A Bit More About Reviews

A Bit More About Reviews

Do you like to share your journey with others? I do because I know there are other writers and authors who are just starting out on a similar journey and I feel that by sharing the highs and lows of writing, I can somehow help and support them. On one of my previous posts I talked about reviews. Since then I have been asked a few questions about the process and how to deal with reviews.

During the writing to publishing process it is necessary to get reviews. It is an interesting phenomenon that many people base their buying decisions on the opinions of others. I look at it as a tribal mentality. People feel safer when other people offer opinions. There must be some deep-rooted psychological reasons for that.

So this week my books went out for review. This means that random people, who I have never met, listen to the audio versions of these books and post their opinions. When I first took part in this process I found it horrifying. When I say horrifying there were times I wanted to re-write a whole book based on the feedback. Over time I hardened up and realised that reviews were opinions based on people lives and where they were 'at' when they were writing the review. I doubt anyone would write a nice review after stubbing a toe or having a stressful day at work. The way that I dealt with it: I decided that I loved writing the books and releasing them. The reviews were simply part of a promotional process. If they were good then great, if they were absolutely hideous then I would go and do something nice like paddle-boarding  to reward myself for being able to accept 'criticism.'

The thing is all authors are vulnerable because they open their hearts and souls to the world. They are being intellectually intimate with strangers. I actually wonder whether readers are aware of how they literally step into another person's inner world and what a privilege that is. Of course on the other side of the coin is being able to allow people access into your inner world.

The thing is reviews provide approval, disapproval and are part of the process. I have listed the three that I have received this week for Tingle Dingle and The Little Mischiefs. Guess which one was the one that caught my attention. Which one would capture your attention? It is funny isn't it?

Mary Karowski 06-30-16

"Wonderful story wonderful message"     

Great story. The author hit it on the nose. Great tale to keep kids out of mischief. I don't know if the book itself is illustrated but if it
Is I can just imagine the wonderful done scenes of the story. Well written well narrated. Straight to the pint and great for kids of all ages. I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookboom in exchange for an unbiased review

                                      

 

Tanya M. Spiegel Miami, Florida07-01-16

"Just ok"

I wanted to give this a great review. However, it did not hold either of my children's attention. The story also ended very abruptly. I wish the writer had given a little more at the end. It is rather a frightening book from my perspective as a mother being that the mischief makers in the end leave Tinkle crying and bound up. I care for foster children that didn't sit well with me at all. I received this book for free for an honest review. I liked the fact the author was heading for a good ending it was the abruptness of the ending and how it ended I struggled with.

  

   

Susan L. Daniels 06-17-16   

"Nice book for my grandchildren"

Where does Tingle Dingle and the Little Mischiefs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I haven't listened to very many but I loved the way the narrator added sound effects. Even though this is a childrens' book I thorough enjoyed listening to it.

What did you like best about this story?

The sound effects

What about Triera Holley’s performance did you like?

Her voice is soothing and clear.

For all those new writers that are entering the world of publishing, find your own way to work with the reviews. Some other author friends of mine simply don't bother looking. They said they created the work and put it into the world. That work then has to fend for itself...

Personally I now use the reviews to find ways to grow and improve. I like honest feedback and in truth I desire to provide my readers with the best books I can. That is easier if I listen to feedback, process it and then intend to create something more wonderful with the next piece of work.

Enjoy my books at the following link:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

NEW RELEASE: TINGLE DINGLE AND THE LITTLE MISCHIEFS

 https://www.amazon.com/Tingle-Dingle-Little-Mischiefs-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G9C0XC2?ie=UTF8&keywords=Ruby%20Allure&qid=1465049617&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

NEW RELEASE: THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY

https://www.amazon.com/Hairy-Legged-Mystery-Ruby-Allure-ebook/dp/B01G2C0Y9Q?ie=UTF8&qid=1465049724&ref_=sr_1_2&s=digital-text&sr=1-2

The Lost and The Found

The Lost and The Found

Have you ever worked really hard on something only to have it disappear never to be seen again?
Have you ever had that gut-wrenching feeling that something you loved creating would never see the light of day? This is what happened to me about ten years ago. I changed from using a mac to a pc (I know). My old mac died and the plug converter broke. Since it was such an old school mac I could not find another converter. When that mac died it took with it around six years of writing. Imagine  if you had spent two years writing a book and three of those were lost which added up to six years worth of work. What made it worse was five scripts also disappeared into dead digital ether. Yes I did do back up files; however, this was at a time when windows could not convert to the coding effectively and I ended up with pages of what appeared to be Greek letters. What made it worse was that I had put my heart and soul into those three books.

