James Piper, Author

Day 109: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-04-14T14:04:00.001-04:00

Sunday, March 6, 2017

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 18:47 Office

... I barely remembered anything about this story...

as it really been three months? I guess it has. I put it out of my mind [so much so] that I barely remembered anything about this story. Not even the title. [Unreal!!!!!!] I had the general premise and an ending—enough I thought for a novel. What I lacked was a determination and desire to want to write it. Why bother… I wasn’t enjoying the process and I had no reason to believe the result wouldn’t be anything more than what’s gone before—nothing.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/04/14 at 14h02ET in The Deep Blue Cage | Writing A Novel

Days 9-108: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-04-12T17:03:00.000-04:00

November 25th, 2016 to March 5, 2017

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 15:53 Office

... And so began a three month odyssey away from writing this novel, The Deep Blue Hold....

herein I try to explain why I stopped working on this novel.

The shortest answer is I gave up.

The short explanation is I struggle with mental health issues (MDD, GAD, PTSD) that paralyse me at times. When it happens, I’m not able to do much of anything. Don’t want to do anything and that includes things one might expect to enjoy.

For a while I spent time trying to create some thirty-second videos that would play a word puzzle like a crossword. Here’s the clue. Here’s the blank spaces. And after an interval, one of the letters would appear until all the letters appear. A bit of a crossword puzzle in that sometimes you come to a word where crossover words give you certain letters and you have to fill in the rest. A bit like that TV game show. A bit like hangman.

The problem with this idea is that the time intervals are arbitrary and people’s ability to solve a puzzle varies. It would work if the reader could click to determine when the next letter appears or click to show the entire solution. Once I realized that’s the way it should work, I stopped. Without looking, I’m sure there are websites, apps etc. that already do this.

Then I spent a number of weeks coding programs and using GiHub. I was writing in C, C++ and C#. Programming languages have a syntax similar to human language. Both are artificial, that is, made up. Both evolve. Most programming languages have authoritative bodies to govern the syntax and set rules, while the English language has no such authoritative body. The French try with their l’Académie française, but I don’t think it works. There is, however, one major difference, when writing a program you know if you get the syntax correct, there is certainty, but with English, you can only approach certainty.

And so began a three month odyssey away from writing this novel, The Deep Blue Hold.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/04/12 at 16h59ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Day 8: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-04-05T18:31:00.000-04:00

Thursday, November 24th, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 15:53 Office

... This was a Chinese ship with Chinese officers. He didn't need some damn Dutch sailor to tell him how to run his ship....

esterday was a day of distraction and writer’s block as I didn’t get too far. No new pages and nothing new on the story. Right now I’m stepping back to Tuesday, trying to get my mind around this story. Would it help if to read what I have. [Draft pages of the novel.]

____

Later.

What I have is okay. It’s working. Of course it needs edits but that’s for another day. I think I worked out the broad strokes for Chps. 4, 5 & 6.

Chp. 4 Captain on ship

Chp. 5 Family back home

Chp. 6. Leanne tending to her wounds

Time to brainstorm some ideas for Chp. 4. It’s dawn. People getting up for morning routine. There will be a change of watch. Cross checking containers… The captain will be getting up to start the day. He spent the night with *** [unknown name] *** – a young Malaysian woman of Chinese heritage. She’s a sex slave but that doesn’t come out directly. There’s 4 or 5 young women trapped on this ship. Most of the crew know about it because they use these women. [Writing about it, thinking about it revolts me and I question whether I should be writing this story. But you don’t write about it because you agree with it but because you want to point out the horrors. And as is my rule, I don’t write sex scenes. So no graphic details. Hint at it and let the reader’s imagination go to work.] But not everyone knows. Especially the second mate [actually first officer—I think].

And I had an insight. I was wondering if the ship’s owner knows about this. Probably yes. Part of the design. But it’s still hidden. In fact it’s below the superstructure. All the crews quarters and operation rooms are there. It’s like an apartment [or office] tower. As you go below deck, you get closer to the engine room. And tucked below deck, in what appears to be fresh water tanks, is compartments for the woman. Rooms. Washrooms. Living area. Laundry. So instead of a diesel tank, it’s water tank. And to get to it, you have to go through a recessed door in the the squash court. Or perhaps in the laundry room. Yes. I prefer that. I’m liking this [layout]. It’s making sense. Much more sense than I expected. And the entrance to this area is hidden. It has to be accessible. If someone searched the laundry room how would they not find the entrance. The metal floor has a cut out section that rises up by hydraulics inside. You need to punch a code into a box to get out. Otherwise you’re trapped inside.

And there’s a camera to see from below to the laundry room. Enter the code. Press a button. A red light flashes and crew in the laundry room move laundry carts. Once that’s done, the floor rises, persons comes out. Floor goes back down [the hatch] with another press of a button. This I like and there’s another door in the companion way that is locked before coming up to the floor [from the women’s prison or cage. It’s a water-tight like door.]

[I sketched out a an architectural drawing of the set-up. Side view and over view. Nothing I want to try to duplicate digitally.]

[The whole set-up seems a bit something, perhaps too fake, but to admit that would be to say, don’t write the novel. Hmmm.]

So. Chp. 4. He wakes up and goes up deck. Describe the situation and the layout and what is going on…he leaves the women trapped in this cage.

[Onto writing draft pages.]

____

At 18:40

Yes! I’m feeling it. Back on track. I wrote Chp. 4. 5 pages. It felt good. I was in the scene and I was in the zone. It was a much better result than I expected. [After typing up the draft pages, I see I have 540 words for this chapter. That’s two pages. Seems too short. I’ll have to add more details. Even add more action.]

I’ve downloaded a number of videos from Youtube on ships. Watch them. Notes. Get ideas. Ground the story in facts of the real world.

Now. Time to work on Chp. 5. I have a rough idea of what it’s about. It’s back home in New England. The parents of Leanne. It’s night time. Early. Say 21h because it’s 6h in the Western Indian Ocean [Work out the right time for the time zones later]. The mother has a tablet and is browsing the cruise of her daughter. Facebook. Web site. Reading comments posted. Maybe she replies. But the nerves kick in and she wonders why there isn’t a new video posted. Then discovers storm [system in the area]. [Could be too much of the stereotypical mother hen, but what else can I do?]

The husband, the dad, tries to reassure her everything is all right, but she has a bad feeling. Hence the wine and benzos [anti-anxiety meds, benzodiazepines]. That part is [such] a cliché.

She’s complaining about her tablet—can’t get it to work. Can’t view anything and goes to her husband to get it to work. Maybe he’s on a laptop and she’s sees something on the screen. Or he quickly closes it when she enters the room. I don’t want to let it play out as a typical husband and wife going to bed scene.

Here’s an idea. He’s in bed. Has his laptop up—online chatting—maybe a mistress. They have separate bedrooms. So intrigue about who he was talking with etc. And the wife enters to ask about the tablet. I was thinking she’s the one with the fortune and he’s a prof. Twist it up.

Leanne is 27. Her parents were 30 when she was born so now 57 give or take. Still “working” but close to retirement. Not sure where their money came from.

[Clearly don’t have much details on any of these three characters.]

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/04/05 at 18h09ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Words: Syntax—Sin Tax

2017-04-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Syntax—Grammatical rules for a language.

Sin Tax—Taxing legal human behaviour but ignoring the illegal ones.

Syntax

Sin Tax

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Posted 2017/04/02 at 14h46ET in Words, Homophones.

