Full steam ahead.....

It's been ages since I updated this blog but that's okay.

You know why?

My second book is kicking off! Finally, I've hit my stride!

Populated with colourful, unpredicatable characters, this second book is practically writing itself! Careful not to let the narrative get ahead of itself, I'm having so much fun, letting ideas flow and seeing where they lead, creating dramas and allowing them to resolve themselves (or thread their subplotted way through the main story).

At last, my second book has a distinctive voice, and a distinctive title.

Yep, I have named my second baby already, and here, for the first time, I shall announce it's title.....

Hotel Nomad

It's confirmed!

For the story I am weaving, it's a succinct, self-explanatory, non-pretentious moniker.

Well, that and I don't think the book needs a title that gives you anything other than a sense of 'locale.' It's perfect for the world I'm creating.

There!

That's my excuse for not blogging for so long.

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go write a vampire poker card game where if an immortal player loses, he has to slash his owned mortal's throat and let the other players feed, like an ill-gained bounty......

Oooops, damn spoilers!

The 'Lad Factor'

Okay

I am three complete chapters into my new book and something has hit me.

(I'm not sure it's actually a problem per se, but it's definitely caused me to pause and consider a few things).

Swan Song had a likeable immortal femme fatale and a very unlikable very human male (upon which the story rested). It was an intimate character study into two characters and their relationship. It existed between them and for them, so whatever they got up to, hey, it's how they get their yucks, right? No matter how doomed or damaged, essentially it was a love story.

Well, sort of.

The new book has been designed to have multiple characters, multiple scenarios and be everything Swan Song wasn't. Dialogue heavy, humourous, quick paced, more complicated, more epic, etc...

Basically, everything Twilight was, Swan Song was designed NOT to be.

Basically, everything Swan Song was, this new book is designed NOT to be.

(Get to the point, Jev!)

Okay, so now I'm free to run wild, right?

After all, this is unforgiving, British vampires at their most unremorseful we're talking about. Red blooded males with ferocious tempers and more ferocious sex drives.....

Well, I may have gone too far, as early as in the second chapter.

I may have fallen foul of the 'Lad Factor.'

Essentially, without giving anything away, the second chapter is a boy's wet dream, a boy vampire's wet dream.

It's playful and not at all smutty but loose, slutty and surprising, too early in the book. I know men will love it but what about my female readers?

(At this point, I think it's safe to say more women have read Swan Song than men!)

The only reason I bring this up is because recently I attempted reading Flirt by Laurell K Hamilton and couldn't get past the first twelve pages.

It was the work of an author who WISHED she was her main character, who had two vampires and one lycanthrope as her lovers/slaves and, naturally, they were GORGEOUS! By Chapter Three, all four of them were snuggling publicly in a restaurant and discussing which of the males would be lucky enough to take her home.

It was pure tripe. Wanton fantasy along the lines of the worst Myer condition and I couldn't get any further.

It is now I look at my second book with subjective eyes.

What if my beloved female audience (whom I worked hard to attract with Swan Song) get two chapters into my new book and hit such a laddish scene that they can't continue?

Don't get me wrong! I want to distinguish my London vampires from the immortal pussies out there, but I don't want to alienate my female readers doing so.

I am currently rolling on, full steam ahead, and leaving the chapter intact, for the moment, but the thought keeps coming back....

Do girl readers REALLY want to see boy vamps acting out?

And mortal girls paying the heavy, sexual, fatal price?

As of writing, I am undecided.......

A Much Needed Update

Whoa!

Has it been that long since I updated this thing?

I think I'm going to have to be a little tougher on myself in regards to keeping this blog updated.

I have a good reason for not blogging though, I've been hard at work on my second book.

As previous posts have shown, I've agonised over this book far more than Swan Song which, if I'm honest, kind of wrote itself. The story was so self contained, driven and simple that writing it was a breeze.

This book, however, will require all of my skills.

It's fun but much harder than I expected. What's that saying? 'Nothing that comes easy is worth anything.'

Or something like that.....

Anyhoo, been a good start to the new year for me. Pretty damn happy about a lot of things.

I'm writing more notes on character, plot, structure and theme than ever before, which really helps me in the long run.

As it currently stands, a FREE ebook of six brand new short stories by yours truly should be online very soon.

Following quickly on it's heels should be the much heralded Swan Song Exclusive Paperback, which will include the aforementioned six stories PLUS a further six stories that you won't be able to find online.

All pretty exciting stuff!

Farewell 2011! It's been fun!

And it has been!

I am one of those people who, when the New Year turns, does tend to get a little melancholy about the previous year passing, even if I have had a great year! Sue me, but 2011 has been a great year for me for many reasons. I won't list them but ultimately, when I look back, I have nothing but fond memories.

So what does 2012 hold?

I have to get more serious about my writing. That much is clear. I plan to finish two novels this coming year. (I actually have five ideas vying to be my second published title with Vamplit Publishing).

I recently sent my Final Edit (why do I have to put that in capital letters every time?!) of the Swan Song Paperback 12 Story Collection to my publisher so, at this juncture in the year and my life, it really feels like a chapter closed. I need to explore more epic storytelling. More characters, more scope, more emotion.

More than ever, I feel I will gain my much needed sustenance from the written word than cinema. Hollywood has become so fucking lazy recently I can hardly believe it! Everything is a remake, a prequel, a 're-imagining,' a 'whatever-you-want-to-call-it.' Like music, I now live in the past when it comes to films. Modern movies just dissapoint me. So much so, it actually hurts.

