Jim Reay Novels & Short Stories

A factoid is an invented ‘fact’ which is repeated and re-tweeted until it starts to be believed as fact. Today, media reports are so mixed with opinion and commentary that little reliance can be placed on their truth. Social media platforms, likewise, float unverified views on whatever the sender feels to be important.

Thinking is based on doubt. It is the act of puzzling. Scientists test theories for accuracy. Philosophers struggle with uncertainty around moral dilemmas. Indeed, doubt is one of the main certainties in any rigorous questioning process.

Is this photo real? Perhaps, perhaps not – but lives don’t depend on the answer. However, when people in positions of power are certain about their opinions, beliefs, strategies, policies or facts, they can make a huge difference to how the rest of the population live their lives. Then the facts really must be checked and the decision making needs to be balanced by a clear consideration of the options.

Groupthink is a means of social control. It persuades and encourages people to go with the flow. History is full of examples of people who took too long to realise what was happening. Alternative voices need to be heard, with opinions discussed and argued. Implicit in the alternatives is that the views must be credible – supported by logical reasoning, peer review and no ‘cherrypicked’ falsehoods or factoids.

That is a healthy challenge to those who are certain that they are right, or chosen, or born to lead, or selected to govern or through good luck have more resources to promote their version of ‘certainty’.

Food for thought!

Are you content with sufficiency? Or do you have a need to possess more – to be richer? The colonial economic theories of previous centuries relied on accessing more and more raw resources; and on the consumer demand to stoke the boiler of growing commercial activity. The world of today is very different – not in economic theory, but in the capacity of the planet to provide.

It is arithmetic. The population of the world in 1900 was estimated at 1.7 billion. In 1950 – after two World Wars, the Spanish flu, the Great Depression, several civil wars and pogroms – the world population had still grown to 2.5 billion. By 2011, it had reached 7 billion, with the projection that it will reach 8 billion by 2025.

Despite Paul Erlich flagging the problem in 1968 and Dick Smith in 2011, group think finds the media, political leaders and economists ignoring the elephant in the room.

A fundamental premise of science is that every theory should be checked and rechecked before it may be accepted, albeit tentatively. Check this out – and then check out the current mantras and models of economic growth.

Food for thought.

Free shipping anywhere in the world. 40% off RRP. Great bargains for the reader. But who is paying?

I appreciate the business models of international companies; the margins, the cost of logistics and the employment of many people in the chains of distribution. But these bargains are largely paid by the writer.

High profile writers who sell millions of copies are doing fine in the economies of scale. The marketers and distributors for the global corporations are providing a tremendous service for the consumer – and are producing fair profits for many people.

Beneath that high profile on-line or high street selling, there is a treasure trove of good quality writers who describe local culture, tell tales of mystery or intrigue, produce snapshots in time, and give you the sense of struggle or uplifting feelings. Perhaps they challenge perceptions, question sacred cows and provoke philosophical or political thinking.

In many ways, they are adding to our cultural heritage. But they often don’t squeeze through the filters of the slush piles or fit journal editors’ priorities of the time. That is where the small publishers, printers and journals provide a service, along with writers’ groups, conventions and the corner bookstore. They are providing for a niche market – for an intelligent clientele, with a need to be informed and nourished.

They can’t offer the great bargain specials. But they do ensure that the tales and perspectives of our experiences are preserved for you … and the next generations.

Just a thought!

Due to popular demand, I now have a new business card – courtesy of Rams Skull Press

I am being asked why it is that , if the story is written, it takes so long to publish it. Delay your gratification to read the next book and I will explain.

Answer: The completed manuscript has to undergo a number of processes before it is ready for publication. My cover and page layout designer, Kirsty Ogden, has developed The Five Cs of Self Publishing. I recommend it to writers and readers who want to understand the bones of the publishing process.

First, for me, there is the structural edit to check for sequencing, plot continuity and character development. Then there is the copy edit, to check grammar and syntax, through to better ways to express a particular sentence, as well as checking point of view – to stop head-hopping from one character to another within a paragraph.

The edited manuscript then goes to the graphic designer for page layout and cover design, before the proofread to check for typos, spelling errors, extra words or missed words before the manuscript can go to the printer.

Once printed, my books are distributed wholesale and retail through Rams Skull Press. Why Rams Skull Press? That is a story for a later blog.

Enjoy your day!

Searching for Siobhan is available now. Click here to read more

The Chess Board is available from Rams Skull Press at $28 plus postage.

Click here. The Chess Board

The crime novelist’s task is to take the reader to new places and into exciting adventures; to question the accepted, to prick consciences and to make people think. It is a window into a world – which, despite the media doomsayers, is often full of humour, space, blue skies and optimism. And yet, sometimes, the window confronts the evil criminal elephant in the room. We all know it is there – that sense of danger; the ghosts and boogiemen of our childhood, just hidden from our view. But we don’t want to go too close. Far better to read about it in a book from the safety of a secure bed or armchair. Let the writer take the risks for you!

Read Catching Legends and The Chess Board, with more to follow in 2016.

I have no hesitation in recommending Patrice Shaw to any writer who is looking for an expert editor with gentle interpersonal skills and supportive persistence.

She was a great assistance to me in developing The Chess Board – NOW AVAILABLE and Searching for Siobhan – available in March 2016

Visit her website at psediting.com.au

Since the site went live only a few days ago, there has been positive feedback and multiple views from Australia mainly, but also from USA, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand and Portugal.

Thank you to my friends and writers who have been spreading the word. I appreciate your assistance and encouragement.

Enjoy your day.