Diary / Blog
This isn't the most detailed diary you'll ever read, because I'm devoting most of what little writing time I have to "Colin goes to Zobeland". However, I record any major thoughts and events here, just to provide a timeline and a bit of an insight into the development of the novel.
Some people have suggested I should call this page a 'blog'. I refrained from using the term originally because the entries are so brief and intermittent, unlike those of most blogs I've seen. As a slight concession, I've given the page a dual title until I can make my mind up.
Zobeland - An introduction
16th June, 2008
I've had some feedback, suggesting that CGTZ is similar to "The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy". Whilst I'm flattered by the comparison, the stories are quite different to each other. I wondered if the similar sounding "Nurklander's Guide to Zobeland" was at least partially to blame and decided to rename it; it's now referred to as "Zobeland - An introduction", which is probably a more appropriate title anyway. I've updated the on-line version with the revised text.
Frog comes into focus
13th June, 2008
I had an idea for a conversation with Frog, centred on his love of 1970s progressive rock music and the Dutch band Focus in particular. This resulted in the addition of half a page to yesterday's new draft. I updated the on-line version straight away, because this new bit fits in quite well with what was already there.
A new draft at last
11th June, 2008
I've finally managed to get a new draft uploaded. It includes a beefed up version of the Nurklander's Guide, quite a lot of rearrangement of story flow, several new sections and the first few pages of the Frog chapter. All in all, there are a lot of changes and thirteen more pages than the last draft. Draft 3.2 is available for download here.
A wet Monday in Reigate
3rd June , 2008
Despite the rain, I had a great day and a bit in Reigate. I've taken loads of photos of key locations, bought some street maps and guide books and refreshed my memory of the layout of the place. Oh, and in the interests of comprehensive research, I tried out several of the pubs too. Sadly, none of them had White Shield.
Reigate field trip
28th May, 2008
Next Monday I'll be visiting Reigate for the first time since the mid 1980s. I'll be spending 24 hours researching key locations, including the real life counterpart of the Soldier's Eye; I hope they still serve White Shield.
Time for a synopsis?
1st May, 2008
Phew. After a couple of weeks of failing to write anything other than sporadic plot notes, I hit on the radical idea of writing a synopsis. I suppose I might have benefited from this a year or so ago, but I didn't want to stop the 'stream of consciousness' approach to writing, which seemed to work so well earlier. However, since the stream appeared to have dried up, at least temporarily, what did I have to lose? Anyway, this evening I've dashed off the next three chapters worth of plot ideas in a sort of overview stream of consciousness. Once again, my hostelry of choice in Shrewsbury provided the right ambience and I'm a step closer to another big addition to the working draft. Hopefully, I'll be uploading a new version to this site within the next week or so.
White Shield is in
10th April, 2008
I've just received permission from those nice people at Molson Coors to use references to their brand, Worthington's White Shield, in CGTZ. Thanks guys! Although not vital to the plot, I feel White Shield has become part of the fabric of the story, certainly for Colin and Tonto, so I'm delighted to get the official go-ahead.
WI is WEL
27th March, 2008
I've never been completely happy with Wildebeest Instruments, abbreviated to WI, as the name of Dave Wilde's company. I've now renamed it Wildebeest Electronics Limited, with the acronym WEL. I think this reads a bit better.
Dave Wilde's daughters
9th March, 2008
It came to me that Dave Wilde probably should have a family and I started jotting down ideas. This quickly developed into three daughters, at least one of whom I think will feature in the story in some key way.
Tonto's mother
2nd March, 2008
At last, after too much work and not enough writing, I've managed to finish chapter 3, write a bit more on Frog and start some detail of other characters. Today, I came up with quite a lot of stuff about Tonto's mum (or 'mom' for Stateside readers), all inspired by a briefly overheard fragment of conversation at the local swimming baths. I love it when a tiny germ of an idea develops so rapidly I find it difficult to type - or scribble, as was the case today - fast enough to keep up with my flow of thought.
Leap year day and a diary page correction
29th February, 2008
Thanks to the people who've pointed out that the 'Tonto gets a name' entry of 12th July 2007 should come before the 'Zobeland.com goes live' entry of 6th August 2007. I'm not sure how I managed to get them mixed up, but it's fixed now.
