Richard's Ramblings

Quick and easy guide to common spelling errors.

2011-08-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy guide to common spelling errors.

One of the main problems in using written English revolves around the misuse or misspelling of words which sound the same but have different meanings. Sometimes such words are from the same ‘family’, but correct spelling depends on their function within the sentence.

Authors and writers often allow computer auto-correct devices to change the spelling of words considered by the machine to be incorrect. Sometimes, however, as with any automated system, misunderstandings in context can lead to errors, so the suggested correction should also be checked for meaning with a trusty Thesaurus.

In this blog, I shall offer some of the most common examples of misspelling I have come across, give general meanings, and provide examples to support their use. Also, I shall consider words of a similar nature which have subtle differences in meaning.

Aloud - out loud. Allowed - permitted.

She was allowed to read her story aloud to the class.

Assure - to promise, to guarantee. Ensure – to make certain/sure. Insure- to guarantee/protect against risk or loss.

I assure you the management will ensure that you are insured for accidents at work.

Bare - naked/unclothed/simple/plain. Bear - an animal/to support/hold up/ tolerate /endure.

The bear could no longer bear his hunger. The trees were bare.

Board - piece of flat timber/group of people. Bored – uninterested.

The children were bored playing board games.

Coarse – rough, crude. Course – a class or path.

The interruptions from a very coarse student spoilt the writers’ course.

Complement - to complete/ add to something. Compliment - praise/admiration.

The inspectors wished to compliment the school for managing to attract a full complement of staff.

Confidant - a male in whom private matters are confided. Confident - to show certainty/trust.

He was confident his confidant would understand his problems.

Desperate - in despair/ lost all hope. Disparate - utterly different in kind.

The disparate bunch of visitors were desperate to leave the dirty hotel.

Discreet – careful/confidential/ unobtrusive. Discrete – individual/distinct /separate /detached.

There was a discrete hotel room where the lovers could conduct their discreet affair.

Elicit - to bring about/evoke/extract/ draw out. Illicit - forbidden/ disapproved of/illegal.

The police officer wanted to elicit any information to suggest there had been an illicit entry.

E.g. - for example. i.e. - in other words.

Mail - post /letters/ packages. Male – boy/ man/ riveted, metal armour.

In times gone by, only a male was permitted to deliver the mail.

Principal - first in importance/rank /head of an educational institution/ leading person. Principle - moral rule guiding personal conduct.

The Principal would not allow principle to get in the way of punishment.

Rein - bit/harness to control horse/ ( rein in) to control/restrict. Reign - period in which a monarch rules.

During his reign, Louis XIV tried to rein in revolutionary opposition.

Stationary - not moving/static. Stationery - writing materials, etc.

She snatched her stationery from the stationary car.

Threw - past tense of to throw. Through - in one end, out the other/ during /finished.

Consumed with rage, he threw an apple through the tunnel. He was through with girls, having suffered nothing but jealousy through the entire holiday.

Amount - quantity/used for things that cannot be counted. Number - used for things that can be counted.

No amount of help from his considerable number of supporters could save him.

Childish - immature/silly. Childlike - innocent /trustful /like a child.

The old man’s childish behaviour reflected none of the childlike qualities of his grandchildren.

Empathy - ability to sense/understand the feelings of others as if they were one’s own.

Sympathy - to feel compassion/ sadness for the plight of others.

His father had died the week before, so he could empathise with the bereaved family who received many messages of sympathy from neighbours.

Though by no means exhaustive, hopefully some of the examples above may prove useful for self-publishers or scholars of the English language when distinguishing between spellings and meanings which require quick clarification.

Self-publishing; more useful, basic tips for authors.

2011-07-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Self-publishing: more useful, basic tips for authors.

Self-publishing is becoming more popular and accessible, and many authors now prefer to edit their own work. All writers are aware that we cannot simply rely on the ‘auto-correct’ system on our computers. Sometimes it takes spelling, grammar and punctuation out of context and suggests an incorrect alternative. And sometimes it’s just WRONG!

To support anyone in the task of editing, I offer a further selection of common pitfalls, with some simple explanations. (See previous blog.)

In this blog, I shall concentrate mainly on words which sound the same, but are spelt differently.

To, too, two:

‘To’ would be used most often, except when we require a number, ‘two’, or wish to mean ‘also’ = ‘too’. Comparison also requires ‘too’.

e.g. My two friends are going to the beach, too, unless it’s too hot.

