I've finally finished the MA in Professional Writing and now it's just a case of waiting until the end of March for the results. On top of that the Self Defence app will be published then too and available from the Apple App Store, plus in Android format and as an E-book - so March looks like being a great month all around.
My first novel, 'A Pride Of Lions', is finished too. It's a gripping, romantic and fast paced SciFi yarn with a feisty female protagonist. Set in the far future Jenny Williams suffers the loss of her parents, joins the military, and falls in love even as she leads a desperate attack against alien invaders determined to eradicate mankind.
A sequel to the book is planned in due course, although I'm currently working on my short story collection and a new Young Adult novel. In the meantime there's the query letter to perfect and I saw this excellent feature on twitter this morning, which I'd highly recommend to any writer:
http://fantasy-faction.com/2012/writing-a-killer-query-letter
As for now, it's damn cold outside. Time to turn up the heating, my laptop calls.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
A Brand New Year
I, for one, am glad to see the back of last year. I have to admit it was the worst one ever but, as someone once said, it's no good looking back and time travel doesn't exist - yet.
I have three features in February's Martial Arts Illustrated (Matt Fiddes & Michael Jackson, Sammo Hung and an interview with Taekwondo Grand Master Sung Jae Park) plus another feature in their March Edition (Darren Shahlavi). But to top it all I've been asked to be MAI's Film Columnist, and I look forward to this greatly. One major bonus of this is not only to you get to interview the stars and cast members but you also get to see some wonderful films, as they are released onto DVD.
The MA Project and Contextual Essay have to be sent off by the end of this month, and then it's just a case of sitting back and gnawing your nails, fingers, wrists and elbows until the results come in. So here's hoping, and also the very best of wishes to my fellow students for their success.
The novel is going great guns and was actually completed. Then I read an agent's guidelines, who's wordage requirement is 70,000 - 120,000; and yup, mine was 60,000 - so it needs to grow another 10k. So, here I am beavering away again until the early hours.
The new app project has taken huge steps forward too. In fact, not only has it been funded but it's also being filmed by Bristol Film Studio's this month and should be published, and down-loadable, in March. No further details at this moment in time, as I don't want to let the cat out of the bag. But hopefully I might be able to get an income as a writer in about six months time, all being well. There are also other apps in the pipeline, so I'm going to be busy - which I like.
Now that's what you can call a good New Year.
I have three features in February's Martial Arts Illustrated (Matt Fiddes & Michael Jackson, Sammo Hung and an interview with Taekwondo Grand Master Sung Jae Park) plus another feature in their March Edition (Darren Shahlavi). But to top it all I've been asked to be MAI's Film Columnist, and I look forward to this greatly. One major bonus of this is not only to you get to interview the stars and cast members but you also get to see some wonderful films, as they are released onto DVD.
The MA Project and Contextual Essay have to be sent off by the end of this month, and then it's just a case of sitting back and gnawing your nails, fingers, wrists and elbows until the results come in. So here's hoping, and also the very best of wishes to my fellow students for their success.
The novel is going great guns and was actually completed. Then I read an agent's guidelines, who's wordage requirement is 70,000 - 120,000; and yup, mine was 60,000 - so it needs to grow another 10k. So, here I am beavering away again until the early hours.
The new app project has taken huge steps forward too. In fact, not only has it been funded but it's also being filmed by Bristol Film Studio's this month and should be published, and down-loadable, in March. No further details at this moment in time, as I don't want to let the cat out of the bag. But hopefully I might be able to get an income as a writer in about six months time, all being well. There are also other apps in the pipeline, so I'm going to be busy - which I like.
Now that's what you can call a good New Year.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
Nothing For A While, Then 4 Come Along...
I've been very busy trying to finish my MA Project & Contextual Essay, not to mention my novel (which has now been chopped about and another chapter added...). I've also been working on a couple of apps, which I'm quite hopeful for and am currently waiting to see whether the first will be funded. All this means that my features and short fiction have suffered, then I was delighted to hear that my interview with Geoff Nelder has been published online at: http://www.profwritingacademy.com/?q=articles/have-laptop-will-travel-interview-sci-fi-writer-geoff-nelder
Today I heard that I have 14 pages in the February edition of Martial Arts Illustrated; namely 4 pages of an interview with Grand Master Sung Jae Park, 4 pages on my Sammo Hung interview and lastly 6 pages - plus the cover - on Matt Fiddes & Michael Jackson.
This was a great and well needed boost at a very sad time for me, funny how these things come along just when you need them.
Today I heard that I have 14 pages in the February edition of Martial Arts Illustrated; namely 4 pages of an interview with Grand Master Sung Jae Park, 4 pages on my Sammo Hung interview and lastly 6 pages - plus the cover - on Matt Fiddes & Michael Jackson.
This was a great and well needed boost at a very sad time for me, funny how these things come along just when you need them.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
Falwriting
I had some good news this week. www.falwriting.com, formerly www.profwriting.com have accepted the four interviews I submitted to them some time ago. Due to the wordage I've had to cut these into bite sized chunks, so my four features now reads a series of ten pieces. I'm told that these will be put in a stand-alone section of the site, so I'm feeling rather pleased with myself. With luck the first of these should be up later this week, or early next.
Earlier today I nervously attended my first meeting with the Fareham Writers Group, and was extremely pleased to be invited to become a member a few short hours later. This is the first such group that I've joined and I feel that I can gain a lot from this experienced and knowledgeable group, particularly as they are extremely friendly and approachable.
On a much sadder note, I learned recently of the demise of a prominent magazine that I used to write for. The harsh economic climate of today will no doubt see the back of many publications. A loss not only for the reader, but also for the writer who supports them.
