A Directory of Inspiration!

Last week (27th April - 3rd May), I was the Crowvus Author of the week. For the first five days I wrote a blog on various ways in which I become inspired. These were:

• Places
• Objects
• People
• Music
• Characters

[you can read these by clicking the links!]

On the last two days I considered looking forward and looking back.

The lockdown has given us plenty of opportunity to do this!

I had the idea of writing a series of short stories with the same group of characters, and that's what I've been on with for most of this week. I haven't finished any, but that's just the problem of writing outside - too many distractions - but so much inspiration!

Currently, I have characters I write short stories about for the following genres:

1. High Fantasy
2. Historical Fantasy
3. Mystery
4. Historical Fiction

Probably no surprises there!

My New Year's Resolution is continuing, having made submissions to KSAA's #Chatterton250 and The First Line. Time will tell how those get on. If nothing else, I'm building up a collection of poems and stories of which I am proud.

In other news (that is: wearing my publisher hat!) the 4th Crowvus Ghost Story Competition is now open for entries. Head over and have a peek! The other judges and I are putting together a free eBook of our own ghostly experiences - this is coming out in mid- to late May.

Remember! You can read my books here, here and here(this one's free until 20th May).

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Writing Tips in Tumultuous Times

Trying to settle into writing has been slightly - ok, not so slightly! - awkward this week. But only from the point of view of new writing. I've had a super busy week in the realm of author and part-time artist! Here's some of what's kept me busy...

I took part in the Writing Community Chat Show's #WritingCommunityBedtimeStory challenge. So now you can, if so inclined, listen to me reading Chapter One of Caledon. Authors, if you haven't already done this, please give it a go. It's great for readers to hear a story in its conceptual voice.

I've also signed up for Our Own Write, a virtual book fair which takes place on 22nd and 23rd April. I'm on at 8pm BST, followed by Judith and then Clemency.

And, since I've mentioned Clemency, she's offering everyone - readers, bloggers, reviewers - a chance to join in with her next book. You can find more about it here! So I did her a little picture (above) to celebrate.

Finally, I'm still on with my New Year resolution. If everything goes according to plan, these are the four competitions/submissions which I'll enter in April. Why don't you have a look and see if there's one you'd like to enter?
The Trench Coat Chronicles
Didcot Writers
Parsec
87 Bedford Anthology

Remember - writing is not just about new writing. Take time to re-read and edit your earlier writings.


Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

Hello Indie April

A quick look through my writer's diary reveals that this week's biggest advancement has been March into April. Writing-wise, this has also presented a big change in direction.

The Clan of Caledon - in avatar form!

Two reasons.

1. One - welcome to #IndieApril, the month of the year where we, as independent authors and independent publishers, become the stars. This doesn't necessarily mean we become famous, in fact this week's biggest achievement has been helping other indie authors along the way. Writing is really NOT a competitive business. If we support one-another, we're all winners!
2. Two - Camp NaNoWriMo! Day three, and already I'm really failing on this! But I'm going to try and persevere through this crazy time. In Possession of Words, my horror novel, is currently weighing in at 13,887 words, the majority of which are still little more than notes. I have to come clean and admit that only 1,760 of those were written during Camp NaNoWriMo. If any of you are part of this, please hunt me out and add me as a Buddy - I'm here: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/stomper-mcewan

But April's arrival also means that I'm a quarter of the way through the year, and my literary New Year's Resolution is still in tact! Nothing's come of it so far, but I'm hopeful! How are your 2020 writing goals shaping up?

Finally, week three of my review tour occurred yesterday with a couple of reviews. Interestingly, this week's reviews were both impressed with the history and landscape in the book. It's always great to have feedback like:

I found this book immersive. The world felt real and like I could walk right into it.

and my favourite of this week:

One of the best features of this book is the significant amount of accurate, intriguing Scottish Highlands time-period detail that the author weaved into this book.  It is [...] well-versed in the culture and customs that she was able to provide such cohesive knowledge and references in her writing.

There's only one more review left on my tour, but if your appetite has been whetted, you can find Caledon FREE here. Whatever you thought, please leave a review and I'll be eternally grateful!

Find me here: www.stompermcewan.com
www.twitter.com/DaysDyingGlory - follow me there!

