Fabulous Fiction

Fiction is the foundation of my writing, places unknown and characters yet unheard, I love breathing life into words and bringing words into life. This is where my writing started as just some ramblings using Carl Jung as my inspiration.  Delving into SELF, SHADOW, PERSONA, EGO and ANIMUS they evolved into five amazing characters taking me on a fantastic journey into fictional memoir.  Just as Capote’s work was woven from fact so too are many fictional tales. Truth and honesty are the words that brought me to writing, a search for mine and a wonder about others.  Can you identify with my pondering? Perhaps you have your own version of fact just waiting to escape?

It is so easy to put your work on Amazon, Kobo and iTunes or why not create your own author website! Get in touch to find out how.

My first fictional novel Sharks and Lovers is available below or visit my Frankie Banks Fiction Website

Amazon – Sharks and Lovers

Kobo – Sharks and Lovers

iTunes – Sharks and Lovers

Transcribing

Transcribing a Hard Act to Follow

Fiction is definitely my love, I am an escape artist of epic proportion.  However I am starting to enjoy factual writing and even transcribing.  My client recently asked me to record and then transcribe a conversation with his dying brother.  I knew this would be hard.  I carry with me at all times a big bubble of emotion but that had no place in this situation.  I had to be in control and professional, then I had to do my job.

There are a few stages to creating a piece of writing from a transcript but first you need the transcript, thank goodness for iPhones!  There will always be that annoying moment where a plane goes overhead or someone interrupts you but generally the words are all down. Then at home it’s earphones in and type, stop, rewind, type.  This resembles a first draft manuscript; very messy but it’s where all the content lies.  The second draft is taking out all the he said, she said, just, so’s and then. Next is where you try to make sense of the words by putting them into sentences.  Nobody talks in readable sentences apart from the cast of a Jane Austen movie!

The third draft is where it starts to get interesting the content now makes sense but it needs a re-jig.  What the client said first might just be preamble and need completely cutting, whereas what they said last could be the introduction.  This is the bit I love, a nice big wordy jigsaw.

Sitting next to the bed I was amazed at the presence and power in his words.  This guy could have been one of the characters in the new Tarantino film!  He had swagger, a lovable rogue who draws you in with his compelling narrative and a sense of humour as dry as the Nullabor Desert!  Fact can draw you into another world faster than fiction.  Transcribing might be a slightly more laborious job than fictional flow but nothing worthwhile is ever easy.

Have you tried to transcribe? Siri is no master but if you have some patience with her secretarial skills using an email on your phone and the microphone symbol you can record a whole book this way, just talk while she types.

 

 

 

Your Writing Spark

Writing Spark was created to help you embrace the world of writing, to find your content and create your platform.  Whether they are heavy words of stone, courageous clarity or perfect patience they are locked inside of us just waiting to be given the green light.  For some of us they are neatly typed files on our computer, (our virtual bottom draw).  Maybe they are handwritten scrolls gathering dust in the attic? Your content could be on social media or a website just waiting to be collated. Wherever your content is and whatever your message it deserves to be heard.

If you would like to book a Write Your Book in a Weekend Workshop please get in touch, it really can be that simple!

Let’s create, collate, edit and publish, it really is that simple.  So jump in and put a spark back into your work, your life and ultimately your success.  Email Me .

 

For My Chinese Reading Friends 第章  米拉

Sharks & Lovers

I was very fortunate recently when a wonderful friend offered to translate my first book into Chinese.  At the weekend as I set up my Writing Spark website I was getting hits from China.  I have never had any interest from China on my Frankie Banks website and I know some sites are blocked, so although this is for my freelance work, I feel I have to publish this here to test the market.  Here is the first chapter of Sharks & Lovers, an e-book will be available in the coming weeks.  Many Thanks for reading and please email me if you would like to read more  frankiebanks27@gmail.com

Sharks & Lovers Written by Frankie Banks

Chapter One

第一章

米拉

我第一次的性经历实在是很可笑。大多数人的第一次也是如此吧,对吗?我当时已经给卡尔写了好几个星期的信;实际上呢,他是我喜欢的那个男生的哥哥。我们在一个周日假期活动班上认识。我那时十五岁,他比我大那么一两岁。

那是一个凉凉的秋日,那样的日子似乎不会有真正的黎明,就好像艺术家涮画笔瓶子中的水那样,阴晦的,毫无特征的,融了进来。卡尔坐火车来看我,我们在一起度过了愉快的一天,漫步在海滩上边聊边笑,(他也许不是两兄弟中英俊的那个,但他却是幽默的那个)。

