Migraines, Editing, and my Topamax Nightmare.

Hi all, 

Back in October 2013 I received a round of edits from my publisher and when I opened them up, this is how they looked to me, confusing and disjointed. Before my edits were straight forward, A and B would eventually lead to C and so on, but then every time I would open up the document and look at it all I would see was confusion. Luckily, I have a very understanding publisher and editor at Gentry Publishing.

I suffer from migraines daily, with other effects including nausea, dizziness, severe eye pain, and noise sensitivity. I have been on a lot of various medications for this but my GP decided it was time for me to try, Topamax.

For those of you who don’t know much about, Topamax, it is a medication you have to be weaned on and off of. So my instructions were 1 x 25mg daily for a week, upping it by 25mg each week until I got to 100mg and then the GP and I would assess how it was going.

The thing was that almost at once I start to suffer terrible side effects, I felt as if my brain was in a fog. It was as if I had stepped outside of my body and was watching myself but could say or do nothing about it. I found myself repeating sentences over and over because I couldn’t remember if I had said them or not. I felt as if I was driving everybody around me crazy, with my constant apologising for the way I had become. Severe confusion was another side effect of Topamax, which came to head at a GP appointment, where he was asking me questions about how I was getting on with the meds. This is where I found great time for my doctor, he could see what was happening, where at the time I could not. He spoke to my wife, who had told him how confused and withdrawn I had become, and he decided the best course of action was to take me off of Topamax.

I didn’t realise until after I had come off that medication how far I had actually slipped, and in such a short time, but unfortunately the migraines continued and this is where I think the story may be beginning to change…

My daughter was seeing a Physiotherapist for joint pains, and he suggest that she take extra strength vitamin D3 due to living in Ireland and our not so sunny climate, we are all lacking natural vitamin D. He suggested a very high dose of about 5,000 IU. My wife read up on this, and my opinion was whatever makes you happy, so for the last few months we’ve all been on a once a day capsule.

February 2014...

I finally got to see a neurologist, who like my GP agrees that the problem is migraines and his suggestion – you guessed it, Topamax.

I must have looked horrified, I told him of what happened before and he asked me about dosage increases etc. Now I wouldn’t say he was Insistent but he was keen for me to try them again. He suggested starting off with the same dose but increasing at a much slower rate, so I agreed I would try them but would come straight off them again I or my wife saw any of the previous side effects.

So far I am a month in, and this time the side effects aren’t as bad as last time - by a long way. I have the odd day where my brain is in a fog, but I’m not as lost in myself as I was the last time. I haven’t been so lost for words or forgetful, even the tingling in the hands and feet is hardly there. 

Why do I think?

Could it be the vitamin D3?   If so this is going to be of a major help to many. Topamax is known to reduce your natural source of vitamin D which can lead to severe bone and teeth problems.

It’s early days for me this second time around, but I’m feeling a lot better, and have loads more energy, I’m a lot more confident on the Topamax than I was the first time around.

Food for thought? I definitely think so.

All the best,

Daniel Kaye x

Update on my novel - I, Vladimir

Hi all,

I’d like to thank you all for being so patient and for having such interest in my vampire novel, I Vladimir. So many of my good friends ask me about my writing and my novel, how I’m getting along with it, but mostly, when will it be released?

I always give the same answer – we’re still editing, and then I smile.

To be honest, editing is not really the correct term it’s more of a rewrite, but we’ve all heard that well known phrase Writing is Rewriting.  Together with the advice of my publisher and editor, we’ve decided to change the personalities of the two main characters which is a lot more work than it sounds. Like a domino effect, each piece changed effects the next and so on. The experience has been fantastic, I have continued to learn, and my writing has grown along with it. All of which I have used in the writing of my second novel – Anonymous Jack.

I am lucky enough to have a fantastic publisher and editor at Gentry Publishing, and together we are working very hard on getting my novel ready for its release in 2015. We are taking the time needed to get it right, because you only get the opportunity to release a debut novel once.

