It’s a while since I’ve written anything here so I thought it was time to get cracking again.

I have now completed the 4th draft of my second novel “The Perfect Criminal”. This started out on NaNoWriMo and I’m pleased to say I managed to complete the fifty thousand words before the end of November. However this was a very rough draft and far from a complete story. So over the last six months I’ve been re-drafting and adding a sub-plot. I let my wife read it a couple of months ago and she has suggested some changes which I’m in the process of incorporating. Then I attended a writer’s workshop and more ideas have taken root.

I’ve also joined a writer’s group, unfortunately it’s closed down now for the holidays but re-convenes in September. The meetings are on Tuesday mornings (clashes with day job) and Tuesday evenings once a month (which of course clashes with something else) but, I’m determined to go on a regular basis. It seems that the writer does not have to pound away on the keyboard on his own, but that there are others out there with whom to share.

So what’s this Perfect Criminal thing all about? Well I once had a discussion with a bloke at the office about robbing banks. His theory is that if you did it just once, somewhere you weren’t known, you’d probably get away with it. As long as you don’t repeat yourself the police will have nothing to go on.

So that’s the story. A very average middle class guy who hasn’t even had a speeding ticket decides that the only way he can get out of his current financial situation is to rob a bank. His justification is that he will do this only once. However things don’t go quite according to plan and he gets drawn into a world of crime and deceit that he never knew existed.

However it still needs some work so in the meantime its back to the keyboard.

Posted on Friday 20 of June, 2008 [09:17:10 UTC]

The first review for “American Ambition” is now in. I’m glad to say that it’s very positive and I’m very pleased with it. My thanks to Deborah fisher of Tregolwyn Book Reviews for her comments which include:

“Setting this classic plot in the context of present-day American power politics is a master-stroke. I’m not entirely sure that no one else thought of it first, but it works. Subtle distinctions are made between the conduct of power struggles in our modern technology-fuelled terrorism-threatened world and the way things worked in the middle ages, ensuring that the turn of events is more than merely plausible. Additional twists ensure that, even if we are familiar with the story, there are surprises in store.”

As a point of information I’ve carried out extensive research and as far as I can tell no one has set the plot of Macbeth in the modern political world.

She also writes “…an intricate and suspenseful mystery thriller”, “Mr Allen’s nice, smooth narrative style makes the reader’s life easy,” and “The narrative is effective and never dull...”

So now for the next step. The cover has been re-cast with a quote on it, there is a further quote from the review inside and the typo has been corrected (not to mention a couple of others). We are ready for global distribution.

Full review at http://sassoonfellowship.org/tregolwyn/id239.html

Posted on Monday 15 of January, 2007 [11:40:31 UTC]

Well it’s been a long month since I lasted posted. I’m currently being reviewed and have a few options for additional reviews. I want to get the first (hopefully favourable) review under my belt before I go for GD.

In the meantime I haven’t been idle. My wife and I have just returned from a two week holiday (vacation) in the US, taking in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Diego. Well worth the trip especially the Grand Canyon, Alcatraz and the Pacific Coast Highway.

However a trip to the States does have one other advantage for a writer who is setting a story there – it sharpens your perception of American conversation. So a few minor changes to the dialogue I think, just to improve authenticity. Strangely despite the number of American films and TV programmes on over here you just don’t pick up everyday speech so easily.

Posted on Thursday 23 of November, 2006 [19:51:38 UTC]

On the Shameless Promotion Forum I’ve been asked how can the Secretary of State become President when he is only 4th in line? I’m well aware of the seriatim succession laid down by the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution and have brought it into the story. The characters find a way around it so that they can make Ken Finlay President. If you want to know how then you’ll have to read the book.

