heirstothekingdom.com

Robin John Morgan shares his experiences in writing, and publishing HTTK

Nature moans into the sky?

Jan 24

Posted by Rob in Nature moans into the sky? | No Comments

As anyone who knows me well knows, I do love the weird and the strange, after all I am the creator of Harry and Maggs, but recently around the world there has been a series of phenomena that has well and truly caught my imagination, and it is more relevant to me personally considering it’s the year of 2012.

For those of you new to my writing, I am currently in the middle of a series of fantasy adventures named Heirs to the Kingdom, which are based in the year of 2038, set against the background of a deadly virus (Red Death) that was unleashed by Nature 26 years earlier (2012) to curb the destruction of the world by man. So yes as the world stands fuddled and tries to work out the recent phenomena of strange sounds in the sky, I am delighted that it is being referred to as the sounds of Nature moaning in distress.

I will add that at the time of setting up my story which was in the late 1980’s I had not at that time heard of the Mayan calendar and the so called end of the world in 2012. I just chose the date as it fitted in nicely with the exhaustive list of generations I had followed for my hero, to link in well with his past, I was a little chilled to the bone when a good friend of mine handed me an article many years later that gave the prediction for the end of the world in this same year, and considering the time it has taken in between working self employed for many years, I never thought I would reach this year whilst in the middle of publishing the story.

I now feel somewhat delighted to find the many videos on Youtube of people stood frozen and unnerved as they hear the strange moans and wails coming down from the sky, and although I have absolutely no idea of what is causing it, all I can say is “Look to the coming of a Bowman,” and “prepare for death, for it is coming and its colour is red.”

I am delighted, but also curious, as I have been out in the woodland in all weather, and at all times of day and night, and I thought I knew pretty much every sound made by Nature, but even for myself, this is a very new experience and I am rather enjoying it, although if you are some of the few who have not heard it yet, then click the link below and have a listen, this article which has many serious and comical answers on it, also contains some of the best clips of this strange unearthly sound, and I will say when you first hear it, it is indeed quite eerie and unnerving.

I know I should not really exploit it, but I have to admit this is a little bit more of a coincidence than I ever expected.

 

Click the link and see what you think

http://dorsi.hubpages.com/hub/Strange-sounds-in-the-sky-from-around-the-world

 

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Life, Horticulture and Writing

Jan 18

Posted by Rob in Horticulture and Writing., Life | 1 Comment

I often get asked about my life in horticulture, and in many cases I am asked why I decided to give it up and become a writer. It surprises people when I tell them, I have not given it up, I just chose to leave the path of commercial plant life, and walk a more solitary one.

I really could not imagine a time in my life, where the life of plants did not hold a fascination and interest for me, as they have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. For me, the green world is so much more than just the sprouting of the green things that surround us in our daily routine, it is a world that is diverse and complex and offers as much variety and wonder, as the world of people we all know, where everything living takes on a life of its own, and gives you as much joy to behold, as any long time friend or interesting stranger you could meet.

I guess that within the world surrounded by plants that has been my every day for over thirty years, I have learned so much from my careful studies, and have come to the conclusion that a life spent interacting with plants, has in many ways taught me the true value of who I am, and also how to be around other people.

The Japanese have a wonderfully unique approach to growing plants, and whether it is the training of a Bonsai tree, or the growing of prized rhododendron, they apply great thought and study to every aspect of the plant they are working on. It is a process that helps to focus the mind and makes you think not just about the plant in front of you, but you contemplate its place in the world and its relation to everything else. In doing so, you contemplate your own life, the process of growing and training therefore becomes a partnership of your will in how you feel the plant should develop, and the will of the plant, which naturally wants to grow to its own scheme of things. The result of perfection, is usually a perfect balance of both wills, and the creation of something completely unique created through the compromise of both parties.

It does not really matter whether you are training a Bonsai, of just trying to keep your flower beds looking neat and orderly, the fact is that during the process you slip into some form of contemplation, which relaxes the mind and creates an effect of inner peace and calmness. There is an old saying, “the most stress free people on the earth, are those on their knees working in it.” And that is something I do truly understand and believe having spent a huge slice of my life lost in deep thought as I tend the plants I have grown for pleasure, or profit.

Gardening and plant work is very therapeutic, but I also find writing serves a very similar process. When I write and drift into thought, I am obviously using a lot of that time to contemplate the story, the characters, and their relationship to everything surrounding them. So as with the plants, I reach that point where parts of me blend with the story, and what comes out is a unique balance created via the process, which has much of what I had intended to write, but also quite a lot of unintentional spur of the moment creativity.

I have gained great understanding of myself over the years, and like the trees and flowers I love so dearly, I am indeed very complex, I too understand my strengths and weakness, and how to live and grow around other weeds and plants of greater strength and beauty than myself. I have found my place in the flower bed beside my fragrant flower, and through my writing of the characters in my stories, I have searched inside and identified what has become important to me, and what my dreams for happiness truly contain.

I find it no coincidence that plants are grouped into families or a species of similar types, for like all living things, they thrive at their best around others that are likened to themselves, and grow to their finest when surrounded by young and old of many varieties. I think my stories emphasize the importance I place on true friends or loved ones and the family that supports us, and in my time I have come to understand the life of the natural world better. It has taught me much about myself and the life I need to live, and it has shown me who is important and which weeds need to be removed for the sake of all the others in the flower bed.

