Pressing the 'Publish' button

The biggest achievement of my writing career so far is my book Hiding. Back when I first decided to take writing seriously, I thought that if I ever got a book published I would have 'made it'. However I soon realised that it would instead be an important milestone, rather than the ultimate goal.

Despite this realism, once Hiding hit the virtual shelves (and I hesitate to say this) it was a bit of an anticlimax. I didn't feel a sudden surge of confidence, a spontaneous burst of writing super powers, or a big wedge of cash materialise in my back pocket. I didn't even get a certificate to stick on the wall.

What I did get, and continue to feel, was a sense of accomplishment. I thought of an idea, wrote the story, crafted it into a book, learnt self publishing, and finally pressed the 'Publish' button. I'd been thinking about it, talking about it and working towards it for years. Now I'd done it. I'd written a book.

Strangely enough that last step, to press 'Publish', was perhaps the hardest of all. Once released into the wild it would be properly finished. Available for all to see and as good as it was ever going to get. I was asking people to spend time on money on it, and that made it fair game to be ignored if I was lucky, or be criticised and ridiculed if I wasn't.

I now wonder if that's why it took me so long to take the final step of self-publishing. Up until then I was a keen amateur and hadn't dared to stick my head above the parapet. Once that button was pressed there was no hiding place.

Well like I said, anticlimax. No one has pointed and laughed at me yet (well not for Hiding anyway), and I haven't been sued for taking up valuable web space. Of course you've got to be noticed first. Critics wouldn't take a pop at Dan Brown if he didn't sell books by the lorry load.

I don't mind the anticlimax now, because the rewards of publishing your own book are durable, not a fleeting glory. I love it when I see that one more person has downloaded my book, that they were in Germany or Japan. I still grin like a loon when someone says, "Stephen wrote a book you know," and people look at me in surprise. Of course I've always got my tablet with me to show them the cover, modestly of course.

The Musketeers

"Athos, Porthos, Aramis & D'Artagnan"
Image by Maurice Leloir, 1894

I love the 1973 film ‘The Three Musketeers’, and its sequel ‘The Four Musketeers’. It’s got sword fights, makes me laugh and has a cast list many films would kill for. Charlton Heston, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Richard Chamberlin, Christopher Lee, Faye Dunaway, Michael York, Frank Finlay and not forgetting the marvellous Roy Kinnear. Even Spike Milligan appears, improvising with his long johns.

I don’t remember how old I was when I first saw this on telly, but the scene inside the sedan chair when ravishing Raquel is hanging from its roof on the outside, stirred strange and interesting feelings in my young self. As well as being a little saucy, it also has some very dark scenes which can catch you off guard, but fit perfectly within the whole.

So when the BBC started trailing their new drama series ‘The Musketeers’, I booked the telly for 9pm on Sunday. Sunday night is turning into the #1 slot for quality drama. It replaced ‘Sherlock’ on BBC1, and ‘Homeland’ only recently finished its run on Channel 4.

I enjoyed the opening episode a lot, and I’ll be surprised if I don’t follow the whole series through. I haven't read the original Dumas book so I've no idea how this series relates to it, but I'm not greatly fussed. There were a few characters to introduce in the first episode but I think they managed it well enough, still fitting in enough murder and mayhem to keep things ticking along.

The Musketeers themselves are all likeable and distinct from each other so there’s no confusion. I must say they have extremely cool outfits. I did find myself startled by Porthos’s (Howard Charles) teeth every time he grinned, but it does probably distract opponents in a fight. Santiago Cabrera plays Aramis well, and he’s got the looks. He was also good in his roles as Lancelot in ‘Merlin’, and that painter chap in series 1 of ‘Heroes’ (it got rubbish soon after his brains were scooped out).

Of course we have the interesting situation where the current Doctor is playing the chief villain, with Peter Capaldi playing Cardinal Richelieu. He’s great in this, and now I’m looking forward to the next series of ‘Doctor Who’ even more. Apparently he’s going to have to leave ‘The Musketeers’ after this series as he can’t do both. Writing him out won’t be difficult, a well place blade or musket ball will take care of that. It will be interesting to see how they go about replacing him though.

Maybe they should get Christopher Lee back in, complete with his old eye patch.

Apologies for that short interruption

So anything happen while I was away? No? Great, let's pretend I was here all the time then shall we?

Okay, a quick explanation/excuse.

I threw myself into Cryonite Cove and absolutely loved it. Lots of fun writing it, causing controversy, getting barred, being let back into the fold, and of course playing Pirate Galaxy. I had so much fun that this blog dried up and blew away effectively. Once Cryonite Cove (CC) came to a stop I should have come back, but I was probably too embarrassed to show my face again.

Anyway I've bared my soul already on CC and it's not that interesting so enough said I think.

Life is back on an even keel, and my writing career is back up and chugging along. Lots to talk about, most of which deserve a post of their own. Suffice to say my book Hiding is now published and available on Amazon.

Exciting isn't it? Time to start this blog up again, and it's very much in need of an overhaul. Consider my sleeves rolled up.