Is ‘The Café’, a writer’s retreat?

Tags

café, Coffee, excess, Observation, people watching, writing

Now I like coffee as much as the next person but in my little village there are six cafés, with two more planned, I hear. That’s one café for every 1,800 of the population. Surely, that can’t be sustainable even if it does give diversity of choice.

Personally, I prefer the privately owned small outlets rather than the larger chains but the very reasons I like them, might be a cause of their possible demise. They are less busy, so quieter; the Yummy Mummy brigade with their pushchairs and wailing kids seem to prefer the chains (thank god), but they are regular spenders that the small cafés miss out on. Often, the smaller places don’t have wi-fi and that’s a major deficiency now, especially for a writer.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s good to frequent the multiples just to people watch. What is that meeting all about, are they plotting against someone; why does the man of that couple keep looking over his shoulder, are they married but not to each other; that lady looks lonely and sad, I wonder if she’s recently bereaved?

So, what’s the verdict, large or small, private or corporate, or do both have their place in our time? Probably, but eight in one small village?

Ken Balneaves wrote, The Greatest Gift, available at http://amzn.to/QF7RLd (US), http://amzn.to/O12kgX (UK)

Ken Balneaves on Twitter Counter

Writing tips. My particular method of writing.

Tags

hyperlinks, mac, playing pool, strategy, structuring words, wordsmith, writer, writing

I don’t know about you, but when I am writing a book, on my Mac Air, I quickly get the concept down, and then I stop writing and structure the chapters. Within these chapters, I create bullet points as reminders as to what I expect to write about at that part of the story. I choose an arbitrary number of chapters, say twenty, but nothing is set in stone and that can increase or decrease. The book I’m writing now, Drifting Sands, has only twenty-five thousand words written at present, but I’m up to twenty-six chapters.

I then, create a dynamically linked index (a hyperlink to chapter numbers with a short overview of proposed content). This basic structure allows me to move quickly to a particular chapter, to check back on what I’ve already written or, to add chapters in the correct places.

I don’t write my books from start to finish, I dart about writing about what has come to me recently on a subject and sometimes new discoveries will change my storyline (I write science fiction adventure). The linked index permits me to choose which part of the story I want to write about on a particular day without wasting time searching for where my thoughts should go. I can see an overview of the bullet points in the chapters and pick what I want to write about. As I flesh out a bullet point, I remove it from the list.

This reminds me of the way pool is played, if I see a ball over a pocket that’s a dead cert, I might bank it for later and play a ball against the cushion. In the same way, if I see a bullet point, and I know what I am going to write on that subject, I might not pick that and choose a harder subject instead. Unlike pool however, when all the bullet points are potted, the game is not over.

Ken Balneaves also wrote, The Greatest Gift, available at http://amzn.to/QF7RLd (US), http://amzn.to/O12kgX (UK)

Ken Balneaves on Twitter Counter

Is observation a writer’s subconscious skill?

Tags

drinking, driving, friendship, interaction, Observation, writing

Last evening, after work, I drove to my local pub and had a few pints with a friend. Later, my daughter drove me home in her car. My own car spent the night in the pub car park, a bit of a worry but it was fine when I collected it the morning.

To get to it, my wife gave me a lift, part of the way at least, on her way to work. The remainder of my journey was on foot, about half a mile or so. Me, walk, unheard of, but I quite enjoyed it, passing and actually seeing houses that I’ve been past a thousand times before but have never really noticed. I also went by two schools and observed just how many fathers take their kids to school these days; changed times, I was almost the only one when I did the school run when my kids were young.

I exchanged ‘good morning’ with the lollipop man at the zebra crossing near the school. He then shouted hello to a passing bread delivery van driver, who I’m guessing, he sees every day, a passing friendship. I noted interaction between many people, smiling and talking as they met each other; parents cajoling their children along as they did so.

I also wondered why there was no queuing traffic at the junction with the main road as there always is when I’m in the car or is that just my perception when driving, trying to get somewhere in a hurry?