All the best and again, thank you,

Daniel Kaye x

Social Media & Building Your Author Platform

Hi all,

I thought I’d write down a few basic thoughts on social media, and building your author platform. I hope you’ll find this of interest, and if there’s anything you’d like to add please do, we’re all still learning.

All of the below may sound daunting at first, but when you're on top of it all you'll manage all of this in about 15/20 minutes a day.

I use social media, daily, I work for myself so luckily I have the time. The main ones I think are Facebook, a blog (I use blogger), Goodreads, and Twitter. It is all about interacting with other writers, sharing articles and interesting snippets you find. The more information you share the more people will be interested in you and what you have to say, including your own writing. 

I think this is what Facebook works at best. It is packed full of writing groups for you to join, it’s visual and easy to use. There are so many writers using it, it can be a mine of information and people willing to help. A lot of people aren’t comfortable with strangers adding you as a friend on Facebook and seeing your holiday snaps or pictures from last year’s office Christmas party, so set up an author page and use that instead of your own for posting links on Twitter etc. But remember don’t get stuck on Facebook too long, there’ll be no time left for writing. 

Blogging, I started off with quotes, and the odd bit I found interesting, it builds slowly, but it does build. The key is to post something on your blog regularly, leave it too long in-between and people will lose interest. Any blog you find an article about writing, post a link on Twitter and Facebook. If people find it of interest, they will share it. 

Goodreads is a place for writers and readers where you share your reviews on books that you've read. You get the opportunity to give it a star rating and a brief review. There are many writing groups on there, search them out in your genre and join in. It's all about getting your name out there. Goodreads also offer a book giveaway, you register your book and set the dates you want the competition to run, and people enter who'd like to win. Goodreads pick a winner and you post it off. I did one a few months ago, I put up a signed copy of The Eleventh Hour, and over 800 registered to win it. Also on Goodreads, lookout out for the opportunity to review someone else’s book, people are often looking for reviewers and you could get offered an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) to give your review on. This benefits you in a few ways - It gets people looking at your Goodreads page and your blog, they may follow you on Facebook and Twitter, plus the person may do a review for you come the time. Also get people you know to add your book to their 'To Read' list and you offer to do the same to theirs. If someone searches your book, it'll show there are plenty of others that are interested in reading your book.

I've left twitter to last - I feel none of the above work without twitter. Think of it as your advertising board, a way of bringing people to look at all of the above. You build up your followers list by interacting and following others, again like Facebook you share their tweets etc. Post the links to your Facebook and blog, and anything else of interest. It does seem a bit as if you're repeating yourself across the social media outlets. But you need them all to make each of the others work.

The most important lesson in social media - You may have noticed I haven't mentioned your book. Nothing puts people off more than someone repeatedly pushing their book. People want to be interested in you and what information you post first, then your book. So fill your pages with writing info and titbits slightly peppered with info on your novel.

As your release date comes closer, see if you can find people who are interested in your genre to review your novel. Pick and choose carefully, you want someone that has a good following, check their Goodreads/Facebook/Twitter/Blog and make sure they're active. It's a waste of a book if they don't have all or most of these.

Also, create a buzz about your book near to its release date. Don't just post a picture of your cover, try to think of someway of releasing it, such as an online jigsaw or a way in which the more people click on the link the more of the cover will be revealed. Organize giveaways, bookmarks/postcards etc. (Also known as Swag). I'm also toying with the idea of making a short video clip using MS Moviemaker. There's a lot of discussion on whether or not these work, but to be honest, I think it'll be fun to do. 

When you have these set up and going, there is Linkedin, Instagram, and Pininterest, but I'm always here and if you need help or any info please message me, I'd love to know how you get on.

By the way I'm on: 

Twitter

Facebook
Facebook Author Page 

Blog

All the best,

Daniel Kaye.