The Raynes Way

A little insight for you...

1) I enjoy writing; it’s like therapy for me. It is actually the ultimate dream for me to write for a living – ain’t gonna happen, but what’s wrong with trying anyway?

2) I want to share it with you. I want people (anyone) to be able to read the stuff I write, anytime, anywhere, for free (yes, you should not have to pay). I also appreciate your comments and ideas. Some of you have actually contributed to certain phrases/ideas in The Builder. I appreciate it and love you for it!

3) Whether it’s horror, fantasy or plain ol’ nonsense, fiction is a creative avenue for me. I am extremely scientific and sterile (not to mention anal) about everything and this is the only creative skill I have (okay, so maybe it’s not that great a skill, but I still try). So bite me.

4) Writing is a form of discipline for me. It ensures that I spend a certain amount of time not thinking about rubbish, watching telly, reading girly magazines and fussing about strange things like the dust bunnies I cannot remove from under a heavy cupboard.

5) In order to write, I have to have a certain amount of knowledge in certain areas. Writing allows me to read and learn new things which are unrelated to my current vocation – which is medicine and healthcare.

6) I write under a pen name because it gives me a certain level of anonymity. For those of you who do know me, you know it’s not because I’m afraid of judgement but because I consider Reading Raynes to be a better version of me. Less inhibited if you like.

7) I place stories in the form of a blog for a couple of reasons:

a. “No commitment” reading – you can stop by any bloody time and pick up where you left off with ease.

b. Each piece will take up no more than 5-7 minutes of your time

c. You can flip between chapters easily, without having to bookmark pages

d. You can leave comments

e. It’s accessible on all internet platforms

f. I’m lousy with HTML coding and Blogger is easy to use (for dumbshits like me)

8) The blog layout is such because it loads fast, has minimal advertisements and it’s easy to read. How funny would it be if the page was black, the font was blue and there’s a butt load of ads telling you where you can meet hot single chicks? Care to read entire stories (most articles are no less than 1000 words) like that? No. I didn’t think so. Some may find it bland and uninteresting, but how many story books are full of things that are unrelated?

9) I do not claim, at any point, to be an intellectual. I write these seemingly fluffy stories because I want to enjoy myself. I probably will not attempt the impossible act of writing extremely complex stories which will go on to win Pulitzer prizes. As such, try not to knock me for not being smart enough or lacking in depth or whatever it is. I just want to entertain you and on occasion, make you laugh/cry while delivering a story or addressing an issue that has struck a nerve with me. It’s simple. Take it or leave it.

10) Target readers: anyone, mostly. But I think the content and language is most suitable for teenagers, young adults and adults. Why? For example, The Builder. The main story provides them with a lot of pretty accurate information on a very “in” topic, but the main message behind everything is that a man encouraged is a man capable of great things – it’s all about Jake. Freedom to have aspirations for more than what has been set out for someone young is pretty good, whichever way you look at it. Of course, it is not suitable for children. The language is often crude and the content can be incredibly unsettling. (Coffee, The Perfect Man, Epic and some others are absolutely no fly zones for children)

11) My sources of inspiration: can be anything. From cutting onions to watching a mother interact with her son, to strange people at Bing! right down to music and current events. I also get really inspired when you call me and say something about one of the stories, or comment (almost never happens – but I can’t ask for too much, heh)

12) Music is incredibly important to me. I listen to different kinds of music. Many of my stories (the flash fiction ones) are written while/after listening to a particular song. I have a playlist on my iTunes specifically for writing. RUN DMC, The Servant, MUSE, Lilly Allen and Evermore are some of the bands/artists included. Most of the time, I place a song on ‘repeat’ if I really need to keep the juice flowing. Spiderbait’s “Black Betty” has been used in at least 7 chapters of The Builder. Why? It fucking rocks. Enough said.

13) Why is everything from Jake’s point of view? Who the fuck is Jake? Why don’t you write about how Fallon feels or something? Why can’t we know more about Jo?! My answer: calm the fuck down. The entire story is based on Jake’s EXPERIENCE. In reality, you cannot shine a light into someone else’s mind. Neither can Jake. This is HIS story. Leave Jo alone. You are reading about Jo, James and Fallon through Jake’s eyes. Deal with it.

14) How Jake was created: funny story. I started writing fiction in med school. I was reading alot of books (mostly trashy romance because it was bloody fun and I went through books really fast), and inevitably, the most gorgeous male had to have the name “Jake”. I merely ‘humanized’ him.

15) How Jo was created: ahhh, she is a special character that somehow has a life of her own. I never, not once, have planned what Jo would say/do. I thought her up and she did the rest. Most of her weirdness comes from certain female friends. You know who you are ;)

16) Where I hope this blog and my stories will go? Good question. I don’t actually plan for it to go anywhere, actually. I do have some loyal readers (you know who you are – much love) and I do have many ideas, but until I reach the true end of The Builder, I probably won’t be sending out manuscripts or anything. My only hope is to get more readers, people who actually bother to read (not those of you who scroll down right to the end and write me off as a boring person - though I am pretty fucking boring)

Okay, so there you have it, folks. A little bit of info. A little bit of light. It’s not all dark, I tell ya. Remember, it never really is dark.