A Trip into the Afterlife
Hello Everyone, well, I obviously have to start with saying I hope you're all well, especially in light of the Coronavirus which ( depending on which news outlet you believe) is running riot over the globe. There are tales of toilet roll shortages, people not walking nearer than a metre of each other and many major events being cancelled. Not wishing to sound cynical, but I am sure the supermarket chains are secretly enjoying the sometimes overly-dramatic news coverage, after all, its unlikely they are used to being swamped by anxious shoppers, frantically buying countless packs of everything which is allegedly in 'short supply.' If nothing else, I suppose the virus has achieved a real boost to their economies, but beyond that, I do feel slightly sceptical, that Doomsday has arrived. But obviously, I hope you all stay safe and remain untouched by any illness.
But aside from world news, I do have some of my own, I have just written a new novel, it's called 'Those Who Come' and its creation has been a new experience for me. As regular readers know, I have tended to write stories which are based entirely on reality, it seemed the 'safer' option. I am also close friends with writers who specialise in the supernatural and the world they inhabit seemed frankly, way out of my league. However, I did have an idea for a story and so, I took the plunge and began to write-not even sure if I would ever get as far as publishing. I soon became aware of my limited knowledge of 'world building', after all, if you're going to create an alternate universe, there have to be rules, boundaries, character traits have to be observed at all times. As an example, I was warned against suddenly giving a character the ability to fly on page 300, if for up to page 299, there was no mention of any such skill. So, I sought help, which is something I have never done before when writing anything, but it was obvious I would need some advice and guidance.
I have known Katherine for some time and as I was very aware of her extensive knowledge of the genre, I was very relieved she agreed to help with the creation of the novel. We quickly set up a system where I would write three chapters, which she would then read and help improve- which, at first, was very difficult for me. Having sat up half the night, typing away, I was generally fairly convinced I had done a good job, so would send them to her with a degree of confidence. It rapidly became apparent, my confidence was misplaced, as she highlighted glaring errors and insisted on a variety of edits which were undoubtedly necessary, but still hard to hear. I think we could have easily fallen out, if I'd allowed my childish petulance to obstruct her sincere desire for me to write a good book. After much debate, I was relieved to type the words 'final draft' and we are both relatively happy with the result. Collaboration is not an easy path but it has been incredibly worthwhile, as during our frequent debates, I was made to defend my choices regarding plot and character development - whereas when I've worked alone, I only have to please myself. I know I will continue to be infinitely harder on myself when writing future novels and that is entirely down to Katherine - I guess that's the difference between an amateur and a professional.
Anyway, so what's the book about? Well, it's really focused on the afterlife, as the main character dies at the beginning of the story...actually to save time..here's the blurb..
'After the sudden death of her beloved husband, Ben, Rebecca struggles to deal with her loss until, finally, she decides to end her own life, in the desperate hope they will be reunited. As her life ebbs away, a shadowy figure appears and though she’s still alive, he defies an ancient law by taking her to the afterlife. The mysterious Alec guides her through breath-taking and horrifying eternities, encountering others who dwell in this realm. Primarily Matthew, who carries both seen and unseen scars brought from his own life and Asherah, The Curator, who carries the knowledge of every human existence.
Rebecca soon loses herself in this extraordinary world with Alec being her trusted companion, it’s only when she ultimately decides she wants to return to Life, time becomes important, but will Rebecca find it as easy to leave as she did to arrive ?'
Now, I am well aware, writing about the afterlife is a slightly risky proposition as undoubtedly there will be people who will feel I am not observing their religious faith, or in fact, there might even be some who feel the whole subject is unsuitable for fictional literature. But considering the sheer volume of books on the subject, I don't believe my novel will cause any serious ripples of discontent. Yes, there is talk about life and death within the story, but I am hopeful, its done with a level of maturity and a core of truth, so its relatable to everyone-regardless of their belief system. As with all the books I've written, I feel I have tried to depict human emotion as realistically as possible. As many of you know, that's really where my interest lies, 'why people do what they do' - I think this will always be my passion.
One last point, I am often asked why I don't write romance novels, well, it's not because I don't believe in love, as has been suggested (with more than a degree of sarcasm), but it's more about my own development as an author. As with 'Those Who Come', I like to challenge and push myself, so at the moment, writing a romantic book feels like it would be a step too far for me, to create an authentic story with a realistic plot which could truly engage with readers-well, I don't think I'm there yet. I am full of admiration for authors who can take the idea of people falling in love and make it uniquely their own, so I don't doubt I'll try it for myself one day- I'll let you know.
