Tag Archives: The Secret King

Mar 9 2013

Chilled :)

Well almost. 

 

Had a good few drinks last night went to bed late. But I was still awake at 6am… all through the week all I want to do is sleep in, the only days that I can… I can’t. dumb huh? 

 

So, I got up early caught up on some reading. Went outside to see the fish. I had the job of trying to catch the sanke today for a scrape and treat. 

 

He’s not looking so good. Defo kidney failure from something. Although no obvious pine coning like dropsy. His eyes aren’t bulging. But he’s a mark all white over on his head. Looks more tumerous to me.. scraped. No costia… so that is why he’s feeling better and eating. Although I don’t think he will survive. He could prove me wrong though. 

 

Gave him a salt dip…. 3oz per gallon. He keeled over after 4 mins. Breathing but on his side. They’re not supposed to be in salt. Simple. 

 

Back he went in the pond and he stayed on his side for a little bit. He’s swimming around now though so will keep a close eye on him. 

 

Going to try and scrape a few others tomorrow. Though they’re all looking fine. 🙂 I’m positive but not… if you know what I mean. 

 

—————————

 

Writing wise. Been working on character arcs. And in the plotting of my whole novel. I’m picking up the pace. Just need to stop with the procrastination and get down to it. 

 

There are a few people asking for my time with projects. Although I’ve tried my best. I need to still concentrate on this. This is my big in. My chance. I know it. 

 

So, only looking to work on the projects which I’ve already dedicated too. And that is already a lot. 

 

Gotta keep it real. 

 

I’m about to head off for a couple of drinks and a film to chill out. I’m still here. If anyone needs anything. Shout. 🙂 

 

D x x

Mar 7 2013

Tough week!

Wow. This week has just flown by. 

I can’t really sort of catch up so this is a sort of a quick one. 

Koi…..

 

Panicked a little over the older ones acting up. But all seems much better, plenty of fresh water going in. They seem to have perked right up. Still planning on catching the sanke to see how he’s doing underneath. Although looks like swelling and scales have gone down so I’m positive. 

 

Babies all good 🙂 although a little colder than I wanted. No sulking no signs of anything after their ‘boiling ordeal’… 

 

Mortgage and the house. 

 

Well it is a shame, but there isn’t anything we can do at this moment in time. So we’ll have to wait and see what happens when the fixed term ends and see what the mortgage company say. Top and bottom of it is, if we start over paying then what we owe will come down. So, we’ll start there. 🙂 at least we have a plan. 

 

Writing 

 

Best Friends Ep 5 is being filmed. Some parts actually in L.A which is fab 🙂 and The Chronicles of Pandora has really taken a spurt on too. I’m so excited by both these projects. 

 

The Secret King – The Beginning is moving forward once more. I’ve learnt so much with my sessions with E.J that I now need to focus on and actually do the work now. On my own, with just the editing and the kick ass part of the process. I’m excited because we have a battle plan and I’m looking forward to getting this novel to the absolute best it can be. I don’t like to rush anything and it might take me a while longer but I’m still aiming for this year. 🙂 

So much to do, so little time. But I’m loving ever minute. Although I can’t shake this cold crap. 4 weeks now. I feel much better with how things are going. Some knowing and being able to plan things is better than nothing at all. It is the not knowing that kills me. 

I will speak to you soon. 🙂  Thank for stopping in. 

 

 

 

Feb 27 2013

The Next Blog Hop

Many thanks to http://www.writesofluid.com/ for tagging me in this Blog Hop, which consists of ten questions about my current project/s and then tagging other authors/writers. Here goes! This has been hard work. And so sorry that it is a bit late. 

1. What is the working title of your next book?

The Secret King – The Beginning

2. Where did the idea come from for your book?

The original idea for the series came in a dream. Way back in 2007. I wrote my first ever feature film. Titled The Secret King. And it progressed from there. A un-named entity on the internet reviewed it and thought it would make a great series. So the TV series was born. As the un-known person became a ‘known’ person, and a fast friend. I allowed him to take part and we became writing partners. This current novel is basically everything that happens before the TV series. 

