Friday 26 December 2014

This blog is changing in 2015. But How?


This blog is changing to visual and audio in
2015.

I'm so excited and scared at the same time, you will see the face behind the words that have haunted this blog in 2014.

I hope this new beginning will spread the words that will sprout (pun intended) out of my mouth to this world and beyond.

I will be posting the Youtube link at the bottom of my page. Please follow me on twitter.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E69aegUf3I

Please follow my channel, lots of interesting stuff to come during 2015, see you there.

Barry 

Thursday 4 December 2014

December 2014

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

Wow what a year we have had,  time to wind down for the month of December, but what did this blog get up to this year?

What are your plans for 2015?

Did you do NaNoWriMo if so are having a rest before doing your first edit?

Have you planned to do more or less writing, I would love to hear from you just message me via my twitter account.

I have planned to a few changes for the 2015 year I will list them below.

1. Complete my first comedy play for production in 2015.
2. Write less short stories.
3. No paid running races maybe the odd park run when the weather gets warm.
4. Plan more for my novels that I have decided to do.
5. Change my day job to something else. (Shh under raps at the moment).
6. Plan to write a lot more, hence giving up running races.
7. Less social net working unless it is writing related.

I hope you have all made a list of things you would like to do for the next year, not a new years resolution but a forever list.

I am not sure if I will be carrying on with this blog it depends if I get any feedback so please do tweet me and tell me if you wish me to carry on with this blog. No response means no blog.

Regards

Barry


Monday 24 November 2014

Blog for November 2014.

For all those who want to have a time space to write a novel in a short period of time then November is your month. It's a world wide and it's called NaNoWriMo.

This year I have been a part of Nation Novel Writing Month. Before the month of November starts as long as you have logged on to the site which by the way is Free you will get pet talks this is the one they sent me on the 20th of October. It's called.

                                            'Make the most of your writing time.'
Since the dawn of the novel, time has been a precious commodity for writers. Before NaNoWriMo, your basic recipe for a novel was:
  • 1 bolt of inspiration + 1 Plot Bunny + 1 world, built from scratch + a handful of characters.
  • Now: Add time. A year's worth, at the least. Keep pouring. Keep pouring. Yeah, that's still not enough. You got more in a vault somewhere? Throw that in, too. More time. More. Rule of thumb: every time you think you've added enough time, double it.
Here's the thing: even the time-poor have stories to tell. Did you previously consider yourself too hard up for hours to write a novel? NaNoWriMo is here for you. Spare whatever amount of time you can, every day for the next 30 days, and you too can have a perfect, delicious first draft, fresh out of the oven.
Here's what we've got planned to help you make the most of your valuable time:
  • The NaNoWriMo 2014 calendar: This to-the-minute calendar marks off major milestones like the start of novel validation and Back Up Your Novel Day. Most imminent: a #NaNoPrep tweet-chat this Thursday, 10/23, at 1 PM PDT!
  • NaNo CoachesMake the most of your writing time with the wisdom of a seasoned coach. Published authors Lindsey Grant, Kelly Gilbert, Cari Noga, and Jessica Taylor will each take over our @NaNoWriMo Twitter accountfor a week to answer your questions and keep your story engines in tip-top shape.
  • @NaNoWordSprintsLimber up your writing muscles with a word sprint or two, perfect for those moments when the words just won't flow. The @NaNoWordSprints team offers dares and timed writing exercises to make sure every minute is productive.
  • Virtual Write-Ins: What better way to ensure your novel's forward momentum than a few hundred accountability partners? Join our live Virtual Write-ins to be inspired by novelists from around the world as they type alongside you.
  • The NaNoWriMo Blog: Sometimes you can't write, but you can read. Scope out the training guides and inspiration manuals on our Tumblr to hit the ground running when your fingers can actually hit those keys.
Envisioning a glorious future in which writing time is plentiful for all,
Tim Kim
Editorial Director
P.S. Can't get enough NaNoWriMo in your life? We can't get enough of you either! We're also on FacebookInstagram, and Pinterest.
We... may need a Time Turner. Or a Tardis. Or a Quantum Leap portal thing. You know what, please recommend any and all time travel devices you find most useful.

They have 'pep talks' from different authors, I found these informative and very interesting, you can log on to your area or zone in which you live. once there you can hookup with others in your are and even make your own Facebook groups. I live in Suffolk, UK and we had a great co ordinator who organised coffee writing ins in the local area.  We meet in a coffee shop in the local Cinema photo below. 

