Unbelievable!

I cannot get over how time has got away from me over the last 5 or 6 months! The last time I posted was just after I had held a charity cake sale and here we are, Winter and Christmas all over and done with, Spring well on its way and the promise of summer lurking in the skies of the longer days and slightly shorter nights.

So, what have I been up to?
Well I would love to report that Sadie had been snatched up by a major publisher and that I had been so busy with the editing team and preparations for publication that I just haven't had the time. Sadly, this is not the case. Not yet, at least. I have, however, entered a major competition which goes on until July, so we will see how that goes. The journey of the would be novelist intrigues me, but never disappoints me. Yes, there have been several letters which amount to polite rejections. There have been some submissions which have gong unanswered, and one offer of publication if I meet part of the cost but I have to admit that still my submissions total less than a dozen and when compared with the number of times certain best sellers were rejected, I have nothing to worry about. Some of the very best things took time to get off the ground (Queen did not take off in the US for many years, Abba were not immediately successful and don't even get me started on certain books.......)
http://www.literaryrejections.com/best-sellers-initially-rejected/

Do I seem defensive? I hope not, and I don't mean to either. I hope that my journey might inspire or comfort others on the same path. I believe in Sadie so wholeheartedly that I know it is only a  matter of time..... but even that isn't true really, is it? If I just leave her in the drawer, all the time in the world isn't going to get her published.
So what is the hold up? (And my husband just echoed those same thoughts as I write!)

Last year I decided to edit, and I did so quite heavily. It concerned me that there were a few too many details about property renovation and not enough of the magic that underpinned the story. With this in mind I set about cutting, chopping and changing - keeping the integrity of the story but (hopefully) improving. And for a while therein lay the problem. I edited so much that I lost track of the beginning, lost a chapter, changed my mind, cut and paste again until the time came that I just had to put her away and take a good break from the whole thing. I recently went for a meal with a good friend and we were discussing the progress of the book and my editing. I explained where I was at and my particular dissatisfaction with the beginning of the book. I then went home and found the competition. It was this that spurred me on and I found that having had a good rest from it, I could go back with fresh eyes and solved the problems that had eluded me or several months.

So perhaps a lesson for some there - don't be in a hurry. If it is worth it, take your time. Go away from it then come back refreshed. It was amazing how rejuvenated I felt in visiting Sadie after this time and I am happy with where we re now. Not saying that there won't be other changes, but I am much happier with where we are at now.

So why haven't I blogged? To be honest I think it has just been a rest from Sadie and so I haven't felt the need to. Some might say that a true writer needs to write everyday and can't live without it, and that may be true. For some. But I am a teacher, with a full time job and a home to run. My eldest son left home and time has been spent (in between my tears for the uprooting of my first born) renovating and redecorating the house that he and his lovely girlfriend have bought. I have other hobbies, crafting being one and I spent some time making, mending and baking - still need that outlet for my creative urges!

What about Albie - the sequel? Well to be honest I have left him alone too for the time being. The notes have continued and I have a book full of ideas, dates, details and descriptions but no actual progress in the actual writing of the book. However, now Sadie is amended, it is time for me to go back to where we were and see what he has been up to in my absence.

So, with apologies for rambling on for so long,  I would just like to say a big thank you to a patient husband and to some wonderful family and friends for all their support.

Here we go again. Wish me luck!

x

Busy busy busy #MacmillanCancer

So this month has been jam packed with frantic activity. Not content with preparing to start sending Sadie out and working on the sequel, I have started writing a children's book. I can be a bit schizophrenic like that......... I was looking for a particular type of book for my Y8 class at school and couldn't find it anywhere - checked Amazon and all the usual book shops, so decided to put it together for myself. Its a none fiction book, and I have some of my class helping me, and it shouldn't take long, but it's another little venture that has kept me out of mischief! I will let you know how that goes, as I would love to get it published, for them as much as for me.

A couple of weeks ago we held a coffee morning for the Macmillan Cancer Nurse Charity which raised over £200 - family and friends all came to our house to eat cake made by myself, my sisters and mum. It was a beautiful day and we were very happy with the result, although it took me an hour and a half to count and bag the money, then further delays when the cashier in the bank made a mistake.......why does everything have to be so complicated!!!!! But all in a good cause, so please take a look.



http://www.macmillan.org.uk/HowWeCanHelp/Nurses/AboutMacmillanNurses.aspx

Last week we had The Inspectors in school, which is quite stressful, and whilst I like to think that I teach every lesson as if I were being observed, you are still double conscious of crossing every T and dotting every I. (I got GOOD, by the way, big relief.....). then came a VERY long day trip to a conference in London. Next week I have two days away on training events. Now my son is just on the verge of signing for his first house and I see lots of decorating ahead.......and in between all of this I decided to make some rag dolls.....

None of this is a complaint, by the way, or an excuse for unfinished work. I spent a very busy time last week writing and posting so still making progress. My plans for the next few weeks include contacting agents, completing my children's book and making further progress with Albie. It's a long journey, this one I am undertaking, but that's exactly what it is, a journey. And isn't that the important bit, rather than the destination? I'm finding every bit of the whole process absolutely fascinating. If anything comes of it (and I am nothing if not the most tenacious person in the entire world......) then even better, and if not, then I will have still learned  a lot. And what bits I can, I will share.