那天风很大,我的长发不时得抽打着我的脸颊,于是我们就躲避在一个红白条纹相间的海滩小屋的遮雨棚下。我们互相“爱抚”着,他的双手在我身上到处游走, 他巨大笨拙的手指探索着,刺激着,好几次,手指游荡到我裙子下面,找到我的内裤, 尴尬地到处摸索着。我们坐在冰冷的沙堆上分享了辣薯片。天色晚了下来,他得搭火车回家,我们轻松愉快的返回到火车站, 彼此都觉得一起度过了愉快的一天。

当我们到达火车站时,他想去上厕所,就是那种硬水泥制的,泛着恶臭的厕所。

“跟我进来。”他说。

“真的吗?”我回答道,略有些不安但是又有些好奇,他想干什么?

他拉着我的手, 温柔得把我拽进一个隔间里,将我推倒在小隔间的一面摇摇晃晃的墙上;他把我的裙子拉上去然后扯下了我的内裤,接着,掏出了他的阴茎。他疯狂的亲吻吮吸着我的脖子,说白了其实挺烦人的,因为我一点也看不到下面发生了什么,下面到底怎么回事儿啊?事实上,我开始觉得有些幽闭恐惧,开始担心小隔间的墙是不是经得住这样挤靠,他到底是一个大块头!突然之间,我感到两腿间有一个又热又在颤动的东西。现在,我要是说这东西是在我两腿之间,我是毫不夸张的说是在我大腿根间,轻轻的扫着我的阴部。等等,我想到,这可跟我在学校里听说过的性爱不一样,或许,是不同的类型吧!我听朋友说起过关于口交之类的话题(告诉你哪里不能碰),可能这个就是类似的吧。

 

他看上去定是非常享受,速度越来越快,呻吟着。我呆呆的站着,将两条腿夹紧,配合着摩擦,(我奇怪的觉得,这仿佛是一个礼貌的举动,好似为别人撑着门,方便人家通过一样)。我被他巨大的胸肌挤的快要窒息了,而且不可自抑的想大笑;“这简直是太荒诞可笑了。”我想着。他的双手把着我的屁股做着推拉运动,口水流到我脖子上到处都是。最后的尾声是,一股白色的果冻似的湿乎乎的东西,顺着我的大腿流下来,流到了我挂在膝盖上的内裤里。他完了之后,我特别想大笑,但只是呵呵笑了几声出来,他附和着:“刚才太棒了。”狠狠的在我的嘴上亲了一下,拿了一些卫生纸,离开了小隔间。我傻站在那里了一会儿,寻思着我是应该提起来还是脱下内裤。小隔间的门半开着。我付下身,褪去了内裤,用卫生纸卷擦拭着双腿,那纸却完全吸附不了什么,只是涂抹的到处都是。他真的以为刚才和我发生关系了吗?突然,我听到一个陌生,低沉,粗哑的声音:“该我了吧,小妞?”破门而入的是一个高大,骨瘦如柴的男人,胡子没怎么刮,有些体味。

“才不是,滚开!”我回答道,推搡着冲了出来。我挺幸运,因为如果他愿意,他可以轻易的制服我,我胡思乱想着或许他想要一个(thigh job)卡尔得到了他想要的,心满意足地登上了返程火车,我在回家路上思索着刚才所发生的奇怪的一切。他看上去是如此享受着,但是却完全不像达斯先生那样,把我抱上他那有着四根帷柱的床,温柔的解开我胸衣的丝带。

刚才厕所里的那个男人,一个出租车司机,在我回家的路上劫住我,问花五磅可否让我给他手淫一次!再次,他得到了一个正常的处于青春期的少年,对特别讨厌的东西的回复:“滚开,傻逼!”

六年后。在去利物浦街的火车上,我挤在那些每日相见,熟悉又未知的陌生人中,肩并肩,脚顶脚, 化着妆。幸运的是,我还有个座位,不像那些塞在过道和门廊间的人们。天下着雨,月台上很冷,人们说话的时候热气从嘴里喷出,他们紧握着手中的茶杯或咖啡杯。脖子上的围巾把他们包成了垂直的礼品盒。我盯着只够每次看到一只眼睛,便携式的小镜子,试着稳住手涂上睫毛膏。身旁那个男人散发出的热量,和渗着汗珠的窗户让我感到不可思议的舒适。

