reTweet

Did nothing today apart from reTweet those who had reTweeted me and put the second part of TST on Wattpad. I think I put it on too early for I have dropped down the SciFi listing, I was at #69 yesterday now I'm at #500ish! I do have a lot of reads though.

Today's joke is:

What is Australia's most popular video game?

Mortal Wombat!

Temporary cover

Today I did a temporary cover for The Sun Thief and took ages trying to get the lettering right. It still looks dodgy but I'll work on it before I put it on Amazon. (Used the old picture from Victorian Adventure for now.) Put the first part of TST on Wattpad and have about 70 reads already. I decided to put it under the genres of Science Fiction and Teen fiction because The Infinity Bridge and Steampunk Detective were.

I did think about putting a sample on here but have decided against it, I would rather have more people read it on Wattpad.

Today's joke is:

What kind of bird is always making fun of people?

A mockingbird!

Snowball

Today I finished typing in The Sun Thief. Now I have to proof read it and finish the cover. I am going to put a daily sample on Wattpad to try and garner some interest in it, pre publication. Shall have to look at the pistol tomorrow now, didn't have chance today.

Snowball, the thing I am hoping will happen to my blog and my books. I think next year might be good to make snowballs.

Today's joke is:

What does a Queen bee do when she burps?

She issues a royal pardon!

d/read

Typed/read in about 1,300 words of chapter 11. Also planned some more of TST 2, it is called The Victoria Conspiracy for now. Needed to add some more to it because the part I was going to use for chapter twoish should really be nearer the end, close to the finale. Haven't done any more to my pistol, packed it away in the case for now, I'll have to get it out again tomorrow.

Today's joke is:

What was the snail doing on the road?

About a mile a day!

Look Wooden

So I read/typed in and put the rest of chapter 10 on the VAE. Then I started work on my steampunk pistol. Started chopping bits out of the pistol. Made a brass looking battery but then it seemed to be too big. Made a smaller one out of card and a small drinks can. With a bit of the gun chopped out it fits nicely, and with the rods for the barrels. However now it looks at odds with the bottom of the gun. I may have to Milliput the bulbous bits of the gun flat and either make them look wooden (as part of the handle) or make them look steel (with a bit of painting.)


Today's joke is:

What goes hmmm-choo?

A humming bird with a cold!

Steampunk Test

On Sunday I started on the test for my steampunk goggles. Marked the cat tin with a black felt tip. Cut into it with a knife then around the top line with scissors. I then trimmed it closer then bent it over with pliers. The tin seems safe enough, it won't cut flesh. Probably need to adapt my pliers so they are smoother and have slightly curved head. Bought a foam ring shooting pistol from the pound shop and will probably use the handle and the body as the start of the steampunk pistol. Will need to paint the handle wood coloured.

Today I typed/read in 1,300 words of TST. Also got my Word 97 package working properly which was better when I came to format the stuff I had done on Dragonspeech 7.

Today's joke is:

"Doctor, Doctor! I keep thinking I'm a duck."

"Good, you won't mind if I give you an enormous bill then!"

The problems of authors.

Managed to type/record the rest of chapter 9 even though I didn't want to. Last night I couldn't go to sleep and ended up writing another three pages of planning for the next TST book. The trouble was though that I ended up worrying about who Lizzie was going to go to the castle with. The problems of authors eh!

Today's joke is:

What kind of horse has three legs?

They all do!

Gold/Brass

Managed to read/type in over 1,000 words of chapter 9. Might be able to get more done tomorrow, felt a bit ill today. Spotted four mistakes in it when I was reading it at Starbucks, the problems of voice recognition software (mostly!) My wife sent me loads of pictures of steam punk goggles. One pair looked really good from a distance but when I looked at them closer up they were welding goggles that were not very well painted in gold/brass paint.

Today's joke is:

What is a myth?

A female moth!

Pop guard success

Today I installed my Dragon Naturally Speaking 7 package. I got it free from the junkswap about 4 years ago. It kind of worked and was a bit faster than typing by hand. I had the same problem today as when I installed it last time, I had too much RAM in my PC. Today I used the PS2 proper mic with the pop guard I made and it recognised my words more correctly. Therefore I finished inputting chapter 8 and put it on the VAE.

Today's joke is:

What do you get if you cross an ice cube with a goldfish?

A coldfish!

TST if you know what I me...