Well, that's more than enough from me for now, I will be posting links to 'Those Who Come' on my author page, for those of you who feel it might be for them - I hope you enjoy the story...until next time...
Take care out there xxx
But aside from world news, I do have some of my own, I have just written a new novel, it's called 'Those Who Come' and its creation has been a new experience for me. As regular readers know, I have tended to write stories which are based entirely on reality, it seemed the 'safer' option. I am also close friends with writers who specialise in the supernatural and the world they inhabit seemed frankly, way out of my league. However, I did have an idea for a story and so, I took the plunge and began to write-not even sure if I would ever get as far as publishing. I soon became aware of my limited knowledge of 'world building', after all, if you're going to create an alternate universe, there have to be rules, boundaries, character traits have to be observed at all times. As an example, I was warned against suddenly giving a character the ability to fly on page 300, if for up to page 299, there was no mention of any such skill. So, I sought help, which is something I have never done before when writing anything, but it was obvious I would need some advice and guidance.
I have known Katherine for some time and as I was very aware of her extensive knowledge of the genre, I was very relieved she agreed to help with the creation of the novel. We quickly set up a system where I would write three chapters, which she would then read and help improve- which, at first, was very difficult for me. Having sat up half the night, typing away, I was generally fairly convinced I had done a good job, so would send them to her with a degree of confidence. It rapidly became apparent, my confidence was misplaced, as she highlighted glaring errors and insisted on a variety of edits which were undoubtedly necessary, but still hard to hear. I think we could have easily fallen out, if I'd allowed my childish petulance to obstruct her sincere desire for me to write a good book. After much debate, I was relieved to type the words 'final draft' and we are both relatively happy with the result. Collaboration is not an easy path but it has been incredibly worthwhile, as during our frequent debates, I was made to defend my choices regarding plot and character development - whereas when I've worked alone, I only have to please myself. I know I will continue to be infinitely harder on myself when writing future novels and that is entirely down to Katherine - I guess that's the difference between an amateur and a professional.
Anyway, so what's the book about? Well, it's really focused on the afterlife, as the main character dies at the beginning of the story...actually to save time..here's the blurb..
'After the sudden death of her beloved husband, Ben, Rebecca struggles to deal with her loss until, finally, she decides to end her own life, in the desperate hope they will be reunited. As her life ebbs away, a shadowy figure appears and though she’s still alive, he defies an ancient law by taking her to the afterlife. The mysterious Alec guides her through breath-taking and horrifying eternities, encountering others who dwell in this realm. Primarily Matthew, who carries both seen and unseen scars brought from his own life and Asherah, The Curator, who carries the knowledge of every human existence.
Rebecca soon loses herself in this extraordinary world with Alec being her trusted companion, it’s only when she ultimately decides she wants to return to Life, time becomes important, but will Rebecca find it as easy to leave as she did to arrive ?'
Now, I am well aware, writing about the afterlife is a slightly risky proposition as undoubtedly there will be people who will feel I am not observing their religious faith, or in fact, there might even be some who feel the whole subject is unsuitable for fictional literature. But considering the sheer volume of books on the subject, I don't believe my novel will cause any serious ripples of discontent. Yes, there is talk about life and death within the story, but I am hopeful, its done with a level of maturity and a core of truth, so its relatable to everyone-regardless of their belief system. As with all the books I've written, I feel I have tried to depict human emotion as realistically as possible. As many of you know, that's really where my interest lies, 'why people do what they do' - I think this will always be my passion.
One last point, I am often asked why I don't write romance novels, well, it's not because I don't believe in love, as has been suggested (with more than a degree of sarcasm), but it's more about my own development as an author. As with 'Those Who Come', I like to challenge and push myself, so at the moment, writing a romantic book feels like it would be a step too far for me, to create an authentic story with a realistic plot which could truly engage with readers-well, I don't think I'm there yet. I am full of admiration for authors who can take the idea of people falling in love and make it uniquely their own, so I don't doubt I'll try it for myself one day- I'll let you know.
Well, that's more than enough from me for now, I will be posting links to 'Those Who Come' on my author page, for those of you who feel it might be for them - I hope you enjoy the story...until next time...
Take care out there xxx