My greatest inspiration are trees, especially the Oak, it stands firm and upright and faces the world head on no matter what is thrown at it. In moments of great stress it bends where it needs to in order to weather the storm, and then returns to normal and continues its growth throughout its long life. I love the fact that it never saves up its acorns to barter with the squirrel for gain or kudos; they truly are free in the world, a lesson I hope the human race one day learns.

The natural wilds of our world are considered to be truly free, and places where we too can release our pressures and be at one, and although I do completely agree and would encourage everyone to seek out the natural wonder of the wilds and roam free within them, I also think that like the flower in the border surrounded by those that enhance its growth and beauty, we too should understand that true freedom comes from within, and has little to do with where we are, for it is in the recognition of our close surroundings, that we find what is most important, and it is having the wisdom to recognise it and grow closer to it that brings the fulfilment of our spirit and life.

I love writing, it gives me great joy, and hopefully I will be able to continue for a long time to come, but I will never give up horticulture, for over the years I have learned so much about life, and somehow I think I have many more years of deep thoughtful lessons to come. Maybe even then I will not have learned it all, so go out into the world and breathe the air, take a good look round, and spare a moment to look at and appreciate what your world is being shared with, for we are not alone, and although that big green leafy thing may appear to do very little, just watch it for a while, and with a little patience, you may just be surprised at what you see and learn.

 

Family this Christmas.

Dec 24

Posted by Rob in Family this Christams | No Comments

This time of year raises many thoughts about who we are and what our place in the world is, it is also a time where those who hold the faith of Christianity give thanks for the birth of the son of their God, and also to many in this world, it is a time of capital gains at the end of a long year of hard work. I find the lines blur as Christmas becomes a complicated affair of balancing what we earn with what we give, and who we decide to indulge as a member of our circle of family and friends, and it does appear that at some point in the madness that has become Christmas in the modern age, we do appear to loose sight of what it truly means, and so I thought it would be nice to share my thoughts on this festive event.

I have spent my entire life working with plants, so what is seen as the ‘Old Ways of the Woodsman’ is very relevant to my life and to who I have become, so for myself this time of year has traditionally been a time for reflection, as the plant world sleeps below the frosts and the snow through the darkness of short days, and awaits the arrival of the sun in the coming spring. At this time of year I reap the reward of the seeds and harvests which have been safely stored, and I take a very well earned time of rest with my family, as I begin to plan the new coming of the next year.

Like all other members of the Earth Faiths, I surround myself with the life I tend in my daily routine, and so the dressing of a tree is very significant, as it represents that life of my world sleeping through the Winter as I enjoy the feasting surrounded with those I work so hard to provide for.

I think it matters not what your faith is at this time of year, because if you look to all religions, no matter how diverse, they do
indeed share one similar bond, and that is that we all unite and give thanks for what we have done, and what is important to us at this time of year, and take that small moment to voice our thoughts and share it with those who are like minded.

Something that has been highlighted to me very deeply this year is the importance of family and friends, and what each individual member represents to me. It has been a very hard and difficult year for myself, and many of those who surround me, I am not sure that I know anyone who has not struggled and worried all year, the economic situation around the whole world is taking its toll, and as I write this on the Eve of Christmas, I know so many who have a great deal less than they would normally have, but I cannot help but ponder if it really does matter what material things surround us tonight, as long as we have our health and each other.

In the Heirs to the Kingdom, I do place a lot of importance on the true meaning of family, for myself this is deeply significant, because it has not always been the easiest of situations for me, as my parents separated when I was very young, and so I have always been caught between the two, and to be very honest it has been very turbulent for me at times. I lost my father at the age of four, and did not see him again until I was in my mid thirties, which had a very profound affect on me, my relationship with mother has always been turbulent, and for a long time I lived my life away from all of my family feeling I had nothing in common with them, and was better off without them. So it feels more important to me tonight, as I have worked very hard to forge new links and find peace with all my family in the past ten years.

This Christmas I will be surrounded like my characters in my books, with my family and also the family of my new wife, as this year we took the plunge and vowed our commitment to each other. Its not been the best year for book sales, like those who read many books, I too have cut my spending to make things such as fuel bills and food a priority to get my family through
safely, but too be honest it is not that important, because what I find matters to me tonight is that my family for now are safe and I have come through another year with them unharmed.

I have my mother, who although aging will join me tomorrow for a day with her grandchildren, I am at peace with all my brothers, who have had a struggle at times this year, but I can embrace them and be glad to know they are safe, and I will visit my father and my lovely step mother who have become very precious and special to me, and most importantly I have my wife and my children to share all of it at my side.

Despite all the past conflicts and fallings out that I have seen within my family, tonight they feel very precious and more important than ever before, and I think in the past I have lacked the wisdom to fully understand their significance in my life and I am grateful to finally have that understanding.

I suppose in conclusion what I am saying is forget the importance of the material, and embrace what is there and always has been, lets be honest, family can drive you to the point of murder, but no matter how dysfunctional they might at first appear, they are the one thing you have now, and love or hate them, they are important, whether you realise it or not.

May your celebrations be safe and peaceful, enjoy this time….

 

 

 

 

What’s the world coming to?

Nov 22

Posted by Rob in HTTK, What's the world coming to? | No Comments

The lightening tree

The Hollow Oak, hit by lightening and recovered

It is funny to think back to my childhood and remember so many of the women on the street I grew up on, who would sigh and say, “what is the world coming to?” Most of them back in the seventies were quite elderly and are no longer with us, yet I must admit, I would love to know what they would say if they were alive today.

