tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27253426242315170882024-03-14T10:21:45.351+00:00Strictly WritingWriting blog, written by writers for writers both published and unpublished DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.comBlogger904125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-39644310263894509412023-08-18T15:20:00.002+01:002023-08-18T15:21:08.080+01:00Passion Projects<p><span style="font-family: Arial;">As any creative artist can tell
you, the muse comes in many different guises and you never know where or when or even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> inspiration will strike. I’m a novelist
and short story writer so words are my thing, but I've never been entirely sure whether my writing is what you'd call <i><span style="color: #800180;">art</span></i>. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">I do write a lot</a> though!<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">In 2015 I signed a five-book
deal with <a href="https://joffebooks.com/" target="_blank">Joffe Books</a> for a Brit spy series featuring Thomas Bladen, a
Surveillance Officer on the lowest rungs of British Intelligence. In 2018 the
fifth and final book came out and that was going to be the end of Thomas's adventures. In 2020 Joffe
Books produced a box set of <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089KSMTF8/" target="_blank">THE COMPLETE THOMAS BLADEN THRILLERS</a> to round it
off.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I then began a new crime
mystery series for Joffe Books, starring Detective Craig Wild. New characters, new set-up. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089GXTB47" target="_blank">LONG SHADOWS</a> debuted in
2020 and <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09PNWHRF8" target="_blank">WEST COUNTRY MURDER</a> followed in 2022. I’m currently wrestling with
the plot for a third book.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But…sometimes old characters
refuse to fade away and they return to us with new ideas and adventures, long after
we thought they’d gone. <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CBZ32YP6" target="_blank">PATHFINDER</a> is one such story and follows on from
FLASHPOINT (published in 2018, remember!). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The muse presented me with a compelling premise
and the seed was a single question:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">What if people started dying because of a secret no
one else was supposed to know?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Weirdly, although I completed it this year, PATHFINDER picks up right after where
<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B079HYYYW7/" target="_blank">FLASHPOINT</a> ended. No spoilers here but there’s a <u>major</u> event in Book 5 that has
dire consequences in Book 6. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">As far as my publisher was
concerned, the original series was done and dusted, but they encouraged me to
try other options if I wanted. After contacting a couple of other publishers, without success, I spoke with a good friend and fellow <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6483315.Villayat_Snowmoon_Wolf_Sunkmanitu">writer</a> and he nudged me towards <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/SnowMoon-Wolfs-Self-Publishing-Villayat-Sunkmanitu-ebook/dp/B008AX14CW/" target="_blank">self-publishing</a>.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The
last time I self-pubbed a novel was back in 2012, so it has been a bit
of a learning curve. This time I brought in expertise for the
cover design and final formatting at the outset. I am very pelased with the results.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't know whether PATHFINDER will make
any money or climb the Amazon charts. I hope so, but that wasn't my main motivation. I
simply believed in the book and wrote it for the people who loved the
series. You could say that's when I knew it was art after all!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i>Derek<br /></i></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_E3k7QkYqTymkqNKGXC1Lsy9lpPubMEaTueM7x_LKbVYBxIMTJVhl9jPMdN9eP-OyAklp1FjYoQrRasfQjQN9BN6I7h865OOeYkq1CWmwV_dpuLdq7GWFGOGueAo55SfjAMKQqeO69ljJC8xIhrd7JJSjOR8FTNIUR5jkUWV1EgipcNRr9j0K7ThnzhJ/s945/Book%206%20Pathfinder%20eBook%20sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="945" data-original-width="591" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ_E3k7QkYqTymkqNKGXC1Lsy9lpPubMEaTueM7x_LKbVYBxIMTJVhl9jPMdN9eP-OyAklp1FjYoQrRasfQjQN9BN6I7h865OOeYkq1CWmwV_dpuLdq7GWFGOGueAo55SfjAMKQqeO69ljJC8xIhrd7JJSjOR8FTNIUR5jkUWV1EgipcNRr9j0K7ThnzhJ/s320/Book%206%20Pathfinder%20eBook%20sm.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>PATHFINDER</b></span></span></u></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Surveillance
Officer Thomas Bladen is back and he’s a man on a mission. <br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE SHADOW STATE AND THE ALLIANCE HAVE
BEEN AT WAR FOR DECADES. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">After seven
dissidents meet to try and end the deadlock, they think their secret is safe.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They’re wrong.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; margin: 0.1pt 0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A near-miss on
the London Underground is just the beginning for a contract killer with friends
in high places. When no one else can be trusted, the fate of seven people rests
with Thomas, who will learn the hard way about the price of loyalty and the
cost of failure. The only rule
is to stay alive.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>UK: </b><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CBZ32YP6">https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CBZ32YP6</a> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>US: </b><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CBZ32YP6">https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CBZ32YP6</a> </span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtl6MSwlbNCQqBTp0vTk6dwV8QTj1lyfiDCc8lSsrS4wTrXxTjFJ_PinKrJgR8xm3sZU1xnMWkxJ9U7ksDLf_61h0MXL2oHmfvXA10cmwCY59LDiF22IMlzipicHQ5frbP6UI5Tg1PKYo6WG-219VE4iYEbRpQEXxMzFMWVsdRop1C90an5zsbE6_NRYU/s709/DT%20Books%20covers%202023%20sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="347" data-original-width="709" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtl6MSwlbNCQqBTp0vTk6dwV8QTj1lyfiDCc8lSsrS4wTrXxTjFJ_PinKrJgR8xm3sZU1xnMWkxJ9U7ksDLf_61h0MXL2oHmfvXA10cmwCY59LDiF22IMlzipicHQ5frbP6UI5Tg1PKYo6WG-219VE4iYEbRpQEXxMzFMWVsdRop1C90an5zsbE6_NRYU/s320/DT%20Books%20covers%202023%20sm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></p>DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-250228157236051632022-06-26T14:33:00.001+01:002022-06-26T14:33:45.338+01:00Listen up, it's been a while...<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Hello loyal blog readers,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">It has been an absolute age since we last posted anything here and it seems only fair to tell you why. In the beginning, I imagine (I was a late addition) this blog was a haven of hope and a place to practise and perfect prose. And to avoid too much alliteration. There are some great pieces here from people who are passionate about their own writing and other people's.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">So where did we go?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Good question. My guess is that people followed their own literary trails and found they could no longer dedicate the time needed to produce blog posts that mattered. Perhaps we'll do a catch-up with the founders at some point. I hope so. It would be lovely for you - and me - to see where they are now.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">The other thing that has changed in our hiatus is the way that many writers communicate. Still words, of course, but there is now a profusion of platforms, some offering writers ways to interact more dynamically with their audience.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In my case, I joined forces with editor and author Lynn Michel to create a fledgling podcast - The Truth About Fiction. We are ten episodes in and still finding our feet. You can find us here <a href="https://anchor.fm/truth-about-fiction">https://anchor.fm/truth-about-fiction</a> and we would love to hear what you think. You can also drop questions or themes here in the comments and we'll consider them for future shows.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Thanks,</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Derek</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08 </a> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span> <br /></p>DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-69399657956881953562021-04-05T12:24:00.002+01:002021-04-05T12:24:35.780+01:00Life Lessons from Fiction<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhkGytHKp-XLdn5waedOTp7MU5pju9_eOe4cc2zRlyOpQlltPpbaiX17f9icH0V6p5hAhRiKXzlcAMUJvxeA3rbUnC8K0bP2JHdH8hwM4kFhMpCUtPMbvxK11Baer7QMAudgwax3uY-oY/s319/London+Crime+author.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="299" data-original-width="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqhkGytHKp-XLdn5waedOTp7MU5pju9_eOe4cc2zRlyOpQlltPpbaiX17f9icH0V6p5hAhRiKXzlcAMUJvxeA3rbUnC8K0bP2JHdH8hwM4kFhMpCUtPMbvxK11Baer7QMAudgwax3uY-oY/s0/London+Crime+author.png" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Ask any novelist and they will tell you that creating a novel is a process. It will differ from writer to writer and the first separation into camps is whether one is a plotter or a pantser (as in ’seat of the pants’). The distinctions between writers continue from then on, like fault lines, to plot vs. meaning vs. character vs. genre. And when I say versus I really mean whichever is uppermost in a novelist’s mind when they pick up a pen.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">This is another side of the</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">process </i><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">and that’s less about what ends up on the page and more about what happens internally.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">There is, for example, a familiar curve that could be likened to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Denial </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">– “<i>This is such a great idea and no one has ever thought of it.” “This will make me a million.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Anger </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">– <i>“Why is this so bloody difficult?” “Why is everyone else doing better than me?” “Why aren’t I better at this?”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Bargaining </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">– <i>“If I lose the scene with the elephant* maybe I can make this chapter work.”</i> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Depression </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">– <i>“I. Hate. This. Book.” “All those hours and this is what I have to show for it?” “Why is this book so different from my initial premise?” “How will I ever get this agented / published / read / reviewed?” “I am a terrible writer. I’ll never be as good as [insert chosen author’s name here].”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Acceptance </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">– <i>“This is good enough (for this draft at least!); besides, I’d rather write something else now.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Does creating fiction teach us about inspiration, resilience, networking, symbolism, navigating the subconscious, and – ultimately – ourselves? Maybe, maybe not. As a good friend of mine is wont to say: your mileage may vary.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">There is another angle that might be fruitful, looking at the elements of novel writing (and beyond), and relating them to the everyday business of living.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">As a therapist aptly put it**, “Don’t think of it as therapy; think of it as a meaningful chat.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">With that in mind, let’s play with some ideas…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">What is your narrative?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">In one sense, what is the story you’re trying to tell others and, in another, what is the story you’re telling yourself? They’re not always the same and it’s that mismatch that can damage our relationships, hold us back and thwart our ambitions. It all starts with the internal narrative, and the strange and totally illogical world of beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Who is your protagonist?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Usually, it’s you. But not always. Caregivers, for example, may feel the need to put someone else centre stage. That situation aside, if you’re not the protagonist then whose story is your life about? <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Who is your antagonist?<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">If something or someone stands between you and your goals (happiness, serenity, love, adventure, etc.), name them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">The editors </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">in your life are driven to make corrections. They’re a great asset if you haven’t completed something but not so useful when everything is done. If that’s the case they become Captain Hindsight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">The reviewers </span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">are great for telling you what they like or dislike, and why. They’re not editors though, so don’t expect them to come up with solutions. That’s not their forte. The best reviewers are honest and constrictive, even if you don’t always agree with what they say.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">Derek</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://londoncrime.co.uk/londoncrimefictionbooks/index.html">https://londoncrime.co.uk/londoncrimefictionbooks/index.html</a> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</span></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">* I removed it and it helped reduce the word count if nothing else.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt;">** They didn’t. I made it up.<o:p></o:p></span></p>DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-28602996298790450932020-07-03T12:47:00.001+01:002020-07-23T12:54:10.033+01:00In conversation with Susie Bower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Thanks for joining me in cyberspace, Susie. Congratulations on the launch of</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><i><a href="https://www.pushkinpress.com/product/school-for-nobodies/" target="_blank">School for Nobodies</a></i></b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">, your debut children’s book.</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">I know you as an artist, an author of adult fiction, and as a lover of carrot and coriander soup (when we used to meet at your flat in Falmouth, as part of a writing group).</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">I’m aware that you previously worked in children’s television; how much did that experience help you in writing children’s fiction?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Those were good days, when we all came together to share our work!</span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Working in television – in Schools TV – certainly helped me write children’s fiction. I directed and wrote a series called ‘Rat-A-Tat-Tat’ for Channel 4, aimed at fostering a delight in reading and words. We animated lots of great picture books and I wrote the scripts, as well as some of the songs and stories. I spent a fair bit of time with children and it made me very aware of attention spans and what excited them. And I learned that every single word had to count. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">What was the catalyst for writing a children’s book, or was it something you always wanted to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">The catalyst was my complete failure to write another adult novel! After ‘<a href="https://www.linen-press.com/shop/the-making-of-her/" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">The Making of Her</a>’ I abandoned two novels. Then I came across an online writing community called The Novelry, run by Louise Dean. She’d just introduced a new course, The Classic, which was all about children’s literature. Doing The Classic was like stepping back in time to my own childhood – to a magical world where anything could happen. Within a week of beginning the course, I had the idea for School for Nobodies.</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Is there some of you in one (or more!) of the characters?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">People often ask where writers get their ideas for characters. Mine are mostly drawn from inside myself. For several years I’ve been having Internal Family Systems Therapy – a therapy exploring the many different parts or sub-personalities in one’s system and the way they work. So it’s quite therapeutic to give them expression in the characters I write – especially the crazy, bad ones! And writing for children allows me to re-experience parts of myself that never had expression in my own childhood – in this case, the inner ‘Nobody’. Because we moved so often when I was a child, I was often the newbie, the odd-one-out. Flynn personifies that misfit child inside.</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Would it be a stretch then to say that some writers write those unexpressed aspects of themselves in order to, hopefully, achieve greater integration? Or, looking at it another way, do you think we write to give those aspects a fully realised expression to make</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">them </i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">whole?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">I can’t speak for other writers, but I guess that’s why I like to write about restoration and transformation – by writing/reading about these processes, perhaps something may be activated towards them happening inside (though I wouldn’t count on it!). I do believe in homeostasis, so perhaps by giving voice and life to these less-acceptable parts of the self, some sort of internal balance can be achieved.</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Do you think you will return to these characters or do you have a different book in mind for next time?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">School for Nobodies is a stand-alone book – I think the ends are tied up too neatly to take it any further. And I’ve almost finished drafting the next one, another stand-alone – a very different story, which is a mash-up of Pygmalion and The Red Shoes!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Did you approach both books in the same way, and if not how did the creative process differ?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Because I write mysteries (which are like very complex and intricate jigsaw puzzles) I tend to write in a particular way. As a dyed-in-the-wool plotter, I like to have the skeleton or architecture of the book in place before I write the detail, so I’ll spend a lot of time writing what’s known as a Zero Draft – a draft-before-first-draft which is really an extended outline (my present book had a Zero Draft of 12,000 words) in which there is absolutely no craft at all – it’s just ‘getting the story down’. Then I’ll write a first draft (my least favourite part of the process) in which things may change. After that, I’ll edit. I edit rather in the way I paint – I begin by looking at the ‘big picture’, the structure. Does the story make sense? Is it being told in the most effective way? Then I move to the medium ground of character and voice. Finally, the particular, fine detail of the words themselves (though in practice, I’m moving around between all of these – it’s not an exact science!).</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Zero Draft is a new one on me. It sounds preferable to my own method (for the past two books) which is to sort of <i>walk around</i> the book until I find a way in! I know what I’m trying to do, broadly, but it’s not structured. Do you see yourself as an author now, as opposed to a writer, and does that come with new expectations?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">I love the idea of ‘walking around’ a book. Do I consider myself a writer or an author? Hmm, interesting question! ‘Author’ is sort of static. I guess I can say I’m the author of my books, but I prefer to call myself a writer. ‘Author’ sort of rests on the laurels, whereas writing is an ongoing process. If I call myself a writer, I can’t get away with anything less than actually doing it! As to expectations, I think it’s foolish to have them, particularly now. Hope, yes.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">How do you see yourself? </span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">To my mind, an author is a published writer or someone who is acknowledged as the creator of something. It feels like a sales term! Do you find it easier to write 'the next book' or is there a weight of expectation?</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">No – the second one has definitely not been easier to write! For a whole raft of reasons – there was so much excitement and so much happening with School for Nobodies – revisions with my agent, revisions with Pushkin, copy editing and so on – that it was quite distracting (in a good way!). Then, more recently, I managed to fall and break one elbow and crack the other, needing an operation, and this was immediately followed by COVID, and the publication of School for Nobodies, which was twice postponed because of it. So focusing on writing the next one has been challenging! The difficulty of writing a second novel is that you are so aware of the process that the previous one went through, and it’s so hard not to compare the ‘shitty first draft’ with the final, polished version of the previous one...and yes, the weight of expectation (mine and others’) sits heavily on my shoulders too.</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">How did you get past that hurdle? (Asking for a friend…!)</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Because my second book was contracted, the hurdle had to be jumped. A delivery date is a remarkably efficient incentive! I think I try to address the inner critics, the terror and the expectations in a two-pronged way: first, by sitting down and paying heed to Isak Dinesen, who wrote: ‘Write a little every day, without hope, without despair.’ Second, taking the pressure of perfection away as much as possible by writing a Zero Draft (or No-Craft-Draft) and only looking at the language in the final, ‘beauty edit’ stage of the process. Doesn’t always work, though!</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Getting it down on paper / screen makes it real and I think we can lose ourselves without boundaries or form. A Zero Draft sounds like a good way to create boundaries and focus at the very early stage. Do you find that your final version is close to your original vision, or do you welcome deviations as part of the creative process? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">As an inveterate plotter, I find the overall architecture of the novel tends to remain the same. But new characters and situations invariably find their way in during the writing. And revisions – both for my agent and for my editor – can also change things (for the better). During the process of writing and editing School for Nobodies, I lost two characters and gained two more!</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Do you have ambitions or dreams for your books, or for yourself creatively? I have always been drawn to the idea of starting out writing something at ‘Point A’ and then, through a series of serendipitous events (which can’t, of course, be planned for!), ending up doing something I had never imagined. Whether that would be seeing one of my novels being adapted for radio, or being invited to work on a collaborative project, I want <i>the journey</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Yes, I really relate to this! I’ve always been a dreamer and a wisher and a what-might-happen sort of gal. But it’s very weird – since lockdown, it’s as if the future’s out of bounds, and I’m focusing much more on what is, and what I’m thankful for. So it’s enough for me that I have books coming out for the next three years, hopefully; that I have an agent who really supports my book and a publisher with lots of expertise and experience.</span></i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">It has been a pleasure to catch up again, Susie. I’d best let you get back to your writing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><b>School for Nobodies is published by Pushkin Children's Books.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Amazon link:<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782692711" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1782692711</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;">Waterstones link:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/school-for-nobodies/susie-bower/9781782692713" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">https://www.waterstones.com/book/school-for-nobodies/susie-bower/9781782692713</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">Thoroughly charming and endlessly intriguing, Bower’s accomplished</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">debut combines a magical mystery with a heartfelt account of adoption<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">and trying to fit in. Written with grace and flair, <span style="color: #7030a0;">School for Nobodies </span><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;">exerts a luminous hold on the imagination from start to finish.