MY WRITING PROCESS

As writers are regularly asked about their writing process, I’ve decided to use this blog to talk about the process of writing CLOSER BY MORNING.

To plan or not to plan? The eternal question for anyone writing a novel. Jackie Collins, one of my favourite authors, claimed that she never planned a single one of her books. That she made everything up as she went along. I have great admiration for authors who work that way, but it’s never been successful for me. I don’t think my memory is good enough. Heck, I can barely remember what I did last weekend, let alone a plot point I might have started writing six months ago. So planning is crucial when I start a book.  For Closer by Morning, I began with an outline of the full story. I’ve heard writers say that they feel stifled if they have to stick to a plan, but I would never set out on an unknown journey without consulting a route planner and I can’t start a book without a plan.  The finished book rarely turns out exactly how I intended but I have to know where I’m going for at least the first two thirds of the way.

Closer by Morning took about two weeks to outline, though the process began much earlier than that with character sketches, scenes ideas, research etc in my note book.  With all my notes assembled I typed up the synopsis and character profiles – everything I would need to refer back to over the coming months.

I often begin my first draft writing in long hand. There are several reasons for this. Mainly, it allows me to take my time and really get into the story and characters. I’ve always found writing with pen and paper to be more involving. Also my day job involves staring at a computer screen for 7.5 hours a day.  When I write in the evening and on my days off, I want to escape from all that. It has it’s draw backs, mainly in that it’s a lot slower. If I wrote entirely on a computer, I could probably finish a first draft in around three to four months. The first draft of Closer by Morning took six months. I didn’t write it all in longhand, but around two thirds. By that stage, all of the characters were established, I knew where the story was going.

First draft of Closer by Morning in long hand

Around this point I began to deviate from the plan. Not massively. The book still ends more or less where I intended it to, but I took a few detours along the way. One character, intended to be relatively minor, began to push forward and demand a bigger role in the finale. Who was I to refuse?

With my first draft complete and fully transcribed to the computer, it was time to take a break. Revision benefits from a little distance. I wrote a short story, Love in Portofino, which was recently published in Bold Strokes Books anthology Men in Love, before beginning my second draft. Let me say one thing first: I HATE second drafts. They’re hard. You realise how far from perfect your original version is. You have to slog through it, line by line, trying to make it better. (I once wrote an entire novel that went nowhere because I hated the second draft so much. It’s now in a box in the garage and unlikely to be seen again) Closer by Morning wasn’t the toughest second draft but it was no picnic either. I was determined to make it work and overhauled the whole manuscript in about four weeks.

The drafts pile up

After that I took another short break to concentrate on my submission package; drafting a cover letter and a clear synopsis. I also drew up a list of publishers I thought might be interested in the book. I’ve self-published before, but because this was a new genre for me, I wanted the backing and support of a traditional publisher. Self-publishing would always be there as a back up but I was determined to put the book through the submission process before resorting to that.

Then it was back to the third draft. This was really just a polish. The tough worked had been done in draft 2, so I was only looking to refine things in this pass and it took about two weeks. Following that, it was one final proof read before sending the book out for submission.

All in all, I started writing the first draft in January and competed the final draft in August. It was a very intense, focused time. I’m not one of those writers who likes to have two or three projects on the go at any one time. What I’m trying to say is that I start something and I finish it before moving on to something new. That’s my process.

And now it really is finished. Closer by Morning is already available exclusively for early release through Pride Publishing. I hope you enjoy it.


https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/closer-by-morning

The Inspiration for CLOSER BY MORNING

The inspiration for CLOSER BY MORNING

Closer by Morning was originally born from a desire I had to write something different from what I’d done before. I’d been pondering the idea of  MM novel for some time without ever setting anything down on paper.  Towards the end of 2014 I decided I was ready for a new direction; a new pen name, a new genre and new stories. It was time to get started.

