Well OK, I had hoped to be a bit better at this blogging malarkey, but there you have it I suppose. Although my excuse is that I'm trying to complete a novel, which does take precedence.
Having said that though, the writing has been going in fits and spurts just recently. Last week I had a few sticky patches, where the words were coming very slowly. I spent a fair bit of time thinking and working out where the plot ought to go. Finally, after I last posted, things did seem to fall into place and the writing sped up a little. I managed to get back up to 1000 words a day.
Friday I took my wife out for a lovely birthday dinner, so was unfit to do any writing that night, or the next either, as we went for cocktails with her sisters and their husbands, which proved to be lots of fun.
So, it's Monday, or rather Tuesday as I am writing this entry after midnight and I've been busy working on other things today. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with my snowboarding buddies from France '96-'97 for a few drinks after work.
From Wednesday, it's time to focus and knuckle down to get in some serious writing time. I think these past few days off have made me eager to get back into it and get on.
Catch you again soon. All the best.
Monday 23 February 2009
Tuesday 17 February 2009
A little bit sticky
It's been a few days since I last posted on my blog. I'm still new to it and I guess it hasn't become a habit yet. I've been working on the novel and by the time I finish writing in the evenings, it's usually a bit late to get on the computer and try to think about blogging. I thought I'd make the effort tonight though.
I've been working on the book, as I mentioned, but things have been a little bit sticky with it of late, in that I've been getting somewhat bogged down. The last few days, I've struggled to produce more than 500 words in an evening. I've managed to plan a bit of action in my head but that's for a little way down the line. For now, I'm finding it difficult to figure out what ought to happen where the story is at present.
I've plugged away at it though and hope I'll be able to write my way out of where I am. Working on this particular section has made me rethink some other aspects of the story and change a few story elements. I think tonight I had an idea of how to progress, so tomorrow I might be able to go with the flow and get a good chunk written. If I can hit 1000 words, I'll be happy.
Okay, it's off to bed for me now. Need sleep.
I've been working on the book, as I mentioned, but things have been a little bit sticky with it of late, in that I've been getting somewhat bogged down. The last few days, I've struggled to produce more than 500 words in an evening. I've managed to plan a bit of action in my head but that's for a little way down the line. For now, I'm finding it difficult to figure out what ought to happen where the story is at present.
I've plugged away at it though and hope I'll be able to write my way out of where I am. Working on this particular section has made me rethink some other aspects of the story and change a few story elements. I think tonight I had an idea of how to progress, so tomorrow I might be able to go with the flow and get a good chunk written. If I can hit 1000 words, I'll be happy.
Okay, it's off to bed for me now. Need sleep.
Friday 13 February 2009
Authonomy Authors Reap Rewards
Here's a piece of news I read today.
According to The Bookseller, HarperCollins has bought world rights for books from three authors that it discovered on its social networking site for writers, Authonomy.com.
The titles, bought for undisclosed sums, will all be published in the summer. Harper's mass-market imprint Avon will publish Coffee at Kowalski's by Miranda Dickson and The Reaper by Steve Dunne. The True Life imprint HarperTrue bought Never Say Die by Lynne Barrett-Lee.
The Authonomy website was set up in September and currently has over 2,000 manuscripts uploaded by aspiring authors. Each manuscript is voted on by Authonomy users, with the highest ranked guaranteed to be read by a HarperCollins editor each month.
Sammia Rafique, editorial and sales assistant at Avon, bought Coffee at Kowalski's as part of a three-book deal. Rafique also signed Steven Dunne in a two-book deal while publisher Carole Tonkinson bought Never Say Die by Melanie Davies and novelist Lynne Barrett-Lee.
www.thebookseller.com
According to The Bookseller, HarperCollins has bought world rights for books from three authors that it discovered on its social networking site for writers, Authonomy.com.
The titles, bought for undisclosed sums, will all be published in the summer. Harper's mass-market imprint Avon will publish Coffee at Kowalski's by Miranda Dickson and The Reaper by Steve Dunne. The True Life imprint HarperTrue bought Never Say Die by Lynne Barrett-Lee.