</span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif; font-size: 8pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "calibri light", sans-serif;">Praise in the New Statesman</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/best-childrens-books-fiction-summer-2020-pandemic-coronavirus-crisis">https://www.newstatesman.com/best-childrens-books-fiction-summer-2020-pandemic-coronavirus-crisis</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"><br /></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-56980267993969614922020-06-01T21:00:00.000+01:002020-06-03T10:11:29.095+01:00Changing Lanes - writing in a different genre<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">In conversation with serial spy author, Derek Thompson, whose debut crime mystery, Long Shadows, comes out 1st June 2020. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>You’ve previously written five Thomas Bladen spy novels, so why write a different book now. Did you simply run out of ideas?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">No, but that’s pretty funny. I have ideas for two more Bladen books but my publisher, Joffe Books, suggested my writing style would suit the crime / murder mystery genre and invited me to write and submit something. Crime is their mainstay and my spy novels have always been a bit of an outlier. Plus, I wanted to see if I could do it.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Was your creative process different for Long Shadows?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Definitely, and in ways I hadn’t anticipated. It’s quite a wrench after five books to set aside characters you have written about and thought about for years. Also, for Long Shadows, the plotting is much tighter and less organic this time, and of course there was a whole new cast of characters to meet. As we’re only one book in, that’s still ongoing.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>So you see Long Shadows developing as a series?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Hopefully, yes, I find DS Craig Wild and PC Marnie Olsen, and their working relationship, intriguing. I want to know more about them so I hope readers will too. </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>What was the inspiration behind LS?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Aside from the challenge? A friend of mine told me a story, which she insisted was true, about a mysterious death in the countryside. That was the seed for the opening scene and then I did what I usually do, asked myself </span></i><i style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://qualityisking.co.uk/2018/03/using-six-honest-serving-men-as-a-problem-analysis-tool/" style="color: purple;">Kipling’s six questions</a> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">and wrote wherever they took me.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Describe your protagonist and his circumstances.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Craig Wild was a Metropolitan Police sergeant who over-reached himself in an operation and ended up first in hospital and then on extended leave. His transfer is very much his last chance saloon. He’s approaching middle-age, starting to lose his hair, and his career has plateaued. Meanwhile, his ex-wife is a high-flyer at New Scotland Yard. They only speak through solicitors. He has a passion for darts and for getting the job done. Not so good with people though.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>What’s your connection to Wiltshire, where the book is set?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">It’s tenuous, apart from fond memories of visiting Stonehenge, Avebury and Warminster. I did have a couple of old friends who lived in Wiltshire, but I’ve long since lost touch with them. I knew the story had to be set in the West Country – Dorset already had </span></i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadchurch" style="color: purple;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Broadchurch</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">, my mate and fellow author </span></i><i style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=stewart+giles&crid=3L2X0K3HX3KJ3&sprefix=stewart+giles&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_13%20I" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">Stewart Giles</a> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">has bagged Cornwall, and </span></i><i style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.panmacmillan.com/blogs/crime-thriller/ann-cleeves-two-rivers-series-books-in-order" style="color: purple;">Ann Cleeves</a> </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">has claimed Devon!</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>I had a sense of the terrain I was after for Long Shadows and after some research Wiltshire fitted the bill (a little in-joke there, if you can be bothered).</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>How did you research the police procedural side?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">I read up on PACE (I’m saying that now in case it’s not apparent to expert readers!) and I checked out a police online forum for serving and retired officers. Most helpful of all was a visit to a police station. (You have to formally request it – you can’t just turn up!) They were a very generous host and I spent about an hour receiving a grand tour behind the scenes and asking questions – particularly from an IT perspective, as that’s key to the book.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Is it true you were a victim of gun crime?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Yes and no. Yes, I was caught up in an armed robbery but it wasn’t just me; there were several of us, in the wrong place at the wrong time. Three people stormed the place bearing shotguns and the fourth blagger stuck a pistol in my back. It happened a long time ago and the only harm I came to was psychological. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>How did you decide on your characters?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">From the very beginning of the project I thought about the importance of the outsider – someone who sees things differently, perhaps more clearly in some respects, yet who may still be deceived. I like the motif of an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances so I wanted a protagonist whose main feature was his ordinariness. It was only in the writing Craig Wild that I learned more about his flaws and that helped steer some of the story. Hint: he’s not a ‘forgive and forget’ sort of bloke. Marnie Olsen is younger, ambitious and more of an introvert. She is educated and self-sufficient, and looking for a chance to shine. Their boss, DI Marsh, is partly inspired by a manager I worked under in Glasgow – someone insightful who doesn’t suffer fools gladly, although she doesn’t always get it right.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>What’s next for DS Wild and PC Olsen?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">I’ve started work on a follow-up novel that will hopefully share more of the spotlight with Marnie. It begins with a body in a car at a public event, where several people had reason to want him dead.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Would you consider a crossover with Thomas Bladen and Craig Wild as they’ve both spent time in London?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">London is a big place! The last Thomas Bladen novel, Flashpoint, was set in 2005, while Long Shadows is set more recently. Setting aside the different genres and time frames, I’d consider a walk-on part for Craig in a Bladen novel.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Where can we buy Long Shadows?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>UK - </i></span><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089GXTB47" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" target="_blank"><span class="colour" style="color: blue;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B089GXTB47</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>US - </i></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GXTB47" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" target="_blank"><span class="colour" style="color: blue;">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089GXTB47</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Or the Amazon page for the country where you reside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">My other books can be found here:</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">UK Author Central: </span></i><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" style="color: purple;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">US Author Central: </span></i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" style="color: purple;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>One last thing, you’ve previously said that your Thomas Bladen novels are pulp spy novels – what did you mean by that, and do you view Long Shadows the same way? </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">Ah, that old chestnut. My take on my pulp novels (I can’t speak for any other author’s books) is that they are written and read for pleasure. A reviewer suggested one of my books made a good holiday read and that pleased me. I’ve said elsewhere that my love for <a href="https://www.professional-writer.co.uk/2018/02/06/film-noir-feeds-my-fiction/" target="_blank">film noir</a> influenced the Bladens – especially some of the dialogue – and while I have included the odd cryptic reference the books aren’t a test! Long Shadows is a self-contained story but unlike the Thomas Bladen novels there is no overarching subplot. That aside, yes, I see Long Shadows as a pulp read. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-5536368655996979102020-05-14T19:32:00.000+01:002020-05-14T19:32:40.160+01:00It’s the Journey not the Destination - Carol Browne<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 16.866666793823242px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">On 3</span><sup style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">rd </sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May, 2020, the project of a lifetime was completed at last. My epic fantasy trilogy </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Elwardain Chronicles </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">was published in its entirety. When I wrote Book I in 1977, I had no idea I was committing myself to many years of hard work, stress, and disappointment, and a good thing too or I might never have made the attempt. Whether or not it is worthwhile as a work of fiction is not for me to say. There were countless times when I agonised over giving up or carrying on, and there’s no way I can be objective about the end result, but part of me knew I would find no peace of mind if I didn’t persevere. It is only now in retrospect that I can see the real value of what I did.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The trilogy was my teacher! I <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>have perseverance in spades now. I discovered strengths I didn’t know I possessed, whereas before I saw only my weaknesses. I was forced to learn how to use a computer in my fifth decade and to do this largely on my own, not to mention provide myself with the necessary hardware and software on a very small income. It made me very resourceful. I started as a complete technophobe and now have a desktop, a laptop and a smartphone.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the early days I watched YouTube videos to learn how to use Word, one of those tools of the trade vital to writers. I worked with editors and other authors and they helped me become a better writer. I took a proofreading and copy-editing course and set up my own business. I learned many things about the publishing industry, about submission procedures, book signings, promotion, and marketing, and became active on social media. My horizons expanded tremendously as I encountered people from all over the world and many became my friends. I wrote four more books, two of which are published, and I started blogging.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I learned how to fail and start again, how to bounce back. Publishers came and went. Years of rejection slips taught me resilience and patience. Authors, publishers and readers showed me just how generous people can be with their time and support. And apart from the realisation that I do have talent and am worthy, I learned that the value of a thing is not measured in terms of financial gain but in the contribution it makes to the world. The enjoyment my readers profess to have found in my books is a reward more desirable than money for all those hours at the keyboard, struggling with self-doubt. It is a great feeling being able to entertain people!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My trilogy made great demands upon me but without it what would I have been? It made me step out of my comfort zone. It brought me out of my shell. It forced me to develop new skills. Odd looking back now how much my characters grew as people as their stories progressed along with my own. How much we grow towards self-knowledge as we travel the path of life is the true measure of our success as human beings. We might not realise our full potential but we owe it to ourselves to try.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and every step after that is an opportunity to learn something new.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Carol</b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Author page Amazon.com - <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ybpbsgh3" style="color: blue;"><b>https://tinyurl.com/ybpbsgh3</b></a><b><br /></b>Author page Amazon.co.uk -<b> <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y9ytzj5u" style="color: blue;">https://tinyurl.com/y9ytzj5u</a></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXxO0pWww82qMZIGNZ3YdcdWfAuLLSkt-Cp-gXHrO7hneF-f6PZGGaJzAWIBWrnsymM6YgNCCrq7umGuRrJo0xmFTcp_bwVG63hUwnzi-U9bTBFsBICGWw7MgJ2QiAZJIPHg_rKw2pbRv/s1600/THE+ELWARDAIN+CHRONICLES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXxO0pWww82qMZIGNZ3YdcdWfAuLLSkt-Cp-gXHrO7hneF-f6PZGGaJzAWIBWrnsymM6YgNCCrq7umGuRrJo0xmFTcp_bwVG63hUwnzi-U9bTBFsBICGWw7MgJ2QiAZJIPHg_rKw2pbRv/s320/THE+ELWARDAIN+CHRONICLES.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Author bio</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.866666793823242px;">Born in Stafford in the UK, Carol was raised in Crewe, Cheshire, which she thinks of as her home town. Interested in reading and writing at an early age, Carol pursued her passions at Nottingham University and was awarded an honours degree in English Language and Literature. However, fated to lose everything and start again several times, it is only in later life that she has realised her dream of becoming a published author. Writing fiction and non-fiction, and now a contracted author with Dilliebooks, she lives deep in the Cambridgeshire countryside with her cockatiel Sparky and uses words to weave tales like tapestries that she hopes will adorn the walls of your imagination. Her watchword is <i>perseverance</i>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolBrowne%C2%A0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolBrowne </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/@CarolABrowne" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/@CarolABrowne </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://authorcarolbrowne.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://authorcarolbrowne.wordpress.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Proofreading-by-the-Wordsmith-1494553080872032/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Proofreading-by-the-Wordsmith-1494553080872032/</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carolbrowneauthor/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/carolbrowneauthor/</a></u></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-8933424282339760152019-06-26T21:07:00.002+01:002019-09-24T15:57:42.305+01:00Wellbeing for Writers<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Wellbeing for Writers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">When it comes to novel writing it’s a jungle out there* and in there as well. You spend inordinate amounts of time deliberating and procrastinating and then crafting your work, before seeking out ways to get your book seen or heard or experienced, while simultaneously trying very hard not to starve or lose faith in the whole process. It’s no wonder writers – like other creatives – seem to have more than their fair share** of mental health issues.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Writing is a mostly solitary process where you live in your head and then try to sneak a book out, piecemeal, before your critical mind can stop it at the gates. Some days the muse can’t stop talking; other days there’s no forwarding address. Bill Withers singing Ain’t No Sunshine about sums it up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">If it’s that painful a process, why do we do it? All kinds of reasons. We have stories to tell, or personal history to make sense of. Some of us were so inspired by an author or a book that we thought: I want to be that and to do that for someone else. For others, books were an escape from the harsh realities of everyday life. And there are always those who think that novel writing is a clear path to fame and fortune. (And good luck with that!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Whatever your reasons for writing, here are some suggestions for making the path a little less arduous.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">1. Write consistently<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">If you can, write every day. And even if you can’t, develop a routine so that the muse knows where to find you. The creative mind can be trained, like a muscle, so if you start off small and consistent you can apply progressive overload to increase your word count over time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">2. Avoid the comparison trap<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It’s easy to find authors with dozens of successful novels under their belt and then think ‘I could never do that’. Similarly, if you belong to a writers’ group or if you belong to online writing forums*** there will always be people with more talent, more success and more imagination than you. Conversely, there are also lots of people who yearn to write but lack the opportunity or courage. Chances are, you won’t hear about them. As a friend of mine said recently, even if you <i>only </i>write 500 words in a session that’s still 500 more than you started off with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">3. Let go of resentments<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Seasoned writers understand that agent and publisher rejections come with the territory, but when you first start out it can be devastating to have your work rejected. But that’s just it – it’s your work, not you. And what about the agent who promises she’ll be in touch within eight weeks and you still haven’t heard a peep ten months later, despite a follow-up email and those semi-humorous nudges on social media? Or all the friends who promised to read / review / venerate your book, or those two TV producers you posted copies to, one of when you had a meeting with a few years ago?**** It’s over – move on, my friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">4. Seek feedback on your work<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Not the first draft – yeesh, nobody else needs to see that. I keep a first draft in an exercise book and the only reason I still have it is that I fear its awfulness might render it fireproof. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">What you want is: A What works and why? B) What doesn’t work and why? Run for the hills if you hear the word ‘nice’, or better yet ask questions A and B and try to receive the answers objectively. In a similar vein, if you’re lucky maybe that next rejection contains a nugget of valuable information. Perhaps having a chair as a protagonist might not be the best way to reinvent noir crime noir?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">5. Develop your craft<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The majority of <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/11/22/bird-by-bird-anne-lamott/" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">first drafts</a> smell like silage on a hot day, which is why we have second drafts, etc. But you have to have something to work with so get your ideas down and then you can get on with the serious work of revision and excision. The first draft is play and every draft after that is generally as playful as wrestling a giant hedgehog. Learn from other writers, both the ‘how to’ books and by studying what successful authors do in their own novels. Experiment, change the point of view, change your own point of view about your work, and if all else fails start again with something else. The first 10,000 word milestone can often be the hardest to reach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">6. Find your tribe</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Whether it’s a local writing group, an online forum, or a dedicated bunch of beta readers willing to provide nuanced feedback on your work-in-progress, there are people out there who are able to help you. It doesn’t hurt to repay the favour either. Whatever you’re going through – whether it’s writers’ block, the rejection blues, or the sheer bloody frustration of trying to create something coherent out of nothing – someone else has been there before you and that surely means there is a way through it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">7. Let go of your expectations</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">A smart writer once said, “The price of adventure is uncertainty.” Well, okay, it was me, but I had a point. For every JK Rowling, Maya Angelou or Stephen King there are vast armies of wailing writers demanding their turn. Any writer who tells you otherwise is either a saint or a liar. But no one really knows what awaits us on the writing road. Does it help if you’re aesthetically pleasing, young, in the zeitgeist, well-educated, well-connected or independently wealthy? We'll, now that you mention it, most of those ticked boxes will make the PR easier and a good education will give you better tools for writing – although these can be learned. But above all else – and we’re not talking celebrity books here – what makes a good book is good writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">8. Step away from the screen<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Even if you write with pen and paper, as I do sometimes, the chances are you spend an inordinate amount of time at your computer – and much of that time might not even be spent writing. (Finding old Klaatu albums or watching Quantum Mechanics videos doesn’t count as research unless your protagonist is a Quantum Mechanic and she enjoys retro Canadian rock.) Get outdoors, go for a walk, garden, get to the sea, or socialise (yes, you can take a notebook along to steal people’s conversations). How can you expect your characters to come to life on the page if you don’t live off it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">8. Change your perspective<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Maybe your world doesn’t have to revolve around your book? Maybe you have a choice and that starts with changing the way you see yourself. Labels may be descriptive but they can easily become restrictive too. I’ve been a novelist, a comedy writer, a greetings card writer, a columnist, a freelancer…but every one of those was also a construct in my own head. What happens when things change? What is a columnist without a column? (Impoverished, for one thing!)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Buddha apparently said that the root of suffering is attachment, so why not try letting go of your attachments as a writer? Remember that writing is a part of life and not the other way around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">9. Exercise choice<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">This is my own view so feel free to disagree: <i>we always have a choice</i>. Maybe we can’t change the external circumstances but we can choose how we respond to them. Choose kindness, both to yourself and to others. Choose discernment in how you use your time. And remember the people and things that are important to you, regardless of how your writing is going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">* A little nod to Monk fans everywhere, even though I’ve never seen it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">** I know; it’s a stupid phrase. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">*** Yes, I could have used <i>fora</i>but I prefer not to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">**** You will let me know if this gets too autobiographical, right?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-53697561135604823562019-04-24T11:15:00.003+01:002019-04-24T11:15:47.106+01:00Joanna Larum - author and book reviewer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It used to be said that there were no guaranteed routes into publishing, but self-publishing has driven a coach and horses through convention. Now, the process for turning a manuscript document into an ebook or a paperback is a straightforward one that pretty much anybody can follow. My guest today is Joanna Larum, who is active in the publishing world as both a book reviewer and an author.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joanna, you’re an author and a book reviewer, so to some extent you see both sides of the literary coin! When you are writing, does your experience as a reviewer influence the way you approach your own work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t think so. I’ve been writing for much longer than I have been a reviewer so I think all the bad habits were ingrained in me!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What was the inspiration for your latest novel, Martha’s Revenge?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s the third part in a trilogy about a family during the Great War. It didn’t start out as a trilogy but, like Topsy, it grew until I realised I couldn’t fit the entire story into one book. It began when I read a newspaper report from 1912 about two children who were killed by their parents in Middlesbrough. That was the seed and the story grew around it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a serial and published novelist, has your writing process changed over time? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope I’m more careful now than I was 40 years ago but it’s only in the last five years that I’ve published anything. Before 2014 I kept my writing to myself. I’m still not sure if it was a good idea to ‘go public’! