The True Meaning of Being a Writer

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Sorry, guys and girls, this post will be a bit longer than usual – but I just could not think of a way to shorten it. There was some urgent business to sort out in 2012 that took a lot of time, so I am publishing it much later than I should – once again, my apologies.

This post is about what it really means to be a writer. As, without a doubt, it happens to every writer, in late summer 2012, I had what  should call ‘a crisis of doubt’. I doubted the value of my writing, its importance, and my general ability to write. Then, one day, I opened my email and found this:

The joy of receiving a letter!

Hi Roy,

I have read your blog quite a number of times in the past one month. I basically go back for the motivation it gives me to write more.

I too have a story and now when I look back, it is filled with fear. Yes, a fear of being rejected, not being liked (as a writer). I started writing when I was very young. I remember I wrote my first story at the age of 10. Then, I started composing poetry, first in my mother tongue and then, in English. Over the years, I realized I was able to express myself better in English than in my own mother tongue.

Anyway, though I won a lot of appreciation from my schoolmates and teachers for my poems, I never really considered it to be an option to make a living. It was just a hobby for me. And it continues to do so till today. But then, after a while, things changed. And my poems became less frequent and I thought I did not have much ‘inspiration’. Well, I guess it was a self-sabotaging thought and it worked as such. For a few years, I did not write anything. Then, God granted me my first child, a daughter. I wrote for her – only one poem, but I could write again. She brought back the writer in me. I started keeping a diary for her. It was a private thing only for her. And then, my son came along. Then, I started blogging. Both of my children gave me the much-needed inspiration or will. 

Just a couple of years later, I started writing stories. Well, at first I was not writing them, but just inventing some stories for my children’s bedtime. When I had to narrate the fairy tales to my children, I realized that how difficult it was to explain to a small child the concept of love and marriage. And then, I started finding those conventional fairy tales as violent too! I mean I didn’t want my daughter and son to learn about killing and death at that tender age. So I started inventing my own stories, simpler and yet with a meaning and a moral at the end. And after months of doing this, one fine day I told myself that I could actually sit down to write stories. And I did. I wrote some on my blog. The initial ones were simple, I guess because of months of conditioning and fitting to the children’s needs. Then, one day I wrote something for the grown-ups. And, I loved it. Well, the story for obvious reasons, but also the fact that I was writing it. Since that day, I thought of publishing. I wrote to many publishing houses in my own country, and most of them even did not bother replying. The ones that came back said they were too busy. Then, one of my friends made me aware of the hard fact that in India, if you need someone to publish you, either you need to spend some money or you need to know the right people. I did not know anyone in publishing and spending money for getting myself published did not seem charming to me. So I waited. More than 2 years passed and nothing happened. I even started thinking that perhaps I should just be happy posting only on my blog.

The Cover of Manisha's Kindle Book. You can download the book from http://www.amazon.com/Love-It-Is-ebook/dp/B00927CLCC/ref=la_B0092BKFCG_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357635885&sr=1-1

Now, why am I telling you all this? Well, it was then I stumbled upon your blog and it inspired me to take some action. I read your post about a bad book. And I remembered all the bad books that I had read in past months and I knew they were all published, mine was not. That post of yours kept resonating in my head for so many days that I knew I had to take action. I had to get published. And another friend suggested to use Kindle, where coincidentally you had also published your book. Perhaps it was a sign. I took it so :-)  

[Note: the book is not available temporarily because I am revising it and creating an improved edition - I will publish it again as soon as it is done]

So, finally I published my book, on Kindle. It is a collection of stories, and it is called ‘Love, It Is!’. 

I wanted to thank you for the motivation you provided to me when I really needed one. I think your blog was definitely helpful for me to see the reality that whatever I thought of my work didn’t matter if I could not take it to others. So, here’s a note of sincere gratitude.

Regards,

Manisha 

This very sincere and personal email helped me understand the importance of my words and of my work. A writer is someone whose words are, as David Foster Wallace said, able to ‘comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable’. A writer is someone whose words can inspire people, shape their understanding of the world, entertain them and help them take action (here, feel free to tweet it!).

It was the first time someone said I had that ability. And it meant the world to me. I had the ability to help Manisha overcome her fears and doubts – and this is the true meaning of being a writer to me. But it’s not my blog that brought back the writer in her – it was her children Chunchu and Shiku. Jeff Goins, a writer whom I admire very much, also writes about his son Aiden as a source of inspiration and success lessons. This reminds me that simple, most natural things in life – in fact, life itself – are the most powerful creativity boosters. As it says on the poster for the ‘Water for Elephants’ movie, Life is the most spectacular show on Earth.