Who’s and whose:

Who’s simply means ‘who is’ (?) or ‘who has’ (?). Once again, the apostrophe denotes a missing letter or letters.

‘Whose’ really means ‘of whom?’ or ‘belonging to whom?’

e.g. “Whose idea was it to suggest who’s attending?” * Computer auto-correct just INCORRECTLY underlined (‘who’s = who is attending’), suggesting ‘whose’!!

Your, you’re:

‘Your’ shows possession or belonging.

‘You’re’ means ‘you are’. Again, an apostrophe denotes a missing letter: e.g. “You’re going to miss your train.”

Also consider: you’d = you had/you would

You’ll = you will/you shall (mostly used in dialogue).

“You’d better be quick or you’ll miss your train!”

Similarly, we’ve = we have,

we’ll = we will/shall,

we’d = we had/would

Where/were/we’re:

Where (?)= in/at/what place?

Were = past tense of ‘to be’.

We’re = we are

e.g. “We’re visiting the house where you were born.”

Past/Passed:

past = former / on(wards)/beyond

passed = the past tense of ‘to pass’.

e.g: At half past two, having just passed her driving test, she reluctantly walked past the patisserie.

Practice (noun)/ practise (verb).

e.g. She went to piano practice. / She likes to practise the piano. (UK)

Effect (noun)/affect (verb).

e.g. His mood is beginning to affect his work. / His mood is having a negative effect on his work.

I should like to finish by mentioning three very familiar errors which make me cringe.

Less/fewer.

To put it simply, ‘less’ is ‘to a smaller degree’. It usually reflects comparison.

e.g. “He is less intelligent than his brother.”

‘Fewer’ = a smaller number.

e.g. “10 items or fewer” is the correct phrase for the fast check-out in a supermarket. (Again, auto-correct thinks it should be “are the correct phrase” having picked up the word ‘items’.

e.g. She has less homework because she is studying fewer subjects.

‘Would of’ is completely wrong. It should be ‘would have’. Hooray! Auto-correct has underlined ‘would of’!!

e.g. He would have arrived earlier, but his train was late.

‘Off of’: These two words do not go together. Either word can be omitted.

Essentially, ‘off’ is the opposite of ‘on’, or signifies ‘no longer attached to, or associated with someone/something’.

A ghastly example is: “I can’t take my eyes off of you.” “I can’t take my eyes off you” is fine.

Which sounds better? “When I get off of work.” “When I get off work.” Neither? (Auto-correct is about to blow up at this stage, with green lines all over the place. It has, in fact, underlined the correct phrase!!)

‘Of’ means ‘from’ or ‘belonging to’ or specifies amount or quantity.

e.g. His mistakes are of his own making. He drinks a litre of vodka a day!

To show I am by no means perfect, I will leave you with a howler I spotted in my own work.

“It was a wait off his mind.” “It was a weight off his mind.” I am sure you can see which is correct!

R.S.Charles.

http://www.mymysterybooks.com

Editing Novels: Some Basic, Useful Tips for Self-Publishing Authors

2011-07-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

by Richard S Charles

At a time when more and more writers are dispensing with publishers, agents and editors, and are entering into the realms of self publishing and e-books, editing is becoming a natural part of any author's routine work.
While by no means exhaustive, the simple editing tips provided here can help to build up a useful aide-memoire for today's modern authors.

REPETITION.
Even the best writers cannot readily keep track of the number of times they use certain pet phrases or the same vocabulary as they progress through their work. In the first draft, this is not a priority. Once such words have been identified during checking or a read-through, a trusty Thesaurus will offer useful alternatives and help to avoid repetition.
Remember: when making alterations, expressions can sometimes inadvertently be replaced with alternatives which may have also already been used elsewhere or are yet to be found further on. Thus a circular process can present itself.

FLUENCY, CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY.
It is always useful to read work aloud. It will soon become apparent where the language doesn't easily flow and a passage needs tweaking. Some authors read and record each chapter so they can judge fluency more easily during playback.

Writing a novel is not dissimilar to writing a play. Both consist of creating scenes which must run effortlessly into each other to continue the story. If specific references are made to time, manner, location, weather, clothes, belongings etc., such information must be 'tracked' for consistency until variations are stated.

Credibility also plays its part. Mentioning technology or inventions not in keeping with the time period or setting can sometimes cause embarrassing problems. "It was just after the Second World War. Sophie felt compelled to write about her experiences. She plugged in her laptop and..."