The Authonomy website was set up in September and currently has over 2,000 manuscripts uploaded by aspiring authors. Each manuscript is voted on by Authonomy users, with the highest ranked guaranteed to be read by a HarperCollins editor each month.
Sammia Rafique, editorial and sales assistant at Avon, bought Coffee at Kowalski's as part of a three-book deal. Rafique also signed Steven Dunne in a two-book deal while publisher Carole Tonkinson bought Never Say Die by Melanie Davies and novelist Lynne Barrett-Lee.
www.thebookseller.com
On Rejection
I was reading about publishers rejection letters and came across the following, which I thought were priceless and worth posting here:
I'd recommend visiting the site I saw this on and having a read. It's very informative.
http://www.nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html
There's the rejection from Samuel Johnson: "Your manuscript is both good and original; but the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good."
He is also said to have rejected a manuscript with "I am in the smallest room of my house, and your manuscript is before me. Soon it shall be behind me."
Now that's harsh.
Funny though.I'd recommend visiting the site I saw this on and having a read. It's very informative.
http://www.nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/004641.html
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Working on the novel
Well, I really got into it last night and managed over 1000 words on the book. Tonight wasn't quite as good – only about 500 words, plus some notes and ideas for additional dialogue in a scene I wrote the other evening. I really feel I ought to be hitting 1000 words every night but it's easier said than done. If I can manage more than 1000 tomorrow, then it will make up for my shortfall today.
The novel is coming along though. I kind of have an ending worked out in my head now and am working towards it, which makes things a little easier. Up until recently I was just writing and seeing where the characters and the story took me. Now I have some ideas about where they should be heading. Of course, they could have different ideas, or something else might suggest itself along the way. That's okay too – if it surprises me, then hopefully readers won't see it coming either.
I'm really looking forward to finishing the first draft, so I can begin editing. During the course of the writing, I've had to refer back to stuff I've already written and find that I'm already editing it in my head as I read it back. The edit is where the real writing is going to get done. I hope that as I will have the story down in black and white, the editing will go a bit faster than the first draft, perhaps a couple of thousand words an evening and big chunks at the weekends. That's what I'll aim for at any rate. More would be better, of course but I'll have to wait and see.
And then there's the research I still have to do. Remind me to mention that in my next post.
It's late and I'm going to bed. Good night.
The novel is coming along though. I kind of have an ending worked out in my head now and am working towards it, which makes things a little easier. Up until recently I was just writing and seeing where the characters and the story took me. Now I have some ideas about where they should be heading. Of course, they could have different ideas, or something else might suggest itself along the way. That's okay too – if it surprises me, then hopefully readers won't see it coming either.
I'm really looking forward to finishing the first draft, so I can begin editing. During the course of the writing, I've had to refer back to stuff I've already written and find that I'm already editing it in my head as I read it back. The edit is where the real writing is going to get done. I hope that as I will have the story down in black and white, the editing will go a bit faster than the first draft, perhaps a couple of thousand words an evening and big chunks at the weekends. That's what I'll aim for at any rate. More would be better, of course but I'll have to wait and see.
And then there's the research I still have to do. Remind me to mention that in my next post.
It's late and I'm going to bed. Good night.
Sunday 8 February 2009
Working on the novel
So, I haven't posted for a few days. I've been busy working on the novel and to tell the truth, I didn't just want to say 'yeah, wrote some more today', for every entry. That'd get a little boring after a while. Still, that's what I have been doing, apart from the day job (I'm a graphic designer, in case you wondered).
I did have to redo a couple of sections I wrote during the week. They seemed like hard work to write at the time but maybe that's because they weren't really working. I found myself thinking about those bits during the day and came up with a different way to write them. So it was a case of putting a line through what I'd already written (I'm working on my first draft longhand, good old pen and paper) and starting again. This time I was happier with the result and the story has moved on.