The sauntered walk was no more than ten minutes or so but I saw so much more of life in that time than I normally do when driving. The thing is, until my journey was over, I hadn’t realised I had taken all of this in, but I now have more stored memories to draw upon whilst writing.

So, the moral of the story? More drive drinking I think; or, I could get a dog. Either way, I think that, as a writer, due to my unconscious observational skills, my writing will benefit, and I might lose the beer belly too, haha.

Ken Balneaves wrote, The Greatest Gift, available at http://amzn.to/QF7RLd (US), http://amzn.to/O12kgX (UK)

<ahref

Writers, Troglodytes or Sun Terrace Hogs?

Tags

hermit, sequel, shoes, sun worshiper, time travel, troglodyte, writing

This is a republish of a blog a few days ago as the title was wrong in the original.

For the past four days I’ve been progressing the sequel to my published book, The Greatest Gift.

The new book, Drifting Sands, involves time travel and when you get into the realms of that, the possibilities and resulting paradoxes are mindboggling.

This is of course science fiction (at present; who knows after the likes of the Higgs boson discovery) but try to at least get the science as close to reality as possible and then, stretch the rules.

However, as a result of the complexity, I have found myself thinking, more than writing. I’ve probably only written 2,000 words. I’ve not even set foot over my threshold for four days, indeed, I haven’t had shoes on for that period either.

In case you’re wondering, I have showered but it makes me curious as to what other writers are like. Troglodytes or sun terrace hogs? Either way, I’m guessing shoes are not important.

The Greates Gift, available in all formats through my website, http://www.balneaves.co.uk

What it’s like to be a part-time author

Tags

Author, books, holidays, new books, science fiction, word block, writer's block, writing

Due to the fact that I tend only to write whilst on holiday, sometimes there are several months between my opportunities to work on my science fiction adventure novel. As such I wonder if, when the next time comes, my story will flow. But, when the time for writing does arrive, it’s as though each of my fingers has a mouth, the tongues of which are all working contemporaneously, licking the keyboard into submission, creating a tale that, on occasion, even I have not heard; it’s a fantastic experience, like no other that I have known in my lifetime of creation in other directions. That’s why I sometimes write long sentences, I get carried away [sorry, that was to my editor].

I’m now writing ‘Drifting Sands’, a time travelling adventure novel and sequel to ‘The Greatest Gift’, available in paperback or eBook/ePub through my website at, http://www.balneaves.co.uk

I’m also on Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061796-the-greatest-gift

I hope you have the chance to read them.

The wastrel returns triumphant

Tags

School, science fiction, writing

A while ago I posted the following blog.

“Now that my book, The Greatest Gift, is available in print and eBook versions, I’ve started telling people about it.

Proud of my achievement and English being a weakness at school, I sent a copy to the Rector (headmaster) of my old school, Trinity Academy, Edinburgh, with a covering letter, quoting what the old Rector had said to me when I was fifteen, “Balneaves, you’ll never make anything of yourself Boy.”

At the suggestion of a friend, Len Russell (Author of the [now] released, A Man Who Cast Two Shadows), I also offered to give a hardback copy of the book as a prize to a student for ‘best effort in English’. To my surprise and delight, the current Rector, telephoned me to accept and also asked me to be Guest of Honour at the forthcoming school award ceremony to hand out the awards and make a short speech about my book.

So, it’s back to school for me in June and what a tremendous accolade to be asked. Thank you Sir.

Paperback available at http://www.balneaves.co.uk

EBook for Kindle and ePub for Mac and IPhone are also available through links on the same website.”

Well, it’s this Wednesday and as I live near London, I am greatly looking forward to returning to my roots in Edinburgh. The speech will be a bit daunting though. With 140 pupils, their siblings, parents and possibly grandparents, there could be 400 in all, by far my largest audience. Wish me luck.

The Power of Writing

Tags

aura, bereavement, feelings, the after life, writing

I don’t know about you, but I find it helps me to clarify my feelings if I write about things that hurt me.

A dear friend of mine suffered a brain haemorrhage last Thursday evening and another in the hospital on Friday afternoon. Following a CT scan, we were told the bleeds were deep in the brain and as such, inoperable and that only nature might be able to heal this. The prognosis was not good but we waited to see if his body could indeed naturally heal itself. It was a tense time, especially for the family. Sadly, he lost his fight last night.