Similarly, in fiction, sequences of events, actions which have happened, or information which has yet to be divulged must all be kept in mind to avoid obvious flaws in the content of one's writing. Habits and characteristics used for the description or development of characters need to be consistent for those characters, unless a change is specified.

GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION AND SPELLING.
Relying on a computer to check grammar, punctuation and spelling is not a foolproof method. Every author is bound to have a reasonable grounding here, but mistakes are easy to overlook. "Fragment-consider revising" often flashes up in green when there is a potential problem in relation to grammar. In context, however, what is written can be perfectly acceptable. Dialogue, for example, may call for slang or incorrect language, in keeping with the character's speech patterns. Here, advice from a computer does not always need to be strictly adhered to. A certain amount of flexibility is needed. Remember, it is the writer who is writing, NOT the computer!

A helpful tip relates to the use of 'who' or 'that'. For example: "The passengers, who were late, have just arrived". "The trains that were late have just arrived." Essentially, use 'who' for people and 'that' for things.

Punctuation is necessary to help the reader make sense of what is written. Commas are used in a list, or to show a natural pause or break or section in a sentence, and a full stop is needed at the end. Question marks and exclamation marks are self-explanatory and replace full stops, though they are easy to overlook if one is not paying attention. Speech marks are used for dialogue. These can also be forgotten, especially when closing each speaker's dialogue. New speaker, new line, is an age-old rule.

Paragraphs generally indicate a change or new development in a section of writing usually devoted to one idea and should start with an indent. This is often electronically done when publishing takes place. Initially, the writer may be directed to use a double space bar to signify a new paragraph.

Spelling mistakes will be highlighted in red for most documents written on computers. Choose carefully from the selection of alternatives given and then re-check the meaning to ensure you are using the correct word from those which have broadly the same sense or spelling.
Should one use 'piece of mind' or 'peace of mind'? I freely give this example as something I failed to spot when editing one of my novels! Unfortunately, it fell to a reader to point it out.

Common errors revolve around similar sounding words which are spelt differently. To illustrate this, I will refer to 'their' - denoting possession, 'there' - a place, and 'they're' - the shortened form of 'they are'. For example: "Their weekly routine suggests they're there every Sunday."

'Its' - reflects possession and 'it's' - is short for 'it is'. Generally, an apostrophe denotes a missing letter or letters, or suggests possession. "It's helpful to know its origin"

Their/his/her. Consider the following: "Should a writer have a good knowledge of their own language?" "Should a writer have a good knowledge of his/her own language?" "Should writers have a good knowledge of their own language?" Perhaps you can now see the correct answer(s)?

Here, I have merely tried to highlight random examples of common errors which I find useful to look out for when editing. Doubtless, as I continue to build up my list, more will follow.

R.S. Charles. (Author of "Whispering Palms.")
http://www.mymysterybooks.com

"Laugh And The World Laughs With You."

2011-07-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

by Richard S Charles

Two tourists were talking about the trials and tribulations of their holidays in Greece.

"Did you have the shish kebabs?"

"From the moment we arrived!"

"Did you go on the Acropolis?"

"On it? We were never off it!"

This little dialogue, courtesy of English comedian, Les Dawson, has always brought a smile to my face. But it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

Man enjoys the supreme luxury of being able to laugh. In a world often divided by politics, religion, race, ideology, phobia and principle, laughter can be an unusual, yet useful, unifying force. As a biological function and human quality, it is often taken for granted, but laughter can bring people together, put them at their ease, help form friendships and sometimes create unbreakable bonds.

Its manifestation can range from a nervous trickle to a belly roar. It can be subtle or infectious. And nowadays, if people are unable to actually laugh in person, they are 'Laughing Out Loud' in written media messages all over the world. Social network sites are swamped with friends who 'LOL', giving each other an immediate, imaginable picture of their feelings or reactions, thereby sharing sentiments of happiness, warmth and fun. Indeed, according to the medical practitioners, laughter is the tonic we all need, and laughing is something every one of us can and should do!

What we actually laugh at, however, is another story. It depends on that most subtle and complex of man's qualities, the 'sense of humour'. This is uniquely human and can emanate from a variety of sources ranging from highly individual, personal taste to common attitudes of national stereotypes varying from country to country. Some sources of amusement will doubtless have universal appeal; others will be unique to a particular person, a family or like-minded people.

Some of us will prefer visual comedy to verbal humour, slapstick to sarcasm, jibes to jokes, but everyone has a trigger which will eventually set off a chain reaction allowing our facial muscles and vocal chords to show exactly how we feel. When something is funny, the effect will always be the same. We will laugh!