Source: Independent.co.uk

So, if you feel just like Manisha used to feel, if fear and doubt is preventing you from writing – just find stop worrying, start living your life and inspiration will come. Also, one of the best ways to get inspiration is by inspiring others. Enjoy what you’re doing – and keep writing.

Write with a Difference. Publish with Success.

Thank you for reading!

Roy Eynhallow.

Manisha’s Kindle book is available for puchase on Amazon USA and Amazon UK. It’s a $0.99 bargain full of heart-warming love stories, so if you’re into this genre, feel free to click and support the author who inspired me!

 

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The Night before (Writers’) Christmas

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Copyright: John Nyberg (sxc.hu)

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and inside my house,
I was typing away, sitting next to my spouse.
She was lying beside me, having long gone to sleep
But I stayed awake her peace for to keep.

With my back against the headboard, and the laptop on my lap
Typing something of which 99% will be crap,
I was crafting a story that would shock and surprise,
Which, if it’d been written before, you would not recognise.

NaNoWriMo had finished not too long ago
I had struggled and sweated, tryna make my words flow
But November was over, and my story was not:
I still had to develop both the hero and the plot!

So while my lovely wife slept in peace through the night,
I was having a big and a darn ugly fight
With myself.
To advance, I still had to decide
Whether that minor character lived… or died.

And I searched for the words to express love and pain,
And, not having found them, called myself ‘chicken-brain’.
But I just carried on, gave myself no respite
Because I am a writer – and, therefore, I must write!

Sod the cramps in my hand! I don’t care how I look.
I’ve just done the first draft of my very first book!
Get some rest, my dear wife – this is what you will need,
For tomorrow I’ll give you my MS for to read!

Writers write. Writers read. Writers dream. Writers do.
Start this journey – and let it become part of you.
Write and follow your dreams. Write, come on – have no fear!
Merry Christmas, fellow writers, and a happy New Year.

Thank you, everyone who has read this blog over the course of the year!

Lessons in Self-Publishing. Part 2: Online Presence

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[Click here to read Part 1]

Hello, everyone! This is the second part in my series of blog post on the lessons I have learnt from my self-publishing experience. This year, I wrote and self-published three non-fiction self-help books for students. Here they are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you happen to know any students who might benefit from these books, feel free to share these links with them:

From Confusion to Conclusion: How to Write a First-Class Essay
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

How to Write a First-Class Dissertation
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

CAMP UK 10/2012. The Ultimate Post-2012 University Survival Guide
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

In Part 1 of this blog series, I wrote about the importance of education – learning your subject and loving it – for self-publishing. In this part, I talk about the importance of online presence for a modern independent author.

Here are my two lessons for today:

1. Start a blog with interesting content

One of the most important lessons I have learnt through my self-publishing experience is that a modern writer cannot exist without a blog. Online presence means everything for an independent author, and everyone who calls themselves a writer should have one.

Blogging is easy to learn and even easier to do. Blogging platforms like WordPress are very user-friendly and, what is best, FREE! Therefore, authors should make the best use of them.

I started a blog called First Year Counts (www.FirstYearCounts.com) where I was sharing my academic and professional experience. I was writing content that I knew was interesting to my audience. Every student wants to get top grades with minimum effort. Every student wants to become employable. My content had an audience.

But my blog would have probably existed quietly somewhere on the Net if I hadn’t shared it.

2. Share your blog

The best way to market your blog – and the cheapest one – is through social media. Therefore, every author – either known or unknown – should embrace the world of online sharing and communication.

This doesn’t mean, however, that you must sign up to ALL social media sites you can find – this way you will have no time left for writing. For the moment, stick to Facebook and Twitter. It will be more than enough, and the vast majority of your audience are on those sites anyway.

Next, find people who are most likely to be interested in your content. In my case, they were university students (mostly undergrads), so I found as many student-related groups and pages on Facebook as I could, ‘Liked’ the pages, joined the groups and started carefully sharing links to my articles. By ‘carefuly’, I mean that I asked permission to post first. Once I posted something without permission, a moderator of the page marked it as spam and Facebook banned me from posting anything on anyone’s wall for three weeks. You don’t want that, so always ask if you can share links on the page or in the group.

Sharing your content on social media has a double benefit: first, you get your work before the audience (here, tweet that if you want); secondly, interesting people can notice you. The latter happened to me – I got noticed by the managers of The Lecture Room – another website for students. They emailed me and proposed to write content for them. I agreed, and this is what I’ve been doing ever since. The work is unpaid, but I don’t mind. Writing for The Lecture Room has a number of benefits.

