The Last Blog

Hey all!

Last time I posted a blog on here was about a month ago and at the end of it I promised to be updating more regularly. The more astute of you reading that sentence will realise that was a promise I didn't manage to keep. There are many reasons for this - mostly the near-sadistic workload I force upon myself. This has been a month of writing short stories and entering them into competitions, drafts of the play, recording music for the play, searching for inspiration, writing articles, editing other people's articles, coming up with new ideas and a whole host of other things that have made this a very busy, but very fun, month of writing.

But also I've been away because I think this blog's served its purpose for now. I want a new format with new things to blog about in a new style. I don't feel like I can do that here - so this will be my last blog post.

But fear not! I've got a brand new site for everyone to come over to. A much better site that's had much more work put into it than this one. I hope you'll all join me on my new wordpress! For those of you who want to save the address it's https://samleevesauthor.wordpress.com/

This isn't the end of the adventure - far from it, this is a rejuvenation of it. I hope you'll all come and join me.

See you on the other side.

The Reasons for My Disappearance

I'll be honest, a lot has happened. 

Last time I made a blog post my new novel had just been sent my proofreader and beta-readers. The feedback has been astoundingly positive and it's the most gratifying feeling I can imagine. I've had a lot to update on here but just haven't had time to do it. Here's why. 

As many of you know, I moved across the country recently to live with my long term partner. It's been a really amazing experience and definitely the best decision I've ever made. However, there's been a lot to sort out - a lot more than I anticipated. There were the usual things; council tax, change of address froms, registering for a GP and dentist, finding a new job, etc, etc. I got all of this done fairly quickly and with a great deal of success. I was ready to get on with my new life and really enjoy myself. Then I realised something: I had found a really terrible job for myself.

Admittedly, this wasn't the worst thing in the world - at least we had some money coming into the flat. But that's all we had really. Free time was pretty much non-existent and the horrible atmosphere of the workplace was getting me down and making me pretty grouchy. Not only that, but it left no time for writing - something that any other job I take has to take into account. I make money from writing, any job that doesn't respect that is losing me money. 

Luckily, I found a lovely independent cafe who needed a barista and I'm now in a much better place. I work with some really lovely people and my bosses are very supportive of my writing. Since I've started there I've managed to begin my catalogue of short stories and get ahead on some articles. I'm on People Per Hour now, so hopefully there'll be more freelance work coming my way soon. In short, I think I'm finally all moved in and life can continue as normal. 

I'll be posting more regularly now :)

Sam. 

Success!

Hey everyone!

The big news is finally here; I've finished draft six of Lay Me Restless. It's been a long process, but I think it's been a worthwhile one. Reading it back has made me realise the quality of this book and how much I've progressed as an author (or so we can hope). The final edit didn't get the word count quite as low as I wanted, but I still cut almost 20,000 words.Hopefully it'll be well recieved.

So, what's next? Currently it's with a very talented proofreader, Abi Truelove, with whom I'm very honoured to be working with. At the same time, the beta-readers are leafing their way through and reporting back as necessary. You can never have a large enough test audience, so if anybody fancies being one (and effectively getting an advanced reading copy of the book) let me know! I want this book to reach its full potential, so every opinion matters.

I have a few projects lined up now; first off editing a play by a very talented friend. Then back to Gretel and Hansel while the dust settles around the new novel.

It's an exciting time and hopefully a big one in my career. But, for now, I can only wait and see.

The Return

As the title suggests, I'm back!

Apologies for the radio silence. What with moving house, finding a new 'day job', working with the theatre company, editing and finding room to breathe in the meantime, things have been a little hectic. But, everything's settled down now (for a while at least) so I can give you all an update!

The theatre company I'm working with, Ships in the Night, had a very successful Research and Development week. Our performances were very well received and the concept of our show was lauded by the audience. We're working on a multi-sensory production of Hansel and Grethel, so that all children can engage with it and the immersive experience. Such a successful week was a blessing and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen with it next. There's a lot of work ahead, no doubt, but it's more than worth it. 

Lay Me Restless is progressing well too. I'm almost at the end of the sixth draft; then it's away to my editor and the beta-readers, while I take a well deserved break! It's been a coffee fuelled process, but there's an end in sight. This book might actually be read by someone soon!

So, that's the short version of everything that's been going on. I still have a few articles to catch up on for Alt:Mag and I'm hoping my first article for another website might surface soon. As soon as it does, I'll let everybody know. 