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think many writers are introverts at heart, preferring the company of their own creations. What started you writing in the first place? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write because the stories keep jumping around in my head and I’ve got to write them down to stop them taking over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are your favourite authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoy modern day writers like Joy Ellis, Charlie Gallagher, and Gretta Mulrooney, plus earlier writers like Georgette Heyer, Barbara Erskine, CS Lewis, Tolkien, etc. Actually, I will read anything that has words in it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Were books an important part of your childhood?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a young child (pre-school) my older sister used to read stories to me but would stop reading them aloud as they got interesting because reading in her mind was quicker than reading aloud. By the time I could read, I had a mountain of stories to read to find out the endings! I only went to school to learn to read because I knew that everything else could be found in books and I could read about any subject. I left school at the age of 6 but my mother insisted on me going back, which I thought was a nuisance as I had a lot of reading to do! I began my writing career at the age of 8, which was when I read a book with a poor ending and so I wrote what I thought was a better one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was a very picky eater as a child and my mother used to let me read while eating because then I ate more because I didn’t notice what I was eating. I read sauce bottles and cereal packets if there aren’t any books about. I used to read the Grocer magazine when all else failed and there’s not a lot in that for a child! (My parents owned a shop.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you have a writing routine?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I start every morning, as soon as I’ve cleared the breakfast and cleaned the cats’ dishes and trays. I keep writing until I’m forced to do something else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What do you think are the greatest challenges for modern authors?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two that come to mind are advertising and getting readers to read your books. If readers don’t know about your books, they can’t read them. There are so many wonderful authors whose books aren’t read because they get lost in the ether among so many others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you choose your book titles at the beginning of the writing process or does each one emerge as the novel progresses?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I give everything I write a title from the beginning but, as I never seem to be in charge of the story, I often have to amend the title as I am writing the book. I've had some very bossy characters who have refused to do what I have planned for them and so Daniel's Way became Something Wicked This Way Comes.<br /><br /><br /><b>Have you run ad campaigns for all your books, and if so did you follow a campaign plan?</b>I've had ad campaigns for the last two books I have published. Before that, it was only what I managed to do on Facebook sites, which is rather limited without funding. I'm happy that the osmosis process seems to be working as each of my books seem to attract new readers as they come out but, of course, I'd love to be able to make a huge splash! That will have to wait until I win the lottery!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What book are you working on next?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m writing a teen fantasy fiction, which has been in my head for the last five years. I’ve also got to write my next historical book. The characters are ready and waiting for me. I need a few more hours in the day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where can we find out more about your books? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All my books are on Amazon, in paperback and as ebooks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=joanna+larum&ref=nb_sb_noss_1" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=joanna+larum&ref=nb_sb_noss_1</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have you written anything else besides novels?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No. I stick to my stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice as a novice writer, what would it be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t listen to other people who try to put you off! And don’t always believe what you are told about the best way to publish your books!<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-47109669564782931352019-03-26T12:38:00.000+00:002019-03-26T12:46:22.245+00:00Jill Burkinshaw on Book Promotions<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />For most writers, there is a clear order of service when creating a book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1. Write the first draft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2. Despair at that draft and then edit the entire manuscript.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Repeat step two until you are happy with the manuscript.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4. Submit the manuscript to an agent or publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Wait for fame / fortune / that long-desired TV or film deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6. The End.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, getting published is just the start of another journey and both published and self-published authors may need help to reach their target audience. My friend Jill Burkinshaw is a Book Promoter at <a href="https://booksnall.blog/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://booksnall.blog</span></span></a> and she has agreed to let me play inquisitor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Jill, thanks for joining me in cyber space. I’ll start with the obvious question: What methods do you use for promoting a book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi Derek, thank you for this opportunity to chat about my work. I use several methods of promotion. I organise Blog Tours and for these I try to fill the slots with as many review stops as possible. The tours will run for 7-10 days (or longer if I have enough interest). I ask for the reviews / blogs to be shared in as many places as possible, including Goodreads and Amazon. I also host Launch Parties that enable authors to engage with readers. In addition, I (and others) post, promote and share on multiple Social Media platforms and in groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes, if it is not possible to fill with review stops, some Blogs will host guest posts. This is something provided by the author - maybe the rationale for the book, a little about one of the characters, or maybe something about the author.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In all cases the post will include the synopsis for the book and buy links.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Okay, for the uninitiated, what is a blog tour?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before digital books became the norm an Author would often do a Book Tour. They would travel around visiting bookshops and do book signings and other promotions. Some still do this for Paperback and Hardback books.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Blog Tour is the virtual equivalent. People who have Blogs or websites will contact a Blog Tour organiser and express an interest in joining tours. Bloggers who are hosting a review stop will receive a copy of the book in digital format. This is usually kindle but other formats are often available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog Tours are a very effective way of getting a book noticed. The Blog Tour host will post and share the Blog in as many places as possible and all their friends on Social Media will also share. Many readers look for book suggestions on Social Media and all the sharing gets the book noticed by a wide range of people, which has a positive impact on sales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do you prefer to work with books that have recently been published?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I organise Blog Tours for new releases, republished books and also for books that have been released either recently or some time ago. In most cases even a book that was released a few years ago will benefit from a Blog Tour to bring it to the attention of readers who may have not noticed it when it was first released.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have also arranged Blog Tours for just the first book in a series that have all been published because readers who read and enjoy Book 1 will often buy and read the rest of the series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Blog Tour can be beneficial for any book at any time although there are no guarantees that a Blog Tour will result in sales.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not sure if this is in the remit of the question but if a reader finds and enjoys a book by a new author they will often read the backlist. Getting a book in front of a new reader will hopefully help the sales of all books by that author and it has a snowball effect as more readers will be picked up along the way. I think any book can be the start of a good thing so if an author has a ‘favourite’ in a series it is always worth starting with that one in the hope readers will connect to the enthusiasm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How essential is it for an author to actively participate in the tour?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wouldn’t say it is essential. I have arranged Blog Tour for publishers where the author doesn’t have a Social Media presence and they have been productive. However, what I have found is that readers like interacting with authors and Social Media is an excellent platform to enable that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, many authors lead very insular lives involving many hours sitting writing. Interacting with readers via Social Media and email allows them to socialise virtually, which is good for everyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many book groups on Social Media (especially Facebook) that allow readers, authors and aspiring authors to achieve support and encouragement and many, many readers use these groups to get reading suggestions. We all have massive To Be Read (TBR) lists that just grow and grow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What’s the one thing you’d like writers to think about when they decide to use a promoter?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firstly, be aware that despite all our efforts there are no guarantees that a Blog Tour or other method of promotion is going to result in sales. Do try to find a promoter who is experienced in your genre. I try to promote many genres but my favourite genre is Crime Fiction and most of my contacts and network are Crime Fiction readers so that is the genre in which I get best results. However, it is also the biggest genre so finding a promoter for Fantasy or one of the other genres may be difficult. It is always worth joining groups for your genre and asking or looking around to see who is promoting that type of books. If you agree to a Blog Tour the organiser will need a copy of the book. If you are published your contract could prevent you giving out free copies of the book. Be careful who you give the book to. Most people are honest and really just want to help but there are some who pirate books so protect yourself and your work as much as you can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How important is social media to authors?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the current environment Social Media is a very important forum for book promotion. Now that Digital books are the norm we all need to take advantage of the vast marketplace that is Social Media. The more platforms you can access the better your book will do and interacting with readers and authors will encourage others to share posts, etc., therefore promoting your work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>How did you become as a book promoter?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Book promotion is just something that happened for me. I have always read books avidly - we used to swap them within the family. One day I was introduced to Goodreads and started finding my favourite authors on Facebook, learning about the importance of reviews along the way. I decided to set up a Blog as a place to keep all my reviews where people could find them and read my thoughts. Knowing that others could read my reviews and criticise them was really frightening at first but I found the positive comments far outnumbered the negative ones. My confidence grew along with my Social Media network and I began to be invited on Blog Tours. I realised that there was an opportunity to reduce my working hours and backfill with freelance work, which would enable me to work virtually and spend time with my ageing Dad. It didn’t all work out to plan and the changes were gradual, but I am now in a place where I am happy in my work-life balance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have worked with several Digital Publishers: Bloodhound Books, Joffe Books, Junction Publishing and also several successful self-published authors. I have experience in several areas of publishing. I am conversant with the Royalty System and I set up and managed the Stison system for Bloodhound Books for a while. I manage Social Media Promotion for Joffe Books. My duties with self-published authors vary from managing reader lists and communications, creating and managing paid adverts, calculating ROI, and proving whatever support services I can. This can include proofreading and basic editing (I am not qualified but my history as an analyst means I spot many errors that have been missed), formatting books for Kindle publication and of course promoting on Social Media. I have a wide range of skills that could be utilised in different areas of the publishing process and the all-important book marketing that follows it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>What sort of books do you like to read?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My preference is for Crime Fiction. I like fast paced books, in particular psychological thrillers. I am not a fan of books with a lot of descriptive text but I could be in the minority on that one as I know other readers do like to read about the setting and house décor, scenery, etc. I like grit and gore so definitely more thriller than mystery! That said, I do read other genres - I enjoy historical fiction and I like to read that genre as often as time allows. Via my work with Junction Publishing I have read and thoroughly enjoyed dystopian, fantasy, horror and other genres so nothing is ‘excluded’ really. If I like the synopsis I will read it and if requested I will try my hardest to fill Blog Tours and promote it to the best of my ability. I know that every author passionately believes in their work and I try to match their commitment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><b>Where can authors find you online?</b><br /><br />I'm very easy to find, and happy to hear from any authors who think they might benefit from my services! <br /><br />Email: <span style="color: blue;">j</span><a href="mailto:ill@booksnall.blog"><span style="color: blue;">ill@booksnall.blog</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blog: <a href="https://booksnall.blog/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://booksnall.blog</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Books_n_all" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">@books_n_all</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Booksnall.Jill.Burkinshaw" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.facebook.com/Booksnall.Jill.Burkinshaw</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google+ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/1/107046426683662072673" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://plus.google.com/u/1/107046426683662072673</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tumblr <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jillsreviews"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jillsreviews</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-36677062015684481422019-03-16T08:48:00.001+00:002019-03-16T08:48:26.072+00:00Click to Kill by John Carlo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcsdBduayQT6u1BNlozhsbeqXci150-ukfnoj3aZP2q5GnintDjBQ22_hDw-t8huCEhj1jhzownxKdjd0WUe0ev5E3TWb2bQ-Fz89UhYkC6y5Cxx2AkrIp3ms78701_OlCb5OsN2RPzlX/s1600/Photo+on+06-02-2019+at+14.04+%25232+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="381" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcsdBduayQT6u1BNlozhsbeqXci150-ukfnoj3aZP2q5GnintDjBQ22_hDw-t8huCEhj1jhzownxKdjd0WUe0ev5E3TWb2bQ-Fz89UhYkC6y5Cxx2AkrIp3ms78701_OlCb5OsN2RPzlX/s320/Photo+on+06-02-2019+at+14.04+%25232+%25282%2529.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Author John Carlo celebrated the publication of <i>Click to Kill</i> earlier this month, so we met in a cybercafe in cyberspace. While we enjoyed virtual snacks and an exchange of ideas, I tried to pin him down about his motivations, inspirations, and writing practice.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over to you, John!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How did you start writing?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve always written, from as far back as I can remember. Songs when I was a kid, and into my teens. Truly terrible poetry when I was a student. Various stillborn attempts at screenplays, teleplays and novels in my twenties and thirties. Fiction, mainly in the form of novels, ever since.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Did you always want to be a writer? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even when I was in bands as a teenager (this was in Seattle, pre-Grunge) I was a lyricist. I knew that one day I would write longer works. Song lyrics weren’t always the best place to tell the stories I wanted to tell. That being said, I have the deepest respect for great lyricists, they really are the poets of our age.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you could describe <i>Click to Kill </i>in one word what would it be? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tech-noir.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What inspired you to write <i>Click to Kill</i>?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I live in London now, and I wanted to create something characteristically British. The Brits love an underdog, and they’re rebels at heart. From folk tales to Shakespeare to today’s works, most of their most famous heroes are really anti-heroes, and there’s a rich dystopic tradition. The contemporary interpretation of that was someone with modern powers – which would have to involve the digital world – but who was reluctant, sardonic, flawed and yet often invisibly moral. Someone who does wrong in order to do right. It’s not a uniquely British archetype, but it dwells deep in the national psyche.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your hero, Rigby Goode, has the power to erase identities. Where did that idea come from?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I read an article in the newspaper about how difficult it’s become for people in law enforcement and intelligence to go undercover, because so much of our lives these days is in the public view. So, it struck me that there must be people in those organisations who are employed to go through and delete the digital footprints of individuals who need to disappear. Like any other technology, it wouldn’t take long before someone worked out how to use it criminally.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The team who do the identity erasing are called Toshers, is that a historical term?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, it comes from Victorian London. Toshers were people – mainly children – who lived in the sewers. They collected copper coins that fell through street grates, or anything else of value. The material they collected was known as ‘tosh’, hence the expression ‘a load of tosh’, meaning items of dubious value.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The dark web is humanity’s new sewer, and this team dig around in digital effluent, so they are the modern toshers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCzyjE7LEvDq3sUriAEUpeB-YyiERrswqkcQCBDL8x9V3GYxEo2eeF-dF3kXi-hu4uTBNDcNewqCHi6KxB8DwU7nvdZrxYRwknvNnVu4qNw6rpO2wStAreYxdH5ZWz507kSMxbevgx5CO/s1600/ClickToKill-web-use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="391" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCzyjE7LEvDq3sUriAEUpeB-YyiERrswqkcQCBDL8x9V3GYxEo2eeF-dF3kXi-hu4uTBNDcNewqCHi6KxB8DwU7nvdZrxYRwknvNnVu4qNw6rpO2wStAreYxdH5ZWz507kSMxbevgx5CO/s400/ClickToKill-web-use.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What has been the hardest part of <i>Click to Kill </i>to write?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This book has gone through many edits. None of it was hard to write, the difficult part was deciding what to leave out. The basic idea can lead off in many different directions – and in fact it did. I had to make hard choices about which direction the final manuscript would take.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Think of it like a movie where we had too many takes and too many scenes and too many characters. Ten times as much material ended up on the editing room floor as made the final cut.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why did you choose <i>Click to Kill </i>as the title of your novel?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The title came to me about halfway through the writing, and I’ve been frustrated having to sit on it. I knew it was catchy and wanted to get it out there. It sums the book up really well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We considered other titles, including ‘Tosher’. But fifty percent of thriller/mystery books today are bought as Ebooks, which means customers aren’t going to be spending hours browsing bookshops and reading back covers. The title needs to be immediate and do what it says on the tin.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What do you hope people take away from reading <i>Click to Kill</i>?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are some very dark themes in this book, including paedophilia and alcoholism. Although it’s a thriller, there are also elements of the non-fiction genre known as ‘victim victory’. It’s about individuals overcoming both inner and outer demons. I hope that anyone reading is encouraged to believe that they can overcome whatever holds them back in their own lives.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where and when do you tend to write?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m not (yet) a full-time writer. I have another career which includes a start-up tech business. I write a lot when I’m travelling to meetings. I use an app on my phone called ‘Notes’. I type ideas, passages, dialogue, sometimes whole chapters, into the Notes app. It automatically replicates on my computer. I then copy and paste the text into the evolving manuscript.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other times I sit in my front room when everyone else is out. I also write late at night in bed. I try to be as flexible as possible and let the ideas come whenever they want to. My job is to catch them.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who is your favourite author? </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Too many to mention, but three who have had a big influence on me in the last few years are James Ellroy, Haruki Murakami, and Roberto Bolano.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ellroy for me is the best novelist in the English language today. He’s elevated the crime genre to the status of fine literature. It’s inspiring because it means don’t be afraid of your genre, or constrained by it. Be proud. Make it as brilliant as you can. Don’t dumb it down, ever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From Murakami I’ve learned a lot of technical skill. Handling time, for example, which can be difficult in thrillers. To create tension, you often have to go deep into a character’s experience of a particular moment in time. A scene taking place over thirty seconds of fictional time might be described over five pages. So then to switch gears after that scene and move forward, say, three months, can be difficult unless executed well. Murakami is a master of that kind of technical transition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bolano is all about characters. I’ve never had a problem coming up with plots, but sometimes they felt as if the stories were happening to the characters, rather than unfolding because of them. As a result, my characters sometimes felt wooden. Bolano goes deep into the inner values and subtleties of his characters, which makes them incredibly human.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you have a pet peeve when it comes to writing? Something you notice yourself doing or something you pick-up in other’s writing.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I notice convenience now all the time. Writers introducing circumstances in which characters have to react in certain ways, but which don’t stand up to scrutiny.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other is putting dialogue in characters’ mouths that is really something the writer wants to say. It’s p<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>art of what I’ve learned from Bolano. If you want to make a philosophical point, for example, you need to devise a character for whom that point is important to them. You then have to construct a world where that character might legitimately reside. And so on. Simply having another character say something philosophical when the author feels like it is just lazy and sloppy.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do you have a writer’s habit that helps you ‘get in the zone’?