However there is a broader issue. While I re-imagine Macbeth for the 21st Century, Shakespeare was re-imagining 11th Century Scotland for a 17th Century audience. He probably knew less of Scottish Medieval customs of kingly succession than I know of the US Constitution. He was telling a tale in which after the death of the leader the strongest man takes over, not necessarily the nominated successor. In both stories, the next in line is an untried rookie while the strongest man is the one who has just defeated the enemies of the state, internal and external. In both cases it is the people, their ambitions and deceits, which are important.

In moving the action to the 21st Century US I’ve tried to keep the details as authentic as possible but I know it will never be an exact fit. To start with this is a fictional US not the present day one. Yes, there are two political parties but the party in power that Finlay, King etc belong to, is called the Constitutional Party, it isn’t the Democrats or Republicans. And there is a foreign deployment of troops to a conflict zone, but in Central America, not the Middle East.

So there are areas where the fit to the present day US is looser. It’s not up to me to point them out. And for anyone who says something is inaccurate I have a simple response – never let the facts get in the way of a good story! Shakespeare didn’t.

Posted on Tuesday 17 of October, 2006 [11:40:43 UTC]

I’ve just completed another cover-to-cover edit, changed a character’s name, uploaded a new cover, read the advice from Lulu staff on pricing (now I understand the Global Pricing system) and it seems, done a hundred other things that need to be done before publication. Before I go for Global Distribution I need some reviews under my belt. So while I arrange that, the plan is to release it on Lulu in the meantime and see how it gets on from that location before it goes to Amazon etc. So here goes. I’ve just the pressed the button making the book available to the public. I’ll post some shameless promotion on the forums and take it from there. Hopefully in about a month we’ll be ready to go for GD.

Posted on Sunday 15 of October, 2006 [18:51:23 UTC]

In which our hero finishes the second revision of his Opus.

I say second revision but really I've lost count of the number of revisions. Given that this novel started out in Scotland but has had its location transferred to the US, I think in reality it's about Rev 15. However it is the second revision good enough to spend some money on so I've ordered 3 copies, one for a hopefully final proof read, the other two copies for my son and daughter to read.

Posted on Sunday 24 of September, 2006 [18:35:36 UTC]

Welcome.

This is my first stab at this “blog” thing – who said I wasn’t at the forefront of technology?

I suppose I should introduce myself. I am John Hamilton Allen and was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1951. I’ve lived in the Aberdeen area for most of my life although I’ve had short spells away in Birmingham (6 months) and Edinburgh (5 years).

I’ve been married to Liz for 30 years come September and love her more every day. We have two children (if children is the right term for adults now in their twenties) – Charlotte and Stewart. Both have now left home. Charlotte was married this year and lives in Glasgow with her new husband, David. Stewart lives in Aberdeen and is still a student.

I work as a consultant in the energy industry, mainly oil and gas projects in the UK sector. Liz is a support worker for an oncology consultant who is wheelchair bound. She was formerly a nurse but had to retire due to an injured back. It was ironic that I have spent most of my working life trying to prevent accidents to others but couldn’t stop one from happening to the person I hold dearest.

I’ve always been interested in writing and over the years have tried my hand at various short stories, plays and novels. In fact American Ambition is not my first novel but my third. The first I attempted in 1984, is now lost and probably just as well. The second dates from 1988 and I still have the typescript, produced on an old manual typewriter and with a lot of tweaking might just make it back into my list of projects.

After several false starts over the last few years I finally made my mind up to have “one more go” at writing a novel. With modern technology such as PCs and the internet there was no excuse for not trying again. After many rejections from agents and publishers – most of whom had not even read my work – I finally found Lulu. I uploaded a version of my book on the day after my daughter’s wedding and what a thrill it was to receive a printed version through the post a couple of weeks later. My book with my name on the cover!

However like most writers I’m aware that a book isn’t written, it’s re-written. More drafts were needed and another read through this time by a professional editor revealed more errors and scope for improvement. So “American Ambition” isn’t quite ready for global distribution yet but soon will be.

Watch this space…

Posted on Thursday 10 of August, 2006 [12:47:35 UTC]