My Diary: Short Story

The Bookshop Guru

My Diary: Short Story Update

My thoughts so far. As you know, I have been working on a short story. And, well, you guessed it, it’s tough. If you have read my previous article on ‘the art of the short story’ which I said how difficult it was having never completed one before. Tell a lie. That’s not strictly true.

I remember the first story I wrote, it was when I was about ten years old, living in America and writing a story for a homework project. I wrote about ‘what it must be like to be blind,’ it won a gold star from the teacher. I was well pleased, I remember at the time. How many words, well I don’t remember. I don’t think it matters how many words it is. Any multiples of five hundred and it’s still a story and some characters that, too me, are the most important items and as Hemingway says in the ‘iceberg theory’ you have to leave much to the imagination, otherwise you describe to much about nothing. In other words, the reader is clogged with descriptive diarrhea.

Apart from all that, I have been busy working on my next book, or should I say several; I am at that stage at the moment, not really focusing down on one book. I have been waiting to get this short story entry out of the way. So the whole process has been a learning curve.

My interest started way back in January, when I first found out about the Manchester University short story competition. I wanted to improve my writing skills and so this became a challenge and a goal. I wanted to see if I could write a short story that I would be happy with and could enter the competition. If I wasn’t happy with my efforts then I wouldn’t attempt entering just any old crap. And believe me, not for lack of trying. 

I have written several stories, but each time not been happy, so far. Its only today, pretty much at crunch time for submission, but luckily for me, I’ve settled on a story. Not forgetting, my efforts and writing new stories each time. Plus the research and reading of several short stories. Like Hemingway’s the ‘the art of the short story’ and much more. It’s been a slog, at times. Never happy with grammar, but that’s English bread and butter in the industry.

And now the image, well, that's a possible location 'Bum Island' in my next book

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

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In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

Press Release: Available to Buy

The Bookshop Guru

Press release July 27 2011: Available to buy “How to Pass a Degree with Confidence” by Anthony Fox 

Click Here

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

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In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

"Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want ..."

The Bookshop Guru

In a recent interview I provided this information about my progress as a writer. Don’t you wish you thought of it first! Here goes! Hope you like it.

Click Below and Listen

Everybody’s Free (To Wear) Sunscreen

A photograph I took in New York, USA.

First of all, when is the release date of your book and the title?

Within the next 2-3 months, I am not sure about the exact release date. The title is: How to Pass a Degree with Confidence  Now Available to Buy Click Here

Where did you attend college and study artificial intelligence?

I went to Plymouth University and gained an Honours degree in computing and gained a Master’s degree in software engineering studying artificial intelligence at Sunderland University.

We are all drawn to writing because we have a story to tell, is this why you became a writer?

Yes, I have many stories to tell. It all began as a boy growing up in America. Even then I wanted to be a writer, but most of my life I have been trying to figure out what I wanted, but it’s always been there. Interestingly, all this time I have kept the scraps of paper with the words I have written. I am often reminded by the lyrics of Baz Luhrmann Everybody’s Free (To Wear) Sunscreen “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t” Well, that has been me in the past. Now, I am busy working on my next book.

What are your favourite genres to read?

I do not have any favourites because it’s the story that is important. It can be science fiction, crime, romance, and so on, but it always comes back to the story. Ernest Hemingway talked about the ‘iceberg theory,’ as a writer you can omit certain elements, but the story holds our attention. Each page we turn we want to know more as we identify with the characters leading us to the end of the story.

Do you have a favourite author and why?

I could list so many and miss out so many, because there are numerous good writers out there now and in the past. Paulo Coelho for example, his book ‘The Alchemist’ is a story about a shepherd boy on a quest, but it’s also about love and much more. Hidden within the story is a moral similar to ‘Jesus and his parables’ and what Hemingway used in many of his books the ‘iceberg theory.’

And now for something completely random, what is your favourite animal?

I have always loved animals especially dogs, ever since I can remember. Once on a trip as a boy to a zoo I remember seeing an ape in what appeared a small enclosure. I remember staring into the eyes of the ape and wondering what the ape was thinking, but me wishing all animals were free…

Anthony Fox

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

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In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

What makes us tick?

The Bookshop Guru

A book review of Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

What makes us tick? That’s what I was thinking when I chose to read this book. Malcolm Gladwell’s book is about ‘The power of thinking without thinking’ which delves into the psyche to explore how we make decisions. Gladwell uses vinaigrette to illustrate the different concepts discussed in the book.

Why we make instant decisions in the blink of an eye? Well, because ever since the evolution of man we have made instant decisions that govern life and death. Consider how we cross a busy road which goes back to when as cave man we had to cross the savannah without getting killed. You have to make thin-slice split second decisions, otherwise you’re road meat. The same applies then as it does today.

‘As humans we make the best least informed decisions,’ Gladwell refers to this as ‘thin-slicing’. Gladwell discusses how the tennis pro Vic Braden could instinctively know when a player was about to double fault. Gladwell states ‘those people with the clipboards were really good at making predictions. I think he should read ‘Future Babble’ where the opposite is true. Different stories are told to help reinforce the point, in my opinion, they do overstate the point. In any case, it doesn’t take much to tell a cat amongst a pack of dogs.