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When I was a student I used to work either in the library or the student union. Dead silence or chaos. Both work for me, but nothing in between.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What’s a piece of advice you can give to aspiring authors?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep returning to the basic tell/show conundrum. Don’t tell, show. Force yourself to make sure every word that appears in your fictional work emanates from a fictional source. Dramatize thine exposition, as Robert McKee says. It’s not the only rule of writing, but it is the most important one, especially for authors learning the craft.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Click to Kill</i> can be purchased in paperback or ebook by clicking on the link below</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>UK</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Click-Kill-John-Carlo/dp/1916064418/" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Click-Kill-John-Carlo/dp/1916064418/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>US</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Click-Kill-John-Carlo/dp/1916064418/" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Click-Kill-John-Carlo/dp/1916064418/</a></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-37352451929381072132018-10-19T20:30:00.006+01:002018-10-19T20:30:46.040+01:00Emma Timpany - Travelling in the Dark<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6541376441036355088" itemprop="description articleBody" style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.52400016784668px; line-height: 1.5; position: relative; width: 568px;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #217ca3; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Emma Timpany </span><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">is the author of </span><i><span style="color: #217ca3; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Travelling in the Dark</span></i><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">, a novella published by Fairlight Books. A local launch will be held at the Falmouth Bookseller, Church St, Falmouth on 23 October at 6pm. <b>All welcome.</b> Emma <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;"></a>has previously published two short story collections and has recently co-edited C<i>ornish Short Stories: A Collection of Contemporary Cornish Writing. </i><a href="https://emmatimpany.wordpress.com/" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://emmatimpany.wordpress.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">How did you start writing?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I started writing a regular diary from the age of eleven. It was in those pages that I began experimenting with words. I mainly wrote poetry, as it was my first love, as well as bits of prose. I attended my first creative writing class, a summer school, while I was a student at the University of Otago. After graduating, I continued going to evening classes in London and Cornwall and eventually my first short story was published in 2010. So from the beginning to my first publication was a slow process which gradually unfolded over almost thirty years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Did you always want to be a writer? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, but for a long time I didn’t think that it was possible. There was so much I didn’t know and I had little time to put into it. When my children started school, I began to have regular time to write and joined a local writers’ group. All my life I’ve loved reading fiction; I feel it’s important for writers to be readers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">You have experience in editing other people’s work. Do you think this helps you in your own writing? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s something I’ve only started doing relatively recently, working as an editor on <i>Cornish </i><i>Short Stories: A Collection of Contemporary Cornish Writing</i>. I enjoyed it a great deal because it’s very collaborative. The writers I’ve worked with have been pleased to have close attention paid to their work and are happy to make changes they see as improvements. I feel the same way when my own work is sympathetically edited.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The general editing notes I make are always suggestions – there’s no onus on the writer to accept them if they don’t want to – and alongside these I pick up on any typos or unintended errors.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">How is editing someone else’s work different from editing your own writing? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s much easier to edit someone else’s work because the writing is new, fresh and unfamiliar to me. Even a relatively brief short story of my own of, say, 2,000 words, might go through as many as fifty drafts before it’s finished. By this time, when I read the work I will miss even obvious errors, seeing what I want or expect to be there rather than what actually <i>is </i>there. One challenge as an editor is trying to stay true to the writer’s unique voice and not to impose my own ideas and style too forcefully. I’d sum up my editorial approach as ‘a keen eye and a light touch’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">You’ve previously written short stories. How do short story and novella genres compare to you as a writer?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve been thinking about this a great deal lately and, in fact, have started to feel as though they share a great deal in common.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s something to do with their succinctness – they are both intense, concentrated forms which gain power from withholding information and not spelling everything out, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and absences themselves. In both short stories and novellas, everything is pared down to its essence and sometimes becomes more than the sum of its parts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another trait they share is that novellas and short stories can be read in one sitting and so it’s possible to hold them in your mind in their entirety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">If you could describe <i>Travelling in the Dark </i>in one word what would it be? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What inspired you to write <i>Travelling in the Dark</i>?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">The inspiration came after I travelled to New Zealand after an absence of seven years with my husband and two young children, a year after the devastating Christchurch earthquake of February 2011. As we went back to lots of places familiar to me, it occurred to me that </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">– </span><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">while I was flooded with memories of the past </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">– </span><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">my children had no idea what had happened in those places. So the journey we were making was happening on many different levels at the same time, in the visible present and the potent past.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also struck me that whatever difficulties we go through as adults, parents of young children have no choice but to keep going and carry out many practical, repetitive and tedious tasks each day whether they feel like it or not. Some might consider this a terribly mundane and unimportant subject to write about, but in this story the love and care that Sarah can continue to give her child in the present day acts as a powerful antidote to both her present and past suffering. Some might even say it’s heroic.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">The nature descriptions in <i>Travelling in the Dark </i>are breath-taking. Did you choose New Zealand as a setting for this reason?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My home landscapes of Otago, Southland and Fiordland in southern New Zealand have always been the main inspiration for my writing. It’s a wild, unique and beautiful place but also threatening and intimidating. The immense power of the natural world dominates and makes human life seem small in comparison.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">The places mentioned in your novella are mostly fictional. Did you base the descriptions on any real places in New Zealand?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, all the fictional places are based on real places but most have been changed in some way, some merged, along with the possible routes Sarah can take. I wanted to do this as I’m aware it’s easy for people to assume that fiction is actually thinly disguised ‘fact’ or ‘the truth.’ I wanted to signal very strongly that these are fictional characters and fictional events occurring in a fictional place.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">You describe many different types of scenery in your novella (New Zealand, Greece, etc.) When you are writing these passages do you recall the places from your memory or does it help to have a picture of them in front of you?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interesting question. I write from memory rather than from actual visual images. I feel as though I can ‘see’ these places just by thinking about them. It’s very important to me for not only memory but imagination to play its part in the creation of fiction and have free rein. Imagination and the creative process are powerfully transformative, changing what once had some basis in reality into new and interesting shapes and patterns. What I’m writing is not factual, and I find it fascinating to see the alterations and versions my imagination makes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned through your writing? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That writing is extremely hard work, but true freedom – which is incredibly rare in this world – is to be found there. In what other occupation can you become anyone or go anywhere?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The act of creation is powerful and addictive and, when it’s going well, can seem the best feeling in the world. The stakes feel very high to me between success and failure, what I want to achieve and the actual result. I spend most of my time rewriting, polishing, perfecting and cutting anything unnecessary out, whereas what I love best is writing new work.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I am happy with what I’ve written or, on the rare occasion, a story is gifted into my mind and flows out, as if something other than me is speaking through me, it’s an amazing feeling. It’s like being able to fly. But when things aren’t going well, it can be very bad. Light and dark, yet again, something I always come back to – the brighter the light, the darker its opposite. I try to be patient and realise that silence, frustration and rejection are all part of a writer’s life, even after publication.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What has been the hardest part of <i>Travelling in the Dark </i>to write?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">I started this book six years ago and the first draft arrived fluidly and quickly. Since then it’s gone through dozens of drafts and countless transformations. The final rewrite I did </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">– </span><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">with help from my mentor Clio Gray </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">– </span><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">was the hardest as it meant rearranging the book (yet again). But I believe these final changes also made it publishable.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this final stage I had to discard some scenes I was very fond of, and yet some parts of the writing have remained exactly as they were in the first draft. Beneath the surface of this book, I see so many other drafts and variations, rather like the layers of an archaeological dig. In a way, this is rather fitting and similar to the layering of time and memory in the story itself.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Why did you choose <i>Travelling in the Dark </i>as the title of your story?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The title came to me very early on as I wrote the first draft, and never changed. It was inspired by something the New Zealand writer Robin Hyde wrote ‘…who travels with his dream travels with a dark torch.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, this really summed up the strange compulsion writers have to find their way to a story or finished piece of work, even to find out what they feel and think, out of thin air. More literally, the story opens with Sarah and her child on an aeroplane flying through the night sky. Another crucial scene in the novel takes place in the darkness as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What do you hope people take away from reading <i>Travelling in the Dark</i>?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">I hope that it gives people who have lived through challenging experiences a sense of not being alone with their difficulties. When I was growing up and trying to understand my own feelings, I was helped mostly by books because </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.5333333611488342px;">no one</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"> ever spoke about those things.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are all imperfect and have faults and flaws; Sarah’s fight is to face up to her past difficulties and help a friend in need, and her challenge is not to repeat the patterns of the past in her relationship with her child.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many of the recent tributes to Stephen Hawking described him as a hero. In <i>Travelling in the Dark </i>I was trying to show that everyday bravery and kindness in the face of numerous setbacks is kind of an achievement in itself and might even be thought of as a difficult, quiet kind of heroism.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What does writing mean to you? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s been my support and pleasure for thirty-seven years, and I hope that it continues to be so for the rest of my life. Every human being and every life is unique and immensely complex – at its best, writing can capture some of the strangeness and wonder of life and express what it is to be human.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What inspires your writing? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Landscape, memory, trying to pin down complex feelings and emotions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Do you have a writing schedule? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My writing time falls between 8am to 3pm on weekdays during term time but is often interrupted for various reasons. Time and good health are gifts which can be lost at any moment. I try to remember that the time I have is limited and precious and to make the most of these hours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Where do you tend to write?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I write at an old oak desk that used to belong to Great Western Railways in the front room of my home in Cornwall. When I was younger and didn’t have a desk, I’d always sit on my bed in my tiny room in Macandrew Bay and write there, looking out the window at the ever-changing light on the hills of the Otago Peninsula and the water of the harbour.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Who your favourite author? </span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Very difficult question to answer. I always come back to Katherine Mansfield’s long short story ‘At the Bay’ (which some might argue is actually a novella).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many books and authors I enjoy and learn from, as the stacks of books dotted around every room of my house will testify. Works I’ve enjoyed recently include Rachel Cusk’s <i>Outline</i>, Gwendoline Riley’s <i>First Love, </i>Elizabeth Strout’s <i>My Name is Lucy Barton, </i>Kent Haruf’s <i>Plainsong </i>and Sally Rooney’s <i>Conversations with Friends</i>. I love reading and rereading my favourite books, as I always find something new in them. I enjoy reading biography, memoir, poetry and creative non-fiction as well as fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Do you have a pet peeve when it comes to writing? Something you notice yourself doing or something you pick-up in other’s writing.</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I always feel that fictional deaths, especially those of children, must be absolutely necessary and hard earned. In far too many novels horrible things happen to children and young people, especially if they are female. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My own children dying before I do is my greatest fear and so is something I never want to imagine for myself or for any of my characters. That said, far better writers than me have handled this subject with the utmost skill, grace and dignity – one example is found in James Baldwin’s brilliant work <i>Sonny’s Blues</i>, another in Kate Clanchy’s short story <i>The Not-Dead and the Saved</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Do you have a writer’s habit that helps you ‘get in the zone’?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quieter it is, the easier I find it to work. I get my best work done when it’s just me in the house and my cat is nearby asleep on the sofa.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">Do you feel like you writing style has changed over the years?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think my writing comes from the same place but I can see, looking at old work, how my writing has improved over the years simply from practice. I’ve learned a lot of techniques and got much better at editing my own work. But I still tend to say as little as possible, and to ‘write short’.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought I might be able to sustain longer narratives as I became more experienced. It still might happen. I learn most from reading the work of other writers and thinking hmmm…how did they manage to do that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;">What’s a piece of advice you can give to aspiring authors?</span></b><span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #363636; font-size: 10.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.4pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It sounds very basic but read in your genre. If you want to write contemporary short stories then read every contemporary short story collection you can get your hands on. There will be plenty in your local library and short stories are broadcast on the radio most days. Try and think about why you like some of the stories more than others. A combination of reading and learning creative writing techniques will improve your work and, most importantly, help you understand when things go wrong. There are a huge number of resources available online now. Keep trying and practising. As with any skill, it takes time to get better, and practice (everyday, if possible) is at the heart of this.</span></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-38368304560835117932018-06-17T10:00:00.000+01:002018-06-17T10:00:10.003+01:00Catching Love, the second time around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While publishers and book fans alike may see a book as fitting a particular genre, that's rarely the case for authors. Sure, we may say it's sci-fi, or fantasy, or crime, or spy fiction, but there will usually be other influences and elements in the mix. Even so-called <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2007/sep/19/thegrandtraditionofcrossov" target="_blank">crossover novels</a> sometimes divide the critics as surely as they unite a wider audience. That being the case, it's my pleasure to introduce Deryn Pittar, whose novel (among her many other works) writes its own rules. More of that in a bit. First, let me introduce you to Deryn.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial;">Every writer starts somewhere, so where did you begin and what were your early days like?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">My writing journey has been split in two by simply being busy as a wife and mother until I had time to get serious about the craft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">As a young mother I wrote a short story about an angel who had been demoted because her previous charge had been run over. She now hovered anxiously about her present charge, fearing for his safety and further demotion. A crazy premise really, but I sold it to a magazine and bought a dozen orchid plants with the money. I had these for many years, so it was good value for money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">However, with small children and life’s challenges I resorted to writing long letters, then long emails, lots of reading until finally all the children left home and I looked around and thought “Now I can learn to write” - and I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>You mentioned the craft of writing - what did that mean to you?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It took several years and a heap of rejections to learn the craft. What words to leave out, how to write in back story, don’t use adverbs. What ‘showing not telling’ is all about and how to get rid of the ‘was’s (they slow things down). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>What did you do to develop your writing?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I took on-line courses, joined a couple of writing groups, found some critique partners and helped other budding writers by sharing what I had learned. I still do this. An honest, kind critique partner is a must.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>What's been one of your high points?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Nothing surpasses the excitement of that first contract offer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Has your development changed since you became an author?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">After receiving that contract, a new learning curve began: editing, proof-reading, the different English spellings between countries; a myriad of little things that make up life as an author. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">In recent years it’s been social media, scheduling posts, blog tours and designing banners and graphics. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial;">What sort of writer are you?</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">A busy one! I write futuristic and fantasy fiction, spiced with romance and adventure. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">I have also had Young Adult, short stories, flash fiction and articles on writing published. In addition, </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">I self-published a children’s rhyming book, once won a prize for a short screen script and I'm a published poet. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">Thank goodness I’m supposedly retired. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Where is home for you?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I live in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, which lives up to its name. I belong to the Romance Writers of N.Z., Tauranga Writers, and <a href="http://spec.fic.nz/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Spec.Fic.NZ</span></a> (speculative fiction NZ).</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial;">Tell us about your book in 100 or so words</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><u>CATCHING LOVE WHEN IT FALLS</u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">William and Belinda, both genetically altered, meet years after leaving the government-rearing nursery. Their late development allowed them to escape a life devoted to the government's defence departments. If their skills are now discovered they will be conscripted and never be free again.<br /><br />William’s talent is to move through space between locations in the blink of an eye. Belinda can lift objects of great weight with her mind. Their relationship creates a raft of problems both struggle to overcome.<br /><br />‘Catching Love when it Falls’ explores an alternative reality and discovers the one thing neither Belinda nor William can control - love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">What's next after 'Catching Love...'?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><i>Catching Love when it Falls</i> is actually the first novel in a series that's being relaunched. The other books from the Future Movers series will be available soon. You can also find out more about the series by contacting m</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">e on Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/derynpittar" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/derynpittar</a></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-25704608070713945252018-05-05T20:18:00.000+01:002018-05-06T17:46:41.930+01:00Eric Borgerson - When the Eye Sees Itself<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">All writers bring aspects of themselves and their own experiences to their work. It's been said many times that if you want to understand a writer, read their words. It's also a place where, to quote Richard Bach's <i>Illusions,</i> "You are also free to write lies, or nonsense, or to tear the pages." The author Eric Borgerson has done something else again - he has put social issues and political themes at the heart of his novel. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">Eric and I recently sat down in cyberspace together to talk about his work - both his writing and as a publisher. </span></div>