NaNoWriMo is to get you writing every regularly, the target is 50 thousand words in the month of November. You can plot before you start writing but come the first day of November to the last you need to average a total of 1,667 per day.
You can have writing buddies from anywhere around the world that is taking part, as well as lots of stats.


Your Average Per Day
2,188 
Words Written Today
Target Word Count
50,000
Target Average Words Per Day
1,667
Total Words Written
52,513 WINNER!
Words Remaining
0
Current Day
24 
Days Remaining
7
Goal Achieved On
November 22, 2014
 As you can see I am a WINNER in 2014. 
I printed off my certificate and you can even buy T shirts and lots of other goodies if you wish to, it's all on the official site.

Barry Martin

Member for about 1 month

  • Novel: The Re Opening exhibition.
  • Genre: Mystery
  • 52513 words so far
Remember The world needs your novel.  The official site gives lots of help and has lots of help available on line and from your area co ordinator as well. 


See you all next month.
Bye for now Barry.
orld needs your nov

Saturday 4 October 2014

Three plays in One.

October 2014.

Wow what month that last one was.

We had here in Britain the Scottish  referendum rejected, they could not going it alone and leaving the United Kingdom union.

I have started a novel.

I belong to a writing club that meets on a Tuesday twice a month, I think it is fair to say 95% of the writers are older than me. We get a subject or word and have to write a thousand words on this and read it at the next meeting.

So each meeting my novel carries on in the subject or words direction.

The first thousand words was a thin line, it started off being drawn around a body, the second thousand word was boots, those were missing off the dead body that the line was drawn around.

I'm also writing a comedy play for a local ammeter dramatic society, I have started and have a clear view of where I am starting and where I am going.

I went to one of there evenings tonight to watch not one but three, one act plays, by David Tristram called 'The extraordinary revelations of orca the goldfish, Last panto in little Grimley and What's for pudding'.

All three plays were performed very well

Review: An Evening With David Tristram

October 3rd, 2014 by
Categories: Theatre Reviews
 
 

 
 


The Two Rivers Theatre Company proudly presents An Evening With David Tristram with 3 One Act Plays at the Sir John Mills Theatre.
IMG_1365smallThis fun packed show sees the company tackle, not one, but three productions all written by David Tristram.
First to take to the stage is The Extraordinary Revelations of Orca The Goldfish. This two-man play tells the story of married couple Henry and Alice. Their humdrum life has become quite boring so the pair have taken to day dreaming about what life could be like. However, will the lines between fantasy and reality become blurred? Only Orca the Gold fish really knows what’s going on.
David Mitchell and Val Eldridge play this married couple with ease. The fantasy scenes are very cleverly done and the whole piece works beautifully.
Next, Last Panto in Little Grimley tells the tale of a small (only four members) village am dram group. With limited cast numbers and even limited talent most productions are beyond them, so Gordon, their chairman, writes his own panto to play to the strengths of the cast but, will all be aright come opening night?
A strong cast brought this piece to life, coupled with some very funny costumes Last Panto in Little Grimley is funny from the start. A pantomime horse, a cat and a script where T and S are transposed makes for a very comical piece.
DSC_0306small
What’s for Pudding concluded the evening. Jack and Mary’s life is in a rut, they never go out and spend their evenings having dinner in front of the TV. Their friends Ted and Maureen make an unexpected visit and the evening turns into chaos.
With home truths and accusations a full-scale war ensues. Add to this the appearance of elderly neighbour Dennis who requires a new pair of trousers what follows is quite a spectacle.
What’s for Pudding is a believable insight into 70s suburban life. The beautifully written script is brought to life by some great acting and lovely comic timing.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening out with much fun and laughter along the way, this Two Rivers Theatre Company production of 3 One act Plays certainly kept the audience entertained.
The only criticism is that the full cast did not come on at the end for their final bow…

Wendy Cook – Ipswich24 Magazine
DSC_0394small

Thursday 11 September 2014

Where do you think?

September 2014

Wow were did that last month go?

I love to walk to 'think' I problem solve or think about what to write for a story or how to get around a problem with my character.

I read the other day that Wordsworth was a walker, according to a this magazine I read that Charles Dickens use to walk at night and it was thought that he could walk up to about 20 miles per night.