3. What genre does the book fall under?


It is Sci Fi / Space Oprah 

4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movies rendition?

That’s a hard one. Although I’ve recently started talking to a great actor on Facebook, Rob Talbot and he is so great. I could really see him as one of my leads. We had a conversation about him always playing the bad guys. And I think he’d make a very good ‘King’ in my book. 🙂 I guess you just never know. That is the beauty of writing. 

5. What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

With their sun about to go Super Nova, Kendro, King of The Aonise fights to save his species from total annihilation.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I don’t know yet. I’ve been having coaching lessons with E.J Runyon (highly recommended for any writer) and I would like to try the traditional route before I go self publishing. We’ll see. 

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

It took me 47 days. 80,819 words. 

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I don’t know haven’t had much time for reading with all the editing. 🙂 lol

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Inspiration for this book came just in the nick of time for Nanowrimo. I hadn’t had much of an excuse to write this year bar the Web Series Best Friends so it was great to have the freedom to write un-cumbered with nano. 

10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

The characters are really down to ‘Earth’, although from another planet and a totally different species, they still have the same thoughts and feelings that we do. 

To quote something I have mentioned before….. 

Admiral Octav and his long time friend and bodyguard Chace were out celebrating, food and a few drinks in a bar that they had never been in before. Octav didn’t like the look of his dinner, so Chace ate it instead. Only to find out later the next day that he’d been severely poisoned with a genetically enhanced killing agent. While on his deathbed and with no emotional barrier protecting his feelings for his commanding officer Chace and Octav realize that they’ve been fighting the truth for too long. But their relationship would be very complicated. Octav is married, Admiral of the fleet and Second in command to House Niakrex. Although things are left very tense time really isn’t on their side.

 

Tagging for the next blog hop:

http://tipsyscreenwriter.com/

 
 
Jan 27 2013

Editing and my first page… :)

I wanted to share today how working with E.J changed my first page.

E.J asked me why I started my story there. My answer… because it ‘seemed’ the best place. It might change again yet. 🙂

 

Apparently I ‘Tell’ very well, but I don’t ‘Show’ enough. I can’t totally blame my lack of schooling for this, because I’ve read and read ‘how’ to books and been to college. But things sometimes don’t click with me.

This is what I had first written.  (teaser alert) lol

 

——————————— Extract from The Secret King – The Beginning – Chapter One – Evacuation

 

Kendro eased himself into his favourite chair. It creaked just as it always did and he wished he could take it with him. His office, empty, didn’t resemble home anymore. Sadness washed over him. It was over and they had to leave everything but their prized possessions behind.

The handmade wooden desk before him had been in his family for generations and he ran his hand along its surface until he found a tiny dent. He frowned and remembered the day he’d made that hole. The day Admiral Broki confirmed the fate of their Sun and he’d dropped a hot steaming mug of tea over everything. Now apart from the desk and set of chairs nothing else cluttered the room. All his belongings had been moved to the mother-ship. The furniture here deemed unimportant. Although why he’d deemed it unimportant shook him. These objects were a part of his history.

Resting his head in his arms, he closed his eyes just for a brief moment of thought. Were they going to survive the incredible journey ahead? Could they leave their solar system and their enemy the Zefron far behind them? He hoped so, or they wouldn’t have a future at all. His breathing slowed and he had to shake himself, to keep awake. He had to be strong enough to fight it off, at least for another twelve hours or so. He hadn’t had any sleep at all since the day he ordered the evacuation to begin, and he had started to feel the strain of being constantly awake. Sleep beckoned to him, but he fought it once again.

————————————-

With some work, this is what we ended up with. E.J helped me to understand the difference. And I know why I tend to tell instead of show. In script writing it is drummed into us to get rid of any words ending with an ‘ing’…  In novel writing I need to learn to embrace them.

