creative-writing – Page 2 – Luke Walker

Burn – comp titles and inspiration

Just under a month to go before Burn is published and I’ve been thinking lately about inspiration. Not the inspiration of ‘oh, I need the Muse to speak before I can write a single word’. No, the basic inspiration of where the hell an idea comes from.

Whenever a writer sends their tale to a publisher or an agent, they need comp titles. I’m sure you can work it out but just in case – comp titles are relatively recent books (not always books to be fair) in the same genre that sold well enough to be noticed and give the publisher or agent a clear indication that the writer is paying attention to what else is out there, knows where their book would sit on a shelf in a bookshop or a library and tells said publisher or agent in an instant what kind of book they’re looking at. The writer can do that with their synopsis and pitch, but the comp title thing does it immediately. And here’s the fun thing.

Most writers hate this. Writers aren’t automatically great at marketing or selling. I’m not. But we have to be. We have to come up with a clear synopsis, a one or two line pitch, a more detailed summary and comp titles. We can piss and moan all we like, but this is the business so it has to be done.

When I was first pitching Burn (back in my repped by an agent days sigh), we went through a few comp titles before hitting on the one I still use now even though both books were published a little longer ago than suits the comp title issue. Those books are The Outsider by Stephen King and Recursion by Blake Crouch. Using a book by one of the most famous writers on the planet isn’t really a great idea and maybe using a book that’s a fair bit more SF than my work is also a dubious move, but I stand by it. The Outsider is about an impossible crime, and Recursion goes into some into some pretty bonkers other reality/existences places. Both books are absolutely incredible, of course.

I went for those two and still do in my comp to Burn simply because they fit my story (told you I wasn’t great at marketing). If you’ve read both, it should tell you straightaway what to expect from me and I obviously hope you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read them, then get you to a bookshop or library.

This is all a rambling way of saying my inspiration came from wanting to write a story about a seemingly impossible crime and put it alongside the idea of other lives that we have not lived, but someone out there in the big black has. At that point, I didn’t really know what my crime was or where those other lives were going. I worked it all as I went after sticking to my inspiration and remembering that it most often comes when you’re already telling your tale. Not when you’re waiting for it to whisper in your ear.

Burn will be happy to meet you on 10th August.

Burn – behind the scenes

Well, not exactly behind the scenes but close enough, I guess. Three months to go until publication and I’m very excited to see what people think of my new tale. This is especially true because it isn’t my usual kind of horror. Don’t get me wrong – it gets dark. But this one has more of a thriller edge to it. This wasn’t a deliberate choice or even really a conscious one. It’s just how things worked out so I guess you can say the result was a happy accident.

Like most writers, I start work with a combination of ideas. Sort of a what if this situation met this one and then both hit this character. I knew who the main character of Burn would be. Steve Crossley: husband, father, friend. Kind of Mr Average and happy with it. Three kids; happily married. Getting through life with his focus on his family until. . .

Shit goes down.

I also wanted a kind of locked room mystery. An unexplained situation without an obvious answer to what’s going on or how it’s possible. I thought that could be fun as well as interesting. So what would happen to Mr Average when his family are murdered but then his family turn up safe and sound? How can someone deal with the sight of his wife and children dead on a slab when his wife is calling him on the phone at the same time?

At that point, I had zero clue but I wanted to find out so I wrote the first draft which, as all first drafts are, was not impressive. I worked out the issues and plotlines that went nowhere, fixed it all and came up with a second version that was much improved. A few more ideas came to me which ended up resulting in a third draft I was very happy with. Plus answering my initial question of what this would do to Steve was a bonus.

I had a literary agent around then. She liked the book but was clearly moving away from the kind of stuff I write. Things didn’t work out which was a hell of a setback. I still liked my book but didn’t know what to do with it seeing as it’s somewhere between horror and thriller. Baynam Books liked it as well – the timescale between my initial submission and their acceptance was damn quick so you can imagine how pleased I was with that. Finding it a home after getting canned by my agent was a massive boost.