First of all, they have a better-looking, better-established platform. This saves me a lot of effort because I do not have to spend time or money developing my own platform. My website (First Year Counts) is much simpler, and I am content with it, but it does not have many of the features that The Lecture Room has. I am using First Year Counts as a secondary platform, where I post my articles after they have appeared on The Lecture Room. Secondly, I have total freedom regarding the content I can post there. I can promote my articles and market my books to all their regular readers.

This is end of Part 2. I will publish Part 3 in a few days’ time. If you liked this blog, why don’t you become the first one to find out about it? Sign up for an awesome Newsletter from EynhallowBooks by entering your email address below. You will also get my eBook manifesto ‘The Upside-Down Affair’ about what it means to have a relationship with your writing.

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Lessons in Self-Publishing. Part 1: Switching to Non-fiction

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Hello, everyone – and sorry for not writing for some time. 2012 has been a busy and productive year for me: I wrote and published three books. All three were non-fiction, targeted at students. Here are their pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Confusion to Conclusion: How to Write a First-Class Essay and How to Write a First-Class Dissertation are all about academic writing skills. They teach students how to write essays at university: how to research, plan an essay, structure it, answer the assignment question efficiently, etc. The books share quite a bit of content but are targeted at different audiences and tailored accordingly.

CAMP UK 10/2012. The Ultimate Post-2012 University Survival Guide is a totally different kettle of fish. It’s all about student employability. How can you gain valuable employability skills at university, from the first days of the first year? How can you stand out from the crowd by doing something extraordinary? This book answers these questions and gives students some useful tips on becoming more employable.

If you happen to know any students who might benefit from these books, feel free to share these links with them:

From Confusion to Conclusion: How to Write a First-Class Essay
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

How to Write a First-Class Dissertation
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

CAMP UK 10/2012. The Ultimate Post-2012 University Survival Guide
Amazon USA and Amazon UK

Why did I decide to write these books?

There were two main reasons why I decided to slow down with fiction and focus more on non-fiction. Here they are:

I believe in the topic

This is, in my view, one of the most important aspects of writing in general. Real writers believe what they write. Either fiction or non-fiction, it is real and important for them (here, feel free to tweet it). I believe in the liberating power of education. For example, having studied at university, I discovered a range of opportunities I had never heard of before. Having learnt about self-publishing and the power of blogging, I started doing something I had never thought was a part of a writer’s life. And being liberated feels good. I wanted others to experience that feeling, too.

I know about the topic

I have worked for three years as an academic writing mentor for my university. I spent 4 years at university (including a work placement) to get a first-class degree in a double subject – International Relations and English. Later, I spent another year doing an MA by distance learning. I published two academic papers whilst I was still an undergraduate, and published a third one shortly after my graduation. I presented my research at conferences. In other words, I’ve been there, done that, got the scars and bought a T-shirt. I know how academic assignment work. Moreover, I know how to make them work. I wanted to share my experience.

Lessons learnt:

1. Write about what you know

2. If you don’t know about it, research and learn. Then write.

3. Believe in what you’re writing. It’s one of the greater secrets of making an impact with words. (feel free to tweet it again!)

This is end of Part 1. I will publish Part 2 in a few days’ time. If you liked this blog, why don’t you become the first one to find out about Part 2? Sign up for an awesome Newsletter from EynhallowBooks by entering your email address below. You will also get my eBook manifesto ‘The Upside-Down Affair’ about what it means to have a relationship with your writing.

 

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Thanksgiving and Writing: The Importance of Saying ‘Thank You’

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Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans!

Source: http://www.piersonlibrary.org

It’s pretty late in the UK, where I’m based, and Thanksgiving is officially over in the Greenwich Time Zone. However, in the USA it’s still the 22nd of November. Therefore, I decided to write a post about the importance of being grateful.

Thanksgiving is much more than the President pardoning a turkey and you eating one. It is a family gathering, and one of the most important aspects of this evening is that you get to see your loved ones.

 

However, what can the feast of Thanksgiving teach you as a writer?

The largest existing source of free online knowledge says:

In the United States, the modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is commonly, but not universally, traced to a poorly documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts. The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest.

What is a good harvest for a writer? The number of books sold? The number of book reviews? The number of readers on his or her blog? The number of comments on the posts?

Source: http://www.skaneatelessuites.com

I think it’s all important. And for everything, each writer must be grateful.

I think I do not need to reiterate the importance of gratitude. It is something we are taught from early days; we mind our ‘P’s and ‘Q’s on a daily basis. It is a means of demonstrating respect and humility.

I also think that it is being grateful demonstrates professionalism as well as personal qualities, and when one is a writer, the importance of gratitude only increases.

So, whom should you thank, and when?

