Tag Archives: C K Martin

Do your characters ever refuse to do what you tell them to do?

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This is definitely a question for the writers rather than the readers out there.

Sometimes it really does seem like characters are living, breathing entities with a mind of their own.

I’m hands down a planner when it comes to writing, as I’ve frequently discussed. So, on the whole, I’m not waiting for inspiration to strike in order to know what my character is going to do next. I’ve already done that kind of plotting by the time I put the first sentence on the screen. Yet sometimes, despite my best intentions, at certain points in the novel, I find my characters wanting to do something other than what I have intended for them.

Cue a tug of war between me and them. Given that both exist solely in my head, if it wasn’t part of the writing process it would clearly be a psychiatric disorder of some sort.

Some people argue that if the character isn’t completely under your writerly control, then it is merely a symptom of poor planning. I think that can sometimes be the case, but not always. After all, part of the joy of writing is the excitement of finding out what happens next. Even with deep structure and plot points, you never know until you start writing how the words are going to line up on the paper. You don’t know what new influences you will be exposed to as part of the process. After all, for most people it takes at least six months to do a first draft. Sometimes it can take years. It would be foolish to expect not to have changes in perspective during that time.

For me, working on book two of one series and book four of another, the more I go along, the more likely these characters seem to want to play their own game. Perhaps it is because as they become more rounded they become more real. Perhaps it is because that the arc I originally envisaged for them is changing. Or maybe, when you create independent women who you love because they do whatever the hell they want, then sometimes they might just do that right back at you.

I didn’t want the Teddie McKay series to be more romance than cheeky, cheesey crime with some thriller tension thrown in there. Yet, as book two draws to a close, she seems determined to have a some fun. In my head, saying ‘aw come on, how about you let me live a little, huh?’

It might not be in the plan, but you know what? I think I might just let her…

Finishing – It’s Always The Hard Part

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This is no ‘how to’ post. You won’t find any handy tips and tricks here. This is just me talking about how finishing is always the most important part of a novel, and that probably makes it the hardest.

As with writing, the same applies with life. The best things are the hardest won. The sense of satisfaction is the most rewarding. Yadda eider eider. Right now, the words ‘The End’ seem to be a moving target. Moving, apparently, further and further into the distance.

Writing is my hobby, my passion, my love. It is also my business. Therefore, it has schedules and deadlines and project plans, just like everything else. True, it may be rooted in creativity and dreams, but as anyone will tell you, it’s hard work that gets you over the line. There is no fantasy lottery win that will free me up to write in that luxury beach villa. Or the cabin on the lake. Insert your location of choice here, alongside whatever your dreams and goals are.

So, logic tells me it will be worth it. However, the child in me wants to stamp my feet and demand to know why my characters are refusing to play ball and be written according to the ideas I had originally. I knew what I needed to write to create the follow up to The Crochet Killer. While I know the new direction will all work out better in the end, it doesn’t stop things from being as frustrating as hell now!

So, when you’re reading this, I sincerely hope you’re having better luck than I am on finishing your dream project! If not, then we can carry on battling through it together!

Blood Inheritance

And if you want to read something I did manage to complete, then Blood Inheritance has been released on Amazon. Go grab yourself a copy and make me feel like this is all worthwhile!*

 

 

 

*shameless plug and plea. A writer’s first draft despair knows no bounds.

Writing and motivation: keeping the momentum going

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I find the long weekend has been perfect for a little bit of extra introspection time.

I’ve spent the past few months building up to publishing Blood Inheritance, with the crazy planning and scheduling that goes with such a big endeavour. I say that because we should not belittle our achievements. I am terrible at taking time out to celebrate when I hit my goals. I’ve been talking about getting this book out there for the best part of two years, so I’m allowed to high five myself for being brave and letting one of my babies fly the nest.

The downside in achieving something that has taken up so much of your time and attention for months is that after the excitement fades, then there is a moment when you realise the enormity of the void it has left behind. Instead of breathing a sigh of relief that you have now got so many hours of your life back each week, you sense the loss. There is only one thing to do.

You have to keep going.

There will always be another book brewing on the horizon. There will always be an idea to be captured and the seed of the idea planted so it can grow. Writing tasks will never disappear completely, but neither will the joy of those first moments of creation. So when the sigh of relief wears off and I begin to think about that sudden free time, it’s always good to know that I have several projects I can dip into.

It is good to take a break. It is good to allow yourself to recharge. It is not good to allow that to turn into sloppiness and complacency. So how do you avoid it? It’s quite simple really.

fieldnotes1. Keep a notebook. Capture your ideas somewhere safe so you don’t have to keep them in your head. Then they’ll always be there waiting for you when you need them.