Progress is still a little slower than I'd like but I think my natural level is 1000 words a day and believe me, most of the time it takes long enough to hit that amount. There are days when I can get out 2-3000 words but they seem to be few and far between.
This weekend I've managed almost 3000 words and I may have a stab at more later on, so I'm happy. It's been a productive weekend.
I did have to redo a couple of sections I wrote during the week. They seemed like hard work to write at the time but maybe that's because they weren't really working. I found myself thinking about those bits during the day and came up with a different way to write them. So it was a case of putting a line through what I'd already written (I'm working on my first draft longhand, good old pen and paper) and starting again. This time I was happier with the result and the story has moved on.
Progress is still a little slower than I'd like but I think my natural level is 1000 words a day and believe me, most of the time it takes long enough to hit that amount. There are days when I can get out 2-3000 words but they seem to be few and far between.
This weekend I've managed almost 3000 words and I may have a stab at more later on, so I'm happy. It's been a productive weekend.
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Current Books
I didn't list all my favourite books in my profile because I'd just go on and on. Don't even get me started. The easiest way for me to do it, is for me to just mention what I am currently reading.
I've just read 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard and 'Swag' also by Elmore Leonard and both brilliant. I haven't read an Elmore Leonard novel for a while and I started off by re-reading 'Freaky Deaky', which was even better than I remembered. I hadn't read 'Swag' before but it was really cool. I have a whole pile of Elmore Leonard books to read, some I've read before and some I haven't but I'm looking forward to them all.
As a break from crime, I have picked up 'A Clash of Kings' by George RR Martin. This is the second volume of a massive fantasy saga. It reads more like medieval history with a smidge of the fantasy, rather than pure fantasy but it has great characters and a whole lot going on. I am really enjoying it, as I did the first book, 'A Game of Thrones'.
Okay, I'm off to do some writing now. This doesn't count.
I've just read 'Freaky Deaky' by Elmore Leonard and 'Swag' also by Elmore Leonard and both brilliant. I haven't read an Elmore Leonard novel for a while and I started off by re-reading 'Freaky Deaky', which was even better than I remembered. I hadn't read 'Swag' before but it was really cool. I have a whole pile of Elmore Leonard books to read, some I've read before and some I haven't but I'm looking forward to them all.
As a break from crime, I have picked up 'A Clash of Kings' by George RR Martin. This is the second volume of a massive fantasy saga. It reads more like medieval history with a smidge of the fantasy, rather than pure fantasy but it has great characters and a whole lot going on. I am really enjoying it, as I did the first book, 'A Game of Thrones'.
Okay, I'm off to do some writing now. This doesn't count.
Monday 2 February 2009
Welcome to my blog
Hi and welcome to my blog.
I couldn't get in to work today because of the snow, so I stayed home and managed to work on the novel. I'm hoping perhaps that's a good omen for the blog – and the book!
I'm currently in the process of writing my first novel which is provisionally entitled 'Western Fringes'. It's a crime novel set in and around Southall in West London. The first chapter won the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award 2008 and as a result I have been lucky enough to find an agent.
You can see the Debut Dagger page and click there to read the first chapter by using the link over on the right.
I'm working hard to finish the remainder of the novel and thought that it might be interesting to start up a blog to let people know how I'm getting along and hopefully to generate a little interest in myself and the book.
I hope to hear from you soon. Whoever you might be.
Thanks.
I couldn't get in to work today because of the snow, so I stayed home and managed to work on the novel. I'm hoping perhaps that's a good omen for the blog – and the book!
I'm currently in the process of writing my first novel which is provisionally entitled 'Western Fringes'. It's a crime novel set in and around Southall in West London. The first chapter won the Crime Writers Association Debut Dagger Award 2008 and as a result I have been lucky enough to find an agent.
You can see the Debut Dagger page and click there to read the first chapter by using the link over on the right.
I'm working hard to finish the remainder of the novel and thought that it might be interesting to start up a blog to let people know how I'm getting along and hopefully to generate a little interest in myself and the book.
I hope to hear from you soon. Whoever you might be.
Thanks.
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