Taellaneth Blog

On writing darkness

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 15:25:18 GMT

Or - why don't I write happy stuff?

I started writing this post when I was editing The Gathering, The Hundred - Book 1, and because I tend to be easily distracted while editing - squirrel! - I seemed to spend a lot more time avoiding editing than actually doing the editing. It all got done, in the end.

And in my avoiding editing phase, one of the things I was thinking about was: why my writing is quite dark.

Writers do like to torment our characters. I wouldn't survive half the things I throw at my lead characters. And yet, they do survive. And often thrive, too.

But then, I don't write to reflect my rather boring, ordinary, life. I write to explore other worlds, to meet people I will never encounter in life, and to test them, to see what they are made of.

I also think that, for many of us, when we pick up a book, we're looking to escape. We don't want to think about the dishes in the sink, the hoovering, the laundry, and all that pedestrian stuff. Instead, we want a world full of rich and vivid characters, and if it's a fantasy world then there should be magic and wonder, too. And, in the best of stories, the best and the worst that humanity has to offer.

I love all kinds of stories, where good triumphs over evil, where ordinary people become heroes, where extraordinary people are tested to their limits, and where I can believe, just for a moment, that magic is real.

And, it seems to me, that all of that comes with a cost. Good can't triumph on its own; there needs to be evil. Heroes need something to struggle against. Extraordinary people need to face extraordinary challenges so that we can see their full potential being realised.

And there can be no light without shadow. So, in order to uncover the magic, I also need to explore the dark.

(Photo by Xuan Nguyen on Unsplash)

"Write the next book"

Fri, 21 Jun 2019 14:25:16 GMT

Why this is actually really good advice ...

I remember struggling with my first book. It went through several edits, including at least three complete rewrites. It took what felt like an eternity to finalise and publish.

In some ways it was a good thing I wasn't hanging out on writers' forums in those days, because if I had been, and I had been asking for advice from more seasoned writers, a lot of that advice would boil down to: finish that book, and then write the next book.

As a new writer, struggling with your first book, that can be pretty disheartening advice.

Even now, when new writers pop up on forums and ask seasoned writers for advice on what to do with their single book, the most common advice given is this: write the next book.

Now, there are a lot of really good business and marketing reasons why writing the next book is an excellent idea, but I'm just going to focus here on some reasons why it's actually a really good idea for new writers (and I still class myself as fairly new) to focus on writing the next book, and the next, and then the next.

There are probably a lot more good reasons, but here's the five I came up with off the top of my head:

Writing the first book teaches you how to write that book; you will learn a lot more about the craft of writing by exploring other ideas.

If you only have one book, all your hopes, dreams, expectations are on that one book. That's a lot of pressure!

No one is perfect first time. Practice helps. Practice helps a lot.

Finishing a book requires a particular type of energy, and stubbornness, that gets easier with practice.

Writing is fun. No, really, it is. We get to make up stories, and share them, inviting others into our worlds. Why wouldn't you want to share more of the fun?

Know your Why, Know your Who, Know your How

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 14:26:55 GMT

This is quite a different post to the others I've put up. It's been sitting in draft for quite a while as I try to make it perfect. Then I realised that it's never going to be perfect, and I'd like to put it out into the world anyway as some of my thinking around writing and being a writer and what goes into that.

As with many writers, I suspect, I spend a lot more time thinking about writing than actually writing. A lot of plotting happens in my head as I do the dishes, walk the dog, pet the cats, and generally go about daily life.

But I also think a lot about the mechanics behind writing, about the processes that go into creating a novel and how that might build into a long-term career where I get to write full time, which has been my dream for many years.

About two years ago I was really starting to focus on how to make the dream come true, and the beginning stages of what I hope will be a long and enjoyable writing career. As part of that, I thought a lot about what I wanted to achieve, and realised that I can't separate out my goals from who I am or what I need to do to achieve those goals.

I am not a natural planner. As soon as I start a plan I immediately want to divert from it, but I am also reminded daily of the old saying that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. So, I needed some kind of a plan.

And I came up with this: Know your Why, Know your Who, Know your How.

Which all sounds great, but what do I mean?

Know your Why
I think this term has been around for a while, but for me it's a great way of focusing attention on the ultimate end point. Why do I write? What do I want to achieve with my writing? What does success look like? What are my goals? (And it's fine to have short and long term goals, probably best in fact.)

Know your Why = know what you want to achieve.

Know your Who
As important as the first part, knowing who I am as a person and a writer will help me see if the goals I've set, or what I want to achieve, is realistic. This is tough for most people, me included.

For example, for years (and I do mean years) I thought I was a pantser. That is, someone who writes without outlines or set plots, and discovers the story as they write.

I must have started and abandoned a hundred writing projects because I wrote myself into corners or dead ends or lost interest or a dozen other reasons. I actually finished at least a couple of novel-length works, but they will never, ever see the light of day in their present form.

Then I had a realisation. I like being organised. I like knowing where my keys are, where my phone is, and so on. So, why was I trying to be so chaotic (for me) in my writing?