Never underestimate the power of laughter. It helps us to maintain a balanced sense of values. It takes the wind out of the pompous and arrogant and those who have lost their sense of proportion. If we can see the funny side, we will probably never make the mistake of taking ourselves too seriously. Indeed, to say someone has no sense of humour is usually an insult implying they lack one of the most vital of human qualities. None of us has to go far to find something to laugh at, and it's usually well worth the trip.

Just imagine a world without humour, a world without laughter. This thought alone would be enough to remove a smile from anyone's face.

http://www.mymysterybooks.com/

Writing a 'bestseller' ?

2011-06-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

How to write a bestseller, or not, as the case may be.

This is a topic often considered in depth by published authors as well as fledgling writers. Is it just a lottery or is there a magic formula? Here is Author of "Whispering Plams", R.S.Charles' take on it.

Having been a teacher of Modern European Languages, including English, I suppose I should have known exactly what approach to take when writing a book, well, in theory, at least!

Finding one's 'niche' is obviously going to be an important feature in determining exactly what is envisaged as the finished product. Is it going to be fact or fiction? A biography or a fantasy? Tragic or humorous? And, if it is going to be fiction, which 'genre' best suits one's passion, knowledge, experience and style of writing? But, then again, if we want to be successful, is it not better to write about what people want to read rather than what the author wants to write?

Anyway, enough of the theory, back to the plot. Yes, there must be a 'plot' of sorts whatever we write. Think back to those boring English lessons at school, (well, if you're my age and went to an English Grammar School, they were probably exceedingly boring, but we did all pass the exams). The lesson on "How to write an Essay" must surely be a good place to start. Clearly, we just expand each section of the 'plan' to write a book? Simple!

Yes, remember the 'plan'; an introduction, development and conclusion. It's as easy as that, isn't it? Wait a minute; is that in the right order? Don't they do it backwards now? Start with the ending and finish with the beginning? It's all a bit confusing nowadays.

Unquestionably, we need a title for our 'bestseller'. That's something which we must get right. It must instantly captivate potential readers. Shall we waste hours thinking up one first, and make our writing 'fit' round it, or find one that suits when we've finished? Possibly by that time, we'll have had a brainwave!

Just a few more questions; what about the setting? When and where will the story in our novel take place? Is it a modern piece or an historical epic? Or doesn't that really matter? Conceivably, we are going to write something that could transpose itself to any place and any time, as long as the 'plot' is good. There's that word again!

I expect, at this point, it's also time to start thinking about 'characters'. After all, every novel must have some. They are the catalysts who allow the 'plot' to develop. They are 'what makes the novel'. We have decided it's going to be a novel, haven't we?

I've got a strong hunch now that the 'characters' will be quite important to a 'bestseller'. In that case, each character must be finely sculpted, impeccably 'honed'. So, to what extent should we describe them? How much should we leave to the reader's imagination? Should we portray them in every detail, explaining their background, their appearance, and their 'characteristics'? Or might it be better to just allow the characters to 'develop' themselves through their habits and idiosyncrasies, depict themselves through their behaviour and their emotions? Let's just see how it goes. We may even come up with something better half way through and change everything about them. It's a problem though, isn't it? Rather like painting a picture; how much should we 'shade in' or indeed, leave blank?

Inevitably, 'characters' are going to contain snippets of those we know, either personally, or through the wonders of the modern media. After all, they have to be 'real', have 'real' qualities and 'real' weaknesses, if they are to be believed, empathized with, identified with. (Oh dear, I've ended a sentence with a 'preposition'- that's not right, is it?).

Now, another consideration, will the 'plot' be 'character driven' or will events and experiences 'drive' the characters? Do we really need a hero or a heroine? Every novel seems to have one or both. Perhaps we should be different and not have any? It's becoming even more complicated; so many things to consider! At this point, I fear that I may be losing the 'plot'!

Maybe we should have done some research first? It might have been a good idea to produce an 'outline' of each character before we began, just so we knew how we would like to depict them. But, then again, the 'plot' might cause them to act 'out of character', so is it worth the bother?

Talking about research, I keep thinking it may also have been useful to suitably acquaint ourselves with any location, climate, time period and specialist information we are going to write about. Someone who reads the novel might be an 'expert' on one or all of these and catch us out. And then where would we be?

But they won't be an expert on our characters. They belong to us. They are our creations. Effectively, they behave just as we tell them to; do whatever we force them to do.