Words: BONE—GONE—LOAN—BOAN

2017-03-31T17:03:00.001-04:00

Friday, March 31, 2017

You’d think BONE would rhyme with GONE but no. This is the English language after all.

But BONE does rhyme with LOAN so we’ll spell it BOAN. It will take some time to update all the existing writings but it can be done.

Meanwhile, if you smash up your car, the insurance company will allow you to get a LOANER and if you happen to meet the right person you may get a BOANER.

boan

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Posted 2017/03/31 at 17h28ET in Words.

Day 7: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-03-31T16:28:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 14:51—Office

... one needs the discipline to get things done and hence the first things first motto...

ime to work on my novel. Feeling some dread and trepidation. Not what I want to be feeling. Ugh and double ugh. It’s doubt about the story. Doubts that I can do it. Doubts that people will read it. And so on. All the usual things. Doubts that I should be even doing this.

At 16:12

Sidetracked with a crossword and listening to a podcast. I think it’s my attempt at self sabotage. Certainly not a way to get this novel written. It doesn’t help that I can’t see Chp. 4. I don’t see the scene. I need to see the scene and I’m wondering where the hook is to start it. Lots of questions about this chapter… I could just start at some point and go to the end point, see what happens. That’s what I often do. But it doesn’t feel right. Something is missing.

[In the scene.] It’s morning. We’re on the ship. The focus is on the girl—nope I meant to write the Captain. Trying to think through the scene and I’m struggling. It’s pissing me off. Maybe I’m trying to force something that wasn’t there.

I had an image of the captain on a rampage. Storming through the ship to get something he wants. But it might be too soon. What if I write it from her POV. Hmmm. And where on the ship in this place where they keep the women. It has to be hidden. I know. They store diesel on board to power the engines. They have used one of the tanks. That’s possible. Or as I said, they use a series of containers that never leave the ship. It’s like a connection of different cottages. It might seem too obvious but…

[It turns out I allowed myself to get caught up in something tangentially related and didn’t get much done. This is where one needs the discipline to get things done and hence the first things first motto.]

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/31 at 18h11ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Day 6: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-03-29T18:05:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 20:44—Office

... Lost at sea, she's rescued by a ship and wished she had never set foot on it....

othing new on this story. Nothing came to me while I was sleeping or when on my errands. I thought something would come about, but nope. So be it.

I have two chapters written. Not sure if they are any good but they are there. And so Chp. 3 to write. And I don’t see the scene because I’m not sure what should happen. The question is what is the cliffhanger. Nope. 3 about her, not the ship and crew.

And I’ve already written the last line of the chapter. She wakes up and feels immense pain. Not sure if I should mention blood in the water. This chapter or the following.

So it’s early dawn or not quite sunrise. And she’s in the cockpit unconscious. But how do I write it from her POV if she’s out. Hmmm. I can do it but should I do it? And I don’t want to go into her mind as a dream. I’m not going write about any type of dream. I don’t like them [in stories]. Too fanciful [weird, surreal] and a cheap trick. Keep it grounded in the real world. I know I can have her go in and out of consciousness. [That makes more sense.]

At 21:49

That went well. I wrote 5 pages for Chp 3. I had something to go with and went with it. In reading it I see the first part is summary hence a touch boring but it’s short. You can’t write everything as action. There’s going to be summary [somewhere at some point]. And I stayed in her POV. She was conscious but intermittent. In the chapter it was a period where she awakes but we end with her discovering she has a gashing [maybe I meant gash] on her head then blacks out.

What now for Chp 4? It’s the crew and ship. They don’t know she’s out there. (Quick note. I did enjoy writing the chapter. I was in the moment and felt better as a result. I think that’s a god thing. It’s encouraging as I want to keep writing. In fact I wanted to keep writing more of the chapter but I’m consciously [purposely] keeping them short. That’s the way I’m crafting this story. [And it departs significantly from my previous novels where chapter lengths varied from a few pages to tens of pages.]

Time for some food and I will continue.

At 01:30

I’m feeing mentally good at the moment, but also a bit exhausted. The was was some exercise.

I had good results working on the novel. I wrote Chp 3. I enjoyed the process. [I’m repeating myself.] And now I want to get back to it but I’m feeling tired and exhausted. Muscles are aching. So I’m torn. Go to bed or push through? I probably can’t do either.

[Wherein I needlessly get sidetracked…]

I used the Panini press to make dinner. It worked but I actually “pressed” the fajita… It was an interesting result. Warmed, compact, and the shell a bit crispy. Usually I make them with soft shells. The one had beef and cheese and I unrolled it to add sour cream and salsa. Not the best approach. For the 2nd I added the sauces before cooking. Ugh. It leaked out the ends. So neither worked.

Ugh. This notebook isn’t my journal. I’m writing in the wrong place.

At 02:15

Back to the novel. It’s not unusual for a European captain to work on ships all the over the world. [By that I mean employed by ship owners all the world.] At the moment I envisioned a Chinese crew, at least Asian because the ship is run by Chinese. But what if the 2nd mate [or first officer] was Dutch or Norwegian? Possible. And it would better explain why he’s not in on it. And why he would help and why he would end up dead. [Well, maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t.] And here’s a reason he’s on the ship. Insurance. He’s got experience on ships. The insurance a customer would have to pay to ship with a Chinese shipping company is [would be] higher. Jettison insurance. Possible. Most insurance comes from Western companies They can offer better rates with a Dutch captain but for show, for pride, the Captain is Chinese. So that’s possible but it telegraphs his involvement. So I’m not liking any of this.

I had an image of her in the infirmary on the ship recovering. She wants to get in touch with her family. They allow, don’t allow it. Fake it. They could say they are awaiting her arrival in Hong Kong. No way to get in touch before hand. Perhaps the 2nd mate does ty but others sabotage…

One thing to work out is how to keep the 2nd mate from find things out. It almost feels like a comedy. Ugh. Maybe he’s only given watch. No wandering around to check out how things are going. That’s possible. [but highly unusual.]

Nothing terribly original has happened in the first 3 chapters. I need to get it happening in Chp. 4. We learn something about the woman trapped on the ship. Here’s something I’m seeing. The captain wakes up and there’s a girl in bed. He takes her to a ‘cell’ and locks here in. That would be unexpected. And how to present it in the least offensive way possible? I don’t want people to be revolted. Turned off. Disgusted. Hard to say how people will react. There’s a lot worse happening and reported in the news. These days the boundaries are pushed. People can deal with it. And it would create a train wreck in anticipation. What I mean is they now know bad shit is happening on the ship. And certainly in the blurb that is hinted at. “Lost at sea, she’s rescued by a ship and wished she had never set foot on it.” Already have thought about the marketing. Has to be that way.

Back to Chp. 4. So it’s dawn, morning on the ship. The captain is waking up. He’s in his cabin. With him is a young Asian girl. She’s naked in bed. Sleeping. He has to get her out and back to her cell. Getting locked up. That’s the twist to end the chapter. And what if she’s not supposed to be in bed still. She should have left. He barks her out. Someone else has to take her to the cage. That means a shift in POV. That’s okay. I don’t personally like the Captain being mean to this woman. It’s something that’s not in me. But it shows the nasty side of him. [Show he’s a baddie.]

Would there be a cabin steward? Maybe. Normally the captain would take her, but he’s rushed. And what clothes does she put on. A pair of mechanic overalls and cap. Hide her body to a certain extent. [These days, a commercial ship is not the sole domain of men. There are women crew and officers. And in the military. The chief engineer for the HMS Invincible (Royal Navy aircraft carrier) Major (I forget her name) is a woman. Major position of responsibility. And bravo to her.]