Thanks for reading!

Sam

Stepping Up

Anyone who's ever tried to edit a book will know it's not the easiest task in the world. It presents challenges that are different to the actual writing stage. While writing you might be hit by writer's block, whereas editing will strike you with indecision. Even over small things (are there too many commas on this page?) you can waste hours. 

Owing to this I'm spending the next few weeks doing something I promised myself I wouldn't. Editing in the evening. I did it with my first two books and it was pretty exhausting. Luckily, it's something that I love, so I'm sure it'll be an enjoyable (if tiring) experience.

The good news is that I'll finish sooner this way! I can't wait to get this book out. It's my best work, definitely, and I'm looking forward to getting feedback from the beta readers and fans of the rest of the series (as well as reaching a few new ones). 

Thanks for reading,

Sam

Charge!

Once again, apologies for not updating in a few weeks. The good news is it's all because I've been working on new and exciting things to be read/seen later on in the year. 

The editing of 'Lay Me Restless' is picking up speed! I'm averaging about twenty-five thousand words a week on it now, so it should only be another four or five weeks of editing before it's ready! My editing process is one of the longest of all of the authors I've spoken to. Some send their work to their Beta-Readers after the first draft, others thinking if they didn't feel the need to change something in the first three drafts, they probably won't want to in the fourth. All are valid, it's all about finding what works for you.

I'm having a rest week this week, spending some time in Manchester with my girlfriend. I got an extra day off from the cafe this week and figured it was the best use of the time. I might write an article or try my hand at a short story or two while I'm here. Then next week it's back to editing; onto the final push on this draft before another read through!

I've been reading 'The Stormlight Archive' by Brandon Sanderson recently and I'm absolutely loving it. If you're looking for an alternative to 'A Song of Ice and Fire' this is definitely worth a look. 

I'll try and update more regularly from now on (probably)!

Sam

New Year, New Books

Happy New Year, fantasy fans!

So after a few weeks rest I've come back to writing energised and refreshed, ready to complete various projects. The book should be done within the next couple of months, behind schedule, but it WILL get done!

I'm not really one to make New Year's Resolutions, but I do have a few goals to achieve this year.

1) Finish 'Lay Me Restless'

2) Publish 'Lay Me Restless'

3) Start book 4

4) Build up a bank of short stories to enter into competitions

5) Collect a bank of poetry to publish

6) Further things with the theatre company

Hopefully it should be a successful year and I've certainly got a lot planned for it! I've also made a pledge to take more time for myself, which means no more overtime in the evenings. I got a little run down at the end of last year, so this could be for the best. The quality of my writing's going to suffer if I'm too tired to do any. That seems obvious and yet it took me a surprisingly long time to realise...

I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who's been a part of this writing journey with me so far. You all do so much, even if it's just reading tweets and blog posts like these. It's greatly appreciated :)

Here's hoping for greater things to come in 2015!

Sam

Sidelined

Hey fantasy fans!

As you might remember from my last blog post, I'm a little behind schedule. Well, that looks set to continue. After a few software issues and a bad cold, I've decided to start my Christmas break early! I'll be starting writing again in the New Year, but I'll need to do the next edits on the play before I can get back to Lay Me Restless, so the Beta Reader stage looks quite far away now. 

Strangely, I'm not frustrated. I think I need a break and it's well earned. This has been a really busy year and I've worked really hard to get to this stage, it's understandable that I'm a little run down. With these two weeks to rest I can bounce back in the New Year and make 2015 just as productive as this year!

Have a fantastic festive season and I'll speak to you all next year!

Sam

Setbacks

So, again, sorry for not updating in a while. As so often happens, editing has taken over my life. Unfortunately, it's a slower process than I was expecting. I was hoping to get the sixth draft to the Beta Readers by Christmas, but that's now looking impossible. Obviously I will get this done as soon as I can, but it's now looking more like February. 

That said, I'm really enjoying the process! Sitting at a computer for eight hours is a little gruelling, but I'm seeing the manuscript shape into the book I always wanted it to be, which is a very gratifying experience. I'm excited to see it completed and hope the Beta Readers enjoy it as much as I'm expecting. 

In other news, Christmas is almost here! I'm very excited; it's my favourite time of year. Good company, good food and a little relaxation. Throw a new book in under the tree and what could be better?