Well after my holiday in Thailand, I had a real craving for one of the books. To the point that I considered writing the whole thing again from scratch. It is odd really because a book is part of you until you release it to the world. It is only by experiencing completion, that you feel free to move on. I don't know whether this happens for other authors. These three books have been niggling me over the last year. They have been lurking in my unconscious desiring completion. What could I do?

Well the last couple of weeks I have been off work with Deep Vein Thrombosis. The advice was to keep moving rather than sit around. So in my time off,  which I don't have that much of, I decided on simplicity. On holiday I had read about Simplicity and it resonated to the point where it felt like the way forwards. So what did I do? I cleared and cleaned and then cleared some more. There was such a sense of release and I feel I have developed anti-stuffism. Think about it - what does an author really need? So while I was clearing out I found my old back up C.D's and gazed upon them sadly. I considered just binning them; however, I thought I would put them on my old laptop and transfer the files to my hard drives. I then looked at the files and thought - I should give conversion one last try. My old files were CWK files which I wanted as DOCS. Well I typed this into Google and a fabulous chap had miraculously provided a step by step guide and guess what? They all converted almost perfectly. Honestly the joy I felt about resurrecting those books and knowing they could be completed and released was beyond comprehension. I felt as though I had had a huge lottery win. I know.... I literally jumped around with joy because I had loved writing those books. There was one in particular that was such a fun book. So now I simply have to do a final edit and three more of my fun fictions can enter the digital publishing world. That in itself is completion and I often wonder whether these books purposely chose to be dormant. The reason I say this was that one of the books talks about survival (it's a children's book) and over the last five years my brother has become obsessed with survival skills. He talks endlessly about it. So much so I could probably survive on a remote island through his repetitious conditioning. I even purchased a fire stick just in case... Yep - I really did that and it still resides amongst my minimalist possessions. So all that he has talked about can be written into the book before release. With all that is mind I am celebrating... the discovery of my lost novels and the release of THE HAIRY-LEGGED MYSTERY, which comes out tomorrow.
In celebration of all of the above - I have put my Kindle books on COUNTDOWN DEALS from the 25th May 2016 Yipee!

LINK TO AMAZON KINDLE: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ruby-Allure/e/B00M9Y4GAA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1464019564&sr=8-1

Oh and the cover for The Hairy-Legged Mystery:

FUN!!!!

Harnessing the power of your Passion

Harnessing the power of your Passion

Today I have been enjoying everything I feel passionate about... And because of this I thought 'hey why not share the passion and inspire others to live their passion too?' With that in mind, I  created a scribe about passion. In fact I am being passionate about passion. I have to say I could almost bounce about the room. I hope this inspires you. I hope you love it and I hope you access your energy and drive to create great things in this world! Yipee!

Oh and please share on every media available...

I have put calm music on this version because I added music to the first one which charged me and then almost had to go for a run to calm the energy. I know... You know what? Tell me which one you like the best! If you have to go and create something wonderful with the energy it gives you then it has worked! Love it!

You can find my books at the following link: Ruby Allure books on Audible:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

New Year - New Writing - Get Started!

AUDIBLE BOOK AVAILABLE HERE:

 

LINK TO BUY ON AUDIBLE:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/A-Short-Course-In-Creative-Writing-Audiobook/B012OVUKE8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1443260320&sr=1-1

 

LINK TO PAPERBACK ON AMAZON.COM

A Short Course in Creative Writing
by Ms Ruby Allure
Link: http://amzn.com/1517234832

 

Link to Ruby Allure books on Audible:

http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_hp_tseft?advsearchKeywords=Ruby+allure&filterby=field-keywords&x=0&y=0

Labyrinthine Chapters 7-9

Labyrinthine

TO LISTEN ON AUDIBLE: http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Labyrinthine-Audiobook/B011N0QVN0/ref=a_search_c4_1_3_srTtl?qid=1445681627&sr=1-3#publisher-summary

 

 

CHAPTER 7 

The answerphone beeped. Olivia listened to the message and glanced at the intruder; it stood with its arms folded shaking its head. “Don’t trust him. His tone reveals he’s a liar.”

Olivia ignored the comment as she grappled to sit upright. “You know what? I don’t get this... What are you doing here? What do you want from me? If it’s money...”

“Why does it always have to be about money? Do I look as though I have the slightest interest in shiny pieces of metal?”

What did that mean? “Then…?”

“As I said... I’m waiting.” The person in black paused and glanced out of the window and back to the hourglass in front of it.

“Are you some kind of weird stalker of ex-child prodigies?” asked Olivia.

“God, no!” The intruder leant against the wall and sighed. “Do you understand the concept of timing?”  