I'm still pondering about the 'development'. Did we think about the length of the novel, how many words we should aim to write? Does it really matter how many chapters we have? Do we need yet another detailed 'outline' of each chapter before we put pen to paper? (this is an old- fashioned phrase which means 'finger to keyboard, keyboard to computer screen') Or shall we just sit down with the laptop and see how it goes? Who knows?

And should we discuss 'style'? But isn't style a personal thing? Will ours suit the 'genre'? Should it be a narrative? Do we need 'dialogue'? Obviously, we must engage the reader immediately, create an appropriate atmosphere. Shall we use the 'first person singular', as if we're (or 'I'm', in this case) a character in the novel?

I'm sure 'the mechanics of writing' was mentioned somewhere in the dim and distant past. This must include all that rigmarole like spelling, vocabulary, punctuation and even grammar. (I think I was absent for those lessons at school !).

No worries; the computer will do all that for us, won't it? Every time we misspell something, the machine will underline it in red and tell us the correct spelling, if indeed we meant to use the word in that context. But, perhaps we actually meant the other version of the word, the one with the other spelling which means something completely different.

And if we waffle on or leave out some punctuation, the computer will underline it in green and correct it or say; 'fragment-consider revising'. That's very helpful, isn't it? Obviously it can't think of an alternative either! Anyway, the publishers will see to all that when they edit the finished version, you know, polish it up a bit.

So, did we decide on a 'genre'? Keep up! Does the novel have to fall into a specific category like 'romance', 'science fiction' or 'thriller'? That's how books are arranged in shops and on-line. Oh dear,we might have to change it then, so it doesn't 'straddle' different genres. Otherwise it will be hard to categorize and for our readers to find. That, in turn, might muck up the plan!

I think we're nearly there now, anyway.

So, we've got the 'characters', 'introduced' and 'developed' the story. The computer is doing the 'style', spelling and grammar, with a little help from us. Now for the 'conclusion'! Well, I suppose, (oh, I'm repeating the same words too often; where's the Thesaurus when we need it? On the computer, of course!) we have to think about the 'ending'. Let's be traditional and put it at the end. Perhaps it should round things off nicely, end on a 'high', reveal all. Or should we leave something to the reader's imagination; leave him/her wanting more? What about a cliffhanger? After all, we might write a sequel, so we'll need a starting point.

That's it then! All we have to do now is find a publisher- there'll be a book in the library with details and addresses. Let's just send off the manuscript, leave the rest to them, sit back, and wait for the royalties to roll in, shall we?

One last thought; how come I tell people that my popular mystery novel, "Whispering Palms", 'wrote itself'? Perhaps now is the time to take my tongue firmly out of my cheek!!

www.mymysterybooks.com

R. S. Charles - Author Interview

2011-04-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, 13 April 2011

Please tell us a little about yourself, Richard.

Hi! My ‘nom de plume’ is R.S. Charles and I am a writer and novelist.

I developed an interest in language from a very early age. My mother was German and my father was Cornish, so I was fortunate enough to spend my early childhood in both Germany and England. I also lived in Paris and Montpellier in France. I consider myself to be a true European.

After an English Grammar School education, I went to University and studied French, which I subsequently taught, along with German and English, for 25 years.

Having spent 15 of those years as Head of a large Modern Languages Faculty in an inner- city Community College, I wanted to experience life outside the harness of education, so my long-term partner and I decided to buy and run a small, seaside Hotel.

We are presently living in our home town, Plymouth, England, with our two dogs and cat.

So, how would others describe me? I can be grumpy, feisty, and impatient, but also sociable and fun. Being a typical ‘Libran’, I like things to be balanced and fair. I still have a strong sense of humour, though life’s trials and tribulations have knocked it about somewhat. I am a very open person and narrowly missed out on the post of Deputy Head in my first school by naively telling the interviewing panel that fellow staff referred to me as the ‘Head of Light Entertainment’ because I made them laugh so much! I still impersonate many of them to this day.

Tell us about Whispering Palms in a few sentences.

It’s a mystery/suspense novel with a ‘liberal sprinkling of racy romance’. The intrigue takes place on a remote, paradise island where the rich and anonymous entertain themselves by interfering in each others’ lives. It’s the first novel in a Trilogy. And with such suitable ingredients as glitz, glamour, greed, lust and blackmail, all tangled up in a web of hypocrisy and deceit, readers seem to think it would make a good mini-series/soap. I do too!

How did you come to write this particular book?