I wrote a page of planning for the second TST book. Still don't know what to call it. Have a list of the characters from the Victorian Adventure games I used to run with family and friends. Have decided on the seven people who will make up the main party from the 30 or so characters. Four will be family characters and three from the short story so far published only on Wattpad. Also started a list of secondary characters. I have decided that the Indian character, Anil Kati, gets injured in the first bit and this gets him out of the problem of being one of Queen Victoria's guards and being away from her for too long.

Today's joke is:

What do you call a stick insect with no legs?

A stick!

Planning stages

I only typed in 500 words today. Did some more recording. That's all!!!
(Did try to think about what the next bit of the new book would be, Lord Bruce Hutchinson in some way goes to the House of Lords to ask for a military intervention on the Andacian factory. He also asks that the VAS be allowed to participate. This will lead in some way to the discovery of a Lord(?) based at a manor house somewhere who is planning to take over the government? Marry Queen Victoria? It is all up in the air at the moment as it is in the planning stages :)

Today's joke is:

What is the clumsiest type of ape?

An orangutangle!

Microphone

I finished typing in the epilogue of The Sun Thief. Set up a microphone and made a pop guard over the weekend (based on a pop guard my son found on Youtube.) Now I can record some of my books as audio books. Got another tin to practice on for the steampunk goggles. Made a cardboard gun as a plan for the one I'm trying to make out of brass.

Today's joke is:

What do you give a horse with a cold?
Cough stirrup!

Cat food goggles...

I managed to finish and put on the VAE chapter 7 of TST. Also typed in 250 words of chapter 8, had problems getting it of my iPad though and had to use a different email address. Started work on my steampunk goggles, bought two tins of cat food in golden coloured tins made from Aluminium.Ripped the lid off, gave food to cats, washed tin, took label off, looked at it. I have taken one photo of it, we'll see what happens.

Today's joke is:

What did the ram say to his girlfriend?

I love ewe!

Happy birthday to me...

I still managed to type in about 400 words of chapter 7 and the epilogue today even though it was my birthday and I was supposed to be enjoying myself!!! Got a Superman T shirt, a Lego Batman game, some DVDs, a camcorder, lots of chocolate and some Grandad socks!!!

Today's joke is:

What's big, wrinkled and has horns?

An elephant marching band!

Steampunk Pistol

I managed to type in 1,600 words of TST. Had planned to do more but had to look after the grandchildren. Discussed the building of my steampunk pistol with my daughter's fiance and the building of an Iron Mask with the other. Am now looking forward to the release. It is my birthday on the 14th of June so I don't expect to do much work.

Today's joke is:

What do you get if you cross a Cocker Spaniel, a Poodle and a rooster?

A cockerpoodledoo!

As yet unnamed.

Managed to type in 800 words of The Sun Thief and put the full chapter 6 onto the Victorian Adventure Experiment which is my Facebook group. Also wrote the Epilogue which is about 200 words. Then planned part of chapter one of the new book which is as yet unnamed. (Names anyone?) I am planning to plan the whole book then I will do an experiment where I try to write the whole thing in three days!

Today's joke is:

Did you hear the one about the cat who entered the milk drinking contest?

He won by six laps!!!

Steampunkette

I had a bad night's sleep last night, worrying about my mother. But it did mean that I finished the last chapter of The Sun Thief at about 4 O'clock in the morning. It is 300 words shorter than I wanted it but I'll put some filler in as I'm typing it up. Need to write the epilogue tomorrow, I already have it planned from the other day. Then I need to work on the cover, it seems as though none of the females I know want to pose as a Victorian steampunkette for me!!! I may just have to do a drawing.

Today's joke is:

What goes 'Knock knock woof'?

A Labra-door!

Nearly Finished

So today I wrote 1,270 words of The Sun Thief, only another 800 and I've finished the last chapter but am planning an epilogue. I did rewrite the 200 words on Saturday into my notebook and was more pleased by them. It is very exciting but I need one more little piece of action to finish it.

Today's animal joke is:

What kind of fish can you keep on ice?

A skate!

Interview with the Author

The Author sits down at his PC and begins to type.

"Hello Author," says Arthur, king of the Britons.

"Hello," says the Author.

"I would like to welcome you to this interview hosted by me..."

"And me," interjected Sid the dwarf.

"You do a lot of interjecting Sid," said Arthur, "can you not do a bit of interrupting instead?"

"If you want me to," interrupted Sid.

"You didn't really interrupt there Sid," said I.

"Really?"

"No, it was after Arthur had finished talking. It could have been a thought Sid or a said Sid."

"I don't like said Sid, it makes me sound as though I'm saying my name twice."

"Anyway," continued Arthur, "I wanted to ask you about how you started to interact with us those many years ago."