A Room to Inspire - The Living Room

As most of you who have read any of my previous blogs will be able to attest to, I am prone to lots of writing. So this time, I'm sharing a pictorial blog of inspiration. In fact, except for this paragraph and a pretty-please-buy-my-book paragraph at the end, I'm only going to use pictures and captions of a room which has inspired me. It's my living room and, as you might imagine, it has a lot of books in it. So here are some of the books and some of the decor that have helped inspire my writing.

There is something truly inspiring about trees in winter, and this picture
always makes me wonder where the bridge leads to and from. The other
picture was discovered in the loft of an East Yorkshire barn. It is clearly an
illustration of some kind, hand painted on a wooden panel, but I'm not sure
whose story it is telling (only it appears to be a 17th century one).

An 18th Century hand-coloured engraving of Captain Cook landing at
Tanna hangs over our little bookcase.

A picture which fascinates me. At first glance it is understated in
mediocrity, but the closer you look, the more you are drawn in.

Proud sister moment here - no apologies!

A selection of books, some of which were my Granddad's when he
was a child, and my copy of The Three Musketeers, one of my
absolute favourite books!

Elinor's notebook. A unique and greatly treasured find from an
auction. This is a sketchbook from the early 20th century of a
girl who illustrated day-to-day life and stories she loved.

My Great-Granddad's pipe and a tobacco tin. This is not his
tobacco tin, but it fits nicely with his pipe. The care and
affection that this object inspires is incorporated in "To Reason Why",
my novel set during the Crimean War.

Antique Belgian tapestry, depicting a desert scene, hangs over the fireplace.
These were produced on industrial looms, but there are now few of them left.

A plaque commemorating the little known
"Battle of Flamborough Head" in 1779.
My great-great-great-great-grandfather
(quite a way back!) was the coastguard there.

A statue of General Napier which we bought for a pittance
at auction after he failed to sell for several weeks. He was
then incorporated into my novel (it is at his house where
the two balls are held). Behind him is a stick with an
'orse's 'ead 'andle, a reference to Marriott Edgar's Albert.

An old tea chest whose three panels were painted by Holly.
It is now full of antique music.

One of a pair of double handed vases. Not being terribly
conventional they are on completely different shelves.

A tankard in the style of a Toby Jug. This was a gift to Dad, because
it looks like him! He hates boats, though, so the fisherman part
doesn't work quite as well as the beard!

My Dad's dad, who I never knew, and the calendar
our lovely German friend made for us.

A German chalice, gifted to Judith from her friend, and a skilfully
repaired figurine stand on one of the poetry shelves. Not sure how
the Gibbons's stamp books sneaked on there...

A pair of elephants which my parents bought for each other. This is as
close to symmetry as our house comes, and the tusks are deliberately
not matching. On the shelf above is my great-great-grandmother's moneybox
in the shape of a house. There is something which rattles in there, but I
don't want to open it to find out what. I like the mystery.

The runic grave marker, and assorted Harry Potter books.

"Easter Island Dad" created by Alex

The second deer vase in front of my university books.

A hand painted bud vase by Clemency in front of two series of
books which inspired me as a child.

A Scunthorpe tankard. A random find, but topical
for Dad who grew up there.

A fairing - a prize given out at travelling fairs in the days before
teddy bears and neon bracelets. Much cuter, I think.

Mum's Great-Grandmother and her children, At the extreme left of the
picture is a nursing chair which is now upstairs in our house.  At the time this photograph was
taken, the father, Reuben Temperton, was fighting in the Boer War with the Lincolnshire Regiment.

A Ukrainian folk doll bought at the Nuremberg Christmas Market
and a rose-entwined horseshoe made by Judith.

A candle holder with a fairy tale theme in front of
a collection of German books

Another vase on the railway shelf, with another uncomplicated
scene depicted. Creeping into the shot is a red panda snow globe -
we're proud adopters of the red pandas at the Highland Wildlife Park.

Signed edition of Alfred Gilbert's book, complete with a working sketch.
Gilbert is most famous for creating the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountian
(more often known as Eros) in Piccadilly Circus.

A 19th Century collection of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley Novels.

Winter landscape of a country road, beehives
in shady summer glow, and the market square of
Weissenburg where I visited in 2013

A collection of antique stamps from across the world.
This selection was also bought at auction.

