Liam Smith

Writing a Novel: The Finish Line

4th December 201630th September 2020 Liam Smith Leave a comment

It’s been a while since my last blog post, and I’m sorry. But I’m sure you’ll like what I’ve been up to: finishing a novel.

Back in March I talked about Writing a Novel: The Midway Point. Midway wasn’t a bad estimate; I started After Life (yes, we have a title now) last November, and I finished the first draft on the last day of July. Of course, writing a novel isn’t like competing in a race – it’s like a triathlon, and there a few finish lines to make it through. But first thing’s first: let me tell you all about finishing a novel.

Actually finishing a novel: the final push

Oh, it got hard towards the end. Nine months is a long time to stick at anything, let alone writing one story. My routine really helped here – the more I wrote, the more I came to know what my five thousand words a week translated to in terms of narrative. I knew the end couldn’t be far away and I stuck with it, matching the increasing pace of the story with more and more writing. By the end I was fitting in writing where I could; mornings, lunchtimes, evenings. I was desperate to have it done.

On Writing (In Public)

29th July 201630th September 2020 Liam Smith Leave a comment

I’m an advocate of writing in public. I find it keeps my writing flowing pretty regularly and encourages me to hit my weekly targets, as well getting me to try out new coffee shops. Let me tell you exactly why I prefer writing in public places.

It Gets Me Out the House

Firstly, writing in public means I will get out the house and find somewhere to write. Usually this will be a friendly cafe, though I’ve employed bars and pubs as well. Getting out and active prepares me for some hard work. Leaving the house and walking, cycling or even driving somewhere is an ideal primer for writing; you can think about what you’ll be writing whilst you’re getting there.

Resolutions Reflection: Midyear Resolutions

18th July 20164th October 2020 Liam Smith Leave a comment

Back in January I made these New Year’s Resolutions. There weren’t many – only three – but as the longest day has been and gone and the mid-point of the year is here today, I think now would be a good time to check in on my progress. Which vows will I need to renew? What midyear resolutions should I be re-resolving?

Finish a novel

Finding inspiration in the bottom of a pint glass

Now this one is going well.

Robin Jarvis and The Whitby Witches review

8th May 201617th October 2020 Liam Smith Leave a comment

The Whitby trilogy by Robin Jarvis is one of the best trilogies… ever. This is a Whitby Witches review of sorts, but one which explores the trilogy’s place in literature instead of trying to rate it against other books.

I first read Robin Jarvis’ The Whitby Witches when I was a child. I can’t have been any older than ten, because by the time I finished the series I had yet to leave primary school. And actually, I didn’t read them – my mum read them to me. It was probably her eyes that first alighted upon that fateful tome, bound with a leering hound front cover that arrested both our attentions in that little library up the road. We devoured it swiftly and ordered the sequels shortly after. After reading and loving those too, I requested the boxset from my Grandma for Christmas. She even lived near Whitby! Finally, I owned those fantastic stories for myself.

The trilogy: *The Whitby Witches*, *A Warlock in Whitby* and *The Whitby Child*

I re-read the trilogy a few of times as a child. Yyou can see how well-loved those books were in the picture above. But I hadn’t done so since before my late teens. By the time I took them from the shelf a couple of months ago it must have been ten years since I’d indulged. I thought I’d give them a read for a bit of a nostalgia hit, but even before I’d reached the halfway point of Book One I knew that I was reading something truly special. It wasn’t my childhood love of The Whitby Witches that was informing my enjoyment of it. It was simply that it is a fantastic, gripping and scary book. I finished the trilogy’s finale, The Whitby Child, this very morning – and I can’t wait to laud its brilliance.

Anatomy of a Drum Kit: A Tour of My Drums

13th March 20164th October 2020 Liam Smith Leave a comment

In between writing stories and blog posts I like to drum. It’s a smashing hobby; cathartic as well as creative. I started when I was sixteen, but I’ve improved since my first off-beat battering of Smells Like Teen Spirit. I bought my own drum set, a Mapex Tornado Rock Fusion, back in 2013 after finishing university. But it’s evolved and spread a bit since then, and received a DIY tattoo on the bass drum. Today I pulled it out of its usual corner and gave the whole thing a polish and spruce up. Let me show you around the anatomy of a drum kit…

The Novice

I actually learned the drums on my dad’s Arbiter Flats Lite set. It’s a great set for a beginner since it’s so much smaller (and quieter) than a full kit, yet still acoustic. I’ve replicated the setup on my Tornado here.

My Mapex Tornado modelling the setup I learned on

This is called a ‘two-up, one-down’ setup. This means there’s two toms racked above the bass drum, and one floor tom off to the side. Toms, or tom-toms, are the bouncy-sounding drums; the ones that Phil Collins (or that gorilla from the Cadbury’s advert) use for the big fill in In The Air Tonight. Some drummers use a few as two toms (Ghost’s ghoul drummer had just one!) but fancier drummers can have loads. The bigger the drum, the deeper the sound. So drumming on them from left to right produces the descending roll that is featured in loads of songs.

Author: Liam Smith