushens, had set the meeting up with the studio exec who insisted on a mid-morning breakfast at Claridges. I’m not sure if this was designed to intimidate or impress me but, as a northerner and a new writer it managed to do a bit of both.
We met, we ate breakfast, we talked about the movie(s), about the huge scale of them, and how they wanted me to be at the heart of them! Oh, and would I like to write the screenplay? How soon can you start? You can imagine how hard it was to keep my feet on the ground. Throughout the meeting I kept looking up at the beautiful Medusa chandelier directly above our table and thinking how odd and interesting it was. It pretty much summed up the whole meeting.
Over two years later and I’ve yet to write the screenplay and we’ve yet to sign a deal. All the urgency of the first meeting has fizzled out but we still hear from the production company from time to time. They’re still interested, they say. They still love the concept and want to make a movie. After all, this is Hollywood, where no one ever says NO, but rarely says YES!
There’s been other interest too, for TV rights, but for now I’m happy to put my energy into my third book. I’m enjoying the writing process without the worry of what to wear to the première. That said, if anyone wants to make a movie or two and has a big bucket of cash to burn do feel free to call.
Thailand publication
- At December 23, 2013
- By Niel
- In Events/News, Video, Writing
0
Hot on the heals of the German edition of Sorrowline comes the Thailand publication by Class Act Publishing!
Research – Rouland and the Paladin
- At November 01, 2013
- By Niel
- In Research, Writing
0
This post is the first in an occasional series on the research and inspiration for some of the characters in Sorrowline and Timemith. I wanted a lot of the things in my stories to feel real, as if they might have once existed, and I found inspiration in many myths, legends and folk tales. So let’s begin with Rouland – the menacing figure at the heart of Sorrowline.
Rouland was inspired by the Frankish military leader, Roland, immortalised in the historic French poem, The Song of Roland. The figure has been romanticised in many French texts in a similar way to how King Arthur has been treated in the UK; legend obscures fact until nothing else remains. I’ve always been fascinated by Arthurian legend, especially with the idea of his loyal Knights of the round Table. There are parallels between Arthurian legend and the French stories, collectively known as The Matter of France. Like Arthur, Rouland was also one of a group of powerful knights. The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne’s court.
I loved the idea of twelve knights fiercely loyal to their leader. So, with a lot of liberal creative licence and no regard for historical accuracy, I took Roland and the Paladins and turned them into Rouland de la Mare and his Paladin. Rouland became a great statesman and scientist who had uncovered many scientific secrets. His army of Paladin were hand-picked to be his loyal bodyguards. He chose their number from the dead, resurrecting them into a state between life and death – the OnceDead. And, in a deliberate change to the history of both Arthurian and French legends, I made them all women. The Paladin represent Rouland’s greatest work, a subtle mix of science and magic.
The Paladin’s individual names were also inspired by members of the historical Paladins. The outcast Eloise de Montauban took her name in part from the Paladin, Renaud de Montauban. Rouland’s closest ally, the Captain of the Paladin, Alda de Vienne, took her name from Olivier de Vienne, Roland’s closest friend, advisor, and confidant. Even Rouland’s sword, Durendal, which features heavily in Timesmith, is based on the legend.
There are other connections which I won’t mention here in case you’ve not read Sorrowline (WHY NOT??) but I’m sure those who are familiar with the source material might spot them.
German publication day!
- At October 21, 2013
- By Niel
- In Events/News, Writing
0
I’m very excited to be published in another language! Today Jack Morrow und das Grab der Zeit hits the shops in Germany!