So many of these little things - and there are a lot more I haven't pictured! - which seem insignificant on their own, have inspired my writing. Some are more easy to follow than others, sometimes it is an emotion, sometimes an actual object, but they have come together to create a room in which I love to write. I love having objects that relate back to the time I write about. Being able to handle antiques, whether they are worth pennies or pounds, can transfer me back in time as easily (and far more safely!) as the Tardis!

Want to see what these inspired? Find it here for eBook or here in paperback.
#ShareTheAdventure

From Stick Men to Statues - Ideas to Build 3D Characters

Occasionally (or perhaps not quite so occasionally!) I get told off for wanting to know who a reader's favourite character is. I always have a favourite character when I'm reading, whatever the story, ranging from The Three Musketeers - definitely Athos, by the way! - to The Wheel of Time - and that has to be Mat.

Strangely, I do not have a favourite character when I'm writing. But perhaps that is the point of this blog post. Every character I write represents an aspect of myself, and I could not be any one of them without acknowledging the other. So here are my four stages of how to build characters so that they are believable and engaging:

1. Look in the Mirror
   Have an idea - and make a note - of what your characters look like.  If you write fantasy the appearance of people is almost always of special significance to the role they will play. Don't apologise for this. Make sure that you know the approximate height, the ethnicity, hair colour, build and eye colour of your characters. You do not need to write this every time a character appears, in fact sometimes it is better to avoid it all together, but it saves you the embarrassment of having your reader come back at you and query why, when Robert Robson had grey eyes in chapter three he now has brown eyes in chapter twenty.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. There is No Such Thing as Normal
   
   I am from a large family, but there are no two of us who walk the same. If you have someone walking down the street your reader will be less engaged than if you have someone sauntering, stumbling or swaggering. Movements are almost always as unique to a character as they are to a real person. Example: "She got on the bus and paid for a ticket" or "She quickly stepped onto the bus, searching for the correct change before she collected her ticket and moved down the aisle". Don't overuse adverbs but don't ignore them entirely. They have their place in character development as surely as nouns and adjectives.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Nature Versus Nurture
   
   You are not solely what you have inherited from your parents, so the same must apply to your characters. Knowing a backstory for each of your characters deepens your understanding of them. In turn, this helps your reader form a stronger connection with them. Whatever our background, it leaves a huge footprint on our future. Characters carry the same scars and the same values during and beyond their childhood as people in the real world. Someone who grew up in New Delhi is going to have a different outlook to someone who grew up in Norfolk. Perhaps your character is well travelled, having an impact on their appearance as well as their acceptance and appreciation of other cultures.  And, of course, they will talk differently.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Everyone Has a Quirk
   
   I have known people who are obsessed with symmetry; who count everything; who need to find patterns in floorboards; who arrange everything alphabetically...  The list goes on.  When characters embrace chaos, as many do during their journey through the pages of the book, they need to have had an order in the first place to make their actions chaotic. But beware! A clever writer slots these things in under the radar and does not force them on the reader. Make sure that your character, and not your writing, highlights these issues to the reader - remember it should be your character's quirk, not your own.
   
   

And suddenly your characters are 3D, believable and easy to relate to.

[Drawing pictures is optional!]

Characters in Every Season

When I was giving my bedroom a much-needed tidy the other day, I stumbled across a little church diary from 2006 which was a blast from the past! Grandma used to get us one each for Christmas and, among the other diaries we received, you may think it was tricky finding a use for them all.

How wrong you would be!

My sisters and I used the diaries for stories. A writer will know that the characters in a story can get a little bit carried away sometimes. An author needs a diary to keep track of where her characters are at specific times.

It also helps when you're trying to figure out seasons. You don't want to be describing beautiful snowy scenes when, in the last chapter, you were waxing lyrical about the lush fruit of autumn! Yes, I've been known to do that!

A little flick through this 2006 Church Diary and I'm left utterly bewildered. I can't remember this story at all. I must have only been 13 when I started it, and I mostly likely didn't have a clue how I wanted the story to pan out. The names don't help either. I always had an Ivor in my stories - possibly because of my love of Ivor Novello - and the other names are pretty standard. I'm sure I have written 20 different stories with a Robert in them.

So, here is your challenge: Write a story based on what is included in this diary.

Let me know if you come up with a story for these rather ambiguous characters! I'll be intrigued to know what you have in store for them!