"You mean 1996?"

"Is it that long ago?" mused Sid, "No wonder me bones are startin' te ache."

"I had joined a writer's circle and wrote a short piece of comedy to read there. They laughed so much I decided to carry on writing it."

"But I existed long before then," Arthur said in a distinctly slow and melodious way.

"So did I," said Sid, "at least 300 years before."

"But did you Sid?" inquired I.

"What do you mean?" wondered Sid.

"As far as I can remember you were a spelling mistake."

"B...b..." bubbed Sid.

"That is right Sid," agreed Arthur, "you were a spelling mistake."

"Well you are..."

"Uh hum," I interrupted, "don't give anything away Sid. I still have 2 books to write after The Detective One."

"Aww, yere allys spoilin' ma fun."

"Mmm," carried on Arthur, "so why did you leave us in space for 15 years?"

"I couldn't get a publisher. It was only with the advent of the Kindle and self publishing on a cheap scale that you could again be brought to life."

"We were already alive."

"Ok then, brought to the attention of the public."

"You wrote two books last year and, so far this year, you have written 5. Why is that?"

"The discipline of writing 500 to 1,000 words a day for Flash Fiction has kept me being productive."

"So can we expect to see The Detective One out before Christmas?"

"Maybe, it depends how funny you are."

"Me? I am extremely funny."

"He thinks he is," laughed Sid.

"Well Author I am terminating the interview for now," said Arthur, "because I do not like the way it is going."

http://tinyurl.com/6cndluo

Theatre

So, at my granddaughter's party, I managed to write 200 words. I am not pleased with the middle bit though, I'll have to work on it. Gave and read the booklet to her that I made the night before (I was up until 2.00 am making that!) Didn't do a puppet theatre but did do a bit of ventriloquism.

At the junk swap day I managed to get a FREE animal joke book. So here goes:

What's green and found at the North Pole?

A lost lizard!

Booklet

So today I only managed to write 220 words of chapter 12. I had to babysit my grandchildren. Because of it I came up with a little idea for a booklet to give to my granddaughter tomorrow for her birthday. So I've done two drawings for it and the story :) She kept getting me to get stuff for her out of the shed until the garden was nearly full!!

Wolf-Master

I managed to write about 450 words today which finished chapter 11. I probably will not be able to finish the last chapter this week. Also printed out another copy of Goblin Space Marines because I gave the other copy away. (Put the copyright notice on that I failed to last time.) Also typed in 250 words of Kendra and the Wolf-Master. I decided to type it in because I lost a Sid and Arthur short story and wish I had typed it in. I may find it one day, and actually finish it!!!


Today's joke is:

What's red and black and white all over?

Strawberry, blackberry and cream pudding!

Momma had a Crocodile

I managed to write 900 words of TST today, 700 at Starbucks and 200 at home. Chatted to Jo there and a new lady who tweets indie authors on Twitter, Jane. So about another 500 words and I have finished chapter 11. Chapter 12 needs to go out with a bang!!! (so a blogger said today on their blog.) I also gave out 4 copies of my short stories, that seemed to be successful.

Today's sort of joke is:

Momma had a duck,
She also had a crocodile,
She put 'em in a pot to see,
If they'd get on a while!

Author's Club

"We authors Ma'am..." a quote I just heard concerning Queen Victoria and Disraeli. They were in a club, an author's club.

Today I wrote 500 words of chapter 11. At least I did that, I didn't know what I was going to write. So I made a plan and managed 500 words and have somewhere to go tomorrow, with the story. I also typed in another 250 words of chapter 6. Put that on the VAE on my Facebook group.

Today's joke is:

What was all that about yesterday?

A Tudor Street

So today was slow, tired from the weekend, and a little ill. Finished chapter 10 of TST, added a bit to the middle. Also typed in 250 words of chapter 6. Printed out and formatted 3 copies of Hunting for Squink. If anyone wants a copy email me or contact me on Twitter @SJennison_Smith. The first time I printed two out the middle gutter did not seem to be big enough. (Sounds like something in a Tudor street!!!)


Today's joke is:

What is this?

Momma had a duck...

So I took my wife to work then went back to bed. Awoke at 12.00, ate breakfast, cleared out the old car then went to pick my wife up again. At Starbucks I wrote about 650 words, 450 to go to finish chapter 10. I wasn't concentrating very well so may have to revise it later. I may need to add a bit more to the middle and then end it where Lizzie gets to the outpost.


So what will today's joke be?

Momma had a duck,
she also had a cow,
she put them on the mantelpiece,
and they began to row!