Writing Again!

 

Hi Folks

I'm glad to announce I'm back writing again, after nearly 2 years in hiatus.  The main reason I haven't written is I had a confidence issue with my writing.   Thinking myself and my writing wasn't good enough.  Worrying I was getting things wrong like grammar and punctuation. 

Even though I've still had story ideas and been buying Writing Magazine in that time I still couldn't get myself to open my laptop.

Thanks to Karen, Gemma and the rest of Cleckheaton Writing Group and Ribbon Tree Cafe I was persuaded to join their weekly writing sessions lured by chocolate cake and the fact I haven't seen them for a good 5 months or more.

I have now started to finish The Cubbyhole - a ghost story, then I will continue my novel Colony X and try to get the first draft finished by December.

I will look at trying to get published, either by a publishing company or self-published.  Otherwise what is the point?  Well the fun and challenge of Writing is a great point but being published is the main focus and end game for most writers.

So far I've been published once in Cleckheaton Writing Group's Anthology Reflections.  Now I need to build on this.  Maybe I will enter short story competitions too.

Do other Writers have a crisis of Confidence?  If so let me know in the comments and how you overcame the issue.

Thanks

Neil x

Update - Writing Group - Gemmell vs. Abercrombie - Writing Mag - Sci-fi Now

 Hi Folks 

Just a quick update on what I've been up to in the last few weeks.  Hope you are all safe.

Firstly I've still not done any writing but after having an excellent Zoom meeting the other Monday with my writing group (Cleckheaton Writing Group), they talked me into going on a writing course.   I'm still looking at this and have to enrol.

It was great catching up with the group and seeing how far their writing has progressed.  Unfortunately I'm in a reading slump at the moment and still to read their work and give feedback.

Talking of reading slumps, I was wanting to be onto the third book in Joe Abercrombie's First Law Trilogy yet still on "Before they are Hanged".  I'm only about 300 pages in too.  I think this is because some back story in the book is eerily similar to back story in David Gemmell's "Winter Warriors" which I read a few months ago.

The back story involves demons walking the World and one of them turns against their brothers and banishes his fellow demons to the underworld.  This was a main point in "Winter Warriors".  Maybe it is just coincidence with the book being in the same genre and is a familiar trope.  Although there are other similarities with David Gemmells work.

Other than that plot point I'm enjoying "Before they are Hanged" as Joe has written great characters and I love his prose.  I will just steam forward and get it read.

In the pandemic it has been hard to get copies of Writing Magazine.  Although now everything is easing and shops are now open I have still had an hard time finding a new Writing Magazine in WH Smith stores.  These being the Halifax and Bradford branches.  I've ended up buying the magazine in Sainsbury's in Halifax.

Has anyone else had problems finding Writing Magazine in WH Smith stores?

Sad Sci-fi, Fantasy and Publishing news as I've found out Sci-fi Now magazine has gone out of print and will only be available online.  I prefer physical copies.

I used to love this magazine as it had more writing and a larger book section than it's rival SFX Magazine which I also liked but didn't buy as much as I felt it wasn't as good as years before.  But I will purchase SFX Magazine when I can as be even more of a shame if that went too.

Well that's it for a catch up.  I will also be looking at an IT Course to re-teach me some skills and hope get a job.

Ta 

Neil x

August Update - Happy Yorkshire Day

Hi guys n gals 

August has flown by already.  Maybe it's a good thing that 2020 goes by quickly with the virus that shall not be named plus all the bonkers things happening in 2020.

Well not much news from me.

I'm still job searching although there seems to be less jobs coming through on e-mails.  I think will have to up my game.  Somehow.

I'm still reading "Before they are Hanged" by Joe Abercrombie.  I was hoping to finish this by end of July and start the third in the series by now.  It looks like it will be finished second week of August.

I'm still procrastinating over my writing.  A part of me is afraid to write again for fear of not being any good.  But I realise I need to just get on with it.  I'm sure I've forgotten all about grammar, and where to put commas ect.

Do any other writers feel like this?

Also to add more content on my blog as there are no film reviews, as the cinema's are shut, I'm thinking of doing TV series reviews.

I recently binge watched The Umbrella Academy series 1 and now series 2 is out I will do the same then review both.

I've also binge watched Transformers:War for Cybertron: Siege so expect a review soon.

Other shows I may review are The Boys - series 2 out soon.

Also the underated New Legends of Monkey which has series 2 coming soon.  Been waiting ages for this.

Does anyone want me to review TV shows?

Also I'm thinking of doing an Explore and Paranormal YouTube channel where I explore old buildings stuck in time and maybe look for paranormal.

Although for this I could do with someone close to me who drives who joins me on the explores - is anyone in Brighouse,  Halifax , Cleckheaton area interested?

Well chat later folks!

Neil x