@kazg
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Phew! Nothing new to add to all the above, really. I don’t spend much time here because I’m spread way too thin as it is – life is crazy trying to keep a travel business alive during this time and also publicise book one and edit book two and I genuinely struggle with fitting it all in and not burning out.
However – when I do have time and inclination, the unfriendly interface puts me off, frankly. It makes it really hard to be a good community member. I too like idle chatter and the community forming nature of that, and I’m here mostly for my Random group, who led me to the Cloud and to here. I didn’t join in all that much on the public site there – I’d only joined up because of my SE course – and I wasn’t there for long anyway.
I’m one of the published writers Ath mentioned but I definitely wouldn’t rule out seeking writerly feedback here – it’s just that when you have your own editors and agent, a large part of the ‘bouncing ideas’ aspect is taken care of. You know what you have to do. But my beta reading Randoms are invaluable and their feedback is something I really prize – and I also love to read their work! Also the quality of the writing esp in the Winter Challenges is just fantastic. The range of skill and experience here makes it really valuable.
If we could make idle chat welcome and easy, like those damned addictive social media sites, then I would be here. I blame the interface of this site more than anything. I agree that letting it go for a year (because this has been a very bruising year) and then deciding is the way to go, but I also think that if it stays as it is it will die a natural death.
Thanks to everyone doing the work to keep things going, because I know that is definitely not me! x
Yes, my thoughts exactly @athelstone. I did the same thing – I specifically asked my publisher to brief the designer to NOT include illustrations of the characters, for precisely the reasons you say. I wanted the kids to have ownership of them. Silhouettes are fine, but not drawings. Funny how we all feel the same about this!
I gushed all over this on social media and have only just seen it here – so congratulations on a thing of beauty (autocorrect tried to make that a ‘biting of beauty’, and perhaps I should have let it), which is quite perfect. xx
Hi Doug, @raine and @janeshuff have both given you great feedback and I agree with them both (though Jane’s reply keeps vanishing! It’s like a hall of mirrors in here sometimes).
Thought I would jump in and give my ha’penny’s worth – I was lucky enough to be signed up by an agent and get a deal with a trad publisher (Penguin Random House) which was my personal dream mainly because I didn’t want to invest all the time and energy into marketing, promo etc that I know you need to do to make self publishing work. Which it most definitely can and maybe I will feel differently about that for another work, because it also gives you freedom and flexibility. However right now I am very happy to be guided and supported by the big ponderous publisher machine because I am less interested in DOING the business and marketing side – though I’m learning about all that and again might feel differently another time. Eg another local author who had a debut with Scholastic a couple of years ago told me how unsupportive they were and how dismal their publicity was, so he ended up rushing out at the last minute and doing a whole lot himself. He advised me to do as much as possible myself alongside the publisher – and to start doing this months in advance of release. A debut author has a 3 month window to make real sales and you won’t get that window again. Good advice – even though so far my publisher have been fantastic and really responsive and supportive.
I really wanted an agent to guide me, to be in my corner, to have a vested interest in my work and for me the 15% was worth that. Also she pushed back on my contract with Penguin and got me a better deal. I love my agent but I am VERY aware that other people have different experiences.
And I’m really interested in these indie publishers who are publishing more diverse, interesting and ‘risky’ books – ie those not fitting a more cookie cutter model of saleability – and I’m finding that all really heartening.
So there’s lots of options and it really depends on you and what you want to put into the mix.
It’s SO brilliant @janeshuff and its heartening to see these indie presses opening the field up to interesting, less mainstream and more diverse work. The publishing field could do with some opening up and its good to see it happening here. So happy your work has found a good home! See you out there in 2021 and CONGRATULATIONS! ??
Yes, I agree with @raine and @jillybean. Boyne is clearly lazy and arrogant with it. I recall some online stoush he had with the Auschwitz Memorial Museum (!!) when they criticised the historical accuracy of his book, and his snooty and dismissive response. I have despised him since I must say. I tend to research more than I need but I have a horror of getting it wrong and misrepresenting whatever it is I’m writing about. You can twist the facts but you have to know that you’re doing it! And be consistent in your rules. I’m getting two experts in Victorian London to read my silly half made up books to double check, even after all this (one of them is the gt-gt-gt granddaughter of Charles Dickens and an author herself, and another the former director of the Florence nightingale Museum and the Keeper of Medicine at the Science Museum. yes, it’s overkill!).
Thank you Richard – sorry, my original reply has also slipped through a portal. I hadn’t heard of this book and as a HUGE admirer of Ursula le Guin I will do my best to remedy that (might be a challenge, from what you say). Thank you for a fascinating blog and for highlighting so clearly how fantasy can be just as powerful, if not more so, at speaking to human reality as something embedded in the ‘real’ world.
Oh WOW @elle! That is such a brilliant ride – 3 agents offering rep, including your dream agent! That is truly the dream 🙂 And yes, it must be a ripper of a book. Having seen some of your writing, I’m not in the least surprised. CONGRATULATIONS!! Enjoy the giddiness 🙂
I can’t tell you how delighted I am to hear this, @janette! SO well deserved! I love that short story and look forward to reading the full length version. congratulations and crack out the bubbly (I’m sure you already have) xx
I’m astounded by all these badly behaved agents, because bad behaviour it is. It’s just rude, and they must understand how galling it is for an author to get their hopes up needlessly – or maybe they don’t. And as for not replying after requesting a full – well, it’s appalling. @janette your experience in particular has me fuming. How can he gush on like that, to end with a ‘dear John’ letter penned by someone else? It’s rude and unprofessional.