“In relation to what?” asked Olivia glancing at the door.

“Don’t bother thinking about escape. There isn’t time... And the timing is in relation to the universe,” it responded.

What did it mean? How could she get out? She squinted and touched the back of her head. It was still painful. Olivia frowned; the intruder was real, wasn’t it?

 

 

CHAPTER 8

 

The art agent clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “She’s done it again! How many times do I have to endure this behaviour?”

Richard, the agent, attacked his mobile phone and pressed re-dial.

“She’d better be on her way! Or... or I’ll...” he muttered. Unconsciously he stamped on the black and white patterned marble floor of the gallery. The phone rang.

“This is Olivia, please leave a message,” said the answering machine clicking on.

“Where the bloody hell are you? Get your pathetic arse over here now! I will not take this shit anymore! You will get here and put this exhibition together or we both lose everything!” he yelled. When he was finished, he snapped the phone shut. Smack! It collided with the floor. The agent loosened his collar; beads of sweat caressed his forehead and dribbled down his nose. Clasping his chest, he groaned and swayed.

 

CHAPTER 9

 

Olivia’s instinctive response was to recoil while the verbal darts flew from the answer machine.

The intruder appeared entertained by her response.

Silence.

Smiling, the intruder watched the last few golden grains trickle through the timer.

“That’s it, my timing’s done,” it said calmly. 

“No! What? You held me at gunpoint so my bloody arsehole of an agent could have a go at me? What kind of weirdo are you?” she demanded.

The intruder turned its back on her and shook the hourglass.

“Yep, the timing is perfect. Time to go. We did well. Er… Thank you.”

She flushed red. “Wait! What are you and who are you working for? Why did you do this?” 

With its back to her, the intruder removed its dark glasses. For a moment, it paused and blinked a couple of times.

Olivia recoiled, “What the...?” She dug her fingers into the carpet and jammed her feet into the floor. Her instinct was to escape but all she could manage was to shake her head.

“I work for someone higher. I am known as the Connector and the timing is falling out,” it said casually. “It’s all got a bit chaotic, usually I wouldn’t take such measures…”

“You’re mad!”

The Connector’s thin lips curled. “Believe what you wish.”

Olivia shifted to kneeling. “What on earth are you?” asked Olivia, tears trickling down her cheeks.

The Connector waited, it expected the inevitable.

Urgently, she grabbed her stomach and suppressed a wave of nausea. Goosebumps prickled all over her body.

It glanced back at the hourglass, “I have overstayed my ‘time’ and witnessing my eyes will help you in the future - we will meet again.”

“But I don’t want to meet again!”

“The conscious choice is not yours and it will be a much nicer experience next time. I won’t bring the weapon.”

Olivia hugged herself; the Connector’s eyes were large and clear. They were so beautiful, so turquoise. Yet there was something missing.

The Connector gestured, “By seeing my eyes you will know what you are looking for - what is extra in you and what I am missing. You are now on a search for Retina Blue: it will be the genius behind your work. Think of it as a divine gift.”

It paused and gazed into her eyes, “You are very lucky - if luck exists,” it smirked.

“Retina Blue? What on earth does that mean?” she asked in a dazed tone.

“I said our time is up! The rest is up to you.” The Connector turned towards the window, paused for a second and glanced back.

“Olivia, consider the people you have in your life. A lot of them are arseholes. Time to clear them out! Transformation is coming!” It grinned, waved, ran and then jumped.

Olivia scrambled urgently to standing and sprinted towards the window. Her glance navigated one hundred and eighty degrees. Nothing. It had disappeared... How was that possible?

The space between the ground and the window was empty. There was no evidence and nowhere for it to go. Nothing. The only other visible living entity was a squawking raven perched on a chimney of the apartment block across the street.

“Go to routine Olivia,” she whispered to herself.

 

To listen to Labyrinthine on audible:

http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Sci-Fi-Fantasy/Labyrinthine-Audiobook/B011N0QVN0/ref=a_search_c4_1_3_srTtl?qid=1445681627&sr=1-3#publisher-summary

 

CHAPTER 4 - A Short Course In Creative Writing

A Short Course In Creative Writing

 

 

CHAPTER 4

 

Character Construction and Consideration.

Characters are the crucial to the writing of excellent fiction and non-fiction. Characters who are dull, two dimensional and lifeless do not engage the reader, that is, unless there is purpose behind the dullness or lifelessness. Readers are usually fascinated by quirks, mystery and curiosity. A level of identification is also useful to enable identification with the character.  One of the easiest ways to create an interesting character is to create a biography (a character history) of that character. You may like to consider the following when building your character:

Note: you can use these considerations for real or imagined characters.

