Category Archives: Writing

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June 11, 2014 · 10:27 am

Novels in Crime Week Day 3 ~ Colin Calvert

imageColin, thank you for agreeing to be a visitor on my blog. I expect you are excited that your debut novel

‘Born Again Bandits’ came out on Kindle yesterday published by Eventispress! Congratulations!

I know you have written plays for several years and that they have been acted on stages across the world. What gave you the initial inspiration to try your hand at writing a novel? 

I was motivated by the real case of a young mum who killed herself and her handicapped daughter after years of harassment in their home and failing to get support from the authorities. BAB floats a possible solution to this sort of low level but widespread crime – and mixes the social arguments with a fast moving plot involving murder, kidnap, espionage,and a car chase.

 
Gripping description! Did you find writing Born Again Bandits a very different experience to writing drama and, of course, why? 
 
Yes! Very different. All my published drama pieces are comedies. BAB has some lighter moments but is not a comedy. For me, plays are much easier – but I enjoyed the deeper aspects of writing a book which is a one-to-one thing.
 
A snappy title. Born Again Bandits! I like it. Can you explain to possible readers what it means without giving away the plot? Do they turn to religion or something like that?
The “Born Again” has no religious overtones, but is a punchy phrase and very relevant to the plot.
 

I think the most unusual character in your plot, and I have both read it and enjoyed Born Again Bandits, is Karen. She’s quite complex. Can you describe what you think of her without giving away too much?

I was very close to a “Karen” at one time. Very complex, very intelligent, very gifted – but with personality traits which made life difficult. You could equate her partly with Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander in some ways. More interesting to write about than a nice person!Available on Kindle
 

I know you’ve mentioned to me that you feel strongly that Born Again Bandits is more than an action packed thriller but has a social message. Is it possible to expand on that?

BAB suggests a radical way to reduce or eliminate crime and evil in human society and poses ethical and practical questions. Are draconian methods feasible in eliminating evil  just as smallpox was eliminated?

Do you think we will see more of Colin Calvert as an author in the future? Could Born Again Bandits turn into a series do you think?
 
Now BAB is done, I can see other plots involving Glenn and Karen. I think BAB is very filmic and would love to liaise with a screenwriter for film or TV! I also have other book ideas for books away from the BAB context.
 
Well Colin. Thank you again for being a guest on my blog today and I wish you every success with Born Again Bandits.

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January 6, 2014 · 3:39 pm

Reflection, Contemplation and Anticipation for 2014

A Happy New Year to everyone, although I’m aware that in parts of the UK and USA we are struggling with unprecedented bad weather, making life difficult for many. I’ve been fortunate to enjoy Christmas and New Year with family and friends and, although we were not totally unscathed by the relentless storms, our grief was light compared to some.

It is my habit each year around this time to have a complete break from blogging, Twitter and Facebook and although some of you may have noticed me appear for a sneaky ‘retweet’ or ‘like’ here and there, I have not actively participated and thus feel refreshed for what 2014 may bring. Yesterday and today I have been clearing away the debris of the festive season and making my environment fresh and sparkling, perfect for looking forward.

All in all 2013 was a year for change for me, great leaps of change, meaning I am now writing virtually full time. It was a period of letting go, but I also learnt many  new skills in the business of writing and publishing. With ‘The Life and Demise of Norman Campbell’ published last spring and many face to face promotions for my second novel ‘Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home’ I have been busy busy busy. Somehow I have also found time to complete my first murder mystery, an enjoyable challenge and it’s been a pleasure to return to writing creatively.

In fact, the changes to my work life have coincided in a shift in perspectives, like two sides of a coin. Firstly I have returned to writing for the sheer joy of it. The business of publishing, although exciting had become a burden while I was still teaching, but since I’ve been set free this is no longer the case. On the other side I now don’t benefit from a regular income and so my writing needs to be more than a hobby and decisions must be made in a more business-like fashion, which I will explain more fully in another post.

Now to 2014.

Firstly as we continue through the centenary of the beginning of WW1, and commemorate its impact on world history, I will continue to promote Ancasta Guide me Swiftly Home which is set through that period.  One person in an audience through the summer who had read my book asked,

‘Why did so many have to die?’

My response was,

‘I tried to reflect the stark truth of the effects of World War 1 and not glamorise it, although alongside this I also dwelt on the human aspects of love, acts of kindness and healing.

‘Life goes on for the Newton family’ as one reader wrote. It had to.

Secondly feedback for my current project, a murder mystery, has been excellent so far from my beta readers and so I aim to set a launch date soon, towards the end of March.

Thirdly whilst continuing with all of the above I am dabbling in a

Personal ~ Memoir ~ Fantasy with lots of historical elements too!

Who says cross genre isn’t live and kicking. My current circumstances inspired me in this direction and then

Finally I will be continuing with extensive research for the third of mt Riduna Series in the spring.

All of this should keep me busy. Anyway, I would like to thank you so much for sharing this journey with me. Your comments and responses are greatly appreciated whatever way they come…here, on facebook, twitter or by email.

dianariduna@yahoo.com

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November 28, 2013 · 7:45 pm

Who am I? ~ My Personal Journey into Writing ~ The Next Phase

In the last couple of weeks I feel I’ve been nudged towards the next phase in my personal journey as a writer..

1.Admitting that’s what I am…. ‘a writer and author.’

“A person is defined less by who they are than what they do.”

I have been teaching for nearly 30 years and being a teacher defined who I was. As my writing became increasingly important, it began to take over my life, so much so that I made the decision to work part time for several years to attempt to keep a home~work~writing life balance. Being offered redundancy from teaching was that gift to nudge me towards my new path my life. 

2. Running a publishing company ~ the next stage ~ a cooperative

When I entered the world of publishing I did not realise I had so much to learn but it has been a wonderful experience and I feel proud of all I’ve achieved.  Recently though, I have been nudged to think with a more business like hat. I no longer have a regular income to fall back on, so I’ve had to begin to make some tough decisions. What is the most cost effective way of publishing but still have quality? How can I cut distribution costs? If I arrange this event will I be able to cover costs, diesel for example?

I’ve also been approached by a couple of people for some support and guidance which is prompting me to think through my strategies for making a cooperative work. This needs serious consideration. Am I ready for this next step?

3.  Am I self publishing to be discovered? 

Many authors self publish to be noticed by main stream publishers. To forgive a cliche here ‘I’ll cross that bridge when……’ Anyway, at the moment I see self publishing as a way of being empowered to write and publish novels to reach the greatest possible audience but now I also see myself empowering other along the way.

My aim will always be to produce the best novel I can at any given moment, in the most professional manner; One that could stand happily on a bookshelf alongside a mainstream novel.

4. My personal retreat from the world as I knew it ~ The gift of space and time to make it work

I’ve not only been nudged I’ve been truly blessed, in fact my journey has taken on a surreal quality which I’m so excited about and will share with you in a few months time. Cryptic I know but I have my reasons.

Fortunately this change coincided with leaving my teaching post and so has helped enormously with the withdrawal symptoms I knew I’d feel back in September at the time I would have been returning to work. You see, I not only had to redefine myself as a person but to let go of who I was. If you have a friend, spouse or parent who is a teacher (doctor …nurse…) You will understand what I mean. No more preparation, endless paperwork, marking, thinking about a multitude of other lives, sleepless nights trying to resolve issues…working out how I could make a difference to a life, a future. This change could have been traumatic except for the fact that I’ve retreated from the world as I knew it. Life has become an adventure…one I’m excited about but one that has given me the space to pursue my dreams.

 

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