Writing, and a New Symi Magazine

And here we are back at the start of another week, always a good place to be. Yes, I know, you have to go to work, and it’s Monday morning, but just think what the week ahead might hold. Here in Greece, it’s apparently going to include rain and hail from Saturday; maybe not here, but we shall wait and see. The ground and the plants, not to mention the reservoirs, could certainly do with some rain.

This week, for me, will also bring the end of the first draft of ‘The Witchling.’ This is one of those rare events for me. I started with an idea for a ‘The Saddling’ follow up, jotted down some notes and knew what was to happen, and then just started writing. It’s taken me four weeks to write 80,000 words and as of today (Sunday) I have two chapters left to write. I hope to get one done today and the other on Monday, and then the first draft will be done. It’s rubbish. Actually, it’s not all rubbish, but it is very quick and rough. I had to tell myself the story that was in my head before it left me and that’s what I have done. I shall then, after a break, set about a draft two where it will be much improved, I hope. Because I already have the setting, characters, dialect and backstory, it was a case of adding in the words and inventing a few new things while keeping to the ‘rules’ and facts written in ‘The Saddling’. Don’t expect it on sale anytime soon though, it needs a lot of work.

What will be on sale soon is ‘Remotely’ with a new cover and, at the same time, the first ‘Miss P’ novella. If you’ve read ‘Remotely’ you will have met Miss P. The idea now is, when in the mood, I write novellas featuring this character and put them on sale for, say, 99p on Kindle. When we have finalised the ‘Remotely’ cover, we’ll use the same style for ‘Honestly’, and I’ll launch that together with the new look ‘Remotely.’ That will hopefully be in a few weeks. After that, it’s on to ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ which I want to have out in November, ready for Christmas.

What’s available now, however, has nothing to do with me (though I am mentioned in it) and it’s free. There’s a new magazine out, Symi, by ΝΗΣΟΣ Free Press, http://nissosgr.com/ (The site is under construction, and I haven’t found the online version yet, but I have seen a link to it somewhere. If I find it again I will let you know.)

It’s a great looking magazine, and you can pick up copies from various places on Symi. There’s Symi info, a map, advertising, news from the Town Hall, articles and other information, some of which is in English. Apparently, it’s available online from the Apple App Store and in the Android Market, though I don’t use them, so I’ve not looked. Might give you something to do, find and look at when you get to work and have a coffee break?

For me, it’s back to those last two chapters. I’ve left someone tied to a stake about to be burned by a witch who he is tricking into being burned again to save the village from… It’s all go down on the Romney Marshes.

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Symi Saturday Photos

There have been a lot of photos this week and not so many words, apart from one post. That’s because I’ve been typing way on a new novel. As it’s Saturday, here are some more random photos to keep you going through the weekend. Have a good one!

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Thursday catch-up

Neil did return from Rhodes as expected, so there was no ‘Fill and fall’ about it. (See the post from the other day.) After a light supper at the taverna, we returned home to sit on the balcony and watch the boats coming and going in the dark harbour. I spent Thursday at my desk as usual and banged out a few more words for the next book.

It might not actually be the next book to come out. I have a novella nearly ready to go and also the ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ travel story book to bring out first. That’s been in the making for a while now. It will include some pieces of a diary I kept when we moved here, a few other observations about life here, plus a set of stories of previous travels to other parts of the world; a kind of autobiography of travel adventures. The trouble is, the longer I leave the first draft sitting there waiting for attention, the more things happen that could be added in. The trip to Cyprus for example, and the making of the film. I’ll check the word count and decide if those should go in or if I have enough to make a decently sized read already.’

Meanwhile, it’s back to this other first draft and getting it out of my system. I’ve been a bit busy since giving up work at the bar, but now I have the time for a few hours a day, it’s easy to get these things written. What takes the time is the rewriting, the editing and the laying out. Meanwhile, I’m missing the beach (not a great beach fan anyway) and swimming (not a great swimming fan) and the morning walks and exercise (not a great… you get the picture). But still, at least I have some photos from ‘out there’ to show you over the next few days. And so, back to the keyboard…

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Tuesday in Yialos

A walk down to Yialos, a visit to the post office, the bank, the pharmacy, all the things you can’t do in the village, that was Tuesday. We also stopped for lunch at Meraklis and watched the day-trippers pass by. Crab salad and gigantes for me, fish and potatoes for Neil. A ride up the hill to work for one, and to play the piano for another, and then a couple of hours in the square chatting to first-time visitors. That was the rest of Tuesday. Apart from sitting on the balcony watching the nearly full moon come up over the hill. (Not as good a shot as yours, Steve, but the best I could do.)