Meanwhile, have a great week (or month, depending on how long it is until next time!!!!)
xxx

#experiment

This week I had a conversation with one of my sons about new technology and `how it all works`. Now I don't know if I understood this properly, so I am experimenting with # (hashtag, for anyone, like me, not in the know). Apparently if I use # followed by a word then it will show up on subjects that are `trending`, and may lead to more readers. Worth a try, anyway. So you will see that particular symbol pop up for a while now on my posts, and I will take a look and see if it looks as if it is in fact making any difference.
It's all changed since back in the day when you had to send a letter or go to the phone box if you wanted to get a message out...... (and it's NOT all that long ago..)

I was inspired by some other blogs I read (by other aspiring authors on a similar journey to mine),. I was struck by the wonderfully positive messages given out. One wrote about several authors who had had their work rejected many times, but because they had persevered, had finally got there. This, as I am sure you know, includes the likes of    #JK Rowling  and it is quite reassuring, I think, to know that it may be just around the corner. One lady, apparently had work rejected 60 time, and was published at the 61st attempt. The author (Sandie Docker - you can find her link from my page) writes in a wonderfully reassuring manner and is most entertaining at the same time. Am I to expect rejection? Isn't it, in any case, good for the soul? And if work is rejected - well isn't that just somebody's opinion? It doesn't make them right.  So I would recommend you take a look at Sandie's page (I don't want to plagiarise, and I couldn't put it as well in any case!)  but I will reinforce what she says. If you are writing, if you are looking to be published, if you are getting rejections - keep on going. there may be times when you feel like chucking in the towel, but don't. Someone somewhere will be waiting. You just have to find them.

Now, lets see -
#positivity #publishing #trending

no idea what I am doing, but never was one to not have a go!

Meanwhile, have a great week!

Africa and South America

Just a quickie - looking at my audience I am reaching lots of people and would like to say Hello today to Africa, from North to South, and the whole of South America! hope to see some views pop up from there sometime!

Finally!!

I have spent a considerable amount of time editing, and today completed Sadie's House, the revised edition!! Now there may be those of you who think that I should have done this in the first place, and I had. It has now been edited, read, revised, re read and revised again about 5 times. and somewhere you have to stop. I might have more ideas in another 6 months, or 16 months, or 6 years, but I can't keep going over it!

 I had some really useful feedback from the first (revised and edited) edition, and this has led to me taking out parts of the story which, although I knew were well written, were not actually contributing anything to the story. It was painful, but I have removed over 13000 words of text!! Ouch! I had added other details along the way, which have moved the story and helped to develop characters more productively, and I am very happy with the result.

I had seen the note below along the way, which suggested to me that at over 110000 word, the story was in any case, a bit too long, so this is another reason why I have done the right thing. I have also found a publisher  who I am very excited about and am preparing to approach, (but I will save details of that next particular venture until a later date!!) I am very excited about the book.

https://www.facebook.com/writeabooknow
How long should your novel be?
According to agents in today’s market here’s the word count for your average commercial literary novel:
Below 70,000: Too short
100,000 or above: Too long
75,000 – 90,000: Sweet spot

Meanwhile, summer seems to have come and gone all too quickly. I have other interests, and have spent a busy summer travelling with family, catching up with friends, making rag dolls, baking and a week spent in summer school for the new year group. Now comes the imminent return to school and writing will have to be confined to working around my family. The nights are drawing in already, September is here and winter is waiting around the corner. I refuse to mention the festive ~C word just yet, but it's there, waiting - cards are in the shops already! Yikes - where does the time go!

So happy end of summer to everyone - I will be blogging more frequently now the Big Edit is done, although my good friend Albie is tapping me on the shoulder now so I will have to pay him a visit.
Have a great week!
xx





PS Sadie's House; The Key is now in the `sweet spot` at just over 97000 words!

The Big Edit

I had already started The Big Edit before I saw the link below. But it was comforting to see that I am on the right track. So here's the latest.......

A couple of weeks ago I had had a message from the previously mentioned (but un-named) publisher, reducing the price for publication and offering payment by instalments. I have politely declined, as that is not the way that I hoped publication of my book would go, but thanked them sincerely for their interest and strengthened my resolve to continue. Now that my children have finished with college for the time being, I have a bit more time to bury my head back in my work.

And so The Big Edit has begun. I have a range of ideas, and whilst Albie is taking a back seat for the time being, work on the editing of Sadie is underway. I am making changes to the beginning, culling unnecessary parts without losing the integrity of the story and adding one or two features that I feel enhance and develop the story that bit further. So far it is going well, and I am very happy with the results. I will then start to submit to publishers again when I have finished.

I have said all along that I am not in a rush; it took me this long to write a book in the first place, I am not desperate to publish as soon as possible, at any cost. but I do still have self publishing at the back of my mind, and I am happy that if needs must, then that is the way I will go. But I have to say, I love my book, it is the book I would choose to read and I am proud of it.

The rest will follow in its own time.

So good luck to fellow writers in the same boat. Keep going, always believe, and like I said before, anything is possible!!!

Have a great week! x

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2013/06/how-i-self-edit-my-novels-15-steps-from.html

Helpful articles and notes

Kawasaki Makes the Case for Self-Publishing
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/pw-select/article/57646-kawasaki-makes-the-case-for-self-publishing.html


The creative Pen
http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2012/10/12/help-my-book-isnt-selling/


The Most Efficient Way to Write Your Book and Build Blog Readership (At the Same Time)
http://writetodone.com/2012/06/18/the-most-efficient-way-to-write-your-book-and-build-blog-readership-at-the-same-time/