我栖息在这个世界中。这是我的列车,8.10分开往利物浦街。办公室,那个人人知道我的名字,个个自以为了解我所有的生活的办公室;办公桌,那个装着我的燕麦片,好让我可以撒些到早餐酸奶上的办公桌;茉拉,帮我们泡茶的女士,她知道我喜欢的茶该怎样沏;那些我信任的朋友们;和,那些我拥有过的情人们。

一个下班回家的夜晚,我和朋友们坐在火车上,猜测着火车上的人们,他们是谁,干什么,为什么这样生活。“左手边那个是个连环杀手。”妮可悄悄在我耳边说道。我从来没有对她提起过,(显然要是这么做会很不礼貌),如果她是个兼职的吸血鬼,也不会有人感到惊讶。她有着半透明的皮肤和漆黑的头发,太爱尔兰化了!她很美,其实。

我朝她提到的那个男人的方向看去。

“不,并不是什么连环杀手,只是一个无聊的丈夫,可能他看了太多色情片,他已经有好多年没睡过一个好觉了。”

“你呀,总是这么疲惫,丈夫先生。为什么你总是这么疲惫,脾气又坏呢?”我们咯咯笑着。

我们笑闹着,显然我们言语中提及的那个可怜的女人永远不可能是妮可和我。我们是那么年青,自由,无法想象婚姻和孩子这样的牵绊。

“那么谁是公司里最性感的?”妮可问到。

“这个男人,里昂,我是多么喜欢盯着他看,他是牙买加人,他每天都是那么快乐!我的意思是,谁能每天都那么快乐呢?”我问道。

“没有人。这小伙怎么了?”

“嗯,他和办公室里最性感的女孩有着非正式的恋爱关系。”

“那就得了,性总是男人快乐的答案。”

“我觉得我还是有机会的。”我说。

“你当然有机会,只要你知道,他是个玩儿着的人,你就总会是他众多猎物中的一员。”

“我现在并不介意,我并不想认真,你知道的。”我回答道。

“那你就上。”

“对,我会的。”

 

酒吧里柔和的灯光让每个人都觉得性感放松起来。一天的痛苦总算褪去。今晚我要和里昂睡。他和我差不多高,是黑人,拥有最灿烂的笑容和一双嘶喊着性爱的眸子。白天的时候,我的目光穿过众人的办公桌落到他身上,时不时的,我会捕捉到笑意盈盈的一瞥,他知道我想要什么。今晚,我们围绕着对方打着转,和所有人谈笑风生,除了和彼此之外,仅仅是偶尔捕捉到一瞥。燎原的欲火在我体内燃烧。每一杯红酒都会让我对他更加饥渴,到那晚结束前,我背对着他站着,朝着他的方向,拱起了我的臀部。

“嘿,你们谈话间也给我们留点地儿?”他用他那笑意盈盈的眼睛说道。

我转过身去,直视着他。当我们的目光相锁的那一刻,他把我扳倒在吧台上,掀起了我的裙子,扯下我的内裤。事实上, 他是在询问我们是否还想来一杯。

“行,最后来一杯,然后我得赶火车。”我回答道。

其他人打算离开,大批撤离。我们亲吻,拥抱互道了晚安。然后,里昂转过来朝着我说“好吧,我再去拿点喝的,你不要担心火车了,咱俩儿都知道你今晚是不会回家的。”

我笑了,一股光芒升起直达我的眼睛,他笑眯眯的眼睛定是有传染性的,我想着。

当他带着喝的回来的时候,我们碰了杯。

“干杯”我们异口同声道,没有抿酒,取而代之的是,我们的双唇碰撞在一起,碰出了最甜美,热烈的吻。

 

我从未和黑人上过床;他们说的都是真的,“(黑人的阳具)可以像驴那样吊着”,反正里昂是这样的。但是,正因如此,他的动作温柔而充满了爱意。虽然我们的热情是如此不可计量,但是它却不仅是感官上的满足,更像是在做爱。我清楚这不是爱,对吗?早晨,他为我沏茶,让我泡了澡,陪我走到车站,手拉着手。

站在月台上等火车,天气还是很冷,他打开他的外套让我分享他的体温,美好而温暖。

“我真想咱们现在就回到床上去。”他说。

“我也是。”

这样一个来自世界的大大的拥抱,给予我的清新感,是我独居一年生活所不可比拟的。我很孤独;一个人吃饭结账而不感到微微有些尴尬的次数是有限的。

我没有松开里昂,在那一刻, 他是我生命的一部份。

后来,我们又多次睡在一起,多次一起共进午餐。我们有时离,有时聚。在任何一个恋爱关系中,总会有那种亲密到根本不能分开的时光,不管是身体上的,精神上的还是情感上的。

和里昂在一起,让我感到一种我无法在任何人身上获得的满足感,我不仅仅是在讲他阴茎的大小!他散发着一种快乐和平静的气息。当他看着你的时候,他眼睛里散发出一种凝聚力可以牢牢的吸住你。