I grew up in the 1970’s, I was one of four children, all boys being raised alone by my mother, we were not rich, if anything our life was a daily struggle, but we also had no idea that we were poor, daft as that may sound, just about everyone we knew was in the same the boat, so we did not notice those few who had far more than all of us. Maybe its nostalgia, but in my mind, even though life was difficult, it also felt much easier and simpler than that of life today. When you have very little you become adept at improvisation, and to be honest my brothers and myself were very proficient, we had very little money, so if something wore out or broke, or we wanted something and could not buy it, we simply repaired, recycled or built whatever was needed at the time.
My Woodland

Bears wood in Hyde Uk, The place of my childhood dreams

The TV was about the most modern device in the house, which as I remember we rented from the local TV shop, and it was there for late evenings in winter and rainy days. For the rest of the time if it was dry, we were out and about building den’s and carts to race, and running around the local woodland playing and exploring. I look back with great fondness on those times, because we had no money, and actually we had no care for money either, for most of the time our imagination fuelled everything we did, and if we required inspiration then that was a problem soon overcome with the aid of a book, and new adventures began for us straight off the printed page.

It is easy to dismiss those times, especially when you look at the world we live in today, and as I look around at the lives lived by the children of my friends and other children I encounter, I seriously wonder if having so much tech available within the ten foot confines of a child’s room is such a good thing. I still walk in the woodland I grew up in on a regular basis, and I always take my own children with me, compared to many of the surrounding woodlands mine is quite small, although it has expanded a great deal since I was a wild seven year old running around it, as much of the open land around it, today is filled with new trees. If it had been this size when I was a boy it would have been an even bigger paradise than I thought it was back then, and yet as I walk through it showing my children where I played, and telling them the stories of the things I got up to, the one thing that strikes me more than anything else is the lack of children’s laughing voices, as it now sits in total silence devoid of the groups of young happy frolicking friends. My tiny little woodland is being squeezed from every side as the buildings surrounding it grow ever closer, and many of the wide open fields I ran in as a child are gone or fenced off by their new private owners.
It is so sad that the children are at home sat in front of their TV’s, games consoles and computers, living out their lives in the unreal world of cyber space, when here not more than a minutes walk away, is a place so wonderful that it has inspired me for most of my life, and I may add inspired the birth of my own tales of adventure on the printed page, because it is this very special place that is there in my mind with my characters as I write the tales of Heirs to the Kingdom. The crunch of the beech husks, the scent of wild bluebell and honeysuckle, the swish of the bracken are echoes in my mind from the past as I add the words to the pages of my story.
Computer graphics have come a long way, and there is no doubt that the technology is moving so fast that they are almost as real as film, but it is no substitute for the real thing. Sat in front of an LCD screen you will never understand the feel of the fern as you wade waist high through it, you will never quite understand that moment when you move from under the thick heavy cool canopy into the warm brightness of dappled shade, or feel the damp heat of the humidity as you climb into the thick heavy canopy of a fully mature Oak, feeling the roughness of the bark on your hands compared to the cool smoothness of the Beech.
Even today at the age of 47, I cannot be away from it for too long, as the need for the scents and sounds of the deep woodland draw me back with regularity. As I age and learn more I can see and understand more of what our ancestors felt living their lives connected to the world and the land that surrounded them. I feel the mystical sense that surrounds nature and has inspired some of the greatest writers of the past to put pen to paper and preserve their view of the world, as I too have felt motivated to do, and now life has appeared to have come full circle, and I am the one sat out under the trees wondering what is the world coming to?
Life is so different that I find it hard to explain to the younger generation of today. How can I tell my own children that although
everything they see and are taught is now based on the pursuit of money and personal possessions, and that there was actually a time when life was not as complex and things were simpler? They like the rest will be influenced by their peers to buy into the advertising and feel of lesser worth than their friends if they do not posses the same high tech items, and with each passing moment a little of the wilds of this country disappears, as the towns and cities expand to be filled with yet more stores and better housing, and I fear that before their lives are ended, all that I love will be gone forever without them feeling the joys I felt. For now all I can do is try to show them and hope that in some way I can inspire them to understand and feel the same love and affection in the understanding of nature, and then cross my fingers that it will live on their hearts as it has mine, and hopefully my woodland will still be around for them to share with their children.
The rabbits hill

The Rabbit Hill

I have no idea what the world is coming to, but I do think that something has gone horribly wrong, I am not alone in this thinking as there are many who feel we have become blind and misplaced our priorities, and yet we never seem to learn. I fear for the future, because if we have come this far in thirty years and appeared to have lost our way, where the hell will we be in another thirty years?

A few years ago the environment was high on the priorities of government lists, and yet today the whole world is in crisis, lost in the panic of losing money in the failing global economy, and it looks like its going to occupy everyone for some time to come, and so the green world again is secondary to the religion of making back lost money. I wonder if we will ever learn and understand that in order to continue to thrive as a race, we need to address the balance of man against the natural world. I am not sure that money will bring a better world, lets face it, look at the world as it is today filled with killing and suffering. I honestly believe that with the climate shifting and the weather as unstable as it is, we should start to get our priorities straight, and we must educate our children to avoid the mistakes we as adults are now making. Its not money that will determine our survival, its fresh water and enough space for the plant life to balance the numbers of humans on the planet.
We have grown since we first step onto the world as a race living within the land and respecting the land, but over the past one hundred years we have done more damage to our environment than in the all of the two thousand years prior to it and the planet on which we live is feeling the strain. The children of our children will face a life so different from the one we have today, and if we do not begin to wake up and face the responsibility to those children, then sadly the things we took for granted as children ourselves, will not remain for them to enjoy. Money is no substitute for the living breathing world around us, and one can only wonder if man will ever learn that if he destroys any more, all that will be left for him to eat will be his bank statement.

