Advice for new writers...

By request, there is a need to teach new writers something more than draft polishing, POV, arcs etc. There are 3 very important things every good book or story has,

1. Drive / force
2. Purpose / transformativity
3. A cover to live up to

Every story has a certain momentum. The momentum of a tale causes the structure of it to alter and you will use certain words, metaphors, twists in a different way. Realize that it is the momentum which guides the writing, not the other way around.

 

Most stories these days have no purpose other than to entertain. You may or may not want to change the reader by the end of a tale but changing them a little bit has been proven to boost your visibility as an author.

 

The last one is not a joke. Many writers look at book covers and dream of their own book being published with the same stunning artwork. Always strive to live up to your dreams. What are we without a dream in our hearts?

 

...

 

I was looking at some stats and a lot of / most books only sell a few hundred copies in the decades they're available for purchase. Knowing this, I strove to write my books so that nobody would want to put them down / DNF. I'm not a genius weaver or imaginateur, but I wrote deep whenever I could, and above all, I wrote commercial / pulp. I'm not proud of my mercenary style but I do love people reading my works.

 

...

 

By request, I was asked to tell my reasons and motivation behind 'iS', my novella, also my first 'real' published book. I actually wanted to expound a theory of mine called 'inexact Science' -wherein technology and psychology or philosophy are entwined. I wanted to clash east against west and see what emerged (in my book). I wanted to talk about the powers over us that dictate our life choices. And as I went along, the novella began to develop a life of its own -becoming a little bit classic / cult which I guess was from all the love I rolled into it.

…

I bought Ivy’s ‘In Safe Hands’ which is a good read in my opinion, so far. I would have liked to know more about Gen, looks-wise, even as early as chapter one, as she is the narrator.

Also ate Mr Beast Feastables which taste pretty good.

Am 100 words into part 3/4 of chp 9/10. I was urged to rush the novel so the evil witches might copy it, but can barely make the daily word quota. Monday, will begin chapter 10 which will take 4 days to complete. Almost 10pm. Will write more at 11pm. Finish by 4am.

 

Past midnight and not much written. The bare bones of an outline have to be fleshed out after the story deviated a little, the necessary battle scene wrapping up quicker than expected and the miracles also having to be brought forward a sub-chapter. This could be a tough write but I will do the usual 1.2k words and edit it in the morning during the Brazil game. Liew witches giving out pains. 2+ hours till kickoff with Switzerland. Take a break, I guess.

 

Worked out earlier and brushed. Had supper of ramen noodles and garlic dip. 

 

 

Fixed a monitor arm for Dad's Mac Mini...

We were at DigiMall yesterday afternoon. Dad couldn't decide which monitor arm to buy so I chose one for him, 99RM or circa $25. It was a Chinese brand and well-made (labelled NB). Sturdy with a gas lift you can adjust with a hex screw (wrench and other tools were included).

Needless to say, he is happy. 

Myself, have switched around my displays. I have the TV showing Windows 11 and the NEC second-hand, showing the terminal off my ThinkPad (also second hand / used). I set it so the NEC is above my laptop screen so a flick of the mouse accesses either top or bottom display.

I use the Win 11 PC to write my stories and the Ubuntu ThinkPad to code. I will be renting MS Word for a month till I finish SDU. Writing chp 9-10 should take a week or two, then to polish up. Also the new computer chair Dad bought me is quite comfy permanently set in recline mode, otherwise it presses on the groin.

Mom was skeptical of the monitor arm but soon accepted it. Was surprised that some displays can't be mounted while others have the right screw holes built in. Good idea to check before buying.

Am sleepless at 5am, having just taken my meds. Should turn in by 6am.

...

Working on chp9 of SDU today. It will be an action-packed chapter. War grips the world. Made a slow start having slept at 6am last night. Feeling okay. Brushed, got cleaned. Should head out in the evening to deposit cash in my debit account.

So I bought Office 365 for 30 days for 44RM++. It's 7pm and I have to write half of chp9 tonight. An absolute must do. We are healing the Liew family of witches to what end I'm not certain. Maybe it will be good.

