Because after just over 12 months of quite intense writing I have now completed the first draft of my second novel, The Great Escapes Of Danny Houdini and - you've guessed it - I am now putting out the call for volunteer guinea pigs to read it, pick up on the typos I have missed and offer an opinion on which bin I should fling it into: general household waste or recycling?
Want to know more about it? Want the vital statitics?
366 pages in Word. 310,067 words.
A lot of them expletives. Most of them not. There's quite a bit of rudeness too. But not too much. There's comedy. There's romance. There's drugs and dirtiness.
This is the story of Danny Walker, a young man who is crippled with an appalling stutter but finds some steel in himself when he meets and falls in love with a Deaf girl called Thalia. However, there are a few flies in the ointment: his gross parents who seem to be stuck in the 1950's and his older brother, Matthew, who is intent on messing up his own marriage and the relationships of all those around him by his attempts at living a hedonistic lifestyle. But worst of all is Matthew's mate, the sneering Barry Wyton, who is intent on becoming the local drug baron and wants to pull Matthew and Danny into his sordid little world where they risk being buried forever.
There are laughs and TV references a-plenty as Danny constantly seeks to escape his grim reality by imagining he is on the telly. But this crutch cannot last forever and sooner or later Danny must abandon his imagination and face up to real life.
So, are you sold? Are you interested?
If you'd like to give the first draft a read I'd be eternally grateful. I'm not expecting an essay or anything back in return - even a simple "I liked it" or "I didn't like it" would be useful but obviously any specific feedback would be wonderful.
Thank you in advance to the few!
P.S. I sadly cannot supply hardcopies but I can email the word doc to your Kindle account (if you have one) if that makes it easier to read.
36 comments:
I'm definitely watching the movie. Are there any film producers here who'd like to read it? I'll read the first chapter if you're desperate.
Since you sent me the Word file a while back I have only managed to read the first 3 chapters - was that an earlier version? I was enjoying the story but find reading from a screen quite tiring; I should print it off I guess. I'll have anther go between now and New Year if that's soon enough.
Gorilla Bananas: very kind of you, thank you.
Tenon_Saw: that was an earlier version. It's been tweaked all over since then and obviously it is now a good deal longer! It's a lot to print off but might make reading it easier. Unless you have a kindle? I can email it kindle accounts. Actually I ought to add that to my blog post...
Well done Steve - that's a lot of words - my book won't be a quarter of that!
I'd love to do the proofing, but I'm up to my eyes with the last drafts of my own.
One way of sharing the book might be to put it on Lulu or equivalent as an ebook edition (you don't have to make it available for sale). Also Sony e readers can read PDFs.
Mark: ooh - thanks for the tip off. I'm planning on spending half term week getting "Danny" and my first novel onto Kindle if I can.
Always up for a read. And I told you I like to think I give good feedback. If you're up for it, it would be an honour to read it.
You know my thoughts on Kindles... but I am used to reading stuff off my laptop screen.
And there is always Triggerstreet.com
Thanks Keith, much appreciated. Send me your email address (you can get mine via my blog/blogger profile) and I'll wing a copy over to you.
Am very excited and cannot wait to read it. Chocks aweigh, matey!
Being Me: I emailed it to you about 20 minutes ago! It contains quite a few TV references - some may pass you by but hopefully that won't affect your interpretation of the story.
Good for you, I hope it goes well. Unfortunately, I don't have a Kindle or I'd love to volunteer.
I'd love to read it...though I won't get the TV references.
I like to read from the screen if you would care to send me something to be read that way.
Martin: don't let that stop you... I can email a good ol' Word document too, you know!
The fly in the web: thank you - I'll see if I can get an email for you from your blog... if not I'll be chasing you for one.
woop woop! Well done that man. I can't wait to read it!!
Heather: should already be nestling in your inbox...!
Send it over! Sounds excellent. It'll be a challenge to spot the TV references.
If you want to send it through to me go for it :)
Where do you find the time for even "quite intense writing", Steve? I remember when I wrote mine, it was all-consuming! Was a while ago though. I've never found or made the time to pursue the ideas I had for the second, though I still gently nurse the title!!
That's a fantastic achievement Steve, well done! I would love to have a copy to read, though I can't promise to get it back to you as soon as I'd like because of other work committments. But I'd love to read it.. Vx
John C: that's a very kind offer from a brand new reader, thank you. I'll see what I can do!
Vicky: thank you - not sure you'll get all the TV references but hopefully that won't affect the story.
TimeWarden: by intense I think I mean, when you have little time each day to write you tend to cut out any preamble and messing about and just get straight into it! Don't give up on your second novel - or your first for that matter. Get it out there!
Vix: will sort a copy out for you with pleasure! Thank you!
I'm up to chapter 15! Loving it. My favourite character is Danny's mother, Denise - mouth in the gutter but a heart of gold. Pass me a slice of Sara Lee gateau, please.
Congratulations, wish I could just start mine!
Sounds a fab story, I'm not sure I'd get through it on word, but I'd have a go.
Trish: it's weird, isn't it? Barry was one of my favourite character to write and yet he's really vile and selfish... but he does tell the truth quite often.
Suburbia: I'll send you a copy by all means and give you the option of trying!
That is such great news! Well done that man. I would be more than happy to read it :)
Suzanne: I shall email a copy over to you today!
I really would like to read this, but between my coursework, my writing, my blog and a dozen other things at the moment, I'm drowning in reading material. A friend sent me his book to proofread earlier this year and I'm struggling to devote the attention to that which I promised. I am a bad person. Plus, like Tenon Saw, I hate reading from a screen and I'm too cheap to print out 366 pages at the moment.
However - and I'm not just saying this - I still would like to read it, particularly as the protagonist's "he thinks his life is a TV show" echoes the central character of my own recently completed masterpiss.
Rol: I would like you to read it, truly. I value your opinion. I might send it to you anyway - read it whenever you get the chance, no pressure at all. How does that sound?
Invite me and I'll come on over to read the next blog's link....... Phew!
John: with pleasure - just send me the email address you use to log into Blogger (mine is available from my profile page) - and I'll send you an e-invite!
'Ere our John! From my records you're already invited - like months ago! Another invite on its way though!
Fantastic - have you seen Dirty Pretty Love - an old Brit movie with Martin Sheen which is genius. About tourettes and obsessive compulsive disorders. one of the most memorable movies I've ever seen. I see this in that light.
Who would you cast in each of your roles?
About Last Weekend: I haven't seen the film no, but the title does ring a bell. As for casting... interesting question and one I hadn't considered before... better give it some thought before Spielberg rings me!
If I'm not too late to jump on the bandwagon I'd like to read it too please Miss.
clippymatatgeemaildotcom
:-)
Clippy Mat: not too late at all. And you'll benefit from a few corrected typos too!
Wow, my paultry 50,000 word goal suddenly seems so sad...lol. Actually I have no clue how long it'll be. Still working on it.
I'd be happy to take a look at yours if you need another reader =)
Raven: I think just to write and keep writing until it's finished is the only answer. As for reading mine - I'd be very happy to send it to you. But be very sure you want to read it - 300,000+ words is a big ask! Let me know.
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