Will many writers survive Digital?

Jul 29

Posted by Rob in The New Writer, Will many writers survive Digital? | No Comments

I often wonder what peoples perception of what a writer actually does is, because when people find out that I write, it appears that they just naturally assume that somehow I am loaded and raking in masses of money, if only that was true.

In 90% of cases a writer barely earns enough to give their family a weekend away, let alone provide them with a luxurious lifestyle, and they have to take on extra jobs just to make ends meet. People really have little idea of how hard it can be to survive on book sales, they really only see the very lucky few who make it up the mid-lists and into that top bracket where life at the top has its privileges.

I was talking recently to a few friends who just naturally assumed I was making well over five English pounds per copy of my book sold. Oh if only that was the case, they were stunned to find out that the average author earns just fifty pence per copy sold, and therefore need massive sales just to cover the costs of living whilst writing, let alone any future plans.

From my own experience of writing, when I look at the amount of money spent on researching, travelling and reading to prepare my books before I even write a word, never mind the costs of a family containing a wife and two children, it is amazing how much money goes in long before you finally get that illusive publishing deal, and that was just to get the book finally printed.

The sad fact is that for most writers money is not the motivation behind the work, for myself it is the joy of preparation, researching and writing, to that point where you sit back and know that you have created something unique and feel satisfied that you have accomplished your goal. It is a wonderful feeling that stirs deep inside and you have a final result that you can look at with pride, knowing you gave it your all, and also knowing that somewhere it will bring a moment of escape and delight to those who read it and live in a world you created, there really isn’t any other feeling like it in the world. It is something that is very easily exploited by those who run the industry.

It is well documented that the publishing industry has used it for years to line their own pockets, stating their costs as justifcation and takeing the lion’s share of the money, leaving the author with the smallest amount of the profits, and I think we are all intelligent enough to understand that it has always been the way of things, and maybe we have all sat back and accepted it when we should have asked for more. The biggest problem with that though is that publishing deals have always been hard to come by, and we are also smart enough to realise that if we push too hard, we could end up out of deal, left high and dry with no contract.

There is no shortage of writers, if anything the numbers have risen steadily for years, so one wrong move and you can very easily be replaced, and that has always been something that has in a way acted as a deterrent to writers rebelling against the system. However things have been changing now for several years, and to be honest one has to question if there is even going to be a future for writers, as the digital age forces rule changes and working methods across the globe. The publishing industry is in a shambles at the moment, I spend most days reading the various Blogs and newsletters emailed to me from inside the trade, and I find it very hard to see how the future of books printed or digital, will survive without some radical changes of thought from not only the industry, but also from the consumers, because lowering prices are squeezing the life out of everyone.

Without readers there is no need for books whether they be on a page or a digital screen, but it looks to me like we are all heading for a very big stalemate, as consumers demand cheaper books, especially digital ones, but as the price falls, so do the royalties paid to the author. I am a bottom list author and believe it or not I am in the largest bracket, as there are many like myself out there all trying to get the word out about their books, and we all know our sales will not be huge. As much as we all dream of that freak moment when we get discovered, we do not have the support of a large company who will spend thousands on us to publicise our work, and most of us promote from home with the help of a few friends using the internet and social networks to try and increase our sales. Our print runs are low or use print on demand, which means the costs of our books is higher than the big names, and although we have publishers, we still only get the nominal royalty, so for us digital is a huge fear.

Its bad enough so much of the price of our books goes to the retailer, wholesaler and publisher, but recent trends show how little value our work has in this modern time, as the price of digital downloads is pushed into the floor. The bigger online retail companies are very aggressive; they list millions of books and are not reliant on massive profits per book to stay afloat, and so they have created an atmosphere of cheaper and cheaper in order to rival their competition, and the book buying public has sold into its practice to such a point that it is becoming impossible for any author to realistically get any return for their effort.

One very large online presence in particular pushes masses of books for just $0.99, and I see it on the screen and feel this must be madness. I am told this is what the consumers of books demand, and they are unlikely to pick your book if it is valued much higher, because digital is cheaper easier and faster, and therefore should be cheaper. I am sorry to disagree with the worlds leading book seller of the moment, but I got no discount when writing it because one day it would be appearing as digital download. My hours of dedication have not lessened because it will eventually be delivered via an inbox rather than a post box. To be honest it is insulting, how would the consumer feel if I asked them to work all week as I have for just $0.99? I am pretty sure they value the jobs they do to earn their living, so why has mine become so worthless? Is it not bad enough that I have to live with an industry that puts my creative ability as its last priority, whilst it makes twenty times more money from my work than I do? Do all writers now have to suffer the ultimate humiliation of being told by the consumer that their efforts rank lower than everyone else’s?

It’s a very sad truth that in the capitalist society we live in writers have no worth at all, and with the onset of digital, and the so called death of the book, the future for writers just became very dark indeed, and one can only wonder how long it will be before the writer has no choice but to stop publishing simply because they can no longer afford to. We could simply leave publishers and go the self publishing route, and upload our books directly, which is starting to happen, especially since publishers today are cutting their lists and courting the already rich and famous for their biographies and cookbooks, but even then, when the retailer takes their cut of the $0.99 there is little left to live on for the author.

