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The Incurious Timothy Clavichord

Old House in Raleigh, NC
© vadikunc

I was recently introduced to a wondrous thing called the Benedict Cumberbatch Name Generator.  It’s fairly self-explanatory – at the touch of a button you get a name almost as unwieldy as that of the man himself.*   I like this because unusual character names tend to be a good story starting point for me, and in fact I’ve written some shorts based around names thrown up by the generator. If you’re feeling uninspired, why not have a go?  Meanwhile, in lieu of having anything more helpful to blog about, I thought I would post some of them here.  This is the first one.

Continue reading “The Incurious Timothy Clavichord” →

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How to name a story

name-tagI don’t know about you, but when I’m writing a story it’s very rare for me to start with a title.  I tend to come up with a character or a first line and go from there, or if I’m entering a competition I’ll maybe take the theme and start with a related scenario, scribbling away until I’ve got my story.  On the occasions when I have begun with a title, I’ve often had to change it at the end because what I ended up writing had no relation to that original idea (see also: university dissertation). 

This quite often leaves me staring at a story, scratching my head and wondering what to name it.  I imagine it’s the same feeling new parents get when looking at their tiny human. 

Parent A: ‘What name could possibly encapsulate the wonder and potential of this new life?  He’s tiny and beautiful, and he could change the world!’
Parent B: ‘I dunno, how about… Barry?’

But in fact it is easier for new parents to deal with this problem, because Barry – although arguably a strange thing to pop into your head when staring into the face of a lickle baby – is a legitimate human name.  I can’t very well call my story Barry.  There are no characters called Barry in it, for a start – it just wouldn’t make any sense.

So, what to do in this situation?  I have a few suggestions.

  1. Make someone else read the story and suggest titles. 
    1a. If they have nothing, heap scorn upon their ideas safe in the knowledge their weird suggestion has actually sparked quite a good one in your superior writer brain.
  2. Take a line from the story and use that.  Preferably one that relates to the text somehow, or is vaguely poetic/literary sounding.  ‘Then they all had a drink of juice’, however important to the narrative, may not be the one you want.
  3. Nick a song lyric or line from a poem.  That way if it’s terrible you can blame Oscar Wilde, or One Direction.
  4. Use a pun.  People love puns.
  5. Just call it Barry.
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Weekly Photo Challenge – One Shot, Two Ways

‘Before taking a picture, Jeff studies his scene – looking at a shot horizontally and vertically to decide what orientation works best for his photograph.’  ME TOO, JEFF.  Not only have I read some of this pile of books, I’ve also assessed them horizontally and vertically, from several angles, as they sat on my living room floor for this challenge.  So profesh.

Horizontal
Vertical

Having said that, it turns out I slightly missed the point (i.e. to do the same shot both vertically and horizontally), but whatever, that’s the sort of maverick I am.  You should probably get used to it for when all my 12 books are available to download.

In the meantime, do you recognise any of these already published books?  Leave a comment saying which ones, and you will win a special prize!  The prize of my respect.

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Weekly Photo Challenge – Foreshadow

The prompt for this week is foreshadow.  So far there are lots of incredible entries showing gathering clouds before the storm, this thoughtful one about growing up… and now, my take.  I’ve actually got two, because why the heck not.  First, the opening to the excellent children’s book Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones.  This foreshadows some of what is about to happen to lead character Sophie.

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And second, my newest notebook (bought on Friday when I went into Paperchase for a birthday card…).  This foreshadows a trip I’m taking to Canada and the US in October, for which  I figured I’d need a beautiful notebook to write my adventures down in.  Perhaps said adventures will be the foundation for another children’s book in the vein of Howl – so that makes this picture a double foreshadow!  Or something.

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Review – Edinburgh Bookshop Trail

In the second of my book app reviews, I took a look at the Edinburgh City of Literature Bookshop Trail.

bookshoptrailWhat is it?

A comprehensive list of where to find literature in Edinburgh – be it a bookshop or a literary event.

What can you do with it?

Read up on Edinburgh’s 52 bookshops, then creep out the proprietors by going in and knowing everything about them!  The A-Z list tells you exactly how far you are from any of these book shops at any given time, and gives you directions on how to get there as well as contact details, opening times and specialisms.  There is also a menu telling you about upcoming literary events, which is very handy if, like me you have recently found yourself thwarted by gmail’s new inbox and keep forgetting to look at the tab it puts City of Lit’s weekly e-newsletter in.

Who is it for?

Lovers of all things bookish, however niche.  Edinburgh, lest we forget, is home to Scotland’s largest independent specialist legal bookshop (Avizandum, on Candlemaker Row) and loads of second hand, antiquarian, comic and other types of bookshop to boot.  This app would be good for visitors to the city who want to explore a bit, as well as for those who have lived here for years who may not be aware just how much there is on offer.

Where did it come from?

The Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, whose MO since 2004 has been to build on Edinburgh’s reputation as a city built on books through engagement, creativity and learning.  These guys know their Edinburgh Bookshops.

Where can I get it?

The Apple Store, for the very reasonable price of FREE.

Anything else?

It’s simple to use and has all the information you’ll need to start your own journey around Edinburgh’s bookshop trail.  It’s also a must-download if you want definitive answers to the questions, ‘which Edinburgh bookshop has the best mascot (alive or stuffed)?’ and ‘which Edinburgh bookshop has the most cuddly toys?’  Be honest, now I’ve put those questions in your head, you won’t be able to rest until you know the answers…

To find out more about this and what the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust are up to when they’re not designing handy book apps, follow them on twitter @EdinCityofLit.

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Taking Stock

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Peanut butter and chocolate cake. Oh yes.

I recently had a birthday, which was pleasant.  I saw my family and some friends, added to my ‘to read’ pile and my gin collection, and I made a cake that induces a sense of euphoria and remorse that I like to call euphorse.

The only trouble is that as I get older, birthdays are beginning to feel a little bit like markers for everything I haven’t done yet – not least because mine falls at the end of the month, where the deadlines live.

Continue reading “Taking Stock” →

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