I wanted to write a MM love story within the genre of a thriller. I was also determined to set the story where I lived, in Durham. So many books are set in the same major cities – London, New York, Rome etc.  Why not Durham? It’s smaller than those other cities, but is just as beautiful. Dating all the way back to 995 AD, it’s steeped in history. The mixture of ancient streets and modern design make the perfect location for a contemporary thriller like this one.

PHOTOS – Durham

Despite the location I wanted to bring a bit of Hollywood glamour to my local city. This came in the form of one of my hero’s – the gorgeous Dale Zachery. Dale is an American actor who has known some success but his career is stuck in a rut, until he lands the lead role in a UK TV series. Dale is filming that show in Durham, putting him right at the heart of the action. Dale is a great character – he’s sexy, warm and funny. Unfortunately he’s stuck firmly in closet. Now that his career is finally on the up, he can’t afford to jeopardise it by coming out.

For the hunky American actor, I knew I had to have a sexy local boy. Matt Blyth is a successful lawyer. He’s young, smart and great looking. Matt is completely comfortable with himself and out to everyone he knows. Being in the closet holds no interest for him. When Matt and Dale meet, they ignite sparks.

They meet when a killer is prowling the streets of Durham. A sadistic predator who preys on young men. Men just like them.

While I knew the things I wanted to include in the story, there were also things I definitely didn’t want in there. I’m not a fan of angsty love stories. I read a lot of books where the characters spends most of their time bickering and arguing about nothing. Seriously, if I ever met one of those crazy boys who fly into a rage at the slightest misunderstanding, I would dump his ass. Dale and Matt had to fall in love and want to be together, not bitch about nothing the whole time. That meant the conflict had to something external – a very real danger. The Durham Strangler.

How did their stories play out and entwine? Well, I had a fabulous time finding out; developing themes and relationships. It was an absolute thrill ride.  I had so much fun writing Closer by Morning and I hope you’ll have feel exactly the same when you read it.

 

Available to pre-order now in both ebook and paperback formats.

Pride Publishing
Amazon UK
Amazon USA 

CLOSER BY MORNING is almost here

I’m very happy to announce that my new novel Closer by Morning is available to pre-order now from the Pride Publishing website.  This has been a long time coming and I’m so happy that the book is finally done and about to be published.  I started writing this novel in January 2015 and the fine line edits were completed just last week. Phew.  When the book goes on general release at the beginning of August it’ll have had a whopping 20 months start to finish process. Obviously it hasn’t been constant work all that time. I submitted the book to Pride last August and we only started working on the edits this spring, but it’s still been a lengthy process.

Passion and love bring them together. Murder could tear them apart.
When Matt Blyth, a handsome young lawyer, joins an early morning boot camp, all he wants is to get in shape. His thirtieth birthday is approaching fast. He’s ready to throw away the past and embrace a new future. The last thing he expects is to fall in love…or become embroiled in murder.
Dale Zachary, an American actor, is stuck firmly in the closet. He spent his twenties playing good-looking jocks in bad horror films and romantic comedies. But that boy-next-door act has a limited shelf life. Dale lands the role of his career playing a sexy, psychotic killer in a major British TV series. It’s a part that could make him a star. It’s no time to fall in love, but when Dale meets Matt, the attraction is impossible to resist and they both fall hard.
Someone is killing young men in the city. A killer like no other. The murders bear an uncanny resemblance to the script Dale is shooting. A devious mind is at work. As their relationship becomes more complex, Matt and Dale find the murders intruding further into their lives. The killer is closing in on his next target. It could be either one of them…or both.


Available to pre-order now in both ebook and paperback formats.

Pride Publishing
Amazon UK
Amazon USA

Multi Tasking - Why's It So Hard?

Multi tasking has never been one of my strengths. I’m a typical male in that respect. I can just about cope with a couple of different pans on the cooker top but anything beyond that is a stress. I like to do one thing at a time and see it through from start to finish. That’s not always easy for a writer with approaching deadlines and this last two weeks I’ve found myself having to juggle two projects, a novel and lengthy short story, both of which are at the stage of writing that I enjoy the least – the second draft.  Urgh, how I hate the second draft. It’s hard. True, it’s where the writing is shaped into something worth reading but it’s such demanding work.