I wonder if he used to walked across fields or in streets with gas lamps lighting the way?

Virginia Woolf walked for inspiration as did George Orwell and many others, and I thought that I was the only one.

The BBC report quoted Geoff Nicholson author of The Lost Art of Walking, 'I do believe once you get the blood flowing through the brain it does start working more creatively.'

Perhaps it is the fresh air or not as the case maybe, I know when I have walked too far as my Jack Russell 'George' looks up at me and with those eyes that say, 'can we go home yet?'

I have always walked to think even as a child I always walked, not to get from A to B but to take in the air and to see the wonderful countryside.

I grew up near a river called the 'River Lea' I enjoyed walking along this river seeing the people that were fishing, not that is boring in my view. I walked past two or three locks and through the gates that crossed the railway near my school where I went.

Just thinking about were I grew up I THINK that I would like to visit that place again, it is only 70 miles away from where I live now. I don't miss the people but the countryside.

I did a lot of thinking when I was a child, I only wish I did a lot of writing then as I had lots of ideas as a child.

We did not have a computers when I was growing up, as my spelling and writing was not that good when I was young. IF we had computers then I think I may of been a best seller by now. WHO knows?



Saturday 2 August 2014

Different ways to promote your writing / books.

Welcome to August 2014 blog,

I have been busy working on how to promote my writing and I WILL be sharing this with you today, so get those pens out and get ready to open another page on your computer / Ipad or what ever device you are using.

(You may need to cut and paste the links)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZGicxspGY4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E69aegUf3I

Above is two links I made with very little knowledge on how to do, this cost me time only, you can spend money if you are going to keep making videos to promote your books on line.

They are called 'white boards'  you can join many for free for a limited time then when you are happy with what you have done you can upload them to 'youtube' like I have or place the link on your website, twitter or other social media.

I think it is safe to say that most if not all know about doing your own website, I will not go down that road accept to say if you use blogspot and other web sites you can do it for free, you will need to buy a domain name but that is all.

upon reading a writing magazine I subscribe to, I read about a lady that had rented a market stall and placed all her book out to sell them. I think it could work but I would not be happy my self standing there each day trying to sell my books. I think it could be a good way to sell your book but perhaps approach an established book / local crafts stalls and offer them a slice of your profits if you self publish.

During the year schools have bazaars and you could get a stall for the day normally during the weekend, a place to meet potential new customers and don't forget to have a 'free' book mark or give away so they can access your website and purchase a book or two on line. Nearly everyone will take a book mark but not everyone will come buy your book at the stall.

During the spring and summer months you will find that there are a lot of schools raising funds for their school, it's a one off fee for a few hours which you could sell a few book but you will with your free give away get a few more interested in a local author.

If you have a local magazine that has adverts you could put a one off or regular advert in the magazine and they are often placed in doctors and dentists, where lots of others could see your advert with of course your website in.

Not everything has to be done online, go back ten years or so and we didn't even have this sometimes wonderful thing they call the internet.

Yes there are lots of other ways to promote your books, these will hopefully help the mind think of less traditional ways to sell your books.

It's all about getting your books out there and promoting them in any way you can, the cheaper the better as there are always more expensive ways.

If you have other thoughts on this subject then please do message me.

Please look at past posts of this blog, until September 2014.

Sunday 6 July 2014

Famous author meets the Felixstowe Scribblers.

July 6th 2014

Hi everyone and thank you for taking a look at my blog this month of July, last month I went to a book signing at my local book store and met Natalie Meg Evans.

I had been chatting to her on line about writing in general and she informed me about her book signing tour of the UK.


Natalie is a very gracious lady and we chatted for a while, I then had to let her go and sign other copies for the queue that had formed out of the door.

We carried on over the next few weeks over the internet, and she told me the 'secret' of how to be a great author like her.


This is Natalie Meg Evans, coming to met the 'Felixstowe Scribblers,' she come to our small gathering to tell us her story of how she became a writer of such a great book.

Natalie gave us a rare opportunity to listen to the author by reading her book for the group for 10 minutes.
During the tea / coffee break  Natalie chatted to the other members.

She listened avidly as to the group reading their home work, we were very lucky to have Natalie visit us in Felixstowe.

So if you want a really good read please take a look at Natalies book.