The other question is where do they keep these women. It could be the captain wasn’t in his quarters. He was in the special area. He’s still going to leave her locked up. That’s another approach. That makes more sense. I’ll go that route.

Not happy with my output rate. If have 75 chapters with three pages per that’s only 225 pp. Need at least 250pp I think. 80 is 240pp. 85 is 255. Right now it’s been 1 chapter a day. Three months to complete. Need to pick up the pace. Need to write a least 2 chapters a day. [And with the three month hiatus, the time table has shifted. Less concerned about going all out but instead focusing on getting it done right.]

I have the details for Chp. 4 [in my mind]. And I know Chp. 5. More with Leanne as she struggles to deal with her wounds. It ends when she finds the first-aid kit and everything is a mess and useless. Then she has to get off her distress beacon that’s the next chapter 6. I think 6 should be about her family back home. They are checking her status, the mother, and knowing something isn’t right.

Some back-story. Leanne has sailed and raced sailboats all her life. Dreams of the Olympics but couldn’t beat the men. She joins a crew on an around the world trip. That was a success. Then she tried to do a solo around the world but first did the race across the Atlantic. That was a success. Onto the round the world. It failed. Why? She became ill. Discovered it was cancer but she licked it. [Cliché]. Now this second trip. She had something to prove. [Why? To herself? To her parents? To other sailors? Need some interesting motivation there.] She wants respect. She wants the pride of saying she did it. Another reason. [I guess I did think of it. But really it should be because she loves being at sea. That would be the best motivation. It reminds me of a quote from the movie Cool Runnings where the John Candy says, ‘If you’re not good enough without a gold medal, you’ll never be good enough with one.’ In other words: Be humble and enjoy the journey.]

On the crew race, perhaps someone was lost at sea in the “roaring forties.” Life [two words I can’t read and it’s my own handwriting!] and washed away and no chance of finding him. [Based on real events.] That could be something that haunts her. Realizes it could have been her. Maybe it was bother, boyfriend. Being near the spot brings her near [nearer the person]. Maybe she wanted to drop a wreath. [Maybe she has suicidal ideation.]

Now who is the family back home? Moneyed. Instead of money from a company, maybe it’s money from some type of patent. Maybe a drug. AI. [Artificial Intelligence] Something to do with farming or food or… Something that had helped people. I want that to create sympathy. And money is needed for the ending. [Also explains the ability to spend so much on sailboats and equipment.]

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/29 at 19h43ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Words: Moose—Mousse

2017-03-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Moose—A moose would never eat mousse.

Mousse—But mousse could contain moose.

Moose

Mousse

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Posted 2017/03/28 at 14h28ET in Words, Homophones.

Day 5: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-03-25T17:04:00.000-04:00

Monday, November 21st, 2016

No work on the novel on Day 4.

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

At 18:31—Office

... if I use Leänne instead of Leanne how will people react...

esterday was Sunday and I took it off, plus I was dealing with some mental health issues. I know this story is something that is simply a matter of putting in the time to make it happen. I’m supposed to be working on it as much as I can but I haven’t been doing that. Two main reasons. It’s been a while since I’ve worked on a story. Then there’s the issues of my mental health. Things happen. I get down and it impacts on my writing. I might be using it as an excuse, but it’s clearly something I need to deal with. I have to find a schedule I can work with. Perhaps I need to put this first and cut out other things. Not sure but I will figure it out.

A name for the hero came to me. For the moment going with Leanne or is it Leanna? Should be Leänne. It’s a diphthong [with two sounds so use a diaeresis—and that will confuse some people, alienate some etc]. I may go with another name. Not critical at the moment.

Wondering if I should start writing the draft. I have some scenes. Won’t know what follows until I get into the details by writing [by starting to write] the first draft. But I’m feeling some trepidation and I shouldn’t be. Start writing the draft and when I hit a wall do some research etc. And I know I can do that. And should I write some crap, so be it. I can rewrite. One issue with writing long hand is I won’t have a word count so I can’t track my progress. I’m not going to worry about that. Write as much as I can.

____

At 20:00

Okay I have a notebook for writing the first draft set up. [Decided to use a large spiral notebook instead of loose leaf because it keeps it together. And yet, I find using a spiral notebook awkward. Ugh.]

The fist chapter is her on the boat. Make it clear she’s in trouble and it ends with the mast snapping back into the cockpit and she goes unconscious. Other than riding it out, what does she do? She’s trying to loosen the backstay.

At 21:19

I wrote five pages and I have a first chapter. It took some doing to get back into a writing-fiction mode. I wasn’t quite in a zone. A lot of going back over and edits. Trying to not do that. And I have to turn off the music. I found it distracting. But able to write and I can feel it now. A bit like taking a drug. There’s a high. It’s a good feeling.

Need a name for her sailboat. It has to be reflective of her. Maybe the name of a Greek goddess…I like Nike as a name but... [no one thinks of the reference to Greek mythology]. I’ll get something.

It’s time to eat some food. Afterwards I’ll work on the outline for Chapter 2 etc—plot these out and do more writing. You could say I met my daily quota, but I’m not working that way. I want to write this as fast as I can. So plotting and thinking then writing.

At this point, it’s all long hand. Nothing in the computer. I haven’t even created a folder for it. The questions is when do I type up the daily writing? I haven’t decided. When I worked on The Protectors, I saved all the [loose-leaf] pages and started the computer process when I was done the first draft. That ended up being a long process. I think it makes sense to type up material as I go. And edit as I go. [As of March 16th, I haven’t typed up any of the draft pages, but will soon. My original approach has been modified. Until I get back on track.]

At Midnight.

I want to work out what happens in Chapter 2. I think I’ve already done it in these notes. Time to review them.

____

Okay. I read them and I think I know what’s going to happen in Chapters 2, 3 & 4. 2 & 4 are on the ship. 3 is back with Leänne on the boat.

Chapter 2. On the bridge. 2nd mate on watch. Captain and 3rd mate off watch. 2nd mate is on his first voyage for this ship. Lots of experience elsewhere on smaller ships and he knows nothing about what is happening onboard [vis-à-vis the kept women]. He’s on the bridge when they pick up the SOS beacon. He wants to respond because that’s the right thing to do. Calls an alarm, but the Captain overrides it. What has to happen is the feeling the ship isn’t going to stop [to help her] but we know they should stop. [Create some tension.]

____

Sidetracked with an electrical issue. Power bar died.

I seem to have too much happening in Chapter 2. I can focus on the radar screen. Leänne’s boat comes into focus then goes out of focus. So it’s a tease. The ship is a potential rescuer.

I feel I need to know where this ship is. Where is it going? And where’s she? She left Newport, Rhode Island for round the world. Heads south to round South Africa then up and around Australia. Over to South America and back up to RI. That I can live with. It’s plausible. [I think they traverse the other direction. My memory is failing me on that. Have to research.] And she’s near the ship in question. And why would the ship be there. Making a trip from Hong Kong to South Africa. It goes every 2 or 3 months. But what does it bring back? Maybe gold, but that’s a small quantity. And not ore, copper, diamonds…Not it would have to be food, leathers, wood. Not sure. It matters but it doesn’t. It’s not that important.

