Conference News

I attended the 2012 RNA conference at Penrith on the weekend of 13-15 July. It was a full, exciting and exhilarating weekend which has taken a full fortnight to recover from (and I hardly drank anything). I have been in a strange contemplative mood, have hardly used social media and haven’t blogged.

It is time to share what I did and learned at the conference. I shall be doing this as a series of blog posts. As a taster, my weekend included the following:-

• Meeting lots of fantastic writers, both published and unpublished.
• Individual chats with two publishers.
• A Gala dinner and a kitchen party gate-crash.
• Conference sessions:-
• Talli Roland – On-line marketing.
• Nell Dixon – Self-editing.
• Melanie Hilton – RNA New Writers’ Scheme.
• MIRA Women’s’ Fiction.
• Jane Wenham-Jones – What a way to earn a living.
• Annie Ashurst – Towards Zero – Backstory.
• Sonia Duggan – Motivation for Writers.
• Pia Fenton – Dead good ideas – using your family tree for inspiration.
• Cathy Wade – Packing that punch.

Come back soon for more detail on the above. If you were there please say hello and if you weren’t and are particularly interested in any of the above, let me know.

Jodi Picoult Talk

Ellie Swoop and I went to Birmingham yesterday to see Jodi Picoult. She is on a promotional tour for a new book for young adults written in collaboration with her daughter. We braved the rain. There were only fifty places for adults and the rest were for school children. It was a free event.

Jodi explained how the book was conceived. It was her daughter, Samantha’s idea and they took three years to complete it. Throughout the talk Jodi’s love and pride in her daughter shone from her eyes, which was lovely.

The concept of the book, "Between the Lines", (Amazon link here) is that the characters in a fairytale have their own lives when the book is closed and only have to take up their roles when someone is reading. The handsome prince decides he has had enough of the endless happy ever after and having to kiss the princess so often and wants to escape.

The book is amazingly presented with three different text colours, one for each narrative voice. There are beautiful illustrations and silhouettes. The idea behind the coloured text is to make it easier for younger readers to recognise the changes in voice.

Jodi read a passage in the Prince’s voice and Samantha a passage as the reader of the book. It was very entertaining and so well written.

The pair spent a period developing their characters and then talked the book aloud as they typed. A further period was spent editing. Samantha is only sixteen, but seemed very mature for her age.

They were very generous in answering questions from the audience and had lots of lovely comments about this book and Jodi’s adult novels. The book is currently being pitched as a film script.

There were various questions about Jodi’s adult books and she explained how she likes to tackle moral issues about which people will have differing views. She was annoyed that film producers had changed the ending to the dramatization of her book “My Sister’s Keeper”, but she explained that once you have sold the book rights you have no control over what they do with the story. Nonetheless, the film had made a much wider audience aware of her writing.

The queue to have books signed was huge, but Jodi and Samantha took their time with everyone. A thoroughly enjoyable morning and very inspirational.

Other news ….I’ve posted off my RNA New Writers’ Scheme novel for critique! Off to the RNA conference in Penrith this weekend.

Spiritual Revival

My spirits are in need of revival! Weeks of editing, friends with health and parent problems, the hamster wheel of life and hubbie being away intensively have combined to make me feel flat. I’m usually bubbly and full of life, so it doesn’t feel good – I need a holiday.

I took time out last week to take some photographs of my garden in the rain, some of you might have seen them on Facebook, and it struck me I am not making enough time ‘to smell the roses.’

So a challenge to you all. Please give below suggestions for raising my spirits and/or, if you are a writer or self-employed, how you achieve that work/life balance. Who knows the suggestions might cheer us all up.

P.S. Three quarters of the way through the edits and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel!

Union Jack

Haven’t blogged for a while as I’ve been deep into my edits, to the extent I now have eye strain! I can visualise the end, but a little while to go yet.

Meanwhile patriotic fever has overtaken the country. We have a “Last Night of the Proms” event at school this afternoon and the children had to go in red, white and blue. I shall be wearing my union jack scarf.

We went to see the torch relay in Bewdley last week and I was surprised to feel a great big rush of emotion as the torch went past me. The children were asked to interview people around them for a school magazine article, so we soon made friends with strangers around us. I have never seen the town so busy - people were eight deep on the pavements.

Big son has fledged! He moved out last weekend to a flat nearby with his girlfriend. I asked my nine year old how he felt about it. ‘Sad and happy,’ he replied. ‘Sad because he won’t be here to play football and PlayStation, but happy because I can have his bedroom.’ Cue another distraction from writing – decorating said bedroom.

