Books, Encouragement, Loreless, True Stories, Writing
I’ll cut to the chase. Pitching to a director is relatively easy. You just walk up to them and introduce yourself. Having said that, preparing to act on your intentions is where the real trial lies. It is not dissimilar to the act of writing itself. You must swallow a...
Non-fiction, True Stories, Writing
At present I am an artist-in-residence in Bajesdorp, a small community in Amsterdam. However, perhaps not for very much longer. The community is facing a difficult future. The Dutch government has sold the land it stands on to a developer. In a few short months they...
Books, Interviews, Writing
I recently took part in a live author chat with writers Richard White and Stephen Pearl on Authors Write Aloud. It is the first time I have done a live streaming as an author. The entire experience was a lot of fun It also helped me gain further insight into how...
Inspiration, Publishing, Reviews, Writing
This week I was interviewed by fellow independent author Lisa White. It is the first time I have put myself out there on film as an author. Not only do I think filming interviews like this helps an author to get more exposure to readers, it can also assist other...
Books, Loreless, Reviews
I recently received a rather confronting review on Amazon about my novel Loreless. Some of it was positive, some bordering on an insult and, in part, outright scathing. At least that was how I read it and I feel compelled to react. As an author, I have been advised...
Inspiration, Music, Non-fiction, Reviews
One of the finest songs Noel Gallagher ever wrote was “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. I rediscovered it yesterday and it is stuck in my head and won’t leave me alone. I was a fan of Oasis in their early days. Then they lost it and they lost me. I was only interested in...
Books, Encouragement, Inspiration, Publishing
In part one of this post I looked back on my independent author experience up to now. My journey is not influenced by the ringing in of a so-called new year. Just as with the old year, in the new year I will be celebrating a growth and not a rebirth. I am aware my...
Encouragement, Inspiration, Publishing, Writing
It’s the wrong way around. Old is not new. Every year we celebrate the so-called new year. It is not new at all, it is a year older. We should be celebrating a growth and not a rebirth. The commonly held idea is that we can make a new start with the beginning of...
Inspiration, Music, Reviews, Writing
A few months ago, in March of 2016, I saw Patti Smith perform for the first time. Before seeing her live show I knew her music but nothing about her background, nor anything about her real personality. I was both impressed and moved by her performance. At the Nobel...
Books, Complicated Blue, Inspiration, Loreless, Writing
Creating great fictional characters draws on all of a writer’s knowledge of mankind. Quite often a character is a conglomeration of people they have met in real life. Some people have a greater influence on the development of a character than others. Some leave a...
Books, Loreless, Publishing, Reviews, Writing
Dear Amazon, It’s been a hoot, but I’ve done some soul searching and decided that I am doing my readers a disservice by abiding by your exclusivity agreement. A few months ago I started my first independent publishing venture with my book Loreless. At the time...
Inspiration, Music, Reviews
Locked together for a weekend in Sing Sing Studio, they discussed the state of world affairs, exchanged life experiences and shared personal insights. They listened intently to a songwriter screaming his lungs out and tried to formulate a cunning plan. After three...
Encouragement, Inspiration, Writing
I have been struggling. Perseverance is getting me down. Writing itself and being a dedicated author is not a problem. It’s more about coming to terms with finding an audience. Creating a novel is only part of my job as an author. I have to make sure others can...
Encouragement, History, Inspiration, Writing
I’m not unemployed. It’s not true. In fact I’m constantly employed. I write. I make music. I run two bands. I do historical research and take courses in marketing. I maintain a website. I blog. I soak up every snippet of information on writing that I can find. I am a...
Encouragement, Inspiration, Music
In a couple of days the band will be returning to the recording studio for probably the last session this year. It’s mixing time! I have just been listening back to the first rough mixes of the recordings. We did them over six months ago during our first session in...
Books, Encouragement, Loreless, Writing
Over weekend I broke new ground as an author, I did a public reading. It was quite an experience. According to one of my listeners, it was a world premiere. This was fortunate, as a small cross-section of the world was there to listen. The venue, if you can call it...
Books, History, Loreless, Research
During the writing of Loreless I did an enormous amount of research, much more then I could ever actually use in the book. I have decided to share some of this information, and at the same time, give you a bit of an insight into the writing process. In the book there...
Books, Inspiration, Loreless, Publishing, Writing
My biggest struggle with writing Loreless has been the question whether I have the right to write from an indigenous perspective. There are many opinions on this subject. The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith One of the authors I researched when I started was Thomas Keneally...
Inspiration, Writing
I went to see author T. C. Boyle speak towards the end of last year. It was the first time I had been to a book launch or an evening with sort of event. I didn’t expect to discover an important lesson in how to control my creative universe. A part of me went...
Inspiration, Research, Writing
Yesterday I made a discovery. I came across a very special painting by an American artist who was active in the middle of the twentieth century. Norman Rockwell worked predominately for magazines and illustrated their covers. In order to make a living as an artist he...