During our time at the hotel, I used to sit at the Reception desk and give a running commentary on the comings and goings of guests to amuse myself and others. One afternoon, I decided to write down my observations. I sat at the computer, allowed my imagination to embellish my thoughts, turned fact into fanciful fiction, and was soon surprised to find I’d produced enough material for at least one chapter of a novel. After that, there was no going back.

If you have a favourite character in your novel, why that particular one?

I love all my characters, ranging from the English aristocrats to the enigmatic, foreign visitors who meander in and out of their lives. I couldn’t pick a favourite. I don’t really feel there is a main character. After all, “Everyone has a past and everyone has a reason to be there.”

Where and when is your novel set and why did you make these specific choices?

The year is 1986 and the setting is a remote, secluded island in the Caribbean. Both these facts are of little real significance since, being so isolated, the cloistered community regards itself as merely being ‘somewhere in the Tropics’, does not take kindly to strangers or change, and chooses to continue to live by old Colonial values. It is as though they permanently exist in the 1950s, or even a time previous to that.

To be honest, I gave little thought to the actual time or place for the novel. I am a visual writer and simply imagined an opulent, old-fashioned lifestyle in a sun-drenched paradise. Perhaps the Caribbean cruise we went on in 2001 subconsciously came to the fore? It’s been my only taste of luxury…so far.

Where and how can readers buy your book?

"Whispering Palms" was originally published in hardback in 2010, and can be purchased ‘on-line’ from all Amazon outlets, WH Smith, (cheapest option), Barnes & Noble, and Waterstones. Some branches stock it ‘in-store’.

It is also now available for immediate download on Amazon Kindle, for PC, iphone, pad, Android and other e-readers, as well as cell phones/mobiles and Smartphones, and Nook from Barnes&Noble.

(I love phrases like ‘on-line’ and ‘in-store’. Currently, one can apparently throw any incongruous words together to suit one’s purpose! And now I’m sounding too much like one of my characters!)

What qualities are needed by a successful writer?

I could trot out all sorts of clichés, but nowadays, the whole notion of ‘successful writing’ in relation to novels largely depends on publishers and marketing. Some of the best writers probably aren’t ever published. Their work is still languishing in slush piles. And a good number of those who are published don’t receive enough exposure and get lost in the crowd.

Writing is like painting. You have to immerse people in what you have created. You have to appeal to someone. Different writers do this in different ways. And what appeals to one reader/publisher won’t necessarily appeal to another. All your efforts can be of little value if you don’t get the breaks, regardless of your qualities!

What is your working method?

I have the luxury of usually being able to write when I want to write. There is no routine. If the creative juices are flowing, it’s time to write, even in the middle of the night. If not, forget it! As far as actual ‘method’ is concerned, I always maintain that “Whispering Palms” wrote itself. I merely had some characters and an idea. Each time I sat down to write, the characters took over, did what they wanted to do, said what they wanted to say, and dealt with the situations they had put themselves in. Most of the time, I consciously had no idea what was going to happen until I wrote it.

It sounds glib, but planning and organisation were sketchy. Knowing one’s characters is the key to gauging their reactions, behaviour, dialogue, and the outcome of their follies. Also, being a mystery novel, there was a puzzle to solve. All the clues had to be there. Readers hate random reasoning. Fortunately, everything seemed to fall into place at the big reveal. Perhaps more by luck than judgement!

A Senior Police Officer wrote to me and said he had read the novel while he was off work, incapacitated with a bad back. He openly admitted all the clues were there, but he’d failed to solve the mystery. He had one desperate question, but I won’t tell you what that was. The answer is the key to the puzzle! I have to say, however, that I am finding the sequel to “Whispering Palms” more difficult to write. Having had one novel published, the pressure seems greater. This time I have a plot and I know the ending. Getting there is not so easy!

What single biggest mistake do beginners to writing make?

Putting all you have into your first novel!

To what extent are grammar and spelling important to a writer?

To me, any writer must endeavour to be a master of the basic mechanics of his or her own language; spelling, grammar, punctuation. It allows confidence and fluency. Relying on correction devices provided by modern computers is risky. Context and dialogue may influence style and language. “Fragment-consider revising” flashing at you is not helpful when you know what you have written is perfectly acceptable!

We all need to check spelling now and again, but if one word is spelt in several different ways, a writer should at least know which one to use. And if you leave it all to editors, they may re-write your book. BUT, we are all human. Commas are still somewhat of a mystery to me. And somehow the phrase ‘piece of mind’ found its way into the hard copy of “Whispering Palms”. Ooops!

