Tag: Writing Page 5 of 9

Beta Readers Wanted

On February 4, 2016

In Craobh Volume Two, Editing, The Art of Writing, The New Druids Series

Craobh: A New Druids Series, Volume Two – Beta Readers Wanted!

Beta Readers Make Everything Pretty!

I have posted a request for Beta Readers on Goodreads for my second novel in the New Druids series, Craobh. This will be a first for me but something I feel needs to be done to take my writing to the next step. My first novel, Duilleog, was written solo, without anything more than a proofreader (who did a terrible job as it turned out). For Craobh, I want better feedback before I go to print, but I can’t pay for a freelance editor. And I can’t pay for beta readers. I can only hope that someone out there simply wants to be the first to read my next novel and is happy to jump on board and help. I am offering a free copy of my first novel Duilleog to any takers. If you are interested then please send me an email at donalddallan@gmail.com and I will get back to you soonest. First come first served but I reserve the right to be selective!

By selective I mean I need to get the right vibe from the person and sense a genuine interest in being one of the first to read my material. It’s asking a lot – but my options are limited. So send me emails and make a request! This is work but I can promise this: I will acknowledge you by name in the acknowledgements section of the novel! <— that’s a genuine carrot right there!

Craobh is still on track for a Spring 2016 release. I want the revised draft done by end-March. Then fine tuning and to print by end-May. Word count is now at 75K but I have done some minor editing on Part Three. I’ve written a couple of sections that perhaps I shouldn’t keep. It’s hard to give up the text. One I should move to the next novel – the other I should perhaps delete. Decision, decision.

Craobh: Update

By donald

On January 2, 2016

In Craobh Volume Two, Duilleog Volume One, The Art of Writing

Craobh: A New Druids Series, Volume Two

I just completed Part Three of my New Druid Series. Which means I am halfway through Craobh, Volume Two. Word count at this point is just over 67,000 words which is a great place to be for a first draft.

I am really pleased with Craobh. I love the story. I love how it moves along. I love the new characters. Part Four awaits. This part is going to be hard to write. Bad things are never easy to write. No spoilers, though!

In other news, I have put Duilleog back up on Smashwords and Kobo. This is the second edition version. Enjoy.

Happy New Year, folks. Please read more fantasy and sci-fi! Doing so makes the world a better place – I know it does.

Friends and Feedback

By donald

On October 10, 2015

In Duilleog Volume One, Editing, The Art of Writing

While writing Duilleog I gave many advance copies of the manuscript to my friends and family. I had mixed support. My aunt gave me inspiration and asked me a great question one day that made me go “Wow!” and make a change in the novel. One of my friends accidently threw the manuscript out with the recycling and then didn’t have the courage to simply tell me. He has no idea just how angry and disappointed I was in that single act. Mostly though, I received praise. Everyone loved it. No constructive criticism, though. So, I thanked everyone honestly and sincerely.

So I relied on my editor. She did such a great job with the first chapter. But after I gave her the full novel I discovered that what I got back was merely a typo check and grammar correction. Nothing more really. And it wasn’t a lot of effort. Probably 10 hours worth of Track Changes. I should point out that my own ability to find typos was pretty good and so the corrections were truly minor. What I didn’t get from my editor was comments on the content, the storyline, plot holes, character development. Stuff I paid for but didn’t get. What I got was: “It’s fine.”

I was in a weird place back then. I was so excited about getting my novel out that I suppressed my concern and I went ahead and self-published. I was at the point that I could no longer see the forest for the trees. I thought my novel complete. I thought it good enough. It was, but it could have been better polished.

So the other day, a good friend who is just finishing up my novel sat me down and pulled out a list of errors and corrections that he found. He talked to me about the plot, storylines, wording, repetitive use of words, things that didn’t seem quite right to him. I could have hugged and kissed him and came damn close to doing just that. And he was worried he would offend me! That made me laugh. I told him that I was so absolutely thankful that I couldn’t possibly express it properly. So Steve C.: Thanks! Sincerely! OMG, you rock dude.

So, now I need to look at putting out a second edition. There are quite a few little problems that need to be fixed. Nothing major – all minor – but stuff my editor should ABSOLUTELY have picked up and corrected. Makes me angry knowing that my editor took my money and did the absolute minimum she could. It’s shameful. I need to find a good editor and hopefully I may have a way to seek that. I’ll explain in another post.

For those who have already purchased Duilleog: this corrected version should automatically be pushed to you on Amazon. if not, no worries. The corrections are simply typos and minor changes to word use. I didn’t do too bad a job with the first edition. It’s about 99.5% correct. Truly it is.

Oh, and the excerpt from Craobh that’s at the back of Duilleog? That will now become the epilogue within Duilleog.

Thanks for reading!

Don

Ottawa Writer’s Circle

By donald

On September 12, 2015

In The Art of Writing

Real World Event: I stumbled onto the Ottawa Writer’s Circle the other day and joined out of curiosity. Turns out they had planned a social at a pub in town today (which gave them karma IMHO). I didn’t know what to expect exactly and brought my lovely wife so that we could escape should the social turn strange and uncomfortable. We braved the cold and rain and drove downtown. As it turned out it was time well spent.

Some very pleasant people were gathered. More people had been expected, but the weather turned them away, I suppose. Happily, I met a couple of writers and had an interesting conversation about Blogging and the upcoming CAN-COM event in Ottawa (which I had not heard of). I was given some honest pointers and suggestions on activities I should be considering and soon realised with a smile that what she was suggesting interested me greatly.

So here is the blog idea: I take the world I built in Duilleog and write short stories in that world that will reveal some more of the backgrounds of the characters and world.

So, would you like to hear more about Reeve Comlin and what happens as Reeve in Jaipers? How about the days when Will was alone in the wild? How did Dawkins end up in Jaipers?

I would like to know, too. So maybe I’ll write it and post it here. For your enjoyment.

Now I just need to find the time. My new position in Ottawa is consuming me. That and my online course have taken all the spare time I normally enjoyed for writing. Craobh is suffering and so am I.

Ciao!