Will we reach a time when writers have to write for free and just accept it? Or will we one day see a time when all there is to read is a classic that has gone out of copyright and so is available to download free, it is a very real possibility, because in the scramble to gain control of the digital book reading world, it looks to me like every single area is being scrutinised except the most important one of all, and that is the role of the future author.

I have no choice but to be a spectator at the moment, and I am watching very carefully, as depending on how things go, I may have to make a very difficult decision in my future. Will I stop writing? No, its not possible for me. Will I stop publishing? That is a question I will eventually face, and I am sure there are many out there who like myself will face the very same question. All I can say for now is, I am watching…. I will have to wait and see.

 

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Japan’s Hour of Need.

Mar 16

Posted by Rob in Japan's Hour of need, News | No Comments

Please support the people of Japan in their hour of need.

For the last five days I have sat as I worked listening to, and watching the BBC’s 24-hour news channel, as I monitored the traumatic events unfold in Japan. The scenes of devastation look almost as if they are from some sort of disaster film, and I feel a cold shiver run down my spine as I witness the personal stories of those left to deal with the heartbreak of losing a home and a way of life, and in so many cases, a member of their family.

For me it feels very much like a personal tragedy, as I follow each of the horrific events in the lives of a race of people who have been one of the biggest collective influences in both my professional and private life. They have suffered the greatest set back of their entire history, dealing with not only one of the biggest ever recorded earthquakes, but also the crushing power of a tsunami, and after such a heartbreaking blow of destruction, they have to find the strength to begin the struggle of clearing away the devastation, whilst under the threat of a nuclear disaster. I cannot help but feel that the peace loving people of Japan deserve this less than any, and it has made realise how lucky I am to be here safe with my family and free from harm. 

The Japanese have contributed so much over the years to many of this world’s countries and cultures. Their innovations within the electronics world alone stands as beacon to man’s achievements, and it is hard to find a field where they have not contributed great influence in its development of those modern products. In horticulture alone, my working day was enhanced by their dedicated work towards improving and creating better plants and trees, our gardens are adorned with bright and vibrant Rhododendrons and Azaleas, and chrysanthemums as well as a whole host of other plants. Spring in my hometown is brightened by the addition of many new strains of colourful flowering cherry trees, and my home has the added beauty of the Bonsai I have grown in the last 25 years of study of this ancient Japanese art.

For my family, they have created the most beautifully drawn Manga and Anime to watch in our spare time, providing all of us with the wonder of escapism and fantasy, and an addition to all our dreams. Their art is inspiring and I indulge in the love of reading about their culture and philosophy, and if you sit back and take a long look, I am sure you will find there is a huge depth of the Japanese’s influence in your own lives. They have added so much to the daily lives of all of us in their unassuming and quietly calm well-mannered way, and this, just impacts more on the tragedy that they have to endure at the moment.

Today the Japanese Red Cross has asked for financial aid, the fact that these proud independent people have asked is in itself surprising, and is a very strong indicator of the troubles they are facing, and I would ask everyone who has just a few pounds free to join the growing numbers of those who have benefited from this wonderful culture, to please help them in their hours and days of great need.

For now all any of us can do is to watch and hope that this strong close community culture, can find the strength with the aid from the rest of the world, to rebuild their lives and their country and make it a greater nation than before.

No nation has ever suffered on such an unprecedented scale, and the one hope I hold is that with my understanding of these creative and determined people, is that they will find a way to move forward and recover, and in doing so, they will again show the world what man is capable of, and give us a lead for the future. In the mean time I will watch and hope for them all in their plight, as I send them my deepest sympathies and best wishes.

For those who would like to offer help and financial support, The Red Cross, is on the ground in Japan trying to help as many as possible, your contribution will be a great help and gratefully appreciated by them. You can donate directly and securely using the link below.

http://www.jrc.or.jp/english/relief/l4/Vcms4_00002070.html

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A Solitary Writers Life

Feb 28

Posted by Rob in A Solitary Writers Life | No Comments

In a little over a month, I will have been a published author for two years, although I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I have been lucky enough to have published three books, and have spent my days writing more and promoting those that are out there, and I have reached that all important point, where I have sat back and taken a long look at how things have gone. As this blog is a record of my experiences, to share especially with other new writers, and those who love to read, I have set out some obseverations that may or may not help or interest you. 

The first thing that is the most noticeable is the way I live my life, three years ago I left my shop to the demolition workers, and gave up my business to spend everyday at home dedicated to finishing the series I had started, so the good thing is that life has got quieter and warmer. It’s a move I do not regret, as I think it has done me a lot of good, I have worked hard with little time off for years, and I am not getting any younger, so its nice to slow down and spend more time at home with my family, although there are those odd days when I miss the hustle and bustle of the markets, and the flood of the different people I had contact with.

Looking back at my life then as a horticulturalist, and my life now as a writer, it suddenly impacts on me how much time I spend alone these days. For all writers this is factor of their working day, I am pretty reclusive and have had to live most of my life in the throng of market life, rushing around from dawn until dusk, so the tranquillity of my desk is actually a wonderful retreat for me. It may sound bliss, but this does have drawbacks not just for myself, but for every writer as the disconnection to write, also removes the ability to talk and interact, and so therefore it can be very hard to actually get a real gauge of how the books are received, especially if you are a new writer.