Thanks for reading,

Sam

A Quick Update

Sorry about the radio silence recently. In short, now that I've hit the editing process, I figured it was better to just get on with it all than giving constant updates. I'm about to start the fourth draft, so 'Lay Me Restless' is really coming together! I'm hoping to have it to the Beta-Readers by Christmas (who wants a manuscript in their stocking?). So, if anyone does want to put themselves forward as a Beta-Reader, now is the time to let me know!

So that's about it really. Once I've got the final draft done (I tend to do about six), I'm thinking of writing blogs about issues surrounding writing, if that's something people would be interested in? I do a similar thing about video-games in the magazine I write for which you can find here: http://www.altmaguk.net/?m=1

Thanks for reading!

Success!

Last Saturday was my book signing in East Grinstead and I'm very pleased with how it went. I reached loads of new readers who otherwise wouldn't have been introduced to the series, and I walked away with a tidy profit which is always handy! The owner of the shop said he'd love to have me back at some point too, which is fantastic news. 

I learned a lot too. I've worked out that some readers are very sceptical of genres that are unfamiliar to them. It's a lot easier to sell fantasy to fantasy fans. That said, after explaining a little about the books, how they're really about the relationships between the characters set against a fantasy backdrop, I even managed to sell some copies to some fantasy sceptics, which was very gratifying indeed. 

This week I hear back about the revisions needed for the play, but so at the producers seem very happy! And only three and a half chapters left to go on the first draft of Lay Me Restless! Want to be a beta reader? Let me know :)

Sam

A Continuation of Good Things

So, what's new? In short, not much but also a lot. No, I'm not being philosophical or mysterious, just truthful. 

But what exactly do I mean? Well, in terms of 'Lay Me Restless' I haven't done much work at all. I've only got about six chapters of the first draft to write, so I'm hoping that when I get back to writing it the process should be pretty quick. Then it's just a matter of a few edits (I say this like it's a small job! Any author will tell you this is every bit as difficult as the first draft) before I send it to the Beta Readers. While I've got you, if anybody would like to be a Beta Reader (in other words get an advanced copy to give feedback on) then let me know! Message me on Facebook or Twitter or simply comment on this post. The more I have the better!

I suppose the obvious question is; 'Sam, if you're so close to the end of the book why don't you just write it?' And, for anyone who follows my blog posts regularly, the answer's probably quite obvious too. I've been focusing on the play I've been commissioned to write. I'm almost finished! I think I really just need one more full day to finish the story and then a little time to polish it up a little before I send it to the producers and director. With any luck, that should be next week. It's been a fun process, but a taxing one. With the play being an adaptation there's a lot to think about; making it your own, whilst also staying true enough to the original story for it to be recognisable. Still, it's soon to see the light of day and I can't wait :)

The independent bookshop at the cafe is going really well! I'm the best seller and the customers are all really interested. Even the ones who don't buy anything look at the novels (especially 'In the Footsteps of the Behemoth') and every time they do that the covers, titles, and my name become more recognisable. 

My book signing is next Saturday (20th) at East Grinstead bookshop. It's looking like it should be a really fantastic day. It's a beautiful bookshop in an old Tudor house. Surrounded by books, talking about books all day! What could be better?

In other news, I've just finished the Inheritance Trilogy by N.K Jemisin which is a must-read for Fantasy fans looking for something a little different. There will be reviews on Goodreads soon, but, for the moment, I'm back to working my way through 'In Search of Lost Time' by Proust. Yes, I am a literature nerd and I am okay with that.  

Until next week!

Sam

Onwards!

So, what's new?

Well, as you might recall, last week I was commissioned to write a play. The good news is, I've already finished the first act. I've still got a way to go with it, but an act in three days isn't bad going at all. For some reason script writing has always been a quick process for me. Maybe it's because it's mainly dialogue and the emotion of dialogue is, usually, a purely logical thing. Maybe it just suits my writing style well. It might just be that since secondary school I've had to write an awful lot of scripts (I was a drama student and carried that on at college), so I'm just used to doing it. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing because I should hit my deadline with time to spare. Hopefully the producers will like it... 

Progress on the novel has continued well too. I'm very near the end of the first draft now, with this final plot point proving to be even more engrossing than I'd planned. I'm very excited! I can't wait to read it back while editing before sending it to the beta readers. I really think this is my best work. 

