Writer

Saturday 3rd April 2021

Peter Germany Horror Writer, Life, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hey folks, I focused on non-writing life yesterday after posting. So I didn’t get anything I mentioned done. Today I’ve got limited time before work so once I’ve written this short post I’m going to do a half hours work and then get ready for work.

It’s going to be Black Blood I’m working on. Then when I’m on my break later on I’m going to do a little brainstorming or a little writing on a short story.

I’ve just posted my April goals to my Buy Me A Coffee page. Aside from the odd post everything post there is free to view. I have no objection to paywalls but I’m not sure that’s where I am at the moment. I mention it now because I’m starting to post my goals for each month there and they are exclusive to Buy Me A Coffee but are free to read. The way I’m viewing Buy Me A Coffee at the moment is it if someone would like to give me a tip. I’m not going to ram it down people throats, although I may add a link to a few blog posts. Every penny I get from there goes into writing.

Right, time to write. Have an awesome day folks! Don’t let people take your dreams as aspirations away.

Good Morning, 2nd of April 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Horror Writer, Life, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hey folks, how are we all doing today? I am awake, I have tea, and I’m even dressed! So I’m all but ready for a productive day. I’ve got non-writing bits and bobs to see to during the course of the day.

I’m going to be working on Black Blood mainly today, but I also have to set myself up for the month. I’ve got to sit down and map out my goals for the month. I am going to scale them back a little as I’ve not hit every goal I’ve set out for a month once this year. Going into April, that really isn’t where I want to be. So I’ll be having a hard think about what I’d like to have done by the end of the month.

Just realised I’ve tripled down on Gears Of War gear today 🤣

Last night I watched a documentary called Seaspiracy which was quite eyeopening and gave me a load of ideas for a story I’m working on brainstorming. I also watched a horror movie called Beneath. This was a film that once a certain character died I was bored. All the other characters were so repulsive I couldn’t wait for them to die! It helps though because it works to build what I don’t want to do in my own work. I always struggle to slam someone else’s art but I’ll try and be honest about it and it’ll inform my own art.

Right, time to get stuck into some work, if Dizzy will let me!

1st of April, 2021

Peter Germany Books, Horror, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning! It is very, very morning here in the UK, about 5:30am when I start writing this post.

A couple of hundred words yesterday before work. I’d planned more but got sidetracked. I’d like to say I’m going to get a nice chunk of words done today, but I don’t think I will. After work I think I’m going to have a nap! I’m about 2 weeks into very bad sleep patterns and it’s really beginning to take a toll on me now. I’m okay, I will prevail! But a few more hours of sleep would be nice.

I’ve got to think about my goals for this month. I think finishing this draft of Black Blood should be one of them, probably the priority. I can feel it’s endgame building and I think I can bring it home.

Something I’ve been doing this last few weeks is listening to First and Only by Dan Abnett. This is the first book in the Gaunts Ghosts series, which is probably my favourite book series. It’s great catching up with the story and characters who are long dead. But it’s also a reminder of how other people write. I’ve not read much the last eighteen months and most of what I have is done in different ways to that of how Abnett writes these books. I’m loving the depth he’s putting into this story but also realising that I’m not that writer. Yes, I need to put mire depth into my work but I don’t think I’m the type of writer (at the moment anyway) that will build background for a setting that is a smaller scene in the scale of the book.

Obviously I don’t find anything wrong with this, it’s just different styles. With my work I’m a little more direct, I think is the best way to put it. I like a story that gives plenty to the reader but it’s not my style at the moment. I’d like to put more of that in. I look at something like Black Blood and I can see ways for me to fit those details in, and I want to. It just won’t be world building to the extent I’m seeing in Abnett’s work. That said, the Gaunts Ghosts books are Warhammer 40k novels and there’s a lot of world building to be done.

Right, i feel like I’m beginning to ramble, and I’ve got to think about getting into work.

So, have a great day folks! Go for that dream and stuff anyone who tries to take it away from you.

Good Morning, 31st of March 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Horror Writer, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning, folks. For the second day in a row I’m up by 7am. I’m pretty sure this is because the clocks changed so my body thinks 7am is 8am. Anyway, I’m up, have a cuppa tea and I’m almost ready for the day.