@hilary, your writing is exquisite so please don’t doubt that for a moment, if you are. Perhaps this agent is not someone you want to work with, after all – like the others, how can she not see how to market book club lit? Isn’t it just literary fiction, but more approachable and therefore saleable? And that comment about your age – what rubbish. She’s showing her own weaknesses as an agent if these are really issues for her.But the positive news is that your book really snagged her attention and interest, and she is still interested, pending edits. That in itself is huge. Your book stood out, and she wanted to meet you – even if she didn’t offer rep (and she handled that really badly, imo), she is definitely interested in you and your work.
Hi @katemachon, just got to this. I love the voice! I do agree about paring down the descriptions, making them part of the action as much as possible. And yes, you need to give us a reason to be on Ariadne’s side – give us her motivations, what she wants, what she fears.
I would also warn against overthinking the whole positioning of it, especially at first draft. I loosely, kind-of thought the book I was writing was YA, right up until the point my agent told me the publisher wanted to pitch it as MG. I really gave no thought to that in the writing, beyond the age of my protagonists and the story I was telling. Of course the subject matter and concerns, ie no sex, no adult angst etc – but you get that automatically if you are tight in the head of a younger character. I would say get a firm feel for your protaganist, what she wants, what she fears, her world, and then let rip. Have fun with it. See where it goes. That’s how I wrote my best stuff, anyway!
Also – don’t forget Philip Pullman is positioned as MG, as is the Miss Peregrine series. So you can do dark and sophisticated at this level as well. I would focus less on what you CAN’T do in MG and more on what the rich possibilities are for this story 🙂
For what it’s worth my books are 3rd person and I find that works really well. As Squidge says, you can get just as close and personal in 3rd person as in first, and it gives you more freedom. Good luck, and more importantly, have fun!
I’m SURE she will @skylark 🙂
I think all second book doubts/worries are very normal and to be expected, especially with a big change eg of voice. But push those doubts aside and let that shittiness have its day. It’s all part of the process (and shitty first drafts are always so entertaining to look back on!).
Hello @skylark! and everyone else! How nice to see you all here having a chat. Exciting about your second book Mandy, I’m sure it’ll be a cracker. Are you feeling any of those second book pressures after a successful book 1? I loved Jessika so much – in fact there is a wonderful book shop here, my local one luckily, called Brunswick Bound. They host a monthly bookclub which is fabulous (I don’t get there as much as I’d like but it’s alway interesting and wide ranging as anyone can drop in.) The host is lovely, intelligent and considered, and also provides free wine and snacks so what’s not to love? ANYWAY we were discussing Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Aussie author) and the whole child-voice approach. She said she had yet to read a book with a child-voice narrator that really captured her or felt truly convincing and solid and I said, well, I have this writer friend, and told her about you and Jessika. She hadn’t read it so I’ve left it with her as I’m certain it will change her mind! Also she might buy it for her shop 🙂
actually that would be really interesting @athelstone – putting these memories into the I Remember format (which does seem to intensify them somehow, the way it jumps and juxtaposes gives a really different feel than a narrative does). You should try that!
This is wonderful @athelstone. It feels like a tender and perceptive remembering and Maggie seems extraordinary. You’ve drawn her with a light, deft touch. There’s self awareness and real affection in there too. Beautifully done, without a hint of sentimentality.
Oh that’s fantastic!! Brilliant news, very happy for you! When do we get to read the micro masterpiece? 🙂
That’s exactly the sort of detail-conundrum that gets my knickers in a twist, too! I agree with @philippaeast on this. I’m hearing a mobile that rings and rings, cuts out and then almost immediately rings and rings, cuts out, etc etc. Without knowing exactly what that signifies in your story I think it has the same level of hopeful/hopeless effort and also stress that a constantly ringing phone does.
This looks absolutely brilliant! They both do actually and thank you for the reminder about book 1 – I’ve just downloaded both of them and am really looking forward to getting my teeth into them.
Contraception details! Sheep wool beards!! Are you planning on releasing a kind of “Ironside’s Notes’ on your research rabbit holes to accompany your books? and if not, please do 🙂
Congratulations Sandra! An 8-year gestation after a sprint start 🙂 Well done on persevering and turning your dream and idea into a proper, finished book!
Thank you @barny! 🙂
THANK YOU all! I’ve been so moved by all the generous responses all round. The writing community is really the best.
Spent most of yesterday in a champagne-induced haze but now back to work 🙂 🙂
My vote goes to:
“A Lyttle Goes a Long Way”
The Improbable Life of an Ulster StorytellerI’m intrigued by the idea of an improbable life! Improbable tales abound, but an improbable life really piques my interest.
That’s my tuppence worth, anyway 🙂
Congratulations @sandra! And well done @raine, I’m sorry I didn’t join in as I somehow missed this new version of a comp (great idea btw)…but my fault entirely. I will read all these with relish 🙂 x
Boosting your straw poll stats, Tony, I too prefer your working title – hands down. It’s interesting, unusual and specific – far better than a generic title in my opinion. I would pick it up to see what it meant, if nothing else, whereas I wouldn’t even glance at Limelight, I don’t think.
I also like ‘improbable’ as an adjective – again it’s specific and would make me want to know how it was improbable. Whereas the other ones are generic and much-used – also subjective, as someone’s else’s ‘amazing’ etc might not be mine, whereas ‘improbable’ is just that, wherever you’re coming from.
and no to ‘unrelenting’ from me – negative connotations!