Being the new kid on the block, alongside the other million or two published authors vying for shelf-space and sales, can have huge drawbacks, the most obvious being that local bookshops who are under pressure from everywhere in the book selling world, rank you as the lowest priority, and its hard getting them to include your books. The most difficult thing is getting out the word of your published work, and most importantly actually meeting people who have read your work to give you their honest opinion.

I have looked at hundreds of writer’s forums over the years, and it does appear to be one of the hardest areas of writer’s life. A good well thought out book takes tens of thousands of hours to write, and there are days when there does not feel like there are enough hours in the day to fit everything in. I work more now than I ever have, often working until the early hours of the morning writing, promoting and posting wherever I feel the word is needed, and then hoping at some point, someone will take a few minutes to send me a message to let me know what they think.

Most of the writers I associate with or talk to on the forums, all suffer from the same massive lack of confidence in their work, as they know if the slightest thing is not right, the critics will attack and be merciless in their scorn, something that can kill a books sales dead. If like me, you are a recently new writer, that can kill your writing career before you even get it off the ground.

I am a pretty upbeat person, having worked for myself for well over ten years I have no problems motivating myself to work, I love writing, so for me it’s a simple pleasure emptying my thoughts onto the page, but even I have found that there are some days it feels like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. Feedback is the key, but it’s not so easy to find it.

Like all writers I use Facebook, Twitter and other social networks, but these in themselves can be traps if you are not careful. I have a Facebook page which I update as appropriate, I do make an effort not to fill it with the mundane routine of my life, or make it one long tiresome advert for the books, I do actually put a great deal of effort into keeping it up to date with just the specifics. People can access it through my Twitter or website, and also from FB itself, and when I first started out it seemed to flow as the numbers rose rapidly, and it was pleasing to see that I had what looked like some solid support. Two years later with three books out, and the numbers have fallen, not because I am doing anything wrong or different, its just that the trends have changed, and people spring clean their profiles once in a while. Two years ago I was trying to get published and was finding it very difficult, as most writers do these days, those on Facebook liked the idea of supporting a struggling author, today I have done it, and I am working on a fourth, its much less appealing and so they click off and follow someone else. It’s a fickle thing and so hard to use as a gauge of your writing achievements.

 I will add that its not all bad news, as I do get people who post or write a review in the reviews section, and that can lift my day and make everything feel so much more worthwhile as I sit here alone, knowing that my words connected with another human being, is a tiny moment of triumph that brings the all important extra motivation to continue. Emails and feed back are the source of extra inspiration and the only benchmark we loners in front of the keyboard have to guide us forward. It sounds sort of sad, but it does make a world of difference, those few comments from the mass are a permanent source for others to tap, and that is how slowly over a great deal of time, a writer finds his way through the media jungle to get noticed and begin to make a living out of his solitary creativity.

 Out of the millions of people sat writing in this world, just two percent will actually earn enough money to live off, if they are self published it can take years just to earn back the money they have invested, as every aspect of writing costs the author before the book is finally produced, and as a new writer I know it could be years before I break even, but one post at a time, I will move forward until I do.

If you love to write or follow other writers,  and like myself have sought to find the books of those you have followed, think about what they have done alone in front of a desk, and if you purchased online or know of a social network group they are on, take a moment to look them up and write a few words to them. All writers give their words freely to anyone who takes the time to read them, if you enjoy them, send a few back, and tell them of your enjoyment, believe me, it really does make a huge difference.

Most writers don’t write for vanity or prestige, they write because for them it is compunction, and a release for their creative abilities. It’s a hard thing to do as it takes a massive amount of will power and determination, to set your own deadlines and stick to them. Getting published is hard work, and with all the changes and uncertainty of life in the industry today it is getting a whole lot harder, we work the long hours in solitary conditions, and usually we get the smallest share of the profits, which are swallowed up by the retailers, wholesalers and publishers. We do it because we love to read, and we love the freedom of creation, it is a joy and one of the most satisfying things I have ever done, even if at times it feels like I forget that.

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Modern Life

Jan 17

Posted by Rob in HTTK, Modern Life | No Comments

 

            In my series of books ‘Heirs to the kingdom’ I create a way of life that is new and developing, built from the ashes of the hectic modern life we all know today. In moments throughout the entire series my characters look back and question the past, which for us is the life we know now. The picture I paint is not a rosy one, and in my discussions with those who have read the books, it is often the main topic that is discussed, and there are a few who feel my picture of life today is far more gloomy than it needs to be, and it never surprises me that those who question my view, are actually aged under 35 years of age.

            I was born in the early sixties and grew up into my teenage years throughout the seventies, a decade I still think was the best for being a teenager. I have very deep and happy memories of those times, and I remember Britain as it was back then, and I am not simply being nostalgic, compared to the way we live today, it does feel like it was a completely different way of living, and I have to confess, I feel saddened that we no longer hold dear the values that we shared back then. Times were very different in My England, because to me, back then it felt like My England, simply because I actually felt like I was involved in it.

            It is impossible to get those who were born after to fully understand, because living in a community and around people who genuinely looked out for each other is an experience you have to have lived in order to fully comprehend it. Britain in the seventies had its faults and its problems, yet below the surface people were very different than they are now. Its sounds so silly, and yet when I walked with my mother down the road, people who were often strangers would greet her, with a polite hello, or take the time to ask how she was, so unlike today, where the few who are on foot, rush past you without so much as looking at you, in their pressing need to accomplish the tasks of their busy day.