So in 2012, I need to delve deep and pull out the kind of material that would turn me on as a reader.

Of course, if David Fincher is reading this and wants to commission Swan Song, I'm all ears!

Roll on 2012!

To all my blog followers, to my readers, to my family of Vamplit fellow authors, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

'And on it goes.....'

'.....like a gent, 'cause all we need is candlelight!'

Ahem, sorry, been listening to Eagle Eye Cherry!

And on it goes!

Final proofreading is underway for the Swan Song Paperback with twelve exclusive brand new short stories! Yay!

And work is fully underway on the second book! I promise!

No, really!

So as I argued with a friend the other day about a band's difficult second album, my thoughts naturally turned to my writing.

Should your second book, if it's not a sequel, be all that different from your debut?

I'm talking in terms of tone.

I've had to make some tough decisions as I pen my second.

As you know, loyal followers of my blog, I don't do sequels. My second book is NOT a sequel to Swan Song. However, I have found myself re-reading Swan Song in order to regain my voice, per se, so the second does still feel like a continuation of my career (I use the word loosely).

I penned an original first paragraph that was so heavy, I drowned in its metaphors before I reached the break.

So I edited.

I tried a light, comedic approach that became bitter and twisted, then felt readers may not appreciate being toyed with so early.

So I edited.

Then, finally, I threw out all the bullshit, realised where the REAL starting point of the story should occur and wrote, and was TRUE to the spirit and intention of said story. I've finished the opening, done and dusted, and, well, I think it may surprise a few people. Most importantly, I'm happy. Already. Yep. I'm easily pleased!

The longest journey starts with a single step. I've been dancing on the start line now for two fucking years. So this BETTER be good!

It retains Swan Song's flowing prose (naturally, I'm still trying to emulate Clive Barker's writing style) and serious tone but I think it's more true to itself. Less concerned with impressing and more about telling a story. It feels already like a natural successor to my debut. Bigger in scope and drama, richer in character and depth.

So I throw this out. How concerned SHOULD you be that your voice MAY change from book to book?

See? I'm a deep thinker!

(Why the hell has that girl outside only got one shoe on? What the hell happened to the other one?!)

Freedom!

A week off work!

Bliss!

Sheer bliss!

Though before I left my colleagues to a work place without me for a week, (they hid their sadness behind backflipping, high fives and triumphant cheers! Bless their brave fronts!), I was publicly recognised!

My operations manager educated the team about Mr McCrory during a Q and A session and posed the question :

'Jev is not only an excellent guitar player but an accomplished and published writer (his words, not mine!). Three points to anyone who can name the book he wrote?'

I've been working there a while, The Force bless them, but blank faces responded to the question. A friend of mine answered correctly.

Swan Song.

Thanks, Chris Belshaw!

What followed?

'He wrote a book?'

'He's published?'

'He can spell?'

And so on and so forth.

Which leads me beautifully, confidently, to the week I have taken off to edit my SS manuscript (which I think has been more talked up here than The Bible on Jesus' blog!) and make a real confident start on my second book!

Let me tell you people, NOTHING is more liberating than a free week, an empty Word doc and a fridge full of beer!

I fear that my imagination may run rampant so much to the point that my publisher may question my sanity.

I fear that my characters may get themselves involved in such dire straits that my eighty thousand word planned novel may blossom, just so I have the time and space to get them out of said dire straits.

I fear that if my characters decide to labour under the illusion that with every word, they are illuminating the world (like me when I am drunk), this story may read like 'The Alcoholic's Guide To Life And, you know, Stuff.'

I recently re-read my first two chapters for my second book.

It reads like a teenager's fantasy of birds, London, beer, violence and sex.

As I read it back, I'm struggling to see where the downside is!

Kidding! (Sort of)

In all seriousness, I always thought Swan Song was a bitter, brutal, gritty glimpse of life for a London vampire.

I'm thinking now maybe it showed too much heart and that I could have gone further.

Believe me, THIS book.

Will.

Go.

Further.

Commitment

I dreamed the start to my second novel!

Woke up and wrote it down and by Jove, it's good! Even if I do say so myself!

Don't you just love it when good ideas are simply given to you?

I had already started my second book.

Well, technically, I had already started my next three books. I have eight pages written of three separate entities, of which either one could be my follow up to Swan Song. This dream bestowed beginning has sealed the deal for me. I now know which one to work on.

I immediately wrote my publisher and told her I would have a full length, fully completed manuscript ready by the end of the year. If that doesn't sound to you like a short deadline, believe me, it is. I am sure anyone who has ever wrote a novel would agree with me.

So now, I must commit to it.

Like a man finally choosing the right woman, there is a clarity in my thoughts now in regards to the journey ahead. The commitment and passion I must bestow to this new love child fills me with dread, anxiety, excitement and faith.

So my notes fill up day by day as I tentatively progress past the eight page mark, my protagonist growing more interesting with every day and, most importantly, the antagonist, more so.

We aim for bigger, better, brighter, bolder. If not, why not?

I have already outlined my wishes for my second book in this blog numerous times, so I shan't go over them again. I have a feeling this blog may become VERY useful in the months to come.

Hold my hand as I go, won't you, dear followers?