I’m not under any great deadline with the novel, other than what I’ve imposed on myself, but the short story has to be ready by the end of May. I’d already started rewriting the novel when I realised I had to get cracking on the story. The easy thing to do would have been to take a break from the novel while I polished the story. But that’s another thing I don’t like to do with my writing – take breaks. I’ve learned the hard way that if I take a break from something it loses momentum. Other ideas start to surface and demand attention. Characters appear with stories that they want to be written. And writing is the fun part. More exciting than rewriting. If I take a break from something, either it doesn’t get finished or I have to start it all over again. So stopping is not an option.

So here I am, multi tasking with two stories on the go.  And I underestimated how hard that is. After an eight hour shift at the day job, to come home and focus on whichever story I have that day. Whoa, it makes my head hurt. I’ve heard some writers talk gleefully about having four or five stories on the go at any one time. There’s no way I could cope with that. Maybe if I wrote full time but unlikely. I tried that once before and it didn’t work out. I can’t cope with my own company all day every day. I drove myself mad and had no choice but to get out and find something else to do. If anything I was less productive when I wrote full time. I’ve written more while working a day job than I ever did as a stay at home writer.

I’m trying to work alternate days on each piece so it doesn’t have a chance to go stale. Hopefully I’ll have the story licked by early next week and focus on one thing at a time.

Rant over. I hope everyone who read The Players enjoyed it. I’m happy to say I wrote that story some time ago and didn’t have to juggle the instalments along with everything else. I’ll put a full ebook version online as soon as I’ve given it one final polish. Hopefully in the next two weeks.

Closer by Morning is still on track for publication this August with Pride Publishing. I’ll provide more info on the publication date when I know it’s fixed.

The novel I’m currently rewriting is the first book in a proposed trilogy. I had a couple of very loose idea about what would happen in books 2 and 3. I didn’t want to commit myself until I knew exactly where the first book would end (and who would still be alive). Now that’s all set I’m really looking forward to starting the next book. Discovering where my old characters are going while getting to know new ones. It’s always an exciting part of the process. Creating characters, planning the story and writing the first draft. That’s the best thing about writing – starting the journey and seeing where it takes me. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

MEN IN LOVE Edited by Jerry Wheeler

Men in Love edited by Jerry Wheeler is out this week.  It features my story Love in Portofino.  Check it out

BLURB:

Spring approaches with the promise of new beginnings, fresh adventures, and the thrill of romance rekindled or discovered. Hot, sexy guys abound-meeting on the ball fields or the boardroom, at the theater or the classroom-falling in love and lust for the first time or celebrating a lifetime. Come join the rites of spring and indulge yourself in the passion and pleasures of our luscious men in love. Stories from some of today's popular m/m romance authors explore the many faces of men in love: gay for you, seductions, weddings and more.

The official publication date for UK readers is 12th April.
Check it out here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1626397368

A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME

JUST FOR FUN....

One thing I enjoy:

1: Writing. Creating characters and telling their stories. Without it I would probably go mad. If I’m not working on a story, or am stuck with one that’s not going well, I can get very moody.

Two names I am known by:

1: Thom Collins – M/M romantic fiction
2: Thom Wolf – Gay erotica

Three places I have worked:

1: In a hospital.  As a trainee nurse in my late teens. The wrong job for me.
2: Durham Passport Office. Not as interesting as I thought.
3: National Probation Service.