            Life for everyone was a struggle, no one really had a huge amount of money, we all budgeted and saved for the few things we owned, we treasured and cared for our possessions, and we worked very hard for the little we had. Life was simple and straight forward, crime was nothing like it is today, and even the local few criminals actually worked with their own code of honour, its almost comical to think of now. If I had to pinpoint one specific point that stands out more than any other to mark life as it was back then, (and I have given this many years of thought,) I would say more than anything else, the one thing that stands out clearest of all from those times in my youth, would have to be the very simple use of showing respect. It is something I find lacking in today’s culture ,and I feel the decay of the eighties and nineties has simply rotted it from our daily life. I often smile as I am served in a busy local shop, when I present myself with a courteous approach as I request my items and pay with a bright cheerful thank you. It does stop people in their tracks, and I see how much of difference it makes, maybe it reminds them like it does me, of a time long gone.

            Britain changed in the eighties and nineties, personally I think the love of money and wealth has got a little bit out of control, although it should not entirely be given the blame. There was a time when every English man was proud of the country he lived in, and he served his community with pride. Playing a role at a local level was something to take pride in, but as we modernised and changed to larger regional councils and authorities, I think we all got lost at a local level and became confused about where our loyalties lay. Our high streets have disappeared as we took the car to the one large supermarket, leaving line after line of estate agents, tanning salons and empty shops on our main streets, and somewhere along the lines we have stopped talking to our neighbours. We use to buy and cook our own food, but now it is cooked and packed in plastic for us to heat up in our microwaves, there has been a revolution in sex, and its orientation, bringing more changes and confusion to our daily lives, religions have sprouted everywhere, confusing the masses more of where their beliefs should lie, and marriage has slipped to the point where it now matches the numbers of common law unions. Corporations have grown into giants, eating up all the competition, and the prices of cheap imports have devalued everything, including how we view each other. The banks have been de regulated to a point where they have brought this country to its knees, and all of this has been done in the name of making life easier for the masses, but honestly, has it?

            Call me a sceptic, but personally I think we have all been conned. The craving for power and influence has overtaken everything, and we have become drones trudging along to the beat of an industry geared up to make you feel so worthless, you buy more with your shrinking purse to feel better about yourself. Well that is my view of England today, innocence has been murdered and respect banished forever, and life I feel is anything but simple. I would gladly travel back to the past of my youth and live a simple life where I had choice and understood my place in the world, sadly with all of high tech wizardry of modern life I cannot, and so I visit the life that appeals to me between the pages of the books I write, and funnily enough, I do find there are a quite a few others out there who have chosen to walk with me.

            Having looked at the world today, I can only feel that we are moving too fast, and I think that the average person is getting left behind, and we seem to be caught in a trap of not being able to understand or choose the direction we should as human beings go in, at the expense of losing something that most people regard as precious. If a modern future is to be had at the expense of losing those all important values from our heritage, isn’t now the time to seriously look at where we are all going to end up? For years now we have changed things simply for the sake of progress, and yet we appear to benefit less. Technology has taken giant strides, and I cannot deny we have all had areas of our life improved as a result, but is the technology now reaching beyond that of our grasp as a simple human beings? I think it is, and as we surround ourselves with more and more possessions, I can only ask do we really need all this simply to exist and be happy?

           England and the British Isles are now a multi national and multi faith society, and I have no problems with tolerance and diversity, after all we are all human beneath our clothing, but a great deal has come at the sacrifice of our identity within this country, and linked with the introduction of so many different changes to our lifestyle, I think people in general have become lost and confused, swallowed into the daily routine that dictates who we are and what we should become. Surely there has to be some point where we can no longer continue as we are, after all the one thing we do know from history is that all Empires eventually fall. Recent days within the banking industry has highlighted the signs of strain on our way of life, are the days of Modern Man numbered? I can only speculate about the future, and one direction the world could take, I have highlighted that in my writing, and I do believe that only a catastrophic disaster will end the world as we know it and give us the chance to rebuild in a way more fitting for the community based way of life we once knew in the past. If it does happen, lets hope we use more common sense and less political correctness, and greed to address the way we live, and treat each other more respectfully, so that everyone will understand the importance of those around them, as we all once did. 

          I am labelled ‘Dreamer’ for my views, and in many ways I am, after all I have chosen the path of a writer, but it was once said that the dreamers of the world chose to take the giant steps that inspire man to move forward, and if making another person think about our world influences a change, surely that must be a good thing. I have created a world in which I would feel very much at home, and if I am honest, because I chose to write about it, I do spend a great deal of my time living within it, I just think it would be wonderful to put down my pen, turn around, and find I am still there.

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Simple Symbolism (Writing depth)

Dec 18

Posted by Rob in HTTK, Simple Symbolism (Writing depth) | No Comments

Blue Butterfly

The butterfly

      When I first began to write The Heirs to the kingdom, I wanted the story to be a simple tale that would captivate and inspire the reader. But being the person I am, and a lover of tales with many meanings, I also wanted to create a story, which could have many layers that if the reader so wished, they could strip them away to look deeper into the story and the characters.

     In the heirs to the kingdom, I have employed many different techniques to add greater depth, such as word play, name meanings, and cryptic rhymes, although in most cases I have kept them very simple, but in one area more than most I have used a great deal of symbolism. The Character of Runestone comes across in the books as being a simple living, deeply caring, attractive young woman, in whom my lead character is very much in love with, and yet she is without doubt, the hardest character to write as she is the most complex of all the characters in the books.