Source: http://www.buzzingup.com

The short answer is: everyone and always.

  • Whenever someone comments on your post
  • Whenever someone likes your Facebook status
  • Whenever someone says your book is great
  • Whenever someone writes a positive customer review

Readers love that level of personal engagement. It is a humbling experience when people say your work is good, but people also love receiving a short thank-you note.

So thank you for reading this post!

Roy Eynhallow.

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On Self-Publishing and Marketing. Interview with Author Entrepreneur Joanna Penn

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[Podcast will be coming soon]

Please forgive my cracking voice – the sound in Joanna’s responses is much better.

Joanna Penn is a thriller writer, the creator and director of The Creative Penn and the author of mystery thrillers Pentecost and Prophecy, the first two books in the ‘Arkane’ series.

I interviewed Joanna about her journey as a writer and a businesswoman, her success in self-publishing, landing a literary agent, and also asked her to give advice to all my readers and listeners.

Online Generosity, Social Karma and Literary Agents

    Joanna Penn

    Joanna Penn. Source: JoannaPenn.com

  • Joanna shares quality content with her fans on a regular basis. She is a big believer in social karma – you get back what you give, and recently all her (already very impressive) achievements were topped by landing a literary agent whilst attending Thrillerfest – a conference for thriller writers in New York.
  • However, this does not mean that Joanna Penn will stop self-publishing. Landing an agent is just another step, but by no means an end in itself. The journey continues, and Joanna will only remove her books from Amazon if she manages to sell the series through an agent to a publisher.
  • Sales figures are vital when talking to agents and publishers. Publishers are not a bunch of do-gooders who genuinely want to help authors get their work out there (if you are looking for people like these you, look for Jeff Goins, Joanna Penn and Roy Eynhallow). Publishers are there to make money – they are in a business. The same goes for literary agents. When Joanna approached them and said she was a self-published author, they gave her strange looks. However, when she said she had sold 40,000 copies in a year, they were much more interested.

Self-Publishing, Traditional Publishing and the Writer’s Goals

Joanna Penn's Books

  • After landing a literary agent, some people asked Joanna whether it was not easier just to send out query letters. After all, building a platform is a long and painstaking process. Joanna replied to this that she did not like waiting passively. Perhaps it took about the same time, but she was selling books and becoming known in the meantime. Plus, maybe if it were not for her sales, she would not have landed that agent!
  • Joanna also comments that 40,000 books is a relative figure. For some it’s a lot, and for some it’s nothing – there are authors like Amanda Hocking who sell one million books in a month. Moreover, each author has their own definition of success: for some it’s being on The New York Times’ bestsellers list, and for others it’s winning a literary prize.
  • However, there’s a figure that indicates you are a marketable writer: once you reach 20,000 book sales over a relatively short period of time, publishers do become interested.

Joanna Penn’s Writing Journey

  • Joanna Penn’s writing journey began in 2008. She had been working as an IT consultant and not enjoying her job at all. Then she wrote a book career change called How to Love Your Job or Find a New One (which she re-issued recently, including all her entrepreneurial experience). Here’s the Amazon UK link, by the way
  • However, after she had self-published the book, she realised that she had no marketing skills to sell it. Therefore, she started The Creative Penn and began researching marketing for self-published authors and blogging about it in the process.
  • Then Joanna joined NaNoWriMo and started writing her first novel. She liked it so much that she decided to make it her full-time job. The rest is history.
  • At the moment, Joanna is also speaking at events, teaching other people about writing and marketing for authors.

Research and Empowering the Author

  • One of the most significant lessons for Joanna was the importance of research. Her novels are research heavy, they cannot be written without getting some facts straight. Moreover, informative articles in her blog also need to be researched before they are written.
  • Another lesson that Joanna drew from her experience was the fact that self-publishing empowers the writer. There is no need to wait for someone to pick you. Everyone has a chance to pick themselves and start developing their craft, cultivating their talent and performing in public.

You can find Joanna Penn on her blog www.thecreativepenn.com, or on http://joannapenn.com. You can also ‘Like’ Joanna’s Facebook page and follow her on Twitter @thecreativepenn.

 

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Lara Biyuts: ‘Writers like me read dictionaries and Wikipedia’. Interview with a Russian-speaking author who writes in English

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Lara Biyuts (aka Lara Biuts, Larisa Biyuts) is a translator and writer from the Eastern Europe, author of gay themed novels and essays. She describes herself ‘a big fan of history, the English language and linguistic in general, who is always in online search, placing reliance on Facebook, the busy place like no other’.

I decided to interview Lara because I am fascinated with authors who have the courage to write in English, even though it is not their first language. Today, we are talking about her books and her path as a writer.

