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Goodreads changes

 So Goodreads has made some small changes in order to improve their site's quality. One change was to remove the condition reporting of the books that you held in your physical library and the other was to remove the stories that you published directly to Goodreads. I am all for the latter change although it was a great tool helping publish some of your works that weren't ready to become novels, and to share these works and ideas with followers. I am not sure how many people would have read what I posted - there was no measure of traffic or 'reads'. Goodreads/Amazon want authors to turn their efforts to writing novels that can be published through KDP and in turn earn themselves and the author revenue. Perhaps an alternative to writing directly to Goodreads is to write your ideas and novel chapters here on Blogger?
Recent posts

Creative Distraction

It's time for me to enter another writing competition - a short story competition. I enjoy entering these competitions as they are a creative outlet and give me a chance to explore different ideas. If you have writer's block or are struggling to come up with a new idea for a novel then these short story competitions wake up your mind and allow you the freedom to explore. You never know, it might just start that new trilogy that you didn't know you were capable of producing. While we are all suffering through the COVID-19 pandemic, and are coming coming to terms with how different our lives will be from before 2019, then why not distract yourself and join me in writing a post apocalyptic short story. Here's the link to the comp: https://www.supportindieauthors.org/short-story-contest

Stormbird editing

Latest Stormbird Cover With some critical feedback on the BETA edition of my novel I've been busy editing, reviewing and fixing. I've also revised the cover design to make it more eye catching and with extra text to highlight that the novel is aimed at the young adult market. Editing and fixing the text has been a tough gig, but I think the final work will be better for it. I anticipate the release of Stormbird to be now early in the new year.

Stormbird Cover Art

Just a quick post to share the cover art for Stormbird, my soon to be released novel... The image is an artistic impression of the male common eastern koel, or Stormbird.

Stormbird has arrived

Just a quick update to say that I have finished my first draft to my first novel called Stormbird. Now begins the review process - which is easier said than done - but will be well worth the effort on my journey to self publishing. Here's a first draft of the synopsis for Stormbird: Stormbird - Leon Jane Before technology and before connectivity became integral to our busy lives, some may argue that we lived a much simpler life. But perhaps Jack Armstrong, a student of Evandale High, would beg to differ as his final year of high school comes to an end. It’s 1998 and it’s warming up to be one of the hottest summers in Australian history. With the build up of heat the storm season is on its way, but not before a series of malicious events set to end Jack’s chances of graduation. It’s up to Jack and his friends to discover why he is the target, and what link an assigned novel - Paperback Writer - has to all these events, before it’s too late and becomes a matter of life ...

Writing Abduction

I've been abducted by a creative distraction... While I should be concentrating on finishing the first draft of my first novel, I've been distracted by an opportunity to exercise some writing creativity - in the form of a short story writing contest. Being a short story contest I found it easy to give it a go without it being too much of a distraction. I am finding it a creative relief as I can break away from my novel storyline, which seems to be fixed - like I'm on train tracks, speeding along to my final destination. The short story contest has a subject matter and genre totally different to my incomplete novel - being a science fiction story about alien abduction. Procrastination doesn't always have to be a bad thing - as long as I don't get fatigue. Follow this link to the short story contest if you are interested in entering or reading previous winners: https://www.supportindieauthors.org/short-story-contest

Woah, I'm halfway there!

...to finishing my first draft of my debut novel. So I'll give myself a little celebratory cheer and sing to myself in the guise of Bon Jovi's - Livin' on a Prayer! With fifty thousand words put down and a strong plot structure outlayed I am on the downward run towards the end. Although I've got a long way to go I am on track to publishing later this year. So I'll put away the confetti and party blowers for now and keep slogging away to complete my first draft. I've got a title for my novel, but I won't let you know what it is yet - just incase I change my mind. But I can give you a hint that it's a young adult thriller set in the late 90's.