After that, I embraced the concept of outlining, and I'm a much happier and more productive writer as a result.

Know your Who.

Know your How
Once I'd worked out what I wanted to achieve, and what sort of a writer I was, it was time to think about how I was going to achieve those goals, bearing in mind my personality and the time I had available.

There's no point in me deciding I'm going to write a novel over a weekend. Apart from anything else, there would be a riot at home if the cats didn't get fed on schedule.

Setting out to write a novel there's so much to learn, and I've absorbed a lot of information of the (many) years I've been scribbling or typing away in breaks from my day-to-day life.

Setting out to publish is a whole other venture, with another lot of things to learn.

And, for me, that means taking things a bit at a time.

Know your How.

Everything integrates here. Keeping in mind what my goals are, and what I'm like as a person, lets me plan how to get there.

This is just the beginning, but it's all be pretty exciting so far.

As I finally complete this blog post it's April 2019 and I have five books in the world, with another to come out over the next few months. By the end of 2019 I hope to have eight books published and I'm getting there by knowing what I'm aiming for in my writing, how I can manage that as a person and learning the tools of the trade of publishing as I go.

The bittersweet joy of completion

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 14:12:59 GMT

Back in February, I uploaded the final file for Cloaked, The Taellaneth - Book 5. The fifth and final book in the series.

It was a peculiar feeling. I have lived with Arrow for a long time now. Even when I wasn't actually writing, I was thinking about the stories and what kind of trouble I could get her into, and out of.

Although I was looking forward to getting the book out into the world, it was an odd idea to think that from my next writing session I'll be spending time with other characters. A few weeks down the line, and my new characters are taking over my life in much the same way as Arrow had done. So, I've no time to miss her just now.

I can't say too much about Cloaked without giving away spoilers (which I hate), but I'm hugely grateful, as always, to everyone who's taken the time to leave a review or rating for the book.

Arrow's story is now complete. At the moment I have no plans to continue writing in this world, or to revisit the characters. Who knows, though? Arrow is a tough, compelling character and may draw me back in one day.

Past the mid-point

Sun, 11 Nov 2018 10:29:15 GMT

Tainted, The Taellaneth - Book 4, is now live in the world.

This was an interesting one to write. Past the mid-point. Not quite at the end. Arrow's grown so much since Concealed (Book 1), and the challenges just keep coming. She's a strong, capable person with her own views about things.

I've got one more book to write in this series, within the planned structure and arc that I dreamt up what seems like an eternity to go. It's bitter-sweet. On the one hand, I've got another book to write, another chance to spend a lot of time with my characters and to see them grow even more. And, with their voices clearer in my head than at the start, I'm really looking forward to writing the next book.

On the other hand, there's one more book to go. Just one. I already know that I will be sorry to say goodbye to Arrow.

But then it will be time to give some space to some of the other characters that are in my head and bugging me to get their stories written. They are not being very patient about it!

I hope you enjoy Tainted.

I love hearing from readers, so if you do have any questions about my writing, please get in touch.

The mid-point

vingram414@gmail.com (Vanessa Ingram) — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 11:21:08 GMT

A few short months ago, publishing my books was still something I planned to do. You know, sometime in the future. Now it's a reality. I'm still getting used to it.

Since the end of June 2018, when I put Concealed (Book 1) on a short pre-order, I now have three books out in the world. Feedback from my lovely readers has been fantastic. I'm humbled and delighted to hear from people who have enjoyed the books, and from those impatiently waiting for the next installment. It's on it's way, I promise!

Three books out marks a turning point in many ways. It's the mid-point of the series, which is going to be five books in total. It's just enough time for me to think that maybe, possibly, I have an idea of what I'm doing behind the scenes in terms of formatting and uploading.

And as a story-teller, the book presented a lot of challenges. Keeping the characters fresh and interesting. Attempting a far more complex plot, and trying not to get lost with the sub-plots. Watching Arrow blooming and growing into her potential, gaining in confidence.

Hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The second book

Fri, 20 Jul 2018 12:45:16 GMT

As I write this, Concealed (book 1) has been live on Amazon for nearly three weeks (time has flown past), and Revealed (book 2) is on pre-order, for release on Monday, 30 July, a little over a week away.

I'm delighted that Concealed has been read and enjoyed by people apart from friends and family. It's thrilling and humbling to know that my words are being read by others.

After the excitement of uploading the first book and sending it out into the world, setting up book 2 to be released was still exciting, and still nerve-wracking, not just for the thought that others will now be able to read about the characters I've lived with for a long time, but also the more ordinary frustrations of a slow internet connection and the disappearing book cover. All sorted in time.

Writing the second book was at least as hard as the first. The first book introduces the characters and the world, and the second continues their journeys and their stories. I need to make sure the characters are consistent, or grow and change in believable ways, and this book introduces new characters, too.

As with the first, I hope that readers enjoy the book and, better yet, want to continue on Arrow's journey.