Side note: a while ago, I wrote a book called Winter Graves which featured a supporting character named Ali Hannan. At the time, he was a one-off. Or so I thought. There was something about him that stuck with me so when he reappeared in Burn, I probably shouldn’t have been surprised. Some characters stay with the writer. It’s happened to me before as much as I like to explore new worlds and new people with each tale. In any case, Burn isn’t a sequel to Winter Graves in any way at all. At most, they’re set in the same universe but there’s no need to read one to follow the other. I hope you like Ali as much as I do.

Other news: I’m back on Threads (@lukewalker_writer) so feel free to join me there. Or stick with BlueSky if you prefer. I did create another Facebook page but for some reason, they deleted it within half an hour. I have no idea why and can’t get a direct answer so I figure that’s not happening. Also other news: the book I’ve been writing for what feels like the last thousand years has another 30k ish to go before draft 3 is done. And then because I’ve massively overwritten it, it will need the same amount cutting from it before I can submit it. The quality is there and I think I’ve got something special. Problem is I’ve got way too much of it. Once that’s done, it’ll be prep work for the book after Burn. Chaos is published early next year. I’m also hoping to hear about a third one soon. Ditto a few short stories which have been out there for a while. As any writer can tell you, publishing time exists outside of the rest of reality.

That’s about all for now. Talk soon.

Be well.

Burn – cover reveal

I wasn’t expecting this just yet so it’s a happy surprise for me to be able to reveal the book cover for my upcoming horror Burn. It’s published in August – not long to go now. I’m really looking forward to this one being out in the world. More to come nearer the time.

BURN

Four bodies have been found dumped on public land; credit cards and phones make police identification of their remains immediate. DNA test results later prove it beyond question.

Steve Crossley’s wife and children.

His beating heart destroyed, Steve is a broken man. But then he gets a phone call. It’s from his wife. She and their children are alive. Now, Steve has to face the truth – a killer who knows him inside out is playing an unbeatable game of life and death and tormenting him with an unanswerable question: if the bodies are not his family, then who are they?

As the violence spreads to more people he loves, Steve is plagued by visions of rioting and conflict tearing his city apart. The murderer’s final plans are coming to a head, and with each passing moment, Steve is running out of time to stop an impossible crime and make an impossible choice.

His family’s lives against a war that will set the entire country to burn.

Newsflash – new novel to be published

Good news – I’ve sold another novel to Baynam Books Press who will be releasing Burn this August. The new one is called Chaos (I really need to come up with more than single word titles at some point). Very early days, of course, but consider me extremely happy. And to let you know what to expect, read on…

It is the worst outbreak of mass murder in British history: a suburban neighbourhood exploding in an orgy of violence which leaves one man alive. Questioned by the police for hours, Neil Lauther cannot explain why he was unharmed as his street turned into a bloody battleground between friends and families. And he has no idea who the armed men are who abduct him later that same night.

Held prisoner by rogue elements of the government, Neil uncovers the truth. His captors believe the man responsible for the slaughter has influenced countless others across the world and across time to commit similar atrocities. They’re seeking this butcher with the plan of harnessing his ability to spread madness by a simple touch, then unleash him on their enemies. To do that, they need the sole survivor of the most recent bloodshed.

But Neil is nobody’s victim. His childhood shaped by violence and suffering, Neil knows how to endure weeks of torture. And when the connection is made and he discovers how much his captors have underestimated a murderer who is more devil than man, he knows he will have to force a confrontation between the living and the dead. Between men who kill for their country and a creature who kills only for pleasure.

It’s time for evil to meet its match. It’s time to unleash Chaos.

March 2025

I had plans to post last weekend but you know what they say about plans and God. I spent all of last Sunday prepping a submission package to send that day as the market was open for a very short time. I got it done and then received the rejection a couple of hours later. Kind of a downer, really, but that’s publishing for you. On top of that, my wife has been ill with the flu for over a week so plans have had to change. Such is life. You either roll with it or it rolls over you.