2. Plan your next project before you finish your current one. In those quiet times, those moments when you find yourself twiddling your thumbs, think about what you want your next project to be and outline what next actions you’ll be taking on it. That removes the panic of having to come up with something spur of the moment.

3. Be realistic with your scheduling. Each project will be different, but each one will also take a lot of hard work. Be kind to yourself and allow yourself adequate time when planning your project. Don’t be too generous though. You want to have enough tension there to motivate you to do something, rather than having the psychological freedom to continually defer it until next week. Be sensible, but also give yourself a deadline. Even self-imposed ones carry a punch when you keep a reminder of them where you can see them.

So that’s what I’ll be doing. The first draft of the next Teddie McKay novel is nearly complete and I’m going to be working through that for the next few months. My goal is to publish it in September, so that is the deadline keeping me on track. Whilst Blood Inheritance may be published, everyone knows that is not the point at which marketing and reader engagement stops. Of course, I’ve already got the next book I’m editing decided and set up to make it easy to start.

So the void of time was relatively short; I’m back to writing again.

Blood Inheritance – Finally Published!

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This is a very exciting day for me – Blood Inheritance is finally published! Pretend you can hear me squee.

Blood Inheritance C K Martin

The first ever book I published, Rebirth, was more a way to prove to myself that I could do it. The Crochet Killer was fun to write and I enjoy the characters, but it wasn’t like publishing this book. This book has been like sending my baby out into the big wide world. It’s exciting, but it’s also terrifying. I want it to do well, but I also want to hug it close to my chest and never let it go.

This post should probably be some savvy piece of marketing, but instead I’m going to just talk honestly. I have invested in these characters far more than any others I have ever created. Elizabeth, to a degree, will struggle with something that I have spent the past decade and a half trying to deal with. It might only be in that one way I can relate, but it is fairly significant.

Urban fantasy is always about hot chicks in leather kicking ass. Kicking ass and then becoming soft as a kitten because some broad shouldered hunk renders them senseless for some reason. That’s not something I can relate to. And my friends, many of whom kick ass on a daily basis (albeit of a non-supernatural nature), don’t behave that way either. They are strong and independent.

Besides, if there is to be romance – and I’m not saying that there will be – then I’m more of a fan of the slow burn. There is something delicious in the smouldering stages of a relationship, in that confusing attraction that defies what you have always believed in. And it can change you, but it shouldn’t define you. That is the difference I wanted to see in the urban fantasy books that I read and when I couldn’t find it, I decided to write it for myself.

So, please, head over to amazon and download yourself a free sample. Obviously, I’d prefer it if you just bought the book straight away, but I’m prepared to let you have a little taste for free.

Because if there is any other theme going on in Blood Inheritance, it’s that the first taste is what gets you hooked.

Introducing Garth

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As part of my series of character introductions for Blood Inheritance, it would be remiss of me to ignore Garth. He’s not one of the main characters, but he does hold a very special place in my heart: he was the first character who made their appearance in my head.

I began writing the book that would become Blood Inheritance at the start of a 48 hour train journey. I had just left Adelaide, Australia, and was heading over to Perth. It was going to be a long journey and I had purchased a new notebook knowing that if nothing else, I would have plenty of time to write. Even though it is no longer the opening scene in the book, the chapter when we first meet Garth is largely unchanged from that first handwritten account.

For much of my writing, I don’t focus on physical appearance unless it is fundamental to the plot. Other than a few key features, I love it when I read books where I can picture the characters myself, so that’s the way I tend to write. Sometimes, I don’t even have an image of my own characters clearly defined in my head when I’m putting them onto paper. Personal feelings and journeys are more important to me than giving someone’s cup size. But everything about Garth was there in my head; his clothing, his hair, the way he moved his body. It was so detailed, I ended up putting more into his description than probably anyone else.

He was so vivid to me straight away, that man-boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders. And although he falls into the category of supporting character, his own story arc is one of my favourites planned across the entire seven books.

So there needs to be a thank you to the man-boy on that train journey with me, who walked past and reminded me of an old friend from home, causing the two images to collide and spark that first ever scene from the book that was originally titled The Hunter. Without Garth, the entire book would have been entirely different.

You can pre-order Blood Inheritance now (or if you’re reading this at some time in the future, download a copy straight away!)

Character Introduction: Monica Carletto

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As a way of introducing Blood Inheritance I thought it would be fun to do a few character background pieces. There shouldn’t be any spoilers in here though, so you should be safe if you haven’t yet read the book.