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<b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Your novel, </span></b><a href="https://polylyric.com/titles.html" style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman";" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">When the Eye Sees Itself</span></i></b></a><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "arial";">, is rooted in the way that people can be classified and subdivided – and divided against one another; did you draw ‘inspiration’ from the way that popular opinion, especially online, seems to be drawn along political and ideological lines?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The novel is definitely informed by aspects of contemporary political culture in the (so-called) West and beyond, but the fictional society of the story is very different from our existing systems. The novel explores the concept of power gradients, whether between individuals, between the government and the public, between branches of the government, and between factions in society. However, those power disparities are decontextualized from the axes along which we customarily experience them, i.e., race, sex, gender, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, age or (for the most part) ability. Citizens in the country where the novel takes place are differentiated by temperament: Vulnerables, deemed to require protection, Aggressives, deemed to require confinement or restraint, and Citizens, who possess a balanced midrange of the temperamental poles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I believe the reader will see parallels to social struggles apparent in the news today, as well as the distorting effect of commercial interests on social policy and the various roles religion can play in underlying struggles for power and access to official legitimacy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">So, yes, the story reflects ideological and political divides blaring at us through the Internet and media today, but the form is very different and, I hope, gets at a deeper archetypal struggle that is playing out in seemingly varied ways on the surface in our world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Do you see your fiction writing as an extension of your activism, and have you included any direct experiences in your writing?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Interesting question. My own experience as an activist shows up in the struggles and characters of the story. The book also contains political critiques relevant to issues in our contemporary world. The story is an allegory, and as such, it provides a mirror that I hope contributes to productive discussions about issues plaguing our societies, and more deeply, our consciousness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The novel does not contain direct experiences. It is neither biographical nor autobiographical, but is informed (sometimes very vividly) by my experiences as an activist, and my familiarity with multiple sides of the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It is a story about power, not just a struggle for power over, but a deeper struggle over the meaning of power itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It is also about interconnection: institutional, psychological, political, cultural, economic, conscious, even subatomic (The sci-fi dimension of the story – Quantum Field Resonance Imaging (QFRI) technology that allows people to touch minds – serves an important role in this aspect of the story.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Power and interconnection are important themes in most forms of activism and political critique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">What are your ambitions for Polylyric Press and its Independent Publishing model?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The objective for Polylyric Press is to develop collaborative relationships with authors, and a fairer distribution of proceeds than under traditional publishing contracts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Under a traditional publishing contract, if a publisher decided to proceed with a book, it would control the title, cover, and content. If initial marketing did not send the book viral, then the author would be responsible for marketing and, in exchange for his or her labors, sacrifice of control, and ongoing promotional efforts, would receive the prestige of the publisher’s label, and maybe a 10 percent cut of list price on the book (which, if you look at the prices of books on the shelves, does not amount to much!)</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia";"></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">Although the author might receive an advance on royalties, it would have to be paid back through the royalties as they came in, which might never exceed the advance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Polylyric’s model is different. We will collaborate with authors to polish and develop their works to a high gloss for publication. This means a shared decision making process about cover, editorial decisions, content, and title, with the aim of both Polylyric and the author ending up happy with the final version of the book that goes to market. The author will, and in my opinion should, maintain control over his or her literary work, continue to own the copyright, and work with, not for, Polylyric. Polylyric would hold a license to publish and market the book, but the author would retain ownership of his or her copyright.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">As for royalties, there would be a proportional split which would route a significant portion of the net proceeds to the author. Initially, the proportion would balance in favour of Polylyric until its investment is recouped, then the ratio would flip, with the author taking the larger portion and Polylyric taking the smaller as sales continued. This way, the author makes money from the beginning from all sales. If sales are robust and Polylyric recoups its investment, the author makes the lion’s share over the long haul. If the book did not sell well, the author would still make money from sales and Polylyric would eat whatever it did not recoup of its investment. This, to my mind, is a much fairer arrangement. I believe authors would come out way ahead compared to traditional agreements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It bears noting, however, that there are several real world constraints on the size of the pie the publisher and author can divvy up, no matter how progressive their contract. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">The cost of printing is one hard factor, though economy of scale can mitigate it. Another is the cost of distribution and order fulfillment. I think this may be where the publishing paradigm is about go through a fundamental shift.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">As things stand now, in order to get books into bookstores, self publishers and independent publishers must go through existing distribution networks, so that their titles are made available to wholesalers and show up in the catalogs that booksellers consult to place orders. There are various ways to accomplish this (i.e. through Ingram, Baker and Taylor, or various distribution companies that access their networks) but they cost a significant percentage of sales, which limits a progressive publisher's leeway. The gospel is that there is no other way, but I think it is worth considering whether there is a path beyond this process. Circumnavigating conventional distribution would be revolutionary, but much in our world is in transition, and perhaps this sacrosanct assumption is in need of revision. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">This one is mostly for me! As someone who spent a little time in New York and Oakland / Berkeley, a long time ago, I wondered if you see differences between the West Coast writer community and that of the East Coast? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I don’t have a strong opinion on that. My interface with the literary world is primarily through authors and their work via the constant-flux digital nexus. As with the world of publishing, I think the world of writing is getting both larger and smaller at speeds too fast to perceive. I think we are converging on a global artistic community, even as the political world still clings to armed boundaries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Are you currently open to submissions and if so, which genres / styles are you particularly interested in?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Polylyric is definitely interested in submissions. Our mission statement sets forth the broad outlines of what we will accept. (https://polylyric.com/mission.html.) We welcome both fiction and non-fiction from diverse perspectives, provided they do not negate the worth of any individual or group. Politically charged material is welcome, though not attack pieces or screeds. Our goal is to deepen the dialog, not the rifts. As the mission statement notes: “We are interested in works designed to awaken and inspire, rather than mollify and sedate.” If you’ve got something that demonstrates courage and creative innovation, please consider contacting us at info@polylyric.com.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">How, in your view, do writers balance up the needs of creativity with the commercial demands of writing and publishing (marketing, sales, social media, etc.)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I’m not sure we do! I have found the hard way that book promotion is very difficult work. It can swallow you up, and it takes discipline not to leap into the maw. I think one must place deliberate limits in order to strive for balance. A commitment to a limited number of hours per week for promotion, social media, etc., a commitment to sacred time set aside for writing, all in the context of a commitment to life balance: between work and play, thought and stillness, time with others and solitude, exercise and rest, and so forth. It’s all about timing, balance and rhythm in life, and it is a lifelong practice, not a static achievement.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">Was there any book that gave you a <i>lightbulb </i>moment and make you think ‘I could do this’?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Actually, it was an interview I read with the great Michael Cunningham wherein he said, in essence, that the most important thing he learned about writing was that writing happens by writing. I sat down that night and started writing my novel and discovered there is magic in the process that no amount of thinking could achieve.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial";">What are you working on next?</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I have begun work on another novel. The only thing I will tell you about it is that it is set in the real world and that it involves a modern iteration of an ancient tale. I’m very excited about it. Your questions have reminded me to keep carving out time to write it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><b><span style="font-family: "arial";">More about <i>When the Eye Sees Itself</i>:</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial";">When the Eye Sees Itself </span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";">recently was awarded Best Book in Science Fiction at the 2018 Pinnacle Book Awards. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">It also landed Winner in Science Fiction at the 2018 Independent Press Award.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: "times new roman";">
<span style="font-family: arial;">Despite having a sci-fi dimension, </span><i style="font-family: arial;">When <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>the Eye Sees Itself </i><span style="font-family: arial;">also was awarded first runner up in general fiction at the 2018 Los Angeles Book Festival. It was submitted in that category because it is a broad piece, and because the ubiquity of technology in our contemporary lives may be eroding the distinction between (well-written) sci-fi and literary fiction. Post-Cyberpunk may be the closest genre for this book, but it is a legal and political epic, a sci-fi thriller, and a sort of hard-knocks spiritual allegory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">A recent reviewer said this: <i>"[A]n intricately woven narrative dipping its toes in more than one genre ... interesting, unique and thought-provoking ... [T]ouches on subjects not explored in anything I’ve met in writing before. [A] nail-biting read." -</i></span><a href="https://sirensoldier41528993.com/2018/04/14/when-the-eye-sees-itself-review/" style="color: purple;" target="_blank" title="Read Full Review"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Siren and Soldier Book Reviews</span></a><i><span style="font-family: "arial";">.</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">You can read more about <i>When the Eye Sees Itself </i>here: </span><a href="http://polylyric.com/titles.html" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">http://polylyric.com/titles.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The Goodreads page for <i>When the Eye Sees Itself </i>can be found here: </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38111685-when-the-eye-sees-itself" target="_blank">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38111685-when-the-eye-sees-itself</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">. Facebook for Polylyric Press is here: </span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PolylyricPress/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/PolylyricPress/</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">. The Polylyric Press website is here: </span><a href="https://polylyric.com/" style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://polylyric.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Links to all vendors carrying <i>When the Eye Sees Itself</i>can be found on the Polylyric Press store page, here: </span><a href="https://polylyric.com/store.html" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://polylyric.com/store.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">. The book is also available through Amazon (softcover and Kindle) (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998069647" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998069647</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">), Barnes and Noble (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158926969" target="_blank">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940158926969</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">), Kobo (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/ebook/When-the-Eye-Sees-Itself" target="_blank">https://www.kobo.com/ebook/When-the-Eye-Sees-Itself</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">), and iTunes/iBooks (</span><span class="MsoHyperlink" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-the-eye-sees-itself/id1339808147?mt=11" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/when-the-eye-sees-itself/id1339808147?mt=11</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial";">). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">An offset print run is in the chute, and distribution options are under exploration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-42106469305504121752018-02-25T15:08:00.003+00:002018-02-25T15:17:26.758+00:00Marital Advice? (Peter Davidson has made some notes!)<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's easy to get <i>comfortable</i> with our reading and stick to what we know. And I say this staring at a shelf filled with thrillers (not all of them my own...), comedy material and books about the craft of writing. The world - and the internet we tend to see it through - is a big and interesting place though, and if you turn off your literary sat-nav you can sometimes find a gem. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Recently, a US author, Peter Davidson, contacted me about a book he thought I'd appreciate. Turns out he was right. </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel </i><span style="font-family: "arial";">would not have appeared on my radar but I'm glad it has. It combines observational humour with personal anecdotes and has a ring of truth about it, not least because Peter genuinely wrote this book for his grandson, who in turn genuinely got married to Abby (see photo below). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Peter's book doesn't take itself too seriously, but it has a lot to say about man's evolution, and why it would be a great idea!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsxG7JEqxnUsmIL6hVKNiuQNpVs-me_Ht_i-FxbCHTQVWDj3nKE9nB0rS8kzqASxie7dGmy2vXdD-IASJrRl-Bp-qBRUtpdwinxk6GtF2QLya269J-RIO_7k7KqtfSCicsC34sGlk9HlK/s1600/PD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="1083" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsxG7JEqxnUsmIL6hVKNiuQNpVs-me_Ht_i-FxbCHTQVWDj3nKE9nB0rS8kzqASxie7dGmy2vXdD-IASJrRl-Bp-qBRUtpdwinxk6GtF2QLya269J-RIO_7k7KqtfSCicsC34sGlk9HlK/s200/PD.jpg" width="156" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guys, relax. He has it covered.</td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Marital Advice to my Grandson, Joel<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";"><b>By Peter Davidson</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHXKw0g3D8wa4bHpV6uG5G2SY3CFLuZBPqRIQ4JmNeh2sduMtdapu7duv19-YhCGvCcoTSMFqTGPnNzTGwnsBsB-sVD1o8iRzwbYqhaVP4QF-tt_X6OC8L88T7Id26XxW3yVOnnVEyZuU/s1600/MAfmGJ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHXKw0g3D8wa4bHpV6uG5G2SY3CFLuZBPqRIQ4JmNeh2sduMtdapu7duv19-YhCGvCcoTSMFqTGPnNzTGwnsBsB-sVD1o8iRzwbYqhaVP4QF-tt_X6OC8L88T7Id26XxW3yVOnnVEyZuU/s320/MAfmGJ.jpg" width="217" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">When Peter
Davidson's grandson, Joel, got engaged, Davidson decided to jot down a few
words of marital wisdom for him, based on his vast experience as a husband.
Davidson wrote and wrote and wrote until the “few words” became an epistle.
Then he thought, why share this wisdom with only one person when he could share
it with the whole world.</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">So,
Davidson started a </span>blog<span style="font-family: "arial";">, listing new marital advice every week.</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">As the popularity of the </span>blog<span style="font-family: "arial";"> grew,
people suggested that the material should be turned into a book.</span><span style="font-family: "arial";"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">The result is </span><i style="font-family: Arial;">Marital Advice to my
Grandson, Joel</i><span style="font-family: "arial";">.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">The book reads
like a long letter from a grandfather to his grandson, filled with homespun
marital advice and philosophies, true stories, and large doses of humor. The
reader will have the feeling of peeking over Davidson's shoulder as he pens his
wisdom or of eavesdropping in on a conversation between grandfather and
grandson. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">Advice to grandson
Joel, and to any man, includes: make sure that you buy a roll of electrical
tape before you volunteer to do the vacuuming, and why, how to deal with your
wife's steely-eyed, clinched-jaw scowl, known as “The Look,” the warning that
your mouth will get you into a whole lot more trouble than your Willy ever
will, and how to create the world's most powerful anniversary card for your
wife. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">Virtually all of
the material in the book is presented in the form of upbeat stories, scenarios,
and examples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is definitely
not the type of advice that you'll find in a textbook on marriage or in a book
on marital relations written by some psychiatrist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the <u>real</u> stuff for <u>real</u> people. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The book is
available at </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Marital-Advice-Grandson-Joel-husband/dp/0692998152l" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">amazon.com</a><span style="font-family: "arial";">, </span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marital-advice-to-my-grandson-joel-peter-davidson/1127774331?ean=9780692998151" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">barnseandnoble.com</a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> and at book stores. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And just to prove there was - and is - a happy couple, here's that wedding photo I promised.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc0rQhmw9tHXwGZbOcpnJVpD9_mbdRlLPROJWXlM3amySYLtcVTSoE_ktw_i9RlqsIkt3IBh079TWp_uGgIbirgWI_rs-SJHi6qWxHVMz-qejwGaBf_o897AO4Z51R0Go4XmoYpHtYm8y/s1600/Bride+and+Groom+Cover+M.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="575" data-original-width="431" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlc0rQhmw9tHXwGZbOcpnJVpD9_mbdRlLPROJWXlM3amySYLtcVTSoE_ktw_i9RlqsIkt3IBh079TWp_uGgIbirgWI_rs-SJHi6qWxHVMz-qejwGaBf_o897AO4Z51R0Go4XmoYpHtYm8y/s320/Bride+and+Groom+Cover+M.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-73475943896698935952018-02-06T12:19:00.006+00:002020-05-12T19:02:38.550+01:00Film Noir Feeds my Fiction<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaQSHb8VcsKba-nvGjnTbg7oetOTwE0NUfSkRA-wGlJA8OLj-ExQg4oJEXvH15O1JQPNDM6PTIZkdFzI9gybnJJmBXAQtpa9t0gp83XpVEXkK706aO_Q9yylHShYagzDRg4GNF51_eyuO/s1600/FLASHPOINTmini+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="380" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaQSHb8VcsKba-nvGjnTbg7oetOTwE0NUfSkRA-wGlJA8OLj-ExQg4oJEXvH15O1JQPNDM6PTIZkdFzI9gybnJJmBXAQtpa9t0gp83XpVEXkK706aO_Q9yylHShYagzDRg4GNF51_eyuO/s320/FLASHPOINTmini+2018.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rules have changed.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I’ve made no secret of the
fact that Raymond Chandler’s writing is one of the inspirations for my Thomas
Bladen spy thrillers, but I also owe a huge debt to cinema. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s my great pleasure now to introduce
you to a back catalogue of films that remain classics of the spy / thriller
genre. Many of them are derived from novels but for consistency I will only
reference the films and I’ve added the IMDB links so you can read about the
plot in more detail. I hope you find some old favourites here, as well as some
‘new’ classics to add to your own list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">We’ll come back to Raymond
Chandler in a bit. First and foremost, I have to pay tribute to </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026029/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The 39 Steps</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">,
a tale of a man unwittingly drawn into a murderous conspiracy, who goes on the
run to prove his innocence. I favour the 1935 version with Robert Donat and
Madeleine Carroll, as well as </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282016/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">a brilliant BBC version from 2008</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (which includes elements from the novel that were
left out of every other film). How much do I love The 39 Steps? Well, in
Standpoint, Thomas watches the 1935 version with Miranda and comments on how
Hitchcock changed the story from the novel. There’s also a homage to one of the
film’s plot devices in Line of Sight, my follow-up to Standpoint. I put </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">North by Northwest</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1959) alongside The 39 Steps as another great example of a mistaken
identity driving the plot forward. How do you win through when you don’t know
what you’re supposed to know? I think it helps to have other people looking out
for you from time to time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The films </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037101/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Farewell My Lovely</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1944), <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038355/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank">The Big Sleep</a> (1946) and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037101/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Long Goodbye</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1973) allow Raymond Chandler’s world-weary private detective, Philip
Marlowe, to fill the screen; much like Bogart’s performance as Sam Spade in the
Dashiell Hammett co-scripted adaptation of </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033870/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Maltese Falcon</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">. My original intention had been to write Thomas Bladen as a detective,
only he arrived pretty much fully formed and had his own opinions about what he
did for a living. What I love most about this batch of films is the dialogue
and the characterisation. The plots are well-crafted but to me they are
secondary. The ‘hero’ is flawed and his attitude is often more hindrance than
help as he battles relentlessly against the tide. These films are gritty,
sometimes sleazy and show the underbelly of society. Yet somehow, almost
miraculously, the hero emerges with most of his honour intact. My fondness for
this genre led to the creation of Leon Thurston, a West Indian private
detective who plies his trade from an old minicab office in Dalston. East
London. While we’re on the subject of Chandler, make time for </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038369/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Blue Dahlia</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1947) – it’s an intriguing whodunit that apparently involved a
controversial rewritten ending…but you can research that for yourself! Like
Alan Ladd’s Johnny Morrison, Thomas Bladen is a little out of steps with the
world around him, but the right woman makes all the difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Spies yet? Well, almost. </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052695/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Vicious Circle</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1957) finds a humble doctor (humble but with a cravat!) drawn into a
deadly game of blackmail and intrigue that leads him questioning who is out to
get him – and why? I’d put this one in the same category as </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025452/?ref_=nv_sr_4" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Man Who Knew Too Much</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1934) and also (</span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049470/?ref_=nv_sr_1"><span style="font-family: "arial";">1956</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";">).