When did you decide to make a declaration that you are a writer?

A life-long and devouring reader, as far as remember, I was never about to put pen to paper regarding the business as a hardest work. But it changed on 23 April 2003, when I opened the novel Look at the Harlequins! in commemoration of Vladimir Nabokov’s birthday. ‘Come on! Play! Invent the world! Invent reality!’ Why not, I said to myself, all the more that the idea of my first novel was always on my mind, complete and in my heart, so, all what was needed was a pen in my hand, which could write the story down, and also a pen-craft would not be bad at all, in addition, but this latter could be replaced by my good literary taste. I began writing in English, which was rather bold of me, since my English was yet more lamentable than it is at present. However, the desire for writing was more powerful than any persuasion or common sense.

Why do you write in English? Do you write in Russian as well? Do you translate your works?

I write gay romances. Why? Let’s say after T. E. Lawrence, ‘I liked a particular Arab very much, and I thought that freedom for the race would be an acceptable present’ and I would add, ‘…for affection, Mistress of passion, sways it to the mood of what it likes or loathes,’ as Shakespeare said in his Merchant of Venice. Following Mikhail Bulgakov, I can say, ‘Follow me, reader! Who told you that there is no true, faithful, eternal love in this world! May the liar’s vile tongue be cut out! Follow me, my reader, and me alone, and I will show you such a love!’

Selective to my native literature, culture and pop-culture, I know enough not to be satisfied by the general modern day Russian attitude towards the main theme of my creative works. As a researcher, I can find some most precious history-related texts only in English. All my friends who share some of my interests, tastes and views, and who are nice to me, knowing of my grand designs and great expectations, are native English speakers. Translating my own writings is the best way for my creative works, in my view, which I do, to the best of my abilities.

What difficulties did you encounter when you first started writing in English?

My English syntax, which still is my problem, and my sorrow, if we believe, as Oscar Wilde said, ‘There is no such thing as moral or immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written.’

Tell me a bit about your books. What topics do you enjoy writing on? What are the main themes in your books, your favourite genres?

The main theme of my works is pursuit of pleasure, hedonism, and knowledge which is an essential part of my idea of pleasure. Reading tons of books and hardly finding a few books which I loved, I felt unsatisfied, and I realised that I should write my dream book, a new Pale Fire, ideally. My main character is not my alter ego; we differ, but our feelings about some things are similar. Often, in my everyday life, my motto is ‘Let my stomach burst, but I shall eat up these three desserts’ and my main character can be with me in that, but he loves his outward beauty more, and he is able to decline two desserts of the three. On the other hand, unlike he, I have never a thought of tasting any sort of alcohol or smoking. Unlike Wilde, I don’t believe that ‘The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it’ but Wilde’s quote ‘To get back one’s youth one has merely to repeat one’s follies’ never contradicted my views of life. Unable to be a new Coleridge, however much I try, I agree with Vladimir Nabokov, who said, ‘A work of art has no importance whatever to society. It is only important to the individual’. Unlike Alfred Douglas, in his sonnet The City of the Soul, I was never about ‘To clutch life’s hair, and thrust one naked phrase Like a lean knife through the ribs of time’ but I totally agree with Mikhail Bulgakov, who believed that ‘Cowardice is the most terrible of vices’.

Who are your influences? In other words, what do writers read?

Writers like me read dictionaries and Wikipedia. When you play words and ideas, we have to care about our syntax.

But what about literature? Who are your favourite writers?

My favorite writers… Chekhov with his short stories, humor and published Letters, Nabokov with the exception of his two last published works, Oscar Wilde, Ronald Firbank, Evelyn Waugh, W. Somerset Maugham, Plato, Petronius, Marcus Valerius Martial, John Dickson Carr, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie. Nabokov’s works made me follow his literary taste almost entirely. Marguerite Yourcenar’s brilliant work Memoirs of Hadrian changed my spiritual life (if I ever had it.) Evelyn Waugh is the best literary stylist for me. Chekhov is my first literary love. Oscar Wilde is my current icon. Agatha Christie, with her life and Autobiography, is my most outstanding British woman. And I’d love my prose to sound like the prose written by our great poet Marina Tsvetayeva.

What about modern literature? Who are your favourites among the modern ones?