Last weekend was the opening of Daisy White's Booktique at which both of my books were being sold. There was a lot of interest and I actually sold quite a few on the first day alone. People especially seem interested in 'In the Footsteps of the Behemotn'. It's very gratifying; a hell of a lot of work went into both of my books, so to see them generate so much excitement is fantastic. 

So, all in all, a very successful week. Let's hope it continues :)

The Week Things Got Interesting

Okay, I know I've already done a blog post this week but events have transpired in a rather interesting way since then. I would love to tell you that I've finished 'Lay Me Restless', but that would be a lie. I am, however closer than ever. I do think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this new development though.

It all started on Tuesday. I was at my other job, making milk hot and pouring it on top of espresso, making rude customers a product they couldn't possibly create for themselves, when my old friend Jack Lane enters in his typically theatrical style. He's with his director friend Sheryl who I'd met briefly before and we all say our hellos. I innocently think that they've just popped in for a cup of tea. They then ask me to write a script for them.

Obviously I said yes; it's too big an opportunity to pass up and I get to work with some fantastically talented and motivated people. Also, if it all goes to plan, I could make a tidy sum of money out of the venture.

I won't say too much about the project just yet, because we're still working out some of the finer detail, but I've already made a start on the script. Is it a lot of work? Considering I'm finishing 'Lay Me Restless', recording music, writing for Alt:Mag, promoting my other books and working in the cafe, then yes it is. But it's worth it. I write because I enjoy writing and it's another way to help further my career. In short, I'm very excited.

I'll tell you all more when I know more!

Exit, pursued by a bear!

Sam

Busy busy busy

My cover shifts are almost over! I have one more today and then tomorrow it's back to writing. Unfortunately, due to the book signing next month, part of this week is going to have to be sacrificed to admin, pushing the first draft back a little further. Still, it's definitely worth it. Me surrounded by books in an old Tudor house; what could be better?

This weekend something exciting happens at my other job too! On Saturday Daisy White is opening her Booktique where customers will be able to buy my books! She's very business savvy, far more than me (my mind's a little too far over on the creative side to be a great business person) so this could be a great step for my career.

And the Fawcett Society have sent some members my way for the local group! It's early days yet, but progress.

Oh, and I'm recording loads of music at the moment.

As usual, busy busy busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sam

P.S The new season of The Walking Dead is finally on Freeview! Hold me!

Just a Few More Hurdles

Sorry for the slight amount of radio silence on the blog over the past couple of weeks, but it is for a good reason. Rather than deciding to post just to say "The book's almost done! The book's almost done!" I thought I might as well just get on with it. 

Life, however, had other ideas. 

As any author will tell you, as conducive to inspiration as life can often be, it also has an annoying habit of getting in the way of a writer's schedule. Such a thing has happened to me. Yet, ask me exactly what these things are and I'm not sure I could say. Not because they're very embarrassing secrets (although some of them could be, possibly? If I could remember?), but because they were all just stuff and things. Everyday things like going to work and living my life. It's difficult to pin down just what the hold up was, but there was one. And, unfortunately, due to the fact that life tends to swoop in to steal me from writing, this looks set to continue. So, a slight delay on 'Lay Me Restless', but I'm still closer than ever. 

In other news, Battle of the Bands went fantastically well. No, I didn't win, nor did I expect to. However the audience reaction was fantastically positive and I had a great time performing, as usual. 

There's still time to win free signed copies of 'Endless Tides' and 'In the Footsteps of the Behemoth'! Find the details on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Leeves/273167406173009

I'll post again soon. Hopefully with some exciting progress!

Sam

Almost There!

I turned on the news this morning and everything was about the Commonwealth Games. Nice to know that world peace broke out overnight.

In other actual news, I'm very near the end of the first draft of 'Lay Me Restless'! I've finally moved into the final subplot of the book and I hope to have the first draft finished this month. It's a very exciting time! It's been really fun process, probably even more so than the first two. Personally, I think this is my best work and I can't wait for the beta readers to have a look at it.

All of the organisation for my book signing is moving along. In case anyone missed any of the details, it's on the 20th September at East Grinstead Bookshop, starting at 11am and closing up around 4pm. Come on by! It's promising to be a fun, book-filled day.

There's also a chance to win free signed copies of both of my books! All you need to do is like my Facebook page, then like and share the top post. Here's a link to make it easier for you: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sam-Leeves/273167406173009?ref=hl&focus_composer=true&ref_type=bookmark#

Good luck and get clicking!