Been thinking lately about how much time I spend writing because it isn’t just the act of writing that takes up the time. There’s time spent researching new markets, agents and publishers. Time spent ensuring whatever you send adheres to the precise guidelines. Time spent chasing those subs as and when it’s required. Time on social media either pimping your stuff in the hope it leads to sales (hahahaha) or just socialising which is a type of marketing in of itself. Then, of course, there’s life outside of the blank page. A 9-5. Family. Friends. The need to just switch off from the page and relax because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, doesn’t it?

I think this came from a comment an online friend made recently after I mentioned working on a new book. He said he was in awe of my determination. A throwaway comment neither of us needed to turn into a big deal, but one that stuck with me. I’ve been writing what I consider seriously for pushing thirty years. It should go without saying that the early stuff (and a fair bit of the later stuff) was absolute crap. There’s no other way of learning to write and it’s something a lot of writers need to understand. I’ve been doing this for so long that I honestly don’t know what I’d do with my time if I stopped. Read more? Watch more films? Take up gardening? Who knows? All I’ve ever wanted to do since I was a little kid is tell stories. That’s literally it. Occasionally, the question of why do you write pops up online. My joke answer is it’s the only thing I’m any good at. My serious answer is it’s the only thing I’m any good at. I have zero other talents or abilities so I figure I might as well use the one talent I do have. Of course, that doesn’t mean the publishing world or the wider world is going to give the first shit. Neither owes me anything. All I owe is to tell my tales to the best of my ability.

With that in mind, draft 3 of a new book is underway after draft 1 was way too long and boring, and 2 was too short and boring. This version is, so far, much improved but I won’t know how improved until it’s finished – probably another five or six weeks. I’m currently subbing three other books and considering what’s next. A few ideas are brewing and I like all of them. Plus there will soon be promotion work for Burn which is published in August. Looking forward to seeing what people think of it especially as it’s a little different to my usual angle – this one is a horror/thriller cross with family right at its heart.

Anyway, coffee to drink and a new draft to work on.

Be well.

Newsflash – new novel announcement

Well, 2024 ended on a small high with a short story sale in late December, and now 2025 is starting with a much larger high.

I’ve sold a new novel to a publisher.

Not going to lie – I’ve needed a win for a while and this is a big one. There’ll be plenty more to come as things develop, but for now, Baynam Books Press will release Burn at some point (not sure when exactly. Publishing exists in its own universe of slow time), so consider me extremely happy. Anyway, to give you an idea what to expect, here’s the blurb.

Four bodies have been found dumped on public land; credit cards and phones make police identification of their remains immediate. DNA test results later prove it beyond question.

Steve Crossley’s wife and children.

His beating heart destroyed, Steve is a broken man. But then he gets a phone call. It’s from his wife. She and their children are alive. Now, Steve has to face the truth: a killer who knows him inside out is playing an unbeatable game of life and death and tormenting him with an unanswerable question: if the bodies are not his family, then who are they?

His family’s lives against a war that will set the entire country to burn.

December 2024

In previous years, I’ve done a look back/summary kind of thing as we approach the end of the year and the start of the next. 2024 hasn’t really been a resounding success on the publishing front so there isn’t a hell of a lot to talk about there. I had high hopes for The Ninth Circle and my efforts with writing different stuff under a new name and while I’m still proud of both books, it’s probably best to focus on new fiction now.

With that in mind, I’m pleased with the second draft of a new book (working title The Torment) and am in the process of putting together the submission package for publishers, so I’m ready to send it off hopefully by the start of February. I’m also going back to the book I wrote before The Torment (working title Blood Roots) which ended up bigger than I planned and a lot messier. The hope is with a bit of distance from it, I can come up with a new version that tightens the story up and results in a better book. At the moment, I think it still has a chance so we’ll see how it goes. After that, I’m looking at a couple of other ideas so it’s a case of which one seems like the best one to write first.