Chp9 will take a while, maybe 4 days to finish. A quarter will be done by tonight, 1.2k words. Already done 300 and it's closing in on midnight. Staying up to catch the opening game of the World Cup. Ordered Mr Beast Feastables to see if they're really that special. May do a review.

Managed to get my Windows 11 display set up well. No more stretchy effect and the text looks good. I'm not sure how I did it. Maybe it was the Intel display settings beta I downloaded. Then I used Aspect > Zoom2 via the TV remote and it worked a charm. 3 hours till the WC opener.

I'm over halfway thru tonight's writing quota. Almost 1am. We think the Liews' genius west-hating henchman Allen may have died of a heart attack. There is a lot of subterfuge in mindspace. Balancing the nerve suppression with saving souls and protecting the innocent. Hopefully to do the right things to end this conflict painlessly as possible.

...

Mid afternoon. Managed to get cleaned well. There is a musty odor in my room. Don't much feel like writing SDU but will have to make a start after dinner. The air conditioning is on eco mode, as well as quiet mode. Compressor noise is minimal and hopefully energy savings maxed as I run it 20 hours a day on average.

Kids from America taking revenge on Chinese / Asians. Nice gift after we axed the Liew command. They will be sorry later, so we told them. Important not to start another war. 

10pm and I have another 1k words to write leading up to 3am’s match. Will take my meds around 3:30am, workout at midnight. I was thinking that today’s writing should delve into the politics of survival. Maybe an honestly long monologue between Daphne and Praetor will take up 500 words. Then, the rest would be Kyoko’s part, as she gathers support to dethrone FEED leading up to confrontation between her and Pete. Finally, an intervention by Gabriel finishes off the chapter.

Witches assaulted our get together…

There are normally 5 ways that witches enter a group of people. In this case, we have American Christians who have incubated the witches, pushing them onto our family and friends. This means there is no right or wrong solution, nor any complete solution. Think about it.

But there are still 5 methods and they can be managed,

1. If there is anyone interested in another person, for any reason or at any level of interest, no matter just curious, or role model, jealous, wannabes etc. then you shall put up a signal of surrender, just the horn blowing the retreat with white flag
2. If there is anyone complaining about anything or anyone, you must try to complain less, and shall put up the sign of arms on hips
3. If there is anyone saying, please, please, or help me, you are to ignore them at all cost, and just put up the sign of arms crossed or an X-shape

4. If there is someone saying look at me, see what I can do, you are to put up the sign of indecency. This is difficult because of kids and babies. Just the hanging bra or lampar will do
5. If there is any conflict, whatever convoluted, just put up the sign of the snake on the cross.

Today my new wallet arrives...

The above is how I look nowadays. Ever since the UFO files were declassified (jk). You may notice I have the alien eye (ha-ha), and a strange contraption on my ears -they're the FiiO EH11 earphones which are very good after EQ which you can choose from the FiiO app, uploaded by audiophiles and hardcore listeners.

Today will be packed. I have a mini story to write, code to debug, and am doing a book promotion on X. Hope to receive my new 3-zipper wallet soon. More later... 

I found a home for my board-game, SeTT here: https://ckyap.itch.io/sett

Be sure to download it to your Android phone and give it a spin for FREE. Spread the word and make me famous (less so rich). 

There is actually something behind my choosing today to release my game app. And I do hope my ex-GF and I can reunite with some security from my income. Jesus thinks it will be okay but we’re both 50 years old and I wonder if we’ll actually have much fun. Still, it’s not good to be alone, an island.

Finally, I have the ‘fat’ wallet. On the left is my old attempt at getting one, It must’ve met with God’s disapproval, but in Christ, we usually get a second chance (YMMV).

On this day, ABY 9d talks about repairing or reinforcing the family home. On this day, I submitted my game for download. On this day, I got the prosperous wallet. On this day, Jesus promised that I will get a windfall of a sort, be it money, accolades, I don’t know.

…

My art tools and supplies are my most precious possessions. Circa 250RM. Altho I am tempted to buy more stuff I enjoy, these humbler tools of my trade are enough to make me happy. Think I left out my FC improvised lead sharpener.