     For Runestone I have employed a huge amount of simple symbolism around her, to help reinforce whom she is as the complex woman learning to deal with the many talents for magic and life buried deep within her. I spent a long time putting her character together as I took small parts of many people with whom I had interacted over the years, and then looked for a symbol that would encompass of the qualities that fitted her. The symbol I chose was one that at its most basic level, everyone could identify with, and as I began to work on the second book, I started to weave it into her story and created the union of Runestone with the Butterfly.

     I love butterflies, I am sure you do too, for me and many ancient civilizations, it is the ultimate symbol of freedom and the beauty of the wild countryside, and also the most identified symbol of Nature, all of which are important in linking in with Runestone. The butterfly can be seen almost on a daily basis in today’s modern life, as it is used in a million different ways in our culture today, such is the power of this insect for which many of us only manage to get a fleeting glimpse each year. 

     For thousands of years it has been heralded as the ultimate natural symbol of women, and it has been linked with the qualities of serene beauty and feminine demure. It was once thought of as the carrier of knowledge, due to the fact that it possessed the ability to travel freely within the world and evade the watchful eye of man. Runestone use it to carry messages and also her magical power of life to her grandfather, and also the high lord of the woodland. The Celts linked it with the power to transcend this world and visit other realms to explain its fleeting sightings in the summer, mainly due to the fact that its life was so short lived and therefore it was absent from the landscape for the majority of the year, and explained away as being in another world.

     The most important link with Runestone and the butterfly is that of the transformation from one being into another. As the story of HTTK begins, Rune is a young girl approaching womanhood (A physical transformation) and as the story proceeds throughout the entire series, she embarks on a change from the young woman into the female magical entity her destiny has preordained for her. Nothing symbolises this more than the transformation of a plain nondescript caterpillar, into the creature of abject beauty and wonder that it becomes when it emerges from the chrysalis. It paints a potent image, and helps explain what is really going on mentally, physically and spiritually with Runestone.

     One thing that has always appealed to me, is this transformation from one state of being into another, helps mankind understand that change is always possible. No matter what we do, or where we end up, we have this wonderful symbol to inspire us, and yes, we can all change if we want to.

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Alternative venues for Authors.

Oct 18

Posted by Rob in Alternative Venues for Authors. | No Comments

     For most writers the experience of actually writing is a very solitary one, and that is very much the case for myself. I find that I need a certain amount of isolation when writing just so that I can fully concentrate on the story and nothing else, after all writers want to do their very best for their readers.

     Having said that, it is a wonderful and in many ways liberating experience to switch off the computer and head outdoors, to meet and greet those who are actively interested in what I write about. Such was the case last weekend where I packed up my computer and a box or two of stock, and headed to Bolton in the northwest of the UK to participate in the Autumn Festival, a medieval based markets event.

     Bolton has a rich medieval past and was once my home, so for myself it is a place that is close to my heart. I have been involved with this festival for some time now as a trader, I began by selling my plant stocks there, and as my horticultural business dwindled, I continued by using the event to help publicise my HTTK books. I share a modest stand with my fiancée who has her Jaded Opals jewellery business, and we don our costumes and join in to help make the event fun for everyone. It is a wonderful family event and our two children join in, and in many ways I suppose it is an odd sort of place to find an author and his work, but for me that is part of the appeal.

     With two books on display and a third being heavily advertised for release in the coming month, I am now in a position where I can talk to people who have read the first two books, and it is without doubt a rich and very enlightening experience. One particular member of the public already comes to mind as I write this, I think it was the way that her eyes sparkled, and her smile as she spoke to me about my second book, which has kept the memory of her visit so prominent in my thoughts. Seeing the enjoyment of someone who has read the books is simply wonderful to behold, to hear another person actually talk with great affection for those characters I have spent so many hours creating, really does warm my heart.

     In many ways it reminds me so much of my youth, and when I read some of my favourite books, and I do feel a little cheated, as I have never had the opportunity to talk to those great authors who I admire so much about their own work. I must confess I would have loved nothing more than to sit with Tolkein, or Harper Lee and let them know of the excitement I felt stir deep inside me as I ingested every line of their stories, and so as a new author especially, I feel that being available to those who wish to share their thoughts of the books is particularly important. I have never expected to be the biggest selling author, but to those few of you who have read the books and come along to support me, I am happy that you have enjoyed them, and it was delightful to have had the experience of meeting you all at such a wonderful event.

     Today’s publishing industry is in a state of flux, and many authors like myself are experiencing the wastelands, as publishing houses shrink their lists of authors and focus on household names. Self publishing is becoming the fastest growing area of publishing as more and more of us find it impossible to get a foot in the door, events such as the Autumn Festival may seem like an odd place to promote, yet more and more authors are now being forced to go it alone, and seek out places that they can meet and sell directly to the public. With large online and chain store retailers slashing the prices of books, it does look like it is a good deal for the public, but it is getting harder for authors to make a living, and our only means of survival will be to find other venues. I think this will become a fairly standard practice for authors, especially new one like myself, as it is our only means of being able to earn enough money to continue writing. On a more personal note I actually think it is better for us, listening and responding to the readers is the life blood of a writer, and that public engagement is actually immensely inspiring. I have really enjoyed my chance to get out there and be seen, and I hope there will be many more events in the future to set up my pitch alongside my family, and let all of you see what I have done and maybe give you a few hints about what I am about to do.

     To have your support is very humbling, and it adds to the joy of writing, and I feel very grateful for it, until we meet at yet another event I wish you well, and send you my deepest thanks, and look forward to our next encounter.

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