Then I’m wondering about some specific about the crew on the bridge. Or is it a wheelhouse? I need some details on that. And the names of these Chinese. I feel I should be doing some research…

At 04:47

Where did the time go? Anyway I wrote Chapter 2. Five more draft pages. That’s about two and a half in the book. So five pages. Perhaps 1000 words. Maybe less, but it is pages [written]. It’s something I can work with. But I do have doubts. Is there enough detail? I’m paring it down to the minimal amount. And I’m trying to create tension. I think I am but there’s doubts. It doesn’t work if people don’t care about our hero. (Or heroine). So far I’ve shown her to be adventurous and daring. A fighting spirit. Not easily put down. These are admirable characteristics. But more needs to come out. That will happen. Fill in as needed.

So what’s Chapter 3 about? I originally thought it was about her waking up and dealing with day break.

I know what will help. Surprises. When things happen that aren’t expected by the reader. That will make a difference. [Obviously.] So far, nothing that’s unusual. I need to get there. Hint at the Captain and his imprisoned women. The utter outrage: The crew knowing there’s a ship in distress and not offering assistance.

Chapter 3. “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in morning, sailor’s take warning.” I thought I’d throw that down. I might use it. [If you hang around yacht clubs as I have, you will hear sailors repeat this adage.]

For this chapter, back to Leänne on her boat. I was going to have her conscious, but she could be still out. We get an overview of the dire shape she’s in. End with her waking up. [Obvious point of view issues here. If she’s unconscious and there’s no one else there, who’s telling the story? Problem to avoid.] When she comes to, she felt the pain shoot through her body. I like that. I feel like drafting it but I also feel like going to bed. It’s late. I can let the scene percolate in my mind. And other scenes.

I can see why Patterson’s book have short chapters. You’ll read a chapter because it’s short but by the end of the you won’t want to stop. You see the next one is so short and you keep going. It also helps for people who read on a commute. Easy to pick up and put down [sort of]. [I’m not explaining it as well as I have it in my head.] It also reflects the nature of people today. People who are looking for a quick buzz followed by another. [Hence the popularity of smartphones connected to various social media and news sites. At least that’s a plausible explanation.]

Chp. 3 is about her. Chp. 4 Back on the ship. I was thinking the Captain comes on watch. And then what’s I’m confusing [I’m confused]…no…there’s too much happening. Picking up the distress beacon. Ignoring it and then responding. And events aren’t matching up between A and B. [Not sure what I meant.]

Here’s the thing. I want the potential for trouble from the Chinese ship to be evident as soon as possible. Oh yes. The Captain does something to check on the women. That will create mystery….

[See I could start the book with life on the Chinese ship and the perils of these women. That creates mystery and curiosity. But at the same time I’d like to start the novel with our hero. I can’t do both. And the hero starting point isn’t that interesting or unique or something else. Ugh.]

Time for sleep.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/25 at 07h16ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Day 3: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-03-20T17:57:00.001-04:00

Saturday, November 19th, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

... I’m still not clear on how she gets off the boat....

ime to work on this story. I gave some thought to the title. I am going with THE DEEP BLUE CAGE. But I might go with THE DEEP BLUE PRISON. Both have pluses and minuses based on the connotations. I also had some thoughts on the cover. I see a shipping container with an image of a Chinese flag. That would be sufficient.

I came up with a plot point. Based on betrayal. Our hero [I use hero for male and female.] is freed from the ship. She’s plotting how to get back at the Chinese officers and the ship. She goes to a private security company [mercenaries] to hire some former Navy Seals for the plan. But here’s the betrayal. The guy she meets with at the company, records the talks. He uses it. Takes it to DOD [Dept. of Defense] or State to earn some brownie points. Their his bread and butter. That’s the betrayal. She thinks everything is a go until things go south. That’s a good twist, a good disaster. Not sure where to take it after that…

Here’s another thought. She gets off the ship because of ransom [is paid]. It’s a cash payment. In the end the captain gets the cash in the prison but of course doesn’t get to use it. Nothing to spend it on. And for her it shows she’s not about the money. I imagine a cell on this prison ship filled with the cash and the prisoners get to see it day after day.

One negative thought—the second act slump. Need lots and lots for that but see some darkness. It depends on how detailed I get with the life on this ship. And I suppose figuring out how to get off the ship—that would be her main objective—after staying alive. And there is a bit about the second mate—helping her. No there’s the smooth talking to win favours.

So what can happen in Act II?

she learns about the other women [kept captive]
up to a point she think she’s saved until that is ruined
one of the ‘girls’ dies or is killed and her body is tossed over board
she gets loose and is on the run, trying to stay hidden
observing the routine so she can plan an escape
physically fights one of the crew but is physically hurt—not sure how much
pirates approach the ship—seems like a way out for her, but the pirates are slaughtered and tossed overboard. Their boats are sunk. It was as if they never existed. [These container ships drill on how to deal with pirates.]
she sets a fire on one of the containers but it only shows how the crew are trained to fight fires and put it out
she goes on a hunger strike and they try to force feed her
say an image of a table with women around it [can’t remember what that was about]
she tosses a plate of food
she ends up tied to bed
she notices how these women willing go along with the routine [she doesn’t understand why]
there’s a language problem—except with the Filipinos
Stockholm syndrome
they taunt her with promises of freedom that never comes
they said they have heard from family or US government but they won’t pay ransom because of policy [against doing that]
US won’t go ahead with a raid to rescue her because they don’t want fallout with the Chinese [Also likely they don’t know she’s on a ship and Chinese would deny any such activity. The ship is indirectly state owned.]
the ship docks in Middle East—the FBI aren’t allowed to come aboard to check
in another point they do a search of the ship but can’t find anything. And they can’t do a complete search because the ship is too big and there’s a schedule to keep.
to twist things up, there could be a sister ship [identical except for name] and that confuses the US

Okay. I’ve filled up two pages with ideas on how the second act can go. That’s good. And I’m sure I can come up with lots of other ideas and I should do that now.

The sister ship. The US does launch a raid on it or something like that) but find nothing. Had to because it’s the wrong ship.
These ships rely on computers. Somehow she gets access to do some type of damage.
one of the pistons of the engine craps out and has to be replaced but that’s standard operating procedure. [The engine still works, the boat still sails. The engineers are merely tied down in the engine room working on putting in the replacement.]

I’m still not clear on how she gets off the boat.

I was thinking about how there’s a limited amount of things you can do on a ship. And many of them have been seen. It reminds me of the move Lifeboat by Alfred Hitchcock. He brought in something new [to the story] by bring a new character—the German seaman plucked from the sea. With it a plot twist and new angles for the story.

So, someone new comes onboard. Not sure who or why.

One of the girls does something out of line and gets a beating. [Can’t say I want to write that sort of thing plus it’s a cliché.]

Building the suspense. The threat of something going to happen. I see her watching a clock as it ticks towards the hour. I want to hear and see the threats. They don’t do anything to her right away. Why? Because she’s injured and need mending. So she’s in the infirmary and seemingly safe. They keep her drugged. And than a second person comes into the infirmary. That’s the hint of something bad.

I have an image of them photographing these woman. Maybe even porn. But that’s too obvious. [It’s also creeping me out. I wouldn’t want to write about it.]

Drugs. They drug these women so they are controlled. Heroin. Opium. Amphetamines. Something. Again that seems obvious but it could come later for her when she’s more resistant. Getting drugged later increases the load. [Not sure what I meant.] Makes it worse for her.

Still not sure how she gets off the boat.

She’s focusing her mind to remember specifics—names of people, but finds after days she’s losing things. The drugs are affecting her.

So how does she get off the boat…She’s set adrift in a life raft. The good guy mate [officer] helps her. He gets found out and is killed.