My writing is very much driven by my interest in the brain, but, I cannot imagine where his must have been following that trauma. The damage caused by the bleeds meant no movement in his right side and he also lost the ability to swallow resulting in fluid on his lungs. This made his breathing laboured and introduced a very disturbing gargle sound, as though he was breathing through a partly water filled snorkel. I have since learnt that is called, ‘the death rattle’.

I’ve had difficulty thinking about much else recently but it has struck me that, although medicine has progressed massively in the last hundred years, we are still in the dark ages when it comes to what goes on in our cerebral matter. No-one seems to fully understand the encephalon and all its workings. Only the other day I was reading an article that suggested memory lives outside of the brain in the aura! http://m.theepochtimes.com/n2/science/sheldrake-morphogenic-field-memory-lashley-collective-unconscious-3486.html

Strangely, I dealt with the aura in my first book, The Greatest Gift http://www.balneaves.co.uk but I wrote that part, five years ago!

Goodbye Paddy Power, I hope we meet again when my time comes, in the meantime, you will be greatly missed.

My book can now be seen on the shelves of The Gay Hussar

Tags

Famous places in London, journalists, politicians, writing

Today, I had lunch at The Gay Hussar, a quaint little restaurant in the heart of London’s Soho; the ‘Gay’ word referring to its original meaning. Run now by John Wrobel, his convivial, if somewhat wry, approach is very welcoming indeed.

The walls are covered with caricature cartoons and there are shelves full of visitors’ books that have been donated and dedicated, to the restaurant.

Today, I added my book, The Greatest Gift, http://www.balneaves.co.uk to the collection, now rubbing its spine with the books some very famous people who have dined there in the past. It’s an honour to add my humble offering to their library.

The restaurant’s website boasts,

‘The Gay Hussar has served national specialities and the finest Hungarian wines for over 50 years. Located in London’s ‘Theatreland’ in Soho, the unique decor and intimate environment have drawn the UK’s leading political figures, journalists, and artists alike.

An ideal destination for those wanting to experince a capsule of London’s history, accompanied by generous portions of quality food, and impeccable service.’

If you’re interested, here’s more history, http://gayhussar.co.uk/pdf/GHHistory.pdf and if you’re in London, it’s well worth a visit.

What it’s like to be an author

Tags

Author, creativity, miracles, writing

Because I tend only to write whilst on holiday, sometimes there are several months between opportunities to work on my novel. As such, I wonder if, when the next time comes, my story will flow. But, so far in my short career as an author, when the time for writing does arrive, it’s as though each of my fingers has a mouth, the tongues of which are all working contemporaneously, licking the keyboard into submission, creating a tale that, on occasion, even I have not yet heard. It’s a fantastic experience, like no other I have known in my lifetime of creation in other directions. That’s why I sometimes write long sentences, I get carried away [sorry, that was to my editor].

I’m now writing ‘Drifting Sands’, a time travelling adventure novel and sequel to ‘The Greatest Gift’, available in paperback or eBook/ePub at, http://www.balneaves.co.uk

I hope you have the chance to read them, although, the sequel may be a little while yet. Can’t wait for my next holiday.

What’s it like to be an author

Tags

Author, creating, miracles, writing

Because I tend only to write whilst on holiday, sometimes there are several months between my opportunities to work on my novel. As such I wonder if, when the next time comes, my story will flow. But, when the time for writing does arrive, it’s as though each of my fingers has a mouth, the tongues of which are all working contemporaneously, licking the keyboard into submission, creating a tale that, on occasion, even I have not heard; it’s a fantastic experience, like no other that I have known in my lifetime of creation in other directions. That’s why I sometimes write long sentences, I get carried away [sorry, that was to my editor].

I’m now writing ‘Drifting Sands’, a time travelling adventure novel and sequel to ‘The Greatest Gift’, available in paperback or eBook/ePub at, http://www.balneaves.co.uk

I hope you have the chance to read them.