As I think, it’s not so difficult to guess that my modern day favorite writer is me. But there are two writers whose manner and literary style I appreciate. Charles Bryant and Andrew Goodman from the UK. Their self-published works are available on the Net. That’s it, I have not my favorite writer among the living, but I have my favorite scholar. P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, one of the founding members of the Ekklesía Antínoou. Those of his writings which are available on the Net (Bibliotheca Alexandrina) such as “The Syncretisms of Antinous, Devotio Antinoo: The Doctor’s Notes” are for a wide range of readers. Lupus is author of poetry and fiction and he writes the blog AediculaAntinoi.wordpress.com. If I have the second life, I’d try to be a researcher like he. Thank you for the tremendous opportunity to answer your questions.

Thank you for your time, too!

Lara’s Blog http://revueblanche.blogspot.co.uk

You can find Lara’s writings on Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lasept

and on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3207603.Lara_Biyuts

I also asked Lara to provide my readers with a sample or two of her writing. Please see the samples below – her short stories and translated poetry:

Three Poems By Lara Biyuts

Three Short Stories by Lara Biyuts

Enjoy reading!

Roy Eynhallow.

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On Childhood Gardening and Writing Success

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I remember, when I was about five, I had my first experience of gardening. Our family had a small allotment outside the city, where we went every Saturday: my parents and grandparents tended the crops and fought the weeds, and my sister and I ran around and ate strawberries and currants right off the bush.

Source: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/allotment/index.htm

One day, in mid-September, as I was watching my dad busying himself with the plants, he turned to me and asked:

‘Hey, you’re a big boy now. Would you like to plant something by yourself?’

Of course I did! Imagine that – in our large garden, I would have something to call my own! Imagine this, my own gooseberry bush! Or even an apple tree! Actually, some flowers would be just as grand!

My dad gave me tulip bulbs. ‘Tulips are easy to plant and grow,’ he said. ‘Show me some good gardening skills with these, son. When you’ve managed to make these grow, I’ll give you some more difficult tasks.’

I was eager to prove myself. As if observing a ritual, I dug a hole in the fertilised soil and placed the bulbs there, covered them with earth and watered thoroughly.

Then I waited. Really, I waited for a long time – the entire half a day. Every now and again, I kept checking the earth but saw no signs of growth.

Tired of waiting, I dug the bulbs out and examined them closely. To my disappointment, nothing changed. They hadn’t even sprouted!

I sighed sadly, put them back into the hole, replaced the earth and went to the barrel behind our small plywood house to wash my hands.

That day was my last day in the garden that year. Later, I became busy with kindergarten and forgot about the tulip bulbs altogether. In the meantime, nature did not stop her clock: autumn came and the rain watered the bulbs; then winter arrived and snow covered them; in spring, as the sun warmed the earth, the first results of my work began to show.

I was totally unaware of all this, being too far from it, in the city. But when one day in spring I finally went to the garden with my parents, I saw them – bright spots of red and yellow on gracious green stems! They weren’t there last year.

‘What are those?’ I asked. ‘Where did they come from?’

‘Those are the tulips you planted last year,’ my dad said.

Source: growsonyou.com

It was the first time I learnt that results take time. Now, twenty years later, I am a writer and I have to learn this lesson over and over again.

When I just started blogging, I was awfully impatient and eager to see the result of my work:

 

 

  • I kept checking my blog stats several times a day;
  • I kept checking my email, Twitter and Facebook, hoping for new updates and new blog subscribers.
  • As a result, I kept wasting time on the internet instead of focusing on what I was supposed to do – writing!

Sometimes we all need to be reminded that success takes time – often much longer than we think. So, let’s make a declaration together:

Today I will stop wasting time on unnecessary trifles. I will stop worrying about the popularity of my blog and about the number of likes on my Facebook page. I will stop focusing on immediate results. I will keep working and let my audience and my success grow organically.

Because it’s not the stats that matter. If the page has 10,000 readers but only three of them have subscribed to your updates, the value of the page is zero. However, if you have only 1,000 readers but 600 of them comment regularly and are on your mailing list, you have a small but loyal audience! This is what matters.

I will try to write the best I can and publish it regularly. Good writing will attract loyal readers.

Are you ready to write for love and not for stats? Are you ready to accept that success comes slowly?

Stop focusing on immediate gains. Just enjoy writing!

Roy Eynhallow.

 

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Five Ways to Squeeze In Some Time for Writing

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Modern writers are busy people. To be able to afford writing full-time, one either has to be rich or depend on a high-earning spouse. Sadly, this is not the case for the majority of us: we have day jobs, university, families to take care of and there are many parts of everyday life that pull us away from writing.

Source: powerhomebiz.com

So, how do you find that time for writing that we all need so badly? Well, the only way to find time for something is to sacrifice some time you spend doing something else. Here’s what you can do:

1. Wake up one hour earlier

Sacrifice some sleep – the best way to do it is to wake up earlier, not to go to sleep later. Although some people work much better in the evening and at night, being bright and early is still better than burning the midnight oil.