Also ending this year on a small high – I had word on Christmas Eve that I’ve sold a short story. The turnaround from submission to that email was just a couple of days (in comparison, I recently hit a year to the day on a different submission for another short – I’m currently around 250 in their submission queue) which was pretty sweet. I haven’t signed a contract on it yet so won’t be saying anything more until I do. A small victory in a quiet year, but one I will happily take. I’ve got a handful of other shorts out there and while I still enjoy writing them, I’m not sure how much of my time in 2025 will be spent writing new ones. I’ve mentioned before that the market for short fiction feels like it’s shrinking unless you write to the publisher’s theme. That along with a couple of other points makes it harder to find homes for short stories. I won’t call it a day on them particularly if I have a really solid idea for one, but I think the focus for at least a while will be on longer works and keeping up on the agent hunt. I hoped to find another one after my first agent and I parted ways – no joy so far, but then publishing isn’t a game for the impatient.

I think that’s it for this year unless anything amazing happens in the next forty-eight hours. On a side note, I expect we’re in for a dark time (again unless something amazing happens) globally very soon. All I can say is do what you can to keep your light on.

Be well.

October 2024

A little while since my last post mainly because things have been pretty quiet writing/publishing wise but also because it’s been one of those times when if it can go wrong, it’s gone wrong. I’ve lost track of the amount of unexpected expenses that have come up recently so things have been pretty stressful. On Thursday, I had an emergency tooth extraction thanks to an ancient filling breaking, causing toothache. A few hours later, my wife and I had a call from the vet to let us know the tiny lump he removed from our cat indicates a strong likelihood of cancer developing sooner rather than later. There’s little to be gained by putting her through invasive tests when the outcome can’t be changed so we’ll keep her happy, well-fed and well-loved until the time comes – whenever that may be. So, yeah. Things have been better.

In other news, my latest short story Reunion has been published. Some tales come to mind more or less fully formed. That was pretty much the case with this one mainly because it was inspired by real events a couple of years ago when my friends and I organised a big get-together and someone mentioned a name that meant nothing at all to me. Almost everyone else was keen to see that person and I was left wondering who the hell they were. And that led me to write Reunion. I like this one very much and hope you do, too. You can read it here along with tales from various good eggs:

https://www.penumbric.com/currentissue/cover.html

Outside of that, I’m writing the second draft of a book with the working title of The Torment which was mostly winged rather than outlined. I had a lot of fun with the first draft and the second is going well so far. As always, I have no idea it it will go anywhere once it’s finished but that’s a problem for another day. The writing is the only issue I have complete control over so I stick to what I’m good at. After this is done, I’ll go back to my last book which got messy and pretty crap to see if it can be saved. Then another one – depending which idea shouts the loudest. The publisher/agent hunt goes on and is as soul-destroying as ever but again, the writing is the only thing in my control.

At some point soon, I’ll wrap up the whole Rob Harrison angle. As mentioned before, it hasn’t worked. Worth a shot but I guess it wasn’t to be. Not sure if I’ll remove the book from sale or just close down the social media side of things. Either way, it’s safe to say it’s over. A real shame but that’s the writing life.

I think that it’s for now. Be well. Talk soon.

Luke

August 2024 – real talk

I tend to stay away from posts like this mainly because writers are endlessly encouraged not to talk about the shit side of writing/publishing. I think it’s seen as unprofessional or a turn-off to say anything negative. It runs the risk of telling (potential) readers you’re not the kind of person they want to spend any time with and therefore your books aren’t worth bothering with. If it’s worth anything, I don’t agree with that thinking. We’re all adults. We all know life is good and bad and that sometimes, plans fall flat on their arse. Not talking about the bad, being endlessly positive and treating anything else as unprofessional or a failure on the part of the writer doesn’t help anyone.

So.

Things over the last few months have not gone anywhere near as well as I had hoped which has left me pretty deflated and trying to work out what my next moves are or if they are any moves here. A couple of weeks ago, I had an agent rejection which knocked the wind out of my sails, so I took some time off social media with the idea of working out what comes next. To be honest, I’m no further forward with that idea even though I’m posting on social media, albeit a little less than usual. My main focus at the moment is my current book (60k and currently without a title although I have a few in mind) which is going well. First draft quality with the usual first draft issues, but that’s to be expected. I could set it aside to spend time on my long-term plans but I think that would hurt what I’ve worked on so far, so it’s better to keep going with this one and finish the first draft probably in another month or so.

So.