Not sure what we are doing next Tuesday yet. Hubbie will be abroad, which is sad, but hopefully we will have a family gathering. What are you up to for the Jubilee?

Poetic Diarrhoea

Thirty poems written! My poem a day in April challenge is complete. Admittedly, some of the poems are a little rough round the edges, but some I am really pleased with. Now I need to polish a few and send them off to competitions, etc.

The challenge taught me a lot about my writing and the habits I need to cultivate. I am definitely happier if I write regularly. The poems have sort of anchored my writing and I have written lots of other things too. The key seems to be this internal quiet trigger which says that I am going to write today. It is difficult to describe, but it is working.

I had fun on World Book Night with 24 copies of Pride and Prejudice to give away. Two were given without leaving home – son’s girlfriend and next door neighbour.

We were meeting friends that day at Witley Court in Worcestershire. I loaded my rucksack with waterproofs and copies of P&P. I’d given away three on the car park before our friends arrived. We had lunch at the church café and a lady who worked there was giving away A Tale of Two Cities.

Morton Gray above - Ellie Swoop below

In the afternoon, Ellie Swoop and I did readings from P&P (competing with the refrigerator) in the local cafe. The next morning I took my remaining eight copies to Sainsbury’s and walked away with an empty bag – apart from the shopping of course. It was amazing how suspicious people are of you giving them something for free. I managed to give away 24 books in less than 24 hours. Result!

Congratulations to all those achieving writing success at the moment. I’m rooting for Teresa Morgan, who has had a request from two publishers for her full manuscript. Doris O’Connor and Serenity Woods seem to be selling books like crazy – go girls. A special mention goes to Sue Johnson, my writing tutor, who has just announced her third publishing success. Best wishes to one of my favourite authors Linda Gillard who is in hospital at the moment.

So, if you weren’t suspicious of being given something for free, what one thing would make a difference to your life that doesn’t cost a fortune? Feel free to mention any publishing success below or your experience of World book Night..

Wow!

Day 21 of my ‘Poem a Day’ challenge and yes I have 21 poems written, plus a few extras that didn’t quite get finished. I am not normally one to praise myself, but feel pretty pleased with myself over this. I just need to find some way of challenging myself to finish my novels. I have five in various stages of writing and editing. Now if I could only finish them….

April has included little son’s Easter school holiday. I shall be sad to see him return to school on Tuesday, but glad to regain my writing and housework routines. Hubbie is abroad at the moment (Saudi Arabia), so we went away earlier in the week to Wales with Ellie Swoop. Good fun was had by all. I’ve included a couple of photos below.

I’m typing now to try and keep warm as the boiler has decided not to work. Why do things like this always happen when hubbie is away? I remember once Dad went away and Mom’s hot water bottle burst in the middle of the night! Lol.

I have plenty poetic subjects to go at for the rest of the month, but if you would like to give me a theme to work on, please do so in a comment.

My Poetry Muscle

As if I didn’t have enough to do, I’ve agreed to take part in a version of NaPoWriMo. I am writing a poem a day for the month of April. It is going very well so far and I’m enjoying the light relief from editing. The poems are by no means masterpieces, but they are amusing me and exercising my poetry muscle. I may share a few poems as the month progresses.

Editing of my novel Rosie and Tanner is going well. I calculated yesterday that I am 38% through the penultimate pass. It doesn’t stop me going into panic tailspin every time I hear that a member of the RNA NWS has sent off their manuscript. I will get there. In the infamous words of Thomas the Tank Engine, ‘I can do it, I can do it….’

Little son is now on his Easter holiday, which carries its own distractions from writing. Big son and girlfriend both have jobs now and while they house hunt, it looks as if they will be living here. Ellie Swoop had a crisis with her water supply earlier in the week and had to come and stay. Hubbie is on holiday. I have made a big vat of ragout, as I have no idea how many people I am feeding day to day! Fun though.

Homemade Hot Cross Buns (spot the smiley face one for little son)

Today I had a go at hot cross buns and very yummy they are too. Hubbie bought the book ‘Women’s Institute Bread’ by Liz Herbert and we have been very pleased with all of the recipes we have tried so far. I loved the brie and redcurrant tear and share bread. My new relaxation method is kneading – with a favourite CD on and bread dough in your hands you feel so much better after ten minutes of pummelling.

Brie and redcurrant jelly tear and share bread

What is your favourite method of relaxation at the moment?