Releasing the first book into the world

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 09:27:01 GMT

Yesterday I loaded my first book to Amazon, and after going through the upload process, pressed publish for the first time.

I put a short pre-order to let me make sure everything was OK and, hopefully, get the website and Facebook page updated.

The book, Concealed, The Taellaneth - Book 1, is available from Monday, 2 July 2018.

And, for the first time, I can call myself a published author.

It's exciting and daunting at the same time.

For the first time, something that is a product of my imagination and effort is out in the world. I'm past the point where I have all the control - the writing, the editing, working with a cover designer, and so on. It's no longer entirely mine, gathering virtual dust on my laptop hard drive. Others can read the story I've created.

I am curious to know what readers will make of it. Will it be read as I have intended? Will people enjoy the tale, and want to follow Arrow's story further? I'd love to know (and you can contact me via the contact form on the website).

My greatest wish for this first book is that readers will enjoy it, that it will provide a few hours' entertainment for them.

And after the thrill of sending the first book into the world, I get to do it all again very soon as Revealed, The Taellaneth - Book 2, is almost ready to go!

Thank you to ...

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 09:09:55 GMT

As has been said many times before, writing is a solitary occupation and, for me, that's true.

However, publishing is not a solo effort.

I owe a big thank you to a lot of other people. To get to this point I read, watched, listened and learned. A lot. There was a fabulous online course, there were books written by other writers, there were podcasts by writers about what worked for them and what didn't, there was the Writers' Cafe at kboards, and there were blogs by other writers sharing insights they'd learned.

And as if that wasn't enough, I have been lucky enough to work with some talented professionals in the final stages to actually pressing "publish" and getting my words out into the world.

The superbly talented Lou Harper (Cover Affairs) made the beautiful covers for The Taellaneth series and the banners you see on this site (one is above) featuring Arrow.

Beta readers Maia Sepp (Maia's Minced Words) and Graham Toseland (A Fading Street Publishing Services) provided readers' points of view on draft copies of earlier books, letting me know where I'd lost the plot (literally) and giving me their insights, tips and hints. Their input has helped shape the final versions of the books.

Graham also helped by providing some editing support, in particular tidying up my sometimes creative use of dialogue punctuation.

I am deeply grateful to Lou, Maia and Graham. They have all helped improve the books. Thank you.

For all that I have learned, and for all the help I have received, from those who I've worked with direct and those who have no idea who I am, thank you all.

The remaining mistakes and errors are entirely my own efforts.

Where did Arrow come from?

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 11:01:18 GMT

Okay, so no one has actually asked me that question, but it seemed like a good starting point for a blog post. Don’t worry, there are no spoilers here, just a bit of background.

The very original seeds for The Taellaneth are many years old. I started writing the first book when I was in a highly stressful job, really fed up with life, and using writing as an escape. I had an idea for a character who was very constrained by her circumstances, and wanted to escape. Yes, there are very obvious parallels between fiction and reality there.

I also had an idea for an opening scene, one of those scenes that plays in your head like a film, with my main character side-lined, watching the action. The scene poured out of me and I got to the point where I needed to name my main character.

Now, some writers can shove in a random name, or leave a blank space, and keep going, knowing that they can come back and change the name at a later point. That’s the beauty of writing for your own enjoyment; everything can be changed in the edit. But blank spaces in my writing make me twitchy – I need to know what goes in there, even if it’s just a note, like [there’s a big fight].

So there was a blank space at my main character’s name. I had a fairly well formed mental picture of her already, and knew she wasn’t human, so the easy option of a human name wasn’t available. Then the name Arrow popped into my head. Excellent, I thought, that’ll do for now, and I can change it later if I need to.

Except, that name seemed to fit so it never did get changed, even though the original opening scene isn’t there anymore, and a lot of other details in the book got changed.

Arrow has grown with me, from the original passive, constrained character to the outwardly compliant, inwardly rebellious character we meet in Concealed. She’s far braver than I will ever be, although we’re probably equally stubborn. She’s also someone I’d want at my back if I was ever in trouble.

I hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I’ve enjoyed spending time with her.

Welcome

Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:52:17 GMT

Welcome to The Taellaneth, where you can find out more about me and my books, and read the occasional blog post. And I do mean occasional – I thought I should be as up front as possible about that!

I am in awe of the inventiveness and dedication shown by a lot of writers in their blogs. They are fascinating people, writing about diverse and interesting things. They find the time to carefully consider what's happening in the world around them, whether it's current events or in relation to writing, they have detailed responses, cogent arguments, and a lot of fun, too.

At the moment, my plan is to this blog as a place to talk about things that interest me in relation to writing, answer common reader questions, talk about books I've enjoyed and other random things. This may also involve odd snippets about the cats and dog, possibly with photos (when I work out the technology).

The cats normally try and get involved anyway - one of them is convinced that my keyboard is actually his bed and, if snoozing there doesn't work because I keep moving him, could I get off my chair, please, as he'd quite like to snooze there?

I also plan to allow comments once I've worked out the technology but meantime, feel free to use the contact form to get in touch.