I’ve got work this afternoon, so I’m looking at what I can get done this morning. I’ve got a little googling for non-writing reasons but that’s just a quick look at something before I do a deeper dive later in the week when I have more time.

Yesterday I got a lot off my to-do list for the day but didn’t get any words worked. This morning I’m going to be working on Black Blood and get a little closer to the ending of that story. I’m itching to get back into the next draft of Penal Earth but I’d like to get this draft of Black Blood done first.

Dizzy rolling around in the dust ☺️

I do need to look at my goals for next month as well, and decide what I want done by May. So I’ll have a little think about that. I think I’ll lower my goals as the last two months I’ve not really hit the targets I’ve set out.

Right! I’m off to get some words done. I don’t want to be in a position where I’m pushing to hit my target for the day at the last minute.

Have an awesome day folks! It looks like it’s going to be another beautiful day here in my part of the UK, but lets not let the weather decide for us, lets make it an awesome day come rain or shine.

The supervisors making sure I cleaned their filter out properly!

Good Morning, 30th of March 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Life, Lifestyle, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Morning folks, how are we all doing this morning?

I’ve had tea, no breakfast yet simply because I sat at my desk to tidy it up so I had room to put my breakfast while I ate it and Dizzy decided it was time I was her chair (she’s seventeen this year, so she gets fusses when she wants them).

So I thought I’d get a nice and early blog post out, and yes, I had another dodgy nights sleep. I got a good six hours but I woke up a few times and about 7ish my body couldn’t lay in bed anymore. So I got up, upsetting a sleeping Raven in the process, and decided to get the day started.

It feels like I’ve got a lot to do, but most of the items on my to-do list are smaller things and shouldn’t take too long.

Dizzy got up so I went and got a drink and Raven was in my chair in a heartbeat 🙄

Seeing as I didn’t sleep well I am feeling wiped out, again. This is just the theme of the month, tired Peter. Lots going on and not a lot of sleep do not play well, but I’m looking into a few little things to help with that.

That is looking like it’s going to be a cracking day here in my part of the UK and I will be out enjoying it for some of the day.

Right folks, have a cracking day!

29th of March 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Editing, Horror, Horror Writer, Insperation, Life, Lifestyle, Uncategorized, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Goooooooooooooooooooooood Morning, Internet! (channeling Robin Williams right there).

How are we all doing today? My week of crappy sleep continued into last night, but despite that I’m okay! I have a purring Dizzy on my lap, a cup of tea, and a few hours at work to think this pm and then a day off tomorrow! Oh yeah!

I thought this last week had been crap writing wise. I feel like I’d not got anywhere with it, but when I look at my numbers I can see it wasn’t. I’ve had productive days, even if they’re only a few words written and nothing edited I can look at what I worked on those days and its set me up so I’m thinking through what I’ve written and where to go with the story the next time I work on it.

I thought I hadn’t hit many targets this month. Word count is definitely one I haven’t hit, but as I look at my board I can see that I’ve not only hit three of the six goals, I’ve surpassed them. I need to get my head out of the word count is the only goal that matters, it doesn’t. I know I can write 200k plus words a year, what I don’t know is if I can produce a finished story. Yes, I’ve had stories published but I need something where I’m standing on my own two feet. That’s what the zombie book is going to be. Me, out there on my own. No other writers to be amongst, just my words. Yeah, scary. But I’m not scared of the world anymore, yeah I might have a moment where I reach out to my closets friends and have them shout at me to hit that big ‘ol PUBLISH button, but it will be published.

Not taking today, but sums up Dizzy this morning ☺️

Right Folks, I’ve got to be at work soon. Today I likely won’t get anything written, but the gears are always turning.

Good Morning, 26th March 2021 (2)

Peter Germany Cat, Horror, Life, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hey folks, I’ve written more than 200 words, but less than 300 words. I had an errand this morning and saw to non-writing matters as well. So, very little time to write, and I am so tired today. In addition to last nights lack of sleep, I’ve struggled with sleep all this last week and I’m beginning to feel it.

And now the junior assistant!

