writing Archives - SEAN-CAMERON.COM

Rex & Eddie Mysteries: The Soundtrack

By Sean Cameron | April 26, 2017

Writing rituals really help to get me in the flow of writing. One of those rituals is to listen to the same thing every time I write a project. It lets my brain know it’s time to type some words. That’s why I have a soundtrack to write Rex & Eddie to.

When I visit my parent’s house my favourite place to write is in their conservatory, at night, when it rains. Being England there’s plenty of opportunity for a shower or two. Now I live in Los Angeles there’s rarely a chance of rain so I play Rainymood.com while the sun beams through my windows.

As the sound of rain gets my brainwaves flowing I put on a playlist to set the mood. While writing Rex & Eddie novels I usually play a mash of thriller soundtracks and James Bond scores with some silly, offbeat tracks like The Pink Panther theme mixed in.

I wanted to share some of the tracks I’m currently writing Rex & Eddie to – which would also work as a soundtrack to the books if you like listening to music while reading.

So here’s a Spotify playlist for your listening – and reading – pleasure.

If you know similar music you’d recommend adding to my writing playlist, please let me know. I’d love to give it a listen.

Beta-Readers Wanted

By Sean Cameron | April 26, 2016

Photo credit: Wiertz Sébastien on Flickr

I’m looking for beta-readers to read my 23,217 word comedy-mystery novella: ‘Feline Fatale’. It’s a story set in England about two young detectives who attempt to find a missing cat to impress a middle-aged woman they have a crush on.

It’s part of the ‘Rex & Eddie Mysteries’ series I’m writing. The previous novel was compared to Dumb & Dumber, Laurel & Hardy, and Hot Fuzz. Reviews also compared my writing to the Dortmuder novels and the Stephanie Plum novels. If you like a couple of those things, ‘Feline Fatale’ will probably be a good fit for you.

As a beta-reader you will read through the manuscript and give an honest critique of the story, including thoughts on the plot, characters, and pointing out any confusing areas and plot holes. Correcting grammar and spelling isn’t a priority at this point, but if you can’t help yourself please do let me know what you find.

I’m looking for people who can finish reading and send me their notes by May 12th, so just over two weeks.

If you want to read and critique a short silly mystery get in touch by email: sean@sean-cameron.com.

Also feel free to share this with any friends who might be interested.

NaNoWriMo 2014

By Sean Cameron | October 31, 2014

This month I will be taking part in National Novel Writing Month or #NaNoWriMo. I’m gonna write the first draft of the sequel to Catchee Monkey: A Rex & Eddie Mystery, and it will be 50,000 words (gulp). Below is the contract I signed with myself to keep myself accountable, which came from the book No Plot No Problem by Chris Baty. I’m all ready to go having spent the last two weeks working on the outline, and re-designing my office into a creative space I actually want to be in.

See you in December!

THE MONTH-LONG NOVELIST AGREEMENT AND STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

I hereby pledge my intent to write a 50,000-word novel in one month’s time. By invoking an absurd, month-long deadline on such an enormous undertaking, I understand that notions of “craft”, “brilliance”, and “competency” are to be chucked right out the window, where they will remain, ignored, until they are retrieved for the editing process. I understand that I am a talented person, capable of heroic acts of creativity, and I will give myself enough time over the course of the next month to allow my innate gifts to come to the surface, unmolested by self-doubt, self-criticism, and other acts of self-bullying.

During the month ahead, I realize I will produce clunky dialogue, clichéd characters, and deeply flawed plots. I agree that all of these things will be left in my rough draft, to be corrected and/or excised at a later point. I understand my right to withhold my manuscript from all readers until I deem it completed. I also acknowledge my right as author to substantially inflate both the quality of the rough draft and the rigors of the writing process should such inflation prove useful in garnering me respect and attention, or freedom from participation in onerous household chores.

I acknowledge that the month-long, 50,000-word deadline I set for myself is absolute and unchangeable, and that any failure to meet the deadline, or any effort on my part to move the deadline once the adventure has begun, will invite well-deserved mockery from friends and family. I also acknowledge that, upon successful completion of the stated noveling objective, I am entitled to a period of gleeful celebration and revelry, the duration and intensity of which may preclude me from participating fully in workplace activities for days, if not weeks, afterward.

*****

A signed copy of this contract is on my wall right next my computer.

Sean VS Google Voice

By Sean Cameron | September 25, 2014

I have accent troubles. Growing up in the Medway towns, I didn’t sound like the others at school and would have other pupils complain and say, “you fink you’re posh or some-fink?”

When I went to university in Buckinghamshire, people thought I sounded common. Other students would comment that I sounded like Michael Caine or a Cockney and mocked me with “core blimey, governor.”

Now I live in America, and people are excited for me to talk. I get everything from “are you Australian?” to “you sound so refined.” And anything in between: “can you say ‘I’m Sherlock Holmes.'”

I had to learn to be more pronounced. I could get away with a bit of a mumble and a drawl in England, but not anymore. I still have an Estuary English accent but talk slower and louder to be clear, and it seems to be working. Michael Caine actually talks like this so Americans can understand him, and I guess I’ve copied that, so I now do deliberately sound like Michael Caine. It’s worked well, except with Google Voice.

I can’t ask Google Voice for anything. I have no idea what I’m asking for. I don’t know if it uses my location and thinks, “He’s not meant to sound like that,” as I’m assuming they have Google Voice in England.

This means Google’s ability to transcribe my phone messages is neutered. Last month, I edited my book and made a stretch to read and edit 4000 words a day. To keep me accountable, I left my friend Wes a message each day to tell him I had completed my task.

Google completely mangled my words, including “Hey Wesley”, which became “Hey Baby”. The next day I tried again using an American accent, and the results were improved but still not great. Here’s a side-by-side comparison.