Sam

A Return to the Norm

"Hey everybody!"
"Hey, Norm!"

So, after a few weeks of galavanting around the country I'm now unmistakably back home with everything pretty much back to normal. Following a holiday to Dorset and watching two of my favourite bands in the midlands and the north I'm now back in Sussex, where it's all very quiet. It's been a fantastic few weeks, and these were some of the best concerts I've ever been to, but, I have to say, I'm a little excited to get back to writing.

Today was my first day that was really my own since I've been back. I had to work at my other job on Sunday and Monday so today when I woke I was ready to sit down and start a new chapter. I grabbed my pen, paper and my imagination (my imagination often wonders far and yet it's never a great distance away... weird, huh?) and I quite happily started writing. I did a good one thousand words and was happy with my progress. Then life happened. I realised all the errands I had to run. I had housework to do, things to do in town, and a host of other pieces of admin that couldn't really wait. I set to them immediately and emerged smiling at about seven pm. So, all in all, not the best writing day I've ever had, but that all looks set to change tomorrow.

I'm really close to the end of Lay Me Restless now! I can't let the pace slip.

This is a thing. I work in a cafe part-time to subsidise my writing (I'm not J.K Rowling yet) and I always call my cafe-job my other-job. My regular customers who know I'm an author (which is all of them, because, you know, it's a conversation starter...) call my writing-job my proper-job. I'd agree with this, but every so often one of my friends will call my other-job my proper-job. But I spend a lot more time at my writing-job than I do my other-job, so my writing-job seems more proper to me. Not only this, but I've been writing a lot long than I've been working in cafes and approach writing with a lot more passion and dedication than I do my cafe-job (sorry, boss; as much as I love coffee, you need something to read while you're drinking it). So, while some people might argue that my other-job is a lot more proper than my proper-job, they don't understand me properly, otherwise my other more otherworldly job about thing other than things you'd find in a cafe or other food establishment would probably seem as proper to them as it does to me with it being my proper-job and seeming properly proper. If you follow me...

In other news, my band is hard at work practicing for Battle of the Bands next month. I'm really looking forward to it. It's always a great event and this year, with it's new summer date and changed venue to the local park, it looks to be better than ever.

Also, go and see Pearl Jam live. You'll thank me.

Another Holiday!

So, I had a really great time in Dorset. I did so much reading, what more can you ask for? The weather was great and it was fantastic to have so much time to relax. But the holiday isn't quite over yet! Next week I'm travelling pretty much the entire length of country and back again to see two of my favourite bands. I'm seeing Pearl Jam in Leeds, Pixies in Manchester and then Pearl Jam again in Milton Keynes. They both put on fantastic live shows so I can't wait!

Aside from that I'm typically busy. Still writing, chipping away at it as and when I can and making a fair amount of progress with it. My band's practicing for the upcoming Battle of the Bands tournament and I'm practicing my acoustic stuff for the solo competition too. I'm getting everything ready for my book signing in September (stay tuned for more info on that). I'm also setting up a local group in my county for the Fawcett Society. Not to mention a few articles to write for the online magazine I've been writing for. What can I say? I like to keep busy.

Well, I should get on with the above list. I'll post again as soon as I can.

Sam

Holiday! (Celebrate! (It would be so nice...))

Sorry for the late post! Between admin and writing etc, I've only just had time to sit down and write this out.

So, what's new? Well, 'Lay Me Restless' is progressing smoothly; I'm hoping to have the first draft done by the start of August, but, knowing what I'm like with the deadlines I set myself, I'm not holding my breath. Still, even this first draft is reading very well, so hopefully that will cut down on some editing time.

I'm still ironing out the final details for my book signing, but it looks like it should be in August. More details as soon as I have them!

But the main thing is that I'm going on holiday tomorrow with my favourite person in the world! We're going to a small town in Dorset and I'm going to RELAX. I think I've earned it. Between work, admin, promotion, writing, music etc I haven't really stopped this side of New Year, so it'll be nice to just have a little time to let everything settle. Don't misunderstand, I enjoy all of that stuff (enjoy isn't strong enough word for the more artistic sides), but it can be tiring at times. So, for a week I'm going to sit in the sun and read while having a well deserved glass of wine. I'm taking my guitar because music is always necessary and I'll probably end up doing a little writing too, but it will be in the relaxed surroundings of the country.

I'll update any progress upon my return,

Sam