我们第一次之后,我在办公室里总感觉有些尴尬,特别是跟他的女朋友讲话的时候。她从头到脚都是那么美好,也散发着和他一样愉快自信的光芒。每当她来找我说话的时候,我总是觉得很尴尬,充满了负疚感。然而,她却独独对我很感兴趣,我们变成了朋友,甚至一起吃中饭,但是我们从来不谈及里昂。我不知道她到底是否知晓,我们分享着同一个出色的男人。

几个月下来,里昂和我单独待了好几晚。这晚,我们在市中心喝了些啤酒,我又留宿在他的公寓。“告诉我,宝贝,怎么了?”他说,我们躺在床上,我哭泣着蜷在他坚实的臂膀中。他轻抚着我的头发。

“我是那么蠢,我真的太愚蠢了,他们一共四个人,其中一个差一点掐死我。”我说。

 

Numinous

‘If Freud had given somewhat more consideration to the psychological truth that sexuality is numinous – both of a god and a devil – he would not have remained bound within the confines of a biological concept’ C G Jung – Memories, Dreams & Reflections

I lay in bed last night reading and re-reading a couple of pages of Jung’s book and nothing was going in. I have owned this book for about fifteen years now.  I go back to books a bit like clothes, my old favorite pair of jeans, sometimes they are a bit tight around the waist and don’t quite fit. Other times they fit perfectly and are exactly the right accompaniment to the rest of my attire. Last night Jung’s words just didn’t quite fit and as I was about to turn off the lamp the word numinous stood out.

Jung explains it; ‘numinous – both of a god and a devil’

Numinous is defined in the dictionary;

‘having a strong religious or spiritual quality’

Depending on your religious or spiritual connections would depend on your interpretation of the word numinous. I agree with Jung’s statement about Freud but I think it stretches further than Freud and sexuality.

Society have always liked to shun the dark side, always trying to be good, on the side of good, making the bad scary, locking bad away. What would happen if we embrace the bad, give it a platform, give it a voice, let it out. Do we really think it would take over? There is a reason that good generally wins and that is because of human nature, most of us are inherently good.  The problem comes when we are told to hide the parts of us that are ‘bad’.  Whatever that is, from an obsession to a birthmark to an addiction.  We all have traits that at some point someone has told us are bad.

This comes back to resistance, another word I have come to appreciate and acknowledge.  The more we try to resist anything the stronger it gets. The ‘bad’ becomes stronger and the good becomes weaker. We need to first walk with this bad, experience it, talk to it, feel it. Maybe even hold its hand. Take time to understand it and then perhaps when it is released it won’t be the monster we first thought.

We are all numinous, whatever that means to you and how you connect to it.  We will always have good and bad and we need to accept the whole if we are to grow. Next time you feel the bad winning within you, next to you or around you, talk to it, listen to it and feel it. Don’t shut it out, shut it down or ignore it. Maybe it just needs a voice and wants to be heard.

Client Spotlight

Client Feedback

‘I feel very positive and motivated after my chat with you! Full of renewed energy and encouragement and having a clear idea of my next steps in the writing of my book.’
Alice Light
‘Never in my life did I think I could write my memoirs in a week and here I am writing it all in a weekend! I couldn’t have done it without the amazing guidance and support of my writing mentor, the amazing Frankie Banks’
Madison Missina
‘Thank you Lisa for your energy and belief in me and the book. I would not have done it without you!’
Glen Coutinho

”When I had the idea of writing my book, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to write.  I knew I had some good ideas but I didn’t know what I needed to produce.  Not being good at written structure I always felt inadequate. Lisa listened to me about my insecurities about writing and feeling inadequate.  I thought I needed fancy writing software or to block out enormous amounts of time.  Lisa made it easy and simple to start, I was very hesitant. What was underpinning my hesitancy was I had a blind spot of not being worthy about what I was going to write.

Lisa suggested that I just email some thoughts to her, my thoughts were very bullet point like and she collated these for me, after a while she sent me what actually looked like a chapter.  It was an OMG moment and I was very proud of what we had put together.

I After five months of being consistent I have a book I am a very proud man now, it has also given me new thoughts about additional books, it has launched me into new direction and career.”