How much revision of your MS do you do before you send it off?

I like to edit as I go, and give my work another thorough edit and check when finished. You can, however, do too much and change things for the sake of it, only to change them back again to what you originally wrote. I find working to an edit deadline quite pressurising. I made the mistake of working for long periods when I was tired. Not to be advised!

To what extent do you think genre is useful in the publishing world?

Genre allows writers to be pigeon-holed and readers to easily select what they wish to read. It can, however, be restrictive. If we wish to sell books, should we write what we wish to write and are comfortable with, or should we ‘go with the flow’ and venture into other genres which appear to be in vogue at the time? Many writers cross genre boundaries nowadays, and some readers never explore genres they are not familiar with. They rely on their favourite authors to continually produce novels which are similar in style and content to previous work. They like to feel ‘safe’.

One of my proofreaders told me that mystery novels ‘were not for her’. (Un)fortunately, she enjoyed “Whispering Palms” so much, she forgot she was actually proofreading it!

Marketing is often considered a chore. What is your opinion on this issue and how do you deal with it?

Don’t get me started on this one! I’ll say no more!

How do you know where to begin any given story?

Just pitch in. Start at the end, or in the middle. Have flashbacks. Look into the future. Run two storylines simultaneously. The rules have gone out of the window. Who knows? The main thing is to hook the reader from page one.

What sort of displacement activities keep you from actually writing?

I’m quite lucky, I suppose. I write when I’m in the mood. Of course, everyday life interferes now and then. We have dogs to walk, chores to do, and we even socialise occasionally. I don’t really have hobbies as such. Writing has become my passion. I watch much less television now, but networking on social websites can waste an inordinate amount of time and become totally addictive.

Recently, my writing has been greatly hindered by a dodgy, temperamental computer. On days I’ve wished to write, it has refused to work, and when it felt like working, I didn’t have the inspiration. I had a new ‘mouse’, and a new ‘memory’ installed, as both were not functioning properly. And then, to top it all, the hard drive mangled itself, out of the blue, a week later. The air was blue. I hadn’t saved the last 4,000+ words I had written to a back-up memory stick, only to the hard drive. I assumed I didn’t immediately need to. The computer had just been repaired. I have lost two pivotal chapters of my sequel, which I really laboured to write. They were leading to the big ‘reveal’ and had to be ‘just right’. Eventually they were.

Unfortunately, these chapters cannot be retrieved. Professionals have tried. I still haven’t come to terms with that. All that work for nothing! It’s going to take me a while to face the challenge of trying to re-create something I was really happy with. There’s a lesson there for everyone.

Do you have support from family and friends, or a writing group?

Generally, my friends and family are encouraging. At times, however, they think I become too obsessed with what I’m doing. And they are right!

I belong to ‘on-line’ writing groups for social interaction and moral support.

Is presentation of the MS as important as agents and publishers suggest?

I think you should give it your best shot. You are presenting yourself and your work. Often, you only have one chance to make an impression. Even then, you are competing with everybody else. If your presentation is good that’s at least something in your favour.

How long does it normally take you to write a novel?

It varies. “Whispering Palms” took about a year, but I also had a job at the time. I’ve nearly finished my WIP, and that has taken about the same time. The present project has been plagued by different problems, mostly to do with technology!

What are your inspirations?

Pictures, photographs, paintings, places, people, films. I am, as I have said, a visual writer. I need to be able to see and feel what I am writing about, albeit in my imagination. Before that can happen, there will have been some sort of stimulus. I am a great ‘people-watcher’. Well, that’s my excuse for spending so much time in cafes.

When I initially re-read the chapters I have now ‘lost’, I experienced exactly the atmosphere I wanted to be immersed in. Something has to inspire a writer to find the right words to fluently create the scene (s)he wishes to convey, rather like an artist needs to find exactly the right blend of colours to produce the picture (s)he wishes to paint.

If there’s a single aspect to writing that really frustrates you, what is it?

Having to use a computer! As much as it helps, it hinders. My scribble is not presentable enough, and publishers have ‘guidelines’.

Is there an aspect of writing that you really enjoy?

I really enjoy the experience of losing myself in the world of my imagination. If you can’t be where you want to be, write about it. If you are not able to be who you want to be, write about it. If you’re not doing what you want to do, write about it.

Do you think writing is a natural gift or an acquired skill?