Ordinary people in extraordinary times, who dig deep when they find themselves
pawns in a much bigger game – much like Robert Hannay in The 39 Steps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Both </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071360/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Conversation</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1974) and </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120660/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Enemy of the State</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1998) tackle surveillance, paranoia and ethics, along with the
perennial question of who watches the watchers. It is perennial too, as that
phrase is as old as the Romans. In Thomas Bladen’s world, a simple surveillance
job often turns out to be far more complicated and it doesn’t pay to ask too
many questions (not that it stops him). The observer may seem impartial but
they cannot deny there are consequences to their work. </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073802/?ref_=nv_sr_3" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Three Days of the Condor</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1975) pits one man against the ‘organisation’, by
trying to stay one step ahead of everyone, in order to get to the truth and
hold people in power accountable. By book five, Flashpoint, Thomas has learned
that justice can take many forms and sometimes even a bitter compromise is the
best option. </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">The Third Man</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"> (1949) involves a mystery, a disappearing act with a difference and a
conspiracy – how do you find out the truth when everyone is telling you
something different? Its cunning and amoral titular character (compelling
played by Orson Welles) dominates the film despite not being the main role. This
group of films demonstrate another element that I wanted to bring to my books:
unresolved endings. The moviegoer is left wondering what could happen <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">afterwards</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">I hope you’ll make time to
watch all these films, even if you’ve seen them before. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">For those who enjoy extra
homework, make time for:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">The Long Memory (1953)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Rear Window (1954) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">A Prize of Arms (1962)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Gilda (1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial";">Build My Gallows High (1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">In a Lonely Place (1946)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">When not watching classic
cinema, I write Thomas Bladen spy thrillers </span><span style="font-family: "arial";">- intrigue, action and sardonic humour.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF6lIb_Agg_iytQrPfTdfii_tY0xrstlwfs4r_6Sh97-o7M2zvthjgJWRh0A1aly2iTmy06BsYDPRxX_lV_2Tm8-3u16KRMRsJcWXKVLkXJAMbWD_qIoP_FlJLfjeDLXPmQfMCTKwwr6K/s1600/SpyChaser+series+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="580" height="107" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFF6lIb_Agg_iytQrPfTdfii_tY0xrstlwfs4r_6Sh97-o7M2zvthjgJWRh0A1aly2iTmy06BsYDPRxX_lV_2Tm8-3u16KRMRsJcWXKVLkXJAMbWD_qIoP_FlJLfjeDLXPmQfMCTKwwr6K/s400/SpyChaser+series+2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">UK <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</a></span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p>US </o:p></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</span></a></div>
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<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; text-align: center;">
<em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12.0pt;">FLASHPOINT
– Part Five of the Spy Chaser series</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "times";"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<em><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After London suffers a coordinated terror attack,
Thomas Bladen questions everything – his future with Miranda, his Surveillance
Support Unit job and even his clandestine role as a Spy Chaser.</span></b></em><em><span style="font-family: "times";"><o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">But his
troubles are just beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">When the Unit
comes under MI5’s control and two senior SSU staff disappear, his search for
answers is blocked at every turn. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">A missing
handgun and the reappearance of old adversaries forces him into uneasy
alliances and hard choices.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Could there be
a double agent in their latest assignment?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">What is behind
the rift between government departments?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">And what if he
has got it wrong this time?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Thomas must
face his deepest fears and what he discovers could change the rules forever.<o:p></o:p></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/FLASHPOINT-gripping-action-packed-espionage-thriller/dp/1912106280" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Amazon UK</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/FLASHPOINT-gripping-action-packed-espionage-thriller/dp/1912106280" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Amazon US</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-26500029793569674402017-09-29T20:39:00.001+01:002017-09-29T20:39:21.348+01:00Eyes on the Prize - in discussion with Lynn Michell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Every author and publisher appreciates that they have
to</span><span lang="FR" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: FR; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> raise </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">the visibility of their
books. There are strategies aplenty</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">…</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">apparently</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">…</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">and often the best
publicity lies in the <i>story behind the story</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">This might be a link between a current news item or a wider ongoing </span><span lang="IT" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: IT; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">discussion</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> with a theme in the book or headline-grabbing
stories about the authors. But how many of us want a rake through our private
lives?</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Sometimes though we simply need to speak out,
even if taking a stance divides opinion. Lynn Michell, both an author and a
publisher, found herself in such a position when considering entering one of
her Linen Press books for</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">the Women</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">s Fiction Prize</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">She
raised awareness</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">about a situation that is, frankly, surprising
(and not in a good way).</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.thebookseller.com/blogs/womens-prize-fiction-excludes-many-women-writers-635481"><span class="Hyperlink0"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">You can read
the full article here</span></span></a>. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Lynn and I each work in different genres, but
we share a love of the written word and a passion for the sustainability of British
publishing. Given our different experiences</span><span lang="NL" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: NL; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">,
we</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ve been enjoying
something of a cultural exchange programme by</span><span lang="PT" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: PT; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">
email. It</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">s my pleasure to
share some of her thoughts here.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Please read article in the link above. It</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">s a real eye-opener. We</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">d appreciate your views in the comments
section below. Don</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">t be shy now! Any
links on this post have been added by me.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Q1 Gave you been contacted by other
publishers, editors or authors, since your article came out?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">When an editor at The Bookseller asked if
other small presses felt the same as me and could they talk to a couple more
NOW, I gave them contacts for the directors of Patrician Press and Inspired
Quill, publisher of my next novel, <i>The Red Beach Hut</i> and both sent
supportive replies, Patricia Borlenghi (Patrician) more forthright than
Sara-Jayne Slack of IQ who had a lot to say. They are quoted in the editorial
article. No other publishers have been in contact though.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Q2 How do you compartmentalise your time and focus
between being a publisher and being an author?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">It varies. At times completely
compartmentalised, other times overlapping. When I'm engrossed in my own
writing and the characters are talking to me while I walk the dog, I'm inside
the narrative more than I'm in the real world and everything gets neglected.
You know those times when you live on digestive biscuits? When stories write
themselves and suddenly it's dark outside? It took five years to write each of
my previous novels with intense periods interspersed with calmer ones. When my
energy for my writing plateaued and it felt safe to let it float along for a
while, then I </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">turn</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ed back</span><span lang="DE" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: DE; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> to Linen Press.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The Red Beach Hut</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> was different. It came
suddenly and vividly and I wrote manically for three months. It was good timing
because there was no Linen Press queue. Usually I can juggle the two, and if
necessary put one on the back burner to accommodate the demands of the other.
At the moment, with</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The
Red Beach Hut</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">finished,
I'm editing Ali Bacon's historical novel</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">In the Blink of an Eye</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">about the Scottish painter D.O.Hill and when a revised chapter comes in,
I drop everything and give it my full attention. I can be almost as immersed in
a novel as an editor as I am as an author and I only take on novels that I can
see from the same perspective as the author. My next project is very different,
a commissioned biography of an extraordinary painter, Rosa Branson. Unlike
fiction, there are constraints - like the truth. I don't know yet whether it
will tear me away from everything and burn as brightly in my imagination as the
novels did.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Q3 How do we make the Arts and the book business in
particular more democratic? (Has it ever been that?)</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">We can't. Not while monopolies dictate what we
read by throwing massive publicity and advertising budgets at the few chosen
crowd-pleasers and award winners that we see on the shelves of all the stores.
Will Amazon listen to a plea for sales programmes that are a bit more generous
and manageable for small presses and which offer them terms they can meet
rather than demanding the same trading terms they ask of the Big Five like
taking a whopping 55% of the RRP for their Amazon Advantage programme? You bet
they won't. If a small press can't pay to have books pushed up the publicity
ladder, hard luck. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The three big prizes, the Booker, Costa and
Women's Prize for Fiction could have a fairer sliding scale of entry fees so
that a one-woman press with no paid staff doesn't pay the same to enter as
Penguin Random House which holds 23% of the book market. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">£</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">10,000 plus 70+ copies of the book is
prohibitive for many independent presses.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Q4 What was your greatest challenge in writing The Red
Beach Hut?</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span lang="EN-US">The Red Beach Hut</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">gave me an easy ride compared to</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><a href="http://linen-press.com/shop/white-lies/"><span class="Hyperlink1"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">White Lies</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> and</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><a href="http://www.inspired-quill.com/product/run-alice-run/"><span class="Hyperlink1">Run, Alice, Run</span></a>.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> Alice</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">in particular started as one novel and turned into another and I can
still see the seams and stitches.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">The Red Beach Hut</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">arrived like a short film, very visual and with dialogue, almost ready
made. I'm a sailor who's crossed the Atlantic so in the scenes on the beach and
in the boat I'm on familiar territory. One challenge was the office scene in
which a computer is hacked. I'm no technology wizard so I had to do some homework.
I was also concerned about getting the facts absolutely right about children on
the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">‘</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">at risk</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> register. Serendipity intervened in the form
of a much-delayed Ryanair flight. I exchanged moans with a fellow passenger who
turned out to be a senior policewoman. Over a glass of wine or three, she told
me exactly what happens if someone reports a worrying incident that involves a
child on the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">‘</span><span lang="DA" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: DA; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">at risk</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;">’</span><span lang="NL" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: NL; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"> register. I took notes. Thanks, Lolly! </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">You know who you are. The other challenge was to not over-egg my tabloid-reading
baddie and turn him into a caricature. He had his lines changed quite a few
times. The overarching challenge is for everything that happens to ring true.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">What I want is for the novel to have
structural and emotional integrity.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-1339829392627845192017-09-05T14:42:00.002+01:002017-09-05T14:42:37.060+01:00Being Krystyna<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Most authors will tell you that the fictional world of their books comes from a real world inspiration. - a news item, an overheard conversation, or perhaps a personal experience that sparks off a chain of inspiration. There is another purpose of storytelling - to memorialise a true story so that friends, family and future generations can see history through the eyes of those who lived through it (and often those who did not).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I'm grateful to Carol Browne for making time to discuss her work on </span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px;">Being Krystyna - A Story of Survival in WWII.</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>1. What was it that drew you to the project?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I volunteered to write the life story of local woman Krystyna Porsz after a chance meeting with her son in a Polish restaurant in 2011; but I was a very reluctant biographer. I did it because no-one else could be found who was either able or willing to take it on and that was my only reason. I thought, “If I don’t do it, no-one will.” It seemed far too big a responsibility to me but I told Krystyna’s son I’d give it a go, even though I was convinced I wasn’t up to the job. I write fiction. I make stuff up. I assumed non-fiction would be completely different.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>2. Did your approach differ from writing fiction?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I discovered that non-fiction and fiction aren’t so different after all because the author still needs to provide the reader with a compelling read. It can’t be written as a chronological series of events or it will be very dull. In the case of <i>Being Krystyna - A Story of Survival in WWII</i>, although I had the facts of Krystyna’s life, they amounted to a few sheets of A4 paper, hardly enough material for a book. So I had to build a structure to hang those facts on, very much like creating a plot for a work of fiction. A young Polish friend of mine had visited Krystyna on two occasions and I used her as a narrative device, so we see the story unfold through her eyes. This gave me much more opportunity to expand the text while still being true to the available facts. It also added another dimension to the story, comparing the very different life experiences of two Polish women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Additional challenges, however, present themselves when you remember you are dealing with someone’s actual life. Writers of fiction know that characters are apt to take on a life of their own. They seem real to their creators and as authors we want to portray them in their best light. When you are writing a real person’s story, this becomes vitally important. The sense of responsibility the author feels is magnified. For me, writing about Krystyna, it was off the scale; here was a very old lady whose ability to communicate was seriously hampered by dementia. There wouldn’t be any chance of being able to discuss the book with her. There wouldn’t be any feedback. While I was writing the book, I kept thinking, “If this were my life story, would I be happy with how it’s being handled?” That was my benchmark all the time and I’m confident I kept to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>3. How did the experience change you?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Writing a real person’s story is a challenge. It’s hard work. But I recommend it, especially if that person’s life is drastically different from your own. It’s an enlightening experience. It will broaden your mind and test your ability as a writer. It will give you the opportunity to write something that really deserves to be written. I only met Krystyna once but I made a point of shaking her hand before I left. I needed to physically touch someone who had survived the Holocaust, who had lived a history I had only read about or seen on black and white newsreels. Krystyna Porsz is a truly brave person. A survivor. I’m grateful not only to have met her, but to have had the honour of telling her story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><b>4. Where can we find out more about <i>Being Krystyna</i>?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Being Krystyna is available in Kindle format on Amazon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Being Krystyna (UK): </span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/hanoycg" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/hanoycg</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Being Krystyna (US): </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><a href="https://tinyurl.com/ya6gn7c5" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/ya6gn7c5</a></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"></span><b><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">You can visit the website of my publisher, Dilliebooks: </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><a href="https://www.dilliebooks.com/" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.dilliebooks.com/</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I also write other books and you can find my blog at <a href="https://authorcarolbrowne.wordpress.com/" style="color: #993322; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://authorcarolbrowne.wordpress.com</a></span></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-44706410397507219882017-05-02T17:27:00.001+01:002017-05-02T17:28:19.159+01:00Who Owns Your Books?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When it comes to books, the word 'ownership' can mean different things at different times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who owns an idea?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nobody. Try copyrighting an idea and be prepared for laughter and disdain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who owns a completed manuscript?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unless you've been paid to ghostwrite a novel, ownership rests with the author. The laws on copyright different between the UK and US, so as this is a mixed audience I will simply say that in the UK copyright exists (but would still require proof if there was a legal challenge) from the act of writing it. The Society of Authors has some brilliant information here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.societyofauthors.org/Where-We-Stand/Copyright" target="_blank">http://www.societyofauthors.org/Where-We-Stand/Copyright</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who owns your book once it's contracted?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You own the manuscript and you enter into a contract with an agent or a publisher. They own their edited</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <i>version</i> of your original manuscript. No matter how many drafts you've gone through, an objective editor will find more gold and cut away more. Their contract permits them to do certain things with your manuscript and specifies which of those actions requires your prior approval.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who owns your book once it's published?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You and the agent / publisher retain the same proprietary interest in the book, but the reader owns their copy. Now, here's the thing, they may also have an emotional investment in your characters and their adventures, which - I would argue - is every bit as important as the nuts-and-bolts ownership principle. If you disappoint them during that book or in any subsequent book, they will vent their frustration online or by word of mouth. Once you become aware of this factor it can be a challenge to balance what you want to write, what your characters want you to write, and what your audience expects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have spoken on this blog before about the principle of 'the same but different'. However, <i>different</i> can mean different things to different people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-39780037" target="_blank">The BBC website recently reported that JK Rowling tweeted her apologies for killing off Professor Snape in the Harry Potter series</a>. Some would argue that the plot demanded it and that there's a certain logic in his demise. Others were so attached to Snape (and, of course, Alan Rickman who portrayed him) that it felt like an act of literary cruelty. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I ponder all of this as I write my fifth book in the Thomas Bladen <i>Spy Chaser</i> series, and I'm mindful of the feedback I've received, including:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Isn't it about time that Thomas and Miranda settled down?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Is there an ultimate revelation at the conclusion of the series?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Is Book 5 the end of the series?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- Why isn't Thomas more macho?