So I’ve given up writing for the morning, I’ve got an hour or so before I need to leave for work. So I’m gonna watch something off YouTube and chill out.

I did shoot a short video this morning while out. I drove my mum on an errand she had and I had a few moments to spare so I shot a quick video that is below.

Good Morning, 26th March 2021

Peter Germany Cat, Editing, Horror, Life , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy folks, I hope we’re all well. I am knackered. I had a bad nights sleep and I am feeling it! But I’m not letting it stop me this morning.

Yesterday I wrote 512 on Black Blood and 191 on a Penal Earth story that has the working title of Homestead. I have a lot of non-writing matters I’m working on at the moment so writing time is limited, especially on work days. Once this post is published I’ll not be diving into fiction I’ll be seeing to one of those personal matters. Those are the priority but I have the time to work on both before work.

Writing wise, I am struggling with getting this Black Blood ending done. It needs to be epic and I’m not quite sure how to pull it off at the moment. I keep trying to write it from the hip as it were, and I don’t think I’m capable of pulling it off that way. I really do think I need to start mapping out what needs to happen.

My assistant!

That’s the one that is bugging me at the moment. Ashes is with my fantastic beta readers and I’m not quite ready to start the digital edit on Penal Earth yet. I’ve got another Penal Earth short story that is half done, and I’m very tempted to start a second draft as I want to take the story in a different direction.

Okay, I’m going to get into some work now. I hope you all have a fantastic day, folks!

A Little Ramble (24/3/21)

Peter Germany Cat, Insperation, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve got no idea what I want to blog about, I just had the urge to have a little ramble .

Firstly, it really freaks me out when I get a message request on FB from someone using a nickname I had a few years ago. Very few people know me by that now, and those people are very close to me. Part of my inner circle. So when a spammer uses it, it’s an immediate ‘fuck no’. Also, not for nothing, I’m not German. Sending me a message in German is even more likely to get no response at all. To be fair I don’t reply to message requests anyway, but that’s just gonna make me less likely to acknowledge you.

I’ve also had a shit load of people adding me on Facebook (hi folks!) I don’t mind this, the more the merrier, but please don’t immediately send me the link to your page or group, same goes if I sent you a request. At least let’s have a conversation first!

Okay, so those were a little ranty, here’s something good. I got mentioned in a review recently! Not going to say by who or where, but needless to say it made me smile. As did a friend responding to my story, The Wank Diaries, which is in the Corona-nation St anthology from Burdizzo Books. This story is one of my most personal and hearing someone, especially someone who I consider a dear friend saying positive things about it puts a smile on my face. Both of these help to reinforce that I can write, and it’s super humbling to know people are enjoying my word wrangling.

Spot Raven!

Even though I’ve had my attention focused on personal matters that take priority, I am still thinking about writing. But not the actual writing but the business side of things. If all goes to plan my first novella will be out this year, which means I’ll need to do something to promote it. Only a couple of ideas, and hopefully I’ll have the confidence to try them and then use them when the time comes.

Okay, enough rambling! I need sleep. So good night folks!

Be kind, you don’t know how that little bit of kindness may help someone out.

Good Morning, 22nd of March 2021

Peter Germany Health, Life, Lifestyle, Mental Health, Writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Howdy folks, how are we all doing today?

I’m feeling better than I did last night. Despite one very strange dream I slept well and this morning have written 372 on Black Blood and 826 on a story set in the Penal Earth world.

I’d hope to knock out a nice 1000 words on Black Blood today, but I really wasn’t feeling it. I can’t get my head in the right place to write the ending how I want it to play out. But instead of sitting and stewing about it I got stuck into another story. One that I’ve rewritten the opening for and am a lot happier about it now. I’m still not sure where I’m going to take it but I hope I’ve got a good footing to build from and have opened up another element of that world.

This always helps pull me from a creative funk.

I didn’t watch Day Watch like I was planning to last night. I was exhausted and the thought of watching something new, with subtitles (i don’t mind subtitles but I need to be more awake than I was last night), was a little too much. So I dived into some YouTube and then got my head down.

This week I’m going to get back in the flow of things. I’ve got lates for most of the week, so I’m hoping with some earlier nights I can get some energy built up again.