My grandfather said, ‘don’t believe what you read in the papers’ and what he meant was don’t take anything at face value which is what I’ve been doing most of my life. Gladwell concludes that we can learn to make better decisions by avoiding our subconscious mind with snap judgements. I think Gladwell misses the point. Snap judgements or decisions, call it what you like; it’s our bias that often rules our head not the fact that they are snap decisions or judgements.

Overall, the book is a good read with a mosaic of stories to keep you reading until you nod off.

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

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John Newman - Love Me Again

Love and Listen

In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

My Kindle Delight

The Bookshop Guru

As more and more people read books through their Kindle, here are two from different spectrums that are worth acquiring on your Kindle. Glamor grans on holiday, now, that could stir up a hornets’ nest, what do you expect!  And life in Taipan with shades of Marlowe, too good not to be on your Kindle for the mysterious eastern nights ahead. I’m so pleased to have been asked to review these books. Oh, the glory of the Kindle, another essential.

I have two exciting books to review.

One is a comedy which isn’t easy to write, it’s called: The Escapades of Glamor Grans on Holiday written by Micki Street.

The other book is: Cadillac Fin Suitcase, a collection of 18 stories written by an American author and photographer Michael Walsh about life in Taiwan and much more in the 90s.

I‘ve started reading both books and they're stimulating, so stayed tuned for the reviews.

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

Chasing a Story

The Bookshop Guru

For me it started with a love of history and archaeology when I was young boy. I would spend hours just reading anything I could get my hands on, and it was mostly history. I was also drawn into the world of science by the voice and words of Carl Sagan who inspired my interest in artificial intelligence which I studied at university gaining a master’s degree. The captivation continues today with a keen interest in science and a fascination with historic and ancient sites. Interestingly, my book that is due to be published in the next few months comes from my experience at university studying artificial intelligence. I said then that I would write a book about this, and so I did. As engineers we were designing search engines, neural networks, genetic algorithms and a whole lot more, but what was about to happen to me was like synchronicity.

I remembered the words of the author Georges Bernanos as I sat there in the university library, who said, ‘What we call chance might be the logic of God.” And it was chance and maybe more, because as I buried myself in reading the mountain of books, journals and academic papers while researching my thesis for my dissertation I came across a story. But the story had no direct relation to the research I was undertaking, yet I knew then that I was hooked as junkie is to heroin. I couldn’t ignore what was staring me in the face. I felt like an investigative reporter finding a story for the first time and all I could do was keep chasing the story. One way or another I knew the story I had stumbled upon affected us all, we just don’t know or understand the reasons why. I knew then that I would write a book about what kept appearing even though I wasn’t looking for it.

Today, I spend my time researching and reading for I know that to write you have to read. And read not just what you are familiar with, but different genres both in fiction and nonfiction. You have to expand your horizons beyond your periphery learning and experiencing the wonder of books. At random I will choose a book and read a chapter or two, and sometimes only a few pages or paragraphs if the book does not hold my attention. This is my mission – to develop my creativity by immersing myself into diverse worlds. I understood the importance of critical thinking at university and this taught me not to accept anything at face value, but to analyse and evaluate what the author is trying to convey. I believe the same process needs to be expressed even if you are a writer of fiction – the reader has to believe your universe and scenario. The characters have to be believable and real within your mind as the reader.

Every week I randomly pick books at the bookstore, so that I am surprised and not limited by my bias. What I mean by this is we all grow up what I call excess baggage, which we can get from our parents, friends and foes, and, it’s the inability to think without bigotry or bias that can railroad your thinking. We all do it without thinking about it, but I try not to let it get in the way, by taking measures to limit its effect on me. By randomly sampling books I increase my knowledge of different writers and genres, which I believe helps my creativity. And I also believe the inspiration for a good story often comes from chance and synchronicity.

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

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John Newman - Love Me Again

Love and Listen

In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

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P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing

Bread and Butter Reality

The Bookshop Guru

As a writer we like to think we can coin the next catch-phrase or meme. Apparently Richard Dawkins in ‘The Selfish Gene’ coined the phrase ‘meme’ as a word to describe how fashionable idioms become part of our culture.

Captivatingly, memes become part of everyday life. They evolve just as we are. Just like ‘bread and butter reality’ which is a phrase I coined to describe the basics of everyday life. It doesn’t take much to realise that if you have no food, and plenty of people around the world suffer with this dilemma every day, then that’s your reality, it’s stark. It’s like staring at the same black hole every day.

So what is your meme?

P.S. Sponsored by Madbrokes a comedian on antidepressants.

Why didn’t I think of that?

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

In my latest book “It’s Never Too Late” read how dreams do come true, but be careful what you wish for. Understand the secret of greed and you will attain one of the secrets of prosperity. The book will also take you on a journey and explores love, money, luck, and much more.

Click Here

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

P.S Tomorrow Never Comes

Hey, Chuck. Did you bring any spending money? Viva la vida loca.

Conducting Survey into Precognitive Choices

Which would you prefer half-price digital or paperback?

Never late, but sorry.

 Read my latest book "It's Never Too Late" by Anthony Fox,  published by Chipmunka Publishing