I like that approach. He helps her escape. It’s night. They try to spot the lifeboat and get her back but she has to kill the beacon and [running] lights. Her hope of rescue [rests with those]. She left the ship with the mate saying he’s report her location so they can locate her except he’s dead and can’t do it. [She has no way of knowing that.] I like that because it increases the dread factor. More reason for the reader to worry.

Then the second rescue from the sea. Who? Where? How?

I’m not liking the second act. [Typical for writers.] Well, parts of it. I like that she goes to the infirmary. All of the officers of the ship know she’s onboard. That includes the second mate who doesn’t know about the women kept onboard. It’s a bit odd he wouldn’t know because they are all over the ship. But there has to be someone who wants to help her. That’s new info that has to come out. And there could be a cook who helps.

A way to create tension is paranoia by the captain or someone else when they find out who she is. They fear the worse could happen. [So it’s justified fear and not paranoia.] That could be the reason to set her free…Something to think about…But they would just dump her overboard. If they set her free, there’d be a risk of retribution. [Also, the captain is likely overly confident, hubris, thinks he can handle whatever may come his way so not afraid of her.]

Here’s a way. To get her off, hide her in a container that is off loaded on a dock. That’s possible. And it might seem obvious. Too obvious.

There’s another issue. How does the family [hers] know what is going on? Start with back-story when things are fine. She’s on this sailboat by herself, but with tech, she can communicate with others back home. They can track her movement. But then the storm [hits]. It damages the electronics. They lose contact. The emergency beacon may or may not work. Could they find the boat but without her? She’s been picked up. There could be clues on her boat about what happened. Shit. I had a thought and it vanished.

[I’m reminded of a Malay or Chinese plane that left Kuala Lumpur headed for China. That’s a NE direction. For some reason, it turned and headed SW only to vanish and months later no definite location of where it crashed, although bits of wreckage have washed up on shores. Even a large plane is tiny in a big body of water.]

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/20 at 17h49ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Day 2: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold

2017-03-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

Friday, November 18th, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel. Square bracket items represent added comments.

... There’s also poetic justice for this crew for what they did to the women they kept....

t’s still Friday to me. [Writing early Saturday morning.] I wasn’t in bed until 6h and up at 14h. Then lots of errands. Lots of walking. Felt tired earlier—something different. I haven’t spent much time thinking about this story. I seemed to have put my mind into another lane. Not what I want. I was thinking too much about my future as a successful writer. Not simply being a writer, but a successful writer. One that makes a good living off or from it. That’s a better goal.

So what to say about this story. No title. Oh. I did decide on something. She can’t die. Too much of a downer. That would seem to rule out a revenge aspect by the husband. Maybe she does it. These guys [the baddies] have to get it in the end.

I was thinking about how she wants to sink the ship and see the captain and crew killed. But, political considerations come into play. Her hands are tied so she has to come up with something that doesn’t violate the rules. I imagined a launch sinking with the captain. Not likely. Just thought about this ship carrying weapons. Missiles etc. A warship disguised as a container ship. That seems to be too much. [Also not practical.] What would get the Chinese or Russians to fire on the ship and sink it. That’s something to think about. Another idea. These guys pick up some type of disease because of them being with these women. I know what has to happen in the end. These guys have to pay the price when they seem to be protected [from the legal system]. They could get at them, the Chinese, by pretending to be investors. Setting up plant etc… But that seems boring and convoluted. There’s always the option of hiring assassins or sending commandos but that’s too much. [And obvious and been done too much.]

I was wondering about North Korean connection. A reason for the US to act. But they wouldn’t. DPRK has nukes. So I don’t see that as an option. Is there a way to buy the ship? Not likely. Also not likely they could get it banned from cannels or ports. Here’s an idea. The ship collides with another. It’s a deliberate collision so they sink. That seems possible. And here’s the twist. The Chinese crew is rescued to a ship owned by her where they are imprisoned. So this ship becomes a floating prison and it’s assumed the crew were lost at sea. That I like… That’s a good ending. YES. YES. YES. I now have the biggest pieces. I have the premise and an ending and a good ending. YES. YES. YES. [There’s also poetic justice for this crew for what they did to the women they kept.]

I heard her say—I want them dead. That leads people [the readers] in one direction [until] they get the surprise. And I think it’s a good surprise. The ending has the requirements: (1) [it’s] set-up so not deus ex machina, (2) unpredictable (3) resolves the conflict [and (4) it’s appropriate.]

The boat has to sink because the crew has to be assumed to be missing. How to sink? Then the ship has to sink in the deep part of the Pacific Ocean so it’s not easily recovered or not easy to look at. It has to look like a sinking that has nothing to do with any act of war. And the women have to get off. So now I know how it happens [I think I meant what has to happen]. There’s an attack ship. It’s a freighter so some type. They pirate [yes, not normally a verb] the Chinese vessel so they can rescue the women [and capture the officers and crew]. And it sinks [the Chinese container ship] because of a fire caused by cargo onboard. And I know how. A JetBlue 727 left Miami and crashed within minutes of take-off. Why? Oxygen generators and tires in a hold. Massive fire. That works. They have a fire. It gets out of control.

Here’s a possibility. These guys load a special container onboard. The crew think it contains new girls. When the crew go to retrieve the girls, they get a surprise. That either releases a team of commandos or triggers a fire. [But] The fire has to be delayed. So I have to work on the details.

I also imagined a court session on the ship. Found guilty and sentenced to life of this floating prison. That way it makes it clear what is happening. [Not vigilante justice, although in a way it still is.]

Also imagined the ship wandering in the arctic. Makes for a cold environment. Another image. Instead of cabins in the super structure, there’s a series of connected containers where these women are kept. A revolting thought but it’s needed because it’s needed in the end.

So what else should I do? I had some big progress today. Much better than I expected. And I have to wonder where it came from. [Hard to say.]

TITLES:

The Floating Prison

The Floating Cage

The Deep Blue Cage

The Deep Blue Prison

Thinking about some of the major plot points and wondering about the end of Act II. What’s a bad, bad, bad disaster [for our hero]. She gets tossed overboard. That’s bad. But how to solve it? That’s a big challenge. Can’t swim [far]. Can’t catch a ride. I don’t know how to overcome this. I don’t know how to save her and it’s been done. Than thinking about her being able to jump ship and getting into a worse situation. Maybe the ship goes to Yemen and sold into sex trade…ugh.

I know what the disaster is. She gets bad news from the US government. It could be they searched the ship and there was no evidence of the things she was talking about. That’s possible. Or perhaps the US wants to board the ship to check, but they got word from the Chinese, do that and it’s war… Neither want to fight over this. But the ship is subject to inspection once a year for safety. Also, when entering a port, they’d be subject to inspections [customs & immigration]. Have to clear customs. There’s some details I need to get a hold of but that won’t be a problem.

Because I got my ending today, it has juiced my energy in this novel written. The drive and desire to get it written is strong. It felt like yesterday, and now more so because I know I have something I can do. It’s only a matter of putting one step after another. It’s there to do. I don’t think I [have] quite felt that way before with my writing.

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel.
Square bracket items represent editorial comments.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/12 at 17h09ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Day 1: Writing a Novel—The Deep Blue Hold2017-03-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

Thursday, November 17th, 2016

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel.
Square bracket items represent added comments.

... this is where it begins...

T

he start of my work on a new novel. And using a bound notebook instead of loose leaf or a spiral notebook. I hope this is the right choice. It feels right. [I have various preferences on what to write with, fountain pen, and what to write on. It has varied over the years.]