I don’t want to discourage anyone, but in my opinion, we are all born to do some things well. Other things we have to work at. I spent years interviewing people for teaching posts in my department. Some candidates were extremely well qualified or had years of experience, but they weren’t natural teachers. Other candidates were less experienced, less well qualified, but had that ‘special something’. I knew it as soon as I met them. And that was not about me, it was about them. They may have needed a little guidance, but they were definitely born to teach.

Writers are the same. Some slog away and need to acquire skills to be competent. For others, it’s a breeze. Anyway, who’s to judge? If it’s what you want to do, and readers like what you write, who really knows how you got there? I doubt there’s ever been a good writer who has not been rejected many times!

What are you writing now?

I am just completing the sequel to “Whispering Palms”. It carries directly on from the last page of the first novel.

Do you have a website or blog that readers can visit?

My website, www.mymysterybooks.com has just be revamped and contains all the necessary useful links to blogs and further information. Please check it out.

Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?

A luxury mansion, surrounded by palm trees, overlooking the beach on a sun-drenched tropical island. Sound familiar?

Where do you actually write?

We live in a rambling period property, and I used to have the back bedroom, (complete with bed and cosy chairs), overlooking our lovely garden and neighbouring park as my office. But now, needs must, and it has been converted into a guest room. I’ve been relegated to a corner in the back ‘parlour’! The desk and computer fit snugly into the alcove by the fireside, and the window looks out onto an old-fashioned, cobbled lane. Thank God for my imagination!

http://www.mymysterybooks.com/

A Mystery/Suspense Novel to Look out for.

2010-06-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday, 10 June 2010

My name is R.S.Charles and I'm an English author.

What have Amazon.co.uk readers stumbled on that others throughout the world have yet to discover? Well, now it's time to share the secret.

My debut novel, "Whispering Palms" is already enjoying acclaim from British readers, as highlighted by the 18 x 5* and 4 x 4* (22) reviews to date on the U.K. Amazon site. It has already been featured on BBC radio and has 5* reviews on other on-line sites.

The novel falls nicely into the genre of a mystery/suspense thriller, and has a compelling plot embracing 'a touch of Agatha Christie' (who lived only miles away from my Devon home), with a generous sprinkling of the glitz and glamour of such glossy television mini-series as 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas'.

It is a captivating adventure of interwoven lives, loves, lusts and desires played out in a privileged society which devotes itself to rumour, gossip, insincerity, self indulgence, hypocrisy, and above all, revenge.

A remote, secluded isle in the Caribbean, immersed in folklore and intrigue, provides the backdrop for this page-turning tale. It is a home for some, a hideaway for others, but everyone has a past, and everyone has a reason to be there. Characters range from English Aristocrats to bohemian residents and their enigmatic visitors, all of whom have their own special agenda.

An elegant hotel, bathed in opulence, provides the venue for the island's social gatherings where secrets, intrigue and innuendo blossom and develop into deliciously mouthwatering blackmail which lurks throughout the plot.
As the palm trees whisper and sway in the gentle, tropical breeze, the characters of "Whispering Palms" twist and bend depending on whatever suits their fancy, or their motives. And, eventually, when trouble rears its ugly head in their jealously guarded, little paradise and their cosy, idyllic lifestyle is at risk, everyone feels threatened and is prepared to do whatever it takes to survive.

What readers say about "Whispering Palms"; (full reviews on Amazon.co.uk)

Gripping. I could hardly put it down. I felt I was in the plot.
I loved it from start to finish.
The book is gripping. It is compelling. The plot is cleverly constructed. Every character and every event has a place in the maze of motives. Detail is so sharp and true to life, you will feel these people are your friends and neighbours.
This author had me gripped from the first page to the last. A perfect escape from our own lives to another where twists and intrigue sizzle on every page. I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates a thoroughly compelling read.
Impossible to put down. Cleverly written, the story transports us to a world of lavish luxury. All we have to do is watch as the mystery unfolds. All the ingredients of a compelling page-turner. Can't wait for the sequel. (x7)
I could almost smell the tropical breeze. Great, easy read. Kept me intrigued to the very end.
A fast paced, contemporary take on a well established genre. Would appeal to a wide audience. The Caribbean setting and the characters would give a great opportunity to produce an outstanding movie or mini-series.
You just don't know what's going to happen next. A thoroughly great read. Enjoy!

Hope this has whetted the appetite of potential readers.

I am already penning the sought after sequel in which the web of
excitement, uncertainty, and suspense continues.

"Whispering Palms" by R.S,Charles Genre: mystery/suspense.

Hardback, and Now Available on KINDLE

Please Visit the Website: http://www.mymysterybooks.com/