Earlier today I nervously attended my first meeting with the Fareham Writers Group, and was extremely pleased to be invited to become a member a few short hours later. This is the first such group that I've joined and I feel that I can gain a lot from this experienced and knowledgeable group, particularly as they are extremely friendly and approachable.
On a much sadder note, I learned recently of the demise of a prominent magazine that I used to write for. The harsh economic climate of today will no doubt see the back of many publications. A loss not only for the reader, but also for the writer who supports them.
Friday, 2 September 2011
Final Stages
Sadly living alone again I'm spending more time writing than before. Someone said to me once that writing can be a lonely occupation. At the time I thought that it was just a statement, not a prophesy. So, now there's only myself and my dog, Bella, who's a lovely beast and great company.
As mentioned the writing is really going well. 'A Pride Of Lions' has now been rewritten for the 4th time and is in the final editing stages. Likewise my short story collection, 'Distant Shores'. I'm concentrating heavily on these and have moved away temporarily from other writing, to get these works completed and, as they say, 'out there'.
The MA is also almost finished too, thank heavens. I sent a submission to the Uni earlier in the week and only have one edit of the same to complete and submit, before waiting for feedback from the tutor. When I've had that it's a case of re-edit my last two submissions and send off a total of 15,000 words and a contextual essay, then await the MA submission results. Job done. But I still need to decide what area to concentrate on for the essay (although I have a few ideas) and the editing is easier said than done, for we never seem happy with our work; and, as Oscar Wilde once said, 'books are never finished they are merely abandoned'.
As mentioned the writing is really going well. 'A Pride Of Lions' has now been rewritten for the 4th time and is in the final editing stages. Likewise my short story collection, 'Distant Shores'. I'm concentrating heavily on these and have moved away temporarily from other writing, to get these works completed and, as they say, 'out there'.
The MA is also almost finished too, thank heavens. I sent a submission to the Uni earlier in the week and only have one edit of the same to complete and submit, before waiting for feedback from the tutor. When I've had that it's a case of re-edit my last two submissions and send off a total of 15,000 words and a contextual essay, then await the MA submission results. Job done. But I still need to decide what area to concentrate on for the essay (although I have a few ideas) and the editing is easier said than done, for we never seem happy with our work; and, as Oscar Wilde once said, 'books are never finished they are merely abandoned'.
'A Handful Of Stars' reviewed
In the early hours of this morning, when I was finally signing off after a long days editing, Geoff Nelder sent me the following review on my short story 'A Handful Of Stars', which was published in the Escape Velocity Anthology and which is now available for sale on Amazon. The review was kindly conducted by Dellani Oakes, an American author with Second Wind Publishing.
A Handful of Stars – Mark Iles
Connor is a problem child. Constantly running away and getting in trouble, he's become difficult for Miranda to cope with. Called yet again to the facility where he lives, she finally has a frank talk with him. What she finds out surprises her.
Miranda discovers that Connor isn't like most children. He's not from around here. She doesn't immediately believe what he tells her, but eventually comes to an understanding. With Miranda's encouragement, Connor strikes out on his own once more, searching for his family in earnest.
"Handful of Stars" is a tenderly depicted story of loss, fear and acceptance. It is the very definition of a leap of faith.'
Connor is a problem child. Constantly running away and getting in trouble, he's become difficult for Miranda to cope with. Called yet again to the facility where he lives, she finally has a frank talk with him. What she finds out surprises her.
Miranda discovers that Connor isn't like most children. He's not from around here. She doesn't immediately believe what he tells her, but eventually comes to an understanding. With Miranda's encouragement, Connor strikes out on his own once more, searching for his family in earnest.
"Handful of Stars" is a tenderly depicted story of loss, fear and acceptance. It is the very definition of a leap of faith.'
I'd like to thank Dellani for her very kind words and also Geoff, for sending this to me.
Sunday, 21 August 2011
Pride Of Lions
I haven't posted for a while, simply because so much has been going on. Changes in my private life have left a void and so I have thrown myself into my SF novel A Pride Of Lions, yesterday finishing the 2nd rewrite. I've found myself writing constantly, sometimes from 10:00 until 01:30 and, as I said on Twitter, it's frustrating when you make a cup of tea, look at your novel, then take a sip only to find it's gone cold. This happened five times the other day. So the plan now is heavy editing, fire up the coffee percolator to combat the peculiar happenings with the Earl grey, and then to submit my work for crits while looking for an agent/publisher. I estimate that the word count at about 60,000, which is about right.
Although I've almost finished my short story collection Distant Shores, and I'm keen to publish it, I've decided to hang fire for a while, to see how the novel goes before making any decisions about how and where to market it.
The MA finishes in February, and I have one more submission to make (comprising of two edits of the same work). Then it's re-edit the complete 7,500 MA Project and submit it along with a contextual essay for marking; then all will be done and dusted, and it will just be a question of waiting.
There's also the fact that I may be moving soon too, further north, to Boston in Peterborough. It's nice there and very quiet, no such animal as a traffic jam. So, things have been extremely hectic, as I go through my cupboards and the loft to vet what I have to take with me. It's amazing what you accumulate over the years.
Although I've almost finished my short story collection Distant Shores, and I'm keen to publish it, I've decided to hang fire for a while, to see how the novel goes before making any decisions about how and where to market it.
The MA finishes in February, and I have one more submission to make (comprising of two edits of the same work). Then it's re-edit the complete 7,500 MA Project and submit it along with a contextual essay for marking; then all will be done and dusted, and it will just be a question of waiting.
There's also the fact that I may be moving soon too, further north, to Boston in Peterborough. It's nice there and very quiet, no such animal as a traffic jam. So, things have been extremely hectic, as I go through my cupboards and the loft to vet what I have to take with me. It's amazing what you accumulate over the years.
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