The objective isn’t just to write this novel but write it quickly as I can. Work on it as much as I can. Not just a couple of hours a day, but as much as I can. I hope to get a first draft done in a couple of months. [It didn’t happen.] Realistically I would be drafting and writing and having something done by January 31st. That seems doable. [It did.] That’s based on Ian Fleming who took two months to get a first draft down. If he can do it, I know I can do it. And page count. No more than 300pp. Between 250 and 300. Don’t make it too long.

[Note: In the past, a first draft might take four to six months to complete.]

I’m thinking about this story. I know I could write it. I saw it in my head and it simply become a matter of doing it. No doubts if I could.

Objectives.

complete this novel – a thriller
short chapters in the James Paterson style – fast-paced. I can write like him and he’s have sold. [There’s a market for his style of novel. For good or bad.]
book length 250-300pp
get first draft done by Jan. 31st
work on it as much as possible
be less worried about what’s plausible in the story or about word choice

The story. It started with a revolting premise. There’s a commercial ship in the oceans. The crew keeps a harem to help pass the time. Some women from poor parts of India. They aren’t sex slaves but close. They brain washed them… I think I’ve toned it down. In my mind, it’s being done by the crew for the crew. Then I imagined some rich Arabs coming on board…but that takes it into the sex trade and that’s not what it’s about. It about this ship, this crew and the these girls trapped on board.

[I fully recognize it’s a dark story and I will not write in any graphic way. That’s not me. I only hint at what takes place and the reader’s imagination can fill in the rest. For me, it’s a story about indignation about cruelty some inflict on others, about bring awareness to it and working to stop it.]

I just saw an image. Buried at sea. It has to do with what to do with a girl when they are no long of use. They toss the person overboard. That could be a way to get a message out from the ship to the rest of the world. Put something on the body. And to do that requires previous scenes.

The ending is clear. The guys behind these crimes have to get it. That will be a large motivation for reading. To see them get it in the end. I imagine some type of scenario where the ship’s captain and crew aren’t arrested because of political pressures and international laws [that won’t allow it,] but someone, somehow goes to work outside the law.

So who owns the boat? Where do the officers and crew come from? I’m going with Chinese [officers] and Philippines [as crew]. The Chinese can be the baddies. They are the closest thing to Nazis and Soviets. You could say radical Muslims are, and ‘tis true, but that’s been done to death and they have no history of shipbuilding and commercial sailing. Ships that go to Arabia for oil are European, American, Asian. So a Chinese owned and operated ship.

Then I was wondering about what woman [our heroine] gets on the ship and how. I have a solution. It’s a woman who is making a round the world sailing voyage. I see it as a solo voyage, but could be a large boat. Go with solo for now. It’s while the boat is stranded, damaged, she’s rescued by the ship. That gets her onboard. She thinks she’s saved but the worst is yet to come. [As a sailor I’m familiar with the many round-the-world sailing races and the like.]

I had an image. The boat [her sailboat] sends out a signal—a beacon. The folks at home send out a rescue—search and rescue. They eventually find the boat. No sign of her. They assume she’s lost at sea. That’s reasonable. That creates a challenge. How does she get off the boat? How does her family know she’s alive? That’s something I have to figure out. I think I know—she befriends someone who brings her food. Then a bribe. Or, …damn, I go sidetracked and lost my thought. She has to convince someone in the crew to help her. Then I imagined much later where she has a gun, kills some of the crew when she’s faced with the person who helped her, she shoots him as well. That’s a good twist.

Here’s something. Instead of holding her as a sex slave, she’s held for ransom. Something to consider. [This may very well be the key to getting her off the ship, but it doesn’t end the story.]

I imagined starting the book with her boat in rough shape. Damaged. And then had doubts because it’s like, “It was a dark and stormy night…” Well that’s a cliché but I can get around it to make it fresher. [Not so sure now.]

Lots of thoughts going through my head. How to make the story worthy of being called a novel. The premise is one. The political intrigue. The characters. The setting. Try to put new things in there. [Life inside a massive container ship. The repugnant officers and crew.]

I was reminded of another story idea I had a years ago. Three men. Each loses a leg in a motorcycle accident [on the same day]. The story is about the contrast in how they deal with it. But that’s for another time. I have to focus on this story—make it happen. And I will.

The story will shift POV (point of view). Her POV. Her family’s POV. The search and rescue. Later the government. Plus the crew and other girls. At least that’s the thought for now.

Lost at sea. That’s short [a short scene]. Once on the ship, we get to a point where we learn the bad crap she’s in. Then the dead-end of the search and rescue. This creates a worse situation for her. No one is coming to rescue her. Then she’s on the boat and things have to get worse. How does that happen? False hope of being rescued. False hope placed in relying on someone. Betrayal. Discovery of who she is and possibility of ransom. There would be news of her disappearance on the internet.

I was imaging them, the family [hers], searching and keying in on ships travelling in the area. But they think she’s dead, lost at sea. So why would they search. Something to consider. I knew these ships send out beacons. Their courses are known. [You can follow course plots online.] It would be possible to locate, to know of ships in the area. I imagined they tracked down many but run into a road block when it comes to the Chinese. Hence the need for diplomatic help.

I was thinking about what type of ship it is. Not long ago I watched a documentary on the world’s largest container ship. It would make sense for the Chinese to surpass its size. But would a ship like that be able to rescue someone from a sailboat? Only with a launch. A speedboat. The container ship travels fast because it’s long and doesn’t stop easily. It would take 30 minutes plus to stop. Plus there is pressure to move the cargo as fast as possible. So there’s lots of things working against it. But it’s something I can work around.

Also wondering where this ship is travelling. Shanghai to US? To Europe? From Malaysia? Something to figure out. And also find out the sailing route. There would be a preferred route. Another challenge—the ship would be in shipping lanes. Lots of other ships. Wouldn’t they have stopped… We’ll perhaps the ship is on a secret mission, but not likely.

Maybe it’s making a once a year trip like to Antarctica or the North Pole. Something to consider. That would mean the ship isn’t the world’s largest.

A couple of thoughts about the family. Using influence to get in touch with US Navel Intelligence about ships in a certain area.

I saw the guy loading a container on the ship. Falsely labelled. Filled with explosives. Causes the boat to sink in the end. That might be too on the nose. [It would be cinematic.]

It would be easy to have this woman attacked by pirates. But that’s too on the nose. But what if while she’s on the ship, pirates attack it. It seems as if she’s going to be saved. But the crew dispatches the pirates. Then a navel ship in the area comes to investigate. Another potential rescue but they are in international waters and don’t allow the navy to board. I imagined a Dutch frigate.

The rescue could come from a navel ship, but again on the nose. Plus who would they knew to do so.

The containers on board would contain all sorts of things. Consumer goods. Foods. Chemicals. There would be a chance for her to locate a container to get something that would help. Chinese fireworks. Setting them off as a flare. And a fire on board.

What if a mate was behind the scheme [keeping a harem onboard] and the captain didn’t know or reversed. First mate didn’t know and surprise, helps her. Some compassion.

What’s part of a ship that isn’t know to most people? Need to find that out and bring it out.

It’s 0h40. I’ve been at this for over three hours. I can feel it in my brain. Not used to this much thinking—not recently. It’s exhausting.

So where am I and what else to write about? Not sure. Wondering about plotting. This is a plot driven story. I have [want] an outline that goes from A to Z. Lots of hooks, cliff-hangers

I was thinking about a definition for this and I have one. A cliff-hanger introduces new information that raises a question that begs to answered. The reader has to keep going to get the answer. Then you provide the answer with a twist. It can’t be an answer the reader expects. That’s the twister. [See also headlines online that are referred to as click bait. e.g., Exclusive photos of Trump without his toupee.]

