Shared article: Sarah Ash - The Retelling Retold

Well, technically not Sarah Ash, but a guest blog I did for her. This post is outside my usual Sunday schedule, but I probably should've done something here. If you don't know, Sarah Ash is a fantasy author who also is one of the principal writers for Anime UK, your British English source of reviews for anime, light novels and manga. As part of the general stuff around Starborn Vendetta, I wrote a guest blog for her. Below is the opening extract.

Since storytelling began, humans have retold and reworked tales. Moral messages, personal fantasies, whimsical tales, life lessons, histories, all have been put through the lens of the storyteller for uncountable generations. But why? Because of this ubiquity, the retelling can be overused. To me, the retellings that stand out the most are ones which take an old story and give it a proper new spin, make it relevant to a modern audience or even decontextualize the story as a whole.

If you want to read the whole thing, here is the article link: https://www.sarah-ash.com/fantasy-and-science-fiction/2739/the-retelling-retold-thomas-wrightson-visits-the-guest-blog/

Here's to the weekend.

In Aid of My Sister.

 This is the first time I've done a blog post like this, but I feel it my duty and privilege to do so. My sister, Daisy Eliza Wrightson, needs your assistance.

My sister is an artist, and a good one if I do say so myself. For those who've been with me some time, you'll recognise the artwork she did for the covers of some early self-published work.

Currently, Daisy is preparing the ground to start a local artist's studio, with its accompanying small-scale business. She has family backing for her artist's studio, But she needs funds. Not for the studio, but those little things that can eat into any budget. Brushes, a good easel, the general basic little things.

If you want details about the project from her, please check out her GoFundMe page. Her goal is £1500, of which just £50 has been achieved. You can also see samples of her old unrelated-to-books art on Etsy.com. I've linked an update video below, showing the ground pretty much prepared. If you want details about the project from her, please check out her GoFundMe page. Her goal is £1500, of which just £50 has been achieved. You can also see samples of her old unrelated-to-books art on Etsy.com. I've linked an update video below, showing the ground pretty much prepared.

I realise things are difficult in these times, but that's why we need to support creatives in any field, be it writers or artists. If you can, please help a fellow creative get off the ground. Thank you for reading.

Minor Updates and Random Thoughts

This week's been somewhat of a drag due to a terrible bug. And during the weekend I went to a wonderful volunteer event, and and the end of next month I'll be going to BristolCon 2018. So here's a bit of a quick rundown of what's happened since the beginning of July.

Recently finished proofreading the second volume of The Leviathan Chronicle, and updated the text of the current volume with new corrections. Despite recent changes caused by the merger of Kindle and CreateSpace , I'll hope to still publish during the final months of this year.

Finished my latest project, a sci-fi take on Dumas's immortal tale The Count of Monte Cristo, but with less nobility and more honesty about what people really do when they're driven by pure vengeance. Hope to get down to a proper proofread soon.

Started two new and promising projects. One a fantastic thing with a non-human cast and a light tone, and the other my own contribution to Lovecraftian lore with my own particular twists. Figurative and otherwise.

Completed a promising short story based on my recent interesting reading of "We Purchased People". Hope it goes down well if/when people see it.

Cleaned up myself by editing out milk, which has been causing unnecessary mood swings impacting my writing and productivity.

Hope I'll have something a little larger for you all next week. Have a good week!

Shared Post- Erica Verrillo's "Self-Publishing: The Perils of Instant Gratification"

This is a shared post, obviously. This week's been quite hectic, so this post isn't going to be anything special. But I feel the need, as an author trying to carve out my little niche, to keep my online presence active rather than letting it sink into apathy and the deepest voids of internet purgatory. So I'm going to share something from a post I found interesting, if a little unnerving for someone who suffers regularly for anxiety.

One of the appeals of self-publishing is that there is no waiting time. In traditional publishing, there is a lag, sometimes of a year or more, between the publisher's receipt of a manuscript and its publication.

Historically, authors have railed against this lag for two reasons: 1) They are impatient to see their books on the shelf, and 2) They are worried that in some cases, the book may never be published at all.

The second of these reasons for objecting to a delay in publication is legitimate. If the publication date is not specified in the contract (e.g. manuscript will be published within one year of acceptance), there is always the chance that due to various unforeseen events affecting the publishing house, your book may never make it into print.

The first reason, impatience, is not a good reason to object to a delay, but it is the main reason many writers opt to self-publish. Once they finish a novel, they want to see it in print as soon as possible.

Basically, the whole thing is full of sound advice for anyone who wants to self-publish. But it's also full of advice that is liable to send someone into a fit of uncertainty and the kind of anxiety that makes rubble of the strongest fingernails. Yes, I admit it, I have the habit of nibbling my fingernails if I feel under pressure or stressed.

OH YES, SHAMELESS PLUG TIME. If you want to read the first three chapters of my upcoming self-published novel "The Leviathan Chronicle", you can find them here (1), here (2) and here (3). Available now through Kindle and CreateSpace.

Kindle links - (UK, USA)
Paperback links- (UK, USA)

Writers Online Talkback Forum: One Word Challenge - February 2017 - Word: Promise

There's a new trial thing happening on the Writers Online Talkback forum. It's called the One Word Challenge. Basically, you are given a word, and you create a short 200-word max story out of that word. This month, the word was "promise". I decided to have a go. Here's what I wrote. If anyone else wants to try, feel free.

"Sitting alone. Cold and dark. The light holding no warmth, the moon no beauty, the world no colour. That was the price of the promise. The promise not to reveal what she knew to anyone, ever. Any promise was a burden, but this one tore her soul apart, clawed at the depths of her being. She shrank into her bed covers, her hands gripping her forearms, her entire frame curling up into a ball like someone lost to the mountain snow. It was so dark, so cold. But it was high noon, a bright summer's day, the day she had agreed to make a promise. That promise tormented her now; why had she made such a foolish vow, so rashly agreed to keep silent until death. Stupid promise. She hated it."

If you're interested in further work of this kind, check out the last time I did something like this: 'FB3X Drabble Cascade #168 entry - "Stable Visitor"'. I've got a feeling these two might combine to form a story at some point. You never know.

Out now: Crystal and Sin: Volume 3

I'm proud to announce that the third and final volume of my new science fiction work, Crystal and Sin, is now available through Kindle, CreateSpace, NookPress and Kobo Writing Life. A Complete Edition is planned for release this winter, which will include the entire story.

From Kobo Writing Life -
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/crystal-and-sin-volume-3

From Amazon Kindle (UK) -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crystal-Sin-3-Thomas-Wrightson-ebook/dp/B01HL1LCCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1467875168&sr=1-1&keywords=crystal+and+sin

From Amazon Kindle (US) -
https://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Sin-3-Thomas-Wrightson-ebook/dp/B01HL1LCCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1467875220&sr=1-1&keywords=crystal+and+sin#nav-subnav

From CreateSpace -
https://www.createspace.com/6401457

The previous two volumes are still available, and have been updated with corrected text and additional copyediting. Please enjoy this now-complete science fiction saga...