Wake up one hour earlier than you usually do and spend that hour on nothing but writing. No eating, no drinking, no email-checking – just write. You will be surprised by how much you can achieve in one hour a day.

2. Write in transport

First of all, get yourself a notebook and carry it everywhere because you never know where a great idea might strike you. Next, start writing in that notebook as you sit on a bus or a train whilst travelling to work in the morning and home in the evening. I write both fiction and non-fiction, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve managed to complete two non-fiction books (23,000 and 28,000 words) mostly by writing in transport. If you are driving, get yourself a voice recorder and just record your thoughts in the car.

A great place to write? Source: heathrowterminal5.com

3. Whenever possible, write at work

If you find it hard to concentrate at home with your spouse, children and the dog around, write at work. For example, you could arrive at the office early to write something before your day starts, or stay behind after the official hours. Remember, every minute counts.

Another ‘legitimate’ time to write at the office is the lunch break. Chatting to your colleagues is fun, but the book won’t write itself – so grab a quick bite and open your trademark notebook. Coffee breaks are also a legitimate excuse to write more.

4. Avoid distractions

The broad term ‘distractions’ includes the following: email, Facebook, Twitter, TV, YouTube and other on-screen time‑suckers. Believe me, no one’s going to miss you on social networks if you switch them off for the evening – and the TV certainly won’t miss you. If you really feel you can’t write, spend your time reading.

It is advisable to use on-screen distractions only when you want to post something of value – and, at least when it comes to Facebook and Twitter, you can schedule updates in advance. It’s enough to spend a couple of hours per week doing only that and the rest of the week will be free!

Enjoy writing!

Roy Eynhallow.

P.S. Did you like this article? Do you know more ways to squeeze in some time for writing in a busy world? Feel free to share in the comments!

 

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The Owl’s Symphony. Chapter Three: The Man with a Steel Hand

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Hello, Everyone!

Finally, after many months of waiting and pondering, I decided to share my novel with you.

I am planning to publish a chapter every weekend, either on Saturday or on Sunday.

It is not finished yet, but I’ve got about 47,000 words and more is yet to come.

The novel is called “The Owl’s Symphony”. Enjoy reading!

[The link to the main page with links to all the chapters is Here] 

Chapter Three

The Man with a Steel Hand

Here never shines the sun; here nothing breeds,
Unless the nightly owl or fatal raven.

William Shakespeare,
The Tragedy of Titus Andronicus

April 1954. Edinburgh, Scotland.

‘What do you mean, he’s dead?’

The Conductor was standing at the window with his back to the black-clad man who was kneeling in the middle of the room. The night was covering the city that was once again sprawling before him; through the veil of fog he could make out the city lights – blurred and ghostly, like the souls burning in hell. The hell was still distant and yet inevitable. It was him who would create it.

The Conductor lifted his right hand and contemplated it against the glass. Human flesh ended at the wrist, where it was joined by steel. The palm was made of small shiny plates that lay, covering each other like scales of a snake; the fingers were composed of elaborately forged joints. It seemed as if he was wearing an armoured glove.

He tried moving his fingers; the joints obeyed him smoothly, without even a tiniest click.

‘It’s a masterpiece!’ he whispered to himself. He had it attached to his arm over a year ago and had finally mastered basic movements; yet, there was a long way to go until he would achieve absolute control of it. The loss of the right hand was the loss he mourned every day.

The Conductor’s memory flashed back to his time in Switzerland. The surgeon from whose private clinic you could see Lake Geneva cut his stump of the arm open and attached his nerves to the most delicate wires. He promised only basic control of the hand. But the Conductor’s control over the doctor was full.

Four Charmers were in the operation theatre that day. Four instruments. Four loyal performers. Four countries of origin. They played a piece that he had composed. That was his request, those were his conditions. The physician had been warned: if he went against the patient’s will, he would die immediately, regardless of whether the operation was finished or not. He knew they meant it. He knew that he was dealing with one of the most powerful men in the world.

‘What do you mean, he’s dead?’ the Conductor repeated, turning to face his servant who was still kneeling on the floor. Fear was in his eyes; acceptance in his face.

‘He killed himself. Drank poison,’ the servant replied.

‘And he also destroyed his piano, am I right?’ the Conductor asked. There was no anger in his voice, just calm, soft-paced derision.

‘He shot himself in the arm…’ the answer came.

‘He shot himself in the arm!’ the Conductor repeated in a mocking tone, cutting his servant off. ‘And smeared his blood all over the instrument and set fire to it! Was it like that? Tell me, Orias, was it like that?’

The servant silently nodded.