Four things I love to watch:

1: Cookery shows. Bake Off, Masterchef, Nigella Lawson – I love them all.
2: Horror movies – the more scary and intense the better. Nothing worse than bland and boring.
3: Documentaries – especially anything sea related.
4: Live theatre – musicals, plays, ballet, opera

Five things I am looking forward to:

1: My next holiday – a two week cruise
2: The summer – time to spend outdoors
3: Writing my next book. The second in a trilogy – book one is already written.
4: Getting a new kitchen. This can’t come soon enough. It’s the only room in the house I haven’t renovated since moving in 6 years ago and I hate it.
5: The publication of Closer by Morning – summer 2016

Six Favourite Films:

1. Basic Instinct (1992) – my all time favourite.
2. Halloween (1978) - October 31^st is my birthday so I’ve always had a soft spot for this one.
3. The Strangers (2008) – one of the best modern horror films. Very scary.
4. Piranha (1978) I love a killer fish movie.
5. King Kong (1976) – guaranteed to make me cry.
6. Showgirls (1995) the ultimate guilty pleasure.

Seven Favourite Books

1. The Bridges of Maddison County – Robert James Waller
2. Lovers and Gamblers – Jackie Collins
3. Maybe the Moon – Armistead Maupin
4. Jaws – Peter Benchley
5. The Rats – James Herbert
6. Valley of the Dolls – Jacqueline Susann
7. Hollywood Wives – Jackie Collins

Eight Favourite Places:

1. Blackpool, England. – favourite place for a fun weekend
2. Malaga, Spain.
3. Portofino, Italy.
4. Ibiza, Spain.
5. Rome, Italy.
6. Puerto De La Cruz, Tenerfie.
7. Durham, England.
8. Whitby, England.

Nine things I couldn’t live without:

1. My husband
2. My family
3. My writing
4. Books
5. My I-pod classic (I accept music downloads but will never take to streaming)
6. Good wine.
7. Holidays – they make work worthwhile.
8. Sex – need I say more.
9. Pizza – spicy chicken is my favourite.

HOW I CAME TO WRITE M/M FICTION

How I came to write M/M fiction.

I’ve always been into genre fiction, as both a reader and writer. I love thrillers, horror, erotica, spy novels, crime fiction and romance. My first erotic story was published back in 1993 (I was very young – honestly) and I’ve written hundreds of short stories, three novels and several novellas in that time. But I never thought of myself as a M/M author. The term didn’t even exist when I started. Stories about gay men falling in love and having sex were confided to gay magazines and literary publishers. There was no “mainstream” market for these stories back then.

I must have become aware of the term M/M about 3 or 4 years ago. For a while I resisted it. In my ignorance I thought these were just “woman’s books”: gay stories written by women for female readers. I was narrow minded and continued to write my “gay erotica” believing M/M was not for me. Over time as I began to read M/M fiction I realised that it was not so different to the stories I was writing. Over time the focus of my stories had changed anyway, focusing as much on the relationships between my characters as the sex. I was writing M/M fiction at the more explicit end of the market.

Closer by Morning is my first proper M/M novel. From the very beginning I knew this wasn’t going to be one of my usual sex books. There’s sex in it but it’s not the main thrust of things. The book is many things – a love story, a thriller, a mystery, a bonkbuster – but it’s not a porn novel. I like to think of it as a gay romance with shades of Jackie Collins and Harold Robbins. I started writing it as a challenge to myself. After a 20 plus years could I even write a book that wasn’t 80% sex?

The answer was definitely yes. Not only could it write it, it poured out of me. It was the easiest book I’d ever written, it came so naturally. I was a M/M author after all. I loved the book when I finished it, but wasn’t 100% convinced it would find a home. A lot of the M/M novels I read were filled with angsty characters and miserable situations and that’s just not me or my book. There are dark situations within the story and the characters are put through a devastating ordeal, but they aren’t the kind of men who wallow in misery or bicker over the tiniest thing.  They stand up for themselves and fight.

I was delighted when Pride Publishing picked up the book. The doubts I had about the content of the book and whether it fit into the M/M genre, vanished.

Closer by Morning is scheduled for publication this summer. I can’t wait for people to read it. I’ll provide more information nearer the time.