 

——————————— NEW extract from The Secret King – The Beginning – Chapter One – Evacuation

 

Kendro eased himself into his favourite chair for the last time. Its joints creaked just as they always did; yet some things had to be sacrificed. His office, empty, didn’t resemble home anymore. Sadness washed over him. Life here was over. They must leave everything behind, even prized possessions.

The handmade wooden desk sprawled before him; in his family for generations, the history it must have witnessed. He ran his hand along its surface until he found the tiny dent. Remembering the day he’d made that hole, a year ago. The day Admiral Broki confirmed the fate of their Sun. Kendro’d dropped a hot mug of tea over everything. The electronics of the huge desk sparked and crackled, a preview of the fate of the planet once the sun fed on itself; nothing would survive.

Now apart from the desk and set of chairs nothing else cluttered the room. All his belongings had been moved to the mother-ship. The furniture here deemed unimportant. Although why he’d deemed them unimportant shook him. These objects were a part of his history.

Resting his head in his arms, Kendro closed his eyes for just a brief moment of thought. His people must survive this incredible journey ahead. Could they leave their solar system and their enemy the Zefron far behind them? He hoped so, or they wouldn’t have a future at all.

His breathing slowed and he shook himself, to keep awake. He had to be strong enough to fight, to remain functional for at least another twelve hours. Awake for three days now, no sleep at all since he ordered the evacuation, Kendo felt the strain of being conscious too long. Sleep beckoned, but he fought it once again.

——————————-

 

The difference is quite amazing isn’t it?

 

I’ve had fin this weekend. Researching and learning, and more importantly for me, trying to implement the lessons I learned with E.J.

 

I gave it my best shot and although I’m not comfortable just yet with the ‘ing’ words, I can see and feel why they make things better.

 

This might take me a little longer than I first planned. But, I will get there.  🙂

I wanted to ‘show’ you all what the difference working with someone makes to your work. And at present, I am thrilled to be working with someone who is patient, professional and brilliant.

 

Huge thanks to E.J 🙂 Please check her out…. http://ejrunyon.wordpress.com/ but don’t all try and nab her at once…. lol

 

Happy writing all.

 

Dawn 🙂 x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan 25 2013

Meeting my editor/mentor :)

Hey everyone. 

 

I never got chance to write anything down last night, but I Wanted to let you all know how my first session with http://ejrunyon.wordpress.com/ went. 

 

It was one of those things you are really looking forward too, but are nervous about as well. I needed have been. 

 

I had everything set up around me for the allocated time. My laptop and my phone with bluetooth on, for our skype call and when 5 o’clock came we just got right into it. 

 

I am not the best person to talk over the phone, but I think having to focus on my writing helped me through those nerves. It was all good. 

 

Now, what did I learn about my writing. 

 

Well because I’m more a script writer than a novelist I can see why I write the way that I do, and I can now see what I need to fix it. 

 

E.J was really easy to chat with, she explained everything properly and in a way that I could understand and see what and why I was writing as I was. Rather than any other teacher I’ve had, who just kind of looks down at you and says ‘you are a writer who can’t understand verbs and adverbs… etc etc’ 

 

Well, my childhood wasn’t very nice. From being bullied by the teachers and the students from Primary school and into then on into high school. It is understandable. I’ve tried to locate someone who will coach me, but have had no luck locally. I think English teachers around here were a little off put by my even small resume and experience level. (really dumb I know) as all I wanted to do was learn more about writing! 

 

So our next session is for Wed, and I am going to try and implement what I’ve learned from where we stopped last night. 

 

Onwards 🙂 and all very excited. 

 

I’m going to post some examples of what we’ve been working on tomorrow, after I’ve looked over it all again. 

 

Oh, and yippie in other news two weeks away from filming Best Friends Ep 5… how awesome. 🙂 

 

Catch you soon and hope you all have a wonderful Friday 😡