Monica Carletto really deserves to be more than a secondary character. Without her, there would be no book, no tension, no story. Her role in the entire Lazarus Hunter series is central; her journey is inextricably bound with Elizabeth’s.

Throughout Blood Inheritance, she has plenty of scenes told from her point of view. I went with a third person multiple perspective for the series because I wanted characters who were rich enough to have a viewpoint that serves their own story, rather than just providing a counterpoint to the main character. Besides which, in the era of TV, I think people have become more comfortable with reading multiple points of view, as long as it doesn’t switch mid chapter.

In the ten years or so it has taken for me to shape this story into what I wanted it to be (then build up the necessary courage to share it with the world), Monica has changed very little. Her story arc was relatively clear to me from the start, perhaps even more so than Elizabeth’s. I wanted a woman who was strong-willed and capable, both in their professional and personal lives. With gender inequality still rife in even the most civilised nations, I wanted a woman who wouldn’t be out of place in the boardroom. But I also wanted her to be a ball-buster without being a bitch, and certainly without feeling like she needed to compromise on her femininity.

I’d love to give you more, but everything else would probably ruin a couple of surprises in the book!

Blood Inheritance

Character Introduction: Elizabeth Hastings

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As a way of introducing Blood Inheritance I thought it would be fun to do a few character background pieces. There shouldn’t be any spoilers in here though, so you should be safe if you haven’t yet read the book.

Elizabeth Hastings is technically the main character of The Lazarus Hunter series. I say technically because I’ve always felt Monica Carletto has been a main character in her own right. There will be more about her in later post.

I love Elizabeth as a main character. She is smart, funny and capable. More importantly, she has a whole history to live up to and still always insists on doing things her way. I always admire (in both fiction and real life) people who can take the cards life deals them, no matter how bad the hand, and use it to work in their favour. The ones who get back up, no matter how hard they’ve been knocked down. For me, Elizabeth is the very embodiment of that quality. She’s not Buffy, but I wanted someone who at least didn’t undo all the amazing things that Joss Whedon did for female empowerment when he put the fate of the world in the hands of a girl.

Non-spoilery character background:

She’s British (and as she’s the main character, that is why the spelling in the book is British English, rather than using Americanised spelling). Her age is never actually mentioned in Blood Inheritance, although an interesting age conversation actually happens in book four (yes, I am that far along in writing the series).

She has some interesting scars, but none where you can see them.

She once ran a marathon in 3:02:59, but practices sprints more these days. After all, no one has ever had to outrun a vampire for 26.2 miles…

Blood Inheritance is available on kindle now.

Blood Inheritance

Book covers, line edits and pre-order systems

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This week has been a busy one pulling out all the stops to make sure everything I needed to do in order to publish Blood Inheritance on May 22nd happens. It has been far from easy, and I’m glad that this initial launch is on kindle only. This means getting the final draft uploaded by a date they specify in advance of the book actually becoming available. Failure to do so means the loss of certain publishing privileges, so that’s something authors need to be aware of before pressing that button.

I did consider making it available across other platforms, but my experience so far is that they are less willing to promote authors who do not come with the backing of a traditional publisher. While I want to keep the two sides of my life separate, that makes things much more difficult than they need to be, but I suppose I can just keep working around the issues until they finally sort themselves out.

So, without further ado, the final cover design for Blood Inheritance and links!  *drumroll*

Blood Inheritance

Blood Inheritance on Amazon.com

Blood Inheritance on Amazon UK

I’m really excited to be able to share this book with the world. This story is very special to me because it grew out of never finding the urban fantasy book that I wanted to read. One where the female characters weren’t actually all about getting the dark brooding man who they knew they shouldn’t love but did anyway. I wanted to see women stand on their own two feet and work together, especially when everyone would expect them to be bitter rivals. Women, especially on TV (which is the media that most people these days see) don’t support each other, not without being relegated so the ‘supportive best friend’ trope where they have no story of their own. When they do, the shows are runaway successes, but only Shonda Rhimes seems to have picked up on that…

So I wanted action, I wanted vampires and the supernatural, but I didn’t need a woman in leather and impossibly high heels brooding over a bare chested man. Blood Inheritance is the book that starts my two heroines on the journey that is going to be fun, painful and at times bittersweet. But there will be rewards and successes, even at the darkest of times and against all odds.

Feel free to drop me any questions in the comments about the book, or the ups and downs of the publishing process and I’ll be happy to answer them. Thanks again for your support!