I wrote elsewhere that tho I may inherit +50kRM from grandpa’s estate. I have nothing more to buy or spend otherwise.

Sometimes I write guitar songs on my old Yamaha c40 fitted with dAddario folk nylons. Never complained about the sound which is articulate and deep. Meanwhile an old Linux laptop does all I need, records my music, monitored thru cheap but good FiiO EH11 earphones.

Writing my stories is of course, free. I use textmaker24free to edit and generate standards compliant docx. Once you ply a trade, nothing frivolous matters much. Don’t feel like trading in my iPad either.

It came to me that I should spend 10% on the folks. Maybe I will get them some Apple gear.

...

More coding this afternoon. Need to finish net4spice by early this month (June). Not sure where I'll post it. Maybe just on my Google Drive.

There was told several truths about me, sending the westerners who accuse me reeling and their Liew torturers trying to patch their sinking ship. Kids and babies were told not to butt into our sensitive and unintentional can of worms or others' as well.

...

Am going walking tomorrow morning. May buy something for Dad. Must remember to bring extra money. This morning, he gave me his new computer chair. It's good for working harder at my coding but not for lounging in -mattress is more comfortable.

Rumors abound that I might not be alive come August. Fixed a few people's heads who overreacted. We all have to go sometime. Worked out. Can do 20 plank-ups now (are they called that?) and the cross situps no longer hurt. I am getting fitter. Lost 1kg as well.

...

Woke up too late to head out. May do so later, after chores and getting cleaned. I've lost a further few hundred grams over the past two days.

Put my Q&Q moonphase on bracelet. Looks very 'standard'.

…

About an hour till we get going. Will be wearing my Oakleys. Hopefully the stomach holds until evening.

Met my cousin, haven’t seen him in years, circa 7 years. He’s doing well. Liew witches tried to climb in via our weak spots. Places the Lord didn’t bless. We exchanged contacts. Aunt gave me 300RM. I now have quite a bit to spend. Not sure on what.

I’m thinking of leaving the socials and blogosphere…

Again, I find journaling and sharing with my readers out there, thanks for your support, to be increasingly, something more obsessive than constructive. Something like binge watching X or YouTube shorts. I have to stop those as well. And I will be pursuing other things, music, art, programming. See how far I go. 

 

Nobody seems to want to give me a break. At least, since I suffered that 2007 stroke and was crashed on in 2010 by the managers of the telepathy crisis. An episode in my life is over.

And I was thinking, perhaps my bow sight should have weights on 2 parallel tracks. 2 weights might do to produce a curved response. Simplified the design. It will be an oval or parabolic piece of rotating card, with 1 or 2 flat weights and a pin stuck off center. That should produce a curve.

This will be my last post for some time, maybe till mid / end June.

 

So the sight will look like this: two pieces of card slotted together into an X, and wedged into the mount hex clamp. As the bow angle is raised, the pin on the end of the X needs to drop. A plastic leaf spring decompresses from oblong to circular, affording this. Tuning is achieved by adding weight to the top of the leaf spring.

 

Was thinking of firing from a height as well. There might be a mechanism built in to deliver a curve that is less steep. Perhaps as the weight on the leaf spring slips forward against it.

 

Wow, my last post until the miracles start to occur. Stay safe, and take care, everyone.

I was wondering about many things…

And I thought of leaving home to start a new life somewhere. Maybe I should bring along my guitar as it does help express my creative emotional needs. It’s nice to write songs once in a while. I think that today, I will try playing my Piano chords on the fretboard, working from there around the 5 patterns I found in Raymond Teoh’s guide. Yes I own his book and it is useful if not the best guide -if you are serious about learning.

And I thought of taking long walks again. Tomorrow, to head out wandering. There has been no reply from the publisher I sent my MS to. No movement on shipping my puffy wallet. No urge to code n4s or resume writing SDU, no motivation to build my bow sight. Perhaps I will model it tonight and have it 3D printed.