Wednesday, and Neil set off to Rhodes on the very prompt Blue Star ferry while I set about some work at home. The day boats came and went, and the fan stayed on me at the desk all morning. A typical day for me, up to lunchtime at least – which is when I am writing this.

There’s no other great news to impart, not that I am aware of, so I’ll give you some photos from Tuesday to browse and let you get on.

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Today’s News

Well, by the time this gets posted it will be yesterday’s news, but isn’t everything? Reminds me of an old joke: Knock-knock. Who’s there? Kylie. Kylie who? That’s show-biz! A bit unfair to Kylie, but you can change the name to anyone, and that was how it was first told to me. Anyway… Along with some more photos of St George’s beach, as promised, here is today’s news from me.

I have been told that the official Greek premiere of ‘The 13^th‘, which will be held on Symi, is now to be on the official opening day of the Symi Festival 2017, on Monday 24^th July. Still up in Horio at the sports hall complex. There should be announcements and a programme before long to concrete that date and possibly time. I say ‘possibly’ because the festival events are usually subject to a bit of leeway when it comes to venue and time. They usually start at 9 pm, and an announcement during the day lets everyone know where they are to be. Last I heard, the screening will be the sports complex, and I guess at nine at night.

Also in ‘The 13^th‘ news… (Backers will be receiving an update about this and other things in due course)… It has picked up some monthly awards at the Calcutta International Film Festival: Outstanding Achievement in the Horror category, Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography, Best Editing for Daniel Webb, Best Sound Design and Best Supporting Actress for Wookie Mayer – who has a house on Symi. It will now compete for the ‘Golden Fox’ award at the festival’s climax in October. Each month leading up to that event the festival gives out awards, and the winners of those then compete for the top place in each category. So we could be up against 12 others in each category. But still… It means that now ‘The 13^th‘ has 13 festival/awards laurels, and there may be more to come. It has been entered in over 50 festivals, and so far the company (1066 Productions) has only heard back from a few, Calcutta being the latest one.

In home news, Neil is off to Rhodes this morning for some shopping and things, and I have just commissioned a new cover for ‘Remotely’. This is because I am working on a series of ‘Miss P shorts’ and need a cover design that can be adapted for each one as they come out. Something which immediately says, ‘This is a Miss P story.’ My designer, Diogo in Portugal, hopes to get some mock-ups back to me by the end of the week. The first short in the series, ‘Honestly’ is being proofed, and I hope to have it set and ready in a month or so.

Meanwhile, I am beavering away on ‘The Witchling’ again after taking a rest break over the weekend. I am up to 50,000 words now, and about halfway through the first draft. As per a few requests, I’m now going to have a dip into my Dictionary of Kentish Dialect for you. Just a couple at random, and I can’t remember what I’ve already told you, so apologies for any repeats.

I am 54, so on page 54 we have:

Feetens. Footmarks, or footprints, makes sense to me.

Fenny. Let’s hope your cheese is not fenny, it means mouldy or dirty.

To fickle: To put something, like an idea, into someone’s head – in a rather bad way. ‘He fickled me the thought.’ Or rather, ‘’E fickled the thought a me.’

Fild – or Feld – or Fill. I have used Feld in The Saddling and The Witchling, it’s a word for a field. So, if you read it there, it is not a typo! (Unlike many words you rad on this blog. (See what I did there?))

And my favourite of the day, an expression used as to any person or anything lost: Fill-Nor-Fall. If you paid attention, you will now (and again) that a fill is a field, but a fall is a portion of underwood ready to fell. The expression would be used as in, ‘Neil went a Rhodes Wednesday, and I ain’t ’eard neither fill-nor-fall of ’im.’ Hopefully not the case.

If you want to see some of these words in action, head over to ‘The Saddling’ and treat yourself to a good, mysterious read.

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