Ugh. I’m feeling tired. I’m surprised at how quickly it came. I should think about going to bed.

At this point in the story development I don’t have any characters other than a few placeholders. No names. No images of these people. Something will come.

And I don’t have a title for this book. Not even close to having a title. Something will come and it will probably come out of the blue.

I’m not too worried about coming up with character details. That I can do [it] without trouble. The bigger issue to me is the plot. Is it possible to list some points and will it help? Yes and yes.

Ugh. I’m feeling zapped, yet I feel I should push myself to get this novel…[missing thought]. That’s what I feel I need to to. A different approach from my previous writing. [Previously working a certain amount of time each day. With this one, the plan is to work as much as possible like building up food reserves before winter sets in.]

Chp. A1. On the sailboat in a storm—the mast snaps, she’s struck and passes out.

Chp. A2. Wakes up. The sun is out. Storm has passed but the boat is a mess. Scans the scene. Pinned by mast and rigging. Starts to move and sees blood in the water in the cockpit.

Chp. A3. She searches for where the blood is coming from. Where is it coming from? Head? Arm? Leg? Foot? It’s her lower leg. Her wet weather gear is ripped. Skin on her leg—abrasion. Like a grater run down her leg. [Splinters of carbon fibre lodged into her leg.] She crawls into the cabin to find the first aid kit and discovers the bandages are soaked and useless.

This is working. [Well, it’s something rather than nothing.] I have 3 chapters. And I can keep this going. The question is at what point does the outside world come into play. I should do it soon so that the reader knows about the shifts in POV—to get used to it [POV shifts].

Chp. B1. [A presents her POV, B presents the container ship.] On the ship. MV [Merchant Vessel] (Unknown name). Not sure what to show. On the bridge is a natural spot but what to have happen? Then I was wondering about a first drill, as they often do, somewhere on the ship but that’s unsettling. Then I was thinking about spotting the sailboat. That might be too obvious. But what if they hear a distress call [an SOS] and ignore it. It’s an electronic signal. Here we see selfishness. The pressure to maintain the schedule and speed. [Commerce before humanity.] They ignore the signal so a cliff-hanger. Here’s something that could taint the choice—pirates could use it as a ploy. A false flag. I don’t like that. Then there’s the issue of speed and time. The sailboat needs to be close but not too close for the ship to do anything…And they can’t see it, so ignore it…I’ve got it. The ship has to circle and come back. So he—the third mate---has to be off watch. It’s the second mate who wants to ignore. Then the captain comes to the wheel house and changes course because he knows it’s a woman. So.

Chp. B1. 2nd mate picks up SOS but knows he’s going to ignore.

Chp. B2. Captain on watch and changes course because there’s a female voice on the radio.

A1—B1—A2—A3—B2

So I have five chapters, but I wonder if it’s all lame. Been done before. That worries me. Keep or change? Add to it or start somewhere else… Hmm. Why would it work? Things happen fast. It’s short chapters. It’s like a new genre—hyper-fiction. So I can see it working but it has to work. If not, people will skip the book. So how to tell if it’s good enough. Trust my instincts. Get someone else to read it, but that doesn’t always result in an honest assessment. So I’m not sure what to say. I think I have to push and push to get the new world in this world. [Not sure what I meant by that.] I have to bring an experience that people haven’t experienced. Ultimately I’ll know when people read it. But by then it’s too late…I have to trust my instincts.

Note: Unedited writings from my notebook for this novel.

Square bracket items represent editorial comments.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

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Posted 2017/03/10 at 12h34ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Writing a Novel: The Deep Blue Hold–Introduction

2017-03-09T17:26:00.000-05:00

Thursday, March 9th, 2017

... I fight my insecurities and doubts and I withdraw farther away from people and life ...

n November 2016 I started work on a new novel with the working title: The Deep Blue Cage. A few weeks after I started, I stopped. I was feeling too depressed about everything including the idea of writing a new novel. It happens to me at various times, with varying degrees, and it is debilitating. The ultimate issue was: Why bother? Why bother write another novel no one will read and no one will care about. I also found I was dreading the writing process more and more. It was painful to think about.

I walked away and focused on other things. Or tried to. That didn’t work either. I felt trapped and unsure where I should head, what I should do. I even asked the big question, what the hell is life about anyway. There’s no one answer to this question despite the proclamations of some and because I believe I can think critically, can reason, I look at it from many angles and can make a case for various guiding principles to life, various philosophies, but I still have no answers.

One mantra espoused by some is ‘follow your passion’. Easy to say, but for me, difficult to engage in. What is my passion? I seem to have many, too many, but when I am overwrought with mental anguish I am not able to enjoy anything. I simply want to sleep, to turn my mind off and to not think.

I also question my motives. Why have I written so much? I’ve published four novels. No easy feat. I have written numerous songs, poems, short stories, plays and screenplays. And, I have several boxes filled with notebooks that represent my journals going back 45 years. That’s a lot of words. I did a rough guess of the word count and it’s easily three million. I wonder what drove me and I reach a conclusion that isn’t necessarily a good one. One based on being insecure and growing up in a troubled and poor household. I wanted things I didn’t have and it seems having them doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t increase my quality of life.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. I know it’s good work. Professional work. Combined with a few bits that stink, but that’s the writing process. So I should feel pride, but I feel emptiness. I fight my insecurities and doubts and I withdraw farther away from people and life.

I look for answers and I can’t find any. I’ve been going around in circles for years and I would like to stop that. I am working towards the simplest life possible. Call it the less is more philosophy. I don’t know if it will work but it may bring a level of peace and comfort. And since it’s not possible for me to not do something, I will return to writing The Deep Blue Cage. I know I can write it, it’s a question of being able to stay healthy enough to see it through. But instead of writing it in a sealed room, I plan to document my progress on this Facebook page. To understand more, you need to understand my writing process.

Every novelist has their own setup and procedures they follow when writing a novel. The only right way of doing it is what works for the writer. Just because a favourite writer use pencils and napkins, doesn’t mean I have to follow it. I found my own approach based on what works.

My current process is straightforward. I have to begin with an exciting premise, and in this case, I have that. Based on the premise I begin to create an outline. I look at where the story starts, where it goes and critically I need to know how it ends and why it ends that way. Mixed into the outline are the characters. Who are they, what are they doing and why. It’s said that character is plot, I can accept that, but since I’m writing a thriller, the plot gets extra weight and the characters are often moulded to fit into the plot. To do otherwise would limit possible storylines and reduce tension in the story, reduce the thrill ride of the narrative. The objective is to create a story that gets your blood pumping, your adrenaline following and your mind worried about what’s going to happen next.

With an outline completed, I write each day to create a first draft. The objective is to write a certain quota of pages day after day, no days off, until it’s done. If I miss days, the story fades in my mind and I have to somehow recreate the mental mood that existed days before.

From there it’s editing hell until a final manuscript is complete.

All the while as I work on the novel, I keep a journal of notes and thoughts. It’s where I work on the outline. It’s where I make notes on research and ideas. It’s where I work out the scenes I want to write because until I see the scene in my mind, I won’t start writing the draft. And, it’s these notes I want to share on my Facebook page.

I am doing it because I have to do something and I know I can write this novel. I am also trying something different in the writing process. Perhaps it will provide some different insights. I’m not sure.

But I am also hoping to hear from you. I want to see feedback. I want to see constructive comments, useful bits of insights, and support and encouragement. I want to engage with others. And full warning, those inclined to post snark, sarcasm, or otherwise crude comments will be banned. You can make yourself feel good but try another approach.