·         Attitude

·         Posture

·         Tattoos

·         Accent

·         Origin

·         Gender

·         History

·         Wealth

·         Religion

·         Height

·         Build

·         Job/career

·         Addictions – drinking, smoking, coffee, sex or food?

·         Hairstyle

·         What activities do they do?

·         How do they maintain themselves?

·         What is their choice of clothing?

·         What period of time were they born?

·         What do they eat? What is their favourite food?

·         What are their ambitions?

·         What motivates them?

·         Who are their friends?

·         Have they made any sacrifices?

·         Have they suffered hard times?

·         What makes them who they are?

·         Who would they like to be?

·         Where do they go on holiday?

·         How do they cope with stress?

·         What makes them stressed?

·         Do they exercise? What sort of exercise?

·         Inner world/outer world.

·         What kind of house do they live in?

·         Are they single or married?

·         Do they have children?

·         Do they suffer from any ailments?

·         Victim, rescuer or persecutor?

·         Why are they interesting?

·         Are they overweight or underweight?

·         Why would anyone want to read about them?

·         What are their fears?

·         What is the worst situation you could put them in?

·         If they had to confess one thing what would they confess?

·         What are their quirks?

·         Do they fall into a stereo type or cliché?

·         What are their flaws?

·         What are their hobbies?

·         Satisfaction level – happy and content versus angry and discontent?

·         What would their friends say about them?

·         What would their mum say about them?

·         How do they justify their behaviour?

·         What makes them laugh?

Consider the below approaches:

1) Sometimes it is easier to find a picture that resembles the character you intend to create. Try browsing through art books that feature portraits. Family photos, magazines and the Internet are great resources for finding inspiring faces.

2) When writing about the character consider all the senses. How do they appear? What stands out? How does the person talk? Accent, tone of voice, stutter? What smells come to mind? What aftershave or perfume would they choose? How would you describe their skin, hair, clothes and posture?

3) Consider the people around you including friends, relatives and co-workers. When you write what you know it is more convincing. Real life is often more interesting than the imagined. Using what you know, try combining character traits of those who you like and dislike.

4) An individual exists beyond the moment and so should your character. Build the personality outside the story. Consider their past, present and future. Accumulate as many details as possible until you really know that person. Consider them in different situations, on a train, in a lift, at a party or dealing with a crisis.

5) Look at the inner traits of the character versus how they are appear. What the character conceals makes them interesting too. What is the character’s inner dialogue? What is the character trying to conceal from the world?

All of the above will help you develop a more three dimensional character.

6) A basic character sketch can include:

·         Physical description

·         Career

·         Partner/Ideal partner

·         What makes them angry and what makes them happy

·         Strengths and weaknesses

·         Hobbies

·         Fears & Hopes

·         History

·         Family

·         Dreams

·         Quirks

·         Attributes

7) Consider using metaphors and do your best to avoid stereotypes. The most vicious bully could be in the guise of the sweetest little girl instead of the more obvious bulldog-featured man. Also the character who is willowy can be considered metaphoric for flexibility and lenience. The rigid character can be considered stubborn or resistant.

8) It is often the case that the best loved characters have the most obvious flaws. A character with flaws, quirks and emotions is far more interesting than those who are perfect. Consider positive and negative traits. The villain who evokes sympathy because of their flaws is far more powerful and interesting than someone who is simply vile and rotten to the core. Imagine a character who desperately wants to be kind but when the kindness is not noticed they become angry.

9) Avoid being too obvious. It is all very easy to re-create characters that we have been influenced by; however, the fun is pushing them and making them more interesting.

10) The general consensus of opinion is that perfect characters are not that interesting. So have fun using contradictions and polarities. Take for example the cleaner who does not wash or the gourmet chef who lives on fast food.

EXERCISE FOR CHARACTERS:

Write two positive traits such as kindness and compassion. Now write one negative trait such as anger or jealousy. Use these traits to describe one of the characters you have in mind.

To make the characters more complex write three positive traits like cheerful, optimistic and gentle with two negative traits such as a compulsive liar and manipulator. Take these to a character you have in mind and write the character with these traits. See what happens and where your character leads you.

LINK TO SOUNDCLOUD

https://soundcloud.com/ruby-allure/creativewriting-edit-99-retail-sample-mastered

 

 

LINK TO BUY ON AUDIBLE:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Self-Development/A-Short-Course-In-Creative-Writing-Audiobook/B012OVUKE8/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1443260320&sr=1-1

 

LINK TO PAPERBACK ON AMAZON.COM

A Short Course in Creative Writing
by Ms Ruby Allure
Link: http://amzn.com/1517234832