‘I have got some good news for you, Orias,’ the Conductor said, looking down at the man. Orias looked back up at his Master, hope glistening in his eyes. ‘No, my dear servant, it’s not about the punishment. That is still happening. It’s about your life. I will spare it this time.’

Orias fell on the floor, face down and sprawled himself in an act of gratitude.

‘Thank you, Master! Thank you!’ he whispered.

‘This is how it works, Orias. If an instrument is manufactured by one of us, a sacred, unbreakable, bond is created. Such an instrument is destined for eternal life – unless there is a blood sacrifice. Then an instrument dies and so does its power. And you let it perish, just like this! But the piano was not part of your mission. It was Langford I wanted. How did he manage to attack you, Orias?’ the Conductor asked, raising his eyebrows.

The servant was silent. The Conductor did not expect him to know the answer. He himself, on the other hand, knew it.

‘What your target did not take into account was that I know why he burnt the piano. He burnt it to leave a message to someone. The good news, Orias, is that your target lied. There is at least another one of us in the country – and I know who he is, although I don’t know the contents of the message. You will receive the man’s details later: he will become your target. And this time you’re not working alone. I am sending one of my Charmers with you.’

‘Yes, Master,’ Orias said, nodding. The Conductor pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and threw them onto the ground at Orias’ knees.

‘For now… go there and shackle yourself,’ he ordered quietly, pointing towards the wall, where heavy chains hung from the walls on rusty bolts. ‘This will be better for you, trust me. Otherwise your hands might want to rip your own throat in the process.’

Orias stood up without a sound and did as he was told. The Conductor walked towards the corner of the room and brought a back case into the middle of the room. Four locks clicked and the cover swung open. The Conductor’s left, healthy hand touched the polished wood inside the case. The steel hand took the bow. He could never stop admiring how smoothly it worked.

His mind still retained the memories of the day when he received it.

‘You will require general anaesthesia,’ the surgeon said. The Conductor shook his head.

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Please, with all due respect… I implore you to listen to my experience and your common sense. I am going to cut your arm open!’

‘Administer enough to keep me conscious,’ the Conductor replied. ‘I want to see what you’re doing!’

The physician nodded curtly and began filling the syringe. The needle slid under the Conductor’s skin and he felt the woolly warmth of the drug spread in his veins.

‘Begin!’ he ordered to the Charmers. The music flowed from their instruments, sweeter, more numbing and more intoxicating than morphine would ever be. As blood surged from his veins, the music surged in, electrifying him… As if through the fog, the Conductor could see the surgeon’s terrified face.

The music became louder. It was an ecstatic piece: the Conductor was proud of it. The doctor had no idea what this music was doing to him. He, on the other hand, was fully aware of the feelings the doctor experienced. Everything was written in his face!

A fifteen-year-old boy was alone in the pine forest. The night was warm and full of sound. Buzzing crickets, rustling leaves, weird whispers… everything blended into a wild symphony of the woods. Suddenly a shadow emerged from the trees and swished through the air, emitting a lonely cry.

Owls.

Disconnected staccato hoots filled the night. The boy watched them with fascination in his eyes, sitting silently in the grass and listening. The clouds parted, giving way to the pale-faced moon. Light gently touched the boy’s face. If anyone could see him at this moment, one particular detail would leave the witness surprised: unlike with most people, smiling did not enlighten his face, did not make his features pleasant; on the contrary, it seemed as if cheer distorted the lines in his face, the eyebrows fronted, the nose became a hooked vulture’s beak and the teeth were bared in a beastly grin…

The vision ended in a blinding flash of sweet, giddy swelling pain. The Conductor’s eyes flew open and he saw the exposed nerves connecting with the wires in the steel glove. The music rose to a crescendo. A surge of current ran through his body. He could not tell whether it was electric or of some other origin. He did not care.

The man of Mediterranean features was recoiling towards the whitewashed wall. He wanted to run. Even more, he wanted to turn back time. Neither of the two was possible.

‘Thank you for all you’ve given to me, Master,’ the Conductor said, placing his exquisite hands on the strings. ‘But it’s time for our ways to part: I am going into the wide world. You are going to hell!’

The melody was simple. The Conductor closed his eyes in delight, the smile disfiguring his face, and kept playing. Orias writhed in pain, jerking in the chains and ripping his skin where the handcuffs closed on his wrists.

‘Kill me, Master!’ he howled, overpowering the music. ‘Kill me, please! Please, finish me here and stop it!’

Four other people stood in the four corners of the room, watching a twitching and screaming figure at the distant wall. The Conductor knew what all of them were thinking at that moment: I will never dare disobey my Master.