The Assassin’s Garden

On By Mick CanningIn books, Print on demand, publishing, writing

My mood is strongly affected by the environment, and this will naturally influence my writing.

Although it is obviously not necessary to recreate exactly the conditions of the story I might be writing, it certainly helps if the mood of where I am matches that of the environment I am writing about.

During the years I lived in a desert environment, for example, I never once wrote a story about whaling in Antarctic waters.

Today is grey, cold, basically miserable. To sit and work on my India novel is, quite frankly, impossible. Instead I have been re-working some of ‘The Assassin’s Garden‘

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‘The Assassin’s Garden‘ is the working title of the novel I have been writing for almost 5 years, now, and which got overtaken when I had the inspiration for ‘Making Friends with the Crocodile‘, and couldn’t be much more different. It is a complex tale, with a timeline that begins in Medieval Persia, passing through Mogul India to Victorian England, back to Victorian India, and then England again. It is (obviously!) a historical story, which also has strong elements of detective story and Gothic horror/fantasy.

I don’t really know which genre it truly fits into. Perhaps it needs a new one.

Proto-historic-goth-punk, perhaps.

As it stands, it is well over 100,000 words long, and may well end up being split into two or even three separate books.

Perhaps it is time that I finally completed it.

In other news (switch to picture of newsreader staring earnestly into camera, serious look on face, effect ruined only by line of kittens dancing a can-can in the background), I’m finding it quite difficult to sort out my Print On Demand edition of ‘Making Friends with the Crocodile’, and have now decided to switch printing companies (oh what fun).

I know I’m not the only writer who just enjoys writing the stories, but hates all of the publishing and publicity sides of the business – I am just not a businessman in any sense of the word; I dislike doing it and find it difficult. It also goes completely against my nature to go around saying ‘My book is fantastic, you must buy it now!’

Unfortunately, if there is a button I can press on the computer after I have finished writing the book, labelled ‘format, publish, promote and sell’ I’ve not noticed it yet.

37 thoughts on “The Assassin’s Garden”

  2. Brenda Fisher

    Hi Mick,
    Is there any way your readers and followers can do the bit about how marvelous your book is and how people should buy it after all it is marvelous and people should buy and read it then they’ll have a first edition when you’re a really famous author.
    I really like the sound of The Assassin’s Garden so I sincerely hope it doesn’t take another five years. does it look as though it will lend itself to becoming a set of books. I almost want you to do a Charles Dickens and sell it off sheets at a time so we can get it quickly though I think you might want to up the price a bit from his time. All the best with it and remember these grey and miserable winter days might have the bonus to writing in that it’s weather you go out in for exercise and because fresh air is good for for and not because ‘ why would I want to be sitting here writing on a beautiful day like this’.
    Regards Brenda

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Brenda. The best thing any reader can do is leave a review – on Amazon, on Goodreads, on any portal, really. Reviews do sell books, and I think that once a book gets a certain number on Amazon, they begin to include it in their newsletters – i.e. promote it a little. Naturally, word of mouth recommendations are good, and if in doubt force all your friends to buy it under the threat of violence. Well, okay, not the last one, perhaps.

      I don’t think The Assassin’s Garden will take that long; once I’ve teased out a couple of plot threads, I hope to really get stuck into it.

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  4. Assassins garden sounds interesting! I used to read lots of books many years ago. Over the last few years, I find that I just can’t concentrate on reading books & novels except for may be 4-5 pages in magazines. I don’t know if this is because of digital distractions or what…. I guess we all go through some cycles!

    I do think you should finish this older “fling”…unfinished business! And yes, printing i still easy but selling is a different ball game altogether!

    Liked by 2 people

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  10. I think creating something is wonderful, but trying to market that creation is sort of like Hell. It’s almost counter-intuitive, since creating is so personal and marketing isn’t. If you ever do find that “format, publish and sell” button on your computer, please share it’s location with the rest of us! Meanwhile best of luck changing your publisher.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Ann. It’s not really a change, since I never got as far as pressing ‘publish’ on the website – just went through all the usual hassle up to that point, and then never got a reply to my queries. So instead I have finally sorted the POD through another Indian publisher, of which more very soon!

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  11. Good luck, Mick. I find it helps to focus on the feeling of relief and pleasure you’ll have once you put a period to your very last sentence. And we’ll all be here to say BRAVO! Of course, these words of “wisdom” come from one of the worst procrastinators on WordPress …

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  15. I am very much looking forward to reading this (new) book especially if it is any where as good as your Crocodile one, which I thoroughly enjoyed and found it ended far too soon. I wont mention the chant for ” more, more. where’s the sequel,” any more.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Well, I’m working on it now. Don’t know how long it will take, partly because I’m wondering at the moment whether it will be one (long) book, or two or three.

      And, who knows? One day there might be a suitable story looking for a set of characters such as those in making friends with the Crocodile, and then it could happen! But, before you say anything, there isn’t at the moment!

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