I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m hopeful some of you will connect with me. Even if it’s a thumbs up. And as I like to help, where I can, please ask.

James Piper

Kitchener, Ontario

Post comments on facebook page.

Follow me on twitter.

Posted 2017/03/09 at 16h16ET in The Deep Blue Hold | Writing A Novel

Words: Breathe—Breath

2012-09-17T19:17:00.000-04:00

Monday, September 17, 2012

Breathe—Verb. To breathe.

Breath—Noun. A breath.

Breathe

Breath

Posted 2012/09/17 at 19h17ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Onto—On To

2012-09-11T19:45:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

ON TO—Put the water on to boil, I’m making haggis.

ONTO—The cat jumped onto a pillow filled with wrenches.

Onto

Posted 2012/09/11 at 19h45ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Clothes—Cloth—Clothe

2012-09-09T20:14:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 9, 2012

CLOTHES—She’s so beautiful. I imagine her without any clothes, but then, her closet and dresser would be empty.

CLOTH—A noun. A cloth to wipe up…

CLOTHE—Verb. To clothe her doll, she stole…

Clothes

Cloth

Clothe

Posted 2012/09/09 at 20h14ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Fairy—Ferry

2012-09-06T05:02:00.000-04:00

Thursday, September 6, 2012

A homonym.

FAIRY—A fairy tale. A fairy godmother. Fairy—not a long, long way to run.

FERRY—A boat or ship to transport drunken Swedes back home from Copenhagen. It’s the Danish beer.

Fairy

Ferry

Samantha the Swimming Fairy by Daisy Meadows

Evening Ferry by Katherine Towler

Posted 2012/09/06 at 5h02ET in Words, Writing.

The Hot Tub & The Animal.

2012-09-05T17:09:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

... if it's not the cat then what is it...

ast night I was out back, sitting in the hot tub. It was dark. Cloudy skies. Not much light except for the one in the tub. I'm relaxing and thinking. The noise of the whirling water drowning out most sounds. I'm in a zone when I look up to see the faint image of an animal’s face approaching the edge of the hot tub—its nose almost touching the wooden deck. It moved closer as if wanting to sniff the water.

In the darkness, I thought it was our cat and I wondered how it got out of the house, but as it moved closer, looking as if it might jump into the water, might jump at me, I realized the face was far too large, too wide—the body too big. It wasn’t our cat, it was a racoon. At least I thought it was a racoon.

Not wanting to learn more, I swung my arm through the water. A wave rose up and drenched the deck. When the water settled I looked around and couldn’t find the creature. Maybe my eyes were playing tricks. Maybe it was a ghost racoon—its image was, after all, faint. I must have imagined it.

I moved to the edge of the deck to investigate. Where the water hit, the light brown of the wood was dark. I had drenched much of the deck, but not all of it. There was a patch that was dry. A patch near the middle. A patch about the size of a racoon. I wasn’t seeing things.

_________
I took this photo early one morning in the backyard.

Posted 2012/09/05 at 17h09ET in Nature.

Words: Taught—Taut

2012-09-02T10:19:00.000-04:00

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Another homonym.

TAUGHT—I learned my students? No. I taut my students? No. I teached my students? No. I taught my students. Ah, maybe.

TAUT—The trapdoor of the scaffold gave way and the hangman’s noose went taut.

Taught

Taut

What Barbie Taught Me about Wearing a Plastic Smile by Riley Wilkinson

A Taut Rope by Fred L. Cook

Posted 2012/09/02 at 10h19ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Wine—Whine

2012-08-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

Sunday, August 30, 2012

A homonym that trips some up.

WINE—Red wine goes well with kumquats and prickly pears.

WHINE—Okay. They don’t pair. Stop your whining.

Wine

Whine

Wine of Violence: A Medieval Mystery (Medieval Mysteries) by Priscilla Royal

No Whine With Dinner: 150 Healthy Kid-Tested Recipes from the Meal Makeover Moms by Liz Weiss, Janice Newell Bissex

Posted 2012/08/30 at 20h12ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Licence— License

2012-08-26T18:24:00.000-04:00

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Easy to miss this one.

LICENCE—Always a noun. He has a licence to collect alien spaceships. British spelling variation.

LICENSE—A noun. A verb. U.S. spelling variation for noun. The federal Bureau for Interplanetary Affairs is empowered to license individuals, corporations and charities.

Licence

License

Licence to Kill by John Gardner

Artistic License by Julie Hyzy

Posted 2012/08/26 at 18h24ET in Words, Writing.

The Protectors (A Thriller)

2012-08-22T19:09:00.000-04:00

Words: Throw—Throe

2012-08-22T14:48:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Easy to miss this one.

THROW—Transitive verb. You throw something. A book, your voice, a planet.

THROE—A noun. Emotions. Spasms. In the extreme. The throes of love, of battle, of using a computer.

throe

Throes of Democracy: The American Civil War Era, 1829-1877 by Walter A. Mcdougall

Posted 2012/08/21 at 14h48ET in Words, Writing.

Words: Flow—Floe

2012-08-21T14:27:00.000-04:00

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

I don’t make these things up.

FLOW—Some like it when champagne flows, others when it’s beer. Water flows down hills and in rivers, but there are no ice flows.

FLOE—An ice floe. Chucks of ice floating in water. Big chunks, the size of a city, are called ice fields.

DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Canada

National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of Canada

Posted 2012/08/21 at 14h27ET in Words, Writing.

Should I Use Up The KDP Promotion Days Before They Expire?

2012-08-20T16:44:00.000-04:00

Monday, August 20, 2012

... some decisions are easier to make than others because you don't have all the facts...

I have a decision to make. Two of my novels on Amazon are part of the KDP select program and the 90-day period expires in a week. I have some free promotion days left to use. Do I use them or let them expire? Do I re-enlist for another 90 days? How to decide?

Overview of the KDP Select Program:

Applies to e-books only.
90-day period.
Book becomes exclusive to Amazon.
No non-Amazon sales allowed.
5 free promotion days.
Unused promo days expire. No roll over.
No royalty for promo day downloads.
Lending program for Select members.
1 new lend per month per member.
Royalty for lending, around $2 per lend.

The Benefits.

People love free and will download.
Increased visibility from:

Amazon’s list of books currently in free promo.
Web sites and tweets of your free promo.
Hitting bestseller list on Amazon.

More clicks on the LIKE button for the book.
Reviews posted on Amazon and elsewhere.
Increased sales after the promotion period.
Increased rankings afterwards.

The Downside.

No sales from non-Amazon sites.
No royalties during free promo days.
Tonnes of free books offered everyday.
Downloads don’t turn into reads or readers.
Visibility lasts for a short time.
Income from lending less than regular royalty.

I think I have covered most of the key points on this issue.

I have one week left to use the free promo days. I suspect my lost royalties, if I use the days, will be less than royalties gained later. In other words, I think it will help to generate more future sales than would otherwise be the case. I can’t be certain but that’s my best guess and hence I should use them up.

I’m not sure if I should enrol for the next period. The calculus would include sales on Itunes, B&N, Kobo etc. It’s not insignificant. With greater visibility, there comes a tipping point where you can’t ignore sales outside Amazon.

NOTE: If you have a book enrolled, check your KDP bookshelf. Select a title, click Actions then See KDP Select Details. A window will pop up. There you will find a checkbox to automatically renew enrolment. You may want to uncheck it.

Posted 2012/08/20 at 16h17ET in Publishing.