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- I hope you don't kill someone off just for the sake of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Without giving away any spoilers, my statement to the imaginary panel is:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Someone dies in each book. I won't name the dead but I make it a body count of at least eight so far. Thomas has shot five people, been wounded by one, and restrained himself from shooting someone on at least one occasion (not counting a familial near-miss!). How much more macho do you want him? Thomas and Miranda's relationship has its own carousel of baggage, but it has also evolved through the series. Book 5 continues that journey. Is it the end for Thomas and Miranda and Karl? That depends on the readers and what they want. Of course, a TV deal would certainly help bring Thomas Bladen to a wider audience! And yes, there is a revelation of sorts in Book 5. It's subtle, but it is there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, if you'll excuse me, I have gun battle to conduct. Or do I?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Derek</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_1067770570"><br /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</a></span>DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-4641742193339420912017-01-29T19:15:00.004+00:002017-01-29T19:17:04.526+00:00Cornish short stories please<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deep within an enchanted Cornish wood...discuss!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are you a writer who w</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">as born in Cornwall, or who lives </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">in Cornwall?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If your answer is yes then opportunity has just knocked and your ship has come in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Emma Timpany and Felicity Notley, both published short fiction writers themselves, are the editors for </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cornish Short Stories: A Collection of Contemporary Cornish Writing.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You can find out everything you need to know here: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.cornishshortstories.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.cornishshortstories.org.uk/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the meantime, here are some crucial details:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- A word count of between </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2,000 and 6,000 words.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- The submission </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">deadline is 7 July 2017.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- OnT</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">witter at </span><a href="https://twitter.com/CornishShorts" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">@CornishShorts</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and a dedicated page on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/cornishshorts/?ref=bookmarks" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">Facebook</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What can you write about? <span style="background-color: white; color: magenta;">Let your imagination go wild!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Collection will be divided into four thematic sections and you may or may not wish to make use of these as a prompt for your own writing: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Sailors' Knots </b>- the high seas and all things maritime</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The Heart of the Storm</b> - love and death</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Enchantment</b> - magic, hauntings and concealment</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.6; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Cornishware </b>- domestics</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The new collection of Cornish short stories will be published by the History Press in May 2018.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>It's time to tell some tales!</b></span></div>
</div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-9106383574612810892017-01-13T19:37:00.000+00:002017-01-13T19:37:13.944+00:00Celina Summers - an extraordinary author<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQUg0Qt3ctuKoQZPg6th42fyfnWfhlieKzdgb6m5FODsXogSMpSH286cI5kEsSwuomnF9FYg5oRPsXrc2ZjX2VwNh_8s6q9UgQLaMuMIc7F8pxCNCqIpeQ7vFRCcgddPdVskRQEv2NBWk/s1600/CS+servantofdis-1800a+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQUg0Qt3ctuKoQZPg6th42fyfnWfhlieKzdgb6m5FODsXogSMpSH286cI5kEsSwuomnF9FYg5oRPsXrc2ZjX2VwNh_8s6q9UgQLaMuMIc7F8pxCNCqIpeQ7vFRCcgddPdVskRQEv2NBWk/s320/CS+servantofdis-1800a+%25282%2529.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Writers are an interesting
community. We bicker, compete, support each other and also draw inspiration
from one another. It's my great pleasure here to interview Celina Summers, who
I had the good fortune to meet when I was part of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Musa</i> <i>Publishing</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>family. She's not only a savvy writer;
she takes a scholarly and detailed approach to creating her fiction. Frankly,
if you're not inspired after reading this you need to go and read it
again! </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q1 Tell us about your recent work
and what inspired it.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Right now, I’m playing around
with multiple genre mashups. Probably the best way to describe what I do is
literary fantasy. My recent work has been set in 18<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century Europe, Asia, and America,
with time traveling, magic realism, mythology, and swords and sorcery combined
with historical fiction. It’s a lot to keep straight. Greco-Roman mythology is
a huge influence in my writing, having studied classical authors like Ovid and
Vergil since I took Latin in high school. So while I have immortal entities
that are based upon mythology, my main characters are having to confront 18<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>or 21<sup>st</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>century problems, which creates
fascinating conflicts for them.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This kind of multiple genre work
is more difficult than the straight-up epic fantasy I used to write. The historical
aspects of the story requires a lot of research, for one. I have huge
storyboards on Pinterest with images of everything from costumes to knickknacks
to architecture and art. All the details must be correct in order for such a
world to work. So crafting the world is far more difficult. And the
consequence, naturally, of writing something so different is you (or your
agent) finding a publisher who is willing to take on your
literary/historical/time travel/magic realism/mythological/romance/swords and sorcery
fantasy novel. They can’t immediately see how to shelve such a novel in
bookstores, and that makes them hesitant to take on a project that complicated.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">So it’s definitely a challenge on
many levels, but I love what I’m doing so I keep plugging away at it.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q2 What is your take on the
publishing industry at the moment?</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The publishing industry is once
again in transition. For indie authors and small presses who rely primarily on
e-publishing, the options are narrowing fast. Amazon’s KDP is convenient and
easy to use, so the market is getting flooding with really bad books. The other
platforms like Barnes and Noble or Smashwords aren’t any e-pubbed writer’s top
selling site. So authors who are self-publishing have one real shot at breaking
through and that’s Amazon.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">But not so fast—the Amazon sales
algorithms are skewed. Preferred product placement occurs only if a book has
enough ratings and reviews. Well anyone can get all their friends and
co-workers to run off to Amazon and review their books, and many authors do
just that. So it’s frustrating when you see books that should never have been
published getting so many sales and reviews and popping up on your sales pages
as suggestions.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">That being said, the pendulum
between traditional publishing and digital publishing is swinging back to a
more balanced market. While the Big Five are still controlling the lion’s share
of the book market, e-books are here to stay. Many writers (and I include
myself in this) are learning how to use both routes professionally. I am
self-publishing my backlist of small press-published books and adding new
sequels to those stories, while my agent is representing my new work. The
arrangement works well for us both.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q3 What are you currently working
on?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The primary project I’m currently
working on is a series entitled<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Danse Macabre.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>In this world, Death isn’t the
Grim Reaper, but a conglomerate of immortals who each are assigned a specific
group of mortals whose lifespans they monitor. When a civil war breaks out among
the immortals for control of humanity’s future, Morgaine, the Death of Art, is
faced with a series of adversaries that are not only targeting the mortals in
her domain but threaten existence itself. What results is the ultimate<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Danse Macabre</i>,
and neither the mortal nor immortal realms will ever be the same.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">At the moment, I have several
projects on my desk. But I just finished Symphony of Death, the first book in
the Dance Macabre, so it’s uppermost on my mind. In fact, my agent received the
manuscript yesterday.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’m also working on a sequel to
the two series I self-published in 2016—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Asphodel Cycle</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Black Dream</i>.
(By the way, publishing eight books in eight months looks like a really great
idea on paper. But it’s a lot harder than you think it is and you have to work
your rear end off to make that happen. Trust me.) The new book, which may turn
into a series as well, is the story of the Asphodel heirs. The world of
Asphodel is the retelling of major classical myths like the Trojan War or the
Titanomachy using traditional fantasy characters and settings. So there are
endless possibilities for future stories there.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Asphodel Cycle</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>was my first published series, and
coming back to the world after ten years away was a lot of fun.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’m tinkering with an idea that’s
a riff from my<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harlequin Theater</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>literary fantasy series. That world is
set in contemporary American theatre, and revolves around a company that uses
magic to integrate the audience into the performance. Think<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Phantom of the
Opera</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>meets<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Something Wicked This
Way Comes.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>That world is a
lot of fun to play in.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">And I’m building a couple of
other fantasy worlds, revising my horror series, Red Ink, which is based on
Jack the Ripper, freelance editing and sports writing. Safe to say I’m
extremely busy. But I love it.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q4 Ebooks or paperback, or both?</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I don’t write with a particular
medium in mind except for the Asphodel series. Unless you’re self-publishing or
writing for a specific publisher, this isn’t a question a writer should really
worry about. All my books that are currently published are available in both
digital and paperback formats.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q5 Name two books that changed
the way you thought about your own writing, or even changed the way you write.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Kushiel’s
Dart<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">by
Jacqueline Carey, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Daughter of the
Empire</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>by Raymond E. Feist
and Janny Wurts. Both books revolve around female protagonists who find a way
to succeed despite their gender.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Carey’s world is lush and
voluptuous and vivid, having based her story in a world where a courtesan who’s
been taught how to be a spy is the key to changing her society. Carey’s
descriptive powers are incredible—probably the most intricate and extravagant
world building I’ve ever seen—and her heroine is unforgettable. She is deeply
flawed and superior at the same time.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Feist and Wurts set their heroine
in a lavish, intense world with Oriental settings, culture, and
traditions—which needs to happen more in fantasy. The story is about a girl who
has always followed traditions having to take the reins of a once powerful
house after her family’s rivals kill both her father and older brother. She
learns that in order for her and her house to survive, she must play the
political game better than any man in the Empire—and she cannot afford to
unquestioningly follow the traditions that usually bind the players.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Both books feature heroines who
don’t need to be saved. They are intelligent, cunning, and strategic. They use
their minds to outplay their foes, and I appreciate the incredible stages those
heroines have been provided as well. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Both
books changed the way I looked at my heroines, and how I can give them the same
stage without having to beat the reader over the head with, “She’s a bad ass.
Get over it.” With both books, the writer in me was able to dissect how to
establish a strong, victorious heroine without having to make her unfeminine.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q6 How do you know when your
characters have 'come to life'?</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">When they won’t shut up. I’m one
of those writers who ‘sees’ the story in my head and puts it on paper. I never
outline, but I always know where the book is going to end. I just let the story
play out—it’s basically like taking dictation for me, which irritates some of
my writer friends for some reason. And as I’m writing full time now, I’m
working 14-16 hours a day, 7 days a week. If the characters keep talking while
I’m working, then I keep working.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Hate to break the flow. Don’t
want to stop and then face a Samuel Taylor Coleridge “A maid with a dulcimer”
moment and forget where the story was taking me. Of course, I’m not cranked up
on opium so maybe it wouldn’t hit me the same way it did him.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q7 What are your top tips for
acquiring and then working successfully with an agent?</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’m a believer in going to
conventions and meeting them in person. That’s how I acquired my agent. I went
to World Fantasy Con, and hung out all week with a friend of mine (DAW author
of the Touched By An Alien series, Gini Koch) and her agent (Cherry Weiner).
Cherry asked me to submit my manuscript to her, and upon reading it she signed
me. Never underestimate the possibilities of establishing an acquaintance with
an agent first.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">If cons aren’t your thing, then
query. But when you do query, make sure there are no spelling or grammar
errors. Learn how to write a great hook, which is more difficult than it
sounds. Present your work in a professional manner—don’t try to be cute or
clever. Use standard manuscript format. If you want literary representation, you
need to demonstrate your professionalism as much as your work.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Q8 Where can we find out more
about your writing?</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">The best places to find out more
about me are<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://cachevault.org/" target="_blank">my website</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://kaantira.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.
I spend a lot of time on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CelinaSummersAuthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://twitter.com/CelinaSummers" target="_blank">Twitter</a>,
and for some reason people really like my<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/celinasummers/" target="_blank">Pinterest storyboards.</a> You can
keep up with my articles on writing and publishing (like my recent series on
the collapse of All Romance Ebooks and how they absconded with the 4<sup>th</sup><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>quarter royalties due every single
author and publisher in 2016) on<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://blogcritics.org/author/celina-summers/" target="_blank">Blogcritics</a>. I enjoy hearing from
readers and writers both, and am happy to advise young writers who have a
question. So if you catch me between writing blocks, I always appreciate the
interaction.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-64638378610685667232016-11-14T16:23:00.002+00:002016-11-14T16:23:26.422+00:00Shadow State<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjAkvFY0oVCfot9Kj7-BLec_WpiHK73Lt6ZPYIXpbaUUSxpyPJEJ-s3p4GmrVAel5tMzrn2yqXIV5jfpWWUwqqGXUgSwzqpfGp-1cbOKQMTxF-1YKOQOChsw7l7iKHQF6Q3F1bu-kvthH/s1600/DTconservatory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjAkvFY0oVCfot9Kj7-BLec_WpiHK73Lt6ZPYIXpbaUUSxpyPJEJ-s3p4GmrVAel5tMzrn2yqXIV5jfpWWUwqqGXUgSwzqpfGp-1cbOKQMTxF-1YKOQOChsw7l7iKHQF6Q3F1bu-kvthH/s320/DTconservatory.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Science is golden.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even if you don't believe in destiny you probably accept the word of Sir Isaac Newton. His 'three laws', unlike <a href="http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/robotics.html" target="_blank">Isaac Asimov's</a> (now that's what I call a literary reference), underpin not only our understanding of physics, but also of daily life and writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The First Law states that:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a) An object at rest remains at rest unless a force acts upon it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">b) An object in motion stays that way - same direction and speed - unless a force acts upon it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply put, in fiction something has to happen in order for something to change, whether the outcome is progressive or regressive. You could argue that every twist and turn in a novel is really a Newtonian force zinging into the protagonist from an unanticipated angle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm more of a plotter than a pantser when it comes to putting together a story, but I welcome an unexpected inspiration that careers towards me and knocks a character out of the picture or into it. Shadow State, the fourth book in the Thomas Bladen 'Spy Chaser' series owes a debt to Newton. I thought I had the plot figured out and my characters were moving purposefully towards the checkpoints on my writing roadmap. (I know, it makes writing sounds really romantic, huh?) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then...out the corner of my mind's eye, this speck of light, this flicker of 'what if' from the muse slammed into my carefully constructed plot. Okay, <i>carefully </i>might be overstating it a bit. But the result was surprising. A character did something unexpected and I had a choice of whether to run with it and see where it led, or to rein them in and remind them that it was my ball and therefore my rules. I went with Plan A, trusting the character I thought I'd created - we can debate that one on a chair and couch some other time - and ended up somewhere else. It was different to my original vision and I liked it. Writers like to be surprised. It keeps us on our toes and it's a great reminder that we are engaging with a fluid and mimetic imagination. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could say that Shadow State is something of an experiment in places. It features many characters from the series and a couple of new ones. It redraws the map in places, as far as loyalties go, and it peels back the layers a little more of the characters we think we know. It plays with some of the conventions and, I hope, it adds something special to the canon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're drawn to British spy thrillers that give a nod to Len Deighton, John le Carre, Raymond Chandler, and Harlan Coben, Shadow State might be just your cup of coffee. Intrigue, action, sardonic humour and swearing - what's not to like?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u>SHADOW STATE</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thomas Bladen thinks he is in control. He's wrong. </b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When Thomas is confronted by a Shadow State operative, he is given a stark choice - expose a defector or face the consequences. But who is the real enemy? A stake out becomes a rescue, an intervention leads to murder and loyalties are stretched to breaking point. Soon Thomas is forced into a dangerous game, turning the Shadow State against itself. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"Good spy thriller with a appealing flawed hero in Bladen. Liked the London life evoked!"</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shadow State is published by Joffe Books. Come and meet Thomas Bladen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">UK <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">US </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08</a>DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-69016137508426554142016-09-24T19:49:00.000+01:002016-09-24T19:49:13.951+01:00Am I selling books or cornflakes? - Lynn Michell<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I first heard about Lynn Michell and Linen Press when artist, writer and friend Susie Nott-Bower's debut novel, <a href="http://linen-press.com/shop/the-making-of-her/" target="_blank">The Making of Her</a>, was published in 2012. Lynn and I recently found ourselves part of the same virtual conversation and, happily, she accepted my offer to write a personal post about the world of publishing from an independent perspective. I think this thoughtful piece adds to the great publishing debate and I invite you to both add your opinion in a comment and to check out the Linen Press, whether you're a writer or a reader. </span><br />
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<h3>
<b style="font-family: Arial;">Am I selling books or cornflakes? </b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";"><b>Lynn Michell</b></span></h3>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">As the director
of <a href="http://www.linen-press.com/" target="_blank">Linen Press</a> I’ve
seen the book trade change over the last ten years from an open space for
experienced, emergent and experimental writers to a closed shop in which only
the famous, the celebs, the major award winners and writers with a golden gift
for self-marketing can be confident of ending up on the shelves of Waterstones,
W H Smith and Tesco.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">The language of
publishing reflects those changes. I’m hearing online presence, marketing,
niche, social media platforms and branding. Reporting from a recent writers’ conference
in Brighton, Sally-Shakti Willow of the <a href="https://thecontemporarysmallpress.com/" target="_blank">Contemporary Small Press</a> writes: ‘branding’
was definitely the buzzword of the day with every speaker stressing ‘the
importance of marketing yourself like a packet of cornflakes.’ Writers were
told ‘your novel is a piece of fruit’ so make sure publishers know to place you
with bananas or kiwis.’ Sally concluded: ’what I saw through that shop-window
was not bananas or kumquats or cornflakes but something rotten, and
potentially toxic.’ (<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://thecontemporarysmallpress.com/2016/03/15/small-presses-worth-much-more-than-money/" target="_blank">https://thecontemporarysmallpress.com/2016/03/15/small-presses-worth-much-more-than-money/</a></span>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">So authors need
to market themselves like cornflakes. They must build websites, set up Twitter
accounts, give talks in libraries to three people sheltering from the rain, and
push a copy of their book into the few remaining indie book shops. I hate to
force this on Linen Press authors, not because for many it goes against the
grain to chase the limelight but because I’m not convinced that their efforts
will bring them recognition or sales. All the evidence from six years of Linen
Press’s strong social media presence suggests that there is no correlation
between activity on our social media sites and sales. Here’s the reality check.