Richard Payne

 

Resistance is Futile

Resistance to the Mirror

“What is good? – All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man.  What is bad? – All that proceeds from weakness. What is happiness? – The feeling that power increases – that a resistance is overcome…”  Nietzsche

When I stumbled across this quote by Nietzsche this morning, I thought Yes! Yes! Yes!  This is how I feel.  I have a mental power that I have never felt before. Power to me meant men in suits, the educated, political power, super powers.  I certainly never thought I would associate this kind of power to me but I have grown enormously since starting to write. So let me take you back a few months….

Whilst I was writing my first book I attended a self-defence course.  The two guys running it were menacing to look at, however by the end of the day they had shown a softer caring side.  We spent the day learning how to get out of various grips and holds. When a muscle-bound 6 ft 10 inch guy tries to drag you away and you can easily escape his clutches, the power shifts in your favour.  It was exhilarating.  The main lesson I came away with I wrote in my notebook as soon as I got into the car, ‘Don’t resist’ to be able to break away from something that holds you, you first have to go with it.  I knew this was true in many areas of my life.

I had been carrying a huge resistance to being me, this fight had to stop.  However to be able to let go of the past I knew I had to revisit it.  One step forward and two steps back.  I was still moving forward just very slowly.  At times whilst writing I was so submerged in the characters I would go to the shops as them, Harry often strutted around the ‘burbs’ of Melbourne.  At other times Milla would drag her feet along the pavement to the local supermarket and buy a huge bag of sugary sweets. Some days writing would feel as though I was sinking very slowly to the bottom of the ocean.  My arms and legs spread wide in surrender to my thoughts.  It was a calm feeling just my sub-conscious taking control. As my feet touched the sandy mud at the bottom I would rise quickly vertically, the bubbles of my exhaled breath tickling my body.  When my head broke the surface of the water, the blue of the sky was endless. I could feel every tiny sun beam penetrating the pores of my face and the water around me felt warm.  It was a hug from the universe, it was progression.

I have overcome a resistance, a resistance to being me.  I feel empowered by this and just being me is making me extremely happy. Writing has bestowed this power to me and I would love to share it with you!

The First Draft

Let it Go, Let it Flow

Everyone has their own methods of writing a first draft and the great news is there is no wrong way! You can map out your chapters if you have a particular plot in mind or perhaps you are writing a non-fiction and have a list of topics that you want to explore. Even with non-fiction you still need to let it flow.  Perhaps a particular topic or character just won’t stop talking, that’s ok, let it all out!

When I started to write I came up with four main characters that were telling their story. One of my characters changed her name three times! But Harry always stayed the same. Sometimes Stacey would talk away for days and Milla would stay quiet. There was no point mapping them out, I just let it flow.  That could easily translate to different topics, obviously you will have more to say on one topic than another, just get it out and edit later.

Which Way Is Right to Write?

I didn’t start writing in chapters until I got to twenty thousand words. I hadn’t realised I was writing a book! I had four files; one for each character. I went through deciding where the story took a natural break.  I have to say that this was a pretty painful process.  Luckily the story had carried all the characters in the same direction and they had been talking away even when I didn’t know who they were talking to!  For book two I was a bit more sensible, I knew how many words I wanted in each chapter, obviously you do have to be a little bit flexible but this was so much easier.

Perhaps you have started with an idea or a sentence and it all flows from there. Maybe you start at the end and work your way backwards. Have you started in the middle? It really doesn’t matter, that’s what the edit is all about, just concentrate on getting it down first.

Feedback on Your First Draft

When I got to 30,000 words I decided to ask someone for some feedback. This is something I have now realised writers everywhere debate! Do you show other people your work and risk being shot down? Well, I felt I needed to know if it was any good.  Luckily I was given straight no-nonsense remarks that were very useful. I adjusted a few things and felt encouraged to carry on. I have to say I didn’t let anyone else see it from that point on, I had been encouraged and told where to tighten up, that’s all I wanted to know.  If you are going to get someone to look at your first draft I would choose wisely.

When I had finished the manuscript I had around 80,000 words I edited this down to 67,000.  There could well be part of another book in that 13,000 words.

Joining a writers group was invaluable and I read a chapter a week.  It soon became obvious that I needed to get it copy edited if I was going to submit this to publishers and so that’s exactly what I did.  The good news was that I received encouragement; I was told it flowed well, they were drawn into the story and wanted to know more.  Bingo!

Good Luck & Get Writing and Remember No-one is Happy with their First Draft!