The design was simplified further. I am able to build it tonight from materials at home tho not calibrate it just yet. It will be made from stiff card and bits of wire. It will come with a friction disc and extra heavier counterweight so it’s less susceptible to wind and vibrations. 

I think the more the tail bends bodywards, the higher the lift action. To get a lift curve, the tail has to go straight down with several weights at different points along the vertical. These weights are just wire wrapped with card. Seems each weight is similar and must be vertically adjustable, calibration is done that way.

Read my article on understanding Physics on Medium: https://medium.com/@chnkngyp/time-and-space-824789292c5c -it’s quite good, receiving 10 claps so far.

Good news, my new wallet will ship tomorrow. Should receive it by 1st June ahead of the family get together.

Circa 1:30am. Just took my meds, worked out and showered. Brush by 2am. Somehow, I lost about a kilogram over the past week and a half. Had been eating less and exercising more. I lifted myself off the floor 18 times clean and did 20 cross sit-ups, no strain. Should think I’m growing stronger but not too much so I don’t fit my clothes. Just to stay healthy as possible.

…

Didn’t do much last night. Was attacked up till before bed. Seems the Liew scourge has moved elsewhere for now, together with the westerners and the people pressed in to make a more interesting party. My life is rather dull and I know I was just used, polluted, and spat out.

The things God said I should prepare are converging…

I think I now know the meaning of the ‘ball’, ‘scope’, ‘fat wallet’, ‘helmet’, and ‘moonphase watch’ as I am on the verge of sorting out the last few glitches in my purchases.

Convinced that June-July will see the soccer world cup where something happens (the ball). The scope is a symbol of mankind being, then after, able to predict what comes next - vengeance from God. It is then that one needs to be generous (the puffy wallet). After that, there comes a period of unrest and environmental disasters, thus the helmet. The moonphase watch symbolizes a period when there are exactly 30 days to a lunar cycle and 360 days in a year. This is somewhere in the Bible, IIRC.

So I had to buy all 5 items and describe them for people to believe. If I just told about it, it would not be enough to convince the world. Earlier, we talked about the 4 proofs of God. It was fun and many now know we were at some stage created or at least meddled with, genetically. That there is a Creator who is lord over us.

…

I need to speak on compatibility issues between men and women. Nobody is perfect except that our vows are perfect. Not to rush into marriage, sexual misconduct, pregnancy etc. But when we find someone suitable, and I will explain, we make those vows and keep them. Keeping vows is important to God otherwise there would be no love, trust or faith.

Suitability comes not from an ideal, for nobody is ideal but Jesus. Nobody can make an ideal progeny except God, who is the Father. Suitability is like training a vine. My father used to say it is like growing a garden for your wife and family to live in. But Dad was a bit off, it really is like training a vine.

And to adapt to the needs of one another is love aplenty. And to see fruit borne thru, is love fulfilled, gladness and joy. Sure, the telepathy initiated by some quarters, irresponsibly, makes it easy to scope out the world, but really, it is our outside, not inside, that drives prophecy and does  good works, etc. Don’t be deceived that telepathy harbings our destiny. We must not use it too much.

…

I have been putting together my travel wardrobe and I think my chef pants would be good to wear, as would my tarmak basketball shorts and sleeveless running shirt. I would need my linen shirt as well, and that should be all I pack. Maybe a small towel and 2 pairs of socks, underwear.

Am thinking twice of lugging anything much else. Maybe just a Bible to read and teach from. When Jesus said, sell everything and follow me, he meant that the gospel of the kingdom was the only thing worth having -especially these end of days. I can’t dispute this as I would not like to have too much travel baggage. Parker ball-pen ink seems to play well with Bible paper. Not sure why some are recommending Sakura micron pens as I tried them and they show thru quite a bit. Highlighters also show thru. Was thinking to hilite vertically beside, and not along the paragraphs / verses. Yellow color may be preferable.

…

Helped make fancy pasta for dinner with the Folks. Was tasty. American mindspace fighters thinking twice of bullying down and out Asians. I mentioned that losing the good fight is a feather in the cap of Satan some posts ago. Satan lays claim to America -how then would life be like? America is an important player in the ME.