More Zobelanders
22nd January, 2008
I've rearranged chapters 2 and 3 to make way for a new section involving Zobelanders. I think this, combined with a soon to be completed chapter 3 is worth uploading as a new draft. I'll see what I can do this week.
Frog is on the way
14th January, 2008
I've written loads of stuff on Colin's friend, Frog, and am ready to join them all together to make chapter 4. I really like Frog and I've been so caught up with writing about him that I've neglected the end of chapter 3, which I must complete, hopefully this week. I'd really like to get a new draft, up to the end of chapter 4 uploaded by the end of February at the latest.
A new year and a new download
2nd January, 2008
I managed to find some time over the holiday period to consolidate all my jottings and notes of the last few weeks into an updated draft. This is now available for download.
New character & chapter titles
17th December, 2007
I've come up with a new character, who I'm really pleased with and think will feature quite quite a lot in the story. I've also decided to combine chapter one with chapter two and give all chapters titles. The current working titles for the revised chapters one to four are:
- Two unusual things
- A Nurklander's guide to Zobeland
- Tonto's revelation
- Frog
More writing on the horizon - at last
7th December, 2007
This week has been all work, with no time for writing at all, although I have managed the usual collection of scribbled ideas on bits of paper. Next week I'm working away all week, so I'm hoping to spend a few productive evenings in the pub - from a writing perspective that is - although I may enjoy the odd pint or two.
Insomniac writing session
23rd November, 2007
Woke up at 4 a.m. with loads of ideas buzzing round my head. Gave up trying to sleep after an hour, got up and wrote them all down. Loads of useful stuff on Zobelanders and the history of the link between Colin's world and Zobeland. Chapter 4's coming on well; I can't wait to get it finished and uploaded to the web site.
A proper web site at last
9th November, 2007
Replaced the basic Zobeland page with a CGTZ site, with several pages, including this one.
Colin spills the beans with Tonto
1st October, 2007
Another pub writing session. Colin decides to tell Tonto about Zobeland.
Registered AlexAnnesty.com
26th September, 2007
A new domain pointing to the web site.
Zobeland High Council makes an appearance
24th September, 2007
Back in the pub in Shrewsbury. Dashed off a page of A4 as fast as I could scribble. The whole piece came out as a stream of consciousness and I'm really pleased with it. I've found out a bit more about Zobelanders as a result. Also added a page introducing Tonto's 'weirdo'.
A bit of a reshuffle
8th September, 2007
Chapter 3 has pinched some pages from chapter 4 and earlier sections have had a bit of a re-write, following several read-throughs.
Chapter 4 under way
15th August, 2007
Working away in Shrewsbury. Hand wrote nine pages of A4 in the pub, completing chapter three and making major inroads into chapter four. I wish I'd had the laptop with me; I'm not looking forward to typing that lot up.
The Shack takes shape
12th August, 2007
Created plans for the WI shack, to help me visualise the layout and produce consistent descriptions.
Zobeland.com goes live!
6th August, 2007
Finally, I've come up with some basic zobeland.com branding and produced a basic web site. It's still not much more than a holding page though.
Tonto gets a name!
12th July, 2007
After having the working name of 'Bostick' for over four years, Tonto is now 'Tonto'.
Draft 3: CGTZ reborn!
27th February, 2007
After just over two years of no writing, other than the occasional jotted note, I'm starting to get some time in the evenings, as a result of having to work away every now and then. Created a new draft and got stuck in.
Registered domains for the CGTZ web site
4th February, 2005
Registered zobeland.com and the-zobe.com and created a basic holding page, stating that the novel "Colin goes to Zobeland" was coming soon. I suppose it is soon, geologically speaking.
Draft 2 created
14th March, 2004
Changed the draft one order around a little, incorporated a lot of jotted notes and added more to chapter two.
Work starts
Mid 2003 - still trying to establish the exact date.
After several failed attempts to write novels by planning them in advance, I sat down at the laptop and started typing. I had decided that I wouldn't allow myself to be limited by the merely feasible and the sparrow arrived half-way down page one.