UK publishers released 184,000 titles in 2013. Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown
described the figure as “either a sign of cultural vitality or publishing
suicide. Of course, it is utter madness to publish so many books when the
average person reads between one and five books a year.’ Jamie Byng at Canongate
agreed: ‘I think we publish too many books, Canongate included, and I think
this impacts negatively on how well we publish books as an industry. It is very
easy to acquire a book. Much harder to publish it successfully. (<span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/22/uk-publishes-more-books-per-capita-million-report" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/oct/22/uk-publishes-more-books-per-capita-million-report</a></span>).
So it’s from inside this avalanche of yearly publications that an author must
carve out a niche for herself. How many niches remain?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">And published
authors have to shout over the sales pitches from the self-published book
mountain. It’s hard to find recent, accurate figures but between 2014 and 2015
self-published titles rose from 16% to 22% of the digital market. <a href="http://www.thebookseller.com/news/self-published-titles-22-e-book-market-325152" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">http://www.thebookseller.com/news/self-published-titles-22-e-book-market-325152</span> </a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">In 2009, 76% of all books released were self-published although the average financial
return was only £500. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-publishing" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-publishing</span></a>).
As Derek Thompson says in an email to me: ‘Much as self-publishing has
democratised the route to seeing work in print, it has opened the flood gates
without a quality filter.’ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">It may be that
the sheer volume of published and self-published books sends readers to the
security of the Top Ten in Waterstones and the other chains. They can sit on
public transport reading the same novel as the person next to them. Call it
Girl on a Train syndrome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">My authors ask
why their books aren’t in Waterstones. The Big Five can throw £100,000 of
marketing budget at a few chosen titles leaving the rest to fall by the
wayside. Waterstones takes a minimum of 60% of the RRP which makes it
prohibitive for small presses who work with costly small runs. We’d be paying
Waterstones to sell our books.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">As a small indie
publisher, it’s a growing challenge to sell the books on our list. Ten years
ago <a href="http://linen-press.com/shop/childhoods-hill/" target="_blank">Childhood’s Hill</a> by Marjorie Wilson, Linen Press’s first publication, was
accepted by Blackwells in Edinburgh and sold so well that for one week it beat
Ian Rankin in their Top Ten. Later books also managed a toe in the door because
managers, not central sales offices, still decided whether or not to take a
risk on a book. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">Jump to 2016. </span><a href="http://linen-press.com/shop/sometimes-a-river-song/" style="font-family: Arial;" target="_blank">Sometimes A River Song</a><span style="font-family: "arial";">, one of the best books on
our list, received a dozen rave reviews and its Costa prize-winning author,
Avril Joy, attended three book fairs shortly after the launch, yet still we
struggle to sell copies and Waterstones won’t look at it. I sense a further
seismic shift towards a limited diet of mainstream-published crowd pleasers.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">The three routes
to publishing have split and gone their separate ways. Think cornflakes, brand
yourself, find a vacant niche and you may hook a mainstream publisher. Go down
the self-publishing route if you know how to stand head and shoulders above the
self-marketing crowd. Or go with an indie press which occupies the space
between the other two. This year three out of six books on the Booker short
list come from indies, one a tiny Scottish press. Success is possible. And, as
Sally-Shakti Willow says, even without the rainbow end of best seller status,
small presses are ‘committed to freedom of expression, artistic risk, literary
innovation, and championing new and exciting writers.’</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "arial";">Excuse this final
bit of branding. Linen Press, the only indie women’s press in the UK, <i>does</i> read
unsolicited manuscripts and we are looking for beautifully written books. Send
us your manuscript. </span><a href="http://www.linen-press.com/" style="font-family: Arial;" target="_blank">www.linen-press.com</a></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-21737967790443107042016-07-13T18:12:00.003+01:002016-07-13T18:12:45.196+01:00The Water Babes - Norman Whitney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOqAgBTOpEP0LvAq2eCd7tpgwx_O1QNODOMmoCLUUi4z-_v0Vjh4HJasvnGvsfazF-oTHZylsbGVyss1-9grTzFzJieiyqw1EViUO0G28Wy4Z4kruH6RAjw3QAKPIDurgI4K_Q3bRPrKl/s1600/TWBsm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOqAgBTOpEP0LvAq2eCd7tpgwx_O1QNODOMmoCLUUi4z-_v0Vjh4HJasvnGvsfazF-oTHZylsbGVyss1-9grTzFzJieiyqw1EViUO0G28Wy4Z4kruH6RAjw3QAKPIDurgI4K_Q3bRPrKl/s400/TWBsm.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's long been said - and repeated on social media ad infinitum - that every book written in the English language is just a combination of the same 26 letters. However, the divide between non-fiction and fiction has always seemed a robust one. Journalists and other professionals have been known to cross the border successfully, often fictionalising their work experiences and environments. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Norman Whitney has gone one better by choosing a completely different setting and genre for his debut novel, The Water Babes. I caught up with him online and asked him what it was like to go in at the deep end. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was your inspiration for this book?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My inspiration was basically to see whether I could write a novel, following my successful career in English Language Teaching (ELT), and as someone who is now in his seventies! I wanted to write a novel that was not peppered with violence and murders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also wanted to promote my main theme, which is how people – even those of very different cultures, faiths, and personalities – are interconnected, even though they may not think so. That is why surprises and shocks about such connections are such a feature of the story, especially towards the end.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How did you find the process of creating fiction, having previously written textbooks?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Textbooks, especially those in ELT</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, have to be written within the constraints set by syllabuses, which very from country to country. These constraints affect everything, including grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and types of illustration. Syllabuses were, and still are, subject to fashions in education, which publishers had to be aware of.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My course books were for teenagers learning English overseas, and each country has specific interests such as guidance on how to study, how / whether to include guidance on study skills, self assessment, and cross-cultural issues. Also, the different weights given to the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening in each syllabus have to be taken into account. In addition, my books specialised in the study of English in different subjects, e.g. history and geography.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Novels are free of such constraints! So, writing without grammatical or vocabulary limits came as a great relief! </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But there are other constraints such as continuity, consistent characterisation, and in my case, plausibility of plot lines. Adapting to new freedoms meant adapting to new conventions. Sometimes, this was relatively difficult (textbooks have wonderful artwork support which novels usually do not), but sometimes relatively easy (in novels, you can use any tense you want to whereas text books of my sort have very strict limits and prohibitions and different levels).</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What was your path to publication?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My path to publication was not easy, despite textbook sales of 25 million. I needed an agent, for the first time in my life. I tried 25 agents, but none were interested, save one or two, who were very complimentary about my sample, but nothing more. I came to the conclusion that unless one were extremely talented or very lucky (I was neither), or unless one were already famous in some other field (politics, pop music, sport) the chances of getting an agent were very slim. Interestingly, several agents (hedging their bets?) asked if the manuscript had already been self-published. My other problem is that, at the age of 73, I am clearly not an agent’s idea of a solid future investment!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So I took the hint and investigated self-publishing. I looked up one or two companies that offered help, and came across Troubadour/Matador, based in Leicester. They have always been helpful, prompt, and clear. From the start, I wanted to give my book every help, and to cover all the bases (marketing, promotion, sales) that I could, and which were offered by Matador. Inevitably, this has proved costly, but since I wanted to give the book every advantage, I consider the expense worth it, no matter what happens in the future.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Are you working on anything at the moment?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes. One idea is a sequel to The Water Babes. The other is about the closed world of luxury cruising. But I am waiting to see what happens to The Water Babes before working on other ideas in earnest.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How do you go about balancing comedy and drama in your fiction?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It remains to be seen whether readers think that there <i>is</i> a balance in my book…!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But for me, it helps I think to have a sort of ironic detachment to the world about us. I have found that if I tell people that my novel is set around a ladies' aquarobics class, they already seem to sense the comic potential in the basic setting. It’s a bit like setting up a situation comedy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Add to that a mix of themes such as separation, divorce, sexual shenanigans, and a farewell party, it isn’t difficult to see how life’s dramas and even tragedies might also have their place amongst the comedic moments.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What has been your biggest challenge in creating The Water Babes?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The biggest challenge was how to introduce each character. It is an ensemble piece, (unusually for most novels, I think) and so I didn’t want to have just one dominant central character. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had trouble making the opening scenes plausible, because I didn’t want to bombard the readers with lots of names or initial character descriptions too soon. I needed to make space for the introduction of each character’s <i>motives </i>for joining an aquarobics class in the first place. Then I had to combine what is initially a character driven story with what becomes a story driven more by plot, which darkens as the novel progresses. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></i></span>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">The Water Babes </span></i><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">demonstrates the old adage that no man – or woman – is an island. </span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">On the contrary, the story shows that we are all in this together.</span></i><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></i>
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01HZBUEW0/" target="_blank"><b>The ebook is available as a free download for an introductory period </b></a></span></i><br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; line-height: 18px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01HZBUEW0/" target="_blank"><b>Weds 13th July to Sun 17th July</b></a></span></i></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where can we find out more about your book?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paperback via publisher: <a href="http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3701" target="_blank">http://www.troubador.co.uk/book_info.asp?bookid=3701</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_2105894869"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paperback on Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/1785890921/" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/1785890921/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ebook on Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01HZBUEW0/" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk//dp/B01HZBUEW0/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Author website: <a href="http://www.normanwhitney.co.uk/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">www.normanwhitney.co.uk</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="u-linkComplex-target" style="line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;">Twitter:<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a class="ProfileHeaderCard-screennameLink u-linkComplex js-nav" href="https://twitter.com/nwhitneyauthor" style="color: blue; line-height: 14px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@nwhitneyauthor</a></span><span style="color: blue; line-height: 14px;"> </span></span></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-70371653839140461362016-06-21T19:12:00.000+01:002016-06-21T19:12:17.840+01:00Dear unsatisfied customer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrntcMBpr0Uya3-b1uCv8n5YCAKMtzw6JcDT6UZtJtMHvroEnP7WFl6X5ufMZHHg6gRIplQKcMmAXRqNP6yjASm3wsLL1lbh-DLo3Z8T65wb4B1dAXbzGFVEFX99ldlQKi8kzaPEAfk_G/s1600/DTC-c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrntcMBpr0Uya3-b1uCv8n5YCAKMtzw6JcDT6UZtJtMHvroEnP7WFl6X5ufMZHHg6gRIplQKcMmAXRqNP6yjASm3wsLL1lbh-DLo3Z8T65wb4B1dAXbzGFVEFX99ldlQKi8kzaPEAfk_G/s200/DTC-c.jpg" width="173" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Dear unsatisfied customer,</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know how you feel, having bought goods and services myself
and found them wanting. The price doesn't enter into the equation and I
recognise you've chosen to spend your money on my book. Thanks for that initial
vote of confidence. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I read your review with interest - as you can imagine, I
read them all! I can't speak for your experience because, let's face it,
nothing has that fingernails-on-a-blackboard feel to it like an author trying
to justify their work to a critic. And it could be argued that if I have to
point out the good bits, or what I was trying to achieve, that's as good as
admitting I've failed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, while I'd never knowingly attempt to change a
person's mind once it's made up, may I offer some advice? If a book has really
disappointed you, when you review it why not let the author - and other readers
- know where it failed and why? That way your negative experience can be turned
into a positive by giving the author something to work on with their next book.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope the next book you choose is more to your liking. Incidentally,
I have <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Thompson/e/B0034ORY08" target="_blank">other books out there</a> that you might enjoy, or not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best wishes,</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An author</span><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725342624231517088.post-4212918209145014422016-02-07T08:28:00.000+00:002016-02-18T20:52:48.782+00:00Spotlight on Angie Sage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4hhV2VOodDWis70i5trYIYiCklAXDBdvemlOlrZ8uDS-Ec-zsor5VGcsdQeEisr8xR4IIYDqPjc95T3rfo3eFizatRdbwbsU2fV2zUCT3fTspyAsdjfljf17Hl3izxguHV4bhhgDcQ0Z/s1600/Angie+Sage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4hhV2VOodDWis70i5trYIYiCklAXDBdvemlOlrZ8uDS-Ec-zsor5VGcsdQeEisr8xR4IIYDqPjc95T3rfo3eFizatRdbwbsU2fV2zUCT3fTspyAsdjfljf17Hl3izxguHV4bhhgDcQ0Z/s320/Angie+Sage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">It all
began in Cornwall. This is where the landscape for the Septimus Heap series was
born and where Angie Sage at last got the chance to switch from illustrating
books to writing them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">Although
you will find the Septimus Heap novels in the nine to twelve years old section
of the bookshop, they were written for, and are read and appreciated by, all
ages. The books are fast paced, exciting tales of adventure full of interesting
people and many layered relationships. They take place in a fictional world,
which has enough similarities to our own to resonate, and enough differences to
intrigue and entertain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/magyk-book-1/angie-sage/9781408814932" target="_blank">MAGYK</a>,
Angie’s first book in the series, went to number one on the bestseller lists in
New York and London. “It was such a buzz, getting that phone call from my
publisher.” Her other long running series, Araminta Spook, which is for younger
children, reached the top ten of the children’s bestsellers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">Angie
grew up in the south of England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Straight out of school, she trained as a radiographer with a view to
getting into medical school, but when that actually happened life had other
plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years later she went
to art school, knowing that she wanted to be part of making beautiful
books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">“After
art school I got an agent and became a jobbing illustrator,” Angie says. “I did
Ladybird books and toddler books, but I was pretty sure I could write too. So eventually
I wrote my first book—a very simple story for under fives in rhyming couplets—and
sent it in as a dummy book. After six months they said they were still looking
at it. Six months later they told me, yes, it’s still here. I imagined it in a
dusty corner, lonely and ignored. I waited yet another six months and with a
heavy heart I phoned them up and asked them to send it back to me. The next day
I got a call from the editor, who told me, ‘I was just walking down the
corridor to put your book in the post when I realized that I don’t want to send
it back to you.’ And that was that. They took it, and on the strength of that I
got a literary agent.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">Angie
balanced life raising her two daughters with illustrating, and writing a few
early reader books. But, as with the pictures, she always felt that the early
reader books weren’t quite what she wanted to write. Then the illustration work
began to tail off. “I was actually without work for six weeks, and I thought,
well, I can’t go on any longer than three months but I’m going to use this time
to get into the atmosphere of something. I really thought that at the end of it
I would have to go back to being a radiographer. I was actually making
enquiries about refresher course,” she says with a shudder. “But I had this
scene that was haunting me, where someone finds a baby in the snow, so that’s
where it started. At the end of three months I had the first eight chapters,
and on the basis of those my agent got me a publisher.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">And so
began the Septimus Heap series, a three book deal that went to five books and
then, as the Septimus world expanded, to seven. “The characters just kept
arriving, and their lives just kept growing. When people ask me about them, I
talk about them as though they’re real because they feel real. I think it’s the
characters that sustain the series.” The series continued with the TodHunter
Moon trilogy but the publication of book three, StarChaser, in October, will be
the last of Septimus Heap—apart from a few follow-up novellas for diehard fans.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">Angie
left Cornwall in 2007 to move to a very old house in Somerset where she and
husband Rhodri discovered a huge wall-painting of Henry VIII, which at times
rather took over their life. It’s a house that would not be out of place in
Septimus Heap, but it is also a demanding creature that can make it hard to
concentrate on writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; line-height: 105%;">Angie
is disciplined in her approach, and works a full working day. “I tend to work
until the Archers comes on. If I’m into a book I will have a schedule with a
word count, usually a thousand words a day, and if I’ve not done five thousand
words in the week, I’ll need to catch up on the weekend. And then there is all
the other stuff too: emails, letters, keeping up with Septimus fans and even at
times, just finding time to think about new things, which sometimes gets lost
but is, of course, the most important thing of all.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Angie is now lead author on a project that is a departure from her normal way of working in that it involves planning five books in a series story arc but writing only the first one and handing the rest over to other writers. “It’s an interesting and different way of working,” she says, “and I’m learning a lot.” She also has a new series in mind and a standalone YA (Young Adult) novel waiting for the go-ahead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A writer’s life is about so much more than just
the writing. Angie is planning to move to a less demanding house and hoping to
get out on the water a lot more, but she has a sneaking feeling that writing is
going to be a huge part of her life for some time to come. In March 2016 she
will attend </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="http://www.thewritingretreat.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0563c1; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The Writing Retreat</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
in Cornwall as a visiting author, talking to the guests and sharing writing
tips with them. She’s looking forward to being back in Cornwall, and in such a
magical location. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
DThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11803989273524731892noreply@blogger.com4