The ‘things’ not going well – both The Ninth Circle and Terminal State have done pretty poorly. Actually, they’ve both died a quiet death. Ninth garnered some reviews on Goodreads and Netgalley (mixed for the most part) which hasn’t translated into sales. As a result, the publisher passed on another book from me so Ninth will be my sole release there. And as for Terminal State…well, even the free giveaway didn’t work so the book and my plans for writing under a new name are rapidly going under. You could argue it hasn’t been out too long but a book quite often succeeds either before release with pre-orders or in its first few weeks. After that, it’s up against newer releases and that’s when it gets left behind. For all I know, it may take off for no good reason, but that doesn’t seem likely.

So.

Where do I go from here? Carry on with the cycle of writing a book, subbing to agents in the hope I can land another one, then trying indie publishers when the agents don’t reply? Then writing another book? I honestly don’t know. I still love the words, the stories, the people on the page but if nobody else gives a shit, it just ends up as me talking to myself in the spare room. Checking my current submission stats, I have the second book my ex-agent read out with one publisher after going to 90 agents and publishers; another book with 65 rejections under its belt still with two indies, and a third (my most recent) at 30 with 20 rejections. Those three books have gained five requests for the full work. The most recent still has time, I guess, but the others are getting close to what I consider the limit of submissions (100 attempts) before it’s time to put them to bed. All are under my real name and while I planned on more for my spec thriller name, I’m not sure it’s worth the time given the lack of interest in Terminal State. I’ll chew that one over and decide in the next few months.

So.

There it is. My real talk for the month. If anything comes from this, I hope it’s other writers feeling like they don’t have to hide the negative side of writing and publishing and that those who discourage it under the guise of writers needing to be positive and celebratory all the damn time ask themselves if that’s really for the best.

Be well. Talk soon.

July (almost) 2024

Summer’s rolling on and here in the UK, we’ve finally had some decent weather after weeks of it still apparently being early March. Cue the moaning about the heat from most of the country because this is what we do. Anyway, I like it for the most part. Give me light and heat over wishy-washy grey and wind any day of the week. It’s a good excuse to drink more beer if nothing else.

I recently read through my most recent book and have decided to let it rest for a couple of months. Usually, I write a second draft, tidy it up and consider the third draft the final book. This one, however, was a little different. I removed an entire plotline from the first draft mainly because it went nowhere and didn’t merge with the main story in any way. The result was what I considered the second draft was actually a new version and a first draft in its own right. It was better than the original but still had a number of issues. By that point, most of the fun had gone from writing it. I like to have a finished book before I move on to the next, but the right thing to do here was leave it alone, let it sleep and come back it in the near future rather than outright trunking it.

In the meantime, I’ve started notes and some planning on a new one which I’m excited about. I think I’ve mentioned before I usually outline the story before I start while being in awe of writers who wing it right from the beginning. This one will be based on some notes, a little research to get me going and a loose plan for the opening scenes. Kind of like a long drive where you know how to get to the first road you need and then you’re relying on directions and road signs to take you all the way. If things go to plan this week, I’ll start writing it next weekend.

Outside of that, my hunt for a new agent is ongoing and not proving successful, I’m sad to say. It took me 22 years to land my first so whether that means anything for my attempts now, who knows? I’ve also got a couple of books and some short stories out on submission. Shorts are proving harder to sell than recent years. Markets are either closed, open for extremely limited periods, open only to demographics I don’t fit, or they want themed subs. I don’t write to a theme. I have an idea and a character and I write that story. If it turns out to suit the required theme, then great, but that rarely happens. I still like short stories and will continue to write them. I just don’t know if it makes sense from a publishing angle. Saying that, my most recent short was recently published. When The Stars Stopped Singing can be read here along with some fine tales:

https://www.penumbric.com/currentissue/cover.html

I can’t remember where the idea for that one came from, but I liked it when it hit me and still like it now. Hope you do, too.

I think that’s it for now – other than the obligatory ‘you can still get Terminal State and The Ninth Circle on ebook and in paperback’. Or sharing any social media posts you see from me about either book – huge help.

Be well. Talk soon.